"The Final Match… Namikaze Minato vs. Yoru!"
The proctor raised his hand, announcing the final showdown.
The entire arena reached its peak excitement. Under the anticipation of countless spectators, Namikaze Minato stepped onto the battlefield, standing face-to-face with Yoru.
Minato smiled warmly at Yoru and said, "I didn't expect my final opponent to be you… But I'm glad. I've been looking forward to this match."
His gentle demeanor and elegant posture made Kushina, watching from the stands, involuntarily pout. She and Yoru had the same thought.
What a delicate-looking guy.
Despite his undeniable talent and handsome appearance, there was something about Minato that seemed a bit… soft.
"I feel honored," Yoru replied with a slight smile, nodding at Minato.
Minato chuckled. "Honored might be a bit much."
What he didn't know was that Yoru wasn't talking about the present Minato. He was talking about the future Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage!
A chance to battle against the future Fourth Hokage? That was enough to get Yoru's blood boiling.
Moreover, Minato was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.
"Final match, begin!"
The moment the proctor's hand came down, Yoru didn't hold back at all. He exploded forward at full speed, launching a powerful punch straight at Minato.
Against a genius like Minato, any hesitation would be suicidal.
It wasn't about trying to end the fight instantly. It was about striking with everything he had, just like a lion pouncing on its prey.
The instant Yoru accelerated, gasps echoed through the arena.
This was the first time since the combat exam began that Yoru had truly revealed his speed.
Until now, he had relied solely on his overwhelming strength to crush his opponents.
But now, to the academy students watching, Yoru's speed was almost supernatural!
To them, he wasn't just moving—he was vanishing and reappearing, leaving only afterimages behind!
"So fast!"
"He's not just strong?! His speed is insane too?!"
Even the observing Jōnin were visibly shocked.
This level of speed… was already on par with a Chūnin!
Yoru wasn't even using weights.
With the True Eight Gates technique activated, his speed now rivaled a weightless Rock Lee. The first gate, which unlocked the body's natural limiters, provided a terrifying boost.
"Too fast!"
Minato's pupils contracted. As Yoru's punch closed in, his hands moved rapidly, forming seals at an astonishing speed.
Just before Yoru's fist could connect, Minato's figure suddenly burst apart—shattering into pieces.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed, but the "Minato" that had been standing there… was just a log.
Substitution Jutsu!
Yoru wasn't surprised. He didn't even bother looking back as his other fist clenched tightly and struck behind him.
Crack!
The air itself shattered like glass, forming spiderweb-like fractures.
Behind him, several shuriken that Minato had thrown froze midair, as if trapped in time.
With a vibrating hum, the shuriken scattered apart, completely obliterated by Yoru's Vibration Release.
"As expected… very tricky."
Minato had appeared behind Yoru and was now staring at him with newfound seriousness.
Minato's reflexes were superior to nearly anyone—later in life, even the Fourth Raikage admitted Minato was faster than him.
So he could react to Yoru's speed.
But dealing with it? That was a different story.
If Yoru were just strong, Minato had countless strategies to counter him.
But fast and strong? That was a real headache.
This is my worst kind of opponent… Minato thought. If I take even one punch, I'm done for.
He reached into his pouch, pulling out a shuriken.
Yoru turned to face him, calm and composed.
Whatever Minato was planning, it wouldn't matter if he got close.
One solid hit. That's all I need.
Even a Chūnin would struggle to withstand Yoru's Vibration Release.
And while Minato was incredibly gifted, he wasn't quite at that level yet.
Whoosh!
Minato suddenly flung the shuriken toward Yoru while rapidly forming hand seals.
Mid-flight, the shuriken seemed to blur.
Then, it split into two.
Then four.
Then eight.
Within moments, the sky was filled with a rain of shuriken, streaking toward Yoru like a hurricane!
The crowd was stunned.
"That's the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!"
"Did he teach himself? His talent is terrifying!"
The academy students and even the Jōnin watching were all shocked.
Yet despite the incoming storm of blades, Yoru's face remained expressionless.
His fist tightened.
And then—he swung.
It didn't matter how many shuriken came at him.
It didn't matter if there were a thousand.
A single punch was all he needed.
BOOM!
The air itself shook violently as Yoru unleashed a wave of vibrating force.
Every single shuriken in the sky froze—then shattered into nothingness.
A breathtaking sight.
To think this was a battle between academy students? Impossible.
But it wasn't over.
Amidst the shower of destroyed shuriken, a few suddenly changed.
Whoosh!
They weren't just shuriken.
They had explosive tags attached!
"This move…"
Yoru narrowed his eyes but didn't even retract his fist.
There was no need.
If one punch wasn't enough—then he'd just punch again.
Vibration Release: Full Burst!
Boom!
A second shockwave erupted, engulfing the entire area in front of him.
Fine cracks ran through the air like a shattered mirror, distorting space itself.
The explosive tags ignited—
BOOM!
But they couldn't advance.
They were halted midair, unable to reach Yoru.
Yet at that moment, a sudden gust of wind howled through the battlefield.
Sweeping away the smoke and dust in an instant.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Minato had used the perfect opportunity—releasing a powerful gust of wind while Yoru was busy countering the previous attack.
The wind jutsu had already arrived.
There was no time to dodge.
And unlike shuriken or kunai—this was a C-rank Ninjutsu!