After a full minute of fierce verbal sparring, Minato and Gaara both surged forward with incredible speed and collided with explosive force.
Immediately after, the two exchanged a quick volley of probing attacks with shuriken and kunai. Finally, after landing a short distance apart, Minato vanished in an instant.
Uchiha Hayashi, who had insight into Minato's potential, once remarked that Minato was destined to evolve into a speed‑type shinobi.
As a result, during his training at Mount Myōboku, Minato set aside the sealing techniques he once favored and instead followed Jiraiya's guidance to master the successive Body Flicker Technique.
Now, the results of that relentless training were on full display in this Chunin Exam match.
From the stands, the Third Hokage watched with a surprised expression. He had known some of Minato's background from Jiraiya's reports, but he had never paid him much attention until now; this young man was a true prodigy.
In his mind, the Third Hokage began calculating how best to nurture such an extraordinary talent.
On the arena floor, with Minato constantly evading his attacks, Gaara muttered in frustration, "Is dodging the only thing you can do?"
Minato did not respond. He took advantage of the moment and activated Body Flicker once more, his kunai slicing sharply against Gaara's Iron Sand shield with a screech.
Magnet Release — Gold Dust Shuriken.
Since his raw speed alone couldn't overwhelm Gaara, Minato was forced to rely on wide‑area techniques to keep him on the defensive. Gaara, for his part, did not believe Minato could sustain continuous use of the Body Flicker Technique.
After ten minutes of this back‑and‑forth, Gaara was shocked to see that Minato showed no sign of fatigue. In fact, the blonde youth only seemed to grow more resolute as the fight progressed.
Both combatants were visibly injured, but if this continued, the first to fall would almost certainly be Gaara.
Is this guy really from a civilian upbringing? His chakra reserves are enormous!
Gaara, wrapped in his Iron Sand defense once more, now had less than half of his chakra left, yet Minato remained brimming with vigor.
"Chakra sealing scrolls are really remarkable," Hayashi observed, gazing at the seals on both of his hands and nodding.
In other words, Minato was extraordinarily intelligent. He knew his weaknesses and used all available knowledge to overcome them and excel.
If Minato didn't die in the future, no one could guess how far he might go…
When Hayashi looked back up, the battle in the arena was still deadlocked.
Gaara's Iron Sand shield couldn't catch Minato's speed, yet that thick armor of sand was also something Minato could not easily penetrate.
After such a prolonged fight, the first to break was not Minato, but Gaara, as evidenced by his increasingly impatient expression and more aggressive maneuvers.
Even in Gaara's thoughts, there was a hint of regret. If he had used a powerful, decisive technique from the start, it might not have become so difficult.
But that was only an "if." Now, his chakra could no longer support a prolonged battle, while Minato seemed inexhaustible. He needed to end the fight quickly.
Magnet Release — Iron Sand World Order.
Complex hand seals formed in an instant, and Gaara's remaining chakra drained suddenly. Thanks to the dedicated training of the Third Kazekage, even at his young age, he could use this Magnet Release technique, considered forbidden by many.
Instantly, a massive amount of Iron Sand rose high into the sky, a breathtaking sight that drew every eye in the audience.
The Iron Sand twisted and shaped itself rapidly into a terrifying formation.
But to Minato's exceptionally sharp reflexes, everything seemed to slow down. In the next moment, he saw his opening.
The Third Kazekage on the high platform slapped his own forehead, thinking to himself exactly what everyone was thinking.
That was reckless; using a technique you barely master only brings trouble.
Rasengan.
Minato, now capable of forming the Rasengan without requiring a Shadow Clone, appeared behind Gaara in a blink and drove the spinning ball of chakra forward without hesitation.
The Rasengan's internal twisting force was devastating. Unless a shinobi possessed a defense on par with the Third Raikage's strength, there was no resisting it.
Sure enough, Gaara, protected only by a single layer of Iron Sand defense, was blasted backward instantly. Mid‑air, he felt a fierce, metallic taste rush up his throat.
"Did I… lose?"
"The winner: Namikaze Minato."
Hayashi steadied Minato's slightly swaying form and raised his hand to announce the result to the stunned audience.
"Cover your ears."
Hayashi whispered this to Minato. Minato looked at him with confusion, as if asking why.
But at that moment, he knew.
From the stands, deafening cheers had erupted, engulfing the arena for the young shinobi who had just achieved victory.
Cheers like:
"Nicely done, best friend."
"That was incredible!"
…Sogou
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