Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. After the group finished visiting Nawaki in the hospital and returned to the arena, the next match was already about to begin.
"I won't give up the victory in this match, Minato‑kun," Kushina said seriously as she stepped onto the field, her expression unwavering. Her goal was clear and non‑negotiable.
If she defeated Minato she would advance to the finals and face Mikoto.
"I won't admit defeat either," Minato replied with a calm smile, yet anyone listening would hear the firm determination in his voice.
"Good luck to both of you," Sakumo announced, then signaled for them to take their stances.
"Hey, furball, pay the rent!" Kushina shouted teasingly toward the chakra cage on her back, like an outspoken landlady scolding her tenant.
Kurama let out a low snort, annoyance rising, as thick chakra spilled from Kushina's body into the huge cage. The mix of chakra and ominous aura rolled outwards like dark red mist, strange yet hypnotic to onlookers.
"What is that?" the crowd murmured loudly.
Even the Third Kazekage, known for his calm and stoic presence, frowned and stared at the stage intently.
From his perspective, this wasn't just simple chakra from a jinchūriki; this was something far more intense than ordinary tailed beast chakra manifests. It wasn't merely the jinchūriki using more of the tailed beast's power, the way Gaara's sand responded to Shukaku, it was something deeper and far more deliberate.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the Kazekage's reaction with a quiet smile; many in the audience would later lie awake recalling this moment. But such displays were part of the Chunin Exam's purpose — a political stage as much as a test of skill.
Minato, standing opposite Kushina, felt the pressure escalate instantly. He had expected Kushina to be fierce, but he had not anticipated that she would reveal such a significant bit of her power at the very start.
However, Minato had already thought of ways to respond during the break.
A sudden explosion reverberated through the grassy arena.
With Kurama's chakra augmenting her speed, Kushina vanished in a blur. Two lethal chakra claws erupted from the fox chakra cloak she wore. These chakra constructs were more agile and unpredictable than she had imagined, putting even Minato's Body Flicker Technique to the test.
Each claw split into smaller shards of chakra, spreading rapidly across the arena and shrinking Minato's maneuvering space.
"The battle won't be won like this," Minato thought urgently, evading yet another burst of chakra claws. Then he reached for the scrolls he had prepared well before the match began.
Sealing Technique, Evil Sealing Method, he activated, pulling the dense sealing incantations into his hands and onto his kunai.
Chakra wrapped around his weapons and hands as he braced himself. Then without hesitation he discarded the kunai and grasped two of the approaching chakra beast claws with his bare hands, crushing them as the sealing energy dissolved them on contact.
The Evil Sealing Method isn't meant for long use, but in this moment it served as Minato's countermeasure.
Nearby, Sakumo watched and commented, "Sealing techniques, powerful for someone so young."
Hayashi smiled quietly and replied, "You won't be the first to question this, and certainly not the last."
Sakumo shrugged, "He's not the same type of shinobi as Jiraiya."
Minato pressed forward, weaving between lingering chakra beast claws, stepping closer to Kushina's central position.
"Prepare to use the enhanced blast," Kurama spoke directly into Kushina's mind.
"Understood."
Kushina formed the required seals, and a bright sphere of light laced with Kurama's chakra appeared in her hand.
Suddenly explosive wind blades surged outward in every direction, targeting Minato's position with ferocity.
Anticipating the attack, Minato had already created a shadow clone, sending his real body airborne just before the blast hit.
While the wind blades clashed with the arena barrier at the edge of the field, the clone dissolved. The real Minato soared above the dangerous zone thanks to an immediate Wind Release technique he used to propel himself upward.
Moments later, the familiar glowing orb in Kushina's hand triggered memories in the audience.
Sakumo squinted and said, "Isn't that the attack that rocked Konoha last time?"
Hayashi, standing on the sidelines ready to leap in if needed, made no sound but watched intently.
Then the explosion arrived.
A massive blast of light and force engulfed the battlefield, so violent most spectators pressed their hands to their ears and eyes.
Cracks began to spiderweb across the reinforced barrier, threatening its integrity under the pressure.
For a full minute the aftershocks rattled the arena, dust falling as though the structure were disintegrating. Just when panic seemed imminent, the chaos finally subsided.
"Huff…" The leader of the Konoha Sealing Squad exhaled, brow dripping with sweat. Without constant reinforcement during the explosion the barrier would have collapsed.
"What a powerful opponent," White Fang muttered, gazing at Minato huddled near the edge of the arena.
"How did he survive?" someone else asked. The arena itself had been reduced almost two meters deep, yet Minato showed only signs of chakra exhaustion, not fatal injury.
Hayashi noticed something unusual surrounding Minato — an array of spent sealing scrolls. Half were chakra sealing scrolls, half were impact absorption scrolls.
"So he set them up ahead of time, using scroll after scroll to defend against the explosion," Hayashi said quietly.
Minato hadn't mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique yet, and technically was still a Genin, but he had used ingenuity to prepare defenses in advance, sacrificing scrolls one after another while resisting the massive blast.
"This guy… he probably made scrolls for a week," Hayashi thought privately.
Meanwhile, new energy stirred on the battlefield.
Kushina remained standing, though pale, her chakra clearly drained. Yet the fox chakra cloak still pulsed around her, supplied constantly by Kurama.
"Give up, Minato," Kushina said firmly, exhaustion evident in her voice. "You stand no chance."
Minato, lying on the ground, smiled tiredly, shaking his head with resolve.
He wanted to see how far he could push his limits.
Seeing his determination, Kushina did not hold back. She leapt forward in powerful strides, chakra beast claws suddenly converging and slashing toward Minato's face.
Because she had commanded Kurama to remove corrosive chakra attributes, the worst outcome would be Minato losing consciousness without fatal injury.
But in the next heartbeat, something unexpected happened.
Minato's body vanished and reappeared in a blur — so fast that Kushina's chakra claws cut only air.
Caught off guard, Kushina was knocked back by the force of the movement, her fox chakra cloak dissipating like foam.
Landing awkwardly, she winced as the loss of Kurama's constant chakra supply suddenly became very noticeable.
Looking up, she saw Minato lying on the ground, eyes closed, a small but content smile on his face.
Five Elements Sealing.
The arena fell silent.
"Winner, Uzumaki Kushina," Sakumo announced, his voice firm.
Everyone was left speechless by the intensity they had just witnessed.
___
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