"The third match! Both contestants, please enter the arena!"
Following Minato's announcement, Ryuji and Setsuna both stood up.
In unison, they turned to look at each other.
Then, Ryuji gave a slight smile, ignoring the other's provocative gaze, turned, and walked out through the contestant entrance tunnel.
Setsuna, on the other hand, snorted coldly, holding a black rod as thick as an egg, and flipped over the railing from the spectator stands, jumping directly into the arena.
The pre-fight tension between the two sparked another wave of cheers from the audience, who had completely forgotten this was a duel ignited for the prestige of two villages and to resolve conflicts, treating it purely as a match.
Regarding this, Hiruzen remained oblivious.
He was still pondering how to resolve the potential future crisis with the lowest risk.
…
Tap, tap, tap...
Clear footsteps echoed in the silent tunnel. Ryuji, with a smile on his face, walked step by step towards the entrance.
Suddenly, Gin appeared from the staircase at a corner.
"Master."
Gin bowed respectfully to Ryuji.
Ryuji nodded slightly and asked, "Is your body alright?"
"No problems," Gin replied with a calm expression. "That Hyuga's penetrating fist force couldn't damage the devices inside my body."
Ryuji nodded slightly. "This was somewhat fortunate. When I upgrade your body, I'll create an internal defense system."
Although Gin's body lacks the internal organs of a normal person, it has devices that replace their functions. These devices aren't as fragile as human organs, so the Hyuga's internal-attacking fist force couldn't pose a threat to them.
However, while it couldn't pose a threat, that doesn't mean there was no effect at all.
It was also Gin's first encounter with an attack that could ignore muscle and bone defense to directly strike internal parts. As a result, when initially struck in the abdomen, the organ devices inside experienced vibrations, causing discomfort and continuous vomiting.
Only after adapting later did the vomiting stop.
Moreover,
Although the Gentle Fist is a Taijutsu that attacks internal organs and Chakra Pathways through muscles and bones, that doesn't mean it has zero surface-level destructive power.
That Hyuga's strength, even without using Gentle Fist techniques, could smash a giant rock with one punch. The Hyuga main house also has techniques that start destruction from the surface, which are extremely powerful.
Unfortunately, that Hyuga wasn't a member of the Hyuga Clan, only knowing a smattering of the branch house's Gentle Fist. And Gin's muscle density is over a hundred times that of a normal person, with the skeletal framework composed of a combination of various metals and calcium compounds. Both impact resistance and load-bearing capacity far surpass those of an ordinary person.
That's why she could withstand so many attacks without issue.
If it were someone else, it might be a different story.
However, if it were someone else, Gin wouldn't have been so overwhelmingly defeated in close combat either.
In short, the defense of the internal devices is a potential weakness that needs improvement.
"Yes, Master."
…
Upon entering from the tunnel, a wave of cheers, growing louder and louder, overwhelmed the previous silence.
Ryuji looked at Setsuna waiting for him in the center of the arena and couldn't help but smile slightly, quickening his pace towards him.
"What took you so long?"
Seeing the enemy who had humiliated him and insulted the Uchiha Clan standing before him, Setsuna couldn't resist a sarcastic remark. "Were you afraid of being killed in front of everyone, losing honor and your life, so you thought of backing out at the last moment?"
"Afraid?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "Of course, I'm afraid. I'm afraid someone might pull another 'fall-and-sue' trick, instantly lying on the ground. Wouldn't I have to kneel and beg you not to die?"
"You..."
"Contestants, take your positions!"
Minato's voice cut off the furious Setsuna.
After two duels where both sides spared each other's lives, the relationship between Sunagakure's delegation and Konoha had become more amicable. He couldn't let the two continue their hostile confrontation.
It would ruin the hard-won harmony.
However,
He also knew that this duel itself was held to resolve the grudge between the Uchiha Clan and Sunagakure's delegation. Expecting them to spare each other's lives like in the previous two matches was basically impossible.
'I just hope both sides can accept defeat gracefully, let go, and not disregard the prior agreement or seek private revenge after losing the duel.'
Setsuna, cut off mid-sentence, was so angry his face flushed red.
He looked at Minato, who pretended not to see, then at the smug-looking Ryuji. His face turned from red to dark, looking as if it could drip water. "Fine, fine, fine. I see it now. The village stands with outsiders to bully us Uchiha.
Alright, I understand. I'll make sure you all shut up completely. Let's begin!"
Minato opened his mouth, wanting to explain something.
But after looking at Ryuji and the cheering audience in the stands, he closed his mouth.
He took a deep breath and raised his right hand. "The third duel, begins... now!"
The moment the words fell, Setsuna swung his rod in a wide arc, slamming it forward with all his might, its target range actually including Minato.
Fortunately, Minato reacted quickly, using the Body Flicker Technique to jump out of the combat range in time.
If it were someone else, caught off guard, they'd likely have their head smashed open by the rod.
"What's wrong with you?"
Looking at the misplaced strike, Ryuji tilted his head slightly.
The audience outside the arena and Minato, who had stopped at a distance, also looked with questioning eyes at the culprit of this blunder.
Setsuna didn't mind. He propped one hand on the rod, using the other to dig at his earwax, offering an insincere apology. "Sorry about that. My hand slipped just now; didn't get the direction right."
Minato stared deeply at Setsuna, took a sharp breath, and said, "Then, focus on your match properly!"
After saying that, he used Body Flicker Technique to go to the spectator stands to avoid being targeted by excuses for attack again.
"Who are you trying to fool?"
Setsuna disdainfully spat, then looked at Ryuji with intense hostility. "The meddler is gone. Show me your skills and let's have a proper fight."
"Hold on," Ryuji looked at his arrogant opponent with great confusion. "You were instantly defeated by me just yesterday. Where does this confidence to be so arrogant come from?"
"A Shinobi's essence is to find the enemy's weakness and deliver a one-hit kill..."
Setsuna swung his long rod while slowly circling around Ryuji, his eyes now having activated the Sharingan. "I never imagined there could be someone in this world with a sea of mental energy. So, it's not surprising that using Genjutsu on you backfired and got me instantly defeated. But if you think the Uchiha only knows Genjutsu, you're gravely mistaken. I'll show you the true power of the Sharingan."
As he spoke, Setsuna mixed Chakra into his voice, making it sound from all directions.
And the moment he finished speaking, he charged fiercely from behind Ryuji, the long rod raised high overhead, aiming to split his head open.
But Ryuji, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, took a step forward, simultaneously using that foot as a pivot to turn around.
Thud!
The iron rod slid down in front of him, striking the ground.
Setsuna's sneak attack failed. He tried to lift the rod to launch a follow-up attack, but Ryuji stomped on it, pressing down on it steadily like a thousand-pound boulder.