At the edge of the field, the referee loudly announced that since Maruboshi Kosuke had forfeited, Higashino Shinichi would automatically advance.
Immediately afterward, the matchup list for the next round was announced:
Might Duy VS Sunagakure genin - Sunamaru!
The intent behind this arrangement was quite obvious—another battle of attrition.
Even if Duy managed to win, the match right after would inevitably be an internal Konohagakure showdown.
Whether it was Shinichi or Duy who advanced in the end, it meant Konohagakure's contestants would suffer unnecessary internal wear and consumption before the finals.
The match began.
Sunamaru was a typical Sunagakure tactical shinobi, skilled at using Wind Release ninjutsu at mid-range to pin an opponent down, while pairing it with precise ninja tool throws to seal off their movement routes.
His strategy was very clear: he would never let this Konohagakure shinobi—who looked like he only knew taijutsu—get close.
Duy's offense was direct and pure, charging straight in with astonishing speed, trying to close the distance.
Each step left a shallow mark on the hard rocky ground. Sunamaru's Wind Release: Great Breakthrough and the nonstop barrage of shuriken were narrowly avoided by Duy with simple yet highly efficient footwork, or knocked away outright with chakra-wrapped fists and feet.
For a time, the match fell into a deadlock.
Sunamaru couldn't use ninjutsu and ninja tools to deal a truly effective heavy blow, and Duy also couldn't break through that dense mid-range fire net to truly reach his opponent.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
After failing to break through for so long, Duy let out a loud shout. His body suddenly spun, and a powerful sweeping kick forced back the Sunamaru who had pressed in, trying to sneak an ambush. Duy himself also used the momentum to retreat several steps.
He breathed slightly heavier, staring at the opponent who had started forming hand seals again. His gaze sharpened.
'This can't go on..... Should I use that? But if it's only the First Gate.....'
He remembered the image of that child Guy—when he learned Duy was coming to take part in the Chūnin Exams—his face filled with anticipation and excitement. It flashed clearly through Duy's mind.
'...At the very least, I can't stop here! I can't let Guy down!'
He took a deep breath. Some kind of restriction inside his body seemed to be quietly forced open.
Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest—open!
Boom!
A powerful chakra surged forth, forming a strong, invisible airwave that violently spread outward from Might Duy as the center!
His skin flushed slightly red, faint heat mist rising from his body, and his overall presence abruptly climbed.
"Youth—this is the time to bloom!"
Before the words had even finished, his figure had already vanished from where he stood.
So fast!
Sunamaru's pupils shrank sharply, his hands forming seals freezing midair. In his vision, a fist wrapped in blue chakra had already filled the entire frame.
With the explosive strength and speed he had gained from opening two Gates, he focused all of his power into this single strike.
Bang!
His fist landed solidly on Sunamaru's crossed arms as he blocked.
The terrifying force smashed his defensive posture outright. The remaining momentum didn't stop—blasting him off the ground and sending him flying in an arc before he crashed heavily at the edge of the arena. He struggled twice, but in the end he couldn't get back up.
The entire crowd fell silent for an instant, then a cacophony of discussion erupted. That momentary burst of speed and power had exceeded many people's understanding of taijutsu.
On the high platform, the Third Kazekage's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned his head to look at the Third Hokage beside him. "Hokage-dono, that genin from your village—what he just used..... it doesn't seem like ordinary taijutsu. That sudden surge of chakra and speed—was it some kind of special secret art?"
The Third Hokage took a pull of his pipe, an appropriately timed, gently puzzled, kindly smile appearing on his face. "Well... Kazekage-dono, you've put this old man in a difficult spot. Perhaps it's something he figured out on his own—some way of drawing out his potential? Young people always have some unexpected creativity."
He deftly avoided giving a substantive answer and pushed the question back.
The Third Kazekage's gaze darkened slightly. Knowing he wouldn't get anything, he said no more—only turning his eyes back to the field.
In his heart, the stone he had originally set down because Maruboshi Kosuke withdrew from the tournament seemed to lift again, just a little.
This Konohagakure shinobi who "only knew taijutsu" didn't seem so simple after all.
Down below, Might Duy walked back to the rest area and took the water and towel Shinichi handed him. He silently wiped his face, hesitated for a moment, and still tested the waters as he spoke: "Shinichi, how about.... I forfeit the next match too, like Kosuke-senpai did? That way you can stay at full strength to face the final opponent....."
"Forfeit? Senior Kosuke had his own reasons, and as for you..." Shinichi cut him off. "Duy-senpai, don't you always say that in youth, there's no such thing as giving up?"
Let you forfeit? How could that be.
If you quit, what am I supposed to level up?
He had specifically invited Might Duy not only because he valued the Eight Gates as a safety net—powerful enough to turn the tide at a critical moment.
Another important reason was that he had foreseen the possibility of the two of them meeting in the finals.
Shinichi planned that, when the time came, he would rely entirely on taijutsu and clash head-on with this man who had carried the creed of taijutsu to its absolute extreme.
The villagers of Konoha had long since become used to the performance of a "great genius" like him; their threshold was simply too high.
But the spectators from Sunagakure didn't have that kind of immunity.
On a finals stage watched by all, a peak showdown fought with the purest strength and skill was undoubtedly the perfect arena to break through the halo's concealment and make the world recognize—deeply, once again—his talent in taijutsu.
This was crucial to advancing his [Taijutsu Basics] and even his [Innate Divine Strength] Entries.
"But....." Duy scratched his head, looking somewhat hesitant.
"Rank isn't the only thing." Shinichi looked at him and said seriously, "As long as, during the match, you fully demonstrate your strength, will, and bearing, the judges will naturally give a fair evaluation. A battle fought with everything you have is itself the best proof for promotion to chūnin."
"Well said!"
Old Master Chen, who had been standing nearby with his arms crossed, walked over. Behind his round dark glasses, his gaze swept across the two of them, his voice loud and resonant. "The path of taijutsu is about pressing forward without hesitation! If you start thinking about retreat and weighing gains and losses before the fight even begins, Duy—once your fists hesitate, that breath is gone. Since Shinichi has this kind of awareness and confidence, then you should respond with all your passion! Let the people of Sunagakure—and everyone else—see what kind of courageous and fearless heart our Konohagakure taijutsu shinobi possess!"
Chen's words were like a shot of adrenaline, instantly replacing the hesitation in Might Duy's eyes with that familiar blaze. He clenched his fists tightly and nodded heavily. "I understand! Chen-sensei, Shinichi! Then let us..... in the upcoming match, let our youth bloom!"
"Duy-senpai, when it's our turn to fight, please use the move you just used to defeat your opponent. Don't hold back." Shinichi looked at Duy and spoke again.
He had his own considerations.
Duy's normal strength probably only barely touched the threshold of chūnin.
As for Shinichi's own assessment of his strength, it had at least reached the level of a special jōnin.
There was a considerable gap between them in base strength.
If Duy did not use the Eight Gates, Shinichi could win easily.
But that would run counter to the "shocking showdown" he had envisioned—one powerful enough to shake the audience's perception and redefine his taijutsu talent.
He needed Duy to display that power beyond the ordinary.
Of course, opening a few Gates for show would be enough—who knew whether the honored audience could tell the difference anyway.
Upon hearing this, hesitation once again appeared on Duy's face. But when he looked into Shinichi's calm yet exceptionally firm eyes, and recalled the encouragement and trust Shinichi had shown earlier, he hesitated only briefly before nodding firmly and squeezing out a single word through his teeth: "Good!"
He agreed—not only to respond to Shinichi's expectations, but perhaps also to prove to himself, and to everyone, just what kind of dazzling brilliance the taijutsu path he had insisted upon could ultimately unleash.
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