After the battle between Yuya and Hyūga Setsuna concluded, the chief proctor announced the members of the second matchup.
By coincidence, Namikaze Minato was among them.
After stepping onto the field, Minato didn't dominate with a single brutal punch like Yuya—but he still resolved the fight swiftly and cleanly.
With a simple Substitution Jutsu, followed by a C-rank Wind Release ninjutsu, he achieved an almost effortless, instant victory.
Minato's flexible and precise use of ninjutsu drew a trace of admiration from Yuya.
Moreover, after casting a C-rank technique, Minato showed no signs of chakra exhaustion whatsoever. This was clearly not the chakra capacity of an ordinary genin.
Even if he hadn't quite reached chūnin-level reserves yet, he was only a step away.
Although he still seemed slightly inferior to the future prodigy—Hatake Kakashi, who would become a chūnin at the age of six—Minato was undoubtedly outstanding among his peers.
In the next few matches, a ninja from the Aburame Clan claimed victory with ease by relying on insects.
After that, a genius youth from the Senju Clan crushed his opponent without difficulty.
Before long, all five matches among the ten winners had concluded.
The main arena battles were fundamentally different from those in the side arenas.
The side arenas tested not only combat strength, but also endurance, tactical choices, and battle control—which was why four consecutive victories were required to advance.
Maintaining stamina and power through four straight wins was no easy task.
The main arena, however, was a pure contest of talent and strength.
After each battle, competitors were given ample rest time to recover to peak condition.
And if anyone was injured, Tsunade, Konoha's finest medical ninja, was present. Even broken bones could be treated with ease.
Once the first round ended—
Hyūga Setsuna and the other four defeated contestants withdrew to recover. They would return to competing in the side arenas.
Only the victors remained in the main arena.
Everyone was given time for lunch and rest—nearly two hours passed. Some battles in the side arenas had already fully concluded before the second round in the main arena finally began.
By chance, since there were five people remaining, one participant would receive a bye.
That person happened to be Yuya.
The four fighters who entered the field were:
Namikaze Minato
Aburame Shibi
Kazama Hiraha
Senju Senra
At this point in time, the Senju Clan had not yet declined to the tragic state it would later reach—where only Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, remained.
Among students Yuya's age alone, there were several Senju clan members. Besides Senra, there was another especially familiar name—
Senju Nawaki.
Tsunade's younger brother.
He was also Yuya's classmate—though, before Yuya awakened his Shock Release Kekkei Genkai, Nawaki had been even more of a dead-last student than Yuya.
Minato faced off against Senju Senra.
This match was far from easy, but Minato skillfully used Shadow Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu to seize the advantage. In the end, he won neatly with Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
From start to finish, the entire battle felt completely under Minato's control.
His expression never changed—calm and composed, as if he had already seen through the entire fight and knew exactly how to win it.
This drew open admiration from Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at the highest platform.
At such a young age, Minato already possessed exceptional composure and combat intuition. His future growth was nearly impossible to predict.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, grew more pleased the longer he watched Minato—almost ready to take him as an apprentice the moment he graduated from the Ninja Academy.
At that moment, however, Danzō Shimura, who had been observing Minato closely, took a sip of tea and spoke calmly.
"This child is very mature-minded—well-suited for ANBU work. I believe he should be handed over to my Root for training."
"Impossible!"
Jiraiya nearly jumped to his feet.
Hiruzen frowned and barked, "Jiraiya, stand down!"
Turning back to Danzō, Hiruzen spoke flatly,
"A child like Minato has the potential to become Hokage. He cannot simply be raised as a tool for assassination."
Those words caused subtle changes in the expressions of everyone present.
Hokage—the village's highest position.
The very title Danzō coveted above all else.
That single sentence was enough to make even Danzō lose his composure.
He slammed his teacup down heavily and said darkly,
"Hmph! Then where does that leave Orochimaru, Sarutobi?"
Minato hadn't fully grown yet. If one spoke of Hokage succession, Orochimaru was unquestionably more qualified.
Hearing his name, Orochimaru merely watched calmly, as if the discussion had nothing to do with him. No one could tell what he was thinking.
"Orochimaru is also capable of inheriting the title," Hiruzen replied evenly. "But I'm not old yet. There's no need to decide such matters now."
Though mild on the surface, his tone carried a clear warning.
I am still the Hokage—and still in my prime.
Whatever ambitions you have, keep them in check.
Danzō naturally understood Hiruzen's meaning. His face darkened, but in the end, he could only snort coldly and say nothing more.
Minato defeated Senju Senra.
Meanwhile, Aburame Shibi defeated Kazama Hiraha.
Yuya cast a slightly curious glance at Shibi.
If he remembered correctly, wasn't this man the future father of Aburame Shino, one of the Konoha Twelve?
The future head of the Aburame Clan?
Judging by the timeline, it seemed about right.
Now, the top three would undoubtedly be decided among Yuya, Namikaze Minato, and Aburame Shibi.
After another rest period of roughly two hours—
The four side arenas, each with only ten minutes of rest between matches, had already finished all their battles.
Most students left the venue completely exhausted.
Those who still had some energy remaining came to the main arena out of curiosity.
No one stopped them—the main arena was never closed to spectators.
As expected, Uzumaki Kushina came running over the moment she finished her own assessment.
As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, her physical vitality was exceptional. Even without yet becoming the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, she had no trouble enduring prolonged battles and recovering quickly.
Besides—even if Kushina had been completely worn out, there was no way she would feel at ease without watching Yuya fight.
"They're already in the top three! That's amazing!"
Noticing that only Yuya, Minato, and Shibi remained in the main arena, Kushina's small face lit up with joy.
Ignoring the stunned looks from those around her, she rushed forward and threw her arms around Yuya in a tight hug.
A faint, youthful fragrance filled his senses, sending a small ripple through Yuya's heart.
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