At the Ninja Academy, Namikaze Minato was undoubtedly the one standing at the very top.
A genius among prodigies—his talent and intelligence were extraordinary. It was no surprise that, years later, he would shine brilliantly in the Third Great Ninja War, earning the title of Yellow Flash and becoming the youngest Hokage in history.
His strength defied common sense; anyone who underestimated him would pay dearly.
Every era had its protagonist—and in this one, the spotlight belonged to the Legendary Sannin and to Namikaze Minato!
Leo had gone all out from the very beginning—not because he intended to instantly defeat Minato, but because he took this duel seriously.
He stomped hard on the ground, creating a swirling burst of wind beneath his feet as his body shot forward like a cannonball, fist leading the charge!
This was purely his physical speed—he hadn't even used Soru. Even so, it was far beyond what any student at the Academy could hope to match.
Minato moved as well, expression focused and resolute. With practiced speed, he drew a kunai from his pouch and leapt forward like an arrow released from its bow.
Clang!
The metallic clash rang out sharply!
For an instant, the world seemed to freeze. Leo and Minato held their attack poses, Leo's jet-black, hardened fist locked against Minato's kunai.
Sparks exploded from the impact, and an invisible shockwave rippled outward, scattering dust and gravel like a storm.
The spectators were stunned—no one dared to blink or even breathe too loudly, afraid of missing a single instant.
"So this is his monstrous strength…" Minato frowned. The force traveled through the kunai, numbing his palm and arm. His muscles burned; even his internal organs trembled slightly from the impact.
But he didn't falter. Instead, he smirked, raised his leg, and swept toward Leo's lower half.
Leo didn't back down. He countered with his own kick. Boom!—another deep, echoing shockwave rippled across the arena.
Minato pressed on, his kunai slashing in a storm of swift, precise strikes—an unending torrent like wind and rain!
Leo met each blow head-on, every punch imbued with Armament Haki hardening.
Yet Minato deflected each one calmly and efficiently.
Ordinary shinobi—whether it was Uchiha Canruo, Uchiha Canruo, or Hyūga Kagami—had all struggled against Leo's hardened blows. But Minato? He handled them with poise.
Of course, that was because Leo hadn't unleashed his full power.
After all, his Level 2 Armament Haki could already shatter C-rank ninjutsu—if he released his full Level 3 strength, the result would be catastrophic.
This was a duel, not a death match—there was no need to go that far.
Soon, Leo realized why Minato could handle his monstrous strength so well.
Each time they clashed, Minato's feet slammed against the ground—and each time, the earth beneath him caved slightly, as though absorbing the force.
"So he's using a technique to disperse impact… As expected of the future Fourth Hokage—so many tricks up his sleeve."
Leo narrowed his eyes, then suddenly increased both his speed and power.
Minato instantly felt the pressure surge. His method of dispersing impact worked, but not perfectly—he still had to absorb part of Leo's raw force himself.
Now that Leo was ramping up his power again, Minato's body began to protest.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, Minato's figure vanished, leaving only a puff of smoke behind.
The audience gasped.
"He disappeared!?"
"What speed!"
"Looks like it's over, Leo-kun!" Minato's calm voice came from behind Leo. His kunai was already pressed lightly against Leo's waist.
Minato might not match Leo in raw strength, but when it came to speed—he had confidence few could rival.
In the stands—
"What incredible speed…" Tsunade muttered, frowning. She hadn't expected Minato to be this capable. It seemed Leo was in trouble.
"Haha! Of course—he is my student, after all!" Jiraiya boasted proudly.
"Hehe, Minato truly is a genius," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "But Jiraiya, you shouldn't take too much credit for his talent."
Jiraiya scratched his head, embarrassed. "Well… I only guided him a little. He's not officially my student yet, anyway."
Meanwhile, the crowd around the training grounds erupted with murmurs of astonishment at Minato's blinding movements.
But Leo merely smirked. His cold expression softened into something eerily calm.
"Minato," he said quietly, "are you sure you actually touched me?"
"What—?"
Minato's pupils were constricted. Something was wrong.
He thrust his kunai forward instinctively—
Swish!
Leo's body flickered and dissolved into mist—it was a speed afterimage!
Not a clone, but a remnant trace left behind by sheer velocity.
"You're distracted."
The emotionless voice came from behind him.
Before Minato could turn, a pitch-black iron fist came crashing toward him—Leo's Armament-Haki-coated punch, blazing with raw power!
The space between his knuckles shimmered with white air currents, the friction of compressed wind slicing through the air like blades. The oncoming gust felt like knives scraping across skin.
"Not good! I can't dodge!"
Minato's mind screamed the warning, but his body couldn't react in time.
He crossed his arms before his chest, bracing himself—
Crack!
Leo's punch shattered Minato's kunai like glass.
The next instant, the force sent Minato flying backward like a ragdoll, slamming him heavily into the ground.
Gasps erupted throughout the arena.
No one could believe it—the battle had turned in an instant.
Jiraiya's face darkened slightly; after all, Minato was the student he had taken a liking to.
"This kid… he's mastered an extremely advanced version of the Body Flicker Technique," Tsunade murmured, her eyes gleaming.
"Hehehe… indeed," Orochimaru said, lips curling into a mysterious smile. "How very interesting…"
Back on the field, Leo stood still, his expression composed.
Minato lay motionless on the ground. But Leo didn't celebrate—his Observation Haki was screaming danger.
And sure enough—
Poof!
Minato's body exploded into a puff of smoke, leaving behind a chunk of wood.
"A Replacement Technique…" Leo muttered. His gaze swept the surroundings—but Minato was nowhere to be seen.
That could only mean one thing—
He looked up sharply—and there he was.
Minato had already leapt high into the air, hands flashing through a rapid string of seals.
His speed was staggering—six hand signs in a single second!
"Ox–Dog–Dragon–Rat–Dog–Boar–Snake–Tiger!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
From above, Minato hurled a single shuriken—
Which instantly multiplied into ten… then a hundred… then a storm of black steel raining from the sky!
He had deliberately taken the high ground to block all of Leo's escape routes.
His thinking was sharp, his tactical sense impeccable. Even when pushed to the edge, Minato analyzed, adapted, and countered.
He truly was a genius.
But Leo… Leo was a monster.
And monsters specialize in crushing flashy techniques.
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