After Namikaze Minato entered the main arena, he naturally noticed Yuya, who had arrived earlier than him.
After a brief moment of surprise, Minato nodded calmly.
If it was Yuya, then arriving ahead of him was understandable.
After all, Yuya was the one who had defeated Uchiha Izumiya.
Just as Minato was considering whether to greet Yuya, the third and fourth victors also entered the arena in quick succession.
At the same time, several interested chūnin and jōnin, along with students who had already been eliminated, gradually gathered in the stands and took their seats, eagerly watching the field.
This was where the real spectacle lay.
The fights in the subsidiary arenas were nothing more than children playing at ninja games!
The crowd quickly grew larger.
In the end, all the victors from the four subsidiary arenas had arrived.
So-called victors referred only to those who had achieved four consecutive wins.
Even if someone won every other match, a single loss disqualified them from this group.
Thus, only ten people stood here.
Among them, only a few showed signs of having fought hard battles.
Most—like Yuya and Minato—looked relaxed and completely uninjured.
"Everyone is here, correct?"
Looking down at the ten outstanding youths, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly.
These children were the future pillars of Konohagakure.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Everyone has arrived."
A ninja stepped forward to report.
Hiruzen nodded, preparing to give the signal to begin.
However, at that very moment—
An unexpected disturbance rippled through the arena.
At the entrance, a figure appeared.
Leaning on a cane, he steadily walked toward the highest platform beside Hiruzen.
Someone even carried over a chair for him.
It was the Hokage's advisor—Shimura Danzō.
"Oh? I didn't expect you to make time to come," Hiruzen said, his gaze flickering slightly.
"This concerns Konoha's future. As Hokage Advisor, it's only natural that I pay attention."
Danzō sat down beside Hiruzen, his tone flat and unreadable.
That old fox…
Hiruzen snorted inwardly, instantly guessing Danzō's purpose.
Without a doubt, he was here to identify talented children worthy of being brought into Root.
Still, as long as things didn't go too far, Hiruzen usually turned a blind eye to Danzō's actions.
Danzō casually swept his gaze across the ten youths below, then lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"They're all far too immature. They'll need proper tempering before they can be of real use."
"Even the most immature fledgling hawk will one day spread its wings and soar."
Hiruzen replied with a mild smile, then gave instructions to the ninja beside him.
Receiving the order, the chief examiner nodded and leapt down into the arena.
"Those who have made it here have proven yourselves to be the most outstanding among your peers."
"The Hokage himself is watching you."
"Show him your very best!"
The examiner overseeing the main arena was no longer an academy chūnin instructor, but a special jōnin.
At last, the main arena combat ranking examination officially began!
The names of Minato, Yuya, and the others were shuffled at random and paired through drawing lots.
"First match—Yuya versus Hyūga Setsuna!"
As soon as the examiner announced it, the attention of every jōnin present was drawn to the arena.
Even Danzō turned his head slightly.
"Yuya… is that the child who dared challenge the Uchiha clan's chūnin, Han, to a life-and-death duel?"
"Interesting. I wonder how much substance lies behind that courage."
Several observing jōnin began discussing quietly, their gazes filled with scrutiny as they looked at Yuya.
In truth, these jōnin were already selecting potential students they favored.
The ten victors here would almost certainly be split up upon graduation, assigned to different teams to maintain balance.
"The very first match is him, huh? I want to see what he's capable of. Don't tell me he won't even qualify to face Minato."
High above, Jiraiya hopped straight onto the railing, utterly lacking the dignity of an elite jōnin.
Seeing this, Tsunade's mouth twitched violently.
She found it unbearably embarrassing and strongly considered kicking Jiraiya straight down.
But that would probably be even more embarrassing—so she could only sigh and ignore him.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru remained leaned casually against the wall, hands clasped behind his head, watching the arena with a faintly amused gaze.
Inside the Arena
Yuya and Hyūga Setsuna stepped onto the battlefield.
Minato and the others moved aside, observing closely.
Setsuna looked at Yuya with a strange expression.
He had naturally heard about Yuya, and as a child of a great clan, he was far more sensitive to such matters.
After a moment, he sighed with what seemed like pity.
"It's a shame you weren't born into the Hyūga clan.
The arrogant Uchiha wouldn't dare act recklessly against us."
"Are you flaunting the superiority of a great clan?"
Yuya looked at Setsuna calmly.
Setsuna shook his head lightly.
"No. I just think that making it this far is impressive.
Unfortunately, I must win this match. Otherwise, I would've liked to let you enjoy yourself before you die."
…What the hell?!
Yuya nearly threw a punch on the spot.
Enjoy yourself before you die—what kind of nonsense was that?!
Fortunately, Yuya had enough composure not to argue with a child under ten years old. Still, the corner of his mouth twitched as he asked,
"You're that confident you'll win?"
"You only use taijutsu. And in taijutsu… no one defeats the Hyūga."
Setsuna spoke as if stating an unquestionable truth.
With the Byakugan and the unique Gentle Fist, the Hyūga clan took immense pride in their taijutsu—so much so that they didn't even regard the Uchiha clan highly in this aspect.
"First match—begin!"
Seeing both sides ready, the examiner immediately announced the start.
Hyūga Setsuna instantly assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist, calmly staring at Yuya.
"That's the famed Gentle Fist of the prestigious Hyūga clan."
"To challenge a clan like the Hyūga in taijutsu… that's an uphill battle."
Spectators couldn't help but murmur.
Especially the jōnin present—who knew all too well that Gentle Fist could seal chakra points and even directly damage internal organs. Once caught at close range, things could become disastrous.
Everyone wondered how Yuya would fight against a taijutsu specialist like the Hyūga.
But what happened next—
Completely shattered everyone's expectations.
Yuya's method was simple to the extreme.
No fancy techniques.
No complicated exchanges.
He stepped forward—
And threw one punch.
No matter your prestigious Hyūga lineage.
No matter your Gentle Fist taijutsu.
One punch was enough. Everything would be crushed.
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