She suddenly threw her arms around Yuya.
Only after doing so did Uzumaki Kushina realize what she'd done. Even with her bold and carefree personality, a faint blush crept onto her face.
This was in public, after all!
Noticing the many strange looks behind her, Kushina first felt shy—then embarrassed—and finally annoyed. She clenched her fists and snorted,
"Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out!!"
"..."
The crowd fell speechless.
Most people were genuinely afraid of Kushina. They hurriedly turned away, pretending they hadn't seen anything at all.
From afar, on the highest platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths.
Very few people knew that Kushina was the next Nine-Tails jinchūriki—so few that even Jiraiya and the others were unaware.
Danzō Shimura, as one of the people working behind the scenes, naturally knew.
Watching this scene, he frowned slightly and couldn't help saying,
"That Yuya… isn't he getting a little too close to Kushina?"
Hiruzen pondered briefly, then shook his head.
"Don't interfere too much in children's affairs."
"But—"
"That's enough!" Hiruzen interrupted firmly. "As long as this is within Konoha, what trouble could they possibly cause?"
"Hmph. Decide for yourself, then."
Danzō snorted coldly and fell silent, though his expression grew darker.
Hiruzen, outwardly calm, felt something stir in his heart.
What he was thinking was this:
If Yuya continued to be this outstanding, then in the future, having him serve as a ninja specifically assigned to protect Kushina—the jinchūriki—wouldn't be a bad idea at all.
Yuya came from outside the village, but he had grown up in Konoha. Moreover, Hiruzen had already investigated Yuya's original village—it had been completely destroyed, wiped out by Sunagakure(Hidden Sand Village).
There were no issues regarding his background.
What troubled Hiruzen now was Yuya's life-and-death duel with Uchiha Han.
It was a thorny matter.
By the rules, even the Hokage could not interfere in a duel both parties had agreed to.
But in many cases, rules were nothing more than paper.
If Hiruzen chose to apply pressure to the Uchiha Clan, he could forcibly stop it.
While weighing this internally, Hiruzen maintained a calm exterior and continued watching the arena below.
After another round of drawing lots, Namikaze Minato received a bye.
This time, the match was Yuya vs. Aburame Shibi.
However, to everyone's surprise, the moment Shibi stepped onto the field—before the match was even announced—he calmly chose to forfeit.
Instantly, confusion and astonishment spread throughout the crowd.
Even Yuya looked slightly surprised. He hadn't thought he had reached the point where someone who had already made the top three would surrender without a fight.
"Your shock force causes severe damage to my insects," Shibi said calmly, staring at Yuya through his dark glasses.
"My insects are telling me that your power is extremely dangerous."
"I've also calculated it. No matter what method I use, it would be very difficult to defeat you. Your abilities counter mine too strongly."
"If I'm not mistaken, whether it's your fists or your legs, you can carry that shock force with every strike. In that case, my insects wouldn't even be able to get close to you."
Shibi's calm explanation led to collective realization among the audience.
Most of the students understood immediately. They stared at Yuya in shock—never imagining he was so strong that even Aburame Shibi, already ranked in the top three, would concede outright.
The observing jōnin, however, showed looks of approval toward Shibi.
"Excellent judgment. He fully assessed the battlefield before fighting."
"Indeed. That child Yuya's Kekkei Genkai severely restrains insects and taijutsu that rely on close combat."
"If Shibi had faced Minato instead, we might've seen a very exciting battle."
The jōnin discussed among themselves.
Opinions were divided.
Some admired Shibi's decisiveness and realism.
Others felt he lacked fighting spirit—believing that even in defeat, one should fight gloriously.
Praise and criticism came in equal measure.
At this point, only Yuya and Namikaze Minato remained in the arena.
First place and second place would be decided between them.
Kushina herself hadn't expected Yuya to make it this far. She had hoped he would reach the top three—but now he actually had a chance at first place.
She couldn't help but cheer for him.
Although she believed deep down that defeating Minato would be extremely difficult, she still hoped Yuya could win, make a name for himself in Konoha, and earn the title of genius.
"Since the previous match ended without a fight, there's no need for further rest. Let's proceed directly to the next match."
Hiruzen gazed at the field, lifted his teacup, and took a sip. A trace of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
He wanted to see a truly outstanding battle—and also to witness Namikaze Minato's real strength.
Up until now, Minato had shown plenty of skill, yet hadn't even broken a sweat.
From beginning to end, he had handled every fight with complete ease.
"Haha! Finally, the last match!" Jiraiya once again leapt onto the railing without any regard for appearances, waving his arms wildly. "Minato's definitely taking first place!"
"That's not necessarily true—"
Tsunade leaned against the railing gracefully, starting to speak calmly. But before she could finish, her tone turned domineering and sharp:
"Jiraiya, get down. Now."
In front of so many students and jōnin, Jiraiya squatting on the railing was simply embarrassing.
Seeing Tsunade angry, Jiraiya immediately jumped down with an awkward grin, yet still muttered,
"No matter how strong that kid's Kekkei Genkai is, Minato can handle it easily."
Tsunade snorted coldly. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course. That brat just swings his fists around—"
Before Jiraiya could finish, a chilling aura suddenly spread out, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
Tsunade was smiling sweetly at him, her slender hand raised casually as she clenched it a few times—
Crack. Crack.
A terrifying sound echoed.
"Yes. Just swings his fists around," she said pleasantly.
"So, Jiraiya… would you like to experience how strong a punch really is?"
"..."
Cold sweat instantly formed on Jiraiya's forehead.
He forced an awkward laugh.
"Ahem—let's all calm down. You support Yuya, I support Minato. We'll just watch and see who wins."
"Hmph."
Tsunade snorted, withdrew her fist, and ignored him.
"A battle between geniuses always produces a result," Orochimaru chuckled softly, though interest gleamed in his eyes.
"Let's simply watch."
On one side was Namikaze Minato, whose talent seemed capable of surpassing even his own.
On the other was Yuya, who had awakened a special Kekkei Genkai.
Orochimaru found both of them deeply fascinating.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/FinalArcHero789