On the sidelines, the referee loudly announced that due to Kosuke Maruboshi's forfeit, Shinichi Higashino automatically advanced to the next round.
Immediately after, the matchup for the next round was revealed:
Might Duy vs. Sand Genin, Sunamaru!
The intention behind this arrangement was glaringly obvious—it was another deliberate battle of attrition.
Even if Might Duy managed to win, the subsequent match would inevitably be another internal Konoha showdown.
Regardless of whether Shinichi or Duy ultimately advanced, it meant Konoha's participants would be forced to undergo unnecessary internal friction and stamina drain right before the finals.
The match began.
Sunamaru was a quintessential Sand tactical shinobi. He excelled at mid-range crowd control using Wind Style ninjutsu, pairing it with precisely thrown ninja tools to completely seal off his opponent's movements.
His strategy was crystal clear: absolutely do not let this Konoha shinobi, who seemingly only knew taijutsu, close the distance.
Might Duy's offense, on the other hand, was direct and pure. Lacking any long-range methods, he simply charged forward in a straight line with astonishing speed, desperately trying to close the gap.
Every heavy step he took left shallow impressions on the solid rock floor. He narrowly dodged Sunamaru's Wind Style: Great Breakthrough and the relentless barrage of shuriken using minimalist yet highly efficient footwork, or simply swatted the projectiles away with chakra-infused punches and kicks.
The battle temporarily fell into a stalemate.
Sunamaru couldn't effectively inflict heavy damage using ninjutsu or tools, while Duy was struggling to break through the dense mid-range net of fire to actually lay a hand on his opponent.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Unable to break the deadlock, Duy let out a loud shout. His body suddenly spun, unleashing a heavy, momentum-fueled sweeping kick that forced back Sunamaru, who had tried to close in for a sneak attack. Duy used the recoil to retreat a few steps himself.
Panting slightly, he watched his opponent begin weaving hand seals again. His gaze sharpened.
I can't let this drag on... Should I use that? But if it's only the First Gate...
The image of Guy's face—filled with absolute excitement and pride when he learned his father was participating in the Chunin Exams—flashed vividly through his mind.
"...At the very least, I cannot stop here! I cannot disappoint Guy!"
He took a deep breath. Deep within his body, a certain physical limiter seemed to silently snap open.
"Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing—Open!"
BOOM!
A massive surge of chakra erupted instantly, forming a powerful, invisible shockwave that violently blasted outward with Duy at its center!
His skin flushed a faint red, and thin trails of steam began to rise from his body. His entire aura skyrocketed abruptly.
"It is time for youth to bloom!"
Before the words even faded, his figure vanished from his spot.
So fast!
Sunamaru's pupils contracted violently, his hands freezing mid-seal. In his vision, a fist wrapped in azure chakra had already completely filled his entire field of view.
Channeling the explosive power and speed granted by opening the first two gates, Duy concentrated every ounce of his strength into this single strike.
CRACK!
The fist slammed solidly into Sunamaru's crossed, defensive arms.
The terrifying kinetic force instantly shattered his defensive guard. The residual momentum blasted him completely off his feet, sending him flying through the air in a parabolic arc. He crashed heavily onto the edge of the arena, struggled weakly for a second or two, and ultimately failed to get back up.
The entire stadium fell dead silent for a split second before erupting into a deafening roar of shocked discussion. That instantaneous explosion of speed and power completely shattered many people's preconceived notions of what taijutsu could achieve.
Up in the VIP box, the Third Kazekage's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned his head to the Third Hokage beside him. "Lord Hokage, what that Genin of yours just used... hardly seems like ordinary taijutsu. That sudden explosion of chakra and speed—is it some kind of special secret technique?"
The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, a perfectly calibrated, slightly bemused, and amiable smile appearing on his face. "Well now... you've got me stumped there, Lord Kazekage. Perhaps it's some method of tapping into his latent potential that he figured out on his own? Young people always seem to come up with the most unexpected, creative ideas."
He masterfully sidestepped a concrete answer, casually deflecting the question back.
The Third Kazekage's eyes darkened slightly. Knowing he wouldn't get a straight answer, he stopped probing and turned his gaze back to the arena.
The heavy stone in his heart—which had been set down after Kosuke Maruboshi's withdrawal—seemed to lift slightly once again.
This Konoha shinobi who "only knew taijutsu" didn't seem so simple after all.
---
Down in the waiting area, Might Duy walked back and accepted the water and towel Shinichi handed him. He wiped his face in silence. After hesitating for a moment, he probed cautiously, "Shinichi, how about... I forfeit the next match just like Senior Kosuke did? That way, you can maintain your absolute peak condition to face the final opponent..."
"Forfeit? Senior Kosuke had his own reasons, but you..." Shinichi cut him off. "Senior Duy, don't you always say that the word 'give up' doesn't exist in the dictionary of youth?"
Let you forfeit? Not a chance.
If you forfeit, how am I supposed to upgrade?
He had specifically invited Might Duy not just because the Eight Inner Gates provided an absolute safety net capable of reversing any dire situation.
The other major reason was precisely because he had foreseen this exact scenario: the two of them meeting in the tournament.
He planned to rely entirely on taijutsu to engage in a head-on clash with this man who had pushed his faith in physical combat to the absolute extreme.
The folks back home in Konoha were already entirely desensitized to his performances as a "super-genius." Their cognitive threshold was simply too high.
But the audience here in the Hidden Sand lacked that immunity.
Staging an absolute pinnacle duel of pure strength and technique on a highly publicized tournament stage was undeniably the perfect platform to shatter the "Halo Effect." It would force the world to profoundly re-evaluate and recognize his taijutsu talents.
This was absolutely critical for pushing his [Basic Taijutsu] and even his [Innate Super Strength] traits to upgrade.
"But..." Duy scratched his head, clearly still harboring reservations.
"Placement isn't everything," Shinichi looked at him, speaking earnestly. "As long as you fully demonstrate your strength, willpower, and caliber during the match, the judges will naturally give a fair assessment. Fighting with absolutely everything you have is, in itself, the best proof that you deserve to be promoted to Chunin."
"Well said!"
Master Zenn walked over with his arms crossed. His gaze swept over the two from behind his round sunglasses, his voice booming. "The path of taijutsu is all about pressing forward with indomitable will! Thinking about retreating and calculating gains and losses before the fight has even started... Duy, the moment your fists hesitate, your spirit leaks away! Since Shinichi possesses this level of resolve and confidence, you should respond with every ounce of your passion! Let the people of the Sand—let everyone here—witness the fearless, ferociously dedicated hearts of Konoha's taijutsu shinobi!"
Master Zenn's words acted like a shot of adrenaline. The hesitation in Duy's eyes was instantly replaced by that familiar, burning fire. He clenched his fists tightly and nodded heavily. "I understand! Master Zenn, Shinichi! Then let us... make our youth bloom in the upcoming match!"
"Senior Duy, during our match, I'm asking you to use the exact same technique you just used to defeat your opponent. Do not hold back," Shinichi looked at Duy and stated clearly once again.
He had his own calculations in mind.
Might Duy's base, un-buffed strength barely scraped the threshold of a Chunin.
Meanwhile, Shinichi evaluated his own comprehensive combat strength to be at least at the level of a Tokubetsu Jonin.
There was a significant gap in their baseline strength.
If Might Duy didn't use the Eight Inner Gates, Shinichi would win far too easily.
But that completely contradicted his vision of a "mind-blowing duel"—one powerful enough to shatter the audience's perception and redefine his taijutsu talents.
He needed Might Duy to unleash that unconventional, reality-breaking power.
Of course, opening just a few gates for show is fine. Who knows if the audience can even perceive the difference anyway.
Hearing this, a look of hesitation unsurprisingly resurfaced on Duy's face. But looking into Shinichi's calm yet exceptionally resolute eyes, and recalling the boy's previous encouragement and absolute trust, he only wavered for a fraction of a second. He nodded forcefully, squeezing a single word through his teeth:
"Alright!"
He agreed not just to answer Shinichi's expectations. Perhaps it was also to prove to himself, and to everyone watching, exactly how blindingly brilliant the path of taijutsu he had stubbornly clung to could truly be.