"The fifth match: Shinichi Higashino vs. Might Duy!"
As the referee announced loudly, the two walked to the center of the venue and stood facing each other.
"Shinichi!"
Might Duy took a deep breath, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and looked more serious than ever before: "Let's have a spectacular youth showdown!"
Before the words were even finished, Might Duy released his hands, and his whole body trembled!
Boom!!!
A violent surge of chakra erupted from him, instantly shattering the fine sand and gravel on the ground!
His skin quickly flushed an abnormal red, and visible pale green energy waves rose from his body, while his hair stood on end slightly due to the surge of chakra.
Eight Gates: Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, and Gate of Pain, all four gates were open at once!
He opened four gates in quick succession at the start, which was his greatest respect for the young man in front of him, and his way of fulfilling his vow of youth.
Exclamations erupted from the stands. Even ordinary spectators who didn't understand Ninjutsu could feel the sudden surge of oppressive energy.
On the high platform, the third Kazekage's eyes narrowed slightly: "Oh? Using such a powerful burst of Hidden Jutsu right from the start... it seems this young genius from your village is putting a lot of pressure on his companions."
The third Hokage looked at Might Duy, whose aura was astonishing, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He knew of the existence of the Eight Gates, but he never expected that this ordinary, unremarkable, and often ridiculed Genin in the village would be able to master and use this technique to such an extent.
He had indeed overlooked this hidden talent in the past.
In the arena, facing this imposing aura, Shinichi's gaze became completely calm.
He lowered his center of gravity slightly, without any intention of forming hand seals or drawing his sword, and adopted the purest martial arts starting stance.
"I'm going for it, Shinichi! Youth, explosion!"
Might Duy's figure suddenly blurred.
Fast!
It was much faster than when Might Duy fought Suna Maru!
Almost simultaneously with the sound, a fist carrying a pale green aura arrived in front of Shinichi.
Shinichi neither dodged nor evaded, but swung his right arm like an iron whip, meeting fist with fist!
Bang!
A heavy, muffled thud exploded, and the ground beneath their feet cracked simultaneously, with shockwaves spreading out in a ring.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
When his first strike failed, Might Duy used the momentum to spin around and sweep his left leg across Shinichi's waist and abdomen like a battle axe.
Shinichi took a half step back, his left knee swiftly thrusting upwards, precisely striking the side of his opponent's shin and deflecting the force.
At the same time, his right hand formed a palm and swiftly slashed towards Might Duy's slightly exposed ribcage after his spin.
Might Duy reacted extremely quickly, using the sweeping leg as a pivot point, and kicked out with his other leg in mid-air, aiming straight for Shinichi's wrist.
Snap!
Their hands and feet clashed, and the two used the force to separate, only to collide again in an instant.
"Leaf Gale!"
Might Duy launched another attack, with howling winds and Chakra currents that resembled a small storm.
Shinichi moved nimbly, weaving through the dense attacks, sometimes blocking with the edge of his palm, sometimes striking with his elbow, each contact producing a solid impact sound.
His movements, though not as ferocious and violent as Might Duy's opening of the four gates, were more precise and efficient, deflecting attacks at the last second and retaliating in kind.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The muffled thuds of fists and feet clashing were like a continuous downpour; the pure physical skill produced a thrilling intensity and power!
Although Shinichi did not activate any explosive Hidden Jutsu, his foundation from years of training and the additional bonuses from various talents made him unafraid to go head-to-head with Might Duy, who opened the four gates.
"So fast... my eyes can't keep up!"
"Is this really a Taijutsu duel? It's more like two ninjas unleashing a barrage of Ninjutsu!"
Exclamations erupted from the stands, and many spectators widened their eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the two high-speed figures crisscrossing each other in the arena, occasionally bursting with shockwaves.
A dozen or so high-speed exchanges of offense and defense passed in the blink of an eye. Both of them had reached a level of understanding and application of Taijutsu that many Genin and Chunin could not achieve. Their moves were clean and crisp, and their power was precise and ruthless.
After a fierce exchange of punches, the recoil caused the two to pause slightly.
In that instant, Shinichi's eyes sharpened, keenly capturing the slight stiffness that occurred in the moment when Duy's previous strength had just dissipated, and new strength had not yet arisen.
He lowered his body slightly, narrowly avoiding the wind pressure of a heavy punch that followed and was trying to suppress him. His whole body was like a spring that had been storing up power for a long time, and his right leg whipped out from below like lightning!
A sharp, concise, yet incredibly fast low side kick landed solidly between Might Duy's chest and abdomen.
Thump!
With a muffled thud, Might Duy was as if struck by a giant hammer. He flew backward, his feet plowing two deep tracks, each tens of meters long, into the rocky ground before he managed to regain his balance, his chest heaving with surging blood.
Shinichi did not pursue, but stood still, his breathing still steady and his eyes bright. He said loudly, "Senior Duy, your strength... should be more than this, right?"
Might Duy slowly straightened up, wiped his mouth, looked at the boy opposite him with burning eyes, who was clearly not giving it his all, and remained silent for a moment.
The feeling of being recognized, expected of, and eager to shine finally overwhelmed all of his concerns.
A smile, almost radiant yet incredibly earnest, appeared on his face.
"You're right... Shinichi."
"Then let my youth be completely unrestrained!"
"The fifth gate, the Gate of Limit!!"
An even more surging green energy shot into the sky, his hair stood on end, and spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the ground around him.
However, this is not the end.
Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Might Duy's Chakra surged wildly once more, the green aura becoming even deeper, faintly revealing a sharp blue radiance!
"The sixth gate, the Gate of View!!!"
Rumble!!!
A terrifying shockwave, several times stronger than before, erupted, sending debris flying into the air and causing the entire arena to tremble slightly.
At this moment, Might Duy resembled a war god enveloped in green flames, and the oppressive aura he exuded made many spectators in the stands feel breathless.
"Six gates..."
Master Chen adjusted his sunglasses and muttered to himself in a solemn tone.
On the high platform, the third Kazekage's eyes grew serious, and the third Hokage's hand holding the pipe also paused, his expression also becoming serious.
In the arena, Shinichi felt the overwhelming, almost suffocating, powerful aura and strong wind rushing towards him, his clothes clinging to his body and fluttering loudly.
His eyes, however, shone with an astonishing light amidst the oncoming, violent energy.
That's right!!!
That's how it should be!
Let these ignorant Village Hidden in the Sand bumpkins see the world!
"Senior, it seems this move is quite a burden for you."
Shinichi assumed a fighting stance, his voice clearly piercing through the howling energy pressure: "In that case, let's finish this quickly! I'll also let you witness my full power. The next move will decide the victor!"
"Alright! Shinichi, let's settle this with the next move to decide the winner!"