Chapter 67: Withdrawal

Dong Dong!

In the arena, the two combatants fought fiercely, showing no mercy or holding back. The dagger and the katana aimed at each other's vital points. One misstep could leave a lasting wound on the opponent.

Such intense combat left not only the students of Sakumo Hatake, the Konoha instructor, but even genin like Sunao and even the usually nonchalant Uchiha Homura stunned.

The bold Kushina unconsciously swallowed, saying, "They're fighting like this, and the examiners aren't stopping them?"

Beside her, Mikoto said heavily, "Those two must be aware of each other's abilities, which is why they're going this far. But still, there's no need to take it to such extremes, right?"

She clearly couldn't understand why the fight was so intense, as if they were fighting to the death. This was the first time she had witnessed such a battle.

"Whether it's them or the examiners, it's out of respect for a ninja's dignity. Holding back or interfering would be an insult to their pride," Minato said, his blue eyes revealing a complex expression. The intensity of their battle was remarkable. Even he might not be able to handle or defeat either of them at the moment.

More importantly, from his time at the Ninja Academy until now, he had never experienced such a fierce fight during his training with his teachers.

Compared to their battle, his previous struggles seemed like child's play.

The intense fight continued in the arena, and gradually, the movements of both combatants began to slow down. It was clear to anyone watching that Sarutobi Ao was struggling more than Nawaki Senju.

In terms of physical stamina, Ao was naturally no match for Nawaki, and the difference in their strength became evident as the battle dragged on.

Finally, due to fatigue, Sarutobi Ao left an opening, and Nawaki's blade struck his wrist, causing him to drop his dagger.

Even then, Sarutobi Ao refused to give up. Nawaki simply threw his katana aside, and the two began exchanging blows in a taijutsu battle.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their taijutsu skills were not too far apart, and they traded blows, but with each hit Sarutobi Ao took, his movements became more sluggish.

The difference in physical stamina was still a factor.

In the end, Sarutobi Ao collapsed on the ground, exhausted, while Nawaki, though still standing, was also panting heavily, bent over in front of him.

After such an intense battle, everyone in the stands was left dumbfounded. The two combatants looked at each other and burst out laughing.

As their laughter subsided, Sarutobi Ao smiled bitterly and said, "As expected from the top student of our class, I still can't beat you."

Upon hearing this, Nawaki also smiled and said, "You were really close, though. I almost got beaten down. I don't want to lose, you know. I can't stop on my way to becoming the Hokage."

"Tch." Sarutobi Ao scoffed. Nawaki had constantly talked about his dream of becoming the Hokage since their academy days, and Ao had heard it so often that his ears were almost calloused.

"What, you don't believe me? Get up, and we'll go another round," Nawaki taunted, although he didn't have the energy for another battle.

Of course, Sarutobi Ao wasn't one to back down easily, but he still said, "Of course I don't believe you, but you won today."

He slowly placed his hand on his forehead and then used the little chakra he had left to erase the chakra seal himself.

"Rather than having you erase it, I'd rather do it myself. That would be too embarrassing," Sarutobi Ao said.

"You..." Nawaki laughed and scolded him.

After Sarutobi Ao erased his chakra seal, several people gathered around each of them.

Minato was the first to approach Nawaki, bending down to help him up.

"Thank you, Minato," Nawaki said, while Sarutobi Ao's teammates also helped him up.

"It's nothing," Minato said, smiling at Nawaki. "Nawaki-senpai, that battle was really amazing. You and Sarutobi-senpai are both so strong!"

Nawaki smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I kind of wanted to spar with you. It's just my bad luck that I ended up facing this troublesome guy, Sarutobi Ao."

"Well, I'm lucky then, because I can't beat you," Minato laughed.

Nawaki looked at Minato and said, "Don't play dumb in front of me, kid. With the level those two displayed, there's no way they could have made it this far without you being involved."

He didn't mean Akasaka, Takenouchi Rin, and Miyazaki Satoshi. With their abilities, they were likely to have been eliminated in the previous trials.

"I've met those three, Musashi, Sakai, and Nishikawa. I heard you and that girl named Kushina gave them a good beating. I'd like to see if your speed is as exaggerated as they said."

Minato fell silent, realizing that Nawaki had already heard about some of his exploits in the Forest of Death. It made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Nawaki spoke in a low voice, almost only audible to him and Minato. The others around them were still wondering what they were whispering about.

Seeing Minato's expression, Nawaki patted his shoulder and glanced towards the aloof figure on the second floor, remarking sideways, "But that kid named Uchiha Homura is also a tough one. I've heard his name mentioned by the Uchiha clan leader. I've also met two unlucky guys who were beaten by him, and they were both chunin."

Upon hearing this, Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. Uchiha Homura was indeed a formidable opponent, capable of defeating two chunin at the same time.

"You two seem to have a deep grudge, too. Didn't you defeat him a year ago? His eyes were fixed on you today, so you might be facing another tough battle," Nawaki said. Although he appeared nonchalant, he had observed everything clearly.

Minato nodded in agreement. Uchiha Homura was indeed a troublesome adversary.

"Still, I look forward to your performance. If there's time, I'll find you for a sparring session," Nawaki said, and then everyone returned to the stands.

The intense battle had ended, leaving the arena area significantly damaged, courtesy of Nawaki's Earth Release ninjutsu.

Sakumo Hatake stood in the center of the arena and announced, "The seventh match: Uzumaki Kushina versus Yamanaka Inoichi."

"Finally, it's my turn!" Kushina had been raring to go and immediately jumped into the arena. However, her opponent didn't show up right away.

Sakumo's gaze then turned towards a blond-haired boy on the second floor, saying, "Yamanaka Inoichi, hurry down to the arena for the fight."

The blond-haired boy's expression was visibly conflicted at that moment. Kushina's small face was already growing impatient.

But then, he said something that surprised everyone.

"Examiner, may I withdraw from this match?"

(End of chapter)