275

Minato stood in the center of the arena, tension swirling around him. The Hokage had personally asked him to referee the Chunin Championships match between Haruto and Pakura, with one clear objective: stop either of them from dying. Pakura was a known force with her Scorch Release, and Haruto—Minato knew him all too well—wasn't one to shy away from killing if the situation demanded it. The stakes were high, not just for the combatants, but for the political consequences it could trigger with the Sand Village if things went too far.

Minato's thoughts briefly drifted to Kushina's words from the night before. Pakura had hurt Daichi, and it had shaken them both. Daichi wasn't just any shinobi—he was family. For Kushina, that meant everything.

"She deserves a beating," Kushina had said, her fiery temper barely under control. "Haruto's the one to do it, and honestly, I hope he does. As long as Pakura walks away alive, we'll avoid any real trouble."

Minato had agreed. His job wasn't to stop the fight; it was to step in only if it crossed the line that could threaten village relations. As long as Pakura and Haruto survived, Minato wouldn't intervene. He believed Haruto was capable, methodic. He hoed Haruto could teach Pakura a lesson.

Hockage thought the fight was in Pakura's favor, but Minato had spoked to Sakumo and he had said he bet 1,000,000 ryo on Haruto.

Sakumo was extremely confident Haruto was walking away with a win.

Now, standing in the center of the arena, Minato's sharp eyes followed the match closely. Haruto was moving with deadly precision, each step calculated, every strike purposeful. This wasn't just about winning—it was personal. The tension between them, thick as it was, only sharpened the edge of the battle. Pakura, with her lethal Scorch Release, had always been a formidable opponent, capable of turning the battlefield into a furnace. But Minato could see it—Haruto wasn't here to just survive her flames. He was here to neutralize her completely.

The crowd gasped as Pakura hurled a scorching orb of energy, heat rippling across the arena. But Haruto barely flinched. Minato's trained eyes caught the faint shimmer of seals beneath Haruto's robes—heat-repelling seals. Haruto wasn't just fighting her; he had come prepared to dismantle her.

Pakura's greatest weapon had been reduced to nothing. Minato couldn't help but respect the boy's preparation, but his admiration was tempered by the growing concern that Haruto was going too far. With each passing moment, his attacks grew more relentless, more brutal. Pakura was on the defensive now, her confidence faltering as Haruto closed in, his strikes hard and unforgiving.

Pakura, desperate, managed to tear away Haruto's robe, revealing the charred remnants of his protective seals. The crowd murmured in shock, but Minato remained steady. This wasn't just a fight anymore—Haruto was making a statement. He was showing Pakura the consequences of her actions against Daichi.

Pakura staggered back, her body weakening under Haruto's onslaught. A chakra-infused punch shattered her knee, and her scream of pain cut through the crowd's murmurs. Minato didn't move. Not yet. He knew Haruto was pushing her to the edge, but the match still hadn't reached the point where he needed to intervene.

But then, as Pakura fell to the ground, barely able to form hand seals for another Scorch Release, Minato saw Haruto's chakra surge. The Thunder Scalpel formed in his hand, crackling with deadly energy. He was going in for the kill.

Minato knew this was the moment. If he let Haruto strike now, Pakura wouldn't survive. The Hokage had trusted him to stop this before it got out of hand, and Minato wouldn't fail.

In an instant, Minato flashed forward, appearing between them just as Haruto's blade ignited. He caught Haruto's wrist, but the boy was faster than he'd anticipated. Haruto used the momentum to flip over Minato's back, redirecting his strike toward Pakura's throat.

Minato's elbow struck Haruto's arm in a blur of motion, knocking the attack off course. The blade sliced across Pakura's neck, moderately cutting her throat. She gasped, clutching her throat, slumping to the ground as medical-nin rushed in to stabilize her, with immediate medical attention she would survive.

Pakura was alive. That was all that mattered.

Minato straightened, his hand still on Haruto's wrist as he looked into the boy's eyes. There was no anger in his gaze—only understanding. Haruto had done what was necessary; Pakura had been punished for her actions against Daichi. But the Hokage had made it clear—no deaths, not here.

"It's over, Haruto," Minato said, his voice calm but firm.

For a moment, Haruto's body tensed, his fists still clenched, the fire of battle still burning in his eyes. But slowly, the tension ebbed. Haruto had gotten his revenge, and Minato had allowed him to go as far as he could. Pakura was broken, bleeding, but alive. Haruto was clearly disappointed.

Minato released his grip, stepping back. Haruto stood still for a moment, his eyes flicking to Pakura before he nodded once and turned away. The battle was over, and Minato had ensured that no lives were lost—just as the Hokage had requested.

As Minato watched Haruto leave the arena, he let out a quiet sigh. Haruto had done what needed to be done, and he had let it happen, stepping in only at the very last moment. The village's peace was intact, Pakura would live, and Haruto had delivered the justice that he, Kushina, and Daichi had all wanted.