Ch-20 Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.

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"What are you doing, Michikatsu? Why did you sever the civilian's tongue?" asked Jiraiya.

"And where were you when he insulted my mother? I had already shown him mercy by only severing his tongue. Otherwise, for what he said, I would have severed his head," replied Michikatsu.

Jiraiya fell silent for a moment but then said, "Then what about the village rules? Can you break them whenever you want?"

"I didn't do anything that breaks the rules of Konoha. He insulted my mother, and I cut off his tongue. Now, according to the rules, I will have to cover all his medical expenses and provide compensation sufficient to make his life easier. I've already given him 100,000 ryo. If it's not enough, I'm willing to pay more," explained Michikatsu.

(A/N: It's unnecessary to mention this because in Konoha, having connections with influential people often results in receiving a lighter punishment, as demonstrated when Sasuke was released without facing any charges. In the anime, depicting him in jail is filler content and not part of the canon storyline.)

"One more thing, if anyone else says anything about my parents, this will be their fate. The rest is up to you guys," added Michikatsu.

"Now, don't waste your time here. There are medical ninja in the arena. Go and get yourself treated, or else you'll die from blood loss. You're also hindering the match by standing here," advised Michikatsu to the man whose tongue had been severed.

The man, unable to speak, was reminded by Michikatsu, and the medical ninjas present in the arena for today's match came to take him away for treatment.

Jiraiya looked at Hiruzen for permission, and Hiruzen nodded, allowing Jiraiya to continue the match.

After receiving permission from Hiruzen, Jiraiya announced, "So, today's match begins." Following the announcement, Jiraiya retreated to a distance.

Michikatsu removed the katana hanging from his waist, stabbed it into the ground, and assumed a fighting stance to face Minato and Shikaku.

Almost everyone present in the arena was perplexed by Michikatsu's actions.

Minato was also bewildered, but as the match had been announced to start, he didn't waste any time. He swiftly threw multiple kunai towards Michikatsu. In response, Michikatsu fearlessly charged in Minato's direction, expertly deflecting all the kunai aimed at him. Meanwhile, the kunai thrown by Minato towards Michikatsu fell to the ground as Michikatsu advanced.

Soon, Michikatsu reached Minato, and a battle between one person armed with kunai and another with bare hands commenced. Minato attacked with his kunai in his right hand, attempting to injure Michikatsu. However, Michikatsu, with remarkable precision, used two fingers from his right hand to strike Minato's right hand just below his wrist. Minato experienced intense pain, causing the kunai in his hand to slip towards the ground. He hastily retreated to evade Michikatsu's follow-up attack. Michikatsu's quick reflexes allowed him to effortlessly catch the kunai and throw it in Shikaku's direction. Shikaku, who had been preparing to use the 'Shadow Imitation Technique,' was unable to defend against the attack, and he tilted his head, resulting in a small cut on the right side of his cheek.

There were two reasons for Minato's pain. Firstly, Michikatsu was using the 'Transparent World' technique to observe Minato's muscle movements. Secondly, he employed the 'Blood Demon Art: Destructive Death' to strike Minato's muscles at close range, targeting the areas under the most tension. As a result, Minato's hand muscles suffered some damage.

This time, Shikaku, who had already formed the hand seal for the 'Shadow Imitation Technique,' extended his shadow towards Michikatsu. However, as the shadow neared Michikatsu, he quickly leaped backward, causing Shikaku's shadow to halt its progress.

In this brief encounter between Michikatsu, Minato, and Shikaku, one thing became evident: Michikatsu was clearly dominating the battle. Minato, who stood at a distance from Michikatsu, realized that defeating Michikatsu in taijutsu or shuriken throwing was a daunting task. Therefore, he decided to resort to long-range attacks—ninjutsu.

"Shikaku, cover me," Minato instructed as he sprinted towards Michikatsu. Shikaku promptly activated the 'Shadow Imitation Technique' once more. Since Minato was moving towards Michikatsu, Shikaku utilized Minato's shadow to extend the range of his jutsu.

Michikatsu observed Minato running in his direction, wearing an amused expression. As Minato approached, he performed hand seals to prepare his jutsu.

Michikatsu also began retreating as Shikaku's shadow continued advancing towards him. Although he had the capability to break free from the bindings of the 'Shadow Imitation Technique,' he chose not to complicate matters unnecessarily.

The standoff continued, and just as Minato moved out of the range of Shikaku's 'Shadow Imitation Technique,' the connection between Shikaku and Minato was severed. The shadow that had extended through Minato subsequently receded. However, Minato found himself at an ideal location to attack Michikatsu, approximately 8 meters away from him.

Minato executed the final seal for his 'Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.' Simultaneously, just a few milliseconds before Minato, Michikatsu also unleashed his 'Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.' Both jutsus collided with each other, and Minato found himself at a distinct disadvantage as his jutsu had been released after Michikatsu's.

Michikatsu's Fire Release ultimately overwhelmed Minato's, and he was engulfed in flames.

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