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"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, in the spot where the unusually shaped kunai had landed, Minato's slightly disheveled figure appeared out of nowhere.
His expression was serious as his blue eyes glanced behind him at the area ablaze with flames, a flash of brilliance in his gaze.
Is this guy serious...!?
With this thought, when he looked back at Uchiha Fugaku, he couldn't help but stare at him intently, speaking softly.
"You're being too heavy-handed. Even as a member of the Uchiha clan, attacking fellow villagers with such force doesn't seem to align with the village's rules."
Fugaku's face remained expressionless as he responded coldly.
"Rules? At a time like this, you want to use so-called rules as your shield?"
Minato gently shook his head, speaking earnestly.
"It's not like that. I just believe that when dealing with a fellow villager, there should be some restraint. After all, we are all comrades from the same village."
Seeing Minato's serious expression, for some reason, Fugaku felt a strong aversion rise within him. Feeling a bit irritated, he coldly replied.
"Then I apologize, but even though we're from the same village, I don't consider you my comrade. And besides…"
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his crimson eyes, and he continued in a deep voice.
"Earlier, I was merely testing you with a casual attack. If you want to talk about going all out, then next, I'll show you what a serious fight with me is truly like."
As Fugaku's words fell, his figure suddenly moved, charging towards Minato with fierce momentum.
The gray kimono he wore didn't hinder his movements at all, and as he dashed across the grassy field, the flowing robes left a graceful afterimage.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…"
With the rapid sound of wooden sandals striking the grass, Fugaku's figure had already closed in on Minato.
Seeing this, Minato's blue pupils slightly contracted, his heart filled with surprise.
So fast!
Before he could react, Fugaku's attack was already upon him.
"Whoosh!"
Bare-fisted, Fugaku threw a powerful punch at Minato, the force behind it creating a gust of wind that stung Minato's cheeks.
Minato, with half-closed eyes, watched Fugaku's swift movements with a serious expression.
Just as Fugaku's punch was about to connect with his face, Minato tilted his head slightly to the left, narrowly dodging the fierce punch as it grazed past his cheek.
However, at that moment, a cold voice sounded in his ear.
"Did Jiraiya never tell you that flaunting your meager dynamic vision and reflexes in front of an Uchiha is utterly ridiculous?"
As soon as those icy words fell, as if in slow motion, Fugaku's foot, which had stepped forward, suddenly lifted and kicked straight towards Minato.
A streak of red light flashed in the air, the swift movement causing Fugaku's robe to billow, revealing the toned muscles on his chest beneath the kimono.
"Bang!"
Minato's body was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
Seeing this, Fugaku narrowed his eyes slightly, letting out a cold snort.
'Did he barely manage to block it...?'
"Thud!"
Minato, who had been thrown back, twisted his body mid-air and landed firmly on the ground.
His face was solemn as he glanced at the dusty footprint on his sleeve, thinking to himself.
'What terrifying reflexes... Is this the power of the Sharingan? This is going to be tricky...'
With this thought, he pressed his lips together slightly and reached into his ninja pouch. When he withdrew his hand, he was holding four unusually shaped kunai, each engraved with black inscriptions.
Staring seriously at Fugaku, Minato spoke softly.
"If that's the case, then I'll also take this fight seriously."
Hearing Minato's words, Fugaku snorted coldly.
"Then I'll show you that your seriousness is meaningless in the face of these eyes!"
Despite his disdainful words, Fugaku's crimson eyes were subtly fixated on the strange kunai in Minato's hand, thinking to himself.
'Was it those kunai that allowed him to dodge my ninjutsu so effortlessly earlier? No matter what, I'll teach this guy a lesson for admiring that man so much!!' With that thought, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!..."
At that moment, Minato made the first move from a distance.
His gaze focused intently on Fugaku as he hurled several kunai with a powerful throw, sending them flying towards the Uchiha. Under the effect of the three-tomoe Sharingan, the trajectory of the kunai appeared incredibly slow to Fugaku. He merely tilted his head slightly, easily dodging them.
As a cold smile crept onto his lips and he was about to speak, something in his line of sight caused his pupils to contract slightly.
'The kunai vanished!?'
'How could it disappear so suddenly? Where is it!? Could it be...'
Shocked, Fugaku quickly glanced behind him, his face still showing a faint trace of astonishment. Before him, with the kunai moving at high speed, a dirty figure suddenly appeared.
Minato, who had appeared abruptly, wore a grim expression, tightly gripping a kunai in his hand as he charged straight at Fugaku like a nighttime assassin. Facing Minato, who was now almost within arm's reach, Fugaku's face turned extremely grim. His pupils contracted to mere pinpoints.
The blood-red color in his eyes was as intense as fresh blood, with the three black tomoe spinning rapidly.
"There's no way I could be defeated by someone like this!!"
With a roar of anger in his heart, Fugaku suddenly mimicked Minato's movements, moving forward. In that instant, he moved faster than human reflexes, creating a slight distance between them.
As Minato's expression grew more serious, Fugaku's face turned cold. His advancing body suddenly twisted, and he kicked backward with a powerful strike!
The wide sleeves of his kimono flared with the force of his movement. Seeing this heavy blow, Minato's eyes narrowed as he raised both arms to block the attack steadily.
"Bang!"
But even so, the force of the kick sent him flying backward.
At that moment, a cold glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes as his hands rapidly formed hand seals.
Serpent—Dragon—Hare—Tiger.
As he completed the seals, his chest and abdomen swelled, and his blood-red eyes gleamed coldly. He roared:
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
"Boom!"
With his shout, a massive dragon of flames burst from his mouth, roaring forward with tremendous fury, charging straight toward the airborne Minato.
The intense fire illuminated the night sky as if it were daylight.
However, Fugaku, who was focused on releasing the Dragon Flame Jutsu, failed to notice the peculiar kunai planted behind him on the ground.
Just as he finished his jutsu, a dirty figure suddenly appeared behind him, with a sharp kunai held at his neck.
"Sorry, but this battle is mine."
With a soft, calm whisper, Minato's blue eyes stared steadily at Fugaku, whose forehead was now beaded with sweat.
Fugaku's pupils contracted tightly as he stared in disbelief at the Minato who had suddenly appeared behind him. When he glanced down and saw the kunai at his feet, realization finally dawned.
'So he threw the kunai at my feet when I kicked him away... What a clever trick,' he thought.
With that realization, Fugaku's grim expression eased slightly.
He closed his eyes, and after a long pause, he slowly opened them again, his voice calm.
"You win, Namikaze Minato."
Hearing this, Minato kept his gaze fixed on Fugaku's now calm and clear eyes, as if looking into a tranquil lake.
After a moment, as if confirming that Fugaku wouldn't attack again, Minato moved the kunai away from his neck. The two young men stood very close to each other. One was dirty and dressed in ordinary, worn-out clothes, while the other wore slightly disheveled but expensive robes, symbolizing his status as the head of the Uchiha clan.
Even in the moonlight, Minato's golden hair glowed with a soft halo.
Fugaku, on the other hand, had long black hair that seemed to absorb all the moonlight, exuding an extreme darkness.
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Fugaku finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Your strength is impressive... As expected of a disciple of one of the Sannin..."
Hearing this, and sensing that Fugaku no longer harbored any clear hostility, Minato smiled and replied softly.
"You're strong too. The strongest peer I've ever faced."
"To be honest, I was just holding on. My chakra is almost depleted. But since you've lost, you should tell me your name, right?"
Fugaku was slightly taken aback by Minato's words. He turned his head and took one last look at the shimmering river.
Then, he adjusted his kimono and began walking toward the riverside road. As Minato watched him leave with a puzzled expression, Fugaku's calm voice slowly reached him.
"Uchiha Fugaku."
He paused and slightly turned his head. In the pale moonlight, he looked at Minato out of the corner of his eye and spoke calmly.
"I'm glad to have met you today, Namikaze Minato."
Minato looked confused at his words.
But Fugaku didn't mind and continued speaking to himself.
"If it weren't for you, I might have continued living in my own world..."
"My father was right. I'm still far, far from being able to face that man."
He paused again before speaking.
"Remember, from today on, you are the second person I will strive to surpass, right after that man. One day, Namikaze Minato, I will defeat you."
With that, Fugaku slowly walked away. Hearing his words, Minato stood frozen in place and helplessly scratched his nose.
"Seems like I've gotten myself into some trouble."