Black shuriken cut through the air, leaving behind only phantom shadows. To the watching students, it was merely a flicker of black light—too fast to trace, too fast to follow.
But to someone like Jonin-level instructor Shirota, even with his experience, the trajectory of those shuriken felt impossibly sharp and deceptive. As a teacher at the Ninja Academy, he prided himself on his technique, yet even he had to admit: he couldn't throw shuriken like that.
After all, this was a technique passed down within the Uchiha clan.
Even so, in Minato's clear blue eyes, the incoming shuriken—though blisteringly fast—hadn't reached a speed he deemed truly unavoidable. The real danger lay in how Uchiha En had thrown them: with precision so ruthless, they sealed off all routes of escape.
No matter where he dodged, one or two blades would still catch him.
From afar, Uchiha En wore a smug grin, his gaze tinged with mockery.
Sure, Namikaze Minato might be talented—but born into an ordinary family, how could he ever compete with a genius nurtured by a powerhouse like the Uchiha?
Minato furrowed his golden brows, though his expression stayed composed. Uchiha En's technique was exceptional—but that didn't mean he knew nothing about shuriken.
As the deadly black steel spiraled toward him, Minato's hands suddenly flashed out, revealing several wooden training shuriken—standard issue at the Academy.
Whoosh—!
Minato swung his arms with breathtaking speed—faster even than En's throw. The wooden blades followed a complex, interweaving trajectory of their own.
Clang! Clang!
The clash of metal and wood rang out. Minato's wooden shuriken had knocked away most of En's deadly steel—but two still slipped through, streaking toward him with lethal intent.
It was clear: Minato's raw ability was no less than En's—perhaps even stronger. But in terms of tools and technique, he was still at a disadvantage.
"That brat Minato… what a precise read!"
Hidden in a shadowy corner of the Academy, Jiraiya observed the fight, undetected by all.
What Minato lacked in weapon quality, he made up for in sharp calculation. Wooden shuriken were no match for real ones in sharpness. That's why Minato had let En's blades get closer—because the longer a projectile flies, the more force it loses.
Even so, the wooden blades that struck En's shuriken were split apart from the sheer power of the impact.
En wasn't just good—his strength surpassed that of typical genin.
Arrogant or not, the kid was a bona fide genius.
When En saw Minato knock aside his steel shuriken using mere training tools, even he looked stunned. He knew the gap between the two types of weapons.
But those last two blades—Minato had no time left to deflect them.
Just as En's smug thoughts reached that conclusion, the remaining two shuriken closed in, each from a different angle.
Shirota tensed, ready to intervene. He didn't think Minato could dodge.
Then—thud!
Minato slammed his foot down and launched himself backward.
Whoosh!
He shot away like a golden blur, retreating several meters in a flash.
His movement was so fast, none of the students could even register what had happened. Even Shirota's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He hadn't expected Minato to be this fast.
After retreating a few meters, Minato casually stepped aside, just enough to let the two shuriken miss him entirely and strike the wire fence at the edge of the field before dropping harmlessly to the ground.
"That speed…"
Jiraiya, still hidden, felt his eyebrows rise. Sure, to someone at his level, Minato wasn't that fast—but for a student at the Academy?
It was shocking.
No wonder Minato had once fooled even the Third Hokage's ANBU using only a Transformation Jutsu. With this kind of speed, he was already approaching Chunin level!
A week ago, he wouldn't have been capable of this. But ever since that bizarre surge in chakra, Minato's progress in training had been explosive.
If not for his current chakra limit, Minato was confident: just with speed alone, he could completely neutralize all of En's attacks.
No matter how powerful your technique—if you couldn't even land a hit, then it was meaningless.
En's expression twisted with shock. He'd been sure the match was already over.
Panicked, he reached for more shuriken, trying to trap Minato again.
Whoosh!
But Minato didn't give him the chance. He surged forward the moment he dodged the last shuriken, speeding straight toward En!
Caught off guard, En couldn't ready another technique. Minato's punch came crashing down, slicing through the air with a burst of wind pressure.
But En had been trained from a young age. His body reacted on instinct—he tilted his head just in time, Minato's fist grazing his cheek and sending a jolt of pain across his face.
He hadn't taken the full punch, but it still landed—barely.
En didn't panic. He raised his right knee and aimed it straight for Minato's abdomen.
The two were so close that if Minato wanted to press the attack, he'd have to take the knee full-on. But as if predicting En's move, Minato pulled his punch back, took a quick step backward, and slapped his palm against En's raised knee, locking it down.
Even if he dodged, En would've switched from a knee strike to a full kick—but Minato didn't fall for the bait.
Still, En wasn't done. He clenched his fist and drove an uppercut toward Minato's chin.
Minato shifted his grip, open palm rising just in time to block the punch.
In the blink of an eye, they'd exchanged several intense blows.
The students watching were completely overwhelmed—even the older students who'd come to watch were struggling to follow the action.
Their movements were just that fast.
But some of the more talented students could make out what was happening—like Mikoto.
Her face was full of shock. En's strength didn't surprise her—after all, Uchiha children were put through brutal training while most other kids were still being coddled at home.
Genius didn't come from nowhere. It was forged.
What shocked her was Minato. He'd not only deflected En's elite shuriken assault—he'd even held his own in close combat!
Aside from Shirota, there were a few other instructors present as well—and none of them could believe what they were seeing.
Two freshmen Academy students… were fighting at this level?!