When Moto Kouda announced the names for this sparring match, Kushina, who had previously been receiving advice from Mikoto, couldn't help but widen her beautiful eyes in surprise.
She wasn't the only one—Minato and even Mikoto herself were also momentarily taken aback.
Yan Uchiha, however, remained calm. After his name was called, he slowly stepped forward into the training ground.
This time, everyone's attention was fixed on Mikoto.
The gentle-looking girl frowned slightly, her expression turning serious as she made her way through the crowd toward the arena.
"Come on, Mikoto! Don't you dare lose to this guy!" At that moment, Kushina's loud voice rang out from behind her, accompanied by her signature verbal quirk.
"Mm."
Mikoto turned slightly toward Kushina and smiled lightly. From the corner of her eye, she also caught sight of Minato standing behind Kushina, who raised his hand and gave a thumbs-up.
Although Minato had never actually seen Mikoto fight before, within their class, aside from himself, only Mikoto was capable of sparring with Kushina at full strength. Mikoto's strength was undeniably formidable.
As for how she'd measure up against Yan Uchiha, another member of her clan, he couldn't say.
Stepping into the arena, Mikoto politely clasped her hands together and bowed to her opponent.
"Don't worry," Yan Uchiha smiled. "I'll go easy on you since you're a girl."
After bowing, Mikoto straightened her back and replied, "That's just a formality from Ninja Academy. As for going easy on me, there's no need—I can't afford to be blamed by the elders if someone gets injured."
Upon hearing those words, Yan's expression subtly changed. His father was an elder of the Uchiha clan, holding higher status than Mikoto's parents.
"The same goes for you too," Yan Uchiha replied while bowing just like Mikoto had moments ago, "so I won't have to deal with Fugaku Aniki coming after me later if you get hurt."
Fugaku, whom he mentioned, was the son of the current head of the Uchiha clan—an outstanding talent and heir apparent to the leadership of the clan.
He was noticeably older than most of Mikoto's peers and had always been quite protective of her.
"Don't worry, I'm not like you," Mikoto said calmly.
Noticing the rising tension, Moto Kouda quickly interjected:
"Begin the match!"
Dang!
As soon as those words left his mouth, Moto Kouda quickly stepped back. In the next instant, two figures had already crossed the distance between them and clashed.
Both Yan Uchiha and Mikoto held black kunai in their hands—the earlier sound had come from their kunai clashing together.
"So fast!" Even Moto Kouda, who barely managed to dart away in time, was stunned by their speed.
As for the rest of the students, none could follow the movements—only Kushina and Minato could keep up with the action.
Mikoto and Yan Uchiha locked together, both pairs of eyes sharp and piercing.
While Yan was still composed, Mikoto now looked nothing like her usual gentle self.
Her nature was gentle, but that didn't mean Mikoto was a delicate girl. Underestimating her—no matter who it was—was always a mistake.
Their kunai met midair in a metallic clash, turning the fight into a test of brute strength.
"I guess I underestimated you," Yan Uchiha said, his right hand gripping the kunai while his left twisted forcefully for extra power. His arm trembled slightly—a natural response to the sheer force he had applied.
Mikoto's condition was similar to his—but her arms trembled even harder. She was a woman after all—there was no way she could match Yan Uchiha in raw strength.
She had no intention of matching him in a contest of pure strength. She loosened her grip and quickly lowered both hands. Yan Uchiha's kunai, still carrying momentum, flew straight toward her face.
Clearly, she must have been ready for this the moment she did it. Her upper body suddenly bent backward, narrowly dodging his strike. Her incredible flexibility shocked everyone present.
Pushing off the ground with both hands, Mikoto twisted midair, launching a powerful spinning kick.
Still, Yan Uchiha's reflexes were lightning-fast. Just as the kick neared his abdomen, he stepped back at the perfect moment.
Seeing this, Mikoto pushed hard against the ground with her arms and sprang upward, instantly throwing the kunai in her hand without even looking.
Clang!
The kunai she threw smashed directly into the one Yan Uchiha had sent flying during his retreat.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The battle wasn't over yet. The sound of cutting wind filled the air as several black shuriken swooped in from sharp angles—just like the ambush Minato had faced a year ago.
For Minato, attacks like these were genuinely threatening. But not for Mikoto.
Her pale hand, previously hidden inside the wide sleeve of her robe, emerged holding several black shuriken.
At the same time, Mikoto scanned the area briefly before hurling the shuriken clutched in both hands.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every single one of Yan Uchiha's shuriken was intercepted and knocked down once again.
"Wow! Mikoto's [Shuriken Jutsu] is amazing!"
Kushina blinked in astonishment. Those shuriken had nearly dazzled her, yet Mikoto only needed a quick glance to neutralize them all with ease.
Minato gave a slight smile, not surprised in the least. After all, both of them learned their techniques from the same source.
Still, this clearly showed Mikoto's strength.
"You saw through my diversionary tactic too?"
Yan Uchiha sighed. He had deliberately created an opening just to try trapping her movements with shuriken afterward.
He never expected Mikoto wouldn't even need to look—she instantly knew exactly where his first kunai was.
Had she already mastered locating kunai and shuriken by sound alone?
That was the true essence of the Uchiha Clan's [Shuriken Jutsu]—not just using sight, but sound as well.
"What about this one then?!"
Yan Uchiha waved both arms forward once more. This time, he launched twice as many shuriken as before—and they were faster than ever.
Mikoto frowned, her delicate brows drawn together. Given her current power level, handling this many shuriken all at once was nearly impossible.
Even for Minato, the sheer number and tricky angles of the shuriken made this a tough situation.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Still, she acted without hesitation, hurling several more shuriken to knock down a few of the more dangerously angled ones.
As she hurled the shuriken, her hands flew through a series of hand seals.
Just as a shuriken came within inches, Mikoto completed the jutsu and spat out a small fireball.
[Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!]
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