Sakai's speed, although nowhere near Minato's, was still beyond what he could handle in such short notice. Minato rushed at him first to block his view and give Kushina a clear shot.
Dodging was no longer possible. He could only cross his arms over his chest and lower his head to protect the chakra mark on his forehead.
"Boom!"
Still, he underestimated the strength of Kushina's punch. Born with an exceptional physique, she not only possessed a vast chakra reserves amount but also wielded a strength unmatched among her peers.
Sakai flew backward two meters from Kushina's punch, though fortunately his steps remained steady thanks to his rich experience and solid skills.
Any normal student would've been floored — flat on their back and done for.
Though struck by Kushina, he turned his glare toward Minato, resentment in his eyes. Only now did he realize Minato's original intention.
Minato had never intended to fight him. His charge forward was deliberate.
Because he believed there was a gap in their speed.
However, Kushina didn't even give him time to feel resentful before attacking again.
Behind the two, Sakai's two companions were forced to stop mid-action and deflect the two shuriken Minato had thrown earlier.
At the same time, both men kept a wary eye on this boy who barely reached their shoulders, showing absolutely no sign of contempt.
Minato's sharp mind and blazing speed made it impossible to see him as just another kid.
Still, hints of anger surfaced on both their faces. Minato's actions sent them a clear message:
He would take them both on alone.
Even if he were a student from the Ninja Academy, such audacity was unheard of.
Minato naturally perceived their feelings, yet he had no intention of underestimating them either. He simply had no choice but to act this way to cover for Kushina.
He had to stop the three-man squad from working together and keep Kushina safe. That meant taking out these two genin first.
As for Kushina at her current level, facing one genin directly wouldn't be a problem at all.
"If you've chosen us two as your opponents, don't blame us for playing dirty."
Having said that, both simultaneously lunged at Minato — one taking a direct frontal assault aimed straight for the chakra mark on his chest.
The other moved faster, approaching from the side, silently plotting death with eyes fixed firmly on Minato's forehead.
It was a simple plan — and dangerously effective. Even though Minato might be slightly faster than either of them individually, with both attacking at once, he could only defend against one.
Of course, that assumption was based on their own expectations.
Minato easily saw through their intent.
These two... still underestimated his speed.
Whoosh!
The two charging forward suddenly realized their target—Minato—had vanished from the center like he'd disappeared into thin air, leaving only a faint golden afterimage.
"What incredible speed!"
Both the two Genin and the onlookers—like Akasaka Yu—were visibly shaken.
Minato's speed... it was just too fast!
Suddenly reappearing right before one of them, Minato immediately formed hand seals.
The man who spotted his opponent clearly enough to react felt slightly alarmed at Minato's attempt to use Ninjutsu, but then quickly found it somewhat amusing.
Futile move—jutsu at this range was nearly impossible anyway.
He threw a punch right away, aiming to interrupt Minato's hand seals and knock him down directly.
At that moment, Minato also spread his hands open, which seemed to the attacker like he had no choice but to do so—the seals had been interrupted.
Then, facing directly into the punch, Minato struck out with his palm. However, at that moment, blue electrical arcs flickered across his palm.
"You fell for it!" Minato smiled slightly, while the other man desperately tried to pull his fist back—but it was already too late.
The punch met the palm. Lightning Release chakra surged through the attacker's arm, instantly paralyzing his body.
"Help me!"
His paralyzed frame screamed loudly, and his teammate immediately responded by hurling a punch straight toward Minato's temple.
The three were packed so tight, but Minato ignored the one beside him completely, focusing solely on the stunned opponent.
With the other hand still forming a palm strike, he slammed it onto the forehead of the paralyzed opponent, shattering the Chakra Mark completely.
Both the head and chest are critical areas on the human body, and destruction of the mark signified death. The mark on his chest, seemingly linked to the one on his forehead, shattered instantaneously as well.
Instant kill!
With one Genin eliminated in an instant, the second assailant's punch was now less than an inch away from Minato's temple—in such proximity, evasion seemed nearly impossible.
[Body Flicker Technique!]
Suddenly, chakra erupted from Minato's legs. At the same time, he wrapped his arm around the neck of the fallen Genin's body, using him as a shield while performing high-speed movement, narrowly dodging the fatal blow at the last possible moment.
No one present on the field—not even the two Genin—had truly registered what had just occurred.
Only when Minato dragged the lifeless Genin's paralyzed body and leaned it against the same massive tree where he'd hidden earlier did everyone snap back to reality.
The entire fight was a blur—no one could keep up with the speed, not even their eyes.
"Senpai, I'm sorry about this."
Minato muttered, leapt aside, and remained alert toward both remaining opponents.
Minato stayed alert—he wasn't sure if his downed opponent would follow the trial rules and pretend to be dead instead of trying to strike again.
"The mark… has disappeared?"
Akasaka Yu and others stared at the boy leaning motionless against the tree trunk, his forehead and chest marks both gone, speechless for a long time.
"He… actually killed a Genin? Instantly?"
A teenage boy standing next to Rina Takeuchi couldn't believe what just happened. Just moments ago, one Genin had been more than enough to overpower their entire team.
Yet Minato Namikaze had already killed one of them in an instant!
"He's become even stronger..." Yu Akasaka slowly regained his composure. A year ago, Minato and Uchiha Itachi had already surpassed that Genin they fought previously. But he never could have imagined...
After a whole year, he'd actually grown this powerful!
Kushina, who was locked in battle with Sakai, let out a smile. Then the index and middle fingers on both her hands began to close together, forming a cross-shaped seal.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu]!
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Sakai, locked in confrontation with her, was immediately surrounded by nearly ten Kushinas suddenly appearing all around him.
Before Sakai could fully process his teammate's tragic fate, Kushina's voice rang in his ears again.
You shouldn't underestimate Ninja Academy kids ever again!
...
...
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