Kushina's sudden explosion of power had caught everyone off guard. But rather than disappointment, this unexpected display only made the audience even more excited.
"I really didn't expect Kushina to be this strong!"
"Yeah! She doesn't seem any weaker than Angel Konan, she's definitely one of the top contenders!"
"But why has she been hiding her strength all this time? With her power, even if others were wary of her, she wouldn't need to be afraid of anyone!"
"Maybe we've misunderstood, Kushina never intended to hide her strength. It's just that the opponents she faced before weren't worth her going all out."
As the crowd speculated and discussed, many people became instant fans of Kushina.
"Next is the second match of the day, Rasa from the Region of Wind versus… Namikaze Minato from the Hidden Sage Village."
Not long after, Nawaki announced the next battle.
The moment the names were spoken, the arena erupted into excitement once again.
Rasa, considered the strongest contestant from the Region of Wind and one of the tournament favorites.
And then there was Minato, who needed no introductions. He was an absolute frontrunner, one of the biggest names in the competition.
Rasa's expression stiffened upon hearing his opponent's name.
Then, he let out a bitter smile.
Among the remaining 19 contestants, the last person he wanted to face was undoubtedly Minato.
If he had a choice, he would rather face Konan or Ranzuki than go up against Minato.
Because Minato was simply too powerful, his performance so far had been flawless. On top of that, no one knew what kind of hidden techniques Minato still had yet to reveal.
After all, his teacher was none other than Senju Tobirama!
But fate had a cruel sense of humor, his worst nightmare had come true.
There was nothing he could do about it now.
All he could do was brace himself and fight.
"Sigh, I can't believe my opponent is you. It's the final round of matchups, couldn't I have had an easier path?"
Rasa sighed and complained to Minato, already mentally preparing himself for the losers' bracket.
Minato chuckled in response before saying, "It's the same for everyone. At least you'll get more chances to show off your skills."
Hearing this, Rasa rolled his eyes.
"More chances to perform? How about I let you have those? I just want to secure a spot on the Outstanding Youth Ranking."
"That won't do, Kushina is waiting for me."
As Minato spoke, he pulled out his specialized kunai.
Rasa's expression hardened at the sight.
Then, he clapped his hands to the ground.
The entire arena shifted.
The ground softened beneath them.
In the next moment, a massive sea of sand surged into the air, forming a towering tsunami of golden grains that crashed toward Minato.
The sand wave was enormous, spanning the entire width of the arena and reaching over ten meters high, carrying an unstoppable force as it came crashing down upon Minato.
This attack covered such a large area that even Minato's kunai couldn't simply phase through it.
Thinking this, Rasa activated another jutsu.
Beneath the battlefield, the ground suddenly transformed into a massive vortex of swirling sand, sucking everything into its depths.
Since he couldn't see Minato's exact position, Rasa had no way of knowing how his opponent would evade the attack.
So, he resorted to using large-scale, indiscriminate techniques to ensure that Minato had no escape.
Thankfully, this battle was confined within the arena's special terrain limitations.
If they were fighting in an open environment, Rasa knew very well that he would never be able to hit Minato.
Rasa's sand could not cover the entire world.
But Minato's Flying Thunder God could take him anywhere in the world.
Just as Rasa was feeling a slight sense of relief, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Minato's figure had already appeared high in the sky, and in midair, he threw several specialized kunai toward him.
In that instant, Rasa understood how Minato had avoided his attack.
Minato had thrown his kunai into the air and then teleported himself above the range of the tsunami of sand.
A simple yet highly effective method.
This dynamic spatial teleportation was precisely the Flying Thunder God: Second Step.
Rasa couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Unless he could attack from all directions simultaneously, Minato would always find a way to escape his attack range.
His mind spun rapidly, and he immediately controlled his sand to intercept Minato's kunai.
When fighting Minato, never let him get close.
Because if Minato got close, that meant close-quarters combat.
And once it became close combat, there was a high probability that Minato would find an opportunity to inscribe the Flying Thunder God formula onto his body.
If that happened, there was nothing more to say.
The fight would be over.
But Minato had already anticipated Rasa's reaction.
A massive Rasenshuriken had already formed in his hands, and he hurled it toward Rasa.
"Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
Rasa was all too familiar with this technique.
It had once been one of the Sage's signature moves, and it was even listed on the merit exchange board, making countless people envious.
After all, it was an S-rank technique.
Not only that, but according to the technique's description, it could be modified with different chakra natures for various transformations.
Understanding its sheer power, Rasa didn't hesitate. He activated a defensive jutsu to block the attack.
And that was exactly what Minato wanted.
The Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was merely a feint, its true purpose was to force Rasa into full defense, preventing him from counterattacking.
The Rasenshuriken rapidly expanded and unleashed a frenzied assault on the sand-gold giant that protected Rasa.
Its destructive power was unquestionable.
However, the sand-gold giant's defense was equally astonishing.
Even after the Rasenshuriken dissipated, it failed to break through.
But Minato didn't mind.
Without hesitation, he threw several more kunai, and his body instantly vanished from his position.
When he reappeared, he was already close to Rasa, striking at him with kunai.
As mentioned before, Minato was one of the first people to inscribe the Sage Seal.
Compared to others, his body had long since evolved, with all his physical attributes greatly enhanced.
Thus, Minato's close-combat abilities were truly terrifying.
In just a few breaths, Rasa had already been struck multiple times by Minato's kunai.
However, he wasn't injured.
Because his entire body was covered in a layer of sand-gold armor, absorbing the attacks.
Though this significantly reduced his agility, it didn't matter, Rasa was not a close-combat fighter.
He was a long-range tactician.
As long as he could avoid being instantly defeated, he would always have a chance to turn the tables.
Then, at a crucial moment, as Minato launched another attack, golden sand spikes suddenly emerged from Rasa's body.
Though they were formed from sand, under the influence of Magnet Release, their hardness rivaled that of steel weapons.
If it had been anyone else, it would have been too late to react.
But, Minato simply vanished, dodging the counterattack effortlessly.
From a distance, he now observed Rasa, who looked like a spiked hedgehog, and the corners of his lips curled into a smile.
"That's an interesting technique… but—
"It's over."
As soon as the words fell, Rasa's pupils dilated.
Because in that moment, he sensed a shift in his surroundings.
When he snapped back to reality, he was already standing outside the arena.
"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder is still as useful as ever."
Minato looked at Rasa in the distance and muttered to himself.
At the same time, where Rasa had been standing just moments ago, more than ten kunai were arranged in a specific formation.
If one could perceive chakra, they would see that these kunai were all linked by Sage Chakra threads, their source connecting back to Minato himself.