With the high-speed movement granted by the Gate of Life, Kazekaze vanished in an instant. By the time the Third Kazekage reacted, Kazekaze was already behind him, five fingers clenched into a fist, swinging forward.
"What?!" The Third Kazekage's expression changed drastically, completely unprepared for such terrifying speed.
However… The Third Kazekage was no ordinary shinobi. Not only was he the strongest Genin of Sunagakure, but he was also the personal disciple of Reto, the First Kazekage.
His reaction speed— And his ability to assess a situation in an instant— Were both exceptional. Almost instinctively, the Third Kazekage gathered the Iron Sand floating around him and condensed it behind his back, forming a black iron wall.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted between the two. The Iron Sand Shield that the Third Kazekage had formed was directly shattered into a C-shape by Kazekaze's punch!
"What terrifying strength…" The Third Kazekage's pupils dilated, his face filled with shock.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that such destructive power could come from a mere seven-year-old boy.
"As expected of the future Third Kazekage. To be able to block my attack with Iron Sand at the crucial moment." Kazekaze couldn't help but admire him inwardly.
But he was not discouraged. If even the future Third Kazekage could not withstand a single blow, then his anticipation for this battle over the past week would have been meaningless. Since his first strike was unsuccessful, Kazekaze moved again.
"Gone again!" The Third Kazekage gasped in astonishment.
He couldn't comprehend, nor could he imagine— What kind of training had Kazekaze undergone to achieve such a terrifying level in taijutsu? Even with his eyes wide open, he couldn't track Kazekaze's movements.
"Unbelievable… Is this really a speed a human can achieve?" At that moment, the Third Kazekage realized how laughable his previous thoughts had been.
He had actually worried that his Kekkei Genkai would cause Kazekaze psychological distress! With such an exaggerated level of speed alone, Kazekaze was already worthy of the title "Konoha's Strongest Genin."
This battle was nothing less than— Konoha's Strongest Genin vs. Sunagakure's Strongest Genin!
"Kazekaze, I owe you an apology."
Even though the Third Kazekage couldn't clearly see Kazekaze's movements, he was not without countermeasures. Kazekaze was indeed a formidable taijutsu user, but every time he attacked, the wind pressure created by his movements was unavoidable. By tracking these disturbances, the Third Kazekage could predict Kazekaze's attack trajectory and manipulate the Iron Sand accordingly to block his attacks.
And then… While blocking Kazekaze's attacks, the Third Kazekage attempted to ensnare him with Iron Sand. If Kazekaze's limbs were restrained, the battle would be decided. But before that, the Third Kazekage felt it necessary to apologize.
"When I first saw you, I thought you were just an ordinary Konoha Genin. I even asked you to forfeit voluntarily. Looking at it now, that was an incredibly foolish assumption. You are a worthy opponent, one that deserves my full strength!"
As he spoke to Kazekaze, the Third Kazekage extracted even more chakra, transforming it into black Iron Sand.
However— He did not use all of it for defense. Instead, he divided the Iron Sand into two portions. One part remained as a "shield," to block Kazekaze's taijutsu attacks, while the other was compressed to an extremely high density, forming sharp spears.
Then—He thrust them forward along Kazekaze's possible attack trajectories!
The Kage Viewing Area
Tobirama's eyes revealed a hint of surprise. "He's predicting Kazekaze's movements."
He had initially thought that the battle would end the moment Kazekaze activated the Eight Gates. He never expected that the Third Kazekage would not only survive but even find a way to counter Kazekaze's speed!
Most crucially, Kazekaze had only recently become a Genin. During the Chunin Exam preliminaries, he had never once used the Eight Gates. This meant that the Third Kazekage had no prior knowledge of Kazekaze's abilities!
"He's adapting to Kazekaze's speed in real time, growing stronger as the battle progresses." Hashirama finished Tobirama's thought.
To him, this was akin to a game of shogi, where every turn presented countless possible moves. But the move that could truly force the opponent into a deadlock or turn the tide, was often just one!
Most importantly— Even though this was common knowledge, in the heat of battle, under immense pressure, finding the optimal move was anything but easy. It required years of rigorous training— And immense natural talent. The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure was undoubtedly a prodigy among prodigies!
"Lord Kazekage, it seems you have indeed raised an exceptional disciple." Hashirama's tone was filled with excitement.
He acknowledged the Third Kazekage's talent, recognizing his strength. However— Hashirama did not believe Kazekaze would lose. Because the Gate of Life was not Kazekaze's limit. He could still become stronger!
"Kazekaze is truly fortunate to face such an opponent in an official match!" Hashirama thought to himself.
But Kazekage Reto was already breaking into a cold sweat. From Hashirama and Tobirama's conversation just now, an undeniable, shocking truth was now in front of him. Kazekaze— Had only recently become a ninja. And— He had never received any formal training before this!
Yet the Third Kazekage had needed five years of guidance to develop his combat instincts! If he had met Kazekaze when he was seven… Wouldn't he have been utterly crushed?!
"Kazekaze is the real monster here." Reto sucked in a sharp breath.
What is with the Senju Clan?! Why are they all monsters?!
"Lord Hokage, is your grandson really… only seven years old?" The First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, trembled as he spoke.
Although three Genin from Iwagakure had made it to the finals, Ishikawa knew their capabilities inside out. There was no exaggeration in saying that even if all three of them fought together— They would stand no chance against Kazekaze. They would likely be instantly defeated!
Even though the battle had now reached a seemingly even state between Kazekaze and the Third Kazekage— Kazekaze was only seven years old! Give him five more years, and he would reach the age the Third Kazekage was now. With his talent, how much stronger would he become? The answer was—immeasurable!
By comparison, the Third Kazekage's aura of genius suddenly seemed dim. That was the truly terrifying part. Damn it! Why isn't Kazekaze my grandson?! If he were, Ishikawa would undoubtedly groom him as the future Tsuchikage! He could even declare with confidence— In less than ten years, Kazekaze would become the strongest Tsuchikage in history!
At that moment, the battle between Kazekaze and the Third Kazekage had shocked all four Kage-level powerhouses!