I started a cult in Naruto world Chapter 14

Chapter 15: Narrow Victory

This kind of contest is disadvantageous for Tatsuma, as he'll exhaust faster than Minato due to his stamina. Thus, Tatsuma needs a swift breakthrough or even countermeasures.

Taking a risk, Tatsuma let go of Minato's left hand, swiftly pulling Minato's right hand to the side, the Kunai scraping across Tatsuma's cheek.

Seizing the opportunity, Tatsuma's hands struck toward Minato's ribs. Minato sensed trouble, rolled to the side, but still got hit by Tatsuma's palm.

After being struck in the ribs, Minato tried to roll up but found it hard to straighten his body. Meanwhile, Tatsuma had already risen and delivered a left front kick directly to Minato's face.

Minato's left hand slapped for defense, simultaneously dodging by tilting his head, then exerted force to stand up, attempting to lift and slam Tatsuma with a shoulder throw.

Reacting quickly, Tatsuma lifted his leg for a downward kick. Minato evaded, stepping back, knowing he didn't need to rush like Tatsuma.

While Minato tried to create distance, Tatsuma stayed close. Their punches and weapons flowed continuously. Practicing together almost every day, their moves were as synchronized as a well-practiced drill.

Watching from the window sill, Jiraiya's gaze grew serious as he held onto the frame.

"The white-haired brat seems impatient."

Orochimaru had been watching their fight, and he commented. Jiraiya instinctively nodded, but then his expression changed, and he turned to Orochimaru, questioning, "Orochimaru, are you being sarcastic?"

Shaking his head, Orochimaru said, "I don't need to be sarcastic when I'm talking to you, slowpoke."

"Damn it!"

"Alright, keep watching!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice interrupted. Looking down, Minato, with his stamina advantage, had finally created distance from Tatsuma. He began throwing Kunai and Shuriken.

Tatsuma barely managed to block, deflecting the thrown weapons. Hyuga Chidou, watching from the side, frowned. This was how Minato had defeated her.

But Tatsuma wasn't like Chidou. He knew Minato's throwing habits well, so even though he was tired, he managed to evade most of the attacks.

On the other side, Minato furrowed his brow, not expecting Tatsuma to perform this well when serious. He checked his supply of weapons—two Kunai, six Shuriken, and eight senbon.

"With these Kunai, Shuriken, and senbon left…"

Deciding, Minato swiftly drew his Shuriken and threw them at Tatsuma, followed by senbon. Holding the Kunai, he charged at Tatsuma.

Tatsuma focused all his attention, evading the projectiles. As he knocked down the Shuriken, he noticed Minato's flying kick coming. 

"Against the senbon, I should be fine."

Tatsuma muttered to himself, stepping forward to dodge the incoming weapons. Then, he used a Tai Chi technique he had learned in university.

Executing a knee twist, Tatsuma's left shoulder absorbed the impact of Minato's right leg, while his left hand grabbed Minato's right knee, and his right hand gripped the Kunai. He punched Minato's abdomen.

Minato's core strength dispersed as he stumbled backward, losing his balance. Tatsuma threw him down and knelt on Minato's stomach, preventing him from moving.

The Kunai remained poised at Minato's collarbone. Tatsuma's tense expression finally softened into a smile. He said, "Impressive, Minato. But I've managed to win."

Minato wasn't concerned about losing. Instead, he looked at the senbon embedded in Tatsuma's shoulder and thigh, asking anxiously, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't mention it."

With Minato's reminder, the muscle soreness and pain from the senbon wounds surged in Tatsuma's body. The Kunai at Minato's collarbone slipped from his hand, losing its force.

"Sarutobi-sensei! Please check Tatsuma's condition."

Seeing Tatsuma fall to the side, Minato urgently called out to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been watching. Hiruzen nodded, saying, "Just minor injuries, mainly from exhaustion."

Inside the classroom, Tsunade squinted as she watched the scene through the window. She mumbled, "Their relationship seems surprisingly good. But even if they're close, why would they fight so fiercely?"

They had gone from injuring each other one moment to worrying about each other the next. It was quite unusual.

Hiruzen chimed in, explaining, "Over the past few months, they've trained together. Except for the final round, the previous rounds weren't dangerous as they're familiar with each other's moves."

"They're both first-year students, right? Their determination might even exceed some experienced ninjas. Right, Jiraiya?"

Tsunade finished speaking, and Jiraiya's face turned green. While Jiraiya might have brushed off Orochimaru's words as unintentional, Tsunade's tone clearly accused him.

However, Jiraiya couldn't show his anger towards Tsunade like he did with Orochimaru. So, he silently swallowed his frustration.

Smiling, Hiruzen said, "Alright, you're all on vacation now. Feel free to do whatever you want. You've seen what you needed to today. If you have things to do, you can leave."

"Got it."

Tsunade turned and left. Orochimaru considered but found no missing information to stay for. He also said, "Then, Hiruzen-sensei, I'll head out."

Hiruzen waved his hand, looking at Jiraiya, who remained beside him, and asked, "Is there something else you need?"

Coughing, Jiraiya's face flushed slightly as he continued, "Sensei, about the mission reward…"

"You're short by a hundred thousand ryos?! With the village's finances this tight, can't you wait a bit longer before collecting?!"

Hiruzen was displeased, and Jiraiya helplessly explained, "My money was 'borrowed' by Tsunade. Now, I can't even afford ramen."

Hearing the emphasis on 'borrowed,' Hiruzen caught on and nodded. "Fine, let's go to the Hokage's office to get it then. By the way, Jiraiya, sometimes you need to keep money in your own hands. Anyway, I'll give you a hundred thousand for now. I'll hold onto the rest for you."

"Fine."