Hiashi's solemn thanks didn't stir much of a reaction in the VIP stands.
Shinju merely nodded calmly and motioned for him to return to his seat.
Down in the arena, the medics had already carried the unconscious Neji away. Hayate cleared his throat and announced the next match.
The names on the display board began to roll once more.
[Gaara VS Rock Lee]
"Oh! It's finally Lee's turn!"
Up in the stands, Guy folded his arms across his chest. The eyes beneath his thick brows suddenly burned with fire.
"Burn, youth! Let everyone witness your hard work blossom into strength!"
The bowl-cut boy in the green jumpsuit, Rock Lee, answered the cheers of his teammates with a clean backflip, landing lightly in the arena. He struck a confident pose, raised his thumb, and flashed a full set of white teeth.
His opponent, the sand ninja boy with a giant gourd on his back, walked down the steps one quiet step at a time.
Gaara's footsteps were light, almost soundless. He walked to the center of the arena and simply stood there, arms folded, those sea-green eyes empty of emotion as he stared coldly at the lively opponent in front of him.
"Both sides, state your names."
"Leaf genin, Rock Lee!"
"..."
Gaara said nothing, only staring at Lee with the same gaze one would use on a corpse.
Hayate was used to this kind of thing. He simply raised his hand and declared:
"Then… begin!"
"Yaaah!"
Lee shouted, fighting spirit surging. His figure vanished from where he'd been standing.
"So fast!"
In the stands, the genin—and even some of the chunin—could only see a streak of green moving at high speed across the arena, completely unable to track his real body.
Shinju's eyes were locked on Lee as well. Watching it live was completely different from only knowing about it from the other timeline.
Inwardly, Shinju sighed.
This speed really was something. No wonder, when taijutsu was pushed to the extreme, Guy could almost kick out the end of the story with a single move.
At this point in time, Lee shouldn't be able to open too many of the Gates yet. The further you went, the harder it became, and the greater the burden on the body. High risk, high reward.
The next instant, Lee appeared at Gaara's left side. His leg whipped out in a fierce roundhouse, the air screaming as it was torn apart, the kick smashing straight toward Gaara's head.
Gaara stood in place without moving, not even blinking.
At the very moment Lee's kick was about to land—
With a clatter, the mouth of the gourd on Gaara's back popped open on its own. A surge of yellow sand sprayed out, moving even faster than Lee, instantly condensing into a thick sand shield in midair at his left side.
Boom!
Lee's whip kick smashed into the sand shield, producing a heavy thud.
The shield didn't budge.
Lee's heart lurched. Using the recoil, he flipped in the air and landed steadily. He watched the sand crumble on its own and flow back into the gourd, then looked again at Gaara, who was still standing there with his arms folded, completely unscathed.
His thick brows furrowed tightly.
"Konoha Senpū (Leaf Whirlwind)!"
Lee didn't pause. He attacked again, even faster than before. His figure left afterimages all over the arena as he struck at Gaara from the front, from the side, from behind—every angle at once.
Fists, feet, elbows, knees—
Every blow was his full strength.
The result was exactly the same.
No matter which direction Lee attacked from, no matter how much he raised his speed, the sand always somehow anticipated his path. It poured out of the gourd ahead of time, forming walls and shields that blocked each and every strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dull impacts echoed again and again through the arena.
The scene looked bizarre: one person attacking wildly, his figure covering the entire field, while the other stood in the same spot from beginning to end, not even changing his stance.
The spectators were stunned.
"What is that… the sand is moving on its own?"
"That Sand kid doesn't even have to lift a finger!"
"The Leaf kid can't touch him at all!"
In the VIP seats, Shinju watched the clash of offense and defense, streams of data flickering through his eyes.
[System prompt: High-density chakra-infused mineral particles detected. Contains a faint spiritual imprint of One-Tail Shukaku. Possesses autonomous defensive properties.]
"So the mother's will is dwelling in the sand… an interesting defense."
With that, Shinju understood everything.
Down below, Lee finally stopped after dozens of fruitless attacks. He stood facing Gaara, panting hard, sweat soaking through his jumpsuit.
Every one of his blows had slammed into a moving wall. It made him feel… powerless.
Gaara finally moved. He lowered the arms folded over his chest and looked at the gasping Lee.
"Is that all?"
His voice was hoarse and flat.
"Your attacks don't even itch. This is the standard of Leaf ninja? Too weak."
Those words stabbed straight into Lee's heart.
"You… you bastard!"
Lee roared, pouring all his strength into his legs. He shot out again, faster than before.
This time he didn't strike immediately. Instead, he circled Gaara at high speed, looking for a gap in the sand's defense.
He found one.
Just as the sand in front of Gaara finished condensing into a shield, Lee's figure appeared behind him.
"Konoha Dai Senpū (Leaf Great Whirlwind)!"
Putting his entire body into it, he unleashed a spinning kick aimed at the back of Gaara's head.
It was his fastest blow yet.
His toes were about to brush Gaara's hair—
And then—
With a roar of sand, a huge mass of yellow grains blasted out from the gourd on Gaara's back.
In midair, the sand condensed into a gigantic hand.
The sand hand moved with terrifying speed, overtaking Lee's kick and seizing his ankle.
The moment his foot was caught, all the power in Lee's body scattered.
"What?!"
He struggled in shock, only to discover that the sand hand was as hard as iron, its grip monstrously strong.
Gaara turned his head. For the first time, a clear killing intent appeared in those green eyes.
The sand hand hoisted Lee up—
And then slammed him into the ground.
Boom!!!
The explosion shook the entire arena. The floor cracked open into a huge crater, dust and sand billowing high into the air.
In the stands, Guy clenched his fists so hard his knuckles were white, his expression taut.
When the dust finally settled, Lee lay at the bottom of the pit, his body covered in injuries, blood staining the corner of his mouth. He struggled to get up, but couldn't move.
Gaara manipulated the sand, lifting Lee out of the crater and suspending him in midair.
"It's over." Gaara's voice remained unchanged. "Sabaku Kyū (Sand Binding Coffin)."
More sand poured from the gourd, surging toward the immobilized Lee, wrapping slowly around his body.
Once he was completely encased, it would become Sabaku Sōsō (Desert Funeral).
"Lee!"
Guy shot to his feet.
At that moment—
"Guy-sensei…"
From within the pit, Lee squeezed out the words with all the strength he had left.
"Please… please allow me… to use that…"
Guy met his student's eyes and made his decision.
He gave Lee a firm, heavy nod, then raised his thumb high.
"I permit it, Lee!"
With that approval, Lee's gaze changed.
Still hanging in the air, he lifted his hand toward the bandages wrapped around his legs.
And began to unfasten the weights hidden beneath.
(End of Chapter)
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