Kiba and Akamaru were now partners. Though they had yet to master Fang Wolf Fang, their Fang Over Fang, combined with the Four Legs Technique, already made them stand out among their peers. Their overall strength had steadily reached the level of Chunin.
So what level had Rock Lee, standing opposite him, reached by now?
The answer might be startling—despite wearing heavy weights in his daily life, Rock Lee was already strong enough to crush Second Pillar, who had awakened his Sharingan during the same period in the original story.
If he removed the weights, his speed could even surpass Gaara's sand, said to possess an "absolute defense." And when he went all out and opened the fifth of the Eight Inner Gates, the Gate of Limit, he could kick Gaara through the air like a punching bag!
If Naruto was a "cheat user," Satsuki was a "genius," and Gaara was a "monster," then Rock Lee was an ordinary hard worker with no talent whatsoever, built purely through sweat and perseverance.
Yet this very "ordinary person," at such a young age, already possessed terrifying taijutsu strength comparable to an elite Jonin! In the original story, he had practically crushed every examinee except Gaara.
However, aside from Naruto, who knew the truth, none of the other spectators realized just how lopsided this match would be.
Most of them even favored Kiba, who came from a prestigious clan.
"Finally, it's my time to shine! Akamaru! We have to win!" Kiba shouted confidently as he leaped into the arena alongside Akamaru.
"Woof!" Akamaru responded with equally high fighting spirit.
The two stood facing each other in the arena. Rock Lee assumed the standard opening stance of Strong Fist, his gaze focused. Though he had not been matched against Naruto, Neji, or Gaara—the opponents