Learn the Eight Inner Gates with Me

Under Rock Lee's fierce blow, Gaara's body plummeted like a meteor.

Boom! A deafening crash rang out.

Gaara smashed a deep crater into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust dozens of feet high and destroying half the arena.

When the dust settled,

Gaara lay amid the shattered stones of the arena, gasping heavily.

Rock Lee's physical abilities had also declined drastically under the burden of the Eight Inner Gates, and he now sat collapsed on the ground.

Feng An glanced at Might Guy, his brows furrowing.

Might Guy's grave expression made it clear that he still had not made up his mind whether to stop the match.

If this continued, Rock Lee would be crippled for life.

Feng An used the Body Flicker Technique. After the air trembled slightly, he appeared beside Might Guy.

"Teacher Guy, if you don't stop the match, you'll regret it."

Might Guy, who had been hesitating over whether to stop the match, narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

After saying that, Feng An turned and left.

He wanted to save Rock Lee, but he knew how determined Lee was.

If he rashly stopped the match himself, Lee would only resent him. Their relationship was not close enough for Feng An to save him even at the cost of being hated.

It was merely the fondness he carried over from his previous life. Reminding the indecisive Might Guy was enough; how to choose afterward was still up to Might Guy himself.

At that moment, the sand in the arena had already transformed into a giant hand, reaching for Rock Lee as he struggled to crawl away.

Might Guy gritted his teeth, his body trembling.

The sand instantly wrapped around Rock Lee's left arm and left leg.

"Die!"

Gaara clenched his hand.

"Tch! Sand Binding Coffin!"

Just a second before Gaara unleashed his killing move, Might Guy instantly appeared in the arena and struck out with his palm.

The sand wrapped around half of Rock Lee's body was scattered in an instant by the force of his palm.

Rock Lee, covered in injuries, barely forced himself to stand.

"Teacher... Teacher Guy, why..."

Might Guy pulled Rock Lee into an embrace. "Lee! You are my most precious subordinate. I will not allow you to stop here."

He knew that even if Teacher Guy had not come to interrupt the match, he had already lost.

Held in Might Guy's arms, tears welled in Rock Lee's eyes.

"Teacher Guy, I'm so unwilling..."

"Cough, cough."

Gekko Hayate coughed twice. It was hard to tell whether he was truly ill or merely trying to ease the tension.

"I hereby announce that Gaara is the winner of the tenth preliminary match."

Silence filled the room.

No one cheered, nor did anyone sigh.

Although the outcome had been within their expectations—they had all believed Rock Lee would lose to Gaara—the process had far exceeded anything they had imagined.

Kankuro and Temari, who had previously been so confident, no longer looked at Rock Lee with contempt.

As the electronic screen began scrolling again, the names Choji Akimichi and Dosu appeared.

Gekko Hayate walked to the center of the arena.

"Now, for the eleventh match: Choji Akimichi versus Dosu. Begin."

After the medical staff helped Rock Lee away, Might Guy came over to Feng An.

With a serious expression, he said, "Thank you."

Only after blocking Gaara's attack had he realized just how clear Gaara's killing intent had been when he used that move.

Without Feng An's reminder, he might truly have been a moment too late and caused irreversible consequences.

Compared to having Rock Lee prove himself in this battle, he wanted Rock Lee to go farther.

Feng An smiled at Might Guy.

"It was mainly because you cared about Rock Lee. Otherwise, you wouldn't have stepped in to stop it."

Might Guy shook his head. "If you hadn't awakened me, I would have let Lee carry out his so-called ninja way."

"After stopping him, I began to feel annoyed at my own hesitation. How could I gamble Lee's future on this single battle?"

Feng An scratched his head. Seeing Might Guy's earnest expression, he did not know what to say.

Might Guy continued, "Earlier, I noticed that you seem quite talented in taijutsu as well. Would you like to train in taijutsu with me?"

Hearing that, Feng An revealed a thoughtful expression.

He had just been complaining in his previous match that he lacked a powerful one-hit finishing move, and now an opportunity had come so soon?

Taijutsu had never been a path he had considered.

But it seemed rather suitable for him now.

Feng An nodded with a smile. "Alright, Teacher Guy. Then I'll be in your care from now on."

"Excellent!"

Might Guy laughed and somehow produced a matching green jumpsuit, holding it out before Feng An.

"A gift for our first meeting."

Feng An instinctively took a step back.

He had not even seen where Might Guy pulled the jumpsuit from.

If he did not know that Might Guy had Summoning Beasts, he would have thought the man had signed a Summoning Contract with jumpsuits.

Feng An hurriedly waved his hands. "It's our first meeting. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to accept such a gift."

Might Guy stepped forward and said excitedly,

"Only disciples acknowledged by me can receive this one-of-a-kind jumpsuit of mine!"

One of a kind?

Then what was Rock Lee wearing? And what was he holding in his hand?

Feng An complained wildly in his heart.

In the end, after Might Guy's persistent urging, he still accepted the green jumpsuit.

Because he learned from Might Guy that even Neji and Tenten had received one of these outfits!

They had simply hidden their jumpsuits away long ago.

Feng An thoroughly approved of their approach, thinking that once the matches were over, he would go back and stuff this jumpsuit into a cabinet to gather dust.

"Dosu wins the eleventh preliminary match."

Following Gekko Hayate's announcement, the electronic screen flashed again.

The names Yudzuki and Kashiko Kajo gradually appeared.

Seeing Yudzuki's name on the screen, Feng An and the others looked toward her.

"Good luck."

"Good luck..."

"Good luck!"

"Good luck, Sis!"

"I will." Yudzuki smiled and walked to the side.

Shino Aburame, standing nearby, adjusted his glasses. "Good luck."

The woman named Kashiko Kajo leaped down from the stands and landed in the arena.

After waiting for more than ten seconds, Yudzuki still had not entered the arena.

Seeing this, Gekko Hayate called toward the stands, "Contestant Yudzuki, please enter the arena."

"Coming," Yudzuki answered.

Yudzuki slowly emerged from the stairway and walked into the arena.

Seeing that she had come down the stairs, Kashiko Kajo's face showed undisguised mockery.

So she had gone to take the stairs...

Gekko Hayate scratched his head awkwardly.

The people in the stands also frowned one after another.

"Huh? Why did she take the stairs? Isn't she a ninja?"

"Idiot... How could she participate in the Chunin exam if she weren't a ninja?"

"She can't even jump that high, yet she passed the Forest of Death?"

"She's on the same team as that Feng An."

"She got carried all the way. No wonder she's so weak, yet doesn't have a single injury on her."

Feng An swept a calm glance over those ninjas, and their voices instantly fell silent.

Seeing that both sides were in position, Gekko Hayate said,

"Now, for the twelfth preliminary match: Yudzuki versus Kashiko Kajo. Begin."

Yudzuki unhurriedly opened the bag at her waist, took out a Shuriken, and held it in her hand.

Seeing how slow she was, the mockery on Kashiko Kajo's face deepened.

She sneered, "It's easy to cut that pretty little face of yours in battle. You should just surrender."

What she meant was that Yudzuki had relied on her looks to make it through, so she ought to know her place. Otherwise, she might lose that face too.

Yudzuki said calmly, "Since you think your face is so important, then I'll cut yours instead."