Newborn Calves Aren't Afraid of Tigers

"Heh! A newborn calf isn't afraid of a tiger, huh? You really think those little tricks of yours can give me trouble?"

Orochimaru snorted. He thought Uchiha Sora was getting a little too full of himself.

It was true that Sora had driven him back, but he hadn't been using his full strength at the time.

And he'd been caught off guard, so he'd taken a hit without being able to retaliate.

But now that he was prepared, Orochimaru wasn't about to take a mere Genin seriously.

Just then, a middle-aged man in disguise came over from nearby.

"Hey, Snake, that's Uchiha Sora, right? He looks like he's got a real artistic streak. I wonder if we'll get to see his explosion later!"

There was no need to guess. The man was Deidara in disguise.

"Don't rush! The organization is taking this seriously. It's not just you and me this time—Itachi Uchiha is coming along too... It'll be a hassle, but it should be enough to deal with the old Hokage!"

"As for Uchiha Sora, if you're not afraid of Itachi coming after you, feel free to pick a fight with him!"

Orochimaru looked wary.

It wasn't that he was truly afraid. He just figured that as long as the green hills remained, there'd be no shortage of firewood.

Why provoke the man in front of his big brother?

But Deidara didn't care about any of that. He was practically trembling with excitement.

"Heh, it's fine! I won't hurt him. If his art is explosive enough, I might even recommend him for the organization!"

As they spoke, a middle-aged woman nearby chuckled.

"I don't think Uchiha Sora is anything to worry about. Doesn't he just have some kind of ninja tool?"

"If our Gaara makes a move, he'll be finished all the same. I've never seen anyone his age who's stronger than Gaara!"

The woman was also disguised as someone from Sunagakure.

Orochimaru curled his lip.

"Is that so? Then let's wait and see!"

Orochimaru chuckled coldly to himself.

Uchiha Sora was no cause for concern.

The problem was that he had a big brother backing him up!

I can't afford to provoke him.

Deidara agreed wholeheartedly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Right? How about we go spar with Uchiha Sora together later?"

The person from Sunagakure looked disdainful.

"Him? Sure, but Gaara can handle him all by himself."

"Enough! Get ready. We might have to make our move any minute now!"

And so, the three of them skulked about.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the plaza, a crow stood on a set of steps. Its eyes were crimson, and it was also watching Uchiha Sora.

"So this is Sora? After all these years, he seems just the same—always calm and composed. He's much more mature than Sasuke."

"And all these years, Sora has taken such good care of Sasuke..."

The crow was none other than a clone of Itachi Uchiha.

He, too, was sizing up Uchiha Sora.

It had been years since they'd last met, and Sora was his younger brother, so Itachi Uchiha was curious about how strong he'd become.

"On the surface, his chakra reserves seem quite substantial. He hasn't shown them off, but he should be about as strong as I was back then."

"But his eyes haven't progressed. He's only awakened the three Tomoe and hasn't reached a higher stage."

"Still, according to that fellow Orochimaru, Sora's strength doesn't come from his eyes. He seems to tinker with all sorts of little gadgets instead."

The crow wore a distinctly human look of concern.

"But relying on outside tools can never compare to your own strength. They're only ninja tools, after all. How strong can they really be?"

Yes, how strong could they be?

That was what everyone thought. After all, science in the Ninja World wasn't particularly advanced.

Most ninja tools just made simple use of chakra to provide a slight boost.

Sometimes they weren't even as effective as ninjutsu.

So, without thinking twice, everyone looked down on tools.

Meanwhile, the battle below had already begun.

As a competitor, Rock Lee swung his arms and leaped swiftly into the arena.

"I am Konoha's Blue Beast, Rock Lee. I humbly ask you to teach me!"

Lee struck his signature pose, one hand open in front of him and the other clenched into a fist behind him.

He looked every bit like a grandmaster.

Across from him, Gaara walked out slowly, his gaze full of contempt.

"Heh... I didn't expect to be in the first match. Looks like we'll have to set the plan in motion early. Still, I'll drag things out as much as I can and play with you for a while."

With that thought, Gaara simply waved a hand. The sand scattered across the ground instantly gathered, forming blade after blade of sand before him!

The atmosphere grew tense in an instant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first match is about to begin! Konoha's Blue Beast, Rock Lee, versus Gaara of Sunagakure!"

The announcer made the high-profile announcement, and the battle was about to erupt.

Rock Lee attacked first. Like a swift leopard, he pushed off with his left foot and shot forward.

He kicked straight toward the top of Gaara's head.

That should have been a direct hit. Even with skin as tough as copper and bones as hard as iron, anyone would have been injured.

However, the sand on the ground seemed to have a will of its own. It gathered by itself, forming a thick wall of sand.

The wall absorbed most of the force behind the kick.

It was already hard to move when your foot sank into sand—sometimes it took more effort than swimming through water.

So even if the kick had started with all its force, most of it would be neutralized by the time it landed, leaving only a fraction.

In the end, it barely did any damage.

"What?!"

Rock Lee's eyes widened in disbelief.

Though the kick had only been a test, he'd still put some force behind it.

He'd never seen anyone his age stop it under normal circumstances!

"That's it? And you call yourself the Blue Beast?"

Gaara gave a contemptuous smile and casually flicked his hand, as if brushing off dust.

The sand rolled and, in an instant, formed a giant hand that swung sideways toward Rock Lee!

It was too fast. On top of that, one of Rock Lee's feet was still stuck in the sand, and he had no time to pull free.

Unable to dodge in time, he was struck squarely by the sand.

He spun through the air like a kite with its string cut and slammed hard into a thick concrete wall nearby.

With a smack, Rock Lee spat blood. Several wounds had opened on his skin, and a closer look revealed sand embedded in them!

Rock Lee could hardly believe it.

"How is this possible... You're that strong?!"

When masters fought, victory or defeat could turn on a single thought.

It might have looked like a simple slap, but the force behind it—and the way it had locked onto its target before impact—

Those were things ordinary people could hardly manage.

At least now, Rock Lee conceded that the gap between them was considerable.

But he had no intention of giving up. He forced himself to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand.

"Whatever else happens, this is the first time I've given it everything in front of my best friend. I can't embarrass myself!"