A wave of sand swept toward Rock Lee, forcing him to leap to higher ground again.
The sand is limited. For now, this seems to be all of it.
Rock Lee looked toward Gaara beyond the Sand Sea.
If he wanted to cross the Sand Sea, reach Gaara, and unleash his finishing move...
"Eight Gates: Inner Gates..."
The younger generation all watched Rock Lee, while the Jonin held their breath.
Kakashi and the others had already recognized the signs: the crimson skin, the bulging veins, and the faint wisps of steam.
"Guy, you've already taught Rock Lee this too?"
Might Guy nodded.
"Neji has his clan's secret techniques, and Tenten has the ninja tools Big Brother Xuanhui gave her.
"Rock Lee may have a training method, but he lacks the key to unlocking his strength."
Eight Gates: Inner Gates was Rock Lee's stat patch.
"Third gate, Gate of Life, open!"
The first three gates placed relatively little strain on the body, so Xuanhui had warned Rock Lee not to open any further gates until he could create cells suited to him.
Gaara noticed the change in Rock Lee, but he was more concerned about everyone else's reactions.
Even his own father was watching Rock Lee...
"Be careful, Gaara!"
A light, clear voice rang out, and Gaara turned toward the stands.
That lively, dark-skinned girl, the ninja from Takigakure who was a Jinchūriki just like him, was cheering him on.
His sister and brother were watching him too...
Gaara let out a long breath, took a defensive stance, and sent his sand closing in on Rock Lee!
"He disappeared again?"
Gaara immediately wrapped himself in layer upon layer of sand.
At the same time, four Sand Eyes appeared above the Sand Sea, allowing Gaara to monitor everything outside!
But even with