On the arena floor, the battle between Rock Lee and Gaara had already begun.
"Go, bushy-brows!" Kiba shouted, leaning against the railing. Akamaru barked twice beside him.
Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, his scarlet Sharingan fixed unblinkingly on the arena. He was watching more than the fight—he was analyzing it. In his eyes, Lee's taijutsu was explosive, but it lacked something. The ferocity and efficiency unique to Naruto.
"His taijutsu is alive," Naruto suddenly said.
Kakashi turned his head to look at the student he found increasingly difficult to understand.
"It is filled with an unyielding will. That will is fuel," Naruto continued, as though evaluating a weapon. "With enough fuel, it can unleash power far beyond its specifications. An outstanding soldier should not be wasted through meaningless attrition."
Kakashi did not reply. He merely watched Lee being completely suppressed by the sand, an uneasy feeling rising in his heart.
In the arena, Lee failed to break through for a long time and was instead restricted at every turn by Gaara's sand, left in a sorry state.
"Take them off, Lee!" Might Guy suddenly shouted from the stands.
Lee nodded, laboriously sat down, and untied the weights on his legs.
Boom! Boom!
The two weights smashed into the ground. Their deafening impact and the clouds of dust they kicked up silenced the entire venue.
"You've got to be kidding..." Kankuro's expression froze.
The next second, Lee vanished.
Cracks instantly appeared in the Sand Armor on Gaara's face, and his expression twisted in shock. The spectators could see only a green afterimage flashing madly around him, each flash accompanied by a heavy удар.
"First Gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
"Front Lotus!"
With Lee's furious roar, he seized Gaara and shot into the sky, spinning at high speed before plunging headfirst toward the ground.
Boom!
When the massive cloud of dust dispersed, only a deep crater remained. Gaara's body had turned into an empty shell of sand and earth. The real Gaara stood unharmed nearby.
Lee lay on the ground, gasping for breath. The recoil from that strike had left his entire body wracked with pain.
"Not enough," Naruto calmly stated.
The battle continued. Forced into a corner, Lee made his final choice.
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing, open!"
A powerful gust erupted from Lee's body, veins bulging across his skin.
"Third Gate, Gate of Life, open!"
"Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain, open!"
Lee's speed and strength had surpassed the limits ordinary Genin could comprehend. He became a red-and-green bolt of lightning, engaging Gaara's sand in a breathtaking exchange. Every punch and kick carried a sonic boom that tore through the air.
"Fifth Gate, Gate of Limit, open!"
Lee's body had reached its limit. He kicked Gaara high into the air and followed like a shadow, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks in midair.
"Reverse Lotus!"
This was his final—and strongest—strike.
The enormous impact made the entire arena tremble.
Yet when the dust cleared, Gaara had still withstood the attack with his Sand Armor.
Rock Lee, meanwhile, fell from the sky like a puppet with its strings cut and crashed heavily onto the ground, utterly exhausted. The muscle fibers throughout his body had torn apart, leaving him unable to move.
The entire venue fell deathly silent.
"The match is decided!" Gekko Hayate was about to announce.
But Gaara raised his hand. The sand on the ground surged like a venomous snake, pursuing the unconscious Lee and aiming for his left arm and left leg.
"Stop!" Might Guy roared, preparing to rush down into the arena.
But someone was faster than him.
Just as Guy climbed over the railing, before Gekko Hayate could even activate his Body Flicker Technique, an orange figure vanished from the highest point of the stands.
In the next instant, Naruto appeared in front of Rock Lee.
He did not draw his Chainsword.
Facing the surging torrent of sand, he merely raised his right fist. Blue chakra, condensed until it was almost tangible, wrapped around it.
He threw a punch.
There were no unnecessary movements—simple and direct.
Boom—!
That was not the sound of sand being blown apart, but a dull explosion so heavy it seemed to stop everyone's hearts.
The incoming torrent of sand seemed to collide with an invisible wall, instantly blasted apart by overwhelming force.
Then Naruto's body flashed. He gathered Nine-Tails Chakra in his leg and kicked Gaara's shell of sand.
Crack.
A clear sound of shattering rang out.
A visible crack appeared in Gaara's sand defense, hailed as "Absolute Defense."
Naruto did not even look at the result behind him. With one hand, he grabbed the unconscious Rock Lee by the collar like a sack and casually hurled him toward Might Guy.
"Medical Team, treat this valuable soldier properly."
There was not the slightest gentleness in his movements, only pure efficiency.
Only after doing all that did he turn around and face Gaara, who had fallen into a furious rage after his "Absolute Defense" had been broken.
A beastlike growl rumbled from Gaara's throat. Killing intent mixed with Shukaku's ominous will and surged madly toward Naruto.
There was neither fear nor fighting spirit in Naruto's icy blue eyes, only the cold detachment of someone passing judgment upon heretics.
"Put away your killing intent, 'vessel of Chaos.'"
His voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly—especially Gaara's.
"Otherwise, I will carry out your 'Purification' right now."
Gaara's entire body stiffened.
The familiar words plunged him into familiar terror. He felt that he could kill the seemingly defenseless person before him, yet he simply did not dare to attack.
"The match is over! The winner is Gaara of Sunagakure!" Gekko Hayate finally snapped out of it and hurriedly announced the result.
" Naruto Uzumaki!"
An angry shout came from the main stand.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rose to his feet.
"Why did you violate the rules and interfere with the match?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with fury.
There was another purpose behind his anger. He had no objection to Naruto saving Lee and did not care about such minor scuffles, but he had long been dissatisfied with Naruto's willful attitude. This was the perfect opportunity to put him in his place.
And he would do so with something that appeared beyond reproach.
Everyone's gaze focused on the lone orange figure in the arena.
Naruto did not look up or immediately defend himself. He simply stood there, facing the Hokage's questioning and the eyes of the entire venue without the slightest fear.
He answered calmly. His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for every ninja to hear.
"I did not interfere with the result of the match. Within the bounds of the rules, he lost his ability to fight. I acknowledge that result."
He paused, then finally raised his head and looked directly at the Hokage.
"However, allowing a valuable soldier to be slaughtered by an enemy after the battle has ended, while he is no longer in a combat state, is an unjustified weakening of Konoha's existing strength."
"My actions were not interference."
"I was merely saving a worthy warrior's future."
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