Sakura looked at the newcomer. It was Rock Lee, who had confessed his feelings to her before. Although she desperately hoped to be saved, she did not expect this thick-browed boy to defeat the strange man opposite them.
"Run! Go find Shinsei! He should be nearby!"
Among the people Sakura knew, aside from Kakashi-sensei, only Shinsei could handle the person before her.
At first, Rock Lee was quite touched when Sakura told him to run, but then he heard her tell him to find Shinsei. His face instantly flushed red. This absolutely could not stand in front of the girl he loved!
"Leave it to me! Even if I have to use forbidden power!" Rock Lee looked solemnly at the strange man before him. Might Guy-sensei had said that forbidden power was for protecting precious comrades. He had to seize this opportunity.
"Hey." Behind a large tree in the distance, Hashihime quietly nudged Shinsei beside her and whispered teasingly, "Your pretty classmate wants your help. Aren't you going?"
Shinsei shook his head and said:
"I'm low on chakra. I gave most of it to my shadow clones. Besides, I'm not sure whether that Orochimaru over there is the real one. Something feels off. Haven't you noticed he's a little afraid of fighting head-on?"
"Really?" Hashihime thought back. "It does seem that way. He seems afraid of getting hurt. He hasn't blocked anything head-on."
"And don't underestimate that guy in green. He'll surprise you!"
Shinsei watched the faint signs of battle farther away, wondering how things were going with his shadow clones.
Rock Lee leaped forward, sweeping his right leg across. The strange man turned sideways to dodge, only for his left leg to follow immediately. The strange man deflected the sweeping left leg with his hand, throwing him off balance. His right hand coiled around Rock Lee's left leg like a snake, but the force transmitted through his hand felt wrong.
Rock Lee adjusted his posture in midair and landed half-kneeling on the grass, his left hand braced against the ground.
He solemnly removed his leg guards. The two specially made pieces hit the ground with a bang, smashing a small crater into it!
Sakura looked at the boy before her who had challenged Shinsei. Had he been wearing such heavy leg guards all along? A glimmer of hope rose in her eyes.
"Lee!" A teenage boy's voice came from a large tree.
A boy in white with white eyes stood in the tree, with a pretty girl wearing her hair in two buns beside him. They were Rock Lee's teammates, Neji Hyuga and Tenten.
"Let's go!" Neji stood with his arms folded, his white eyes cold as he looked down at the people below.
"You two go ahead! I'm going to protect Sakura!" Rock Lee shook his head. When he had turned around just now and seen Sakura's tear-filled eyes, he could not bring himself to say he would leave.
Sakura was just about to ask the ninja from her village for help, but they had already flickered away.
"Hehehehe." Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth. "Bonds are the most useless things of all! Aren't they, brat?"
Rock Lee did not know how to answer the strange man and could only shout angrily:
"I'm going to defeat you!"
With his training gear removed, Rock Lee's speed had clearly risen by more than a single level. He charged in front of the strange man in an instant, his right leg sweeping out at lightning speed.
The strange man had barely dodged when a left leg swept toward him. With both legs and both hands attacking, the strange man seemed barely able to fend him off for a time.
"Hmm, what an unpleasant brat!" Orochimaru grinned and chuckled. "Are you trying to protect the girl behind you? What a useless bond. Then I'll help you kill her!"
Orochimaru's expression turned cold, and his hands formed hand seals.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The two ninjutsu were completed almost simultaneously. A powerful gust blew Rock Lee to the ground, trapping him in an enormous swamp. He sank deeper and deeper, and it threatened to drag him under.
"Might Guy-sensei, I'm sorry! I won't be able to take part in the battles after the Chunin stage!" Rock Lee shouted.
Eight Gates Released Formation!
Gate of Opening, open!
Gate of Healing, open!
Gate of Life, open!
Orochimaru's expression grew grave, and his tongue could not help licking the corner of his mouth.
"The Eight Gates Released Formation? Hehehe... this really gives me something to look forward to!"
Rock Lee opened three gates in succession. An enormous surge of strength poured out of his body, and wild green chakra surrounded him, blowing away the mud around his lower body. He swiftly pulled his legs free of the swamp and raced across the surface of the mud!
Gate of Pain, open!
Excruciating pain surged over him like a tide. Rock Lee clenched his teeth, forcing the words out between them:
"I won't let you hurt Sakura!"
Rock Lee's speed had more than doubled. He was already moving too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.
Bang!
Orochimaru was sent flying by a kick! Before his body could react, another kick from above sent him flying again!
Long training bandages extended from Rock Lee's hands, wrapped around Orochimaru's body, and yanked him back!
Ninja art...
Bang! Another kick broke the hands forming hand seals!
Aaaah!
Rock Lee's eyes twisted fiercely as the pain wracking his body made him cry out uncontrollably.
Reverse Lotus!
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Thunderous blows rang out from the strange man's body in midair, while a blurred green figure darted back and forth between the ground, tree trunks, and branches!
Before the man could fall, he was kicked into the sky again, then kicked back down once he flew high enough!
The strange man's body was a mangled, bloody mess, tossed about endlessly in midair!
Ah!
Rock Lee's final kick sent the man hurtling toward the ground!
With a tremendous crash, an enormous crater was smashed into the ground! As the dust cleared, a mangled body was revealed inside, covered in fine, dense white snake scales. The bamboo hat rolled back and forth before coming to rest in front of the man.
The strange man twitched, then went still.
Rock Lee landed on the ground, his chest and abdomen heaving. Blood seeped through the skin all over his body, staining his clothes red. His body gave way, and he sank to one knee.
Sakura stared in astonishment at Rock Lee a short distance away. She had never expected him to be so powerful. That ninjutsu that covered his body in green light had actually defeated the strange man in one fell swoop. The tear stains at the corners of her eyes had not even dried.
"A-are you all right?" Sakura hurriedly asked.
"I'm fine!" Rock Lee struggled to turn his head and smile.
The Eight Gates Released Formation, huh? Seeing its power firsthand certainly tempted Shinsei. With the Eight Gates Released Formation's taijutsu, Might Guy had nearly changed Madara Uchiha's fate. Even Madara Uchiha with the Rinnegan, if he were not the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, would most likely go down against the Eight Gates Released Formation in a head-on fight.
It was something capable of trading one life for another at its limit.
Back before he had refined chakra, his parents had opposed him becoming a ninja. At the time, he had even considered seeking out Might Guy to learn the Eight Gates Released Formation.
Given Might Guy's personality, if you were willing to work hard at learning and never gave up, there was a good chance you could learn the Eight Gates Released Formation. But although it was powerful, its drawbacks were considerable.
First, anyone who could learn the Eight Gates Released Formation absolutely needed talent-not talent for ninjutsu, but talent for hard work. Strictly speaking, Rock Lee was a genius too, beyond simply putting in effort that ordinary people could scarcely hope to match. Training that hard without ruining his body was itself a special talent.
The greater drawback of the Eight Gates Released Formation was its lack of sustained combat capability. It could only unleash bursts of power. The danger was encountering another powerful enemy after that burst.
Rock Lee sank limply to the ground, then sprawled out with his limbs spread and looked at the sky. Even as he bared his teeth against the pain, he could not help smiling.
Was this what it felt like to protect someone important?
"Ninja of Konoha, could you give us your mission scroll?"