"What?!"
Everyone was stunned.
No one had expected that Lee would possess such a self-destructive technique.
"Ahhh!"
With a sudden shout, a visible surge of chakra enveloped Lee's body.
Gaara instinctively sensed danger. With a swift motion of his arm, a giant sand hand slammed down toward Lee.
At the same time, Kakashi's Sharingan spun rapidly, analyzing the flow of chakra surging through Lee's body.
"Gate of Opening... Gate of Rest..." Kakashi's expression grew more alarmed the longer he watched.
"Third Gate: Life Open!"
In an instant, Lee's skin flushed bright red. His hair flared upward, and even his voice became thunderous. Violent gales spiraled around him, tearing apart Gaara's sand attack with sheer pressure alone.
"Impossible!" Gaara's expression twisted with disbelief.
And Lee wasn't done yet.
"Fourth Gate: Pain Open!"
The ground beneath Lee exploded as he unleashed a terrifying force.
In the blink of an eye, Lee's foot connected with Gaara's abdomen, launching him into the air. The shockwave that followed was so powerful it forced everyone nearby to shield their eyes.
"How can this be?! The sand didn't even have time to react!" Kankuro cried out in shock.
"He's too fast! Gaara… it looks like he was the one who jumped into the air on his own," Naruto muttered.
Even Neji was forced to activate his Byakugan. And even with its clarity, all he could catch was a faint afterimage.
The Eight Gates Technique was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
His Byakugan was one of the purest forms, and his strength had already reached elite jonin level. If he could barely keep up, others wouldn't stand a chance at all.
"This is unreal. No matter how hard someone trains, they shouldn't be able to reach this level… Is he truly a genius?"
Kakashi, covering his left eye, was visibly shaken. He could see even less than Neji just the trace of a path.
After all, this Sharingan wasn't originally his.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gaara, suspended in mid-air, couldn't defend himself. His sand couldn't match Lee's speed.
Lee moved like he was teleporting, striking Gaara again and again while airborne. Each blow stripped away more of Gaara's sand armor.
"This guy… he actually…" Gaara was overwhelmed but utterly helpless.
"No good. Gaara has no way to counterattack. The sand's speed just can't keep up," Temari said, anxiety creeping into her voice.
But it wasn't just Neji and the others who were shaken even the Third Hokage and Orochimaru shot to their feet.
Even with their Kage-level strength, without the Byakugan or Sharingan, they couldn't track Lee's movements either.
"This kind of power… and he's still just a Genin?!" Orochimaru muttered in disbelief, his voice tinged with self-doubt.
This level of strength was greater than his own.
He glanced at Neji again. Were all the Leaf Genin this powerful?
"And he's only opened the fourth gate…" Hiruzen Sarutobi whispered in awe.
"Gaara, you're the first to push me to use the Eight Gates," Lee said, eyes blazing with determination. "Let me show you a move I was saving for Neji."
Lee's foot smashed into Gaara's stomach again, sending him hurtling downward. Lee dove after him in hot pursuit.
"No! He won't be able to defend against that!" Gaara finally felt fear as Lee closed in.
Bang!
Lee's palm shattered what remained of Gaara's sand armor. As Gaara plummeted, Lee grabbed hold of his trailing sand wrap.
"Neji, watch closely. This move was meant for you," Lee shouted. His eyes never left Gaara. He couldn't afford to Gaara's perception was too sharp.
Kakashi's Sharingan trembled as cold sweat poured down his face. "His muscles… they're tearing apart."
"This next strike will be the last," Neji murmured.
"Huh? Neji, what are you talking about? Lee's totally got the upper hand!" Naruto said, scratching his head in confusion.
"Even without opening all eight gates, the strain is unbearable. Lee… he's nearly at his limit," Might Guy said quietly.
"That's it!" Kakashi turned to him sharply. "Guy, how many gates can Lee open now?"
"Five."
"Five?! Are you trying to kill him?!" Kakashi's voice rose in disbelief.
Guy fell silent.
"Gaara! This will be the final blow!" Lee roared.
"There's no way! The sand armor won't hold up against an attack of this magnitude!" Temari shouted in panic.
Kankuro was frozen. "How… how can a human even do something like this?!"
At that moment, a searing, explosive aura burst from Lee. The intense heat forced the spectators to stagger back.
"Fifth Gate: Limit Open!"
Boom!
In that instant, Lee's fist drove into Gaara with unstoppable force.
"Hidden Lotus!"
Crash!
Lee roared the name of his technique as his blazing fist drove through Gaara, smashing the arena floor and carving out a massive crater.
Gaara only fell afterward, his body striking the ground with such force that it shook the earth three times over.
The terrifying destruction sent chills through everyone watching.
"…Still not enough," Neji frowned. Even though he'd anticipated it, witnessing it firsthand was hard to accept.
He couldn't help thinking of his past life. He and Lee… in many ways, they were the same kind of person.
"He lost."
"Yeah! Gaara took all that there's no way he's still standing!" Naruto grinned, full of relief.
"I meant Lee. He lost."
"Huh?" The others turned to Neji in confusion.
"Neji's right. Lee has lost," Might Guy said heavily.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. "What… but…"
"Look closely," Kakashi pointed toward the arena.
Lee was on one knee, one arm limp and unresponsive. He couldn't move at all.
Meanwhile, Gaara's body was now wrapped in a thick cocoon of protective sand. Though his armor was torn and ragged, the damage was still within his tolerance. He was already channeling chakra, preparing another jutsu.
"Lee, run!" Naruto shouted urgently.
Gaara's sand was inching closer and closer to him.
Lee opened his eyes, dazed. He tried to move but his injuries were too severe.
"How… after taking the Hidden Lotus, he can still use ninjutsu?!" Lee gasped in disbelief.
"Die."
Gaara sneered, painfully extending his right hand. His sand surged forward ready to crush Lee.
Just before it could reach him, a sudden burst of wind scattered the sand.
"What?!"
Gaara's eyes flew open in shock.
Neji had leapt from the stands, catching Lee before he could fall.
"Concede," Neji said quietly.
"Neji… I can't be the only one left behind." Lee forced a smile, clearly unwilling to give in.
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