Chương 43: 42 End of the Qualifiers
The Seventh Match: Rock Lee vs. Gaara
Gaara entered the arena with his usual emotionless expression, his gourd on his back. Lee, full of energy, greeted Gaara with a confident stance. Without hesitation, he launched into his Leaf Hurricane technique, aiming to overwhelm Gaara. However, Gaara's Sand Wall rose instantly, blocking the attack and countering with a wave of sand.
Lee backflipped to avoid the counterattack and created some distance before charging in again. Despite his agility, every one of his strikes was intercepted by Gaara's defensive sand.
Eventually, Gaara's sand coiled around Lee's legs, throwing him with surprising force. Lee struggled, using continuous backflips to evade further strikes. However, he miscalculated his landing, stepping on a patch of sand and stumbling.
At this crucial moment, Lee jumped high, flipping repeatedly until he landed on a raised platform. Sensing his student's difficulty, Might Guy shouted to him, "Take it off!"
This command wasn't referring to clothing—it was a signal for Lee to remove the weighted training gear on his legs.
Temari, watching from the sidelines, scoffed internally.
"What difference could removing a little weight make?"
The answer came a second later when Lee casually dropped the weights. The moment they hit the ground—BOOM!—two massive craters appeared, stunning everyone in the room.
Even Naruto, who had known about Lee's weights beforehand, felt his heart race. Seeing it in action was entirely different.
"How insanely strong is his body?!" Naruto thought. "If I trained like that, even without Mangekyō Sharingan, I could master the Eight Inner Gates someday. But first, I need to learn systematic training from Guy-sensei."
With the weights off, Lee's speed skyrocketed. Gaara's sand defense struggled to keep up. Lee closed in on Gaara with blinding speed, landing a powerful kick, followed by a punch that sent Gaara flying.
However, when the dust settled, Gaara stood up, unscathed. His Sand Armor, a secondary layer of defense, had absorbed the damage.
Unfazed, Lee unwrapped the bandages around his arms, preparing to unleash a special move. Moving faster than the eye could follow, he kicked Gaara into the air. Using Swift Movement Technique [Shunshin no Jutsu], Lee leaped up, delivering a rapid series of strikes that culminated in his signature move, Primary Lotus (Omote Renge), driving Gaara into the ground.
But when the dust cleared, Lee realized he had struck a sand clone. The real Gaara appeared behind him, catching Lee off guard. With his body taxed from using the Primary Lotus, Lee couldn't evade. Gaara's sand struck, pinning Lee to the ground.
As Gaara prepared his deadly Sand Coffin, Lee's willpower ignited. He opened the Third Gate of Life and then the Fourth Gate of Pain, releasing a torrent of chakra that enveloped his body in a blazing aura.
Lee's speed and power surged. Even Kakashi activated his Sharingan to keep up with his movements. Lee struck Gaara with devastating force, finally breaking through the Sand Armor. With the Fifth Gate of Limit opened, Lee unleashed his ultimate move, Hidden Lotus (Ura Renge), launching Gaara into the air and smashing him back down with incredible force.
Everyone in the arena was left in awe. Even Naruto, who had seen impressive feats before, clenched his fists.
"If I were facing Lee like this, even my Flying Thunder God Technique wouldn't guarantee victory. I need to push myself further—way further!" Naruto thought.
Despite Lee's overwhelming effort, Gaara's gourd transformed into sand at the last moment, cushioning his fall. Lee's body had reached its limit, and he collapsed to the ground.
As Gaara prepared another Sand Coffin, this time targeting Lee's arms and legs, Naruto intervened. Appearing beside Lee in a flash, Naruto unleashed a Wind Style: Gale Palm to sever the sand tendrils.
Might Guy quickly stepped in to protect his student, while Hayate Gekkō and the Sand team leader restrained Gaara. The match was over—Lee had lost, but his determination and skill left an indelible impression.
The Eighth Match: Hinata vs. Neji
The tension was palpable as two members of the Hyūga clan faced off. Neji's sharp gaze bore into Hinata as he activated his Byakugan, launching into a cruel monologue about fate. Hinata, trembling but resolute, steeled herself to fight.
From the stands, Naruto shouted angrily,
"Stop acting like you're the only one with a hard life! I've had it worse than you, but you don't see me blaming the world. Complaining is for the weak—the strong fight back!"
Naruto's words struck a chord with Hinata, inspiring her to stand tall. Despite her shy nature, she activated her Byakugan and engaged Neji.
The battle was brutal. Hinata landed a few strikes, but Neji, more skilled, countered easily. He struck her repeatedly, targeting her chakra points. Even so, Hinata refused to yield.
When Neji attempted a final blow to end the fight, Naruto nearly leaped into the arena. But before he could act, the referee stopped the match. Hinata had lost, but her bravery left a deep impression on everyone, especially Naruto.
End of the Qualifiers
The winners of the preliminaries were:
Uchiha Sasuke Aburame Shino Kankurō Temari Nara Shikamaru Gaara Hyūga Neji
And due to an uneven number of participants, Naruto advanced with a bye.
The stage was now set for the final round of the Chūnin Exams. New challenges, rivalries, and unforeseen dangers loomed. Naruto, filled with anticipation, clenched his fists and thought,
"The third exam... it's finally here!"
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