On the arena, Rock Lee's and Gaara's battle had already begun.
"Go, bushy brows!" Kiba shouted from the railing, Akamaru barking twice beside him.
Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, his scarlet Sharingan fixed on the arena without blinking. He wasn't just watching the battle; he was analyzing. Lee's Taijutsu, in his opinion, was full of explosive power but lacked something. Something of the unique ferocity and efficiency that Naruto possessed.
"His Taijutsu is alive," Naruto suddenly spoke.
Kakashi turned his head, looking at his student, whom he understood less and less.
"It's filled with an indomitable will; this will is fuel," Naruto continued, as if evaluating a weapon. "As long as there's enough fuel, it can unleash power far beyond its specifications. An excellent soldier shouldn't be wasted in meaningless attrition."
Kakashi didn't respond. He just watched Lee, who was completely suppressed by the sand in the arena, a bad premonition in his heart.
In the arena, Lee attacked for a long time without success. Instead, he was constantly restricted by Gaara's sand, making him look disheveled.
"Take them off, Lee!" Might Guy suddenly shouted from the stands.
Lee nodded, sat down on the ground with difficulty, and unfastened the weights on his legs.
Thud! Thud!
The two weights hit the ground, creating a huge thud and kicking up dust that silenced the entire venue.
"You're kidding..." Kankuro's expression froze.
The next second, Lee's figure vanished.
Cracks instantly appeared on the sand armor on Gaara's face, and he showed a look of astonishment. The people in the stands could only see a green afterimage, flashing wildly around Gaara, each flash accompanied by a heavy thud.
"First Gate, Gate of Opening, Open!"
"Front Lotus!"
Accompanied by Lee's roar, he embraced Gaara and shot into the sky, spinning rapidly in the air, then plummeted headfirst towards the ground.
Boom!
The massive dust cleared, revealing only a deep pit on the ground. Gaara's body had turned into a hollow shell made of sand. The real him stood unharmed nearby.
Lee lay on the ground, gasping for air, the recoil from that attack causing him immense pain throughout his body.
"It's not enough," Naruto stated calmly.
The battle continued. Forced into a corner, Lee made his final choice.
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing, Open!"
A powerful surge of Chakra erupted from Lee's body, his veins bulging.
"Third Gate, Gate of Life, Open!"
"Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain, Open!"
Lee's speed and strength had surpassed the comprehension of ordinary Genin. He transformed into a red-green lightning bolt, engaging in a thrilling offensive and defensive battle with Gaara's sand. Each punch and kick carried a sonic boom that tore through the air.
"Fifth Gate, Gate of Limit, Open!"
Lee's body reached its limit. He kicked Gaara high into the air, then followed him like a shadow, launching a storm of continuous attacks in mid-air.
"Reverse Lotus!"
This was his final and strongest attack.
The immense impact caused the entire arena to shake.
However, after the dust cleared, Gaara still withstood the attack with his Sand Armor.
And Rock Lee, like a broken puppet, fell from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, utterly exhausted. The muscle fibers in his body were torn to shreds, making it difficult for him to move.
The entire venue was silent.
"The victor has been decided!" Gekkō Hayate was about to announce.
But Gaara raised his hand, and the sand on the ground surged like a venomous snake, chasing after the unconscious Lee, aiming for his left hand and left foot.
"Stop!" Might Guy roared, preparing to rush into the arena.
But someone was faster than him.
Just as Might Guy climbed over the railing, and before Gekkō Hayate's Body Flicker Jutsu could even be activated, an orange figure had already vanished from the highest point of the stands.
The next moment, Naruto appeared in front of Rock Lee.
He didn't draw his Chainsword.
Facing the surging sand waterfall, he merely raised his right fist. Blue Chakra, condensed as if solid, enveloped his fist.
He threw a punch.
No unnecessary movements, simple, direct.
Boom—!
That wasn't the sound of sand being blown away, but a dull explosion that made people's hearts stop.
The incoming sand waterfall seemed to hit an invisible wall, instantly shattered by immense force.
Immediately after, Naruto's figure flickered, gathering Nine-Tailed Chakra in his leg and kicking Gaara's sand shell.
Crack.
A clear cracking sound.
Gaara's so-called "Absolute Defense" Sand Shield showed a visible crack.
Naruto didn't even look at the result behind him. He single-handedly lifted the unconscious Rock Lee by his collar, as if picking up a sack, and casually threw him in Might Guy's direction.
"Medical team, take care of this valuable soldier."
His actions had no gentleness, only pure efficiency.
After doing all this, he turned around and faced Gaara, who was enraged because his "Absolute Defense" had been broken.
Gaara let out a beast-like growl from his throat, killing intent mixed with Shukaku's ominous will, surging madly towards Naruto.
In Naruto's ice-blue pupils, there was no fear, no fighting spirit, only a kind of high and mighty coldness, like judging a heretic.
"Put away your killing intent, 'Container of Chaos,'"
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, especially effectively in Gaara's ears.
"Otherwise, I will execute 'Purification' on you right now."
Gaara stiffened.
The familiar words plunged him into familiar fear. He felt he could kill this seemingly defenseless guy in front of him, but he just didn't dare to make a move.
"Match over! Winner, Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village!" Gekkō Hayate finally reacted and hastily announced the result.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
An angry shout came from the main stands.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up.
"Why did you violate the rules and interfere with the match!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with rage.
His anger had another purpose; he had no objection to Naruto saving Lee. He didn't care about these minor skirmishes, but he had long been dissatisfied with Naruto's self-willed attitude and took this opportunity to suppress him.
And he would do so with actions that appeared unimpeachable.
Everyone's gaze focused on the solitary orange figure in the arena.
Naruto didn't look up, nor did he immediately defend himself. He just stood there, facing the Hokage's questioning, facing the gaze of the entire crowd, without fear.
He answered calmly, his voice not loud, but clear enough for every Ninja to hear distinctly.
"I did not interfere with the outcome of the match. He lost his combat capability within the rules, and I accept that result."
He paused, then finally looked up, meeting the Hokage's gaze directly.
"However, allowing a valuable soldier to be brutalized by an enemy in a non-combat state after the battle is an unwarranted weakening of Konoha's existing strength."
"My action was not interference."
"I was merely saving the future of a respectable warrior."
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