Lee's POV (Irminsul Wildlands - East Forest)
'She's nearly as fast as Fuu!' Lee thought as he landed and prepared to charge in again. However before he could Suzumebachi suddenly weaved hand signs, slamming her palm to the ground as she bellowed.
"Summoning Jutsu!" With her technique called, several clouds of smoke appeared. Knowing better than to rush into an unseen threat, Lee eyed the cloud warily. Content to wait and see how his battle had been changed.
He heard a cocky chuckle as several fast blurs shot out of the cloud. Four dog-sized black and tan wasps fluttered out of the cloud. Each was covered in thick fur, and semi-intelligent eyes eyed Lee with malice. 'More wasps, best to close in on the summoner and bypass them all together.' Lee prepared to dash forward, but the wasp beat him to it. Zooming in so quickly and suddenly, Lee could scarcely react. Two of them thrust surprisingly long stingers towards him. Lee barely managed to deflect them both with a palm each, only for the other two to stab at him now that his hands were occupied. Lee, thankful for Gai's extensive flexibility training, bent backward at what seemed an impossible angle to dodge it. Flipping through, Lee kicked the last two wasps back. He began to rapidly backtrack while the four wasps pursued him, nearly keeping up as the group unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
'Something's off; their thrust is quick but not all that powerful. Much too thin to be much of an immediate life taking threat. With the lack of force, even if it did manage to hit a weak spot, it wouldn't be lethal, perhaps venom? I best not find out; I need to eliminate them quickly before they get lucky.' Suddenly, he sensed movement behind him.
"You're not only fighting my summons, rookie!" Suzumebachi roared as she slashed Lee with a kunai. Lee reacted at the last second, twisting his body to make the cut shallow. "You're quick, but can you handle all of us!"
Lee didn't bother responding; sensei taught him how to fight multiple opponents. He fully turned his back to his foes and sprinted through the building at top speed. He needed to set the pace and use his new technique to finish Suzumebachi! Lee burst through the entrance of the mess hall, quickly sprinting through a long pathway. The flapping of wings and swearing of the older woman informed him of their pursuit. Lee slammed through the home of an older raccoon smashing through his kitchen while Suzumebachi and most of the wasps raced around to cut him off. One pursued him directly. As Lee bodily smashed through a clay counter, he kicked the flying debris of food and cooking tools toward the wasp. The giant creature smashed into it violently, distracting it enough to hit a wall. Before Lee could bother finishing it, the elder raccoon suddenly grew in size and smashed the insect with a powerful double handed blow. The crunch of its armor and its being sent straight through the floor below made it clear it did not survive the blow. Lee stood gobsmacked as the tan elder raccoon faced him.
"You've ruined my home! Prepare for my wrath!" It angrily warned as it marched toward Lee.
"I am truly sorry! I was under pursuit by that most unyouthful creature! Thanks for your-" Lee began as he bowed. Both however scrambled for an escape as a voice called it.
"Earth Style: Stalactite Sudden Rise!" Suzumebachi roared from outside the building. Lee gasped as he quickly managed to rush and wrestle the elder raccoon from his feet and throw them both out of a window before the house erupted. Lee and the elder fell toward another pathway, the raccoon turning into a bird and flying off while Lee managed to land roughly on his feet, luckily having landed on another path below. He gazed back at the house to see massive spires of earth having run it through; only the roof remained, holding up the earthen spikes. Lee frowned at such, upset his battle had destroyed someone's home.
"Wasp Style: Whizzing Stinger!" Suzumebachi roared. Lee threw himself to the ground, rolling along it as several whistles filled the air. As the small and speedy stingers shot around him, he dashed down the path. Lee managed to dodge and weave as he ran. 'Where are the wasps-' Lee's thoughts were interrupted as suddenly the pathway ahead erupted from beneath. The wasp emerged after, cutting him off, but Lee wasted no time and could not evade!
"Dynamic Entry!" Lee screamed as he used his speed to do the famed jumping dive kick. His speed may have turned his leg into a spear, for Lee kicked straight through the wasp in the middle. 'No more holding back, I need to stop her now!' Lee stopped running, squatting low as he flexed his meager chakra, preparing to now utilize the seeds of his new training. The emergence of Gai and his own techniques! The last two wasps were closing in, one aiming its mandibles for his throat while the other went for a sting. Suzumebachi aimed her jutsu at him in case her summons failed. Ensuring dodging would merely leave him open. "Youthful Aura: Mind Awakening," Lee spoke quietly as they drew close. "I cannot afford to fail here; please forgive me for this." Lee effortlessly dodged both wasps, now quickly quicker than them. He dodged several stinger shots from Suzumebachi as he backhanded one of the wasps. Said wasp was sent flying from the casual blow, smashing into a bit as it hit a tree. Suzumebachi gasped as Lee dodged the second one's sting from behind, grasping the wasp by the head. Lee slammed it into the ground with a thunderous crack. The insect writhed as the power of Lee partially buried it, it struggled before slowly fading out. "I am sorry for being rough with your summons; you left me no option," Lee said somberly as he marched towards Suzumebachi.
The kunoichi growled angrily as she began another jutsu. "Wasp Style: Pulverizing Mandible!" An armored blade formed on her arm as she charged Lee. Lee didn't increase his speed or visibly react as she drew close. When she went for a powerful slash to gut Lee, the Genin merely caught the blade. "What?! This blade cuts even iron?! You can't catch it with your bare hands! Is this some sort of jutsu?!"
"No." Lee answered simply. "See, I am untalented in nearly all forms of Jutsu; Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and even Fuijutsu are all out of my arsenal. I only fight with Taijutsu, my one true talent. Or I previously did, however thanks to the new allies of mine, I have developed my newest technique, created by the Okama clan you are currently threatening. They describe this technique style as "Ninshu" *9*; even as a novice, I have seen its potential. My sensei would be proud I have found my own way." As Lee rambled, Suzumebachi attempted to pull her blade free. "It enhances the effects of the Gate techniques, mitigates the damage, and allows me access to Youthful Aura. I can manipulate the chakra in the air within a small area around my body. Even some with weak chakra coils and no ninjutsu talent can achieve such with proper training. Using the chakra around us, I have formed a glove of chakra around my hand, allowing me to catch your blade. Prepare yourself for the next trait of my newest move!"
'He mentioned the Gates?!' Suzumebachi thought in terror as she prepared to attempt a counter. 'I need to stop him! If the famed rumors are true he could be a true threat!'
Suzumebachi reacted desperately, thrusting one finger for Lee. Lee did not let that distract him, instead he prepared his own attack. As her finger landed roughly on him with a jamming pain, Lee merely did the start of a punch. Not even reaching close to her, yet as he finished, Suzumebachi screamed out in pain as she was sent skidding along the ground. It looked like an invisible force had sent her flying. "It also allows me access to something I've needed for a long while, ranged combat options. I hope to show you mercy; may you surrender after this. Wild Youth Rampage!" *10* Lee suddenly jabbed through the air as if shadowboxing. Each punch sent a powerful blast of air flying into the grounded Suzumebachi. She cried out as the barrage battered her around, sending her careening into the stone stalactites of her own creation. The force of her crashing her through several. She landed bodily and with a gasp of pain. Now the two are closer to the main hub of the odd city. Lee frowned at the violence he'd been forced to rely on but continued on as Gai had trained him. "Please surrender." Lee asked simply.
"W-why would I, rookie?" Suzumebachi spat bitterly. "You finally let me hit you h-heh. Soon, you'll be nothing more than another toy of mine. That strength that you used will be nothing more than a tool for my own whims!"
"No need for bluffing-"
"That little poke of mine?" Suzumebachi said with glee. "Was actually my ace in the hole. The same technique that has allowed your friends to helplessly watch this battle has now been used on you! The Kamizuru clan was famed for their powerful contract with the Wasp Clan, and I wield the most lethal of all the wasp's styles. The style of the Microgaster Godzilla *11* ! Despite the odd name it is a terrifying predator! It is a unique parasitic wasp that preys on a certain species of caterpillar. Normally aquatic, but not limited to the water. They and by proxy I hunt just as well on land."
"I must admit this is fascinating," Lee said while rubbing the back of his head. "But why is it relevant…" Lee stopped as a grim realization hit him. His body locked in place, his muscles tensed without his consent, an icy feeling seemed to be slowly crawling through him from the site of the poke to the inner depths of his body.
"The rookie caught on~!" Suzumebachi mocked. "Their venom doesn't kill or paralyze like most. In fact, it creates something like a living zombie. Mix in ninjutsu with the natural toxin, and it does even more. Soon, your body will freeze, and once the chakra reaches your brain, you'll be little more than a slave. Quite the strong one at that. Mindlessly follow my whim until you eventually perish."
Lee felt his body grow numb as she spoke, helpless as she rushed in and began to beat him savagely. Each blow rocked him, but Lee could not resist. "Don't worry," Suzumebachi assured as she now successfully swept his legs and stomped down harshly on his ribs. Lee in his trance unable to even call out in pain. "Just gonna teach you a lesson; besides weakening you will ensure the venom works quickly!" She continued to stomp on him cruelly.
'I need to do something! I was a fool to allow her to hit me! I wanted to not rely on this… but I have little choice! Gai sensei watch over me!' Lee thought as he willed his abysmal chakra to not flow, but to leave his body. Once his chakra started to mingle with the foreign chakra in the air Lee began to draw it in. Using his own chakra as a magnet to attract the excess. Then he began to channel the chakra within himself, allowing it to enter his core and begin activating the second Gate.
'Youthful Aura: Youthful Recovery!' Lee thought as his meager chakra surged. He could feel his chakra focus on something within him, destroying it. 'My assumption was correct, The second Gate and Youthful Aura were able to purge the venom.' His body felt painless and light as he felt even his reserves being refilled. Suzumebachi did not realize she was so busy relishing her own revenge as she went to stomp again.
In what must've seemed like magic to her, Lee suddenly moved, doing a handstand before he began to spin. "Leaf Whirlwind!" He roared as his spin kick swept the Jounin's legs and kicked her away. Lee watched as she painfully rolled to her feet. Glaring at him shocked once again. Lee squatted down as he prepared to finish the fight.
Suzumebachi got to her feet with a look of panic. "How are you moving?! How the hell are you a mere Genin?!" She stopped seeing Lee preparing for another attack. 'If he hits me like that again, I'm done!' Her mind whirled as she defensively activated another technique. "Earth Style: Earthly Embrace!" Two massive round lips of earth slowly wrapped around her, forming a ginormous floating earth dome. 'Try punching through stone with your bare hands. I'll tunnel out of here and regroup with the others.' Suzumebachi thought as she prepared to flee for now.
"That won't work!" Lee warned as he prepared his finishing shot. "Youthful Wild Spear!" Lee then shot off, to both a mere spinning blur as he shot off like a bullet towards the dome. There was an ear-shattering crash as Lee shot right through it with ease. He heard the sickening crunching of bone as his kick hit the two armed guard of a wide-eyed Suzumebachi; it broke through her guard, through the other half of the stone. And sent her crashing through the side of the Okama Hideout Mess Hall, where the fight had started. The woman's flight was finally stopped when she collided into several large tables. The remains of such momentarily buried her in shattered clay. Lee morosely shook his head as he rushed over to check on the likely dead body of his foe. As he stepped into the mess hall of the Okama, he saw a beaten and bloodied Suzumebachi crawling out of the debris of her crash landing.
"If the Tsuchikage saw me now…" Suzumebachi panted as Lee drew close. "To think a mere Genin is gonna make me resort to this…"
"Rank matters little in battle, experience, effort, endurance, preparation, all these are the factors crucial to victory. Today I've shown to be better in every way that matters." Lee approached as she shakily rose to her feet. Having learned his lesson the first time, he didn't lower his guard. Instead Lee appeared behind her to knock her out gently, a mere neck chop would end this battle. But he felt two presences suddenly close in behind him, he flinched before he reacted.
Deciding to face the new threat, Lee turned and attempted a hasty defense. Two powerful blows nearly broke through it, the force sending pain down Lee's arms and sending him skidding back, even in his buffed form. Lee glanced at his new opposition. They seemed to be two of the bodyguards Okama that had been entranced before his arrival. Unlike the daze they had been in before they seemed focused and angry. The other bruisers gather behind them.
"You attempted to kill the elder…" One mumbled angry as it stomped forward.
"You will pay dearly for your bold sins…" The other promised. *12*
'So this is what she meant.' Lee inwardly pondered. 'I had assumed her control merely pacified her victims, but it seems it allows for full control. There must be a limit to how much she can do however or she would've done this from the start-'
Several other Okama also started to move, looking violently irate as they formed a mob around Suzumebachi. 'This may be more difficult than I had thought.' Lee thought with a deadpan.
"You look much less stronger than you are. I nearly died from your last attack. However it's fortunate you kicked me back here, where I had set up my back up plan. Now I can turn the tables. See, all these Okama here are mine like YOU should be. I'm not sure how you resisted it, but I'm sure once you are unconscious and half dead you'll be unable to do so." Suzumebachi explained as she smiled.
Lee merely faced them all with a grim frown. "I will free them, and you will pay for these cowardly tactics."