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"Impossible, how could this be?!" Kankuro stared at Gaara lying on the ground, disbelief written all over his face.
"The speed of that watermelon-rind kid is beyond human. It's impossible for the naked eye to follow!"
"How can he be so strong?!" Temari muttered, stunned. She had seen Rock Lee fight in the Forest of Death, but back then, he was nowhere near this level!
"Youth should explode with all your might!" Guy shouted from the stands, cheering on Lee.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee responded, resuming his assault on Gaara.
Gaara quickly got up and summoned a sand barrier in front of him to block Lee's attack.
"Hmph!" Lee snorted, leaping back slightly before circling to Gaara's rear.
"I'm right here!" Lee's voice sounded from behind Gaara, followed by a thunderous bang as Lee's kick launched Gaara through the air.
However, a thick layer of sand armor protected Gaara's body, dulling the impact. He wasn't injured—at least, not seriously.
"That was incredible!" the rookies exclaimed, excited by Lee's flurry of attacks.
"This isn't good!" Kankuro's expression darkened.
"Yeah, not good at all!" Naruto said gleefully, "That panda-eyed guy is about to lose!"
"That's not what I meant!" Kankuro barked, his eyes locked on Gaara.
"Sensei," Temari whispered, her forehead beaded with sweat. "Gaara's... changing."
"I know," Baki replied with a heavy sigh, his gaze fixed on the Kazekage seated above.
The Kazekage, however, remained impassive, betraying no emotion.
"It's okay. Just keep watching," Baki said solemnly.
Back in the arena, Gaara looked down, chunks of sand falling from his face like crumbling clay.
"What?!" Lee gasped.
Gaara's expression twisted into a feral snarl, briefly resembling a beast. But then, his face returned to its usual blank stare—cold, calm, deadly.
"You hardened your body with sand..." Lee muttered.
"That expression..." Kankuro whispered. "I haven't seen that look on his face in a long time. It means he's unstable... The real fight's about to begin."
"That Rock Lee is strong," Kankuro admitted. "But now the outcome's decided. Once Gaara makes that face, it means he's serious."
"Is that all?!" Gaara growled, sand falling away to reveal his unharmed body.
"It seems I'll have to use the Lotus," Lee murmured, glancing at Guy in the stands.
Guy nodded solemnly. "Do it, Lee!"
"Yosh!" Lee responded, slowly unwrapping the bandages on his arms.
"What?!" The crowd collectively gasped.
Thick calluses covered Lee's fists, layers so dense they looked like hardened armor.
"Guy," Kakashi said gravely, "What kind of training have you been putting this kid through?"
Even Kakashi, a seasoned Jōnin, had never seen anything like it.
In the arena, Lee unwrapped his bandages and locked eyes with Gaara.
"Wake up!" he declared, his form vanishing in a blur of speed as he began circling Gaara like a vortex.
"If I use Primary Lotus, the fall from that height should pierce his sand armor," Lee calculated silently.
"Hurry up," Gaara growled.
"As you wish!" Lee roared, launching Gaara upward with a powerful kick.
Gaara only rose a short height. Lee planted his hands on the ground, unleashing a rapid series of kicks to launch Gaara even higher.
Gaara's sand tried to follow, but couldn't match Lee's blinding speed.
On the sidelines, Guy clasped his hands tightly. "Even the basic Lotus is a huge burden... But Lee's resolved to end this now."
Suddenly, Lee winced, pain shooting through his leg. But he pressed on.
With Gaara at the right height, Lee's bandages wrapped around him mid-air.
Together, the two spiraled downward at terrifying speed.
"Stop him!" Kakashi shouted. "From that height, he'll die—sand armor or not!"
"It's too late!" Guy said, voice heavy with pride. "Once Lee commits... not even I can stop him!"
Boom!
A thunderous impact rocked the arena as the two crashed into the ground, forming a massive crater.
Lee leapt away, panting heavily, staring into the pit.
"He's gotta be done," he murmured.
"We won!" Naruto shouted, punching the air.
Even hayate Gekkō thought the match was over and began walking toward the crater to announce the result.
"Such a shame," Haruto whispered.
He had already seen it clearly—Gaara used a substitution technique at the last moment.
What had fallen with Lee was merely a sand clone.
Even knowing this would happen, haruto couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Crack!
A sound echoed from the center of the arena.
"What?!" Everyone turned in shock.
End of the Chapter.