"Naruto... I didn't expect you to recognize me so much, but I lost in the qualifying round..."
"Idiot, it's nothing to lose once. Didn't I also lose to you when we first met? I've always remembered this score and planned to settle it with you someday!"
Hearing Naruto's words, the disappointed and puzzled look in Rock Lee's eyes regained its former sparkle. There was an indescribable joy in his heart. Being recognized and regarded as a rival was such a happy thing.
"Got it!"
.......
Just as the two were so excited that they were chatting like brothers and ignoring everything around them, a slightly disgusted voice came.
"Stop making so much noise. Two grown men being so coy."
Following the voice, the two, who were embracing each other passionately, looked over and saw Shikamaru with his feet crossed, leaning against the doorframe. He was picking his ear with one hand and holding fresh fruits with the other, looking disdainfully at the two inside who were full of enthusiasm.
"Hey! Shikamaru, why are you also in the hospital? Are you sick too?"
"Of course not. It's just that Chōji ate something that didn't agree with him and got a stomachache. I specially bought some fruits to see him. But the nurse said he shouldn't eat these fruits for the time being. I was about to take them back when I saw you two getting so close..."
"Ooh~ So you're jealous of the friendship between Naruto and me! It doesn't matter, Shikamaru. The more friendship, the better. Come and join us!"
Saying that, Rock Lee sat on the bed and spread his arms wide to welcome the new comrade. But seeing this, Shikamaru took a few steps back in disgust.
"Stay away from me... You smell so sweaty."
Looking at Rock Lee rushing towards him, Shikamaru still waved his hand in disgust.
"What? This is the smell of friendship between men. Come on, Shikamaru, let's blend in together..."
"No... Let... Let go of me..."
Shikamaru was being choked by Rock Lee and couldn't breathe when he heard a crunching sound beside him. He turned his head and saw, and couldn't help but have the veins on his forehead pop out.
(╯‵□′)╯︵
"You bastard! How can you calmly eat other people's fruits!"
"What's the big deal? You bought them for Chōji anyway, and he can't eat them!"
Naruto took a big bite of the crispy apple in his hand and ate it with relish.
"Ah, so unfair, Naruto. Give me one too!"
ヽ('⌒′メ)ノ
"Are you kidding? They're mine. I want them too!"
The three young boys were in a mess. It really made people sigh about the beauty of youth, but in the dark, a shadow was stirring.
The tiny grains of sand on the ground crept forward silently, making no sound at all, hardly noticeable.
As the fine sand got closer and closer to the three boys who were playing around, these seemingly harmless sands finally showed their fangs. They quickly gathered together to form a sharp paw and attacked the three.
Almost instinctively, Naruto's eyelid twitched. He suddenly sprang up from the ground, grabbed Rock Lee and Shikamaru firmly, one in each hand, and dodged out of the reach of the paw's attack.
The ruthless claws shredded the bed where the three had just been playing around. Gaara, standing in the shadows with a gloomy face, glared angrily at Naruto, who had dodged his attack.
"Is that you, Gaara?! Why are you here?"
Rock Lee quietly eyed the murderous man in front of him. He could feel the tense atmosphere hanging in the air. This guy wanted to kill him, but apart from their match in the Chunin preliminary round, he had no other interactions with Gaara.
Gaara had even won that match. What else could he possibly be dissatisfied with?
"You're really lucky. Wherever you go, there's always someone to save you."
Gaara recalled the Chunin preliminary round.
From Sasuke's perseverance despite his injuries, to Sakura's tenacity as a young girl, to the family bond between Neji and Hinata, and to Rock Lee's unwavering determination. He pondered what he had. He had nothing at all!
Why were these guys so dazzling? Why were their smiles so warm? Meanwhile, he could only stay in the dark corners, rotting away. Even his parents and relatives wanted to kill him and feared him.
He was upset! He wanted to destroy! He was envious...
Hearing this, Naruto frowned, clearly unhappy. This guy who secretly tried to kill them was really unlikable!
"What do you mean by that? Why are you trying to kill us? We don't seem to have done anything to offend you!"
"Humph! Do you think I need to explain myself to you?"
Gaara remained unmoved, standing there with his arms crossed. The sand grains swirling around him danced in the air, transforming into whips that lashed at the sparsely - furnished furniture in the room.
Naruto, while dodging with the injured Rock Lee and Shikamaru, found it very inconvenient. Even with his agile figure, he was hit several times in this confined space.
The whips lashed his body, and the searing pain instantly inflamed his anger.
This guy also ran wild during the preliminary round. Even after winning, he tried to kill Rock Lee. Since he had just learned a new move, he might as well use Gaara for practice, as a warm - up for the final exam.
"Shikamaru, Rock Lee, hide behind me!"
"Naruto, can you handle this alone?"
"Don't worry, Rock Lee. I haven't been idle this past month. I've learned a really powerful Ninjutsu. Just watch!"
"Naruto..."
Naruto made the Hand Seal and performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The clone kept kneading a Chakra ball next to his hand. Looking at Gaara, who remained still, he guessed that Gaara was absolutely confident in his Absolute Defense.
But he wondered how long that confident and calm expression would stay on Gaara's face?
"Take this! Rasengan!"
As the Chakra ball in his hand kept condensing, Naruto aimed the Rasengan right at Gaara's face.
He was going to smash that calm and arrogant facade. He wanted to strip Gaara bare and see what was inside his heart.
Gaara didn't think Naruto's Ninjutsu was all that powerful. Naruto hadn't even made the Hand Seal before the attack. Generally speaking, the more powerful a Ninjutsu was, the more complex the Hand Seal process.
Even if the Chakra in his hand took a tangible form, Gaara remained calm, using the sand to block in front of himself. Naruto in front of him definitely couldn't break through his defense.
The fiercely rotating Rasengan collided with the sand, which is known as the strongest defense. The powerful rotating Chakra in the Rasengan sucked in the sand around Gaara.
The attack in his hand broke through Gaara's Sand Defense and hit him right in the face. Gaara was sent flying several meters away and slammed into the wall, piercing through several walls.
...............
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