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Hiruzen's POV (Kage Box of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Onoki and Rasa both laughed heartily at the match. They had been for a full minute, during which Yagura had seemed to turn red, and A had already crushed the armrest of the chair he was seated in.
"Not every match will go smoothly; part of the battle was unpredictability." Hiruzen reasoned with a smile on his face.
"Personally, I found the spirit of Omoi to be quite inspiring." Mifune agreed.
"I found it utterly disappointing. A said with a growl. "Omoi will be facing the claw." The other Kage looked at this with odd looks but continued on.
"Indeed, Mangetsu is a trained killer. I never have been one to teach my students to play with weaklings." Yagura lamented. "A hero is focused on business."
"Do not forget these youngins lack discipline. Most of them do these days." Onoki offered.
"I, for one, could do without you reminiscing." Rasa said, having calmed down. He looked towards the field. "Ah, Hiruzen, another one of yours is up to bat."
Rock Lee VS Fuu of the Waterfall
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Lee's POV (Entrance to Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Rock Lee nearly shot off once he saw it was his turn. He had been excited to see the others fight, and it was clear his decision to join the exams had been wise. Sensei had often told him adversity builds character, and the way to conquer adversity was to harness one's Youth. Rock Lee had been busy before the exams. His battle with Mizuki had been enlightening. He had clearly struggled against a rusty Chunin. Gai had assured him he had performed well, but the truth ate at Lee. He hadn't been strong enough; he had to become stronger. He may have fallen that day if not for the aid of the youthful Naruto and Choji. Lee fully intended to become a splendid shinobi capable of defending his friends. He had gained friends to protect; Naruto had even trusted him with his secret! But Lee needed more strength to ensure their safety. He had trained hard and quickly seemed to overcome both Sakura and Kiba. Much to Kiba's frustration, but they were terrific in their own right. He had surpassed his previous limits time and time again. No obstacle couldn't be overcome by hard work and dedication. Lee hadn't known what, but he had been sure an opportunity to prove himself would arise.
When Gai told Lee of their chance to participate in the exams, he wept tears of joy. What more did a shinobi wish for than the opportunity to prove their worth among their peers? Kiba had shared his excitement, and while Sakura had seemed hesitant, her Youth had shone, and she decided yes. Gai sensei had trained them hard, beyond the level of training he had given Lee before.
Yet, for the first time in his life, Lee had doubted Gai Sensei. Sensei had doubtless made Lee into the splendid young man he was, but he seemed unaware of just how far behind the others Lee was. Lee had decided then to do something he had never done before. Defy Gai Sensei.
Gai had strictly warned him of the dangers of overtraining. The two of them often pushed such boundaries with their rigorous methods, but Sensei was an expert on the human body and had mastered pushing it to its limit just before it would fail. Lee knew this and knew why he shouldn't push his limits.
Yet he did so anyway; Gai Sensei had also told him sometimes a man simply had to trust his gut. Lee's gut was screaming at him to train harder. So after Gai and he finished their nightly jog, he merely returned to their training field instead of going home to stretch and relax appropriately as he had been taught. It led to an exciting result in his technique, one he was still determining if Sensei would genuinely approve of with its drawbacks. Yet it had made Lee feel at ease. He had surpassed even the limits Gai sensei had set for him. Indeed, he was ready.
Gai often said the more severe a technique, the more severe the flaws. Lee now knew what he meant by that but despite it…
Lee would show everyone youth can prosper!
He marched through the hall into the large field where his battle would be held. He tensed his arms as he felt the crowd's gaze on him. Hundreds of strangers, the Five Kage, even the Samurai. They would all witness this youthful battle, the clash of wills before them, which would serve as a show for them, an opportunity for him. If there was a time for Lee to prove his Ninja Way, it would be now. Lee could prove Gai's Sensei's talent and display the power of Youth for all to see. He glanced at the stony and now sandy side of the field and the forested area, taking stock of his environment as he strode towards the starting position, slowing his pace to ensure he had it fully memorized. Only once Lee felt confident in his memory did he arrive. He briefly and respectively eyed his opponent.
He knew little about her; he knew she could fly and some impressive strength and was a friend of Naruto's. The flight could be a problem, but Lee was confident he could circumvent this. Fuu would likely have to face him head-on; one couldn't win without attacking. The strength seemed relatively inconsequential as well. Lee could crack concrete with his jabs alone, so he felt he could match it. It helped she was likely a stand-up shinobi as well; any friend of Naruto must be a great shinobi. Further supporting Lee's assumption, Fuu waved happily and smiled at Lee as he approached. Lee waved as well, sending his best smile as he settled into his starting place.
Kakashi was someone Lee had heard a lot about. Gai was the strongest shinobi in the village, bar the Hokage or Sannin, yet he claimed Kakashi was his equal. Kakashi eyed Lee and Fuu warily, likely sensing their comradery and power and being amazed.
'Weird kids.' It was Kakashi's true thoughts.
"Hello, opponent! Despite the circumstances, I hope we can befriend one another and have a splendid match!" Lee said charismatically, popping the smile and pose Gai had taught him.
The young woman across from him gasped excitedly. "Hey there, weird guy! Sure thing, buddy. Nothing wrong with some sparing among friends, aye!" Fuu roared back.
"INDEED YOUR YOUTH SHINES!" Lee replied, his excitement getting the better of him. It wasn't often Lee met someone who could match his exuberance. He had always preferred combat when it was of a more friendly nature. It seemed everything was lining up in place! Now, all he needed was to win a hard-fought match!
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Ino's POV (Audience Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Ino drummed her fingers desperately, trying to work out the nerves she felt tingling around her. She had been amazed by Naruto's fight, dismayed at Neji's; a part of her screamed for her to rush to Neji to check on him or to run to Naruto and congratulate him on his fight. But her shame held her back; for now, she had a plan anyway. Naruto had always been action-based, so she figured her plan would work better anyway. Sitting with Sakura and her Sensei had been an impulsive one. When she arrived, Sakura had signed for her to retreat, which had done the opposite. Ino had sat with her, sure her life was in danger, only for Sakura to lament that Sensei would be back soon.
I had been confused by this, but soon he arrived, and suddenly, Ino understood why Gai was so odd. It was as if someone had altered a clone of Lee to make him look older. His bowl cut was the same, yet somehow, his eyebrows were thicker. His face was chiseled, but his old attire made this pointless. He was, for lack of a better term, a fashion disaster. Though the man had brought drinks, offering his own to Ino and racing off for another for himself.
"Ok, he certainly looks strange, but isn't it cruel to write him off?" Ino asked. She had been the one to avoid strange people back in the day, and Sakura had always been slightly more tolerant.
"Just wait for it…" Sakura replied dryly. She seemed utterly spent somehow, though she had recently gained a haircut and looked more confident. And yet seemed defeated. Before I could question her further, Gai returned, popping a smile that seemed to shine as he sat to Sakura's left. Ino shrugged as she prepared to watch the next match and consider her plan. Suddenly, she was yanked from her mind by what could only be a giant roaring.
"YOSH, GO FORTH WITH YOUTH, MY YOUNG PUPIL!" Gai roared. "CARRY ON WITH CONFIDENCE AND SHOW THEM YOUR HARD-EARNED GROWTH!"
"So that's why…" Ino said, now matching Sakura's dry expression.
"Yep," Sakura said with resigned pain.
"YOUTH!"
"Gonna be a long match."
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He eyed the next match with curiosity. He knew of Lee and was confident he would be similar to his teacher in style. Fuu was a Taki shinobi known for its water style, yet her athletic frame led Hiruzen to believe she was likely a close-range fighter. While it was a match with no "notable talent," he was sure it would be interesting.
"One of the more lackluster matches." A complained. "Even more of this peace nonsense as well."
"Peace has served us all well." Onoki said with a frown, seemingly at odds with his own words.
"Yet it is strength that frees us." Yagura counted. "One cannot be a hero without considerable power."
"Perhaps," Rasa offered diplomatically. "But while these two are unknown, it would be unwise to look down on them."
"Well said." Mifune chimed in.
Yagura offered a shrug, A scowled, and Hiruzen sincerely wished he could smoke.