I've been feeling a bit sick since last night; I don't know why. (I'm thinking that my busy schedule for the past couple of weeks has started to kick in)
I have this massive headache that's almost as bad as the aftermath of neck exercises when I was training in Muay Thai.
It's quite annoying to deal with.
So, yeah, I kind of just breezed through this scene.
I'll describe it a bit more in the next chapter before moving on to the main course of the Chunin Exam, obviously.
But, well, enjoy the chapter!
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"Alright, since you just arrived, I'll explain it briefly..."
Genma began, outlining the rules, which were similar to the preliminary rounds.
Participants would fight until one of them either died or surrendered!
Gaara's expression twisted at the sight of Sasuke, his killing intent flaring up as he mumbled, "Since you're here anyway... I'll shed your blood first..."
"..."
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at this.
Despite the tension, he still felt confident about his chances of winning, even after witnessing Gaara's capabilities during the match against Lee a while ago.
"I'll see you fucking try..."
He spoke with confidence as the tension thickened, "That arrogant expression of yours, I'll wipe it off your face today."
"Haha! My rival, you're finally here!"
Guy's voice beamed with happiness as he saw Kakashi, who had just disappeared after sending Sasuke into the arena, reappear in the audience seats.
Guy brought Tsuna with him, much to Kurenai's displeasure.
"Hmph..."
She glared fiercely at Tsuna while Asuma followed with a wry smile, unsure how to respond to the situation.
They approached Kakashi, who had his eyes focused on the book in his hand.
"Oh, Guy! How's it going?"
Kakashi asked, barely looking up from his reading.
"Anyway, remember that impressive young man with intense youthful spirit I told you about..." Guy shrugged, then continued with his signature smile, gesturing toward Tsuna. "This is him. Tsuna, meet Kakashi."
"Oh, hello there, young man..." Kakashi replied half-heartedly, glancing briefly at Tsuna before turning back to his Icha-Icha Paradise.
"...?"
Guy raised his eyebrows at this since it was quite unusual for Kakashi to behave this way.
As far as Guy recalled, Kakashi was usually able to interact with others while reading the book, handling distractions without issue.
He could read and interact simultaneously with ease.
"What is this that got you so preoccupied? This is so unlike you..." Guy remarked.
"Ah, this..." Kakashi scratched his head, realizing he had been a bit too engrossed.
He explained, "This is a special release from Jiraiya-sama. It's not yet available on the market, so it's quite a rarity..."
"And..."
Kakashi lowered his tone, sounding utterly serious.
"...!"
This made Guy sharply narrow his eyes at Kakashi, expecting him to reveal something important.
However...
"This book will probably be, no! Let me correct myself, this new series will be the very best Jiraiya-sama has ever created so far!"
Kakashi exclaimed with fervor.
"...That sounds oddly familiar," Tsuna silently thought, putting his hand over his chin.
He recalled Jiraiya saying the same thing with the same expression after sharing his pool of 'knowledge.'
Then...
He looked at the book in Kakashi's hand and chuckled, "He must've been working hard for the last couple of days..."
No wonder Jiraiya had disappeared for a few days.
Tsuna hadn't seen him at the onsen gathering 'materials' anymore.
"...Such a vulgar book," Kurenai mumbled disapprovingly before narrowing her eyes at Asuma.
"I assume you don't read any of that... right?"
"Ah? Ahaha, of course not!"
Asuma laughed awkwardly, looking away, which made Kurenai eye him suspiciously.
Though, Asuma stood his ground and swore, "I swear to God I never bought any..."
"...I'll trust you this time. Don't let me down."
"Don't worry, my words are true... It's just that my father happens to be a collector," Asuma silently continued in his mind as Kurenai chose to believe him.
"Hmm?"
"Guy, isn't that your students?"
Both of their attentions were distracted as they saw Lee in a wheelchair being pushed by a girl with two Chinese-style buns in her hair.
Guy's eyes widened in shock.
"Tenten? And Lee, why are you here?"
"Ah, Guy-sensei. Lee said he wanted to see the match for himself, so here we are..."
Tenten scratched her head awkwardly as Guy narrowed his eyes at Lee. He was worried about his disciple's condition.
"Guy-sensei..."
"Lee..."
They looked at each other, Lee glancing down, seemingly recalling something frustrating as he clenched his fists tightly.
He then turned his attention, locking his gaze fully on Gaara as Genma was finally about to start the match.
Determinedly, he spoke, "...I can't allow myself to miss the opportunity to see the opponent I need to surpass, even if I'm not at my best."
"Lee, there are certain things you should---"
"No! Guy-sensei!"
Lee's shout made Guy's eyes widen in surprise. He could see pure determination in Lee's face clearly as Lee continued, "I can't..."
"I can't allow myself to get comfortable in a hospital bed and not do anything useful. I have to get stronger, even when I'm sleeping. Isn't that exactly what you taught me? I can't be lazy!"
"Lee..."
Guy couldn't help but feel touched by those words as tears slowly ran down his face.
Lee also burst into tears, "Guy-sensei..."
"Lee!"
"Guy-sensei!"
"...!"
Kakashi let go of his book and sharply turned his attention to both Guy and Lee.
He then looked at Kurenai and Asuma, whose expressions had turned pale as they all thought the same thing, "They're casting their genjutsu!"
"S-Sensei, I... I'm..."
"Enough, Lee!"
Suddenly, a shimmering light burst out, bathing the surroundings in a warm, golden glow of a beautiful sunset.
A gentle breeze accompanied the light, creating a perfect emotional scene just for the two of them.
Everyone...
Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai appeared to be under the spell of the genjutsu.
In their altered perception, only Lee and Guy were visible, tears streaming down their faces as they exchanged an emotional gaze.
The rest of the arena faded away, leaving them enveloped in the infamous sunset genjutsu, Young Spirited Embrace of Youth!
"..."
Tsuna couldn't help but purse his lips in speechless awe as he scratched his head, "I... I didn't know Young Spirited Genjutsu was a real thing..."
It was a powerful genjutsu that came from the deep bond shared between master and disciple.
It was an embodiment of their shared desire for strength so that they could protect their loved ones!
"Lee... You're the best disciple I've ever had..."
"Sensei, you're the best teacher in the world..."
As Guy and Lee exchanged tearful expressions, on the verge of embracing each other, Tsuna was at a loss for words in the face of such heartfelt emotion.
In that moment, with the backdrop of the setting sun casting a golden glow over the scene and the gentle ocean breeze stirring the air, he instinctively offered a thumbs up since he didn't know what else to do at this point.
However...
In a surprising twist...
The serene sunset scene suddenly broke apart!
The gentle breeze and warm glow disappeared as Guy and Lee's tearful expressions turned stony.
They both noticed Tsuna's thumbs up, before flashing their signature smile at him, and, despite their tears, gave him a thumbs up in return.
"...Wha...what?"
"Did he just cancel the genjutsu?"
"H-How in the world?"
They were completely shocked by what seemed to be a miracle!
Everyone stared at Tsuna, whose expression had also turned stony in response to the scene.
"...This..."
Kakashi looked at Tsuna, then turned to Guy and Lee, muttering, "...So that's how you cancel out his genjutsu..."
They now had a renewed sense of respect for the young man they had met today. Kurenai put her hand over her mouth, saying, "I... I shall overlook your behavior earlier for this favor..."
BAM!
Meanwhile, a loud resounding sound was heard as the arena seemed to shake slightly from the impact.
They all looked at the battle in surprise.
"Keuhak!"
Sasuke was sent rolling across the ground before crashing into the wall of the arena as blood rushed to his mouth as he let out a pained groan.
"Sasuke..."
Kakashi looked at Gaara, who was more aggressive than his usual passive style, and continued, "...was defeated?"
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