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"Lee, do you need my help?" Neji asked from the sidelines.
Even though he thought Lee brought this trouble upon himself, and it was normal for him to get beaten, he was still a teammate. He couldn't just stand by and let him be beaten senseless.
"No... No need!" Lee managed to say, despite feeling completely disoriented from being thrown around. But he remained firm in his attitude—he had to defeat Uchiha Sasuke on his own! Now was the time to burn with the fire of youth and prove his worth!
"Eight Gates Released Formation, First Gate, Gate of Opening, Open!" Lee suddenly shouted! With his roar, a powerful chakra surged from his body, illuminating him with a dazzling light.
However...
''Boom! Boom! Boom!''
The sound of flesh hitting the ground echoed again.
Sasuke was completely unaffected and continued to easily grab and slam Lee around.
"Eight Gates, huh? Still not convinced? Not thrown enough yet?"
With each word, Sasuke mercilessly slammed Lee into the ground. Lee's body continued to crash against the earth, producing dull thuds.
Despite the brutal assault, Lee refused to give in. He gritted his teeth, swearing internally: 'I must defeat Sasuke!'
He gathered chakra again, preparing to open the second gate of the Eight Gates Formation—the Gate of Healing.
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing, Open!" Lee shouted, his voice filled with determination and resolve.
With the opening of the Gate of Healing, Lee's strength increased further, and he tried to break free from Sasuke's grip.
But Sasuke's strength was far beyond what Lee had anticipated. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape Sasuke's control.
Sasuke's eyes were cold, filled with indifference and disdain, as if mocking Lee's overestimation of his abilities.
''Bang! Boom! Boom!''
Another round of violent thrashing ensued, leaving Lee even more severely injured. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, but his resolve only deepened.
"Still not convinced, huh? Haven't learned your lesson yet?"
The situation remained unchanged. Lee's eyes were full of frustration and anger. He clenched his teeth, silently vowing to overcome the powerful opponent before him.
"Third Gate, Gate of Life, Open!" Lee roared as a torrent of chakra surged within him.
Yet, all these efforts seemed futile. Against Uchiha Sasuke's overwhelming power, Lee had no chance to fight back.
The deafening crashes seemed to shake the entire world, but nothing changed. Lee began to feel a hint of despair. He had already opened the third gate—how could the result still be the same? Was this opponent truly an insurmountable force?
"Stop! We won't fight anymore, let Lee go!" Neji finally couldn't bear it any longer. Seeing Lee being tortured like this was too much.
Uchiha Sasuke's strength exceeded all his expectations. Lee, who had opened the third gate of the Eight Gates, was already incredibly powerful—strong enough to pose a serious threat to Neji. But now, in front of Uchiha Sasuke, Lee seemed like an ordinary person, no different from anyone else.
"You want to be the hero, huh?" Sasuke sneered, raising the corners of his mouth in disdain. He swung Lee's body and hurled him at Neji like a weapon.
''Bang!''
A dull collision sounded as Lee and Neji crashed into each other. Neji had no time to react and was sent flying by the impact of Lee's body.
"Cough, cough... Damn it, he used me as a weapon... Ahhhh!" Lee exclaimed, feeling his body spinning uncontrollably. Sasuke had grabbed his ankle and was swinging him like a windmill in the air.
Every spin brought a wave of dizziness, as if it would shatter Lee's mind completely. His stomach churned, nausea and the urge to vomit rising, pushing him to his limits.
At the same time, Neji, who had been knocked away, struggled to get up. Given his strength, he should have easily defended against the attack. But Sasuke had used Lee's body as a weapon, catching Neji off guard. The moment of hesitation cost him the best chance to defend, and Sasuke's fierce attack had sent him flying.
"Put Lee down! We're done fighting, and Lee will apologize to you," Neji said, his tone softer.
Clearly, after this painful lesson, he finally understood the gravity of the situation. Continuing to fight would only lead to more damage. At this moment, Neji had no choice but to compromise, hoping to end the dispute peacefully.
"...Neji... Don't... ask him... I... can do this!" Lee, still spinning like a windmill, managed to speak intermittently.
Lee's body spun madly, every motion powered by immense force and inertia. With a low growl, he unleashed another level of power. "Eight Gates Released Formation, Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain, Open!"
Lee's muscles tensed, his skin glowing with a faint red as if set ablaze. A strong green aura burst forth from his body, forming a mysterious shield around him. Lee's momentum surged again, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Sasuke nodded slightly, acknowledging Lee's willpower. "Impressive, your determination is indeed worthy of respect. However..."
Before Sasuke could finish, he moved like lightning. In a blink, he was at Lee's side, using his body like a cannonball to smash Neji.
Neji cursed internally: 'Why is this happening to me? I've been on countless missions, but I've never encountered something so bizarre. Can't Lee see the situation? Uchiha Sasuke's strength far surpasses ours—using the Eight Gates is pointless!'
Faced with Sasuke's sudden attack, Neji could only dodge in a panic.
But Sasuke's attacks came like a storm, overwhelming Neji.
Neji was frustrated to the point of despair. He couldn't attack with full force, nor defend with too much strength, fearing he might accidentally hurt Lee. To make matters worse, Lee's strength had increased since opening the fourth gate, making Sasuke even more effective in wielding him as a weapon.
For Neji, the Hyuga Clan's genius, this battle was beyond frustrating. It would've been better if Sasuke had just beaten them up directly!
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