After Tenten jogged over to Temari's side, she used a summoning technique with one hand, and a scroll appeared in her grasp.
Tenten threw the scroll high into the air, then leapt up, pulling out various weapons from it and hurling them at Temari.
Faced with the barrage of weapons, Temari calmly opened only one-third of her iron fan and waved it gently.
A powerful gust of wind blew down all of Tenten's weapons!
"Second move!" Temari's voice made Tenten increasingly anxious.
For the third move, she chose her signature technique.
Tenten slapped her hands on the ground, summoning two larger scrolls. Using the same technique, she unleashed a torrent of even bigger weapons at Temari.
However, despite the increase in the number of weapons, the moves were the same. Temari's Wind Release easily countered them!
Without moving, Temari once again opened one-third of her iron fan and fanned it towards Tenten.
All the weapons fell again, but Tenten was relentless, continuing to summon and hurl more weapons.
Seeing this, Temari smirked, fully opened her iron fan, and unleashed a more powerful technique.
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Technique!"
A fierce wind sent Tenten plummeting from the sky. The sharp wind slashed her clothes and skin, covering her in blood in an instant!
"Tenten!" Rock Lee shouted in panic as he watched his teammate being overwhelmed. He wanted to jump in and stop the fight, but he knew Tenten still had a chance.
Rock Lee didn't want Tenten to regret not giving her all.
But his hopes were dashed. After being torn apart by the wind blades, Tenten had no strength left to resist and crashed heavily onto the now-closed iron fan.
"Ugh!" Tenten coughed up blood, the pain from the severe injury to her waist causing her to groan in agony.
"Tenten! Damn it!" Rock Lee's frustration exploded, and he charged at Temari, delivering a powerful kick.
However, Temari casually blocked the blow with her iron fan.
"Want to protect your comrade? Here you go." With a mocking smile, Temari tossed Tenten to Rock Lee.
"But maybe you'll have someone else to avenge in the future."
Rock Lee clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred as he watched Temari walk away. But his immediate concern was getting Tenten treated as soon as possible.
Might Guy stepped into the ring, silently placed a hand on Rock Lee's shoulder, then smiled reassuringly.
"It's alright, Rock Lee. Tenten and Neji will be okay."
Rock Lee nodded, handing Tenten to Guy and remaining in the ring. He wanted to fight in the next match.
He wanted to vent his frustration.
The remaining candidates included Gekko Kazuki, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and the candidates from Amegakure.
Those who had already passed were Gaara, Shino Aburame, Temari, and Karin.
The eliminated candidates were Tenten, Neji Hyuga, and Kankuro.
When it came to Rock Lee's strength, the Amegakure candidates seemed unsure. His speed was impressive, so they hesitated to choose him as an opponent.
If they didn't challenge, then only the Konoha ninja could.
Haruno Sakura had no interest in fighting Rock Lee, especially in his current state of anger. So, she declined to participate.
Hinata and Ino shared the same sentiment, opting not to challenge him.
Shikamaru and Choji, both laid-back by nature, decided to wait until the end, preferring not to provoke anyone unnecessarily.
The only ones left who could face Rock Lee were Gekko Kazuki, Uchiha Sasuke, and Kiba Inuzuka.
Kiba, unfamiliar with Rock Lee's abilities but eager for a challenge, started to step forward. However, someone grabbed his shoulder.
"Mind if I go first?"
Kazuki, with a calm smile, glanced at Kiba, who quickly stepped aside. "Be my guest."
"Thanks," Kazuki said politely, then turned to Sasuke. "This one might be a bit of a challenge for you. You up for it?"
Kazuki wasn't planning to fight himself—he wanted Sasuke to take on Rock Lee. There weren't many opponents left, and if Sasuke didn't act, he'd likely be chosen next.
Sasuke glanced at Kazuki and then at Rock Lee in the ring, pondering. "Is he that strong?"
"Trust me, Rock Lee's strength is comparable to Neji Hyuga's," Kazuki replied seriously.
Rock Lee had fought Gaara before and held his own, which spoke volumes about his abilities. But, if the two really clashed, Rock Lee's chances of winning would be slim.
Sasuke considered Kazuki's words and then silently stepped into the ring.
Rock Lee hadn't expected Sasuke to be his opponent, but he was on guard. Sasuke's reputation as a Uchiha genius wasn't lost on him.
As Gekko Hayate's signature cough echoed, the match officially began.
Rock Lee swiftly closed in on Sasuke, launching a horizontal kick with his right leg.
Sasuke effortlessly blocked with his left arm and remarked, "Too slow."
Gritting his teeth, Rock Lee retreated, then reappeared behind Sasuke, aiming another kick.
But Sasuke dodged with ease.
"Not strong enough."
The calm and detached critique frustrated Rock Lee. He glanced towards Might Guy for guidance.
Guy, observing both Sasuke and Kakashi, finally gave a nod.
"Lee, go all out!"
"Right!"
Rock Lee began untying the weights on his legs. Sasuke, seeing this, remained unfazed, not yet viewing Rock Lee as a serious opponent.
As Rock Lee removed the weights, the onlookers were puzzled.
"That little weight? What difference will it make?"
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+86 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg