"With my Sharingan, I can't even keep up," Sasuke muttered under his breath, his eyes flashing with the familiar three tomoe as he desperately tried to track Lee's movements. But all he could see were afterimages blurring through the battlefield like phantom shadows.
Sasuke clenched his fists, frustration burning in his chest. My Sharingan… can't keep up with him?
The thought sent a surge of anger through his veins. Gaara and Neji had already been formidable opponents, but now even Lee, of all people, was making him feel like a step behind. What a joke.
Gojo, lounging casually in the stands with his ever-present lollipop, grinned as he watched Lee's relentless attack. "Watermelon-headed kid's kicking up a storm out there," he mused, his voice nonchalant as he observed Lee's every movement.
"You can see him?" Kurenai asked, her tone incredulous. Even she was struggling to make out Lee's lightning-fast strikes.
"Clear as day," Gojo replied with a shrug, his eyes glinting mischievously. He spared a glance at Sasuke, whose scowl deepened as he turned away.
How does Gojo-sensei see things my Sharingan can't? Is his vision stronger than mine? Sasuke's mind raced, but he refused to let the thought linger. No way.
Meanwhile, Lee was a blur of dark blue steam, his every movement a streak of energy as he slammed into Gaara's defenses with a resounding kick. The sand around Gaara cracked under the pressure, and the boy stumbled back, blood trickling from his lip.
"Fast!" Gaara muttered, his cold expression twisting into something slightly less composed as Lee's speed shattered his defense.
"This… this is what I've worked for," Lee whispered, his breath ragged as he gripped Gaara mid-air. His bandages tightened around his waist, glowing with raw power. "My way of the ninja!"
Together, they spiraled toward the ground in a whirlwind of energy. Lee's aura surged, a cyclone of blue power engulfing them both.
BOOM!
The explosion of energy sent a shockwave across the arena, dust clouding everything in sight. Lee staggered back, his body trembling as the toll of his efforts set in. Every muscle screamed in agony, his body on fire from the exertion.
This… is all I've got, Lee thought, barely able to lift a finger without feeling the sting of his limits. He'd given everything he had—everything he believed in—to prove one thing: that hard work could surpass talent. But in that moment, it felt like it wasn't enough.
Neji, ever the skeptic, watched from the stands, arms crossed as he muttered to himself, "Planning to take him out with that, huh, Lee?"
The audience held their breath as Gaara slowly pushed himself to his feet, looking utterly unbothered. His sand barrier had absorbed the full force of Lee's attack, and yet he was standing, seemingly no worse for wear.
Gaara's lips curled into a maniacal grin, his voice low and almost taunting as he whispered, "Mom… are you craving his blood?" His left eye flickered with a feral, yellow slit as he spoke, and his arm and leg morphed into monstrous sand claws. "Just wait. I'll let you drink him dry."
Gaara's body began to shift, encasing itself in sand that molded into a massive, armored sphere, with a long tail trailing behind him. The ominous glow in his eyes said it all.
The Sleeper Technique... Lee's mind flashed with the knowledge of the tailed beast sealed inside Gaara. The power of One-Tail was awakening.
Sand tendrils lashed toward Lee, slithering like hungry vipers, each one moving with terrifying speed.
"Lee!" Guy's voice rang out across the field, his grip tight on the railing as he watched the scene unfold. His heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to intervene, to stop the fight, but he knew that doing so would disqualify Lee. He had no choice but to watch.
"Living is basic wisdom, Guy," Gojo's voice cut through the tension, his lollipop still twirling between his fingers as he casually observed the scene. His eyes narrowed as he took in the chakra signatures flooding the arena. "This is it. One-Tail's power... Orochimaru's plans seem to be going into overdrive."
Guy's eyes never left Lee, his voice steady but full of resolve. "This kid risked everything to prove himself."
Just then, with a burst of speed and power, Guy leapt into the arena, slicing through the sand coils wrapping around Lee's arms and legs with a single, precise movement.
Lee, struggling to his feet, wavered on shaky legs, his breathing labored. He reached out with one hand, his other clutching his side, his entire body trembling under the strain.
"I've… I've always believed that if I trained twice as hard as a genius… I'd become stronger." His voice cracked, and tears streamed down his face as the weight of his failure settled in. "I believed it… but no matter how hard I work, I can't keep up with true geniuses."
He had given everything, and still… he couldn't measure up.
"Lee…" Guy whispered, his voice tight with emotion as he pulled his student into a fierce embrace. There were no words of comfort, only the shared understanding of a mentor who had watched his student risk it all.
Meanwhile, Gojo, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, let out a long, exasperated sigh. He had been observing more than just the battle. The sand and Sound ninja were encroaching on the arena, their presence growing.
He turned to Naruto and the rest of his team, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. "Alright, brats, time for a little late-night cram session."
The group blinked in confusion, completely thrown off by the sudden shift in tone. "Late-night study?"
Naruto, still visibly rattled from the fight, clung to Gojo's leg, wailing, "C'mon, sensei! We just passed the Chūnin Exam! Can't we have a break?"
Gojo deadpanned, easily prying Naruto off his leg and tossing him back into the group. "Pipe down, or I'll throw you into an extra class," he said, smirking.
Just as Gojo finished speaking, the ground trembled violently beneath them, sending ripples through the stadium. A series of gigantic serpents emerged from the earth, smashing through buildings as they slithered toward the Chūnin Exam arena. Sand and Sound ninja poured in, flooding the stadium with hostile forces.
A woman with striking blue hair appeared above them, her hands weaving through hand signs with blinding speed. "Crystal Style: Five-Seal Prison!" she shouted, and in an instant, a crystalline barrier erupted around Gojo and his students, sealing them inside.
The arena was no longer a place for a fight. It was the calm before the storm.