As everyone reacted differently and formed their own expectations for the upcoming battle, the atmosphere inside the arena grew different.
At the same time, on the other side
"It's finally my turn!"
"Oh! Lee!"
"You must show them the power of youth!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei! I will!"
"Ohhh, Lee!"
"Guy-sensei!"
The two men with identical bushy brows stared at each other, their eyes blazing with passion.
Their fists clenched.
Their bodies trembled with emotion.
Anyone watching would feel the overwhelming intensity of their bond.
After finishing their usual dramatic exchange, Rock Lee finally leapt down from the second floor, landing lightly in the arena opposite Kimimaro.
"It is an honor to fight against you," Rock Lee said politely.
He raised his right hand forward, his left hand placed behind his back, assuming his Gentle Fist–inspired taijutsu stance, his expression calm yet determined.
Kimimaro said nothing.
He simply stood there, motionless, his face indifferent.
"So, Kimimaro versus Rock Lee… begin!" Hayate Gekkō announced.
The instant the match began, Rock Lee surged forward at explosive speed, charging directly at Kimimaro.
As he closed the distance, he leapt into the air.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
His body spun violently as his heel cut through the air, aiming directly at Kimimaro's head.
Kimimaro merely stepped back slightly, leaning his body just enough to avoid the kick.
The attack missed by mere inches.
"It's not over yet—Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
The moment Lee landed, he launched another barrage of spinning kicks.
His movements were fast, precise, and relentless.
Yet...
Every single strike missed.
Kimimaro moved effortlessly, his steps calm and fluid.
It was as if he were simply taking a leisurely walk through a quiet park.
The watching shinobi quickly began to understand.
"It seems Lee's opponent is also a taijutsu specialist," Kakashi said calmly, his hands resting in his pockets.
"Then there's no problem!" Might Guy declared confidently, flashing his trademark shining smile.
"When it comes to taijutsu, Lee will not lose!"
"Bang!"
After another failed strike, Rock Lee retreated slightly, staring intently at Kimimaro.
Kimimaro's expression hadn't changed at all.
There was no tension visible on his features and he had dealt with all his attacks with no effort whatsoever.
That showed clearly that Lee's attacks had not even troubled him in the slightest.
'He's incredibly agile… none of my kicks are landing,' Lee thought, his expression growing serious.
"Amazing reflexes," Rock Lee said sincerely. "And your movements… they're unlike anything I've seen."
Kimimaro finally spoke.
"Your movements are too straightforward."
His tone was calm, flat, and without emotion.
Rock Lee said nothing in response.
Instead, he attacked again.
But this time...
Kimimaro had already lost interest.
As Lee launched another kick, Kimimaro moved instantly.
His hand shot forward.
He grabbed Lee's leg mid-attack.
Then...
With a simple twist of his body—
He threw Lee away effortlessly.
"!"
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something was off.
His gaze shifted to Lee's legs.
His weight…
It was wrong.
Kimimaro understood immediately.
"Take off the weights on your legs," Kimimaro said calmly.
"Otherwise, you have no chance of winning."
He paused briefly before adding:
"Though even without them… the outcome will remain the same."
Rock Lee froze.
He had been discovered.
"Lee! Take them off!" Might Guy shouted from the stands, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Guy-sensei… didn't you say I could only remove them to protect someone precious?" Lee asked from atop the arena platform.
"It's fine!" Guy replied immediately. "I permit it!"
Hearing this, Lee's face lit up.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
He sat down and began removing the weights from his legs.
"Yosh! I feel lighter already!"
Then, casually—
He dropped them.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact shook the arena.
Dust and debris exploded outward.
The ground cracked beneath the weights.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Shock spread across the faces of the watching shinobi.
Those weights…
Were absurdly heavy.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Guy…" Kakashi muttered, covering his face helplessly.
"Oh no…" Karin said in an exaggerated tone of mock concern. "He removed his weights. Now he's going to become ten times stronger and win."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Among the Konoha shinobi… there really were all kinds of strange people.
Did they truly believe removing weights would allow someone to defeat an opponent far stronger than themselves?
Against ordinary opponents, perhaps such a method could make a difference.
But against true strength—
It only made their limitations more obvious.
Kimimaro stood silently in the arena, watching Rock Lee without the slightest change in expression.
To him...
Nothing had changed at all.
--
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, he slowly turned his head toward Karin.
His expression said everything.
A smug, knowing look.
As if to say...
See? That's exactly what I meant.
Don't underestimate bushy brows.
Karin noticed immediately.
"…Hmph. Stupid ass blondie."
She turned her head away with clear pity, as if she couldn't even be bothered to look at him, refusing to acknowledge his silent provocation.
Beside them, Haku watched calmly.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"So he was restricting himself this entire time…" Haku said softly.
His voice carried quiet admiration.
"What a hardworking boy."
His expression remained peaceful.
There was no concern.
As if he never doubted Kimimaro's position to begin with.
Hinata, standing nearby with the blindfold covering her Byakugan, tilted her head slightly.
"…Yes," she said quietly. "It reminds me of our training."
Her voice was soft and calm, carrying no mockery—only quiet recognition.
Because she understood that kind of effort.
That kind of discipline.
Not far away, Sasuke Uchiha watched everything with his arms folded across his chest and said quietly, "…What was the point?"
His expression didn't change.
But inwardly… he felt confused.
Even after being completely defeated by me… he still fights like this?
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.
Restricting himself from the start… without even knowing how strong his opponent is.
To Sasuke, it made no sense.
Lee had already experienced defeat.
He should have understood the gap between himself and others.
Yet he still chose to hold back.
Still chose to impose limitations on himself.
Is he an idiot?
Sasuke's thoughts were blunt.
He claimed to be a hardworking underdog.
Then why act like someone with nothing to prove?
Hard work was meaningless if it was paired with arrogance.
"Lee! You can do it! Show them all!"
From the stands, Might Guy's passionate shout rang across the arena.
"Osu!"
Rock Lee responded without hesitation. His figure blurred and in the next instant, he vanished from atop the statue.
"Huh—"
Before anyone could react, Rock Lee had already appeared behind Kimimaro.
His fist shot forward.
"So fast!"
A wave of shocked murmurs spread through the crowd.
Kimimaro felt a flicker of surprise but nothing more. His expression remained calm as he raised his hand.
Smack!
He blocked the punch effortlessly.
Lee disappeared again.
He reappeared on Kimimaro's flank, his leg snapping out in a whip-like kick.
Smack!
Blocked again.
Lee's movements became faster and faster, circling Kimimaro like a storm. His fists and kicks struck from every angle, their impacts echoing sharply through the arena.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Kimimaro defended with perfect precision.
His body barely moved, yet every strike was intercepted.
"You're faster than before," Kimimaro said slowly as he blocked another kick. "But it's still not enough… Can you go faster? If you can, then do it."
Lee gritted his teeth.
His speed increased again.
Smack!
Kimimaro's expression changed into disappointment.
In the next instant, his leg lashed out.
Lee's eyes widened in alarm. He hurriedly raised his arms to defend.
Bang!
The force behind the kick was overwhelming.
Lee was sent flying backward, his body skidding across the ground before he landed and regained his footing.
"It's amazing," Lee said, his voice filled with genuine surprise as he looked at Kimimaro. "You can keep up with my speed!"
Kimimaro didn't respond immediately.
Instead, his gaze drifted briefly upward—to where Yugao stood watching from above.
Then he spoke, his voice calm and indifferent.
"You're too slow."
He had faced opponents far faster than this.
One of them was standing right there.
Lee's expression darkened.
He turned his head and looked toward Might Guy in the stands.
Guy met his eyes and gave a firm nod.
Lee's expression changed instantly.
Confidence returned.
He began unwrapping the bandages around his hands.
"Front Lotus…" Lee said quietly. "I'll use it now."
After removing the bandages, Lee lowered his stance.
His muscles tightened.
Then...
He vanished.
His speed exploded beyond what it had been before.
He began circling Kimimaro at a velocity that the naked eye could barely follow.
Kimimaro watched him calmly.
"Come on."
"As you wish!"
Lee's figure appeared directly in front of him.
Faster than before.
Even Kimimaro was slightly surprised.
He raised his arm to block but this time, he deliberately allowed the force to carry him.
Bang!
Lee's kick struck cleanly, sending Kimimaro into the air.
"It's not over yet!"
"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"
Lee instantly followed.
His kicks struck in rapid succession, forcing Kimimaro higher and higher into the air.
Then, at the peak—
Lee's bandages shot forward.
They wrapped tightly around Kimimaro's body.
Lee grabbed hold.
He spun rapidly.
Faster.
Faster.
The air screamed around them as gravity pulled them downward.
"Take this—Front Lotus!"
The arena held its breath.
Everyone expected Kimimaro to be driven into the ground.
But just before impact—
A calm, indifferent voice echoed.
"Karamatsu no Mai."
"—Arghhh!!"
The scream tore through the arena.
It wasn't Kimimaro.
It was Rock Lee.
From Kimimaro's body, sharp white bones suddenly erupted outward—piercing through his skin like hardened spears.
His ribcage expanded into a deadly armor of bone.
The bandages tightened around him but Lee's own momentum became his downfall.
The protruding bones pierced into Lee's body as he slammed down alone.
Crash!
Dust erupted from the impact.
Kimimaro landed lightly.
He reached up calmly and removed the bandages wrapped around him.
His expression remained cold.
He had been curious about what Lee intended to do.
But the moment Lee wrapped those bandages around him—forcing physical restraint—Kimimaro's patience had vanished.
His anger had surfaced.
And Lee had paid the price.
"You fool…" Kimimaro said, his voice low and filled with killing intent.
A dark aura erupted from his body as his chakra surged violently, cracking the ground beneath his feet. The sheer pressure distorted the air around him, sending fragments of stone splintering outward.
From the stands, the Snow Hidden team froze instantly, their faces pale with dread.
They understood exactly what that chakra signified.
Kimimaro had completely snapped.
Even the Third Hokage's expression changed drastically as he sensed the terrifying fluctuation.
"Hana!"
Kimimaro's arm twisted and transformed, his flesh splitting open as a massive, dense, drill-shaped bone spear formed instantly. The grotesque weapon gleamed coldly as he thrust it straight toward Rock Lee.
Lee was already bleeding heavily, his body pushed far beyond its limits.
If that attack landed—
He would die.
Kimimaro didn't care about anything right now
... all he wanted was delivering a killing blow.
In his mind, Lee was nothing more than an obstacle that needed to be erased.
"Die!"
Boom!
But just before the bone spear could pierce Lee's body, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed it firmly.
Kimimaro's pupils shrank slightly.
"You've gone too far… Lee has already lost the ability to defend himself."
Might Guy stood there, gripping the bone spear tightly. His voice was calm, but the fury beneath it was unmistakable.
He had watched long enough.
He would not allow his student to be killed in front of him.
"Huh?" Kimimaro tilted his head slightly, his expression eerie and cold. "Who do you think you are?"
Without warning, his other fist clenched as chakra surged violently into it. He stepped forward and punched straight at Guy without hesitation.
"You—"
Might Guy hadn't expected the boy to attack him so suddenly.
He raised his arm to block—
But the moment Kimimaro's fist connected, his expression changed.
The force behind it was monstrous.
Boom!
Might Guy was blasted backward like a cannonball, crashing hard into the arena wall.
The impact cracked the reinforced stone instantly, spiderweb fractures spreading outward as his body was embedded deep into the surface.
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