"Just some extra weights. Even if you take them off, what difference could it possibly make?"
Ryūshi was very confident. He had tried training with weights before, but it was too harsh—only lasted a while and gave up. Back then he used twenty kilograms, so this pineapple head must be using even lighter ones; otherwise, his movements wouldn't have been that agile earlier.
"Peng!"
Two muffled thuds interrupted Ryūshi's thoughts. Two noticeable craters appeared beside Lee, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock.
"How could this be?!" Ryūshi exclaimed, unable to believe the sight before him. How could those weights possibly be so heavy? And with such weight on him, how was he still that quick earlier?
"Guy? You're being unreasonable again," Kakashi said with some frustration. "Lee is still just a boy—how could you let him wear such heavy weights? Don't you worry whether his body can handle it?"
"Kakashi, Lee can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. The only thing he can train is taijutsu. He isn't any kind of genius, so all he has to rely on is sheer hard work. I once advised him not to push himself so hard, but he refused. He said he wanted to prove to everyone that even without knowing Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, he could still become strong—he wanted to surpass natural talent through hard work alone."
Guy sniffled and filled his eyes with tears. Watching Lee assume an offensive stance, he shouted out emotionally, "Lee, go forth! Show them your Ninja Way, unleash your burning passion!"
"Yes sir!"
Lee responded with a thumbs-up before vanishing from sight instantly, leaving behind only these words: "As punishment for offending Mr. Guy, this time I won't hold back."
"What incredible speed!"
Before Ryūshi could even finish the thought, pain shot through his jaw. His body helplessly launched into the air.
"In front of me... No!"
The next instant, Lee delivered another flying kick straight to Ryūshi's face, sending him flying once again.
"This speed… It's much faster than before," Ryūshi murmured, touching his jaw and cheek, his eyes glinting dangerously. "So this is your true strength? Your speed improved significantly after removing those weights. But your self-destructive training style gets you only this far. Even if you're giving it your all, it still amounts to nothing. You're still nothing to me."
Just as his words faded, Ryūshi vanished from his spot. In the next moment, the two figures collided midair with a loud bang, then disappeared once more, reappearing elsewhere in the arena within a blink.
"This is Swift Release? Indeed quite fast!" Sakura moved closer to Temari and remarked, "That guy from Sunagakure sure carries himself proudly!"
"I hate his personality, but he definitely has reasons to be arrogant!" Temari replied with a confident smile.
"This time, you've already lost the bet. You'd better start getting the supplies ready. I don't want anything else—just fruits, food, and drinking water!"
"Is that so? You're celebrating too early. Sure, Swift Release is fast, but Lee hasn't even shown his full speed yet!"
Sakura smirked slightly, speaking in a calm tone. Right now, Lee was only using his normal speed—neither activating the Eight Gates nor employing his special abilities. Once Lee opened the Eight Gates, his speed would rise to an entirely new level. And once Lee uses the power of the Eight Gates, even Swift Release won't stand a chance.
"Heh, pretending to be calm," Temari said with both hands resting on the railing, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Sunagakure lay in the desert, where food, fruit, and clean water were all incredibly rare. Winning this match alone would dramatically ease Sand Village's difficult situation.
In the arena below, Lee and Ryūshi moved so fast they seemed like blurs. Both possessed incredible speed, launching rapid close-range taijutsu attacks at each other—one punch here, one kick there—with neither gaining the upper hand for now.
"I never expected a guy with a Kappa-head like yours actually had this much strength. Impressive!" Ryūshi panted slightly, looking at Lee with slight disdain in his eyes. "But this is where it ends for you! No matter how hard you've trained, your effort can never compare to my natural talent!"
"Mr. Guy always said hard work can surpass talent—and I truly believe that!" Lee replied earnestly. "I can't learn ninjutsu or genjutsu, so I can only focus on taijutsu. I'm not a genius like you, so all I can do is keep working harder and harder through continuous training—because only then can I surpass someone like you!"
"You think effort can surpass talent? Don't dream! No matter how hard you try, a loser is still a loser. How could someone like you ever surpass me—a real genius?" Ryūshi's face twisted slightly; Lee's words felt like an insult to him. He was a genius—how could he allow himself to be surpassed by someone who couldn't even use ninjutsu or genjutsu? "You're nothing but a fool deceived by your teacher. Only someone with similarly terrible taste like you would say something like that."
"Mr. Guy isn't a fool, and he hasn't deceived me either. You're really going too far!" Lee became angry, his expression growing serious. "Today, I will use the Ninja Way taught by Mr. Guy to prove to you that effort truly can surpass talent."
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Ryūshi sneered coldly, pulling out two kunai knives from his pouch. He'd use Swift Release to slash this guy full of wounds and make him finally see the difference between a genius and a loser.
[Eight Gates: First Gate, Opening Gate—open!]
Lee didn't say anything back. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, as chakra surged rapidly through his body.
[Open the Second Healing Gate, open the Third Life Gate, open the Fourth Harm Gate!]
A violent surge of Chakra burst forth from Lee's body. On his forehead, thick cords of veins bulged outward, and his skin gradually turned red as blood surged beneath it. The raging Chakra blazed like flames, causing the ground beneath Lee's feet to crack apart and sending pebbles flying in all directions.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>