"Uh... is there some kind of misunderstanding?" Daigan chuckled nervously.
"Temari, if you're going to teach this idiot a lesson, do it later!" Kankuro stopped her raised fist and gestured with his chin toward the electronic screen, which now displayed the names for the next match:
*Rock Lee vs. Daigan!*
"I'll let you off the hook for now," Temari said, suppressing her anger. "Don't pull any of your tricks. If you disgrace the Sand, I'll grind you into paste."
Considering his behavior during the first and second exams, few people had a good impression of him.
"Relax. Just watch me unleash my might and beat that Konoha ninja until he's... uh, utterly defeated... Anyway, I won't bring shame to our village."
Daigan's smile faded as he slowly descended to the arena floor, standing confidently opposite Rock Lee, who had been waiting for some time.
"For us to face each other here must be fate. It seems the passion of youth cannot tolerate a treacherous and shameless opportunist like you."
"And I can't stand hot-blooded idiots like you. I've been wanting to beat you up for a while now."
Daigan would die before he believed there was no foul play in this matchup.
Aside from the highly anticipated match where Hyuga Neji defeated the unknown Shira, the Konoha ninja had been virtually powerless against their Sand opponents. The exam was meant to display Konoha's prestige, but the Sand Ninja had stolen the spotlight. How could they let that stand?
There was no better way to boost the morale of the Konoha Genin than to defeat Daigan, who had been showing off throughout the first two exams.
Although Rock Lee could only use taijutsu and wasn't famous, his true strength was clearly recognized by most of the proctors. While the arrogant Daigan was a threatening Puppet Master, this wasn't a battlefield where one wrong move meant death. Many of his tactics, especially the deadliest poisons, couldn't be used in a sparring-style exam. Puppet Masters were already at a disadvantage in a straightforward arena duel. Now, they'd pitted him against a powerful taijutsu specialist with top-tier destructive power. It was obvious they were setting Daigan up to be taken down a peg.
*They're really underestimating me.*
Daigan glanced at the righteous-looking Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the many Konoha Jonin present, a meaningful smile gracing his lips...
***
Perhaps Daigan was overthinking it. It was a "random match-up," after all, so facing anyone shouldn't be a surprise. It just forced him to entertain some unpleasant thoughts.
"Are you ready?" Gekko Hayate, his voice somewhat lacking in energy, looked at the eager Rock Lee and the smiling Daigan. "No questions? Then... begin!"
*Boom!*
A dull thud echoed as Lee kicked off the ground with immense force. A whip-like kick came at Daigan from his side. Daigan ducked and leaned to the side, then raised an arm to block a follow-up flying kick.
*He's strong.*
Using the momentum of the block, Daigan pushed back, did a backflip to create distance, and dodged the ensuing hook punch.
"You're fast, and every strike is heavy. Even blocking them would drain a lot of stamina and chakra. Your taijutsu... is impressive."
If Daigan hadn't been diligent in his own training, forging a body as tough as steel since childhood, Lee's rapid feints and direct strikes would have left him flustered.
"This is just the beginning. The passion of youth has yet to truly burn! I hope you can last a little longer, or this won't even be a proper warm-up for me."
"Am I so unworthy of your full attention?" Daigan sneered. "Do you really think I'm just some idiot who relies on petty tricks? I was just playing along with you guys..."
The Temari puppet sitting on his right shoulder stood up. Daigan formed hand seals, and chakra flowed from his feet into the ground. A mound of brownish-yellow sand erupted from the floor, which had been damaged in Shira's earlier fight.
"What is that idiot doing?" Temari frowned. "Using Sand Manipulation in this environment is worse than just using his puppets..."
The indoor floor wasn't like the outdoors, and it certainly couldn't compare to the environment of the Land of Wind. And unlike Gaara, Daigan didn't carry a giant gourd of sand on his back.
Kankuro was also confused. "A Puppet Master facing a taijutsu specialist head-on is a disadvantage, but it's not impossible. Maybe Daigan doesn't have confidence in his puppets..."
From the whistling sound of Rock Lee's fists, it was clear that an ordinary puppet wouldn't last more than a few hits. The materials for most of Daigan's puppets had been acquired from Kankuro. Even if Daigan's craftsmanship was superior, the materials themselves had a low ceiling.
As expected, Daigan had no intention of tangling with Rock Lee using his puppets. The sand formed a curtain, enveloping him, then quickly exploded into more than a dozen identical figures.
"Sand Clones... no, and Sand Armor!" Baki realized what was happening. Daigan's Sand Manipulation wasn't for offense, but for defense and misdirection.
Sand Clones were purely defensive clones that couldn't even perfectly mimic the user, so Daigan had cleverly used Sand Armor to disguise his real body as one of them.
"Clones? That won't work on me. I'll just destroy them all."
Rock Lee charged toward the nearest Sand Clone as before, his fist whistling through the air and shattering its arm.
However, unlike Shadow Clones, Sand Clones didn't disappear after taking a hit. The minor damage was regenerating at a visible rate, while its other arm, completely unaffected, reached out to grab Lee, forcing the thick-browed ninja to retreat hastily.
"You're a taijutsu user who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. I'm not looking down on you, but I *can* use ninjutsu, so why shouldn't I?"
Daigan's light laughter came from all directions, making it impossible for Rock Lee to pinpoint his location.
"Petty tricks! The burning passion of youth can overcome any obstacle. Just watch!"
Accelerating once more, Rock Lee charged into the circle of Sand Clones, dancing through the attacks of a dozen sandy arms. One by one, he shattered Daigan's clones, destroying them faster than they could regenerate.
"Go, Bushy Brow!" Uzumaki Naruto, feeling a sense of kinship with another underdog, yelled encouragement for Rock Lee.
The Sand Ninja contingent remained silent, quietly observing the spectacle below.
"Be quiet! Don't disrupt the match!" Haruno Sakura pulled back the shouting Naruto, while Hatake Kakashi shot a weary glance at his troublesome subordinate.
His teammate, Hyuga Neji, calmly watched Rock Lee fall into a disadvantage. Might Guy, however, was expressionless. He suddenly turned to Kakashi. "My eternal rival, from your perspective as Konoha's master technician, is that Sand Ninja really a Puppet Master?"
"Why do you ask?" Kakashi replied. "Concealing the main body, waiting for an opportunity to strike... isn't that what Puppet Masters do? But..." Kakashi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
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