Konohagakure No Sato :
Central Tower ( Forest Of Death ) :
The air in the arena was still heavy with the scent of ozone, burnt sand, and that heavy, metallic tang of raw chakra. Naruto stood by the railing, his blue eyes tracking the medical teams as they swarmed the floor.
Chōji was being lifted onto a stretcher, looking far smaller and leaner than he had just moments ago, his body was spent from the pill-induced transformation.
( ....*sigh* well The result was something I already knew )
Soon NAruto's eyes drifted On the other side of the cratered floor, Gaara was also making his exit. His Jōnin instructor, Baki, had a hand on the boy's shoulder, guiding him toward the same infirmary.
( The Contrast and diffrence is already there )
While Chōji was out cold—gone to the world—Gaara was still upright. He was limping, sure, and his sand armor was sloughing off him like dead skin, but Gaara was awake. He was conscious.
(That Baki guy whispered something, and Gaara just... snapped out of it?) Naruto thought, his brow furrowing as he watched the pair disappear into the hallway.
( .....just what words could have made Gaara regain his senses ?? )
Soon Naruto watched as they disappered from his eyes , and then The silence that followed was soon broken by the sound of a dry, hacking cough. Gekkō Hayate, the proctor who looked like he was one bad day away from a permanent hospital bed, stepped back into the center of the wreckage.
"The Chūnin exams... *cough*... shall take a break for Few minutes," he announced, his voice echoing through the hollow tower.
Naruto's eyes drifted toward the proctor, then immediately snapped toward the VIP section and The Main Seat . The seat where Tsunade-nee had been sitting was already empty. A quick scan of his periphery confirmed his suspicion: she was already moving toward the infirmary at a brisk pace.
( going Personally ?? ...If it had been the Old Man Third or literally any other leader, they probably would've just kept the matches rolling,)
Naruto mused, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. ( But Tsunade-nee is built different.)
He knew the logic behind it. As the world's greatest Medical Specialist, she wasn't just there to watch; she was there to monitor too .
And Tsunade knew exactly what the Akimichi secret pills did to a body. She knew the backlash was a death sentence if not handled correctly. Personally checking on Chōji wasn't just favoritism; it was professional instinct of Medic and also of a Leader .
Of course, the civilian spectators and the visiting ninja didn't see it that way. The stands erupted into a messy buzz of gossip as soon as the break was announced.
"Another break? Are you kidding me?"
"Well, it's their village, isn't it? Classic Konoha favoritism. Anything to give their kids a breather."
"Favoritism? The fight's over, genius. What's there to favor?"
"Man, if my village took care of Genin like this, I'd feel blessed. Imagine being personally treated by the Slug Sannin herself. That's a flex."
"Regardless, there's only one match left. Both fighters are from the Leaf anyway."
" Yeah "
"True.....and it's Not like we've got anywhere else to be in the middle of a killer forest. Let's just see how this ends."
Naruto tuned them out. He didn't have the energy to care about the "hush-hush" of the crowd. He watched as Ino and Shikamaru followed Asuma toward the infirmary, their faces etched with worry for their teammate. Simultaneously, the remaining Sand siblings trailed after Baki and Gaara.
The tower was becoming a hive of nervous energy.
Naruto felt the itch in his being , Standing up on the terrace and discussing wasn't doing him anymore.
( Alright , it's my turn Next )
So Without a word, Naruto jumped.
The crowd gasped as the blonde blur dropped from the balcony, landing perfectly amidst the rubble of the previous fight. The murmurs died down instantly.
Everyone—the proctors, the Jōnin, and the remaining Genin—watched as Naruto walked slowly toward the center of the arena. He didn't look at the debris. He didn't look at the bloodstains on the stone. He just reached the center and started stretching, his movements deliberate and focused.
The whispers started up again, but this time they were focused entirely on him.
"He looks motivated.... but " a spectator noted.
"Yeah, his shoulder is in a full cast. Is he really trying to win the final preliminary match with one hand? That's basically impossible at this level."
"You clearly know nothing," a Leaf Genin snapped back.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"That's Uzumaki Naruto."
" .eh ?? "
The name seemed to ripple through the stands. In the world of shinobi—a profession built on assassination, secrets, and high-stakes espionage—information was the most valuable currency. Between Kabuto's earlier information cards and the natural scouting every village did, Some information was definetly out.
Uzumaki Naruto wasn't just another Genin.
He was Konoha's Ace
Every village had one in every Joint Chunin Exams .
Suna had Gaara. Konoha had Naruto. And everyone knew that an "Ace" from a Great Village was effectively a Chūnin-level threat in a Genin's body.
( So That's Konoha's ace ....strongest amidst their Genins ?? )
remembering the precious Konoha's Genins and their fights , The crowd looked at Naruto differently now. The pity was gone, replaced by a sharp,curiosity. They were wondering if "Konoha's No. 1" this year was skilled enough to compensate for a crippled left side.
" But that arm is gonna trouble him regardless "
" yeah , in taijutsu and other weapons usage "
" Ninjutsu too "
" Hmm , let's wait "
" yeah , it's getting interesting now "
Back on the terrace, the mood was tense and Kiba, who had recently returned from his own ego-bruising match, scoffed as he watched Naruto stretch.
"*Scoff*..... Look at him. Showy prick," Kiba muttered, though there was a hint of genuine worry and envy behind the bravado.
Hinata and Karin weren't even trying to hide their anxiety. They knew the extent of Naruto's injuries better than anyone.
"Naruto-kun....." Hinata whispered, her fingers interlaced tightly.
"It'll be okay, Hinata," Karin said, though she was biting her lip. "Tsunade-sama is right there if things go south and Naruto knows what he's doing."
Shino, ever the voice of cold logic, adjusted his collar. "It is not just the injury that is concerning. It is the matchup. Because.... with his condition, he is facing Lee."
" hmm "
" ....ah "
Nearby, Team Guy was vibrating at the electricity that could probably power the entire tower. The worry for Chōji had vanished the moment Naruto hit the floor. For Guy and Lee, "Youth" had just started burning with the rocket-fuel.
Lee was already high-kicking the air, his movements so fast they created small whistles of wind.
"Finally!.... And it is Naruto-kun! I feel my youth screaming, Guy-sensei!"
"That's the spirit! That's my student!" Might Guy roared, pumping a fist into the air.
As Lee started shadow-boxing with intense fervor, Guy suddenly leaned in, his expression turning deathly serious.
"Lee."
"Guy-sensei!"
"Listen carefully. Let me give you a piece of 'nice' advice, my precious student."
"Hai! I am listening!"
Guy leaned down and whispered into Lee's ear, though "whispering" for Guy was still loud enough to make everyone within a twenty-foot radius wince. The Genin nearby actually leaned in, thinking they were about to hear some high-level tactical secret.
"Probably no one has noticed yet, but....." Guy paused for dramatic effect. ".....Naruto-kun's left shoulder looks injured."
The silence that followed was deafening. Half the people listening nearly face-planted into the floor. It was the most obvious observation in the history of the exams. But Lee? Lee took out a small notebook and started scribbling frantically.
"Oho! So that's what it was! I thought it was some new form of armor that just looked like a cast!" Lee exclaimed, eyes shining with revelation.
"Stop with the notes, Lee!" Guy shouted.
"Huh?"
"You won't have time to read them in the heat of battle, you foolish student!"
"OOOH! You are right! Thank you, Guy-sensei! What would I do without you?! UWAHHHH!"
The two of them began weeping openly, embracing in a "youthful" hug that made Neji Hyūga take several large steps away in pure, unadulterated disgust. (Not again,) Neji thought, closing his eyes.
And Except for Neji , there was someone else too who was feeling the absurdity while seeing these actions
Sasuke stood further down the line, staring at the scene with a mix of exhaustion and irritation. He looked at Rock Lee—the guy who had absolutely embarrassed him on the first day of the exams—and then at Guy.
(To think I was bested by someone like him?) Sasuke thought, his ego still stinging.
( A clown ?? )
But beneath the annoyance, there was a growing knot of guilt. He remembered Naruto's words about Lee's strength. Sasuke knew Lee was a monster of Taijutsu. Then he looked at Naruto's cast. He knew exactly how Naruto got those injuries. That "weird Kunoichi" had been after him.
ANd Naruto was carrying those wounds because he'd stepped up to protect him .
(Can he actually win this?) Sasuke's fist clenched.
(In that condition, against a Taijutsu specialist like Lee?)
Soon Sasuke's thoughts were shattered by Guy's final, booming command.
"ALL RIGHT! GO! LEE!"
"OHHHHHHH!"
Lee didn't even use the stairs. He vaulted over the railing, performing a mid-air flip before landing opposite Naruto.
But after dropping down to the arena floor, Lee actually went quiet. He mirrored Naruto's actions, dropping right into his own set of intense stretches and warm-ups.
(Yosh.... Naruto-kun looks serious, let me do the same,) Lee thought, his enthusiasm practically vibrating off him.
Naruto watched Lee from the corner of his eye. Even while supposedly taking things seriously, Lee had transitioned into doing rapid, upside-down, one-handed pushups without breaking a sweat, treating the bloodstained arena floor like his own personal backyard gym.
without a single care of the upcoming duel .
Seeing all this , Naruto's mind hardened into a sharp , annoying thought
(...HOW Arrogant, Lee,) Naruto thought.
Yes, arrogance. That was the exact emotion Naruto felt looking at his friend. They had been friends for the last three years. They had trained together almost every single morning. In their own weird way, they shared a strange, unspoken bond built on sweat and bruised knuckles. But that same bond was exactly why Naruto felt this deep, simmering frustration right now.
( Since he graduated and joined Guy's class and started improving ....slowly but surely )
Naruto's mind flashed back to their interactions over the last three months. He also remembered the memories his shadow clone had brought back from the Forest of Death—the absolute, miserable beatdown Lee had suffered at the hands of the Sound Genin.
Why? Because of his own carelessness. Because he had treated a life-or-death ambush like a structured duel and even underestimated his opponent . Remembering all of that, and then looking at Lee casually busting out upside-down push-ups before the so called Rival Match , without a single thought of managing his stamina , the thought echoed again.
So Much confidence or overconfidence , The thought and belief that Hard work will trumph everything and with no regard to anythingelse .
( ... how arrogant, Lee.)
Shifting his gaze back to his own space, Naruto focused on himself. He stretched his legs, preparing for the fight.
Yes, a fight. Not a spar.
They had sparred countless times in the past. But the moment Lee declared his rivalry—the moment Lee made it clear that his sole, driving purpose for entering these Chūnin Exams was to fight Naruto and win—the sparring days were officially over.
(A Fight to decide Winner and... A Loser) Naruto reminded himself.
As Naruto stretched, a sharp ache radiated from his left shoulder. The cast was heavy and restrictive. He paused, assessing his own battered condition, and made a firm decision.
(Sorry Lee, But I, Uzumaki Naruto, hAtes To lose....Believe It.)
Once he made that internal promise, a weight lifted off his chest. Originally, he had wanted to give Lee a pure Taijutsu battle—man to man, fists only. But then he realized his own hypocrisy. He'd just mentally called Lee arrogant. Wouldn't he be doing the exact same thing if he forced himself into a pure Taijutsu slugfest with a disabled left arm, just for the sake of pride? against a Taijutsu specialist no less
who also knows 8 Gates .
(Well, even in pure Taijutsu, I will still win..,,,...but that's not the point,) Naruto thought, shaking his head.
His train of thought was cut short as Tsunade and the rest of the VIPs walked back into the viewing area. They murmured in surprise to see both Genin already down on the floor, but everyone quickly took their seats. Gekkō Hayate stepped up to the center of the arena, coughing lightly.
Seeing the proctor in position, Naruto stopped his stretches and walked closer to the center. He glanced back at Lee, who was still doing his exercises, totally unbothered.
Naruto offered a small, polite smile, but his internal monologue was cold.
(I understand your pride...the pride and self-confidence that Naturally come when you work hard and succeed in your goal....but...)
Since Lee had graduated and started training under Guy, his confidence had skyrocketed. But over the last few months, Naruto had watched that hard-earned self-confidence mutate into something else.
It had turned into the very thing that got him crushed by the Sound Genin. It was the same reckless arrogance that made him pick a fight with Sasuke on the very first day of the exams, wasting energy and revealing his hand.
( After Sakura's fiasco .....I am really not in the mood for any lecture or study session or lesson for Lee )
Lee was becoming a battle maniac, completely disregarding everyone else, and worst of all, he was forgetting what it actually meant to be a shinobi. His own dream . He was acting like a martial artist in a sports tournament, not a ninja in a war zone .
( working hard.....achiving your goal ....gaining confidence .....Or ..overconfidence )
Someone who has so much confidence in himself that he thinks that except for certain few , no one can handle him , and that is still after getting his ass beaten just a day ago while letting his guard down .
"Go Naruto Go!" Ino cheered from the stands.
"....be careful, Man," Shikamaru added, his tone lazy but observant.
"Go Lee, Kick his ass!" Kiba yelled back.
"GO LEE..!! MY STUDENT!" Guy bellowed, tears of youth already welling in his eyes.
Naruto glanced up at the balcony. Everyone was there—his friends, Team Sand, even Tenten—except for Chōji and Sakura.
( Forget it ....Let's just win )
Hayate cleared his throat, finally getting Lee's attention. Lee popped up onto his feet and walked over to stand across from Naruto.
"YoShh..., Naruto-kun, Let's do our Best and make our youth shine!" Lee declared, throwing up a crisp thumbs-up and flashing a blindingly white, toothy smile.
"Haha, Sure," Naruto replied lightly.
Beneath the casual front, Naruto was rapidly activating his combat skills. But as the system skills booted up, his MindHub and augmented perception caught something he had completely overlooked before.
( huh ??? Don't tell me )
Feeling the doubts , Naruto immediately triggered his specific Combo skill for clarification
Holmes Gaze
In a fraction of a second, the visual data confirmed the nagging suspicion his MindHub had fed him.
"NOW Then," Hayate coughed, raising his hand.
"We will now begin the last round of The Preliminaries of the chunin exams."
' it's finally starting '
' hmm '
' That Green weirdo is strong '
' really ?/ '
' yeah , he defeated Uchiha on the first day '
' Ohh , Then this would be interesting '
Naruto barely registered the proctor's words. He was staring at Rock Lee, who was still wearing that wide, energetic smile. Seeing that smile—and confirming his latest observation—made the smile on Naruto's face vanish instantly.
( hehe..he..he....hehe...!!! )
Naruto tried to hide his annoyance with a serious face , While the crowd, his friends, and even Lee thought Naruto was just getting into a serious headspace, Naruto's actual thoughts were violently different COld
(We have been Training for three years, I know your capability & stength , just as you know mine....but now you do this type of Nonsense while smiling and saying giving it all..???)
Seeing that both fighters were in position, Hayate brought his hand down.
"Ready."
Chakra flooded Naruto's entire system like a burst dam. He pushed his Chakra Reinforcement to its absolute maximum limit. In his mind, a cascade of notifications flared to life:
Dynamic Vision Level 7
Keen Eye Level 5
MindHub Level 6
Halo eyes Lv4
Seeing Naruto's actions , Lee also got ready , he pulled one hand in front with a big smile as he also got ready for the signal
"...3....2.....1..... Begin ..!!" Hayate signaled, jumping back.
The very instant the word "Begin" left the proctor's lips, the stone beneath Naruto's feet shattered.
And Then He disappeared.
Lee's dynamic smile barely had time to falter before the air in front of him violently displaced. Pain exploded in his chest. A massive, reinforced blow connected with the center of his chest before his brain could even process that the match had started.
The kinetic force was absurd. Lee was launched off his feet, flying backwards like a ragdoll. He skipped off the stone floor, soaring tens of meters across the arena until he slammed brutally into the far wall of the tower.
*BOOM*
Spiderwebs of cracked stone spidered out from where Lee's body had impacted.
Naruto stood in the exact spot Lee had occupied a millisecond ago, his Kick still extended. His blue eyes were narrowed into slits, practically glowing with unfiltered anger. His voice echoed through the stunned silence of the central tower, completely devoid of his usual warmth but in pure rage .
"Wearing Weights while fighting me and saying let's do our best.....HOW ARROGANT....ROCK LEE...!!!"
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Author's Notes :
Well , I apologise for the delays
And I thank all of you readers who still haven't dropped the novel.
Well I don't know if you are interested , but I will still give my explanation .
hmm , Before Taking any medication , make sure to check it's expiration Date .
That's all .
i know Lee's Optimism and also his nature , And we all know that Lee was not disrespecting Naruto , but regardless , Lee still stood in front of naruto in weights , totally forgetting the seriousness of situation and match .
which he himself declared on the first day of the exams .
So
Next chapter will be full fight of Lee Vs Naruto .
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