A wild idea erupted within him!
His gaze swept past Tejima Shinichi and locked onto the figure he revered most in the stands—Might Guy!
"Guy-sensei—!!"
Rock Lee roared with every ounce of strength he had.
"Please—forgive me!!!"
The instant Lee's eyes found him, Might Guy already knew what his pupil was about to do.
Guy's body tensed; the burning grin vanished, replaced by grim weight.
Opening the Sixth Gate—Gate of View—to unleash that move… After a month of special training, it was still barely within reach!
But when he saw the reckless flame in Lee's eyes, the resolve to stake everything on his own ninja way, he knew that as a teacher, he ought to stop him.
Yet as one who entrusts his own youth and convictions to his student, he knew that sometimes stopping was crueler than supporting.
The silence lasted only two or three seconds.
In those seconds, countless images flashed through Guy's mind—
Lee training day and night, falling and rising again with stubborn defiance, the light in his eyes when he shouted, "Even without ninjutsu or genjutsu I'll become a great ninja!" At last, Guy drew a deep breath, chest swelling, and bellowed toward the arena:
"Go—Lee—!!!"
"Let your youth bloom—!!!"
"Your sensei—gives permission—!!!"
Almost simultaneously, Kakashi's sharp shout rang out beside him.
"Guy!! This is insane!!!"
His left Sharingan was already open, fixed on Guy in disbelief. "Lee's still too young; his body can't handle the Sixth Gate's burden, let alone 'that move'! You'll destroy him!!"
Guy didn't look back. Keeping his eyes on the green figure below, his voice was steady:
"Kakashi… this is the path Lee chose. As his sensei, all I can do… is believe in him and light the way forward!"
Kakashi had no reply. Beside him, Yamato, Ino, and the others stared in bewilderment!
In the ring, the last trace of hesitation vanished from Lee's eyes!
"All right, Guy-sensei, I'll prove myself… aaaaargh—!!!"
An even wilder power erupted from his body, then— "Sixth Gate of View—OPEN—!!!"
The roar echoed across the arena.
The green aura around Lee flared fiercer than ever!
Boom!
"W-what is this strength?!"
"Terrifying… the very air is shaking!"
In the VIP seats, seasoned nobles and ninja paled.
This berserk power, traded for by burning life itself, opened many eyes.
In the contestants' rest area, apart from the already-knowing Neji and Tenten, every genin was aghast.
"This chakra…"
Sasuke's Sharingan whirled, trying to analyze, but the force was too savage, too primal; it sent a chill through him.
"Lee…" Tenten's hands clenched, her eyes full of worry.
Gaara's pupils contracted slightly; sand flowed silently at his side, sensing the threat.
Temari and Kankuro were speechless… What kind of monsters were these genin from Konoha this year!!!
In the ring, Tejima Shinichi watched Lee, who was wrapped in blue steam with an ever-rising aura, interest finally kindling in his eyes.
"Sixth Gate of View… Now we're getting somewhere," he murmured.
"Shinichi—!!!"
"Take—this—!!!"
Before the shout faded, Lee vanished from where he stood!
No faint after-image this time; to most eyes he simply disappeared!
Only a handful of top fighters caught the berserk blur instantly appearing above Tejima Shinichi!
Spinning at high speed in mid-air, Lee punched downward at a frequency the eye couldn't track!
"Morning Peacock—!!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud...
Not the sound of fists, but air being pierced, compressed, and detonated again and again by sheer speed and force!
In an instant, countless red air-blasts centered on Tejima Shinichi rained down!
Enveloping him completely!
The air screamed, the ground trembled, and blinding red light accompanied by an endless string of explosions swallowed the center of the arena!
"W-what kind of attack is this?!"
"You can't even see the fists... only light!"
Gasps of shock erupted from the stands; everyone was so stunned that shivers ran down their spines.
"Lee..." Might Guy clenched his fists, veins bulging on his hands. The pride in his eyes mixed with a heartache and worry he could no longer hide.
"...Sixth Gate: Morning Peacock!!"
Tejima Shinichi's lips curled in a smile; then his hands snapped together in front of his chest.
"Wood Release—"
The next instant—
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
The earth beneath him surged upward as countless thick, dark-brown trunks burst from the soil, madly sprouting, interweaving, and coiling around him.
In a blink, a wooden rampart had firmly encased Tejima Shinichi at its center.
"Wood Locking Wall—!!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Consecutive air-cannon blasts slammed into the Wood Locking Wall, releasing deafening roars. White light flashed, and splinters flew.
The wooden wall shook violently under the impact, its surface constantly cracking and shattering, yet just as quickly regenerating and mending.
The Morning Peacock's barrage lasted a full five or six seconds before finally subsiding.
As the smoke slowly drifted away, the onlookers stared in horror—
The hemispherical Wood Locking Wall, pocked all over, still stood firm, protecting Tejima Shinichi behind it.
Not far away, Rock Lee knelt on one knee.
Almost all his chakra spent, he panted heavily, drops of sweat hitting the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
As the Gate of View faded, searing pain flooded through him.
He stared at the unbroken wooden wall, his gaze turning vacant.
"Even... Morning Peacock... can't...?"
Tejima Shinichi stepped out of the Wood Locking Wall without a scratch, glanced at the exhausted Lee, and felt thoroughly satisfied.
'Not bad—another one with the makings of a Kage...'
Looking at Lee, he seemed to glimpse another future brimming with possibility.
'Counting myself, Tsunade, Jiraiya, plus Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Guy... we already have enough powerhouses to support an era—and now one more seed like you!'
'When I succeed as the Sixth Hokage—making Konoha great again won't be mere rhetoric!!'
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Tejima Shinichi turned his gaze to Lee.
"A brilliant strike, Lee. In honor of your will and effort..."
He raised his right hand, aiming at Lee.
"Let's end this."
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh—!
Several thick yet supple trunks extended from Shinichi's arm, whipping toward Lee at high speed.
Lee tried to dodge, but his overdrawn body was too sluggish; he could only watch the trunks coil around his limbs and waist before tightening abruptly.
"Ngh!"
Bound fast, Lee could no longer move.
Suppressing his own shock, Gekkō Hayate stepped forward quickly, checked Lee's condition, and, confirming he could no longer fight, raised an arm and shouted.
"The match is decided! Winner—Tejima Shinichi!"
Cheers, gasps, and chatter erupted like a tidal wave across the stands.
Tejima Shinichi lowered his arm; the trunks binding Lee loosened. He walked up to the spent boy now kneeling on the ground and extended a hand.
"Can you stand?"
Lee lifted his head, looked at the offered hand, then at Shinichi's face, and pulled a faint, strained smile before raising his trembling hand to grasp it.
"Th-thank you, Shinichi."
With a slight tug, Tejima Shinichi pulled him upright.
"You're strong, Lee. Keep pushing forward."
"I... acknowledge your youth!!!"
Lee's body shook; he snapped his head up. Words caught in his throat, then every emotion surged—
"Sensei... I did it—!!!"
He yelled with all his hoarse strength toward Might Guy.
In the stands, tears streamed from Guy's eyes as he punched the air.
"Lee—!! This is YOUTH—!!!"
The second match came to a close!
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