The medical team carried away Lee, his body was overexerted and his muscles were torn in multiple places due to forcibly opening the Sixth Gate.
Might Guy stood at the edge of the stands, watching the stretcher move and his disciple leave the arena, his face covered in tears.
The stretcher passed through the tunnel entrance and disappeared; only then did Might Guy take a breath, raising his hand to wipe his face with his wrist.
Kakashi Hatake walked over to his side.
"You're being too reckless, Guy... The Sixth Gate, he's only thirteen, too young. His body simply cannot withstand the burden of the Sixth Gate, let alone forcing the 'Morning Peacock'. This will leave him with lingering injuries that are difficult to recover from, and might even end his career as a ninja."
Might Guy didn't look at Kakashi Hatake, his eyes fixed on the arena below.
"Kakashi... you don't understand Lee!"
"I don't understand Lee... but I do understand medical common sense!"
"That wasn't being reckless," Might Guy retorted. "That is the path he chose, the way he carries out his ninja way. He knows the consequences of doing this better than anyone, yet he still chose to burn. As his teacher, all I can do... is believe in him from behind, support him, and at the most critical moment, tell him—'Go for it'!"
"Because... if one day... I also need to burn everything for the village and carry out my own ninja way, I would make the same choice. I too would burn my youth and carry out my ninja way!!!"
Kakashi Hatake fell silent. He pulled down his forehead protector, covering his left eye.
Clearly, Kakashi Hatake did not think Might Guy was boasting... When the day truly comes that Might Guy needs to protect someone important at the cost of his life—he would burn his life for it!
Just like his father—Might Duy!
"However, Lee's battle is over, but... as my lifelong rival." Might Guy turned his head, the tear stains on his face already dry, replaced by a sharp expression as he looked at Kakashi Hatake. "The match between you and me... isn't over yet!!"
'Here we go again...'
Kakashi Hatake complained inwardly, turning his head to look at Might Guy with his one visible, dead-fish eye.
The corner of Might Guy's mouth twitched slightly; it wasn't a smile, but more like he had reached a certain resolution.
"In order to truly surpass you, I have... prepared a special move just for you!"
"This move..." Might Guy continued, "is something I'd stake my life on, burning everything, something I might only use once. Just to... prove my ninja way."
After speaking, Might Guy puffed out his chest and grinned, revealing white teeth, his eyes burning like fire as he stared directly at Kakashi Hatake.
It was a look that put his life on the table—scorching and piercing.
And Kakashi Hatake... though he initially didn't take it seriously, the hairs on the back of his neck involuntarily stood up, as if he sensed something ominous!
'Prepared especially for me...'
Feeling a chill rise in his heart, Kakashi Hatake's Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't make a sound, but he couldn't help but imagine such a scene... He knew Might Guy; Might Guy never made this kind of joke.
When he said he "prepared" it, it meant he had truly twisted his life into a rope, holding one end in his hand while the other end was tied to a name—Kakashi Hatake.
"Ah, now isn't the time to talk about this... Guy." Kakashi Hatake chose to divert the topic that made him feel inexplicably creeped out. "Lee's battle... is already over."
"Next..."
Hearing this, Might Guy looked toward the various preset defensive positions in the village. Those eyes that were burning with hot blood were now surging with endless fury as he added:
"Yeah... it's our turn!"
Knowing what the Sand and Sound ninja were planning with the so-called "Konoha Crush," Might Guy was very angry!
Following Might Guy's gaze, Kakashi Hatake also looked down at the arena.
In the arena, the battle between Nara Shikamaru and Temari had already reached a fever pitch, with various ninja tactics being used, showcasing the true way of a ninja's combat!
"Mm."
Kakashi Hatake responded in a low voice, his tone devoid of emotion.
His gaze fell upon the red-haired youth in the competitor waiting area.
Gaara leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, head hanging low. The hair on his forehead obscured his eyes, and the sand gourd at his side silently floated with fine sand.
'The Sunagakure Jinchuriki...' Kakashi Hatake thought to himself, '...is about to take the stage.'
In the next match, Uchiha Sasuke would face Gaara. As long as Sasuke pushed him hard enough to drain the Shukaku jinchuriki's chakra and stamina…
....
Meanwhile, from a high rooftop outside the arena in Konoha, Tejima Shinichi stood watching....the afternoon wind ruffling the black hair on his forehead.
Looking out from here, most of Konoha was visible—the competition arena under the sunlight was bustling with noise like a restless heart, while the extending streets, training grounds, and watchtowers spread out clearly like veins and bones under the daylight.
His gaze swept over several key defensive points.
Anbu members lurked in the shadows of buildings, Jonin squads occupied various main roads, and the Barrier Team's sealing formulas were already prepared.
Everything was in place, just waiting for the signal.
"Yo."
"The defenses are quite tight, aren't they?!"
A voice came from behind him, tinged with a smile. "The old man really went all out this time."
Shinichi did not turn around.
Footsteps approached, and the newcomer came to a stop beside him.
Long white hair, a red overcoat, and a forehead protector with the character for 'Oil' on it.
Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed, also overlooking the village below, with a smile on his face that was somewhat complex.
Then, he turned his head slightly to study the black-haired youth beside him, who was a head shorter than him.
"First time meeting you," Jiraiya grinned, his tone casual, "my 'legendary junior'!"
Tejima Shinichi turned his face, his amber eyes showing no ripples under the sunlight.
"First time meeting you, senior Jiraiya."
"Hahaha, that sounds quite natural."
Jiraiya laughed, continuing to speak to himself while his gaze never left Tejima Shinichi's face. "I've heard the old man nag about you countless times already."
"'The future of Konoha', 'the pillar of the next generation'... This past month, among the village's high-ranking officials... the rumors about you have been incredibly numerous. Even an idle wanderer like me couldn't help but be curious..."
"Curious about what kind of person you are to make the old man feel... that you can lead Konoha to greatness once again!"
With that, Jiraiya's gaze became a bit sharper; it was a scrutiny belonging to the 'Sannin'.
"I've seen many geniuses, including the Fourth Hokage. But you are different from all of them... twelve years old, Wood Release, suppressing Shukaku, and now being pushed into this position... it's too urgent, too fast....so fast it's unsettling."
Tejima Shinichi was unfazed; his age didn't stop him from replacing Tsunade and taking the status and power she once held—strength was what mattered.
Besides... it wasn't as if he truly only had twelve years of experience!
"Fast or slow, it's not for me to choose," he said. "The enemy won't wait for me to grow up."
The enemies he spoke of weren't just the current Orochimaru and the betrayal of Sunagakure... After all, who could have imagined?!
The seemingly stable ninja world would, in just three years, face a war that would overturn the entire ninja world.
Time... was never enough.
Jiraiya fell silent for a few seconds.
"Is that so? About Orochimaru..." His voice lowered. "I'm sorry. It's the mess our generation left behind, and now a junior like you has to face it."
"Someone always has to clean up a mess," Tejima Shinichi said as if it were a matter of course. "Who left it isn't important... what's important is who can clean it up now."
"Since this is the defect left behind by the teacher's soft-heartedness back then..."
"Then let me, his final disciple, settle it. Clean up what needs to be cleaned, and then..."
Tejima Shinichi turned around, his indifferent gaze meeting Jiraiya's apologetic eyes directly.
"—Take his place and become the Hokage!"
Jiraiya's mouth hung slightly open as he stared at Tejima Shinichi's profile, and then he suddenly burst into laughter—real laughter this time.
He really hadn't expected his junior to have such resolve!
Yes, resolve.
It wasn't the empty, hot-blooded slogans of a youth, nor was it the blind sacrifice bred by the "Will of Fire." Tejima Shinichi's words were filled with clarity.
Clean up the defects, take the position.
The goal was clear, the path direct, and it even carried... an unabashed ambition.
Yet this ambition strangely made Jiraiya feel at ease!
Because... just like now, Tejima Shinichi was truly doing everything he said!
'No wonder... the old man has such high expectations for Shinichi, no wonder even the Great Toad Sage...'
Jiraiya's heart was shaken. He suddenly recalled that afternoon a month ago, while he was gathering material, when he was suddenly brought back to Mount Myōboku by the Reverse Summoning Technique...
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