Chapter 82

Chapter 82 - 82 [Power Stone Event Will Start On Sunday!!] [+100PS = +1 Chapter!] [+10 Reviews = +1 Chapter!] [Start On Sunday Reset!] After lunch, the two squads leisurely made their way toward a designated training field—perfect for a post-meal walk to aid digestion. By the time they arrived, digestion was mostly done, so there would be no issue sparring. Just as everyone gathered in position, Lee stepped forward and raised his bandaged hand: "Then, allow me to go first. Who among you will face me?" Rinya immediately stepped out: "I'll take you on." Seeing this, the others backed off, giving them space. Guy assumed the role of referee and, once the two formed the Seal of Confrontation, shouted, "Begin!" Lee shot forward instantly—his speed was astonishing. "Konoha Senpū!" (Leaf Whirlwind!) Swish! A spinning kick swept in, trailing the wind. "Nice one!" Rinya's eyes lit up with excitement. He raised his arm to block the spinning kick and immediately felt its heavy impact—his arms went slightly numb. That gave him a rough gauge of Lee's strength. When Lee came in again with another spinning kick, Rinya didn't block it this time. Instead, he stomped the ground and used Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) to flash behind Lee, aiming a punch at the back of his jaw. But Lee was incredibly sharp—he tilted his head slightly, dodging the strike, and countered with a backhand. His combo of punches and palms quickly overwhelmed Rinya, pushing him into retreat. Megumi watched anxiously. She wanted to shout encouragement but was afraid to distract him. Tenten noticed and patted her on the head with a smile: "Don't worry. Lee might be reckless, but he's always measured in friendly matches. He won't hurt your boyfriend." Megumi blushed and replied stiffly, "H-he's not my boyfriend... yet..." Not yet, huh? Just missing the final push. Tenten chuckled silently. On the other side, Aoba frowned deeply. "That kid Rinya's taijutsu is still far too weak. What's he been training all this time?" Clearly, Aoba had high expectations for his clan's younger member. He had always been strict and had personally passed on all he knew. Seeing Rinya lose in taijutsu irritated him. Natsuki spoke up to ease the mood: "Aoba-sensei, don't be upset. It's not that Rinya's taijutsu is bad—it's just that Lee's is strong. After all, Guy-sensei is Konoha's top taijutsu master. It's only natural that his student is good." Of course Aoba understood that... but his own taijutsu wasn't weak either. If his student lost this badly in a match of fists, it felt like a slap to his face. Truthfully, Aoba was expecting too much. While his own skills were excellent, Rinya had only recently begun training under him. Even geniuses needed time to grow. Lee, on the other hand, had been studying under Guy for over a year—he had been grinding hard the entire time. If Lee lost in taijutsu, that would be the real embarrassment. Back in the fight, realizing he was outmatched, Rinya decisively activated his Four Demons Technique, using four arms to maneuver more effectively. "Shiyō no Jutsu, huh? Natsuki and Tenten have used that before—I know it well!" Lee wasn't fazed. He simply increased his offensive tempo, and soon shattered the two extra arms behind Rinya's back. Rinya forced himself to remain calm and unleashed Scatter of a Thousand Crows, using the flock to harass Lee while he attempted to catch him off guard with Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique). It actually did put Lee on the back foot for a bit. However, Lee eventually burst through the cloud of crows and brought Rinya down for good. "Rock Lee wins!" Guy announced the outcome, and the match was over. Rinya pulled a bitter face as he formed the Seal of Reconciliation. He couldn't even look at Megumi. In his mind, he had totally embarrassed himself in front of the girl he liked. Lee, however, extended his hand with a sincere smile: "You're Rinya, right? You're strong! I look forward to our next match!" Rinya was stunned, and his guilt only grew deeper. Lee's strength and mindset both surpassed his own. No wonder he lost. Taking a deep breath, he shook Lee's hand. "You're the strong one, Lee. But I'll train harder—next time, I won't lose again!" "Ah! That's the spirit of youth!" Guy suddenly let out a loud sob, tears streaming down his cheeks like noodles—an utterly bizarre sight. Unexpectedly, Lee began crying too: "Oh! I'm so moved! Guy-sensei, this is youth!" "Lee!!" "Guy-sensei!!" The two green jumpsuit-clad weirdos hugged dramatically. Behind them, waves crashed against the shore in a stunning freeze-frame image—an epic backdrop that left the others cringing with secondhand embarrassment. Tenten's mouth twitched. She forced a smile: "Ah... don't mind them. You'll get used to it." Rinya and Megumi immediately gave her a look of sympathy. Poor Tenten-neesan had it rough indeed. At that moment, Rinya walked over to Megumi and hung his head: "Megumi... sorry, I lost." Megumi replied gently, "Yeah, I saw. But it's okay. You'll win next time. Let me see if you're hurt—I'll heal you." Rinya scratched his head sheepishly with a goofy grin. The two of them began flirting right in front of everyone. Seeing this, Aoba decided not to scold his cousin right now. He also recognized that the boy hadn't trained for long—he'd just need to double down on his efforts going forward. Soon, the second match began—Megumi versus Tenten. And the outcome? Unsurprising. Megumi lost quickly and decisively. That said, Megumi's strength among Genin was respectable, especially now that she was beginning to learn Medical Ninjutsu. Calling her an excellent Genin wouldn't be an overstatement. Unfortunately, her opponent was Tenten. Tenten's strength was enough to spar evenly with Neji without using her trump cards. Megumi's Suiton (Water Release) ninjutsu—taught to her by Natsuki—was completely familiar to Tenten. It was only natural that she lost. Still, Megumi didn't take it too hard. At that moment, Neji stepped forward. "Natsuki... it's been almost a year. I'm glad we can fight again." Natsuki also stepped up. "Looks like you've been training hard, Neji. But I haven't been standing still either. I won't be holding back this time!" "Then let's go all out! I want to see how far I can go against you!" Neji activated his Byakugan as Guy shouted "Begin!"—and he surprisingly made the first move. Natsuki didn't hold back either. He quickly formed hand seals and pressed his palm to the ground. "Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!) Neji skidded to a halt just in time. A wall of earth rose sharply in front of him. Had he not stopped, he would've been launched into the air—completely exposed and defenseless like a sitting duck. Clearly, Neji had great control of timing. But dodging the front wall wasn't the end of it. Walls also rose to his left, right, and even above—trapping him in an earth cube, like a tiny matchbox made of stone. He was completely sealed inside. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]