"Awesome!"
Seeing that his opponent was Izayoi, Rock Lee couldn't help but clench his fists and shout, his expression brimming with excitement.
He had wanted to challenge Izayoi for a while, but was stopped by Uchiha Sasuke.
Having witnessed Sasuke's strength and his attitude towards Izayoi, Lee's resolve to challenge Izayoi only grew stronger.
Now, he finally had his wish fulfilled.
"Lee, go and let your youth shine!" Might Guy patted Rock Lee on the shoulder, grinning widely.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
Rock Lee stood at attention in response, then flashed a bright smile, his teeth gleaming.
Feeling the unusual gazes from around him, Tenten couldn't help but cover her face; it was so embarrassing.
Hyuga Neji, however, remained expressionless and said flatly, "Lee, your opponent is not simple. His chakra is quite impressive, and he is also Hinata-ojousama's companion, so be careful."
"I understand."
Rock Lee nodded seriously, then stepped onto the railing and leaped down, flipping gracefully to the ground.
Seeing that he was matched up against Rock Lee, Izayoi was slightly surprised.
In the subsequent rounds, just like in the original story, Izayoi thought Lee would face Gaara, while he might end up matched against Akado Yoroi or Aburame Shino, or perhaps be the lucky one to have a bye.
He never expected to face Rock Lee.
Thinking about the Eight Gates Formation, Izayoi felt a surge of interest.
Just as he was about to leap down, he suddenly heard Hinata's voice beside him.
"Izayoi-kun, give me the camera."
"Okay."
Taking the camera that Izayoi handed over, Hinata clenched her small fist and said, "Ganbatte!"
"Watch my performance!"
Izayoi smiled confidently, then as if remembering something, he suddenly pulled back the foot he had on the railing and leaned closer to Hinata's ear, whispering, "If I win, remember to give me a reward when we get back."
After saying that, Izayoi vanished in a flash, appearing in the center of the hall.
Looking at the playful smile on Yuhi Kurenai's face, Hinata's cheeks flushed red. She raised the camera to cover her face while searching for the best angle.
"Izayoi, please take care of me!"
In the hall, Rock Lee assumed his starting stance, his expression serious and his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Before we start, you should take off your weights," Izayoi reminded him. "Although this is just a battle between ninjas from the same village, I won't hold back against my opponent. If you continue to be arrogant, don't show any regret when you get defeated."
"Wow, impressive! You noticed right away," Rock Lee said, surprised as his fighting spirit intensified.
However, thinking of his promise to Guy-sensei, he hesitated.
"Lee, take them off!"
At that moment, Might Guy's voice reached his ears.
Guy gave Rock Lee a thumbs up and said, "This is an opponent worth going all out against. I allow you to take them off."
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude, and he excitedly sat down to remove the weights from his legs.
"Nani? That guy with the thick eyebrows is still wearing weights!"
On Team 7's side, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura were left dumbfounded.
Uchiha Sasuke scoffed, "They're just a few pieces of iron."
But the next second, his pupils constricted.
Boom――
Two overlapping loud bangs erupted.
In one corner of the hall, a thick cloud of dust was kicked up.
When the dust settled, the ground where the weights had been was actually dented, surrounded by numerous cracks. All the examinees were left speechless at this sight.
"This guy..."
Uchiha Sasuke gripped the railing tightly, feeling a tremendous shock within.
Wearing such heavy weights, this guy's speed was so fast that he needed to use Lightning Release Chakra Stimulation Cells just to keep up.
What level of speed does he truly possess? Even many Jonin were taken aback.
"Guy is really going too far this time!"
Kakashi Hatake and Asuma Sarutobi exchanged glances, their eyes twitching slightly in disbelief.
Yuhi Kurenai, who was unaware of Izayoi's true strength, wore a serious expression and said, "Izayoi has finally met a worthy opponent."
Aburame Shino took his hands out of his pockets, gripping the railing, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, focused intently on the unchanging Izayoi, filled with anticipation.
Finally, he would witness the true strength of this top student he had been classmates with for six years.
"Could this kid have mastered that technique?"
Watching Rock Lee, who had removed his weights and was now bouncing in place, Orochimaru, who had not left the arena, was also intrigued by this battle.
"It's been a long time since I've felt this light."
After warming up, Rock Lee once again assumed his starting stance and said, "Izayoi, this is my strongest state. Let's settle this!"
Izayoi smiled and raised his index and middle fingers, "Bring it on, please take care of me."
"Please take care of me!"
Rock Lee's starting stance transformed into the Seal of Confrontation.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi on the stands couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
As if sensing the atmosphere between the two, Hayate Gekko's expression grew serious. Holding a clipboard in one hand and raising the other high, he shouted, "Round Ten, Izayoi vs. Rock Lee... officially begins!"
With a heavy swing of his arm, Hayate flickered to the second-floor stands, clearing the entire hall for Izayoi and Rock Lee, afraid of hindering their performance.
Hayate's speed was quick, but Rock Lee's speed was even faster.
Before Hayate had even reached the second-floor stands, Rock Lee's figure had vanished, appearing out of thin air at Izayoi's left side, launching a low kick.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
So fast was his attack that all the examinees, including Gaara, and even some Special Jonin, failed to react.
But Izayoi was the true speedster.
Almost the moment Rock Lee appeared on his left, Izayoi turned his head and gently blew at the incoming kick.
Whoosh…
A fierce wind howled, the distorted airflow not only blocked Rock Lee's kick but also sent his body flying away.
It was the Wind Release: Great Breakthrough that Uzumaki Naruto had used earlier!
"One-handed hand seals? What incredible speed in casting!"
Some of the more experienced Jonin's expressions shifted slightly.
To the eyes of the examinees and Jonin, Izayoi stood still, his hands hidden in his wide sleeves, then he predicted Rock Lee's position in advance, turned his head, and released a gust of air that expanded into an invisible hand, grabbing Rock Lee and throwing him towards the wall.
At that moment, Hayate had just appeared on the second-floor stands.
From the time the examiner left the stage, to Rock Lee's attack, to Rock Lee being blown away, the entire process took less than three seconds.
Yet in that brief span of time, most of the examinees saw the gap between themselves, Rock Lee, and Izayoi.
Uchiha Sasuke snapped back to reality and immediately activated his Sharingan.
Even Kakashi Hatake pulled up his forehead protector, revealing his left eye's Three-Tomoe Sharingan, fixated on Izayoi and Rock Lee below.
He had a premonition that these two boys would present everyone with an extraordinary battle!
(End of Chapter)