"This... this is insane!"
"He's going to kill himself..." Kankuro whispered, sweat beading on his forehead.
Naruto, however, was trembling—not with fear, but with pure, unadulterated excitement.
"GO, LEE!"
In the arena, Rock Lee completed his final preparation. Under the screaming pressure of the Eight Gates, he vanished from sight entirely.
Kakashi snapped his forehead protector up, revealing his Sharingan to track the blur of movement.
"That is..."
Even Neji, with his Byakugan fully active, found himself overwhelmed. He could see Lee's chakra network flaring like a dying star, but his physical body couldn't react fast enough.
*I can't dodge.*
*There is only one option left...*
No matter how fast Lee moved, he eventually had to commit to a physical strike. And when he did...
Neji knew that maintaining the Fifth Gate was tearing Lee's body apart from the inside. He couldn't sustain this for long.[4][5]
*The outcome hinges on this single moment.*
"Gentle Fist Secret Technique..."
"Rotation!"
At that exact instant, Rock Lee transformed into a streak of crimson light, descending from the heavens like a meteor. He channeled every ounce of the Fifth Gate's power into his right fist, aiming directly for the spinning dome of Neji's absolute defense.
*Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit!*
*Hidden Lotus!*
Lee's roar echoed through the stadium, raw and primal.
"REVERSE LOTUS!!!"[5]
*BOOM!*
*CRACK!*
The collision was cataclysmic.
The unstoppable force of the Eight Gates met the immovable object of the Hyuga's ultimate defense.
For a split second, time seemed to freeze. Then, the ground exploded.
Like a volcanic eruption, the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the earth, shattering the stone floor into dust. The sheer kinetic energy overwhelmed the rotation, cracking the dome from above.
*Snap.*
A sickening crunch echoed through the silence.
Rock Lee slammed into the earth, burying both himself and Neji under a massive cloud of debris.
Then... silence.
The entire stadium held its breath, eyes glued to the settling dust.
*Who won?*
Slowly, the haze cleared.
Neji Hyuga lay flat on his back in a crater, staring up at the sky with empty, shocked eyes.
"Impossible..."
"I... lost?"
Standing over him was Rock Lee.
His right arm and leg were twisted at unnatural angles, bones shattered by the recoil of his own technique. He was unconscious, his eyes rolled back in his head.[4]
Yet, he was standing.
Supported only by his unbreakable willpower, Lee refused to fall.
Genma Shiranui flickered into the crater, checking both boys. He glanced at the unconscious but standing Lee, then at the immobilized Neji.
"The winner is..."
"Rock Lee!"
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then, the stadium erupted.
Thunderous applause shook the foundations of the arena.
Guy fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face in a waterfall.
"Lee... you magnificent boy..."
Tenten covered her mouth, stunned. "Neji... actually lost."
Naruto leaped into the air, punching the sky.
"YEAH!"
"Lee! You did it!"
"THAT is the power of YOUTH!!!"
* * *
"I... I won..."
Lee's vision was swimming, darkness encroaching on the edges. He couldn't feel his broken limbs anymore.
But in his heart, a profound peace settled.
*I proved it.*
Neji had managed to deflect the brunt of the impact with his Rotation, saving his life. If Lee had struck him directly with the full force of the Fifth Gate, Neji wouldn't be paralyzed; he would be dead.
Lee had aimed for the ground at the last second, breaking the Rotation but sparing his teammate.
"How... how could I lose to a failure..." Neji whispered, his voice trembling.
"Lee..."
Lee wheezed, blood trickling from his lip.
"Are you... frustrated, Neji?"
Neji didn't answer.
*Am I frustrated?*
*Am I unwilling to accept this?*
Strangely... the anger didn't come.
Because deep down, Neji understood. No one knew better than him how hard Lee worked.
But "hard work" was too small a word.
Lee lived as if every day was his last. He burned his life force like fuel.
Neji, the genius who prided himself on destiny, realized in that moment that he had been surpassed. Not by talent, but by a boy who refused to accept his "place."
*Destiny... can it really be changed?*
Suddenly, Guy was there. He scooped up both of his students, ignoring the blood and dirt, and pulled them into a crushing hug.
"Lee! Neji! You were both splendid!"
"This is the springtime of youth!"
"Team Guy has shown the world its power!"
Guy sobbed openly, holding his precious students close.
"Guy-sensei..." Lee mumbled through his tears. "I... I did it..."
Neji closed his eyes, finally letting go of his bitterness.
"Perhaps..." he whispered to no one.
...
Although Rock Lee was declared the winner, the victory came at a terrible price.
The damage from the Fifth Gate and the Reverse Lotus left him with shattered bones and severe muscle tears. He was in no condition to continue in the tournament.[4]
Guy gently lifted both boys onto stretchers for the medics.
Even though Lee couldn't fight the next round... it didn't matter.
As Guy watched them being carried away, he wiped his tears and smiled—a brilliant, blinding smile.
He flashed a thumbs-up to their retreating figures.
"You did it, Lee. You too, Neji."
"Let youth roar!"
The match had moved everyone in the stadium.
Naruto wiped his nose, torn between joy for Lee and worry for his injuries.
Hinata glanced at her father.
Hiashi Hyuga sighed deeply and stood up from his seat.
"Father?" Hanabi asked. "Where are you going?"
"I have something I need to say to Neji."
Hanabi nodded, sensing the gravity in his voice. "Okay."
The exams continued.
"The next match will be between..."
"Shikamaru Nara!"
"Versus..."
"Temari!"
This battle unfolded almost exactly as everyone expected—a brilliant display of tactical genius versus raw power.
Shikamaru, lazy as ever, was practically shoved into the arena by Naruto.
He proceeded to outmaneuver Temari at every turn, trapping her with his Shadow Possession Jutsu after a lengthy game of cat-and-mouse.
He had her completely at his mercy.
And then...
"I forfeit."
The crowd groaned in collective disbelief.
"Whatever," Shikamaru muttered, scratching his head as he walked away. "I'm out of chakra anyway. Too troublesome."
Shikamaru didn't care about the boos. He didn't know it yet, but while he lost the match, he had won the respect of every Jonin in the stands.
...
Finally, it was time for the main event.
"The final match of the first round..."
"Naruto Uzumaki!"