Outside the tavern, the alleyway was packed. Shinobi leaned against the walls or each other, still nursing drinks as their excitement reached a fever pitch.
"Don't you dare lose, Tatsuhiko! My money's on you, brat!"
"Go for it, Lee! Show him that Taijutsu can beat anyone, even without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu!"
Might Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, and Hayama Shirakumo took their places as referees. As their respective mentors, Guy and Hayama were visibly tense, both worried that the situation might spiral out of control.
The two boys stood at opposite ends of the alley. Lee took his stance, his mind as calm as a mirror of still water.
Five meters away, Tatsuhiko glanced at Lee's posture and sneered. "Hey, Loser! I heard you're a Taijutsu 'specialist.' Fine then—I'll beat you at your own game!"
Hayama's face turned a shade of ashen grey. He was simultaneously exasperated by Tatsuhiko's arrogance and fuming at his stupidity.
A ninja was not a samurai; they didn't need to adhere to archaic codes of "fair play" in combat. A shinobi's job was to use every tool at their disposal to crush an opponent. For Tatsuhiko to challenge a dedicated Taijutsu specialist using only physical combat wasn't just ignorant—it was suicidal.
I am going to have an aneurysm because of this kid, Hayama thought, rubbing his temples.
Lee watched Tatsuhiko silently, his focus absolute. It was in his nature to commit 100% to whatever he did. He never underestimated an enemy, nor did he look down on an opponent, regardless of their age or perceived skill.
The Devil Fruit abilities in the pirate world were bizarre and unpredictable; a defeated enemy could deal a lethal blow in the blink of an eye if you let your guard down. Constant vigilance was the lesson a Marine senior had once drilled into him. He had engraved those words onto his soul, and even in a different world, they remained his golden rule.
"Start! Come on, start already! Tatsuhiko, I put fifty thousand Ryo on you! Don't you mess this up!"
"Yeah, get on with it! I need that winnings money for more sake!"
The rowdy shouts of the crowd echoed through the alley. Asuma stepped between the two combatants and took a deep breath.
"Listen up. You are both shinobi of the Leaf. Lethal force is strictly forbidden. Regardless of the outcome, you will shake hands and end this grudge. Now... Begin!"
Tatsuhiko didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, closing the distance instantly with a "Rising Sun Strike." The punch was sharp and aimed straight for the face.
Lee's brow furrowed slightly. In his eyes, the move was riddled with openings. With a simple tilt of his neck to the left, he let the wind of the punch whistle past his ear.
"Gotcha!" Tatsuhiko grinned, his eyes gleaming. He followed up instantly with a left hook—the first punch had been a mere feint to bait Lee into a trap.
Lee offered a thin smile. He had seen the intent before the muscles even moved. His hand moved like he was Strumming the Lute, catching the hook and parrying it aside. In the same motion, he pivoted, his palm crossing through the air to slam the back of his hand heavily against the top of Tatsuhiko's head.
THUD!
Tatsuhiko's vision blurred; for a second, he couldn't tell left from right. However, his instincts were decent; he reflexively leapt backward to put distance between himself and Lee.
Once his head cleared, his face twisted with rage. "You lucky Loser! I was just being careless. Now, I'm going to crush you!"
He'd learned his lesson. This time, he wove his fingers into hand seals, summoning a clone. It wasn't a Shadow Clone, but a basic Clone Technique—an afterimage designed to distract the eyes. He and the clone began to sprint, crisscrossing each other in a dizzying pattern to confuse Lee's judgment.
As they reached Lee, the clone circled behind him to attack.
Lee ignored it completely. His eyes remained locked onto Tatsuhiko's real body. Tatsuhiko dropped low, bracing his hands on the ground to unleash a wide sweep, intending to take Lee's legs out from under him.
Tatsuhiko expected the clone to provide the necessary opening, but Lee didn't even twitch at the distraction. Instead, he simply bent his knees and leapt, soaring gracefully over the sweeping leg.
Tatsuhiko's heart hammered against his ribs. As his sweep hit nothing but air, he twisted his torso to throw a desperate, wide haymaker.
"Too slow."
Lee was faster. The moment he hit the ground, he spun his body like a top. A "Whirlwind Kick" caught Tatsuhiko square in the jaw.
Tatsuhiko's world spun. He flipped twice in the air before slamming hard into the stone pavement. The illusionary clone vanished instantly.
Lee landed softly. He shifted his left foot forward, legs apart, settling into a Yin-Yang Stance. His breathing remained perfectly rhythmic, his expression as poised as a Grandmaster of the martial arts.
The crowd went dead silent. The shinobi watching were all seasoned warriors; their eyes could see what civilians could not.
The exchange had been brief, but from the moment the fight started until the moment Tatsuhiko hit the dirt, Lee had been in total control. It didn't look like a duel between equals; it looked like a master giving a painful lesson to a clumsy student.
"Sensei... Lee's fighting style is completely different now," Tenten said after a long silence, her voice wavering with uncertainty.
Might Guy's expression was uncharacteristically solemn. He nodded slowly. "A perfect balance of hard and soft... I never imagined he could reach this level so quickly."
"Hard and soft?" Tenten asked, confused.
"My style—the Strong Fist—focuses on overwhelming force," Guy explained. "We condition the body to maximize speed and power. Even if the enemy has a thousand tricks or more speed, I predict and evade. If I land one hit, the fight is over. That is the 'Hard' way."
He paused, his eyes fixed on Lee. "Lee has transformed. His attacks are still powerful, but they now flow with the grace and lightness of the Gentle Fist. If you can't visualize it, think of me and Neji. Combine us into one person... and that is the Lee you see before you."
Tenten's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Neji, overhearing the comparison, felt his expression turn icy. As the "Genius" of the Hyuga, Lee's new style was an affront to everything he believed about his teammate.
Is this the power he gained from awakening that Bloodline Limit? Hmph!
"Guy... this student of yours is something else," Asuma said, his voice low and serious. The onlookers were watching a show, but the pros were looking at the mechanics.
"Did you notice the most unsettling part?" Kurenai asked, her crimson eyes narrowed.
Asuma nodded. "He hasn't moved. He's standing on the exact same patch of ground where he started the fight."
"Yeah," Hayama muttered, his heart sinking. "Guy, what kind of monster have you been raising?"
As Tatsuhiko's mentor and an veteran Jonin, Hayama could see the writing on the wall. He called out, "Tatsuhiko! Don't engage him in close quarters! Use Ninjutsu!"
If Tatsuhiko had any chance at all, it was by exploiting Lee's inability to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. But even as he gave the advice, Hayama felt a knot of dread in his stomach. Watching Lee's composure, he found it hard to believe this was a twelve-year-old Genin.
Tatsuhiko scrambled to his feet, his face darkening with humiliation. He shook off the daze and spat on the ground. "Loser... I admit, I underestimated you. You're good at Taijutsu. But a ninja isn't just about punching. Ninjutsu is what defines us!"
"You won't get the chance."
"What?" Tatsuhiko started to retort, but the word died in his throat.
Shave!
In an instant, Lee vanished from his sight.
So fast!
Before Tatsuhiko could even blink, Lee was standing right in front of him, his shadow looming over.
"Oh no—!"
POW!
Lee drove his elbow straight into Tatsuhiko's solar plexus. The sheer force of the impact lifted Tatsuhiko off his feet.
The boy's breath left him in a wheeze as the shockwave rattled his internal organs. A metallic sweetness filled his mouth, and a spray of blood erupted from his lips.
"Tatsuhiko!"
Hayama Shirakumo blanched. He blurred into motion, catching his student before he hit the ground and immediately began checking his vitals.
He looked up, his voice urgent and sharp. "Kuroki, Sugihara! With me, now! Tatsuhiko is badly hurt! We're going to the hospital!"
Without waiting for a response, Hayama took off at a full sprint toward the hospital, his two other students scrambling to keep up.
"I'm going to go check on him," Might Guy said, his brow furrowed in concern before vanishing in a flicker of speed.
The alley fell into an eerie, uncomfortable silence.
"He... he didn't kill him, did he?" someone whispered nervously.
"Let's get out of here," another ninja muttered, the festive mood completely evaporated. "If someone died, we're all going to be answering to the Hokage for this!"