"Baki-sensei," Kankuro answered, "many Sand Ninja can use Wind Release, but how many are truly skilled? Many of them probably aren't as effective as Daigan with this one move, even if it seems a bit harder to learn."
"With no one to guide him..." Baki fell silent.
What happened to most of the Sand Ninja who specialized in Wind Release? Even Temari chose to use a specially crafted Three-Moon Fan to cast her wind jutsu. An ordinary Sand Ninja from a civilian family couldn't even afford the medicine for the wounds they got from stray wind blades during practice.
***
Daigan couldn't afford a Three-Moon Fan, and the materials for his puppets weren't top-tier, but at least he had managed to forge his own path. How many other Sand Ninja with potential had been buried?
"The Wind Concealment Jutsu series, perhaps? Different from the cookie-cutter offensive wind styles, it could be a promising new direction." Baki, ostensibly Sunagakure's top Wind Release user, gave his approval of Daigan's performance.
Shira's Seven Heavens Breathing Method placed too high a demand on one's physical constitution, but Daigan's Wind Release was far more suitable for Sunagakure. The village had a higher proportion of ninja with a wind-nature chakra affinity than any other village—one of the few blessings the Land of Wind bestowed upon them.
*He shouldn't have a problem advancing. If he makes it back alive this time, I'll have Otokaze look after him a bit more.*
Although Sunagakure pursued an elite training policy, a lack of deep-rooted foundations meant many promising ninja were ruined by short-sighted, results-driven training methods, leading to a general lack of stamina among the village's Jonin. Seeing one or two youngsters with their own ideas and a bright future was a pleasant surprise. It was just a pity they were born in such trying times. If only it had been a few years earlier.
As Baki was lost in thought, his attention was caught by Might Guy's voice from nearby.
"Lee, take them off!"
"But Guy-sensei, you said I should only take them off when I'm protecting someone very important..." Rock Lee asked, confused.
"It's all right. I'm giving you permission. Go on, Lee..."
Hearing his teacher's words, the previously stumped Rock Lee's face lit up. He undid the weights on his legs and dropped them from his high perch. They hit the ground with a deafening crash, kicking up a cloud of dust that made the jaws of everyone watching drop.
"Finally getting serious," Daigan said, not at all surprised. "Show me what you've really got." Fighting him with heavy leg weights on was just too insulting. Did he really think everyone was as inexperienced as Uchiha Sasuke, to be defeated by a single Shadow of the Dancing Leaf?
Rock Lee stretched his slightly sore limbs. "What do you call that technique?" he asked earnestly. "It's amazing. I really can't see through it..."
"Polarizing Light Killing Formation. It's still a work in progress. It's rare to find a taijutsu ninja who knows nothing of ninjutsu or genjutsu and has such poor sensory skills. You're helping me test a theory. To thank you for helping me perfect my jutsu, I promise to give you a defeat you can accept."
"How could I possibly lose? I've trained for seven years for this day, just to prove that even with only taijutsu, one can become a great ninja!" Rock Lee retorted, unconvinced.
"And do you know how many years I've worked? Enough talk. Bring whatever you've got."
"I'm coming! Watch me, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee glanced at Might Guy, who gave him an encouraging look, then charged once more into the domain that had given him so much trouble.
With the weights removed, Rock Lee's speed skyrocketed. His movements were a blur to the Genin watching from the stands.
"So fast!"
That speed was far beyond the level of an average Genin; even some Chunin might not be able to keep up.
Daigan, at the center of it all, felt it most keenly. His Sand Clones weren't strong; their decent defensive ability came from the properties of sand and their ability to regenerate, which consumed his chakra.
The high-speed fists created a wind that caused slight deviations in his ability to bend light with air manipulation.
Relying on brute force and willing to take a few hits, Rock Lee's counterattacks shattered most of the Sand Clones. The few that remained were no longer enough to surround him.
"He's just blindly attacking, banking on the fact that I won't go too hard on him?"
Rock Lee, feet planted on the scattered sand, tore through every corner, breaking through every obstacle. Suddenly, he heard the click of a puppet's mechanism. Just as he was about to dodge, he was caught by a chakra thread. A slight pull delayed his reaction just long enough for several senbon to strike his thigh and shoulder.
The thick-browed boy cried out in pain as an invisible sand hand grabbed his ankle, swung him around, and slammed him violently into the ground. He was then thrown into the air, where he took another heavy punch to the stomach, spitting out a mouthful of blood before crashing down.
"Seven years of effort for a moment of fame... why should I be your stepping stone? With that kind of thinking, you can't beat me."
Daigan wasn't a Jinchuriki like Gaara, with super defenses and nearly infinite chakra. Gaara's fighting style was adorably straightforward—a battle of offense versus defense, a simple contest of who was stronger.
Struggling to his feet, Rock Lee pulled the senbon from his thigh and shoulder. He slowly unwrapped the bandages on his arms, holding them in front of him as his brow began to furrow menacingly.
*The Eight Gates. It's starting.*
Opening the first gate—the Gate of Opening—Rock Lee's speed surged again. The airflow from his full-speed sprint was like a swirling cyclone.
"You want to see my resolve? As you wish..."
A phantom blur, invisible to the naked eye, swept through the arena. The few remaining Sand Clones were instantly shattered, turning to dust.
"Again!" Rock Lee punched the ground directly, sending a spray of shattered rock in all directions.
*Clack...*
The arrow-like rain of debris was bizarrely deflected at a certain spot.
"Found you!"
"Crap..." The Polarizing Light Killing Formation only deceived vision; it couldn't trick chakra sensors or block physical attacks. With a crude but effective method, Rock Lee had managed to locate the invisible Daigan.
Having locked onto his opponent's position, Rock Lee charged toward the suspicious area, a phantom trail of light in his wake.
Knowing he was exposed, Daigan threw the puppet from his shoulder. Its fan danced, sending a volley of wind blades forward, but Lee suddenly changed direction and accelerated, appearing behind Daigan in an instant.
"Konoha Hurricane!"
A searing, high-spinning kick landed on the unresponsive Daigan. The Wind Release chakra protecting his body shattered, revealing the shocked Sand Ninja. The fractured wind chakra turned into blades that cut Lee's legs, but it didn't stop him.
"Konoha Rising Wind!"
A savage flurry of kicks launched Daigan into the sky. Lee then wrapped the stunned Daigan in his bandages, spun him at high speed, and drove him headfirst into the ground.
The impact created a massive boom, and the resulting shockwave forced the watching ninja to shield their eyes.
When the dust settled, Rock Lee was crouched to one side, panting. Daigan lay motionless among the rubble.
"He won, right?" Although he couldn't see exactly what happened, Uzumaki Naruto could see the result. "Bushy Brow is amazing!"
Though they weren't on the same team, the other Konoha rookies couldn't help but marvel at Rock Lee's strength.
***
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