With a low roar, the Eight Gates entered a truly deep state. His power surged, and chakra flowed out uncontrollably, the shockwave kicking up debris from the ground.
"Here it comes! Konoha Hurricane!"
The power was completely different from the Front Lotus. The air displaced by his high-speed movement alone tore up the ground. In a situation like this, petty tricks were useless. It all came down to whose trump card was stronger.
***
*Defense? It's impossible!* Daigan knew it full well. The power of the Eight Gates at the level of the Reverse Lotus was something no Genin could block. Perhaps Hyuga Neji stood a slim chance, and Gaara had managed it by a hair's breadth, but Daigan knew he couldn't.
*He's getting me excited again. My blood is starting to boil. I'm not responsible for what happens next!*
Wind Release wasn't known for its defensive capabilities, and this wasn't the time to use the Sand Manipulation Technique. It was too late for a Puppet Master's standard methods of hiding the main body, and having a puppet counterattack would be far too slow.
"The lotus of Konoha will bloom twice!"
*Boom...*
A relentless barrage of fists and feet rained down. None of the Genin watching from the sidelines could see what was happening. Daigan, in the center of it all, had countless chakra threads spread around him to detect the enemy, but he simply couldn't react in time. He would barely see a flash of light approach, and he'd already be hit. Before he could even think of a counter, another blow would land on his back.
"Is that... is that really Lee?" Hyuga Neji's jaw dropped. He had been his teammate for over a year and had never seen Rock Lee like this.
Aside from Might Guy, who had expected it, the other Konoha ninja were stunned.
"This isn't something that can be achieved through hard work alone, Guy. Your student... he's a genius," said Hatake Kakashi, who could only open one gate himself and understood the difficulty of the Eight Gates better than anyone.
As for Daigan's Sand Ninja comrades, they were too scared to speak. This was far more terrifying than Shira's Seven Heavens Breathing Method.
"Hey, this is no joke. Someone's really going to die!" Kankuro looked back at Baki. "Shouldn't he just forfeit?"
Baki shook his head. "Not yet. Look closely. Daigan isn't just taking a beating."
Daigan's body was actually covered by a dense layer of Sand Armor. Its defensive capabilities were passable, enough to withstand a few hits.
Furthermore, that thin, shimmering blue veil of wind was a layer of chakra that had undergone wind-nature transformation. Every time Rock Lee's fists and feet passed through the wind barrier, they were viciously cut. It was like Daigan was wearing a suit of thorned armor, protecting his body inside. But his control seemed clumsy, and the scattered wind chakra occasionally cut him as well.
In just over ten seconds, Daigan had become a man covered in red. It was his blood, and Rock Lee's.
Sensing something was wrong, Bushy Brow paused slightly, kneeling on the ground and clutching his calf, where several piercing wounds were bleeding profusely.
Daigan was in no better shape. The Sand Armor had consumed a great deal of chakra and had already been mostly stripped away by the powerful attacks. Maintaining the Wind Release for so long had also put him under immense pressure.
Though his stamina was holding up, his chakra was about to run out. Not only that, but it seemed two of his ribs were broken, though thankfully they hadn't punctured his lungs. The bone in his left calf was likely fractured, leaving the leg useless. Both of his arms, which had shielded his all-important head, had taken the most hits and were so numb he could barely feel them.
The final contest was no longer just about strength; it was a battle of wills.
However... Rock Lee, who appeared to be in better spirits than Daigan, suddenly clutched his abdomen and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
"What's going on?" Bushy Brow stared in surprise at Daigan, who was struggling to stand, his face contorted in pain.
"I am a Puppet Master, after all. Using poison is standard procedure, isn't it?"
It wasn't a lethal poison, but the more chakra one unleashed, the faster their metabolism, and the more painful it became. Conversely, if one stayed quiet and did nothing, they would only feel a slight discomfort, and the body would naturally break it down within half a day. It was a very mild poison.
"I see! You have too many options. I have to be wary of every single one! But... it's not over..." Rock Lee stood up. "This next blow, regardless of the outcome, will be the end... Gate of Closing, open!"
His chakra surged once more, temporarily suppressing all the negative effects on his body and raising his base abilities to another level.
"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"
Rock Lee vanished and reappeared in an instant, ruthlessly kicking Daigan into the air. Tough bandages wrapped around Daigan's waist as Lee struck him with punch after punch.
"Guy-sensei, please acknowledge me. Now is the time for me... to follow my ninja way!"
His muscles were tearing, his bones were on the verge of breaking, and the pain had long surpassed the limits of his brain's endurance. He could no longer feel his body's impending collapse.
"Neji, watch closely. This is the ultimate move I prepared for you! I'll give you a special demonstration this time! Reverse Lotus!"
A roar echoed through the arena, followed by a massive impact as Rock Lee's full-power strike slammed Daigan into the ground. The flying debris forced the students and teachers watching from the sidelines to take cover.
"Amazing! Did he win?"
Although no one could really tell what had happened, they knew their Konoha compatriot, Rock Lee, had the upper hand.
Rock Lee knelt on the ground, almost completely unable to move.
In the rubble, only the upper half of Daigan's body was visible. His head was relatively unscathed, and his torso was intact, but his limbs were twisted at unnatural angles—likely the result of being forcefully broken while defending against the final attack.
"It was too fast. I have no idea what just happened," Yome said, looking worriedly at the half-buried Daigan. "He's not really dead, is he?"
Baki shook his head, his expression grave. "His chakra signature is still there, so he should be alive. But I can't say how bad his injuries are."
As the dust settled, Gekko Hayate looked at Rock Lee, who was still managing to breathe, and then at Daigan, who looked half-dead. He was debating whether to stop the match when he suddenly heard a dry cough mixed with a strange laugh.
"That hurt, you bastard!"
After spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, Daigan twisted his head to look at Rock Lee. "Good thing I was smart enough to protect my face. My handsome features are still intact. It would've been so embarrassing otherwise!"
Gekko Hayate approached him and advised, "Are you going to continue? If your injuries aren't treated soon, you could really die!"
"Thank you, Proctor, but I'm fine. You, on the other hand, don't look so good."
"Have it your way. You're all fools, every last one of you."
Rock Lee asked, confused, "The winner is obvious. I can barely move, but at least I can stand. You can't move at all, can you?"
"That's why, you bastard, even though you're a tiny bit stronger than me, you're still no match for me. You know nothing about Puppet Masters, and you completely underestimate how terrifying I, the great 'Red Sand Dust,' can be!"
Daigan wiggled the fingers he could still move and cracked a smile. "Now, it's my turn, isn't it? Secret Technique: Puppet Theater!"
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