***
One by one, chakra threads, nearly invisible to the naked eye, appeared and wrapped around Daigan's body. They pierced into his flesh, setting his twisted and broken bones back into place. Then, like a marionette, he staggered to his feet.
"You know, kid, in this world, there are names given by mistake, but never nicknames that are wrong. So why do they call me 'Red Sand Dust'?"
After adjusting to this completely different way of moving, Daigan's actions grew more natural. Leaving bloody footprints, he slowly walked toward the defenseless Rock Lee. "Want to see why?"
"Run, Bushy Brow!" Uzumaki Naruto started yelling from the sidelines. Even an idiot could see that Rock Lee was in a bad spot.
But Rock Lee, who was willing but lacked the strength, had already exhausted all his stamina and chakra. Covered in wounds, it was a miracle he was even standing.
As Bushy Brow tried to turn and retreat, he was suddenly struck by a fierce tornado of wind that flung him into the air. After a few seconds of screaming, he was hit by an invisible fist and sent flying back to land at the feet of Daigan's real body.
Rock Lee was already at his limit, and this just made things worse.
"I don't mean to humiliate you, but since you're stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, I don't know how else to end this pointless match..."
Although Daigan's real body was a bit out of sorts, his two puppets had been concealed for a long time, poised and ready to strike.
Watching Rock Lee still struggling to get up, Daigan sighed, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him close. "Give up. Sometimes, admitting defeat takes more courage. You didn't disgrace yourself this time... Huh?"
Rock Lee's eyes had already lost their focus. He instinctively swung his limp fists, weakly hitting Daigan's chest.
"What is this? You're making me look like some heinous villain," Daigan muttered with a wry smile. He hesitated for a moment, but Gekko Hayate didn't announce the result. He had no choice but to grab Rock Lee's head again. "May the gods watch over you."
The little chakra he had left in his body gathered from his arm into his palm. A tornado of wind blades was about to engulf the semi-conscious boy.
Just then, a large hand grabbed Daigan's wrist, crushing the condensed wind-style chakra. The scattered wind blades cut several wounds into his arm.
The figure who had suddenly appeared was none other than Might Guy, clad in his green jumpsuit, his eyebrows even thicker than his student's. All the ninja present were startled, but Daigan was somewhat prepared.
"Are you... stopping me?"
"I'm sorry. He's my beloved student. I can't just stand by and watch..."
"Before you apologize, could you let go of my hand? You're squeezing too tight. I'm injured, too. It really hurts."
"My apologies."
Might Guy released Daigan's wrist and wrapped his arms around the battered Rock Lee, calming him down before laying him on the ground.
The medical team entered the arena, gave Rock Lee some first aid, and placed him on a stretcher to be carried away.
"Are you the injured boy's teacher?" a medical corps Chunin named Mitachi called out to the worried Might Guy.
"I am! How are his injuries?"
"Multiple fractures all over his body, excessive blood loss, and several penetrating wounds on his chest, abdomen, thigh, arm, and shoulder. But none of them hit any vital organs, so his life shouldn't be in danger. However, his body is severely exhausted. It's hard to say how long recovery will take, but it will be a considerable amount of time."
"As long as he's not in grave danger. Thank you for your trouble."
Mitachi nodded and then turned to Daigan. "And you. You'd better get to the hospital for treatment immediately, or the consequences could be severe."
"I can't do that. The Chunin Exam isn't over yet."
He had fought so hard to win. It would be a huge loss to be disqualified for not being present when his name was called.
"Then suit yourself."
Seeing Daigan refuse his well-intentioned advice, Mitachi said no more. He wasn't a Konoha ninja anyway; any lasting damage would be his own fault.
The moment Might Guy intervened, Rock Lee had effectively lost.
With the result decided, Daigan let out a sigh of relief. It had been difficult, but he had won. If Rock Lee had opened five gates from the start and just blasted the entire arena, Daigan would have forfeited without a second thought.
By releasing his limits one by one, Rock Lee had seemingly increased the pressure on Daigan, but in reality, he had been the one taking damage all along. The Eight Gates was a forbidden technique whose power boost was proportional to the user's own strength. Might Duy opened the Gate of Death and still let several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen escape, but Might Guy, after opening the Gate of Death, was a monster who could go toe-to-toe with the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
Daigan had slowly worn down Rock Lee's stamina, made him bleed, and used a hidden poison—all of which had corroded his fighting ability. It had seemed like a close call, but none of Rock Lee's choices had been outside of Daigan's predictions. The only thing he hadn't been sure of was whether he'd still be able to fight after taking the Reverse Lotus.
The medical team that stayed behind bandaged Daigan's wounds, a small gesture of goodwill for an ally.
As the unconscious Rock Lee was about to be carried away on a stretcher, Uzumaki Naruto, unable to hold back any longer, jumped into the arena, wanting to check on Bushy Brow's condition.
"Idiot, don't be reckless!" Hatake Kakashi appeared in a flash, blocking the blond boy's path and stopping him from interfering with the staff.
"Kakashi-sensei..."
"There's another match. Don't disrupt the exam."
"But that guy... he did that to Lee!"
Just then, Daigan, with splints and bandages on his arms and legs, slowly walked past on crutches on his way back upstairs to rest.
"Are you talking about me?" Daigan turned his head and grinned, showing his teeth. "This is what it means to be a ninja. Isn't getting injured normal? Didn't the Third Hokage just say that this is a battlefield where we fight for the honor of our villages?"
One couldn't look at Rock Lee's pitiful state and be indifferent to the heavily injured Daigan, could they?
"But... Bushy Brow worked so hard, and he was so strong, and he still lost!"
Not just him, but even Uchiha Sasuke, whom Naruto had always seen as a rival, was clearly no match for Lee.
"Hey, are you getting something wrong here? You make it sound like my win was a fluke, like I shouldn't have won. Aren't my injuries proof that I earned it? And speaking of hard work, do you have any idea what sacrifices I've made to be here today? Don't act like you're the only ones in the world who are suffering and living unfortunate lives."
"But this way, he couldn't prove his ninja way, could he?"
"One defeat erases the value of all his hard work? You really underestimate the resolve of others."
His pride seemingly wounded by Daigan's dismissive tone, Uzumaki Naruto shook his fist at him. "Just you wait! I'll follow my ninja way even if it kills me..."
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