Chapter 80: A Burned Flower
"Why Lee?" Guy questioned, his voice filled with a sense of disappointment that reverberated through the desolate corridor. Fixing his gaze directly upon Lee, who diverted his eyes uncomfortably. Lee's hands were stained a deep crimson, a stark reminder of Neji's dried blood that clung to his skin stubbornly. Despite Lee's attempts to cleanse away the grim evidence, Guy had forcefully intervened, refusing to let him rid himself of the guilt until a thorough explanation had been given. The air between them hung heavy with unanswered questions.
Guy looked at his favorite student, trying his hardest not to lose control and do or say something he might regret. Guy always saw Lee's lack of a way to use Jutsu as a handicap for him to reach his full potential; seeing Lee struggle and lose constantly reminded Guy of his own father, who had struggled his whole life to catch up.
Guy had seen himself and his father in Lee, someone who needed guidance, someone who needed someone capable of teaching him. Might Dai didn't have a mentor, and neither did Guy; they had to learn Taijutsu all by themselves, which could get quite difficult. Konoha had Private Taijutsu Masters, but their price was too high.
Guy had seen Lee's determination to be the best, and he knew if he became the mentor Lee needed, then one day Lee could become what they weren't able to be; for this reason, Guy always paid more attention to Lee than he did to Neji and TenTen. Both were very good Shinobis, so they didn't really need his help to begin with, at least that's what Guy had told himself constantly, but despite everything, Guy never taught Lee something he hadn't thought Neji or TenTen.
Until the day Lee lost for the hundredth time against Neji, Guy had understood that no matter how much Lee trained, Neji trained as well, and because of his Byakugan and him being a prodigy, the gap between Lee and Neji not only did not get smaller, but it got bigger as the time went on, for this reason, Guy had decided that the only way for Lee to be in equal footing with everyone else, he needed the Inner Gates, that's the excuse Guy had used in his head when he taught Lee about the Inner Gates and not his other students, he was simply making it fair, between Lee and everyone else.
But Guy understood now that he had underestimated how much bitterness Lee held towards Neji. Guy had always known they weren't exactly best buddies, but he had never predicted that it would go this far, and now, Guy wasn't sure what to even think anymore.
Kakashi had warned him, but Guy had not listened, and now Neji was paying the consequences of Guy's decisions.
"Why Lee?" Guy asked once again with a higher tone, looking down at Lee, who had his eyes on the floor; despite hearing the question, Lee kept quiet.
Guy almost opened his mouth to shout at him but reluctantly closed his mouth; Guy didn't want to yell at his student, even if he deserved it. "I taught you that technique to fight, to win fights against your enemies, but I never taught you that because I wanted you to hospitalize Neji," Guy spoke with a sharp voice, full of disappointment, which was the first time he had talked like that with Lee.
"I was always going to use that to defeat Neji," Lee defended himself, saying the words without thinking, but the glare Guy sent him made him gulp as he took a step back from Guy.
"I know that, but I never thought you would put him at the death's doorstep. He is your teammate, and if it wasn't for me interfering, Neji would be dead right now, so don't act like you stopped on your own," Guy said with a defeated voice, sounding even more disappointed with Lee while shaking his head, Lee's eyes widened as if he just remembered that it was Guy the one who stopped him from killing Neji.
Lee tried to tell himself, tried to convince himself that killing Neji hadn't been his intention; his intention had been to win and to show Neji once and for all that his Byakugan wasn't worth anything against Hard Work, but Lee knew deep down that when he made the final attack, that kick would have completely shattered Neji's rib cage and his internal organs, not even Tsunade would have been able to save him at that point.
"I taught you all that to win, yes, but never to kill your own teammates because of your wounded ego. If you had stopped after breaking his arm, I wouldn't have blamed you; his arm would have easily been fixed, but even after breaking both of his arms. You still continued the fight; Neji was on the ground; he couldn't fight anymore, but instead of allowing the fight to end, you purposely continued the fight just so you could inflict him even more pain than you already had." Guy spoke with disappointment, looking at Lee; despite everything, Guy knew this whole thing was his fault; if he had simply paid more attention, perhaps he could have done something to prevent this from happening, but now it was too late. He had failed as a Teacher, and the worst part about this, someone else was paying the price.
"Guy-Sensei, I-I'm sorry," Lee cried out, his face hunged down, looking at the floor in shame, tears rolling down his face, falling onto the floor below. The weight of his remorse was evident as his usually vibrant eyes were clouded with self-disappointment. His voice trembled with genuine guilt. The heavy silence in the corridor seemed to amplify his emotional turmoil, making the tears streaming down his cheeks almost tangible as they splashed onto the cold, hard floor beneath him.
Guy almost reached out to hug him; that's what he would have done in another situation, but Guy knew that a 'Sorry' wouldn't fix anything; feeling sorry wouldn't make the bad things that happened simply disappear; saying sorry wouldn't help Neji.
No, Lee had betrayed his trust; he had betrayed what Guy had taught him just to get back at Neji. But the worst of all, Guy knew he could have done many things to prevent it, but he hadn't; Guy knew he had failed as a teacher.
I failed my team, Neji, TenTen; how can I ever look at them and pretend what happened didn't happen, Guy thought, feeling shame and guilt, a feeling he hadn't felt for a very long time, before looking back at Lee, he knew there was only one thing left to do.
"Lee, as soon as Neji gets better and gets out of the hospital, the Chunin Exams end. I will reassign myself from my role as Jonin of Team 9."
Now
"Round 3: Ino Yamanaka Vs Yugito Nii." the announcer's voice boomed across the stadium, igniting a wave of excitement and anticipation from the eager spectators. As the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, all eyes were fixed upon the Genin podium where Ino Yamanaka and Yugito Nii stood facing each other.
Their expressions mirrored the intensity of the upcoming battle, with Ino's eyes filled with determination and a hint of resentment directed fiercely toward Yugito. In particular, Ino's glare pierced through the air, conveying her burning desire to prove herself and emerge victorious against her worthy adversary. Yugito, on the other hand, met Ino's challenging gaze with unwavering confidence.
Ino knew Yugito was strong and very fast, but Ino had trained herself more seriously for three years now; she was certain that she could take Yugito by surprise and use that to win the match.
Usually, Ino would simply resort to using her Mind Transfer Jutsu to win the fight. It worked all the time, especially when she was in a one-against-one fight, but Naruto had warned her that Yugito was a Jinchuuriki like him, and using that jutsu would result in her meeting the Two Tails Cat, and apparently, Bijuus in general were very hostile against strangers that invaded their space. Ino knew that her Jutsu wouldn't be able to do anything; if anything, using it could end very badly for her.
Ino had spent the entire last month working on her other Jutsus in order to win, and now Ino felt ready to fight Yugito and come out victorious, she knew she could win.
"You know you can always give up, there's no shame in surrendering to someone better than you," Yugito taunted with a smug smirk on her face. Her words carried a hint of arrogance, intended to provoke a reaction from her. To add further provocation, she positioned herself a bit too close to Naruto, invading his personal space. In a brazen display, she pressed her assets against his body shamelessly, clearly relishing in the discomfort caused. The intensity of Yugito's actions inevitably irritated Ino, who watched the scene unfold with growing annoyance and a mix of disbelief and disapproval.
Ino's gaze intensified as she fixed her eyes on Yugito and Samui, effortlessly capturing their striking beauty. Compared to her, they exuded an ethereal charm with their radiant features and captivating grace. What truly vexed Ino, however, was their unabashed flirtation with Naruto; the way they shamelessly flirted with Naruto annoyed her; they didn't even try to hide it. There was no denying that they possessed an alluring allure, particularly Samui, whose choice of attire amplified her ample cleavage, leaving Ino feeling a tinge of envy. This envy stemmed not only from their physical attractiveness but also from the fact that both Yugito and Samui possessed formidable combat skills. They were not mere gorgeous kunoichis devoid of combat prowess but rather formidable fighters who possessed both beauty and battle prowess.
"I will not surrender. I will beat you." With unwavering determination evident in her fierce gaze, Ino defiantly declared. Her fierce proclamation echoed through the air. Yugito couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in response. A satisfied smile curved her lips as she gracefully leaped up onto the railings, a spectacle akin to a cat's nimble landing on all fours. Without a moment's hesitation, Yugito fearlessly descended from the towering railings, effortlessly traversing the immense 50-meter drop to the arena below. Despite the substantial height and potential danger, the agile ninja landed securely, showing no signs of any injuries.
"Good Luck, Ino. Don't forget to use your brain, though; this one here will be a tough fight." Shikamaru warned with a bored look on his face before letting out a loud yawn; he seemed ready to fall asleep.
"Don't mind, Shikamaru, but make sure to try and catch her off guard." Naruto said, his voice filled with genuine concern and affection for Ino. With a sweet and playful gesture, Naruto leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Ino's cheeks, causing her to blush deeply. As he pulled away, a mischievous glint sparkled in Naruto's eyes, and he teasingly remarked, "This was for good luck." Ino's face turned an even deeper shade of red as she nervously played with her hair, clearly affected by the unexpected display of affection from Naruto.
"Maybe I need more luck," Ino teased, looking up at Naruto with a blush on her face, but before Naruto could either say or do anything.
"You two will make us vomit. Ino, I don't think the Proctor will wait for you," Shikamaru moaned in annoyance, Ino glared at him for interrupting her moment, but since the fight needed to start, Ino didn't yell at him, instead she gave Naruto a quick kiss on the cheek before running off.
As soon as Ino was out of earshot, Shikamaru's face turned serious, his brows furrowing in concentration. He made his way over to Naruto, the two of them exchanging a knowing glance before directing their attention towards the sprawling arena below. Leaning on the cool iron railings encircling their podium, they both propped their arms up, their forearms resting comfortably as their bodies leaned forward.
"Naruto, do you think Ino has any chance of winning?"
"If Ino can catch Yugito off guard, she might have a chance, but due to Yugito's Matatabi. Even if Yugito is caught off guard, I doubt she will be out of the game. So, let's just hope this fight doesn't end with any of them being carried away by a stretcher." Naruto answered bluntly, something he did only with Shikamaru.
"I see." Shikamaru sighed, not liking what he was hearing, but he knew to accept the bitter truth rather than a sweet lie.
As the fight was about to begin, Shikamaru gave Naruto a look before asking a question with a very hushed tone. "Naruto, I have noticed the number of Suna Jonins, the way they are placed. Something is off here." Shikamaru warned with a very serious voice. Naruto didn't react; instead, he murmured.
"I know. I have seen them too; if something happens, then we stick together but stay away from Gaara." Naruto warned; Shikamaru nodded in understanding without a second thought, knowing Gaara was extremely dangerous due to him not being able to control his own Bijuu and being a little crazy on top of that.
Arena
"Round Three: Fight!" The proctor's voice echoed through the grand stadium, commanding the full attention of the mesmerized audience. The deafening cheers and collective gasps were abruptly silenced, creating an atmosphere teeming with anticipation. All eyes were fixed on the colossal arena below, where Ino, fueled by determination, swiftly reached into her pouch and retrieved three gleaming kunai. With impeccable precision, she hurled the deadly blades towards Yugito, whose graceful evasive maneuvers resembled an elegant dance, effortlessly sidestepping each projectile with astonishing agility.
Ino clenched her teeth tightly together, intensifying her focus as she swiftly propelled herself toward Yugito. Utilizing her honed chakra control, she manipulated the energy within her body to amplify her speed, enabling her to dash toward Yugito with incredible swiftness. With precise dexterity, Ino retrieved four sharp senbons from her pouch, brandishing them in her hand. With swift and accurate motions, she propelled the senbons towards Yugito. All four senbons landed, on the ground surrounding Yugito, failing to hit their intended target.
Ino was relentless as she kept pulling out more and more senbons from her seals around her arms and legs, throwing the senbons around Yugito but not straight at her, instead around the ground she stood.
Yugito narrowed her eyes; she quickly realized that Ino was missing on purpose before she rushed towards Ino. With astonishing speed, she propelled herself towards Ino, each step causing the ground to tremble beneath her feet. With a rapid and forceful kick, Yugito aimed true and struck Ino directly in the stomach, causing a sharp gasp and expelling saliva. However, Yugito's relentless pursuit didn't end there. Without skipping a beat, she swiftly executed yet another powerful kick, this time targeting Ino's face, sending her hurtling through the air. But even in mid-flight, Ino's resourcefulness shone through as she rapidly formed several hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Gathering her chakra, she formed a concentrated ball of blazing flames within her mouth. The intense heat radiated from the fireball as Ino launched it towards Yugito. Undeterred, Yugito's confidence was evident as she effortlessly created her own fireball composed of rare blue flames.
As Ino's fireball hurtled forward, fueled by her determination, it seemed poised to overpower Yugito's attack. However, Yugito's blue fireball was much more powerful. Swiftly closing in on Ino's fireball, the azure flames hungrily devoured the rival blaze, extinguishing it triumphantly.
Yet, Yugito's victory did not end there. With astonishing velocity, the victorious blue fireball continued its lethal trajectory toward Ino. The whirlwind of rapidly swirling blue flames mesmerized the onlookers as it engulfed Ino. Ino's agonizing screams reverberated throughout the colossal stadium.
Yugito, with a smug expression of satisfaction on her face, watched as Ino helplessly collapsed onto the ground, feeling the searing pain of burns covering her body. Despite the severity of her injuries, Ino subsequently managed to summon the strength to rise from the ground, revealing a deep gash on her forehead from which blood steadily trickled down her face. Furthermore, Ino's body bore numerous burns. Despite the excruciating pain that coursed through her, Ino clenched her teeth, determinedly refusing to succumb to the agony and resolutely refraining from releasing even a single cry of pain.
"Give up, little girl," Yugito warned, her voice imbued with a mix of caution and superiority. She locked eyes with Ino, her expression devoid of any emotion. In response, Ino's eyes narrowed, and she bristled with determination. Without hesitation, she mercilessly unleashed a torrent of senbons, each one directed towards Yugito, who maneuvered herself with effortless grace to evade their deadly path.
Ino cunningly threw what appeared to be an innocuous bouquet of flowers towards Yugito. However, it blasted, hundreds of senbons falling towards Yugito. Yugito anticipated and evaded every single senbon, her movements almost dancing as she gracefully sidestepped and slid away from each lethal projectile, leaving the ground behind her pierced by an army of sharp needles.
Why does she keep throwing... wait, that seal!! Yugito's eyes widened as she quickly realised that the ground all around was full of senbons, perhaps hundreds of them.
"Seal Release!!" Ino's voice reverberated through the arena, filled with determination and an undercurrent of excitement. With focused precision, she swiftly formed a hand sign using her right hand, the crimson chakra pulsating within her fingertips. A mischievous smirk spread across Ino's lips. Every single senbon scattered strategically around the arena began to illuminate with a mesmerizing yellowish-red glow. Time stood still for a brief moment before an eruption of energy burst forth from the glittering senbons. The explosive release sent shockwaves rippling through the arena.
As the initial explosion reverberated through the air, its powerful force shook the very ground beneath the stadium, causing a series of subsequent explosions that echoed and intensified, creating a continuous symphony of earth-shaking blasts. The sheer magnitude of these explosions caused the previously sturdy wall surrounding the stadium to crack and crumble under immense pressure.
As the deafening noise subsided, a thick plume of black smoke billowed upward, swiftly engulfing the entire stadium. This ominous column of smoke rose higher and higher, gradually taking on the shape of a small mushroom cloud, casting a shadow over the chaos below. The unsuspecting audience found themselves caught in a cough-inducing haze, their lungs filled with acrid and toxic fumes, leaving them gasping for fresh air amidst the pandemonium. Meanwhile, high above the arena floor, those in the Genin Podium strained their necks in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of the two figures they sought - Yugito and Ino - as their eyes darted feverishly across the chaotic scene, hoping to assure themselves of their safety.
Ino, her body convulsing with violent coughs, forcefully expelled smoky particles from her lungs. Despite experiencing discomfort, she immediately directed her gaze toward the chaotic aftermath, scanning the decimated terrain in a desperate attempt to locate Yugito amidst the destruction. The pervasive dark smoke continued to shroud the majority of the arena, impeding Ino's visibility as she fervently sought her enemy.
Ino was certain that her little surprise attack hadn't killed Yugito, but suddenly, her widened eyes caught sight of a large blue fireball emerging fiercely from the billowing black smoke. Reacting swiftly, Ino's instincts kicked in, prompting her to swiftly leap away from the imminent danger. However, her evasive actions couldn't evade the fireball's wrath, as it violently collided with the nearest wall, igniting yet another destructive explosion. The impact force jolted Ino's body, propelling her through the air like a ragdoll before crashing harshly against another unyielding wall. The excruciating pain radiated throughout her entire being, causing Ino to grit her teeth tightly in an attempt to suppress her anguish.
Her skin became a canvas of agony, ravaged by the searing flames that danced hungrily across her body, leaving behind a trail of ghastly burns. Each breath was a torment; her broken bones throbbed relentlessly. Blood trickled steadily from her battered nose.
"That was a neat trick, little mouse," Ino's heart raced with terror, causing her breath to catch in her throat as she frantically shifted her gaze toward the right. She laid eyes on Yugito. The sight of Yugito standing there, with a few faint traces of burnt flesh on Yugito's shoulder and arms.
Before Ino could do anything to defend herself against Yugito's brutal assault, Yugito, slammed her knee with unparalleled precision directly into Ino's stomach, causing extreme pain and causing Ino to involuntarily regurgitate blood. The excruciating blow was merely the beginning, as Yugito continued her merciless attack by launching three blistering punches, strategically targeting Ino's already injured shoulders and stomach. Each punch sent shockwaves of agony throughout Ino's body, intensifying her suffering.
Gasping for air, Ino desperately struggled to regain her breath as she instinctively took a series of stumbling steps backward, attempting to create some much-needed distance between herself and Yugito. In the midst of the intense physical torment, Ino's mind raced frantically, desperately grasping for any possible strategy or plan that could lead her to victory in this dire situation.
Why? Why? Why am I still so Weak? Her body was consumed by intense physical discomfort, causing her to wince and grimace in pain. Determined to overcome her weaknesses, Ino propelled herself with every ounce of energy she possessed, sprinting towards Yugito with an unwavering determination. In a flurry of uncoordinated strikes and blows, Ino desperately attempted to make contact with her opponent, fueled by a desperate desire to prove her strength. Despite her best efforts, however, Yugito effortlessly evaded each and every attack.
I trained for so long. Why Am I still so weak?? Ino asked herself over and over as she tried to land a hit, but Yugito simply dodged everything; she didn't even try to attack Ino.
Ino's eyes burned with an intense fury as she directed her full chakra flow to her arms, bracing herself for an explosive burst of speed. With an impressive velocity, she propelled her tightly clenched fist towards Yugito's face. However, before her strike could connect, Yugito swiftly intercepted it with her palm, exerting immense strength as she firmly grasped Ino's hand. The force of the grip sent waves of searing pain coursing through Ino's arm, threatening to push her to the brink. Though the agony was nearly unbearable, Ino didn't want to scream in pain, especially not in front of the vast sea of spectators filling the stadium.
"You have spirit, Ino. Anyone else would have been begging for mercy now, but there's no shame in losing, all winners are just losers who tried one more time." Yugito spoke, and for the first time, she spoke with genuine sympathy towards Ino before quickly hitting her on the back of the head, knocking Ino unconscious. She fell to her knees, but Yugito grabbed the back of her shirt before Ino could hit the ground with her face.
"The Winner of Round Three: Yugito Nii."
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