From behind, Gaara attacked Rock Lee with a devastating sand blast. Rock Lee went flying until he slammed against the arena wall, coughing up blood. Through blurry eyes, he saw another attack coming toward him, but his body was too tired—too beaten from opening the Initial Lotus—to move. He could barely raise his arms to protect his vital organs. Gaara's sand continuously bombarded him, stopping only when Rock Lee was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Gaara looked at Rock Lee the way a cat plays with a mouse before killing it.
On the deck, Kakashi's face tightened with worry.
"Guy, we need to stop this before something bad happens."
"Yes, Guy-sensei, at this rate Rock Lee will…" Sakura agreed, glancing at Might Guy.
But Guy's eyes were fixed on the fight.
"The lotus of the leaf blooms twice!!! Look!"
Down below, Gaara started another attack—but this time, Rock Lee dodged every strike. Seeing his sand fail to land, Gaara stopped and glared at Rock Lee, who was smiling.
"You're going to die here," Gaara said coldly, preparing his final attack.
"We'll see about that," Rock Lee replied, ready to finish the fight.
On the deck, Kakashi looked at Might Guy with disappointment.
"Guy… is that kid about to open the Eight Celestial Inner Body Gates?"
"Yeah… he's opening it," Guy admitted.
"How could you teach him such a dangerous technique? Even opening the Lotus alone has a tremendous impact on the body. I didn't expect this from you… I've lost respect for you, Guy."
Guy met Kakashi's gaze sharply.
"What would you know about that boy? That kid is fighting for his dream—to prove to others he can be a great ninja. For that, he's even willing to give his life. As his sensei, I will turn him into a man who can accomplish that. That is all."
Kakashi looked hard at Guy, then glanced at Akuma, who had been silently watching the whole time.
"How many gates can that kid open?"
"Five gates, and he's close to opening the sixth," Guy said.
"Is that all? Doesn't it have eight gates?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, there are eight gates," Kakashi explained, "but removing even one takes tremendous effort. The gates remove the body's limits, letting you fight at your full potential…"
Kakashi began explaining the Eight Gates in detail to Sakura. She listened quietly for a while, then glanced at Akuma in the distance before asking,"How many can Akuma open?"
She knew Akuma didn't have chakra, but she just wanted to make sure that monster didn't become an even more terrifying monster. This was purely for her peace of mind.
"He can't open any," Might Guy answered before Kakashi could speak.
Both Sakura and Kakashi let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that Akuma could not access the Eight Gates.
Down below, Rock Lee shouted, "The Third Life Gate… OPEN!!!" His whole body began to heat up and turn red.
"Fourth Gate of Pain… OPEN!!! HAAAAA!!!" he screamed in agony.
In a blur, he shot toward Gaara at a speed human eyes could barely follow. The arena floor cracked under his sheer velocity. Rock Lee struck Gaara with an upper kick to the chin, launching him high into the air—the impact sending shockwaves across the arena. Before Gaara could even fall, Rock Lee was there, striking him again, tossing him around like a ragdoll.
Gaara's sand armor began to crack. Seeing this, Rock Lee decided to end it.
"Fifth Gate… OPEN!!!"
Gaara crossed his arms to defend, but Rock Lee's punch to his stomach sent him flying toward the ground. Suddenly, Gaara stopped midair—Rock Lee had tied him up with his bandages, yanking him upward to prepare the Extreme Lotus. Gaara braced, but Rock Lee's devastating spin attack broke through his defenses, slamming him into the arena floor. Gaara survived only by cushioning his fall with his sand gourd.
Seeing Gaara still standing, Rock Lee prepared his final blow.
"Leaf Hurricane!!!"
The wind howled, rocks and debris flying everywhere. On the ground, Gaara's face twisted with hatred—so much so that half his face and arm transformed into Shukaku's form.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" he roared, hurling a massive sand blast at Rock Lee.
The two attacks collided, creating a shockwave that forced spectators to cling to the railings. When the dust settled, both fighters were on the ground, slowly standing. Gaara, half-transformed, glared at Lee with murderous intent.
Might Guy's voice trembled. "That boy… is he a Jinchūriki?"
"It looks like it," Kakashi replied.
Gaara raised his hand toward Rock Lee.
"Desert Coffin!!!"
Sand rushed toward Lee from all directions, but before it could crush him, Akuma stepped in, obliterating the attack. Gaara's rage spiked, and he unleashed even more powerful sand blasts—but Akuma destroyed each one effortlessly. His movements were so fast that even the instructors barely caught a glimpse, though they all felt the thunderous shockwaves.
Roaring like a beast, Gaara charged at Akuma, but four jōnin—Kakashi, Guy, and two others—tackled him to the ground, preventing further transformation. Gaara glared at Akuma for a few moments before calming down and returning to normal. The jōnin released him.
"Akuma… why did you interfere?" Might Guy voice was strained, caught between confusion and worry.
Akuma said nothing. He simply stepped aside, revealing Rock Lee—still standing, but barely. His entire body was covered in bruises, shaking violently as if each breath might be his last. His eyes were lifeless, his willpower the only thing keeping him upright.
Might Guy eyes widen. Tears welled before he rushed forward and caught Lee in a tight embrace.
"Lee… enough. It's over. Rest. You don't have to stand anymore. I'm already more than proud of you—you are truly a great ninja. Now… sleep."
Lee's head dipped as consciousness slipped away, and Guy gently lowered him to the ground. The proctor glanced at them before announcing the result.
"Winner—Gaara of the Sand."
But Gaara's expression wasn't one of victory. He stared at Akuma, bloodlust radiating off him like heat from a furnace, before turning away and walking off without a word.
Akuma stepped toward Might Guy.
"Thank you, Akuma… for saving Lee," Might Guy said, his voice trembling as he continued to cradle his student. "If you hadn't stepped in… I could never have forgiven myself."
Akuma's tone was calm, but his words cut deep.
"Guy-sensei… it's good to trust us and believe in our dreams. But don't let that trust blind you. You let Brother Lee break almost every rule you've set for us—even allowing him to use a forbidden technique that should only be unleashed in a true life-or-death battle, or to protect something precious. In chasing our dreams, you've gambled with Lee's health… and his future."
Might Guy's grip on Lee tightened, his tears falling freely.
"Akuma… Lee… forgive your sensei!!"
Akuma stayed silent, the weight of the moment pressing on him. He looked at Guy and Lee, feeling a heavy sadness settle in his chest.
The silence held until the medical-nin arrived and gently lifted Lee's unconscious form away. One by one, the others returned to the observation deck—everyone except Akuma and Might Guy.
"Guy-sensei," Akuma finally said, "it's time for the next match. Let's go."