The two warriors clashed repeatedly in midair, their impacts sending thunderous rumbles echoing like rolling storms.
Even the Anbu accompanying Shiki were momentarily stunned. This level of Taijutsu combat was something entirely new to them.
Perhaps high-level Ninjutsu battles were common enough. But never before had they seen two fighters battling with such intensity and raw physicality.
As he stood there dazed, a roar suddenly rang out in his ears, shaking him to his core.
He only saw Shiki and Lee spring apart the moment they made contact. Then, from a distance, both shouted in unison: "Fourth Gate! Harm Gate! Open!!!"
The battle intensified further, as if space itself trembled. The two fought like wild beasts, relying solely on pure, unbridled physical prowess.
Each punch carried the force to shatter the air itself.
Trees toppled constantly from the shockwaves of their fight. Soon, a large clearing formed. Even the ground became uneven and terribly scarred.
Only when fighting Lee did Shiki ever feel such raw, electrifying excitement. He could feel all his strength being pushed to the limit, and with every punch thrown, he could hear the air scream.
Shiki knew that both of them had already reached an elite Chunin level of power.
After all, in the original story, although Lee had lost to Gaara, not long after the Chunin Exams, Gaara became the Fifth Kazekage.
This alone spoke volumes about Lee's strength. However, rankings among ninja didn't always purely depend on actual power.
Yet the relentless pressure from Danzo had nearly suffocated Shiki.
That was exactly why Shiki pushed himself so relentlessly. And today marked the first time he had opened the Fourth Gate—the Harm Gate.
Seeing himself evenly matched against Lee in this battle brought Shiki secret joy; he felt he had finally caught up to Lee's pace.
"Shiki!" Lee called out, his face flushed with veins bulging from opening four gates. "Your Eight Gates technique isn't slow either!"
"But when it comes to effort... I won't lose to anyone!"
"Eight Gates! Fifth Gate! Limit Gate! Open!!!"
Lee's aura instantly overwhelmed Shiki, his intense chakra seeming capable of devouring everything around him.
At this moment, Shiki reacted quickly. While still somewhat distant from Lee, his fingers swiftly formed seals.
With the enhancement of the Harm Gate, Shiki's speed of forming hand seals could easily impress renowned ninjas.
Snake-Ram-Monkey-Pig-Dragon-Tiger—six basic hand seals completed almost instantly.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu]
Chapter 31: Full-Power Battle
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu]
This was the only offensive jutsu Shiki had ever learned—excluding whatever techniques he'd picked up unknowingly—from the one door.
For most Ninja Academy students, due to their limited chakra reserves, attempting C-ranked jutsu would be extremely difficult. That's exactly why Sasuke received so much praise for mastering the Great Fireball Jutsu at such a young age.
In truth, however, this technique wasn't particularly difficult. When Sasuke truly mastered it, he was barely five or six years old.
Even if it's the same jutsu, its power varies depending on the user. Those with superior chakra control can launch deadly attacks using minimal chakra.
Meanwhile, those possessing large chakra reserves can unleash wider-ranged techniques, decreasing the chance of an opponent dodging.
Shiki belongs to the latter category.
Even a C-ranked jutsu, when used by Shiki, visually rivals the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu.
Of course, there remains a significant difference in actual power.
The massive fireball surged directly toward Lee, instantly engulfing him.
Was it successful?
The hidden Anbu couldn't help but admire the strength of Shiki's Great Fireball Jutsu, convinced that Lee absolutely had no way to withstand this attack.
The air became scorching-hot in the wake of the massive fireball.
The firelight illuminated Shiki's face, making it look especially resolute.
"This battle isn't over yet!" Shiki calmly analyzed, fully aware of Lee's strength.
Moreover, he realized the devastating counterattack from Lee was coming next. Thinking about this, his fingers rapidly formed hand seals, already beginning preparation.
"Youth! Unleash your power!" Suddenly emerged a roar from within the flames.
Without thinking, Shiki immediately recognized the voice belonged to Lee.
Then, Shiki focused intensely, desperately sensing the chakra hidden inside the fire.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. From within the flames, a figure burst forth at an incredible speed—like lightning.
He had still seriously underestimated Lee!
Shiki never imagined Lee's speed could surge so drastically after opening the Limit Gate.
It had actually thrown off his carefully prepared timing, forcing him to form seals at an even faster pace.
[Leaf Whirlwind!!!] Once he reached Shiki's side, Lee instantly unleashed the move. It appeared merely as a rapid series of spinning kicks, yet generated a powerful gust of wind.
The force of the wind alone rivaled a C-ranked Wind Release technique, but the real danger came from the raw destructive force behind that kick—enough to make Shiki refuse to block or stand his ground.
The Anbu observer instinctively believed Shiki absolutely could not withstand such a terrifying blow.
Boom!
A puff of smoke appeared, revealing a wooden log where Shiki once stood.
The technique Shiki had been preparing just now was none other than the Substitution Jutsu! Facing a ninja like Lee, Shiki understood clearly that without preemptively setting up the Substitution Jutsu, he definitely wouldn't have dodged such a terrifying strike.
Now shifted above the ground, Shiki looked down at Lee below while coughing out a few mouthfuls of blood. Although Shiki managed to evade Lee's attack at the last moment, the spinning kick grazed him.
If just a glancing blow hit this hard, Shiki shuddered to think what a direct hit would've done.
He might have to stay hospitalized until Danzo came to pick him up.
"Looks like battle-ready Lee really doesn't hold back. But maybe… that's his way of trusting me."
Shiki sighed, then resumed the hand seal. Actually, Lee wasn't in a good situation either—the Grand Fireball from just now had drained much of his chakra.
Though in reality, Lee had suffered serious injuries. His green spandex suit, especially, had been scorched in the flames and was now hanging off him in tattered rags.
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