Rock Lee's entire body burned with an intense aura of chakra, so much so that even the whites of his eyes seemed to glow with the strain. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure as he hovered mid-air, fists clenched, body trembling not with fear, but with power surging beyond human limits.
"Daytime Tiger!"
With a single breath, Lee unleashed everything he had left in the Seventh Gate. His fist struck forward, compressing the air so violently that it detonated outward in the shape of a colossal white tiger's head. The beast roared toward Naruto, a wall of pressure and destruction that could tear apart anything caught in its path.
For someone like Minato Namikaze, the Flying Thunder God Technique might have made dodging feasible. But Naruto had no intention of running. He wanted to meet this attack head-on.
Naruto's hands flew into position, his expression firm. This isn't easy to block… but it's not impossible either.
He raised both hands, gathering every drop of natural energy that remained. "Sage Art—Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
The air whirled violently as a Rasengan swelled in front of him. In less than a heartbeat, it expanded from the size of a basketball into a massive, swirling sphere over thirty meters across, glowing with spiraling energy. He had poured every bit of his Sage chakra into the technique, the Rasengan becoming something monstrous—its power rivaling even a Tailed Beast Bomb.
The white tiger slammed into the Rasengan.
BOOM!
The collision ripped through the world around them. The ground quaked as if in the grip of an earthquake, and a shockwave blasted outward in all directions, flattening the trees and tearing at the soil.
"Danger! Get back!" Neji shouted sharply, activating his Byakugan as the shockwave surged toward them.
The sheer force caught everyone off guard.
Kiba grabbed Akamaru and leapt away. Shino's insects scattered to shield him from debris. Shikamaru pulled Choji out of the blast's path while muttering a curse under his breath. Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten all stumbled back, shielding their faces as wind howled around them.
No one had expected Rock Lee and Naruto's spar to escalate into something resembling a battle between monsters.
From farther off, Shizune's voice rang out, half panicked: "At this rate, Tsunade-sama is going to be furious! Look at the damage already!"
Her worry wasn't unfounded. The entire training field was crumbling. Repairing it alone would be a nightmare, and Tsunade's temper was infamous.
Yamato grimaced, his eyes scanning the chaos. "Shizune's right. This isn't just a spar anymore. The sheer scale of their power… It's already a Kage-level battle."
His gaze flickered toward Guy. "If Lee has reached this level with the Seventh Gate, then what about you, his teacher? And the Eighth Gate…" He swallowed. "No wonder they say it surpasses even the Hokage."
Kakashi's lips pressed into a thin line, a rare tension flickering across his face. He glanced sidelong at Guy.
"Mm? Kakashi!" Guy grinned with his usual gleaming teeth, as if he hadn't just witnessed the terrifying result of his pupil's growth. "Were you looking at me just now?"
Kakashi sighed. "You're imagining things again."
Meanwhile, Kurenai's focus was fixed on the battlefield, her crimson eyes narrowing as the storm of dust and chakra began to settle. She spoke softly but firmly, "Naruto won this match."
The others turned to look.
As the smoke cleared, the scene revealed itself: Naruto stood upright, body heaving from exertion, but still conscious. In front of him, Rock Lee lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, his body overwhelmed by the toll of the Seventh Gate.
The result was clear.
Yet despite Naruto's victory, the fight had left an impression none of them would soon forget.
Naruto gazed down at Lee's prone form, his chest rising and falling heavily. He had won—but barely. The Seventh Gate had nearly driven him to his limit. His Sage chakra was completely drained, and even his own reserves were running dangerously low. An invisible exhaustion pressed against him, threatening to drag him down.
Shizune and Sakura rushed forward, kneeling by Lee's side to check his condition. Their chakra flared gently as they examined him.
Kakashi exhaled, his voice low. "He pushed himself too hard. He didn't need to fight until his body gave out like this."
Guy's expression softened, though his voice carried pride. "No… this was Lee's choice. He wanted to test himself against Naruto with everything he had. For him, this was the perfect chance to see the true gap."
Shizune finally leaned back, relief clear in her voice. "He'll be fine. Just extreme exhaustion. With some rest, he'll recover completely." She glanced up at Guy, her tone sharpening. "But next time, don't let him be this reckless. If his body had been damaged beyond healing…"
Guy rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "I understand, I'll explain it to him properly."
As Lee was carefully lifted, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, and Choji gathered around Naruto.
"Nice one, Naruto."
"Yeah… that was insane."
"You really are something else."
Each of them, in their own way, voiced their admiration. Whatever doubts they might have once held about him, they had been crushed today.
Rock Lee had poured his soul into the Seventh Gate, yet Naruto had still emerged standing. That kind of strength was no longer something they could compare themselves to—it was something to aspire toward.
For Naruto, though, victory felt heavy. His gaze lingered on Lee as exhaustion tugged at his body. The Eight Gates… just the Seventh nearly pushed me this far. What kind of monster will I face if someone actually opens all eight?
The thought burned itself into his mind as the fading echoes of the Daytime Tiger still seemed to roar in his ears.
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