"Not good!"
Akatsuchi felt a chill surge up his spine and bent backwards into a backbend without the slightest hesitation.
Immediately after, Lee's kick grazed past his stomach, shattering one of the rock giant's feet.
'So fast!'
Many Ninjas present had similar thoughts flash through their minds simultaneously. Akatsuchi, who was being relentlessly pursued by Lee, broke out in a cold sweat.
'I have to go all out!'
Although fighting indoors posed significant limitations for Earth Release Users like Iwagakure's Ninjas-
having practiced Iwagakure's most widely applicable Rock Golem Technique, Akatsuchi could handle the influences of various environments relatively well.
He channeled Chakra throughout his body, merging himself into the rock giant above.
After merging with the caster, the hardness and toughness of the rock increased by a level.
Simultaneously, broken parts could be repaired at any time.
'He merged!'
Lee's thick eyebrows knitted together.
He stomped hard, shattering the ground beneath him, and his entire body became a blur.
In an instant, he appeared before the giant and threw a punch!
Boom!
The rock giant staggered, while Lee was sent flying back by the powerful recoil.
"Strong one from Konoha, I won't hold back anymore!"
Akatsuchi, from within the rock giant, poked his head out from the chest area, manipulating a giant stone fist with chakra to smash down on Lee in mid-air.
Lee in mid-air forced his eyes open, watching the fist descending upon him. His unwilling will ignited.
"Guy-sensei, sorry, I have to use that move!"
A faint surge of Chakra rose from Lee's abdomen, traveling along his meridians into his brain.
"Eight Gates Released Formation, Open!"
As the brain domain restrictions were lifted, Chakra began to dissipate from Lee's body.
Then, he curled up in mid-air, using a flip to accelerate his descent. The moment his feet touched the ground, he erupted forward.
Stepping onto the rock giant's arm, he rapidly charged towards Akatsuchi at the heart.
"Don't even think about it!"
Seeing the opponent's intent, Akatsuchi gathered Chakra in his mouth and spat out a large number of rock pellets towards Lee.
"Gate of Healing, Open!"
Lee's speed increased another notch. His figure agilely weaved between the incoming rock pellets.
Seeing his attack had no effect, Akatsuchi simply raised the giant's other rock arm and broke its left arm.
A huge cloud of dust filled the entire second floor of the tower. The spectators lost sight of both combatants.
"That Iwagakure guy is in danger!"
Observation Haki evenly spread across every inch of space, and Sasuke spoke to Sakura beside him.
The girl, blocking the dust flying towards her mouth and nose, shook her head: "Not necessarily."
At the rock giant's heart, Akatsuchi was also cautiously searching for the enemy's figure.
Whoosh!
The sonic boom created by a body cutting through the air sounded. Lee once again stomped the ground, leaping into the air.
His body, beginning to become engorged and redden, emitted green energy. The bandages on his hands fluttered freely, entangling Akatsuchi's body.
"Gate of Life, Open! Reverse Lotus!"
Lee, raising his fists and feet, pulled hard on the bandages, using the acceleration from his descent and his charge to execute the Reverse Lotus.
Unexpectedly, the supposedly panicked Akatsuchi revealed a smile. The broken rock giant hand on the ground suddenly rose, grabbing Lee's fists and feet.
It stopped his Reverse Lotus just one step away from Akatsuchi, making that short distance an insurmountable chasm!
"That's enough. You've done very well. Surrender!"
Akatsuchi, looking at Lee who still struggled even in this state, couldn't help but feel a trace of respect.
"No! I must… uphold my Ninja Way!"
Disregarding the restraints on his limbs, in the final burst from the Gate of Life, Lee twisted his own arms and legs.
A sudden, unexpected strike slammed into Akatsuchi's chest, kicking him out of the rock giant. He subsequently smashed through the tower wall and flew into the Forest of Death.
Lee himself also lost consciousness, falling from the shattered rocks, and was caught by the arriving Guy.
Watching the two unconscious Ninjas being taken away by their respective Jonin Instructor, Hayate stepped forward to announce the result.
"As both combatants are unable to continue, no one passes the first preliminary match!"
"Huh?" A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.
No one expected the first test to be so intense, making many subsequent examinees' expressions turn grave.
Medical-Nins entered the arena, taking the injured from the Jonin. Akatsuchi's condition wasn't serious… the key was Lee.
Having used the third gate of the Eight Gates and forcibly twisted his limbs to attack, his entire body was broken and battered.
But when they saw the figure of the pink-haired girl on the high platform, they promptly carried Lee and ran towards her location.
The best Medical-Nin in the village right now was here. Sending him elsewhere would be a waste of time.
As for Konoha Hospital? Can it compare to Sakura? Do you understand the value of being Tsunade's direct disciple?
"Sakura, can that child be saved?"
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Hiruzen leaped onto the viewing platform and came to Sakura's side.
"He can be saved. But if injuries like this happen a few more times, even if cured, he won't live long!"
Sakura's gaze swept over Lee's body. She summoned Leviathan and began reconnecting his broken bones and torn muscles.
While treating him, the girl didn't forget to shoot a reproachful glance at a certain green-spandex-wearing Jonin!
"Eh, my... my fault?"
The Konoha's Rare Beast, scratching his head, began to lose his bluster.
"Guy-senpai, in the future, could you please consider our patients a bit more?"
Sakura, hands on her hips, her aura highly condensed, lectured Guy until he shrank into a ball.
"Hahaha, then I'll leave Konoha's future to you, Sakura!"
Hiruzen, watching the scene before him, laughed and walked down from the platform.
"Hmph, Konoha truly has talent emerging in large numbers."
After Hiruzen returned to his position as the person in charge, the jealousy emanating from Onoki overflowed the platform.
"Haha, I think Iwagakure has quite good talent too. Not like our Sunagakure, with its harsh environment and sparse talent!"
Rasa stepped in to smooth things over, conveniently crying poor and playing the victim.
Among the four, only Kumogakure's Darui wasn't a Kage. He could only watch the three big shots chat freely, hiding to the side, not daring to speak.
In the center of the arena, Hayate continued to preside over the matches. The electronic screen began a new round of 'random' selection.
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi.
Sasuke, currently with ample Chakra, a healthy body, and having mastered Observation Haki and Lightning Nature Chakra Transformation, easily dealt with his opponent.
Yoroi didn't even get to use his Chakra Absorption Technique before being electrocuted into a charred mess.
Next was a Takigakure's Ninja vs Temari. Temari won.
Kumogakure's Samui vs Tenten. Samui won.
Shikamaru vs Kin. Shikamaru won.
Gaara vs an Amegakure's Ninja. Gaara won.
Choji vs his future wife Karui. He narrowly lost to her.
Dosu vs Kumogakure's Omoi. Dosu won.
Kurotsuchi vs a Kusagakure's ninja. Kurotsuchi won.
Kankuro vs Tsurugi Misumi. Kankuro won.
In the continuous stream of matches, Sakura noticed a pattern.
Basically, the elite contestants from each village would eliminate Genin from their own village or other small villages in this preliminary round.
The scenario of elite contestants meeting early in the preliminaries couldn't be said to be rare… one could say it was completely absent.
"Noticed it?"
Taking advantage of everyone's focus on the matches, Kakashi walked over to Sakura, who had now become a temporary medical station.
"This is just rigging, isn't it!"
Sakura, who was always straightforward, mocked the situation.
"How can you say that? This is called delaying the exciting parts~"
Kakashi leaned against the wall, a smile in his exposed eye.
After all, the battles between Ninja Villages' elites… such spectacular duels couldn't be hastily concluded in the preliminaries.
The official matches a month later would gather all the nobles from the Five Great Nations, as well as the leaders of various prominent organizations in the Ninja World. That was the best timing.
Displaying the village's strength at such a grand event would ensure a continuous flow of mission resources to the village in the future.
Therefore, some small villages and less capable contestants would be neatly arranged and eliminated in this round by Konoha.
The games between great nations, and small countries still want a seat at the table? Get on the menu!
As Sakura was sighing with emotion, the screen on the platform had already flipped to new names.
- Haruno Sakura vs Yamanaka Ino!
"Tch, and you still claim there's no rigging?"