Chapter 47: A Lesson in Speed
"Hiss—"
A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed through the hall at Kamikawa Hiraoka's audacious declaration.
"I don't know what gave you the confidence to challenge me," Hiraoka continued, his smile unnervingly calm. "But since you did, be prepared for the consequences."
"Let's just begin!" Rock Lee shot back, convinced Hiraoka was all talk and no action.
The moment the words left Lee's mouth, Hiraoka vanished.
Lee stared, shocked, at the empty space where his opponent had just stood. His earlier assessment shattered instantly; this was no mere braggart.
"Bowl-cut, stop daydreaming." The voice came from directly behind him.
Lee reacted on pure instinct, spinning to deliver a powerful sweep kick behind him. But his leg met only air. A cold dread settled in his stomach as he realized his speed was utterly insufficient against this opponent.
"Over here, bowl-cut." Hiraoka's voice taunted from his front now.
By the time Lee's brain registered the sound, it was too late. A powerful fist connected with his midsection with a sickening thud. The force lifted him off his feet, sending him flying backward to slam hard against the wall.
On the sidelines, Uchiha Sasuke watched, his Sharingan-active eyes wide with disbelief. "Hiraoka... he's too fast!" he muttered. Even his copied eyes could no longer cleanly track Hiraoka's movements.
Up on the second-floor balcony, Hyuga Neji stared down, equally stunned. The terrifying speed Hiraoka was displaying surpassed what he had faced during their own duel. The memory sent a chill down his spine.
Beside him, Tenten covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. She could scarcely believe the gentle boy from earlier possessed such fearsome power.
Rock Lee pushed himself up from the floor, his body trembling slightly as he stared at his opponent. The taijutsu he took such pride in had been completely and effortlessly dominated.
"Well? Are you giving up?" Hiraoka asked, his tone still infuriatingly level.
"Huu—" Lee exhaled slowly, steeling himself. "I'm not done!" he declared, his voice firm.
"I admire your spirit," Hiraoka said, a note of genuine praise in his voice. Then, he laid down a new condition. "Let's make this simple. If you can withstand a single punch from me without falling, I will concede this match."
Hearing this, Lee knew it was no empty boast. He nodded gravely. "Understood!"
A sharp grin spread across Hiraoka's face. In the next instant, he moved with lightning speed, closing the distance in a blur. His fist shot forward, aimed directly at Lee's cheek.
But at the last possible moment, a mere millimeter from impact, the fist—and all its devastating force—halted completely.
The entire sequence lasted less than a blink.
When Lee's mind caught up, he found Hiraoka already retracting his fist. The message was clear. He had lost. And he had lost decisively.
The entire exchange had lasted just over forty seconds.
Neji, watching from above, felt a wave of relief. He didn't use this kind of speed against me. The thought was followed by a pang of genuine fear.
"Lee! I saw the entire fight!"
The voice of Might Guy boomed from behind Rock Lee. He had arrived just in time to see his student's devastating defeat.
Lee spun around, grabbing his teacher's arms, his face a mask of shame. "Teacher, please punish me!"
Guy looked down at his despondent student, his own heart churning with complex emotions. He then raised a fist and delivered a solid, sharp knock to the top of Lee's head.
Thwack!
Watching the dramatic display, Hiraoka's eye twitched involuntarily.
Lee, sent stumbling back by the blow, immediately rushed back to his teacher's side. "Please, punish me more!" he cried out.
Moved by his student's passionate remorse, Guy enveloped Lee in a powerful hug. He then pointed dramatically toward the sky. "Lee! Do you see the golden sunlight in the distance?!"
"Yes, teacher! I see it!" Lee responded, his voice thick with emotion.
"It's alright, Lee! Youth is always accompanied by failures! Do not let it weigh on your heart!" Guy proclaimed, his voice booming with fervor. "To rekindle your burning spirit, you will run three hundred laps around the Field of Youth!"
Upon hearing "youth" and "field," Lee's spirits visibly skyrocketed. "Teacher! You are too kind! But the Field of Youth demands at least five hundred laps!"
"FIVE HUNDRED LAPS!" Guy's face shone with proud tears. "And after that, two thousand push-ups!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you, teacher!" Lee wept openly, returning his teacher's bone-crushing hug.
Master and disciple then turned, flashing identical, brilliantly shiny smiles and thumbs-up to the bewildered audience.
Hiraoka could only stare, a cascade of invisible black lines covering his face.
Ahem! He cleared his throat loudly, shattering the moment. "I feel I must remind you both," he said, his voice dry. "The Chunin Exam registration closes in ten minutes. Do you really think there's time for five hundred laps now?"
"In that case," Guy declared, clapping a hand on Lee's shoulder, "Lee's punishment shall be postponed until after the Chunin Exams are complete!"
He then turned his vibrant energy toward Team 7. "My name is Might Guy! And I am the eternal rival of your sensei, Kakashi!" He finished with his signature pose, his smile blazing with pure, unadulterated youth.
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Guy not Killing Madara is Plot Armor.
Gimme Stones or Guy will jump on top of you.