Chapter 107

Gaara walked out of the medical room after receiving a simple treatment, his expression calm and focused.

However, as soon as he stepped outside, he was met by a swift kick.

Phew!

Rock Lee's foot collided with Gaara's sand shield, but the powerful defense remained intact.

"Wait for me in the third exam! I'll avenge Neji for sure!" Rock Lee shouted, determination blazing in his eyes.

Gaara's gaze shifted coldly toward Lee, a sneer creeping across his face. "You? You're not even worthy to be my opponent. You'd better hope we don't meet in the third exam...."

"Why you—!" Rock Lee gritted his teeth, ready to lash out once more.

He turned, aiming another kick at Gaara, but his weights were still on. Without them, breaking through Gaara's sand defense was impossible. Lee could only watch as Gaara walked away indifferently.

"You should feel fortunate this is Konoha. Otherwise, you'd already be dead..."

Gaara's taunting words echoed in Rock Lee's ears, fueling his desire to open the Eight Gates and fight Gaara on the spot. But the rules forbade it, and Lee could only hold back his fury.

Meanwhile, the central tower saw its own drama unfolding.

Midare from Amegakure challenged his teammate, Baiu, only to immediately admit defeat!

Baiu took advantage of this strategy and secured a place in the third exam, while Midare, though unsuccessful, still had a chance to challenge another competitor.

"Those sneaky bastards from Amegakure!" Inuzuka Kiba spat, outraged. "They found a loophole in the rules and got someone through without a real fight!"

There were only ten spots available for the third exam, and the fact that a participant from Amegakure could advance without facing a proper opponent was maddening to the other competitors.

"I protest! How can they pass like this?" Kiba shouted at Gekko Hayate, his anger palpable.

Gekko Hayate coughed and glanced at the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who merely shook his head slightly, signaling him to ignore the complaint.

This rule had been designed to give smaller villages like Sunagakure a chance to participate and prevent them from being eliminated too easily. What Sarutobi hadn't anticipated was that Amegakure would be the one to exploit the loophole.

"Ahem… The protest is invalid. The competition will continue. The next candidate, please come to the stage!" Gekko Hayate declared.

With that, the three from Amegakure breathed a sigh of relief. They knew they could push another member through the exam as long as no one challenged them. However, all eyes were now on them, making it unlikely for them to repeat their tactic.

On Konoha's side, a few began to consider whether they could use the same loophole to advance. But no one was willing to give up their spot so easily, not even for a teammate. This was why Shikamaru, despite noticing the loophole first, decided not to exploit it—he knew it wouldn't be fair to anyone who had to give up their place.

Meanwhile, Tenten stepped forward to take her place in the ring. Despite knowing it would be wiser to challenge a weaker opponent, she couldn't resist the urge to avenge Neji. Her opponent: Temari of Sunagakure, whose strength was still unknown.

"That one from Sunagakure—do you dare face me?!" Tenten's eyes burned with determination as she pointed at Temari.

Unexpectedly, Temari didn't seem to take the challenge seriously.

"Wasn't that green-clad guy the one who wanted revenge? Why isn't he stepping up? Is he afraid?"

Rock Lee, who was standing nearby, stepped forward. "I don't fight women, so Tenten will challenge you in my place!"

"Oh? How chivalrous," Temari sneered, flicking her iron fan open.

"Too bad your looks don't match your gentlemanly behavior… those thick eyebrows really aren't doing you any favors."

Rock Lee's face twitched. The insult struck a nerve, reminding him of his failed attempt to woo Sakura.

"I want revenge—can't you take this seriously?" Lee thought, but his words were drowned out by Temari's mocking laughter.

With a dramatic flourish, Temari hurled her fan into the ring, catching it gracefully as it thudded into the ground. She smirked at Tenten.

"Alright, little girl. I'll give you three free moves. If you don't defeat me by then, I'll start getting serious."

"Who asked you to give me a head start?!" Tenten snapped, her frustration mounting.

"Because if I actually fight, you'll be done in one move. And wouldn't that make your whole revenge thing... well, pretty pointless?"

Temari's words were like salt in a wound, and Tenten's patience snapped. She launched several shuriken at Temari, but they were swept aside effortlessly by a gust of wind from the fan.

"Tsk, tsk. Is that the best you can do? I get it—you're nervous, right? First time avenging a friend and all, so you can't even aim properly?" Temari taunted, her venomous words designed to rattle Tenten further.

From the sidelines, Rock Lee called out, "Don't listen to her, Tenten! Avenge Neji!"

Tenten nodded firmly, her eyes narrowing in determination as she gauged the distance between her and Temari. With each step forward, she became more focused, more determined to strike down her opponent.

One step...

Two steps...

Three steps!

But her speed was still leagues behind Neji's. To the untrained eye, she might as well have been an ordinary civilian running, rather than a skilled ninja from Konoha.

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