Chapter 75: Lee vs Gaara!
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
(Four chapters today. 1/4)
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"What an amazing chakra control," Kankuro murmured, his eyes widening with newfound respect.
This kid, who he had casually teased earlier, actually mastered such a powerful ninjutsu.
The puppeteer couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
Konoha was indeed the cradle of geniuses, he thought to himself.
He along with other sand shinobi, were reconsidering their initial assessment of the Leaf Village's strength.
Even Gaara, typically indifferent to others, turned his full attention to Naruto.
His pale green eyes narrowed, recognizing the technique that Colt had used to break through his ultimate defense.
It was naturally impressive, and for the first time, a flicker of interest passed across Gaara's usually emotionless face.
"I didn't expect that, Naruto. You also mastered Colt's ninjutsu?" Sasuke said, his voice a mixture of surprise and begrudging admiration. His eyes finally lit up with genuine interest, realizing that now Naruto truly qualified as a worthy opponent.
"Kakashi," Might Guy intoned solemnly, his thick eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "this is the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan." When he mentioned the Fourth Hokage, there was an unmistakable flash of reverence in his eyes.
For Guy, and for many others in Konoha, the Fourth had been the epitome of what a ninja should be – an almost perfect shinobi worthy of deep respect.
"Yeah," Kakashi replied, his voice maintaining its usual lazy drawl despite the gravity of the situation.
"It was taught to him by Colt, and it has nothing to do with me." There was a hint of pride in his voice, though whether it was for Naruto's achievement or Colt's teachings, it wasn't clear.
"Colt?" Ibiki, who had remained silent until now, looked at the handsome young man with a complicated expression. The seasoned interrogator found himself reassessing the enigmatic youth yet again.
In the main seat, the Third Hokage gazed at the familiar ninjutsu, lost in memories.
"Minato's technique," he murmured softly, his aged voice tinged with both nostalgia and regret. "Naruto... Is this perhaps fate passing it on as an inheritance?"
He couldn't help but wonder how different things might have been if Minato was still alive. How much stronger would Konoha be? Would they be so easily threatened by the likes of Orochimaru? The old man's mind raced with possibilities and what-ifs.
A hint of bitterness touched the corner of the Third's mouth, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
His gaze shifted to Colt, and he felt a surge of hope and satisfaction.
This ninjutsu, also recorded in the sacred [Scroll of Seals], left little doubt about who had taught Naruto.
For Colt's actions, the Third Hokage felt thoroughly pleased. In his view, this was the best expression of cherishing and nurturing the next generation.
Down in the arena, after witnessing Naruto's unexpected technique, Kiba felt a sinking feeling in his gut. But the ninjutsu had already been launched – there was no stopping it now. Gritting his teeth, Kiba braced himself for impact.
This time, Naruto did not choose to dodge and stared at Akamaru and Kiba who were getting closer and closer. His blue eyes, filled with determination, locked onto the approaching duo.
After the two were combined, he decisively chose to take the attack head-on. Naruto's face set in grim determination, a far cry from his usual carefree expression.
"I'm going to beat you and win!" Naruto shouted, thrusting the [Rasengan] forward with all his might.
The high-speed spinning chakra ball collided directly with the same high-speed spinning man and dog. For a breathless moment, the two techniques were deadlocked, neither giving an inch. The resulting clash kicked up a storm of dust and debris, obscuring the combatants from view.
In a stalemate for a moment, the dust on the field became more and more, burying their figures. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone held their breath, waiting to see the outcome.
Boom!
In the smoke, a huge explosion sounded, and everyone looked there nervously, wanting to know who had won. The shockwave from the impact rattled the arena, causing some of the spectators to stumble.
"Hinata, look with your Byakugan," Colt said, turning to the Hyuga heiress. His voice was calm, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Colt directly wanted to use the cheating mode, and the white-eyed girl activated her ability.
After a moment of intense focus, she reported with a mixture of joy and regret, "It was Naruto who won, and Kiba and Akamaru fainted."
Sure enough, when the dust dissipated, Naruto was panting and stood there, his orange outfit torn and dirty but a triumphant grin was present on his face. Several meters away, Kiba and Akamaru lay motionless, a sizable crater marking where they had impacted the ground.
"He was a bit stupid to go head on against such a technique," Colt mused, clicking his tongue.
But the fact that the [Rasengan] created such destructive power was obviously not yet fully developed.
'Not bad though' He thought, Naruto was just a Genin after all.
Hearing Colt's remarks, Kurenai Yuhi shot him an angry glare. Despite her student's loss, she couldn't help feeling protective of Kiba.
"Yeah! I won! I won against Kiba!" Naruto's exuberant voice filled the arena as the reality of his victory sank in.
"Sasuke! Did you see that? I won!" He waved excitedly towards the stands; his energy seemingly undiminished by the intense battle.
Kakashi, unable to contain his student's enthusiasm any longer, stepped down and gently but firmly pulled Naruto away. "Good job, Naruto," he said, his visible eye crinkling in a smile. "But let's not get too carried away."
Sasuke, watching from above, gave Naruto a rare compliment. "Good job," he admitted grudgingly.
But true to form, he couldn't resist adding, "But you are still far from challenging me!"
"Damn it you EdgeLord, I'll beat you up!" Naruto snapped back, using the nickname he'd heard Colt use for Sasuke. Although Naruto didn't know what the nickname meant, every time Colt called out Sasuke like that, it seemed to irritate the Uchiha, so Naruto gleefully adopted it.
Sure enough, Sasuke's eyes turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the Sharingan activating in his irritation.
Kakashi quickly pulled the two away, sensing the building tension. "Don't make trouble, others are still having their own matches," he admonished, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Sakura, observing from the sidelines, looked at Naruto, who was still celebrating his victory, and then at Colt, who was enjoying the admiration of those around him.
'I'm falling behind'
The gap between her and these people was getting bigger and bigger, she realized with a sinking feeling. Determination flickered in her green eyes – she would need to work harder to catch up.
The competition continued, with Konoha's rookies appearing one after another, their opponents all ninjas from other villages.
This was indirect proof that the Third Hokage was doing things behind the scenes.
Having nothing to do with it was pure nonsense and it didn't escape Colt's notice.
Shikamaru defeated Kin with his shadow techniques, his lazy demeanor belying his tactical genius. Choji also triumphed over Dosu, his expanded form proving too much for the Sound ninja's weakened state.
Speaking of Dosu, Colt reflected, he was also unlucky. After Colt had destroyed the ninja's sound amplifier, Dosu's strength had decreased sharply. Just relying on physical prowess, Choji was able to overpower Dosu convincingly.
After these matches, it was time for Gaara to face Rock Lee. The atmosphere in the arena grew tense as the two combatants took their positions.
"Live your youth without any regrets, Lee!" Guy cheered loudly for his disciple, revealing his iconic dazzling smile and thumbs-up pose.
"Thank you, Guy-sensei! I will definitely try my best!" Lee's eyes burned with determination as he entered the arena.
"Observe this coming fight with your full attention," Colt advised Hinata and Ino.
"This match can teach you a lot." The two kunoichi nodded earnestly, hanging on his every word.