The Chunin Exams - Chapter 63

"YES SIR!" Lee called out, crouching down into a runners position, one leg pulled back, both hands placed on the ground statue and leaning forward.

And then he took off, shooting towards Gaara with all his strength and speed, his body accelerating like a tightly compressed spring suddenly being released from a tight hold.

The first thing Daiki noticed, that it was not at all subtle or gentle.

The sheer force the older leotard wearing genin took off with, shattered the top of the statue he was standing atop. And the air itself exploded with a sonic boom from his sheer speed.

He crossed the distance in a split moment, getting behind Gaara before the red haired jinchuuriki could react.

His sand was not so slow though.

A wall of sand rose up just as Lee's fist shot forth like a bullet aiming for the back of Gaara's head.

It wasn't quite fast enough though and was too thin to stop the full speed and power behind the blow and Lee's fist went straight through it.

It was just enough though to slow Lee's blow down for more sand to rise up.

Seeing that, the older genin quickly pulled his hand free and moved in a blur, circling around Gaara and launching out with a spin kick aimed at his head as the jinchuuriki turned to his back, already a step behind.

Once again a thin wall of sand rose up and blocked the blow, but not enough to stop it from going through.

And then Lee once again disengaged and juked around to Gaara's right as the redhead whirled around to face his front, another blazingly fast punch aiming for his cheek.

Which was once again softened by a thin wall of sand, forcing the bowl cut sporting shinobi to circle around to the other side.

"Holy crap, he's so fast I can't even see him move!" Naruto voiced in shock, blue eyes wide in disbelief.

Sasuke at his side said nothing, but his eyes were just as wide, Sharingan shining brightly.

Daiki crossed his arms as he watched Lee zip around Gaara, probing his sand defence with powerful rapid blows, switching to another point with each blow.

'I'm faster.' Daiki noted for one.

Not by a massive amount, but he was faster than Lee was.

The second thing he noticed, was that Lee wasn't at all used to moving at the speeds he was currently moving at.

He could see some lingering hesitation in his attacks, some almost amateurish movements here and there despite the older boys obvious skill.

'He's not used to fighting without his weights.' Daiki mused. Which, was to be expected considering the rules Gai had set for him. He probably only had a little experience sparring with Gai and possibly his teammates without his weights.

But nothing more than that.

And his inexperience with his current unhindered abilities shone brightly to Daiki's eyes.

He was so fast Gaara's sand was having trouble keeping up and only barely managing to get a meagre defence in place. Lee's blows were fast and heavy, each one capable of piercing through that meagre defence.

Yet, he never committed fully to his blows.

He backpedalled every time he met resistance, coming from a different angle and trying to overwhelm the reaction time of the automatic sand defence.

And while it was working, albeit, slowly, with the sand defence, bit by bit putting up less of a defence…he could have gotten through from the very first blow if he just committed to it.

He was draining his own stamina unnecessarily and giving Gaara time to adapt at the same time.

Finally though, Lee having worn down the sand defence flipped and accelerated, coming around to Gaara's front and spun over the thinnest shield of sand rushing to his defence yet and brought a back heel kick down atop Gaara's skull.

Lee's own momentum from the kick not only sent the bowl cut sporting boy skidding back out of any retaliatory range, but sent Gaara skidding the opposite way as well, the redhead only kept upright by his sand.

"He-he!" Gai puffed his chest out proudly, "In terms of speed, there's not a single genin here that can keep up with Lee!"

All around Daiki could see people staring wide eyed down at the boy, none more shocked than Temari who was gripping the railing she was standing behind tightly and staring down at the spectacle below gobsmacked.

There was a cracking sound that echoed audible as a fissure ran up Gaara's cheek.

"I'm faster." Daiki announced with a shrug.

Honestly, he was actually a bit disappointed this was all Lee amounted to. He could be so much more right now if he just was smart about things and trained more without his weights on to get used to his speed.

What use was all that speed and strength if he couldn't even use it properly?

He felt many an eye on him after his announcement, but his eyes were more focused on somebody else.

Specifically the sandy blonde on the other side of the room who's wide eyed stare shot to him at his announcement.

"Of course you are." Sasuke scoffed, shaking his head at his side.

Lee shot forward then in a blur of motion and for once, put his all in and committed fully. Gaara's sand wasn't fast enough to amount a large enough defence to block him before the older boys fist smashed into his face and sent him flying back.

Still, that was it.

Lee didn't follow through.

"What a punch! I couldn't see him at all!" Shikamaru voiced in shock, "Wait…what!?" he followed with a sound of confusion a second later.

Gaara's sand stopped him from falling, or taking any damage for that matter. The fissure on his face had opened up fully displaying skin beneath.

Despite the power of Lee's punch, the sand armour had blocked it. And Gaara had suffered no damage beyond that, because despite Lee's strength, the force behind it wasn't enough to rattle the red head even through his armour.

'He should have followed through and just bullied him into the ground and keep attacking.' Daiki shook his head.

Not only was Lee hesitant to fully commit and inexperienced with his own abilities, he lacked the true edge to ruthless decimate his opponents.

It wasn't at all a lack of ability or skill that held Lee back at all.

It was his mindset.

Right in this very moment, before Gaara could recover, Daiki in Lee's place would have opened the first gate and just hammered him with all his strength and not give him any chance to recover.

"Whoa his face broke off, the hell!?" Naruto exclaimed.

"This sand jutsu sure is versatile, a two layered defence, not only that shield of sand that seems to be faster than Gaara's own reaction speed but this sand armour as well, anyone else would have been finished from a blow like that." Sasuke grunted out.

"They call it the ultimate defence in Suna," Daiki explained for them, since Kankuro wasn't around right now fishing for information through Naruto and here to explain it, "The sand shield is automatic, he doesn't even need to control it himself, it's akin to a bloodline and he can repair that armour of his on the fly."

To punctuate his statement, sand flowed up from Gaara's shield and formed over the hole in his armour and filled it up again.

"That's bullshit!" Naruto shouted, squinting his eyes and pointing down at Gaara, "How the hell is somebody supposed to get through that then?"

"That's pretty easy." Daiki replied with a shrug. He already had multiple avenues through it, for one bullying through the simple way, or just avoiding it entirely and point blank blasting him with his Force Palm Jutsu and letting the shock wave travel straight through.

Once again multiple eyes landed on him, but he said nothing else.

"…Well?" Sasuke arched a brow at him.

"Figure it out yourself," Daiki snorted, "I'm not here to spoon feed you wimps the answers."

Sasuke clenched his jaw, before nodding in understanding.

"Heh, I bet you're just talking shit and don't actually know." Naruto snorted.

"It seems, I must resort to more drastic measures." Lee announced, saving Daiki from having to respond to the blonde.

Saving Naruto really, from a major burn.

The leotard wearing genin reached for the bandages on his arms and unwound them, 'Looks like he's going for the Lotus now.' Daiki mused.

Things were playing out exactly as he figured they would.

He crossed his arms and watched.

Lee shot towards Gaara and circled around him, making the redhead think he was going to attack from behind.

But it was a feint and the leotard wearing teen circled around again to Gaara's front, launching a mule kick towards his chin that sent the redhead flying.

Or so it seemed.

It was actually a clone Gaara made on the fly within his sand shield and switched with just before the kick connected, using his own sand armour as a cover to mask the switch.

Daiki could see it all with his eyes.

The Primary Lotus was quite powerful, the sheer force it impacted the ground with a few moments later when Lee got behind the sand clone with the Shadow Of The Dancing Leaf and wrapped it up with the bandages of his arms, left a huge multiple metre crater in the ground.

Even Daiki would have trouble walking one of those off.

Too bad as he knew, it was a clone.

And while everyone was announcing Lee's win, a familiar redhead rose up out of the sand behind him, a manic grin on his face.

All that was within the impact site, was an empty sand shell in the likeness of Gaara.

Lee's eyes widened, as did everyone else's.

"When did he slip out of that shell, I never even saw it!?" Gai exclaimed in shock.

'Exactly.' Daiki rolled his eyes. The replacement technique Gaara used was seamlessly done and hidden completely from view. Only a doujutsu like his own or the Byakugan could have seen it happen, he doubted the Sharingan could actually.

A quick glance at Sasuke's shocked expression answered that question for him as well.

"Heh-heh!" Gaara chuckled ominously and formed a ram seal. The sand around him surged in size and exploded forward like a rushing wave and slammed into Lee who was too hurt from the Primary Lotus to dodge.

The sand carried him across the arena and slammed him into and through the wall. The only reason he didn't end up in another room entirely, was because of how huge the wall itself was, but even than, when the sand was pulled back a bit by Gaara, a huge crater had formed in the wall with Lee in the middle.

He was bloody and bruised, his leotard ripped and stained with blood, on his knees arms crossed in a feeble block.

But he would be dead if Gaara actually wanted him to die right then and there. Gaara still wasn't taking him seriously.

"Why didn't he dodge, he's way faster than that sand!" Naruto asked loudly, confused.

"The Primary Lotus, that technique he just used is a double edged sword without the right conditioning," Daiki responded before Gai or Kakashi could, "After using it his body isn't in any shape to move like before."

"Indeed," Kakashi nodded and gave Daiki a shrewd glance, "Your knowledge is something else kid."

Daiki shrugged, "Gai is pretty famous and I put thought into learning the Strong Fist myself once," he replied, "The Feather Fist suits me more though."

"Hmm, I wonder about that." Kakashi hummed, but said nothing else.

"Cut your cryptic crap you morons," Naruto scoffed, "More importantly, doesn't what you said mean Bushy Brows can't win?"

"He could have won already if he wasn't being stupid," Daiki rolled his eyes and glanced over towards the bowl cut bearing Jonin looking down upon the match proudly, "Gai-sensei, tell him to give up." he called over.

As much as he would like to see the eight gates in action and learn from it. It wasn't worth Lee damaging his spine and putting his life in jeopardy over a freaking chunin exams that happened every six months.

Especially since going through with what he would, wouldn't get him promoted anyway and would be a demerit against his promotion.

"Worried are you Daiki-kun?" Gai looked over and must have confused quite a few people when he grinned, "There's no need to worry my young friend, for the lotus of Konoha b-"

"Blooms twice, I know," Daiki cut him off, "Going that far for a single match in the chunin exams is stupid though, there's no point in doing this, he already could have won if he was smart about things, instead he doesn't know how to handle his own abilities because he hasn't fought enough without his weights off and he's too hesitant and kind to leverage his strength properly."

"Your concern for Lee is admirable Daiki-kun," Gai smiled at him, "But, you need not worry, Lee is strong."

Just from that single statement, Daiki knew he wouldn't budge. He wasn't caring about logic, it was all illogical sappy emotion.

Daiki was surprised how angry he found himself becoming, his teeth involuntarily grinding together.

"Gai, don't tell me you taught him how to open the gates?!" Kakashi gaped at his fellow jonin sensei, and when Gai merely smiled wider, Kakshi huffed, "I'm disappointed in you Gai."

Gai scoffed, "You don't know the first thing about that child Kakashi, so you don't understand," he shook his head and replied, "Lee needed this."

"He doesn't need to use it here!" Daiki bit out with a growl before looking down at Lee himself, "Lee, give up, you've wasted your chances, going any further will just destroy you!"

Lee looked up at the sound of Daiki's voice and gave him a tired grin, "I cannot do that Daiki-kun my friend!" he called back, "Here and now, I will show that even one such as I who cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu can become a splendid ninja!"

"You've already did that, you're one of the strongest guys here!" Daiki snapped, "You could have won already if you were smart about things and started without your weights or just hammered him properly without pussying out! Going any further won't prove anything and just show you're not chunin material!"

Lee bowed his head for but a moment at Daiki's words before rising back up and facing Gaara, resolute, "I'm sorry Daiki-kun, but this is something I must do." he shut his logic down fully with a single statement.

"Your concern is appreciated Daiki-kun, but one born as talented as you, cannot understand Lee," Gai smiled proudly, "That boy has a dream he believes in so profoundly and his chasing it so passionately that he is willing to die for the sake of out."

…There was no reasoning with these people.

Daiki gaped at them both, at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing, looking for and failing to find the words to reply.

…This was so stupid. It was admirable to chase his dream so passionately, but risking it all over a fucking chunin exams that happened every six months? Just to beat one person in a fight?

A fight that wouldn't get him promoted anyway?

"Don't do this Lee." Daiki almost pleaded.

Why was he so invested in this? He knew how it would go. He couldn't wrap around his own concerns, or their own lack of logic.

"I must," Lee spread his arms wide and Daiki saw as the chakra within his body began to rush towards certain points, flowing in an almost erratic manner, before rushing up through a certain point located near his brain, "Gate Of Opening: Release!"

"Pathetic!" Daiki spat and before he even knew what he was doing, he was storming away.

He got odd glances from quite a few, Hinata reached out to him as he passed by her, but hesitated and let him go by without a word.

He left the room behind amidst Lee's shouts as he released one gate after another.

He couldn't bear to stand by and watch when such idiocy was taking place.