Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Fouth Match

[A/N: Yo, my fellow shinobi squad! 🌙🔥

Thanks so much for sticking around and vibing with this journey. Y'all are the real MVPs of this story—it's your silent head-nods and late-night reads that fuel these chakra-charged chapters.

I know some parts of the Chunin Exams here hit different compared to the original. That's intentional. We're remixing the old-school vibes to create something fresh while still keeping that Naruto soul alive. Different match-ups, deeper emotions, more personal stakes—but with the occasional "as it should be" battle like Lee vs Gaara… 'cause c'mon, that fight's not just iconic, it's sacred.

So yeah—keep the support coming, drop a comment if you can, even a little "Dattebayo!" goes a long way. 🙌

Till next time, stay strong, stay loyal, and always bet on your Nindo.

Believe it, baby. 🌀]

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The spectators blinked—and suddenly Gaara was flung backwards, his body cracking through the pillar behind him.

WHAM.

Sand flew in all directions.

Before the dust could settle, Lee was on him again.

A kick to the stomach.

A punch to the face.

A spin midair—another kick—CRACK.

Gaara's sand barely responded. It twitched, sluggish, struggling to keep up.

Lee wasn't fast anymore. He was unstoppable.

From the stands, even the Jonin were stunned.

"He's… faster than the Sharingan can follow," Kakashi muttered.

Guy's eyes shimmered—not with worry, but with pride.

"That's my boy."

Gaara let out a growl, his sand finally forming a shield—But Lee appeared above it.

Spinning.

A heel drop slammed into Gaara's guard—sand shattered like glass.

And then—

Lee grabbed Gaara by the midsection.

"Ura Renge!!"Reverse Lotus.

He launched them both into the air, chakra burning from every pore.

Higher. Higher.

The crowd held their breath.

Lee spun, wrapping Gaara in bandages mid-flight, pulling him in tight.

"This is it!"

BOOM!!!

They crashed into the arena floor with the force of a meteor.

The ground shattered.

A crater formed, massive and smoking.

Silence.

Lee rose to his knees, trembling.

His body was shaking from strain.

But he smiled.

He did it.

Gaara rose again, shielded just in time by his sand—but not unscathed. Bruises marked his body, rage etched into his face.

Snarling in silence, he commanded his sand to surge—faster, thicker, merciless. It poured over Lee like a tidal wave, wrapping around him, swallowing him whole.

And then—crack.

The chilling sound of bones buckling echoed across the arena. A gasp rippled through the crowd.

Gaara narrowed his eyes. It was done. He recalled his sand, confident in his victory. The grains slithered back into his gourd like snakes returning to their den.

Lee lay motionless. The arena held its breath.

Hayate stepped forward, clearing his throat, about to declare the winner.

Gaara turned, already halfway out.

But then—movement.

Lee stood.

The impossible happened.

Bloodied, battered, bones screaming—he stood.

He pushed the Hachimon to its final limit—Tomon, the Gate of Limit. A fierce, green chakra ignited around him like a storm caught fire.

Gaara froze. How?

How could this boy, who couldn't even use ninjutsu or genjutsu, still stand?

Lee vanished again. His speed, absurd. His power, monstrous. Gaara took the hits—blow after blow—his body flinching with each impact.

But this time, Gaara anticipated. He formed a barrier—a pressurized vacuum between two layers of sand. A fortress within a fortress.

Lee's final attack hit that wall—and stopped.

His body, already broken beyond reason, couldn't hold on.

He collapsed.

For the first time, Gaara felt something stir within him.

Triumph.

The boy who never cared, never felt—who wore apathy like armor—felt it. That burning desire to win. It flickered in the hollow of his chest, foreign and frightening.

Hayate stepped forward, clearing his throat to announce the result.

But Lee...

Lee stood again.

His limbs trembled, his body screaming in agony. Bones fractured, muscles torn—but his will moved him. His spirit refused to surrender.

Gaara's eye twitched in irritation. This wasn't defiance—it was madness. How could someone so broken still rise?

In a burst of frustration, Gaara sent his sand hurtling toward Lee—to end it.

But it never reached him.

Two figures stood in the way.

Naruto. Guy.

Naruto's eyes were steely, fixed on Gaara like a storm yet to break.

Guy's were soft. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked only at his student.

"You've already won," Naruto said, voice calm but heavy with meaning. "You can defeat him... but you can't make him accept defeat. And that's something even your sand can't crush."

Gaara stood still. Naruto's words struck something deep, something long buried. Slowly, Gaara retracted his sand.

Hayate, voice now steady, declared, "Rock Lee can no longer continue. Gaara of the Sand advances to the next round."

Guy rushed to Lee's side, pulling him into a tight embrace. His green jumpsuit soaked with sweat, blood, and pride.

"You've already shown them what Youth truly is," he whispered. "Now please… rest."

Lee's eyes fluttered, his lips parting in the faintest smile. And then, finally, he let go. Not of his will—but of the battle.

Guy gently lifted Lee in his arms, carrying him toward the waiting Iryo-nin. Every step was heavy—not from Lee's weight, but from the storm of emotions still swirling in the arena.

His students had been dealt rough hands—two forced to clash, and the third thrown against a monster.

Yet, Guy smiled. Not out of ignorance, but pride.

He was odd, loud, sometimes ridiculously earnest... but beneath all that, Might Guy was one of the greatest Jonin in the shinobi world. Those lucky enough to call him "Sensei" didn't just gain a teacher—they gained an unwavering pillar.

The crowd was still murmuring from the previous match, but the show had to go on.

Hayate, ever the professional, cleared his throat again.

"Next match: Kiba Inuzuka versus Ino Yamanaka."

Both stepped onto the field.

Kiba cracked his knuckles, confidence in every step. Akamaru gave a small, eager bark at his side.

Ino flipped her hair dramatically, a playful fire in her eyes. "Kiba, you're my friend… but I refuse to lose. Not in front of my boyfriend." She shot a glance at Naruto, her cheeks faintly pink.

Naruto, watching from the stands, chuckled to himself. Why is she always so bold like this? he thought, both amused and slightly confused.

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Boyfriend?" He shook his head. "Whatever. You're still going down. I've got dreams, too. Becoming a Chunin is step one. I'm not gonna stop here."

Akamaru growled in agreement, his ears perked up, ready to brawl.

The tension wasn't the same as before—this fight was lighter, but still carried the weight of ambition.

Hayate gave them a nod. "Begin!"

"Go, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted.

The tiny pup leapt high—poof!—transforming mid-air into a much larger, battle-ready beast.

With a growl, Akamaru lunged straight at Ino, claws out and fangs bared.

Ino swiftly jumped back, narrowly dodging the assault.

"Now!" she whispered, forming her hand seal."Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

Her body slumped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut—but her mind was already inside Kiba.

Kiba's body stiffened—then relaxed. A smirk formed on his face.

"Akamaru, stop!" the possessed Kiba commanded.

The dog skidded to a halt, ears twitching in confusion.

"Didn't I say stop?" Ino's voice echoed from Kiba's mouth. "No food for you tonight if you attack!"

Akamaru blinked once. Twice. Then tilted his head.Hold up—what kind of threat was that?

The dog growled and launched forward, not fooled for a second.

Inside Kiba's body, Ino's eyes widened. "Seriously? Bad boy!"

Akamaru didn't care. He charged in.

Ino bailed from Kiba's body just in time—her spirit snapping back into her own as she rolled out of the way, barely avoiding a direct hit.

"Okay, note to self," she huffed, brushing off dirt. "Akamaru doesn't fall for food threats."

Naruto in the stands laughed. "Guess Ino's gotta work on her dog whispering skills."

Kiba blinked, his senses returning as Ino's mind slipped out of his body.

"Akamaru, what just happened?"

The loyal pup barked excitedly and trotted over, nuzzling him with a worried whimper.Kiba listened intently—Akamaru gave the whole report in barks, tail wags, and growls.

"Tch. I let her in... just like that?" Kiba clenched his fist. "No more games."

He took a deep breath and bit his thumb."Bunshin no Jutsu!"

With a puff, a perfect clone of Kiba appeared beside him."Let's show 'em what the Inuzuka style's made of!"

Both Kiba and his clone leapt into the air with Akamaru.They transformed in sync—two human-sized beasts and one pup-turned-wolf, all spinning violently in midair.

"GATSUUGA—"

"GARŌGA!"

A triple drill attack tore through the ground like a hurricane. The arena trembled with the force.But Ino, sharp-eyed and calm, ducked and dodged with ninja grace.

'Too risky to take it head-on,' she thought. 'Even if I win, a scratch on my face is not the vibe.'

She danced between attacks like a leaf in the wind, watching—waiting.

Then it came.

All three zoomed toward her—one from the left, one from the right, one straight ahead.

This was it. Her moment.

Ino exhaled slowly…And at the last second—sidestepped.

"NOW!"

The three spiraling missiles couldn't correct in time.

BOOM.

A cloud of dust exploded as all three crashed into each other in a gloriously chaotic pile-up.

One puffed into smoke—a clone.The real Kiba and Akamaru rolled back, dazed and staggering. Their heads spun like tops at a festival game.

"Sorry, boys," Ino smirked, flipping her ponytail back.She sprinted in—BAM!

One perfectly-placed kick knocked both of them down flat.

The crowd went silent—then roared.

Hayate cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru cannot continue. Ino Yamanaka advances to the next round."

Ino blew a kiss to the crowd—then another toward Naruto.

He blinked. "What's with her today?"

Shikamaru sighed in the background. "Troublesome."