At that very moment, Taishi Takenaka had already closed the distance and was directly above Lee. At such close range, there was no way Lee could dodge.
"Damn it! I'll just have to protect my vitals!" Startled, Lee quickly brought his arms up to shield his most critical points.
Clang!
Just as the kunai was about to strike, Tenten flung one of her own, deflecting the attack and saving Lee in the nick of time.
Seizing the opportunity, Lee launched a Leaf Whirlwind, catching Taishi square in the chest and sending him flying backward. Lee himself barely managed to land and stabilize.
"This guy's decisiveness... it's brutal."
Every injury sustained by a shadow clone is felt by the real body.
The aftershock left Lee's heart pounding.
So this is a Chūnin… They're on a completely different level than the enemies we've faced before.
"Che... One's a close-range fighter, the other's long-range. What a pain." Taishi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered with a dark glint in his eyes.
So this is what Chūnin are really like…
Neji stood silently on a tree branch above, his eyes locked onto the battle below, lost in thought.
Seeing it for myself really drives the point home.
Back when he watched Naruto, he always thought Chūnin weren't that impressive. But stepping into this world for real, he quickly realized how wrong he'd been.
So even Chūnin can be this strong...
Lee's speed was exceptional, yet Taishi could still track his movements with precision.
No matter how cunningly Tenten launched her weapons, Taishi blocked them all with eerie accuracy.
And more than that he fought with ruthless precision and vast experience. In just moments, he had forced Lee and Tenten into a life-or-death situation.
Looking back, it's clear no one passes the Chūnin Exams without real skill.
Guess Naruto and the others only made it through because of their plot armor...
His thoughts drifted to the Sound Five opponents with strength rivaling elite Chūnin, taken down by Genin. Yeah… better not dwell on that.
Back to the present.
Lee and Tenten were now locked in a bitter struggle. The gulf in power between Chūnin and Genin was becoming obvious.
Even working in perfect sync, they were barely holding their own.
But that was only because Lee had been holding back. If he went all out, ten opponents like this wouldn't be enough.
Guy-sensei is watching… I can't afford to fall here. Should I use that technique? Lee hesitated.
Tenten was also starting to tire. Summoning so many tools at once had drained her chakra more than she'd expected.
Not that Taishi was having an easy time either.
Lee and Tenten were no pushovers. Their coordination meant he couldn't afford even a moment's carelessness.
Clang!
As their kunai clashed, both fighters were thrown backward from the force of the impact.
"How the hell did a bunch of Genin get assigned to track me down?" Taishi glanced warily around the clearing, then focused back on Lee and Tenten.
"Kiddies… your Jōnin sensei's gotta be nearby, right?" he said with a cold grin.
"Trying to sharpen you with my blade, are they? I hate to break it to you, but this lesson's going to be cut short."
With that, Taishi began forming hand seals at lightning speed.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow River."
The ground around them suddenly lurched and began to ripple like a rolling tide of mud.
"What the"
"What's happening?"
Lee and Tenten cried out, caught off guard as the mud surged around them. Their footing vanished, and movement became nearly impossible.
"This is nothing. I can still fight." Lee grit his teeth, struggling to remain upright.
"Hmph. I'm not done yet." Taishi's hands flashed again. "Earth Style: Quicksand Waterfall."
A massive wave of mud crashed over them, burying their bodies up to the necks. Only their heads remained above the surface.
Watching from above, Neji and Might Guy couldn't help but sigh and rub their foreheads.
They knew Taishi specialized in earth-style traps. And yet Lee and Tenten had still walked right into it…
But Taishi didn't strike the final blow. Instead, he turned to flee.
You think I'm dumb enough to stick around with their sensei watching? No chance.
Thud!
A black shadow dropped from the trees above and smashed a kick into Taishi, sending him sprawling back across the clearing.
"Hit my students and then try to run? That's a little too optimistic," said Neji coolly, leaning against a tree.
"Wow! That entrance was amazing." Tenten's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Lee stood off to the side, inwardly grumbling.
"Byakugan!" Taishi's eyes widened in panic. "The Hyūga clan!"
Without hesitation, he bolted for the trees.
It was common knowledge in the ninja world if a Hyūga gets close, things end badly for you.
"Shit!" he cursed, leaping toward a high branch.
But someone was already there.
"Sorry, but I'm leaving my students in your hands. Enjoy the fire of youth."
"Might… Guy!" Taishi gasped.
He'd spent enough time in Konoha to recognize the major players.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think someone of Guy's caliber would be sent after him.
With his heart sinking, he realized escape was no longer an option.
"Let's make this interesting," Guy suddenly said with a booming laugh.
"What?"
"If you can beat him, I'll give you one more day to run. If you lose… well, you know what's coming."
"Guy-sensei, wait" Tenten and Lee shouted, alarmed, but Guy waved them off.
"I believe in my student."
"So, what do you say? Care to gamble your fate on one last youthful duel?" Guy pointed directly at him.
"You're serious?" Taishi asked.
"You have a better option?" Neji cut in before Guy could reply.
"…Fine." Taishi suddenly hurled two kunai at Neji, then instantly began weaving signs.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!"
Neji flipped to the side, leapt into the air, and shot toward him like a bullet.
"Byakugan!"
The veins around Neji's eyes bulged with chakra as his vision pierced straight into Taishi's tenketsu the chakra nodes of the body.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
Taishi vanished with a Body Flicker Technique, but Neji's enhanced vision locked onto him again in an instant.
"Hmph." Taishi snorted and stood his ground, hands forming new seals. He wasn't retreating he was charging.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
A gust of wind burst from his mouth, blasting Neji mid-air. The Hyūga hadn't expected the sudden counterattack and was thrown backwards with a crash.
"Got you now, kid. Die!" Taishi roared.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
A razor-sharp arc of wind slashed toward Neji, slicing him clean through the waist.
But the body that split apart… wasn't Neji.
To Taishi's horror, it dissolved in a puff of smoke it was just a clone.
The real Neji was already behind him.
"Hey," he rasped, voice hoarse, "you know that really hurt, right?"
The pain from the destroyed clone had coursed through him too, staggering his steps. But Neji knew that in this world, if you wanted to live, you had to be ruthless especially with yourself.
"Crap!" Taishi gasped.
Thud!
A kunai plunged into his chest. But at the last second, he twisted his body just enough to keep it from hitting a vital organ.
Gritting his teeth, he seized Neji's wrist, raised another kunai, and aimed it at his neck.
Neji hadn't expected such resilience and speed, but he didn't panic.
Just as the blade neared his throat, Neji began to spin.
"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"