Checking financial records has shown I own neither the Naruto or Marvel verses. Darn.
"Wow, and I thought Sakura was rough." Naruto said in shock as he watched Sai be helped out of the arena.
"And I Tenten." Lee said in agreement of his own teammate.
"That's the thing with girls Naruto, they have a very nasty habit of fighting really dirty." Peter sagely returned to his friend. "I would much rather fight a guy than a girl any day of the week. Guys have a way of fighting and girls have another even if they use the same styles it's different and not something you want to find yourself having to deal with."
"All too true." Shikamaru said in agreement from where he was leaning on the railings. "Women are just way to irrational. It's part of what makes them all so troublesome."
"One of the reasons that you wanted to beat Hinata as fast as you did I'm sure." Peter told the shadow user. The other boy merely shrugged at that.
"Be careful who you let hear that." Kakashi warned the Gennin seeing the dark looks that the two girls near them were sending at the masked boy. "You might also be scared if Anko heard that as well, she'd really enjoy showing you how brutal and sadistic a woman can be." He added nodding towards the purple haired Proctor who flashed them all a toothy smile.
"Anyways, onto the next fight." Peter said nervously as he inched away frm the girls. "Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be my turn next." He said while he smiled weakly at the girls that were now glaring at him with promises of pain for his comment.
The screen once again began flashing through the various names while Naruto and Lee clamored for it to choose one of them. Peter's eyes meanwhile were looking over who was left. Lee, Naruto, Shino, the Sand Ninja, Dosu, Kabuto and his teammate and of course himself. It looked like they were nearly finished on this part then. He wondered which of them he would have to fight he really hoped he got a chance to get his hands on Dosu before this was all over. The monitor finally stopped on the names of the newest pair of fighters. "You think if we tried to bribe someone they would hurry up and move those two to the front?" Peter questioned his Sensei who merely chuckled.
Rock Lee Vs. Aburame Shino
"What, now its Bushy Brows turn? Naruto said in disbelief. "How come, when is it going to be my turn?"
"Wahoo! Yes, it is finally my turn." Lee cheered happily even as Naruto grumbled in annoyance that he had once more been passed over.
Hayate turned to look towards the stands. "Will Aburame Shino and Rock Lee please make their way down here." The Jonnin requested for the next selected pair of fighters.
"Oh how I wish that you could advise me Guy-Sensei." The green garbed boy said as he looked up at his mentor who's mouth was still covered in the webbing that Peter had fired at him earlier.
"He could just get someone to try and get it off." Peter suggested to the younger looking copy of the clone.
"Yes I suppose so." Kakashi said. "Very well Guy, since this is important I'll help you out this time." He said, as he reached his hand out and lighting went from his hand to the webbing covering the mouth of his fellow Jonnin. "This is a little something I picked up after having my face and books covered one time too many."
"Yeoch!" Guy shouted as the webbing was finally burned off of his mouth.
"You're lucky he doesn't channel chakra into his webs." Kakashi said in amusement as he watched his comrade. "It would have been a real chore to get it off if I he had tried something like that on the ones he used on you."
Guy nodded his head in agreement while he rubbed his sore face before he turned to stare at his protégé. "Go Lee, show them all just what it is that you can do." He ordered to the boy before him. "Show them all what the unrelenting power of youth and constant training will let one accomplish if they out their full heart and soul into. Show them that one does not need to have all the aide of bloodlines and Clan power."
"I will Guy-Sensei, I will show them all what a failure can become with the right power behind them." Lee earnestly promised the man.
"Oh Lee!"
"Guy-Sensei!"
"Oh Lee!"
"Guy-Sensei!"
"Oh Lee!"
"Guy-Sensei!"
Peter turned to look past the loud pair to Shino who was already making his way towards the steps that would lead him into the arena. The pair of Clansmen silently nodded to each other as the Bug User passed by.
Guy's eyes got watery as he addressed his student. "Now go Lee, turn toward your destiny and don't look back as you face the next chapter in your life." He proclaimed. Everyone watched as the genjutsu of a setting sun appeared behind the green clad pair. Kurenai was quick enough to dispel the jutsu before it affected her and the rest of the adults didn't seem to be bothered by it either while the Gennin were forced to look away from the slightly disturbing sight before them.
"If you keep that up, you'll be late for your match and be disqualified." Peter reminded the pair as he pointed to where Shino and Hayate were waiting for Lee to join them so that they could get the fight started.
Lee suddenly took off and left a green streak behind him as he suddenly appeared across from Shino. Peter shook his head as he tried to get the after image of the green streak out of his eyes. "Why it must be Greased Lightning." He joked to the others.
"I am here sir, and ready to begin." Lee said as he offered a salute to the Jonnin Proctor.
Hayate shook his head at the excitable young man that reminded him so much of his teacher. "Rock Lee Gennin student of Jonnin Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, and member of Team Guy. The rules are simple, you may use any ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu in your arsenal that you deem necessary to win. Do you have any reason not to fight against Aburame Shino?"
"No I do not, and in fact relish the opportunity to test my strength against a fellow Leaf Ninja." The boy proclaimed loudly. "I shall dedicate this fight to Guy-Sensei and show them all just how far I have come since I have started on my path to a ninja." He assured everyone.
"Uh right." Hayate said a little unsure as to what to think of the boy before him, ignoring him he turned to the other ninja that was silent." Aburame Shino, gennin student of Yūhi Kurenai, the Mistress of Genjutsu and member of Team 8. The rules are simple you may use any ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu in your arsenal to defeat your opponent. Do you have any reason not to fight against Rock Lee?"
"No." Shino returned expressionlessly.
"Very good, then as the proctor of this round let the 9th match begin." Hayate commanded as he moved out of range of the fighters.
"You are an interesting one." Shino said as he studied his opponent. "You have virtually no chakra at all, yet you are here competing in a ninja tournament."
"So you know my secret then?" Lee questioned.
"That you are merely a pretender a person who plays at being ninja?" Shino said coolly. "Yes, I know about your lack of ability tell me can you even do simple things like clone or replacement jutsu's?" He continued while eyeing his opponent with contempt. "I suppose they decided to enact the clone rule as part of the graduation test so as to save the village any more embarrassment from having such weaklings in the Ninja Core anymore."
"It is true while I may not have the same chakra coils that the rest of you do I assure that I am more than capable of proving my worth as a ninja." Lee returned to the other boy hotly. "It is both my greatest strength and greatest weakness. Today I shall show you what a determined shinobi can do if they only have to rely on taijutsu. I will not need Genjutsu or Ninjutsu to battle you with and win."
"We shall see." Shino returned.
"Then let us begin." Lee said, as he suddenly charged the short distance between them and tossed the first punch. Bugs swarmed out of Shino's jacket sleeves and intercepted the blow while Shino himself moved away from the taijutsu user. "Wall of Insects Jutsu." He called out, as the bugs flew in a tight swarm around him creating a protective orb for him to stand in the middle of.
"Huh, this one might be amusing." Shikamaru said as he watched the two figures. "Shino has the long range and Ninjutsu advantage, but Lee has speed and taijutsu on his side."
"It does make for an interesting match since each of them has a near mastery level on item that the other is weak against." Sakura said in agreement. "It makes for a rather oddly balanced fight for each of them."
Everyone watched patiently as Lee tried to move in on Shino but was blocked by a wall of bugs each time. "Of our year Shino was number four in power." Peter said as he looked at the Aburame heir as he nearly effortlessly blocked each attack before it could hit him. "He was also one of the top strategists, probably better than me." He admitted to the others. "Right now he's doing his usual thing of letting his opponent have the first few moves while he learns how he fights." They all watched as the bugs blocked another blow and tried to tighten their grip on Lee but the boy was too fast and darted away before they could launch a counterstrike.
"Unless one of them changes things up considerably they're going to be at this for a while." Shikamaru said boredly. "Lee can't break through the insects, but Shino can't get a grip on him either. Without changing the way they're fighting this will just go on forever." The Nara explained to the other Gennin. The others nodded as they watched Lee appear behind Shino and jump into the air and try an overhead assault. He launched three rapid kicks at the protective dome before back flipping off before he could be snatched.
Guy nodded his head in agreement with the assessment of the fighters. "Lee!" He shouted.
Lee appeared on the hands of the statue that oversaw the arena. "Yes Guy-Sensei." The boy asked the man.
"Lee, remove the weights." The larger version of the pair said.
"But Guy-Sensei, you told me to never remove the weights unless there was no choice." Lee returned in obvious shock at what he was being asked.
"Or unless I ordered you to," Guy reminded his student, "this is one of those times Lee. Show them the true power of a ninja who prescribes to hard work that those with natural born talent can only imagine grasping."
The grim faced boy nodded his head in acceptance. "Yes Guy-Sensei, I shall do as you say." Lee returned with a salute. "Prepare yourself then Shino." The Aburame boy didn't even bother responding and merely watched as Lee unhooked his weights and let them drop to the ground leaving small potholes in the ground beneath him.
"Just how much weight is in those things anyways?" Sakura said, and even Neji seemed to have been stunned and become slack jawed at the display that the other boy had given them.
"Those weights are something Lee wears every day." Guy explained to the group. "They are a part of his training, they help him to push himself to limits that most shinobi would never even consider."
"Wait a minute, he had those things on the whole time?" Sakura questioned in shocked disbelief as she looked at the holes the older boy had created by releasing the weights. "Even while he was in the Forest of Death?"
"Indeed." Guy said with a smile as he watched his student. "And now he shall show you all what real speed is all about." Guy explained to them.
Shino narrowed his eyes as he saw his opponent release the bindings on his body. "Wall of Insects Jutsu!" He called out reinforcing his defenses by adding more chakra and bugs to the orb that surrounded him
Everyone watched as the boy merely became a blur and all they could see of his blows were the green and orange streaks that moved up and down as they tried to focus on someone that was moving faster than their eyes could follow. It was actually easier to tell where the boy had hit by the scattering bugs than it was by trying to follow after where the boy was. The only ones that appeared capable of following after the speedster were the Hokage and Jonnin even the various Chunnin appeared to be having troubles following the green blur at times. Despite the speed and strength that Lee was using though, Shino was managing to hold up his defensive wall the boy was being forced to hold his hands out and channel chakra into the wall holding Lee at bay. The insects no longer even bothered trying to grab onto Lee as it was taking all of their work just to guard their master.
"I told you this was going to get boring." Shikamaru said tiredly.
"And yet again you were right," Peter said, "no need to rub it in."
Shino sighed as he glared at Lee. "Are you done yet?" He questioned his voice not showing him to be under any kind of strain from using his jutsu for as long as he had.
"How can you I still not have hit you?" Lee questioned curiously as he finally stopped to examine the jutsu that still protected Shino from being harmed.
"Simple really." Shino said as he adjusted his sunglasses. "Despite your speed which is indeed impressive it is still no match for the speed of my bugs or of the speed of my thoughts that command them for we are one and the same. Then there is another thing you are one while we are many." He said waving his hands to show off all of the bugs that were surrounding him. "There is nothing you alone can do when I have all of my allies like this. "
"We shall just have to see about that." Lee returned. "While I may be on my own, I still have much yet to prove to all of those watching." He began running around Shino creating a small vortex that the various bugs appeared to be having trouble fighting against and the wall of the defense thinned slightly. Moving forward Lee dashed through the wall and came in under Shino and delivered a kick to his chin that sent him straight up into the air while he was sailing into the air Lee leaped after him and wrapped his bandages around the Aburame boy. "Primary Lotus!" He called out, as the two of them rushed back toward the ground. As they landed the Shino that was tied up was gone and a small swarm of insects flew out of the bandages. "What an Insect Clone?" He said in surprise as he slammed into the ground. The dark haired boy groaned as he tried to climb to his feet after that strike had left him somewhat weakened.
"Not bad but not good enough either." Shino said as he appeared out of the swarm of insects. "Now would be a good time to surrender since you are now weakened." He advised the other boy stoically.
"There is still much that I can do." Lee argued as his body began glowing blue from excess chakra.
"What the heck is that Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto said in disbelief, as he watched his new friend's skin turn red and eyes turn white while he practically glowed with excess chakra. "I thought Lee was strictly a taijutsu type."
"That is Lee opening the third inner gate," Guy explained to all of the ninja, "the gate of life." They all watched as the boy continued to grow in power and that would be the gate of pain.
"Guy how could you?" Kakashi said turning to look at his friend. "You know the dangers that, that power has." The masked ninja seemed to remember who he was speaking to. "Fine, how many of the Inner Gates can he open?"
"Five," Guy returned, "he can open five of the Inner Gates."
"Okay, what are these Inner Gates Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura demanded of the two Jonnin.
"The eight Gates are like valves for chakra, valves that must be released if one is to release the Hidden Lotus."
"And what's that mean for Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked while looking at his friend worriedly as he continued to grow in power.
"The gates are located at key points throughout the body where chakra is most highly concentrated." Kakashi explained. "Their purpose is to limit the amount of chakra flow through the body. With certain training a person can learn to force these gates to open. This releases the constraints on the chakra a person has and increases chakra by ten fold or more. If Sakura were to do it she would likely have nearly as much Chakra as Sasuke or Haku. The fighting style that Lee employs required him to employ opening the first two inner gates The Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing."
"What, but we all saw how bad he looked after doing the primary Lotus, if Shino hadn't given him time to regroup…" Peter trailed off as he realized that his Clansman was really intent on proving his worth as a ninja. That meant fighting an opponent at his absolute full strength. This had the potential to get really dangerous really fast for both of the boys.
"Yeah, what happens if Lee tries to take it farther?" Sakura wondered.
"Exactly," Kakshi said solemnly. "By opening all eight gates you could attain power beyond even that of the Hokage's, the only drawback is, that you die." He turned to look at Guy critically. "I don't know what this boy is to you Guy, but you know we're not supposed to bring our personal feelings into play."
"Even had I not taught him this style he would have found something just as dangerous." Guy returned to Kakahi shortly in a warning tone. "That boy down there has something to prove and nothing any of us ever des will stop him until he's dead."
"Against anyone else that trick might work, or at least buy them some time against Shino. It won't though." Peter said. "By displaying all of his strength and chakra like that all he's done is make himself a more tempting target."
Everyone watched as Lee tried to move a foot but found himself stuck. Looking down he saw that both of his legs were covered in the Aburame chakra eating bugs. "By increasing your power all you've done is made me stronger." Shino said coolly, as he began absorbing the large amount of chakra that Lee had begun creating and siphoning it back into his wall which was becoming even denser as it went. "Perhaps it's time to end this in the true Aburame way by showing our full strength." Shino said as he held his hands up and bugs wrapped themselves around his arms giving him an extended reach. He then reared back and finally began throwing his own punches.
Lee grunted as he took the punches, but didn't seem to be overly damaged by the blows that were pummeling his body. "I will not give up." Lee declared, as he began spinning knocking the various bug off of him he panted slightly as he broke free before he charged forward like a missile at the wall of insects.
"Wall of Insects Jutsu." Shino said, as he increased the power to his defenses. Lee barely even slowed as he slammed through the wall and slammed into Shino sending the insect user flying away as he reached the wall and slammed into it he exploded into a another swarm of insects. Shino came up behind Lee, but was easily side stepped b his faster opponent and was treated to a dozen lightning fast strikes that sent Shino flying the other way where he landed in the dirt and skidded for several feet. Another wave of bugs headed toward Lee who dodged the bulk of them but there was still a number on him and they could see that the glow around Lee was going up and down as the opened Inner Gates tried to compete with the chakra eating abilities of Shino's bugs.
"It's going to be a contest of who can keep their power levels like this the longest." Kakashi said. "If Shino can avoid getting hit he might stand a chance."
"Well if its endurance that you're wondering about then Lee has it spades." Guy said confidently.
"Agreed, but if Shino continues to fight him like that even after the effect of opening the Gates wears off it could be dangerous and using the inner gates is not something many can keep up for a long time. You see while it gives you tremendous power for a time it leaves all of your muscles and limbs exhausted as well. So you see it is a very dangerous technique because using it can not only kill you but after using it you are extremely vulnerable to any counterattacks. " Kakashi lectured the group.
The Gennin all nodded their heads in understanding while they turned to see what the two shinobi would do next. Lee appeared in front of his opponent and began several lighting punches that drove the unprepared Shino back several feet until he slammed into a wall. The bugs quickly latched onto Lee now that their target was stationary and began absorbing the taijutsu users chakra. More bugs spouted out from Shino's sleeves and collar and created a weaker barrier that blocked some of the punches. Finally Lee stopped throwing punches as his body began seizing up as the overuse caught up with his limbs. Seeing that the boy was having trouble moving Shino took advantage of the other boy's weakness by beginning his own assault with his fists on Shino who was unable to move to defend himself from the flurry of punches. Lee finally took one shot to the chin. "Binding Bug Jutsu!" Shino said as the bugs settled themselves around Lee wrapping the fallen teen in a cocoon of chakra eating bugs.
"This match is over." The weary Shino declared, as he tiredly fell to his knees it taking all of his energy just to keep upright. Several people winced as they saw that Shino's glasses were broken and that his pummeled face was covered in blood and bruises from the harsh beating that he had received.
Lee grunted as he tried to rise, but was unable to move any part of his body. Hayate landed beside the two Gennin. "By incapacitation, I declare Shino Aburame the winner of this round."
Shino nodded and as soon as this was said the boy fell down into unconsciousness.
"It was a close one Guy." Kakashi told his friend who looked at his student who had worn himself out in his fight.
"Yes, I had such high expectations for him though." Guy returned stiffly. "It just means that we'll have to work all that much harder next time around though." He said while flashing a toothy grin at Kakashi.
"Alright Bushy Brows has had his chance, and it was only a chance that he lost." Naruto said. "Now show me my name and I'll show them all what it means to be more than the idiot that no one thinks is worth their time." The blonde declared. "I'll show them what a so called second class ninja can do. I swear it Lee." The blonde yelled at the pair of downed ninja. Everyone then turned towards the monitor which had lit up and begun once again flashing through the various names once again.
Misumi Tsurugi vs. Uzamaki Naruto
Man this was hard, I actually would have preferred it if Lee had won this match. Still I let the computer choose the winner.
