Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

With a low shout from Gaara, the sand surged up, transforming into a sandstorm that swept toward Lee.

But this wasn't just an ordinary sandstorm. On closer inspection, one could see a variety of sand-based weapons whirling within the tornado… a fusion of Tenten's Quint Rising Dragon and the Scythe Weasel technique.

This technique, Raging Sands Dance: Sand Dragon Storm, was terrifying in both range and destructive power. It left barren land in its wake, turning soil into sand and pulling in more and more grains, continuously amplifying its intensity.

By the time it neared Lee, it had formed into a massive sandstorm over twenty meters in diameter.

"Damn, this is too fierce!"

Naruto couldn't help but exclaim, 'The stadium was 300 meters long and wide. If it continued like this, in less than a few minutes, the entire arena would be covered by the sandstorm, and even the audience would not be spared.'

He couldn't help but feel anxious for Lee and Squirtle.

"Guy-sensei, I..."

Before Lee could finish, Guy nodded and said, "Go on and fight with everything you have!"

"Yes!"

Lee gave a firm nod and quickly unfastened the weights on his arms and legs.

The moment they hit the ground, a loud bang echoed as they created deep craters in the arena floor, revealing the terrifying weight of his gear.

Without the weights, Lee's speed increased dramatically.

With a single step, he easily dodged the sandstorm's onslaught and, in the next instant, appeared in front of Gaara.

However, before Gaara's sand could react defensively, Lee's figure disappeared again.

Bang!

Gaara felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck as his body lurched forward uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the sand supported him and he didn't fall flat on his face.

However, Gaara's expression had changed.

Even Tenten's rapid attacks couldn't penetrate his sand's automatic defense, yet Lee had managed to land a hit. It can be seen that Lee's speed had surpassed that of even the fastest Ninja Tools.

'Is this really a speed that humans can achieve?'

Gaara's eyes were filled with disbelief.

And yet, the blows kept coming, with Lee landing rapid strikes all over Gaara's body, making it impossible for Gaara to even catch a glimpse of his movements.

"Gaara, you're so embarrassing, let me take over!" Shukaku's snide voice echoed in Gaara's mind.

'Shut up!'

Gaara snapped, his pride wounded.

First, Tenten had put him on the spot, and now he was being outdone by Lee? He refused to let that happen!

"Sand Shield!"

Despite the relentless attacks on his body, the Sand Shield was Gaara's best option. Sand gathered rapidly around him, forming a thick shell that encased him in 360-degree protection. No matter how fast Lee was, it would be impossible to break through.

With the sand shield acting as a buffer, Gaara could now focus on his defense and mount a counterattack.

However, Lee remained unfazed and said calmly, "Alright, Squirtle, it's your turn. Fire away!"

"Squirtle, squirtle!"

Squirtle nodded with a determined look and opened its mouth, firing a water gun toward Gaara's Sand Shield.

It's different from the spit it released towards Sakura, as it was actually personal mischief as payback for her mockery.

The water gun it was using now had true destructive power.

Water Gun: Attacking by spraying high-pressure water jets at the opponent.

The power of this high-pressure water gun was comparable to that of a cannon. The only drawback is that it lacked wide-area coverage, but since it's targeting a single point, its power is more terrifying and it also has a penetrating effect.

Zzzttt!

The water gun collided with Gaara's Sand Shield. After only a brief moment of friction, it easily punctured a hole right through the shield.

Gaara was caught off guard, as he hadn't anticipated the shield breaking so quickly. Before he could fill in the gap, Lee's fists followed up relentlessly, further widening the opening.

Boom!

This punch was no ordinary punch.

It was a strike powered by opening the first gate, the Gate of Opening, unleashing a powerful burst of Lee's Strong Fist. The sand on Gaara's face shattered from the impact.

This was Gaara's last line of defense, the Sand Armor that protected his body directly.

Drip!

Blood trickled down Gaara's face, the sharp sting contorting his expression in pain. Ever since he could remember, he had always been protected by sand, never once injured.

This was his first time bleeding, an experience that left him physically and psychologically stunned.

"Unforgivable... unforgivable!"

With a furious sweep of his hand, Gaara shifted the sandstorm from offense to defense.

The thirty-meter-wide tornado cocooned Gaara completely, sheltering him in its eye while leaving him unharmed.

Strengthened by Shukaku's power, Gaara's sand manipulation had reached an even deeper level. Now, the sand weapons inside the storm could break away and target enemies at his will.

Bang, bang, bang!

The sand weapons launched simultaneous assaults on both Lee and Squirtle.

With the Gate of Opening active, Lee moved with lightning speed, easily dodging the sand weapons.

But Squirtle wasn't as fortunate. Caught in the dense attack, it tumbled to the ground, retreating into its shell just in time to avoid a fatal blow.

However, the relentless attacks caused faint cracks to appear on its shell.

Seeing this, Lee gritted his teeth and shouted, "Guy-sensei, you said I could use that move only to protect what's most important to me. I think this is the time!"

"Use it!" Guy encouraged.

Nothing is more important than protecting companions.

"Gate of Healing... open!"

Lee's hair spiked upward, and as the Gate of Healing opened, all his fatigue vanished.

Taking a deep breath, he shouted again, "Gate of Life, open!"

With this, he felt something within him break as his skin turned a flushed red, emitting a fierce green aura.

Opening the Gate of Life meant he had truly entered the Eight Gates' core.

However, this was just the beginning!

Lee knew well that with each gate opened, he'd be riding a high-energy surge, but once it faded, he'd be unable to move.

So he resolved to push to his absolute limit, aiming for a one-for-one clash with Gaara.

'With Squirtle by my side, even if I lost consciousness, we could still win this fight.'

Having made up his mind, Lee clenched his fists and shouted again, "Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, open!"

Boom!

A powerful surge of energy erupted from Lee's body, disintegrating any sand weapons approaching him before they could make contact.

The Gate of Pain marked his entry into the danger zone of the Eight Gates, yet Lee pressed forward, unlocking the Gate of Limit as well.

The only two people in the stands who were not surprised were Guy and Naruto.

As his teacher, Guy was well aware of Lee's strength, while Naruto had seen Lee's prowess in the original story.

But neither had anticipated what would happen next.

Lee was standing still, crouching with a tense body as veins bulged on his forehead, visibly carrying his rapidly flowing blood.

"Damn it, Lee! What are you doing? Don't overdo it!"

Naruto yelled in shock.

After all, according to the original work, the Gate of Limit was Lee's threshold. And pushing beyond it could mean serious harm.

'It was just a match… demonstrating his strength was enough, there was no need to go this far, right?'

However, his words came too late. With a guttural roar, Lee shouted, "Gate of View, give me... give me strength... open!"