Chapter 24: I... Don’t Want to Lose!
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In the second-year class, Rock Lee had changed his hairstyle from a middle part to his signature bowl cut, or as he called it, the "watermelon head." Dressed in tight green spandex, he embodied the essence of youth.
But Rock Lee, having just entered the academy, stared at his teacher in disbelief. "Guy-sensei, me? Competing on behalf of the second-year team?"
Might Guy sighed but smiled warmly. "Lee, it's a lottery system. There's no choice in the matter."
Meanwhile, Neji Hyuga leaned against the wall, gazing into the distance. *Will I face Sasuke this time? If I do, I wonder... will I lose?*
Sasuke Uchiha was a prodigy, but Neji was determined to surpass him through sheer effort. He clenched his fists, eager to prove himself in this inter-grade competition.
Time flew by, and soon, the day of the competition arrived.
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The martial arts arena was packed with spectators. Today marked the friendship competition between the first-year and second-year students of the Ninja Academy, and the crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Who do you think will win, the first-year team or the second-year team?" one person asked.
"It should be the second-year team. They always win. The competition is really just to humble the new students," another replied.
"But I heard the second son of the Uchiha clan is on the first-year team," someone added.
"So what? No matter how strong he is, he's still just a kid."
"I still think the second-year team will win!"
The battle order was decided by lottery—one against one, two against two, three against three.
Sasuke reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper with the number "three" written on it. Neji, observing this with his Byakugan, saw Sasuke's number and silently vowed to face him in a fair fight. Neji then used his Byakugan to draw his own number, ensuring it was also "three."
The matchups were set:
- The first match: Tenten vs. Sakura.
- The second match: Rock Lee vs. Naruto Uzumaki.
- The third match: Neji Hyuga vs. Sasuke Uchiha.
The competition was a best-of-three, with the team winning two matches earning a mysterious reward.
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The first match began!
In the arena, Sakura was visibly nervous, while Tenten appeared calm and confident.
Tenten waved at Sakura. "Come on, I won't hold back!"
Sakura responded with determination. "Neither will I. I'll do whatever it takes to win!"
Though Sakura hadn't received formal training in ninjutsu, she possessed innate strength, powerful enough to shatter rocks with a single punch.
Tenten, however, was a skilled weapons specialist. She unrolled a scroll from her waist, and after biting her finger to draw blood, she pressed it onto the kanji for "sword." A puff of smoke appeared, and three large shuriken flew toward Sakura.
Sakura dodged just in time, but Tenten was quick to summon more weapons. She pressed her finger on the kanji for "blade," releasing five flying knives that sped toward Sakura. Then, Tenten activated the kanji for "explosion," causing a violent blast that sent both Sakura and several bystanders flying back.
Tenten's strategy of keeping her distance was working; Sakura couldn't get close enough to use her monstrous strength. As the battle wore on, Sakura became covered in cuts and bruises, never closing the gap between them.
In the end, Tenten emerged victorious in the first match.
Score: Second-Year Team 1 - First-Year Team 0
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The second match: Naruto vs. Rock Lee!
As Naruto stepped into the arena, he heard whispers from the crowd.
"Ugh, isn't that the fox demon? Since when can a fox demon fight for the first-year team?"
"Hey, green guy! Beat up the fox demon!"
Naruto's mood darkened, the hurt evident in his eyes. Deep within him, something stirred, a power he barely understood.
Before the taunts could escalate, three members of the Uchiha clan from the Konoha Security Department, wearing their green vests, surrounded the two loudest villagers.
Uchiha Kento, one of the officers, spoke firmly. "Come with us. We suspect you two might be spies from Kumogakure."
The villagers protested. "Spies? When did we become spies? We're just regular villagers!"
Kento narrowed his eyes. "Would a good villager slander the son of the Fourth Hokage? If I say you're spies, then you're spies! The Konoha Security Department has the authority to enforce the law!"
With that, Kento and his team escorted the villagers away. Before leaving, Kento nodded respectfully to Sasuke, a gesture of goodwill.
With the crowd now silent, Naruto turned his attention to Rock Lee.
Naruto greeted him. "Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
Rock Lee grinned. "And I'm Rock Lee. Let's get started!"
Rock Lee immediately began running circles around Naruto. Years of rigorous training had given him incredible speed and strength. He launched a series of rapid attacks, but Naruto managed to block and dodge, holding his ground.
Then, Rock Lee removed the bandages from his hands, using them to swiftly bind Naruto. Naruto fell to the ground, struggling against the tight wraps.
As he lay there, Naruto's thoughts darkened. *I really am useless... I'm so weak... Why do I even try?*
*I've lost...*
*But... I don't want to lose! I don't want to let Sasuke-kun down!!!*
Just as the referee prepared to declare Rock Lee the winner, a sudden flash of orange-red light burst from the bandages binding Naruto.
Everyone gasped as they saw the orange-red chakra surrounding Naruto, a ghostly tail forming behind him.
"I don't want to lose!!!" Naruto screamed as he charged at Rock Lee, the powerful chakra propelling him forward. In an instant, he knocked Rock Lee unconscious, sending him flying across the arena.
As the orange chakra faded, Naruto stood there, dazed. "Did... did I do that?"
The sight of Naruto's chakra terrified the referee. He hesitated, trying to keep Naruto calm, fearing another Nine-Tails incident. The last time, it had taken the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, to seal the beast. Who could handle it now?
The referee finally gathered his courage and announced, "Uzumaki Naruto wins! One point for the first-year team!"
Score: First-Year Team 1 - Second-Year Team 1
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