Konoha: Gu Master

"Shinho-kun!"

Karin and Ino called out in unison.

Before Shinho could respond, they exchanged a glare, each letting out a huff before turning away.

Hinata opened her mouth in surprise.

Since when did she have another rival?

She hadn't paid much attention to Karin, only knowing her as a temporary member of Team 7, filling in for Naruto Uzumaki while he trained elsewhere.

Hinata glanced at Shinho, and her confusion gave way to realization.

It actually made sense for Karin to like him. But things were getting complicated… could she really compete with them?

Anxiously twisting her fingers, Hinata's heart filled with uncertainty.

"It's time. You're up," Shinho said calmly.

"Shinho-kun, I'll definitely beat her!" Karin clenched her fist, full of determination.

"Better not start crying when you lose," Ino retorted.

They stepped apart, forming the Seal of Confrontation.

"Begin!" Genma announced.

Without hesitation, Ino jumped back.

She'd done her research—Karin was a member of the Uzumaki clan, who were kown for being proficient in sealing techniques.

Sealing jutsu, being primarily a supportive skill, was even more challenging to use in combat than regular jutsu. As long as Ino avoided getting caught, the sealing wouldn't work.

She quickly flung six kunai.

They whistled through the air toward Karin.

Karin remained still, and suddenly, a golden chain shot from her body, snaking through the air like a serpent.

With six metallic clangs, the kunai clattered to the ground.

Meanwhile, two shadow clones of Ino appeared at her left and right.

Karin lunged forward, quickly closing the distance.

Her body gave a slight shudder, and four more golden chains extended from her.

The six chains shot toward the three Inos.

With a loud bang, Ino threw a smoke bomb.

The cloud of smoke obscured Karin's vision, but she didn't panic.

Her six chains intertwined, forming a web that surrounded and compressed the smoke.

"Got you, Ino!" Karin smirked with satisfaction.

As the smoke dispersed, she saw the three Inos entangled in her chains.

But a moment later, they dissolved into wisps of white smoke.

Karin's smile froze.

They were all shadow clones?

Just then, a surge of mental energy struck her.

"It's I who caught you," Ino's voice echoed in Karin's mind.

"Damn it!" Karin felt herself losing control of her body.

She fought back desperately, releasing a powerful wave of chakra that surged around her like a tempest.

Her hair flew wildly as she resisted.

Ino was shocked. Karin's mental resilience was far stronger than she'd anticipated, and, most importantly, her chakra reserves were massive, allowing her to break free.

If she hadn't had Idō, Ino knew she would have been forced to concede.

But now, she had Idō's power on her side.

To the spectators, the fight appeared to have come to a sudden halt.

With her chains now limp on the ground, Karin looked as though her chakra was draining endlessly.

But at that moment, an immense amount of chakra also surged from Ino, though it carried a cold, deathly aura compared to Karin's lively energy.

"Yang Release and Yin Release," Shinho murmured with raised eyebrows.

What an interesting match-up.

Hinata unconsciously clenched her fists. Just from the feel of their chakra, both of them had power surpassing most jōnin.

But when it came to Shinho, she wouldn't let herself lose, she couldn't.

"When did Ino get so strong?" Sakura gaped from the stands, utterly astonished.

Her friend, once her equal, had somehow advanced by leaps and bounds.

"It's because of Shinho," Shikamaru murmured, stifling a yawn.

"Unacceptable!" Sakura said, clenching her fists after a brief silence. "I'll catch up with Ino as soon as I can!"

Shikamaru glanced at her knowingly. She'd misunderstood—this wasn't the power of love, but the gift of Shinho's special abilities.

"How lucky you all are," Shikaku Nara said with a sigh of contentment.

Today, he'd finally gotten a break from managing Konoha's affairs to attend the exams.

"What luck?" Choza Akimichi asked, scratching his chin. 

"I'd say my daughter has excellent taste," Inoichi Yamanaka coughed, smiling proudly.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been close. And Ino's drastic boost in power after receiving Idō's influence was hard to miss.

They all knew the reason.

"This kid Shinho… I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," Choza Akimichi muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Isn't it a bit late to start making connections now?" Inoichi shot back with a grin.

Choza opened his mouth to reply, but the match in the arena had already reached its climax.

Despite her vast chakra reserves, Karin was no match for Idō.

As her energy waned, she could no longer resist Ino's mental invasion and was forced to concede.

"Next time, it won't be this easy!" Karin said, begrudgingly.

"I know." Ino extended her hand with genuine admiration. "You're really strong."

She'd won, but only thanks to Idō, not her own strength.

"There's much more where that came from," Karin said with a slight huff, gripping Ino's hand.

"So do I," Ino replied, smiling. "Let's spar again sometime."

She was referring to when she'd fully mastered Idō's power.

Karin's gaze sharpened.

The air between them crackled with tension.

"Could you two please step off the field?" Genma reminded them. "Let the next competitors are waiting their turn."

"Oh! Sorry!" Ino and Karin's competitive energy vanished instantly.

After a small bow, they quickly jogged off the field.

"Neji Hyūga vs. Sen from Sunagakure," Genma announced after drawing the next lot.

Neji and Sen stepped into the arena. Barely half a minute later, they both walked off.

"Neji Hyūga wins!" Genma declared.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Shira said with a sigh, watching his fellow Suna ninja go down in a flash.

In the shinobi world, taijutsu users were often underestimated due to the limits of pure physical strength. But the Hyūga clan was an exception.

With the combination of Byakugan and Gentle Fist, they held an almost unbreakable advantage over most ordinary shinobi.

But Shira's focus was still on Rock Lee.

Even back in Sunagakure, he'd heard stories of the legendary Might Guy.

After hearing Gaara describe the power of the Eight Gates technique used by Naruto Uzumaki, Shira had developed a desire to challenge such an opponent.

Unfortunately, he hadn't yet encountered the main hero of that story.

But Rock Lee was a worthy stand-in.

"Only three left—it's almost certain now." Shira's gaze landed on Rock Lee.

Lee returned the look, his eyes blazing with excitement.

Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses, feeling a bit put out. Once again, he'd been overlooked.

When would he get a chance to show off his Destruction Bugs and restore the Aburame clan's reputation?

Though Shinho's strength was extraordinary, few people connected him to the Aburame clan.

Most believed he was simply an anomaly, not a true representative of the clan's capabilities.

"Shira vs. Rock Lee."

Genma Shiranui paused, then announced, "The remaining contestant will automatically advance to the next round."

From his seat in the stands, Gaara sat up straighter.

The defeats of Yome and Sen hadn't surprised him; they were both at typical genin level, while their opponents were clearly not.

Gaara couldn't help but marvel at the talent in Konoha. All hope of sanagakure now rested on Shira.

In Gaara's view, Shira's Seven Heavens Breathing Technique was nearly on par with the Eight Gates.

Tsunade glanced at Gaara briefly, then shifted her focus to the arena, watching Shira and Rock Lee intently.

But her gaze soon settled on Shinho, standing nearby.

"Lee!"

Shira clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Please, let's have a good fight!"

"Right!" Lee said, looking as if he'd just downed a shot of adrenaline. "Let's show them what taijutsu users can do!"

With that, he shrugged off his weighted leg gear, each piece hitting the ground with a resounding boom.

"You truly are a formidable opponent," Shira acknowledged, his gaze sharpening as he assumed his stance, chakra flowing seamlessly around him.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

With a shout, Lee dashed forward, like a green streak of lightning.

The air cracked as his spinning kick closed in on Shira, who calmly crossed his arms to block Lee's right leg.

Bam!

A shockwave erupted at the point of impact.

"More!" Lee shouted excitedly.

The two quickly became a blur of fists and feet, clashing with such speed that only their afterimages remained.

"A taijutsu expert from Sunagakure?" Kakashi murmured, taken aback.

"To keep up with Lee like this… impressive," Kurenai agreed with a nod.

"No, Lee's actually on the defensive," Might Guy interjected, his eyes gleaming.

"Huh?" Kurenai looked at him in surprise. "Why do you say that?"

"Look closely," Guy pointed toward Shira. "His strikes make no sound."

Kakashi observed for a moment, then nodded in astonishment. "You're right— there's no sound at all."

"How is that possible?" Kurenai wondered.

"His chakra flows out as lightly as a feather, absorbing the shock of each strike," Asuma Sarutobi noted, watching with admiration.

"And he's hitting pressure points," Kakashi added, his eyebrows raised. "Lee's in trouble."

"Lee!" Guy called out encouragingly, "Don't let your youth leave you with regrets!"

Boom!

A surge of chakra exploded from Lee's body as he activated the Third Gate: the Gate of Life.

His hair spiked upward, and chakra waves wrapped around him, giving him a fierce aura.

Shira quickly took a step back, his gaze unwavering as he exhaled slowly.

"So, this is the Eight Gates?" Shira murmured, breathing heavily.

"It is!" Lee nodded. "This is my way of showing respect for your strength!"

During their initial exchanges, Lee had already felt Shira's power firsthand. Without the Eight Gates, they were evenly matched.

Such a worthy opponent deserved his all.

"Truly impressive!" Shira laughed heartily, raising his voice. "Seven Heavens Breathing Technique: First Activation!"

In an instant, a powerful surge of chakra burst from Shira's body, rivaling Lee's intense aura.

"That's incredible!" Lee blinked, then grinned, feeling his own blood boiling with excitement.

He knew the struggles taijutsu users faced, making Shira's appearance all the more thrilling.

I'm not alone!

The two charged at each other, their collision shaking the ground, dust billowing everywhere.

Spectators stared in awe, having never seen a taijutsu battle of this magnitude.

"What kind of taijutsu is this?" Tsunade asked, watching intently.

"The Seven Heavens Breathing Technique," Gaara replied. "It's a style Shira developed on his own."

"A self-created technique?" Tsunade said in admiration. "Creating something like that shows his remarkable talent in taijutsu."

"Lee is no slouch either," Gaara added humbly.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to observe the battle.

Both the Eight Gates and the Seven Heavens Breathing Technique put an immense strain on the users body. Neither could be sustained for long, so the fight would soon reach its conclusion.

"Shira!" Lee shouted, his voice filled with determination. "This is my final attack!"

With a shout, Lee opened the Gate of Pain and then the Gate of Limit.

A torrent of chakra roared around him.

With his body lacking Naruto's extraordinary resilience, Lee had no choice but to end this as quickly as possible.

"Understood!" Shira's face was equally resolute, his spirit fueled by Lee's enthusiasm.

"Seven Heavens Breathing Technique: Third Activation!"

Golden chakra enveloped Shira, his black hair spiking upward as his muscles swelled, rocks swirling around him in the cyclone of his chakra.

"This is the spirit of youth!" Lee cried as he unraveled his bandages.

In a flash, he appeared before Shira.

Reverse Lotus!

The bandages whipped around Shira, but his reaction was swift, his chakra forming waves that clashed with Lee's attacks.

The force of their strikes cracked the ground, shattering stones into dust.

"Lee's strength is amazing," Ino muttered, wide-eyed.

"Naruto is even stronger," Sasuke said, his three-tomoe Sharingan active to keep up with their movements.

Without his Sharingan, he'd have been unable to follow their exchange at all.

"So he's at the Fifth Gate…" Neji observed grimly, his expression tense.

This was the first time he'd seen Lee activate the Fifth Gate.

Though still not quite at Naruto's level, Lee was close enough to be a serious challenge.

The only way Neji could imagine stopping Lee would be to preemptively strike before the Gates could be activated.

"Shinho-kun, did Lee win?" Ino turned to Shinho expectantly.

"He won," Shinho nodded.

A few seconds later, the two figures became visible again to the spectators.

Shira took a step forward, then stumbled and collapsed.

Lee, barely managing to remain upright, stared down at him, gasping for breath.

"I… I forfeit," Shira managed, raising his hand in surrender.

Upon hearing this, Lee finally allowed himself to relax, collapsing to the ground.

The two shared a smile.

The medical team rushed forward, carrying both of them off on stretchers.

"A shame," Gaara murmured, his tone filled with regret.

"There's no shame in such display," Tsunade replied with a faint smile. "From now on, no discussion of taijutsu will be complete without the mention of these two."

After a moment's thought, Gaara understood her meaning.

There were many skilled shinobi, but powerful taijutsu specialists were rare. At the very least, Sunagakure had now made a lasting impression.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune suddenly appeared, saying, "Lee's body is too worn out from using the Eight Gates. He's applied to withdraw from the next round."

"His Health is the priority. Make sure he gets plenty of rest," Tsunade replied.

"Hinata Hyūga, Shinho Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, Neji Hyūga, and Shino Aburame."

Genma received the notification of Lee's withdrawal and announced, "These six people will advance to the next round."

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