CHAPTER 177 - 177: WHAT KIND OF CHUNIN EXAM IS THIS?!

Uchiha Haru watched the duel unfold with evident interest.

Though to him, this level of combat was essentially child's play by now, he still found it captivating. After all, this was one of the most iconic matchups in the Chunin Exams—Rock Lee versus Gaara.

Gaara was undeniably powerful.

He had a Tailed Beast sealed within him and had achieved remarkable mastery over various forms of ninjutsu.

But Lee wasn't weak either.

His taijutsu had reached an astonishing level for someone his age, something that even Kimimaro—who was a master of close-quarters combat himself—couldn't ignore. As he observed Lee's movements, Kimimaro's expression turned serious.

Before now, he had underestimated him.

That bizarre-looking ninja, who at first seemed like a fool, was in fact a formidable adversary.

Kimimaro's gaze burned with excitement, eager for the chance to face Lee himself.

But that would only happen if Lee could survive his fight against Gaara.

And Gaara's strength was nothing to scoff at.

In the center of the arena, Lee launched into a flurry of intricate taijutsu techniques.

Shedding the weights strapped to his body, he burst forth with incredible speed, using the forbidden Lotus technique—an advanced taijutsu move.

At first, Gaara's automatic defense held strong, his sand intercepting every blow effortlessly.

But as Lee's movements grew faster and more precise, even Gaara's vaunted absolute defense began to falter.

Eventually, it couldn't keep up.

And then came the moment that left everyone in shock.

Lee opened the Eight Gates.

A forbidden technique that forced the human body beyond its natural limits.

Kimimaro's eyes widened.

Though he'd never seen it before, he had heard his father—leader of the Kaguya clan—speak of this terrifying jutsu. A technique so potent it left even his father feeling powerless.

Now, watching Lee embody it with such raw intensity, he understood the fear.

Gaara, who had previously seemed untouchable behind his wall of sand, was now on the receiving end of a brutal, one-sided beating.

The audience—everyone except the Hidden Sand Village shinobi—erupted in cheers.

They had never seen taijutsu on this level.

Lee had completely redefined what physical prowess meant.

Even Might Guy stood awestruck.

Seeing his student shine so brightly stirred him to tears. For a moment, he even forgot the warning Uchiha Haru had given him earlier.

That Gaara was no ordinary opponent.

Lee was giving it everything.

With a brilliant sequence of kicks and strikes, he sent Gaara crashing to the ground, unable to rise for a long time.

But Lee collapsed too.

The Eight Gates were never meant to be used lightly.

While they granted immense power in a short burst, they took a heavy toll. As the effect wore off, Lee's body began to deteriorate rapidly. His muscles screamed in agony, and his movements slowed to a crawl.

Gaara, however, was not finished.

Though he'd taken significant damage, he still had chakra. Still had fight left in him.

And more importantly, he was furious.

Never before in his life had someone broken through his sand defense—let alone beaten him so thoroughly in front of a crowd.

His rage boiled over.

He wanted to kill.

From beneath the sand, thin threads of chakra-infused granules slithered around Lee's legs like yellow snakes. They began to wrap tightly, binding his exhausted limbs.

From the sidelines, Might Guy sensed something was off.

His instincts screamed danger.

With a sharp flicker, he activated the Body Flicker Technique, launching himself toward Lee.

But he was too late.

Gaara's hand had already begun to close into a fist.

And everyone watching knew what that meant.

Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuga Hinata shut their eyes in horror.

They'd witnessed this before—Gaara's method of execution.

When that hand closed, bones shattered and blood spilled.

Lee would be crippled, if not killed.

They had hoped he could be the one to defeat Gaara, but now that hope seemed all too fragile.

Gaara was just too terrifying.

The crowd gasped, eyes wide, unable to believe the sudden shift.

Moments ago, Lee had been dominating. Now, his life hung in the balance.

As Gaara's fingers curled slowly into a fist, Might Guy raced across the field at full speed.

His Body Flicker Technique was fast—but it wasn't teleportation.

It only looked like teleportation to the untrained eye.

In reality, it was just extraordinary speed over a short distance.

Which meant... it could still be too slow.

Halfway there, Guy saw Gaara's hand clenching.

His heart sank.

Lee...!

But then—out of the corner of his eye—he saw something.

A black figure had appeared in front of Lee.

Like a shadow cutting through the sun.

Gaara's fingers froze.

The sand around Lee's legs crumbled, falling uselessly to the ground.

And in the next instant, Might Guy arrived, dropping to his knees beside his unconscious student.

"Lee! Are you okay?!"

"Hiss..."

Rock Lee gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain shooting through his leg.

Might Guy crouched down beside him, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the injury. Blood had begun to seep through Lee's tattered pant leg, but after a quick assessment, Guy let out a sigh of relief.

The tendons and bones were intact—only surface-level damage. Painful, yes, but not debilitating.

Both master and student exhaled in relief.

It was difficult to imagine what would've happened to Lee if Uchiha Haru hadn't intervened at the last moment.

Thanks to the sudden appearance of Haru and Might Guy, the duel came to an abrupt end.

Gaara was declared the winner.

But there was no pride on the boy's face—no trace of triumph.

Instead, Gaara glared coldly at Uchiha Haru. His gaze burned with resentment, thinly veiled fury flickering in his pale green eyes.

He was furious that Haru had interfered—furious that his revenge, his dominance, had been interrupted.

Haru, however, remained composed. His crimson Sharingan flared to life, spinning slowly in his eyes.

Gaara suddenly let out a scream of agony, his body spasming with pain.

Haru hadn't held back because Gaara was a child. In his eyes, there were no exceptions. If you dared to provoke him, then you'd better be prepared to pay the price.

And this was him showing mercy—letting Gaara writhe in pain rather than putting him down for good.

Temari, Kankuro, and Maki—the senior shinobi overseeing the Hidden Sand team—rushed over in alarm.

After a hasty examination, they confirmed Gaara wasn't seriously injured. The tension in their bodies eased, but their faces remained hard.

"You call this showing mercy?" baki growled, stepping forward. His eyes bore into Haru with icy disdain. "He's just a child. What you did was excessive."

"Excessive?" Haru replied indifferently. "If I had truly intended to kill him, he'd already be dead. He's still breathing, isn't he? That's your mercy."

He tilted his head, his voice calm but cold. "Don't let youth make you arrogant. Offend the wrong person, and you'll learn the consequences the hard way."

Baki clenched his fists, rage boiling just beneath the surface.

"You—!"

He stepped forward instinctively, chakra beginning to surge.

But before he could act, a low, commanding voice rang out behind him.

"Stand down."

Baki froze.

The voice was familiar—and absolute.

He turned and quickly bowed in respect.

The figure who had arrived wore the Kazekage's signature white robes and a bamboo hat that shadowed his face.

The Fourth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand had arrived.

A ripple of murmurs spread through the spectators.

This was supposed to be a Chunin Exam—a tournament for Genin. And yet now, titans of the shinobi world were getting involved?

One was the head of the Kirigakure Police Department—Uchiha Haru, the other a Kage from one of the Five Great Nations.

What kind of exam was this?

"What's the matter, Lord Kazekage?" Haru said, his tone light but laced with sarcasm. "You want to speak up for your child? Want to try it out yourself?"

The figure under the bamboo hat stiffened.

Orochimaru, hidden behind the Kazekage's guise, felt a flicker of unease.

Try it? Try what?

Get humiliated in public?

He didn't need that kind of attention—not now.

But he was pretending to be the Fourth Kazekage. He couldn't afford to show fear, even if he felt it deep in his core.

He forced a chuckle.

"There's no need," Orochimaru said smoothly. "It's just a scuffle between kids. Why escalate it further?"

"Exactly." Haru turned away dismissively, no longer interested in the charade.

He didn't even bother to acknowledge Orochimaru's presence again. That alone was a deep enough insult.

The Kazekage—ignored like a common bystander.

Orochimaru's smile faltered beneath the bamboo hat.

He could only clench his teeth and swallow the humiliation.

Frankly, he was relieved.

He didn't want to linger here any longer than necessary. The longer he stayed, the more likely someone would detect something off.

"Lord Kazekage," baki muttered from behind him, eyes still burning with fury. "Are we really just going to let this go?"

Temari and Kankuro stood on either side, silent but clearly angry. Even Gaara, still crouched low and trembling, looked like he wanted blood.

But Orochimaru raised a hand to silence them.

"You must learn to look at the bigger picture," he said calmly. "Don't fixate on momentary slights."

"We came to Konoha with a mission far more important than a petty grudge. Now is not the time to provoke unnecessary enemies."

The words sounded like wisdom. But the truth was simple: Orochimaru didn't want to provoke Uchiha Haru.

Not here.

Not now.

Not ever, if he could help it.

"Yes, my lord," baki muttered through gritted teeth.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances, then helped Gaara to his feet. They had no choice but to accept it. Lord Kazekage's words were final.

The group began to withdraw from the arena, heads low, tension still thick in the air.

Orochimaru didn't just leave the battle stage—he left the entire Chunin Exam venue.

.

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