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( Translator: I miss some paragraphs for almost all the chapters and I added them sorry )
Lee attempted to rise but quickly realized that his legs were completely immobile!
"Might Guy, on the second floor, shouted anxiously, "Lee! Get rid of that weight now!"
Hearing Might Guy's voice, Lee suddenly remembered what was holding him back and hurriedly tried to untie the weighted bags around his ankles.
Bang!
The heavy weighted bags fell off, cracking the stone floor beneath them as they hit. Finally, Lee staggered to his feet—but before he could react further…
Renge had already charged right in front of him!
"Five-Body Seal!"
Renge's right hand formed a tiger claw, with five distinct characters appearing at the tips of his fingers—sinew, vein, bone, flesh, and skin!
The Five Elements of the Human Body—sinew, vein, bone, flesh, and skin!
Lee desperately tried to dodge, but with the seals restricting his limbs, he couldn't muster enough strength. All he could do was watch helplessly as Renge struck him squarely in the chest!
Bang!
An instant later, a circular seal appeared on Lee's chest, expanding rapidly across his entire body. The meager movement he'd managed before ceased entirely as his body collapsed onto the ground. Now, not even lifting an eyelid felt possible!
The foundation of the human body—the bones that form its structure, the sinews and muscles that control motion, the veins that allow chakra to flow, and the skin that protects it all—had been rendered useless by the Five-Body Seal. The seal stiffened his bones and skin, severed the brain's commands to his sinews and muscles, and constricted the pathways for chakra flow within his body. This was a physical seal, one that left only taijutsu specialists like Lee utterly incapacitated!
"It's over," Renge said calmly, repeating himself.
Before anyone could fully comprehend what had just happened, the battle was already concluded. From their perspective, all they saw was Lee rushing forward, being momentarily blinded by a flash of light, and then falling motionless after being struck by Renge—all within less than ten seconds.
"Lee… has he already lost?" Sasuke asked, stunned, struggling to believe it. He had fought against Lee earlier, and though he hated to admit it, he had been at a disadvantage during their encounter. Yet here, this same Lee had fallen without resistance to Renge, unable to land even a single blow. He hadn't lasted ten seconds before losing.
"Yes, Lee has lost," Kakashi replied solemnly. "I didn't expect him to use sealing techniques and barrier jutsu to such an extent. These weren't originally designed for combat."
Sasuke and the others turned their gaze toward Kakashi, prompting him to continue explaining: "Sealing techniques and barrier jutsu are far more powerful than ordinary ninjutsu, but when they were developed, no one considered using them in high-speed battles. They usually require preparation—like mediums for casting, pre-drawn arrays, or inscribing runes on the target's body followed by lengthy incantations. But Renge can deploy these techniques mid-battle. His mastery of both sealing and barrier arts must have reached a level beyond comprehension—a true genius."
Moreover, the Five-Body Seal—was it a secret technique of the Uzumaki clan? Was Renge, as a descendant of the Uzumaki, merely coincidentally accompanying Orochimaru in this Chunin Exam, or did they have another motive…
Kakashi's brow furrowed deeply in thought.
Lee's eyelids grew heavier as his bodily functions deteriorated, even his breathing slowed down significantly.
He had heard Kakashi's words. Had he truly lost? Lost to the genius of sealing techniques?
Lee couldn't help but question himself.
Had all his efforts been meaningless? Could hard work never defeat talent? Was his youth, his passion, his relentless effort and sweat nothing more than a one-sided illusion?
No!
How unbearably frustrating!
It was so unfair!
Renge glanced at Yuki Shukaku, signaling him to announce the result of the match instead of pretending to be shocked just because Lee was from Konoha and wasting time.
Moonlight Hayate felt a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze directed at him. He glanced at Lee, confirming that the boy truly couldn't stand anymore, and raised his hand to declare, "The victor is—"
"LEE!!!" Maito Gai suddenly shouted toward his student. "Use it!"
Lee hesitated. But, Gai-sensei…
At that moment, Gai seemed to connect with Lee telepathically. He gave a thumbs-up, flashing his signature blinding smile as he exclaimed, "It's fine! I give you permission! Show everyone, Lee! Your youth! Your passion! Youth burns brightest when it's lived to the fullest!!"
Cryptic as ever.
Mujin glanced at Hayate, who had lowered his hand again, avoiding his gaze.
But Mujin inwardly smiled. Yes, this was perfect. He had no doubt that Lee would rise again. After all, bouncing back from near-defeat was a privilege reserved for so-called heroes of justice. And besides… this was exactly what he wanted.
As expected, Lee—despite appearing immobilized just moments ago—staggered to his feet, determination blazing in his eyes. "I've always wanted to prove that hard work can surpass genius! This technique was originally meant for Neji, but now… the time has come to embody my ninja way! Third Gate: Gate of Life, OPEN!!!"
Neji's brow furrowed, sensing that things were about to get serious.
BOOM! An overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from Lee's body. Blood coursed through his veins at an accelerated pace, turning his skin a deep crimson. Green chakra began seeping out of his pores!
BANG!
The Four Limbs Heavy Seal wrapped around Lee shattered under the sheer force of his chakra!
"Not enough! Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, OPEN!"
Lee's power skyrocketed once more. The massive chakra began leaking uncontrollably, shaking the ground violently and sending rocks flying into the air!
This power was already beginning to strain against the Five Elements Seal!
Creak! Lee's bones groaned under the pressure, his muscles tearing and his skin splitting open, oozing blood. The Five Elements Seal was on the verge of collapse—it only needed one final push!
"And now… Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit, OPEN!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
KABOOM! Veins bulged across Lee's entire body as the Five Elements Seal shattered completely under the torrent of chakra. His strength returned in full force!
"So that's why I hate people like you so-called heroes of justice," Mujin said coldly, emotionlessly discarding his shirt to reveal a body covered in countless scars.
Karin pursed her lips. Just as she never showed Mujin the bite marks on her arms, he never revealed these scars to her either.
Mujin began forming hand seals. Runes emerged on the surface of his body, coiling around him like chains, layer upon layer. "Even after losing the ability to move, all you have to do is shout something about burning passion, bonds of friendship, or the power of youth, and suddenly you're back on your feet. I despise that kind of nonsense."
"Release!"
With a thunderous shout, the rune chains binding him snapped apart. Countless runes shot out in every direction, embedding themselves into the walls with sharp ding ding ding sounds!
One such rune narrowly grazed Naruto's cheek, startling him.
"Six Directions, Six Collisions! Since you've already staked your life on this battle, I suppose I can afford to go a little overboard, don't you think?"
Mujin's expression grew slightly more serious.
Meanwhile, Lee had fully recovered from the isolation imposed by the Five Elements Seal!
The two locked eyes…
KABOOM!!!
The ground beneath them shattered violently!
In an instant, both figures vanished from sight!