From the night of genocide, marching towards the strongest.

boom!

With another explosive sound, the two separated upon contact.

Naruto already had some small bruises and his clothes were slightly torn, but in contrast, Lee had far more injuries.

"Let's finish this quickly, Thick Eyebrows!"

Looking at Lee in the distance, Naruto's gaze sharpened. He could see that the forbidden technique was putting a great strain on Lee's body.

"As expected of Naruto-kun."

Lee wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his chakra erupted once more.

"Open the wound gate!"

Gate of Injury: Further enhances attack and speed, but the body begins to suffer damage, entering the danger zone of the Eight Gates Formation, truly entering the state of the Eight Gates Formation!

"Du Men...."

"Wait a moment!"

Just as Lee was about to open the fifth gate, Naruto suddenly interrupted him, saying solemnly, "You're already close to your limit, aren't you?"

"Although I want to see your full strength, I don't want to cause irreversible damage to your body, and I don't want to lose a martial arts opponent in the future!"

"Our duel today is merely a friendly exchange between comrades, not a life-or-death struggle."

"Naruto's right, Lee!"

Might Guy on the high platform nodded and said loudly, "For a sparring match between companions, four gates are enough!"

Although Lee could theoretically open the Fifth Gate, it would also bring him unbearable losses. Most importantly, they are all comrades of Konoha, and there is no need to risk their lives in a fight.

If Kakashi had to open the Seventh and Eighth Gates every time he sparred with him, what would Kakashi be able to do?

That's it!

Hearing this, Lee remained silent for a while, then nodded: "You're right, Naruto-kun, then let's have a showdown! Be careful, Naruto-kun! Even just the fourth gate, I'm still very strong!"

True Lotus!

Konoha's Powerful Hurricane!

Two techniques from the Konoha Steel Fist Style were unleashed by the two, colliding and instantly creating countless violent shockwaves on the field. The air vibrated, the ground trembled and twisted beyond recognition, and pieces of gravel tumbled out.

"Amazing!" Kiba Inuzuka was dumbfounded. These two guys were actually this strong!?

"Aren't these two monsters?"

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata looked at the scene with a worried expression, but the dust obscured her vision.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, and after observing for a while, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Someone can actually fight Naruto to this extent using taijutsu?"

Sakura was also taken aback. As Naruto's companion, she knew very well how strong Naruto's taijutsu was. She never expected that the unassuming watermelon-headed guy could fight Naruto like this.

"Sasuke, who do you think won?"

Sakura initially had great faith in Naruto, but now she's starting to have some doubts.

"Naruto has already won."

Sasuke responded with a nonchalant remark.

The dust and sand slowly dissipated, revealing the scene. Lee Rock was breathing heavily, seemingly too weak to even stand up, but he did not collapse.

Instead, he was being supported by Naruto, who, despite his injuries, was otherwise unharmed.

"Examiner, I give up!"

Xiao Li shakily raised his right hand.

............

Xiao Li conceded defeat, and the rest of the exam continued.

"Toshi vs. Choji Akimichi..."

"The victor, Tos..."

"Tenten vs. Temari...."

"Winner's Temari..."

"Nara Shikamaru VS Kin..."

"Troublesome!" Shikamaru sighed and slowly walked off the platform.

Ten minutes later...

"The victor is Nara Shikamaru..."

"Sakura Haruno VS Kiba Inuzuka!"

"Go for it, Sakura! Give that guy Kiba a good beating!"

A few minutes later...

Moonlight Gale coughed lightly, glanced at the man and dog tightly bound and unable to move by the Water Whip on the ground, and announced:

"The winner is Sakura Haruno!"

"Next up is Yamanaka Ino vs. Gaara!"

Upon hearing Gekko Hayate's announcement, Ino paused for a moment, and then, in the next instant, a gaze filled with a chilling and immense killing intent fixed on her.

Such terrifying killing intent! How many people has this guy killed?!

The Yamanaka clan is also a prestigious lineage of Yin Release, and Yin Release ninjas are usually extremely sensitive to things like aura and killing intent.

The instant Gaara's gaze fell upon her, Ino seemed to smell the strong, bloody, and ferocious scent within the chakra.

This guy is terrifying!

Ino trembled slightly, not daring to look into Gaara's bloodthirsty eyes.

Just as Ino was trembling, Sakura walked over unnoticed and scoffed, "Are you scared?"

"No...no way!" Upon hearing this, Ino became furious and embarrassed, and her body stopped trembling as she loudly retorted.

"Hmph, that's good!" Sakura nodded, then challenged her with an air of superiority, "Good luck, Ino! Don't lose too badly and make me laugh, hmph!"

Just you wait and see!

Sakura's words spurred Ino to forget her fear, and her eyes filled with determination as she slowly walked off the platform.

However, the reality is harsh!

Even the most resilient heart cannot bridge the vast gap in strength. After only one exchange, Ino found herself at a complete disadvantage.

"What kind of monster is this!?"

After Ino used her secret technique Mind Transfer in a desperate attempt, she was instead frightened by Shukaku inside Gaara's body.

"I admit it..."

Ino tremblingly raised her right hand, about to admit defeat, but Gaara's killing intent became even more ferocious.

"Sand-bound coffin!"

The sandstorm completely surrounded Ino, preventing her from admitting defeat. Gaara's eyes widened suddenly, filled with a ferocious bloodshot look and murderous intent.

“Sandfall..…”

With a clenched fist, the sand binding Ino tightened suddenly, and the immense pressure threatened to crush the girl into minced meat!

"not good!"

Asuma was startled and was about to disregard the exam rules and rush down to save his student, but he had just leaped into the air when...

Wow!

A huge surge of water suddenly erupted from the ground, forming a rotating wall of water that pushed Gaara's sand aside.

"That's the second-generation Water Wall!?"

"who is it?"

Asma felt relieved when he saw the water wall rise, but questions soon arose in his mind.

He was completely focused on his students and didn't know who had done it.

"I'm telling you, you bastard!"

The water wall crashed down, and Sakura stood before the immobilized Ino, her emerald green eyes fixed on the red-haired boy in the distance. She said, each word distinct, "She was clearly ready to surrender, why did you still try to kill her!?"

"Hehe..." Hearing Sakura's question, Gaara didn't answer her question, but instead laughed cruelly.

"Sakura Haruno, is it? How dare you interrupt my fun? Are you prepared to be killed by me?"

At this moment, Gaara seemed like a bloodthirsty beast that had been imprisoned for a long time and then released, as if he could rush out and start a massacre at any moment!

"A barren desert may bring death, but a deadly desert can never compare to the vastness of the ocean. No matter how ferocious the desert may be, it will eventually be submerged by the sea!"

Faced with Gaara's bloodthirsty killing intent, Sakura did not change her expression at all. Instead, she calmly uttered some incomprehensible words.

"If I were your opponent in the finals a month from now, I would make you truly understand this!"

After saying that, Sakura helped the injured Ino up and turned to leave, completely ignoring Gaara's increasingly bloodthirsty killing intent and cold gaze.

Whoosh!

Gaara silently watched the two leave. The surrounding sand spun faster and faster, but in the end, he did not choose to make a move. The sand also silently returned to its gourd.

"Ahem... Since Yamanaka Ino is unable to continue the match, Gaara wins this round! Now, let's proceed with the final match!"

"Hinata Hyuga VS Neji Hyuga!"

Next, the battle between the siblings from the Hyuga clan unfolded just like in the original story. Encouraged by Naruto, Hinata stood up again and again under the fierce Gentle Fist attacks of Hyuga Neji.

"Hinata, do your best, I believe in you..."

Snapped!

Just as Naruto was about to unleash his talk-no-jutsu again, Sasuke patted him on the shoulder, stopping him from doing so.

"What are you doing, Sasuke!?"