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In Sakura's line of sight, it only took the blink of an eye for the two fighters to appear in the center of the arena. Lee's fist and Renge's staff collided with a thunderous impact!
Boom!
A violent gust of wind erupted in all directions!
The staff in Renge's hand immediately began to bend before snapping into three pieces with a sharp crack!
"Amazing!" Tenten exclaimed excitedly.
As expected of the Eight Gates technique—his strength and speed surpass mine…
Renge abruptly brought his palms together, and the broken fragments of the staff began to tremble violently. With a loud explosion, they transformed into countless shards that shot toward Lee like projectiles!
Confident that none would hit their mark, Renge didn't even bother watching the outcome. In an instant, he retreated to the edge of the arena, biting down hard on his right thumb and pressing it against the ground!
Meanwhile, just as he had anticipated, Lee—his body radiating a fiery red aura—had already appeared above him, diving downward with tremendous force!
"Barrier Severance!"
In the blink of an eye, a crimson thread connected to runes that had materialized at the center of the arena. A sharp, bladelike barrier surged upward, slicing through the air as if attempting to cleave Lee in two!
But Lee, in defiance of the laws of physics, twisted his body mid-air where no leverage should have been possible, narrowly shifting out of the way. The barrier only managed to sever a single strand of his hair!
Renge pressed his thumb against the barrier, moving to the other side in an instant. As he reappeared at the edge of the barrier, a vivid streak of blood-red appeared along its surface.
Slamming his hands together against the barrier, he shouted, "Sealed Coffin of the Barrier!"
From the sides of the barrier, countless black arms erupted, reaching out toward Lee with incredible speed!
Without hesitation, Renge moved his hands in rapid succession, creating afterimages as he pressed them once more against the barrier. "Black Seal…"
But!
Before he could complete the sealing technique, a series of explosive sounds rang out—boom, boom, boom!
Lee transformed into a streak of green light, rebounding off the walls and ceiling to instantly appear behind Renge, launching a devastating attack directly at him!
Abandoning his incomplete seal, Renge swiftly split the barrier apart with both thumbs, creating an opening and darting inside!
BOOM!!!
With a deafening roar, the barrier shattered into fragments after blocking Lee's assault!
Black runes appeared on Renge's fingers. Seizing the brief moment when Lee paused, he lunged forward to grab him!
However, having already fallen victim to such tactics once, Lee nimbly evaded Renge's grasp. Twisting his body, he used the momentum of his rotation to deliver a powerful kick aimed straight for Renge's head!
Renge raised his right arm to block, but upon contact, his defense crumbled instantly. Just as Lee's attack was about to land, Renge abandoned resistance altogether, instead grabbing Lee's ankle and using the force of the strike to hurl him away!
BOOM!
The wall exploded into fragments, but the battle showed no signs of slowing. Amidst the rising dust, a void suddenly opened, and Lee reappeared before him once more!!!
Bang, bang, bang! BOOM!!!!
The two combatants clashed repeatedly in mid-air, ricocheting between the walls and ceiling. The dust kicked up by their earlier movements was immediately dispersed by the shockwaves of their attacks. The ground was now riddled with craters, leaving no safe place to stand. Walls and ceilings alike bore the scars of their relentless onslaught.
Everywhere were shattered holes and long, jagged cracks!
This relentless battle left the genin struggling to catch their breath. The movements of these two fighters had surpassed their comprehension!
Ino hadn't blinked once, her body leaning forward as she gripped the railing tightly with both hands. "I-I can't believe that technique called the Six Harmonies and Six Clashes could go toe-to-toe with the legendary Eight Gates!"
"No, you're wrong."
Ino nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't even noticed when Karin had appeared beside her!
"The Six Harmonies and Six Clashes isn't a taijutsu technique—it's a sealing technique meant to bind us."
"A-A sealing technique!?" Ino was utterly confused.
"Chakra, which is composed of physical energy and spiritual energy, is the foundation of everything. Only a strong body and an indomitable spirit can produce more chakra. The Six Harmonies and Six Clashes works like weighted seals—they bind the body to enhance training. So, to be precise, Mujin didn't become this strong because he used the Six Harmonies and Six Clashes. He simply removed the weights and returned to his original state."
Karin turned her gaze toward Gaara on the opposite side. But even with such power, it wasn't enough to ignite a war that would sweep across all the hidden villages. That was why they needed the power of the tailed beasts.
*Boom!* The two figures clashed again in midair. Mujin's arms were beginning to feel numb, and as time passed, his stamina was starting to wane. However, Rock Lee, bolstered by the Eight Gates, remained at the peak of his strength.
Though Mujin felt he had a good grasp of the situation, he decided to buy just a little more time. He certainly didn't want to find out if Lee still had another transformation up his sleeve.