Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

"Gate of View... open!"

As Lee's voice rang out, green steam surged from his entire body. His eyes lost their pupils entirely, looking even more terrifying than the Byakugan.

"Why is he really risking his life?"

Naruto muttered, gripping the railing, ready to leap into the arena.

'With Lee's current physique, he wouldn't be able to withstand the power of the Gate of View. If he pushed any further, he might end up losing his life.'

But before Naruto could jump down, he was grabbed by Guy.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked with a frown.

Guy replied in a serious tone, "Believe in Lee. This is his resolve. He can handle it."

'Huh?'

Naruto was taken aback, 'Guy clearly knew that Lee could open the sixth gate. But from the tension on Guy's face, it was clear he wasn't entirely confident about Lee's condition.'

However, Naruto decided to not move.

'Since even Guy, who is normally so protective, didn't intervene, that means Lee's life was not in imminent danger.'

'I really didn't expect that Lee's strength is far beyond that of the same period in the original work. It seemed like anyone connected to me ended up taking a different path.'

"Squirtle, Squirtle!"

Just as Lee was opening the gates and gathering strength, Squirtle struggled to rise, his body trembling from the relentless sand weapon attacks he had endured. His state was clearly dire.

Seeing this, Naruto wanted to rush forward and scoop up Squirtle. He couldn't stand the sight of Squirtle being battered.

However, before Naruto could make any move, a deep blue glow began to radiate from Squirtle's body.

'What's going on?'

Naruto was stunned for a moment, and then the familiar system prompt sounded in his mind.

[Congratulations to the host, Squirtle has reached level 16 and has successfully evolved into Wartortle!]

'Evolved?'

The worry on Naruto's face instantly turned into joy.

'It turned out that the intense pressure from enduring so many attacks had maxed out Squirtle's experience bar, prompting an early evolution.'

While Naruto didn't fully understand Pokemon, he knew one thing well… evolution always meant increased strength!

At this moment, he was very much looking forward to how Wartortle would perform after its evolution.

As the blue light expanded, Squirtle's form transformed dramatically within it. Its height shot up from half a meter to a full meter. Its skin darkened to a deeper blue, and its once-innocent features now bore sharp, tiger-like fangs and clawed forelimbs, lending it a fiercer appearance.

Yet, with its fluffy, wing-like ears and a tail shaped like a wave, Wartortle retained a certain charm that softened his newfound ferocity.

However, Wartortle's injuries from the earlier battle hadn't healed with evolution.

"Wartortle, Wartortle!"

Wartortle spun its tail to knock away incoming sand weapons, then opened its mouth wide, releasing a high-pressure jet of water.

'Whoa! Where did all that power come from?'

Naruto exclaimed, then quickly opened the system panel to investigate.

There, he found the answer:

[Ability (Passive): Torrent: When Wartortle's HP falls below one-third, the power of Water-type moves increases by 1.5 times.]

'This is practically a last-blooded war god… less health, more damage. Truly impressive!'

Whoosh!

Wartortle's high-pressure water jet blasted a gap in Gaara's sandstorm barrier. Although the swirling sands quickly closed the hole, the momentary opening was all Lee needed.

"Again!" Lee shouted in a low voice.

"Wartortle, Wartortle!"

Wartortle inhaled deeply and then sprayed out another high-pressure water jet.

"Now!"

With the shout, Lee's figure suddenly disappeared, turning into afterimages and rushing into the sandstorm through the gap.

What Lee is using is Body Flicker Technique, which required incredible speed and physical prowess to perform. With the sixth gate opened, the speed of Lee's Body Flicker Technique at short range rivaled the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing him to reach his target almost instantly.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"

Catching sight of Gaara at the sandstorm's center, Lee's body flickered again. In an instant, he appeared below Gaara. Before Gaara could react, he delivered a powerful upward kick that sent Gaara flying into the air.

"How is this possible? How can you have such strength and speed?" Gaara muttered in disbelief as he soared upward, unable to maneuver.

"Once I use this move, win or lose, the outcome will be clear!"

Lee's voice was resolute. Rather than launching a finishing blow immediately, he used Shadow of the Dancing Leaf as the setup move. The real technique was yet to come.

"Reverse Lotus!"

All variations of the Lotus technique shared similar forms, differing mainly in speed and power. With the sixth gate opened, Lee was now capable of using the true essence of the Reverse Lotus!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Using his left foot as a springboard from his right, Lee seemed to defy gravity, 'kicking off' the air to stay aloft.

At his intense speed, the friction between his limbs and the air caused it to distort, generating flames that looked like Sanji's Diable Jambe.

From the stands, Lee's figure was almost invisible; the audience saw only the blazing flashes around Gaara's form, his body pinned between Lee's relentless kicks and unable to counter.

'Is that a variation of the Morning Peacock?'

Naruto raised his brows.

The Morning Peacock was a high-level Taijutsu achievable only after opening the sixth gate. Rapid punches generated fiery shockwaves that, in combination with friction, created the appearance of a peacock's plumage, giving the technique its name.

But Lee's continuous kicks, rather than punches, had the same effect, turning the air into fiery bursts, more like a brilliant firework than the graceful spread of a peacock's tail.

Swish, swish!

After an intense sequence of kicks, Lee unwrapped the bandages from his arms.

He wanted to keep going, but his body had reached its limit, so he needed to finish this quickly.

After binding Gaara from behind with his bandages, Lee inverted their positions, spiraling down to the ground with incredible speed.

Boom!

Spinning in the opposite direction of the sandstorm's rotation, Lee's impact stopped the storm's momentum entirely. The force of their landing formed a crater several meters deep, causing the entire stadium to tremble as if shaken by a minor earthquake.

"Hiss…!"

The audience couldn't help but gasp.

'Who would have thought that that silly-looking boy would have such strength? He is truly a hidden little monster.'

The power of Lee's final attack was on par with, or even more impressive than, Tenten's explosive tag barrage.

Gaara's Absolute Defense had previously appeared unbreakable, yet now, it was unclear if it could withstand such a formidable blow.

The crowd, buzzing with excitement and curiosity, rose to their feet, eagerly peering toward the crater to see the outcome.

At last, the dust began to settle, and a large hand reached up from the crater's edge.