C21 Naruto's Strength

Under the astonished gazes of Sakura, Sasuke, and Lee, Naruto forcefully twisted his body mid-air. Using the momentum of his descent, he executed a spinning downward kick.

Lee hadn't anticipated such a swift response from Naruto under these circumstances.

It's common knowledge that high-altitude maneuvers in Physical Technique, though impressive, come with significant risks. A missed attack could expose a major vulnerability.

Moreover, with no leverage in mid-air, dodging becomes a formidable challenge.

Unexpectedly, Naruto managed to twist his body in a split second, using his momentum to deliver the spinning kick.

This required not only immense core strength but also a cool head.

But Lee had no time to ponder this.

He slammed his hands onto the ground, halting his sweeping leg mid-motion. With the ground's support, he forcibly lifted his leg to block Naruto's incoming attack.

"Bang!"

This time, Naruto clearly gained the advantage.

Lee, scrambling to defend, managed to block Naruto's strike, but his leg suffered from the impact, throbbing with pain.

The two faced off once again.

"Konoha's Mighty Spinning Wind!"

The battle had dragged on, and time was running short. Naruto decided to pull out some of his signature moves.

He suddenly accelerated, spinning into a powerful backward kick.

Lee tried to evade, but the leg he had used to block Naruto's previous attack now throbbed with intense pain. In the realm of Physical Technique, the slightest misstep could lead to a colossal error.

He realized he couldn't avoid the hit.

All he could do was cross his arms in front of himself.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous noise, Lee was sent hurtling by Naruto's formidable kick, crashing into the wall and causing it to crack.

"So powerful!" Sakura exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Damn it! How can Naruto be this strong?"

Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated, stood frozen, witnessing the spectacle. He knew Naruto was skilled in Physical Technique, but he hadn't expected such prowess.

He wondered, if he were in Lee's place, could he have dodged the attack?

The answer was no. Even with the Sharingan, he could only catch a glimpse of Naruto's shadow, too late to react.

His anxiety grew; he certainly didn't want to be outpaced by Naruto.

"Hah, Rock Lee, just give it up. You can't beat me!" Naruto declared, watching Lee struggle to his feet.

"I won't give up. I lack Ninjutsu skills, so I must rely on Physical Technique. I can be knocked down, but I will never concede defeat!" Lee wiped the blood from his lip and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mr. Might Guy. I have to use that technique!"

Naruto's formidable display had Lee considering the use of the Eight-gate Escape Armor.

Naruto noticed the surge of Chakra around Lee and tensed up. What was happening?

Hong also sensed Lee's transformation. "Lee, are you about to use the Eight-gate Escape Armor?"

While Hong debated whether to warn Naruto, a turtle plummeted from the sky, landing right where Lee stood. Alert as ever, Lee narrowly avoided being crushed.

"Lee, you're letting me down. Are you really going to resort to that technique?" The voice from the turtle's back was unmistakable. Hong recognized the iconic watermelon hair and green outfit—it was Might Guy.

Lee, flustered, replied, "Mr. Might Guy, hear me out. Naruto's just too strong. I felt I had no choice but to use that technique..."

But a loving punch to the head cut him off, halting his excuses. "No more excuses. You know what that technique signifies! How could you consider using it against a fellow villager?"

Under Might Guy's stern guidance, Lee humbly acknowledged his error. Teacher and student quickly reconciled, embracing in a poignant moment of youthful angst.

Hong couldn't help but smile at the touching display between teacher and student.

Yet, the rest of Class 7 seemed less than impressed.

"Wow, what are they doing? It's so cringeworthy!" Sakura exclaimed, covering her eyes, unable to watch.

Naruto, ever observant, remarked, "Ha, his eyebrows are even bushier than Rock Lee's!"

Sasuke, despite feeling Naruto's competitive edge and being in a sour mood, couldn't help but be amused by the absurdity before him, his brow furrowing in a mix of disbelief and suppressed laughter.

"Let's get going," he suggested. "I'm worried if we stay any longer, we might start acting weird, too!"

Sakura grabbed Hong and Sasuke and quickly left the area.

Naruto had hoped to speak with Lee, but upon noticing Sakura and the others departing, he abandoned the idea and followed them.

After a short walk, the group finally reached the entrance of Room 301.

Kakashi, waiting at the door, saw Class 7 fully assembled and said with satisfaction, "Well, everyone's here!"

"Hehe, Mr. Kakashi, don't underestimate us. We're not scared. I'm incredibly strong!"

Naruto, fresh from defeating a formidable opponent, was practically beaming with pride.

"With that, you're all set to take the Middle Ninja Exam!"

"Eh?"

"The Middle Ninja Exam requires team participation. If one of you is absent, the rest lose their eligibility to compete!" Kakashi explained, his face betraying no emotion.

"But Mr. Kakashi, didn't you say participating was a personal choice?" Sakura was visibly confused by the contradiction.

"Ha, this is for your benefit. Now that everyone's here, let's head inside!"

"Mr. Kakashi, just watch me go. I'll knock down every single opponent!"

Naruto's confidence was unwavering.

The quartet stepped through the doorway of Room 301 with heads held high.

Instantly, all eyes in the room were on them.

Sakura immediately felt the weight of their stares and began to tremble ever so slightly.

Noticing this, Hong approached and gently patted her head, whispering, "Don't worry, I'm right here with you."

"Scared? Not me! Back off!" Sakura, momentarily moved, quickly brushed off Hong's hand, not wanting to appear weak in front of Sasuke.

"Ah, such coldness..." Hong teased, observing Sakura's defiant demeanor.

Just then, someone lunged at Hong from behind, and he instinctively caught her.

Without looking, Hong knew it had to be Ino; Hinata wouldn't act so boldly.

"Hong, it's been too long. I've missed you!"

As expected, Ino's voice followed.

"We just saw each other two days ago. Have you no shame?" Naruto teased, cutting through the sentiment.

"Ino, get off my brother right now!" Sakura couldn't come to terms with the idea of her close friend aspiring to be her sister-in-law.

However, she didn't want to consider the possibility that if Ino still harbored feelings for Sasuke and became jealous, it would only lead to more complications.

He gave Ino's leg a gentle pat and urged, "Come on, Ino, time to get down."

Ino finally climbed off Hirome and, while clinging to his arm, she stuck her tongue out at Sakura, teasing, "Be grateful, I'm not going to compete with you for Sasuke anymore!"

"Mr. Hirome, you've arrived!"

Hinata's delicate voice carried over.

As he turned, he saw that all ten newcomers had assembled.