IV

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Arc IV Chapter 3

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Lee blocked her attack, parrying with a kunai on his own. Both kunai interlocked and Lee stared right into Asami's eyes. Her eyes were black like the night, harbouring nothing but darkness.

Lee's kunai was pushed back further and further as Asami applied more strength. She slowly cornered him.

Lee didn't understand. How could she be so strong? How was this possible? She was just a frail girl. Her body was weak, but she was able to compete with him. Asami put a Taijutsu specialist like him under pressure with raw physical force.

Lee gritted his teeth and mobilised his strength. He hadn't trained all his life to be defeated now. He had come so far, and he wouldn't fail.

Lee resisted. He regained ground by pushing Asami and her kunai back again.

Asami wore a devious smile. ”Is there a problem, Lee? You look troubled?”

Lee maintained his stoic facade and ignored her taunts.

Asami grinned. “It seems you aren't the chatty type, Lee are you?“

“So let's play a little bit.“

Her kunai started glowing. Encoated by lightning, Asami's kunai burned through his weapon, melting the steel. Lee's eyes went wide. He had to get away from her. Immediately.

Lee retreated, barely avoiding her kunai. Asami missed, but her kunai grazed his leg and her lightning cut his clothes and the skin beneath like a razor.

It was just a minor flesh wound. Nothing severe. But her kunai ... They were dangerous, extremely dangerous.

Lee didn't lose his focus. He observed Asami. What was she planning?

Asami smirked. Her look condescending, patronising. ” Not bad. Not bad. But will it be enough? We will see.”

Asami energised her second kunai, wielding two lightning kunai. Equally deadly, equally unforgiving.

Asami increased the tempo and attacked. Faster, faster and faster. She didn't fear melee. She didn't fear the confrontation.

Asami charged and they both met. Lee dodged attack after attack, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. The opportunity never came. He couldn't get even close to deliver a kick or punch. He was too slow and she too fast. She fought elusive like a ghost.

Her attacks were coordinated. Her movements determined. Her defence strong. Her openings scarce and brief.

Asami wielded her two kunai with skill that surpassed Tenten easily. Asami was faster, stronger. Her reflexes sharper.

Lee had a hard time to keep up with her pace and dodging became increasingly difficult. It was only a matter of time before he made a mistake.

But Lee fought on. Not discouraged by his grim situation. Because he knew hopeless fights well. Nobody knew them better than him. He fought uphill battles for his entire life. He knew the taste of defeat. He had lost countless times before. Asami was strong, maybe even stronger than Neji, but that was not a reason to give up.

He would fight.

Asami presented an opening and Lee took the chance. It was a risky gamble, but better now than never.

Lee counterattacked with a kick, and he paid a heavy price.

The opening was deliberate. It was a trap. Asami grinned.

She dodged and Lee's stance was broken. He was out of position. An easy prey.

Retribution came swiftly and brutally. Lee took a spinning kick right into the guts. And it hurt.

Asami rammed her leg into his stomach with little mercy and Lee was catapulted backward, crashing into the wall with full force.

Lee took quite a beating, but the fight continued. This was just the beginning.

Lee forced himself up, stumbling.

”See, Lee, I told you so. You stand no chance.”Asami grinned, fully aware of her undisputed superiority.

“The match isn’t over yet.” Lee's breath was heavy. “I am still standing.“

Asami tilted her head, giggling. “True enough, but standing alone won't help you. You need more.“

“If you want to have even a moderate chance of winning, then you need land a hit. And if you want to score a hit, then you need to be faster. You are too slow, Lee, way too slow to match me.“ Asami smirked.

Lee gritted his teeth. She taunted him. This was an open provocation and Lee answered with a kunai. His attack had no hope to succeed, but that wasn't the point. The kunai was defiance, a testament of his will to fight.

The kunai flew. Asami sidestepped.

“Lee, you disappoint me! I expect more from you than just a kunai.“ Asami shook her head.

Asami extracted a handful of shuriken from her pouches. Shuriken were classical weapons in the arsenal of every shinobi, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. Quite the contrary.

Asami played with her shuriken, spinning them around her fingers. “So let's continue dancing. This time, it's my treat and I have a few nice little presents for you.“

Asami threw her shuriken. They were fast and as her kunai, covered in lightning.

Lee ran, avoiding the first salvo. Three shuriken cut clean into the wall.

But Asami gave him no respite. This was just the first salvo. There were more coming and Lee didn't have the intention to be electrocuted.

Lee dodged, and dodged, and dodged. Back, forth, right, left, jump, forth, right, back, left. Their number seemed infinite, but with more luck than skill Lee survived the hail of shuriken, even when her attack had taken its toll.

His clothes were torn to pieces. He avoided most shuriken, but not all of them. Some shuriken grazed him with unpleasant consequences. Lee was bleeding across his entire body. His green jumpsuit was shredded, and he gained a few new cuts and scars.

Asami tilted her head. ” Lee, do you finally understand? You are hopelessly outclassed, and I am just playing with you, nothing more.”

“ Just give up. Don’t make it more difficult than necessary.”

Lee hardened his stance, unwavering. Once again, he defied her. “Asami-chan, I told you before, I can't. I can't give up. I can't betray all the trust Guy-sensei has placed in me. I need to fight.“

Asami clicked her tongue. “It seems I have underestimated you, Lee. You are way tougher than I gave you credit for, and that makes you incredibly annoying. You are one of those stubborn guys that keep fighting.” Just like your sensei.

“Thank you, I take that as a compliment. It's who I am! I fight!” Lee gave Asami a thumb-up. He smiled.

Asami blinked. He was an idiot, wasn't he? “You misunderstand. That wasn’t a compliment, not at all. Do you know what the issue is with people like you? Your stubbornness will spell your own demise.”

“There is a fine line between being stubborn and not knowing when you have lost. And you have crossed this line, Lee.“

“What I displayed so far is a small fraction of what I am capable. Even you, Lee, must realise that you won’t win, that you can’t win. You lack the strength to defeat me.” Asami's eyes harboured a dangerous glimmer.

Lee's stance softened. Her words made him think, like poison they eroded his spirit.

Asami whispered in his ears. “I ask you one last time, Lee, please forfeit. A good shinobi knows when the time has come to give up.”

“You said you can’t, and I believe you. I don't know you, Lee. I don't know what led you here, what made you who you are today.“

“But why are you doing this? Why do you keep fighting, Lee?“

“Is it because of honour? I can assure you there is no shame in admitting defeat. You are not a coward. In fact, doing so proves your better judgement in the face of unwinnable odds.“

“Is it because you want to prove your strength? You have already done so. Nobody will judge you. I surely wouldn't. You are by no means weak, Lee. You have proven your worth. You are a capable a Genin by the mere fact that you are still standing.”

“So, give up, Lee. ” Asami smiled. She offered her hand. Lee had only to accept.

Lee wavered, unsure how to react. He hesitated. ”I … I … I …”

“HEY, BUSHY BROWS, DON’T THINK ABOUT GIVING UP!!!”

Who was the fucking idiot who dared to interfere? Asami turned her head and gritted her teeth. As expected, it was ... “Naruto.“

Naruto shouted from the stands. ”Lee, didn’t you say that you would work harder than anyone else? Didn't you say that you would never give up?. That is you, that it is your nindo!!!"

Asami glared at Naruto. He ruined everything. Should she use a shuriken to shut him up?

Lee regained his courage. His determination returned as all doubt was cast aside. “Naruto is right. You might be stronger than me, Asami-chan, more talented, more gifted. But I will never give up, that is my nindo!”

She had tried her best, but even her patience was limited. All kindness disappeared from her face.

Asami giggled, her eyes gaining a subtle purple shade. She clenched her fist. ”Your nindo? Your nindo? In that case, I will show you where your nindo ends, my friend.”

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