IV

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Arc IV Chapter 4

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Asami grinned. “I hope you have good heat resistance, Lee, because you will need it. Be careful, otherwise, you might get roasted. I don't want to serve fried genin, Lee.”

Asami formed a hand seal and took a deep breath. Her lips released a stream of fire. A giant fireball turned the room into a sea of wild flames and scorching heat. The very air burned in a blaze of glory. The fireball exploded and the arena trembled.

Lee dodged her attack relatively unscathed, suffering only a few scorch marks.

He had escaped her wrath. Lee coughed, panted. He mumbled, “What was this?“

Asami heard him and giggled ominously. “This? This is just the beginning, Lee!“

Asami snapped her fingers and created a torrent of fire. Wild purple flames surrounded Asami, dancing around their only true mistress like flying dragons.

Asami presented a dark smile, a sweet smile that promised nothing but pain and suffering. ”Just for information, Lee, my offer still stands. It's not the first time that I crisped some little genin who didn't know better.”

“Lee, have you perchance ever witnessed people being burned alive? It's a horrible way to die. Painful, slow, vindictive. Truly, a death you wish nobody, but their cries never cease to fascinate me.“ Asami grinned as icy silence befell the arena. Nobody said a word. All eyes were focused on her and mouths hang agape.

Asami laughed. Maybe she had talked a bit too much. Not that she cared. She loved playing with people.

Lee gulped. “Is ... Is that true?“

Asami tilted her head. “True what?“

Lee gulped again. “Did you really ... burn people alive?“

“Oh, that.“

Asami hesitated. “Well, ... not really. But you have to admit my acting was pretty convincing, wasn't it?“ Asami laughed.

“What?“

“WHAT!?“

“What!?“

“Whaaaatttt?“

Lee blinked and agreed with the rest of the arena. “What?“ He didn't understand the world anymore.

Asami scratched her head. “You see, I have a girlish heart. I really love teasing people. It's nothing personal, Lee.“

Lee sighed in relief. “So that means ...“

“Correct, it means I never did it, but that is no reason to lose focus, Lee. Death on the battlefield comes fast, my friend.“ Asami smiled and sent her fire forth to destroy him. Her fire obeyed. Her attack caught Lee off guard as Asami exploited his lapse of concentration brutally. Purple beams bombarded his position, nearly obliterating him.

The beams burned through everything in their way and filled the arena with an inferno of detonations. Lee ran for his life, trying not to get caught up in the blasts. The beams didn't just look dangerous. They were dangerous.

Her bombardment ended and Lee looked at where he stood before. A deep crater greeted him.

Lee turned his eyes to Asami. Did she try to kill him?

Asami played the innocent girl. “As I said, be careful, Lee. Good shinobi never let their guard down. Carelessness can be quite deadly. Not just for you, but for your entire team.“

More fire gathered and multiple beams locked onto him. He was their target.

“Are you ready for the next round?“ Asami smiled.

This was the moment Lee made a decision. He unravelled the bandages around his legs and removed a pair of weights. “I am sorry, Guy-sensei, but I have to take them off. I hope you agree with my choice.”

Asami crossed her arms. ”A pair of weights? Isn't that a bit old-fashioned? Do you seriously think that will change anything, Lee?”

“It will.“ Lee dropped the weights, and they shook the ground. The earth trembled.

Asami stumbled. What the fuck was that?

Lee closed the distance in an instant. Lee was fast, incredibly fast. He attacked her from point blank, forcing her to block.

Asami processed the shock. For the first time since years, she was directly challenged. She was actually forced to block as her immediate options were limited.

Lee's kick connected and Asami flinched.

Lee retreated and attacked once again, but this time Asami was better prepared. This time he paid for his arrogance. Her explosions also had a defensive use.

Asami grinned. Lee overestimated his speed. He wasn't the only one who fought at high speeds. He didn't know, but he competed with a sharingan user.

Lee charged. He attacked head-on as predicted. And as predicted, he hit the purple spheres she surrounded herself with. He had walked right into her little minefield.

The spheres detonated and Lee took the full brunt of the explosion. His attack had failed.

Asami took the opportunity. Without remorse, she kicked Lee straight in his balls, breaking his defence.

Asami rammed her knee with all force into his unprotected stomach. Not once, not twice, but thrice.

Lee collapsed and Asami finished him with a brutal elbow shattering his back. His bones cracked.

Lee hit the ground. He didn't move. The match was finally over. That was what Asami believed. That was what the audience believed. They were wrong.

Lee proved them all wrong. He rose and continued the fight. Despite beating him to a bloody pulp, he was standing again. Asami didn't believe her eyes. Lee simply refused to go down. No matter what, he kept fighting.

Asami clenched her fist. Anger and frustration welled up inside her. Once again, he escaped his fate. Why was it so fucking difficult to beat him ? Why was it so fucking difficult to defeat one fucking genin? She was an ANBU. She was Asami.

This match had become a matter of honour, and she would finish this now. May the gods have mercy on Lee, because she wouldn’t.

Asami grabbed two kunai. Her lightning turned their blades blade into a stream of vibrating plasma.

Asami blitzed across the room. She didn't miss.

Lee didn't resist. He could barely stand, not to mention defend himself.

Asami struck her kunai through his left and right femur. Her lightning evaporated nerves, tendons, muscles and bone alike. Lee cried out in pain. He broke down.

It was over. Lee was defeated.

His legs refused to move. But even then Lee struggled to stand up again. He tried, and tried, and tried, even when he was doomed to fail. His stubbornness was Lee's most powerful weapon, but also the reason for his downfall. Today he suffered the consequences.

Asami shook her head. She had seen enough of this senseless tragedy.

”Hayate, end this match. I think everyone has seen enough.”

”As much as I would like to, I can’t. The participant isn't fully incapacitated yet. And I doubt he has any intention to withdraw …”

Asami narrowed her eyes. “You seem to misunderstand, Hayate, my words weren’t a mere suggestion. I mean what I say, the match ends right here, and right now. I have had enough of this farce.”

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