Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice
Chapter 113: Victory and Defeat

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Victory and Defeat

The air pressure formed by the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm slammed into Chōji’s massive leg, and then... nothing happened.

A force that could normally send a person flying was like a gentle breeze against Chōji, merely brushing off a few specks of dust from his body.

"Lee, it’s your turn!" Neji didn’t press further, stepping aside to let Lee take the stage.

"I’ve been ready for this!"

Lee remained in his fervent, high-spirited state, the green chakra around him growing even denser.

"Eight Gates: Gate of Pain!"

"Open!"

If the Gate of Life was the final safe zone of the Eight Gates, the Gate of Pain marked the beginning of self-destruction.

First, harm oneself—then harm the enemy.

"Get out of my way!"

Chōji’s massive palm descended from above, aiming to crush Lee beneath it.

"Front Lotus!"

Instead of retreating, Lee charged straight toward Chōji’s incoming hand.

*Boom!*

One was the Akimichi clan’s secret technique; the other was Konoha’s forbidden Eight Gates. The clash of these two powerful moves created a massive crater in the ground, sending a fierce shockwave rippling outward.

Chōji’s enormous body bore the brunt of the pressure, trembling under the impact. It looked like his jutsu had faltered.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

Compared to Chōji, Lee’s body was protected by chakra, allowing him to gain the upper hand in this clash.

"Chōji, move!" Shikamaru shouted.

Chōji had been preparing to muster another attack, but upon hearing Shikamaru, his massive body shrank back to normal size.

"Shadow Imitation Technique: Exploding Tags!"

Black shadows spread from Shikamaru’s feet, carrying several explosive tags at their tips. The moment Chōji retreated, the shadow tendrils surged forward, hurling the explosive tags toward Lee.

"Reverse Lotus!"

"Detonate!"

Faced with the sudden change, Lee still refused to retreat, unleashing a technique only usable after opening the fourth gate.

At the same time, Shikamaru activated the explosive tags.

The tags exploded instantly, forming a terrifying cage of flames that trapped Lee inside.

"Violent: Leaf Adamantine-Strength Whirlwind"

In less than a second, the green-clad Lee burst through the fiery prison, kicking straight toward Shikamaru.

If this strike landed, Shikamaru would either die or be left severely injured, unable to continue fighting.

Lee’s speed was overwhelming—yet Shikamaru’s reaction was strange.

He didn’t dodge. Instead, he stared straight at Lee, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Mind Body Switch!"

Not good!

A trap!

Just as he was about to hit Shikamaru, Lee’s instincts screamed danger.

In an instant, his vision went black. The chakra erupting from his body dissipated, and he plummeted straight toward the ground.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher!"

One was Chōji enlarging his right hand to grab Lee, while the other was Neji launching a devastating strike toward Shikamaru.

*Crack!*

The crisp sound of breaking bones was unmistakable.

Chōji’s enlarged hand retracted even faster than it had extended.

The Partial Multi-Size Technique had been countered.

’Chōji, your arm is broken. Let’s see how you handle this!’ Neji thought coldly as he charged at Shikamaru.

"Byakugan: Activate!"

"Mind Body—"

Ino tried to force herself to use her clan’s secret technique, but the next moment, she felt a kunai pressed against her neck and reluctantly closed her eyes.

"Ino-chan, you really went all out against me, huh?" Tenten sneered from behind her.

Earlier in the battle, Ino had tricked her, turning her from an asset into a liability.

For someone as fiercely competitive as Tenten, this was unacceptable.

"We surrender!"

Shikamaru’s voice cut through the tension, followed by a palm strike that narrowly missed his head and flew into the distance.

"Fine!"

Neji’s expression was icy.

He had thought this battle against the Ino-Shika-Chō team would be an easy win, but these three proved far more troublesome together than expected.

Lee had been forced to open the fourth gate, Neji himself had used his ultimate technique, and Tenten had been neutralized from the start.

If not for their superior individual strength, they would have lost outright.

Even so, the outcome was far from ideal.

Though frustrated, Neji had no intention of bullying those who had surrendered. After all, this wasn’t a real battle—just a spar between Konoha shinobi.

"You little brat, next time I’ll challenge you one-on-one!"

Tenten muttered resentfully into Ino’s ear, her warm breath making Ino’s face flush slightly.

"Hmph, one-on-one? I’m not afraid of you!" Ino retorted stubbornly, though her hand unconsciously touched her ear.

That feeling just now... was strange.

Nearby, Maito Gai and Kamizuki Hikari walked side by side toward the group of disgruntled young shinobi.

Gai placed a hand on Lee’s head.

"Feeling frustrated? Train harder next time, and you’ll do better!"

"Gai-sensei!" Lee’s eyes welled up with tears. This battle had made him acutely aware of his shortcomings.

If only he had been stronger, he could have defeated Chōji head-on.

"Lee, you did great!" Gai gave him the encouragement he needed.

"And Neji, Tenten—your individual skills are excellent. This battle was meaningful. In terms of personal strength, the three of you surpass Hikari’s students. But in a real fight, your teamwork was lacking, which gave Shikamaru an opening."

"Gai, save the pleasantries. Lee, Neji, and Tenten aren’t kids who need comforting. They’ll reflect on this loss and grow stronger." Hikari interrupted, unable to stomach the sentimental scene.

Gai nodded in agreement. (And it definitely wasn’t because Hikari was treating him to dinner later—absolutely not!)

"As for you three—you lost, plain and simple. Your current strength isn’t enough. Train harder. Shikamaru, you played your role as the strategist well, but your personal combat skills were lacking compared to Chōji and Ino. If your teammates are ever incapacitated, are you just going to surrender every time?"

Shikamaru lowered his head.

Today’s battle had been a harsh lesson.

He had always thought the Ino-Shika-Chō team was perfect, but today he realized that a team’s strength depends on the power of its members. If he’d been stronger, the outcome might’ve been different.

"Got it, Hikari-senpai."

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