Despite it All

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Lee's POV (Nearby Chakra Anchor - Western River Plains)

Evening

"To think you'd actually be a half-decent fight!" Leifazu complimented as she licked her now bloodied hatchet clean. "To become all that more deadly and access a few new tricks. The gates truly are impressive… Are you sure you wouldn't wanna settle this… differently. We can do both at once if you like~..."

"I will not be tempted!" Lee snapped back.

"Makes me want it all the more…" Leifazu purred.

Lee wasted no more time planning. He leaped forward at top speed, the air booming from his acceleration. If she would not allow him to power up, he would merely beat her now! He appeared within inches of Leifazu, rearing his fist back for what looked to be a haymaker of a headshot. Even with his now-boosted speed, Leifazu merely blew a kiss, and she quickly stepped out of range of his punch. However, Lee was okay with it as the first part of his short plan required a convincing feint for his true opener.

He rolled through the punch using his single punching hand to support himself. He launched his body through the air, feet first, directly into Leifazu's surprised face. Pushing off her face and landing on his hands as the woman cursed and stumbled back, he rolled himself back to his feet and launched himself forward yet again, smashing his larger body into her smaller one. Even with training and chakra enhancement, his weight made her stumble even more, almost entirely tumbling over. Leaving her wide open for another new technique. "Youth Fueled Leaf-!" Lee cried as he spun and swept out her legs, spinning so fast he managed to turn and kick her up before she entirely fell, directly in the kidney, driving her up higher in the air, with one spin adding even more force to his finisher, he kicked her bodily away, aiming her for a large stone to ensure her defeat. The kick would surely knock her out, and the impact of the stone would be the finishing touch! "Hurricane!" However, as Lee panted with effort and began to channel enough chakra to open the next gate, he flinched as an ear-splitting screech cut through the air.

Eyes darting back to Leifazu, Lee was utterly stunned to discover the woman had stopped her flight by simply stabbing a hatchet on the ground. Leifazu had a small amount of blood trailing from her mouth but still seemed otherwise fine.

"Now that was some pain. Show me more, Lee!" Leifazu cooed as she began wildly slashing her hatchets in the air. Lee felt Gai would chastise him for this, but shock led to an automated response.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked with a raised brow. "I assure you I will not be felled with melee strikes from a distance… it's not how it works…"

"All brawn and no brain?" Leifazu asked with a raised brow of her own, continuing. "One, I stopped you from activating the next gate; two, I can kill you with melee strikes at a distance… I just need enough of them…"

"No, I assure you, you cannot," Lee said lightly, dropping a fist into an open palm. However, he openly gasped as Leifazu finished her wild slashes, and glowing chakra lines formed around her. Each was long and purple as they slowly filled the air around her. "Oh, melee strikes into ranged ones, similar to my approach yet markedly different. Quite impressively, really."

"Thank you, I hope you look as good in pieces. Execution Style: Instant Quartering!" Leifazu called as the lines suddenly rushed forward one at a time.

Lee ducked the first one, beginning a scramble to his left. He hopped over the next two, landing just in time to slide under two more. Leifazu had swung her hatchets dozens of times. This delayed barrage technique allowed Lefiazu to actively adjust her aim as she attempted to kill. Even without the second gate, Lee was just quick enough to barely dodge the strikes; however, as one nearly split his head and left a burning line cutting the left side of his brow, Lee realized he needed cover and distance. Otherwise, one of the lines would strike true! If he could open the second gate, he was confident his new style would allow him to close the gap between them. Diving into a small river, he swam to the bottom with measly two strokes and far from his landing point with a few more. Luckily, a barrage of lines smashed into the river, throwing water everywhere and cutting deep gouges into the river's bed, all far away from Lee. It seemed she didn't know where he was!

Lee was more than a strong swimmer. Over the years, he had to focus on perfecting his body physically to make up for the chakra problems. Every single muscle was in peak form. Every sort of physical exercise one could imagine he had done. Much of which he had ever done in water. Working out in the water was a simple solution to hone their entire body and stamina. When swimming and even more so when actively working out in the water, you strain and use nearly every muscle in the body. Furthermore, the water made every movement more complex; after all, the body had to maneuver through, and it was much more straining to do so over time.

As such, Lee swam through the water, not unlike a fish. Zooming through it almost lazily yet with great speed. Leifazu, in response, merely increased her range of random attacks into the river. However, Lee was fearless, bursting through the river a decent distance from her. Using the moments he would have, Lee scanned the perimeter, looking for a suitable place. The woman was skilled and would indeed find him soon. Seeing a large, thick, partially dead tree, he sprinted forward heedless of her attention.

"I really am getting attached to my lover boy!" Leifazu cackled. "Using the river to hide was a decent idea, but you must breathe! Worse yet, I can smell blood for a mile! Die for me!" The lines now renewed their targeted wrath at him. Lee zig and zagged as lines exploded around him, slicing and pulverizing anything they hit. However, her effort was for naught as Lee reached the giant tree and raced around and up it.

He had hoped such a magnificent creation of nature would serve as unfortunate if not adequate cover. However, as he rushed for the top, he frowned as the powerful attacks cleared through the tree quickly, following him up it. Lee didn't flinch, continuing for a few feet before stopping. Suddenly, the bark cracked beneath him. A plan occurred to him about how to open the next gate to overwhelm her. The next blast cut the tree mere inches above his head, and the tree collapsed into pieces, Lee among one as the now rubble fell. Lee stuck to it, counting for the next attack; confident his timing was down, Lee braced his knees and prepared all his might. Kicking it back in a massive feat of strength, Lee watched it fly away before being cut to pieces by several more chakra lines, all aimed accurately at him.

Lee's plan worked; however, his kicking allowed him to fly away and fall, managing to avoid the attacks. As he fell, Lee allowed himself to open the second gate, the Gate of Healing. The power flowed through him, and his cuts healed. He smiled at Liefazu, noticing her barrage had ended as he had managed this.

"Youthful Aura: Juvenile Recovery!" Lee called out confidently before he began to jab in the air as Leifazu's wide smiling face met him at a distance.

"They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery." Leifazu joked. "Does this mean my feminine wiles have won you over?"

"Merely inspired me, is all!" Lee called out, innocently not realizing quite what that meant. "Wild Youth Rampage!" He smiled as the nearly invisible orbs of force he punched off closed in on the unsuspecting Leifazu.

"So I am winning yo-" Leifazu stopped as her head snapped back violently and her knees buckled. Another hit one of the said knees with a nasty crack. A third hit her ribs, bowing the woman as it sent her flying back. A barrage of Lee's own hit Leifazu cleanly, unlike hers, and battered her roughly.