Si Vis Pacem -‖- Para Bellum [Naruto FanFic]

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, slowly cornering 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.

He gritted his teeth, mobilising 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, slowly regaining ground by pushing Asami and her kunai back.

Asami smirked, visibly amused. “Is there a problem, Lee? You look troubled?”

Lee maintained his stoic façade, ignoring 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 purple. Coated in raging plasma, 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 katon cut his clothes and the skin beneath like a razor.

It was just a minor flesh wound. Nothing serious. But her kunai ... They were dangerous, extremely dangerous. Her purple chakra made them deadly.

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

Asami smirked in a condescending, patronising manner. “Not bad. Not bad. But will it be enough? We will see.”

Asami energised two more kunai, wielding two purple kunai. Equally deadly, equally unforgiving. She increased the tempo, and attacked. Faster, faster and faster. She didn't fear melee range. 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 and precision that surpassed even Tenten easily. Asami was faster, stronger. Her reflexes sharper.

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

Buthe 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, possibly even stronger than Neji, but that was not a reason to give up. He would fight. And he would win.

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, breaking his stance. He was out of position and 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 he was catapulted backwards, crashing into the wall with full force.

He took quite a beating, but the fight continued. This was just the beginning. Lee forced himself up, stumbling.

“Look, Lee, I told you so. You stand no chance. So why do you fight the inevitable?”Asami clicked her tongue, fully aware of her undisputed superiority.

Lee disagreed, his breathing heavy, “The match isn’t over yet. I am still standing.”

Asami tilted her head, giggling. “True enough, but standing alone won't help you. You need more. You are too slow, Lee, way too slow to match me.”

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

The kunai flew. Asami dodged, shaking her head. “Lee-kun, you disappoint me! I expect more from you than just a kunai.”

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.

Her hands were playing 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 surprises for you.”

Asami threw her shuriken. They were fast and like her kunai covered in fire.

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 he didn't have the intention of being slit apart.

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, he 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, don't you understand? I am just playing with you. 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 already, 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. Even to the bitter end.”

Asami clicked her tongue. “It seems that 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 these stubborn guys that keep fighting. You are 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 sighed. “You misunderstand, Lee. It 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. Even you, Lee, must realise that you won’t win, that you can’t win. You lack the strength to defeat me.” Her eyes harboured a dangerous glimmer. 

“...” Lee's stance softened. Her words made him think, eroding his spirit like poison.

Asami whispered in his ears. “I ask you one last time, Lee, please forfeit. A good ninja 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 the one 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 unfavourable 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 genin by the mere fact that you are still standing. So, give up, Lee.” Asami smiled, even offering her hand. He had only to accept.

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

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

“...” Asami narrowed her eyes. Who was the fucking idiot who dared to interfere? As expected, it was the king of cretins ... “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 her kindness vanished.

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

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