Chapter Forty-Nine: Little Li

Feng Xue versus Rock Lee.

These two names were boldly displayed on the electronic scoreboard, leaving Feng Xue with nothing but black lines in his mind.

“Are they trying to drive a wedge between us?” Feng Xue curled his lips in self-mockery. Not only were two teammates pitted against each other, losing the blatant chance to defeat one of the Twelve Strong, but he himself was matched directly with a small fry whom he countered completely. Was he, after all, the favored son?

He quickly banished these thoughts from his mind. The first rule for newcomers who traveled between worlds: never put your faith in the plot.

This wasn’t just about narrative direction, but also the abilities of any story character. It was common for people to be blindsided by trump cards that the original work never revealed. The only thing more treacherous was the protagonist’s last-minute power boosts.

Now, Feng Xue faced an opponent who could both unleash unexpected power and hide secret weapons, the kind who could wipe out everything after eating a liqueur chocolate. Carelessness was out of the question.

Although he couldn’t imagine how Lee could break through his so-called Absolute Defense, the AT Field, in the world of ninjas, “absolute defense” was almost a joke. Any move famed for absolute defense was destined to be shattered.

With mixed feelings, Feng Xue made his way to the center of the arena, where his opponent, Lee, was already poised for battle.

“To meet again so soon is truly exhilarating! Even though you’re not that girl named Mu Qianrou, let me defeat you before I get to her!” Lee’s face bore a hearty smile, but with those thick eyebrows and bowl-cut hair, the whole image was awkward. How did that saying go?

—Of course, it only applies to handsome guys...

“Tell me, aren’t you mistaken about something?” Feng Xue smiled, but a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. “When did you get the idea that I’m weaker than Mu Qianrou?”

As Feng Xue’s words fell, Lee suddenly realized he had lost track of his opponent. Battle-hardened instincts made him spin around, delivering a powerful kick that landed just as Feng Xue appeared behind him, preparing to strike. Yet, it felt as if he had kicked into cotton; Lee could clearly sense his force dispersing.

“He vanished—was that an illusion technique?” Lee’s expression turned grave as he watched Feng Xue materialize behind him and quickly retreated to a safer distance.

“Who knows? Genjutsu? Ninjutsu? A secret art? Kekkei Genkai? Or perhaps just pure taijutsu!” Feng Xue spoke with a lazy smile, strolling toward Lee as if casually walking through a garden—showing none of the speed or unpredictability from a moment ago, making it seem like his earlier swiftness was but an illusion.

“How could Lee fail to dodge that attack?” Neji’s eyes were filled with disbelief. In his vision, Feng Xue had approached at a leisurely pace, yet Lee seemed not to register anything until the moment he was about to be struck, only managing a reflexive counter thanks to his honed instincts.

“Genjutsu?” The thought flashed through the minds of most of the audience.

“No, that’s a technique called Stealth Step. In ancient times, our land called it Yu Step—a legendary martial or even Daoist skill said to achieve effects akin to instant movement, shrinking the ground beneath one’s feet. Later, because its cultivation was too difficult, it was simplified into a footwork technique called ‘Ground Shrinking,’ using visual misdirection to appear and vanish rapidly. This technique survives even in modern martial traditions,” explained Guy, the taijutsu master, his face a picture of disbelief, but he pressed on, “The human brain cannot process all information. For short periods, it manages, but over time, the brain can’t keep up nutritionally, leading to rapid fatigue, even atrophy. Thus, what we see is information filtered by the subconscious, with irrelevant data screened out.”

“At this moment, this Sound ninja named Feng Xue uses the rhythm of his footsteps, his breathing, and subtle movements to make Lee’s subconscious classify him as irrelevant information, as if stepping into a blind spot, disappearing from Lee’s perception in an instant. If not for Lee’s battle-hardened instincts, which triggered a reflexive counter at the moment of attack, he would have been defeated right then.”

“So this is taijutsu?” Kurenai stared at Guy in disbelief. Such a subtle deception was actually a martial art?

“Yes. Legend says that before ninjas or chakra existed, this was a powerful technique among ancient warriors. If it worked in group battles and not just one-on-one, the mightiest would still be those samurai who mastered it.” Guy nodded gravely. “Even knowing the principle and how to enter the blind spot, I can’t use it in battle. My senses aren’t sharp enough to read an opponent’s subconscious, nor can I restrain my every breath and heartbeat to become ‘irrelevant information.’ But without doubt, this is taijutsu.”

The jonin fell silent in unison. Fortunately, this technique only worked in single combat—or so they all thought.

“Is there no counter to this move?” Tenten, having heard the teachers’ conversation, immediately asked Guy.

“Every technique has a way to break it, and the key to unraveling Stealth Step happens to be in Lee’s hands…”

While idle chatter filled the stands, Lee was already caught in a fierce struggle. To his eyes, Feng Xue could vanish at any moment, reappearing with an attack. If not for his almost supernatural danger sense, he would have been felled by that simple knife-hand chop already.

“Lee, take them off!” As Lee wavered, Guy flashed a thumbs-up and a dazzling smile—though, of course, only for the handsome.

“But—but, Guy-sensei, you said I should only do that to protect someone precious…” Lee struck a comical salute, eyes wide, his exaggerated brows only adding to the effect.

“It’s fine. I’m giving you permission!” Guy’s gleaming teeth sparkled, making Feng Xue, watching this cartoon scene brought to real life, feel a wave of exasperation.

And so, Lee removed those bizarre, almost immeasurably heavy ankle weights. The next instant, he vanished from Feng Xue’s sight.

This was no special technique, not ninjutsu or genjutsu, nor was it the likes of Shave or Body Flicker; it was simply speed—speed honed by extreme weighted training, so quick it surpassed all reaction.