Naruto: Call Me Akuma

Akuma lunged toward Rock Lee, fists clenched, his movements a blur. His first punch came fast, but Lee managed to dodge it—only to realize, too late, that another strike was already following. This second punch was even faster, slamming into Lee's shoulder with brutal force. 

Lee barely had time to react before Akuma launched another punch. He raised his arm to block, but even then, the sheer power behind the blow sent a sharp pain through his bones. His hand throbbed from the impact, his muscles screaming in protest. 

Sensing an opening, Akuma struck again—an uppercut aimed straight for Lee's chin. Lee instinctively raised his arms to stop it, but his bruised and numbed hands couldn't withstand the force. His defense crumbled as Akuma's fist broke through, sending him staggering backward. 

Seeing Akuma's strength and speed increase, Rock Lee found it harder and harder to keep up. His body ached from the relentless exchanges, and fatigue was starting to slow him down. Realizing that the battle couldn't drag on any longer, he made a decision—he would use the Secondary Lotus. 

This technique, powered by the Gate of Healing, was his limit. He couldn't open any more gates beyond this. But for now, it was enough. 

Lee took a deep breath, his expression firm. "Secondary Lotus!" he declared. 

In an instant, his wounds began to heal at an astonishing rate. The exhaustion weighing down his body vanished as if it had never existed. His muscles, once strained and burning, now surged with newfound energy. 

Akuma watched with keen interest. He had expected Lee to use this technique, so he wasn't particularly shocked. But seeing Lee return to peak condition right before his eyes only fueled his excitement further. A wide grin spread across his face. 

"Let's end this, Brother Lee." 

With those words, Akuma launched forward with tremendous speed, the sheer force of his movement shattering the ground beneath him. Everything in his path—rocks, debris, even the air itself—was torn apart by the pressure of his acceleration. His speed was so overwhelming that tracking him with the naked eye became nearly impossible. 

Not backing down, Rock Lee matched his speed, rushing forward with equal intensity. Both warriors prepared their fists for one final, decisive clash. 

Just as their punches were about to collide— 

A figure suddenly appeared between them. 

"That's enough, both of you." 

A powerful voice echoed through the battlefield, stopping them in their tracks. Their fists halted mere inches from impact, the air between them trembling from the sheer energy behind their attacks. 

Recognizing the familiar voice, Akuma's expression shifted from battle-hardened focus to cheerful surprise. He lowered his fists and grinned. 

"How are you, Ningame-sensei?" he asked, his tone lighthearted despite the intensity of the moment. 

Upon seeing Akuma, Ningame gave a small nod before shifting his sharp gaze toward Rock Lee. His voice was firm, carrying undeniable authority. 

"Lee! That technique is forbidden to use whenever you please!" 

Hearing the seriousness in Ningame's tone, Rock Lee immediately lowered his head, his voice filled with regret. 

"I'm sorry… I only used it for training purposes." 

But Ningame was not having it. His rebuke came swiftly. 

"Don't make excuses." 

Rock Lee flinched at the stern reprimand, bowing his head even lower in shame. 

Then, in an instant, Guy-sensei appeared, standing triumphantly atop Ningame's shell in his signature Nice Guy Pose. 

"LEE!!" he bellowed, his voice brimming with intensity and passion. 

Seeing his beloved mentor strike that familiar, dramatic stance, Rock Lee's dejection only deepened. His shoulders slumped, and his expression twisted with shame. 

On the other hand, Akuma knew exactly where this was heading. He had seen it far too many times before. The tears, the dramatic sobbing, the over-the-top declarations of youth… 

Not wanting to get caught up in the emotional whirlwind, he silently stepped aside and walked away. There was no way he was dealing with that today. 

From a distance, Akuma sat near the base of a tree, his back resting against the rough bark as he reflected on the duel. 

He had been holding back—not too much, but enough. If he had truly wanted to, he could have ended the fight in mere seconds. Yet, despite that, he had enjoyed the battle with Rock Lee. 

Among those he had fought, only Guy-sensei in his base form could provide a real challenge. Even then, Akuma had to restrain himself, careful not to reveal too much of his true strength. 

Still, there was one thing that left a slight pang of disappointment in his heart. 

Guy-sensei had taught him nearly every taijutsu technique he knew… except for the Eight Gates. 

Akuma understood the reasoning—he had no chakra, and even if he learned the technique, he wouldn't be able to perform it. Guy-sensei feared that teaching him about the Eight Gates might leave him dejected or dampen his spirit of youth. 

But even without direct instruction, Akuma had learned a lot just by observing Rock Lee perform it. In fact, he was 80 to 90 percent sure that if he had chakra, he would already be capable of opening the First Gate. As for the Second Gate, he hadn't seen it performed enough times to be certain. 

Lost in thought, he glanced toward Rock Lee and Guy-sensei in the distance. As expected, they were crying—again. 

Akuma sighed, shaking his head. 

He knew this would happen. 

After a few moments, their dramatic tears faded, and they returned to their usual energetic chatter. Seeing that they were back to normal, Akuma decided to approach them, now that the emotional outburst was over. 

Noticing that Ningame-sensei was no longer around, Akuma turned to Guy-sensei and asked, "Where is Ningame-sensei?" 

Facing Akuma, Guy-sensei smiled and replied, "He's gone now. Are you ready for training? It has been a long time since I trained with you!" 

Akuma frowned, exaggerating his displeasure for effect. One thing he had learned from spending time with both Rock Lee and Guy-sensei was how emotional they were—especially when it came to people they cared about. And Akuma knew, without a doubt, that they both cared deeply for him. 

That's why he decided to use his greatest weapon. 

Emotional blackmail. 

And against Guy-sensei, it worked every time. 

Seeing Akuma's disappointed expression, both Rock Lee and Guy-sensei instantly became worried. It was rare for Akuma to show such an expression, which only made them more concerned. 

Hurrying toward him, Guy-sensei asked, "What's wrong, Akuma? Did something happen?" 

Seeing the genuine worry on Guy-sensei's face, Akuma knew his plan had worked. Keeping up his act, he let out a small sigh before saying, "You taught Brother Lee the Eight Gates but not me. I guess… you don't like me as much as you like him." 

Guy-sensei's eyes widened in shock. "That's not true at all!" he protested immediately. "The only reason I didn't teach you the technique is that it requires chakra. I didn't want you to feel sad if you couldn't perform it!" 

Akuma maintained his disappointed look, crossing his arms. "I won't be sad. My spirit of youth is not that weak, Guy-sensei. Teach me. Even if I can't use it, knowledge itself is power." 

Hearing this, Guy-sensei's serious expression softened into a proud smile. He gave Akuma a big thumbs-up and said, "Well! I was already considering teaching you the Eight Gates when you showed interest in learning how to perform the Daytime Tiger. But I feared that if you couldn't use it, you might lose your fighting spirit. However, it seems my worries were unfounded. Very well, Akuma! I will teach you the Eight Gates! There is no harm in learning, even if you cannot use it!" 

Akuma smirked slightly. "Guy-sensei, I told you before—it did not look like a tiger. It looks more like a lion." 

At that, Guy-sensei's eye twitched. 

"Listen! At that time, I was trying to make a tiger! It may have been a little… deformed, but it was still supposed to be a tiger, not a lion! Stop calling it a lion!" 

Akuma held back a laugh. 

He still remembered the time Guy-sensei had opened the Seventh Gate—partly to show off, partly to demonstrate the sheer strength of taijutsu, and partly to practice his Daytime Tiger technique. But because he was still refining the move, the tiger he created came out… well, deformed. 

Ever since then, every time Akuma pointed it out, Guy-sensei would get visibly flustered and embarrassingly defensive. 

And that only made it funnier. 

Despite the humor, though, Akuma couldn't deny the excitement building inside him. 

He was finally going to learn the Eight Gates and once his mission was complete, he would have chakra, too. 

 With the power of the Eight Gates and his Satsui no Hado combined… He would be unstoppable. 

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If we reach 100 stones, I'll reward you all with a bonus chapter!