Original subtitles

Press down hard on the gas

That’s right, there’s no compromise

We'll slip through the night

At the final moment push hard

That's right, all the way to zero,

Until we wipe away the days

Gently open your heart

If you pull it close to you

It will reach you, without a doubt

It will come, closer

Now

We’re speeding through life, squeezing it for all of its worth

Our feet are tied

But we still keep going farther

Even if I take it back, and grasp it

If you’re not the one

There will be no meaning

And so we’ll go far off into the distance.

Hey you, failure.

I have two pieces of advice for you.

First, if you intend to call yourself a Shinobi,

stop that revolting cheering of yours.

And second...

a failure will always be a failure.

There's no changing that!

Do you want to see about that?

You!

Naruto, I get where you're coming from, believe me.

But all fighting must be done officially in a match!

The failure beats the gifted genius through sheer effort…

Wouldn't that make for an exciting main battle?

I promise you.

I will win no matter what!

Gaara vs. Rock Lee: The Power of Youth Explodes!

Hey, Choji!

You're in trouble.

Only the strong ones are left.

Probably the strongest of Hidden Sound must be that bloke.

And Lee is apparently strong enough to take on Sasuke!

And particularly that Sand guy!

He's probably the most dangerous one!

I-I don't care!

I plan to forfeit right away if that happens…

So that means…

Huh?

...you plan to forego all-you-can-eat BBQ, too, then.

What? Come on!

Don’t worry.

If things start getting ugly,

I'll step in and stop the fight, like I did for Hinata. Okay?

Prime beef tongue, short ribs...

– You can eat what you want. – Don't dangle food in front of him!

– Besides he didn't step in... – You can eat whatever you want...

– and stop the fight for Hinata. – and all you want.

B-B-Q! All right, B-B-Q! All you can eat!

He doesn't look good.

Watching the previous fight…

Did it get stirred up?

His inner demon!

I’m curious about that guy, Neji, too…

Here's a plan.

Kankuro?

Just a little information-gathering mission.

Hey!

Huh?

What are you doing here all by yourself?

Shouldn't you be with your friends?

I-It's none of your business, is it?!

Hmmm. Well, well…

That guy... Neji Hyuga, right?

Well, it seems to me that

he didn't reveal the true extent of his power in that last match.

What's he about?

I'm going to crush him!

Err, that's not what I was asking.

Besides, this guy’s way out of his league...

You seem like a fun guy. I quite like you.

You're dull. And I don't like you at all!

I'm going to waste this guy!

We will now resume the battle.

Okay!

You'll be up this time for sure. Go for it, Lee!

No!

– Huh? – What?

Seeing as I've come this far, I rather be the last!

Is Lee sulking?

Hurry up and get down here…

Safe!

– Hey! – Don't do anything misleading, idiot!

Gaara vs. Rock Lee

Oh! Lee!

It worked!

If you say you want to go last, then you won't be last.

It's an application of the same law

that says a stone thrown to hit a telephone pole will miss,

and a stone thrown to miss will be a direct hit!

Right! That's my student!

I absolutely did not want to go last!

I threw them a beauty of a curve!

Threw whom a curve?

Okay, so let me give you a little piece of “nice” advice.

Right!

Probably no one has noticed yet, but…

That gourd is suspicious!

I see!

Quit with the notes!

You're not going to have time to read them during the match! Fool!

I see!

He didn't realize that?

Wow, is Lee going to be all right?

All right! Go! Lee!

Yeah!

I am very happy to be squaring off with you so early in the match.

I don't know what kind of moves that bowl-cut guy has,

but he will never take Gaara.

Never!

He's fast, to be sure, but his kick is not all that great.

No…

He's... strong!

Please don't be in such a hurry.

Lee…

Be careful, Lee.

Now then… The 9th match...

Begin!

Leaf Hurricane!

Is that…?

Sand?

What an unusual Jutsu…

There's sand in his gourd!

That's…

That's it?

Desert Coffin!

Desert Burial!

Not another horror story like that…

A sand-manipulating Jutsu, eh?

Sounds like trouble.

But let's give it a go!

Even that Lee’s fast strikes…

have no effect at all!

What's the deal?!

No physical strike is going to have any effect on him.

What?

The Sand shields and protects Gaara

on its own accord, independently of any intent on Gaara's part.

That's why... no one has been able to do it so far....

Injure Gaara, that is.

Curses! He's not moving a muscle and still...!

Is that it?

Entertain me a bit more…

There's not enough yet!

Blood!

Why is Lee only using Taijutsu?

He'll never be able to get close enough for that!

Why doesn't he step back a bit and use Ninjutsu or something?

It’s not that he doesn't use it.

He can’t use it.

Huh?

Lee has almost no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu skills.

N-No way!

When I first met Lee, he was completely inept.

He had no talent whatsoever.

What? I can't believe that!

Hey hey!

Certainly…

A ninja who can’t do Ninjutsu and Genjutsu is a rarity.

That’s why, the only path open to Lee as a Ninja was Taijutsu.

But! That's precisely what makes him a winner!

Huh?

Lee, take them off!

B-But Guy Sensei...!

You told me only to do that

to protect a large group of very important people!

That’s quite all right!

I give you permission!

Are those…?

Weights?

That's some cliché training…

I see!

Ridiculous!

All right, now I can move easily!

Humph! Does he think removing some measly little weights

is going to enable him to outmaneuver Gaara's sand…?

A bit extreme, I'd say, Guy.

Go, Lee!

Right!

Go!

Very close!

Fast!

Amazing…!

Because he can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu...

Therefore, he channeled all of his time,

all of his energy and...

all of his being into Taijutsu.

Though he can’t do any other Jutsu…

He won't lose to anyone…

He is a Taijutsu specialist!

I can't believe it! Gaara's been injured!

No way...!

Bushy-Brows is even faster than before!

Was he this strong?!

Youth is... explosion!

Right!

Over here!

Good!

I got him good!

A-Amazing, he's so fast!

The Sand Shield can't keep up with him!

A direct hit!

A-Amazing.

His strikes are lightning fast…!

I can't even track him with my eyes!

Uh oh…

Uh oh is right!

That black-circles-under-the-eye guy is taking some serious blows!

That's not what I meant.

Huh?

W-What the…?!

His face is crumbling right off…!

His whole body is covered with sand….

There's not a scratch on him!

W-What’s with this guy?!

Sure enough, he was encased in sand, eh.

But, it's been a long time since

I've seen that expression on Gaara's face.

I felt that he was becoming more and more unstable

as the Chunin Exam progressed…

So Gaara's other self has been awakened, eh?

Hey! What is that?

That protected him against Bushy-Brow's strikes?

Yes… It's Sand Armor.

Armor?

Ordinarily, the Sand Shield functions to protect him automatically,

but, if by chance, the Shield is penetrated,

the Sand Armor functions as a second layer of protection against strikes…

That's Gaara's…absolute defense!

Well then, there's no way to get him!

He doesn't have any weak points.

No. That’s not entirely true…

The Sand Armor is actually riddled with weak points.

First of all, because it's not automatic, it uses up a lot of Chakra.

It's also less effective than the Sand Shield,

and it takes an enormous amount of physical energy

to keep the sand clinging to the body like that.

Gaara's having to use the armor... is proof that he's under pressure.

That Lee is really good…

But, the outcome of the match is already a given.

He will never beat Gaara!

Is that all?

But what an incredible defense he has...

no amount of speed is going to let me get a strike through.

I'll have to do major damage from above the sand guard.

That will be Lotus!

Yes.

Be ready!

A thin sand guard like that will be inconsequential

in the face of Lee's high-speed Lotus slamming down from above.

Hurry up and bring it on!

You asked for it!

He didn’t float.

Not just yet!

What an amazing series of kicks!

Even an ordinary Lotus has a tremendous strain on the body…!

Lee, let this be the finishing blow!

Take this!

Primary Lotus!

I got him...

good!

Right on!

I-It's over!

W-What? This can’t be!

He did it! Lee’s won!

Hey, he isn't dead, is he?

Wha--?!

Huh?!

What?!

Hey, can you hear it?

The clear, blue sky goes on and on

The ocean spans limitlessly

Please keep that smile on your face forever

Or else I’ll cry

You won't have to search around you

It’s all ok now.

Everyone is inside this hand

when you want to cry, and you want to run away

When you forget what happiness is

Just sing.

Light is born, and darkness was born

The two are one

Harmonia, feel the telepathy

Hey, can you hear it?

Hey, what happened, Bushy-Brows?!

All of your strength seems to have disappeared!

You're going to be destroyed at this rate!

But, hey, Bushy-Brows is smiling!

How can he continue to keep up a fighting stance

when he's being routed like this?!

Next episode: "Lee’s Hidden Strength: Forbidden Secret Jutsu!"

The expression in Bushy-Brows’ eyes has changed!