Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 24. Pineapple-Pineapple’d!

From the sidelines, Tenten leaned forward, eyes narrowing.

The two clashed again but this time, something had changed.

Lee wasn't flailing anymore.

He was landing hits.

The fight had shifted from a one-sided show to an actual, meaningful battle.

From behind them came a surprised voice:

"Huh? Lee actually managed to open the Gate?"

Tenten turned with a start and grinned. That spiky watermelon hair was unmistakable.

"Guy-sensei! You're back!" she called. "Lee's stuck he says he can't close the Gate! What do we do?"

Guy looks at the battlefield, watching Lee gradually gain control, step by step.

He blinked.

"Can't close it? That... actually happens?"

He frowned.

'That shouldn't be possible... right?'

Tenten nodded earnestly. "Yeah! So Neji said he'd help burn off the excess chakra. Then Lee challenged him!"

Guy's expression turned... oddly amused. 'Ah. So that's what was going on.'

"Well, if that's all... then no problem," he said, smiling. "Though Lee's definitely in for a rough ride. But that's youth the fire burns brightest in the trial!"

He stood tall, pride welling in his chest.

That's my student always chasing strength, no matter the cost.

'I should go challenge Kakashi after this. Been a while. My fists are itching.'

---

In the arena, the duel had reached its climax.

Neji took a breath, Byakugan flaring beneath his headband.

Lee was pushing it now. His chakra was nearly depleted. His body is close to breaking.

"It's over, Lee," Neji said.

"Any further and you'll do real damage to yourself."

He centered his chakra.

Gate of Opening... Open.

A faint rumble stirred around him. A roar of dragon and tiger echoed in the distance as chakra surged beneath his skin.

Lee's eyes widened.

This feeling—

He can open the Gate too?!

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That single realization hit just as Neji's body vanished.

Soru....

There was a sharp crack of displaced air. Then Neji was in front of him too fast to react.

Neji struck.

First: a shoulder slam that jarred Lee's spine and scattered his chakra.

Second: a triple-blow combo of shoulder, elbow, and palm, each one perfectly placed, draining the breath from Lee's lungs like a punch to the soul.

Lee let out a strangled grunt and collapsed.

The First Gate snapped shut.

His body crumpled in a heap, unconscious.

Out cold.

Neji exhaled, standing tall.

'Whoa. That was more experience points than I expected. Haven't had a payout like that in a while. Definitely worth it.'

He retracted his chakra, green energy blooming in his palm as he knelt down beside Lee.

"This idiot... opens the Gate for the first time and decides to go berserk?" He shook his head and began applying medical ninjutsu to Lee's battered form.

Honestly, if he had to describe it in tokusatsu terms Lee's body was already Pineapple — Pineapple'd.

Without the brain's limiter, the body unleashes its full strength, and Lee has pushed past his limit recklessly. Torn muscles, microfractures, ruptured ligaments a walking pile of injuries.

Good thing he was unconscious.

Otherwise, the pain might've killed him.

Just then, Guy reappeared beside them, with Tenten right behind.

"Neji! How is he?!" Guy asked quickly.

Neji didn't look up. "He'll live. Just some torn muscles, hairline fractures nothing too serious."

Tenten twitched. "That's... not serious?!"

She looked down at Lee, half-mummified by chakra bandages.

That's at least a month of bed rest... minimum!

Guy beamed. "Ah! That's a relief!"

Tenten stared at him like he'd grown a second head. What part of this is a relief?!

"The fact that it's only fractures and not total breaks... that's progress," Neji added. "Considering how carelessly he used that power, it's honestly less damage than I expected."

Guy nodded solemnly and turned to Neji.

"You did great today. But this isn't the time for praise. Let's get him to the hospital. I'll cover the medical bills."

Neji and Tenten didn't argue.

They brought Lee to Konoha's General hospital

Soon, Rock Lee: Limited Edition Bandage Mummy was resting peacefully in a hospital bed.

The three of them stood by as the machines beeped softly.

Then Guy turned. "Tenten, I need a favor. Stay here and keep an eye on him."

Tenten blinked, then nodded slowly. She glanced at the two of them, Guy and Neji,, and remembered how Guy had rushed off to report earlier.

She put the pieces together.

"You got it," she said with a smirk. "Leave this to me. When it comes to taking care of people, I've got experience. I did basically raise Neji—"

Ahem.

Neji coughed hard, cutting her off.

Tenten laughed awkwardly. "Okay, okay! Just go already!"

She practically shoved them out the door.

"Don't keep the Hokage waiting!"

Guy chuckled. "Thanks, Tenten."

"Mission accepted!" she said with a salute.

Compared to looking after Neji? Taking care of an unconscious Lee was a breeze.

Guy nodded. "Let's go, Neji. The Hokage has questions and he wants to hear the answers from you directly."

"Understood," Neji said, his voice calm but his mind already racing.

He needed to prepare his explanation about the tattoo seals, how they worked, and what they were capable of.

If he played this right... maybe he could learn more sealing techniques directly from the Third.

And while he was at it...

It's about time I got my hands on the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Back then, his chakra reserves had been too low to even consider it. But now?

Now he was ready.

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