"I'm terribly sorry!"
Rock Lee's expression shifted slightly as he straightened up and bowed deeply in apology, quickly explaining, "I had intended to conceal my true strength. I was already preparing to strike, but you moved faster than I anticipated."
"Tch! Hiding your strength is pointless!" Naruto scoffed, clenching his fist and shouting, "As a taijutsu ninja, you need a relentless, indomitable spirit, always pushing forward! Don't worry about enemies studying you or trying to exploit your weaknesses. If someone can find a way to target you because of that, it just means we still have flaws to overcome!
"Hiding your strength out of fear of being studied just shows a lack of confidence!"
"I'm deeply sorry!"
Rock Lee bowed again, but when he raised his head, his eyes burned with newfound resolve.
"You're right! As a taijutsu ninja, I should face all challenges head-on!"
'This is really the start of his 'talk no jutsu' awakening'
Sasuke, walking slowly alongside Sakura, shook his head inwardly as he watched Rock Lee's deeply moved expression.
Though Naruto spoke with unwavering conviction, his words made little impression on Sasuke.
Sasuke himself was one who concealed his true strength, revealing it only at crucial moments.
This wasn't out of fear that "new shoots break easily" or that "a tree standing too tall invites the wind's wrath." Rather, it was because—
A dragon can grow large or shrink small, rise to the heavens or hide in the depths. When large, it stirs clouds and exhales mist; when small, it vanishes without a trace.
When rising, it soars through the cosmos; when hiding, it lurks beneath the waves.
'Only such a dragon is truly worthy of the name!'
"You must be Naruto-kun, right?" Rock Lee stood up and introduced himself. "I've heard about you—they say you're a ninja who's mastered taijutsu. I'm Rock Lee, and I specialize in taijutsu too!"
As he spoke, Lee flashed a thumbs-up, his pearly white teeth gleaming like a burst of light between his lips.
"I'd love to spar with you sometime, Naruto-kun, but..."
His tone shifted abruptly as he turned to Sasuke, his gaze unwavering. "I'm Rock Lee! You're Uchiha Sasuke, right? I've heard you're the strongest genius of our generation. I challenge you to a duel! I want to test my skills against the legendary Uchiha clan, against the so-called genius ninja. I want to see how far my techniques can take me against you!"
"You're no match for me," Sasuke said, his voice utterly devoid of emotion as he glanced at a figure he had admired deeply in both his past and present lives.
"Don't underestimate me!" Rock Lee declared solemnly, adopting the Steel Fist stance. "I know you're strong, Sasuke-kun, but I believe I'm the strongest Genin in Konoha!"
'The strongest Genin?!' Sakura's eyebrow twitched. 'What gave this watermelon-headed guy the courage to say such a thing? Not to mention the two powerhouses standing right next to me... Even my teacher, Maruboshi Kosuke, is only a Genin!'
"A-ha! Hey, thick-brows, you've got guts, but you're definitely no match for Sasuke!" Naruto laughed heartily, waving dismissively.
"Rock Lee, stop dawdling! Let's hurry to the exam venue," Tenten urged, glancing back at Hyuga Neji, who stood behind her with his eyes closed. She sighed and stepped forward to reason with him.
"You guys go on ahead!" Rock Lee shook his head, his gaze fixed on Sasuke with burning intensity, like a flame ignited. "I know Sasuke-kun is a genius, but I'm going to prove that hard work can surpass talent!"
"Effort can indeed surpass talent," Sasuke nodded, a faint smile curving his lips.
His tone shifted, and he said nonchalantly, "But how do you know geniuses don't work hard? If someone more talented than you works even harder, what's the point of your effort?"
"Huh?" Rock Lee blinked, then hung his head, looking utterly dejected.
'He's right... If someone more talented than me works even harder, what's the point of my effort?'
Naruto and Sakura both felt black lines appear on their foreheads.
Fortunately, Sasuke's occasional sharp tongue was nothing new; they were long accustomed to his quirks and didn't find it strange.
"Let's go," Sasuke said, shaking his head as he watched Rock Lee, who looked like he'd just swallowed a bowl of poisonous chicken soup and was now questioning his entire existence.
With his hands in his pockets, Sasuke walked away.
"Rock Lee, are you okay?" Tenten approached after Team Seven had left, gently tugging at the corner of his sleeve and whispering softly.
"I'm fine!" Rock Lee shook his head lightly, quickly regaining his composure.
"Sasuke has a point. Even those more talented than me are working hard. But my efforts aren't meaningless—they just prove I haven't worked hard enough. If that's the case, I'll work a hundred times harder, a thousand times harder!"
"Youth doesn't allow for surrender!" Rock Lee clenched his fist, his eyes burning like flames, as if the backdrop had transformed into a sunset horizon, waves crashing around him.
"As punishment for my earlier lack of confidence, I'll run a hundred laps around the training ground, facing the setting sun!" Rock Lee declared, pointing dramatically at a nonexistent sunset.
With that, Rock Lee lunged into action.
"Wait, wait!" Tenten, her face a mask of exasperation, rushed forward to grab Rock Lee, who was lost in his own youthful fervor. "What about the Chūnin Exam? We're running out of time, you idiot!"
"Ah, right! I almost forgot!" Rock Lee scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Then I'll postpone the punishment until after the exam!"
Hyuga Neji, who had remained silent until now, shook his head and said, "Let's go."
As Team Seven made their way to the first exam classroom, Sakura complained, "What a weirdo! Weird eyebrows, weird hair, weird outfit!"
Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That outfit... I think Teacher Chen mentioned it once. He said there's a Jōnin in the village who's a taijutsu master and dresses just like that. Something about 'Might Tyson' or something..."
"Might Guy."
Sasuke picked up the thread, noticing their curious glances. After a moment's thought, he said, "Those three are likely students of Might Guy's class. He's a ninja highly skilled in taijutsu and a close acquaintance of Teacher Kakashi—both friend and rival. They've always considered each other eternal rival."
"Eternal rival, huh?" Naruto and Sakura nodded in understanding. They were well aware of Teacher Kakashi's strength.
Though he sometimes seemed a bit lazy in battle, his skill was still among the best of the Jōnin.
"Oh, right!" Naruto exclaimed, his expression turning serious. "Sasuke, you always say Teacher Kakashi is '50% win rate'—so Might Guy, his eternal rival, must be... hmm..."
Naruto stroked his chin, pondering, trying to come up with a nickname for Teacher Kakashi's rival, just like Sasuke did.
"A one-for-one exchange!" Sasuke said dryly, watching Naruto's strained expression. "If he opens the Death Gate, everyone dies. Isn't that just a one-for-one trade?"
"50% win rate, a one-for-one exchange—these are some seriously weird nicknames," Sakura muttered, her lip twitching at the ridiculous nicknames.
'Still, they are oddly symmetrical,' she thought.
___
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