Low Spirits for Rock Lee

"Perfect timing. I've been wanting to see just how strong a genius of the Uchiha Clan really is." Naruto revealed a gentle smile.

He didn't turn down Sasuke's challenge.

Logically speaking, Sasuke had the resources of the Uchiha Clan at his disposal, had started training his Chakra early, and even had a ninja instructor. His starting point shouldn't be lower than Naruto's—it might even be higher.

An opponent like this would give Naruto a solid benchmark for his own talent and strength.

This was his first time fighting someone from a major clan, so Naruto was extremely cautious.

"Here I come!" The moment the words left his mouth, Sasuke closed in on Naruto with incredible speed.

He threw a punch!

"As expected of the Uchiha Clan—to have this kind of speed at such an age." A flicker of interest stirred in Naruto's calm eyes. He opened his right hand and, to Sasuke's shock, easily caught the incoming fist. "Too bad—in front of these eyes of mine, it still falls a bit short."

"Now it's my turn to attack." Naruto gave a hard yank, and Sasuke's body was sent flying backward uncontrollably. The next moment, before Sasuke could even register the blur, Naruto was already in front of him.

He threw a punch of his own.

Compared to Sasuke's, Naruto's punch looked almost weightless.

Sasuke instinctively raised both arms to block.

But the moment that fist landed on his arms, Sasuke's face twisted in shock.

"Bam." Sasuke's body shot backward like he'd been hit by a full-speed train, flying even faster than before.

Mid-flight, Sasuke's face was filled with disbelief.

How was this possible?

Naruto was the same age as him—how could he have such terrifying strength?

How did he even train?

Sasuke's body flew a good distance before slamming into a tree and stopping.

Dust swirled as Sasuke stood up, wincing in pain. His legs trembled from the impact.

He'd sparred with his older brother, Itachi, before, but Itachi's doting nature meant he always held back—his strikes were more affectionate than anything.

Unlike Naruto, who sent him flying with a single punch.

The contrast was too stark. Sasuke was dazed.

"Sasuke, you okay?" Naruto pulled back his fist, thinking he might have gone a bit overboard, and called out to him.

"I can still fight." Sasuke brushed off the dust. The pain in his body had lessened, so he charged at Naruto again.

This time, Naruto suppressed most of his strength, trading blows with Sasuke in a back-and-forth.

But there was no joy in Sasuke's heart—only a growing sense of defeat.

No matter how fierce his attacks seemed, Naruto would simply sidestep slightly and dodge them all.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's stamina was draining fast.

After a few minutes, Sasuke was panting heavily, while Naruto remained calm and composed.

The gap between them was clear.

"Even just in Taijutsu, the difference is already huge." Sasuke's heart was bitter.

Reluctantly, he took a step back and spoke with a serious expression. "Naruto, please go all out from now on. I'm going to use ninjutsu. I can't control it perfectly yet, so be careful—you might get hurt."

If there was one thing the Uchiha Clan was famous for besides the Sharingan, it was Fire Style.

Sasuke had naturally learned the basics of Fire Style, but he wasn't proficient yet.

"Ninjutsu, huh?" Both Naruto and the Aizen within him grew interested.

Aside from the Three Body Technique, they hadn't seen any other ninjutsu.

"Alright, watch out." Sasuke's face was grim as his hands flew through hand signs.

His speed was far faster than Naruto's.

As expected of a genius from a major clan.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique." The next moment, a blazing fireball shot from his mouth, arcing through the air toward Naruto.

"Too weak. No reference value." Aizen looked disappointed and sank back into silence.

"Looks pretty impressive. Guess I'll show a little of my own strength too." Naruto raised Kyōka Suigetsu and slashed.

To Sasuke's stunned gaze, the fireball was cleaved apart, scattering fragments of embers across the ground.

"You're really strong, Sasuke. That's the most powerful ninjutsu I've ever seen." Naruto said with a look of genuine conviction.

Sasuke stared at the scattered embers, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He had a feeling Naruto's praise was just empty courtesy.

Still, Sasuke couldn't swallow his pride. He was a genius born from the Uchiha Clan, yet he'd lost to a civilian like Naruto Uzumaki.

The proud Uchiha blood wouldn't allow him to accept such a miserable defeat.

After resting a while, Sasuke challenged Naruto again.

Due to his lack of Chakra, he could only rely on Taijutsu.

Sasuke's Taijutsu couldn't even compare to Rock Lee's, let alone hold his own against Naruto.

He was sent flying time and again, yet each time he rose to meet the attack once more.

In the midst of being beaten, his Taijutsu steadily sharpened, and he even began to mimic Naruto's offensive techniques.

All of this brought Naruto great relief.

It at least proved that Sasuke was fighting with his head.

Finally, Sasuke collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, gasping for air, but his eyes brimmed with joy—he could feel his Taijutsu had made a leap in improvement.

He looked at Naruto, only to be stunned to find the latter merely breathing a little heavily, not even a trace of sweat on him.

"The gap... is just too huge." Sasuke let out a helpless smile.

He knew full well that Naruto was suppressing his own strength, applying pressure to help him grow.

Though Sasuke never said it aloud, he kept this kindness in his heart.

To wield such ninjutsu at this age—Sasuke Uchiha's talent was remarkably high.

Naruto's gaze turned deep.

After the battle, the bond between them seemed to tighten. They sat beneath a tree, chatting idly.

As Naruto had expected, Sasuke was the second son of the Uchiha Clan's head, and his elder brother was hailed as the clan's greatest genius in years—having joined the Anbu at a young age, wielding unimaginable power.

Sasuke was a genius in his own right, but he still fell short compared to Itachi.

"Naruto." Just then, Rock Lee, who hadn't been seen in a while, trudged into the forest with a dejected look.

If the Rock Lee of before was a youth brimming with fiery passion, now he was unquestionably like a walking corpse, having lost all will to fight.

This was the first time Naruto had seen Lee like this, and his brow immediately furrowed.

He didn't want to see someone he valued wearing such a dispirited expression.

"Long time no see, Lee." Naruto offered a warm smile and introduced Lee to Sasuke: "Sasuke, this is my good friend, Rock Lee."

"Lee, this is Sasuke Uchiha, a friend I made yesterday."

"Uchiha..." Lee forced a strained smile and greeted Sasuke: "Hello, I'm Rock Lee."

But inside, he sighed, feeling a vague melancholy.

As expected, even someone as brilliant as Naruto befriended only those from prestigious clans. Compared to them, I'm far too lacking.

With that thought, Lee sank even deeper into gloom.

Since we're going on a recommendation tomorrow, the update won't be at midnight.