The Art of the Tongue

Sensing the shift in Rock Lee's mood, Naruto shot Sasuke a slightly apologetic look, then walked over to Lee, patted him on the shoulder, and when the latter looked up, met his eyes directly, speaking gently:

"The Rock Lee I know is always passionate, full of enthusiasm for training, and determined to become an excellent ninja. Little Lee, a dejected expression like that doesn't suit you."

Passionate, full of enthusiasm for training, determined to become an excellent ninja?

Tears glistened in Lee's eyes.

Naruto was still that gentle, polite, and courteous Naruto.

But he himself no longer had the right to be a ninja.

He lowered his head again, shoulders trembling: "I was the last in my class to refine Chakra, and I have no talent for it—I can't even master the Three Body Technique." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, and he broke down sobbing.

Becoming a ninja was Rock Lee's dream.

But the blows of these past few days had made this little boy taste despair far too early.

No matter how optimistic or passionate he was, he couldn't force a smile at this moment.

His best friend Naruto was a master of Taijutsu, happy to share training insights, a perfect genius.

Once he knew I was a failure, Naruto would probably give up on me as a friend too.

"If you have no talent for ninjutsu, then focus on Taijutsu. Who says a ninja has to use ninjutsu? Don't let worldly prejudice crush your confidence, Little Lee." Unexpectedly, Naruto's warm, gentle voice reached Rock Lee's ears.

Lee looked up in disbelief.

Sunlight spilled over Naruto's bright, kind smile, adding a layer of tolerance and warmth, the aura of a caring older brother.

Naruto's eyes were so sincere and genuine, just like the trust his own parents had in him.

Focus on Taijutsu? Focus on Taijutsu?

Can I really do that?

Lee was momentarily dazed.

"Little Lee, since your talent for ninjutsu can't match others, let's play to your strengths and make up for your weaknesses—put in a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand times the effort to train in Taijutsu. Haven't you always believed? You're a genius of hard work."

Naruto's warm voice reached Rock Lee's ears, and at that moment, Lee could no longer hold back the torrent of tears. The pain, sorrow, and grievance of the past few days poured out with them.

"Naruto, thank you, truly thank you. Having you as a friend is the luck of my life. I will work hard, I won't let your expectations down, and I will definitely become a ninja."

He clumsily wiped his tears and bowed deeply to Naruto.

"Silly, we're best friends." Naruto pulled Lee up.

"Tell me, are you still that passionate, fearless Rock Lee who will definitely become an excellent ninja?"

"Yes, I will. I can definitely become an excellent ninja. I'll prove it with hard work!" Lee wiped his tears, a long-lost spark reigniting in his eyes, and shouted loudly.

"I'm going to start training! If I work hard, I can become an excellent ninja. I'll keep getting stronger! That way, I can stand by Naruto's side!" Lee resolved firmly in his heart.

And so, under Naruto's approving gaze and Sasuke's stunned one, Rock Lee began running laps around the training ground.

"First lap, second lap, third lap. Not enough. To defeat ninjas skilled in ninjutsu, I need to put in even more effort. I need speed that's hard to catch with the naked eye and abundant stamina!"

"The weights aren't enough. Tomorrow, I'll order double the weight!"

Under the setting sun, a boy with thick eyebrows, dressed in simple casual clothes and heavy weights, kept running around the training ground.

After running, he even dropped into frog jumps to train his leg endurance and explosive power.

His face was flushed red, his body drenched in sweat, and the dirt on the training ground where he ran was stained with moisture.

Every time he neared exhaustion, a surge of strength seemed to well up inside him, pushing him to keep going.

Sasuke's mouth hung slightly open. This scene burned into his mind, impossible to shake.

This guy—no, Rock Lee—was he trying to kill himself?

Could such a crude method really catch up to a genius?

Sasuke looked at Naruto, only to find him watching him with a gentle expression.

"Surprised that there's someone as foolish as Little Lee in this world?"

"Huh?" Sasuke quickly waved his hands. "No, that's not it."

"He really is foolish." Naruto's next words left Sasuke stunned.

"He's so foolish that even knowing he has no talent for ninjutsu, he still wants to fulfill his dream of becoming a ninja. He's so foolish that even knowing this training method is bound to be grueling, he still stubbornly sticks with it."

"They say Konoha is the cradle of geniuses, but who knows that behind those geniuses, ordinary people like Little Lee are giving their all just to catch up?"

"You and I are both lucky, because we were born with the sword of talent. With the same training methods, we can achieve results far beyond Little Lee's."

"But that doesn't make Little Lee mediocre."

"His terrifying willpower and effort, beyond what ordinary people can imagine, will accumulate like raindrops until one day they erupt like a tsunami, surpassing everyone and shocking everyone."

"In my heart, he is a genius of hard work!"

A genius of hard work...

Sasuke's pupils trembled.

Watching Rock Lee drenched in sweat on the training ground, Sasuke asked himself—could he keep that up?

The answer was no.

This kind of training, surpassing human limits, was something he simply couldn't imagine.

"Is this also why you're so strong?" Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"That's right." Naruto nodded.

"The world never remembers a loser. Only effort can let you climb to the summit." Naruto pulled open his jacket, revealing the dense weights strapped beneath.

"You—you were wearing weights while fighting me!" In that moment, Sasuke was almost speechless.

When you discover that a comrade whose talent matches yours has put in several times more effort than you, shame wells up inside.

Sasuke felt deeply ashamed.

He had been squandering his own talent.

Compared to them, he was the mediocre one!

Naruto's warm hand rested on Sasuke's shoulder, his voice as gentle as the sunlight.

"Sasuke, you carry the Uchiha bloodline. From the starting line, you've already beaten most people. But never get complacent because of talent. Remember, everyone is moving forward. The moment you stop, you'll be overtaken."

Naruto withdrew his hand, his gaze deepening as he looked toward the setting sun.

"That's also why I work hard. I want to surpass everything and stand above the sky."

On the way back.

Walking along the road dyed red by the sunset, recalling the events of the day, Sasuke's heart was complicated.

"Naruto, terrifying talent yet still works hard. Rock Lee, works hard to the point of fear."

For some reason, Naruto's words kept echoing in Sasuke's mind.

"I want to surpass everything and stand above the sky."

Stand above the sky?

Unbidden, a surge of heat welled up in Sasuke's heart.