It was another early morning, and Konoha was so quiet and peaceful that it seemed like a paradise untouched by the world.
Might Guy had risen before dawn. After running two hundred laps around Konoha's outskirts to warm up, he arrived at a training ground he often used.
Rock Lee stood before a wooden post, striking its pitted surface again and again.
"Where has the youth in your fists gone, Lee?"
Might Guy stood behind Rock Lee with a solemn expression, watching his prized student.
Rock Lee froze, slowly lowered his fist, and fell silent for a moment before resuming his strikes against the wooden post... Rather than training as diligently as before, he was merely moving along out of the inertia of his old routine.
Waking early, running laps, throwing punches, doing squats, jumping rope, sprinting...
Relentlessly squeezing every ounce of strength from his body had long become a habit engraved into every muscle in Rock Lee's body. Even though he was utterly lost now, he still could not control his running legs or stop his swinging fists...
"Put more focus into those punches!!"
Might Guy suddenly roared and shattered the wooden post before Rock Lee with a single punch!
"..." Rock Lee stared blankly, lowered his head, and suddenly asked, "Might Guy-sensei, why... wasn't I lucky enough to have a Sharingan?"
Might Guy fell silent, looking at Rock Lee with immense heartache. He raised a hand and rubbed Rock Lee's head. "Lee, let me tell you... the story of my father!"
"Might Guy-sensei's father?" Rock Lee asked in surprise, finally unable to stop himself from turning around to look at Might Guy.
"Yes... He was a man I once despised beyond measure, but eventually came to admire from the bottom of my heart!"
A bright light flickered in