"233...234...235..."
"If you can't do 400 push-ups in one go, then jump rope 1,000 times—and make every jump a double-under!!"
Wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black pants, Rock Lee did push-ups as he spoke with determination.
Looking at Lee's forehead, Yi Xiang suddenly thought that with those distinctive, bar-shaped thick eyebrows, no one would doubt him if someone claimed he was Might Guy's illegitimate son.
But what drew even more attention was the deep cracks Lee had kicked into the wooden posts around him, as if they were about to break.
As expected of Lee. A rare genius who got where he was through sheer hard work.
Yi Xiang admired him from the bottom of his heart. In his view, the fact that the Eight Inner Gates existed in the Naruto world meant that ordinary people could become Kage Level powerhouses without talent or a Kekkei Genkai.
But the price was enormous. For starters, you had to spend most of your life undergoing grueling training. That alone would weed out 99.999...% of people.
On top of that, the Eight Inner Gates came with severe side effects that could threaten your life, so you couldn't open them often.
Yi Xiang didn't approach right away. He quietly watched from a concealed spot in a tree for a while. Only when Lee ran out of strength, sat down, and began panting did he jump down.
"Clap, clap, clap, clap..."
Yi Xiang applauded generously once again to show his appreciation.
"Huh! You're... Uchiha Isho. What are you doing here?"
Lee looked utterly surprised. He hadn't expected to see Yi Xiang here, much less hear him applauding so sincerely. Besides, hardly anyone ever came here. It was, in a sense, his secret training ground.
"I was on my way to train by the stream near the edge of the area and happened to pass by. I heard a commotion, so I came over to check."
Yi Xiang explained honestly, then gave him a thumbs-up and praised him sincerely. "I had no idea, Lee. You work so hard when no one's watching. You're sure to become a powerful ninja one day."
At Yi Xiang's string of praise and encouragement, Lee's face visibly reddened. Then tears seemed to well in his eyes.
"Yi Xiang, do you also believe that you can become an excellent ninja through Taijutsu alone, without ninjutsu, genjutsu, or talent?"
"Talent can't give you muscles carved like stone."
Seeing the muscle lines faintly visible beneath the sleeves of eight- or nine-year-old Lee's shirt, Yi Xiang suddenly remembered motivational captions from online videos in his previous life, where bloggers had used Lee's training as inspiration.
Who would have thought that this hugely popular anime character would be standing right in front of me, talking to me? Yi Xiang couldn't help reflecting on the unpredictability of fate. One moment, he'd suddenly died, and the next, he'd miraculously transmigrated.
"On that front, no one in our class can match you—not even many ninjas who've been famous for years."
"What's more, I once heard the elders in my clan say that there are powerful ninjas in the Shinobi World who train only in Taijutsu. Some can even take on an entire Jonin squad by themselves."
To encourage Lee as much as he could, Yi Xiang made things up on the spot. It wasn't as if anyone could verify it.
Besides, what he'd said was true. People like Might Guy, Master Chen... and Lee in the future were all peerless, invincible figures. After seeing Might Guy's final battle at the peak of his power, who in later generations would dare underestimate someone who had mastered the Eight Inner Gates?
Hearing this, Lee was so moved that tears streamed down both cheeks. He kept wiping at them with the backs of his hands, but they seemed endless, flowing faster and faster.
"Yi Xiang, you're the first person to believe in me like this.
"One day, I'll prove to everyone that even without ninjutsu or genjutsu, I can still become an excellent ninja. This is my whole life. This is my ninja way."
[ Ding! New quest triggered ] [ Quest 1: Help Naruto complete the development of a super S-rank ninjutsu—Reverse Harem Technique. Reward: 30 Luck. Failure penalty: Lose 60 Luck. ] [ Quest 2: Help Naruto develop the Harem Technique and defeat Sasuke. Reward: 23 Luck. Failure penalty: Lose 46 Luck. ] [ Quest 3: Help Naruto develop the Sexy Jutsu and use it to knock down at least 5 people. Reward: 5–15 Luck. Failure penalty: Lose 10 Luck. ] [ Quest time limit: 30 days ]
Looking at the contents on the blue screen that had suddenly appeared before him, Yi Xiang was surprised that the quest had nothing to do with Lee. Then he immediately realized what the problem was.
"I believe you can do it, Lee. Well, I'm off to train too. See you next time."
Before Lee could respond, Yi Xiang waved and hurried back the way he'd come.
At the same time, as Sasuke's Fire Release Ninjutsu, the Great Fireball Technique, came rushing at him, Naruto sensed that something was wrong. He immediately released the chakra from his feet and, at the last possible moment, managed to fall into the stream.
Good thing I've dealt with this move before. Otherwise, I would've lost badly just now.
Hiding in the stream, Naruto blew bubbles as he thought, completely unaware of how close he'd come to disaster.
"Sasuke, what on earth is going on between you and Naruto?! I was only gone for a little while, and you were already fighting."
Yi Xiang had just arrived, and he stared at the intense scene with a dark expression.
Is this the fated showdown? If fortune-tellers were ever this accurate, they'd be something else. What a pair of rivals.
If it weren't for the system quest, you could each do your own thing and save me the trouble of getting involved.
"He insisted on fighting me." Sasuke pointed toward the stream, still looking angry.
Just then, Naruto, sensing that something was up, cautiously poked his head out from another spot. When he saw Yi Xiang, he quickly climbed onto the bank, looking like a drenched rat.
Seeing this, Yi Xiang couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh. He simply asked:
"Naruto, why did you fight Sasuke?"
"I couldn't stand him always calling me a dead last, so I wanted to fight him. If he didn't know that Fire Release Ninjutsu, I definitely would've won in the end..."
Strangely, once Naruto finished speaking, Sasuke didn't argue. Clearly, he acknowledged Naruto's strength.
What kind of body does this guy have? Not only does he recover amazingly fast, but his physical defense is frightening too.
Sasuke frowned as he thought, then suddenly snorted, wearing the air of a victor.
After getting a general idea of what had happened, Yi Xiang turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, whether Naruto is strong or weak, you shouldn't call him a dead last anymore. It has nothing to do with strength; it's a matter of character."
"Then you still beat me with your strength and made me call you big brother," Sasuke immediately retorted.
"That was just a bet. If you really don't want to call me that, I won't force you."
Seeing that Sasuke had nothing more to say, Yi Xiang turned to Naruto. "And you—don't always be so reckless. If Sasuke really were your enemy, you might already be dead.
"Do you remember what I always tell you?"
Under Yi Xiang's stern gaze, Naruto immediately became serious.
"When you can't beat an enemy, run. If you can't outrun them, hurry up and surrender to throw them off and buy yourself a chance to survive. Then come find Big Brother Yi Xiang, and we'll take them on together.
"If you know where the enemy is beforehand, the safest thing is to ask Big Brother Yi Xiang to come with you.
"And also... if you can beat them, don't give the enemy a chance to catch their breath. Try to take them out in one go."
Before you continue