Just looking at the watermelon-haired boy training as if his life depended on it had already left Naruto pale with fright.
Then he heard the system say, "You only need to work a little harder than him"...
It felt as if the gates of hell had opened before him!
"W-what kind of joke is this?!"
"That guy's seriously going to kill himself!"
[Host, begin your Taijutsu training at once, and make sure you work a little harder than Rock Lee.] [Warning: Baptism of Lightning Release countdown, 5...]
A million alpacas stampeded through Naruto's mind.
With a helpless sigh, he pushed aside the bushes and emerged, greeting Rock Lee, who was training like his life depended on it.
"H-hello..."
It was rare for someone to strike up a conversation with Lee.
He paused his grueling training and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes immediately blazed with fiery light!
"Oh! It's Naruto!"
Naruto didn't ask how Lee knew who he was.
Strangely enough, even though nobody liked him, it seemed like everyone knew him...
He scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh. "Ahaha, that's me."
"What's your name?"
"Rock Lee!"
"As I thought..."
Lee suddenly grinned and gave Naruto a thumbs-up.
"Naruto! I've seen it with my own eyes!"
"Seen what?"
"Your dashing figure as you train with all your might, of course!"
"M-my dashing figure?"
"That's right! Whether you're going to school or coming home, you're always doing weighted frog jumps or one-handed handstands. You're training hard every moment of the day. You're truly a role model for us all!"
Naruto was taken aback, but a hint of pride crept across his face.
"Ahaha, that? It's nothing, really. Just a piece of cake!"
Lee immediately lit up with enthusiasm.
"Oh! Well said, Naruto!"
"Indeed, training on the way to and from school is just a piece of cake. The real training is only just beginning!"
"How about it? Want to join me and burn with the flames of youth?!"
Naruto didn't want to join.
But did he have a choice?
"...Oh, that? It's just what I had in mind!"
"Lee, I won't lose to you!"
Rock Lee burst out laughing. "That's the spirit!"
"Come on, Naruto!"
Naruto gave an uneasy chuckle and stood beside Lee.
"So, what are we training?"
Lee clenched his fists.
"It's simple!"
"Kick the wooden post 3,000 times in a row!"
"Then punch it 4,000 times!"
"After that, jump rope 3,000 times!"
"Do 3,000 push-ups!"
"If you can't do it, walk around Konoha on your hands for 30 laps!"
Naruto's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"I-it doesn't have to be this brutal, does it?!"
Lee smiled confidently.
"What are you saying, Naruto? This is only the beginning!"
"You and I both have dreams. We want others to acknowledge us and prove our worth. If that's what we want, then these exercises are nothing!"
"They absolutely are something!"
Lee smiled brightly, revealing his sparkling teeth.
"Come on, Naruto!"
"Let's burn with the flames of youth together!"
Lee said no more and immediately threw himself back into his exaggerated, terrifying training.
Thud—
Thud, thud, thud!
His left leg shot out in a fierce side kick, slamming into the hard wooden post.
Without pausing, he launched a rapid series of kicks with his right leg, striking the post on the other side!
Wood chips flew everywhere as the posts shuddered beneath his blows.
Naruto's face fell, his eyes full of helplessness.
"What can I even say..."
He took a deep breath, then kicked another wooden post with all his might.
Thud! Thud! Thud—
Two hot-blooded dead-last students began their brutal special training and hellish practice beneath the summer sun.
"1,263!"
"1,264!"
"1,265!"
It was the first time Lee had ever trained alongside someone else. He was moved, and an inexplicable competitive spirit stirred within him.
He trained even harder than usual.
Naruto, who had never endured this level of grueling practice, was nowhere near Lee in terms of explosive strength.
But he had his own advantages.
Stamina, tenacity, and incredible recovery!
So, although he was already exhausted beyond words, Naruto gritted his teeth and kept going.
"2,110!"
"2,111!"
"2,112!"
"Keep it up, Naruto! The finish line is in sight!"
Naruto: "...Yeah, right!"
"Even after we finish kicking the post, we'll only be at the beginning!"
Rock Lee burst out laughing. "That's true!"
Naruto: "..."
Gasping for breath, he no longer had the strength to argue with Lee. All he could do was keep going with every ounce of strength he had.
Sweat poured down, dripping onto the ground of the Konoha Training Ground, where it quickly vanished.
"2,997!"
"2,998!"
"2,999..."
Naruto was panting with his tongue hanging out like a dog.
But just as Lee had said, the light at the end of the tunnel was finally in sight...
"3,000!"
With one last gritted-teeth effort, Naruto kicked the post. It went bang, and wood chips flew everywhere.
"I-I finally finished..."
His whole body immediately went limp, and he writhed across the ground like a worm.
Rock Lee finished at the same time, panting as he wiped the sweat from his face.
"Naruto, this is only the beginning. Get a hold of yourself!"
Naruto weakly waved a hand. "I-I can't..."
"I need to rest for a while..."
[It has been detected that the host has not completed the Taijutsu training objective. The host is about to undergo the Baptism of Lightning Release.] [Warning: Countdown, 5...]
Naruto: "Huh?!"
"But I finished!"
[Host, please note that your training goal is to work a little harder than Rock Lee. You have only completed the same amount of training as him.]
Naruto: "...Damn it!"
"Are you really trying to kill me?!"
[Countdown: 4...]
"Fine, fine! I get it!"
Naruto struggled to his feet, wobbling unsteadily. The wooden posts in front of him had begun to blur.
But to avoid being struck by lightning, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and kick the post again.
"3,001!"
"I-I did it..."
Who would have thought—
Lee couldn't help staring in surprise at the sight.
"Naruto, what are you doing?"
"Oh! I understand!"
He punched a fist into his palm, his eyes blazing with fiery passion.
"You're saying we mustn't dwell on the past. We have to surpass ourselves and set even more difficult, even stricter training goals!"
"I understand, Naruto. You're trying to motivate me this way!"
Lee instantly burst into action. He dropped into a lunge, lowered his body, and then kicked out again with all his might.
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