Konoha: The Female Ninja Fell Apart After Their Diaries Were Exposed

Rock Lee grew more and more confused.

"You know how hard you've worked, but have you ever considered that someone else might have worked even harder?"

"I was dead last at the Ninja Academy once. You've heard about that, haven't you?"

"Uh, I have..."

Naruto Uzumaki's reputation as the Ninja Academy's dead last had been well known. Of course Rock Lee had heard about it.

But

he had no idea what Naruto Uzumaki was getting at.

"Do you know what I went through to get from dead last to where I am now?"

"Are you going to dismiss all the work I've put in just by calling it ninja talent?"

Naruto Uzumaki stared at Rock Lee and rebuked him coldly.

"No... I..."

At Naruto Uzumaki's words, Rock Lee lowered his head, feeling guilty.

Something shook him to his core,

and things he had never considered before suddenly clicked into place.

That was right.

Naruto Uzumaki might be called a genius now,

but

he had once been dead last too, just like Rock Lee.

To gain the strength he had now, Naruto must have endured even more hardship than Rock Lee had.

Konoha at four in the morning...

So that was what Naruto had meant?

Rock Lee suddenly felt as though he understood.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry. I didn't think it through."

Rock Lee looked at Naruto Uzumaki, his face full of guilt.

I'm awful.

He had nearly dismissed someone's hard work with a single sentence.

"If you really want to apologize, then keep giving it everything you've got to catch up with me."

"And..."

As Naruto Uzumaki spoke, he gave Rock Lee a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Isn't the ability to keep working hard a talent in its own right?"

"Lee... maybe you're a genius at hard work. If you