Last year, Might Guy had ended up taking on Rock Lee's team after all.
As Might Guy put it, Rock Lee was far less gifted than Naruto, but he was diligent enough to be a genius when it came to hard work.
Once, Naruto had overheard a conversation between Iruka and Might Guy. Iruka had been asking, puzzled, why Guy had changed his mind and decided to teach Rock Lee and his two teammates.
Guy had answered, "Naruto is like a sponge. Whatever you teach him, he absorbs it in no time.
But Rock Lee...
He needs someone to tell him that even without talent, he can carve out his own path through hard work.
I'll tell Naruto about this. It's a shame, but youth is full of all kinds of surprises. Still, I believe Naruto and I will both set our youth ablaze with our own teams.
After all, Naruto is the student I'm proudest of!"
Compared to Naruto, Rock Lee really did need Might Guy's guidance more.
Rock Lee was just like Might Guy in his younger days. Not only did they look alike, but their experiences were remarkably similar too.
At first, Might Guy hadn't even qualified to enter the Ninja Academy. He had only been admitted as an exception after running five hundred laps around the school carrying a banner, demonstrating astonishing perseverance.
Rock Lee likewise had no talent for ninjutsu, and even his taijutsu fell well short of Naruto's current level.
Naruto had no objections to that.
When the teams were assigned the next day, Naruto sat in his seat, listening to everyone around him discuss who would be placed together.
For Naruto, the results held no suspense.
The heirs of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans were bound to be grouped together. It was a tradition the