Just then, a green figure suddenly appeared, bursting into view amid sparks and lightning.
"My name is Rock Lee. Tell me your name! I think you're strong, and I want to challenge you."
Rock Lee pointed at Sasuke, demanding his name and challenging him to a duel. Sasuke felt a headache coming on. This bushy-browed guy left him rather speechless.
Sasuke was just about to say something when Rock Lee's next move completely floored him.
Rock Lee flashed his gleaming teeth and gave a thumbs-up.
"Sakura, I love you! Go out with me!"
"Huh? No! Your hair and eyebrows are so weird. I don't like anything about you!" Sakura bristled immediately, hastily making her refusal clear.
"Sakura, you're as beautiful as an angel to me. Now I love you even more!"
But Rock Lee carried on confessing his love as though he hadn't heard her. His sheer shamelessness left Meihui staring in disbelief.
"Just as I thought. To get a girlfriend, besides her being blind, there are three other crucial things." Meihui muttered to himself, but Naruto still heard him.
"Big bro, what three things?"
"One, persistence. Two, shamelessness. Three, persistent shamelessness."
Meihui seemed to have said something, yet somehow nothing at all.
Even after Sakura rejected him again, Rock Lee wasn't discouraged.
"Come on, Sasuke. Let's begin our fight. Please."
Faced with a challenge, Sasuke accepted.
The two began their duel. At first, Sasuke didn't even activate his Sharingan, but he soon realized this bushy-browed guy wasn't as simple as he'd imagined.
"Damn it, he's so strong." After taking one of Rock Lee's blows, Sasuke began to get serious.
Seeing that Rock Lee had some skill, he activated his Sharingan, hoping to predict whatever ninjutsu or genjutsu his opponent would use. Instead, he discovered that the guy before him was using nothing but basic taijutsu.
Yet Rock Lee kept him pinned on the defensive. Sasuke found it unbelievable.
"Damn it, are you looking down on me? Why aren't you using ninjutsu?"
"Sorry, Sasuke-kun. I can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. All I know is taijutsu, but I'll definitely defeat those geniuses through my own hard work."
Sasuke couldn't quite believe Rock Lee's words, but through his Sharingan, he could see that Rock Lee really wasn't using ninjutsu or genjutsu. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that this guy was treating him as a stepping stone to success.
But who was Sasuke? A prideful guy who would suffer anything rather than lose face.
He competed with the Raikage in Lightning Release, crossed blades with Killer B, and matched genjutsu against Itachi. Without his protagonist's plot armor, he would have been beaten to death long ago.
Seeing Sasuke go so long without using ninjutsu, Meihui had already more or less figured it out. Tsk, tsk, tsk. All for the sake of your precious pride. That's Uchiha Sasuke for you.
Sure enough, a few exchanges later, Sasuke was beaten senseless. Rock Lee's punches landed solidly, leaving him unable to fight back. One botched block sent Sasuke flying into the air under Rock Lee's kick. Rock Lee was already unwinding the bandages on his trousers, ready to unleash his big move, when Might Guy's Summoning Beast-the Ninja Turtle-suddenly appeared and stopped him.
"Rock Lee, didn't I tell you that you're forbidden from using that move?"
The big turtle lectured Rock Lee without pause.
Rock Lee simply bowed his head and silently took the scolding.
Meihui looked at the defeated Sasuke and the disbelief written all over his face.
"What's wrong, Sasuke? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really are brave, competing in taijutsu against someone who knows nothing else. You're one stubborn idiot."
"Sasuke, you need to understand that there's always someone better out there, and everyone has their own specialty. Talent alone won't get you through everything."
Meihui didn't know whether his bitter words of wisdom would have any effect on Sasuke, so he had Naruto take Sasuke along to prepare for the next exam.
Before you continue