The moon had risen high in the sky, and its clear, cool light draped the streets of Konoha in a soft, silvery veil.
The daytime hustle and bustle has completely subsided, leaving only the chirping of insects in the Gaara of the walls and the occasional footsteps of someone returning home late in the distance.
The streetlights along the roadside shone brightly, casting a warm, dim glow that blended with the moonlight, elongating the shadows of the two boys walking side by side.
Shira walked beside Rock Lee, her steps still a little unsteady. She felt she hadn't fully recovered from the electric shock, and the excitement in her heart hadn't completely subsided either.
He turned his head to look at the companion beside him, whom he had just met but who seemed to have known him for a long time.
The sweat on Rock Lee's face had dried, but there were still some dark sweat stains on the collar of his training uniform, which were not very clear in the moonlight. Only his eyes were still incredibly bright, reflecting the streetlights as if they were filled with stars.
"My name is Shira," Shira said, her voice clear in the quiet night, "I'm from Sunagakure."
Rock Lee immediately turned around, his serious gaze landing on Shira's face, and nodded vigorously. "Yes! I'm Rock Lee from Konoha! Nice to meet you, Shira!"
His voice was clear and strong, carrying the unique vigor of a young man and a hint of undisguised curiosity.
"I know," Shira couldn't help but smile slightly, adding, "You're Rock Lee from Konoha. The Rock Lee who doesn't know Ninjutsu, relies solely on Taijutsu, and trains like crazy every day."
"Huh?" Rock Lee suddenly stopped, his thick black eyebrows raised in surprise, and his round eyes widened, filled with genuine confusion. " Shira... how do you know my name? And..."
A fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger curiosity. "You know I only practice Taijutsu?"
Moonlight streamed onto Rock Lee's surprised face, and Shira could clearly see the doubt in his eyes.
He recalled the panicked way the girls ran away during the day, and the harsh laughter from inside the wall. The excitement of finding kindred spirits slowly settled into a sense of relief.
"I've been in Konoha for a few days now," Shira slowed her pace, her voice lowering as if she were recalling something.
"On the way, I overheard some Konoha students chatting... They mentioned someone named ' Rock Lee,' saying he 'doesn't know any Ninjutsu,' is a 'loser,' but trains like a 'life-or-death' person."
Shira paused, her gaze fixed on the stone path ahead, bathed in moonlight. "Back then, I wondered... what kind of person would this Rock Lee be?"
Rock Lee slowed his pace, lowered his head slightly, and his thick eyelashes cast a small shadow, partially obscuring his eyes. He didn't reply immediately.
Shira continued, her tone carrying a certainty she herself didn't realize—a certainty born from finding a kindred spirit. "In Sunagakure, I was also a 'bottom-of-the-class' student. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were completely irrelevant to me."
"All I can rely on are these hands, these feet, and the will to never give up. So when I heard that someone else was like me, relying on what others considered the 'dumbest' method to persevere on the path of a ninja... I felt I had to meet that person."
He turned his head and looked at Rock Lee's profile. The moonlight outlined the young man's clear jawline and tightly pursed lips.
"I think I've found my comrade, Li." Shira's voice was soft, yet every word was clear, falling on the quiet street and into Rock Lee's ears.
Rock Lee's eyes were already red.
Comrade... he said I'm a comrade...
Rock Lee's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, and then it suddenly started beating faster.
The lingering fatigue from daytime training, and the subtle gloom brought on by the classmates' overt and covert discussions, were suddenly washed away by a scalding, bittersweet emotion.
So... my efforts weren't seen by only me?
So, in the distant Sunagakure, there was someone just like me, called a "loser," yet refusing to give up and burning with all their might?
He recalled the thousands of punches he had thrown at the wooden stake, the stinging pain in his knees and elbows from each fall and subsequent rise, the whistling wind in his ears as he ran alone in the sunset, and those Ninjutsu seals he could never remember or form...
Those daily, almost instinctive, and seemingly "taken for granted" or even "foolish" persistences suddenly took on a completely different, weighty significance when a stranger used the phrase "found a kindred spirit."
A surge of emotion welled up in her eyes, and Rock Lee quickly blinked hard, forcing back the stinging sensation. She couldn't cry! How could she show weakness in front of those who recognized her efforts and shared her goals?
Rock Lee clenched his fists quietly at his sides, his nails digging into his palms, using the slight pain to remind himself to stay alert.
Under the moonlight, Shira saw Rock Lee's shoulder tremble almost imperceptibly. Then, he saw the black-haired boy suddenly raise his head and turn to look directly at him.
In those always clear and bright round eyes, two small but incredibly blazing flames seemed to ignite, brighter than the stars in the sky and all the lights along the roadside.
" Shira..." Rock Lee's voice trembled slightly, but he quickly suppressed it, his tone becoming exceptionally firm, even carrying an almost declarative force, "You're right! We are comrades! Comrades who, relying solely on Taijutsu, will also shine brightly on the path of the ninja!"
He stepped forward, almost face to face with Shira, his eyes burning, and said, word by word, "My Ninjutsu and Genjutsu skills are zero; I'm a complete and utter loser!"
"However, I believe that as long as I hone my Taijutsu to its ultimate level, I will definitely be able to forge my own Ninja Way! This is a belief I will never give up! Now, knowing that Shira thinks the same way, I... I feel even more powerful!"
His words, like his clenched fist, were direct, powerful, and filled with an almost naive, burning conviction.
The moonlight shone on his face, which was slightly flushed with excitement, and illuminated the unwavering fighting spirit in his eyes.
As Shira looked at him, the last bit of anxiety and uncertainty she felt from waiting completely vanished. This was the feeling.
This pure, reckless, and self-consuming passion was exactly as he had imagined.
"Ah," Shira smiled too, a genuine smile, her eyes bright, "That's what I think too."
Two boys stood in the middle of the moonlit street, smiling at each other. In the distance, the lights of Konoha twinkled softly, and the evening breeze carried the fresh scent of Natsuhi grass and trees.
At this moment, separated by a country and with two completely different upbringings, two originally parallel paths quietly intersected because of the same perseverance.