Chapter 20: Rock Lee’s Problem

In Natsuro's memories, Lee never seemed to be in a state of despondency. He recalled that most of his memories were from after Lee had graduated, and childhood events seemed to be missing.

So, was there nothing about his childhood in the original story, or did he simply skip over it? He found himself a bit puzzled and decided to look into it more thoroughly the next day. Guy seemed to have already checked on Lee, so if Lee remained despondent, he would inquire further about it.

Natsuro wanted to help if he could. After all, having a free sparring partner was quite valuable. Although he was also a sparring partner for Lee, finding someone who could keep up with himself, especially in physical techniques, was rare.

Even though physical techniques were not his main focus in his plans, it didn't mean he underestimated their importance. The plan didn't include them due to time constraints, not because they were unimportant.

With this decision in mind, Natsuro didn't waste time. Although his previous attempt at achieving a stillness state seemed like training, he had actually rested in other aspects. Since he didn't use Shadow Clones today and had plenty of chakra left, he decided to practice shape transformation for a while longer.

The next day, Lee's condition not only hadn't improved but had worsened. Lee had even stopped his training early and sat there in a daze.

"Lee, what's going on? You look so down. This isn't like you at all." Natsuro approached Lee, concerned that his sparring partner seemed to be on the brink of giving up.

"Natsuro…" Lee looked up, his expression filled with dejection. "I think I might not be able to become a ninja."

"What happened? Can you tell me more about it?" Natsuro frowned.

"Our teacher has already taught us the Body Flicker Technique, but I can't seem to sense any changes in chakra, let alone use it. No matter how hard I practice, I don't make any progress." Lee said, gazing at Natsuro with envy.

"It's frustrating to see you perfectly using it while I can't even get started."

Natsuro realized the issue. He recalled that there had been such a scene in the story, though he hadn't paid much attention. It seemed the culprit was himself. However, he quickly dismissed this thought. Even without me, Lee would have faced this problem eventually. His proficient use of the Body Flicker Technique had merely highlighted Lee's struggles earlier.

And there was something off—since when was Lee and I in the same year? Natsuro looked at Lee and realized that Lee likely didn't keep up with school matters.

Given Natsuro's physical development and ability to use the Body Flicker Technique, it was normal for Lee to perceive him as a peer.

Still, he couldn't help but be amused by the fact that after so many years, Lee hadn't even gathered basic information. At least he was glad that Lee's comrade would be Neji.

"I see." he said. Knowing Lee was struggling with ninjutsu, he wasn't going to encourage more practice in that area. "Even if you can't use ninjutsu, you can still become a ninja."

"Really?" Lee's eyes lit up with hope.

"Absolutely. I read in the library about a 'perpetual Genin' who was a taijutsu ninja. He was incredibly skilled and single-handedly took down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to rescue a team in Konoha."

"And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, you might not know them, but…"

In truth, he didn't know the specifics about the Seven Ninja Swordsmen or whether they were all defeated. He had glanced at these details while reading about Guy, so he exaggerated a bit for effect.

As Natsuro spoke, he noticed Lee's eyes filled with determination.

It seemed effective. He continued, "Moreover, there's a ninja in our village who doesn't excel in ninjutsu but has become a Jounin!"

"A Jounin?! Really?!" Lee exclaimed. The rank of Jounin held significant weight for him.

"Of course! So even focusing solely on taijutsu can lead to becoming a Jounin, though the path is tough."

"I'm not afraid of hard work!" Lee shouted.

"And it will be very hard and challenging."

"I'm not afraid of challenges!"

"And it will be extremely difficult to persist."

"I'll keep going until I become the strongest taijutsu ninja!" Lee's eyes seemed to blaze with fire.

"Then keep pushing forward and don't stay discouraged." Natsuro encouraged.

"Yeah! My youth will keep burning!" Lee shouted, regaining his former determination and even pushing himself harder.

Seeing Lee return to his usual self, he sighed in relief. It was fortunate that Lee was easier to motivate and wouldn't overthink things.

However, he sighed again. Unlike Guy, who struggled with using ninjutsu but could perform some basic techniques, Lee seemed to completely lack the ability to use ninjutsu. While Guy's guarantee of Lee's graduation was reliable, Lee's future development might be limited compared to Guy's achievements.

But those concerns could wait. He had his own path to focus on, and he wasn't even sure if it would be successful.

Guy, observing from the shadows, also breathed a sigh of relief. He had considered investigating Lee's situation further but found that Natsuro had already managed to comfort him.

Moreover, the examples he provided, though exaggerated, included Guy and his father. This had created a sense of familiarity and connection for Guy.

Nonetheless, Lee's situation needed close observation. Even though taijutsu could lead to becoming a Jounin, no one knew better than Guy the amount of effort required. It was crucial not to mislead Lee.

Guy was unaware that Natsuro had refrained from advising Lee to continue practicing ninjutsu because he knew Lee's story from the original and didn't want him to waste time on it.

As Guy pondered, Natsuro approached him, used to being noticed now.

"I've looked into it. You're the renowned taijutsu Jounin, Guy, correct? Could you possibly help us with our taijutsu training?" he directly asked. Given Guy's nature, he was likely to agree, especially with Lee present.

"No."

To Natsuro's surprise, Guy outright refused.

"This goes against the rules, and taijutsu training isn't something you're ready for yet."

Natsuro quickly realized that Guy misunderstood. He hurriedly clarified, "I'm not asking to learn taijutsu. I just need your help in reviewing our training methods, such as the appropriate intensity and the best level of training."

"I see." Guy hesitated. Providing guidance on training was manageable. He looked at Lee, who was still training hard, and saw reflections of his younger self—same determined eyebrows, lack of ninjutsu talent, and similar diligence…

At this moment, Guy recalled many things and eventually agreed.

This response brightened Natsuro's eyes. Although Guy's agreement was likely due to Lee, he was still benefiting from it.

With Guy's guidance, their physical training would no longer be a problem.