Rock Lee

Lee was stunned.

He knew Kuro, though he didn't know his name. He had seen him many times running around Konoha, crossing paths with him often. His face was familiar, but they had never spoken.

So, he couldn't understand why this boy, who had never said a word to him, now wanted to fight him.

But….

"You're right. If I just train on my own, I won't improve much. Tomorrow, I'll challenge my classmates." Lee clenched his fists in front of his chest with a firm expression.

"...Eh?"

Kuro looked at him, confused: "Why won't you fight me?"

Lee turned around and, with a calm smile, replied, "Because you're not a student at the Ninja Academy! Even if you win, what would you prove?"

"...."

This arrogant thick-browed kid…

What's wrong with not going to school?

Since when does not attending the Academy mean being less?

Kuro's anger began to boil, and he was about to say something, but Lee abruptly interrupted him: "I haven't finished my 300 kicks yet, so I'll punish myself with 300 laps!"

After speaking, he ignored Kuro and started hopping around the training field with his arms above his head.

Kuro was speechless.

This didn't go as planned…

He wanted to fight Lee and make him lose some skin or hair. He never thought things would turn out like this.

But it doesn't matter.

Kuro shifted his gaze to the wooden stake.

The bright blood on the stake and around it was enough.

Although slightly disgusted, he touched the blood with his hand. At that moment, a familiar sound echoed in his mind:

[Forge material detected: "Burning Blood" identified. This material enables the creation of the special item "Burning Blood Headband." Do you wish to proceed with forging?]

"Yes."

As soon as he responded, a red headband appeared in his hand, and the item's information displayed before his eyes:

[Special item "Burning Blood Headband" detected.

Effect: Grants the user a hot-blooded condition, increasing physical stamina and strengthening the body, allowing for more effective high-intensity training.]

"Hot-blooded…"

Observing the headband's effect, he looked at Lee, still hopping around the field, and a smile formed on his lips: "Lee, you're not useless; you're a genius of hard work."

The world is not short of people with great willpower.

In fact, one of the admission requirements at the Konoha Academy is strong determination, but in this world, only Lee can carry out such inhuman training.

It's not that others lack willpower; their bodies simply wouldn't endure it. If an ordinary person attempted to train like him, their body would fall apart.

That's Lee's unique talent: being a genius of effort.

Now, with this headband, Kuro also had that advantage. Combined with the Kurama Ring, which allowed him to recover quickly, he knew he could train even harder than Lee.

Determined, he put on the red headband, adjusting it so his hair wouldn't block his view. Luckily, he had no receding hairline.

When he adjusted it, he felt his fatigue disappear. Energy returned to him as if he had never trained that day.

Clenching his fists, he started running around Konoha again.

From today on, he would have to train more intensely every day.

But, despite his words, he didn't run long before heading back home.

...

Kuro's house, or rather his apartment, was in the southern part of Konoha. It was a simple place, much like the one Naruto had as a child. A year ago, after proving to the orphanage director that he could take care of himself, Konoha allowed him to move out and assigned him this space.

Of course, he also received a monthly allowance to cover his expenses.

Though not much, it was enough for daily life.

The apartment was wooden, with a single room. The furnishings were minimal: a bed, a table with a couple of chairs, and a small refrigerator.

When he returned home, Kuro quickly cooked a simple meal. Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed to refine his chakra.

His parents had been Chūnin, average ninjas. They couldn't compare to those guarding Konoha's gates. At best, they were on the level of someone like Mizuki or Iruka.

As such, they hadn't left much behind after their deaths.

Apart from a basic pension, all he inherited was a scroll with a chakra refinement technique, the three basic jutsu, a training guide for using kunai and shuriken, and a biography about the life of a ninja on missions.

All of this had been given to him by the Third Hokage when he moved out, giving him the opportunity to learn in advance what the Ninja Academy would teach.

Chakra is the result of the fusion of physical and spiritual energy. In theory, the greater a person's vitality, the more chakra they can produce.

Kuro didn't belong to any special clan or possess a Kekkei Genkai.

As for spiritual energy… While he had lived two lives, his previous life had lasted only eighteen years. Now, summing up all his years, he was barely twenty-three.

Compared to ninjas who had spent years facing death, his spiritual energy was minimal.

That's why his chakra reserves were very small.

For the past year, he had refined his chakra for two hours a day. Despite all that effort, he had barely accumulated enough to perform the Henge no Jutsu, the Transformation Technique, once.

He had no outstanding talent. If he relied solely on that, his greatest achievement in life would be becoming a mere Chūnin.

And what is a Chūnin?

Just another fly.

Two hours later, Kuro opened his eyes.

He felt that his chakra had grown slightly, though barely noticeably. Even so, he nodded in satisfaction and went to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

Talent is something you're born with, and he couldn't change that.

He had never complained about his lack of talent; he simply gave his all to become stronger.

Moreover, with his system, he knew he could surpass anyone.

The night passed quickly.

...

The next morning, the sky was clear, and the sun began illuminating the village.

Kuro woke up with a yawn and sat on the bed, still half-asleep.

"..."

He sat dazed for a moment, staring into space, before getting up. He changed into his white exercise clothes hanging on the wall and went to the bathroom to wash his face and comb his hair.

With a bit of care, Kuro turned out to be quite handsome. His black eyes sparkled, his dark hair was neat, and his sharp features gave him an attractive appearance.

After tidying himself up, he looked in the mirror, satisfied with what he saw, and left the house.

The streets were already bustling with activity.

Walking under the warm sun, Kuro enjoyed the comforting sensation it gave his body.

Around him, villagers went about their day, while occasionally he spotted ninjas leaping across rooftops or walking briskly.

After the Nine-Tails attack, the Fourth Hokage had died, leaving Konoha in chaos.

Hiruzen Sarutobi resumed his position as Hokage, guiding the village through a recovery period. Thanks to his leadership, the village had returned to its former stability and prosperity.

As he moved through the streets, Kuro left behind the hustle and bustle of the city center and arrived at Training Ground 14, a quieter spot with few people at that hour.

"Let's finish today's morning exercise!"

With the red headband on, Kuro started his warm-up exercises, a vigorous smile on his face.