3 Chapter 3: The Bronze Chest

"Phew... He's gone..." Rock Lee sighed with relief as he watched his "father" head out for a C-rank morning mission, a task typical for average Chunin, which was what this man, Son Lee, was.

The Lee clan was not known for its great power. The clan head was just an unremarkable Tokubetsu Jonin specializing in reconnaissance. Therefore, the family's territory wasn't particularly large either.

It took Rock only a few minutes of light jogging and a couple of friendly waves to the people living here to tour the tiny Lee clan's lands, allocated by the Hokage long ago. However, he didn't complain or dwell on this matter at all.

To be honest, he couldn't care less about such "trifles." After all, he didn't have any grand plans to become a noble leader and help his newfound family grow because they were only connected by blood and nothing more. Rock would rather focus on his training than trying to strengthen others.

"Orochimaru will attack Konoha together with the Sand Village in about a year and a half. And then, the adventures and conflicts with Akatsuki will start, a powerful group of renegades, especially with Obito, who will bring nothing but a full-scale war to these lands. And Kaguya too! Fantastic, yeah!" That's what he was thinking in general when it came to clans and the urgent need to become stronger himself.

"All right! It's time to deal with the bronze chest!"

Clapping his hands, Lee headed back to his two-room apartment, which he shared with Son Lee. Although the latter was rarely home. In any case, no one would be around to distract him, so Rock relaxed and sat on the floor, ready to finally figure out the system he had acquired after arriving in this world.

"Status!" Lee exclaimed to himself, instantly bringing up the digital interface in front of him:

[Name: Rock Lee]

[Shinobi Rank: Academy student]

[Health: 100%]

[Stamina: 30%]

[Chakra: 100%]

[Taijutsu Rank: C]

[Ninjutsu Rank: —]

[Genjutsu Rank: —]

[Inventory]

[List of Hellish Exercises: 3]

"Stamina is slowly recovering, as well as health. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu have a blank placeholder, probably because this body is simply incapable of using them. Sadly, but what can you do? But Taijutsu... Rank C. Most likely, because the original Rock Lee dedicated a lot of time to physical training. The inventory is clear, but the list of hellish exercises... 3? It seems like a new batch of devilishly difficult challenges is ready to torture me... Brrr!" he shivered, still feeling a sense of horror from the incredibly difficult push-ups.

Nevertheless, he collected himself and mentally addressed his inventory, taking out the so-called bronze chest, or more precisely...

A card with a faded drawing of a bronze chest.

"Unusual..." Lee thought, running his fingers along the sharp edges of the rectangle. Closing his round eyes, he exhaled and simply tore the card, which then disintegrated into a brownish shimmer, revealing a whole range of various gifts:

[Bronze Chest Rewards]

[20,000 ryo]

[10 military pills]

[Healing ointment]

[Rokusiki Style: Rankyaku]

Material items went into the inventory, and the Rankyaku technique imprinted itself in Lee's consciousness, providing him with the ability to see a full and step-by-step training mode for mastering this technique from the manga and anime "One Piece." These were quite worthy rewards.

"Since I'm just an academy student, money is not useless to me. Moreover, 20,000 ryo is equivalent to successfully completing four D-rank missions. With their help, I can not only eat well and deliciously but also buy things like weights, even if they're cheap... If, of course, I don't completely lose my mind due to masochism and self-torture..." Lee thought.

The other "items" opened up even more room for development. Military pills could temporarily boost a shinobi's abilities. The healing ointment could heal wounds and accelerate natural regeneration, and the Rankyaku technique...

Perhaps there couldn't be a better reward than this!

Ultimately, Rock Lee faced a challenge: the Shinobi Academy, which would start in just fifteen minutes. Yes, that very place where children are taught the art of ninja, which includes espionage, sabotage, and even assassination...

But is Lee really justified in condemning the harsh policies of the Hidden Villages? It's all a young army and nothing more. Moreover, it has many tasks. Knowing the future events that will happen sooner or later, Lee will definitely be glad if as many talented students as possible graduate from the academy. And while one can always hope for Naruto and Sasuke, isn't that boring and foolish?

"I won't become a Taijutsu master if I stand aside," Rock concluded as he changed into his uniform and prepared for his studies.

The weather in Konoha was, as usual, wonderful. Bright sunshine without a single cloud, and a calm refreshing breeze that made the tree branches dance. Passing by buildings and stalls with smiling villagers, Lee couldn't help but be filled with a good mood and momentarily forget himself in this wonderfully warm atmosphere. And the Hokage Monument was a sight to behold...

A magnificent mountain with the faces of all the village leaders carved into it. From the first Hokage to the fourth, who died in a battle with the Nine-Tails, later sealing the beast within his son, Naruto. A rich history spanning fifty years, and maybe even a full century. Rock certainly didn't know the details, as he was only familiar with the timeline of the plot up to the canon.

In any case, the Shinobi Academy, which Rock Lee was rushing to with his wide round eyes, was located at the foot of that magnificent mountain.

"I would have never thought that one day I would personally confirm the theory of reincarnation after death. Moreover, what I used to see only in anime has now become a reality," Rock continued to be shocked by this unexpected twist of fate.

"Hey! Why are you late?" Surprisingly, right at the main entrance of the academy, Lee was met by his classmate, Tenten. Although, not so much "met" as ran into on the way.

Tenten was a lovely girl, dreaming of becoming a legendary kunoichi following in Tsunade Senju's footsteps. She had chestnut hair tied into two pigtails and brown eyes framed by a short bang. She was wearing a pink jacket and dark green pants. With her fair skin and a stern, slightly reproachful look directed at the bewildered boy, Tenten was a striking figure. Lee had no idea why proud Tenten was suddenly blocking his path at the entrance and seemed to be scolding him.

"Huh? H-hello, Tenten!" Lee, feeling flustered but not losing his composure, greeted his classmate with politeness and confidence, flashing his "typical" simpleton's smile, which he had copied from the memories of the previous Lee.

"Are you kidding, Lee? I never allowed you to call me by my name..." Tenten shook her head disapprovingly, then turned away from him and let her last words hang in the air. She walked into the academy, leaving Lee standing on the doorstep, blinking.

"Well... I certainly have quite a reputation. She's probably the only beauty in the entire class who's so cold towards me. Moreover, there's a 99% chance that she'll end up on my team when I become a Genin after the exams. It would be really bad if we couldn't get along. At least Tenten never told the original Lee that he was weak and a failure..."

With these thoughts, Lee headed to his classroom, recalling that today there would be a practical lesson involving sparring.