Proficiency System: Rock Lee!

Host: Rock Lee

Age: 5

Rank: Academy Student

Skills: Taijutsu F (0/10), Ninjutsu F (0/10), Genjutsu F (0/10), Shurikenjutsu F (0/10)

Unique Skills: None

Equipment: None

"Haha, idiot! There's no way you could become a ninja!" A classmate laughed at him while they ran during class.

"Like a guy who can't use ninjutsu could ever become a ninja, right?" Another student added to the teasing.

"I'll do it." Rock Lee smiled as he ran alongside them.

"Actually, it's kind of ridiculous that you, a guy who can only do below-average taijutsu is, at a ninja academy in the first place." Another one of his peers mocked him.

"Hey Lee, you know what they called you?" A fourth student chuckled mischievously.

"Spirited Loser, Lee!" Everyone shouted out together.

"I am pretty spirited, huh?" Lee's smile didn't fade even as he was insulted altogether. "Watch my spirit shine brightly!" Lee started running faster, leaving behind his classmates even when they tried to catch up with him.

"Whoa!" They cried out in surprise.

"Hey, Lee, come back!" They shouted while laughing.

…

"Guh!" Rock Lee cried out in pain as he was knocked outside of the circle.

"Once a failure, always a failure." Hyuga Neji calmly began to walk away.

[Taijutsu Proficiency +5 points!]

"Great fight, Neji-kun!" Lee held his injured stomach. "I really learned a lot against you!" He held the Seal of Reconciliation toward him even though Neji ignored him.

The instructor seemed to not care about upholding the traditions of shinobi sparring, allowing the young genius to do as he pleased while writing down the grades for the two. Lee struggled to get up but felt infinitely confident that he'll last longer next time. He just had to learn from his mistakes. During that fight, he was too reckless. He'll have to be more careful next time they spar.

…

[Taijutsu Proficiency +1 points!]

[Taijutsu Proficiency +1 points!]

[Taijutsu Proficiency +1 points!]

[Taijutsu Proficiency +1 points!]

[Taijutsu Proficiency +1 points!]

[Taijutsu Proficiency has reached the next level!]

Rock Lee dropped to the ground, exhausted, with a smile on his face. He's been training day after day after his loss to Neji-kun. He strengthened his body with the thick trees in Konoha. Punching, kicking, and even headbutting, Rock Lee sought to train every part of himself! He lifted logs, did squats with them, and did all sorts of other exercises.

"I can feel that I'm one step closer to accomplishing my dream. Nothing will stop me!" Lee optimistically shouted to the heavens.

…

Rock Lee had his trademark smile that never seemed to disappear, no matter how many times he was made fun of, insulted, or even beaten. He rushed toward Neji with his fist raised above him. Neji scoffed as he prepared to end this in one move, just like before. "What a fool."

Lee grinned as just when his fist was about to come down on Neji, he suddenly halted all movement and switched things up! Neji's eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of the feint. It wasn't enough to shock him, but it was enough to make him pause briefly. Neji deflected the kick by pushing it overhead as he rushed toward the off-balance Lee. His palm flew toward Lee's chest.

"Not this time, Neji! Oh wow, you're really fast!" Lee barely managed to block in time and was sent to the edge of the sparring circle.

Neji didn't bother to speak as he ran toward Lee with his palms raised. Lee knew from the look in Neji's eyes that he was no longer going to hold back. That was just fine for him! He couldn't get better if he wasn't pushed to his limits, and a genius like Neji was the perfect opponent to temper himself with.

Just as Neji got within distance, Lee did nothing but stand there. In the eyes of his peers and the instructor, it seems he was paralyzed with fear. Neji thrust all five of his fingers toward Lee's chest. Lee couldn't help but brace himself for the pain as he followed through with his plan.

He coughed blood immediately as Neji's attack landed, sending a sharp pain to the left upper side of his chest. But this was all within Lee's plans! Lee gripped Neji's arm as tightly as he could. Pulling his head back, He headbutted Neji with enough force to cause him to bleed. Then he dropped unconscious to the ground as the effects of Neji's attacks caught up to him.

"You…? You…!" Neji raised his hand and formed a spear with all five of his fingers, intending to strike down the fallen Lee in anger.

[Taijutsu Proficiency +50 points!]

Host: Rock Lee

Age: 5

Rank: Academy Student

Skills: Taijutsu E (50/100), Ninjutsu F (0.001/10), Genjutsu F (0.001/10), Shurikenjutsu E (10/100)

Unique Skills: None

Equipment: None

The instructor had to rush in to prevent Neji from attacking the downed Lee. He restrained the furious genius who was attempting to harm his classmate severely. Their classmates watched in disbelief as the Spirited Loser managed to land a hit on the genius of their class. Then someone laughed and said it was nothing more than just a fluke, which made sense to them. Otherwise, they might have to accept that Lee has grown from the loser he was always seen as.

…

After that day, the instructor no longer called up Lee to face Neji. Lee fought with his other classmates. Sometimes winning, sometimes losing. But throughout this time, he realized that no one pushed him harder to train and surpass his limits than Hyuga Neji. After a year of this, Lee turned six years old and found himself questioning his limits. He decided to do something drastic.

Just as school let out, Lee ambushed Hyuga Neji on his way home. He stood in front of his path and smiled confidently at him, much to Neji's displeasure at this meeting. Lee saw the genius frown at the sight of him but wasn't bothered by it. He had no one else. Regardless of if Neji wanted this or not, Lee had no choice but to use him as a training dummy if he wanted to accomplish his dream.

"Hyuga Neji! I, Rock Lee, challenge you!" Lee didn't give him the opportunity to respond as he ran toward him.

A few moments later, Rock Lee was staring at the sky with a swelled face and bruises all over his body. His sparkling white teeth were still on display for all to see, as he could barely see or move his own body. It was an ugly display, but Lee smiled through the pain. That was an amazing spar! A blurry figure appeared above him and stared down at him.

[Taijutsu Proficiency has reached the next level!]

"Why are you such a fool?" His sensei asked.

"I will become a splendid ninja no matter what." Rock Lee confidently responded through the pain.

"Humans have limits. Remember this." He shared with him.

"My limits aren't for others to decide…" Lee struggled to clench his fist.

Lee felt himself being lifted up and carried somewhere. He figured it was probably acceptable to take a quick nap. His sensei was mean, but he wasn't a bad person. Probably… Next time, he'll defeat Neji! If not that, he'll at least leave him with half as many injuries as he left him!

…

"Wow, Lee! I didn't think you'd be able to do this." Lee's classmate exclaimed.

"You should always believe in yourself, Satori-kun!" Lee said, with multiple leaves sticking to his body. He had a sparkling smile with a thumbs up.

"I thought that since you suck at ninjutsu and genjutsu, you just couldn't use chakra at all." Another classmate added.

"I can use chakra. It's just super difficult to shape it for jutsus." Lee corrected.

[Chakra Control Proficiency has reached the next level!]

Host: Rock Lee

Age: 6

Rank: Academy Student

Skills: Taijutsu D (43/1000), Ninjutsu F (0.005/10), Genjutsu F (0.005/10), Shurikenjutsu D (0/1000), Chakra Control E (0/100)

Unique Skills: None

Equipment: None

"How are you even going to graduate if you can't use ninjutsu? You know we need to learn the clone jutsu, substitution jutsu, and transformation jutsu. You can't do a single one!" Someone asked.

"I'll graduate with my taijutsu skills," Lee explained.

The class burst out laughing at this response. None of them ever heard of a ninja that could only do taijutsu. Sure, Lee might be becoming better at taijutsu than most of them by now, but that meant nothing to them since he still couldn't use ninjutsu. Everyone knew that strong ninjas could use flashy jutsus. How could a ninja make taijutsu look anywhere as cool as ninjutsu?

Lee didn't take their laughter seriously. He would become a great ninja no matter what through taijutsu alone! If they wouldn't let him graduate, he'll train his taijutsu until he could defeat the Hokage and force him to make him a shinobi. There was no other outcome that Lee would accept. The more his classmates and peers mocked and laughed at him for his dream, the stronger his resolve about it grew.

______________________________________________

More time passed, with the time for graduation came closer and closer. Over the years, Lee continued harassing Neji every chance he got and training his body to the limit. With each beatdown from the Hyuga prodigy, Lee grew stronger. Unknown to him, Neji's hatred of him grew as well.

Neji saw each time that Lee recovered from his beating that he would come back stronger. At first, it took days before Lee could recover to challenge him. As his frustration with the talentless boy grew, that time increased to weeks and then months. Then all of a sudden, his recovery period started to decrease significantly. It didn't even take a week for him to fully recover after beating him to an inch of his life.

…

"Neji-kun! This will be our final battle before graduation tomorrow." Rock Lee pointed at him with that oh-so-infuriating smile on his stupid face.

Under the bright moon shining down from the clear night sky, an abandoned forest clearing emerges in the heart of the Konoha Forest. The dense foliage encircles the area, forming a natural boundary that conceals this secluded training ground from prying eyes. As the moon's soft light filters through the canopy, it casts an ethereal glow upon the forest floor, creating a serene and almost magical atmosphere.

The clearing itself is spacious, covered in a layer of thick moss that cushions each step. It is a testament to nature's reclamation, as vines and wildflowers have woven themselves into the terrain, reclaiming the space once devoted to fierce battles and training sessions.

The towering trees surrounding the clearing stand like ancient sentinels, their shadows stretching out and intertwining with each other, casting intricate patterns upon the ground. In the hushed night, the rustling leaves add a gentle background symphony to the stillness.

At the center of the clearing, a small pond reflects the moon's brilliance, its still waters capturing the night sky like a mirror. The occasional ripple disturbs the glass-like surface as gentle breezes sweep through the clearing, adding to the tranquility of the scene.

The air carries a hint of moisture, a lingering reminder of the earlier evening rain that has since given way to a cloudless night. The scent of earth and vegetation permeates the air, mingling with the cool night breeze.

The abandoned clearing, once a vibrant training ground, now rests in solitude, awaiting the clash of academy students Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji. The moon, a silent witness, watches over the unfolding encounter as these young shinobi step into the moonlit arena, where their ideals will clash without any disruptions.

"I will ensure that you never become a shinobi. Byakugan!" Neji didn't plan to hold anything back against the fate-defying fool. He activated his Byakugan.

"If I can defeat a genius like you that everyone acknowledges, no one will be able to deny my potential as a shinobi." Rock Lee pulled out some wooden nunchaku and began skillfully twirling them around himself.

"Fate would not allow me to become the stepping stone of someone like you who can't even do basic ninjutsu. Your place in life has already been determined. You cannot change this. Not even I am exempt from this fact." Neji got into the stance of the Gentle Fist.

"Neji-kun. I wouldn't be standing here in front of you right now if that was true." Lee caught one end of his nunchaku in his armpit while holding his palm out.

"It is your destiny to lose to me, failure! It's pointless to fight against it!" Neji rushed toward Lee in anger.

Unknown to the two boys, two adult shinobi were watching this battle from a distance.