Chapter 17: Test (1)

"Lee... W-what happened to you?"

Tenten asked with shock while putting her hand over her mouth when she saw Lee arrive at the training ground in such a bad mood in such a state.

He was bruised, half-asleep, with dark circles under his eyes.

"Huh? Oh, Tenten! Hey! What happened to me? Hehehe. It's nothing! I just became a bit stronger! "

Lee's words were confident and loud, and his black eyes shone with fire, energy, and life to make him look like he wasn't a skinny dead body today.

"You... are you really a masochist or something?!"

She exclaimed in confusion, each time thinking that she understood Lee, but Lee repeatedly made her surprise him as if for the first time.

"What? Damn, no! That's nonsense! I'm not like that at all!.."

Lee started to defend himself, but his stomach growled loudly and made Lee even more awkward and Tenten even more amused.

"You know, I knew you'd come hungry."

She smirked and shook her head before pulling two lunchboxes from the bag on her thigh. 

She gave one to Lee with a slightly embarrassed smile and said.

"Here. You should have breakfast with me. I'll be happy, okay?"

Lee was obviously surprised by this.

It seems like a hint of a confession if a woman gives him a free meal she cooked without expecting anything in return. 

Hm-m...

'No-no. I definitely broke my logic after studying Kami-e and training my tendons all night. It's too early for Tenten and me to deal with love and romance, but how can I refuse if I want to eat so badly? It's just crazy, I swear, I want to devour a whole elephant!'

Rock took chopsticks somewhere without much thought and started eating immediately. 

He was hungry for rice, meat chunks, and other tasty treats.

"Nevertheless, I made all this myself yesterday evening. Well, what do you say? Let's be honest. Do you like it or not?"

She asked with hidden curiosity and anticipation of pleasant praise from him.

"Very much! Thank you, Tenten! You're the best!"

Lee replied strongly with an honest confession that made Tenten blush. 

He then turned away from her and began eating vegetables and the same fish with spices to make up for the fat he had lost during the exercise.

After a few minutes, Neji Hyuga suddenly walked in and disrupted the awkwardness where Lee and Tenten were talking. 

Neji quickly noticed Rock's pitiful even pathetic, appearance and couldn't help but smirk and then make a cold, provocative, and typical mocking response.

"There are some people are destined to win while others just look like losers and are meant to be."

"Ho? Neji, my dearest friend, how's life treating you? Are you not scared that you will fail Guy-sensei's test?..."

However, Lee didn't fall into the provocation. 

He just smiled and continued eating delicious, warm food while sitting on the ground under a tree with Tenten. 

Tenten was very pleased with Lee's response.

"Well done."

Lee replied to Tenten. 

Tenten could finally relax and stop praying for Neji and Lee not to fight because she didn't want to have to watch another fight between them.

Luckily, everything went well, and Neji stopped talking until things worsened.

However, the trio's brief period of calm was short-lived. 

There was an obvious end after about ten to twenty seconds.

After all, they couldn't forget about Might Guy. 

He didn't miss a chance to break the peace with loud yells and then quickly ran to them with his hands instead of his feet.

"I heard you're exchanging pleasantries and competing again. Ha-ha-ha! Isn't this the Power of Youth, guys?"

...

What was Rock Lee really up to last night when he was released after taking the white pill?

He naturally began by trying to get himself in order.

He at least trimmed his nails and gathered his strength because he would take the Kami-e seriously. 

Lee had seriously underestimated how hard learning would be and thought he could do it in five or six hours.

However, it was more complicated because even the Impulse would have been easier to train in the end. 

Why?

It was necessary to improve the flexibility of tendons, joints, and ligaments in order to master the Kami-e.

It's unlikely that he'll be able to learn everything in one day because it's so broad.

The only one with a boneless snake-like body could do it, but why would someone like Orochimaru need that? 

He's chasing after immortality...

Nevertheless, Rock never backed down and refused to be lazy. 

Lee knew it wouldn't happen immediately, but he kept training in the Kami-e and stretching in a certain way for several hours straight.

He wasn't happy with the results by morning, but he did two bends to see the most important thing, and his body was even more flexible and quick than before!

...

Guys started laughing lightly and pushing off halfway through. He then put his hands on the ground and threw shurikens into the air. 

Rock quickly avoided it while sitting down and even pulling the scared Tenten with him.

However, Neji didn't need help because his Gentle Fist stance was enough to repel the flying shurikens.

"Guy-sensei, why are you doing this to us? Especially since I just ate, I shouldn't be moving around so quickly!" 

Lee complained while looking at the confidently landed Guy ahead of him and finally releasing Tenten who had just realized what was happening.

"Is this some kind of attack on us? However, you could kill us instantly with your skills, right?" 

Neji Hyuga squinted with suspicion and then activated his Byakugan with veins bulging out on the sides.

"Ha-ha-ha! What are you talking about, Neji? I'm just testing you and don't be such a negative person. What about you, Lee... It seems like you didn't sleep all night and trained, right?"

"It's very splendid. In the style of youth, for sure! I understand you decided it's better to overdo it than be lazy? Ha-ha-ha! Good! Let's see how much stronger you've become!" 

Might Guy exclaimed enthusiastically while explaining this to both Neji and supporting the sleepless Lee.

"I sense some action coming..." 

Lee exchanged glances between Tenten, who was slowly retreating, and Neji stood slightly to the side. 

Lee suddenly yelled at both of them.

"Let's spread out! Tenten hit him with a lot of shurikens and kunai from a distance! Neji, you and I will engage in close combat! This is not an order but a request!" 

Lee added it so that Neji wouldn't ask unnecessary questions.

Next, Might Guy ran across the training ground so fast that he created a whirlwind. Lee and Neji hadn't even had time to gather themselves.

Nevertheless, their instincts were working well. 

The fists flying at them were intentionally non-lethal and filled with peak speed and power, but they seemed to fly everywhere. 

However, it wasn't particularly difficult for Rock to dodge the attacks and twist like a snake.

On the other hand, Neji was more experienced and immediately began defending himself with the Gentle Fist style.

Then, the kunai and shurikens whistled. 

Tenten aimed shurikens and kunais on threads at Might Guy's blurred silhouette as he moved quickly. 

However, Guy didn't even bother to dodge them while simply waving his hand and causing them to stagger due to the newly rising wind.

"Distract him, Tenten! Keep it up!" 

Rock shouted while using his right hand, right leg, and right stance, and Neji with a blue chakra aura on his palms leaped towards Guy from behind.

The battle was too intense...