Chapter 7: Training

"Shall we gather with this company again sometime in the near future, alright?"

With this question, Rock Lee bid farewell to the blond and chestnut-haired girl, earning a cheerful nod from both of them. Tenten, for example, seemed to have perked up quite a bit after just one dinner with him, as he deduced from her gentle smile on her lovely face, which caressed the corners of her raspberry lips. In a few years, she would undoubtedly grow into a beautiful young woman. Moreover, they were about to become an official Genin team soon if the canons remained the same.

As for Naruto...

Naruto Uzumaki was Naruto Uzumaki.

Befriending him was as easy as getting lost in the woods for an unprepared tourist. One or two bowls of ramen, a few kind words, and you were brothers for life. However, Rock didn't want to manipulate the boy; using manipulations on someone younger was like a disgrace to a master of martial arts and to anyone aspiring to become one, like Rock himself.

Nevertheless, having the Jinchuriki of the most powerful Bijuu as a friend would certainly not be useless.

Now, after an hour or two since their pleasant dinner, Rock arrived at one of the training grounds in Konoha, at a time when there was no one there. It was a clean field, surrounded by trees, with scattered shuriken lying here and there, but nothing more. Although a cozy evening was prevailing in all its fullness, the mighty sun was still warm somewhere on the horizon, generously sharing some of its precious light. Thus, realizing the wonderful atmosphere of another world, Rock only became more resolute in his commitment to preserve it.

So many events had transpired in his day, but did he have a choice? The brawny guy, once a self-taught karateka, unfortunately, couldn't pause his life as if in a video game to figure out everything that had happened. Nonetheless, he still tried not to make mistakes and behave as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.

Nevertheless...

"I've been transported to a universe where real Shinobi run on trees and water surfaces, using a strange energy called chakra. Furthermore, I received a system from someone unknown to me with increased difficulty but with decent rewards. I also found out that I have a father who is always away on missions, even though I used to be an orphan. Plus I got to spar with a member of the Inuzuka clan at the academy, meet Naruto Uzumaki, the main character of the anime, and even get along with a proud classmate, Tenten. And all this in one single day! Crazy!" Lee was ready to grab his head, even though he was a calm person by nature, but as he began to realize the magnitude of the day's madness, even he couldn't remain as serene as before.

"Alright... A person with a strong will can handle any pathetic psychosis, hah..." Rock muttered to himself with a encouraging smirk, then firmly called out to the holographic interface that displayed all the data he currently knew, one after the other with letters and numbers.

[Name: Rock Lee]

[Shinobi Rank: Academy Student]

[Health: 100%]

[Stamina: 100%]

[Chakra: 100%]

[Taijutsu Rank: C]

[Ninjutsu Rank: -]

[Genjutsu Rank: -]

[Inventory]

[List of Hellish Exercises: 3]

"3 exercises, huh? Hm, interesting. I wonder what kind of torturous tasks those arrogant entities have prepared for my amusement this time. Classic squats, but with increased gravity and a huge rock on your back? Psh... Nevertheless, I hope not. I'm not entirely sure I can handle such a task, especially if it's as tough as just push-ups..." Lee sighed, acknowledging that no one would spare him any pity.

Right now, let's get started, as they say...

[List of Hellish Exercises]

[Perform twenty squats with a rock on your back]

[Reward: Bronze Chest]

[Withstand five full-force strikes from your holographic clone]

[Reward: Bronze Chest]

[Do thirty pull-ups]

[Reward: Bronze Chest]

"Damn..." Lee cursed.

As soon as he mentioned that the system included several types of reward chests—bronze, silver, gold, and platinum—it seemed to encourage progress. While Lee was only promised bronze chests for now, he didn't get too upset because he understood a simple and logical truth:

The better the chest in terms of quality, the more challenging the exercise.

The system didn't explicitly mention this, but was Lee an ignorant person? He had never had trouble understanding what was happening around him. The fact that he hadn't gone mad from the "relocation" was proof of that, considering his death at the hands of a closet and his subsequent arrival in a new world.

"Forget it, Lee. You're not doing that right now. Start with warm-up exercises, then the Rankyaku, and the hellish exercises can wait for later. It's important to maintain order in your life so you don't get lost in it, like on unfamiliar mountain slopes," was the conclusion he reached as he straightened his back and squinted his round eyes with a serious determination.

Next, Lee approached a wooden training dummy located in the center of the training ground, along with other Shinobi training equipment. It was significantly taller and bulkier than Lee himself. Long sticks jutted out from the base, and there were sharp shurikens and kunais stuck into it. Lee didn't bother removing them; they were there as distractions to deter anyone from striking the training dummy and training.

However, when Lee looked at his calloused hands, toughened through the persistence of the original Rock, he had no intention of backing down. He began by pulling out the throwing weapons one by one, feeling the chilling coldness of the metal, pierced with lethal intent.

"Chunin rank or higher, definitely," Lee mentally concluded about the owner of the shurikens and kunais, relying solely on his intuition.

In the end, Lee soon began his warm-up routine, which included squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and a hundred punches and kicks to the wooden training dummy, often causing his limbs to ache painfully.

Once again, it should be admitted that in his previous life, Lee had never considered such masochistic exercises. However, his current circumstances were drastically different, and the stakes were immeasurably high, weighing heavily on his heart.

"Ha... The fate of someone who can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu is not a sweet one. I don't want to suffer, but as always, it's necessary," Lee muttered to himself, mentally asking the question: Why? Why was it so? Why couldn't he perform various chakra-based techniques, expelling chakra from his body? Checking his abilities and himself, Lee knew that chakra circulation through his channels was functioning well, both in passive and active mode.

However, the issue arose when it came to control—his control was abysmal, next to none. Furthermore, and Tenketsu didn't respond adequately to allow the passage of chakra. There couldn't be a worse situation. Consequently, despite countless attempts, he failed repeatedly. It was laughable, but every effort to form hand seals for basic Ninjutsu and Genjutsu was in vain. What was the point?

However, it wasn't all as bad as it seemed at first glance. The key was to reflect on it and explore the potential with a wide perspective. For example, in the same anime, and possibly in the manga as well, the original Rock easily climbed surfaces without using his hands, including water surfaces that were far from smooth. However, for such feats, there was no need to release chakra from the body, which is probably why it worked. So, Lee decided to test this aspect later.

"I can do without the Rasengan. I have the Eight Gates and combat techniques from the system like the powerful Rankyaku! It's important not to stop developing and keep striving!" Lee's will was as unyielding as his steel-like resolve when it came to realizing his dream as a martial arts master, particularly as a Taijutsu master.

With that in mind, Lee resumed his warm-up, pushing aside any doubts and firmly reminding himself that without proper training of his physical body and completing the hellish exercises, he wouldn't conquer the vast and perilous world of the Shinobi.

Dear friends,

I have an important proposal for you. If you would like two more chapters of our story to be released today, I am willing to do so for your support. Your "power stones" are a tool that can inspire my creativity and allow you to continue our journey into this fascinating world. Let's make today a special day and co-create two new chapters full of adventure and mystery. Your support is what makes our story alive and exciting.

Thank you for your faith and your "power stones". We have exciting times ahead of us!