Chapter 5: Sparring

[Stamina: 83%]

"It should be enough," Lee thought, glancing at his system status and his opponent in the circle before him. The boy from the Inuzuka clan, named Kero, aggressively bared his teeth at him, and his wild gaze suggested that he wouldn't hold back, ready to go all out.

This kind of behavior was typical for members of the Inuzuka clan, known for their beastly nature and teamwork with specially trained ninken, intelligent dogs that assisted their owners in battles. However, Kero had not yet received his own ninja dog, so this fight would be a fair one-on-one battle.

"Is he going to provoke and humiliate me? Most likely," Lee answered himself, but he decided to handle it rationally and simply ignore the annoying brat.

"Are you ready? Rock? Kero? Form the Confrontation Seal and begin!" their teacher instructed, standing between the two twelve-year-old boys. One was perfectly calm, like a lotus flower, while the other was panting and baring his sharp fangs.

Both did as their sensei had asked.

"Today, you surpassed me in physical exercises, which is absurd and unthinkable. And it's not just that, but you also pushed Neji from his rightful first place in the class. Worm! I'll beat you so badly that you won't even think about becoming a Genin!" Inuzuka growled venomously, getting down on all fours and snarling like an animal, ready to pounce on his prey.

However, Lee remained serene, causing the other spectators, his classmates, to freeze and feel a chilling breeze that seemed to strike deep into their hearts. What had just happened?

It was because Lee's aura had changed dramatically, becoming much more pronounced and intense in its strength. This was no longer the feeble weakling they had known...

"Without a chance," the round-eyed boy uttered impassively, repeating the famous stance of the original Lee. He bent his knees and extended his right palm forward, as if inviting his opponent to engage, further agitating his adversary and the onlookers.

"Is this really the same Lee?" the children wondered silently, feeling the growing tension in the atmosphere.

"What?!" Inuzuka asked in bewilderment, closing his mouth and tilting his head to the side, only to receive a stern verdict from his opponent the next moment:

"In Taijutsu, you don't stand a chance against me, pup!"

[Taijutsu Rank: C]

Indeed, at this moment, according to the system, Lee's mastery and skills in martial arts were equivalent to those of experienced Genin who had undergone various missions. Combined with knowledge from his past life, Rock, seeing Kero's impending attack, remained utterly composed and had complete confidence in his abilities.

The few steps taken by the hostile silhouette instantly turned into a ferocious assault.

However, Inuzuka had nothing to boast about, except for his excellent reflexes. Furthermore, as he had not yet attained the Genin status, he lacked any special clan Ninjutsu techniques. Thus, in this sparring match against Lee, he could only rely on his fists, which inevitably led to his defeat...

The battle unfolded with the boy with tousled chestnut hair aggressively showering Rock with a barrage of punches, sometimes even getting up on his hands in an attempt to reach the agile Lee with kicks. But the thick-browed Rock danced around the ring like a butterfly, moving twice as fast, yet not retaliating as per the bee's teachings. Of course, Kero couldn't catch him, resembling a small dog futilely chasing its own tail. Thus, all Kero could do was huff like a tractor and constantly complain loudly about his opponent's cowardice.

"Fight! Stop dodging my attacks! Fight or just die, you cowardly Konoha trash!" Inuzuka angrily spat out curses repeatedly.

Seriously, even his dark brown eyes had turned red and bloodshot with anger, so infuriated had Kero become. Amidst the furious "dog," Lee's calmness significantly appealed to the other people present. Gradually, although only in their thoughts and not openly, Lee's classmates began to support him in the battle, but at least it was something.

However, everything has its time, as they say...

"Fine," Rock responded with a tilted nod.

Accordingly, slightly furrowing his thick black brows, Lee stopped dodging and halted the path of Inuzuka's clenched fist. He swiftly intercepted the boy's limb and swung it over his shoulder, leaving the bewildered twelve-year-old Kero disoriented, with the wind whistling in his ears and his vision blurred.

Lee had been using his previous retreats to assess his true capabilities in speed and nothing more. It was crucial to determine his limits in a sparring match against an average Shinobi child, which this Inuzuka represented among the opponents. Having obtained quite satisfactory results for himself, Lee was now prepared to teach the "child" some manners in the style of karate masters...

"Arghhh! I won't lose so shamefully to a weakling like you!" Kero angrily roared as he got up in an instant.

But he was swiftly knocked back to the ground with a powerful kick to his chest that felt like a steel ball fired from a cannon. Then, he was harshly grabbed by the edge of his clothing and pulled towards Lee, making him taste the full pain directly in his solar plexus. It was the kind of sensation you get when a knee knocks the wind out of you. Inarguably, Inuzuka nearly lost consciousness from such a visceral punishment, but a subsequent slap across the cheek woke him up and brought him back to reality. He shivered with fear as he met Lee's penetrating and empty gaze.

Instant karma! The scoundrel gets what he deserves! That's how the headlines would undoubtedly describe this battle.

"Emotions often hinder you in battle, and in the end, you gave in to them, unable to land a hit on me. Insults won't help you when you're weak. Stop taunting the beast. Remember, without composure on the battlefield, you won't survive. Now rest..." Rock enlightened his frightened and battered "protégé" with a calm voice. He finished with a sigh, delivering a final blow to the unconscious Inuzuka by kicking him in the face, breaking his nose and sending him sprawling like a beaten doll.

"Ughhh!" The spectators hissed in phantom pain, doing so in sympathy for the fallen Kero.

Knockout!

Everyone present was in shock, including the teacher. Although, in reality, it was the teacher's responsibility to stop the sparring match prematurely, say, at the devastating moment when Lee tossed Kero over his shoulder, where it was clear that the first had clearly surrendered and suffered a defeat. However, in the end, something didn't quite work out...

The brawl was too mesmerizing and captivating for anyone to intervene.

"Rock Lee wins!" the sensei finally declared in a firm tone, managing to come to terms with the fact that the former outsider had instantly become a talented favorite and genius in Taijutsu.

"Wow! Lee, where did you learn Taijutsu so skillfully? Please tell us!" Lee's energetic classmates immediately swarmed him from all sides, seemingly forgetting that just five minutes ago they considered Rock a disabled individual without Ninjutsu and Genjutsu abilities and had placed their bets on Kero Inuzuka's victory.

But Lee didn't forget. He simply couldn't. He remembered how these little hypocrites had pushed the original Rock to the brink and made him into a melancholic mess with tears in his eyes, instilling a strong fear of being a useless weakling who would be quickly forgotten...

So the cold gaze of the present Lee was genuine. He truly despised them. Why? Because they dared to feed their ego by mocking someone who was obviously weak, but, more importantly, a good person who couldn't even rudely respond to them because of his kind-hearted nature.

"I've watched too many martial arts movies in my time to remain as naive as that Lee," Rock undoubtedly had no intention of fully acknowledging the kids here, so he sternly told them:

"Get away from me, pitiful and shameless brats!"

Was it fair?

[Stamina: 75%]