Chapter 10: The Genin Exam.

Standing in front of the Shinobi Academy, the stronghold of knowledge for young ninjas in Konoha, the sturdy guy breathed in the fresh air and slowly let go of various memories that lasted for a whole month. He willingly admitted that he would miss the steady but not at all boring days within the walls of this school.

Because, as it happens for some students in the end, during the end-of-year assembly, you can't help but feel a little nostalgic and complain about how time flies by too quickly. Just yesterday you were solving problems, and today you receive your certificate, right?

But no, there was no reason for sorrow for Lee when Rock still had everything ahead of him!

"Today is the Genin exam, and you're so calm? Is that even normal, Lee?"

A feminine voice rang out near the main doors of the academy. The lovely Tenten, in her usual pink jacket, stood there and looked at him with warm and friendly brown eyes, her flawless face adorned with a satisfied smile. She didn't greet Rock or even call him by name, feeling too shy for that, but she sincerely considered him an inspiration and a close friend whom she would like to be on the same team with.

"I can handle it, I know what I'm doing. The Hokage will be watching me, but I'll just show him what he needs to see, and then I'll come to you with the forehead protector proudly worn. So why should I worry, huh?" Lee asked, exuding charisma, to which Tenten inexplicably didn't respond. She merely playfully stuck out her tongue and walked inside the Shinobi Academy, whispering a tender and encouraging word into the wind, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"Good luck..."

Meanwhile, Rock blinked his lower eyelashes, standing still near the main entrance and obstructing other students from passing by. He remained motionless and as solid as a real lamppost, thinking about the time, a month ago, in this very place, when Tenten "knocked him down" with a cold speech, leaving him in a characteristic state of confusion due to such behavior.

And now how is it turning out? Can it really be that becoming friends and getting close to a girl who is good in terms of both looks and personality turned out to be so ordinary... Matter-of-fact? Banal? Common?

What should it be like in principle? And how many synonyms can you come up with for all of this?

"In my previous life, all my passions considered me cool and great, but only because I was into sports, fit, living a healthy lifestyle, and all that nonsense. They didn't share my central dream, my true goals, and my plans for life. But here... Here it's different... Because almost every second person here strives for boundless power, which means there are plenty of people around me who could and can support me on my path to martial arts. And that means one thing, I won't have to be a lonely fanatic anymore..." - Lee clenched his fists, feeling a mixture of anger and irritation, as well as joy and determination.

Next, Rock arrived at his class. The teacher was standing by the blackboard, explaining the details of the upcoming theoretical test for the Genin exam. The man greeted Lee with a smile, having long recognized him as a brilliant student, while his classmates either looked at him with humility or irritation.

Like Neji Hyuga, for example. It would seem that he comes from the largest clan in Konoha, so why should he share anything with Rock, who has neither power nor position. Well, he doesn't. The guy with Byakugan made up a rivalry in his head, supposedly for the first place and leadership, but he persistently proved to the rest of his acquaintances that on Lee he spit from a high bell tower and does not consider for an equal, yeah, yeah. And the other pest for Rock was Inuzuka, whom Lee had beaten in sparring a month ago, or rather beaten and disgraced, but that's not the point, because Kero still hides his rage and resentment inside himself. Conclusion, young equals stupid and emotionally unstable.

The others in the class treated Rock evenly and tried not to make fun of him, as well as not to make fun of him for nothing in the example of the same sparring with Inuzuka, knowing full well that he would confidently answer and respond with a powerful fist in the arsenal, so it became obvious to everyone.

So Lee quietly sat down at his desk, took out the necessary supplies, like notebooks and pens, and the teacher continued his explanations on the wave with announcements, while sometimes from the front rows to him barely noticeable, considered "in secret", Tenten turned around, furtively looking at him so as not to attract attention, but also to observe Rock's person and his behavior.

Suspicious behavior on the part of the young girl, wasn't it?

After half an hour of preliminary discussions, there was a grave silence in the office. Sensei Lee handed out a test form to each of his students, announcing the beginning of the theoretical part of the Genin exam. Rock began to answer the questions in writing, there were twenty of them, the first half of which was easy and designed only for logic, and the second half was more difficult and more protracted with a broader point of view, including a real test of knowledge of the basics of Shinobi, forcing even an adult on the mind of a brown-haired guy to concentrate on the solution and not to be distracted by extraneous things like birds chirping and conversations heard through the window from the backyard.

At least Lee was prepared, so he wasn't going to screw up!

And...

In the end, it seemed like Lee finished the exam after about an hour.

"Not bad, Lee. At first glance, there don't seem to be any mistakes, but I'll check it again later, alright? For now, be prepared, as you'll be the last one, and only then will I take you to the office to meet the esteemed Hokage. Don't let me down, and don't embarrass yourself in front of me. After all, you're the future master of Taijutsu, hah!" The teacher encouraged Rock with kind words, believing in the young man's dream/goal when each of his students handed him their papers, and the teacher himself was organizing the practical part where twelve-year-old kids would demonstrate one of the E-rank Shinobi techniques.

And thus began the most important part of the Genin exam: Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.

Exactly what was initially not given to the original Lee from birth. Therefore, the current Rock is obliged and has no other choice but to prove that even with Taijutsu alone, one can become a god, defeat aliens, control Biju, win over crowned Shinobi, and surpass anyone in their path, including Might Guy, whom the young man genuinely admired and never stopped looking up to.

However, when the joyful and embarrassed Tenten approached him with a forehead protector on her forehead, Lee quickly pushed aside various selfish thoughts about life and genuinely felt happiness for his friend and the fact that she had passed the important exam without hesitation.

"It suits you, Tenten! You look great with our Hidden Leaf Village headband!" He praised her appearance warmly, without flattery, with the smile of a good guy and a thumbs-up, causing her to blush even more and respond with a shy whisper of gratitude.

Overall, all the students in Rock's class passed Genin. Even Inuzuka Kero, who had lost his confidence and boldness. But how pleased Neji Hyuga was with himself was something to behold. With an arrogant smirk and frequent piercing gazes into the back of Lee, who few of those present actually believed in. I mean, as excellent a fighter as the browbeaten guy was in sparring, but wasn't becoming a full-fledged Shinobi through the Hokage as much an arrogant venture as it was an excuse to screw up?

But Lee believed otherwise.

When he remained alone in the classroom, as everyone else had been dismissed, and the teacher had gone to fetch the Hokage, Rock patted his shoulders to warm up his muscles and also accessed the system's main status:

[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: 2]

"Come on, Lee, it's time to justify your own and others' hopes. I'll show Hokage Hiruzen that I don't see any point in hiding a technique I'll often use in the future; it's better to show my potential. Besides, I hope that by seeing my Taijutsu skills, the Hokage will make me Guy-sensei's student and not any other Jounin. Among the Konoha Shinobi, there's no one better for me than Might Guy, that's a fact!" Lee reflected to himself, having an internal dialogue with himself, just about when there was a deafening sound of an explosion in the middle of the room, followed by an all-encompassing gray smoke.

"So, it's you, Rock Lee, the special young man with talent in Taijutsu?" A kind elderly voice sounded nearby...