Chapter 163: The New Rock Lee

Disclaimer:

Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author Notes-

Chapter 163: The New Rock Lee

"Ah, Naruto!"

The next day, as Naruto stepped out of his apartment, someone called out to him from near the entrance. It was clear they'd been waiting for him.

"Lee?" Naruto hadn't seen him since the day of the funeral.

After four months, Rock Lee looked much better. He radiated an aura of confidence that hadn't been there before.

"Have you been waiting to speak with me? You could have knocked on the door," Naruto told him.

"It's okay! I've only been waiting for two hours!" Lee said with his usual boundless energy.

"Two hours?! You should have definitely knocked on the door then…" Naruto said, shaking his head. He had no plans for the day and had decided to take it easy before going for a walk.

Lee stretched his muscles casually. "No worries! I kept myself busy with some basic exercises."

"I'm sure you did…" Naruto chuckled, knowing Lee's inability to sit still for even five minutes without some form of physical training. "So? What did you want to talk about? We can head back to my apartment if you want."

Lee shook his head. "If you have some free time...and it's not asking too much, I'd like to finally have a spar with you, Naruto."

"Mmm...that would be fine. I was planning to head to the training grounds anyway. Follow me," Naruto replied, curious about Lee's progress after he'd shared the strengthening method with him.

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"Training Ground Number Three?" Lee asked as they stepped inside and he recognized the location.

"No one's using it at the moment, so I got permission to come here," Naruto explained.

Lee's mood grew somber. "Right… this was Team Seven's training ground. I heard the team was dissolved."

"Makes sense. I'm the only member left. Even Kakashi quit his position as team sensei and went back to ANBU," Naruto replied.

"I see… I'm sorry," Lee said, bowing slightly.

"Forget it. These things happen all the time. There's a reason genin teams rarely number over twenty," Naruto said nonchalantly.

Lee nodded. While death was an unfortunate reality of their lives as shinobi, it never got easier when it involved someone close.

"Now, before we get started...how's your training going? Have you been following the instructions I left for you?"

"Yes! Of course, I have! I do every exercise in the scroll every day!"

"Even the meditation part?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Lee made a complicated face. "I do it… but it's not my favorite part. Sitting still with my eyes closed just isn't my style."

"I don't care if it's not your style...it's a crucial part of the process, and you can't skip it. Do you understand?"

"I'm doing it! Really! I just don't understand its purpose. It's not going to make my muscles stronger, right?"

"You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish with it. Meditation isn't just sitting still with your eyes closed. When you focus and follow the proper breathing exercises, you're moving all the chakra inside your body and directing it to the right places," Naruto explained.

"But my chakra paths don't work," Lee countered.

"No, they don't...which is why your method is different. You do it at the end of the day because it has to be done after your other training has overloaded your muscles with chakra. Meditation helps with the absorption process. When your muscles and bones become imbued with all that energy, you grow stronger. Even if you can't feel the chakra moving, as long as you follow the method properly, it will work. I guarantee it," Naruto said.

"So that's how it is…" Lee murmured, a look of understanding crossing his face. "I'll admit I've noticed changes. I didn't realize the more boring part was so crucial."

"You've improved a lot?" Naruto asked, adopting a fighting stance. "Show me."

Lee's demeanor shifted instantly, becoming sharp and focused. "Ready."

Naruto gestured for him to begin, and Lee charged without hesitation.

Lee closed the gap between them in an instant, throwing a precise kick aimed at Naruto's side.

"Oh?" Naruto blocked it, and Lee immediately followed up with a flurry of punches.

'He's as fast as he was during his fight with Gaara… and he's doing it without opening a single gate, Naruto thought, noting the weight behind Lee's strikes. It was clear Lee could push even further.

However, Lee wasn't the only one who had been training.

In the past four months, Naruto had accumulated enough chakra to approach the peak of the Qi Refining Stage. He only needed a final push to break through to Core Formation.

Considering he'd started from scratch less than a year ago, his progress was unprecedented. Even the so-called genius young lords with endless resources couldn't match him.

"Ha!" Lee shouted, aiming a powerful punch at Naruto's face.

Naruto blocked and countered with a strike of his own.

"Argh!" Lee tumbled to the ground.

"Your moves have become a lot more fluid since the tournament," Naruto praised. It wasn't just strength and speed, but it was obvious that Lee had not stopped refining his skills either. But he was not without flaws.

Lee smiled weakly. "But I'm still nowhere close to you. I can't even land a single hit…"

"You're fast and strong, but your movements still lack finesse and are too predictable. That's something you can work on," Naruto advised.

A grin spread across Lee's face. "Actually… there's something I've been meaning to try."

He pulled a small flask from his belt, opened it, and downed its contents in one go.

"Huh?" Naruto caught the unmistakable scent of alcohol. "Are you drinking sake right now?"

For a moment, Naruto thought Lee had given up, but then Lee resumed his attacks.

However, his style was completely different now.

"Is this… the Drunken Fist?" Naruto murmured. He'd heard of martial artists who became stronger when drunk but had never taken it seriously.

Lee's face was flushed red, his body swaying as if he was about to fall...but he never did. Instead, he attacked with unpredictable ferocity.

Naruto realized he had to get serious. Lee's speed had increased, and his movements were completely unreadable.

Before Naruto could react, Lee landed a solid kick, sending him flying.

"Now!" Lee leaped after him, attempting to bind Naruto with his bandages and execute the Initial Lotus.

Naruto grinned. "Not bad… I'll have to step it up."

With practice, Naruto had learned to open multiple gates simultaneously.

He opened three of the Eight Gates at once, tearing through the bandages and shoving Lee away.

While Lee regained his balance, Naruto activated the second stage of his 'Red Lotus Shift' technique, granting him aerial mobility.

"What?!" Lee exclaimed, watching Naruto disappear mid-air. Before he could react, a powerful blow landed on the back of his head, and everything went dark.

Naruto stood over Lee's unconscious form. "Oops… Did I go too far?"

He wondered briefly, then smiled.

"But I have to say...the fact that you pushed me this much shows just how far you've come," Naruto said with satisfaction.

"How far will you go?"

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