Chapter 34: Effort vs. Genius
The entrance to the first testing area — vast and towering like the mouth of a giant stone beast opening to receive a series of ninja teams from all over the villages.
Team 8 just arrived.
Kurenai took the lead, her long hair fluttering in the wind, her short skirt hugging her slender thighs, lightly gliding on the stone floor.
Behind — Naruto leisurely walked along, hands in pockets, eyes half indifferent half mocking, beside him were Hinata and Haku, both close to him like the left and right petals of a lustful monarch.
Naruto walked and observed, but when he was only a few dozen steps away from the gate—he suddenly stopped.
“Wait.” – he said softly, his eyes lit up as if… he had just seen a familiar scene appear in his mind as if it were real.
In front of them — right in the middle of the stone gate — something was happening.
The crowd parted.
Right in the middle was Team 7—Sasuke, Sakura, and… Kiba.
Only—Kiba was now lying around like a kicked-over dog.
The figure lying prone, one hand holding his stomach, his face distorted and still not fully recovered — makes one unable to help but think of one thing:
dead dog
And the guy who just kicked…
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
Rock Lee.
He stood up straight, his posture as steady as a wall of iron. One leg was still raised and not fully retracted, his posture filled with a “righteous” aura as if he had just defeated a great villain.
His voice boomed:
“I AM ROCK LEE! THE INHERITOR OF MIGHT GUY-SENSEI’S WILL OF YOUTH!!”
The wind blew his coat flaps up, standing in the center of attention like an illusionary protagonist.
Naruto looked at that scene — saying nothing.
Just silence.
But in my head — every old frame from my previous life flashed back clearly.
“…The old world… in the original… at this very moment…”
Only thing is — it’s original.
And now? haha…dream on
Naruto stood there with his arms crossed, his eyes filled with indifference as if he were watching a reenactment of an old play where the actors had changed roles.
Beside her, Hinata also stopped. She glanced at Kiba who was lying flat like a rag in the middle of the yard, her eyes without a trace of pity.
She remembered every single word this name used to insult Naruto when they were little — now it was returned to Kiba with a kick so straight in the face that her teeth couldn’t even come out, it was too much.
Haku stood next to him, eyes narrowed, her hand gently tugging Naruto’s sleeve. “Rock Lee…” she said softly, but couldn’t hide her curiosity.
As for Kurenai — her eyes were still calm as before, but the corners of her lips curved up slightly when she saw Sasuke posing coldly, standing in front of Rock Lee, as if wanting to “protect the honor” of team 7.
Truly… better acting than stage genin.
Sasuke was currently activating his two-dot Sharingan, his aura emanating as if he wanted to swallow the entire exam area. His hands were indifferently in his pockets, his head was slightly bowed, his eyes were glaring at Lee without blinking.
A gentle breeze blew. The atmosphere was like waiting for a battle to break out.
Sakura knelt beside Kiba, trying to help him up, her mouth constantly worried: “Kiba! Are you okay? Who gave him permission to hit you?!”
Rock Lee still maintained his victorious stance, his eyes shining like spotlights, his mouth clearly shouting each word:
“IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE…”
“…THEN GET A FIGHT FROM YOUR YOUTHFUL HEART!!”
Naruto stood outside, his indifferent eyes watching the old drama being replayed before his eyes. But the corners of his lips at this moment — curled up into a cold smile, not even bothering to hide his contempt.
“How naive.” — he thought to himself, hands still in his pockets, his posture leisurely as if standing outside the flow of time.
Ahead, Rock Lee, after kicking Kiba away—still didn’t stop.
He tilted his head, looking straight at Sakura, his eyes burning with infatuation like a young man seeing a girl for the first time. Then he suddenly pointed his hand straight at Sasuke’s face, his caterpillar-like eyebrows suddenly brightened:
“IF I BEAT HIM…”
“THEN INVITE YOU TO DATE ME!!”
The space fell silent for a moment.
Sakura jerked, her face contorted. Her eyes widened as she looked at Lee, then her whole body convulsed as if someone had slapped her in the face.
Before her eyes — Rock Lee’s chest puffed out, his white face shining as if he had just had his teeth whitened, his terrifyingly thick eyebrows… made her want to vomit right there.
“What… is this…!!” – she shivered — “This guy… is he human or a caterpillar in disguise?!”
Lee still smiled like the sun, shining and splendid in his own illusion. His head was like a fluorescent light bulb, his mouth was still curled up to reveal his white teeth, causing Sakura to instinctively take half a step back.
Outside the gate, the two women standing behind Naruto also trembled slightly.
Hinata was the first to let out a soft “Ew…” — her white eyes slightly narrowed, her hand lightly pulling Naruto’s sleeve as if wanting to escape the “eyebrow light” emitted from Rock Lee.
Haku shrank even more, took a half step back, and whispered in a voice as small as a mosquito:
“So scary…”
Naruto couldn’t hold it in any longer — he burst out laughing.
“Pfft — HAHAHA…”
All three beauties turned to look at him, and he raised his hand to wipe his face as if a joke had just been splashed in his face.
He burst out laughing — not because of Lee, but because… in his previous life, he was the one who was “challenged to a date with Sakura if he won” by this guy.
Now it’s the other way around — he stands outside, enjoying the entire show just like the original.
“Hmm… just look at the way Rock Lee acts…” – Naruto lazily narrowed his eyes — “This guy must have been pushed by Guy the old dog, wanting to fight Team 7 just because… he wants to compete with Kakashi.”
“It’s probably still the ‘Kakashi and I are arch-rivals’ kind of thing.”
“Children.” – he concluded briefly.
Then his eyes slightly tilted, glancing towards Sasuke – who was clenching his fists, his aura burning like a raging fire.
And Rock Lee still hasn’t stopped “shining”.
“Sakura-chan!” – Lee continued to raise his hands in a warrior pose — “I will prove my love by defeating him! An honorable fight! For the sake of youth!!”
Naruto shivered inwardly from the headache on Sakura’s behalf.
But just then — he stopped.
His eyes narrowed, the light flashing sharp like a sword drawn from its sheath.
Because—from the momentum rising from Sasuke… he just felt something unexpected:
Sasuke is stronger in the original.
Not too obvious — but a sharper, more compressed, more steadier feel.
Step by step — slow, but sure.
The momentum emitted — not explosive, but squeezing each pressure into the surrounding air.
“Oh?” – Naruto raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze like a hunter realizing his prey was evolving silently in the darkness.
“Interesting…” – he thought — “This guy… seems to have not wasted his time.”
Hinata tilted her head to look at him: “Naruto-sama… what’s wrong?”
Naruto did not answer immediately.
He just glanced at Sasuke — then slightly curled his lips, smiling but not smiling:
“Nothing.”
That gaze – cold as the autumn wind, but contained a vague hint of interest.
Haku glanced at him from the side, clearly seeing his attentive gaze, he asked softly:
“Are you interested in Sasuke?”
Naruto didn’t turn his head. Just squinted slightly.
To be honest… Sasuke right now really surprised him a bit.
Each wave of chakra from the other person’s body was not chaotic. On the contrary, its structure was very stable, its aura was tight, and there were no gaps. This was not something a brat who had just opened a low-level Sharingan could easily control.
Compared to the original, it’s clear… Sasuke is stronger now.
But…
“Even if it is stronger…” – Naruto thought to himself – “…in the group of 12 minor powers of this era…”
“The strongest one… is still Rock Lee.”
No doubt.
No need to sweat the small stuff.
No need to look at name or bloodline.
Because — the person who can open the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates, at a young age, without needing ninjutsu, without needing genjutsu — simply by training his body, he surpassed a series of Chuunin, even surpassing the Elite Jounin level in speed and destructive power…
Then there is nothing to argue about.
Rock Lee — is a monster.
He is the steel nail stuck in the middle of the chaotic period of the Genin, there is no other word to describe it than: heaven-defying.
What about Sasuke?
Born with the name Uchiha, Sharingan is a natural gift, aptitude is beyond words… but at this moment, it is still just talent that has not fully blossomed.
“If those two really fought…” – Naruto thought to himself – “Sasuke… would still lose.”
“Lucky not to die.”
Of course — that was in the situation where Rock Lee opened the Five Gates.
In his mind, a series of original images flashed through — each kick tearing through the air, each step causing the air to explode like a bomb, each beat of speed beyond the reflexes of the naked eye.
“Hmm… if this guy gets angry, the arena might break in half.”
Ahead — the atmosphere has changed.
Sasuke still stood arrogantly, hands in pockets, eyes cold, aura increasingly compressed, like a chakra bomb waiting to explode.
Rock Lee stood up straight, his face shining like the sun shining on his opponent’s butt.
He pulled his hand out from behind his back, slowly turned his neck, his shoulder joints “cracked” loudly, then said in an excited voice:
“Uchiha Sasuke, I know you! I have waited for this match for a long time!”
“I beat you — not for fame…”
“…It’s for Sakura-chan!”
He turned into position, his legs slightly bent, and began to gather strength.
The air in the area immediately shook slightly.
Several Genin around gulped. Some even unconsciously took a few steps back, their instincts telling them: something was about to explode.
Sakura’s face turned pale, not knowing whether to be embarrassed, trembling, or angry.
Because Rock Lee still glanced at her with passionate eyes as if admiring a goddess from… hell.
Naruto crossed his arms, leaned to one side, his eyes still cold as if he was just a spectator watching a circus.
“It’s still the same half-awake, half-dreaming type of nonsense…” – he chuckled – “…but it can’t be denied…”
“Thick eyebrows are very strong.”
…
BOOM!
A loud bang echoed through the stadium, like a firecracker exploding close to the ground. A cloud of dust kicked up with each step, exploding straight onto the tiled floor.
Rock Lee — move.
No need to shout, no need for a signal — just a decisive acceleration, straight from where he stood, shooting towards Sasuke like a fierce gust of wind, accompanied by the whistling sound of the air being torn apart.
Beneath Lee’s feet — bricks and stones cracked, dust flew into the sky. The ground was sunken in, leaving long, scorched marks.
“Feng Ye Kick!!”
First kick — straight to the chest!
Sasuke dodged.
At that moment of life and death, his body twisted, escaping the murderous trajectory of the fatal kick.
Naruto stood outside, the corners of his eyes moving slightly.
“Oh?” – he squinted slightly, his gaze deepening – “And yet… you actually dodged it.”
It’s clear that Sasuke is no longer just “good at Sharingan but bad at close combat”.
He has begun to learn to use chakra cell stimulation to increase local speed when reacting.
“Chakra flows down to the limbs, creating a temporary nerve reflex that exceeds the threshold… This cannot be self-taught.”
“Kakashi…” – Naruto smiled faintly – “That guy really has his own special training.”
However…
Just dodged the first hit.
“Swish!”
Just as Sasuke dodged to the side—Lee’s uppercut came like a bolt of lightning.
“Pop!”
A dry sound rang out—Sasuke’s chin was tilted to one side, his neck thrown back, his eyes wide open—his entire body was sent flying into the air like a punching bag.
The breathing around the yard was choked.
And then…
“Slap! Pop! Crack! Pop!”
A barrage of attacks from all directions exploded in mid-air like a storm.
Rock Lee — disappeared.
No, not gone.
It was too fast — so fast that the naked eye could only see afterimages flashing around Sasuke, each strike from different angles as if he had grown four arms and eight legs, each strike extremely clean, extremely strong, extremely brutal.
Sasuke — completely passive.
No time to retreat.
No time to form seal.
No time to counterattack.
Just take the beating.
Under the gaze of dozens of Chuunin, Genin, and examiners from various villages—the Uchiha genius was being beaten like a punching bag in the middle of the field. With each blow, his dignity was shattered like old tiles.
Naruto crossed his arms, his eyes still coldly observing.
“That’s right.” – he thought – “Before absolute power…”
“…even forming hand seals is a luxury.”
He could see it clearly — every time Sasuke tried to raise his hand to form a seal, before he could channel his chakra, a punch would block it.
A chakra circle began to gather at his hand — instantly dissipating from Lee’s spinning kick.
The stadium was now filled with the sounds of: “Slap! Slap! Crack! Crack!…”
The sound of collision continued, each blow causing the joints to groan, the air breaking into waves.
Kurenai beside him slightly narrowed her eyes, her gaze a bit more serious than usual.
What about Haku? And Hinata?
She turned to Naruto and whispered, “Is that guy… really that strong?”
Naruto smirked.
“The door is not open yet.”