Naruto just looked at the watermelon-headed Diao Che Wei in front of him, his face already pale with fright at the sight of his desperate training.
When he heard the system say, "You only need to work a little bit harder than him"… it was as if he saw the gates of hell opening!
"W-what a joke!"
"That guy is practically suicidal!"
"Please, Host, immediately begin your taijutsu training and work a little bit harder than Rock Lee."
"Warning, Lightning Release baptism countdown, 5…"
A million alpacas instantly galloped through Naruto's mind.
He reluctantly pushed aside the bushes, emerged, and greeted Rock Lee, who was training like his life depended on it.
"H-hello…"
It was rare for Rock Lee to have someone proactively speak to him.
He temporarily stopped his arduous training, looked back, and his eyes immediately blazed with fiery light!
"Oh! It's Naruto!"
Naruto didn't ask why the other person recognized him.
The strange thing was, even though no one liked him, everyone seemed to know him… He scratched his head and gave a dry laugh: "Ah ha, it's me."
"What's your name?"
"Rock Lee!"
"As expected…"
Rock Lee's mouth suddenly curved into a smile, and he gave Naruto a thumbs up.
"Naruto! I saw it!"
"What?"
"Of course, it's your handsome and heroic figure as you train desperately!"
"H-handsome and heroic figure?"
"That's right! Whether going to school or coming home, you're always doing weighted frog jumps or one-handed handstands, constantly training diligently. You're truly a role model for us!"
Naruto was stunned, but a hint of pride also appeared on his face.
"Ah ha, that? Oh, it's nothing, just a small thing!"
Rock Lee immediately flared up.
"Oh! Well said, Naruto!"
"Indeed, the training on the way to and from school every day is just a small thing; the real training has just begun!"
"How about it? Do you want to join and burn our youth together?!"
Naruto didn't want to join.
But did he have a choice?
"…Oh, that? It's just what I wanted!"
"Lee, I will never lose to you!"
Rock Lee laughed heartily: "That's the spirit!"
"Come on, Naruto!"
Naruto gave a nervous dry laugh and stood side by side with Rock Lee.
"So, what are we training?"
Rock Lee clenched his fists.
"It's simple!"
"Kick the wooden stake 3000 times continuously!"
"Then punch the wooden stake 4000 times!"
"Next, jump rope 3000 times!"
"3000 push-ups!"
"If you can't do it, walk on your hands around Konoha Village 30 times!"
Naruto's tears instantly welled up.
"No… you wouldn't be that extreme, would you?!"
Rock Lee smiled confidently.
"What are you talking about, Naruto! This is just the beginning!"
"You and I both have dreams. We want others to acknowledge us, and we want to prove our worth. If that's the case, these trainings are nothing at all!"
"They are! They absolutely are!"
Rock Lee smiled brightly, revealing his gleaming teeth.
"Come on, Naruto!"
"Burn your youth with me!"
Rock Lee stopped talking nonsense and immediately plunged back into his exaggerated and terrifying special training.
Bang—
Bang bang bang!
His left leg kicked out fiercely, a powerful side kick, striking the hard wooden stake.
Then, without stopping, his right leg immediately followed with a series of kicks, striking the other side!
Instantly, wood chips flew from the stake.
Naruto wore a tearful face, his eyes filled with helplessness.
"What else can I say…"
He took a deep breath, then also kicked fiercely at another wooden stake.
Bang! Bang! Bang—
Two hot-blooded Diao Che Weis began their devilish special training, their hellish practice, under the summer sun.
…"1263!"
"1264!"
"1265!"
It was Rock Lee's first time encountering someone training with him, and he felt both moved and a strange sense of competition.
He trained even harder than usual.
Naruto, who hadn't undergone this level of arduous training, was far inferior to Rock Lee in terms of explosive power.
However, he also had his own advantages.
Good stamina, tenacious vitality, and strong recovery ability!
So, even though he was already exhausted and suffering, Naruto gritted his teeth and managed to keep going.
"2110!"
"2111!"
"2112!"
"Come on, Naruto, hope is in sight!"
Naruto: "…I don't believe you at all!"
"Isn't kicking the wooden stake just the beginning even after it's done?!"
Rock Lee laughed heartily: "You're right!"
Naruto: "…"
He was panting, no longer having the strength to bicker with Rock Lee, and could only grit his teeth and persevere with all his might.
Sweat poured down like rain, dripping onto the ground of the Konoha training field, quickly disappearing.
"2997!"
"2998!"
"2999…"
Naruto was like a dog, his tongue hanging out, panting heavily.
But as Rock Lee said, he finally saw the light… "3000!"
Naruto gritted his teeth one last time, kicking the wooden stake, and with a thud, wood chips flew.
"F-finally finished…"
He instantly collapsed completely to the ground, wriggling like an insect.
Rock Lee also finished at the same time, panting and wiping the sweat from his face.
"Naruto, this is just the beginning, cheer up!"
Naruto weakly waved his hand: "No… I can't…"
"I need to rest for a while…"
"Detected that the Host has not completed the taijutsu training goal; will soon undergo the Lightning Release baptism."
"Warning, countdown 5…"
Naruto: "Huh?!"
"I clearly finished!"
"Please note, Host, your training goal is to work a little bit harder than Rock Lee. Currently, you have only completed the same amount of training as him."
Naruto: "…Damn it!"
"Are you really trying to kill me?!"
"Countdown 4…"
"Alright, alright! I get it!"
Naruto reluctantly struggled to get up, swaying, and the wooden stakes in front of him already looked a bit blurry.
But to avoid being struck by lightning, he could only grit his teeth and kick the wooden stake again.
"3001!"
"F-finished…"
Who knew.
Rock Lee couldn't help but be slightly stunned when he saw this scene.
"Naruto, what are you doing?"
"Oh! I understand!"
He slammed his fist, and his eyes burned with intense flames.
"You're trying to say that one cannot dwell on the past; one must surpass oneself and set even more difficult and stricter training goals!"
"I understand, Naruto, you're trying to motivate me this way!"
Rock Lee instantly flared up, took a lunge, bent at the waist, and then fiercely kicked out again.