Konoha: Naruto, trained by Aizen

Chapter Twenty-One: The Art of Talking

Noticing the change in Rock Lee's mood, Naruto gave Sasuke a slightly apologetic look, then walked over to Rock Lee, patted him on the shoulder, and when Rock Lee looked up, he looked him straight in the eye and said gently:

"The Rock Lee I know is always passionate, enthusiastic about training, and eager to become an excellent ninja. You don't suit this dejected look at all; it looks terrible."

Are you passionate, enthusiastic about training, and eager to become an excellent ninja?

Tears welled up in Xiao Li's eyes.

Naruto remains the same gentle and polite Naruto.

As for myself, I am no longer qualified to be a ninja.

He lowered his head again, his shoulders trembling: "I was the last in the class to refine chakra, and I don't have the talent for chakra. I can't even master the Three Body Technique." As he said this, two lines of tears streamed down his face, and for a moment, Xiao Li was sobbing uncontrollably.

Becoming a ninja is Rock Lee's dream.

But the blows of the past few days have undoubtedly made this little boy feel despair ahead of time.

No matter how optimistic or passionate he is, he can't bring himself to smile at this moment.

Naruto, a close friend, possesses superb taijutsu skills and is happy to share his training experiences; he is a perfect genius.

I'm sure Naruto will give up on me as a friend once he finds out I'm a loser.

"If you don't have the talent for ninjutsu, then focus on taijutsu. Who says a ninja has to know ninjutsu? Don't let worldly prejudices crush your confidence, Rock Lee." Unexpectedly, Naruto's warm and gentle voice rang in Rock Lee's ears.

Lee Locke looked up in disbelief.

Sunlight fell on Naruto's bright and gentle smiling face, adding a touch of tolerance, warmth, and the aura of a caring older brother.

Naruto's eyes were so sincere and earnest, just like the trust his parents had in him.

Focus on physical skills... Focus on physical skills?

Can I really do it?

Rock Lee was momentarily stunned.

"Lee, since we can't match others in ninjutsu talent, let's make up for our weaknesses by learning from their strengths and putting in a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand times the effort to train in taijutsu. Haven't you always believed that you are a genius who works hard?"

Naruto's warm voice reached Rock Lee's ears, and at this moment, Rock Lee could no longer hold back his tears. The pain, sorrow and grievances of the past few days poured out with his tears.

"Naruto, thank you, thank you so much. Having you as a friend is the luckiest thing in my life. I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations. I will definitely become a ninja."

He awkwardly wiped away his tears and bowed deeply to Naruto.

“Fool, we’re best friends.” Naruto pulled Rock Lee up.

"Tell me, you are still the same passionate and fearless Rock Lee. You will definitely become an excellent ninja."

"Yes, I will! I will definitely become an excellent ninja! I will prove myself through hard work!" Rock Lee wiped away his tears, a long-lost spark igniting in his eyes, and shouted loudly.

"I'm going to start training! As long as I work hard, I can become an excellent ninja. I will keep getting stronger! That way, I can stand by Naruto's side!" Rock Lee thought to himself.

So, under Naruto's gratified gaze and Sasuke's shocked gaze, Rock Lee began running around the training ground.

"The first lap, the second lap, the third lap... not enough. To defeat a ninja skilled in ninjutsu, I need to put in more effort. I need to possess speed that is difficult to detect with the naked eye and abundant stamina!"

"The load isn't heavy enough. Order double the weight tomorrow!"

Under the setting sun, a boy with thick eyebrows, dressed in simple casual clothes and wearing heavy weights, kept running around the training field.

After running, they even squat down and start frog jumps to train their leg endurance and explosive power.

His face was flushed red, and he was drenched in sweat. The soil on the training field he ran over even had water stains on it.

Every time he felt physically exhausted, his body seemed to surge with a force that supported him to keep running.

Sasuke's mouth gaped slightly; this scene was imprinted in his mind and he couldn't shake it off.

Is this guy, no, is Rock Lee out of his mind?

Can this clumsy method really catch up with geniuses?

Sasuke looked at Naruto, only to find the latter looking at him gently.

"Isn't it surprising that there are people as stupid as Xiao Li in this world?"

"Huh?" Sasuke hurriedly waved his hand: "No."

“He really is stupid.” Naruto’s next sentence stunned Sasuke.

"He was so foolish that he knew he wasn't talented in ninjutsu, yet he still wanted to realize his dream of becoming a ninja. He was so foolish that he knew this training method was destined to be difficult, yet he still persevered without hesitation."

"Everyone says that Konoha is the cradle of geniuses, but who knows that behind these geniuses, ordinary people like Lee are doing their best to catch up?"

“You and I are both very lucky because we were born with the sword of talent. With the same training methods, we can achieve results far exceeding those of Xiao Li.”

"But that doesn't mean Xiao Li is mediocre."

"His terrifying perseverance and effort, which are beyond the imagination of ordinary people, will accumulate like raindrops until one day it will erupt like a tsunami, surpassing everyone and shocking everyone."

"In my heart, he is a genius who works hard!"

A genius who works hard...

Sasuke's pupils trembled.

Watching Rock Lee sweating profusely on the training field, Sasuke wondered if he could keep going.

The answer, however, is no.

This kind of training, which pushes beyond human limits, was something he couldn't even imagine.

"Is this why you're so strong?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

“Not bad.” Naruto nodded.

"The world will never remember a loser; only through hard work can one reach the top." Naruto pulled open his coat, revealing the densely packed weights underneath.

"You, you actually fought me while wearing heavy armor!" At this moment, Sasuke was almost speechless.

You will feel ashamed when you discover that your partner, who is just as talented as you, puts in many times more effort than you.

Sasuke was extremely ashamed.

I was actually wasting my talent.

Compared to them, I am mediocre!

Naruto placed his warm hand on Sasuke's shoulder, his voice as gentle as the warm sunshine.

"Sasuke, you have the blood of the Uchiha. From the very beginning, you have already won over most people. But never be complacent because of your talent. Remember, everyone is moving forward. Once you stop, you will be overtaken."

Naruto withdrew his hand and gazed intently at the setting sun.

"This is also my reason for working hard. I want to surpass everything and stand in the sky."

.......

on the way back.

Walking on the road dyed red by the setting sun, Sasuke recalled the events of the day, his heart filled with complex emotions.

"Naruto, with terrifying talent, still works hard. Rock Lee, works hard to a frightening degree."

For some reason, Sasuke kept hearing Naruto's words.

"I want to transcend everything and stand in the sky."

Standing... in the sky?

Unconsciously, a burning passion welled up in Sasuke's heart.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Sasuke's Family

For Naruto, it was a perfect day.

It rekindled Rock Lee's fighting spirit when he was feeling down, and helped Sasuke further understand his own aspirations.

More importantly, it demonstrates its strength and the Will of Fire.

I believe my rating in the third generation's eyes has increased by another point.

......

Inside the Hokage's office.

"Naruto's taijutsu is so outstanding. He started training at such a young age wearing so many weights. Naruto's will to become stronger cannot be ignored."

The third generation, with a pipe in his mouth, looked away from the crystal ball, his face deep in thought.

The fact that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has made contact with the Uchiha clan is not good news.

The Uchiha clan has always been a powerful family that the Konoha leadership has long coveted to control.

Their Sharingan, a bloodline limit, is arguably the best bloodline limit in Konoha.

However, while powerful, the Sharingan is also known as an evil bloodline limit, requiring the stimulation of life and death to awaken. The Mangekyou Sharingan even requires killing a blood relative to develop.

All of this shrouded the Uchiha clan in a bloody and cruel veil.

Furthermore, Madara Uchiha, the progenitor of Konoha, once co-founded the village with Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, before ultimately succumbing to darkness.

Many villagers therefore defined the Uchiha clan as dark and bloody.

They were very wary of it.

Meanwhile, the Konoha leadership, led by the Third Hokage, used political maneuvering to force the Uchiha to move to a remote area and put them in charge of the Konoha Police Force, a thankless and demanding department.

Over time, the friction between the Uchiha and other villagers increased.

This is why the Uchiha clan is not well-liked in Konoha.

For the Third Hokage, it was imperative to prevent the Uchiha clan from becoming even stronger.

We cannot allow the Uchiha clan to gain Naruto's friendship.

Otherwise, unexpected events may occur.

Thinking of this, the third generation frowned.

When in a high position, one should not think about simply suppressing others, but rather about weighing the pros and cons.