The warmth of sunlight crept across his face. John stirred, his eyelids heavy, but not as suffocating as before. His entire body still ached, especially his lower back, where a deep, burning throb reminded him of Gaara's sand crushing Lee's spine.
He shifted slightly and sucked in a sharp breath. Damn it! Still broken.
The room around him was quiet. Paper walls filtered the light into soft gold, and the air carried that faint, medicinal scent of herbs mixed with antiseptic. Not his office. Not his dingy apartment. Not the world he knew.
His eyes drifted down to his hands, bandaged, calloused, scarred. Hands that had seen endless training, not computer keyboards and reports. He flexed his fingers weakly. Not John's hands. Rock Lee's hands.
The truth weighed on him like a mountain. He wasn't just in Naruto's world. He was inside the body of one of its most tragic underdogs. A boy who fought with only taijutsu, whose dream was nearly destroyed in a single match.
I died… and got stuck here? John thought bitterly. And not even as Naruto, Sasuke, or someone OP. No, I get the crippled guy.
The door slid open with a gentle scrape. He looked up quickly.
Tenten walked in, her dark hair tied into twin buns. She carried a small tray balanced carefully in her hands, some rice, soup, and tea. She smiled softly when she saw him awake.
"You're up again," she said, setting the tray down by his bed. "You should eat something, Lee. It'll help you recover."
John's stomach growled before he could protest. He cleared his throat awkwardly, forcing his voice to steady. "Th-thank you, Tenten."
She tilted her head, watching him carefully. "That's… not like you. Usually, you'd be shouting about how food will fuel your flames of youth or something."
John froze. Crap. She knows Lee too well. He gave a weak smile. "Maybe… I'm just tired."
Tenten's eyes softened, but before she could say more, the door opened again. Neji stepped in. His pale white lavender eyes swept the room, landing on John. Calm, detached, unreadable.
"Good. You're awake." His tone was clipped, businesslike. "But don't push yourself. Broken bones don't heal through sheer will."
The words stung more than John expected. Not because Neji was wrong, he wasn't, but because John knew this was how the Hyūga genius saw Lee: a failure straining against destiny.
Neji's gaze lingered, as if trying to measure him. Then, with a slight bow of his head to Tenten, he turned and left without another word.
The silence stretched. John picked at the rice, his mind racing. So that's Neji in person… even colder than in the anime. Damn.
When Tenten finally excused herself, John slumped back against the pillow. His chest tightened. I really am in this world. And if this is real… then what happens now? Lee was supposed to stay broken until Tsunade returned. That's months from now.
As he wrestled with the thought, something flickered across his vision.
A faint, transparent glow—like a holographic screen only he could see. Words appeared for less than a second before vanishing like static.
[Status Window – Locked]
[Initialization in progress… 12%]
John blinked rapidly. His heart pounded. "What the…?" He rubbed his eyes, but the screen was gone. Only the tray of half-eaten food remained.
Am I hallucinating? No… that looked too real.
Before he could process it, the door slammed open.
"LEE!"
The sheer volume made him jump. Might Gai charged into the room, carrying a massive bouquet of flowers that nearly blocked his face. His green spandex shone brightly under the sunlight as he rushed to his student's bedside.
"My eternal student!" Tears streamed down his face as he knelt beside the bed. "Your youth has endured this terrible trial! Even if your body is battered, your spirit shines brighter than ever!"
John nearly choked on his tea. Good god, he's even louder in person.
Gai grabbed his hand, squeezing it with terrifying strength. "Fear not, Lee! Even if the world declares you broken, we will defy destiny together! If you cannot walk, then I shall carry you! If you cannot fight, then I shall fight at your side! For youth knows no limits!"
John winced, but a strange warmth spread in his chest. Gai's passion was overwhelming, but it wasn't fake. This was real care. Real belief.
And for the first time since waking here, John thought:
Maybe this isn't hopeless. Maybe… I have a chance to change Lee's fate.
He closed his eyes, gripping Gai's hand back as firmly as he could. Somewhere, faintly, the static in his vision pulsed again.
[Initialization… 27%]