The morning sun rose over Konoha, washing the village in a golden glow. Lee woke to the faint ring of a system prompt, the words materializing before his vision like an alarm clock he couldn't turn off.
[Daily Task: Routine of Youth]
Morning Run: 15 km
Push-ups: 1000
Sit-ups: 1000
Kicks: 1000
Squats: 1000
Reward: +0.5 to all physical stats
Lee sat up, running a hand through his sweat-matted hair. Fifteen kilometers. A thousand of everything. Even with the merging of their wills, he couldn't help but think like John for a moment: This isn't training. This is some kind of medieval torture program.
But he knew there was no skipping it. The system didn't allow shortcuts. And Lee, both the shinobi, and the man within wasn't the type to quit.
The streets of Konoha were already alive as he began the run. Shopkeepers prepared their stalls, shinobi bounded across rooftops, and children pointed and laughed as he staggered past. The first few kilometers weren't terrible, his body still strong from Gai's years of brutal regimens. But by the fifth, his calves cramped. By the tenth, his lungs burned and each breath scraped like broken glass. At twelve, he swore his legs would give out.
The system chimed, ever merciless.
[Combat Analysis – Active]
Stride: Uneven after 4 km. Breathing rhythm collapsed at 5 km. Efficiency: 41%.
Recommendation: Pace yourself. Sprinting wastes stamina.
Lee barked out a laugh between gasps. "Oh, sure. Let me just adjust my pace while I'm dying here." He pressed on, dragging himself through the last three kilometers until he collapsed against a wall, chest heaving.
The system noted it coolly.
[Run Complete – Task Progress: 20%]
"Only twenty percent?" he muttered, voice hoarse. "This is going to kill me."
But there was no stopping. Push-ups came next. At first his arms moved smoothly, every repetition crisp, his body falling into old patterns of Gai's training. But by two hundred, his arms shook. By five hundred, his chest collapsed against the dirt. He forced himself back up, sweat dripping from his chin.
Push-ups: Form collapsed after 260. Arms overcompensated. Efficiency: 56%.
Lee grit his teeth. "Fifty-six percent? You smug piece of…" His arms gave out again, and he ate dirt.
From the edge of the yard came a voice. "You're seriously doing all of that? A thousand reps?"
Lee lifted his head, panting, to see Tenten leaning against the fence, staff balanced across her shoulders. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked him over.
"Fifteen kilometers and a thousand reps of everything? That's insane."
Lee grinned weakly. "Routine of youth. It's the only way forward."
Tenten shook her head, but there was a flicker of admiration in her eyes. "You're unbelievable. But… I want to see where this goes. If you need a partner again, I'll train with you."
Before Lee could answer, another voice cut in, cool and sharp.
"He'll destroy his body before he grows stronger."
Neji stepped into view, arms folded, pale eyes dissecting Lee's trembling form. "His form is sloppy. His control is poor. This is recklessness disguised as effort."
Tenten frowned. "He's just out of the hospital. Give him some credit."
Neji's gaze didn't waver. "Even if you endure this training, a flawed foundation will always betray you."
Lee's fists clenched, but before he could retort, the yard erupted with a familiar thunder.
"NO, NEJI! THIS IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF YOUTH!"
Gai appeared in a blur of green, his voice booming, tears already streaming down his cheeks. "To push beyond exhaustion, to collapse and rise again…that is the fire of perseverance! Lee, my beloved student, you shine brighter than the sun itself!"
Lee forced himself upright and gave a trembling thumbs-up. "Glad someone… sees it that way."
Gai dropped beside him, overcome with pride. "Every drop of sweat, every gasp for breath is proof that you are alive, proof that you are walking the path to greatness!"
Neji shook his head, unimpressed, while Tenten pressed her lips together to hide a smile.
Lee lowered himself to the ground again. "Fine. One thousand push-ups. Then sit-ups. Then squats. Then kicks. Let's see this through."
The hours blurred together in a haze of pain and effort. Sit-ups lit his core on fire, squats turned his thighs into stone, and kicks shredded what was left of his calves. He collapsed multiple times, only to push himself back up. The system logged it all, each failure punctuated by clinical assessments.
Sit-ups: Back strain after 650. Efficiency: 62%.
Squats: Knee form unstable after 450. Efficiency: 49%.
Kicks: Power uneven after 800. Efficiency: 53%.
Finally, after the thousandth kick, Lee crumpled onto the dirt, chest heaving, vision swimming. Every muscle screamed rebellion, but the system chimed.
[Daily Task Progress: 100% Complete]
Reward: +0.5 Strength, Vitality, Stamina
[Updated Status]
Strength: 45.5
Vitality: 44.5
Stamina: 45.5
Chakra: 45.5 ( Chakra == Stamina, thank for you to the reader who pointed out the mistake)
( Wisdom has been removed as a stat since I don't currently have no use for it (might bring back later who knows))
Luck: 5
He stared at the glowing numbers through sweat-stung eyes. "All that… for half a point?"
But even as he complained, a small smile tugged at his lips. Half a point was more than he'd ever gained in a day in his old life. And here, in this world, every fraction mattered.
From the sidelines, Gai's voice thundered with pride. "Splendid! Magnificent! You embody the spirit of perseverance itself!"
Tenten shook her head, though her smile lingered. "You're insane, Lee. But maybe that's why it works."
Neji's gaze stayed on him, cool and unreadable, but he didn't look away.
Lee closed his eyes, chest still burning. This grind is hell. But if this is what it takes to be ready… then I'll do it. Every day. No matter what.
As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the training yard, he lay in the dirt, broken yet alive. His body screamed for rest, but his spirit pulsed with steady determination.
For the first time since merging, he felt not like John in Lee's skin, but Rock Lee, one soul, one path, walking forward toward strength.