Morning sunlight spilled over Konoha, warming the rooftops and flooding the streets with light. The village was alive. Merchants hawked fresh fruit, children darted between stalls laughing, and visitors from every corner of the shinobi world strolled through the market in colorful garb. To a civilian's eyes, it was a festival.
But Lee knew better.
Behind the chatter of the marketplace, he had seen the tight looks exchanged between chunin on patrol. He had caught whispers of foreign chakra spotted in the forests and of shinobi seen moving where they shouldn't be. And sometimes, though never openly, he had heard Orochimaru's name spoken in hushed voices.
The civilians knew nothing. But the shinobi? They were watchful. Wary. Unsure of what might come.
And so was he.
Quest Log
Lee sat cross-legged in his small apartment, the world outside muffled. The system's interface shimmered before him, waiting. At last, a new tab had opened: Quest Log.
He inhaled deeply and willed it to open.
[Quest Log – Active]
Limited-Time Quest: The Hyūga Wall
Objective: Surpass Neji Hyūga within 6 months.
Progress: 0%
Time Remaining: 179 days
Reward: ???
Failure: Quest expires. Growth potential reduced.
Story Quest: Survival – The Leaf Will Burn
Objective: Endure the invasion of Konoha.
Progress: Pending
Reward: ???
Failure: Death.
Hidden Tasks: 1/??? (Progress locked until further completion)
Lee exhaled through his nose, fists curling against his knees. Two clocks ticking. One rival with a clear deadline. One storm waiting to descend. Both demanding everything of him.
He closed the log and pulled up his updated status.
[Ultimate Fighter System – Status Update]
Health: 100%
Rokushiki Skills: 14% Mastery
- Soru (Speed Step) – Basic Use
- Kami-e (Paper Art) – Basic Use
- Tekkai Kenpo (Iron Body) – 30% Efficiency
Strong Fist Style: 55% Mastery
Eight Gates: 40% Mastery (Locked by current stamina/strength)
Drunken Fist: 1% Mastery
Stats:
- Strength: 46.5
- Vitality: 45.5
- Stamina/Chakra: 46.5
- Luck: 5
Daily Task: Routine of Youth – In Progress
Limited-Time Quest: The Hyūga Wall (6 months remaining)
Story Quest: Survival – The Leaf Will Burn (Active)
Hidden Tasks: 1/???
The numbers had crept upward, slowly but steadily. Two days of daily tasks had already yielded another full point to his body. But against what lay ahead, he knew it wasn't enough.
He hit the streets before breakfast, legs pumping through the cool air of morning. Civilians cheered him on as if his run was entertainment, some clapping, some laughing, but Lee ignored them. His world narrowed to his breath, his stride, the fire in his calves.
The system was merciless.
[Stride deteriorated after 9 km. Efficiency: 63%.]
[Breathing rhythm collapsed at 12 km. Efficiency: 58%.]
He finished the 15 kilometers with his chest heaving and his vision spotted with black. By the time he dragged himself into the training yard for push-ups, he was already drenched in sweat.
By two hundred, his arms trembled. By five hundred, he collapsed. He spat dirt and forced himself back up, gritting his teeth.
"Seven hundred… eight hundred…"
[Push-ups: Form collapsed after 720. Efficiency: 59%.]
"Smug bastard," Lee growled at the invisible system voice. "I'll show you ninety-nine percent someday."
"Whoa! Bushy Brows! You're still alive?"
Lee looked up to see Naruto bounding into the yard, grinning like the sun. Sakura trailed after him, her arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"You were supposed to be in the hospital for months," Sakura said flatly, studying him. "The medics said your spine was crushed. You shouldn't even be able to walk yet."
Lee forced himself upright, wobbling slightly before steadying. "When youth burns bright, it heals what others say is impossible."
Naruto laughed, punching the air. "Yeah! That's the spirit! Let me train with you!"
Lee blinked. "One thousand push-ups, then. Join me."
Naruto dropped beside him, grinning. "Easy!"
By thirty-seven, Naruto collapsed face-first into the dirt, arms limp. Lee was still grinding past eight hundred.
Sakura sighed, rubbing her temple. "You're both insane. But…" Her voice softened, almost against her will. "Lee, I don't know how you healed so fast, but… I'm glad you did."
Lee smiled faintly, chest tight. He bowed his head. "Thank you."
As Naruto flopped onto his back, Lee glanced over. "Naruto," he asked quietly, "are you prepared for your fight against Neji?"
Naruto blinked, then grinned, fire lighting in his eyes. "Of course I am! Fate or no fate, I'm not losing to some stuck-up genius!"
Sakura frowned. "You say that, but Neji's no joke. He's…" She trailed off, glancing at Lee.
Lee nodded gravely. "Neji is formidable. He sees everything, and he strikes without wasted motion. But…" He allowed himself a small smile. "So long as you do not give up, you will always have a chance."
Naruto's grin widened. "Then watch me. I'll prove it in the arena."
Tekkai
That afternoon, Lee stood alone before a training post. He inhaled, clenched every muscle, and focused.
[Tekkai – Active. Stamina Drain: -5/sec]
His body hardened like stone. He rammed his shoulder into the post. Wood splintered. His muscles screamed. [ Lee, unlocked Tekkai Kenpo but with low mastery which is why he has some mobility during Tekkai ]
He released the technique, gasping, his chest burning from the drain. But his eyes shone. Defense. At last, a shield.
If Neji's palms couldn't pierce it, if Gaara's sand couldn't crush it, maybe… maybe he had a chance.
As the sun sank lower, Lee walked through the streets, sweat still drying on his skin. Civilians bustled happily around him, chattering about the exams like it was a festival. Children begged their parents for sweets, tourists marveled at Konoha's walls.
But in the alleys and corners, shinobi whispered.
"Do you think he's still around?" one chunin asked, eyes flicking toward the rooftops.
Another shrugged, hand brushing his weapon pouch. "Hard to say. He marked the Uchiha and disappeared. Maybe that was all he came for."
"Or maybe it wasn't."
Their voices dropped lower, and Lee moved on. The name hadn't been spoken, but he knew who they meant. Orochimaru. The uncertainty weighed heavier than outright fear.
He turned a corner and froze. Ahead, Gaara walked with Kankurō and Temari. Civilians parted for them like water, muttering about the strange boy with the gourd.
Gaara's eyes flicked to him, a flicker of killing intent brushing the air. For a heartbeat, the world felt suffocating, his sand whispering from the gourd's mouth.
[High Threat Detected: Gaara of the Sand]
Lee's heart thundered. Then Gaara turned away, vanishing into the crowd.
That night, Lee sat in his room, sweat cooling, body aching. The Quest Log pulsed again.
[Limited-Time Quest: The Hyūga Wall – 179 days remaining.]
[Story Quest: The Leaf Will Burn – Pending.]
Two walls. One rival. One invasion. Both unbreakable unless he became something greater.
He clenched his fists, his eyes burning. "Then I'll become greater. I'll carry this youth until it outshines fate itself."
Outside, the village slept in peace, blissfully unaware. But in the shadows, shinobi remained on edge.
And Lee alone bore the system's cruel prophecy.
If the Leaf was to burn, then he would stand in the flames until the very end.