The quiet courtyard grew tense, with birds occasionally flying overhead, their calls echoing.
Unlike the noisy streets in the distance, here two figures faced each other, searching for flaws in their opponent's stance.
Lee rushed to Izumi's side, leaping into the air with a spinning kick aimed at him. The speed and force were enough to seriously injure an ordinary person.
But Izumi, Lee's opponent, merely shifted slightly and avoided several of his attacks. The next moment, it was as if he had anticipated Lee's movements, pausing and twisting his body to dodge in the opposite direction.
Bang!
Lee's sweeping kick struck the ground fiercely. He had already expected his attacks wouldn't land—after all, he was sparring against Izumi, who had the Byakugan. Sneaking up on Izumi was never going to be easy.
As for why they were fighting, it was because Lee saw how energetic Izumi looked and proposed a spar. Izumi, needing to familiarize himself with the Byakugan and the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, agreed. Hinata and Tenten watched from the side with interest.
When Lee flipped and landed back on the ground, Izumi appeared in front of him. Lee barely had time to guard with his arms before Izumi's palm strike forced him back several steps.
From clumsy at first to gradually becoming proficient, Izumi didn't strike too hard since it was just training. Even when hitting acupoints or weak spots, the pain he inflicted was only mild, nothing serious for someone like Lee who was used to harsh training.
Lee took a deep breath to ease the sting in his body, his eyes shining as he looked at Izumi. Though he couldn't quite tell if Izumi had grown stronger or weaker—his movements felt unpredictable—this was exactly the kind of youth and challenge he craved.
Hinata, watching nervously, wasn't worried Izumi would lose, but rather that his body had just recovered from exhaustion and she feared sparring again would strain him. Tenten, on the other hand, cheered Lee on, though deep down she knew he wouldn't win.
On a nearby rooftop, a more mature figure in the same green jumpsuit observed intently. Occasionally nodding with approval, it was none other than Might Guy, the teacher of Team 3.
"Lee's strength has improved again, but Izumi… hasn't his body fully recovered yet?" With his sharp eyes, Guy could see something off, but assumed Izumi's condition wasn't fully stable.
Leaf Whirlwind!
This time, Izumi didn't evade. Instead, he closed in on Lee. As Lee spun with a high kick, Izumi blocked with one hand and tapped quickly along Lee's leg with the other.
"Ugh…"
Lee fell to the ground, his combo broken. One leg had gone numb. Having grown used to Lee's fighting style, Izumi could easily restrain him.
"As expected of a genius ninja." Lee knew unless he opened the Eight Gates, he wasn't a match. The only reason he had lasted so long was probably because Izumi's body wasn't fully recovered.
Everyone watching assumed Izumi's Gentle Fist seemed unpolished only due to his physical state, and that sparring with Lee was just light practice.
As Izumi grew more accustomed to the Byakugan and taijutsu, he could vaguely see chakra flow and acupoints, making the fight easier. Eventually, one Gentle Fist strike landed square on Lee's chest, knocking him back several steps before he stumbled and sat down.
"Cough, cough! As expected of the goal I strive to reach… whew!" Lee sat on the ground, his body still tingling at the acupoints.
[Congratulations, you have defeated Rock Lee. You have obtained the taijutsu 'Leaf Whirlwind'!]
Izumi walked over, pulled Lee up, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Since he wasn't yet fully skilled at controlling Gentle Fist's power, sometimes he struck harder than intended. Luckily, having Lee as a training partner improved his proficiency greatly. With more practice, Izumi was confident he could achieve a breakthrough before the Chunin Exams.
From barely edging out Lee at first to gradually dominating him, Izumi gained much valuable experience from the fight.
Rubbing his slightly sore hands, Izumi let chakra restore them to normal.
"Izumi-nii!"
Seeing the spar end, Hinata ran over. Though puzzled at his awkward Gentle Fist that day, her concern for his health came first.
Izumi reassured her he was fine. In truth, his chakra reserves were nearly depleted. Since he had only recently obtained chakra, mastering its control still required more practice.
Still, there was a reward: by defeating Lee, the system granted him "Leaf Whirlwind." But since Izumi already had Gentle Fist, he let the system recycle it.
[Primary Chakra Enhancement increased by one-third.]
Izumi considered sparring Lee more times, but the system gave diminishing returns for defeating the same opponent and only once per day. Eventually, there would be no benefit.
Meanwhile, a plan formed in Izumi's heart.
"Lee! This is youth!"
At that moment, Guy made his flamboyant entrance, flashing a bright smile with a thumbs-up, clapping Lee on the shoulder.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
Though Lee had been discouraged, he instantly returned to his fiery spirit, shouting with passion.
"…."
Watching teacher and student run off together, Izumi could only shake his head helplessly. Witnessing this familiar scene with his own eyes, he felt unexpectedly moved.
"Well then, I'll leave you two alone. Izumi, don't forget tomorrow's meeting time and place."
Sensing something unusual in the atmosphere between Izumi and Hinata, Tenten smiled as she hid her thoughts and bid them farewell.