Seeing Naruto standing before him, Rock Lee paused, slightly puzzled.
He blinked and asked politely, "Hello! Is there sothing you need?"
Naruto looked at him seriously and said, "You're training in Taijutsu, right?"
"That's right!" Rock Lee declared with pride. "Even if I can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, I believe I can still reach the summit with Taijutsu alone—and beco a splendid ninja!"
His large eyes sparkled with unwavering determination.
Naruto smiled. "I believe you can beco a great Taijutsu user."
"You… you do?" Rock Lee's voice wavered with emotion. He had expected mockery, not recognition. For a mont, his eyes brimd with tears.
This was the first ti soone his age acknowledged his path.
Though he was used to being ridiculed, that one mont of genuine recognition filled him with a joy that surged from deep within his heart.
"Mhm," Naruto nodded. "I think Taijutsu holds great potential."
Naruto wasn't just offering empty praise. In the later stages of the Ninja World, when the ??tsutsuki Clan erged, standard Ninjutsu beca nearly useless. Only Senjutsu and advanced Taijutsu techniques could still pose a threat.
Naruto and Sasuke had refined their Taijutsu to exceptional levels through those brutal battles.
Of course, the ??tsutsuki weren't limited to Taijutsu—they also wielded terrifying Dōjutsu abilities. Still, Taijutsu remained a crucial pillar of real strength. That's why Naruto had no intention of neglecting it. In fact, he had already started developing new Taijutsu styles—what he envisioned as the Six Styles—to break new ground.
Senjutsu was another goal. Gaining Senjutsu ant acquiring the power needed to enter the Super Kage Tier—even the Six Paths Tier.
There were several known paths to reach that transcendent level in the Shinobi World:
Becoming the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails by gathering all the Tailed Beasts and awakening the Truth-Seeking Balls. This path would grant one trendous power and a transford life essence, though not true immortality.
Receiving the Six Paths' power directly from Hagoromo ??tsutsuki, as Naruto and Sasuke did in the original tiline. But this was a gift—temporary and dependent on the Sage's will. Naruto didn't favor relying on others.
Training Senjutsu to its absolute peak. The masters of the Three Great Sage Regions had never been seen in combat, but their power was surely not to be underestimated. The Great Toad Sage, for instance, had once manipulated events to pit Hagoromo against Kaguya—and even taught him Senjutsu. He survived long after the Sage's body had perished, suggesting he, too, had achieved a tier close to the Six Paths level—though likely not enough to rival the ??tsutsuki.
Senjutsu, unlike Chakra, was a force native to the world itself. Chakra had been introduced to humanity by Kaguya ??tsutsuki, earning her the title Mother of Chakra. In contrast, Senjutsu could be seen as the world's original, natural power.
Another possible path to transcendence lay in mastering a unique Kekkei Genkai—a Bloodline Limit that combined elental natures like Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin, and Yang. But in the original tiline, no one had reached the Six Paths tier by this thod without external aid.
And then there was Tenseigan Mode—a power Naruto had yet to understand fully. But based on Toneri ??tsutsuki's ability to manifest Truth-Seeking Balls, it was likely a power on par with the Six Paths. However, Toneri, having gained it through artificial ans, hadn't reached his full potential and was ultimately defeated by Naruto and Kurama.
From this, Naruto had also co to understand: even within the Six Paths tier, there were different levels of strength.
Snapping back to the present, Naruto turned back to Rock Lee.
"You can definitely reach the peak with Taijutsu," he said, "but not the way you're training right now."
Lee looked surprised. "What do you an?"
"You've been repeating basic drills—running, push-ups, kicks, squats, straight punches. These are good for building general strength, but eventually, progress will stall if you rely on them alone."
He thought silently to himself: Not everyone has the Heaven Rewards Diligence ability like I do.
Still, Naruto shared with Rock Lee so of the Taijutsu principles he had worked out for himself—foundational techniques that could actually lead to explosive growth if practiced the right way.
Rock Lee was shocked.
Naruto's training thod was unlike anything taught in the Academy. Each part flowed logically into the next, forming a cohesive system. Compared to that, his own training was primitive—just repeating what teachers had told him year after year. Of course, it helped build a strong body, and eventually, he'd start weighted training, but at his age, that wasn't yet appropriate. Overdoing it could even hinder his growth.
Taijutsu wasn't highly valued in the shinobi world because it demanded not only talent, but also vast ti, resources, and perseverance. Unlike flashy Ninjutsu, it didn't bring imdiate power or prestige.
But Naruto knew—it had a future.
And so did Rock Lee.
Very few people have the perseverance required to walk the path of Taijutsu.
In a world where battles can erupt at any mont, most shinobi chase quick power through flashy Ninjutsu. After all, mastering an advanced Ninjutsu might take only a few years—far shorter than the ti needed to build true Taijutsu strength.
That's why almost no one dedicates themselves to it.
Might Guy and Rock Lee were exceptions. Not because they chose Taijutsu—but because it was their only path forward. They had no talent for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. And yet, through unwavering determination, they reached a level that most could only dream of.
That was why Naruto was willing to guide Rock Lee.
Not because he expected Lee to beco his ally soday—but because he respected his persistence.
In truth, Naruto had already begun to outline a comprehensive Taijutsu regin. A complete system designed to push his body even further. But he didn't dare pass that knowledge on to Rock Lee just yet. What he had shared so far was already enough to keep Lee busy training for the next two years.
If the Academy's standard training was practiced blindly year after year, it would inevitably lead to chronic injuries. That was one reason there were so few elite Taijutsu specialists.
Once the basics are mastered, the next stage is learning how to control and apply power—the secret techniques that transform strength into explosiveness. But this level of knowledge is tightly guarded, rarely taught even in the Ninja Academy.
Naruto had already begun exploring this realm. But if he revealed too much too early, it would raise suspicions.
He could still explain it away as being exceptionally gifted or self-taught—but such an excuse wouldn't hold forever. And with the Third Hokage showing little interest in Taijutsu developnt, if Naruto were to suddenly uplift an entire forgotten discipline, he might draw unwanted attention… or even beco a target.
In this world, no matter how talented you are, if your actions defy common sense, people will start asking questions.
"Wuwuwu~! You're too kind! You actually taught
such an amazing thod of training!"
Rock Lee couldn't contain his emotions. He threw himself forward and latched onto Naruto's leg, sobbing and sniffling, saring tears and snot all over him.
"Damn it! Get off ! I'm not into guys!"
Naruto felt a cold shiver down his spine and imdiately kicked Rock Lee away. Lee flew through the air, hit a tree, and slid to the ground. But strangely enough… he felt no pain.
If anything, he was more impressed than ever.
Naruto's control and precision even in a casual kick made Rock Lee completely convinced—this guy's a Taijutsu genius!
Of course, Naruto had said so things Lee didn't fully understand. What was "Wocao" and "Jilao"?
Eat grass? Chicken is old?
Lee figured he probably got the aning wrong, but more importantly, he realized he'd overstepped.
He quickly stood up, bowed deeply, and said earnestly, "I'm so sorry! I was just too excited. Thank you so much for teaching
such a valuable training thod!"
His eyes were practically glowing as he looked at Naruto.
Naruto wasn't just the first peer to ever acknowledge his Ninja Way. He was also the first to teach him real Taijutsu.
Yes, there had been that strange man in green—who once praised his spirit and said he might accept him as a disciple one day.
But that was still undecided. Recognition from a fellow student—a genius peer—ant far more.
After listening to Naruto's insights, Rock Lee now looked at him not just with gratitude, but with reverence.
...
TN:
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