In the open space, two figures were intertwined.
Sato Fan dodged Rock Lee’s straight punch, simultaneously sweeping his right foot toward his calf.
Rock Lee jumped to avoid it, turned in the air, and aimed a roundhouse kick at Sato Fan’s face.
Sato Fan crossed his arms to block, used the force to retreat two steps, and as he landed, his figure flickered—Body Flicker Technique.
He vanished from the spot and reappeared behind Rock Lee, punching toward his lower back.
Rock Lee, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, leaned forward to dodge, simultaneously kicking backward with his left foot toward Sato Fan’s knee.
Sato Fan didn’t retreat; instead, he raised his knee to take the kick head-on, while grabbing Rock Lee’s shoulders with both hands, pressing him down, and driving his knee toward his abdomen.
This was the “Knee Strike” from Konoha Taijutsu—something Rock Lee had taught him.
Rock Lee blocked the knee with his palm, flipped backward using the momentum, and opened up some distance.
After steadying himself, he looked at Sato Fan, the light in his eyes brighter than it had been a month ago.
“You’ve improved,” Rock Lee said.
Sato Fan panted, glancing at the black weighted bags on Rock Lee’s legs.
The thing had been tied on for a month; he had never seen Rock Lee take them off.
It was Might Guy’s rule—weights were part of training and were not to be removed without his permission.
Rock Lee had been wearing these weights the whole time he sparred with him.
“You haven’t used your full strength yet,” Sato Fan said.
“You haven’t used your full strength either,” Rock Lee said, “Again!”
Rock Lee rushed over, his speed slightly faster than before.
His fists fell like raindrops, each punch carrying the sound of wind.
Sato Fan didn’t retreat, nor did he use the Body Flicker Technique.
He blocked with his arms, dodged sideways, ducked, and occasionally countered with a punch or kick.
This was something he had practiced for nearly a month sparring with Rock Lee—relying on Taijutsu alone, without Ninjutsu.
When Rock Lee’s Konoha Whirlwind swept over, Sato Fan didn’t dodge.
He squatted down and swept his leg at Rock Lee’s supporting foot.
Rock Lee jumped up, and Sato Fan rose with the momentum, throwing an uppercut at his chin.
Rock Lee turned in mid-air, blocked the punch with his arm, and had retreated three meters away by the time he landed.
“Konoha Rising Wind!” Sato Fan shouted.
Rock Lee’s eyes lit up.
“When did you learn that?”
“You taught me,” Sato Fan said, “I remembered it when you demonstrated it last week.”
Rock Lee laughed out loud.
“You learn faster than me!
It took me a week and a half to learn that move back then!”
Sato Fan didn’t respond.
He didn’t learn fast; he just practiced diligently.
After work every day, he sparred with Rock Lee for two hours, and after returning home, he would replay every move in his mind.
Konoha Taijutsu didn’t require a large amount of Chakra like Ninjutsu; it was purely muscle memory.
He broke down every move, practicing one technique at a time until he could execute them without thinking.
Unlike other things, Taijutsu always rewarded hard work.
“Again,” Sato Fan said.
This time, he attacked first.
Konoha Whirlwind—turning, sweeping his right leg, aiming for Rock Lee’s waist.
Rock Lee blocked with his arms, but Sato Fan didn’t retract his leg; instead, he turned with the momentum, followed up with his left leg, and kicked toward Rock Lee’s chin with Konoha Rising Wind.
This was a combo in Konoha Taijutsu—Whirlwind followed by Rising Wind, all in one go.
Rock Lee retreated half a step to dodge the Rising Wind, but Sato Fan’s pursuit didn’t stop.
Body Flicker Technique—he appeared on Rock Lee’s right side and smashed an elbow strike toward his shoulder.
Rock Lee turned sideways, caught the elbow strike with his palm, and simultaneously grabbed Sato Fan’s arm with his other hand, throwing him away with force.
Sato Fan adjusted his posture in the air, landing on one knee and slapping the ground with both hands.
Mud Wall—a half-person-high wall of earth rose up in front of him, blocking Rock Lee’s path of pursuit.
Rock Lee didn’t kick the wall but circled around it.
However, Sato Fan was already prepared on the other side of the wall.
Body Flicker Technique—he appeared in the direction Rock Lee was circling around and punched toward his chest.
Rock Lee crossed his arms to block, and Sato Fan’s fist hit his arms, making a dull sound.
Rock Lee took a step back, and Sato Fan also took a step back.
The two looked at each other and stopped at the same time.
“A draw,” Rock Lee said.
“You’re wearing weights,” Sato Fan said.
Sato Fan shook his head.
I’m just relying on Ninjutsu to hold on.”
“Ninjutsu is also part of strength,” Rock Lee said seriously, “A month ago, you couldn’t even take three of my punches, and now you can fight me to a draw.”
“This isn’t a problem of Ninjutsu; it’s that you’ve combined Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.”
“When you first fought me, you only used the Body Flicker Technique to run, Mud Wall only to block, and your Taijutsu relied entirely on instinct.”
“Now you use the Body Flicker Technique to attack, use Mud Wall to change the battlefield, and string together Konoha Taijutsu with Ninjutsu.
That is the reason for your progress.”
Sato Fan was silent for a few seconds.
Rock Lee was right.
The things he practiced before were scattered—Body Flicker Technique was Body Flicker Technique, Mud Wall was Mud Wall, and Taijutsu was Taijutsu.
During this month of sparring with Rock Lee, he had connected them.
It wasn’t because he figured out some principle; it was because there was no time to think.
Rock Lee’s fists were too fast; if he thought, he would already be getting hit.
He could only rely on instinct to dodge, block, and counterattack.
And his instinct was these skills he had practiced countless times.
The two sat under a tree, each drinking water.
Rock Lee took two rice balls out of his backpack and handed one to Sato Fan.
Sato Fan took it and took a bite.
The rice ball was cold, and the rice was a bit hard, but everything tasted good when you were hungry.
“Sato-kun, you’ve improved quickly.
Had you never fought anyone before?” Rock Lee asked.
“No,” Sato Fan said, “After graduation, I transferred to logistics.
I haven’t gone on missions or fought anyone.”
“My Taijutsu classes in school were just at the passing line, and you know, that kind of sparring is different from a real fight.”
Rock Lee nodded.
“No wonder.
When you first fought me, your movements were correct, but the rhythm was off.”
“You would hesitate for a fraction of a second before every move, as if you were thinking, ‘Will there be a problem if I throw this move?’ After this month, you don’t think anymore.”
“I was scared of being hit by you,” Sato Fan said.
“It’s not fear,” Rock Lee shook his head, “It’s that you trust your body.”
“The core of Taijutsu is not power; it is trust.
Trust that your hands and feet can make the correct reaction, trust that your eyes can capture the opponent’s movements, and trust that your intuition can take you away from attacks.”
Sato Fan didn’t speak.
He was savoring what Rock Lee had said.
Trusting his body—he had never thought about this issue before.
When he practiced Chakra control, he thought about “how to distribute Chakra precisely to the soles of his feet”; when he practiced the Body Flicker Technique, he thought about “whether the timing of the burst is correct and whether the direction control is accurate.”
He had never trusted his body, always using his brain to control every movement.
But this month of sparring with Rock Lee, he slowly learned not to use his brain.
It wasn’t because he figured out some principle, but because there was no time to think.
Rock Lee’s fists were too fast; if he thought, he would already be getting hit.
He could only rely on instinct to dodge, block, and counterattack.
“Sato-kun, will you participate in the Chunin Exams?” Rock Lee suddenly asked.
Sato Fan was stunned for a moment.
“No.”
“Why?” Rock Lee turned to look at him, “You have the strength now.
Your Taijutsu is not much worse than mine, your Body Flicker Technique is very proficient, and you also know Earth Release.”
“If you participate in the Chunin Exams, you should be able to pass.”
Sato Fan was silent for a few seconds, his mouth twitching.
You kid, you haven’t even taken off your weights, haven’t opened a single gate of the Eight Gates, and you say my Taijutsu isn’t much worse than yours?
You know that even Sasuke thinks he can compare to you in this state, and he would only be left gaping in surprise after you take off the weights.
“I’m a civilian staff member,” he said, “I’m in the Materials Section, managing the warehouse.
I’m not a combat Ninja; my mission isn’t to fight, it’s to manage things.”
Rock Lee opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but not knowing how to say it.
“Civilian staff can also participate in the Chunin Exams, right?” Rock Lee said.
“They can, yes,” Sato Fan said, “But I’m not interested.”
Rock Lee stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly smiled.
There was no disappointment or confusion in that smile, only a pure respect for a friend’s choice.
“Alright,” he said, “If you don’t participate, you don’t participate.
“Don’t you think I’m wasting my strength?” Sato Fan asked.
“No,” Rock Lee shook his head, “Everyone has their own path.
Your path is logistics, and my path is Taijutsu.”
“Might Guy says that no matter which path you take, as long as you go all out, it is the best interpretation of youth.”
Sato Fan didn’t respond.
He wondered, if Might Guy knew his “going all out” meant balancing accounts, hiding supplies, and surviving in a chaotic world, would he still say it was “the best interpretation of youth”?
Probably not; he would likely reward himself with a Strong Fist Whirlwind.
“What about you?” Sato Fan asked, “You’re definitely going to participate, right?”
“Of course!” Rock Lee stood up, clenched his fists, looked up at the sky, “I will participate in the Chunin Exams, then become a Chunin, then become a Jonin, and then become a great Ninja like Might Guy!”
His voice echoed in the forest, startling a few birds.
Sato Fan looked at him and suddenly felt a bit envious.
“Sato-kun!” Rock Lee turned and looked at him, “Although you aren’t participating in the Chunin Exams, you must continue to practice!
In case the warehouse is attacked by enemies one day, you must be able to protect yourself!”
“I will,” Sato Fan said.
“That’s good!” Rock Lee gave a thumbs up, “I will prove on the exam field that hard work can defeat genius!
I must let everyone see that Rock Lee is not a failure who only knows Taijutsu!”
His voice echoed in the forest with an unquestionable firmness.
Sato Fan stood up and patted the dirt off his pants.
“Then good luck,” he said.
“You too!” Rock Lee said, “No matter what position you are in, you must go all out!”
Sato Fan nodded.
“See you tomorrow!” Rock Lee waved.
“See you tomorrow.”
When Sato Fan walked out of the forest, the sky had already darkened.
The streetlights were on, illuminating the ground with a dim yellow light.
He walked home along the familiar road, his mind still savoring the sparring session just now.
A draw.
A draw with Rock Lee who was wearing weights.
He knew Rock Lee’s weights were at least several hundred jin, and he had been running with them tied to his legs for months.
If Rock Lee took off the weights, his speed would be at least several times faster, and he definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up.
But being able to fight to a draw now showed that he was no longer the “novice working behind closed doors” from a month ago.
Rock Lee’s normal strength was decent among Chunin, but his limitation was that he could only use Taijutsu.
However, the speed after taking off the weights definitely made up for the disadvantage.
After opening the first gate, he was evenly matched with Gaara.
If it weren’t for Gaara’s sand self-defense and sand armor, and Rock Lee lacked enough attack power to break through the defense, even if he knew a Morning Peacock back then, the outcome would have been uncertain.
What kind of level was Gaara?
He was definitely at the Jonin level during the Chunin Exams.
After the Chunin Exams, he supported and defeated Kimimaro.
Kimimaro, as someone who survived the siege of the Kazekage led by Orochimaru, was a normal elite Jonin, and his Cursed Seal state was probably a quasi-Kage level powerhouse.
If it weren’t for his bloodline disease, it would have been dangerous for both of them, but it also proved the power of Gaara and Rock Lee.
So his own strength, when benchmarked, could be considered mid-level among Chunin.
If he hadn’t met a retired Jonin like Old Tanaka, and then met a Taijutsu expert like Rock Lee to feed him moves, he would have been at most an elite Genin.
It showed how difficult it was for civilians to improve their strength.
Look at the others again: Sasuke had Chunin-level strength just by opening his eyes.
Naruto, once he blew up his potential, had no upper limit.
Among Chunin, few could handle his shadow clones, not to mention he still had the Nine-Tailed.
Even before learning the Rasengan, he had already beaten the genius Neji.
Only after learning to rub the ball (Rasengan) did Naruto become a powerhouse with high health and high attack.
Can’t afford to offend them, better keep a low profile!
Returning home, after eating dinner, Sato Fan went back to his room, took Old Tanaka’s combat notes from under his pillow, and turned to the last page.
On it was a sentence: “A Ninja’s life is worthless.
But if you prepare a little more than others, the probability of living a few more years will be a little higher.”
He read this sentence, closed the notebook, and placed it next to his pillow.
Outside the window, the moon had risen.
Silvery white light spilled onto the windowsill, shining on the old shoebox.
The shoebox contained more than 6,000 ryo in cash, which he had saved up from his previous visits to Granny Cat.
The 80,000 ryo worth of supplies were still sealed in the scroll, untouched.
He was waiting—waiting for the day of the Chunin Exams finals, waiting for the Konoha Crush Plan, waiting for the Village to descend into chaos.
By that time, these things could truly become his life-saving capital.