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Chapter 18: Guidance
"Is there a ninja like me who only knows taijutsu?"
As soon as he entered the noodle stall, Rock Lee asked impatiently, his face full of anxiety.
Having heard too many negatives, he desperately needed a predecessor—someone who only knew taijutsu like him but had successfully become a ninja.
"Of course, he can't just know taijutsu, but compared to ninjutsu and genjutsu, his ability to become a jōnin depends more on his achievements in taijutsu," Ryosuke answered while eating noodles. "Might Guy, a jōnin, calls himself the proud blue beast of Konoha and has a very high level of attainment in taijutsu."
"When he was young, he was just like you. Apart from his taijutsu, he was mediocre in ninjutsu and genjutsu. But now, he has become a famous jōnin in Konoha Village through his own efforts. Many ninjas of his generation are still at the chūnin or even genin level. Of course, some have stopped being ninjas."
"Jōnin?" When mentioning this unattainable word, Rock Lee's eyes were full of yearning, but soon he became disappointed. "But my talent in other aspects besides taijutsu is not just mediocre; it should be said that it is poor. I think I will never be able to learn ninjutsu in my lifetime. If I can't even learn the basic three-body technique, becoming a ninja is just a dream."
"How can you know if something is a dream if you haven't tried it?" Ryosuke replied. After a few sips, Ryosuke's bowl was empty. It's not that the portion of this bowl of noodles is too small, but in this ninja world, training is a very physically demanding activity. Over time, people here will have relatively larger appetites, especially families like the Hyūga clan, which focuses on physical skills.
"Boss, can I have another bowl of the same thing, please? How about you? Do you want another bowl?" Ryosuke asked, looking at Rock Lee next to him.
"No... no need," Rock Lee was already embarrassed to be treated, so he waved his hand and got back to business. "I've tried too many times. Since I realized I have no talent in other areas, I've focused on physical training. I try to fight different people every day, no matter the venue or whether they are in the same grade or not. I have challenged them all, but I have not won a single match so far. Every failure shakes my heart."
Smiling, Ryosuke took the freshly prepared bowl of ramen and asked doubtfully, "So... have you ever thought about giving up?"
"No," Rock Lee answered without even thinking, but quickly changed his words, "Not yet. I don't know if I can hold on and succeed if things go on like this."
"Then have you ever thought about finding yourself a teacher? If you rely solely on your own exploration, your chances of success are not high. But if someone is willing to guide your training, the progress will be completely different, and your chances of successfully becoming a ninja will be much greater," Ryosuke suggested.
"The teachers at school can't teach me anything about taijutsu. Wait... do you want me to go find Might Guy, a jōnin?" Originally, Rock Lee was going to say that there were no teachers in the Ninja Academy who were good at physical skills. All of them only knew the basic Konoha fluid techniques and therefore had no way of guiding him. But when he thought of the jōnin that Ryosuke had just mentioned, he quickly realized something.
"Every morning, before the sun rises, Might Guy will first practice for a while near the Forest of Death to warm up before starting the day's mission," Ryosuke explained. "But the Forest of Death is too dangerous for you now. There is an abandoned training ground next to it. You can wait for him there."
"As for Might Guy's specific appearance, he wears a green tights suit and has very thick eyebrows." Ryosuke was not afraid that his interference would prevent Might Guy from accepting Rock Lee as his apprentice. In addition to the personalities he learned about in the plot, Ryosuke also collected the personality traits of all the jōnin in the village through the Hyūga intelligence chain in real life. Might Guy's character is relatively straightforward, and he appears innocent among ninjas. Of course, he is only innocent towards his companions.
After having contact with Rock Lee until now, Ryosuke believed that as long as he showed Might Guy the strong part of his character, Might Guy would most likely guide his training for the sake of being from the same village. Becoming a disciple is just a matter of time.
Faced with the information he gave, Rock Lee hesitated for a moment, "Why... do you know so much? And why did you help me?" This chance encounter this afternoon, with this peer named Hyūga Ryosuke, gave him a wonderful feeling, as if everything was under his firm control. Including the fact that I would come here with him to eat noodles, and also that he would become interested in Might Guy, the jōnin.
"Don't doubt it, our meeting was just a coincidence, maybe it was fate," Ryosuke replied, as if he could see through Rock Lee's inner thoughts. "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Hyūga Ryosuke. I am a member of the Hyūga clan and the next head of the Hyūga family."
"The reason why I know so much about Might Guy is because I deliberately collected information about him. I am very concerned about his achievements in taijutsu. After all, our Hyūga clan is a family that focuses on taijutsu. As for why I should help you," Ryosuke paused and said, "We are just making friends. I have told you that I am very optimistic about your future. You may become a powerful ninja in the future."
Although there are many candidates for investment in the village, Ryosuke can only approach a few of them at his age. Most of the family members can be ruled out, whether it is Ino-Shika-Cho, Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba, or Aburame Shino. These people all have considerable status in their respective families and lack nothing. Excessively close friendships and deliberate contact are not good things for the Hyūga clan, so Ryosuke did not try to get to know them. The only suitable candidate for now is Rock Lee. He was born into a civilian family, and his talent was mediocre. In the eyes of others, he was so ordinary. It is better to provide timely assistance than to add icing on the cake. This is a good opportunity to invest.
After finishing the meal, Ryosuke said goodbye to Rock Lee. Today, my contact with him ends here. If I am too enthusiastic, it will make people feel uncomfortable.
When he got home, Hiashi was the only one in the house.
"Father," Ryosuke spoke respectfully.
"I heard from Hinata that you stayed in the Ninja Academy alone? Is there anyone you care about among that class of students?" Hinata Hiashi asked tentatively.
"There's a nice guy. I got to know him," Ryosuke nodded and didn't hide it. Hiashi didn't care that Ryosuke called students who were already in school "boys" even though he hadn't started school yet. In his heart, Ryosuke is no longer a child.
"If you need anything, you can always tell me,"Hiashi nodded, and did not ask who the person Ryosuke cared about was. Instead, he took responsibility for the price he might have to pay for making friends with this person.
(End of this chapter)
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