The three Grass Village Genin, who looked much older than typical exam participants, surrounded a weak, twelve-year-old female ninja. Their vile intentions were evident as they tore at her clothing, their laughter echoing in the clearing.
The girl struggled with all her strength to resist, but she was far too weak to fend off all three attackers. Tears streamed down her face as her shredded clothes exposed pale skin, her desperate cries drowned out by the mocking voices of her assailants.
"Hahaha! You can't escape!" sneered the scarred man, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. "Just give up already, little girl. Play nice, and maybe we'll let you live."
"Otherwise," added the bald ninja with a malicious grin, "we'll show you what real pain feels like."
"Do you know the worst thing that can happen to a female ninja on the battlefield?" the last man growled. "It's being captured by the enemy and tortured until death. If you cooperate, it'll at least hurt less."
"You… you're monsters! Disgraces to ninja!" the girl cried, panting as she tried to evade their grasp.
The scarred man only laughed. "The world of ninja has no place for weaklings like you. The strong survive, and the weak are crushed. No one will know what happened here today—except us."
The girl's eyes burned with fury as she whipped out a kunai, placing it to her neck. "You'll never have me! I'll die before I let you win!"
The bald ninja chuckled. "Oh, we don't mind. I've always preferred corpses."
Her resolve faltered, and the kunai slipped from her trembling fingers, clattering to the ground. She collapsed in despair, her wide eyes staring blankly at her tormentors as they approached with leering grins.
"Hey, you three cowards—let the girl go," came a voice from the trees, firm and clear like a bolt of lightning.
The three Genin from Grass Village froze mid-step, their predatory smirks vanishing. Their heads whipped toward the source of the voice, eyes narrowing in suspicion. This was no ordinary interruption—it carried an authority that set their nerves on edge.
"Who's there?" barked the man with a scar across his forehead. He gritted his teeth, panic bubbling beneath his anger. If word of their actions spread, it would disgrace their village beyond repair. They couldn't let anyone leave alive.
The weak female ninja on the ground turned her tear-streaked face upward, her trembling eyes catching a glimpse of her savior. Standing tall on a tree branch above was a young man with an unmistakable presence—strong, unyielding, and utterly fearless.
"It's him!" the girl gasped, her voice weak but filled with hope.
The young man leapt gracefully to the ground, his movements fluid and precise. He landed between the girl and the three Grass ninja, his stance calm but charged with power. His thick eyebrows furrowed as his piercing gaze swept over the situation.
"Don't worry," Rock Lee said gently, nodding at the girl. "You're safe now."
"Be careful," the girl, Hoshinoyuki, said shakily, her gratitude mixed with fear. "They're very strong."
Lee turned his sharp gaze to the Grass ninja, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "Strong?" he said, shaking his head. "Men in their twenties, still competing in the Chūnin Exams with teenagers? How strong can they be?"
The scarred man's face twisted with rage. "You little brat, how dare you—"
"I dare because you disgust me," Lee interrupted, his voice icy. "Preying on a defenseless girl. Scum like you have no place among ninja."
"You'll regret this!" snarled the bald man, his temper boiling over. Drawing a gleaming kunai from his belt, he charged at Lee with startling speed, his weapon aimed straight for Lee's chest.
"Be careful!" Hoshinoyuki cried out.
Lee didn't flinch. He stood perfectly still, watching the bald man's approach with unwavering eyes. Only when the kunai was inches from his chest did he move.
Quiet like a shadow, swift like lightning.
Lee's hand shot out, deflecting the kunai with a graceful yet powerful motion. Before the bald man could react, Lee's open palm connected with his face in a blur of motion.
"Slap!"
The sound echoed through the clearing. The bald ninja was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth as he tumbled across the ground. He finally stopped, coughing violently as teeth, one after another, spilled from his bloodied lips.
"Cough… cough…"
The bald man struggled to his knees, his face swollen and smeared with blood. His body trembled as he spat out another tooth, his confidence shattered as thoroughly as his jaw.
The scarred man and his companion exchanged nervous glances, their faces pale. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as a chilling realization sank in: this boy wasn't just strong—he was leagues beyond them.
Aiko's reaction was the opposite. Her chest heaved with emotion, her fear melting into awe. Her wide eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at Lee, her savior, standing tall and unwavering.