Kaito frowned as he watched Lee cry out in pain, trying to figure out what went wrong.
Helping Lee with the massage required controlling his Lightning Release chakra, which needed to be applied externally. This external application naturally made it much harder to control.
But with his improvements from practicing the Void State, his chakra control shouldn't have been that poor. Using himself as a reference, the effect on Lee shouldn't have been this lackluster.
So what exactly is different between his body and Lee's?
Lee's physical strength definitely surpasses his, there's no doubt about that. So the issue must be with chakra. Since it was Kaito's own chakra, maybe it simply couldn't effectively help Lee.
No, that shouldn't be the case. His Lightning Release chakra didn't even enter Lee's body before Lee cried out in pain.
So what's the reason? Kaito pondered, scratching his head. It was becoming clear that his knowledge was too limited, and he couldn't quite make sense of the situation.
Beyond physical differences, was there anything else separating him from Lee? Their bloodlines were certainly different, but both were still considered ordinary, neither inferior to the other.
Another major difference was that Lee couldn't use chakra. However, that also shouldn't matter—his massage shouldn't require any cooperation from Lee's chakra.
Kaito thought about it for a while, and his body once again began to generate small electric arcs. For him, these arcs didn't feel like much, but Lee instinctively took a step back, a natural aversion to the electricity.
Seeing Lee's reaction, Kaito paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He said, "Lee, come touch this and tell me how it feels."
Although Lee looked visibly nervous as he eyed the electric arcs, he trusted Kaito and believed he wouldn't harm him. Summoning his courage, he carefully touched the arcs for a brief second.
Lee immediately withdrew his hand.
"How does it feel?" Kaito asked.
"It hurts a little," Lee answered.
Hearing this, Kaito reached a conclusion—the issue must be with chakra affinity.
Kaito's natural chakra affinity included Lightning, which made his experience with it much more comfortable—even pleasurable. But despite Lee's superior physical strength, touching those electric arcs caused him pain. This suggested that Lee had no natural affinity for Lightning Release, leaving him more vulnerable to its effects.
That must be the reason, Kaito thought. He couldn't be completely sure, but it seemed highly likely.
"It's alright; I think it's because I can't use chakra," Lee said, trying to comfort Kaito. He thought Kaito was blaming himself and wanted to ease his worries.
"No, it's my fault," Kaito sighed.
"How could it be your fault? It's clearly my—" Lee started, but Kaito interrupted.
"It's my lack of precision in chakra control," Kaito admitted. If his chakra control were more refined, he might be able to channel a finer, gentler form of Lightning Release to help Lee.
That way, while it wouldn't be as effective as his own experience, it would certainly be more helpful than the current results.
In the end, it came down to his insufficient control over externally released chakra.
After thinking for a while, Kaito said, "How about this? I'll keep helping you every day, even if the effects are minimal. Plus, it'll give me an opportunity to practice my chakra control."
Lee stared at Kaito, his eyes glistening with tears. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Kaito, expressing his gratitude over and over.
"There's no need to thank me like this," Kaito said with a touch of exasperation. "I already told you, it helps me train as well." He tried to pull away but found himself unable to break free of Lee's surprisingly strong grip, feeling even more awkward.
But no matter what Kaito said, Lee didn't believe it. Even if it helped Kaito's training, that didn't mean Kaito had to help him. Lee was at a loss for how he could ever repay Kaito for his kindness.
Seeing Lee's reaction, Kaito could tell Lee hadn't fully absorbed his words. He didn't feel guilty, though—any amount of help, however small, was still worth offering.
With his remaining chakra, Kaito felt a bit conflicted. He had assumed it wouldn't be enough to even give Lee a proper Lightning Release massage, but here it was, still unused. "Well, I guess I'll head home a bit earlier today," Kaito said.
"Alright, I'll keep training for a bit longer," Lee replied earnestly.
Kaito knew Lee probably meant he'd continue for quite some time. Even so, there wasn't much more he could say about it, so he simply nodded and left the training field.
Some time later, as Lee was nearing the end of his own practice session, Might Guy happened to arrive, having finished his duties.
"Yo! Wrapping up today's training?" Guy called out, looking at the setting sun with satisfaction. He was pleased to see Lee's dedication.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee responded, his eyes lighting up as he saw his idol. From Kaito, he had learned just how incredible Guy was, the upper echelon of taijutsu—exactly what Lee aspired to be.
"By the way, did Kaito's massage work out for you?" Guy asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Lee's expression darkened a little. He was still too weak. Despite the help of both Kaito and Guy, he couldn't keep up.
Lee's voice was tinged with disappointment as he explained the situation to Guy.
"I see," Guy nodded thoughtfully. The more he thought about it, the less surprising it was. If it were really that simple, every Lightning Release user could use this method. It wouldn't have been a secret at all.
"Well, if shortcuts don't work, then it's time to redouble our efforts!" Guy said, his usual brilliant smile shining brightly. "We'll fill in the gaps with our hard work, passion, and youth! I believe you can do it, Lee!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee's eyes seemed to burst into flames, his fighting spirit ignited. Seeing Lee's determination only fueled Guy's enthusiasm.
"Guy-sensei! I have a question!" Lee shouted, his voice full of energy.
"Ask away!" Guy shouted back with equal fervor, the scene overly dramatic for what was a simple conversation—if Kaito had been there, he'd probably be rolling his eyes.
"I want to repay Kaito for helping me, but I don't know how. What should I do?"
Guy fell silent at that. He thought of Kaito and how remarkable the boy was. His talent was undeniable—Guy could see that it was on par with Kakashi's, or maybe even more so. On top of that, Kaito was far more hardworking. Competing with someone like that seemed almost impossible.
But! There are no impossibilities when it comes to youth!
"Are you prepared for what it takes?" Guy asked after a deep breath.
"I'm ready!"
"Even if it means risking harm to yourself?" Guy continued.
"Even if it means injury!"
"Then we'll add extra training sessions!" Guy said, looking at Lee as if he were seeing his own younger self. If someone like Lee wanted to catch up to a natural genius like Kaito, there was only one path—effort, effort, and more effort! He would have to push his body to the brink, and only then might he have a chance to surpass such a genius. This was Lee's only opportunity, and his sole path forward!
"Yessir!" Lee shouted passionately, as if new energy had coursed through his veins.
Meanwhile, Kaito, who had already returned home, knew nothing of these developments.