"Pff, too easy!" Lee scoffed, readily accepting his first task from the system and settling into a comfortable position—what seemed like a simple set of push-ups.
Ten push-ups? No problem!
In his past life, he had done far more, and judging by his memories, the original Rock Lee wasn't exactly weak either. He had pushed himself to the limit constantly. The kid was practically a masochist—if he couldn't master one exercise, the young shinobi-in-training would immediately move on to another, often collapsing from exhaustion by the end of the day.
But he never gave up. That was admirable!
It was just a shame...
In this harsh reality, something had clearly gone wrong with Lee's fate.
"Alright, no more dwelling on the past!" he cut off his own thoughts, purposefully knocking his forehead against the wooden floor. There was no point in wasting time brooding—what was done was done.
Then, he clenched his lips and forced a confident grin, the look of someone who wouldn't back down from his goal—to become a true martial arts master, or more precisely, a Taijutsu master.
Taking the push-up position, Rock Lee exhaled, but in the next moment, he felt an unbearable weight crash down on his back. It was as if a mountain had suddenly landed on him, topped with a massive block of ice, leaving his trembling arms barely able to hold his body up. His round eyes bulged in shock, and his thick black brows furrowed deeply.
"What the…? Does the system really throw insane challenges at you right from the start? Did someone cast some kind of... damn gravity jutsu on me?!" Lee was in genuine shock, managing only a single push-up—with immense difficulty, his teeth grinding from the strain.
After just a couple more, his arms went completely numb. His body refused to listen, screaming at him to surrender, to stop draining the last drops of his strength. The wooden floor beneath him creaked ominously under the pressure. But giving up? Was that even an option?
"I don't know what happens if I fail... but if there's a penalty, I definitely don't want to find out..." His thoughts slowed, breaking apart as he let out nothing but a guttural growl, his breath ragged.
It might have been easier if his chakra flowed more freely, giving him a boost of energy. But under the crushing force of enhanced gravity? He had no hope of using it effectively—not as a shinobi academy student, and certainly not as an inexperienced reincarnator with zero practice.
Reaching the eighth push-up, his vision blurred as sweat poured into his eyes, stinging them shut. His lungs burned, struggling to draw air. His muscles threatened to seize up, spasming under the brutal pressure. It felt as if his tendons would snap, his flesh would tear apart, spilling blood everywhere. Yet the fear of failure was an excellent motivator to keep pushing forward.
And just as he reached the final, fateful tenth push-up, a chilling thought crept into his mind...
If the system kept throwing even more hellish exercises at him, was he dooming himself? Would he end up the same way as the original Rock Lee? What was the point of this struggle? To feel proud for a moment, only to collapse and die from overexertion?
Maybe... he should just give up.
But—
"NO!" In that instant, something snapped inside him. Lee's round eyes flew open, glowing red from the sting of sweat. With a final, desperate surge of strength, he pushed his body up one last time, screaming from the depths of his soul:
"AAAAAARRRGHHH!"
And then, at last, the system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Hellish Exercise Completed!]
[Congratulations, User]
[You may now claim a Bronze Chest from your inventory]
"No bonus rewards... This system really is hellish and merciless... Just some push-ups, and yet... look at what they did to me..." Lee collapsed face-first into a pool of his own sweat, completely drained. Not only could he not sit up, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his head. He was utterly spent.
All he could do was lie there, basking under the sun, gasping for air—grateful that at least the unbearable pressure had finally lifted, allowing him to breathe again.
[Name: Rock Lee]
[Shinobi Rank: Academy Student]
[Health: 90%]
[Stamina: 5%]
[Chakra: 100%]
[Taijutsu Rank: C]
[Ninjutsu Rank: —]
[Genjutsu Rank: —]
[Inventory]
[Hellish Exercise List: 3]
"Hey, how's my boy doing?"
His peace was abruptly shattered by a loud, energetic voice. A man with shoulder-length black hair and round eyes—clearly inherited by his son—climbed through the open window. He wore the standard green flak jacket of a shinobi, a Leaf Village headband strapped proudly to his forehead, and his face bore a wide, goofy grin.
That is... until he noticed his son lying on the floor, half-dead from exhaustion.
"ROCK!"
In a panic, the man rushed over, flipping Lee onto his back and pulling him into a tight embrace. His face twisted into a tragic, comical expression, his voice on the verge of tears.
"Rock! I knew your insane training would get you into trouble, but... this is too much! Rock! Can you hear me? Say something, son!"
The over-the-top dramatics continued, complete with frantic shaking, until Lee mustered the strength to whisper hoarsely:
"Leave me... alone..."
"Oh! So you're fine! That's great!" The man immediately brightened, nodding enthusiastically as he set his son on his feet, finally releasing him. Lee barely managed to stand, swaying slightly.
"Rock Lee's father... Son Lee... In the anime, I don't think they ever showed him. Though to be fair, a lot of parents were left out..." Lee noted mentally, wiping the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his soaked kimono. Even so, dizziness still clouded his senses, and sleep tugged at his consciousness. The system status confirmed what he already felt—his twelve-year-old body had burned through a staggering 85% of its stamina from just one exercise.
Then again, what an exercise it was. Hellish, indeed.
"Alright... Rock, I understand your determination to follow in your father's footsteps, but... without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, even reaching Chunin rank will be an uphill battle. Jonin? Forget it. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
The father-son silence stretched for a moment before Son Lee finally voiced his thoughts. But Rock Lee remained quiet—not just from exhaustion, but because he wasn't sure how to interact with this man. He felt like a stranger, even though he supposedly held memories of him.
So, he simply nodded, though he took his so-called father's words with a grain of salt.
"They don't believe in me... But I have a Bronze Chest as a reward for completing my first exercise. I have no idea what's inside, but... maybe it will help me reach a level beyond just an academy student... At least, that's what I hope... Haha... A different world, a new life... It's all so ridiculous..."
Such conflicting thoughts swirled in Lee's mind as he braced himself for what lay ahead.