Wielding Nen in Naruto [Rock Lee SI]

[Fanfictionlord]

"Lee."

His head rang painfully as the sound echoed in his ears. It felt strangely familiar, though he could swear he had never heard it before. The language being spoken wasn't English either, but an otaku that he was, he instantly recognized it as Japanese.

"Rock Lee! We're in the middle of a spar! What are you spacing out for?!"

The voice rose in pitch, irritation leaking through each word. It stung his ears, pulling him forcefully toward awareness.

He forcefully opened his eyes, only to squint immediately as bright sunlight flooded his face all at once. His vision swam for a moment before settling. Only then did he scan his surroundings.

A boy stood across from him, no older than ten. He had long pale brown hair tied behind his head and stood upright, his features sharp in a way that felt unnatural for someone his age.

There were many things that stood out about him—his strange clothes, open-toed sandals, limbs wrapped in bandages, and lastly his somewhat impatient and annoyed expression as he looked at him—but the strangest part was his eyes.

They were pale.

Not white or gray, but pale lavender, with no visible pupil.

As the boy looked at him, he felt like he was staring through him instead of at him.

'What unique contact lenses,' he marveled. 'They almost look real.'

As he looked around, he realized he was standing in an open field. A faint circular boundary marked the ground around him, forming a ring.

Dozens of children, boys and girls around the same age as the pale-eyed boy, surrounded the ring, and he keenly noticed they all wore the same open-toed sandals as well. Not only that, the expressions they gave him were also quite similar—a mix of annoyance and impatience.

A short distance away stood a low building made of wood and plaster. Wide windows. Sliding doors. A long balcony running along the second floor.

'Where the hell am I?' he had absolutely no idea what was going on. The last thing he remembered was coming home from work when a speeding truck slammed into him and darkness enveloped his vision. He felt like that was the end for him—but the next instant, he woke up here.

As his gaze drifted downward, he coincidentally caught sight of his hands and froze.

'Wait… why are my hands so small!?'

Moreover, they looked quite rough. He could see callouses along the knuckles, across the palms, even at the edges of his fingers. His line of sigh was also lower than what he was used to.

Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of things that felt different. For starters, he was standing ramrod straight for once. There was no stiffness in his neck or the usual pain in the lower back from years of prolonged slouching. His vision was clearer than ever despite not wearing his glasses. His body felt lighter and stronger.

It was as if someone had hit factory reset on him and cleared every debuff he had accumulated over the years.

And yet—

Something felt off. Something very strange. If he had to describe it, It was like wearing someone else's clothes. They fit perfectly, even better than your own, but you can't shake the feeling that they aren't yours. The weight distribution felt unfamiliar. The way his muscles shifted under the skin felt foreign. Even his breathing rhythm wasn't the one he was used to.

"Pay attention, Lee," the voice said again. "I won't repeat myself."

He turned sharply toward the sound and saw a man standing just outside the ring.

Middle-aged. Broad shoulders. Straight-backed. He wore a green flak jacket over dark clothing, a forehead protector strapped securely across his brow. At the center of the metal plate was a leaf symbol engraved into it.

The man's eyes were sharp, gazing at him with a stern, slightly scrutinizing expression.

The look alone made his stomach twist.

Before he could process what was going on, words came out of his mouth automatically.

"S-sorry, Sensei."

The sound of his own voice startled him—not only because of how much higher it was than usual, but also how naturally it came out.

'Most importantly, who the fuck is Lee!?'

Moreover, how did he suddenly start speaking and understanding Japanese!?

The man gave a curt nod, taking it as confirmation.

"Alright then. Begin!"

His heart skipped a beat.

'Begin what?'

He didn't get the chance to ask.

The pale-eyed boy standing a few steps in front of him moved.

There was no warning. One moment the boy stood two steps away, and the next moment, he was right in front of him. He was swift, smooth, and efficient, like a trained fighter.

Lee's eyes widened.

'Too fast—!'

His brain short-circuited right then and there.

Should he move left? Right? Back? Jump? Block?

What the hell was he supposed to do?!

At the last second, his body seemed to sense his predicament and his arms somehow moved reflexively into a guard, elbows tucked, forearms raised against his chest.

But the boy's palm slipped past his defense with ease, prying it open like paper, and then—

Bang!

The palm strike slammed into his chest!

It felt like something detonated behind his ribs. The air was blasted out of his lungs in an instant.

He was sent stumbling backward, feet scraping against the dirt before he lost balance entirely and fell flat on his back.

"H—hk—"

His chest tightened painfully, like someone had dropped a slab of concrete on top of it. He opened his mouth to breathe, but only a thin, broken gasp came out.

'What the hell was that?!' Anger flared in his heart. 'Who just attacks like that without warning?'

So what if he was good at fighting—could he just attack anyone as he wished? Or Did he himself look like a pushover?

He wasn't the one to brag, but he had broken quite a few noses back in high school. He swore once he got up, he would put the little shit in his place.

'Huh?" His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as all of a sudden, a dull ringing filled his ears. His first though was to link it to the impact from the fall, only if it didn't grew louder by the second.

"What's… happening…?"

Just then, he felt something else stir in his head.

Something was coming.

At first, it was faint.

Then it came crashing down all at once.

"Arghh!"

He grabbed his head tightly, letting out a pained cry as a splitting headache hit him.

Images kept flashing through his mind.

His life in Konoha. Academy lessons. Being told he had no talent for ninjutsu. No aptitude for genjutsu either. The sting he felt at the revelation. Training grounds. Striking wooden posts until his knuckles split. Endless running. Falling. Getting back up. The unyielding drive to improve through pure effort.

Countless memories that weren't his flooded his mind without warning.

He layed there on the ground, breathing heavily, staring up at the blue sky.

He understood it now. He had died and then… crossed over to the Naruto world… as Rock Lee.

Moreover, he could be sure this wasn't some dream. The memories were too detailed and consistent for it to be one, stretching back years. He didn't feel like someone borrowing them, but like someone who had always had them. It was as if his past had just expanded.

The strange sense of discomfort that had been gawning at him had completely disappeared. The body...it felt like it was his own now.

'What? Again!?'

Before he could go on an endless rant on how absolutely absurd all of this was, he felt something inside him stir again. But this time, it wasn't in his head.

It started as a faint warmth in his chest, then spread quickly—like a current moving without direction—through his arms, legs, neck, until his entire body felt like it was tingling under the skin. Then it slipped away outward.

It didn't hurt. But it felt dangerous. Not in an immediate way. It was more like realizing you were bleeding without seeing the wound and his instincts screamed at him to quickly stop it..

Without thinking, Lee focused inward.

He imagined pulling everything back toward himself. Holding it close. Not letting it escape.

The warmth resisted him, pushing outward harder, like water against a cracked wall. Lee gritted his teeth and forced his attention tighter, visualising it wrapping around his body like a barrier.

He didn't even know what he was trying to do to be honest. He just followed his instincts. But It proved to be effective as slowly, the warmth began to settle. A faint, skin tight shroud seemed to wrap around him like an invisible second layer, keeping the warmth contained and stable.

It even seemed to augment his body in some way, especially his endurance. He could feel it. A grace of the keen awareness he had of his body, inherited from Rock Lee, which he had developed after countless hours spent on physical conditioning.

After things stabilized, Lee let out a breath he realised he was holding in.

"Lee?"

A shadow fell over him.

"Lee, what happened?" Akira asked, crouching beside him. The strictness from earlier was gone, replaced with clear concern.

Neji had stepped closer as well, standing a short distance away. His brows were furrowed slightly, pale eyes fixed on Lee's face, which looked even paler.

"Sensei…" Lee tried to respond, uttering a single word before the tension he'd been holding snapped all at once and his vision blurred.

Then his eyes rolled back, and everything went black.

Akira kneeled down beside him. "Lee! Can you hear me?"

Neji stiffened. "Did I—"

"No," Akira cut him off. "It's not that."

He lifted Lee carefully. "Class dismissed. I'm taking him to the infirmary."

Neji watched silently as he carried Lee away, a faint crease forming between his brows.

'Did I hit him too hard?' he thought, clenching his fist. He wondered if he should have held back a little.

 

[To-be-hero-X]

Moment I see Rock Lee fic I immediately hit watch

 

[Kolarthecool]

Woo, Lee Number 2!! ️ (Gai is of course Number 1)

 

[To-be-hero-X]

Woo, Lee Number 2!! ️ (Gai is of course Number 1)

Click to shrink...

Smh guy is indeed number one but he retired it's passing the torch to the new future number one it's called legacy

 

[Kolarthecool]

Smh guy is indeed number one but he retired it's passing the torch to the new future number one it's called legacy

Click to shrink...

As if retirement stops the Blue Beast from sitting in the number one position!! Till the day he dies Gai is #1, Rock Lee #2 and Metal Lee slowly inching his way to #3.

Heck, knowing the pure land exists and is escapable by some Uchiha scrubs, death may not even change those ranks.

 

[To-be-hero-X]

As if retirement stops the Blue Beast from sitting in the number one position!! Till the day he dies Gai is #1, Rock Lee #2 and Metal Lee slowly inching his way to #3.

Heck, knowing the pure land exists and is escapable by some Uchiha scrubs, death may not even change those ranks.

Click to shrink...

Will all can honestly say I respect you for your YOUTH passion and your loyalty and devotion for mighty guy respect man

 

[Uthalem]

Honestly anything involving HxH is pretty rare so I will be watching to see more
Thanks for the chapter

 

[Fanfictionlord]

As Lee woke up, a plain white ceiling greeted him. Sunlight filtered in through a window to his side, casting a warm rectangle across the floor.

"Damn it…"

He felt like absolute shit.

His head throbbed dully, making it hard to think clearly. His limbs felt heavy and sluggish, and a faint weakness enveloped his whole body, reminding him of that one time he had pushed himself too far during a marathon to impress a girl back in college.

He turned his head slightly, surveying his surroundings.

The room he was in was small but clean. Two simple beds were placed parallel to each other, separated by a low curtain. Cabinets lined one wall, neatly stocked with jars, folded cloth, and medical supplies. A faint medicinal scent lingered in the air.

"Infirmary?" Lee muttered. His voice sounded muffled even to his own ears. "…Makes sense."

He genuinely felt like he was about to die earlier. Like his life essense was draining out of him, except he didn't feel the pleasure that usually came with it.

Just recalling that sensation sent a chill through him.

Lee hesitated for a second, then closed his eyes and diverted his attention inward, attempting to check if he could still sense that warmth.

The next moment, he froze.

The warmth was still there. And it was still leaking!

Feeling how thinner it was than before, it didn't take a genius to realize what had happened.

It should have been drifting out of his body while he was unconscious!

Lee's expression darkened. No wonder he felt so horrible upon waking up. This thing should to be tied to his body in some way.

Without wasting another second, he instinctively used the same method he had earlier. He gathered his focus and visualised it tightly wrapping around himself, hugging the escaping warmth close to his skin—like forming an invisible shroud around his body.

The effect was immediate.

The outward flow stopped, settling beneath his skin instead of bleeding away. Only then did Lee let out a quiet sigh of relief.

More than that, he could faintly feel it beginning to recover. The pace was pitfuly slow, but as long as it could return to its previous level, Lee wouldn't complain. What he truly feared was the possibility that the loss was permanent and he would have to live out his second life in this exhausted state, like he had contracted some chronic illness. That would have been a nightmare.

The only downside was that maintaining the shroud required active focus.

He sighed softly.

He hadn't even fully processed the whole transmigration thing yet. And he was already dealing with something like this.

It seemed his rotten luck had followed him across worlds too.

And according to the memories he had inherited from Rock Lee, this warmth was not chakra. It was something else entirely. As for his actual chakra, it had completely vanished without a trace. He couldn't sense even a wisp of it inside his body. It was as if the entire system had been wiped clean.

However, he wasn't an otaku for nothing. Lee had a speculation. A very bold speculation. But if it was true, that would insane.

"Whatever…"

Lee exhaled softly.

There was an easy way to test his suspicion.

As maintaining the shroud gradually became less demanding, Lee carefully loosened his grip just a little—not enough to let it slip, just enough that it stopped feeling like he was clenching his teeth nonstop.

Only then did he slowly open his eyes and lean back against the bed.

A lot had changed in less than a day.

He didn't know what was coming next, and honestly, thinking too far ahead would just stress him out. But just knowing the fact that he had transmigrated in a fucking anime was enough to give him existential crisis.

Was this even real? Or was he being used as some sort of entertainment by some diety?

There were too many questions in his mind.

Creak!

Just then, the infirmary door slid open, the sound almost causing him to lose focus!

His breath hitched, the warmth inside him stirring in response. Lee quickly tightened his awareness, putting the crumbling shroud back in place.

Only after making sure it had stabilized he look toward the door. There was a flash of irritation in his eyes. The timing really couldn't have been worse. But he quickly reined it in upon seeing who it was.

Akira-sensei.

Their homeroom teacher at the Ninja Academy. Also the one who should have brought him to the infirmary in the first place.

The chūnin was in charge of most of their class's core subjects. He was known for being strict in his teachings, but from Rock Lee's memories, it was evident the man cared quite a lot about his students. Atleast, he felt that way.

Despite performing terribly in every subject except taijutsu since enrollment, Akira-sensei had never once failed Lee. Ofcourse, there was no such thing as free lunch. There was a condition. Every year, Lee had to defeat one of the top ten ranked students in taijutsu during assessment to prove his worth.

For this, Original Lee had nothing but gratitude for the man. Without him, he would most likely still be stuck in the first grade.

While carefully maintaining the shroud, Lee shifted slightly on the bed and tried to sit up straighter. "Akira-sensei."

"It's fine," Akira said, waving a hand as he walked over. "Don't move too much. You're supposed to be resting. I've already spoken to the medic-nin. Your body is showing clear signs of chakra exhaustion."

Lee feigned an enlightened expression.

Chakra exhaustion? If only that were true.

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly. "I also sensed a sudden discharge of chakra from you earlier. It flared out abruptly. Did your chakra go out of control?"

Lee paused for a moment, thinking carefully.

Should he tell him about the warmth?

'Nah.' He shut that idea down almost immediately. Better to keep it to himself for now. He didn't even understand what it was yet. Blurting it out would just invite questions he couldn't answer.

Having watched the anime, he knew Konoha wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Lot of unethical and inhumane things happened under the rug. The concept of the nail that sticks out its head too much gets hammered down wasnt foreign to him. There was one particular mummified rat he had to be absolutely careful of.

'What an irony though.' He used to mock those protagonists in transmigration novels who hide their abilities, playing weak while secretly overpowered. He'd always thought it was forced just for the convenience of the plot. And now? Put in their shoes, wasn't he doing the exact same thing?

Lee fell silent for a second, quietly weighing his response, before shaking his head. "I… don't really know how it happened, sensei. One moment everything was fine, and the next it started acting...strangely."

Akira hummed thoughtfully. "Chakra is closely tied to physical and mental state. Sudden fluctuations aren't unheard of, especially under stress."

He studied Lee for a second before continuing. "I know you train harder than most students in your class. Possibly harder than all of them. But don't neglect your health while you're at it. It'll do more harm than good."

Lee nodded. "I understand, sensei. I'll be more careful from now on."

Silence settled over the room for a moment.

"Lee," Then Akira spoke again, his voice a little more serious this time. "There's something we need to discuss."

Lee straightened slightly, catching a hint of graveness in his tone. "…Please, go ahead, sensei."

"You're aware that the end-of-semester exams are in two months, correct?"

"Of course," Lee replied. How could he not know about it? The fear of failing had made the original almost double his training intensity over the last few weeks.

Since they were in their final year, these exams weren't just about grades or class ranking; their result also determined if they were ready to graduate from the academy or not. Passing meant becoming a genin and being assigned to a squad. Failing meant staying for another year.

Akira studied him for a moment before speaking plainly. "Then I'll be blunt. As things stand right now, I don't believe it would be wise for you to graduate this year."

Lee's heart skipped a beat.

Akira continued without pause. "Originally, you were admitted into the Academy despite lacking talent in ninjutsu and genjutsu because there are precedents of exceptional taijutsu specialists who later went on to become outstanding ninja."

He crossed his arms. "However, while your taijutsu is solid, it isn't exceptional yet. Not to the degree that it can compensate for your other weaknesses."

"Any of the students in the top three ranking in your class could defeat you in spars," Akira said frankly. "Which is why I recommend you delay graduation and take another year to refine your fundamentals."

He added calmly, "And It will not be recorded as a failure. So you don't have to worry about it damaging your record either."

Lee's expression darkened. Another bombshell. Just how many will he get today,

'Damn it!' He cursed inwardly. This was bad.

His thoughts were already racing.

Another year.

If he had transmigrated into literally anyone else, he would have accepted that without complaint. He would even prefer it. It would give him more time to adapt to his situation and explore the unknown thing in his body.

That would've been ideal.

But he wasn't anyone else.

He was Rock Lee.

Right now, he genuinely wasn't a match for the top students. There was a reason Akira never matched him against them during assessments.

All of them were from ninja clans.

There was no need to say anything about Neji. The other two were from the Inuzuka clan and the Akimichi clan, respectively. They all had their clan's own advanced taijutsu and likely received regular guidance from senior ninjas.

And him?

A civilian kid who just trained harder than others. A slightly stronger body from relentless conditioning and a bit of natural instinct for taijutsu. That was it. No advanced techniques. No clan support. The only things he knew were the basics taught in the academy.

You can't win with just effort if the other side has both effort and resources.

As the saying went, even the best chef cannot cook without ingredients.

But as someone who knew the plot, he knew everything would change once he graduated and joined Might Guy's squad!

Only that man could make his talent truly bloom!

If he delayed now, there was no guarantee he'd ever be placed on Guy's team. Squad assignments weren't destiny. They were paperwork and timing. One small change was enough to derail everything.

Lee clenched his fist beneath the blanket.

Countless thoughts surged through his mind.

Taking a slow breath, careful not to disrupt the invisible shroud around him, Lee shifted slightly and bowed his head.

"Sensei," he spoke loudly, gathering every ounce of determination he could muster. "Please… give me another chance!"

If he was in this body, then he would act like Lee.

Lee didn't quietly accept being told he wasn't good enough. He trained harder, latching onto every opportunity to prove himself.

"I won't waste it," he said with blinding resolve. "I'll show you I'm ready!"

He didn't know yet how he was going to pull it off. But giving up wasn't an option.

 

[To-be-hero-X]

My boy going on training Arc also it's ironic him losing chakra doesn't effect him at all since Lee barely has any nen is literally perfect for someone like Lee

 

[chaiMat]

So…enhancer, yes?

 

[Shooter]

I forgot many thing's about nen
Maybe incorporate some fantasy martial art

 

[Fanfictionlord]

I forgot many thing's about nen
Maybe incorporate some fantasy martial art

Click to shrink...

Don't worry. I'll explain everything.

 

[Fanfictionlord]

So…enhancer, yes?

Click to shrink...

You're in for a surprise

 

[chaiMat]

You're in for a surprise

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah, forgot to ask, but will Lee learn the Seven Heavens breathing method? It uses no chakra and is a discount Total Concentration Breathing method. Or maybe he'll just make his own TCB?

 

[Fanfictionlord]

Oh yeah, forgot to ask, but will Lee learn the Seven Heavens breathing method? It uses no chakra and is a discount Total Concentration Breathing method. Or maybe he'll just make his own TCB?

Click to shrink...

Maybe

 

[Fanfictionlord]

At Lee's words, Akira—who had been standing near the foot of the bed—paused mid-step and turned fully to face him. His expression, however, remained unchanged.

Lee continued firmly "I don't want to fall behind. I want to graduate with everyone else and stand on the same starting line. I want to defeat Neji!"

For a moment, Akira simply looked at him.

"Lee," he said at last, in his usually flat tone, "you're misunderstanding me." He lowered his arms, letting them rest at his sides. "I'm not failing you."

Lee's fingers twitched.

"As I've already told you," Akira continued, "this isn't a punishment. It's a precaution. The Academy exists to prepare children to survive as ninja. Sending someone into the field before they're ready helps no one—not you, and not the squad you'd be assigned to."

He shook his head once. "And this wasn't only my decision. The principal agrees with me."

For a split second, surprise flickered across Lee's face.

The principal?

The word felt… wrong.

From what he remembered, the Ninja Academy didn't function like an ordinary school. There was administration, sure, but the highest authority was largely symbolic. There wasn't a true principal in the usual sense, though the position was nominally held by the Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen?

Lee swallowed.

If the Hokage was paying attention to this, then things were far more serious than he'd thought.

Still, backing down wasn't an option.

The Ninja Academy's yearly assessment consisted of two main parts: theoretical and practical. The former was self-explanatory. The latter tested ninjutsu—primarily the three basic body techniques—and taijutsu through sparring.

Taijutsu wasn't a problem. The written exam wasn't either. The old Lee had struggled with it, yes, but that didn't mean he would. His years of higher education hadn't been for nothing.

Ninjutsu, however, was another matter entirely.

It wasn't that he lacked intelligence. Once chakra left his body, it simply refused to behave. It moved unpredictably, slipping out of his control as if rejecting him outright. It felt less like a skill issue and more like a flaw in his physique itself. If he had to guess, Might Guy probably suffered from something similar, just less severe than him.

And now?

Now he didn't even have chakra!

Lee didn't know if he would even be able to learn the Eight Gates like in the original series anymore!

To put it simply, whether it was this year or the next, he couldn't graduate the conventional way. The only path forward was through Akira-sensei's support—just as it always had been—and the Hokage's leniency, mercy, or whatever form that approval took.

Lee let out a slow breath, steadying himself. He lifted his head and met Akira's gaze, his eyes clear and unwavering.

"Even so, sensei" he said firmly, "I still want to graduate."

Akira studied him in silence, looking at his eyes gleaming with determination. Almost imperceptibly, the corner of his mouth curled upward.

"You really are stubborn," he remarked plainly.

Lee didn't respond.

Akira turned his head slightly, staring at the cabinets lining the wall as if organizing his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was lower.

"Alright," he said. "If you want a chance, I'll give you one."

"I've never let you pass purely out of sympathy. Every inch you gained here, you earned through your own hard work. This time will be no different. Don't expect any leniency or preferential treatment from me or the principal."

The words settled heavily in the air.

"I understand," Lee said at once.

"It's the same as your yearly assessment. But since it's graduation, it's only fair that we set the bar a bit higher, right?"

The corner of Akira's libs curved slightly as he continued, "You just have to defeat one of the students ranked in the top three in taijutsu."

Lee's breath hitched almost imperceptibly.

Top three.

Didn't that mean Neji… and the others?

Lee clenched his jaw. That was… difficult. But in the end, he still nodded heavily.

"And," Akira continued, "you must pass the written portion. And I mean not barely scrape by. Pass."

Lee nodded again. That one was acceptable.

"If you succeed," Akira said, "I'll acknowledge that your taijutsu is exceptional enough to compensate for your lack of ninjutsu. If you fail—" He didn't finish the sentence.

He didn't need to.

Lee absorbed the conditions in silence. They were harsh and as it stood, he had absolutely no confidence in fulfilling the first one. But what other option did he have? He had to accept it anyway.

"I won't disappoint you," he managed to mutter at last.

Akira watched him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "I hope not."

After a brief silence, Lee spoke again.

"Sensei," he said hesitantly "I have another request."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "You're pushing your luck now lee."

"I know," Lee admitted with a faint, wry smile. "But I still need to ask."

"…Go on."

"I want a month of leave from the Academy."

Akira's brow furrowed. "A month? For what?"

"To train for the assessment," Lee replied without hesitation.

Akira stared at him.

"A month is a long time," he said slowly. "And your body—" his gaze flicked briefly to Lee's chest, "—isn't in ideal condition right now."

"I'll be careful," Lee said. "But if I want to even have a shot at defeating any of those three guys, I need time. Real time. Not just after classes. If I keep training the way I have been, nothing will change."

Silence stretched between them.

Akira's fingers tapped lightly against his arm. Seconds passed. Finally, he sighed.

"…Alright," he said. "Leave granted."

Lee's head snapped up.

"But," Akira added sharply, "don't overdo it. I don't want to hear from anyone you've injured yourself."

"I understand," Lee said earnestly.

Akira studied his face one last time, then nodded. "Rest today. You'll be discharged by evening."

He turned and walked toward the door, pausing only once.

"Lee," he said without turning back. "I have high expectations for you. Don't disappoint me."

"…Also. You seem to be holding something back" Akira said in a flat, almost clinical tone.

"The medic only advised you not to move excessively. That doesn't extend to suppressing even basic bodily functions. There's a restroom at the end of the corridor specifically for patients if you didn't know. Go and take care of it. It's unhealthy to hold it for too long. Remember, control is important but so is to know when to let go."

With that, he walked out with heavy steps and closed the door shut.

The room fell silent.

Lee started at the door blankly, unable to react for a second before his face twitched uncontrollably.

He was, of course, maintaining the shroud the entire time. He'd thought he was subtle. He hadn't expected Akira-sensei to notice.

"But this interpretation—"

Letting out a sigh a sigh, he decided not to think about it anymore. There was were more important things to ponder at hand.

For example, how to pass the graduation assessment.

He had a month and only one chance.

If the thing inside his body turned out to be what he speculated, then it might make him or break him.

"…Is this what they call a hellish start?" Lee truly wondered.

 

[Fanfictionlord]

After a few hours of enforced rest, Lee was finally discharged from the infirmary.

"No strenuous activity for the rest of the day," the medic warned sternly, her arms crossed. "No chakra usage either. And if you start feeling dizzy or weak again, you come straight back."

"Understood, ma'am." Lee nodded obediently, then hurried out of the ward while keeping his shroud firmly in place.

It had broken several times during his stay, and only once had it been from losing focus. The rest of the times, he had loosened it voluntarily.

He couldn't help it. Maintaining it took constant mental effort, like clenching a muscle that was never meant to stay tense for long.

The strain kept building up, and when it became unbearable, he had no choice but to let go.

The longest he had managed to hold it in one stretch was around forty minutes before he began to feel a dull ache in his head, forcing him to release it.

Every time the shroud dropped, a sudden chill would wash over him. If he had to describe that feeling, it was like being stripped naked in the middle of winter. It was very strange and uncomfortable.

Still, the amount that leaked out was tiny compared to how quickly it regenerated.

After more than five hours of rest, Lee felt like he had mostly recovered. The warmth had more or less returned to its original volume. If anything, it felt slightly greater than before.

The lingering weakness that had plagued him since waking up was gone as well. But it was replaced by something equally unbearable instead.

Hunger.

An overwhelming, brutal hunger.

It was so intense that Lee could feel his stomach twisting painfully. His body felt emptied out, as if he had been starving for days, and it urgently demanded fuel. This was also why he was in such a hurry to reach home and get something to eat.

This also confirmed his earlier suspicion. Whatever the warmth was, its recovery drew on his physical reserves.

...

Stepping outside the Academy gates, the evening sun greeted him. It hung low in the sky, its golden light slanting across the village streets. Shadows stretched long and thin beneath people's feet, overlapping and shifting as the crowd moved.

Konoha was still bustling with activity.

Most shops were open, though some vendors were already packing up for the day. A man grilled skewers over a small stand, smoke drifting lazily into the air. Civilians walked past in groups, talking quietly or laughing, children trailing behind them.

Lee slowed without realizing it.

His gaze lifted, drifting toward the mountainside, and he saw four massive faces carved into the stone.

They looked so... real.

Not at all cartoonish the way they were in anime frames. The lines were sharper. The scale heavier. Standing beneath them made Lee feel small.

Honestly, he was small. He wasn't even twelve yet.

Lee looked at everything with the curiosity of a child as he walked toward his home, following the familiar route that surfaced in his mind naturally from Rock Lee's memories.

As he moved farther from the Academy district, the surroundings changed. The roads became narrower. The noise dropped by a notch. Shops gave way to modest houses. This part of the village felt more lived-in.

A few more turns later, Lee stood in front of a single-story house with wooden walls and a slanted roof of faded tiles.

Nothing about it stood out. It was plain and modest, but as one of the only things left behind by his deceased parents, the original Lee treasured it quite a bit.

Yes, deceased.

There was no mention of Lee's parents in the original series. Maybe precisely because they had long been dead.

His mother, according to what little he knew, was a medical ninja. She died giving birth to him.

After that, he lived with his father—a civilian merchant. Though "lived" might have been generous. The man was rarely ever home, always traveling between towns across the Land of Fire to sell his goods.

When Lee was seven, he never returned from one of his trips. Whether he died or abandoned him was never confirmed, though the original Lee believed it was the latter. He personally leaned toward the former.

After that, Lee basically lived alone.

As an orphan, he got a monthly allowance from the village.

Five thousand ryo.

Not much. Just barely enough to afford three meals a day.

"What a shitty life," Lee muttered under his breath.

Though on second thought, it wasn't particularly tragic either. After all, this was the ninja world, a place where children barely seven were sent to battlefields to fight in wars.

Naruto next door couldn't even buy groceries without being ridiculed, and his father and mother had been the village's heroes.

Compared to that, Lee almost felt ridiculous for complaining.

Stifling a chuckle, he pulled the key from the locket around his neck, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

His eyes moved slowly over the apartment.

A single couch was pressed against one wall, with a low dining table set neatly in front of it. Beyond that sat a compact kitchen, barely more than a counter and stove. In the far corner, a closed door led to the bedroom.

Small and neat.

That was the best way to describe it. Everything inside had a clear purpose. There was no clutter or any decorations. Just the bare minimum needed to live. Basically tailor-made for Lee, who spent most of his time training outdoors.

The apartment, in a sense, was just a place to sleep and recover for him.

"—Ghhrrk."

A loud, sharp growl echoed from his stomach.

Lee paused, then pressed a hand against his abdomen with a wince.

"…Okay, okay, I hear you."

He made his way straight to the refrigerator and pulled the door open.

The sight inside was… something he had expected, but it still disappointed him quite a bit.

A crate of eggs. A loaf of bread that was a day away from expiring. And... that was it. No vegetables. No meat. Not even milk.

Apparently, Rock Lee wasn't much of a cook. Most days, he lived on ramen or instant noodles. Cooking anything more complicated usually felt like a waste of time better spent training.

"How did he even survive like this?" Lee was genuinely baffled.

Given Rock Lee's absurd training intensity, it was hard to believe he had been living off food with almost no nutritional value. Anyone else would have collapsed long ago.

For a brief moment, he even wondered if he was secretly an Uzumaki or a Senju in disguise.

Only they could possess such an exaggerated physique!

Regardless, takeout noodles clearly wouldn't cut it today.

From what he could tell, his body had converted everything into fuel for that warmth. If he wanted to recover properly, he needed real nutrition.

"…Looks like I'm stuck with my own cooking after all." With a resigned sigh, he grabbed the eggs and bread and moved to the counter.

Stove on.

Pan out.

A bit of oil.

Eggs cracked, sizzling softly as they hit the surface. He flipped them carefully, layered them between slices of bread with practiced efficiency.

A few minutes later, he sat at the table with a steaming egg sandwich in his hands.

He took a large bite without hesitation, not even caring when the heat burned his mouth.

It tasted bland. It was just eggs, bread, and a bit of salt for seasoning after all, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers. Besides, the eggs had protein, just what his body needed right now.

One was, of course, not enough. He finished it in seconds and then stood up and made another one.

Then another.

Then another.

By the time he stopped, he had unknowingly devoured eight sandwiches.

Lee leaned back slightly, patting his bulging belly with a content expression on his face.

That damned hunger was finally gone. Moreover, his body felt slightly lighter and steadier. Even maintaining the shroud was noticeably less taxing than before.

After lying half-dead on the couch for a while, he forced himself up and returned to the kitchen.

When he came back, he was holding a glass filled with water. He placed it carefully on the table, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the leaf he had tucked away from the academy before departing.

He dropped it into the glass, watching it float on the surface.

Now that everything had settled—

It was time for the moment of truth.

Lee wrapped his fingers around the glass and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he focused inward like he had done before.

The warmth pulsed faintly beneath his skin. Compared to earlier, it felt calmer and more cooperative by a margin. The shroud held it in place, guiding it along a closed circuit through his body, neither leaking nor flaring.

Lee didn't dwell on it and dug deeper, looking for something.

This kind of introspection would have been impossible in his previous life, but here, it was part of the basics. Whether it be sensing, refining, or outputting chakra, all required a shinobi to look inward. Even he, who couldn't use ninjutsu, had done it countless times.

Minutes passed by with no findings.

Just as Lee was starting to wonder if he had guessed wrongly, he felt something stir in his consciousness!

'Found it!' His focus latched onto it, afraid that it would slip away. It was some sort of node. He could only sense it vaguely, but what mattered was that it slowly spilled out warmth in a steady stream into his body, like water from an opened spout.

Moreover, he felt like he could interact with it.

Close it to stop the warmth from flowing altogether.

Or—

He could open it wider.

"A valve?" Lee whispered.

Carefully, he expanded his awareness further, sweeping through his body with renewed intensity. Almost immediately, he found another similar valve. Then another.

Before long, he found a vast network of them scattered throughout his body, each releasing warmth in a controlled stream, all feeding into the larger circulation restrained by the shroud.

The discovery only made him more certain of his earlier speculation.

'Only one way to find out for sure,' he thought, as a quiet tension settled in his chest. If he messed this up, he might end up in a ditch, but he really needed answers right now.

'No pain, no gain.'

Drawing in a deep breath, he reached for the valves and willed them to open wider!

He held his breath, ready to respond to any situation, but... nothing happened.

'Was I too soft?' Lee wondered blankly. Then he tried again, focusing harder this time.

Still nothing.

His lips thinned. 'Fine.'

He no longer coaxed but bore down with all his will and violently wrenched at the valves!

The response was immediate.

The valves snapped wide open, and a violent surge of warmth exploded from within him!

It felt like a dam cracking!

Lee couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath as a flood of heat roared through his body. His skin prickled violently, as if thousands of ants were crawling beneath it.

Then the flood slammed into the shroud.

"Crap!"

Lee could instantly feel fractures spreading across it!

For a split second, panic took over him, and he almost considered willing the valves to shut, but somehow managed to stop himself.

'Can't give up at the last moment!' he told himself.

Since he had taken risks, he had to see it to the end!

Gritting his teeth, Lee forced his focus outward, pouring every ounce of his will into stabilizing the shroud.

The cracks resisted at first… then, slowly, they began to mend. But the pressure didn't ease. Instead, the shroud started to swell.

It pushed outward, stretching past the boundary of his skin, distorting the space around him. The air thickened, growing dense and heavy, expanding millimeter by millimeter.

Lee felt like he was submerged in warm syrup. His body felt stronger than ever.

Under normal circumstances, he would have found the sensation rather comfortable, if not for the fact that maintaining it right now felt like trying to hold up a collapsing mountain with nothing but his mind.

It was too much. The strain was already beginning to catch up to him. His head was ringing with sounds he had never heard before. But he held on through sheer will. He had always been a stubborn person, and inheriting Lee's memories bolstered that trait even more.

Time stretched, warped into something unbearable.

Seconds felt like hours.

After what felt like an eternity, Lee finally hit his limit. With what last bit of strength he had left, he reached inward and forced the valves shut.

They slammed closed, and the pressure disappeared in an instant. And he meant all of it. He couldn't feel any warmth circulating in his body anymore, meaning he didn't have to maintain the shroud either, which was undoubtedly good news for him.

Letting out a long, shaky breath, Lee slumped back onto the couch. His body felt sore, and his mind felt drained. A bit of rest was much appreciated. He was even willing to overlook the naked and defenseless feeling that came with not having the shroud for that.

After catching his breath for a while, Lee finally opened his eyes and glanced at the table.

At the glass.

The moment he saw it, his breath caught in his throat.

The water level... had risen. And not just slightly.

It had overflowed the rim of the glass entirely, spilling across the table and forming a small puddle beneath it.

Lee stared at it.

"It's really aura..." he muttered.

In Hunter x Hunter's water divination test, enhancement-type nen caused the volume of the water to increase.

That was all the confirmation Lee needed. He had transmigrated into Naruto with aura from Hunter x Hunter instead of chakra.

Everything clicked into place.

The warmth he felt inside his body should be aura.

The shroud that contained it should be Ten.

Those valves scattered throughout his body should be his aura nodes.

Opening them wider to release more aura should be Ren.

And when he forced them shut completely, that should be Zetsu.

Lee leaned back against the couch, his mind spinning.

He had expected the test to confirm something, but actually seeing the proof right in front of him still felt unreal.

A power system from another world entirely, dropped into a body that was supposed to be "talentless" at ninjutsu. The whole situation was a mess of questions he had no answers for.

And honestly, he didn't want to delve into it either. He didn't have nearly enough information to solve that mystery. Same for his transmigration. Thinking about them further would only stress him out.

Besides, his previous life hadn't exactly been anything worth clinging to. A dead-end nine-to-five job with no family or girlfriend. There was basically nothing tying him down. If anything, this life offered far more possibilities.

Which meant there was only one thing he needed to focus on right now.

The graduation exam.

If he was truly going to remain in this world, he needed to secure his future.

He didn't know how the original Rock Lee had passed the exam. But he knew one thing for certain. Pure physical training wouldn't be enough if he had to compete against the top students.

Nen, however, was a completely different story. And being an Enhancer was just perfect.

Enhancement specialized in reinforcing the body or an object (mostly the body). It was a wet dream for someone like him who specialized in close combat. Even better, it was one of the simplest Nen types to train.

If he could master the four fundamental principles before the graduation exam, then his combat ability would definitely skyrocket.

With enough mastery, he might actually have a shot at winning.

The only question was…

Would one month be enough?

Lee exhaled slowly and rubbed his face. 'Guess we'll find out in a month.'

"Let's clean this up first," he muttered, looking at the mess on the table.

He pushed himself to his feet and reached toward the glass.

Then his hand stopped.

Something inside the glass caught his attention.

He leaned in closer, bringing his face right up to the glass.

What he saw made his pupils shrink!

Floating at the bottom were tiny white strands. They were thin, almost translucent, like threads of fabric.

They drifted lazily through the water, shifting with the slightest movement.

Lee's mouth hung open as he stared at them in disbelief.

"What the actual fuck!"

...

A/N : So what do you guys think is his Nen type?

 

[vtkun]

thank you for the chapter

 

[LandWhale172]

A/N : So what do you guys think is his Nen type?

Click to shrink...

Emission and Transmutation are the easiest types for an Enhancer to use after their own type, so I'd have to say transmutation