Chapter 14: Youthful as ever, Lee!
Five days later, Team 7 strode toward the Ninja Academy, their Chunin Exam application forms in hand. Naruto, bursting with enthusiasm, turned to Renji, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Renji, if you never went to the academy, how'd you train to get so strong?"
Renji flashed a disarming smile, his heterochromatic eyes glinting playfully. "At home, mostly. Special training."
Naruto scratched his head, puzzled. "That 'ROOT' thing you mentioned? Never heard of it in the village."
Sakura leaned in, her curiosity piqued. She'd heard whispers of ANBU but nothing about ROOT.
"ROOT operates in the shadows," Renji explained smoothly, his tone light but calculated. "They handle secret missions for Konoha's safety. Think of them as… dark heroes."
"Dark heroes?!" Naruto's eyes sparkled, his imagination running wild. "That's so cool!"
Renji's smile widened, his eyes curving into crescents. "Exactly, Naruto! Well said!" So easy to steer, he thought, filing away Naruto's gullibility for future Malice Value harvests.
They climbed the academy stairs, the air buzzing with the chatter of genin crowding Room 301's entrance. Suddenly, a figure barreled toward them—straight for Sakura. Renji, sensing the incoming chaos, stepped back with a knowing smirk, ready to enjoy the show.
"You're Sakura, right? Please go out with me! I'll protect you until I die!" A boy with a bowl cut, clad in a green jumpsuit, his eyebrows thicker than Naruto's dreams of becoming Hokage, stood before her. His face flushed with an odd, fervent blush as he shouted his declaration, voice echoing down the corridor.
The hallway fell silent. Naruto's jaw dropped. "Hey! This guy's confessing before me?!"
Renji perched on the railing, propping his chin with a mischievous grin. "Go for it, Naruto. You and him can be the unfortunate brothers, rejected together. Sakura can knock you both out in one go—super efficient."
Naruto turned, his eyes dull with despair. "Renji… you think I'm that un-charming?"
Renji studied him, letting the silence stretch until Naruto's face reddened, then nodded cruelly. "Yup. To me—and probably everyone else—you're not quite on Sasuke's level, charm-wise."
Naruto collapsed into a squat, metaphorical depression mushrooms sprouting around him. Renji stifled a laugh, savoring the tiny spike in Malice Value he could practically feel brewing.
Sakura, having firmly rejected Rock Lee, grabbed Renji and Sasuke, dragging them to submit their forms, desperate to escape the bowl-cut spectacle. Naruto, still sulking, trailed behind like a kicked puppy.
Forms submitted, the four headed downstairs, spirits high. Naruto rubbed his stomach dramatically. "Ah, I'm craving barbecue!"
Renji nodded eagerly. "Same. Nothing beats grilled meat." The aroma was already calling him.
Sasuke shrugged. "Whatever." Translation: he was totally in.
Sakura smirked. "Put it on Kakashi-sensei's tab. Other sensei treat their teams—why not him?"
"Support!" Renji, Naruto, and Sasuke chorused, their unity almost comical.
"Hey, you with the special eyes, hold up!" A voice called from upstairs. Renji smirked—special eyes could only mean Sasuke, who always looked like the world owed him a fortune.
"What?" Sasuke glanced at Rock Lee, who'd leaped down with a nimble flourish. Sasuke's interest in fighting Lee paled compared to his hunger for barbecue with Renji. Sparring could wait.
"Care for a match, right here, right now?" Lee challenged, striking a taijutsu stance. His eyes burned with determination. "I'm Rock Lee! I challenge you, Uchiha Sasuke, the last of the genius ninja clan! I want to see how my techniques stack up against yours!" His resolve was palpable, a testament to his belief that effort could trump talent.
Sasuke's daily training with Renji had sharpened his skills, making him far stronger than his canon self at this point. A one-kick KO from Lee wasn't happening today—they were evenly matched in pure taijutsu, unless Lee ditched his weights. Renji leaned forward, intrigued. Lee's taijutsu was elite, maybe even a challenge for him, but Sasuke had more than just fists.
"Sasuke, we'll wait," Renji said, nodding encouragingly. Sakura and Naruto agreed, settling in to watch.
"Let's make it quick," Sasuke said, stepping forward, his Sharingan-ready confidence a stark contrast to Lee's fiery passion.
The fight was intense but balanced, neither overpowering the other. Just as Lee reached for his bandages to remove his weights, a hand clamped down on his wrist.
"Youthful as ever, Lee!" Might Guy made a grand entrance, perched atop a turtle, his grin blinding. The spectacle dazzled only Renji and Lee; everyone else just squinted.
Naruto groaned. "Great, now there's two weirdos!" He glanced at Renji, whose eyes sparkled at Guy's antics, and his vision darkened. Grabbing Renji's shoulders, he shook him frantically. "No, Renji! Don't fall for their green-jumpsuit aesthetic! You can't become one of them!"
"Lee, the Chunin Exams haven't started! No fighting!" Guy delivered a swift punch, sending Lee soaring across the hall. His discipline was as brutal as it was effective.
Renji: "…"
Sasuke: "…"
Naruto: "…"
Sakura: "…"
Under their stunned gazes, Guy and Lee suddenly embraced, tears streaming as a sunset-and-ocean illusion inexplicably materialized behind them. The sheer intensity of their bond was equal parts inspiring and unsettling.
"How's my eternal rival, Kakashi?" Guy asked, predictably bringing up his best friend first. His gaze landed on Renji, the only one not recoiling from their display. "And you are?"
"Kakashi-sensei's doing well, probably off reading somewhere," Renji replied smoothly, unfazed. "I'm Renji Mahito."
Guy's eyes gleamed, pinching his chin with a dazzling smile. "Kakashi's student, eh? Well, I won't hide it—Kakashi and I are eternal rivals! The score's 50 wins to 49 losses, my favor!" He appeared behind them in a flash, startling everyone but Renji, who'd already clocked Guy's monstrous speed. This guy's taijutsu… I need it, Renji thought, his plan to train with Guy post-exams solidifying.
"No one asked," Sasuke muttered, closing his eyes in exasperation.
"I'm stronger than Kakashi, just so you know," Guy boasted, chest puffed out.
Renji acknowledged it inwardly. Stronger than Kakashi? That much was true—Guy's power was undeniable. But he kept his face neutral, ever the performer.
"Lee caused trouble. Forgive him, for my sake!" Guy said earnestly, bowing slightly.
Renji waved it off with a radiant smile. "No trouble at all. Lee and Sasuke were just sparring, like you and Kakashi-sensei. I believe Lee and I can be good friends, just like you two."
Guy's eyes watered, and he swept Renji into a bear hug. "Wuwuwu! Such youth! You and Lee will be lifelong friends, like Kakashi and me!"
"Hey, thick-browed weirdo!" Naruto yanked Renji free, glaring. "Hands off!"
"Mahito, good luck in the Chunin Exams!" Guy said, giving Lee a quick word before vanishing in a puff of flair.
Lee turned to Renji, his smile pure and earnest, face still flushed. "Nice to meet you! May I ask your name?"
"Renji Mahito. Nice to meet you too, Lee," Renji replied, his smile warm but calculated, sowing seeds for future alliances.
"Mhm!" Lee nodded vigorously, his enthusiasm infectious.
Sakura's mouth twitched, and she sighed. "Mahito's… friend-making skills are unreal."
Lee's gaze shifted to Sasuke, hardening. "Uchiha Sasuke, you're strong. But the strongest in this exam is in our group."
Sasuke glanced at Renji, who smiled gently, looking utterly harmless. "On the contrary, I think the strongest is in our group," he said ambiguously.
Lee, assuming Sasuke meant himself, smirked. "We'll see!" He leaped to the second floor and vanished.
The interlude over, Team 7 headed for barbecue. The moment the meat hit the grill, Kakashi swooped in like a vulture, snatching a piece.
Renji: "…"
"Thanks," Kakashi said, slurping the meat under his mask, unfazed by their glares.
Sakura, who'd been diligently grilling, snapped. "Kakashi-sensei!" A vein pulsed on her forehead as her tongs trembled. "That wasn't for you!"
Kakashi ignored her, seamlessly shifting to the Chunin Exams. "The exams are typically for three-person teams, but with your… unique situation, you're allowed as a four-person team. That increases the difficulty."
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What kind of difficulty?"
Kakashi shrugged, his tone vague. "Dunno. They'll probably explain at the start." Noting her serious expression, he grinned. "Scared?"
Sakura shook her head, her resolve flaring. "No! It just fuels my fighting spirit!"
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Not bad." Sakura's changed, he thought. Renji's influence is stronger than mine. The kid's knack for inspiring his teammates was almost Hokage-like.
"After barbecue, head to the first exam," Kakashi said, vanishing as quickly as he'd appeared.
Sakura stared at the empty grill, her tongs snapping in half. "Kakashi-sensei!!!"