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Chapter 12 - Lee vs Naruto.

The training grounds were silent when Tenten arrived. She expected to see Neji with his usual cool and disciplined demeanor, but what she found was something completely different.

The young man was standing next to Rock Lee, but his presence seemed larger, more imposing.

His cloak was predominantly black, with gray edges that glided like shadows. Silver details in elegant patterns recalled ancient runes or mystical symbols, embroidered with almost artistic precision. The silvery-white underside created a striking contrast, giving him a noble and solemn air.

Each hand held a silver ring that reflected the morning light, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail, flowing down the length of her back. Defined muscles accentuated her figure, and the Konoha shield on her forehead completed the look.

"Neji, you…" Tenten's voice wavered, too surprised to hide.

Li Shang slowly turned around. A faint, forced smile appeared on his lips, as if it were just a casual change.

"Hehehe... I decided to change it up a bit."

His voice was calm, controlled, and for a moment Tenten wondered if this really was the same Neji she knew.

Before he could question further, Maito Gai arrived, walking briskly. Even he was silent for a few seconds, taking in his student's new appearance. His eyes shone with surprise and even a hint of pride.

"Ham? Ah... yes." Gai cleared his throat, trying to hide his reaction. "Actually, I summoned you here because I have an important announcement."

He took out three carefully rolled forms and handed them to each of the young people.

"I decided to nominate you for this edition of the Chuunin Exam."

Tenten's eyes widened, Lee smiled excitedly, and Li Shang just kept his expression calm, analyzing the form in hand.

"You must fill it out and submit it to the designated location tomorrow at the specified time. Is that okay with you, Neji?"

Li Shang looked away from the paper and replied neutrally, almost indifferently.

"For my part, I have no problem. And you?"

Tenten still couldn't take her eyes off him. His posture, his distant gaze, even the way he spoke... everything seemed different. She nodded in agreement, still impressed.

"I... yes. I don't see a problem."

"Of course!" Lee jumped up, slamming his closed fist into his open palm. "This is what I've been waiting for, a real challenge! I'll show everyone what I can do!"

Lee's enthusiasm brought a proud smile to Gai's face, but inside, he still pondered Neji's strange transformation. The boy had always been serious, but there was something now... something deeper.

Li Shang left the training grounds with firm steps, his new black robe billowing gently in the morning breeze. After Gai explained the Chuunin Exams, each of his companions went their separate ways, but Li Shang had already decided what he would do. His destination was the village's public training grounds. In recent days, he had been meeting regularly with Naruto, observing the blond boy's progress and using each training session as an opportunity to study and absorb the peculiar energy he carried.

"Neji, wait!"

Rock Lee's voice broke his rhythm. The thick-browed boy ran up to him with his usual enthusiasm.

"It's been a while since we trained together, and I thought…" Lee scratched the back of his neck, visibly embarrassed. Since Neji's accident, he'd avoided inviting him to training, respecting his recovery. But the day before, as he passed near one of the training grounds, he saw Neji fighting a boisterous blond man he'd recognized from the academy: Naruto.

Li Shang stared at him for a moment in silence. He already had plans to train with Naruto again, but fighting the blond boy was starting to get boring. He had energy and determination, but lacked discipline. On the other hand, using Lee as a new partner for the blond could be perfect.

"I was just going to train with a friend. Want to come with me?"

Lee's eyes lit up at the offer. "Of course! It would be an honor, Neji!"

The public training grounds were relatively empty, but Naruto was already waiting for them, alongside Hinata, who was watching discreetly with her usual shy look. Seeing Neji approach with Rock Lee, Naruto raised his hand in greeting.

"You took your time, Neji! I was getting impatient!"

Before Li Shang could respond, Lee took a step forward and introduced himself.

"I'm Rock Lee! A friend and teammate of Neji! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Naruto blinked a few times, analyzing the boy in front of him. The skintight green clothing, the bushy eyebrows, and the serious expression made him stifle a laugh.

'This guy must be really weak, dressed like that...'

Meanwhile, Lee thought otherwise.

'Neji being friendly with someone... if this kid is worthy of his recognition, then he must be really strong.'

"Naruto." Li Shang crossed his arms, watching the two. "You've evolved a lot. Your movements are firmer, your mind less scattered. It's not like before."

The blond's mouth fell open in surprise. Neji—the Neji who had always despised him—was praising his improvement.

"You... you really think so?"

Li Shang only slightly inclined his head, then turned to Lee.

"Why don't you train with him? That way you both have something to gain."

Lee smiled enthusiastically, punching the air.

"Absolutely! It'll be a great warm-up!"

Naruto, on the other hand, frowned.

"Hey, you think you can beat me just because you look weird? Then let's see who's the strongest here!"

The two positioned themselves in the center of the field, Hinata watching nervously from the sidelines, while Li Shang sat down to meditate, with his eyes closed but attentive, feeling every detail around him.

Naruto was the first to move. With a quick hand seal, dozens of clones appeared, charging in various directions. The dust kicked up by their rush made it seem as if they had surrounded Lee on all sides.

"I already know that trick!" Lee advanced with astonishing speed, his taijutsu exploding with force. Each punch scattered a clone, each kick crushed another in quick succession. But for each one that fell, another appeared behind, attacking relentlessly.

This time, however, it wasn't like before. Naruto wasn't just randomly throwing clones. He used each copy to sap Lee's speed, creating distractions, trying to create openings. Every now and then, a clone would appear in his blind spot, ready to strike, but Lee would react at the last moment, dodging or counterattacking.

Hinata widened her eyes in surprise.

'Naruto-kun... he's using the clones more intelligently!'

Li Shang analyzed everything in silence.

'As I thought. The soul cultivation technique is already starting to show results. His mind has stabilized, he thinks faster, his reactions are sharper.'

Naruto advanced with two clones in support. While one attacked head-on, the other appeared from behind. The real Naruto took advantage of the distraction and appeared from the side, launching a kick straight at Lee's side.

But the difference was brutal.

Lee pivoted perfectly, using the force of a kick to dispel the clone behind him and, in the same movement, blocked Naruto's side attack. Then, he delivered a powerful punch to the real one's chest, knocking him back several meters.

"Arghhh!" Naruto rolled on the ground, groaning in pain, but he was already trying to get up.

"You're amazing, but there's still a long way to go!" Lee declared, standing firm, his gaze full of respect.

Naruto gritted his teeth, creating more clones. Each one advanced with renewed fury, and the fight continued. But no matter how hard he tried, Lee was always one step ahead. His speed was greater, his strength superior. With each sequence, Naruto grew slower, more breathless, while Lee remained solid, never missing a beat.

Finally, with one final move, Lee appeared in front of the real Naruto and delivered a powerful kick to the abdomen. The blond boy was thrown backward, falling to his knees, sweaty and exhausted.

Hinata ran a few steps towards him, but stopped when she realized he was still able to breathe steadily.

"I... lost." Naruto muttered, sitting down on the ground, but with a tired smile. "But I managed to... give you a hard time, didn't I?"

Lee approached, breathing deeply, but showing no signs of fatigue.

"Yes. You surprised me. For someone so young and fresh out of the academy, your progress is impressive."

Naruto's eyes widened, surprised by the unexpected compliment.

Li Shang, from a distance, watched the scene with a slight, restrained smile.

'Perfect. Now he understands his weakness and, at the same time, has earned the respect of someone stronger. This is the way to make him even stronger.'

[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]

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