The noise finally subsided, and the hospital ward returned to peaceful silence.
Lee lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, but his thoughts were already focused deep within the interface in his mind.
[Adaptive Body System]
[Host: Rock Lee]
[Vitality Points: 1400]
[Abilities: Absolute Persistence (Inactive), Accelerated Regeneration (Available)]
1400 points.
This was the startup capital he'd earned after his brush with death, trading half his life for it.
He carefully studied the line of text: "Passive Resurrection (Inactive)".
According to the system's settings, 1000 points were needed to activate it. Right now, he could heal himself four times and survive one fatal attack.
It was terrifying. He couldn't even imagine how many times he could theoretically die if he survived until the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Once activated, he'd become a being that, in the truest sense, couldn't be erased even if his soul was targeted.
However, consuming points was still too risky for him at this stage.
Even with the system, running out of points meant actual death.
He needed to play it safe for now and accumulate points as quickly as possible.
Rock Lee closed his eyes, and the keen sense of planning and timing he'd developed during his previous life as a corporate employee kicked into high gear.
It should be around year 60 of Konohagakure's calendar right now, during the Chunin Exams. Next, in approximately one month, would be Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan."
The allied forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure would launch a surprise attack on Konohagakure. The Third Hokage would die in battle, and the entire village would be engulfed in chaos and flames.
To others, this would be a complete disaster.
But for him...
'Wait, this is still a disaster. I need to be extremely careful.'
Right now, he couldn't beat anyone who mattered. He absolutely couldn't let Orochimaru discover any weakness in him or show anything unusual that would draw attention.
He also needed to be wary of Danzo, that manipulative old schemer. The Third Hokage wasn't exactly innocent either, so Lee had to watch his back carefully.
Just look at what kind of life Naruto had endured since the Fourth Hokage passed away. How could the son of the Fourth Hokage, whose mother was from the Uzumaki clan, not have any inheritance or wealth left behind?
The question was obvious: Where did all that money go?
But Lee couldn't discuss conspiracies with anyone. He had no background, no political connections, and no talent for information gathering. How could someone who only knew taijutsu possibly explain how he'd uncovered village secrets? There was no believable explanation.
'Forget it. I'll just stick to following the plot I remember.'
War, chaos, countless ninjutsu techniques flying around, and massive explosions everywhere. He needed to stay alert while racking up those Vitality Points.
If handled properly, even if he was "accidentally" caught in the crossfire and suffered some "serious injuries," he might be able to accumulate a massive amount of points in one go.
Having figured this out, Lee's heart began beating faster than usual.
That wasn't fear. It was the overwhelming excitement of a top-tier grinder discovering the perfect farming strategy.
Retirement?
Of course he should retire.
But it had to be done in the strongest possible way, with absolute glory and dignity.
Just as he was planning how to maximize his gains in the upcoming conflict, the hospital room door was pushed open again.
"Thick-eyebrow kid! You idiot, I heard you're awake!"
The voice arrived before the person did.
Naruto Uzumaki's signature loud voice rang out, followed by a head of spiky blond hair poking through the doorway. His face showed undisguised concern mixed with fierce determination.
"You really gave that Gaara guy a beating! That was awesome!" Naruto grinned widely, his blue eyes sparkling with admiration.
Following behind him was Sakura Haruno.
She held a small bouquet of flowers, her expression complex, showing both genuine concern and a hint of emotional distance.
Rock Lee saw right through her. This concern stemmed more from simple camaraderie among fellow genin. Her heart was probably still completely focused on Sasuke Uchiha in the room next door.
'That troublesome Uchiha.'
"How are you feeling, Lee?" Sakura asked politely as she placed the flowers in the vase by his bedside.
Rock Lee immediately switched back into his "passionate, hot-blooded youth" persona, struggling to sit up with a bright but slightly weakened smile appearing on his face. "Naruto! Sakura! I'm doing fine! This small injury can't extinguish my burning flames of youth!"
Inner thoughts: 'Tenten is definitely the prettiest. She's both cool and genuinely caring. This pink-haired girl only has eyes for Sasuke. So predictable and boring.'
Inspired by Lee's spirit, Naruto excitedly pumped his fist in the air. "That's right! We all need to get stronger! Next time, I'll definitely defeat Neji and that Sasuke too!"
As the three of them chatted, several more people appeared at the doorway.
It was Kiba Inuzuka with Akamaru perched on his head, Shino Aburame with his high collar obscuring his face, and Hinata Hyuga from Team 8.
Hinata hid partially behind her two teammates, clutching a small bottle of ointment. A deep blush spread across her pale face as she spoke in a barely audible whisper, her head bowed. "Lee... Lee-kun, this... this is special medicine our clan makes. It's... very effective for recovery..."
Lee looked at her carefully.
She was adorable, like a frightened little rabbit ready to bolt at any moment.
That delicate yet resilient demeanor would definitely trigger anyone's protective instincts.
But he knew the situation perfectly well.
This was Naruto's destined love interest, the future Lady Hokage.
As a pragmatic former office worker whose ultimate goal was comfortable retirement, there was absolutely no reason for him to get involved in the protagonist's romantic storyline. It would be a thankless endeavor that would only cause unnecessary complications.
He gave a genuinely sincere and grateful smile as he accepted the ointment with both hands. "Thank you so much, Hinata! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!"
His attitude was warm and enthusiastic while perfectly maintaining the appropriate distance between ordinary classmates and nothing more.
Hinata seemed visibly relieved, whispering quietly, "You... you should rest well," before quickly hiding back behind her teammates, her face still bright red.
Naruto, oblivious as always, continued chattering about his own match and how he'd definitely win next time.
After several more groups of classmates came by to visit and wish him well, the ward finally quieted down once again.
Rock Lee lay in his bed, his gaze sweeping over the ointment Hinata had brought, and then his thoughts drifted to Tenten's worried eyes and the calluses on her palms from years of weapons training.
It felt genuinely good to be cared about by people.
That was exactly why he needed to become stronger.
Strong enough to protect everyone he cared about. Strong enough that no one could hurt them anymore.
Strong enough that no one could interfere with his eventual peaceful retirement.
His gaze gradually sharpened with determination.
Even the most perfect plan needed to be tested and validated in practice.
He had to thoroughly understand the system's mechanics and judgment criteria before the Konoha Crush incident began.
How many points could he gain from different types of training?
What kind of damage offered the best cost-to-benefit ratio?
Which training methods would maximize his point accumulation?
His gaze fell on his left hand, which was still wrapped in clean white bandages.
Since his entire body was currently labeled as "critically injured" by everyone around him, even the slightest unusual movement would simply be interpreted as his injuries acting up or a minor setback in recovery.
It was the perfect experimental environment with built-in cover.
He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing with focus as he gripped the little finger of his left hand with his right.
Then, without any hesitation whatsoever, he pulled it sharply to the side.
Click.
A soft but distinctly clear sound of bone and joint separating rang out in the quiet room.
Sharp, intense pain instantly shot from his fingertip throughout his entire nervous system.
It hurt.
It hurt like absolute hell.
But instead of crying out, Rock Lee's eyes flashed with cold, analytical intensity.
Because at the very moment that excruciating pain tore through his consciousness, that familiar system notification arrived exactly as expected.
[Self-inflicted damage detected. Vitality Points can only be earned through legitimate training or external injury. Self-harm does not qualify for point accumulation.]
'Damn it! So that loophole can't be exploited.'
Lee felt a wave of disappointment wash over him.
If deliberately hurting himself didn't work, then he needed to think much more carefully about his approach.
Even as he processed this setback, the accelerated regeneration ability was already activating.
A faint, comfortable warmth surged from deep within his body, instantly enveloping his dislocated little finger.
The excruciating pain gradually faded away without a trace, as if it had never existed at all.
He flexed his little finger experimentally. It moved as smoothly and naturally as ever, completely healed.
Rock Lee licked his dry lips thoughtfully. The regeneration effect was incredibly effective, perhaps even comparable to recovery through the First Hokage's Wood Release techniques.
'What if it was an actual fracture instead of just dislocation?'
'Or what if I used a kunai to create a shallow cut?'
'No, wait. The system specifically said self-harm doesn't count.'
'I need external sources of damage. Real training. Real combat. Real danger.'
He was being absolutely insane with these thoughts.
The soul of the overworked corporate slave was trembling with a mixture of fear and exhilaration, while the burning determination of the original Rock Lee roared with fighting spirit.
It looked like he'd be living an incredibly intense and eventful life in this world.
In his personal mental script, he'd already titled this journey...
"Rock Lee's Path to be Undying."