Lee looked up, his gaze meeting the group approaching their table.
There were four of them: a senior shinobi leading three teenagers around Lee's age. The boy who had spoken had long, brown hair and a defiant, arrogant look in his eyes that simmered with ill intent.
Lee searched his memories. The face was familiar. Finally, he placed him.
The boy's name was Tatsuhiko. He had been in the same class as the original Lee at the Ninja Academy. He had frequently made Lee the target of his pranks; in Lee's mental files, Tatsuhiko was classified as a classic school bully—someone who derived pleasure from tormenting those he deemed weaker.
The original Rock Lee had been one of his favorite targets.
Back at the Academy, Lee's lack of talent had made him a constant punching bag for Tatsuhiko's ridicule and physical abuse. Tatsuhiko was even the one who had coined that "illustrious" nickname: the Hot-blooded Dead Last.
Lee merely curled his lip and looked away.
As an adult who had lived through two lifetimes, he had long since moved past such petty diversions. He had no interest in wasting energy on someone so insignificant.
Tatsuhiko stepped closer. Seeing Lee's total indifference—as if he were staring at a blank wall—infuriated him. He let out a cold laugh. "What's the matter, Lee? Don't recognize me? It's Tatsuhiko! I took such good care of you back at the Academy. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"
"Tatsuhiko, watch your tone when you speak!"
The senior shinobi accompanying them placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. The man had a refined, scholarly air about him, looking more like a man of letters than a warrior. He scanned the table, his eyes eventually landing on Might Guy. He offered a wry, apologetic smile. "Guy, I apologize. Tatsuhiko doesn't know when to hold his tongue. Please, don't take it personally."
Guy studied the man for a long moment before recognition dawned on him. "Oh! It's Hayama!"
Hayama Shirakumo gave a small nod and turned to Lee. "Please, don't take Tatsuhiko's words to heart."
Lee nodded calmly. "I don't mind at all."
Tatsuhiko nearly boiled over. It was one thing for Lee to pretend not to know him, but this air of casual superiority was more than he could stand. "Hayama-sensei! How can you talk about your own student like that? I'm just saying hello to an old classmate..."
"Are you planning on ignoring my orders now?"
Hayama's face went cold. Tatsuhiko flinched, his mouth snapping shut, though he continued to seethe in silence.
Asuma's gaze drifted over the three students behind Hayama. "Hayama, I heard your team entered the Chunin Exams as rookies this year. Did they make it through?"
Hayama looked embarrassed. "Asuma, don't tease me. They were knocked out in the second round. We didn't even come close to a promotion."
"There are quite a few 'Elite Genin' in the mix this year," Asuma noted. "In my opinion, making it to the second round as rookies is a respectable showing."
"Well, we were knocked out in the second round, but that's still better than people who didn't even have the guts to show up for the exams," Tatsuhiko interjected casually. His voice was dripping with passive-aggressive sarcasm. "Of course, I suppose knowing your own place in the world is a virtue worth praising."
Neji's expression darkened. "Knowing reality is indeed a virtue," he said smoothly. "My only fear is that some people fail to recognize their own pathetic destinies. Dying in the middle of a Chunin Exam is a waste of a life."
Tatsuhiko's eyebrows shot up. He turned his attention to Neji. Despite Neji's reputation as a genius, Tatsuhiko showed no fear. "I was wondering who that was. If it isn't our resident 'Genius.' I'm surprised to see a genius slumming it with a loser like Lee. I guess you aren't all that much after all."
A flicker of genuine anger crossed Neji's face. "Do you have a death wish?"
Tatsuhiko met Neji's gaze, refusing to back down. "You want a fight? Bring it on!"
"Neji! What did you promise me?" Guy intervened, his voice stern. "Have you forgotten already?"
Neji huffed and looked away, his jaw tight.
"Hayama, we have plenty of room here," Guy said, attempting to diffuse the mounting tension. "Why don't you all join us for the meal? My treat!"
"Well..."
Hayama looked conflicted. The tavern was packed today, and by ten o'clock, there wasn't a single free table in sight. He had actually approached Guy's table specifically because he'd noticed the empty seats, hoping to share. He hadn't expected his student's big mouth to immediately start a fire with two of Guy's charges. Frankly, he was a bit humiliated.
Kurenai sensed his predicament and smiled warmly. "Hayama, you're my senior, and it's been a long time since we've caught up. Sit down. Let's talk."
"Kurenai is right," Asuma added. "Let's reminisce."
"Kurenai... Asuma... truly, I apologize for this..."
Hayama gave in and accepted the invitation. He made sure to seat Tatsuhiko right next to him so he could physically stop the boy if he started mouthing off again.
With the table full, Guy signaled the waiter to take their orders. Once that was settled, Guy turned to Hayama with a grin. "Hayama, I've been meaning to say this to you. During that mission last year, if you hadn't spotted the enemy's hidden movement, Genma and I would have been in serious trouble. I wanted to say thank you. It's thanks to you that we completed the mission successfully!"
Hayama shook his head modestly. "We're all Leaf shinobi. I was just doing my job. Besides, you and Genma were the ones doing the real heavy lifting."
Asuma and Kurenai joined the conversation, and the atmosphere at the table began to brighten.
Hayama's other two students were much more polite than Tatsuhiko. They leaned toward Lee and introduced themselves.
"Hi, Lee. I'm Mitsu Kuroki."
"And I'm Sugihara."
Lee, who was currently deep in thought regarding the mechanics of the Drunken Fist, found the interruption grating. A wave of irritation washed over him. Without a word, he stood up and swapped seats with Tenten to put more distance between himself and the newcomers.
Mitsu and Sugihara froze, looking awkward and hurt.
Tatsuhiko, sitting across from them, immediately took offense for his teammates. He slammed his hands onto the table, his temper flaring. "Hey, Loser! Where are your manners? Didn't you see my teammates introducing themselves? Is this how your sensei taught you to behave?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the budding warmth at the table vanished, replaced by a sudden, icy chill.
This time, Lee didn't ignore him. He turned a cold, piercing gaze toward Tatsuhiko. "How my teacher instructs me is none of your business, Genin. Since you arrived, you haven't stopped running your mouth, desperately trying to prove your own superiority at every turn. Is that how your teacher taught you?"
His voice was calm but sharp as a blade. "Every other word out of your mouth is 'Loser' or 'Dead Last.' Is that also part of your sensei's curriculum?"
Tatsuhiko blinked in shock. In his memory, the "Dead Last" was a dim-witted boy who never fought back verbally. Hearing Lee actually bite back sent his anger into overdrive.
"You bastard! Say that again! Don't think just because you made Genin that I can't take you apart. I'll beat you so hard your own mother won't recognize you!"
"Idiot," Lee said flatly.
"Why you—!"
Tatsuhiko was purple with rage. At the Academy, Lee was the type who never returned a blow or a curse. Over time, bullying Lee had become a given in Tatsuhiko's mind—a natural law.
To have someone he had spent years belittling suddenly snap back at him? He couldn't accept it. He felt as though his very pride had been spat upon.
Hayama sighed and grabbed Tatsuhiko by the arm. "That is enough! Sit down!"
"Let me go, Sensei!" Tatsuhiko screamed. "I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
Lee gave a contemptuous smirk, his tone remaining eerily composed. "Look at you. You lose your mind and scream over the smallest slight. If you were on a real mission, your teammates would pay a heavy price for your ignorance and stupidity. To be honest, you aren't 'defending' your teammates right now. You're just looking for an excuse to jump out and scream so people will notice you."
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you, Loser!"
"Enough! Stop making a fool of yourself!"