Naruto: Martial God Art

"What? You want me to kneel and formally apprentice?" Tenten's eyes widened in disbelief as she glared at Rock Lee.

In the Ninja World, such gestures were rare. Except for bowing to their parents or the highest-ranking leader in the village, ninjas didn't perform such formalities. Even in front of her teacher, Might Guy, Tenten had never knelt.

And now, Rock Lee was demanding it? She was torn between outrage and disbelief.

"Yes," Rock Lee replied nonchalantly.

"Why should I?" Tenten asked, her lips curling in dissatisfaction.

"It's your choice," Rock Lee said simply. "If you want to learn my techniques, kneeling is the price."

"And if I don't kneel? Will you refuse to teach me?" Tenten asked slyly, her eyes narrowing. "Do you believe I won't go straight to Guy-sensei and spill all your little secrets?"

"Tenten," Rock Lee said calmly, "whether you kneel or not, I will still teach you some techniques. But…"

"But what?" Tenten asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"But whether I put my full effort into teaching you… that depends entirely on your choice," Lee replied with a mischievous grin.

"You…!" Tenten fumed. Her goal was clear—she wanted to learn from Rock Lee. But kneeling? That was a step too far. She had only ever knelt for her parents, and this situation didn't feel worth it.

"You kneel, and I'll teach you everything I know," Lee continued. "Not just taijutsu and basic skills, but medical techniques and hidden weapon techniques as well."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Tenten suddenly grabbed Rock Lee's arm, her anger momentarily forgotten. "Hidden weapon techniques? You know hidden weapon techniques?"

"Not just know—I've mastered a variety of them," Rock Lee said confidently. "Techniques you've never seen before, each one exponentially more powerful than anything you've learned so far."

"Hah! Anyone can brag," Tenten scoffed, though her curiosity was clearly piqued. "Show me one of your techniques now, and I'll believe you."

"Not here, not now," Rock Lee said with a smile. "Once the Chūnin Exam is over, come find me, and I'll show you what true hidden weapon techniques are."

"Fine. It's a deal." Tenten extended her small, pale hand. "Shake on it."

"Deal." Rock Lee clasped her hand, but as he did, he found himself struck by how delicate and beautiful it was.

"Ahem."

A soft cough broke the moment. Both turned to see Hyuga Neji approaching.

Tenten flushed bright red and quickly pulled her hand back. She turned her gaze away, refusing to look at either Neji or Rock Lee.

It wasn't that she had any special feelings for Rock Lee, but Neji's earlier teasing comments had planted the idea in her mind. Now she couldn't shake the thought that maybe she had been acting… too close to him.

"What's going on?" Rock Lee asked as he finished buttoning his shirt.

"It's getting dark. We should head to the tower now," Neji said.

"Agreed," Rock Lee replied, glancing at the darkening sky. "Moving under the cover of darkness will be to our advantage."

"Why wait for darkness to act?" Tenten asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Think about it," Rock Lee said. "What's the ultimate goal for all the candidates in this exam?"

"To reach the central tower," Tenten replied after a moment's thought.

"Exactly," Rock Lee said. "And with the exam nearing its end, everyone will be converging on the tower. That makes the area surrounding it a hotspot for ambushes."

"Oh… I see," Tenten said, understanding dawning.

"That's why we need to find the safest route—one with the fewest enemies—and make our way to the tower. And for that, we'll rely on Neji's Byakugan."

"Leave it to me," Neji said confidently.

"In that case," Tenten asked nervously, "doesn't this mean we'll face a lot of enemies soon?"

"Tenten, don't worry," Rock Lee said with a grin. "When the time comes, Neji can handle them. We just need to sit back and enjoy the show."

"Humph!" Neji snorted but didn't respond. He was annoyed by Lee's flippant attitude but refrained from arguing, having already insisted earlier that Lee shouldn't overexert himself.

"Well, I trust Neji!" Tenten said firmly. "With his strength, we can take on anyone who crosses our path!"

Neji: "…"

Approaching the Tower

The trio moved swiftly through the forest, running in a pin formation. Within half an hour, the central tower, a fifty-meter-tall wooden structure, came into view.

"We're less than a kilometer from the tower," Neji said, activating his Byakugan. His eyes scanned the area carefully, veins bulging around his temples. "But in this short stretch, I've counted over thirty enemies lying in ambush."

"More than thirty enemies?" Rock Lee muttered, stunned. Nearly half the candidates seemed to have gathered here, waiting to ambush others and take their scrolls.

"Neji, which route has the fewest enemies?" Tenten asked.

"Over there," Neji replied, pointing to a path on the front left. "That route only has nine enemies—the fewest of any option."

"Then that's the path we'll take," Rock Lee said decisively. He had already extended his senses in that direction and hadn't detected any particularly strong auras.

"Let's move," Neji said.

With their plan set, the three ninjas advanced toward the tower, prepared for whatever lay ahead.