"Natsuki... how could this happen? Lee, he..."
Tenten's eyes welled up with tears, her face full of disbelief.
Natsuki said nothing. He simply reached out and pulled Tenten into his arms.
Neji took a long moment to process the news. Then he clenched his fists and spoke solemnly,
"Lee gave everything he had to prove his nindō (ninja way). He was literally fighting with his life to make his dream come true!"
Yeah... because it was a dream that required giving everything, Lee's indomitable spirit was truly shocking.
But now, his condition only made it all the more heartbreaking—
As if destiny had never allowed resistance in the first place.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all felt sorrow in their hearts too.
Not long ago, they'd been fighting side by side in the Forest of Death,
And now, Lee was like this.
Without him, the future would feel more lonely.
Watching Tenten cry so bitterly, Natsuki quickly used a chakra thread to connect their foreheads and tapped a secret message in Morse code:
"Don't panic. Did you forget what I gave you?"
Tenten blinked in confusion, then her eyes lit up with surprise.
"You mean... the Senzu Bean!?"
Natsuki nodded slightly.
"Keep it quiet. Keep hugging me and pretend you're crying. Don't let anyone notice."
The senzu bean can restore someone instantly, and since Lee's injuries weren't to his soul,
he would fully recover the moment he took it.
But… it wasn't time yet.
"Don't be in a rush to give it to Lee," Natsuki said softly.
"This guy pushed himself too recklessly. Chasing your dreams with everything you've got is admirable, sure…
But if he goes around damaging himself like this, he'll be crippled or even dead before he even gets close to those dreams."
"This has to be a lesson for him. Let him suffer for a while—let him learn how to take care of himself. He'll value his body more once he recovers. Don't you think?"
Tenten nodded.
"You're right. He really scared all of us this time!"
Natsuki continued,
"We absolutely have to keep the senzu bean a secret. Otherwise, some bad people might target you or my dad, and if I get forced to hand them over, that'd be a disaster.
We'll wait and I'll sneak it to Lee myself when the time comes. Meanwhile, act like you're still worried. Don't let anyone catch on."
Tenten, of course, obeyed.
Now that she knew Lee could be saved, her sorrow faded.
She also realized just how valuable the senzu bean was, and she understood how important it was to protect their families.
So—acting? She could totally do that!
Natsuki finally breathed a sigh of relief—he'd managed to comfort his girlfriend.
He hadn't stopped Lee earlier, nor interfered, because he had the senzu bean as a safety net.
Besides, with Lee's personality, he wouldn't have listened anyway.
Even if Natsuki tried to stop him, he would've just gone all out regardless.
That's why Natsuki didn't waste his breath or get involved.
Now that Lee had gone through it,
he'd remember the pain and hopefully learn to treasure himself more in the future.
As for Guy…
Let him mourn for a while too.
After all, Lee's recklessness had a lot to do with him.
Let him cry it out.
Back to the tournament—
Only Yamanaka Ino was left without an opponent, so she advanced by default. She was thrilled.
Sometimes, luck is a skill too.
After all, why wasn't it someone else who got the free pass?
With that, the second exam had finally concluded.
The twelve who made it through were:
Yamashiro Rinya, Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, Dōsu, Kankurō, Katō Megumi, Hyūga Neji, Tenten, Natsuki , Gaara, and Yamanaka Ino.
Twelve in total—just right to form six matchups.
From there, the top three would be determined, and then they'd compete for first place.
In reality, the final ranking didn't matter much.
What mattered was how well one performed in the finals.
That would earn recognition from high-level figures.
Even those who lost might still be promoted to chūnin based on their performance.
Before everyone left, the finalists had to draw lots for the match order.
The results were:
Group 1: Aburame Shino vs. Kankurō
Group 2: Katō Megumi vs. Yamanaka Ino
Group 3: Yamashiro Rinya vs. Nara Shikamaru
Group 4: Tenten vs. Dōsu Kaji
Group 5: Hyūga Neji vs. Uchiha Sasuke
Group 6: Natsuki vs. Gaara
Natsuki was a little surprised—he hadn't expected to face Gaara last.
That meant every other group would get a proper chance to shine before the final showdown.
Gaara was a key piece in the Konoha Crush plan.
If he lost control, the plan would trigger.
Thankfully, their fight was scheduled last.
If the battle caused Gaara to snap,
at least the others would've already had their turn.
Otherwise, they'd be crying over the missed opportunity.
He felt killing intent.
Natsuki turned his head—Gaara was staring at him.
That sleep-deprived redhead…
Even after witnessing Natsuki fight Orochimaru,
he still thought he could kill him?
Maybe he just thought Orochimaru was weak.
Either way, it was fine.
He'd just beat him so hard he'd start questioning his life choices.
With the draw over, everyone was dismissed.
The finals were set for one month later, mainly because the Kazekage and two feudal lords were visiting Konoha.
It would take time to prepare the venue and the fanfare.
Just one month—everyone could wait.
It was also the perfect window to keep training and grow even stronger.
Natsuki and Tenten held hands as they joined their friends on a trip to Konoha Hospital to check on Lee.
Seeing him unconscious on the bed, no one said a word.
Originally, Chōji had suggested a celebration at Natsuki's house after the exams.
But now… no one was in the mood.
Guy was by Lee's side, eyes red from crying.
Who knew how devastated he must have been?
After all, Lee resembled him the most.
He was the student Guy had poured the most effort into—like a son.
Now that Lee had ended up like this,
how could he not be heartbroken?
Tenten couldn't help but feel sorry.
She gently squeezed Natsuki 's palm.
But Natsuki shook his head.
Now wasn't the time to be soft.
Lee needed to learn this lesson.
Just wait a few more days.
Guy had also heard the tournament results.
He forced a smile and said, "Tenten, Neji—you two did great. Use this next month well. Train hard and shine in the finals.
Lee is in good hands with the doctors. You don't need to worry about him. Focus on your training—and win!"
"Yes, Guy-sensei!"
Tenten and Neji replied firmly, then quietly left the hospital.
Natsuki and Tenten stopped by the ninja tools shop on the way.
After a meal with the shop owner, they returned to Natsuki's house.
The old man turned red with rage, but he couldn't stop them.
"Natsuki... are you sure the senzu bean will work?" Tenten still looked worried.
"Relax. It'll be fine. You don't trust me?"
Natsuki smiled and patted her twin buns.
"Of course I do! But I'm just worried, you know?
Lee's biggest dream is to prove himself.
He gave everything… and this is what happened.
He must be feeling so crushed right now."
Natsuki didn't reply.
He just listened quietly.
The truth was, if not for Natsuki, Tenten might've started to doubt whether hard work even mattered.
She might've believed that ordinary people could never defeat geniuses. She might've even grown to resent Tsunade. It would've taken her a long time to heal from that.
In this world…
Being normal was truly hard.
If Natsuki hadn't had his cheat, he probably would've ended up like many others— forgotten and defeated.
(End of Chapter)
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