Chapter 328 - 13

AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite"Really? Thank you so much! I was actually worried because having only one would make washing and changing a real hassle. If you could give me yours as well, Senior Brother, that would be wonderful. Thank you!" Rock Lee said, feeling extremely grateful after hearing Naruto's words.Just like that, Might Guy left the next day, and the person training with Naruto every day became Rock Lee.At first, he was somewhat skeptical of Naruto's strength, feeling that he couldn't replace Teacher Might Guy to train him. Naruto didn't waste any words and simply chose to spar with him.The competition events were up to Rock Lee to choose, and Naruto promised that if he lost even one event, he would relinquish the title of Senior Brother to him.Although Rock Lee was extremely excited after hearing this and gave his all in every competition, the results were brutal. In over fifty different sparring matches, Naruto won every single one with ease.From then on, Rock Lee no longer questioned Naruto's strength. He was completely convinced and obedient. Although he had lost over 50 matches in a row, while he felt a bit dejected, he was not discouraged; instead, he became even more serious in his training.Although Rock Lee was also a dead last who couldn't use any Ninjutsu, in terms of Taijutsu, he was definitely a genius. Of course, there are gaps even among geniuses, and compared to Naruto, Rock Lee was still far behind.It took him a whole month to be able to complete 100 laps continuously without any weight. It seems that the goal of meeting Might Guy's requirement for him to be able to bear 100 catties of weight was still a long and arduous journey.During this month, one incident occurred that left a very deep impression on him.One day, Naruto was conducting his daily training routine with Rock Lee as usual. While passing by a small grove outside the village, Naruto, whose hearing was sharp, noticed an unusual sound in the woods.He stopped and said to Rock Lee, "You continue. There's some movement over there; I'll go check it out."After speaking, without waiting for Rock Lee to respond, he flashed into the nearby woods.Naruto moved like a bird, darting and leaping through the trees, and quickly arrived at the source of the noise.Directly below him, three delinquent youths were bullying a little girl, and this little girl was actually his "acquaintance"—none other than the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hinata.The three delinquent youths were closing in step by step. The boy standing in the middle with a roguish look reached out and shoved Hinata, pushing her back repeatedly.Just as she was about to fall, Naruto instantly appeared behind her and caught her in his arms. He then lowered his head, revealing a kind smile, and asked, "Are you okay?"Hinata had already closed her eyes in fear. Who would have thought that just as she was about to fall to the ground, she would suddenly feel a pair of firm, strong arms appear behind her, preventing a humiliating situation.A gentle voice reached her ears. After confirming that she had indeed been saved, Hinata cautiously opened her eyes.The first thing she saw was a handsome face. Sunlight filtered through the leaves onto his hair, making his already golden hair shine even brighter.His eyes were large, and his gaze seemed to radiate light, giving anyone who looked at him a sense of security, as if as long as he was there, there was no need to worry about anything.Hinata was somewhat stunned, staring fixedly at Naruto's face. In her shyness, she even forgot to blush, completely oblivious to the fact that she was still in Naruto's arms.Seeing her dazed, Naruto asked again, "Did you get hurt anywhere?"At this, Hinata finally snapped out of it. Her cheeks turned bright red instantly, and she quickly struggled out of Naruto's arms, then said in a voice as quiet as a mosquito, "No, no, I'm fine."Watching her shy appearance, Naruto couldn't help but say, "What a cute girl!"Upon hearing this, Hinata's face turned even redder, like two ripe apples that made one want to go up and take a bite.Just as the two were immersed in this special atmosphere, a very jarring voice came from behind them."I was wondering who it was. Turns out another brat has arrived! What are you doing here? Are you two dating?" the roguish boy said with great annoyance.Upon hearing his words, Hinata instinctively shrank back, while Naruto grabbed her hand and turned his head, saying, "Bullying a girl here—is this your Ninja Way?"The roguish boy replied with utter disdain, "Oh? What's the matter, brat? Do you want to play the hero saving the damsel? You'd better weigh your own abilities carefully. Judging by your look, you haven't even started the Ninja Academy yet, right? I'm about to graduate and become a Genin. If you know what's good for you, you'd better get lost."Naruto smiled after hearing this and said, "Oh? Well, I'd like to give it a try."Who would have thought that as soon as Narutofinished speaking, the aura of the three, who previously didn't seem to have reached Genin level, suddenly changed. They formed a pincer formation and took a stance against Naruto.They seemed to have set up a formation, the three of them looking perfectly integrated. Judging by the aura they were releasing, they had already surpassed the Genin level and reached the Chuninlevel.The leader sneered and said, "Demon Fox, if you kneel and apologize to me today, our brothers might spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless."Once these words were spoken, Narutounderstood completely: the three of them were targeting him specifically. Otherwise, they wouldn't have acted like they didn't know him just a moment ago, only to have confirmed his identity now.Naruto also became serious. He let go of the hand holding Hinata and said to her softly, "Stand back a bit. I might not be able to look after you when the fight starts. Take care of yourself."Although Hinata was still very shy, she nodded and said softly, "Okay, you be careful too!" After speaking, she slowly retreated.Naruto had already quietly opened the Gate of Rest. Just as he was about to make the first move, the Nine-Tailed's voice appeared in his mind: "Don't act rashly. The person who has been monitoring you has appeared again. I can sense from his Chakra fluctuations that he is less than 100 meters away from here."The Nine-Tailed's words dispelled Naruto's intention to strike first. After all, if the Jonin who had been monitoring him all this time was in league with these people, then things would be truly troublesome.