After a series of examinations by the doctor, he couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
"He actually recovered just like that? How is this possible?" The doctor couldn't figure it out at all.
"Could it be that the doctor's treatment worked? Maybe Lee was already on the mend, and today he just fully recovered?" Tenten tried to create a smokescreen.
"That shouldn't be the case! I've been practicing medicine for many years; I know exactly what kinds of injuries can be treated, and to what extent. This outcome is impossible," the doctor shook his head decisively.
He knew his own medical skills—if he were that good, he would have surpassed Tsunade long ago.
Natsuki chimed in, "Maybe it was Guy-sensei's beef that worked? Perhaps beef helped Lee's body recover? Like, maybe Lee has a special constitution where eating beef allows him to recover, or maybe the beef Guy-sensei gave today was special beef—like from the Fourth Great Sacred Land's Sage Beef or something?"
The more he talked, the more ridiculous it sounded. Tenten and the doctor both couldn't help but roll their eyes.
Who would believe that nonsense?
"Really?"
Lee believed it. "Guy-sensei! You're so good to me! You even went to the Fourth Great Sacred Land to get Sage Beef for me. I'll never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!"
Tenten couldn't hold back her teasing anymore. "What Sage Beef... Might as well say it's Guy-sensei's love that worked!"
Guy and Lee both froze, then their eyes welled up with tears again.
"Oooh! So it was the love between master and student that moved the Sage of Six Paths! The Sage bestowed his blessings upon Lee/me, allowing us to recover! I'm so touched! This is what youth is all about!"
The two embraced again. The background... well, let's not even go there.
Everyone else present felt so awkward they wanted to curl their toes into the ground. They had no idea what to say.
After a while, the two kappa-like men finally stopped being so weird, though they were still full of passion. Especially after the doctor approved Lee's discharge, Lee was so excited he was practically over the moon.
"Guy-sensei! Please give me extra training! I want to make up for all the training I've missed these past few days!"
"Oh! Lee, what a noble spirit! Then let me design a training regimen for you! But training is tough, you know—can you endure it?"
"Guy-sensei, I will definitely endure until the end!"
"Yosh! Then let's begin—"
"Chotto matte!"
Tenten stepped in front of the two kappa-like men, her eyes blazing with a fury that brooked no argument.
"Lee, before that, you have to listen to my complaints! You were way too reckless in this exam! Your dream is important, but isn't your body important too? If your body breaks down, what dreams will you have left? Do you know how worried we were? Do you know how sad and pained Guy-sensei was? You need to reflect, kid!"
Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.
She really had been worried. Even though she knew the Senzu Bean could heal Lee, the worry hadn't lessened one bit.
She knew full well how reckless Lee was—no matter how many times he was healed, he would still act recklessly. But there weren't so many miracles in the world, and even a Senzu Bean might not be able to heal every time.
She was really afraid of losing this teammate.
Lee opened his mouth, but instead of his usual fiery spirit, he just muttered softly, "Tenten, Guy-sensei, Natsuki... I'm sorry for worrying you all this time."
Natsuki took the opportunity to speak.
"Since you know we worry about you, you should reflect properly. We all know you're trying to prove how hard-working and dedicated you are, but you also need to take care of your body. Your body is the foundation of everything—if your body breaks down, all your dreams will shatter. Don't be reckless again. Miracles don't happen every time, and you don't want to face despair again, do you?"
"...I'm sorry."
Lee lowered his gaze. Back when he thought he might not be able to be a ninja anymore, he truly felt despair.
His dreams, his everything, felt like they had been torn to shreds by reality.
He even doubted the meaning of his life.
Fortunately, a miracle had happened, and he would treasure it from now on. Especially now, knowing how much his friends and comrades had worried about him, he definitely wouldn't act recklessly again.
He promised!
At this moment, Guy quietly reached out and pulled Lee into a hug, tears in his eyes—this time, not the wide-stream tears from before, but gentle ones.
He choked up softly, "Lee... really... it's so good that you recovered."
"Guy-sensei..."
Lee also understood Guy's pain and joy at this moment, and the tears couldn't be stopped anymore.
"Thank you! Thank you, Guy-sensei! Thank you, Tenten! Thank you, Natsuki! Thank you, Neji! Thank you, everyone! I... I really... I really... I promise you all, I won't be reckless again, I won't make you worry anymore!"
Neji had just arrived at the door and heard Lee's sobbing. For a moment, he too couldn't help but feel his eyes grow moist...
Lee's recovery, of course, called for a celebration.
But everyone was pretty busy, with many still preparing for the finals, and Lee didn't want to bother anyone. So in the end, it was just the five of them—Team Guy plus Natsuki—going to have a barbecue feast.
Water.
However, perhaps because Lee had just eaten the Senzu Bean, his stomach wasn't hungry, and he couldn't eat much.
Guy thought it was because Lee had just recovered and shouldn't overeat, so he told everyone else to eat and just let Lee watch.
Lee: Guy-sensei, I'm really grateful to you!
After the barbecue, Tenten felt much more relaxed.
She had been so worried about Lee, and now that he had recovered—and she'd also taken the opportunity to scold him—she felt she didn't need to worry about him being reckless anymore.
All in all, a series of good things had happened.
"Natsuki, thank you." She kissed Natsuki, genuinely grateful.
"That's how you thank me?" Natsuki was dissatisfied.
"Then what do you want?"
"Oh, it's nothing much... it's just that I haven't had a proper bath in days because I've been so busy training, and if someone could help scrub my back, that'd be great."
"You're such a perv! Always thinking about this kind of stuff! Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
The two of them bickered all the way home. At the ninja tools shop, they just greeted the owner and then left, heading straight home.
Tenten did know how to care for someone—when Natsuki said he needed help scrubbing his back, though she said no with her mouth, she was very proactive in running the bath and preparing everything.
Soon, the bathroom was filled with noise and laughter...
The next day, Natsuki felt completely refreshed. He saw Tenten out the door, then reentered the gravity training room, returning to his usual training routine.
But while Natsuki wasn't paying attention, Konoha Village was already stirring with dark currents beneath the surface.
First, Gekko suddenly died under mysterious circumstances.
Aoba Yamashiro, who had been secretly watching Kabuto Yakushi, found that Kabuto had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Even the Sand Village seemed to be acting a bit suspicious.
The atmosphere in Konoha was turning strange and subtle, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest spark.
And in the completely unnoticed Root base, a guest had arrived.
"Orochimaru..."
Danzo squinted with one eye at Orochimaru, his gaze filled with something called ambition.
(End of Chapter)
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