Naruto: Martial God Art

As Rock Lee scanned the room, his gaze landed on a quiet, gentle-looking female ninja. She happened to be looking at him too, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. Lee felt his heart race, his blood pumping with a strange excitement. But his mature mind kept him steady; he simply gave her a warm smile and a small nod.

The girl's face instantly turned red, and she quickly lowered her gaze, flustered. Yet, there was a faint smile on her face.

"Aiko, what's going on?" asked a tall, thin young man standing next to her, noticing her reaction.

"N-nothing," Aiko stammered, her cheeks still flushed.

The young man, with a stern expression, turned his gaze toward Lee, eyes narrowing. With a cold glare, he raised his hand to his neck, making a gesture as if to "cut" it—a clear threat.

Lee barely reacted, only smiling calmly. Having faced far tougher opponents, a glare from another Genin didn't bother him at all.

"Sasuke, you're so slow!" a girl's voice called from the doorway. "Wait… what happened to your face?"

Lee turned to see a beautiful blonde girl standing close to Sasuke, looking at him with concern. Sasuke's chin was heavily bandaged from their recent fight, and his face still showed signs of bruising.

Yamanaka Ino, Lee recalled. The Yamanaka clan, known for their powerful mind-controlling ninjutsu, was highly respected in Konoha. Ino was the talented heir of this clan.

"Ino pig, get away from Sasuke!" shouted a pink-haired girl nearby, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, Sakura, still hiding that huge forehead of yours?" Ino teased, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.

"You—!" Sakura sputtered, clearly furious.

Their argument was interrupted by a bored voice. "What's with all the noise? This exam is already annoying enough without you two making it worse."

A thin boy with a spiky ponytail sighed heavily as he spoke. Next to him, a chubby boy munched on a bag of chips, looking equally uninterested.

"Yeah, can't you all just chill?" the chubby boy added between bites. "Fighting takes too much energy… eating's way better."

Lee recognized them instantly—Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji. Shikamaru, a strategic genius with shadow-based jutsu, came from the respected Nara family, while Choji, with his expansion jutsu, hailed from the Akimichi clan. Together with Ino, they formed the "Ino–Shika–Cho" trio, a famous team in Konoha.

"Sasuke belongs to me," Ino teased, sticking her tongue out playfully at Sakura.

"Hey, everyone's here!" Another voice called out, and three more Genin entered—a shy girl, a boy with a small dog on his head, and a quiet, mysterious-looking boy with sunglasses.

"Hello… everyone," the shy girl greeted softly, her cheeks turning pink.

Hyūga Hinata, Lee thought. The Hyuga clan, one of Konoha's most powerful families, was known for their Byakugan. Hinata was from the main family, making her a high-ranking member, even higher than Neji, who was from the branch family.

Next to her stood Inuzuka Kiba, with his small dog on his head and red markings on his cheeks. Known for their strong bonds with ninja dogs, the Inuzuka clan specialized in canine-based techniques.

The last boy, silent with dark sunglasses and a high collar, was Aburame Shino. His clan, the Aburame, was known for their unique ability to control insects.

"Great, so you guys came too?" Shikamaru said, sounding annoyed. It was clear the other rookies were close with each other.

"Why shouldn't we come?" Kiba replied, smirking.

Lee glanced around the room thoughtfully. So these are the nine rookies competing in the Chūnin Exams, he thought, observing Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and the others. Almost all of them came from prominent clans or had skilled Jōnin mentors. Naruto trained under Kakashi, while Hinata's teacher was Kurenai Yūhi. Shikamaru's teacher was Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage.

Each one is from a well-known family and taught by a top Jōnin, Lee noted. Yet, except for Sasuke and Shino, most of them are still quite untested. If they face tough opponents from other villages, it might be a struggle for them.

"Hey, Kiba, that thing on your head looks tasty!" Choji teased, still eating his chips.

Kiba scowled, about to retort, but Shino stepped forward calmly, standing between them.

"What's your problem, Shino?" Choji asked, frowning.

"Don't step on it," Shino replied coolly, glancing at the floor.

Choji followed his gaze and noticed a small insect crawling across the ground.

"Not everything is food, Choji," Shino added with a stern look from behind his sunglasses.

"Alright, quiet down!" A man with round glasses and long white hair suddenly stepped forward, his calm voice breaking up the chatter.