Naruto: All depends on the Nine-tails Fox

Inside the Ninja Academy classroom, Iruka's forehead veins were bulging as he fought to continue teaching. He tried hard to ignore the thunderous snoring that filled the room... but how could anyone ignore that?

"Naruto Uzumaki, stand up right now!"

Iruka launched a piece of chalk like a shuriken toward Naruto, who was fast asleep on his desk. Yet even in his sleep, Naruto instinctively raised his hand and swatted the chalk away, as if shooing a fly.

"N-Naruto-kun, Iruka-sensei looks really mad..." whispered Hinata, who sat next to him. She gently nudged Naruto under the desk.

"Huh? Is class over already?"

Naruto lifted his head slowly, yawning as he looked toward the podium. Realizing something was wrong, he quickly adopted a look of a studious, well-behaved student, as if he hadn't just been napping.

"Iruka-sensei, why did you stop teaching halfway through? It was getting really interesting! I can't wait to hear the rest!"

The entire class turned their gazes toward Naruto, filled with admiration. Only Naruto could say such shameless words so casually. He had long been regarded as the class's leader — bold, fearless, and always ready to take the heat.

Iruka was stunned for a moment. Naruto was usually chatty, often whispering with Hinata or messing around with others. But falling asleep in class was a first. He had initially thought Naruto might have had a rough night, but now it was clear: the boy was just doubling down!

"Alright... If you love sleeping so much, how about staying after school tonight to catch up on it in my office?"

"No, no, no! I'm sorry, Sensei! I've got something important tonight, I swear! I won't do it again!"

Naruto pleaded as he realized he couldn't afford to stay late — he had a meeting with Kurama, the Nine-Tails, tonight. This was no time to play hero.

"If you know you're wrong, go stand in the hallway as punishment!"

"Waaah—!"

The entire class was shocked! Their fearless Naruto, the top guy in their year, was actually getting punished?

In that instant, Iruka's status skyrocketed in the eyes of his students. Even Naruto, who everyone recognized as a prodigy, was not spared from Iruka's fair and unbiased discipline.

"Sensei Iruka!" Rock Lee suddenly stood up, tears streaming down his face. He was so moved by this act of justice that he attempted to give Iruka a big, heartfelt hug.

"Lee, what are you doing?! Sit back down! Hey, let go... You too, go stand in the hallway!"

Bam!

Iruka slammed the door shut, leaving both Naruto and Lee outside. The two shared a helpless look, sighing in defeat.

Naruto, who was almost dozing off while standing, was jolted awake by Lee's sudden approach. Lee seemed like he had just remembered something and eagerly spoke up.

"Naruto-kun, we haven't had much chance to talk before. My teacher, Guy-sensei, asked me about you recently!"

"Huh? Guy-sensei? Who's that?" Naruto looked puzzled.

"Uh, Guy-sensei said you're an old friend of his! He even gave his own training field to you to use..."

"Oh! The bushy-browed guy! Is he a teacher too?" Naruto suddenly recalled the eccentric man. Now that he looked at Lee, the resemblance between the two was uncanny. It made Naruto wonder if they were related.

"Is he your dad?"

"No, no, he's not!" Lee quickly waved his hands. "I met Guy-sensei just last year. I was training at the village's public field when he passed by. He said he was looking for a new place to train because he'd lent his old one to a friend."

"So, as a thank-you for sharing the field, he gave me some training tips. That's why I call him 'Guy-sensei.'"

"I see." Naruto nodded in understanding but continued to scrutinize Lee from head to toe. They were so similar that he couldn't help but suspect they were at least uncle and nephew.

"Guy-sensei is a Jonin, and his Taijutsu is incredible! After just a few sessions, the public training field I usually go to was completely wrecked. Before leaving the village last time, he mentioned I could use his old training ground, as long as I asked his friend for permission..."

Naruto chuckled as he pieced things together. "So you came to tell me that the bushy-browed guy is doing well, huh?"

"Well, uh..." Lee stammered, looking at Naruto's bright smile. He didn't quite know what to say.

Actually, Guy had told him that they were all classmates, so he shouldn't hesitate to ask. But facing geniuses like Hinata, Neji, Sasuke, and especially Naruto, who had set records at the academy, Lee felt dwarfed by the gap in their talents. He was just a plain student with no talent for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, relying solely on hard work in Taijutsu.

Even now, talking to Naruto alone was a rare opportunity that took all his courage.

"Yeah... I haven't seen that funny guy in a while," Naruto muttered, almost drifting off to sleep again. Lee, noticing this, felt awkward and hesitant.

"Naruto-kun must have understood my intention... and rejected it," Lee thought. "He's a genius; there's no way he didn't get it. Of course, someone like me shouldn't expect to train alongside them..."

Lee lowered his gaze, trying to hide his disappointment. But in his mind, the words of his teacher, Guy, echoed powerfully:

"Lee, the true mark of youth is the spirit to never give up. Dream big, believe in yourself, and strive harder. One day, you will become a great ninja too!"

The image of Guy's gleaming smile and his encouraging thumbs-up filled Lee's heart with determination.

"Um, Naruto-kun, I... I..." Lee clenched his fists, mustering every bit of his courage. He turned toward Naruto and shouted, "Please let me join your training sessions!"

"Sure, no problem!" Naruto answered almost instantly.