*Chapter 55: Four Small Goals!*

The moment Sasuke's words left his mouth, Rock Lee felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins.

This is it! A new goal to pursue!  

For Lee, Uchiha Sasuke had now become the pinnacle of his aspirations, surpassing even Neji from his own Team Guy. In fact, Sasuke's position in Lee's heart was beginning to rival that of his beloved teacher, Might Guy.

Lee understood that, for now, Sasuke was beyond his reach. Even without a direct confrontation, Lee knew he was outclassed in raw physical strength alone.

"Sasuke, don't worry!" Lee exclaimed, his voice full of conviction. "I will train harder and live up to your expectations!"

The burning passion in Lee's eyes was unmistakable, as if his exhaustion from earlier had been completely erased.

---

"Continue," Sasuke said coolly, waving his hand as he turned to leave.

Lee hesitated, his gaze following Sasuke's retreating figure.

"Sasuke, are you leaving already?"

Sasuke paused briefly but didn’t turn around.

"Yes," he replied simply, his tone calm.

Lee clenched his fists and took a deep breath, summoning the courage to ask what had been gnawing at him.

"Sasuke... did you really come here just to check on my training?"

Sasuke froze for a split second, his mind racing. Did Lee figure out that I was here for system points?  

With an air of practiced indifference, Sasuke shook his head.

"No," he replied, walking forward once more. "I was just killing time."

+5

Lee’s face broke into a wide grin.

"I see!"  

Bowling deeply, he called out, "Thank you, Sasuke!"

Lee flipped back into position and resumed his upside-down training.

---

As Sasuke disappeared into the shadows of the woods, Lee’s mind spun with renewed determination.

He must have come just for me, Lee thought, his steps steady as he balanced on his hands. Sasuke didn’t admit it because he didn’t want to pressure me. What an inspiring role model!  

---

Not far from where Sasuke and Lee had spoken, a green-clad figure emerged from the shadows.

It was none other than Might Guy, Lee’s teacher.

Tears streamed down Guy’s face, his fists trembling with emotion.

"What did I just witness?"  

His voice quivered with pride and excitement.

"This... this is the essence of youth!"

With a flicker, Guy disappeared, his heart brimming with admiration. He had come to check on Lee’s progress but had instead witnessed a heartfelt exchange between two young talents.

"A bond like this... Sasuke is even more impressive than Kakashi!"  

Guy couldn't help but recall his own rivalry with Kakashi in their youth. The nostalgia filled him with warmth.

---

Meanwhile, Sasuke was walking home when a gust of wind sent a chill down his spine, prompting him to sneeze.

"Must’ve caught a cold."  

But the thought was fleeting. He opened the system panel and reviewed his points.

*Current system points: 233*

"Not bad for tonight."  

He quickly allocated 200 points to his *Ninjutsu* attribute, saving the remaining 33 for future training.

---

The numbers on the panel updated immediately:

- *Intelligence*: D (6/200)

- *Stamina*: C (8/300)

- *Genjutsu*: E (2/100)

- *Ninjutsu*: C (0/300)

- *Strength*: E (15/100)

- *Speed*: E (12/100)

The updated stats formed a rough "V" shape, with Stamina and Ninjutsu as its wings.

"At least I’ve got two standout attributes now."  

Satisfied, Sasuke set his sights on his next goal: mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.

---

Back at home, Sasuke headed straight to his room. Unrolling the scroll containing the technique, he marveled at the complexity of the writing and diagrams.

"To invent such a technique... the Second Hokage truly was a genius."  

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke began poring over the scroll. He read it five times, carefully committing its contents to memory.

Finally, he leaned back, his head spinning from the effort. Without hesitation, he used a single system point to boost his *Intelligence*.

Instantly, a wave of clarity washed over him.

"An S-rank technique is no joke."  

Despite understanding the theory, Sasuke realized his body was far from capable of executing the intricate maneuvers.

"I need a plan."  

---

To make the daunting task manageable, Sasuke broke the process into four steps:

1. *Learn the Flying Thunder God formula.*

2. *Teleport to the location of the formula.*

3. *Transport specific objects to the formula’s location.*

4. *Achieve mastery, including advanced applications.*

"Four small goals," Sasuke mused, his mind set.

One step at a time.

(End of chapter)