 I want to show I can be as fun and ninja as well, even if I do not have ninjutsu or genjutsu. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. I'm sure we've all heard that. I too believed it was a core theme of the Naruto series, but when we look at the outcome of Rock Lee against Gaara, and further look at the direction that the series took after this fight, more often than not, talent will win. But where Rock Lee comes into play is that just because he didn't win, that doesn't mean that he is a failure. Lee even in defeat is a great success, because hard work, no matter the outcome, is a success. Rock Lee, the shinobi born without any talent or affinity towards ninjutsu or genjutsu, was constantly demeaned by his peers, as he was told time and time again that he couldn't be a shinobi. To the academy, he would meet his soon to be sensei, my guy, a man very similar to himself, a late bloomer who believed in hard work, and more importantly, the only man who would believe in Lee, and shortly after, the handsome devil would soon become my guy's prodigy. Guy sensei's impact in molding a talentless shinobi into someone who could believe in his abilities needs to be emphasized. He sees so much of himself in Lee to the point where he feels that his purpose, his nindo, is to make sure Lee becomes the most splendid ninja possible, and his presence alone influenced Lee's way of living, and his philosophy. One of unwavering self-belief and determination, chasing after one's dreams even if it means death, because giving up is a pain that is so unimaginable, for the two of them giving up is worse than death. First of all it is a philosophy that asks them to uphold their promises no matter the cost. Guy sensei and Lee have a bond unlike any other in the Naruto universe, and at every road block, Guy was there to keep his student going. Lee trained his body to become one of the Leaf's greatest taijutsu based fighters. Lee was faster than the two tomoe sharingan of Sasuke, easily dispatching him in their short fight, and even more impressive was that Lee was faster than Gaara's absolute defense. All of this was to fulfill Lee's own goal, his nindo, which was to prove that even without ninjutsu or genjutsu, he could become a splendid ninja. Rock Lee vs Gaara during the Chunin exams is one of the most popular fights in Naruto, and a big part of that is the relatability that Rock Lee brings. We've all felt inadequate or untalented at something, and in the Naruto world, Lee is the closest thing to our the audience's proxy. And when Gaara fights Lee, it's a clash of two polar opposed people and lifestyles. At this point, 48 episodes into Naruto, we aren't shown the hours that Gaara put into mastering his absolute defense, or the amount of times he's failed or looked weak in front of his peers, the times that he's cried, feeling that he wouldn't ever reach his goal, because that never happened to Gaara. But we have seen Lee's dedication time and time again. Gaara was perfect, and he was terrifying. He wasn't the happy energetic Lee, he was a cold blooded, bloodthirsty killer, a kid who's never even been touched. In this fight, the talent went against the hard work, and Rock Lee represents the outcome of hard work and determination at different stages during this fight. When he takes off his ankle weights and shows off his speed, penetrating Gaara's perfect defense, that's the fruits of his labor paying off. When he enters the first gate and the second, and finally the fifth, when Rock Lee is sacrificing his future to win this fight, that is what determination is. That's chasing after your dreams. It was a classic underdog fight, up until it wasn't. But there Lee was, unconscious, his leg was shattered, and he was still ready to put his life on the line. Hard work overcoming talent was never a core theme of Naruto's story. Because Naruto himself was never without talent, but began without the proper focus, discipline, or love required. Of course we know the Nine Tale Jinshiriki has plenty of skill and talent. But Naruto coupled his talent with hard work, to boost the skill he was born with. Sasuke the Uchiha with legendary eyes worked equally as hard to supplement his sharing gun with a plethora of Jutsu and skills. The same goes for Neji, Lee's rival, and many more. But hard work overcoming his lack of talent was a theme for Lee's personal story. Rock Lee wanted to prove that he was a worthy shinobi without Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, and he did. Gaara was untouchable, literally, before he fought Lee. But most of all Gaara was feared, even by his own siblings, even by Joni. And when Lee was called to fight him, there wasn't any fear. To Lee Gaara was nothing more than a stepping stone, a fight to prove his worth. And Lee pushed and exposed Gaara as human. The blue beast even drew blood out of the One Tale Jinshiriki. Two things that have never happened before happened to Gaara in the same fight. Sure he lost, but he proved himself as more than a splendid shinobi. He is worthy, strong, and he is valuable. And Bushibra would later fight Kimimaro to a standstill. And I personally still believe to this day had he been placed against anyone else in his class during those exams, the handsome devil would have won. Rock Lee quickly became a fan favorite, and that's no surprise. He's inspiring and motivating. I feel like doing 100 pushups every time he's on screen. His energy is so infectious, and his presence alone grounds the series. As motivating as he is, he's also incredibly vulnerable. He's able to admit when he feels that he isn't good enough, or when he's lost and unsure, when he feels powerless. Lee wears his heart on his sleeve. When Lee is balling over the fact that he feels weak, it's such a moving scene because the pain of not feeling good enough and even feeling that you'll never be good enough can be devastating. The fact that Lee is able to be vulnerable and to feel all of these things, to verbalize all of these things, and to still have courage, for me is the reason he's inspiring. Lee doesn't come from a legendary family or have a genetic advantage. In fact, he's at such a disadvantage when it comes to his peers, but one by one he stood against prodigies without fear. He stood against geniuses. Simply sharing the battlefield with a jinchirki, an uchiha, or a huga, is a success in itself. And to stand without fear is even more impressive. Lee's story and his character represented in one scene is him standing up to fight when he was unconscious and his body was broken, against the most dangerous genin in his class. He's willing to die for what he values. That's the level of determination that he has, and that's how badly he's willing to fight for his dreams. Lee's arc proves that hard work doesn't always be talent, but that hard work in itself is a success. Because of the simple fact that hard work teaches one how to be resilient. It teaches patience. It teaches how to never give up, and how to adapt to failure and loss. And these are all the lessons that Lee has taken from working hard and has shaped who he is. The reality is that Lee became a splendid ninja the second he was able to touch Gaara. And to become a genius of hard work, that is something that no one else in the Naruto universe can take from him. He's the only one. He's one of one. Rock Lee worked harder than anyone, and in his own personal journey of self-worth, he won. He appell his promise. Rock Lee wanted to prove to himself that he could become a splendid ninja, and instead he became great. That is the power of youth.