Average As Always
Did you know?
The average 1v1 ninja fight lasts a minute.
This is an indication of how misleading averages can be, because the median ninja battle lasts 10 seconds. 6 to decide the fight, with 4 for a statement before the killing blow.
Battles go so fast, there are some ninjas who have been active duty for years without ever trading a blow in a fight.
Because of hogs like him.
Garu sighed.
As always, there'd been no room before Rock Lee tore through their hapless opponents like they were standing still. His 1v1s clocked in at a solid 2 seconds.
At this point the rest of the team was just coming along to act as witnesses for the bounty collection.
Which would then all be spent on covering the property damage from training the asshole and vitalize the Konoha economy. A petty voice reminded him.
Rising tide lifts all ships, Mother's voice scolded the petty voice.
He couldn't help it, how could anyone help it?
Decades a chuunin, watching this chakraless punk streak ahead like a meteor, destroying the average.
The squirt wouldn't stop moving.
He wanted to scream sometimes, just tie the kid up, make him sit down and stop grinning that shit eating grin for just a minute, stop being so goddamn happy about being a ninja.
There's nothing he's doing wrong, Garu told himself, consciously unclenching his fists. Focus on yourself. You'll get a jounin rec eventually.
They handed their report in.
Lee invited them to a celebratory training session, as always.
He refused politely, as always.
And went to sleep off the disappointment of the day.
As always.
A/N: Thing everyone loves about Rock Lee is that he's not born special, or even gifted. No hero's destiny prophesized etc.
So he's a symbol and reminder that average is a choice, that hard work can make anyone exceptional, which is a thought everyone can root for.
But on the other hand: that sucks to be next to, because it's more comforting to imagine that there was nothing you could do to be up there with the big boys, because you weren't born an Uchiha, or had a beast sealed inside you, or was the child of some legend.
Average is as average does and that is fine, most people are happy with that. If you don't have the reminder that you can be more next to you.