Genius of Hardwork V2

by Coolness121

Like many, Rock Lee was a boy who dreamed of becoming a hero. Unlike everyone else, though, he was born without a Quirk. Did you think that was going to stop him? No! He might not have been born gifted, but he would keep working hard and never give up! He would show the world that he could become a splendid hero even without a Quirk! (A new version of an old work.)

1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1: A Kid With A Dream

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In a small town in Japan, the summer sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, making it warm enough for residents old and young to enjoy a nice walk or day at the park. For this small town in Japan, this day couldn't have been more perfect if not for two things.

"C'MON, LEE! IF WE CANNOT COMPLETE OUR HUNDRED LAPS AROUND TOWN ON OUR FEET, THEN WE SHALL TRY AGAIN ON OUR HANDS!" A rich, masculine voice belted out to his protege.

The voice belonged to an older man in a green and white striped tracksuit with white shoes. He stood at a neck-bending six feet tall with two thick, yet-perfectly-plucked eyebrows, a black bowl cut that gleamed under the sun, and a smile that gleamed like polished pearls. The man jogged down the street, uncaring of the long, odd looks the other residents gave him. The man focused solely on his student.

"YES, GUY-SENSEI! I WILL FINISH THIS LAST LAP BEFORE EVEN YOU!" The young apprentice yelled back, looking exactly like his sensei- even up to the bushy eyebrows.

"YOSH! LEE, YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE BURNING LIKE A WILDFIRE!" The man, Guy-Sensei, said back just as loud as he began. "HOW ABOUT A CHALLENGE, LEE?!

"I AM UP TO ANY CHALLENGE YOU MAY POSE, GUY-SENSEI!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, LEE! IF YOU BEAT ME TO THE DOJO, I WILL TEACH YOU THE 'TECHNIQUE' AS YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WOULD THEN BE READY!"

Guy smiled to himself as Lee let off a "YOSH!" before speeding up to pass him. The slap of Lee's feet against the street got faster, and Guy admired his student's strength of spirit. Truthfully, Guy knew Lee was ready to learn the 'Technique,' but he also knew his student wouldn't accept anything not hard fought.

That's why Guy began to pick up the pace himself. 'Let us see how much you want it, Lee.'

Lee heard the thuds of his sensei's footfalls speed up and felt his heart jolt in his chest. If his blood wasn't already pumping hard in his veins, it moved at an unmatched pace now. Lee knew his sensei had issued the challenge in the last kilometer of their daily run for a reason. This was another test of his youth and Will of Fire. Yosh! Lee wouldn't let his sensei down!

As Guy-sensei gained on him, Lee pushed himself to run faster. He willed his legs to move quicker and more powerful. Lee pushed all notions of pain and exhaustion from his mind. He wasn't sweating through his sweatsuit, his legs weren't going numb with every step, and every breath wasn't coming in large lungfuls. No, Lee would run and run and run until he made it to the dojo before his sensei.

There! Lee could see the green roof and large cherry blossom tree now. He was so close Lee could smell the leather of old punching bags, but even more vividly, he could hear his sensei threatening to pass him up.

Lee dug deep, pushing his legs to go even faster. Street signs blurred by, and old ladies with their dogs were left in the dust as Lee clung to his lead. He couldn't look, too focused on running and running and running, but he could swear his sensei was right next to him. Sensei was matching him step for step, and something in Lee told him it would be a photo finish- too close to determine, and Lee rebelled against the mere idea. He couldn't leave any doubt that he wanted to prove himself and was willing to work however hard it took to accomplish his dreams.

To his dismay, he heard his sensei's footsteps suddenly quicken, going faster than Lee thought anyone could run. Lee forced himself to match that speed, desperately throwing one leg in front of the other, but found that he couldn't run any faster. Lee had reached his limit, but sensei was getting faster and faster- no, sensei was taking the lead.

No. No!

Through the exhaustion and pain, Lee reached deep inside himself for something more to make him run harder. He went for something to beat his sensei in this race, something to prove that Lee was ready to take the next step in accomplishing his goal, and found...something in his gut.

In retrospect, Lee would describe what he felt as a wall or gate, another obstacle in the way of what he was reaching for. Like every obstacle he faced, Lee pushed through that wall without a second thought, busted open the gate without hesitation, and found what he was looking for. Lee grasped the strange feeling and felt born again. Like he'd been given a new pair of lungs and legs, Lee let the incredible feeling permeate all the way to the tips of his toes. His sensei didn't matter, and his exhaustion didn't matter. Nothing mattered now except for the need to win.

So, Lee ran. He couldn't explain how he sped up, only that he did, and it was just in time. The dojo was right there! The next step towards his dreams was one step away. He'd do it! Lee was going to beat his sensei and-

He tripped. Suddenly down was up, and up was down as Lee sailed through the air. It felt like time had slowed to a snail's crawl. Lee saw sensei's gaping mouth and raised eyebrows. Then he saw the sun and its bright and powerful heat, just like Lee felt inside.

Then he slammed butt-first onto the grass, and the moment was shattered.

Lee found himself gasping for breath as his backside throbbed in pain. His lungs grabbed for breath so hard he choked and coughed. His mouth felt dry like he hadn't drunk water in days. His hair clung to his scalp from all the sweat he was swamped in. What was that feeling just then? Where did that energy come from? Has he...

But no, there was no way. Lee felt his breath hitch in his throat as his thoughts ran wild. He'd never felt like that before. That...that had to mean something. Maybe his chance had finally come!

Lee forgot about everything and focused on trying to recreate that feeling. He closed his eyes and tried remembering how it all felt and where he reached to find it. If it was a Quirk, he could reaccess it if he tried hard enough.

"Lee."

All he had to do was find it again. Reach deep and find that well of energy behind the gate. Maybe his Quirk was self-enhancement? He had run faster than ever before, even faster than sensei when he had to have been seriously trying.

"Lee, I need you to stop."

Or it could be something to do with time. Lee could vividly remember the slow motion while in the air. It would be so youthful for him to have time powers!

"Lee!"

A pair of heavy hands clamping down on his shoulders jarred Lee from his task. Lee's eyes snapped open to see his sensei staring at him with his brow furrowed and lips pressed together.

"Are you okay, Lee? Is anything broken? Bleeding?" He asked.

Lee felt a flash of irritation shoot through him. What did a broken bone have to do with anything? He didn't fall that hard.

"I'm fine, sensei," Lee got up quickly to prove so to his sensei, but his knees nearly buckled beneath him. If it wasn't for sensei steadying him, Lee would've fallen right back down into the grass in front of the dojo.

"Lee," Guy-sensei sounded strange. Instead of being excited or proud of his victory, none of the usual energy was there. "Be careful. After what you did, your legs may need more time to recover. I've never seen anything like it."

"Sensei," Lee felt so much pride rush through him then. Sensei had seen it too. "I knew it! I finally got one. I knew it, sensei! I knew it was only a matter of time. It is like you said, with enough hard work, anything is possible!"

Sensei's brow furrowed even deeper. "Lee-"

"A Quirk, sensei," Lee couldn't be more excited. If he could jump around, he would. "That was my Quirk. I never needed an extra toe joint. I needed to work harder, push myself beyond my limits and reach deep enough to find it! Yosh!"

"Oh? And what did your...Quirk feel like, Lee?"

Lee thought that was an odd question. Why was his sensei not excited about this? Then he remembered this wasn't the first time Lee thought he had miraculously gotten a Quirk.

"It felt...incredible," Lee said. He shut his eyes and tried to recall what he felt. "It felt like I ran into a wall or found a locked gate. I wanted to beat you so badly, sensei, that I pushed through that barrier and found this...feeling. It was amazing, sensei. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt. What else could it be besides a Quirk?"

Lee couldn't think it could be anything else. That kind of energy, that kind of power...It had to be a Quirk. It had to be. Right?

Sensei's eyes fell to the ground, and Lee felt his heart threaten to fall. No, how could- Lee was right. He felt it! Lee didn't just make it up; he knew what he felt was real.

"This isn't like those other times, sensei," Lee tried to explain. "It was real. It was more than finding a second breath. It was unreal. If you'd felt it, you'd be," Lee trailed off as he remembered the feeling again. Just remembering it, Lee felt at a loss for words.

His sensei had plenty to say, though.

"Did it feel...awesome, Lee?" sensei asked. "Like all the exhaustion fled from your body, and you could do things you couldn't before, like outrun your sensei?"

Lee didn't understand. What was Guy-sensei trying to say? Did he not believe him?

"We have much to talk about, Lee," sensei said. He pulled Lee to his feet alongside himself. "Let us get inside the dojo, and I will explain what I believe happened."

"What do you mean, sensei? Are you not excited that I finally found my Quirk?" He asked, and his sensei only shook his head. Lee couldn't understand why. "This could mean my dream of being a hero is-"

"Isn't any more or less attainable than what it was before, Lee," sensei interrupted. "What have I told you? Quirk or no Quirk, you will become a splendid hero, Lee. You will be one of the best, and it won't have anything to do with a Quirk."

It took Lee a few moments to fully register what he'd heard. What was Guy-sensei talking about? Lee knew what he felt wasn't like anything he had felt before. It was a Quirk; it had to be a Quirk. What else could it be?

"Let's go inside," Guy-sensei said, turning towards the dojo. "It is time we enter the next step of your training."

Lee had no other choice but to follow him inside and listen to what he had to say. What Lee would hear and witness inside the dojo that day would be a truth sweeter than any Quirk could ever be. In the end, Guy-sensei hadn't lied to him when he first promised that he could make Lee into a hero. If anything, Lee had only become more of a believer. His dreams grew much more attainable, making all the difference. Japan- no, the world wasn't prepared for the hurricane that was brewing under that green-roofed dojo with the cherry tree in its front yard. No one would know until one principal encountered an application unlike any he'd ever seen.

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(Years Later)

Principal Nezu sat at the head of the long conference room table surrounded by his fellow U.A. staff members and teachers. It was quiet besides the ticking clock and the low chatter and giggling between Mic and Midnight, as usual.

Nezu looked down at the stack of applications before him. Narrowed down from the hundreds upon thousands of applications submitted, Nezu had taken one in particular and made copies to gather... essential data from his co-workers.

Typically, Quirk users from across Japan and other parts of the world submitted applications to U.A., the most prestigious Pro-Hero academy in the Eastern Hemisphere, if not the world. No school could boast an array of Alumni like All Might, Miruko, and Endeavor. It was a point of pride for everyone who attended or worked in these hallowed halls, past, present, or future.

But, Nezu thought, this coming year had the chance to be unlike any other that had passed by. Nezu could confidently say he had never seen an application like this before. It was easy enough to discard most applications due to the student needing to meet the bare minimum requirements of attendance. The high standards of U.A. would never deter the hopeful or foolish, depending on who you asked. How would his staff see this student in particular:

Rock Lee.

"Principal Nezu," Vlad, an excellent teacher and Pro, would be the one to take the lead. It was in his nature. "You usually don't need this many of us to help you sort through the applications. What are we here for?"

"Yes," 13, a young teacher and hero with a budding but strong reputation. "We've sat here for approximately 7 minutes and 25 seconds, and you have not said a word. Were you perhaps deep in thought over the applications in your hands?"

Vlad was always one to cut straight to the crux of matters. And 13 was always so precise in her observations, not one to miss even the tiniest of details. Better heroes there may have been, but better teachers Nezu could only think of a few.

Nezu cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention he didn't already have. Midnight. Mic. Aizawa. Snipe. Cementoss. Orca.

"Ah, my apologies to you all," Nezu began, "You are as observant as always, 13. I was caught up in my thoughts, haha. There is much to think about nowadays, especially concerning U.A. and the future generation of heroes."

"Dramatic," Mic sang under his breath, though everyone heard him. "Principal Nezu, don't tell me you found the next All Might or something, and you wanted to brag."

Midnight scoffed to herself. "As if any of these brats could be the next 'Symbol of Peace.' That guy is cut from a different cloth."

"I'll say," Snipe added on.

Nezu continued on, used to his staff's side comments. "No, I did not find the next 'Symbol of Peace,' but do not discount the potential of the next generation. As you said, this applicant, in particular, is 'cut from a different cloth' Midnight," he said.

They shifted in their seats, sitting up straighter and paying more attention to him after he said that. Nezu gathered the copies and handed them to 13, who sat closest on the right.

"Could you take one and pass it down, Thirteen?" He asked her.

Wordlessly she took the stack and did as he requested and took one, then passed the stack to Cementoss next to her. As they were going around, Nezu decided to keep explaining.

"I'm sure you've seen enough applications this year, and I don't wish to burden you much more- least of all with a sole student, but I felt you all deserved a... 'heads up' as I've heard it referred to," he said.

To his right and moving down, Thirteen was peering at the application close, helmet nearly pressing against the paper. Next to them was Cementoss, whose stony expression was only rivaled by Vlad's, who sat between him and Aizawa. Ectoplasm, Snipe, Mic, and Midnight sat on the other side of the table, and they were all focused on the application. Hmm.

It did not take long until someone broke the silence.

Mic was the first to say something. "Well, I think this is the best application I've read in a long time," He asked with a slight chuckle as the application finally came to him. "This kid's scores are impressive."

Snipe flipped the application over to the front page was planted on the desk. "With all due respect," Snipe began. "I don't care how impressive the boy's scores are. There is no way we can accept this."

"Why not?" Mic turned to a page. "Look at this: top 10 percentile of all test-takers in the country. That's unbelievable."

"On that point, I would like to raise a concern," 13 said. "I am not saying this 'Rock Lee' cheated on his tests, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that an administrator...embellished his scores. It has happened before- albeit I admit not under these...unique circumstances."

"13?!" Midnight gaped like a fish. "An embellishment hasn't happened in over two decades- especially not on a scale like this. That examiner was bribed to bump up a score a couple of points to keep the student from failing. Scores like these would obviously get our attention, so why would anyone make them so high if they were trying to get in? It's not like the kid was close to failing."

"I was only bringing awareness to a possibility, however unlikely it may be. I intended no disrespect."

"13 has every right to bring it up," Cementoss said. "It would disqualify him if it were true."

"Oh, and I bet you both thought the same thing with every application you saw this week?" Midnight shot back. 13 and Cementoss both had nothing to say in reply. "That's what I thought."

"Oh, stop it," Snipe said. "They are only doing their jobs, as you should be. Think for a second Midnight. How could a student like this get scores like these?"

" 'Like this?' " Midnight's voice rose a level. "Say it like you mean it next time, Snipe. There is no evidence that Rock Lee cheated on his exams, knowingly or not."

"I have to agree with Midnight," Vlad said. "Academic integrity is paramount to all the examiners we send to these schools. The one time was a fluke, which has not been repeated since. I don't see anything in this application that would lead me to believe that has changed."

"I do find it odd that Principal Nezu would bring this application to our attention unless there were a deeper reasoning," Ectoplasm added. "That is the point I find most curious about all of this. Principal, is there something you have seen that we have yet not?"

Nezu took great pleasure in shaking his head no.

"Ha! See? If the principal hasn't caught any cheating, there isn't any," Midnight said.

"I still can't believe the kid did so well. I didn't even do that good when I first took the exam," Mic said.

"Me neither," 13 agreed.

Snipe rolled his eyes and planted his chin in his hand. "These scores are superficial. All the other students will have Quirks that will help them become Pros. What does this kid have? The fact he can throw a ball pretty far? Run pretty fast? I'm not trying to be disrespectful-"

"You're not trying that hard to me," Midnight said under her breath.

"But we have to look at the big picture here. A Quirkless student at U.A.? He's more likely to die in the Entrance Exam than graduate."

"So what? Not every Quirk can make use of a gun, Snipe. Not every Quirk can easily help you in a fight. I don't see how this is any different from that. We give him a fair shot just like everyone else."

Snipe scoffed at the pun or maybe at everything Midnight had just said. "We are potentially risking this kid's life, and you are making jokes."

"Midnight makes a good point, though," Mic scratched his chin. "I know when I started, my Quirk wasn't strong enough to rely on in combat. Vlad, you've mentioned how much trouble your Quirk has given you before."

"It's true," Vlad said. "I was at as much risk as this Rock Lee when I applied to U.A., yet I did not quit. I persevered as I imagine he has had to in order to make it this far in the selection process."

"I mean this as respectfully as possible, but we cannot ignore that he does not have a Quirk," Cementoss said. "The mere absence of one is enough to cause controversy for the school and interfere with education. While the kind of danger he would face may be no lesser or greater than some of his peers, it is a significant enough point to influence the entire school year on multiple levels."

"So what?" Midnight shrugged. "All of this sounds like excuses to me, no offense. We have to give the kid a chance- look at these scores. If we don't, we're no better than those bigots that think not having a Quirk makes you inherently 'inferior' to everyone who does."

"Yeah, I can't get behind that," Mic said. "The kid has earned a shot. No matter the risk involved, we can't take that away from him."

"Those bigots, as you mentioned earlier, will be on us like white on rice, you know? The media, 'concerned' parents, you name it," Snipe groaned. "We are opening up a can of problems that we won't ever be able to close again. Heck, society as we know it might very well completely change."

"Let the kid try," Aizawa spoke up for the first time. "We will deal with these problems as they come. We do not bow to the opinions of such close-minded groups. If a situation arises that we cannot handle, that says more about us than anyone else."

"But the kid is Quirkle-"

"The kid," Aizawa interjected, "displays the drive and ability we should praise. Isn't it that guy's motto to go 'Plus Ultra' or something? Isn't it what we say to every student that graces these halls? I, for one, am not a hypocrite. Give the kid a chance, principal, and we'll see how it proceeds from there."

With that, Aizawa slumped over the table, shutting his eyes to nap.

Nezu took the opportunity to speak. "I understand this isn't a discussion that stops here in this room, and that's fine. This is why I showed you the application in the first place, so you'd be conscious of such a possibility. If he fails, he fails. But if he succeeds, we will admit him into the Hero Course and help him, and the others, grow into extraordinary heroes."

As Nezu saw it, they had a responsibility as teachers to realize every student's potential and to believe in every student, even if they still needed to believe in themselves. Their job was to help children realize their dreams no matter how ludicrous they may seem. Their duty was to prepare them to face the horrors they would encounter and defeat them.

This child was different, and different didn't have an easy time being. Nezu could only imagine how difficult Rock Lee had it growing up in this day and age. And yet Lee still over-achieved by today's standards. He'd gone beyond what some with quirks have and gotten excellent grades in every subject.

Nezu knew the odds were stacked against the child, but his instincts told him something different. They told him something was changing; he could feel it. Maybe the boy was to be the catalyst, maybe not. Nezu didn't know which to hope for, but as he looked at the picture of the smiling boy with thick eyebrows and shiny bowl cut, Nezu realized that maybe it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Nezu had the chance to help a child achieve their dream.

Lee was up against the world and impossible odds, but Nezu didn't think anything was impossible.

Not with enough hard work, at least.

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Long A/N:

I'm baaaackkk. I have been deciding what to do with this fic for a very long time. I fell out of love with MHA and writing fanfiction, and I had to do a lot of soul-searching, growing, healing, and learning until I ultimately decided that this fic was too good to abandon. Writing this fic didn't make me dislike the MHA universe as I thought. It made me not like Midoriya.

Hear me out. The juxtaposition of Lee to Midoriya I created with this fic only highlighted the failed promise of Deku's character. In the first episode, Midoriya is set up as the kid who would defy the odds and prove his bullies wrong. The quirkless kid with the heart of a hero who wouldn't let being quirkless stop him, only to miraculously get a Quirk as the episode ends...what?

Don't get me wrong; there's nothing really wrong with that decision. I was simply disappointed the more I thought about it. What separated Midoriya from Mirio now? Or him from All Might? Or any other hero willing to risk their lives to save others? Worst of all, by accepting the Quirk, Midoriya proves his bullies right. A kid without a quirk couldn't become a real hero, and I can't respect that.

Overall, a combination of losing respect for the show's main character and the worldwide pandemic killed whatever muse/motivation I had for this fic. But thankfully, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it will be born again. I've been editing and rewriting and have finally found something ready to be put out there. Again. Some things have changed, but I think I've stayed true to the heart of the story and the heart of Rock Lee's character: That anything is possible with enough hard work and dedication, like Kung Fu Panda.

So, without further ado, GoH V2 is here!