Tsunade looks at a medical chart and frowns. Naruto's worried something is wrong with him but she says he's fine and she's looking at Lee's file. She orders Naruto to bring Lee to her since he's missed his last checkups. Naruto runs into Neji and Tenten. She tells him Lee's at the dojo. Lee's doing 2958 pushups with just his thumbs. Lee finally collaspes. Naruto tells him Tsunade wants him to come in. Tsunade forbids Lee to go on any more missions or do training since there is still cumulative damage to his chakra pathways. But Lee says if he forgets about his trauma and does his best he can still remain a ninja. Tsunade agress to the training but forbids reverse lotus. Lee comes out looking depressed and Tenten comments it must have been really something.
Gai comes upon Lee on top of the building where Lee had agonized over the operation. Gai says if he can't use reverse lotus he just has to find a better technique. The two run off to the Academy dojo. Gai says if they can't reach it within ten seconds they'll have to do 500 pushups.
At the dojo, both do pushups. Lee sees someone practicing martial arts. Gai says that's Yagura who has been here a week. A friend of his asked to see if he's fit to be a ninja. Gai says he's a genius and when he teaches him a technique, he absorbs it like sand absorbs water. Yagura asks to practive with Lee. Naruto and Tenten arrive in time for the fight. Yagura attacks with a series of strong kicks and Lee is taken aback, but Lee counters with Konoha senpuu. Yagura analyzes his attack which prevents the opponent from escaping to the air and traps him on the ground, but he has a counter move and injures Lee's leg. Gai notes it was an intercepting move that intercepts an opponent's blow by digging the elbow into the opponent's body, breaking the bone. Yagura apologizes and claims he just did it instinctively. The weights fall from Lee's leg. Luckily he was wearing them or his ankle would have been crushed. Lee wants to continue but Gai orders him to the hospital.
Sakura treats Lee's right leg but he's back to using a crutch. Lee overhears Naruto, Tenten, and Neji at Ichiraku discussing Lee being beaten by someone who had not yet entered the Academy. Neji says Lee wouldn't be depressed over something like that as he didn't give up being a shinobi even without any talent in ninjutsu or genjutsu. He adds that if he were Lee he probably would have given up a long time ago. Tenten says they're thankful to Lee...flashback: Gai lectures on his self rules and promotes wearing the green tights. Lee enthusiastically asks for one. Naruto proudly says he got one too. Neji and Tenten reflect that if it weren't for Lee, they would have to wear it.
Tsunade hands Gai a mission and Gai says he wants to bring someone with him. Lee passes by Yagura who ignores him and then comments Lee has nothing to steal as his moves are just copies of Gai's. Yagura claims Gai had abandoned Lee and will be taking Yagura on a mission for field training. Lee sees Gai leaving with Yagura.
Tsunade pretends to read a report while actually sneaking a drink of sake. Shizune comes running in saying they recovered the real Yagura who was attacked before coming to Konoha and the one with Gai is a fake. Tsunade sends Neji, Tenten and Naruto after them and asks for Sakura to guard Lee. The three take a path through the forest to Swamp country since the other path through the mountains is too dangerous. Of course that's the route Gai takes.
Gai runs along the mountain ridge and hears Yagura falling. He jumps down and runs into a field of martial arts practice posts. Gai takes a few kicks and says it reminds him of his youth. The posts start moving and attacking him. At first Gai comments they are just automated dolls with limited movements with a reach of 3.5 meters but then the posts actually move off the ground to attack. They can also dissemble and reassemble.
Meanwhile Lee does 7000 pushups with his thumbs, thinking how he needs more practice.
The posts keep coming at Gai, but then they assemble into a little hut. Gai is now trapped inside.
Review: Quite a good episode with some nice insights from Neji.
Notes:
Konoha senpuu prevents the opponent from escaping to the air and traps him on the ground.
Intercepting move intercepts an opponent's blow by digging the elbow into the opponent's body, breaking the bone.
Thoughts:
Tsuande uses a fake set of arms to help hold her book while she's drinking sake. She's the Hokage, who dares to criticize her?
Very cute Neji and Tenten in green tights :)