Lee did not expect small talk from the eldest of the sand siblings. Indeed, Lee had always felt a bit distanced from Kankuro and Temari compared to how close Lee was to Gaara, but he didn't think that was necessarily a bad or a good thing. It was just how things were. But Lee could put that aside for now. If Kankuro wanted to get to know him there was no better time than the present.

"I must make up for my deficiencies," Lee responded, having caught up his breath a bit more fully. "I have been in a hospital for about a week now, so I am behind in my training. And that means I must not only train as hard as I was before, but I must make up for lost time."

Despite his current strength, Rock Lee had a hard time keeping on muscle. His natural frame was wiry and thin as a beanpole. Had he not taken on the goal of becoming a shinobi at such an early age, he would have looked quite a bit thinner. He still did not have nearly as much muscle as he would like, but he couldn't change how his body worked, just as he could not change his lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu ability.