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Again, Kakashi stated that it wasn't just hard work. I acknowledged that Lee's hard work contributed to it, but Kakashi implies that he was a genius. Of course, Lee wasn't talented in the sense that he could access his potential immediately. Like Naruto and Asura, their chakra and abilities blossomed through hard work and so the same could apply where Lee accessed his talent and potential through hard work and devotion.
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Gai emphasizes that point by admitting that Lee isn't a genius in any of those categories, but he also claimed that he has the strength and potential to surpass Neji through hard work. Hard work enabled for Lee's abilities to blossom and tap into his potential. In that sense, he is talented.
Which emphasizes that Lee's very talented as Kakashi's a genius and yet could only open the first gate whereas Lee managed to attain a higher level of mastery despite having much less battle experience.