To Protect One's Best Friend
Chapter 1- Eight Gates
Rock Lee, Chūnin ninja of Hidden Leaf village, jumped across branches of lush green trees at high speed.
Lee's fair skin was splotched with dirt and blood from his teammate. His thick black bushy eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and concern. The taijutsu user's black bowl-cut hairstyle was windswept from the speed he was traveling at. His green suit and matching flak jacket were stained with blood and dirt. Lee's orange leg warmers and red forehead protector were both missing, lost in the course of the battle.
The taijutsu user landed heavily on the grass next to a tree.
Rock Lee's white arm and hand bandages were in disarray from the extended fighting and usage in some of his taijutsu techniques.
The taijutsu specialist laid Neji Hyūga, his teammate, against the tree. "Stay here." He saw Neji's eyes were closed and heard his heavy breathing. Not good. Either blood loss or poison.
Neji's fair skin was dirty and stained with his blood. The Hyūga's forehead protector was gone, exposing the Hyūga cursed seal on his forehead, shaped like a manji with horizontal blue lines which curved slightly on both sides. His long, black hair was loose, the tie near the bottom having been cut earlier during the battle. Neji's white shirt and matching pants were stained with blood from multiple cuts and slashes on his torso. His dark navy gray apron tied around his waist was torn in places and ninja sandals were still intact though dirty.
A voice reached Lee's ears. "What's wrong? Why do you hide? You know, your friend has an ability much desired by Lord Orochimaru."
The taijutsu user's eyes narrowed. He stood stood up and turned around then walked forward to put himself in front of Neji. Anger boiled within. "Over my dead body." Guy Sensei, I have to do this, to protect my best friend! He brought his arms up so they were crossed in front of him, palms facing outwards. "The Eight Inner Gates. First Gate, Gate of Opening! Open!" He felt energy surge through every inch of his body, unlocking one hundred percent of his muscle strength while several veins popped up on the center of his forehead.
"Second Gate, Gate of Healing! Open!" Lee felt more power rush throughout his body and more veins popped up on the left of his forehead.
"Third Gate, Gate of Life! Open!" A great wind blew upwards around the taijutsu user. His blood flow increased, turning his skin a darker shade of red while streams of bright blue chakra swirled around him. He felt the enemy's chakra signature drawing closer.
A mocking voice reached his ears. "What's wrong? Upset I hurt your friend? If you're so angry, why don't you come out?"
Lee felt rage boiling inside more intensely and found it harder to contain it. "Fourth Gate! Gate of Pain! Open!" The swirling chakra streams around Lee thickened and he felt more power surging through his body.
Footsteps approached, and halted. The enemy ninja could only stare at Lee, his eyes wide open, struck with the full force of killing intent. "Y...you…the… Eight Gates!" He struggled to move but his body would not budge. "W-wait! I'll leave!" It dawned upon him, the realization he was going to die, and die painfully.
The gray messy hair of the Sound ninja and his creepy dark gray eyes unnerved those who were lowly Genin with no battlefield experience. His thin eyebrows made it appear as if he had no eyebrows to the inattentive. His purple flak jacket and under suit with matching boots matched Orochimaru's favorite color, a color he loved due to it being dark yet having some light.
"Fifth Gate! Gate of Limit! Open!" Lee felt tremendous power surging through him. The chakra streams were thick and bright, and a thin green aura of chakra covered his body. He kicked off the ground, and appeared right in front of the Sound ninja, his face less than a foot away from the enemy's.
The Sound ninja's eyes widened. "Shit!"
"You may hurt me." Lee landed a crushing uppercut which connected with the Sound ninja's chin, shattering most of the man's teeth in the process while he flew upwards a good forty feet. "You may insult me." He jumped off the ground with great force, leaving cracks at the point of takeoff. "But for not only threatening my best friend…" Lee landed a series of blazing fast punches, shattering every rib in the enemy's body. "You tried to kill him!" He kicked the Sound Ninja away, a bandage wrapped around his waist. The taijutsu user pulled him back in, tearing the bandage. "I will stop you!" Lee landed a crushing blow in the center of his foe's torso, sending the enemy downwards with a ground shattering landing while holding onto the bandage. He was pulled downwards, finally tearing the bandage off. Now! Lee extended his knee and landed knee first into the enemy's gut.
Blood flew out of the Sound ninja's mouth and splattered on Lee's flak jacket. The enemy ninja's eyes were wide, unblinking and unmoving; and his body still and going cold.
Lee stood up and staggered. Used too much chakra. He walked towards where Neji was, his vision blurring. Not going to… He came within view of the Hyūga, fell to his knees, and fell front first onto the ground. With one ear pushed in the dirt and the other open to the air, the taijutsu user heard a voice which sounded like it was a thousand miles away.
Running footsteps approached. "There! Sakura, check on Neji! Ino, check on Lee! Hope we're not too late!"
Darkness overcame Lee. Shizune...
Everything went black.