The whirling figures leap and twirl, raising clouds of dust as they go. Limbs fly, shuriken slice through the air. Barely visible for their speed, the two combatants leap at each other, meet for a split second, break apart.
A foot touches the ground, kicks back off again towards the sky. Its owner performs a midair roll, reaches into his cloak. A moment later, three kunai rip through the dust clouds, seeking flesh.
But their target has long since left his original position. Soaring through the trees, tipping off each branch as he touches it, Rock Lee hurls towards his opponent, the elusive rain shinobi, Murai.
Their dangerous play had been going on for near an hour. Lee was finding this opponent quite to his tastes - skilled, even masterful, in the art of taijutsu. Lee had been eager for a good mission recently, and now he had gotten one.
A shuriken flies towards Lee's face. Ducking, he just notices the slim wire at his foot level two trees away. He jumps, vanishing into the leaves. Pursuing, Murai pulls out a summoning scroll. Holding it in his mouth as he runs, his hands perform a complex series of signs. In response to his jutsu, three hawks appear in a puff of smoke, trailing after the flying form that is Rock Lee.
They disappear into the trees, as Murai follows close behind. Jumping up, he rebounds off one branch to step on another, which then springboards him towards one even higher. As he nears the tops of the trees, his hawks burst suddenly through the foliage, falling towards the forest floor, ensnared by a net. Snarling, Murai leaps into the canopy. A cry of "Leaf Hurricane!" resounds through the forest as the heel of Lee's foot meets Murai's forehead with a sharp crack. With a shout of pain, Murai flies backwards, falling towards the ground. He hits with a vibrant thunk. Yelling with passion, Lee charges out of the trees and dives toward the ground, aiming for the prone Murai's midsection. As he nears, he cocks his leg for a final strike. In the final moment, he throws out his leg, and drives forcefully into the hard earth that lay beneath Murai, who is now retreating rapidly with small jumps.
"You are quite good," says Lee with admiration.
"No kidding." Despite the obvious pain he is in, Murai smirks. "Game over, punk"
"Huh"
With a start, Lee realizes that the trees around him are plastered with paper bombs. As Murai leaps away, the bombs ignite. A small section of forest goes ablaze with the force of the explosion. Branches are ripped, small trees are uprooted. It takes many moments for the smoke to clear, but the blaze remains.
Opening his eyes, Lee looks up in astonishment. "How am I still"
A jolt of pleasureful surprise hits him. "Gai-Sensei"
Lee's trainer smiles, his teeth glinting. "Yes, Lee, I managed to save you just in time"
"Oh, Sensei, thank you so much! You are indeed the most wonderful teacher one could have"
"Lee, you make me proud"
Lee glances down in shame. "You should not feel so. I failed, sensei"
Maito Gai laughs jovially. "Don't be ridiculous, Lee"
"Huh"
"You had him beat! Did you see the way he ran in fear? You defeated him fair and square, Lee. This was just a cowardly attempt to flee. You're better than he is and what's more, you both know it. This isn't over yet. You can track him down. Prove to him that you are a splendid ninja! Show him that a leaf village shinobi never gives up"
"Yes sensei! I will do so"
"Attaboy, Lee, you show him"
"Yeah"
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on"
"Yes, sir"
As Lee leaps of in hot pursuit of his adversary, Gai laughs to himself. "That boy," he thinks, "He never fails to amaze me. I have no doubt that he will soon return, successful."