Lee-centric oneshot. This is my second fic and I just felt like writing this when I re-read the Naruto manga again. Lee has always been one of my favorite characters. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.
Magnificent
By Aki no Tenshi
Three-hundred forty-six. Three-hundred forty-seven. Three-hundred forty-eight…
He kept counting in his head, determined to reach his objective. Training gave him a purpose in a life; it gave him hope that one day, he would become something. When he first started out, he had trouble just getting past one-hundred. He had almost broke his leg the first time, but he kept pushing himself.
Neji and TenTen watched him as he switched from log-kicking to his katas. Though Neji would never admit to it outloud, Neji respected him. His form was flawless, his power raw and commanding. He could see TenTen smile out of the corner of his eye as he fought an invisible opponent. He wouldn't let them down, not when he has come this far.
He cried when he woke up. He remembered what had happened before he blacked-out and it tore at his heart. Everything he had worked for all these years: the miles he ran, the logs he had broken, the ground he had worn down; all of it was demolished within 15 minutes. Hope lingered in his heart, however, but perhaps it had been blind desperation. A few days after he was able to walk again, he trained. The nurses tried to stop him, telling him he needed to rest and if he continued to strain himself, his body would break. He didn't hear them.
He was asleep when Tsunade-sama checked up on him. Gai told him what the legendary medic-nin had said concerning his condition, and once again, his heart tore. He wondered if he could do it, if he could gamble his life for his dream. He thought about giving up, after seeing how fruitless his endeavors were. In-born genius would always triumph over hard work. Gaara, Sasuke, and Neji proved it. After many hours of tears, contemplation, and near-resignation, his sensei helped him make his final decision.
He was in the training field the next morning.
Stopping his katas, he turned to his teammates. With unspoken words, they began. As he dodged TenTen's weapons and traded blows with Neji, he smiled. Giving up would never cross his mind again.
He was going to show the world something magnificent.
Thanks for reading my fanfic! It means a lot to me. Constructive criticism would be great, flames are not appreciated. I'm hoping to write more fics on the Naruto characters and anything to help me capture the characters better would be great. I want to entertain the readers, not bore them.