The Tale of the Cursed Clan:A History of Rock Lee
Both Senju and Uchiha were dominant clans that made the ninja world both feared and respected throughout the world. Shrouded in mystery, however, is the Rock clan. No eye techniques nor perfect physical frames assisted these men and women. Relying solely upon Strong Fist as a means to complete missions for their clients, these ninja are no longer mentioned nor do they appear in the lengthy and prestigious history of in their existence would have to be assisted in the belief that the Sage of the Six Paths had more than just two children. As the eldest child of the Sage of the Six paths, courage and the ability to master any martial art characterized the young man who couldn't be rivaled by his siblings in any contest of hand to hand combat, ninjutsu or genjutsu. Even though having the ability to master the other art forms this young man's pores leaked with arrogance as his hand to hand combat skills grew to be rivaled by no man. While his father was on his death bed, soon to be the new Jinchuriki of the ten tailed beast, this son issued a challenge to his father. No more than sixteen years old with the body that couldn't be restricted by human limits, a body with almost endless chakra supply yet all he treasured was this body and those legendary eyes- yes this is the second man to bear the Rinnegan. His talents had made him a cold person, ruthless and devoid of compassion for any life that wasn't his own. He lived for himself, fought for himself and killed whatever sought to oppose his values.
Dying and in need of an heir to continue spreading his word concerning the ninja way, the last thing that the Sage needed was an insolent, self absorbed man-child to to issue him a challenge. In his sleeping quarters as the black night crept in under the door devouring all light, the Sage meditated about what his next move should be as he approached his imminent end. Violent winds rushed through the already creaky wooden door and before the sage stood, enveloped in the most evil chakra cloak, the son who wanted nothing more than to see him dead. Stopping his meditation to form a tiger seal and with a slight grunt the room lit up with thousands of candles.
"My son, show me your hands. Issuing a challenge is not something to be taken lightly in the ninja world. As you are a guest in these quarters and I have not yet accepted you will do as I say. Understood?"
"Sure thing old man. Its just useless junk in my hands anyway." With a cackle that drove wild beasts to the brink of insanity he chucked his two younger brothers in front of his father's feet.
"Father you will make me the new Jinchuriki of the ten tails. I am the only deserving candidate. My siblings will lead wretched existences as they will never escape the shadow my abilities have cast.(changing his tone to resemble a crazed plea) Father ,I AM you reincarnated. That is why you must go! Die father! Die! The Gods have witnessed my maturation and there is no need for you presence on this plain of existence. I will carry on your word of the ninja. These weaklings merely served as vessels with shared genes meant to be here so that I may confirm my existence. I have done so. They are no match for me. Ryu was born with just your Rinnegan. Lee, born with your great body and mind. I have all of the abilities of the great Sage of the Six Paths. Father no longer are you great and to ease your suffering I have decided that I will defeat you using only hand to hand combat techniques. If you will be so kind as to accept I will begin and end this battle with a move I like to call the Primary Lotus."
Eyes closed, still meditating, the Sage stood forming with blinding speed an endless number of hand seals. As the hand seals were being formed, Lee and Ryu both rose sporting revitalized looks with angry eyes directed at their older brother. Both getting into fighting stances as their brother approached at a high speed with his arms thrown back parallel to each other. As he let out an angry war cry, saliva spewing from his ridged jaw he seemed to disappear. Even Ryu's Rinnegan could not keep up with this blinding speed. Just as he reappeared both, Lee and Ryu were hit by hard kicks to their chins that would send them flying into the air as carnal missiles.
"Now, old man through your precious ones witness the power of Omote Renge!"
"Fuuin no jutsu. Now face the consequences of challenging the one who was once called 'great'"
Stopping in mid air and returning to the ground in a flamboyant series of black flips he observed his body to see what his father had taken.
"What did you seal within you, you worthless geezer? What did you take from me?"
Comforting the two once again badly wounded boys but not taking his eyes off his eldest.
"Hatori, wander throughout the forest. Wander for days and days and never return. I guarantee that you will eventually see what has been done to you. What I have sealed. As you must know I will choose my successor. And unlike you thought they will not be cursed to become the hosts of such destructive creatures. I have loved you all and for betraying my love you and your descendants shall not be amongst the coveted shinobi of any era to come."
"Father, should we kill Hatori- nii san? I can see what has been done. He shouldn't be much of a problem for us, now. Let him witness our true might."
"Ryu, to make the enemy destroy himself is the greatest asset to a shinobi. You and Lee will stand down. You will let your brother live. A tensai will never rise from his offspring. Never."
Breathing heavily with rage. Being addressed by his little brothers as a non factor in battle was sickening to his soul. He didn't feel any different so not much could have been done by the sealing technique. He clasped his hands together gathering as much chakra as he could. He lifted his right leg and jumped high into the air off of his left.
"Daisenpu!"
With this great series of kicks he had broken through the roof of the cavern and fled to the dark and dense forest.
"You boys must understand that was completely necessary. If I had not sealed away his ninjutsu and genjustu abilities and given him a normal chakra supply he would have destroyed everything I want the ninja world to stand for. My time will be over on this night which shall be blackened no more. I will split the ten tails into nine separate creatures. Having no more talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu he will never control the beasts nor will his descendants. Leave me now my sons with this separation my sacrifice for this world will be complete. Remember this world will always require sacrifice."
As the sage's life was set to expire the boys, not being allowed in stood outside, relieved to be rid of the threat that Hatori could bring them and the ninja world they would help create.
"Lee. do you really think father is strong enough to seal Hatori's abilities forever? It seems likely but as he was dying I think we should make sure he doesn't even have a chance to have descendants. Our father will go down in history as the greatest Sage to ever live but even he is not perfect. We can't overlook that he may have made a mistake."
"To think such a thing is to lack faith, brother. We will create a great way of life for many. This will be done all thanks to our father... The Sage of the Six..."
Just as Lee was to finish his response to Ryu's inquiry a blinding orb of light was cast into the sky. Using this blinding light as his advantage, Ryu took off into the forest after his brother with a kunai and shuriken drawn to make sure his evil aura would be eternally dulled with no chance of re-ignition. Hopping from tree to tree he heard a sound. He turned his head to see what was rustling behind him in the trees. Smashing into his left cheek as Ryu's gaze was focused to the right was the foot of Lee.
"Father said we are not to kill him. He is pathetic enough as is. See for yourself. Besides our true might is determined by how much love we spread,brother. That is what father meant by telling us that we must let our true enemies destroy themselves. Just look at him."
Lee pointed to the right of his brother where nursing his right leg and breathing heavily sat Hatori with a face full of tears.
"Curse you father! Curse you two as well who look down on me as if this will keep me from not becoming the Genius I once was. I will break this curse."
Lee spoke, both calm and full of wisdom. "This is no curse in the sense that it is connected to your will. The technique father used will grant you and your descendants the ability to only use taijutsu. No more beastly strength without fatigue and no more ninjutsu or genjutsu at all. You should stop being a ninja. It is no longer for you. We will lead the ninja world in the right direction. Good luck to you, my brother. And to you as well, Ryu, where ever you choose to start your clan. This forest feels like home. Even before father lit the sky with that light it has always felt like home to me."
"Do as you will, Lee. Hatori, I have had a change in...plans. I could never kill someone as lowly as you. Like Lee said don't keep up this junk about become a genius let alone a ninja. You'll only embarrass yourself as father's legacy has been reduced to two successors. Hahahahaha!"
Lee sprinted back towards the old cavern amongst the trees and Ryu went the opposite direction. Hatori lay in a pool of sweat and tears as a normal man. With Ryu's comment still on his mind he found solace in one thought that he just barely said aloud.
"Your laugh is as evil as mine little brother. I fear father may have only truly wanted one successor. No matter. I will create a clan of shinobi who only use taijutsu and we will crush you both."
Rinnegan is the most powerful eye technique known in the ninja world. Its only right to assume that it surpasses the Byakugan in seeing all there is to see. Ryu was no more than a mile away when he read the lips of his wounded elder brother. Immediately turning around he leaped from branch to branch until he got back to Hatori who sat there laughing as he struggled to his feet.
"You must have read my lips, little brother, but while you stand there with that angry face father is now declaring our younger brother the successor of his teachings. Though you have the precious Rinnegan your power will take the back seat to that peace loving little monk-boy."
He snickered after his statement peering deep into the eyes he and his brother once shared.
"That is a lie. Father knows that my might and Lee's love are the perfect balance and that is why he named us both successors of his teachings."
"If that's true,Ryu, then why did Lee head back to the cavern. He said he was staying in this forest. Don't you think he knew that father had something extra to say to him? You shouldn't trust everything that old geezer says after all he told me once that he'd never harm his own children. Look at me, brother! LOOK AT ME! I am merely a cracked shell of myself and all because our father didn't love me as much as he said he did. All because he lied."
Ryu took heed to his brother's words as he leaped to a near tree branch. He stopped and without looking down at his brother he said, "He curses these eyes. Its not our fault we were born with these …..things. Hatori with these eyes my descendants and I will control the ninja world one day. No matter how my blood thins throughout the generations the eyes of my descendants will rule these lands."
"Ryu, I care not about the Rinnegan anymore. I will become a great shinobi and my clan will give birth to a genius who can't use ninjustu or genjutsu. It will be done brother."
With this final exchange Ryu and Hatori went their separate ways. Hatori to build his clan of only taijutsu users and Ryu to confront Lee in anger over being lied to about who would be the true successor. The only words exchanged later that night the elder brother attacked the younger one were, "Ryu, father could see the same rage in your eyes that once lay in those he took from Hatori. He couldn't bear to do such a thing to his second eldest son so he told me just after you took off to kill Hatori that I would be his successor. He, too, believed love was the way. Follow me brother together we will create what father only dreamed of."
"I will never follow someone with childish views such as yours. Love is for the weak. Might is the true ruler of the world. Might will conquer your love little brother."
As we know from that night on the Uchiha and Senju clans would be fated to meet, fight and eventually form Konohagakure. What no one knows is just what happened to the ninja that had the gifts of both wrapped up in one body. Was is too much? Was a genius ever born into the clan? Why is the tale of the third brother never told? The truth is the clan never received missions above C rank because their talents were so minimal. When the hidden villages were formed many of Hatori's descendants joined Konohagakure where only two to this date from this clan have become appreciated shinobi. Rock Tsuchiura and his great-great grandson Rock Lee are the only two from the clan that no longer exists. We all know how Rock Lee met Maito Gai and became a hand to hand combat specialist but long before Lee existed one ninja in Konohagakure was praised by Hashirama as being the best shinobi ever to not have the talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu. Some say that he and Hashirama often sparred to see who was the best taijutsu user.
Tsuchiura never told anyone about him not being able to use ninjustu or genjutsu. As he had helped Uchiha and Senju form the village he was not required to answer to anyone but Hashirama and eventually Tobirama. Hashirama became Hokage and Tobirama and Tsuchiura became his advisers. One day after Hashirama had returned from his battle with Uchiha Madara he explained a story to Tsuchiura that brought the clan of Hatori back into focus once more. As the years went by before the hidden villages were created stories about a clan of ninja with no skills outside the area of taijutsu and how they too were descended from the legendary Sage of the Six Paths. Hashirama also told Tsuchiura that one day when a ninja of this clan was born pure of heart he would break the curse and have off spring that would then be fully capable of using all of the techniques that shinobi should be able to use. After finishing his story Hashirama also told his adviser that he was one of the most pure men he had ever had the chance to meet.
"Hashirama-sama, do you really mean it? It that true? You think I am pure of heart? I would like to think that I have some love left in my heart after a lifetime of bloodshed on top of bloodshed. But that can't be true...the other part? My clan has passed down stories of how we were descended from the great Sage but no story states that this curse we have can be lifted. I have mastered Taijutsu and my mind to the best of my abilities but I fear nothing will make us like Senju and Uchiha. Thanks for your encouragement, Hashirama-sama. It is much appreciated."
"You're always welcome Tsuchiura-san but maybe because the eldest brother was cursed, maybe he wasn't told everything. Maybe the Sage wanted the hearts of your clan to change on their own."
Tsuchiura smiled as he bowed and left the Hokage to rush home to train his son in the art of strong fist as he had done many Konoha ninja before. Though he didn't want Hashirama to see it he truly did believe in what he was just told. He from then on became a man that raised his son to be gracefully proficient at hand to hand combat so that his son or daughter would lift the shameful curse from the family. One thing Tsuchiura didn't understand was that one cannot force another to become pure of heart It must happen on its own time and when it would happen for the Rock family was another unknown. As Rock Lei grew into a young man he was ashamed that he didn't develop any talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu and he decided that though he graduated from the academy with just his taijutsu abilities he would rather live life as a regular villager rather that put himself in danger doing missions for the village. Tsuchiura committed suicide as he thought that with his son's acceptance of life as a normal villager their clan would never be redeemed. With two generations of no ninjas in the family Rock Lee was finally born and with his parents having no knowledge of what happened to Rock Lei and his father Tsuchiura they encouraged their young son to try and become a ninja and protect Konohagakure at all cost. Thanks to Lee's unwavering determination and a great teacher in Maito Gai I think Konohagakure can be ready for the revival of the third sets of offspring produced by the Sage of the Six Paths. The greatest taijutsu specialist to ever live is only a chounin as of now. Who knows what level his offspring will achieve? Maybe this genius of hardwork will help bring a future Hokage into the world.