Maito Gai was running around Konoha, looking for his team. Training was in half an hour and he wanted everyone to be perfectly punctual, which to Gai meant ten minutes early.
Gai found Neji and Ten-ten, sitting in a tree. Upon seeing him, they jumped down.
"Hey there, kids." Gai greeted them. "Don't forget, training's in fifteen minutes."
"Yes sensei." They both said, bowing slightly to Gai.
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Gai walked off, with a stride that was that of Mickey Mouse.
Neji turned to Ten-ten. "Who the hell was that guy?" Neji said disgustedly.
"God knows." Ten-ten replied.
Lee was already there when everyone showed up. He'd been training almost all day.
"Hello Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled.
"Hey there Lee!" Gai yelled even louder.
"HOW ARE YOU GAI-SENSEI?!!" Lee shouted.
"NOT BAD LEE!!!" Gai screamed.
One of the most annoying things about being part of team six was Gai and Lee's noon time screaming contest.
Gai began training with a lesson about staying healthy.
"Now remember students, experts say it's critical to get a full night's rest, but sleep isn't nearly as important as training.
Also, diet is very important. You gotta watch what you eat, but you don't really need to eat anything, so long as you're training.
Lee was listening intently, Ten-ten had stopped listening after Gai said 'students' and Neji was dizzy from rolling his eyes.
Training went along as usual. Afterward Ten-ten told Neji "We were supposed to go receive orders for a mission when we were done here."
"Thank God." Neji said.
"I will come with you!" Lee said.
"Your help isn't necessary Lee." Neji replied.
Ten-ten and Neji walked away. "Aw, cheer up Lee." Gai said. "I believe in you!"
"They do not ever want my help." Lee said.
"Well, sometimes you don't know what you had until it's gone." Gai said.
Gai's words inspired Lee but they didn't make him feel better.
The news the next day was shocking. Lee was reported dead. He was said to have been murdered.
Every shinobi was gathered for the funeral.
The eulogy was given. "Rock Lee was the first shinobi to graduate from our academy only knowing taijutsu. His diligence as a worker and his will to succeed were unforgettable. He was an inspiration to all of us. We will continue our training in his memory. God rest his soul."
There was silence as each person laid a white flower in front of his memorial.
But the truth was, Lee wasn't dead. He had paid off Kankuro to lay out a puppet for the anbu black ops to find. Kankuro had broken the puppet's neck, along with several of its vertebrae and left it near the outdoor training area.
The real Lee had been walking around the village disguised as a girl all day. "Now I will see if they would miss me, were I really gone." Lee told himself.
Drinks were being served after the funeral, and Lee was ready to start testing people.
He started with his own team mates.
He approached them. "I am sorry about your friend." Lee said trying to sound like a girl.
"Lee was a good person." Neji said. "Kinda crazy, but he was a nice kid."
"He was so funny." Ten-ten said.
"And a great team mate." Neji added.
Lee felt a lot better knowing his team mates valued him. But he was still curious about Gai. "I hope Gai-sensei does not miss me too much." Lee said.
He walked over to Gai and asked "Are you Rock Lee's teacher?"
"Yeah, I was." Gai answered.
"I am so sorry, you must miss him terribly." Lee said.
"Not exactly." Gai said.
Lee was shocked. "But I have heard so much of you two. That you believed in him and drove him to be the best he could be. Were you not proud of him?" Lee asked.
"Well, Lee was my bitch for getting back at my rival Kakashi Hatake, but he wasn't much else.
I drove him to work hard, so that he could surpass Kakashi's students and bring honor to my name as a sensei. But now that he's gone, I realize that I never really believed in him."
Gai began to walk away. Lee's throat was tight and he was trembling with suppressed emotion.
He tried to say 'Please do not go, Gai-sensei.' But somehow it came out as
"I trained until I could not move, you asshole!"
"EXUSE ME?!" Gai yelled, turning around.
"YOU ARE A SICK BASTARD, WHO FINDS IT ACCEPTABLE TO BRAINWASH AND USE A CHILD TO MAKE YOURSELF LOOK BETTER!!" Lee shouted, throwing a punch that caught Gai in the face knocking him backward.
Everyone turned and stared at the scene taking place. Gai getting his ass kicked by a little kid wearing a dress wasn't something they saw every day.
Lee had Gai by the front of his mourning robe and was repeatedly yanking him forward and driving his knee into Gai's abdomen.
"Who is the little bitch now?!" Lee yelled, throwing Gai to the ground. "You used me and that is unforgivable!"
Gai was shocked. "Then you're…"
"That is right!" Lee yelled tearing off his dress." Rock Lee!"
Suddenly everyone was taking pictures on there cell phones. And Lee realized he was in his underwear.
Choji was the first person to speak.
"Damn, that kid is cool."
Lee was surprised. "Cool?" He said.
"We were wondering when you'd come out off hiding." Neji said.
"Y-You knew?" Lee said."
"Lee, you were walking around in that crappy costume all day." Ten-ten said. "You don't look or sound anything like a girl."
"So—you do not all hate me?" Lee asked.
"Hate you? We were all wrong about you, bushy brow." Naruto said. "You're not a total douche bag. You're just douchey."
THE END
