Rock Lee: Alternative
This claim her: I own Naruto! I own them all! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! (gets wheeled off in straightjacket)
"Excuse me, but could I ask a favor of you?"
Neji looked at the speaker. It was Rock Lee, a boy in his class. The one who never could do any ninjutsu or genjutsu.
'Well it's not like I have anything better to do' "What do you want Lee?"
"Could you look at my hands? With your special eyes I mean"
"Very well. Byakugan!" 'Why'd he-nan?'
Neji jerked slightly, prompting Lee to ask what he saw.
"I…I saw nothing. There is no chakra in your hands at all"
"Are you sure? Here let me try to mould some chakra in them"
Lee tries to no avail. Neji deactivates his byakugan.
"So that is why you are unable to perform ninjutsu and genjutsu"
"Guess I'm gonna be an old-school shinobi then"
"Old-school? What do you mean?"
"Shinobi didn't start out with ninjutsu and genjutsu; taijutsu and weapons skills were all that was available in the beginning"
"And you think that will suffice? Even when faced with opponents that can perform jutsu?"
"Why not? Taijutsu is inherently faster as no hand seals are required. The same can be said of weapons. By the time I graduate I will be a splendid shinobi!"
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Enter the academy rooftop. The covered one with an inward facing bench around the edge. Maito Gai, world renowned taijustu specialist and overall manly man; a handsome example to all the youths of the world. He was here with his new genin team. On it was the rookie of the year, Hyuga Neji, the self-proclaimed weapons expert Tenten, from that slightly odd clan with no clan name, and his apprentice of three years, Rock Lee.
"Such youth! All my students, here in the springtime of their lives! Now, tell me my students, what are your dreams for the future?"
Seeing as no one else spoke up, Lee went first.
"My dream is to show everyone that even without the use of ninjutsu or genjutsu I will become a splendid shinobi!"
"Feh"
"What was that Neji?"
"You're still on about that?"
"Some best friend you are. I do not laugh at your dreams. Not even the one about Te-"
"Enough Lee! Do not mention that ever again!"
"Ho ho! Friends on the same team together? Such a wonderful example of youth! Neji, as your dreams were hinted at, why not tell us all?"
"I have no intention of revealing my dreams to anyone"
Ignoring the fact that he had at one point told Lee his dreams Tenten decided to announce her dream.
"My dream is to become a kunoichi just like Tsunade-sama!"
"That strikes me as hard to accomplish, if not impossible"
"Who do you think you are belittling me like that Lee-kun? I'll have you know-"
"She was a med-nin, not a weapons specialist. If you want to be like Tsunade-sama, wouldn't it make more sense to-"
"Mou! Urusai Lee-kun!"
Such a pleasant start to their careers as ninja.
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"So my kawaii students, we have come a long way from where we started many weeks ago"
An irritated kunoichi voiced her opinion on the matter.
"Gai-sensei! We did nothing but D-rank missions for three weeks straight! We haven't come far at all!"
"Not true, Tenten-chan. For in so doing those D-rank missions, we now have ample time to go on a training journey! We leave tomorrow, the duration is a month so do prepare adequately"
"A whole month?! Are you crazy Gai-sensei?"
As Tenten glared ineffectively at Gai, Rock Lee decided to try to smooth over the situation.
"It is not as bad as it may seem. On such training missions one can devote oneself fully to their training, accomplishing more than if training was done incrementally while also undertaking missions"
Tenten cast an annoyed glare at Lee.
"You're the only one of us that likes this idea"
"I do not mind the idea"
Shocked that Neji was joining the conversation and wanted to leave the village for a month Tenten just stared at him eyes wide. Gai congratulated his team for making the right decision and told them to meet him at the academy gates at six the next day.
"What'd you mean at six o'clock in the morning?!"
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At six the following morning three genin patiently await their sensei. Well Lee does, Tenten had fallen asleep on the bench they were sitting on and was leaning onto Neji's shoulder. To his credit his face did not show any signs of… anything.
"How lucky for you Neji. Having-"
"Shut up Lee. Just shut up and do not say anything"
"Very well Neji"
"Dainamikku entori!"
The two boys look up to see their sensei perform a flying kick and land in front of them.
"And how are my youthful students today? Ready for your first training voyage?"
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(Because as the author I can get away with it, time skip to the jonin meeting to put up names for the chunin exam) Kakashi and the other rookie genin teachers Asuma and Kurenai had just finished giving the names of their students. Iruka pleaded with them to reconsider.
"They aren't your students anymore Iruka. They are soldiers under my command"
"Are you sure about this Kakashi? I held back my students their first year as well. Let them enjoy their youth a little"
"Big talk. Hope you're ready to eat your words when my students blow past yours in the exam"
Gai laughed heartily.
"Such confidence you have in your students! It saddens me to know they don't stand a chance against mine"
"Enough of this! Are there any other genin whose instructors think they are ready for the exam?"
Once again the Sandaime had to break up an argument between Gai and Kakashi. The aged leader grumbled in an annoyed fashion.
'You'd almost think the two were children'
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"I just heard something very interesting"
Lee leaned against the side of the tree Tenten was using to hang a target from. She giggled and casually threw a hand full of shuriken, all of course hitting their mark; the throat heart and eyes of the humanoid target. Neji, sitting under said target smirked.
"Oh really? And what would that be?"
"All nine rookies are going to be in the exam this year"
Tenten showed a look of surprise.
"Wow. First time in five years that's happened. Probably due to some jonin rivalries"
"I do believe this is so. But also, Kakashi's team is one of the rookie teams going to be there. They may yet give us trouble"
The three quietly shared a laugh.
"You do have a knack for comedy every once in a while, Lee"
"I do try"
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Nihongo no Jisho: Japanese dictionary
Kawaii: cute
Mou: no literal translation; used by females as an expression of exasperation
Urusai: shut up
Nan: interrupted form of nani: what; usually translated as wha?
AN: Here it is, my newest Naruto fic. I'd like to thank my friend Shia for beta reading. Without you this fic would not make sense grammatically