*Hey everybody, this is an idea that first came into my head a couple days ago. It's rare for me to get a spark like this that grows into something bigger so quickly. This story was something like a forest fire, so prepare yourselves. Also, I'm usually not a huge fan of stand alone prologues, so in the name of not being a hypocrite, I'll try to post the first chapter as soon as possible. Also, if you like the story thus far, thank Foxxy Jones, who inspired me to post this piece of crap. Thank you, Foxxy (read "Submission" sometime…It's good stuff). Hope you enjoy. Oh, and btws, the future pairings for this story are absolutely ridiculous. You'll understand eventually! Well, in the words of Vegeta, "buckle your seatbelts boys and girls, we're in for a bumpy ride"…I'm pretty sure he said something like that.
Disclaimer: I'm going to spare you the Shakespeare this time. Instead…have some Mark Twain!! "Total abstinence is so excellent a thing that it cannot be carried to too great an extent. In my passion for it I even carry it so far as to totally abstain from total abstinence itself."- Mark Twain (P.S. I don't own anything that I happen to mention in my story, especially Naruto).
Prologue: Of Introductions and Solitude
Rock Lee, above all else, was a man of routine. Every morning he would awaken to the incessant beeping of his alarm clock. Rubbing the sleep from his deep obsidian eyes, he would force himself out of bed, throw on a pair of sweatpants (keeping the shirt from the previous night on), and head to the kitchen of his apartment, where he would fix himself a small breakfast of either fruit or cereal. Then, would he go outside, rain or shine, and train. Since it was early morning (about six by now), he would not do anything to excessive, usually just cardio, along with specific muscle workouts. He would only spend about two hours training in the morning, after which, he would return to his apartment, take a quick shower, get dressed, relax for a bit, and then go to whichever classes the day held for him.
Lee's classes were very varied. His most important, at least, in his sensei's opinion was business. Lee's dream was to become the master of his own dojo, and to do that in today's modern and hectic world, he would need to learn how to run his own small business. Lee hated to think of martial arts in terms of business. Martial arts are, as the name implies, an art. The strict world of business had no place in the realm of the arts. Still, Lee went to his business classes, knowing that if the wise Gai-sensei said that they would pay off, such was probably true. The rest of Lee's classes, however, were purely his choice. He immersed himself in the humanities: philosophy, psychology, languages. All of which held very special meaning to him. His grandfather used to tell the ebony-haired boy that, whether he like it or not, he was cut out for the humanities. …His grandfather…
Things were not going well for self-declared "Old Jack." The once proud, strong man was not aging well, for he had progressive Alzheimer's. It was a wonder that he was still able to recognize Lee, but the question wasn't really a "how" but a "how long." Lee wondered when the day would come that he would walk into the hospital room only to have his grandfather stare at him and ask a nurse who that "nice young man" was. Still, young or old, memory or no memory, Lee loved his grandfather dearly. Both of Lee's parents had died when he was very young, and it was "Old Jack" and his wise words of wisdom that had raised Lee into the young man that he was.
It was also very lucky that his grandfather had foresight. The man had put away years' worth of salaries, enough to pay for both his hospital bills, and Lee's college funds. If he hadn't, Lee would be between a rock and a hard place as far as money goes. It was true that Lee did have a job, but there is only so much money that a twenty year old without a degree could make. He was paid by the hour at the dojo he went to, where he taught classes alongside Gai-sensei. Since Gai-sensei did not bring in enough revenue to give his employees an extravagant salary, Lee could only afford to pay the rent and buy the essentials. He, of course, like most other students his age, did not own a car. He biked or walked to wherever it was that he was going (unless the destination happened to be particularly far, he would then use public transportation).
Even with all the different things going on in Lee's life, even with all of the people who Lee saw often and made Rock Lee Rock Lee, Lee's life was a lonely one. Since the day Lee first left home two years ago, Lee has lived a recluse sort of life. Sometimes Lee himself felt a missing piece to his life. It was an empty, melancholy feeling, and as soon as it came, it was gone. Still, Lee sometimes found himself longing for more. And more is what Lee would get, for sometimes, good things come in strange packages…
*Well…was that nearly as corny as I thought? Probably. God. It's 3a.m. and I'm not even tired. I should probably take more of them sleepin' pills. Good night all. Oh, and before I forget…as for the title…AP English and just do not mix. Perhaps I'll come up with something less sucky next time…I just can't stand to name something Untitled (unless it's visual art, then that can add to the composition). Still, I do hope you enjoyed.