Poison Jade

Lee smirked at Neji: never had he expressed how much he wanted to defeat him. Now as he blocked Naruto from Neji he explained that all fighting must be done officially in a match. He looked up at his mentor: the person he idolized most, "How's this Guy Sensei?" he stuck out a thumb and grinned. "Lee...you…Great Going!" he shouted proudly making the same motion as Lee. Then they all heard a bone chilling sound: the sound of a young injured girl coughing up blood. Everybody's heads turned to the sound with shock, and fear. That's when everyone remembered why they were down in the arena in the first place. Hinata had fought so hard. Every time Neji had knocked her down she always stumbled back on her feet. She was determined to change herself: even if her heart stopped in the process. Lee had been secretly amazed at how hard she tried.

"Hinata; it's time to go home!" Kiba shouted out onto the training field.

"Umm…I think I'll stay here… if that's alright with you..." Hinata said quietly. With a shrug from Shino and a nod from Kiba she continued her training. Blood dripped from her hands as she put her soul into hitting a sturdy tree. Rock Lee had been walking nearby when he had heard her "hughs" and her "hahs" as she threw herself into her training. He followed the vigorous sounds and hid behind a bush as to not be seen by a potential enemy. He peered at her from his hiding place and studied the girl intently. That's when he saw her eyes. A pale pearly lavender: a Hyuga. He suddenly remembered his partner and rival Neji. Both were from the same clan. His eyes became narrow. He stood up from his hiding place, "YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME! I AM ROCK LEE: THE LEAF VILLAGE'S GREEN BEAST!" he shouted at Hinata.

She turned around quickly to see who had yelled at her: she felt like she nearly had a heart attack. Lee was glaring at her from a nearby bush of poison jade. She looked at him incredulously. "WHAT?" he demanded referring to her silence.

"Y-you must be very brave to hide in a bush of poison jade…" she replied quietly.

"Poison…Jade…?" he questioned curiously.

"The most poison-" she started.

He suddenly began itching his hands uncontrollably.

"Follow me…" she said urgently.

Even though he seriously distrusted the relative of his rival, she sounded like she knew what she was talking about. He didn't know what the bush would do to him, and honestly he didn't want to find out. He walked reluctantly behind her, itching himself as he moved.

"Stop." she commanded.

He immediately stopped scratching, "Why?" he questioned.

"It will spread the infection f-faster…"

They continued walking towards town. As they reached the Hyuga compound Lee stopped in his tracks. "What's in here?" he asked suspicious of her reasons for taking him here.

"I make my own m-m-medicine h-here…" she stuttered in a whisper.

He sighed taking off his shoes, and following her into the Hyuga household. Neji silently passed by until he spotted Rock Lee.

"Lady Hinata! What is Lee doing here?" he growled.

"He was hiding in a Poison Jade bush." she replied.

"Oh," he smirked "Hopeless as usual."

Lee wanted to lash out against him but knew it would be disrespectful towards "Lady Hinata" who was trying to help him out the situation that he'd gotten himself into.`

Neji made the "I've got my eyes on you" motion and Lee glared at him.

She brought him to a room which appeared to be the kitchen. She pointed to a nearby seat while reaching up at ingredients she couldn't reach in an ointment cabinet. He sat down quietly but when he saw her struggling since she was so short, he chuckled to himself and grabbed the ingredients she was reaching for. He passed them down to her (he was considerably taller than her); she nodded a quick thanks with a small blush and once again pointed to the seat by the table. She mixed several different ingredients into a mortal and pestle. It began to take the form of a bright green lotion which she then hesitantly rubbed into his hands. Her caress was soft and warm on his rough calices. He leaned back as his eyelids lulled in and out of sleep. Today had been tough in training, and those fragile porcelain hands massaging his, were not helping him stay awake.

She saw him relaxing. She could feel herself tense. His hands were so rough. She wondered why they were that way…that's when she came across a large scar. It was a burn…it looked as if someone had forced his hand into a fire and kept it there. Like they had used his hand to stomp out the fire…curiosity washed over her as she wondered how the burn had come to be.

Rock Lee's POV

"Faster!" the tall burly coach hollered.

Rock Lee tapped into his full speed and repeatedly pounded a tree.

"That will be all for today Lee." the adult smiled. "Now, go join the other children in the morning jog."

"Yes sir." Lee saluted. He was secretly hiding his fear to run with the other's his age. They did not accept him. He did not belong.

"Go away you freak!" a little orphan like himself yelled at Lee. He chose to ignore it. It was not important.

"No Ninjutsu, no genjutsu!" a small blonde girl sneered.

"No Ninjutsu, no genjutsu!" they all chanted.

He had to get away from here. He ran as fast as his 1and a half foot long legs could carry him in the opposite direction of the kids' chanting. He was far away from the orphanage when he stumbled into a tall strong man with a funny-looking green outfit.

"I'm s-so s-s-sorry s-i-ir!" he stammered towards the man.

The man saw the boy's sadness. He realized that at any minute the boy could burst out in tears. His first instinct was to run away. Get someone in charge someone who knew how to handle a confused, reactive black-haired child with a speed of 20 miles an hour.

Now was not the time to run away though. He kneeled down brought a hand to the boy's shoulder and spoke in a deep caring voice. "What's wrong son?"

Lee was taken aback by the question, but he knew better than to defy an elder.

"I…I have been shunned from my orphanage." he stood up straight, trying to sum it up the best he could without crying.

"How?" the man asked stunned.

"I am not accepted due to my inability to use Ninjutsu and Jiujutsu."

"Which orphanage?" he asked knowing there was not an orphanage for at least 20 miles.

"Satsugo Orphanage sir." Lee answered hesitantly.

The man's eyes widened. That orphanage was 46 miles away from here.

He appeared worried now. "How did you get here?"

"I ran sir."

"When did you run away, last night?" the man inquired.

"Maybe a few hours ago…" the small orphan replied.

"How fast can you run?"

"I…don't know…" he said quietly putting a finger to his chin in thought.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir."

"Come with me." the man held out his hand to the orphaned child.

The little boy reluctantly took it and followed the man.

"Now," the man continued while walking, "What's your name?"

"Rock Lee." the boy replied quietly, "But others call me Lee."

Lee woke with a start, Hinata had carefully shaken him awake. "Rock…"

"Call me Lee." he yawned.

"A-alright then…" she stammered.

He looked at Hinata and remembered himself a long time ago. For some reason he felt a small bond with the shy Hyuga. She stood up silently and walked over to the ointment cabinet, "I'm g-going to send you away with a bottle of the lotion I rubbed on your hands today…" she continued. "If you rub it into your hands the way I did the rash should go away in a few da-"

She was silenced mid-sentence by a soft kiss to her left cheek. Lee bowed.

"Thank you Lady Hinata. We should train together sometime." he smiled and saluted.

She handed the small bottle to him as he walked out of the compound and into town.

She watched him go in shock. She had not seen anything like that coming. Never had anyone been so thankful to her for healing their wounds. Everybody in the Hyuga compound just expected her to heal them without a word and they were off on their merry way.

'You are SOME piece of work Lee…' she thought as she smiled to herself and held her hand up to her left cheek. 'If I'm going to become stronger then…maybe I should take you up on that offer.'