All Neji saw was red.
No, he was not angry, but his vision was filled with red. It was a beautiful red, a crimson colour eerily similar to blood, or comparable to a ripe tomato. He would not say this out loud, especially the tomato part, for several others before him were beaten to a bloody pulp.
There were tears, blood and the screams of agony from his classmates. He just watched with a stoic mask, but inwardly he was impressed at the carnage the Uzumaki was wrecking in the ring. The sensei who was supposed to be supervising the matches was huddled in a corner shivering and muttering things about a second coming of the bloody habanero. It all started as a normal morning. Taijutsu matches were up first, and just as the first match was supposed to begin, a chunin came in with a new student.
It was a girl. She was pale, slim and tall, almost as tall as him. She had amethyst eyes and wore a black tank-top and pants taped into sandles. Let's not forget the long red hair. It was the reddest hair he had ever seen. Her name was Uzumaki Kira, and he immediately dismissed her as a weak fool. After all, only fools attend their first day of the academy the day before graduation. She wouldn't last in the class. That thought was taken and destroyed when he saw her first match.
The girl she faced was haughty, arrogant and a fan girl to boot (one from his own fan club). Flipping her hair over her shoulder with a manicured hand, she smirked at the red head.
"Just because you're new doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. I'll win, and Neji-kun will finally fall in love with me." Said boy shivered in disgust either because of the way she said 'Neji-kun', or the way she winked at him afterwards. The red head said nothing. Taking this as a sign that the girl was weak, the other girl's smirk grew even wider, thinking that the new comer was an easy target. Their sensei started the match, and the fan girl said something that she would deeply regret. "Your hair is like a tomato."
Everyone started laughing, but choked at the killing intent that exploded in the air. The Uzumaki girl's face was shadowed and a dark aura shimmered around her. "What did you say?" She growled. The fan girl gulped, but stupidly repeated her earlier statement.
"I-I s-said that y-your hair is like a t-tomato!" Neji could honestly say that this was the scariest thing he had witnessed in his life. Kira's blood red hair split and rose up behind her. They looked like tails. She cracked her knuckles, and her amethyst eyes glowed. What he saw was a very bloody one sided beat down, and his respect for her grew. The nurses had to drag the bloody body to the infirmary.
The next time she had a match, she versed a boy. He was second under Neji in class rankings, and he was rather good. Good but also arrogant and stupid. He obviously did not learn to not say the 'T' word. He taunted Kira, and soon his friends and other class mates gained some confidence and started jeering along with him on the side lines. A newbie can't possibly beat the second best in taijutsu right? Wrong, as soon as the arrogant fool was beaten to a pulp, the rest of the jeerers were pulled into the ring, and soon it was a free for all battle royal. Neji stayed out of it, he was too dignified.
Neji watched the graceful red blur that continued to annihilate the rest of his class. This girl was no newbie at fighting, she was experienced. Too experienced. He wondered just where she learnt to fight, and why he had never seen her before. The dead last, Rock Lee was watching in awe at the side, a stupefied look donned on his face. Fortunately for the rest of the class, she wasn't going to be with them for too long.
Much to the ire of Neji's fan club, Kira was placed on his team along with Rock Lee, and together they formed Team 9. Their first time meeting their jonin sensei was…unforgettable in a way. He was exuberant, jolly, optimistic and very very green with a knack for taijutsu. In other words, he was Lee's idol, and pretty much kept screaming about the spring time of youth. They were the only team to pass the genin test, and that spoke much about Konoha's falling standard. Lee soon became a min-Gai right down to the bushy eyebrows. Konoha had enough of the spring time of youth already.
One year later…
"Did you hear? For the first time in five years, there's gonna be rookies in the chunin exams!" Exclaimed Lee as he leaned against a tree in the training grounds.
"No way," Kira said, flipping a kunai expertly in her hand. "It's probably some stubborn jonin getting competitive."
"Apparently, three of them are Kakashi's." Lee grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"You mean Sharingan no Kakashi? The copy-cat?"
"Yeah." A blood thirsty grin appeared on her face.
"It doesn't matter," Neji smirked from his seat beneath the tree. Kira flipped the kunai one last time before hurling it into the target above Neji's head, burying it up to the hilt on the bullseye. "Because in the end, they're going to be crushed."
They were rather miffed that their sensei didn't enter them in the exam six months ago, but now, the rookie teams' better watch out. Team 9 was going to destroy them.
Team 7 had arrived on the second floor, only to see a crowd of people gathered around the door.
"You think you have what it takes to become chunin?! What a joke! You can't even get past me!" Two boys stood in front of a door. One of them cruelly backhanded a genin dressed in a ridiculous green spandex. "Listen! We're doing you guys a favour. We've failed this exam three times already, and we've seen people quit being shinobi afterwards, some even die. So you should leave, all of you!"
The crowd shifted with unease, but a certain raven named Sasuke stepped forwards with a smug grin. "I agree," He cut in, "but let me pass through, and drop the genjutsu while you're at it. I'm going to the third floor." The genin murmured to each other.
"What's he talking about?"
"Hell if I know."
"Ah… So you noticed." Replied the boy with a smirk. "But that's too bad. Because all you did was see through it!" And he dashed forwards, leg out and swinging in what would be a vicious kick. Sasuke prepared to block it with his own leg, but a green blur appeared in between them, catching both of their kicks with ease.
So fast…
He caught both of our kicks!
The spandex dressed boy dropped both of their legs with a sigh. His injuries from before began to fade, leaving unblemished skin.
"Hey," A long haired boy with pale eyes growled irritably. "What happened to not drawing attention to ourselves?"
The green wearing boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…" He glanced to the side at the pink haired girl beside the Uchiha, a blush dusting his cheeks. He strode over to her.
"Oh boy…"groaned a red haired girl burying her face in her hands.
"Hi! My name is Rock Lee! What's yours?" He asked Team 7's kunoichi.
"Haruno Sakura." She replied hesitantly. The newly named Lee grinned, and his teeth began to shine. He gave her the 'good guy' pose.
"Will you go out with me? I'll protect you until I die!" Sakura then crushed his dreams with a "Hell no! You're so lame!" Naruto cackled in the background as Lee slumped in depression, a dark cloud hovering over his head.
"Hey you!" The pale eyed boy called to Sasuke. "What's your name? You're a rookie right? How old are you?"
"Hn, I don't have to tell you anything." And the Uchiha turned on his heel and walked off, his teammates trailing behind him. As the Uchiha walked away, Kira smirked.
"We might have trouble with them, but they're nothing we can't handle." Lee followed after the raven haired boy from the roof tops. Neji shared a look with Kira. "We better go after him. He might permanently damage them. Gai-sensei will scold us." Both genin shivered at the memory the last time they got scolded. They dashed after their youth loving teammate.
"Hey you, with the dark eyes." Team 7 looked up to the balcony where Rock Lee stood above them. "Will you fight me right here?"
"Right now?" Asked Sasuke. Lee nodded, and leapt off the balcony to land in front of them.
"Fight me. I want to test my abilities against the prodigious Uchiha clan." He settled into a stance.
"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name. Frankly, you're a fool." Sasuke threw him a dark look. "You're about to learn what the name means."
"Just because you're an Uchiha, doesn't mean you'll beat Lee." A new voice cut in. They looked to the balcony again, but this time, the red haired girl sat on the railing, one leg propped up, the other hanging freely at the ten metre drop below. The pale eyed boy leant on the railing next to her. "Your name doesn't mean shit in this exam. You won't beat him, Uchiha." She grinned at him mockingly. Sasuke glared at the girl that made a slight against his family, and the boy next to her that looked at him like he was a bug that needed to be squashed.
"Doesn't anyone want to know about me?!" They all turned to the obnoxious blonde, and answered with a dull "No."
Just as Lee stepped forwards to fight Sasuke, Naruto interrupted again. "Wait. I'll fight him, just give me five minutes."
"Uchiha won't beat him. What makes you think you will?" Kira scoffed. Naruto snarled at her.
"It's always about Sasuke! I'm sick of hearing his name!" And then Naruto lunged at Lee, sending a punch his way. With a flick of his wrist, Lee sent Naruto's punch downwards, sending him tripping. With a growl, Naruto swung a backwards kick at Lee's stomach. Lee's leg blurred.
"Konoha Reppuu!" Naruto tumbled head over heels, straight into a wall where he was knocked out cold. "You won't beat me, because I am one of the strongest genin in Konoha."
"Sounds like fun. I'm in." Sasuke smirked. "This will be over in a minute."
He stopped my kick from before. That wasn't normal. I don't know what ninjustu he used but…
Sasuke rushed forwards, but Lee was already moving.
"Konoha Senpuu!" Sasuke ducked, Lee's foot skimming just over his hair, but couldn't dodge Lee's second kick. He was sent flying, and coughed out blood.
"Sasuke-kun!" Screamed Sakura.
Kira sweat dropped. What does Lee see in this girl?
Sasuke pushed himself off the floor. I blocked it! What ninjutsu is he using? Is it genjutsu? He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Heh, I guess I'll get to find out. Sharingan!
He darted back with renewed effort. It doesn't matter whatever jutsu he's using. I'll counter it!
But in his arrogance, he had already lost. Lee's entire form blurred, and Sasuke's head snapped backwards. Lee had smash his foot on the underside of Sasuke's chin so hard that blood sprayed. Kira was pretty sure Sasuke lost some teeth. He was sent airborne again. "Kage buyo!" Lee attached himself to Sasuke's shadow.
The sharingan couldn't read it! It can't be…!
"You're right," Lee said, as if reading Sasuke's mind. "I am not using ninjutsu nor genjutsu. I am only using taijutsu"
Sasuke gasped. "But-!"
"Your sharingan can see through ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu, but even if your eyes can follow me, your body cannot."
Lee's bandages from his hands started to unwrap. "Your sharingan is no match for my taijutsu. You are a genius because of your blood…" Lee's grip on his bandages tightened. "…But hard work can surpass that!"
"Kira."Neji said. They both jumped off the railing and landed near a stirring Naruto. She didn't need to be told twice. Something glowing golden shot out of Kira's palm as she whipped her arm forwards. It launched upwards in an arc, and coiled around Lee's foot. With a harsh pull, Lee was jerked from his Kage buyo, and back to his teammates. Before anyone saw what the golden glow was, it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Lee, Gai-sensei told you not to use that technique." He tried to protest, but he was silenced by a puff of smoke next to them.
"Kira's right. That technique is forbidden! What do you have to say for yourself?!" A turtle appeared from the smoke. Lee looked down in shame.
("That's a turtle right? Can a turtle become a sensei?"
"How would I know?!")
"I'm sorry, I just…"
"That's a pathetic excuse! Are you ready to face the consequences?!" The turtle growled with a glare. Lee gulped, and shakily nodded. "Very well. Come out Gai-sensei!"
And another puff of smoke, and a carbon copy of the boy grovelling in shame appeared. "Geez! Teens these days!" The jonin struck a 'good guy' pose.
"OH MY GOD! HIS EYEBROWS ARE EVEN THICKER! THEY'RE LIKE FREAKING CATIPILLARS!" screeched Sakura.
"More freaks just keep showing up!" Groaned Naruto.
"OI! Don't insult Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled defiantly.
"Lee!" Said boy turned to his sensei. "YOU FOOL!" And he was socked in the face and sent flying. After teary apologies, a make-up, and a sunset with a promise of cheerful punishment ("500 laps around Konoha on your hands!";D )Gai turned to the gaping genin.
"Ah! You must be Kakashi's team! How is he doing?"
"EH? You know Kakashi-sensei?!" Team 7 was jaw slacked.
"Know him? He's my Eternal Rival-!"
Neji tugged oh Kira's arm. "Let's go ahead." She nodded, and they discreetly left the rambling jonin and the awed Team 7.