Chapter Ten.

"Adventures of a Taijustu Protégé"

Lee finally fell to his knees as ragged breathes tore through his trained body, each muscle quivering and as exhausted as he was.

He had run for what seemed like days, only stopping for the most basic of needs before once again moving on. So far he had not encountered any other signs of civilization-people nor villages as he hightailed it away from Konoha and that man. Lee could only sigh in relief, knowing that the harpy that hunted him would kill any who got in her way of capturing him.

But now as he sucked in huge quantities of oxygen into his abused lungs, he took in his surroundings and put two and two together on his current situation. I'm far enough away from any who would think to interrupt a fight but I have no water nor shelter and only a few more ration bars to last me for however long…at the rate this is going, the hunt will either drive me deeper into unfamiliar territory until she captures me or force me to stock up on supplies in a populated village, thereby killing the villagers and trying to get to me. Any way I look at this I'm at a clear disadvantage due to the fact I have stunted chakra coils and have no way of using ninjustu or Genjustu…Taijustu won't work as well as the Harpy can fly away from my attacks leaving me venerable.

He cut of his musings and focused on were he was at.

Lee had, at some point, run into a Canyon valley. It boasted huge sandstone and shale walls and was as dry as a bone. He groaned as lee realized there would be little chance for water or food. He noticed some parched scrub grass that grew along the graveled bottom were he sat on his knees and remembered Crane-sensei's advice about starting fires in unfamiliar areas. "Remember children, a warm fire to curl up next too is nice but in any territory not your own be wary. Enemy Ninja and animals are always on the prowl."

He grunted as the image of the Harpy settled in his mind. No he really wanted to stay out of sight for as long as possible before being forced to run again. Heaving himself to his feet, Lee looked up at the top of where the Canyons started and thought about using whatever chakra he still had on climbing out and hopefully finding some wooded area. He dismissed that idea, it was better to save what he had instead of wasting it and then truly needing it when it was gone. Another idea came, what about if he just climbed out without the need for chakra before dismissing that as a failure too. It was nearly a couple hundred feet up a sheer rock face and with that shale covering the top in a dusky layer it would be near impossible to find out where the sturdy hand and foot holds were. Besides if he fell, he would just end up using his chakra to catch himself, landing Lee right back where he started-at the bottom of a canyon and not knowing where to go next.

Still looking up and knowing he would not be doing any climbing, Lee noticed that the sun was starting to set and made up his mind on a split-second decision-go along the bottom of the canyon and hope for a miracle. With a happy-go-lucky grin on his face, Lee set off determined to find a way out of the hell he currently found himself in.

0-0-0-0-0

Several miles away, a small rabbit was napping calmly near the edge of a cliff, not a care in the world.

The cliff actually led the way to a beginning labyrinths of canyons, ravines, cliffs and caverns that went on and on as the eye could see and even further. The only people who ever adventured there were the fools of this world or just the plain insane, for many who went in most never made it out. It was known as the Devils Gamble and the name worked well.

There was only one way in and most who found was by complete accident in the dark of night. A small opening in the way of two ridges, after that one only got to experience the winding gravel path that turned around on itself and led off in thousands of different directions, some went off to sand pits that dropped you clean through, never to surface while others led you to the predators who had made the difficult canyons their home. As for the rest, well that was anyone's guess and nobody was keen to go down and check.

The rabbits nose quivered in disgust as a horrible stank filled the air, before the hairs on his little brown neck stood to attention in pure, unadulterated fear as a massive shadow flew right over his napping place. Pretty button black eyes opened in time to see a massive bird flew over the fist part of the canyon before a evening mist clouded the rabbits vision. Shivering in remembered fear of the huge predator, the rabbit stood up and shook out his early winter coat before bounding away from the stinking cliff, with a small sigh of pity to whoever the monster had been chasing after.

The cliff was bare and empty as a fitful wind rustled the long grass where moments before peace had been innocent.

0-0-0-0-0

Lee shivered in his body-suit as a freezing wind buffeted him on his back and front in equal ferocity. He bemoaned the way he was left out of his nice warm bed at home or Hinata's great cooking and Naru's ability to brighten up any atmosphere and make him forget that they were training or cold. He felt a uncommon rage at the man and his pet Harpy, who had successfully driven him from his home and friends, who had made him out to be a loner in his world and now because of them he was lost, cold, thirsty and hungry. Maybe he was a masochist and desired pain because there was no doubt in his mind that he was totally screwed.

Rubbing his arms in a attempt to conserve heat, Lee watched all the nooks and crannies that lined the canyon walls. All senses were on the alert for a attack-surprise or not. With every breath he took, large puffs of white air colored the space in front of him before the wind shredded them into nothing once more. why does it have to be sooo cold out. It isn't even winter yet." his grumbling thoughts did nothing to ease the bite from the frigid night though and just put his mood worse off in the end.

It was during this brain-ramble that Lee felt eyes on him.

Quickly turning like one who was taught to do at a moments notice, he faced the way he had just come from and held his stance- ready to fight or flee should it be hostile. But as he turned, Lee's eyes met only the empty path shadowed partially by the high canyon walls. Snorting out a laugh he let his body relax again and was just about to turn when another sense of malice slithered across his senses, making the fine hairs on his body stand straight up. Slowly looking around, Lee saw a particularly large crack in the soft sandstone wall of the canyon. Feeling extremely exposed he walked a few steps closer, inexplicably drawn to that shadowy hole before he froze in a deadly combination of shock, disgust and awe. Only one word bellowed from the darkest corners of his mind.

Scorpions!

The crack swarmed with the black armored arachnids as they surged over the edge and over each other. Hundred upon thousands of the creepy monsters turned as one collected mass upon their new prey-Lee. His mind raced a mile a second but it wasn't making a word of sense to his legs as he remained rooted to his post on the path, each tick of the universal clock passed by so agonizingly slow as the scorpions fairly flew down the short walk to where he waited.

With a surprised yell as something laded on his shoulder, Lee broke whatever trance he had been locked in and started to shake and dance like a mad-man in a attempt to dislodge a scorpion from his person. Using his hands, Lee batted at the eight-legged arachnid perched on his shoulder in frustration as it hung on throughout the wild ride. It was during this that Lee felt a sharp pain break the skin through his jumpsuit and before his muddled mind supply the information that he had just been stung by a scorpion and it burned fire throughout his whole left side of the body.

With a grunt of pain, Lee grabbed the perpetrator from his shoulder and threw it to the wall across from himself.

It suddenly went dead silent as both Lee and the scorpions both turned to stare at the now dead arachnid, its body limp on the gravel ground as a small dent showed on the wall three feet above its body. Lee got three deep breaths in before a odd clicking stated throughout the ranks of black creatures. Razor sharp mandibles clicked in a varied hum as a large portion of the scorpions started to glow in a bright blue light.

Lee had turned and ran for a few feet before a large thud followed by a boom rattled the canyon as he felt his legs sweep up from under him, due to the chaotic wind that had come from the scorpions. It was during the time he was on his knees making sure nothing was broken before he chanced a look back.

What had once been many scorpions was now one very, very large one.

It had eight massive legs that ended in points with black armor-like exoskeleton covering the whole body in a near impenetrable shield. Its many eyes showed absolute rage and hunger as its strong whip-like tail lazily curled and uncurled in deadly anticipation. Lee shivered when he saw that both the mandibles and tail tip dripped a semi-clear liquid that sizzled once it touched the ground. If a small dose of that venom burned and hurt him like it did already, what would that amount do to him.

In a moment of silence both Lee and the scorpion sized each other up. Then the arachnid struck.

The tail slammed forward as Lee threw himself away from the extension, just barely managing to not get skewered. A deafening roar unlike anything he had heard before echoed thunderously around the canyon, dislodging boulders from the canyons top and shaking the ground. With a huff of breath, Lee pushed himself away from his position and the scorpion as he sought a safe place to hold out and plan, all the while dodging the claws and tail of the monster. His black eyes darted at a speed a Uchiha would have grumbled praise at in an attempt to save his skin.

He was just about to give up hope for shelter when a dark hole suddenly caught his eye. A youthful grin split Lee's face in triumph before he was thrown into the canyon wall on his right, his body tearing in pain that he knew wasn't metaphorical in the slightest. A harsh gasp was ripped from his throat as huge claws moved mere inches from his face, luckily he had landed near the caves entrance, a small miracle but one none the less. With a mighty push that stole the last of his energy, Lee practically flew at the opening before crawling in a far as it would allow him. Shifting his weight, he sat up against the back wall of the cave and watched in grim amusement as the small opening wouldn't permit the scorpion entry and was left to slash and tear in enraged hunger.

A small sigh of exhaustion bounced mutedly in his little hide-away as Lee felt sleep coming for him. Black was already gathering at the corners of his eyes and before he knew it, Lee was far away in the land of dreams, cradled in a small cave and sung to sleep by a barrage of claws on stone.

0-0-0-0-0

The third Hokage watched as his people meandered the many streets and back alleys which made up their home in calm anticipation, nothing showing on his wrinkled features save polite inquiry as his guest stood stiffly at attention near his desk.

Morino Ibiki, running torture and intelligence, scarred and built like a bear, rumored to live off the pain and misery of others watched his Kage in a stupor. Sure he worked close enough with his head of state but to be called during the middle of his day and right in the middle of a "questioning" as well truly made no sense to the younger man. He worked in the darker world of the shinobi and commanded those who were versed in the manner of espionage, torture, Anbu and Intel for his branch of his job. It was not a job for the weak of heart and those who didn't like the nitty-gritty world of murder and enemy assassinations, his job had a way of changing a man. A sigh from the Third broke him out of his musings.

"Ibiki-san, I thank you for showing up on such short notice." a tension filled the air as Ibiki watched the older man, no longer playing the elderly leader but the 'professor". the Hokage watched as Ibiki stood just a bit straighter in awe. "I have a mission for you. If you choose to accept it then you are to go alone and observe. Under no circumstance's will you be allowed to interfere. do you understand?"

Ibiki understood. Though the mission was proposed as a option in actuality it was a silk covered order between superior and underling. Oh yes Ibiki understood very well.

With a nod of agreement, Ibiki rumbled out his questions in his booming bass voice. "Hokage-sama. Due to the disappearances of a Uzumaki Naru, Hyuuga Hinata and Rock Lee-I presume that you are sending me out on a retrieval mission." his dark eyes watched his leader as he showed a more aged persona. Ibiki inwardly winced. He had liked the bright gaki and her friends and felt he had known them far more then others due to Anko bragging about them at any chance. Now the news that they had seemingly vanished without a trace left him with a dangerous temperament that few could hope to match. It still needed work before it would catch up to Anko's though, he felt that nobody would ever rival Anko when pissed.

The Hokage smiled grimly at one of his best shinobi before dismissing him and turning back to the large bay window. His thoughts were not comforting ones and did little to ease an old mans heart. More then once he had caught himself wishing that he had never passed them at such a tender age before cursing at himself, it was to protect them that had swayed his hand yet the things he did to prepare them had put them in even greater danger.

Naru, Hinata, Lee! Hold out for just a bit longer, grow from this and become strong, don't let the weight of their words break you. Help is on the way!

0-0-0-0-0

It was dark in the shadows of several buildings as a lone shadow stalked between them. It was as if the very cold darkness had risen from the gates of hell to walk before those who shivered in mortal fear, never knowing that he was the final glimpse between nightmares.

Sadly he was not allowed to bring out that sadistic pleasure.

His master wished him to learn not destroy. Not that there was much difference between the two as both could cause untold damages. His thin lips pulled upward in a mockery of any smile as a nasally chuckle bounced around as thinly as his lips.

Soon his master would have what he wanted and he could go back to destroying. Soon!

0-0-0-0-0

Lee groaned as he woke up and wondered if he had been climbing one of the large trees near Anbu HQ and had fallen, hitting every branch and its brother on the way down. All over his body was one mass of bruises, aches, cuts and dents. His head pounded at a fast rhythm that made his stomach rebel and his ears ring.

With a internal check of his person he concluded that he had at least two broken ribs and several cracked ones. His arm stung like fire and when he ripped away part of his jumpsuit-he noticed that it was swollen purple with ominous black tendrils that followed the veins all the way to his fingers. Lee grimaced openly when he felt bloody pus ooze from the definitely infected wound. His head was still pounding and he dreaded to think that he had a concussion. The rest was chalked up to massive bruising and small infected cuts that littered his body.

Thinking back to Crane-sensei's words on after-battle wounds, Lee felt sick.

Flashback

Lee watched as both Naru and Hinata-chan studied the life size doll on the steel table in the med-room. It was one of their lessons with Crane-sensei and the chief Med-Nin of HG in medicinal plants and taking care of wounds received in battles. Both Naru and Hinata-chan had been talking about this lesson for over three days now and to be honest it was driving him crazy, not to say he had anything against field knowledge but really what are the chances of being stuck wounded in an area with a treasure trove of things to cure themselves when hurt.

All three of the anbu recruits turned to bow (Hinata-chan and himself) or nod (Naru) at their instructors in respectful greeting. though still in September, the room had the power to accumulate all the heat from who-knows-where and trap it in its clutches. It was unmercifully hot.

They were told to sit as several other recruits joined them. Crane-sensei looked over them before speaking, " if you are in battle, as several of you very well know, wound are mostly treated on the run. This makes it harder to kill you when you are always on the move as opposed to stopping in a clearing to treat that annoying paper cut. Now though, say you are on a mission and you are miles away from anyone, place or thing. Well in that instance you need to keep any open wound from becoming infected, this can be done several ways: one, you boil water and iodine in a container and purify the wound. Two, you wrapp it up as best as humanly possible and seek out a village. Three you pray to Kami above that someone finds you before you sink into a delirious state…"

Flashback end

Lee groaned again when his head felt like someone was hammering out a chunk of his brain, making him curl in on himself. It was hard to pay attention to the lesson at that time and now he was regretting it, the knowledge would have been useful right now.

He smiled when he thought that Hinata or Naru would have known what to do.

It was during this when he noticed how quiet it was outside. With a collective ear, he listened for…anything. Where were the birds, the sound of the wind, hell where did his buddy the Scorpion go? After several minutes of just listening, Lee forced himself up on wobbly legs, using the wall sides to help him stay upright and hobbled over to the cave entrance in a mix of trepidation and fear.

Black eyes squinted in the harsh light as Lee stuck his head out the opening, looking around at the empty canyon and blinked in shock when he saw nothing. Moving to the outside, he walked towards the wall next to the entrance and fingered the large dent in the stone that had a smattering of blood in it. Evidence of his being tossed like a Childs toy.

With a heavy grunt, he faced the way he had been going last night and walked in a slight daze that was only accented by a prominent limp and ragged breathing.

He had only been going for a few hours when he reached a mini desert. Its sands glowed almost white in the harsh sun as it spread over dunes of varying sizes, Lee stopped to blow some sweat off his brow as he thought of the journeys this would take him on. With a world weary grin that didn't belong on a face so young, he took off at a slight but brisk walk, determined to make it out of the dunes or to a oasis before nightfall.

It was during the next several hours that made Lee realize that walking in a desert with extensive wounds and little to no water in what felt like days was a stupid idea worthy of any rookie fan-girl new from the academy. His loathing was palpable, he had been taught better then this and yet he was constantly making rookie mistakes - baring the fact that he wasn't necessarily a expert. It was the burning in his throat that only made the particular experience worse, lost in a labyrinth he was sure Naru had a devious hand in design, no food nor water, and he was pretty sure that several of his wounds were festering if he was judging the ache right. When he had first started out this mad dash journey, his steps had been even, measured but now they varied in length and depth more of him stumbling around then walking by this point. A low chuckle flew from his lips as he saw a large oasis but brushed it off as another fake-the eighth one of the day and it wasn't even over yet. Shading his eyes with his hands, Lee looked up at the sky and noticed the position of the sun before concluding that he had about three more hours before the sun set and the night temperature brought its icy touch. This time he would have no shelter to protect himself and no scorpion to give him the adrenaline to pursue that half-assed dream. Now Lee rarely swore but in certain circumstances he was lax on his rule meaning he swore more then Hinata-which meant saying anything derogatory and way less then Naru-when every other word out of her mouth came off as rude, crude, and exceedingly vulgar.

But surprisingly he nodded his head in the direction of the sun in that big, blue sky and expressed the challenge. After all if he was going to die, might as well make the ride worth it.

"fuck it all"

0-0-0-0-0

Anko stood out at the very top of the gate as she watched the long dusty road wind out far into the distance. With a simpler mind, she might have said that she enjoyed such solitude, but after being in the company of three spirited youngsters-she felt that she had no room to criticize her past transgressions, if one could call them that.

She was not of a clan upbringing, so when she had started the academy, she knew next to nothing about what the hell was going on, not like those clan brats who knew practically all the material before it was taught to the rest. Arrogant bastards. It was during her time of forced imprisonment that she learned to not draw an immeasurable amount of attraction to herself, it always had her coming home with bloody gashes and big purple bruises, courtesy of those chauvinistic pricks at her being beneath their notice so therefore she should just fade away. The mind of jealousy never failed to amuse and disgust her. This was her first treason.

It was after she had graduated the academy several years later that brought on the second.

His name was Orochimaru - Hebi Sannin, master of ninjustu and forbidden justu, scientist of Konoha and student of the "Professor" and the man to become both her light and her dread nightmare. It was during the genin tests that he had taken an interest in her and decided to take her up as a lone student. She still could remember the looks of pale rage on those assholes faces who made her life a living hell, when she selected to train under a legendary figure. So she trained with her new sensei, learning the ways of ninjustu and forbidden justu with a ease that seemed foreign even to her. She remembered accompanying him on many missions, some so dangerous that even those scars burned with a acute awareness when she thought of her past. It was during thee times that as she grew she started to notice things about her "master". his bloodlust and drive to further along research that made no sense confused her at first, her foolish naïve self had chalked it up to being a 'quirk' like the other older shinobi, content with this knowledge that he was loyal to Konoha and herself. Kami was she so very, very wrong.

It was a year or so later when she was brought out to a quiet sea-side village by Orochimaru on the pretense of a last minute mission, that forever changed her life. He had branded her with the cursed seal, gave her a choice-live by his side with ultimate power at her easy disposal or die like the hound she was as a Konoha konoichi. When she chose to stay with Konoha, he had activated the seal which caused a evil, burning sensation to flood her veins and chakra, whispering of dark power that only she could command. Then darkness.

Orochimaru had escaped, leaving her to either die in pain or suffer for the rest of her life. Even to this day she did not know which was the lesser of two evils. And though the Hokage had forgiven her of his past students aggressions, she became the new outcast of Konoha…meant to serve in the shadows from whence she came.

Her light orange eyes widened as she met the vision that was Maito Gai in a weary state and barely holding on to whatever frayed illusion that was holding him hostage. With a curious gait she leapt down to where he was and thought that if he held news of what had happened to those gaki's, he would be no longer alive to utter the word youth.

0-0-0-0-0

It was a dark night, the moon was a sliver of light in a nearly black void.

Lee stumbled on forward, paying no heed to the glory of a desert night. His battered, bruised, slashed, poisoned body screamed unyouthful things as he numbly put one shaky foot in front of the other. If one were to look behind the young boy, they would have seen a dark red trail slithering after him. Lee, every few feet would mumble something, before once again going quiet, he had lost the full use of his vocal cords when he breathed and yelled in the harsh desert climate.

His throat was sore and felt as swollen as his feet and legs did. Little food, no water caused Lee to have fevered dreams both unconscious and conscious, causing him to feel particularly insane. He grinned crookedly when he thought that only veteran ninja went through S-class hell. No sleep apparently made him a very morbid person. Lee remembered after passing the eleventh mirage, he had stopped for an hour to argue with the bleached bones of some pack animal, needless to say it was a very heated argument on both sides. This wasn't the only thing to worry him though. Where was that thrice-damned harpy? Even with the quick exposure that Lee had gleaned, he knew she wasn't one to back down from a hunt, he knew this and as time went on without a hint of her-he felt jumpy and paranoid.

With a groan of pain, Lee suddenly felt his right leg give out beneath him before bracing for impact. He gave a slightly maniacal laugh and thought of the newest addiction to his collection of hurts as he laid in the cold, gritty sand. His mind jumped tangents so fast not even the "Yellow Flash" would be able to keep up. Why should he continue on, why not just lay here and let nature embrace him silently, what was the point of even running.

He was injured beyond belief, torn and broken in ways a child-even a child soldier, should be. In the course of several days or maybe it was weeks, Lee had been cut, crunched, poisoned, battered, thrown around like a doll, beaten into a bloody mess and then finally driven into a seemingly endless maze with more then enough places to silently fade out of existence. So what was holding him back? Lee's black eyes shot open when the faces of his sensei's, the Hokage, his best friends-Naru and Hinata flashed through his aching mind like quicksilver.

With a muffled groan, he pushed himself onto his abused feet and teetered around before once more stumbling across the cold sands and dunes.

He would live for those he loved. He had too.

0-0-0-0-0

It was several more hours of mindless walking when Lee noticed the bright horizon in the distance, its bright orange and pinks flashed against the pale grey dawn as the sun once again made itself known to all.

It was during this moment of clarity, that Lee saw a dark smudge just underneath the firey display. Leaning just a in further, he noticed it wasn't moving as it shimmered faintly in the early morning heat waves. Placing his rough hand against the tattered remains of his spandex, he frowned as something pulsed warmly inside. It took him minutes before he realized it was hope. With a stunning grin on his chapped face, Lee concluded that he had but several more hours of travel-if he went fast, before he reached the distant smudge. He took off at a wobbly trot before falling flat on his face.

He was laughing like a mad man that he never noticed the steadily increasing intent moving closer and closer to his exuberant form. But someone else noticed him.

0-0-0-0-0

Far above the cloudless sky, slotted eyes watched as the green monstrosity that was her prey playfully roll on the ground, laughing for some reason. She felt her features curl in a mocking grin. Soon, very soon. She even gave a tiny grin when that boy suddenly pushed himself off the ground and took off those weird toe-less sandals before hobbling away over those last dunes towards that darkish smudge on the distant horizon.

Oh she did love a chase. "let the game begin, Lee!"