Tayuya: Okay you bitches, it's time for a brand new chapter so sit down, shut up and enjoy the show!

Hinata (Hellfire): Must you call them "Bitches" Tayuya?

Tayuya: Um, yeah. It's part of my charm. Enjoy the show bitches!

Ino (Hellfire): Oh boy…

Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn
Chapter Thirty-Two: Return to Hisako! Beast Versus Monk

Unknown Location
Rock Lee

"Right kick!"

"Left kick!"

"Block!"

"Dodge!"

Lee opened his eyes and lifted himself off the ground and looked around. He found himself in a small room. The room was rather bland. Beige colored walls and a single opening, leading out to a long stretch of hallway.

"Where am I?" Lee murmured to himself as he stood up off the ground. The last thing he remembered was fighting that kunoichi before he was stabbed in the chest. He glanced down at his chest and saw a hole in his jumpsuit, revealing his well toned chest.

Lee walked stumbled out of the room and walked into the hallway which revealed a large courtyard with several rows of bald men in orange and yellow monk attire, each of them performing katas lead by a single man.

The man had on a red and blue shirt with a white trim with black shoulder pads and chest armor with a white trim, black gloves, tan pants and a black pants but what was stuck out to Lee more was the large hat that covered the upper half of his face but Lee could see the spiky metal edges on the edge of the hat reflecting the sunlight.

The man tilted his head up and stared straight at Lee, his brown eyes shining in amusement before he relaxed his stance and raised his hands, which caused the monks to stop their movements. "That is enough. Our guest has awakened," the man said as he motioned to Lee and said "Come down. We have much to discuss."

Lee leapt over the banister and landed in the courtyard as the monks retreated from the courtyard, leaving the two of them alone. "Where am I? Who are you?" Lee questioned.

"Me? I am the greatest Shaolin Monk alive. The legendary Kung Lao," Kung Lao announced to the green wearing shinobi arrogantly.

"But…I've never heard of you before," Lee said with an innocent expression on his face.

Kung Lao smirked and said "Of course you haven't. Someone as young as you wouldn't know the legend that my bloodline carries."

Lee felt his jaw clench.

If there was one thing that he despised was someone speaking about "Family" or "Bloodlines". He never let on how angry he could get whenever Neji went on about how skilled his clan was back before Hinata had knocked him off of his pedestal.

He wouldn't deny that the reason he despised those two words or anyone that talked about them was due to him being an orphan.

He had no one until Maito Gai had come into his life to show him that he was more than an orphan. Gai showed him that bloodlines didn't matter. All that mattered was his skills, his heart and the hunger that drove his soul.

"Nor do I care," Lee said, the rare feeling of anger filling his veins. "Bloodlines are meaning. It's who you are as a person that matters."

"And I wonder why you formed that opinion Rock Lee? Is it because you were abandoned by your parents which forced you to be all alone with no name or bloodline to call your own or is it due to them leaving you with a crushing handicap, making you end up being a pity case for a passing ninja to help you achieve your dreams?" Kung Lao asked, a smug smirk forming on the man's face.

Lee hadn't known what happened. One minute he was standing and the next, he was in the air, his leg had slammed into the left forearm of Kung Lao's. Kung Lao smirked and gripped Lee's leg and swung him around before releasing his grip which caused Lee to fly towards the wall where he crashed against it.

Lee fell to one knee and rose to his feet as Kung Lao swiftly dragged his right foot into the sand, making a line before he rapidly punched the air, causing pink lotus flower petals to float from his fists then settled into his fighting style, a smirk playing on his lips. "Come nobody and allow me to show you how powerful my bloodline can be."

The two stood in their spots, glaring at one another until a leaf fell to the ground and that was when the two ran towards each other but Lee quickly leapt up and aimed a flying kick to Kung Lao's face but he rolled forward, effectively sending him soaring above him.

Lee landed on the ground and quickly turned around and shouted "Konoha Senpū!" delivered a quick roundhouse kick with leaves accompanying his kick but Kung Lao ducked the kick and as Lee landed, Kung Lao swept his leg against Lee's foot, tripping him to the ground.

Kung Lao then flipped forward as he did the splits, aiming the heel of his right foot at Lee's head but Lee turned his body and rolled to the left to once again avoid the heel of the Shaolin monk before he jumped to his feet again but just as Kung Lao got to his feet, Lee leapt into the air and whipped his left leg up and nailed the man in the face with his left knee.

Lee fell to the ground while Kung Lao staggered backwards in a slight daze from the sudden blow. Seeing his opponent slightly off kilter, Lee ran forward and when he got close, the teen aimed a left hook to the man's right side but Kung Lao caught the hand.

Lee could see the smirk on Kung Lao's face before he was pushed away by the monk before he was then tugged forward sharply and Lee could barely make out that his hand was released before Kung Lao's arm slammed into his upper chest and neck, which sent him slamming onto the ground mat on his back.

Lee writhed in pain from the sudden blow and but despite the pain, he could hear his opponent's feet skid against the ground.

Forcing the pain away from his mind, Lee turned his body and pushed himself to his feet but immediately ducked a flying kick from Kung Lao, feeling the air whoosh above his head due to the swift speed of the other man.

Lee didn't waste any time however because the minute the man passed over him, Lee quickly turned his body and ran towards Kung Lao and just as the monk landed and turned around, Lee had leapt up and slammed his left knee into the right cheek of the larger man, who tilted off his right foot off the ground.

Lee landed in front of him and quickly twisted his body and landed a right hook against the left cheek of Kung Lao's face, which caused the monk's body to get firmly on his two feet and it was then Lee began to rain down fists on his opponent's body.

From face to chest, Lee's fists seemed to go anywhere that could damage the bigger man but after he landed a straight jab to the middle of Kung Lao's face, Kung Lao own fist slammed into Lee's gut, which caused the teen to suck in a breath while leaning around the fist.

As Lee tried to catch his breath, Kung Lao's right hand met Lee's face in a hard grip before Kung Lao leapt into the air, which caused Lee's own feet to leave the ground where Kung Lao spun in the air and slammed Lee onto his back hard.

Kung Lao then released Lee's face and lifted his hand into the air and balled it into a fist but Lee quickly placed two feet to Kung Lao's chest and pushed hard, causing the Shaolin monk to fly backwards only to recover and land on his feet.

Lee rose up from the ground and rose onto one knee and panted heavily, his vision blurring as Kung Lao stood across from him.

"Give up nobody," Kung Lao ordered. "I am far stronger than you could imagine and I'm not even using any of my special techniques. You can't win."

"Never…" Lee said with a determined glare on his face. "For I could never live with myself if I did…" Lee stood up on his feet and narrowed his eyes at his opponent and said "Because you're right. I was abandoned by my family and I do have a handicap that prevents me from being a normal shinobi but when the chips were down, Gai-sensei was the one who believed in me when no one else would!"

Lee balled up his right fist and pointed it at Kung Lao and said "So you can sit there on your high horse and brag about how great your bloodline is. I've heard it all before but no matter how long it takes…No matter how many lumps I get…No matter how many life threatening missions I go through, I will show the world that any dream can be achieved through dedication, desire and hard work!"

And with that yell, Lee dashed forward and shouted ""Konoha Senpū!" and aimed a left roundhouse kick to the rising Kung Lao's head but the Shaolin Monk ducked it and swung his leg against Lee's right leg.

Lee began to fall but the green wearing shinobi placed his hands on the ground and flipped back to him feet and blocked Kung Lao's own left roundhouse kick.

Lee then kicked Lao's right knee which caused the monk to on one knee but Kung Lao caught Lee's left knee when Lee attempted to knee his face and pushed it back hard.

Lee fell to one knee and the two stared at each other before Lee began to aim three jabs at Kung Lao's face but the monk smacked each jab away before he grabbed Lee's fist on the fourth jab and stood up quickly and launched him backwards.

Lee recovered and landed on his feet but Kung Lao quickly advanced and their clash began. Punches and kicks flew between the two combatants and while Lee fought with every inch of him might, he knew that Kung Lao was faster.

So Lee began to push himself harder. Blow by blow, Lee's speed began to slowly increase against Kung Lao before he managed to nail a brutal right fist into Kung Lao's face, sending the Shaolin monk skidding against the ground before Lee fell to one knee, panting heavily.

"I did it…I got you…" Lee panted out with a toothy grin.

Kung Lao stood up from the ground, his hat off of his head to reveal his long black hair. He then stood up and the arrogant smirk faded away into a faint smile as he relaxed his fighting stance. "You passed," Kung Lao told him, which made Lee blink in confusion.

Village of Hisako
U.N Hunting Squad
Cage Tayuya

Tayuya had to admit but coming back to Hisako filled her with unintended excitement.

After Kurenai and Anko came back alive and well, the group decided to return to the village to get help for the still unconscious Kakashi, Samui, Omoi, Ino, Shikamaru and Naruto. Thankfully, Gai had appeared to help carry the load and get them to the village safely.

However, there were so many questions that was left unanswered.

How did Anko and Kurenai come back to life?

Why had Shao Kahn come back?

What had happened to Naruto?

And what would happen now?

Tayuya didn't concern herself too much about the questions. That was more for the others to figure out. All she needed was a hot shower to ease her sore muscles and the worries about her friends. But it was then Tayuya saw her.

Standing at the front of the gate with two soldiers was Fū. She was talking to them with a serious expression on her face and saw the fierceness in her orange eyes that made Tayuya's heart skip a beat. It was then Fū turned around and saw the group and it was then their eyes connected.

Despite how exhausted Fū looked, Tayuya thought she was beautiful.

Tayuya watched as a wide smile appeared on the teal haired girl's face but that then changed to worry, No doubt due to how haggered she and the others looked. Fū rushed the two soldiers away and walked towards the group and asked "What happened?" but Tayuya noticed that Fū locked eyes with her.

"Well, a powerful and evil man was released from his slumber and was going to raise some hell but we stomped him out. Not without losses however," Tayuya replied. "Can you put us up at the hotel?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Fū retorted before she looked to the others and said "I'll get your rooms ready. Follow me."

Tayuya and her group followed the teal haired girl to the hotel but Tayuya noticed there were a lot of soldiers posted in the streets and asked her "What's up with all the guys?"

"We'll talk about that once we get Naruto and the others down. Then you can tell me what happened with you and your team," Fū replied softly.

Tayuya nodded and with a look to her teammates, they began to follow Fū to their destination.

Shaolin Temple
Rock Lee

"W-What?" Lee stammered out.

"You passed my test," Kung Lao repeated.

"This was a test? You angered me and goaded me into a fight…For a test?" Lee asked with a stunned expression on his face.

"There is so much that words can convey before they lose their meaning," Kung Lao told him. "It's your actions during battle that reveals all about a person. My Shaolin master would always tell me that."

Kung Lao smirked bitterly and said "He always said that my movements showed, what he called, "Unearned arrogance." I…coasted on my ancestor, the great Kung Lao but at the time, I truly believed that my blood made me who I was…and I paid for that arrogance with my original life."

Lee gave a look of confusion and asked "Original? What do you mean by that?"

"I've lived three lives. The first was my original life. The second was my life as a perverted version of myself as well as my redemption and the last life…Well…our life."

Lee looked startled by the final words that the Shaolin monk had said. "O-Our life?" Lee asked him.

What did he mean by that?

"Well, let me begin…"

And so, Lee was told everything from Kung Lao's life. From the moment of his entry to the White Lotus Society, his Shaolin temple, to his death at the hands of Shao Kahn and beyond that as a slave of Quan Chi and Shinnok, his subsequent redemption by his cousin Kung Jin and finally, his second death by the hands of his best friend, Liu Kang.

"But when I died, Raiden sacrificed his life and helped build a new world, the world you live in. I am your past life," Kung Lao finished.

Lee blinked.

"O-Oh," Lee stammered out.

"Oh? I was expecting anything else but that reaction," Kung Lao noted.

"I mean…It makes sense," Lee said. "But what happens now?"

"As I mentioned before, you passed my test. I knew from the minute I woke up that Raiden's plan had succeeded," Kung Lao told him. "Long story short, this was supposed to happen to our reincarnations if something huge was coming. Since I am here, that huge event could be on its way but when I woke up, I was concerned."

"Concerned about who you had reincarnated to?" Lee asked.

Kung Lao nodded.

"I was concerned that all of the hard work in dulling my arrogance had failed and my reincarnation was just as, or maybe even more, prideful than I was. But that battle we had showed me that you are far from that. Sure, you're as hot headed as me but you are humble and driven to prove yourself on your own merits instead of others, unlike me. It showed me that in a way, my redemption had paid off," Kung Lao said before he walked up to Lee and stood before him.

"I will not lie; my prideful nature is still there. Not as sharp as it was in the past but there but if we become one, not only will our prowress in martial arts increase dramatically but perhaps, we can even each other out and maybe, we together can make your dreams a reality…" Kung Lao then held out his hand to Lee and asked "We wasted a lot of time fighting but it was necessary but the window to returning life back into our body is closing so I ask of you…would you like to work together to build your legacy of hardwork?"

Lee stared at the hand and then back at Kung Lao before he looked the monk right in the eyes. "So doing this will bring me back to life but make us one whole being. I would have access to your skills and I'm assuming your memories, right?" Lee asked him.

"That would be correct," Kung Lao told him.

"Then you would know the identity of a woman with glowing yellow eyes that can use magic from some place called Edenia, right?" Lee questioned.

Kung Lao frowned but he nodded and said "I know exactly who she is. She is a very powerful villain that I've battled on three different occasions."

"She killed me after saying I was no Kung Lao, ironically enough," Lee said as anger slowly began to build in his voice. "If she was willing to kill me, there is no telling what she has done to my friends…And I want revenge. Will you help me gain it?" Lee asked with a determined look on his face.

Kung Lao was quiet for a moment before he gave a nod, which made Lee nod as well. "Then we have a deal,"Lee said before he took Kung Lao's hand and with a burst of White Lotus petals, the world around him brightened until nothing but light was seen.

Village of Hisako – Hotel
U.N Hunting Squad
Cage Tayuya

"I do not believe this!" Gai yelled as he slammed his fists on the circular table that sat in front of him, causing Fū to flinch before she let out a sad sigh.

After putting Kakashi, Omoi, Samui, Shikamaru and Naruto in their respective rooms, Fū had told the group that her friend Kin had broken out of prison and attacked Team Gai and defeated them soundly. Hinata was devastated while Gai was in disbelief.

Tayuya watched as Fū lowered her head and whispered "It's true Gai-san. A very powerful prisoner broke out and attacked them. The long haired one lost his eyes, the woman her arm and the green wearing one, his life…"

"No, no, no, no," Hinata repeated over and over as she held her head in her hands. Tayuya watched as both Kurenai and Sakura tried to console Hinata but she shook them off. "Fū-san, tell me where he is. I need to know."

Fū let out a sigh and replied "He's on the third floor of the hospital…"

Hinata nodded and ran out of the room, with both Sakura and Kurenai nodding their thanks and following the princess. Meanwhile Gai excused himself as well, a look of despair on his face, leaving Anko, Sasuke, Haku and herself with the mayor.

"Hey guys, why don't you get some rest," Tayuya told Anko, Sasuke and Haku. "We've been through some heavy shit. Not to mention we had to take a three day trip in one. We all need the rest."

"You're right," Anko yawned out as she stood up. "Besides, we can't do much until we're all awake. Might as well rest up."

Sasuke nodded and stood up with an exhausted nod and walked to his room while Anko retreated to hers. Haku walked up to Fū and gave her a small hug before she left for Naruto's room, leaving Fū and Tayuya alone.

"This is great. I haven't been mayor long and already a prisoner escaped and three shinobi were injured," Fū muttered softly as she moved from the table and sat down on the couch near the window.

"I know Fū but it's not your fault Kin broke out and did was she did," Tayuya said as she sat beside the teal haired mayor of Hisako. Fū looked at her and placed her head on Tayuya's shoulder, which caused the holder of the emerald light to look at her curiously.

"Can I just stay like this? Just for a bit?" Fū asked her.

Tayuya nodded and laid her head against Fū's head and closed her eyes with a small smile.

"I thought about you, you know?" Fū murmured softly. "When I saw that crimson light and that beautiful one as well…I knew you were involved."

"You're right on the money Fū," Tayuya murmured back.

"It's stupid isn't it? We've only known each other for such a short amount of time and yet I worried," Fū whispered softly, her voice becoming slighty drowsy.

"Heh, not even remotely…I'm sorry I made you worry…" Tayuya replied before she heard Fū chuckled sleepily before gentle snoring left the teal haired girl's lips.

Tayuya chuckled began to drift off to sleep as well.

Village of Hisako - Hospital
Hyūga Hinata

Hinata felt sick to her stomach as she stared at Neji's unconscious body on the bed, his eyes wrapped up in multiple bandages. Fū had told the group what had happened to Team Gai. They were attacked by a very powerful prisoner.

This was all her fault.

She had caused this.

Because of her arrogant actions of humiliating actions in breaking the egotistical pedastil that her cousin was sitting upon, he had been around to lose his eyes, the thing that made him the prodigy of her clan as well as two teammates, one just losing her arm but the other losing his life.

"Oh Neji…" Hinata whimpered as she sat by his bedside, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm so sorry…This is my fault…"

Neji began to groan softly before his head slumped forward and he murmured "Hinata-sama? Is that you?"

Hinata let out a tearful gasp as she rushed to Neji's side and grabbed his hand.

"Neji-nii. I'm here," Hinata told him.

"Can you forgive me? For how I acted towards you?" Neji asked weakly.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. If I didn't injure you, you wouldn't have been here to get hurt and lose your eyes," Hinata told him.

Neji shook his head and laid his head back and murmured "You helped my open my eyes…I can never be mad at you for that. Even if it led to this…" and with those words, Neji drifted back off, leaving Hinata to look at him with a worried frown.

"Had I known that opening your eyes would have lead to your losing yours as well as Lee dying and Tenten losing her arm…I would have never done it," Hinata whispered to the sleeping blind Hyūga before she lowered her head.

This was her fault and she would find a way to make it right.

No matter what it would take.

Village of Hisako – Morgue
Rock Lee

Rock Lee's body lurched up of the metal bed with a sharp gasp of hair, his black hair longer and his eyes a little more narrow than before, his bare chest far more defined and muscular than it had been before. Rock Lee panted softly before he looked around and said "It worked…It actually worked…hehehehe…"

Rock Lee then turned around to see the mortician of the city staring at him with a pale look on his face with a knife in his hand, probably was preparing to cut him open. "Um…Hi," Rock Lee said with a sheepish, boyish grin.

The mortician fainted.

"Oh boy…" Rock Lee muttered with a faint laugh.

Shinobi World
Tsuchi Kin

Kin wiped her forehead as she stumbled on several uprooted tree trunks as she ran through the forest, glancing back periodically. She didn't know how long she had been running in this place but it felt like an eternity.

But seeing no one behind her, she began to realize she was safe and sound. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned against a tree and pulled out a water bottle she had stolen on the way out of Hisako. She popped the top off and drank the water before she noticed something.

Hiding in a bunch of tree branches and uprooted earth was a familiar face…Or well faces.

Sakon and Udon, two of Orochimaru's top men was there and to her surprise, was still alive despite their injuries.

They seemed to be unconscious however.

Kin smirked as markings began to form on her body.

She could use them to her advantage. She just had to heal them first…

Rain: And that's the end of this chapter. So this one had a little bit of Tayuya/ Fū bonding, Lee and Lao battle and a guilty Hinata. I know I promised Omoi would awaken but I wanted to get them back to Hisako as well as clue you guys in for the next arc so until then...

Ino: See you next time!