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~ Father...the birds are flying freely today. They look so happy. ~

"Here it is... Room 202."

They entered in.

"Lee-kun?" Tenten asked.

"Hey...Tenten...Neji." he greeted. "It's good to see you guys."

"What? You thought we forgot about you?!" she frowned.

Lee's eyes widened.

"No no, of course not." he smiled.

"There, for you..." she raised and eyebrow "You already received flowers?"

"Yes. Sakura-san came to visit me yesterday. She brought them." his cheeks became a little crimson.

Tenten made no comment and settled the vase on the other little table.

"So...how are---------"

"And now, the entire Gai Special Squad!!!" the jounin announced as he appeared in the middle of the room. "Tenten, Neji, you should have told me you would be coming!" he pointed out accusingly.

"What for?" Tenten asked.

"It would have been a Gai  Special Squad's mission: 'surprise visit for Lee'!!"

"I don't see what your coming with us would have changed. You come here everyday anyway..." she answered.

"Hum-hum... not bad, not bad..." he scratched his chin.

"Talking about mission, when are we going to start REAL missions again?" Neji asked.

"I don't know." Gai took a serious expression "We have to wait until situation is settled in the Wind country and the neighbourhood. For the time being, it'll be training and random D missions only..."

"I want to train too." Lee intervened.

"Lee, you're still under treatment you shouldn't..."

"It has been a month already. I'm tired of sitting here everyday. I want some exercises!!"

The room went silent.

"Stop acting like a brat Lee. You perfectly know that----"

"I won't give up." he snapped. "I will never."

Tenten gasped. Gai only sighed.

Neji raised a surprised eyebrow.

Didn't he understand that everything was over? Couldn't he just admit the harsh reality? Couldn't he just admit his fate?...no. Not quite fate. Lee himself had chosen to fight that Sand gennin knowing he was far above him. And now he was half-crippled. Even if his taijutsu skills were still there, without one arm and one leg they were useless. So why was he persisting like that? It was as if he refused to see he was trapped in a dead body. He refused to understand that a ninja is nothing without his body, his biggest weapon.

He was such a foolish coward.

Hmph. How pitiful...

"Phew, I'm completely exhausted." she sat down.

He kept on. He was totally concentrated in his chakra gathering.

The air had grown thick, so thick it was stuffy though they were in a well-ventilated clearing.

He didn't move an inch. He didn't even blink as the wind blew on his face.

She could almost feel chakra glowing around his whole body.

Neji's absolute defence was some beautiful show to watch.

"Neji-kun, aren't you going to stop?" she asked as his eyes flipped back to their half-annoyed and half- concentrated white expression.

"No."

She sighed.

"You've been training too much over the last weeks. Does it have anything to do with the Chuunin tournament?"

He was lost in executing his gentle fist moves.

Tenten sighed again.

"Alright, I'm taking a break. Just don't strain yourself to death..." she walked off.

Death? He wasn't foolish enough to kill himself.

All he wanted was to become strong. Stronger than that Naruto.

The guy had an incredible power. He knew it. He had seen it...or rather, felt it. That day they had fought. An incredible power in the body of someone he thought as a loser. It was terrifying itself.

Was it that the guy had been hiding it since the beginning? It couldn't be. He had failed the graduation exam three times. He surely hadn't done it on purpose. Hard work wasn't the key of true power. Lee had been working hard for years yet he had never been able to beat him. Where did Naruto's power come from then? It was a mystery.

But something was certain.

He Neji had to gain strength, to gain power. To become stronger than him.

Right now, that was what mattered the most.

"Hello guys!" a voice greeted.

The white smoke faded to reveal a cheerful Gai.

"Hi Gai-sensei." Tenten said.

"Great news today! I'm proud to announce you today's mission will be..." he trailed "...repairing an old wrecked shack!"

Tenten frowned.

"Isn't it great?!" he flashed a smile. "You'll get to do more exercise!"

"Aa..." the girl said without much conviction.

Silent fell.

All of them knew it.

He Neji knew what was wrong. Or rather, what was missing. Not that it bothered him. He had always found Lee annoying in a sort of way. He was too much flamboyant. Just like his sensei. But it seemed that his not being there was still something hard for the others two to take. The mood itself had changed. Gai-sensei's displays of supposed-to-be coolness received no echoes. Tenten had no one to torture and shout at now.

He didn't care.

"Well, well... follow me, I'll show you the way!" the tenor voice said.

Tenten nodded and took a step forward.

Neji didn't move.

"Neji-kun, what are you waiting for?"

He frowned.

"I'm damn tired of doing these annoying missions." he snapped.

"Neji-kun, but it's our duty to..."

"I don't have time to waste."

He turned to leave.

Gai was blocking his way.

"Where do you thing you're going?"

"I'm going to train. It's better than playing the builder."

"Neji!" Gai roared.

"What?!"

"As long as you'll be a gennin you'll have to do what I tell you."

The white-eyed boy glared.

"Don't worry, you'll get the time to train...after mission is completed!" Gai said executing a thumb-up along with his oh-so famous star-smile.

"Hmph." he walked off.

"Sensei...what's wrong with him? he seems to be on edge these days..." Tenten asked anxiously.

"Hum...He is still a little shaken, but he'll be fine."

"Ah..."

"Well, new mission for Gai  Special Squad...Let's go!"

A door cracked open to be quickly closed.

Rushed steps.

"Ah it's you. Where have you been? It's already late."

"I was training." he answered as the figure walked to him.

She tenderly cupped his face in her hands.

"Oh, look at you my dear, you're covered with bruises. I told you to----"

"I'm okay mom. It's nothing."

She quickly scanned his arms and legs, occasionally frowning at the sharp cuts here, the torn and dirty fabric there. Then she shook her head, sighing.

"Still, it must hurt. Go take a bath, I'll treat your wounds later..."

"You don't have to."

She frowned.

"But-----"

"Mom, I'll do it myself."

"Alright...as you want. I'll make dinner ready."

She disappeared in the kitchen.

He quietly pushed his room's door open. And winced.

He looked at his palms. They were, there and there, stained with red. His own blood.

Obviously he has been gentle-fisting on the trees too much. Not only had he crushed a good part of the forest but he had also deeply cut his palms.

It was something strange. He didn't remember pushing himself that much before. It was all new. He had always thought hard work was for losers, people desperate enough to hurt themselves, hoping for a miracle. Though he didn't need miracles. He knew the power was in him. He was born with it. After all, he was a member of one of the strongest clans in this world. To get stronger, he just had to reveal that power in him. A genius would always get strong and surpass the others, no matter what. Even if it was hard, he knew he could only get strong, unlike these foolish people. He would get strong. He just needed to be patient.

Ignoring the now imperceptible pain in his hands, he walked to the window.

It was late indeed. He hadn't noticed it earlier.

Anyway, when constantly using the Byakugan, it was hard to distinguish whether it was day or night.

He shrugged, walking to the bathroom.