Rock Lee smiled exuberantly as he punched animatedly into the air at his imaginary partner. Deities, he loved that rush! Training would do that to him; give him a high that he could find no where else…except for when he looked at Sakura. Gods that woman made his blood sing.

It wasn't just her beauty, ooh no, Rock Lee could see it. Well, he could see her beauty too, but there was something much deeper than that. True, he admitted ruefully, she was a harsh and cruel woman to anyone other than Sasuke, and she had this little set of insecurities, but Lee knew. One day, she'd wake up, and he'd be there. Because that's where he would always stand.

Rock Lee smiled and finished his pattern, holding the end stance longer so he could feel the exhilarating strain on his muscles. Deities… he loved that too. The way his muscles obeyed, even as the stinging feel of exertion built up to tingle along his whole body.

Rock Lee broke his stance, paused with a deep held breath, and exhaled with an excited shiver.

A smile on his face, he made his way to the camp his team had set up. Once his training was over, he could focus on Sakura once again. His spirit called out to her, and he would never deny his spirit. It kept him strong; when he had found out that he had no ability to use his chakra due to some problems when his parents were murdered…his spirit kept him alive, kept him wanting to stay alive.

His spirit attracted Gai-sensei to teach him the legendary technique of Konoha that became the forbidden taijutsu, and now he was considered one of the most adept genin – hopefully soon to be chunin – of Konohagakure. His spirit was a deity send and Rock Lee would show everyone that even with his setbacks, his spirit would help him show the world that working hard made for excellent ninjas too!

Rock Lee paused as he listened to the night in this strange forest. Tomorrow they would reach their destination, and he would get to see the lovely Sakura again! There had been that brief interlude of a meeting before he had been knocked out, and Lee could have sworn that he had gotten through to the pretty pink-haired girl before he had been incapacitated.

Rock Lee sighed.

Tenten glared at him as he entered from the break in the foliage, and Rock Lee smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. She was till kind of angry at him because he had gone and gotten himself hurt, interfering in another persons fight no less. She had this whole set of codes; obey the rules, never engage an enemy not your own, and follow Neji's every word.

Not that she was obsessed with his eternal rival. Nope. She just believed that he was the better fighter and mastermind…well he was a genius. Rock Lee sighed as he sat down close to their covert fire, covered on one side from others view by thick pieces of bark from the surrounding forest trees and on their side by tented dark cloth.

Tenten humph-ed at him and turned back to sharpening and caring for her blades; the sharp sound of it rang through his head, and he winced slightly as it agitated his wounded ear. Neji came out of their shelter, glancing quickly over at him before he returned to his normal stoic face and ignored their female team mate. Lee grinned insanely.

He knew that Neji grew irritated with females, especially if they were fighters, but he put up with Tenten. She was his team mate after all, and she was passable at her art. Lee shivered in excitement. Deities he loved training with her!

His team mates glanced at him askance when the grin lit up his face, he could feel it stretching his cheeks in the insane Gai-inspired flash of brilliance. He loved that too… 'They look so funny when they are trying to inch away from me.' Lee snickered and stretched out his arms, going into a self-induced haze of training and memories as his eyes blatantly glazed over. Tenten always made the best training partner…she wasn't an expert or genius, but she knew what she was doing and she was constantly thinking. She presented the best obstacle for him every time he upped his weights, and she always helped him increase his speed…not that she really guessed that he had a secret set of weights on him that not even Gai-sensei knew about.

He liked doing that, being able to surprise people; and he liked knowing that he had silently risen above the expectations that they had set for him. He nodded his head determinedly and struck his fist into the air in exultation

He fought the urge to laugh as he saw his teammates try to inch further away, and he jumped up to startle them even more. "I'm going to sleep! See you in the morning." And it was with exuberant jumping and a little made up jig that he made his way into his tent and closed the covering…but not before he had peeked out to see how far he had queered out his friends.

It was with a grin that he went to sleep and dreamed.

Kagome sighed as she walked around the village. So much had changed yet so much had stayed the same. There was still that little shop on the corner, but she was sure she saw a new owner just the other day with her Anbu escorts. The streets hadn't altered, they had remained as strong and prevailing as they had been in the founding of this village; but now the stones that had been so meticulously placed and cared for were worn and tired, and the buildings wrapped around the maze of stone had become crowded together as generations made to use up all the available space to the most efficient utilization.

She smiled gently as she saw a group of children running in a game of tag. The game had engulfed the whole of the streets and she watched as the children laughed and ran along the streets- avoiding her of course.

She grinned mischievously as she watched some of the villagers glance nervously at her. It always amused her to see people's reactions to her cloaked appearance. She caught herself from chuckling with a stunned expression.

She groaned.

Sesshoumaru was rubbing off on her.

She sighed and pulled her hood back off her hair, watching as the villagers tried to discreetly observe her. Her head turned up to the sun as she continued walking, until she bumped into one of the teachers from the ninja academy.

She groaned as she wobbled in her stance a bit before righting herself into a ready and wary stance. 'Just because your home you can't let your guard down.' This was the second person she had bumped into…well second person she had let bump into her.

She smiled slightly as she caught herself thinking of Konohagakure as home, and she only drew herself out of her thoughts to answer the frantic apologies of the school teacher. "Calm yourself and listen. My fault it is as well."

He glanced up at her in sheepish acceptance before he bowed slightly and motioned to her shopping bags. "I can help you carry those; it is mostly my fault for you were just standing there."

Kagome smiled and bowed in return. "Appreciate that…I thank you." She grinned as she caught herself. "I am staying at the guest house near Hokage tower, are you sure the walk you won't mind?" He shook his head and gestured with his now full arms for her to lead the way. "They call me Higure." She smiled at him and started her walk back to her flat, she had enough energy to shop some more, but it wouldn't do to impose on such a gentleman like that.

Iruka nodded his head at the lady's statement. "I'm Umino Iruka, a school teacher here for the shinobi." He watched the lady glance at him in curiosity and smile slightly as she shifted her cloak to her other arm.

"You enjoy teaching the children that you do?"

Umino laughed slightly at her question, enjoying the lilting way she spoke even as he noticed her trying to stop her somewhat broken speech. "Sometimes they give me holy terror, but they keep me on my toes and I love watching them grow up." Actually he wasn't supposed to be away from the testing grounds for the second examination, he had stepped out of his place and gotten another Chunin to fill his place as he rushed out to grab a packet of ramen.

But he had run into this important lady, and he could feel the enormity of her power practically oozing off of her presence. It was his fault, no matter how much she disagreed with him, so he settled into the light conversation as he walked her to her flat.

It also didn't hurt that she was a very striking individual.

He hadn't seen her lost in thought until he had actually bumped into her, and he had been surprised that she actually stayed on her feet. He had been known to knock over even the sturdiest of ninjas in some of his clumsier moments. He felt the blush cross his cheeks pronounce his scar more so he turned his face away and in hiding his shame caught sight of the guest quarters.

Morino Ibiki was sitting on one of the benches but he stood when he spotted them. Iruka grinned sheepishly. Morino had been one of his teachers as a genin, and he always felt like he had messed up and pulled a prank under the unwavering gaze.

But his senpai's gaze was not at him, and Iruka was surprised – though he knew he shouldn't have been – to spot the smile stretching his mouth at the sight of the woman at his side. "Higurashi Kagome; you were shopping."

The lady beside him laughed, and Iruka heard none of it except that her full name was Higur-ashi. The woman had the same name that founders of this village revered and feared.

She 'tsk'-ed at the older jounin. "You should know better, Morino Ibiki, than to tease a shopping woman, me especially." She swung in the gate that kept normal civilians form the prestigious guest quarters and ushered him in. "Besides, I had to renew my bond with the town I did."

Iruka glanced uncertainly between these two ninjas, for he knew that's what they were. Only a fool would not know that Morino was the only ninja in the village trained in torture and interrogation with no jutsus involved, and only a fool wouldn't recognize the way this woman walked as strictly predatory.

Morino noticed his unease and took the packages to place them on the porch railing, "You may leave us Umino, I'm sure your post needs tending to." Iruka blushed as he saluted and set off to the testing grounds, hoping that he still had time to catch Naruto and wondering at the easy relationship he could see between his mentor and this lady of prestige.

"Kagome, where have I heard that before?" He let himself drift into memories as his feet took him on the trail he had memorized. The thoughts swirled around him as he too his post with a silent nod to his comrade.

Things like that could wait…right now he needed to do his job.

And he knew. A lady with that much power and influence…the hokage would be introducing her shortly. He would just have to wait.

…

I decided to post this until I had the time to review the timeline and decide whose pov (although I have a good idea who I want) I wanted to use. I'm sorry for the delay; too long even for lazy old me. So I will try to get out my anime without too much more delay; unless someone is fan enough to give me the timeline of major events (I have a rather bad memory and extreme lack of motivation else) I would be able to update faster, just generally mind you. Like the amount of time between tests, the order…then I would mostly break away from the rigid order of things to get Kagome in…but it would be appreciated.

Meanwhile I'll post a oneshot to hopefully keep you satisfied…just a short one mind you, I have to go out with my rents this weekend (joy…).

Rock Lee struck me as a very passionate guy…I just had a very difficult time writing like that (shrugs). Hope it isn't too OoC, but that's actually how I picture him.

Timeline info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.