Chapter 3: Lee

Revan the Sith Lord: Thanks for your feedback and your ideas. Nevertheless, I have a couple of ideas of my own that I'm going to work with. Your request will come soon, that I promise.

Disclaimer: I will own OC's when I create them. I don't own anything else.

Warning: Plot change. Lee recovered very quickly.

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"Nineteen...if I cannot finish my twenty laps of Konoha before nightfall, then it will be five hundred fingertip push-ups!" That's what Lee chanted to himself as he ran past the Ichiraku (where everyone's favorite orange-clad shinobi was busy stuffing his face), the Konoha Hospital, the Hokage's office, all the training grounds, and the Hokage monuments.

"There it is, the village gate! I just have to get there before the last of the sun goes down!" Lee could see the village gate all right, but he wasn't within a kilometer of it. And the sun was barely visible. Gathering all of his strength, he sprinted to the gate, almost entertaining the thought of removing the 50-kilogram weights from his legs.

"It is getting closer! Just a little...longer..." Predictably, within mere steps of his destination, Lee looked for the sun and could find no trace of it.

"Wheeze...wheeze...five...hundred...push-ups...on my...fingertips! One, two, three..."

It was around number 75 when he spotted someone walking by... "Good evening...Neji, would you like to join me in training?"

The Hyuuga genius weighed out his options. He could go home as he had planned to, where his nice, warm bed waited for him, or he could train with a teammate of questionable sanity, with no guarantee of ever escaping. His choice was a rather easy one. "Thanks anyway Lee, I'll pass."

"You do not know what you are missing, Neji. It is your loss."

"If that's what you think..." Neji started for the Hyuuga compound, leaving Lee to continue his training. I certainly have better things to do than to shorten my life with that kind of training. Besides, Lee and Gai-sensei provide enough insanity for this team without me joining in.

Lee considered stopping to rest many times. Around number four hundred, he considered quitting outright. But I will neither be able to face myself nor Gai-sensei if I stop here. That thought kept him going for another ninety reps. "Four hundred and ninety one, four hundred and ninety-two, four hundred and ninety three..."

By this time, Lee wasn't sweating; he was parched. "...Four hundred...and ninety...six..."

The Green Beast coughed once or twice, then continued. "...Four...hun...dred and...ninety...seven. Four hundred...ninety..."

His counting was interrupted by another set of footsteps. "Good evening...Sasuke...kun."

"Hmph." Sasuke continued walking.

Why does he always have to be like that? Just two more before I'm done. If I cannot finish these...I do not even want to think about that. I can! "Four...hundred...ninety...nine."

Lee dropped down for his last one, his arms feeling like they were in splints and his fingers feeling ready to break at any time. "Come on...nnnngh...nnngh...Fi...five...five...hundred..."

It was fortunate that Lee was facing outside the village, for he saw Sasuke already at least fifty meters outside the village gate. He ran to catch up. "Wait, Sasuke-kun!"

When Sasuke ignored Lee as if he hadn't heard a thing, Lee raced to cut him off. "What do you want?" Sasuke growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"Where...where...are you going?" Lee asked him, short of breath

"Away."

"You mean...leaving the village? Forever?" Lee drew a breath. "You cannot do that."

"Just watch me."

"Why are you trying to leave the village?" Lee asked, quickly regaining his breath.

"I need power to defeat my brother. Right now, that is my first and only objective. I need to leave the village to obtain that power."

"I do not know where you think you can get that kind of power, but I must advise against you leaving this village."

"Stand aside, Lee." Sasuke continued walking away from the village, past the seemingly motionless Green Beast of Konoha. But all of a sudden, he ran into somebody. "I mean it, Lee. Stand aside."

"Sasuke-kun. I propose an alternative to this madness. It will not be easy, but at least it will not have the risks involved in leaving the village. Please listen."

Knowing that a fight between himself and Lee would likely last all night, Sasuke paused and listened. "Better talk quick."

"I propose that you train and spar with me every night, on top of the training you normally do. It took me three years to achieve my level of speed, strength, and proficiency in taijutsu. I remember very clearly that you were able to match all but my endurance and youthful fighting spirit within a month's time."

Sasuke actually thought about this, and Lee took this opportunity to continue speaking. "Were you to learn my fighting spirit and push your body to its limit, it would prove to be most formidable, especially combined with your other abilities."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and smirked, somewhat interested. "But are you sure that I can learn anything from you?"

"Yes, Sasuke-kun, I am. If nothing else, you will learn perseverance. But please remember what your record against me is before you question my ability again."

Sasuke activated his Sharingan eyes, his smirk still present. He definitely remembered the pounding he had taken at Lee's hands before the Chuunin exams. "I will see if you are worthy of being my sempai. (A/N senior student)

Lee jumped backward, falling into his signature fighting stance. Come, Sasuke-kun. Your training begins now."

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To make sure you know, the story featuring Lee will be a twoshot. If you decide to review, which I would greatly appreciate, please tell me whether you want Lee to succeed or fail. Or maybe you want to see both possibilities. I do have the formings of an idea going in each direction.