"Ah, Tenten-san… I.. I am not so sure about this…"

"Just relax Lee-kun. It'll all be over soon"

The nervous teen gulped. He silently reassured himself that this was the right course of action as Tenten wrapped a towel around his neck.

"Just stay perfectly still"

Chills ran down Lee's spine as he saw Tenten's reflection in the mirror. Eyes blazing with unholy light, hands holding gleaming steel.

"You won't recognize yourself after this!"

"WAAAHH!!"

gggggggggg

Meanwhile Neji was getting an exorsism to rid himself of the impending sense of doom he had felt since the previous day.

ggggggggg

"See? That wasn't so bad"

"Brrrr… kowaii…."

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"Nn-no! Nothing at all Tenten-san! Just that the handheld mirror is very cute"

"Oh. It is isn't it? I love the little panda designs on it! And now that the hair is done we're moving on to wardrobe!"

'Sakura-san… know that it is my love for you that will see me through these trials'

"Oh, these will be perfect for you… ooo, this is good too. Well, hurry up! I'm not changing your clothes for you!"

ggggggggggg

Sakura was in a desperate situation. She had felt something bad was going to happen the moment they set foot into the Forest of Death. First off was that Ame nin's ambush and following that was a run in with Orochimaru of all people. Right now she was barely able to move. Naruto and Sasuke were still out cold. And she was facing down three Oto nin. No things did not look god for her at all. Just as the Oto nin rushed her she heard a familiar voice.

"Konoha Daisenpuu!"

A blur of motion sent the Oto nin flying; it coalesced into the form of Rock Lee. Gone was his trademark green training suit, likewise his bowl cut. His hair now was short and almost entirely spiked up. He now wore cargo pants and a loose, sleeveless shirt over which he had a vest proudly bearing the symbol for 'guts'. His hitai-ate was still worn as a belt but in place of his bandages were a wristband on his left and half of a pair of handcuffs on his right. Unseen by the Oto nin nunchaku and a holster were attached to the small of Lee's back.

"H-how? Why?"

"As I have told you before, no matter what happens I will protect you!"

Dosu charged forward, pulling his sleeve back. Lee responded in kind, reaching Dosu before he could utilize his jutsu. Whipping his hand out from behind him Lee rocked the unfortunate nin with his nunchaku sending the mummy-looking genin sprawling. Lee then spun his weapon around and caught it under his arm.

"If you will not retreat, then come and face me!"

Zaku Angrily leveled his arms at Lee.

"Zanku-"

Lee dashed to the side before Zaku could fire. He instead followed Lee's movement.

"-ha!"

Lee leapt over the blast and threw his nunchaku.

"Ha! You missed me clown!"

"That is true…had I been aiming for you!"

"Wha?"

Turning this head back Zaku saw Kin floored by taking the nunchaku in the stomach. Before Zaku could reaim his arms at Lee he was cold-cocked by Lee's elbow. With the last Oto nin unconscious Lee turned to Sakura.

"Are you unhurt, Sakura-san?"

Unable to stop herself Sakura blushed.

"I- er-um-I…y-yes. I'm not hurt"

"That is good. What is wrong with your teammates?"

"I… Naruto was hurt really badly. And Sasuke-kun had some weird jutsu used on him. I-I can't thank you enough for coming"

"It was no trouble at all. My only desire is to protect the person that is most precious to me"

Feeling the heat on her face increase Sakura shied away from Lee's gaze. Lee walked over to the fallen nin to search them for scrolls. Sakura smiled and started fixing up her hair. Suddenly she stopped.

'What am I doing? I like Sasuke-kun! Regardless of how cool Lee-kun looks right now. Oh my god did I just think that?!'

A shadow cast itself over her causing her to look up. Lee was there, holding out an earth scroll.

"Take it, Sakura-san"

"But I couldn't"

"I insist. My team already has this scroll"

Unable to say no, Sakura accepted the offered scroll. It was a good thing too, as their scroll had been burned by Orochimaru. About this time Sasuke stirred. Sakura looked at him with relieved eyes only to find purple chakra leeching off the Uchiha. The curse seal slowly spread down his left arm. Eye blazing with the sharingan Sasuke glared at Lee.

"What's he doing here?"

"Sasuke-kun he sav-"

"He's not on our team and that makes him an enemy!"

Sasuke snapped up to his feet. Lee fell back into a defensive stance. Despite Sakura's protests Sasuke charged Lee. For his part Lee dodged admirably. Once the two had gotten into the main part of the clearing they separated and Sasuke readied a fire jutsu.

"Hosenka no jutsu!"

Lee evaded the small fireballs easily. The same could not be said for Sasuke's taijutsu. Though normally Sasuke was much slower than Lee, the extra chakra from the curse seal more than made the difference. Again and again they clashed; matching each other strike for strike. Suddenly they separated. Lee reached for his nunchaku and Sasuke began the hand seals for another jutsu. Sakura somehow found the strength to run forward to place herself between them.

"SASUKE STOP!!"

The shock of seeing Sakura defending Lee and hearing her drop the –kun made Sasuke cease his actions.

"Lee-kun's not our enemy so just stop"

Sasuke sank to his knees as the curse seal retreated. Up on a tree branch Neji and Tenten observed what had just happened.

"Wow. I had no idea the Uchiha was that powerful. To hold pace with Lee-kun isn't something just anyone can do"

"I suspect there is more to that than is there on the surface" 'What was that strange chakra? It all appeared to go back inside a seal on Uchiha's shoulder'

Lee's teammates leapt down to their companion.

"Neji! Tenten-san!"

"Lee-kun! You're late!"

"My apologies. Sakura-san was-"

"Enough about that. We still have our own test to pass"

Pulling Lee to the side she whispered in his ear.

"So, did Sakura like your new look?"

"W-well I have n-not asked her directly"

Tenten giggled at her teammate. Neji signaled for them to leave. As they left Naruto woke up.

"Huh? Wha? Where'd that freak with the tongue go?"

kowaii scary kawaii cute; get the joke?

konoha daisenpuu leaf large wirlwind

zankuha slicing air wave

hosenka no jutsu mythical flower phoenix