Chapter sixteen: Meeting the Competition
This chapter got entirely deleted by accident, so I had to entirely rewrite it. Hopefully it isn't too horrible.
Enjoy?
Disclaimer: If I owned it then I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.
The four genin entered the next room and suddenly heard someone call out. "Hey! You, with the scowl... wait up!" They turned around only to see the bowl cut boy from earlier looking down at them from the balcony above.
Sakura nearly screamed.
Akina tilted her head. "How did he get up there?"
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, sounding bored.
Lee stared down intensely. "You and me, here and now. Want to fight?"
Sasuke glared. "You want to fight me... here and now?"
Akina rolled her eyes. "That's what he just said."
"But that's..." Sakura began to protest, but the bowl cut guy suddenly shouted "Yes!" and jumped down from the balcony.
"My name is Rock Lee." He pointed a thumb to himself. "Proper etiquette requires one to introduce themselves before asking for the name of another... Uchiha Sasuke." Lee pointed to Sasuke.
"Huh... So you knew who I was all along." Sasuke chuckled.
Lee got into a fighting stance. "I'm calling you out!"
Akina snickered and turned away. "Boys... If you are going to fight I won't be responsible."
They ignored her.
"I want to test the effectiveness of my techniques against the last surviving member of your legendary clan." Lee announced. "Besides..." He glanced to Sakura and winked.
"No way! Those eyebrows creep me out! Not to mention the geeky 'do..." Sakura shuttered at every thought.
"That's a little harsh. Sure, he is super dorky looking, but he seems like a nice guy." Akina nudged Sakura with her elbow.
"No way!" The pinkette shouted again.
"You're an angel!" Lee sudden blew a kiss at the girl, who swiftly dodged the imaginary heart that floated towards her. Suddenly he began to wink more hearts at her and she skillfully dodged every single one until the last, which Sakura had to bend back so far that she smacked her head on the floor.
"Um... what just happened?" Akina blinked down at the girl.
Sakura stood and raised a fist towards Lee. "Keep your weird kisses to yourself, creep! I could have died dodging those!"
"You didn't have to dodge them..." Lee pouted.
"So you're challenging me, even knowing my lineage?" Sasuke interrupted. "In other words, you're a fool."
"Oh, yeah!" Sakura cheered.
Akina sighed and walked away. "Again, I'm not taking any responsibility for this."
"So, bushy-brow, do you really want to learn what it means to be an Uchiha?" Sasuke glared, completely ignoring his cousin.
"Absolutely!" Lee replied in excitement, raising his hand and motioning for Sasuke to come at him.
"Hold it!"
Everyone turned to see Naruto glaring daggers at the other two. "Let me handle bushy-brow. He'll be toast. Just give me five minutes."
Akina touched the boy's shoulder. "Naruto... I really don't think..."
"I have no interest in fighting you. Only Uchiha." Lee clarified.
"Oh, boy." The purple haired girl sighed as Naruto bolted forward.
"Story of my freakin' life! It's 'Sasuke this!' and 'Sasuke that!' till I could just puke!" He went for a punch, but Lee easily deflected it with one hand, Naruto then used his momentum to try to kick upward and Lee dodged, spinning around and sweeping his leg under Naruto, causing the blonde to tumble forward into the wall.
Lee stood back up straight, one hand behind his back, and the other beckoning his next challenger. "Mark my words. None of you will beat me. I am the greatest fighter among all the junior ninja in Konoha village."
I thought Neji was the number one junior ninja?
"This could be fun. I accept your challenge." Sasuke smirked.
Sakura glanced at a clock inside the room. "Oh! Don't do it, Sasuke! We have less than half an hour to submit our applications!"
"This will only take five minutes." Sasuke rushed towards Lee.
"That's what Naruto said and he got his ass handed to him!" Akina called from the sidelines.
Sasuke threw a punch and Lee deflected it, instantly spinning around to send a kick at Sasuke's head. Sasuke ducked, but then another kick was suddenly sent his way and he had to block with his crossed arms. But somehow Lee's foot made its way past Sasuke's guard and collided with his face, sending him sprawling across the floor. Sakura screamed out for him.
"Sasuke blocked, but what happened?" Akina mused, having watched closely, but not noticing anything out of the ordinary. In fact it seemed that Lee was only using Taijutsu.
Sasuke stood and both girls gasped; his eyes were red, Sharingan eyes.
"What the?" Akina stared in shock. When did he? He never said anything about it.
Lee appeared unsurprised, Sakura was ecstatic. Sasuke ran in for round two.
And was promptly kicked in the chin by Lee, sending him flying into the air.
Akina sighed, slapping a hand over her face. "Idiot doesn't even know how to use it..."
"Huh?" Sakura turned to Akina, her expression one of confusion.
"The Sharingan is all well and good against Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but it's horrible when used against Taijutsu." Akina elaborated.
"Exactly." Lee spoke. "They're neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu." He suddenly appeared behind Sasuke.
"But shouldn't Sasuke be able to follow his moves like Kakashi did with Zabuza?" Sakura protested.
"Even if you can follow your opponents movements, you would require extensive physical training to compete against someone who is trained well in Taijutsu." Akina explained further. "I believe Lee here must be a Taijutsu expert. I haven't sensed him use any chakra throughout the entire exchange."
Suddenly Akina noticed that the bandages on Lee's arms were coming undone, but soon after a toy windmill struck it to the wall.
"HALT!"
All the genin turned to see a giant turtle in the middle of the room with a Konoha headband around its neck. "That's enough, Lee!" It shouted.
Lee's bandages tightened and pulled him back, causing the boy to twirl to the floor.
Sakura quickly ran to catch Sasuke from falling to the ground. "Sasuke, are you alright?" He shoved himself away from the girl despite his trembling.
Lee bowed before the turtle. "You... you saw?"
"You know the rules, Lee. That move is strictly forbidden!" The turtle shouted back.
"P-please forgive me... I was only... I wouldn't have used the reversal move... I never meant." Lee stuttered and stumbled over his words.
Sakura and Sasuke looked on in wonder. Meanwhile Naruto suddenly walked over. "Hey! Hey!"
"Oh, look! Naruto is conscious again." Akina announced, though it was clear to everyone.
He sent her a sour glare. "Anyway, that thing over there... that's a turtle, right?"
"Obviously!" Sakura shouted.
"So what's the deal here? Can turtle's become ninja?" Naruto asked.
"Don't ask stupid questions!"
"You fool!" The turtle suddenly shouted.
"Whatever the case here Lee is getting an ear full. Also I believe it is a tortoise, Naruto." Akina added while they watched the tortoise yell at Lee.
Suddenly a puff of smoke appeared on top of the tortoise's back; when it cleared it revealed a Jonin man who looked similar to Lee. Same clothes, hair, and eyebrows. "Ah, the exuberance of youth. All of you are full of it." He spoke, making a strange pose.
The genin of team seven were all in various stages of shock.
"He's got the biggest eyebrows yet! They're almost... alive..." Sakura spoke without thinking. "They're... uber-brows! And that same dorky 'do..."
"I've never seen anything like 'em!" Naruto agreed.
"Guys..." Akina sighed.
"H-hey! Don't try to make fun of Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted.
"Oh, shut up!" Naruto shouted back. "I don't even know what to make of all the freaks who keep popping in here!"
"Naruto... that's not nice..."
Lee looked like he wanted to smack the blonde back into the wall, meanwhile his sensei was beckoning him to come over.
"Oh! Yes, sir!" Lee walked over and was promptly punched in the face.
The other four genin were in various states of shock.
Guy knelt down in front of Lee, who was sprawled out on the floor with a bloody lip. both of them were crying.
"...Sensei... I... I..."
"That's enough, Lee! Not one more word." Guy pulled Lee into a tight embrace. Again the other four genin were in various states of shock.
"Sensei!"
"I understand, it's because you're young."
"Sensei!"
"Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy feeling?" Naruto asked.
"More like a gross, pukey feeling, Naruto..." Akina replied for everyone.
They watched as guy gave Lee a teary-eyed pep talk about mistakes and being young, but then told him that he wasn't going without punishment.
"I understand!" Lee stood proud in front of his teacher.
"Five hundred laps around the practice arena!" Guy punched a fist into the air excitedly.
"Yes, sir!" Lee instantly saluted.
"What a dip..." Sakura muttered.
"What's the deal with that turtle thing anyway?" Naruto asked.
"It's a tortoise, Naruto! Be respectful." Akina bopped the boy on the head.
Suddenly Guy glanced in their direction. "By the way, how is Kakashi? I'm asking you!"
"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked.
"Do I know him?" Guy placed a hand on his chin and chuckled. Then suddenly he was gone.
"I should say so! We are arch-rivals!" Suddenly Guy was behind team seven. They all turned around in shock.
Damn! I didn't even see him move.
"The score stands at fifty to forty nine." Guy jabbed a thumb at himself and smiled. "I'm stronger than he is."
"As you can see, Guy-sensei is totally amazing!" Lee cheered.
Guy stood before Sasuke, giving the boy a thumbs up. "I know Lee started this fight, but take pity on his old teacher and forgive him." He tossed a kunai at the toy pinwheel that was holding Lee's bandages, releasing the boy.
It was then that Akina noticed Lee's hands where the bandages had come loose. They were scarred and bruised. That must have been some intense training...
"Best of luck, Lee! Later!" Guy spoke again before poofing away in a cloud of smoke.
"Yes, sir!" Lee replied, happily saluting his teacher. "By the way, Sasuke. I was blowing smoke before. I'm really here to prove my own strength in combat." Lee smiled while he finished wrapping up his hand. "Also the strongest junior ninja is a member of my own team... and I intend to take him down. That's why I'm entering. And by the way, you're on my list, too." Lee then jumped back up onto the balcony. "Off to apply for the exam. Be ready for it, okay?" And he was gone.
"What was that crap?" Naruto asked, arms behind his head. "Maybe your hot-snot, famous Uchiha clan isn't all that great after all, huh?"
"Naruto!" Sakura was about to hit the boy.
"He's got a point." Akina spoke up. "Like I said, the Sharingan alone is no match for someone who is well versed in Taijutsu."
"...Shut up..." Sasuke growled. "Next time he's dead meat."
"Despite the total butt-kicking you got this time, right?" Naruto taunted.
"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura shouted.
"You saw it, too... Didn't you, Naruto?" Akina asked.
"His hands, right?" Naruto nodded. "Old bushy-brows probably gets some kind of super-duper extra-special training day after day." He turned to Sasuke. "Even more than you got. You're toast, pal!"
Sasuke clenched his fist, looking worried for a moment, then he smirked. "Things are starting to get interesting. This Chunin selection exam is bringing things to a boil!"
Sakura and Naruto nodded. "Yep!" "Well, yeah!"
Akina sighed. "Honestly."
"Alright, let's go!" Sasuke announced.
"Hey, guys. I need to talk to Sasuke for a moment, okay. We'll be right there." Akina waved them off, pulling Sasuke away.
Naruto and Sakura seemed worried for a moment, but both nodded and headed down the hall, leaving the cousins alone.
"What is it? We need to hurry-" Suddenly Akina pushed Sasuke back against the wall. "Ow! Hey!"
"How long?" She demanded, fist clenching the front of his shirt.
"What?" Sasuke blinked down at her, clearly confused.
Akina glared. "How long have you had the Sharingan?"
His eyes widened in realization. "Oh..."
"How long, Sasuke?!"
"Since... since the Land of Waves mission. It just... happened... when I was fighting Haku." Sasuke turned away, unable to face the girl in front of him.
"And when exactly were you planning to tell me?" She was having a hard time controlling her temper, she was so frustrated with him.
"I was going to, I just..." He stopped, sighing.
Akina sighed as well, letting go of his shirt. "I can't believe you." She then walked away down the hall to join the others.
"Akina!" Sasuke followed, but he couldn't manage to come up with an explanation.
"Everything okay?" Sakura asked when they spotted the two coming down the hall.
"It's fine, Sakura." Akina replied before Sasuke could say anything. "Let's go. We're wasting time."
Sakura watched the girl with worry when she passed, then looked to Sasuke for answers she would never receive. Naruto merely stood there in confusion a moment before following Akina.
"You heard her, let's go!"
When the team seven genin finally made it to room 301 Kakashi was there waiting for them. "Glad you could make it, ladies."
Naruto and Sasuke glanced to Sakura and Akina.
"This way you all qualify to apply for the Chunin selection exam." Kakashi continued.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"The way the test is set up, it can only be taken by full cells." He explained.
Sakura looked confused. "But, Kakashi-sensei, you said it was up to each of us whether or not to apply. Were you lying?"
"I said what I had to in order to keep the others from pressuring you into coming." Kakashi replied
"What makes you think I wasn't going to show up on my own, huh?" Akina crossed her arms, sending their teacher a mild glare.
"Oh?" Kakashi smiled. "My mistake, Akina. Of course you wouldn't have any reasons to not attend, would you?"
The girl huffed, but didn't bother answering.
Kakashi continued to smile. "But you're all here because you want to be and I'm very proud of you. Now get in there!"
The four genin smiled.