Chapter 1: War

"Neji..!"

Lee held Neji's broken body in his arms. Tears flooded his eyes and ran down his face, dripping onto the blood-soaked battlefield below. He held his brother in his arms dearly, his body shaking as he sobbed. Tenten stood at his side, struggling to maintain her composure as she took in the sight of her fallen comrade, his lilac eyes blank and lifeless like that of a doll's.

"Lee… Stop crying…!" Guy Sensei shouted.

Lee continued to sob, unaffected by his mentor's harshness. Tenten stared at the scene, feeling as if she was in a nightmare and hoping she would soon wake up. Her heart thundered in her chest and her face distorted from the mental anguish she felt at the sight of her fallen brother and her teammate clutching his corpse.

"Lee…" Tenten muttered breathlessly, at a loss for words.

"Lee, so long as we don't abandon Neji's convictions, he will continue to live on inside of all of us!" Guy Sensei spoke boldly.

Neji's murderer, Obito, spoke more of Naruto's supposed flawed philosophy. Not a single word of his reached Lee as he tried to stop the flow of his tears. Lee closed Neji's eyes gently. It hurt Lee to think he would never see those eyes again.

Neji was Lee's rival. For years, Lee had hoped to defeat the genius with his taijutsu, swearing he would break his body in training if that's what it took. The dream of victory over the Hyūga kept Lee motivated for years as he trained. It was one of the things that got him out of bed in the morning. And now, that dream would never be realized, unless it was by the means of The Infinite Tsukuyomi.

"One day, I'll fight you for real so we can see which is the greater, your ferocious fist or my gentle fist." Neji spoke in Lee's memory of the young ninja. "I shall not lose so long as my eyes are black."

I'm so sorry, Neji, Lee thought. Rest now.

Lee lowered his fallen comrade to the ground. He wiped the tears from his face as he focused his attention on the battle. Several ninjas all around him lay dead, impaled by large spikes. Each fallen shinobi represented a dream that died along with them, their souls now released from the cruel world they were born into.

Tenten watched as Lee re-entered the battle, his broken heart crying for vengeance. Tenten felt the same way, ready to destroy the menace who threatened all that she and the world held dear. The thought of her demise crossed her mind. Death was a scary unknown that came after dying, and the process of dying was an experience that seemed worse than death itself. To the young kunoichi, death was imminent.

Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Tenten thought. Neji, I will be joining you soon.

Lee and Tenten rejoined the battle, shaken by their loss, but unwavering in their devotion to their village and ninja way. As the battle progressed, Might Guy opened the seventh gate of shock against his opponent, Madara Uchiha. Blue vapor filled the air around the man.

"He insults me, not bring out the red vapor!" Madara bellowed.

Though Might Guy had superhuman strength and speed, it was no match against the powerful Uchiha. Lee saved his mentor from more harm, carrying him away from where he had fallen. Unbeknownst to the youth, his master had already decided his fate.

"Konoha's wild blue beast is no more. It's time for the red beast to emerge!" Might Guy said.

"No, you mustn't Guy!" Minato Namikaze pleaded. "Think it over. Not one person here wishes for that!"

"Guy Sensei… Do you really think it's that time?" Lee asked.

"Lee, don't look at me like that. This time, you sit back and enjoy the show." Might Guy said to his beloved student.

Memories of his master flooded Lee's mind. His tears returned as he watched his cherished teacher charge back into battle. From that moment, Lee knew in his mind the man was already dead, but his heart rejected the thought.

Red vapor filled the air. The nutrient-rich blood soaked the earth, feeding the deep roots below. The two powerful ninjas exchanged blows until Might Guy had fallen, his body disintegrating as a result of his taxing exertion. Naruto attempted to heal the man, who clung to life by a thin string. Lee held his master as Naruto returned to the battle. Gaara stood by Lee, watching as the frightened teen breathlessly watched his master slip away.

"Lee…" the dying man whispered.

"Sensei!" Lee called as he held the man.

Youth played a factor in life, but in death, it became meaningless. Death does not discriminate. The older ninja's weary heart slowed to a stop. Air escaped his lungs as his body relaxed at last. Death tarnished his battle-worn body.

Lee cried out in pain. His vision became blurry as his other senses numbed. Gaara watched in horror, helpless to do anything to revive the dead man. In moments like these, even the most powerful who walked the earth were powerless. Death was a faceless foe who was undefeated.

Tenten knew the outcome of the battle the moment she saw the red vapor. Her heart sank as she watched Lee try in vain to revive his mentor. Though she had been in tense situations before, the current reality she faced had beaten her down, defiling her hopes and dreams of a bright future for herself with her teammates. Death claims much more than life.

Lee's desires were realized as he experienced Infinite Tsukuyomi. He was victorious against Neji, who was still alive. He had defeated Naruto as well, catching the attention of his crush and love, Sakura Haruno. The pink-haired youth swooned over the young man, who was cheered on by his still-living mentor.

Tenten experienced a dream she had immediately doubted, knowing full well the separation between her dreams and reality. Though her skills as a shinobi paled in comparison to some of her peers, her mind was stronger than most.

Once the final battle was decided and her life had been spared, Tenten knew she must prepare for two funerals. Lee, on the other hand, seemed as lost as he could be without his rival and mentor. His mind, twisted by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, could not comprehend what was lost on this day.

[A/N: Disclaimer: Most of the dialogue between the characters in this chapter is from the manga. Proper credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto. I felt that changing too much would take the impact away from these scenes.]