The setting of this fanfic is loosely based on the Hidden Leaf Village and the characters are not aspiring to be ninjas, but rather, are concerned with passing high school and going to college or whatever dreams they are chasing. This story is a long read. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1: The Handsome Devil Ascends

Fresh dew coated the lush grasslands in the countryside. The sun had only been up for less than an hour but was already intensifying in warmth. Heat waves began to rise and crash along the dark pavement of an old road. The road stretched out for miles, with a wooden and barbed fence at its sides. It was a typical warm summer morning. Curious cattle behind the fence noticed a lone figure rushing rapidly toward their direction. Untroubled by the familiar sight, they only lifted their heads from their grazing to watch the sprinting man run by.

It was a young man by the name of Rock Lee. He was out on his daily morning run. His bright green tracksuit seamlessly matched the green surroundings, with his shiny black hair and red headband being the contrast to the environment. He huffed as he barreled down the road, keeping a skillful stride and showing no signs of slowing. He continued his run until slowing to a walking speed, breathing deeply to catch his breath. He felt his heart beating in his ears and his sweat-soaked headband weighing heavily on his head. He removed the headband and ran his fingers through his hair, which then got stuck to his sweaty brow. He looked down at his watch and smiled to himself.

"I did it." Lee breathed. He took out his phone and refreshed his fitness app. On the free version of the app, a gold trophy displayed with his latest running time versus his previous record. His already big smile grew even more at the sight of his achievement.

While his score would not be that impressive to an avid runner, it was exactly what Lee was aiming for. Around two years ago, Lee played soccer in his school's team. During an intense game, he suffered a terrible injury to his left arm and left leg. Both required surgeries to repair. It was catastrophic for Lee, who feared at the time for his future. He was counting on a sports scholarship to be able to afford college. Fortunately for Lee, his recovery was fast, and he was able to be independent again sooner than anyone anticipated. Little did they know Lee was truly in need of more time to recover, but his will and determination to not have to rely on others drove him to work hard during physical therapy. His rush to recovery, however, left him not having full confidence in his body. He still thought about the path he would take to walk from one point and whenever nobody was looking, he walked up and down stairs slowly and carefully, fearing his leg would give under him. He knew it was irrational to feel that way, so he made it a personal goal of his to get the fittest he ever was in his entire life and restore his confidence.

His extreme fitness routine included daily runs at 6 am, weightlifting three times per week, karate practice, and calisthenics at home. He knew his routine may not be sustainable once school starts in a week, but he was determined to do his best regardless. He was optimistic for the year, as it would be his final year of high school. He struggled in the previous years. It was a challenging time for him, as he was growing from a boy into a man. His injuries forced him to sit around and stay in place for prolonged periods, which caused him to become depressed. He would spend too much of his time alone, thinking of the past and his woes.

However, there was one person he always thought about whenever he felt at his lowest point. Her name is Sakura Haruno. She is a fellow student of Lee's at Konohagakure High School. Though Lee was a strong-willed and resolute youth, perhaps the strongest-willed out of all of his peers, he was weak for Sakura. He would sell the entire world just to hold her hand. He would do even more than that just to make her his. As much as Lee did not seem to care for possessive people, he couldn't help but feel that way towards her. He was at least aware of his hypocrisy. He knew it was not right to dislike Sasuke, Sakura's boyfriend, but he respected Sakura's wishes.

Before his injuries, he had asked Sakura out on a date and was promptly turned down. Unfortunately for Lee, he never shared a class with her to get to know her more, and desperate for her love, he approached her in a much too-forward manner. He feared his tactlessness may have scared her off. He cursed himself for not listening to Tenten, who gave him advice which he ignored.

"That girl makes you stupid, Lee." Tenten's voice echoed in his head. Lee was well aware of that fact. Although Sakura and Sasuke seemed happy together, Lee did not give up on his dream.

"You are all so young, Lee! Things change all the time! Sakura may decide she does not like Sasuke anymore someday. Or who knows… maybe you will find someone else you really like!" Guy's encouraging words echoed in his head. Lee doubted he could ever find anyone who could compare to Sakura, but he appreciated the thought that she would grow tired of Sasuke and leave him. A guy could dream.

Lee made his way towards a two-story house along the old road, taking careful steps to avoid some fresh potholes filled with rainwater from the previous day. He kicked his dirty running shoes off before stepping inside, greeted by the cool air of the air-conditioned home and a breeze from a running fan oscillating in the sitting room by the entryway. He walked into the kitchen to mix a sports drink packet into some cool tap water. He chugged it quickly to mend his parched throat, only to begin coughing when he felt some of the liquid go down the wrong way. A large palm struck him on the back repeatedly.

"You all right, bro?" It was Lee's housemate, Kiba. Lee let out one more cough before gasping for air, feeling his eyes water. He nodded at Kiba, who was still looking at him worriedly.

"I am okay." Lee said, clearing his throat.

"Chill out man. It's not Sakura's bathwater." He teased. Lee's face turned a shade of red.

"Do not talk about Sakura like that, Kiba." Lee breathed, coughing once more before returning to fill up his glass once again with more water. While Kiba could go too far with his jokes at times, Lee could never find it in himself to count the amount of one's wrongdoings. He valued peace more than being right.

"Oh, come on, you know I don't mean it." Kiba shrugged as he moved towards the pantry, pulling out dog food for his dog, Akamaru.

"You are up early today." Lee said as he leaned against the counter by the sink, noticing the clock read 7:08.

"Akamaru woke me up. He's starving to death, as you can see." Kiba said with his back to Lee. Lee looked down at Akamaru, who had noticeably gotten much huskier in appearance since the summer began. He waited intently at his bowl, not blinking as he watched Kiba prepare his breakfast. Lee watched as Kiba bent down to grab a can of dog food, noticing his shirt was smaller than when he bought it.

"You are welcome to run with me, Kiba." Lee said as he gulped his water. Kiba stood up suddenly and turned to Lee with a frown on his face.

"And what's that supposed to mean, Bushy Brows?" Kiba said as his eyes narrowed, set on Lee. Lee then sensed the danger he was in. It was common for him to commit social mores such as this. Although Lee spoke formally to most people, his thinking became clouded in times of fatigue, such as recovering from an intense workout."

"No, I did not mean th-" Lee started.

"You let yourself go, Kiba."

Kiba and Lee turned to see Shino, their other housemate. He had just returned from outside, evidenced by the sweat on his brow and the straw sunhat he wore as he did gardening. Like Lee, he developed a tan due to his moderate exposure to the sun over the summer, evidenced by his reverse raccoon tan lines from wearing his sunglasses outside. He spent a great deal of time tending to the grounds and beekeeping. While he was not as fit as Lee, it was obvious he took care of himself. Kiba seemed unhappy to see him.

"Looks like the meds are working. You're more pleasant than you're usual cheerful self." Kiba said sarcastically.

"Quit deflecting. Just look at Akamaru." Shino said, gesturing at the hungry canine. "What would your father say at the state of him? He barely gets any exercise and he's the size of a bear."

Kiba was already in a foul mood due to the few hours of sleep he got, but he took a moment to consider what Shino was saying. While he was angry at the accusations, he could not help but notice how unkempt Akamaru appeared. His nails were too long, his coat was shedding, and bundles of loose fur were stuck to his coat, and Akamaru's behavior as of late seemed anxious, possessing too much excess energy that needed to be depleted. Kiba's father owned a veterinary clinic nearby and Kiba shuddered at the thought of what his father would say if he saw Akamaru. It isn't healthy for such a large working breed of canine to be lounging all day.

Kiba, like Lee, was still a minor at 17 years old. He was kicked out of his family's home at 16 when his father caught him taking horse tranquilizer from his family's vet clinic. It was unknown what he was doing with the stolen medication, but Kiba was expected to live out on his own, only receiving help from his family to cover the cost of his car, car insurance, gas money, and his cell phone plan. Kiba was able to pay rent and his other various bills through his line cook job and various odd jobs such as dog walking. Lee worked at a Karate Dojo in town, teaching all ages. The house the three lived in belonged to Shino's family, who had since moved closer to the city due to Shino's parent's careers. Shino preferred to stay in the countryside where he could continue his hobby of beekeeping. Thanks to his therapist's suggestion, his family allowed Shino to remain in the house as long as he has two housemates with him, and he earns high marks in his college courses. Shino had graduated high school early, allowing him to begin college courses in the next couple of weeks.

"Yeah…" Kiba said reluctantly. "I guess I let things go over the summer. Sorry, boy." He said to Akamaru, who was drooling at the scent of the dog food. Kiba turned back to Lee. "I'll join you. IF-" he said while looking at Akamaru. "-If only Akamaru can come along too."

"You got a deal!" Lee smiled before chugging the rest of his water. Kiba prepared Akamaru's food and set the bowl down in front of him. Akamaru quickly chowed down his breakfast. Lee went to refill his glass of water once again.

"Another one!?" Kiba said. "You know, you should be taking some creatine with all that water you take. You'll look even more ripped." Kiba said.

"I do not know…" Lee considered. "I do not know if Sakura would like that."

"What do you mean?" Kiba side-eyed Lee. "Chicks love lots of muscle. It's not dangerous or anything, just give it a shot. All it does is add extra water to your muscles, making them look bigger" Lee looked to Shino, expecting to hear him disagree.

"Sasuke does play football. I wouldn't be surprised if she does." Shino said reluctantly. Shino believed Lee should give up his pursuit of Sakura, but he wasn't willing to be dishonest in how he thought about the situation. Lee had all the makings of a great man, but he wasn't the type of man that Sakura was after according to Shino. Lee contemplated shortly and relented.

"Okay… I will give it a try." Lee said. "Maybe Sakura will notice me this year."

"What classes are you taking?" Shino asked.

"I do not know yet. It said online that class enrollment begins on the 8th." Lee said.

"The 8th? That's awfully close to when classes start." Shino said.

"Lee…" Kiba said suddenly. "Enrollment began on the 3rd."

"WHAT?" Lee said, startled and panicked.

"You better get your ass online and pick your classes before you get stuck with the bad ones!" Kiba said while laughing.

Lee ran upstairs, not caring if his left leg broke underneath him. He was more worried about his future than his confidence. He cursed himself, wondering how he could have confused the 3rd for the 8th of the month. Perhaps he should have gotten that eye exam. After reaching his room upstairs, he opened his laptop on his desk and turned it on, anxiously waiting for it to boot up. He quickly got to his school's class enrollment page after logging into his account. Thankfully, he managed to find a seat available for all the classes he needed, until he got to the elective courses. Only three electives were available: painting class, modern philosophy, and child development.

Lee quickly enrolled for the last seat in the painting class. Remaining were the final two options, which he had to select one. Lee googled and searched both of these subjects. He seemed interested in the philosophy course and embarrassed at the idea of taking a course in human development. A class based on sex, conception, pregnancy, birth, and child development seemed too much for Lee to consider taking. He blushed at the idea of it. He remembered how awkward it was when Guy told him about the birds and the bees. Mercifully, Guy skipped over many of the details and told Lee only the fundamentals. It was an uncomfortable experience for both of them. Although Guy served as a father and teacher to Lee after adopting him, Guy simply was not equipped to teach such material. Guy was excellent at teaching exercises and Karate, on how to break the body and kill if needed, but when it came to the creation and nurture of a new life, Guy fumbled.

Lee applied for the final seat in the philosophy course. After a long loading screen, he was met with an unfortunate sight. The seat was taken just before Lee seized it. Reluctantly, Lee enrolled in the child development course. He recalled seeing seniors wear equipment to simulate pregnancy, which was done as an extra credit option for the class. He assumed many of them did it out of desperation to pass the class. Lee let out a sigh as he enrolled in the class. He had such high hopes this year would be good, but it seemed like there were always obstacles no matter how optimistic he would be. Hopefully, it won't be so bad. A knock on Lee's door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." Lee said. Kiba walked into Lee's room with a bottle in his hands.

"I still got them! They haven't expired yet too." Kiba said, setting the bottle down on Lee's desk. It was a bottle of creatine pills. "I think I have some branched-chain amino acid supplements in my old gym bag too."

"Thank you, Kiba." Lee said, still frowning.

"What's the matter? Did you not get the classes you needed?" Kiba asked.

"I got them, but the choices for electives were not spectacular." Lee said.

"Like what?" Kiba asked while biting into a hot Eggo waffle in his hand.

"I got an art class and another on child development." Lee sighed. He was expecting Kiba to laugh at his misfortune. Sure enough, Kiba did let out a chuckle.

"Good luck dealing with the weirdos in art class." Kiba laughed. "You scored in the other course though." Kiba said, devouring the rest of his waffle.

"Wait… what?" Lee said, confused.

"Everyone knows only chicks take child development. You'll be surrounded by babes the whole period." Kiba said after swallowing his waffle. "Lucky man, Bowl Cut!" Kiba said while patting Lee on the shoulders. Although Kiba instigated arguments and could be a rude nuisance, he cared enough about others to ask them about themselves and what was going on in their lives. Shino's life seemed to be a dramatic one with his various family issues, but things had settled down throughout the summer and things seemed peaceful now. Lee did not agree with Kiba's sentiment, but there was still hope that he and Sakura would finally share a class. Even if Lee had to sit far away from her, he was content just being in the same room as her.

"Well, I'm going to catch a few more hours of sleep. Don't bother me." Kiba said, stretching his arms and leaving Lee's room.

"Remember, I get up at 5:45 am to run. I expect you to be up and ready at that time." Lee said.

"Yes, mother." Kiba replied from the hall as he made his way to his bedroom. He shut his door behind him and went back to sleep.

Lee's empty stomach was growling loudly now. The scent of Kiba's waffles roused his hunger. Lee took the bottle of creatine with him downstairs, reading the bottle's directions as he put a pot of milk on the stove to make some oatmeal. After careful consideration, Lee took three of the pills with a whole glass of water. He was wary of unpleasant side effects. He had to take some strong painkillers after his surgeries, which caused him gastrointestinal issues and fatigue.

Shino was making himself a whole pot of coffee. Lee watched as he poured himself a large cup, followed by a very hefty spoonful of fresh honey from Shino's spring honey harvest from his bees. Shino was a curious guy. As normal and serious as he seemed, some of his behavior in their home was eccentric. He refused to put sugar in his food or drinks, opting for fresh honey as a sweetener instead. Although it was normal for him to drink a whole pot of coffee, his energy levels always seemed unchanged. Lee thought he was drinking decaffeinated coffee this entire time until he read the label of the coffee beans. He wondered how Shino could sit still and read for hours after downing so much caffeine and honey. After reading, Shino would nap outside on the hammock or take a bath in his spacious master bathroom. Lee was sensitive to caffeine, avoiding it completely after once drinking a Monster energy drink and crying over the phone to his teacher and adoptive father, Might Guy, that he was having a heart attack. Shino noticed the creatine bottle.

"Make sure you drink a ton of water with that stuff." Shino said to Lee. "And maybe try eating some more protein too, if gaining muscle is your goal."

"I will. Looks like things are going different than I expected, so I might as well roll with the punches and adapt." Lee said.

"…What classes did you get?" Shino asked while sipping his overly-sweetened coffee.

"Everything I needed… and child development." Lee said with his face flushed slightly. Shino nearly choked on his coffee. After regaining his composure, he looked at Lee.

"Good luck with that." he said, sipping his coffee.

"Thanks, Shino." Lee said. Lee still clung to the hope that Sakura would share a class with him. Lee was well aware that Sakura was a drama student. Although he kept his distance from Sakura, he followed her on social media. She performed in a play during the spring, which Lee could not attend. It was for the best. He did not speak with Sasuke, but he felt that Sasuke was aware of him. Rumors spread like wildfire in the school. Lee's crush on Sakura was not that much of a secret, but it seemed to have become forgotten as time passed and as Sakura and Sasuke became a couple.

To an outsider, it seemed natural albeit cliché that the popular girl would end up with the football player. It was a bit strange that Ino, Sakura's best friend, would not end up with Sasuke despite her status as the head cheerleader. Lee grew accustomed to the idea that the status quo would fight against any disturbance, and yet, he still just could not give up on Sakura. In the last two years, he went from being the athletic type to becoming somewhat of a computer geek due to his injuries. Now, he felt that he needed to reclaim what he had lost. Maybe Sakura would notice him this year. Maybe, he would not just get lost and forgotten in her life. Or maybe…

"Your milk is boiling." Shino interrupted Lee's thoughts. Startled suddenly, Lee leaped to turn down the heat and remove the pot from the stove.

"That was close…" Lee breathed, relieved that the hot milk did not boil over and create a big mess.

"You stink, man." Shino said. Lee realized he was still in his sweat-soaked tracksuit. Lee frowned. No wonder Guy was so concerned about moving out while he was still so young. "If you're not doing anything today, let's go to the mall. I need some new clothes. After you shower, I mean." Shino said.

"Well, I have gotten a bit taller over the summer. I could use some new pants." Lee said as he looked at his tracksuit joggers that came up almost two inches above his ankles.