my story previously

The last thing Lee remembers is being in the training field working on the latest taijutsu maneuver that Gai-sensei explained to him would be the next step in his training. He'd been told by Tsunade to take it easy after his last mission, but he couldn't do that. He had to work harder to be better and better. Which is why he'd been alone in the training ground well into the night.

And now?

Now he's standing in the middle of a white room, staring in confusion at a floating block of text. Why exactly the words are informing him he died, giving him confusing information regarding the number of rivals (four), how many jutsu he learned (zero, of /course//), love interests (four - he doesn't know why that is, he was only devoted to Sakura-chan), and asking him if he wants to restart, he doesn't know.

But there is only one option, so he presses his hand to the 'Yes,' and the next thing he sees after a bright flash of light is a new, larger room. It's a lot like the previous one, but instead of giant words there are statues. Lee wishes he were back in the previous room. There is something off here.

After a few seconds of bewildered staring, Lee starts and immediately moves into a defensive stance. The statues /moved//, some unseen and unheard breeze ruffling clothing and hair. They are even more unnerving on closer inspection - all share his face. One, the worst of all, is a perfect copy of himself - stylish jumpsuit and all.

He approaches cautiously, ready to respond to any hostile movement. It makes no response other than ruffled hair, and Lee relaxes. He examines it from all angles, rubbing his chin in the Gai-sensei-approved thinking pose, then pokes it. A large block of text appears in front of him, loudly declaring to him, "/B/Original Lee. Born without the ability to use genjutsu and ninjutsu. Through hard work and determination, he can become Hokage.//B/ //Choose this? Yes. No./"

He frowns deeper, pulling away making the text disappear and tapping his foot as he thinks. "Hokage?" He doesn't /want// to be Hokage. Not really. The idea of becoming Hokage seems out of his reach. That's /Naruto's// dream.

Lee's just a no name orphan, not someone that has the heritage needed to be Hokage. He may be in the springtime of his youth, but that doesn't mean he's cut out to be Hokage! Naruto is the Yondaime's son, after all. All the Hokage have /some// connection to the previous ones in some way. Lee has no chance at becoming the /Hokage//. It's just more than a little absurd.

He walks over to one of the still statues and prods it. It pops up with, "/B/Mokuton Lee. Experimented on as a child in secret by Orochimaru, Lee can use the first Hokage's bloodline limit. //B/ /Unlocked by being taught by Yamato//."

He tilts his head, studying the statue. This version of him has the same headband as Yamato and wears, and a traditional ninja outfit. Lee doesn't know how to feel about this. He can't imagine having a bloodline limit. It seems kind of ... unyouthful. Like he's cheating for the ability to do something. He's not really... interested in that.

He's not really sure what this whole thing is about, but he gets the impression he needs to choose one of these. And the still statues don't let him choose them. The Mokuton one clearly says he has a goal needed to unlock it.

He walks to one where the statue is grinning like Naruto, arm behind its head, scratching nervously. The statue is wearing a orange jumpsuit, hair in a long braid down its back, and moving like it is shy and nervous. A soft poke shows, "/B/Brother By Another Mother Lee. Born a year later, Lee grows up with Naruto. Together, they will be Hokage.//B/ /Unlocked from Naruto considering Lee a love interest. Choose this? Yes. No./"

He flushes, staring at his feet. Naruto thought of him that way? He supposes that explains the number of love interests in that list from before. Even if he isn't sure why that is four, and not two. But he is a boy! He didn't know that another boy would like him like that! He knows Gai-sensei always told him that girls are more likely to ... forgive if a man isn't incredibly handsome. And the boys are more likely to be attracted to looks in the first place. It is why he pinned his heart on Sakura-chan!

But thinking about it, girls are /also// very attracted to how boys look. Just thinking back to the academy proves that. Almost every girl followed Neji around. Lee isn't what any girl wants. Not what anyone wants. ...But Naruto did?

He wonders if the other statues that are moving are because of those other love interest things. He has to see about that. It makes him curious, and he wants to know who liked him. Liked him like that. It is just so... /youthful//. It isn't like it is bad to have a man love another man. Gai-sensei gave him a long lecture about how ninja are dangerous butterflies who should find their flower in any form they like. It doesn't matter if the person they fly to is another butterfly, a flower, or even a hornet, as long as they love them as long as their springtime of youth unfolds into a summer bloom of their heart!

It makes his chest warm and his heart flutter. The idea of another liking him is just so interesting. When he'd thought himself only worthwhile romantically because he can protect his precious person. Naruto is perfectly able to defend himself, and if /Naruto// liked him like that, he doesn't see why he should just pay attention to someone weak. Not that Sakura-chan is /weak// anymore. She would certainly try to take him to task if he dared to imply that. He's not /stupid//. He wouldn't dare call her weak. She's strong. Incredibly strong.

With that in mind, it makes him wonder why he insisted on protecting her with his life. She would be very angry with him if he kept at it too much. A reason why he gives her so much space.

It doesn't really matter. He's interested in these statues.

Walking away from the Brother By Another Mother statue, he walks to one moving that has long straight hair, and traditional dress. He pokes it, popping up with, "/B/Byakugan Lee. Born into the Hyuuga clan, Lee is a valued member of the branch family. With his skill he will become Hokage.//B/ /Unlocked from Neji considering Lee a love interest. Choose this? Yes. No./"

/Neji//?!? Neji liked him like that? What? It's like his whole life has been turned upside down! Neji doesn't like /anyone// like that! He just wants to be left alone to train and be the best he can be! That's what Neji /is//. At least once Naruto beat the fate nonsense out of him.

He's not taking this statue. He still thinks bloodline limits are cheating, and the idea of Neji thinking of him like that is... unsettling. He likes Neji, but they're just... friends. That's all they are.

He backs away from the statue, breathing a sigh of relief when the text disappears. He's kind of nervous about finding his fourth and final love interest. He knows Sakura... Wait. What if Sakura /doesn't count//? This is horrifying! He needs to see if one for her shows up!

He rushes around the room, only doing quick glances at the statues, and stopping at still one where he has... pink hair? He pokes it cautiously, and it pops up with, "/B/Haruno Lee. Born to Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki, Lee is Sakura's brother. His exceptional chakra control will help him become Hokage.//B/ /Unlocked from Sakura considering Lee a love interest.//"

It makes his heart sink. It also makes him wonder why having someone /else// think of him as a love interest means that he can have them as a sibling. It feels very unyouthful. Maybe it is so that the other doesn't consider him a love interest again? As a way to cut off that interest completely?

He doesn't know what is going on.

He walks away from the statue, and heads to another moving one. In this, the statue has a Suna headband. He's not exactly sure he /wants// to know how he got this, but he knows his curiosity demands he does. He closes his eyes, and pokes it. Forcing his eyes open, he reads, "/B/Sabaku no Lee. Unwanted child of the fourth Kazekage, Lee will prove his lack of ability to do ninjutsu and genjutsu will not stop him from being Kazekage.//B/ /Unlocked from Gaara considering Lee a love interest. Choose this? Yes. No./"

It's kind of worrying that /other people's// reactions to him have unlocked these things. Not what he's done. It's pretty frustrating!

He wanders for a while, and then pokes one that is moving, unsure what to think of the statue. It is him as a girl. She's.. pretty? He guesses? Untraditionally pretty. She's wearing lots of makeup and has her hair in a complicated looking hairstyle. The text telling him, "/B/Rock Li. Born without the ability to use external chakra, she will prove that a female taijutsu master can be Hokage.//B/ /Unlocked from getting in touch with your feminine side. Choose this? Yes. No.//"

He tilts his head, wondering what /that// means. ... At least it isn't because of someone else getting a crush on him. He's glad it is something that /he// did. He likes showing how he did things. It means he's one step closer to accomplishing his own goals.

But he thinks he's goofed off long enough. He likely won't get out of here until he chooses something, and he isn't sure what he wants. He could do the original one, but that honestly seems kind of boring. He's always run headfirst into problems, and doing something /again// when he already knows the answers just isn't his style. It's positively unyouthful!

He also doesn't want to be a girl, though. Nothing against them, but he imagines that it will just make him unbelievably uncomfortable. He'd have a hard time changing his clothing if he's a girl. He'll stick with being a boy. He likes being male.

He moves away from the girl version of himself, and wanders around the statues. He ends up beside the one he got from Naruto liking him. If he's honest with himself, this in the statue he likes best. The statue of himself looks /happy//. The one where he's a Hyuuga has him as angry as Neji used to be. He would be a caged bird, his wings clipped and him unable to choose his life.

Or that's how Neji describes it, and Lee doesn't want that constantly there.

He likes how this one looks. Touching it, it pops up with, "/B/Brother By Another Mother Lee. Born a year later, Lee grows up with Naruto. Together, they will be Hokage.//B/ /Unlocked from Naruto considering Lee a love interest. Choose this? Yes. No,/" again. He glances around, and then presses, 'Yes.'

The world goes dark around him.

--

When Lee is aware of what is going on again, he's laying in an uncomfortable bed. Sitting up, he looks around, and can't help his frown. The room he's in is /filthy//. There are ramen cups strewn around randomly, and he can see dust that is just swept into a corner. Not to mention how gross everything else is.

He gets up, and the floor is /much closer// than it should be. In fact, everything is much larger than he thinks it should be. He glances at his hands and feet, frowning when they aren't calloused or bandaged in any way. They're tiny and soft. He frowns deeper, and walks around the room. Stopping in front of another bed, he prods the lump in it, wondering what is even going on.

The lump moves a bit, then he hears a loud yawn. "Lee-kun?" a childish voice asks, sounding confused, while a pair of bright blue eyes blink up at him from where they're peeking over a bright orange blanket. "Is it time to wake up?"

He glances at the clock, and it says it is six am. An hour later than he likes to wake up, but since they are clearly young, the extra hour of sleep won't hurt. "Yes."

The young boy in the bed sits up, and it can /only// be Naruto. The boy is wearing a silly sleeping cap, and is grinning at him brightly, "We're going to be ninja, Lee-kun!" Naruto springs out of the bed, grabbing him and tugging on him happily, "We're gonna go to the ninja academy!"

He's tugged along, and he spots a calender. It has a big red circle around the date, and it /does// look like it is the day that academy starts. They must be six years old now. "Yes, Naruto-kun." He walks over to the fridge, and opens it. There is... pretty much nothing in it. A carton of milk that has gone off, and wilted vegetables. He frowns at it, and pokes the celery. Pulling it out, he walks over to the cabinets. Opening them reveals a great deal of pre-packaged ramen. He's kind of worried about it. That isn't healthy.

Gai-sensei gave him a long lecture about how a growing boy needs nutrients, or he would not be as strong as he should be. Gai-sensei even lamented about how Lee had started late on getting a healthy diet, since he did not get what was needed before joining team Gai.

Naruto tucks himself against Lee, saying curiously, "You know we don't have anything else. The old man hasn't come with anything, and won't until next month!"

Old man? Oh, yes. He heard stories how Naruto was very rude to Hokage-sama, calling the Sandaime that, just like he calls Tsunade-sama old lady. Well, he can work on that later. Right now is something much more important. "We'll make more food, Naruto-kun." Somehow.

He pulls down a knife, and carefully starts to cut the celery at the bottom. It just needs to be put in a glass of water to be edible. He can do that. As he works, Naruto putters around him, starting up a kettle of water on the stove, and pulling down two ramen cups.

By the time the ramen is ready, the celery is in a glass, and they are sitting at the table. He eats his slowly, chewing on it thoughtfully. He isn't a huge fan of ramen, but he knows it is better than starving.

Naruto bounces in his seat, having already finished, "Lee-kun! We're gonna be great! I know it! The old man said we're gonna be the /best// ninja!"

He takes another bite of his noodles before saying, "We will need to work very hard. But if we put our minds to it, we will be very good ninja."

"I bet we're gonna fight! We'll be the best ever!"

He doesn't remember /any// fighting in his first class. He remembers being really bored, and confused. Incredibly confused. He didn't really know how to read then, and hated how the teachers treated him like an idiot, just because he couldn't do any ninjutsu. Which is more than should have happened. No six year old can do much ninjutsu. They just don't have the spirit or stamina to do that much.

Six year olds can touch the chakra inside of them, though. Lee knows that very well. He can use it to tree and water walk, and to enhance his taijutsu. He just can't use ninjutsu. He kind of wants to try using chakra exercises. There aren't any /rules// against doing it. It isn't taught, and that's it. Jounin sensei are supposed to explain how to do it, since they don't want little kids running around and getting hurt.

But he's not a child. He's a ninja, and knows what he's doing.

He nods at Naruto, grinning back, "You're right! We'll be the best! Yosh!"

Naruto blinks at him for a moment, then grins back, "Yosh!"

--

Lee thinks he hates the teachers. While they never really liked him, they didn't /hate// him. Not like how they do Naruto. And since he's sitting next to Naruto, he gets the secondary dislike. Not that he really cares. None of these teachers are Gai-sensei, and their opinions don't /matter//.

The problem is that he can see it is killing Naruto inside. His friend was so /excited// about being a ninja, but the classes do everything they can to break Naruto. If they had a sensei that wasn't actively trying to hinder them, it wouldn't be so bad. If the teacher was just /apathetic//, then Lee could help out.

He's seriously thinking of asking the Hokage to do something about it.

He's getting sick and tired of having to fix all the mistakes that the so-called /teacher// tells Naruto in taijutsu. The useless man even goes as far as pulling Naruto aside, teaching him improper moves. It's lucky that Lee /knows// the entire style, and can do things that bring Naruto to the level he should be.

He feels a bit odd now, though. Less driven than he normally is. He's not sure what's bringing this on, so he mostly ignores it. He thinks it is just from him already knowing everything they're teaching him, so he doesn't feel like he needs to catch up. He can even answer the sheets that they give Naruto. The ones meant to trip the boy up. He just trades papers, and fills it out.

Naruto knows not to thank him for that in public. It gets them /both// in trouble. It really isn't worth it. Not in any way.

He really does think he hates the teachers.

--

Lee bows politely to the ninja pretending to be a secretary at the desk in front of the Hokage's office, and walks in at her nod. Naruto copies him sloppily, and hurries behind him excitedly. It is time to talk to the... old man, and see how they can fix the problems in the academy teaching system.

He bows to the Sandaime, saying politely, "Hokage-sama."

Naruto shuffles next to him, copying him again, "Hokage-sama!" The boy can't be quiet, but Lee wasn't very quiet at this age, either. He also knows Naruto has more energy than a squirrel on a sugar high, so the fact that Naruto is even bowing is a point hard won.

Sarutobi sits up, looking at them with concern in his eyes. "Is everything okay, Lee and Naruto? Normally you just come right in. And what's with this 'Hokage-sama' nonsense? No grandpa, or old man?"

He blinks, not having expected this. But he'll stick to his plan. "Hokage-sama," he starts, "I am-"

"Lee," Sarutobi says, reaching over the desk to take his hand, "You may be learning to be a ninja now, but that doesn't mean you no longer need to call me grandpa. I don't need the formality. Not with you two."

He /really// isn't expecting this. Sure, when he was younger, the Hokage showed up sometimes to encourage the orphans, but never to this extent. It's kind of... it's giving him warm and fuzzy feelings. Like he /does// have a grandfather. The idea is appealing.

He shuffles his feet, unable to fight down his blush, "Grandpa."

The hokage smiles at him, looking incredibly happy, "There we go, Lee!" He turns to Naruto, "And you?"

Naruto grins happily, standing up straight, "Old man!"

When Sarutobi's face falls, Lee gently pokes Naruto in the side, saying with a small, "Grandpa. We all him /grandpa//." Because seeing the Hokage so hurt at the words is painful, and he hates that.

Naruto looks a little nervous, but says cautiously, "Grandpa?"

The Hokage's smile is worth it. Lee walks over to the man, and smiles when he's tugged onto a leg. Naruto follows, and they're both held in a happy hug, relaxing him more than he'd ever thought a hug would do. The Hokage rubs their backs, saying, "So, what are you here for? Having fun at the academy?"

Naruto flinches, and says softly, "Yeah. It's... fun, grandpa."

Lee sits up, shaking his head. He's /not// allowing this. He /can't// allow it. He now knows why Naruto let himself be bowled over by these horrible teachers. Disappointing the Hokage is something that feels painful. He's glad he has an adult's perspective, or he wouldn't be able to do this. "No. We are /not//. The teachers insult Naruto, and do everything they can to ruin him. They are crushing the springtime of his youth, and stomping down the flowers of his enthusiasm!"

Sarutobi blinks at him, looking confused, "Flowers of enthusiasm?"

"Yes!" He sits up, pointing at the Hokage, "They do everything they can to ruin him! I have had to take far more time than needed correcting Naruto's incorrect taijutsu stances! They take him out to train him separately, and I have heard multiple teachers call him a demon!" Well, he /hasn't//, but he knows from the glare the teachers give that they're thinking it. One has spoken to another in the hallway about how they hate dealing with a monster in the class. He wants them /gone//.

Sarutobi breathes in sharply at that, and looks at him and Naruto. The man looks at Naruto in the eyes, "Is this true?"

Naruto shrinks a bit, nodding unhappily. "Y-yeah. I also get way harder worksheets to do. Lee-kun trades with me, so I get the right ones."

At the Hokage's sharp glance at him, Lee closes his eyes, saying, "We trade back when we finish. He puts down his name on the sheet he was supposed to get, and I use the one he answered. The teachers don't know, and just think that Naruto answers everything." He opens his eyes, and the Hokage's eyes no longer look accusing, but but are now full of worry. Lee takes Naruto's hand, letting the boy squeeze his fingers as he talks, "They are chunin level questions. Something he would never be able to answer."

He's opened himself to accusation now. He's /six//. No six year old with limited education can answer those questions. He can only answer them because he learned all the theory before. He's not sure /why// he knows the answers now. Before he had to do a great deal of calculations on paper to answer. Now he can just answer, the correct response popping into his mind instantly.

But no accusation comes. The Hokage just nods, looking solemn, and says softly, "I will have all the teachers looked into, Lee. Thank you for alerting me to this." They're both gently nudged off of the man's lap, and their hair is ruffled good naturedly. "You both head on home. I will deal with this." Sarutobi pauses for  moment, and then looks Naruto right in the eyes, "And I want you to know, anyone calling you demon is to be reported to the ANBU. Do you understand?"

Naruto glances at Lee, and he nods at the younger boy. He wants these horrible people to stop. Naruto bites his lower lip, and nods, "Yes, grandpa. We'll report them."

Sarutobi smiles at them, "Good."


--

Lee is feeling much better now. Naruto is no longer being harassed by the teachers. There are some adults that glare, but they no longer /say// anything. He knows there is a saying of how sticks and stones hurt, but words don't. He knows such things are lies. Someone that could have been a good shinobi can be ruined from continual harassment and insinuations that they are not any good atall. No matter how one pretends, the flower of willpower can be crushed by the harsh hail of insults. The lovely petals crushed, the strong stem broken and bent, and the leaves destroyed. All due to a lack of help and belief combined with loud anger and hate.

Naruto's flower is flourishing now. His friend isn't the top of the class by any means, but he certainly isn't dragging in the bottom, below the civilian born. Naruto is around the middle of the class, just like how Lee is.

He had considered jumping to the top of the class, and rushing there the entire time. It just isn't what he wants, when he's thinking about it. He won't pull away from Naruto. The boy needs him here, and if he goes to the very top of the class, he will leave Naruto behind. Lee has too much knowledge, and too much experience. He would be rookie of the year, and he /knows// what happens then.

He gets stuck with the top female ninja, and the bottom of the class reject. It isn't /worth// it. Staying in the middle means that he can stick with Naruto, and any girl ninja that is good enough to pass. He knows due to politics - ones that Gai-sensei beat into him so he can understand - Naruto will be getting into a team were they /have// to be ninja. Naruto is the fourth Hokage's son and has the Kyuubi inside of him. There is /no// way that Naruto isn't passing.

But right now, he's doing chakra control exercises. He needs it to be precise, since he relies on it to help with his taijutsu. He mostly just does this in class, where he can do this and not think too much. He'll answer when called on, but that's it.

His current exercise is paper folding. It's kind of difficult, but not impossible. He puts his finger on the paper, and drags it along the paper, putting down chakra as he goes. He has to do it unconventionally, since he has underdeveloped chakra coils, but that doesn't stop him. He's even gone a step further, by flattening out every crease when he's taken it out of the folded result.

Naruto pokes him in the side, saying softly, "You aren't going to get your wish if you keep /unfolding// your crane. You need to keep them folded."

He pushes the now flat square of paper away, "I'm not folding a thousand cranes, Naruto-kun. We only have the one peice of paper to use for this." He only /barely// convinced the teacher to give him it, too. It's a really thick sheet of paper, and he burned and shredded through several accidentally. He is trying to keep this safe.

"We could get you a cardboard box to use." Naruto pouts at him, looking at him like a very sad puppy. "I'd like to have the cranes around our apartment."

He has to close his eyes so he isn't suckered into agreeing. "No. I need to work on chakra control. You do, too. Have you been doing the floating exercise?"

He opens his eyes in time to see that pout turn to a grumpy glare. Naruto slumps in his desk, scowling at the front of the class. "/Yes//."

"Has the leaf stayed on your forehead?"

Naruto slumps further in his seat, looking unhappy, "No."

He nods, "I think we should try it on another part of your body instead." Somewhere that it is /harder// to push chakra to. Naruto has so much, that using the places people normally do, means that it gets overpowered. It really isn't worth it, since the leaf Naruto uses is either shredded apart, or is blown far and wide away.

That gets a cool glance at him from the corner of a narrowed eye. Naruto rarely trusts some of Lee's suggestions. They aren't exactly... conventional. It isn't /his// fault he didn't know that the weights were too heavy! He used to have them when Gai-sensei gave them to him!

But it seems that he put too much on someone far too young. Naruto still hasn't forgiven him for that five day stay at the hospital. Lee wasn't happy, either! He had to stay for a /month//. Something about smashing growth plates or something. He barely paid attention, since he was /so bored//. They fixed it, so whatever.

Naruto's tone is cold, "And where would the new part be?"

He reaches into his desk, pulling out pieces of paper that are the same general size of a leaf. He hands it to his friend, saying softly, "Try the middle of your upper arm." That doesn't have the tenketsu points anyone can use easily.

Naruto takes the paper reluctantly, and then places one on his upper arm. "If this doesn't work..."

He shakes his head, "Just remember, you want to use a /little//. It isn't like a jutsu. This is about control." He pats Naruto's hand gently, "Be /careful//. We don't want things broken. Just be careful about-"

"Lee!" the teacher snaps. "Do you want to tell everyone what your conversation is about?"

His first instinct is to snap out that '/No//, he /doesn't// want to tell anyone what he's doing!' but that thought is pushed aside. It doesn't hurt to tell others what he's doing. He sits up, smiling at the teacher with a wide grin, "Well, Sensei, I was explaining to Naruto that the point of chakra control exercises is about how well you use the chakra, not about how much you use. In fact, overpowering it means that you're more likely to ruin what you're using than to make it work."

The teacher - Lee's never really bothered to learn the guy's name - frowns, clearly irritated he didn't catch them in something they aren't discussing.They /are// talking about the control exercises, or Lee would have done the snappy answer. He doesn't like how the teacher gives Naruto dirty looks, even if the man doesn't do anything to hurt Lee's friend. The teacher says, "How about you show everyone a control exercise?" The man is smug, and Lee is not impressed. The man is trying to show him up.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to do the normal exercises, sensei. It is well known that my chakra coils do not allow me to do the ones others can do. I can only push out my chakra to my skin, and only a very little bit further."

"But you were doing one, weren't you?" The man's tone is far too /smug//. It puts him on edge, and worries him.

"I was, sensei."

"So show us."

He wonders what the man's game is. The man seems to be a bully and barely worth his time. He wonders if the man is going to try to force him into a advanced class, where he won't have Naruto with him. The idea is ... terrifying. The thought of being without Naruto - the bright ray of sunshine keeping him sane when he's so /bored// and sick of being in a tiny room surrounded by children - it makes him ill. He will not. He /won't//. He /can't//.

He narrows his eyes, and says slowly, loudly, and clearly, "No."

The children around him inhale sharply, looking worried. Such... insolence is not tolerated, and Lee knows it. He doesn't /care//.

The teacher looks faintly surprised, "No?"

He leans forward over his desk, elbows on it, and hands folded under his chin in blatant defiance. He will not let this man tear him away from Naruto. He /will not//. "I don't see how showing it will help anyone. The correct way to do the exercises require not moving. I can not do that, so anyone doing it my way will not get the benefit needed."

The teacher raises a single eyebrow, "Really? Well, since you refuse to do that, I'm going to have to punish you."

He hums softly, knowing he /did// disobey. But he will not leave Naruto, no matter what. "And what would this punishment be, sensei? Scrubbing the floors? Cleaning the erasers? Washing the board? Scraping the des-"

The teacher looks irritated, clearly unhappy he has listed all the normal punishments, and that cuts the man out from them. If the teacher were sensible, then he'd tell Lee to do everything he's listed. But that isn't meant to be, since he's interrupted with, "You will stand in the hallway. Fill up the buckets and stand there, holding them."

The punishment for being /tardy//, then. He just uses it as training, so he doesn't say anything as he slides out of his chair. He will be remaining in this class. He will be with Naruto, safe and happy.

--

Lee lays on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, absently petting Naruto's hair while the boy sits on the floor next to him. Naruto giggles, and says, "Lee?"

"Hmm?"

"So, I was thinking..."

"Amazing. Such a rare occurrence. We should celebrate." He's pretty tired. They were training all day, and Lee wants take a nap.

Naruto bats his hand away, making a face at him. "So /mean//. But I was /thinking//."

He nods, "Yes? About what?"

"So! We've lived together /forever//, right?"

Only about four years, really. They're eight now, and he knows that they've lived in this apartment since they were four. "We have, Naruto-kun. A very long time." He smiles, turning a bit so he's now staring at Naruto. "Four years."

The blond boy grins at him, white teeth flashing brightly, "Yeah! So, I think we should be /official//."

"Official? This sounds very serious, Naruto-kun. Are you thinking we will get married? I'm sorry, but I do not think of you like that." He's too young to have more than a crush. And he is actually just too /old// to look at the other kids in class. His body is too young, and his mind is too old. He's not going to be interested in anyone any time soon.

Naruto frowns at him, "/No//! I mean we're /brothers//!"

He pauses, thinking about it, and he grins. "Yes. We are brothers." He likes that. It gives a very solid feeling straight into his heart. He has /family//. Naruto is his family. It feels wonderful to have a word to use for /why// he won't leave Naruto. Instead of a feeling of need to stay, and keep the boy safe and close, he knows it is because he has a /brother//. Someone close to him he loves, and wants safe. He runs his fingers through Naruto's spikey hair, "My precious person. My brother."

Naruto looks like Christmas came early, the boy is so excited and happy. "Brothers!" Naruto goes from the floor to hopping into Lee's bed, laughing merrily. "You're my brother!"

He lets the younger boy hug him, and hugs back just as tightly. "Yes. Brothers."

Naruto holds him like that for a long time, thm just laying there, absorbing the happiness the other is leaking out. But after awhile, Naruto gets twitchy, pulling away. "But!"

He sits up slowly, "But?"

"We gotta make it /official//."

He nods, "I suppose we could ask grandpa to get paperwork for-"

"No!" Naruto hops in the bed, shaking him, "No! We're /blood brothers//."

He blinks, "What?"

"We're gonna share our blood."

This... is something he's never encountered before. "How do we do that?"

Naruto jumps out of the bed, and rushes off yelling to him, "We /share// our blood!" There's he sound of clattering, "We're gonna mix our blood! It'll be great!"

He blinks, "Mix our blood? How?" It actually sounds kind of dangerous.

Naruto walks in carefully, holding a kunai. Lee beat weapon safety into the boy. Literal beating. Just like how Gai-sensei taught him! Naruto walks over to him with a smile, "We'll cut open our arms, and then mix our blood!" Naruto sits next to him, "I'll start and-"

He gently pushes the kunai away, "We're not doing this on my bed." He can tell that Naruto isn't going to be dissuaded from doing this. "On the floor, and go get a bowl." He's not going to be scrubbing blood out of the floor. He keeps this place /clean//. It looks nice, and he's keeping it that way.

The kunai is put in his and, and Naruto runs off again. Lee moves to the floor, placing the kunai on a clean piece of paper. It's the best he can do, and he may think the floor is clean, but he wouldn't eat off it. And he wouldn't let it get on an open wound, that's certain.

When Naruto is back, Lee has a place set up, as clean as he can make it. He just hopes that this will be enough. He has bandages next to it, since he knows Naruto will dig /way// too deep into his own arm.

The younger boy sits across from him, looking excited, "Okay! I can do this!" Lee's just glad they're wearing short sleeves, since he doubts that Naruto would think ahead enough to move the sleeves otherwise. He winces as Naruto slashes down far too deep into his forearm, making it look like a suicide attempt.

He grabs the kunai, and cuts his own forearm quickly, barely paying attention as it goes much to deep. He's too worried about Naruto to care about himself, and he hurriedly shoves their bleeding forearms together.

They both gasp in pain as it happens, Naruto whimpering eyes closed. "Brothers."

He watches as a bit of red flamed chakra licks at their wounds, making his entire arm utter agony. He's just glad Naruto isn't seeing this. "Brothers!" His grin is more of a grimace, but he pulls through it. It takes a bit, but the demonic chakra dies down, and he can finally pull his arm away.

Naruto drops on the floor, unconscious.

He can see how his brother's arm is bleeding sluggishly, but Lee's arm is aching all the way up to the shoulder, and he has to bandage it quickly and efficiently. He's not looking forward to tomorrow, but he'll pull through.

He bandages up Naruto, and places the boy in bed before cleaning up the mess. His arm aches.

--

Lee is /incredibly// glad they are finally in the last year of academy. Even if he's kind of nervous being in the class they're in. It is /filled// with clan heirs. It is kind of creepy. Naruto and Lee are the oldest ones in the class, and it /freaks him out//. Lee is a no name orphan, and Naruto's father was the fourth Hokage. He's not sure he should even be in this class. It's like they're prepping him to be thrown away.

He can't let that happen. He has to be with Naruto. Naruto is his brother.

He grabs Naruto's arm, and he feels a little better when he gets a squeeze back; his brother rubbing on his scars, easing his tension. Naruto will be better equipped to talk to all the people here. There's even Iruka-sensei teaching them. He knows the man is nice, and will be one of Naruto's precious people.

Naruto pulls him alone, grinning at everyone. He hides behind the younger boy, flinching at every look. He feels out of place here. He could deal with the previous years, but now this one is filled with people he /knows//. And he also knows that last year Tenten and Neji got into a team. Without him. Some other dead last got that. He bets that Gai-sensei has them. He doesn't get to be with Gai-sensei, and it burns deep in the back of his chest.

He sits in a desk, and Naruto stands behind him, running fingers through Lee's hair. He has long hair still, since Naruto yelled at him years ago when he tried to cut it. His little brother loves his long hair, playing with it when he can. Lee can't bring himself to stop his brother from doing it, either. It's ... relaxing to have his hair played with.

It's a good distraction from how utterly hurt and scared he is.

He ends up letting his eyes drift closed, falling asleep to Naruto brushing out his hair.

When he wakes up, it's to yelling about how everyone needs to get into a seat, and stop socializing. He jerks his head up, and blinks in confusion when it sounds like bells. Looking at his hair, he sighs. It looks like Naruto decided to prank him. He has bells braided into his hair, and it will be incredibly difficult to remove them.

He's a ninja. He can move silently. No matter how much his brother wants him to make noise.

Iruka looks at him and sighs, "Don't sleep in this class."

He adjusts how his braids are, moving them so he won't disturb the bells at every little movement. "Yes, sensei."

Iruka nods, looking at all of them. The man points at Shikamaru, "That includes you, too."

The Nara scowls, and nods, muttering something that could possibly be acceptance. Lee already knows that direction will be ignored. At least Lee has Naruto, and he'll be keeping his brother from the bottom of the class.

--

Lee stares at Mizuki and Iruka. This feels... incredibly unfair. "Sensei?"

Iruka flinches, and says, "I'm sorry, Lee, but the test is-"

"Is to make two clones," he says faintly, feeling like he's been betrayed. "I can not... I... I can't..."

Mizuki gives him an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Lee. This is what was chosen. Maybe you could /try// to-"

He steps back, staring at the floor, and wishing it would swallow him whole. "I can not, sensei." He gives them a pleading look, "Maybe I could do something else to show how I can be a ninja? I can show you how I can walk up the walls? I could-"

Iruka shakes his head, "No, Lee. It is the clone."

Mizuki touches Iruka's arm, "Come on. Maybe we could-"

"No. We /can not//. It is the clone." Iruka looks Lee right in the eyes, "I'm /so// sorry, Lee. Maybe next year?"

He flinches away, feeling like there's a hole in his stomach, acid eating away at it. "Maybe." No. Not next year at all. He's already a year late, and he won't even have Naruto. He /has// to have his brother. He needs his brother.

And he can't, since he's being left behind.

He walks out, heading to the playground at the school. he curls up on a swing, feeling like a fool and a failure. He is so /stupid//. He'd thought that he could do this. He could do it /last time//. He passed,and he got to be in a team with Gai-sensei.

Now he just wonders if the only reason he passed last time was because of Gai-sensei bending over backwards to get him. He's just not what Gai-sensei wants now. Not a dead last nothing he can work up to perfection. It burns, and he hates it.

He flinches when he sees Naruto come over. He has to close his eyes, so he doesn't feel the humiliation of failing his little brother like this. When he hears Naruto drop on the swing, he whispers, "Congratulations. I'm sure your team will-"

"I failed. I can't /do// clones. You worked me over and over on my control, and it turns out it just... /isn't enough//."

He opens his eyes, and he sees now what he didn't see at the glance before. Naruto's clothing is scuffed up, and he looks heartbroken. Lee reaches over, and tugs the younger boy into his lap, off the swing. Holding him tight, he says, "Well... maybe next year?"

Naruto huffs out a bitter laugh, "I really wanted to be on a team with Sakura-chan, Lee. I wanted it so badly."

Lee had been surprised to find out that when he looked at Sakura, he felt /nothing//. She was this bratty and screechy kid that he really wished would shut up. Academy students are /so young//. The idea of a relationship with one makes him ill. It makes him feel better about his adoration of her, though. It means he's let that go early in the year.

He rubs Naruto's back, "Well, maybe we'll get a prettier one next year?"

"No one is prettier than Sakura-chan, Lee. No one."

Lee wouldn't know about that. If he's honest with himself, he thinks Iruka is pretty. That scar on the man's face? Does not detract /at all//. If anything, makes Lee want to lick it. But he's not going to do anything, since everyone thinks he's /twelve//. Even though he was twenty when he died or whatever happened. He looks twelve, and he's told /absolutely no one// about that weird room he got placed in before coming here.

So he doesn't get to hit on a hot sensei.

He just keeps rubbing Naruto's back, ignoring as various parents mutter about how it's good Naruto didn't graduate. He doesn't hear a single whisper of monster or demon, so he can't really yell at them. He just has to help his brother through the pain of failure.

He's considering leaving when Mizuki shows up. The man is nice enough, and did try to help him pass, so he pushes away his anger at failing, and greets the man as cheerfully as he can, "Hello, Mizuki-sensei."

Naruto echoes the greeting faintly, looking hurt. Mizuki stands next to them, "Hello, Lee-kun, Naruto-kun. I know how hard you worked to pass, so I wanted to give you both a secret mission so you /can//!"

He's never heard of a secret mission. Really, it seems kind of fishy. Not something that happens. Konoha is pretty open about how it gets ninja. Ones passed by a jounin are specially trained and exhibited in public showings, while the ones failed by the jounin are placed in the general corps to work up in rank in their own time. They aren't terribly powerful, but are still ninja. It's just that jounin sensei teach fancy moves, and give special attention.

But Naruto doesn't know that. The boy practically vibrates, looking excited, "Really?"

Mizuki nods, "Yes. I can't offer this normally, since it needs two people to pass. The both of you will need to work together to do it."

Okay, that sounds more likely. Teams are normally three or four person cells, but a two person group is certainly possible. Teamwork is what they're all about. Making sure everyone is safe. He smiles at Mizuki, feeling better, "We can do it!"

"I know you can," their sensei says, grinning back at them.

--

Oh, Kami, this is the stupidest thing they've /ever// done. And Lee knows that he's done some /stupid// things. Really stupid things. Like challenging Killer Bee to a rap and fight off. He'd failed that miserably.

But they are sneaking into the Hokage's office to find a big stupid scroll. He's pretty sure they're more likely to be kicked out of the village or executed than getting this thing, but Naruto is certain they can do it. There's one thing he's learned, and that is to /never// bet against Naruto. His brother is a coiled string of surprises, and he knows that if Naruto wants it then that's what is going to happen.

So he heads in, letting Naruto distract Grandpa, and grabs the scroll. It's as large as the ones Tenten used to use for sealing her weaponry, and every bit as unwieldy. When he gets back to the office, Naruto is bouncing from foot to foot, looking nervous, and Grandpa is slumped across the desk.

He frowns, "What did you /do//?"

"I did the henge thing you yell at me for using!"

Ugh, that thing. He really dislikes it, since the twenty year old part of him is head over heels for that, and the rational part of him is really grossed out he thinks that way. His young body is just plain confused. "Fine. We don't have time." He puts a small scroll on the top of the desk, curling one of grandpa's hands around it.

"What's that?"

He tugs Naruto along, "A note to him, so he knows what we're doing."

Naruto follows him, looking confused, "Doesn't he already?"

He shrugs, getting Naruto to help him carry, "I don't know. If he doesn't, the note will tell him. If he does, the note will not hurt because he's our Hokage, and telling him you're stealing something like this is never a bad thing. He needs to know we got it. We'd normally have to report to him or the missions desk if we complete a mission."

His brother hums thoughtfully, bouncing as they head to the forest while hidden in shadow, "So, why aren't we now?"

Because Lee has no clue what they're doing. He /thinks// that this is okay, but he can't be certain. It is a /secret// mission, and sometimes those have really weird requirements. Like meeting out in the woods, not letting anyone see them, and hiding if someone other than the contact comes close. Which is what they are doing.

It's the fact that they need to steal from the Hokage that has Lee on edge.

They get to the hidden part of the woods easily. He opens the scroll, and they pour it over to decide if there's anything here they want to learn. What catches his eye is the very first one. "Kage bunshin."

Naruto frowns, "The clone one? I don't wa-"

He tugs Naruto down, "You'll learn this one."

"But I /suck//, Lee! I can't just-"

"You can't use the normal one, since it uses so little chakra. This one doesn't have that problem. Try to learn it. I'll look through the others." He's not going to let Naruto lose his signature move. It helps Naruto learn faster, and his brother needs to know it. "Try to get it down to one hand sign," he says, tapping the long list of signs that need to be used. "It says once you have the feeling down, you'll only need this one." He can see the specialized hand sign that Naruto always used before. "I believe in you."

Naruto flushes brightly, and nods, looking happy. "I can do it! But you gotta look for one, too!"

He sighs, accepting it. If he can, he will. If he can't, it doesn't matter. He got by without this before, and he can do it again. But since Naruto wants him to, he will look.

He sits in a more comfortable position and peruses the scroll.

--

Lee is carefully copying and studying the various seals he's found in the scroll, curious about them - they look like... fun, and he knows he can use and activate seals - when Iruka rushes into the clearing to see them, "Lee! Naruto! What are you /doing//?"

Lee carefully rerolls both scrolls, placing his in his pouch, and making sure that Naruto isn't too tired after spending hour practicing. "We've completed a mission, Iruka-sensei."

Naruto giggles in glee, hopping up and down next to him, "Yeah! We're /awesome//! We're gonna be the best genin /ever//!"

Lee makes sure that the large scroll is correctly rolled up, no loose edges. "We passed a secret mission given to us by Mizuki-sensei, Iruka-sensei. We will get our forehead protectors, and join our new team tomorrow. I look forward to seeing who we will be working with." He hopes it isn't Ino or Sakura. They're... frustrating.

So are most of the other girls, but they aren't ones who drive him crazy. They're much more low key, and he appreciates that. He really does. But it does disappoint him that this year's female ninja are so... lackluster. It has two clan heirs, and Sakura's parents aren't slouches, either. So the fact that they're so... unfocused is just a constant disappointment.

Tenten lead the way in class by showing how to behave. Ino and Sakura act like idiots, drooling over Sasuke. It makes him glad that they don't know about Naruto's father, or they'd act like idiots around them, too.

Iruka gives them a frustrated look, "Lee... Naruto..."

Naruto perks up, chirping out, "Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"That's the /forbidden scroll//. You never should have stolen it. It isn't-"

And then Mizuki comes crashing through the trees laughing loudly, "Don't listen to him! Give me the scroll!"

Lee places the scroll behind him, Naruto yelping in shock, "What?"

He puts a hand on his little brother's shoulder, "I believe we were tricked. This is what I was worried about. It is incredibly unlikely someone who isn't even a ninja is given the chance to become one from stealing something from the leader of the village, Naruto. Iruka-sensei showing up only confirmed it. I had believed Mizuki because he /is// a teacher."

"Was," Iruka snaps, glaring at Mizuki. "He /was// a teacher. He isn't now! That's for sure!"

Naruto looks confused, "Why would he do that?"

Mizuki laughs again, looking menacing, "Because of this village! That's why! Naruto, Lee! You want to know /why// the village hates you?"

Iruka's eyes widen in shock, "No! Don't listen to him!"

Oh, Lee knows this one. Ha, so easy. He's not all that impressed. He just starts to pick up the scroll as Mizuki says, "It's because you're a /demon//, Naruto! And because you're-"

"No!" Iruka shouts, "No!"

Lee carefully places the scroll on Naruto's back, knowing his brother will be better able to run around and hide with the henge. Mizuki ignores Iruka as it goes on, continuing to talk, "Because you're the son of a whore of a Nara and Minato Namikaze, Lee! The whore who betrayed the village, and-"

Lee stills, his brain freezing in place, unable to process any more of what the man says. His... his /father// is the fourth Hokage? And his mother is a /Nara//? He /knows// that wasn't true before. His mother was just a civilian and his father a ninja who said he should go to the academy before they died. Died in the attack by the Kyuubi.

But it /does// make sense. It shows why he's not as motivated, and why he's smarter. And now he knows what that title for the statue he chose means. He literally /is// Naruto's brother by another mother. Their father the same man, and it explains why the third Hokage allowed hem to be raised together.

He stares at Iruka, whispering softly, "You knew? I am really Naruto's brother, and you never told me?"

Naruto grabs hold of him, looking confused, "His mom wasn't a whore and a traitor! No mom would let her kd be experimented on by some guy!"

It seems like he missed a bit when he was distracted. Mizuki is monologuing about how Orochimaru experimented on Lee's mother in promise to give Lee powers, but all it did was cripple him, taking away his ability to do anything with expressed chakra. While Iruka frowns at him, "What do you mean really Naruto's brother?"

He ignores the man, tugging Naruto away when Mizuki yells out, "But now I'm finally going to do it! I'm going to /kill the demon//!"

Iruka yells out, "No!" jumping in front of the large shuriken Mizuki throws, blocking it with his back, and leaning over both him and Naruto. "Naruto! You aren't the demon!"

Naruto shakes, looking worried and confused, "But why did everyone call me one? And monster?"

Lee reaches down, patting his brother's stomach, "Just because it is sealed in you does not mean you are one. You do not think the scroll we use to put our kunai in is the kunai, do you?" He hugs his brother, nodding at Iruka, who looks relieved. "It isn't you fault that too many people are too stupid to realize the truth of what is in front of them. Being all too willing to blame you for something we could not control."

Iruka nods shakily, "R-right." Lee can see blood dripping down on them from Iruka's wound. That's not safe. "Get ot of here. The both of you. Don't let him get the scroll."

Lee nods, getting up, and dragging Naruto with him. "Come on."

"But, Iruka-sensei! We can't-"

"We have our orders, Naruto, we are to run. We protect the scroll." He's used to following orders. They're easy, even if leaving Iruka behind rips at him. He drags Naruto away, and they run to hide.

After a bit, they loop around, and see Mizuki cornering... Naruto? No. A puff of smoke from the Naruto shows how it really was Iruka in disguise. They're yelling back and forth about Lee and Naruto. Iruka defending them, and Mizuki saying he'll kill Naruto, and... use Lee as a way to get back into the good graces of Orochimaru?

Lee feels sick. The idea of being used in any deals with the snake sannin makes him terrified and queasy. He clings to Naruto, his left arm aching like it always does when his emotions are on high. That cut from the blood brother ceremony never healed right, and he has a very nasty scar that acts up. He shakes, Naruto holding him back just as tightly. But when Iruka is about to be stabbed, his brother rushes to save their sensei, dragging Lee close behind.

Naruto punches Mizuki in the face, forcing the man back. Lee drops to his knees next to Iruka, and starts to tug off the man's flak jacket, saying, "I'll bind your wounds, sensei."

"But, Naruto needs-"

He shakes his head, saying loudly, "Naruto. Show Mizuki what you studied while we waited for him to show up."

He manages to remove the jacket as Naruto yells out, "Kage Bushin!" The clearing fills with clones, an theres sounds of a beating.

He tries to not blush as he takes off Iruka's shirt, trying to focus on bandaging and cleaning the wound. He calls out to Naruto, "Don't kill him. He needs to be interrogated for information. Make sure he's just unconscious, and still breathing. Tie him up after."

Iruka coughs, looking at him with a small smile,"You look a lot like your mother, Lee, but you are very much like your father."

He flushes looking away, "Th-thank you, sensei." He's never been told that before. Not like this. He's been compared to Gai-sensei, and not in complimentary ways. But being told he's like his parents warms him in the heart.

Naruto walks over to them, looking smug, "Yeah! I did it, Iruka-sensei. I took care of him."

Iruka smiles, looking at them both, "Close your eyes. Both of you."

Naruto does so instantly, but Lee shakes his head. He knows what this is about, having been told that Iruka gave Naruto his forehead protector. He points silently at Naruto, and at Iruka's headband, nodding his head. He points at himself and shakes his head. Iruka gives him a stern look, and he closes his eyes, knowing the man won't do this otherwise.

There is a small pressure on his forehead, and Iruka says, "Okay, open your eyes."

He does so, and he smiles when he sees Naruto wearing Iruka's old forehead protector. Naruto gasps, poking Lee's forehead, "You're a ninja now!"

He reaches up, touching it, and feeling confused about why Iruka had a spare. "It seems we both are, Naruto." He hugs the boy, "My dear little brother."

Naruto grins at him, hugging him back just as tightly, "Yeah! We're ninja, big brother!"

Iruka smiles at them, "You are."

The world greys out, and Naruto and Iruka freeze. Words pop up in front of him, "/B/Congratulations! You have finished the tutorial.//B/ Remember: to quicksave, you just need to say 'Save' aloud, and you will be able to do so!  To enter the menu say 'Pause' and to leave, say 'Unpause.' For more information, please consult the manual!"

He guesses this proves that first room wasn't just some dream he had. Not that he was really thinking that anymore. Everything is just kind of odd, and he's been rolling with it. It isn't like he can do much else.

The text goes away, and shows a new set. A list, in fact.

/B/MENU:
NEW GAME
QUIT
CONTINUE
SAVE
STATS
HELP//B/

He stares at it, unsure what is even going on. He touches the save text, and the world rushes around him before stopping suddenly with a great deal of empty boxes in front of him. Unsure of what else to do, he touches one.There's a small grinding sound, and then a loud chime of  bell with large letters informing him he's saved the game. The box he touched now has a picture of him grinning and holding up his scarred arm. For some reason the arm in the picture has chakra radiating out of it, and his fingers are more like sharp claws. He wonders what that's about.

He steps back, and the world rushes around him again, bringing him back to the... menu. He presses his hand against the word help, curious what it will tell him.

The rushing of the world around him is weird, but nothing he can't get used to. He guesses if he were a civilian, he'd react worse to it. But this is just... moving really fast, while not moving.

The help menu thing isn't helpful. At all.

He stares as the text slowly changes on its own. From, "DODGE IN ORDER TO NOT GET HIT," to, "FALLING TOO FAR CAUSES DAMAGE," to, "PEOPLE DIE WHEN THEY ARE KILLED! SAVE OFTEN!" to, "SECRET ACHIEVEMENTS ARE SECRET," and he just stops when it gets to, "NINJUTSU IS A VERY POPULAR AND USEFUL BRANCH OF CHAKRA USE."

He steps back, closing his eyes and groaning. When he feels up to looking again, he touches the stats, just because it seems like a thing to do. If they're anything like that traitor's ninja info cards, he's never going to look again.

/B/Rock (Namikaze) Lee.
Rank://B/ Genin (/Probationary//)
/B/Age://B/ Twelve
/B/Family://B/ Uzumaki (Namikaze) Naruto, Hiruzen Sarutobi (/Honorary//)
/B/Team://B/ Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi (/Probationary//)
/B/Misions Completed://B/ A Rank; 1

/B/Rivals://B/ One (Uchiha Sasuke)
/B/Love Interests://B/ One (Umino Iruka)

/B/Hospital Visits://B/ Twenty-three
/B/ANBU Spotted://B/ Five
/B/Cranes Folded://B/ Five thousand, three hundred, and fifteen

/B/Special Abilities://B/ The Nara Mind (/Inherited//), Fuinjutsu affinity (/Inherited//), Youki Arm (/Implanted//), Motivated (/Rollover Trait/)
/B/Drawbacks://B/ Underdeveloped Chakra Coils (/Implanted//), Laziness (/Inherited//)

He blinks at the words, tapping words randomly. Words that are italicized get a small sign that pops up, explaining them The probationary genin and team is explained in a kind of worrying way. If he fails the test he's given, then he will lose, and have to restart. He's not sure if restarting means from a save, or from an entirely new beginning. But he'll keep that in mind.

Sarutobi is in family, since both the Hokage and Lee consider the man part of his family. While the inherited abilities and drawbacks means that he got them from his parents, the implanted ones mean that they were put in him forcibly, and rollover trait means that in his 'previous game' he had that one stuck to him so much he still has it now. He's not sure how it combines with the laziness drawback, but he seems to be fine?

He thinks it is a little embarrassing that it lists /Iruka// as a love interest. Yes, he thinks the man is very attractive, but that doesn't mean he's going to make a move! He looks way too young for Iruka to be interested in him. ... Well, maybe not make a move. He's not going to stop looking at te man. He's a genin. That means he's a legal adult, and if he wants to stare at a grown man, he can stare at a grown man.

While the rivals confuses him. Why is /Sasuke// there? He certainly doesn't consider Sasuke a rival. He didn't know that the boy even paid attention to him. It seems kind of stupid that Sasuke thinks of him as a rival. He deliberately stayed out of the Uchiha's way. He doesn't want anything to do with the traitor.

And he's glad that Naruto won't be dealing with the heartbreak involved with Sasuke's inevitable betrayal. Lee thinks that with all the chances to come back, Sasuke lost any chance of redemption. Constant refusals to be allowed back into the village means Lee has no intention of giving Sasuke the opportunity to stab him in the back.

Something he's really happy about is /Hinata//. The girl is exactly what he wanted for his team. He didn't try to hope to get her, since he was expecting Ino or Sakura, but now that he knows? /Oh, Kami, yes.//

He has no clue what this team is going to do, but he has Naruto, and he has Hinata. He has come out on /top//.

He steps back, and ends up on the main menu again. He isn't sure how to leave, so he hits quit. It prompts him with, "Are you sure you want to quit? Any unsaved information will be lost."

It makes him nervous, and he presses the word no. He doesn't think this is the right way to leave the grey area. He vaguely remembers it telling him instructions earlier, so he thinks back before finally remembering what it said. "Unpause."

The world jumps back to full color, Naruto hopping around in excitement with Iruka grinning at them both. "How about we go out to get ramen?"

He can see how Iruka is wincing, even with the bandages. "I think we should get you to the hospital, Iruka-sensei. When you are healed, that would be a fun way to celebrate." He ignores Naruto's unhappy protests. Even with Lee making the food, ramen is still his brother's favorite food. The meals out with Iruka are something they all look forward to. Even if the man hadn't cared for them in the beginning of the year, Iruka has grown on them exponentially.

Iruka stands up with their help, "After reporting to the Hokage, I'll head to the hospital. Go home, boys. I want you at school bright and early. We can get ramen for lunch tomorrow."

Naruto hugs Iruka tightly, and Lee moves his brother's arms so they don't hit the wound. He hugs Iruka as well, giving in to the urge to relish the touch. He can't help who he likes, and he likes Iruka. He doesn't know if he'll get over this or not.

But heading home is easy enough, and they get there quickly. It only takes them a short time to wash up, and then they are both in bed. He's asleep almost the instant his head hits the pillow.

--

When they get to school, Lee grabs Naru's arm, pulling his brother with him. The younger boy scowls at him, "Lee! I wanna sit with Sakura-chan!"

He shakes his head, "She's not even here yet. Besides, we're sitting with Hinata-san."

The shy girl is sitting in back, staring down at the desk. Naruto pouts, "Why? She's weird."

He sigh, "Hinata-san is nice, little brother. She likes you."

While Naruto is processing that, a particularly blank look on his face, Lee pushes his brother in the middle chair, next to Hinata. He sits on the third seat, saying cheerfully across his brother's front, and giving a quick wave, "Hello, Hinata-san!"

She stares at him in shock, "L-Lee-san." She blushes brightly, glances to the boy between them, "N-N-Naruto-kun."

His brother is still just staring blankly at nothing so Lee says, "He says hello, too. I just told him something he wasn't expecting. He'll be back to normal before too long."

She looks less crushed at that, nodding nervously, "O-okay, Lee-san."

He reaches over, and pats her on the hand, "Calm down, Hinata-san. Everything will be okay. How is Neji-kun?" He probably shouldn't call her cousin that, but he can't help it. He thinks of Neji as his friend, even if thinking of the boy thinking of him as a love interest once is still kind of mind boggling. It isn't something he'd ever thought of before that statue room.

She smiles at him, "Nii-san is okay. He likes training a lot. Gai-sensei works with him a lot."

He ignores the stab in his heart from that, and relaxes slightly, then Naruto grabs his arm, rubbing the scars. His brother must have noticed his unease at the mention of his old teacher. "I'm glad he's doing well."

Naruto frowns at him, "You jammed your arm into me. Are you hurting?"

He blinks, looking at his arm. "No more than normal."

"Your arm?" Hinata looks at him with concern, "What's wrong with it?"

He laughs softly, shaking his had,and rubbing the back of his head with his right hand, "It's nothing, Hinata-san. Don't wor-"

Naruto scowls at him, "Don't say that! Your arm is really bothering you today! I saw how you were shaking this morning!"

His emotions are all screwed up, that's all. He knows he will need to do something with Kakashi's test, but he doesn't know what it is. He was never told what it was, just that Gai always complained how the man failed every team that ever tried it until team seven. Gai's taught one other team than Lee's old team, but Gai never talked about them. Lee got the impression they died during a chunin exam. He'd never asked because Gai always looked so /sad// if they were mentioned.

He pulls away, "I'm fine."

"Bullshit!" Naruto snaps, grabbing his arm back. "I had to wrap up your arm."

He sighs, knowing that's true. "I'm just worried. What if we're separated?" According to the stat page, they won't be, which is why he wanted to sit with Hinata. But Naruto can't know that.

Naruto's eyes widen, turning in his seat so they're face to face. His brother grabs his arm, left hand to left hand, fingers clasped tightly, "It /won't// happen! We're brothers! Blood brothers! Grandpa knows that! He won't tear us apart!"

He sighs, "I guess. I still need to talk to him." He'll be confronting the Hokage about their father. This is something that /should// have been told to him.

His brother grins, "We can do that at lunch!"

He pulls away, looking back to the front of the class, "We're going to be eating with Iruka-sensei, remember? We can see him after we meet with our jounin instructor."

Naruto leans against him, "We're gonna be the best nnja!"

He pats his brother's arm, watching as Iruka comes in. The man tells them a speech that he knows was generally said when he graduated the fist time, and starts to list off various people. Pretty much no one interests him until, "Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and Rock Lee."

He smiles, sitting up straighter Naruto nudges him, saying in a loud whisper, "I /told// you we wouldn't get split up."

He nods, smiling back while Iruka says, "Team Eight: Amurame Shino, Haruno Sakura, and Akimichi Chouji."

He frowns, feeling confused, "They broke up Ino-Shika-Chou?"

Naruto frowns deeply, "Eh? What's that, Lee?"

He shakes his head, listening to Iruka, "Team Nine: Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, and Amurane Torune."

Kiba's team has a person that Lee knows wasn't in any teams before. Torune is a quiet boy absolutely covered in clothing. From head to toe, no skin is showing at all. Shino explained that is cousin could only join the academy that way because of the highly toxic bugs in the boy's body. But Ino being there? This is.. really weird. They really /have// broken up a highly effective team. The clans' heir's team, even.

He wonders what brought it on.

"Team Ten: Uchiha Sasuke, Houkatama Fuki, and Nara Shikamaru."

Fuki? He only barely knows her, but i seems she's the best girl ninja? He had no clue. It's kind of sad that a no-name girl from a civilian family is top girl ninja. But, it is also really inspiring! Even if she looks constantly angry and keeps giving Ino and Sakura grumpy looks.

It seems that the Rookie Nine are now the Rookie Twelve.

Iruka looks them all over, "We'll be having a long break for lunch, so be back before noon to see your jounin-sensei."

The room bursts into murmurs, and Lee turns to Hinata, "Hinata-san! We're teammates now!"

She flushes brightly, looking at him and at Naruto nervously, "W-we are."

Naruto bursts from his seat, "Come on, Lee! Let's go get Iruka-sensei!"

He stands, grabbing his brother by the shoulder to keep the hyperactive boy from jumping over tables in an effort to get to their teacher. Still looking at Hinata he says cheerfully, "We're a team, so that means you should come with us as we head out for ramen. Would you like to join us?"

Hinata flushes even more, staying in her seat and fiddling with her fingers, "Um... I... um...."

He sighs softly, knowing it will be hard, since she's so shy. But he can't help ribbing her a tiny bit,"If you don't want to, we'll understand. You /do// have your byakugan, so having to look at Naruto must be painful."

Naruto yelps, glaring at him, "Hey! What's that about? There's nothing wrong with the way I look!"

He raises an eyebrow, and tugs on his brother's jacket. "Because bright neon orange isn't in /any way// an eyesore." He looks at Hinata, grinning, "But if you /want// to deal with my dear annoying little brother, I'm sure Iruka-sensei would be fine with you joining us."

Hinata looks interested, but incredibly worried, "I... I..."

He takes her hand pulling her up gently, "We'd like it if you joined us." He gives Naruto a sharp look, "Isn't that right?"

His brother glares at him, "What? Of course Hinata-chan can come! You said she likes me, and that means she's great! I like it when people like me!"

Hinata straightens at that "Y-yes! I'd like to come!"

He grins at them, carefully herding them past the few groups of people still in the room, and makes it to the front. "Hello, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka looks up from his papers, looking a bit like a startled deer. "Lee-kun?"

He /thinks// his voice went far too low and purry on that greeting. He forces himself to behave, and says cheerfully, "We're here because you promised to take us out to eat! You don't mind if Hinata-san comes along, do you?"

Iruka blinks, glancing over them all, "Of course not." The man stands up, yelling at the people still lingering, "Okay, everyone! Out of the room! When I said that we're getting lunch, I meant it!"

There's some protesting, but the students head out.

When they get to Ramen Ichiraku, they greet Teuchi and Ayame cheerfully. Sitting there, Lee orders pork; Naruto, beef; Iruka and Hinata, miso.

He lets Naruto's rabling roll over him, his brother talking excitedly about how they're going to be the best team of ninja ever. Hinata looks incredibly pleased at being included in this declaration, so Lee doesn't bother taming the many outrageous statements.

Well except one, "Naruto, we will not be rescuing princesses anytime soon. No one would hire genin for that sort of mission. What we're much more likely be hired to do is to rescue a cat. We can call it a princess, if you want." And when they /get// that mission, he can even come up with a convincing reason for it. Tora is the Daimyo's wife's pet. They could call her Tora-hime, or something. It may make the mission a little more bearable.

"But I'd be /great// at rescuing a princess!"

He smiles, "I don't doubt it, little brother."

Hinata glances over at him, asking softly, "Lee-san? Are you okay?"

He frowns, "I'm fine, why?"

She points at his arm, and he has to sigh. "I know it looks bad, but I'm fine. It's just been a busy few days. Don't worry." He doesn't know when Kakashi will be testing them, so he can't exactly go to the hospital to see if he can have his shaking arm fixed up. The fight with Mizuki didn't help much, even if he didn't fight. He learned things off the forbidden scroll, and practiced with seals. That sort of thing makes his arm ache. The hospital can fix it easily enough.

Just not right now.

Naruto grabs his arm, "Come on! We gotta get back to the classroom! I bet our sensei will be early! We need to be there in time for that!"

He knows that won't be happening. Kakashi is /always// late. Not that he can say that, since he technically doesn't know that their sensei is the copy-nin. "Well, let's get back."

The trip to the classroom is uneventful, and they get to their shared table without any problems. In fact, when they get there, a jounin-sensei bursts in, "Team four?"

Three people Lee knows won't be graduating all get up, following the man out. Hinata shifts in her seat, watching them go. She glances at Lee and Naruto for a long time, finally asking, "Do you think our sensei will like us?"

He heard the story how Kakashi hated Naruto from first sight. Well, that's how Naruto told it; Sakura explained that's because the boy pranked Kakashi. He won't be letting his brother do that.

He smiles at Hinata, "I'm sure he'll like us." Because who could hate Hinata? Hating Hinata is like kicking a puppy. The girl flinches at everything, and hating her just makes you feel worse.

Another Jounin walk in, saying in a calm voice "Team Nine?"

Lee blinks, staring at the jounin. "Isn't that Shino-san's father?"

Shino is in the table next to them, and must have been listening in, "It is. He must be teaching to help Torune."

He glances over at the coat covered boy,"Well, if anyone can do it, it's your father."

He can almost feel how pleased Shino is at that. "Yes."

Asuma walks in after, "Team Ten?"

He watches while Sasuke, Fuki, and Shikamaru head out. So far, it seems that the people who had lead the previous ones are the same people. Well, if Asuma and Kakashi are any indication. He doesn't know who tried to get a team last time, and failed them. He sort of doubts Shibi would have gotten a team if he didn't have an adopted son to train. Especially if he hadn't shown up to train Shino before.

When Kurenai comes in saying, "Team Eight," it just confirms it. It's kind of interesting, but it makes him wonder why Sasuke isn't on Team Seven. Wouldn't make sense for the only person with the sharingan to teach the only person that will get it?

He ruminates on this while the rest of the junin and students come then file out He's not sure what is happening, but he thinks that there is a different reason why they have Kakashi than is obvious.

He scowls at nothing while he tries to remember something he's either forgetting, or figure out what he was never told. It just doesn't make much sense as to why they're being taught by Kakashi.

Iruka comes up to them after everyone has been gone for awhile, and sits in a chair near them, "Do you guys need anything? I need to leave soon."

He frowns, not liking this, "How late is he going to be?"

Iruka sighs, "There isn't actually a time limit on when your jounin instructor needs to show up, Lee-kun. Just as long as it is before the school has to lock up for the night, he can take however long he needs."

Giving that the academy doesn't lock up until almost midnight, that isn't a comforting thought. Hinata seems to catch that, too, her sharp inhalation and unhappy expression showing it clearly. "But..." She looks at Iruka, "But my f-f-father won't... He... He'll be... be..." She stares at the table, mumbling the rest, and Lee can only barely make out, "very angry with me."

When Lee was older, Kiba told him that it took Kurenai a lot of work to get Hinata to stop believing herself to be worthless. He severely doubts that Kakashi will be doing that, so it will likely fall to Lee and Naruto.

... Good thing he isn't one to back away from a challenge.

Iruka sighs softly, "Hinata-chan, if you're all still here by the time I finish with my time at the missions desk, I'll take all three of you to the Hokage and we'll make sure that your jounin instructor gets reprimanded for it. You won't get in trouble." Iruka stands up, ruffling Naruto's hair, "Now, behave. If anything is ruined in the room when I get back, I'm holding you personally responsible. Just remember to lock up if you're gone before I return."

Naruto scowls, "Hey! How is it /my// fault if it gets messed up?"

"Because I don't want you trashing it in an attempt to prank someone." The man nods at them, "And I need to go. You behave."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," they say, waving at him as he leaves.

Naruto manages to stay patient for about fifteen more minutes before jumping out of his seat, yelling, "That's it! I can't wait anymore! I'm gonna-"

Lee grabs his brother's arm, "If you prank our jounin instructor, he's just going to hate us. Here." He reaches behind him, and tugs off the band on the end of his braid. "Play with my hair. I know you want to."

Naruto gasps in glee, pulling out a brush, and rushing behind him to comb out his hair. "I'm glad you never cut it!"

He rolls his eyes, "I'm surprised you never let your hair grow out."

"You know I can't!" Naruto's pout is clear in his voice, "Everytime I try, grandpa takes me to a barber! It's really unfair!"

Hinata gives them a confused look, "G-grandpa?"

Lee smiles, "The Hokage. He takes us out every so often. Out to eat, to get supplies. Things like that." He's never really thought of /why// the Hokage keeps making Naruto cut his hair, but now that he is, he guesses it is so Naruto doesn't look like their father. Lee is less dangerous looking, but Naruto is a spitting image of Minato Namikaze. Which makes his brother a target for assassinations. ... More of a target than 'just' holding the Kyuubi in his belly.

Hinata blinks in shock, "R-really?"

Naruto grins, "Yeah! Grandpa is great!" Lee relaxes, letting Naruto's voice roll over him. It's just relaxing to listen while Naruto brushes his hair. It feels calming and comfortable.

Hinata touches him lightly, "A-are you /sure// you're o-okay?" Her hand is on his arm, and she is frowning deeply, "Do... do you want my to try mking it hurt less?"

He blinks down at his arm, trying not to sigh when it spasms under Hinata's hand. "If you want to, I won't stop you." It won't hurt anything.

She rubbs up and down his arm, and Naruto says cheerfully,"Normally you wanna rub pretty hard. The scar is pretty deep!"

"C-can I see it?"

Naruto stops brushing his hair,saying cheerfully, "It looks a lot like mine, but bigger! He's all wrapped up, but mine isn't. Here!" Naruto takes off his jacket, and shows off the long scar on his left forearm.

Hinata inhales deeply, looking worried, "W-what happened?"

Lee tugs Naruto back into his jacket with his free hand, urging his brother back to fixing his hair, "When we were eight, we had a stupid idea.We decided to become blood brothers, and we ended up cutting ourselves up pretty badly. I healed worse, and it hurts me more. I just need to the medic-nin every so often, so they make my nerves less sensitive. That's all. It isn't like it holds me back."

"It wasn't stupid! It was great! We're brothers now, and it's awesome!"

He's not getting into a discussion about who their father is when Hinata is right here. That's not something he wants to talk about in a public place, either. It's secret for a reason. Or he thinks it is. He needs to talk to the Hokage.

He's saved from even trying to talk about how dumb they were when they were younger by the door opening. Kakashi sticks his head in, blinking at them slowly before saying, "My first impression is... You're very spoiled." The man steps in, and points to the ceiling, "We're meeting on the roof. You have five minutes!" And then Kakashi is gone.

Hinata shakes, her hands clenched around Lee's arm. "S-s-spoiled?"

Naruto growls, "We aren't spoiled!"

He sighs, standing up. "I'm pretty sure he mat that about /me//. You was massaging my arm, and Naruto was putting my hair in a braid again. Ibet I looked like the worst sort of child to him." He tugs Hinata up, "Let's go to the roof."

Naruto scowls, muttering, "Not /spoiled//. Show /him// who's spoiled. Jerk."

Placing his brother between him and Hinata, he leads his team to the roof. Kakashi is nowhere to be found, even though it took them over five minutes to get there. Hinata looks around nervously, "D-did... did he l-leave?"

He rolls his eyes, sitting down, and tugging them into joining him, "I get the impression he's just late all the time."

It is another fifteen minutes later that Kakashi shows up, jumping to sit on the railing. "So, tell me about yourselves. Name, likes, dislikes, dreams, and so on."

Naruto scowls, "We're not /spoiled//."

Kakashi tilts his head, "Still on that, blondey? How about you go first?"

Lee's little brother glares darkly, "My /name// is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kakashi makes a 'go on' gesture, and when Naruto doesn't say anything, the man sighs dramatically, "And your likes, dislikes dreams? What are those?"

Naruto huffs, "I like my brother, the Hokage, Sakura-chan, Iruka-sensei, and ramen," the boy glances at their only female teammate, adding quickly, "And Hinata-chan, too!" Naruto tilts his head, "I dislike the three minutes it takes instant ramen to cook, how people glare at me, Mizuki-teme, people who glare my brother, and when Lee makes me eat vegetables." The boy scratches his cheek, "My dreams are...I want to be Hokage. Lee and me will be Hokage together!"

Kakashi looks vaguely interested in that, but doesn't comment just pointing at Hinata, "Now you."

Hinata squeaks a bit, before flushing and staring at the floor, "Umm... I'm... I'm Hyuuga Hinata. I like..." Lee can see her glance through her hair at Naruto, "I... I l-like a... a c-certain b-boy. I d-dislike, um, b-being w-w-weak." She flushes brighter, "M-my d-dream is t-to m-m-m-.... make my f-f-father p-p-proud."

This is the most Lee's ever heard her stutter. Kakashi must be freaking her out badly if she's reacting like this. Not that the man seems to notice, just pointing at Lee, "Now you."

"My name is..." He pauses, thinking about it, "Well, that's complicated. Something came up yesterday that means I need to talk to the Hokage about that. We'll go by Rock Lee for now, since that's what I've been using. Mylikes are any and varied but include my brother and taijutsu, while my dislikes aren't something I'm going to talk about. My dream is apparently to be Hokage with my brother, since he's never told me that before, but now that I know, I'm not going to argue against it."

"Damn straight you aren't!" Naruto yells, looking pleased.

He looks at Kakashi, "And what about you, sensei?"

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. I like many things, I dislike other things, and my dreams are...." Kakashi trails off with a shrug, and then gives them that one eyed smile, "We're meeting at training ground seven at five in the morning. Don't eat anything, and don't be late!"

Hinata fidgets a bit, "W-why shouldn't we e-eat?"

"Oh, you'll just throw it up!" And with that cheerful dismissal, Kakashi disappears.

Hinata looks faint at that, and Lee sighs. What he's most irritated about is being told to show at five. He knows that Kakashi won't be on time, and Naruto will /demand// they be there. Which means he won't have time to go to the hospital for his arm.

Joy.

He grabs Hinata and his brother, "Come on. We need to go get our picture taken and register ourselves as ninja." Since he knows Naruto and him didn't yesterday. "Unless you already have, Hinata?"

She shake her head, "F-father said to d-d-do it af-after meeting my s-sensei."

"Well, we met our sensei. Let's go get our pictures taken." He'll make sure Naruto doesn't do anything foolish for his. He /saw// the boy's ID once. It looked absolutely absurd.

--

Lee is feeling incredibly irritated. Naruto grabbed him after the pictures last night, and insisted they get to bed early. Meaning he couldn't talk to the Hokage or make them a bento for today. So now he's sitting in an empty training field with his arm absolutely aching, Naruto hopping around like a caffinated puppy, and he's hungry.

He's not happy, and that honestly doesn't help his arm any. Negative emotions make the pain climb like nothing else, which only provides a feedback loop. The only way to stop it is to /go to a medic-nin//. And whenever he tries, Naruto yelps and drags him back.

"You can't go! What if Kakashi-sensei shows up?"

He rubs his arm, "If he shows up, he'll tell me to go to the hospital." Gai-sensei would have. He doesn't know about Kakashi. It's just the /sensible// thing to do. Send your student to the hospital if he can't do anything from how much pain he's in.

Hinata is curled up against the bridge railings, asleep. From how she limped to the training ground, he thinks her father gave her far too harsh training last night. He really doesn't care for her father.

Lee manages to force himself to sleep, too. Anything to get rid of the pain in his arm.

--

He jerks awake to the yell of, "You're late!"

He blinks muzzily while Kakashi says, "I got lost on the road of life."

Which makes Naruto yell, "Liar!"

He gets up, tucking his left arm against his chest, "Are we going to train?"

Kakashi chuckles, "No, no. I didn't tell you this earlier, but this is another test to make sure you're /really// genin."

Naruto growls out, "We /are// genin. We registered and everything."

Kakashi chuckles again, looking amused, "No, that isn't the same thing. This is survival training. It's why I told you not to eat. The test has a sixty-six percent failure rating. You're not going to pass."

Lee isn't impressed with this little speech, but he doesn't say anything. Naruto is saying enough for everyone, "You don't know that!"

More chuckling. "I've never passed a team yet." The man holds up two bells, "BUt enough about that. You're going to need to get these from me before noon to pass. Anyone holding a bell by the time this clock rings, you pass."

Hinata stands next to Naruto, looking worried, "Th-there's only t-two bells, sensei."

Kakashi tilts his head, doing that eye arching smile, "Well, I guess one of you is going right back to the academy, then!"

Naruto growls angrily, and starts to launch himself at Kakashi, only for Lee to grab is brother, keeping him close. "Calm down. He's taunting us to get us angry."

"Do you really think that?" Kakashi asks, turning around to put the clock on a stump, "When I tell you to go, I want you to come at me with the intent to kill. If you don't, you'll never get the bells." One last smile, and then, "Go!"

He drags his brother into the bushes with him, hiding. Naruto pushes at him, yelling, "What are you doing? If we don' attack, we won't get the bells! We beat Mizuki, I'm not letting this jerk send us back! We've failed before, we're not failing again!"

He drags Naruto away again, using his pained left hand to silence his idiot brother this time, "Shh! You're giving away our position. You know stealth, we're using that to hide."

Naruto's eyes widen, and his brother nods quickly. Letting his arm drop, he relaxes a bit. Naruto tugs on him, "There are two bells.One for the both of us."

"What about Hinata? We can't just leave her to go back, can we?" He can tell that this test is about them working together.

Naruto flinches, saying softly, "But she /can// pass again. What if they make us do the clone again? Or make you do a transformation? We can't go back. We /can't//."

"And we won't. All three of us will pass. This is about teamwork. Three genin can take on a jounin if the jounin isn't taking them seriously." He tugs Naruto near the clearing, and Kakashi is standing there, reading a filthy book. "Does he /look// like he's taking us seriously?"

Naruto blinks, and grins, "Let's find Hinata!"

He nods, relaxing a bit, "Exactly."

Hinata is found with only a small bit of work. When they get to her, she flinches, and says, "D-do you w-want me n-n-not to try getting a bell? You both try so h-hard. You sh-should have them."

"This test is abut teamwork," he snaps, only to sigh when Hinata flinches. "I'm sorry. I'm just hurting a lot. My arm aches, and I couldn't get to a medic-nin yet."

Naruto frowns, "We'll massage it!" His brother grabs his arm, but Lee yelps in pain, and jumps away. Naruto shrinks a bit, "Oh... It's hit the point where it hurts too much to massage?"

He grits his teeth, "Yes." His stupid arm hurts more than it did when Gaara crushed it and his leg. Like burning and pulverising. "Let's just fight him, and get those bells."

Naruto nods quickly, grabbing Hinata's arm, "Let's go!"

He grabs Hinata's other arm as Naruto tries to speed away, "Sorry, Hinata-san!" He yanks her, which yanks Naruto, "We need a /plan//."

Naruto shifts from foot to foot, "I can do my clones. Lots of them. I'm great at them!"

Hinata blinks, "Clones? I thought your t-transformation is y-your best jutsu."

Naruto grins, looking pleased, "I'm /awesome// at the transformation!" Naruto transforms quickly smoke hiding him for a moment, and suddenly another Hinata is there. "See? I'm /perfect//!"

Lee is getting irritated, and he has to reel in the urge to snap at his brother. H manages to say, semi-politely, "So you're distraction. You'll give a lot of clones disguised as Hinata, me, and you, then Hinata and I will attack Kakashi in the hope to get the bells. Since we're both specialized in taijutsu, and you do a lot of ninjutsu."

Hinata glances at him, "H-how am I suppose to f-fight? Y-you're m-much better than m-me."

His arm twitches in pain, and he hisses, holding it tighter to his chest for a long moment before finally responding, "I'm pretty messed up, Hinata. You're going to have to use your gentle fist. Even a glancing blow is enough to disable slightly. You're our ace. You will be how we even /get// the bells. I know you can do this, and so does Naruto. Isn't that right?"

Hinata flushes, glancing at Naruto, and Lee's brother grins, nodding sharply, "Yeah! We can do this, Hinata!"

Lee watches as Naruto makes a crowd of clones, then two thirds of them change to Lee or Hinata before rushing off. Lee runs with his team in the middle of the group before gently pushing at Naruto, "You stay back, and just keep making clones. Stay in sight, but don't let Kakashi get near you."

"Gotcha!" Naruto drops back, place getting taken by a clone.

Then they're in the clearing with Kakashi. The man is taking down all the clones easily, but that just means they can get close faster. Lee makes the fist move, attempting to hit the jounin, but the man does the /worst thing possible//. Kakashi slams a fist into Lee's left arm, and all he knows is pain.

He lands on his knees, and starts screaming, unable to do much at all. There is red, angry fire coming out of his arm, and he hears a scream joining his. Out of the corner of his eye, through the pain, he sees Naruto, covered in youki from the demon in his belly, rushing to Kakashi. The jounin does something too fast to see, and then Naruto is down on the ground next to him. He reacts without thinking, swiping his hand at the man, only for Kakashi to kick him in the side of the head.

Everything goes black.

--

Lee wakes up strapped to a hospital bed, the Hokage is sitting on a chair next to him, looking incredibly old and haggard. He coughs, his throat dry, and accidentally gets Sarutobi's attention. The man stares at him for a long moment, then holds out a glass with a straw, letting him drink. When he stops, Sarutobi says softly, "I'm sorry for this, Lee."

He blinks, "What?"

The man sighs, staring at him, "You are to be put into special training. To teach you how to use your arm correctly. It seems that you /can// use expressed chakra. The medical scan when you joined academy didn't catch that. It's just that it is only in your arm." Sarutobi leans back, away from Lee, eyes closed, and looking more confident and... demanding. It scares him a bit. He's seen Tsunade do that, and those orders always ended in the one being ordered dead. Suicide missions are never pretty. "You will be taught how to use it. Because your apartment contained written information from the forbidden scroll, you are no longer under my jurisdiction."

He wants to recoil, but he is firmly tied to the bed, unable to leave it. Instead he says, in a voice that sounds too sick and scared to be his own, "So who will I be under, Grandpa?"

Calling Sarutobi by the name he thinks of the man under seems to reage the Hokage right before his eyes. "Shimura Danzo."

His heart aches in worry. "W-what about Naruto?"

Sarutobi deflates even more, reaching over to touch Lee's arm, "He is being given special ... training, as well."

He can feel the pain of that thought like a punch to the gut by Gai-sensei. He has to blink to keep from crying in despair, "A-a-and H-H-Hin-Hinata?"

His grandfather squeezes his hand hard, "Naruto killed her when she ran to you. He was possessed, and thought she was trying to separate the both of you. While Hatake Kakashi has sustained permanent injury due to your and Naruto's attacks on him." Sarutobi shakes, "This is the last time I can speak to you like this, grandson."

His heart aches, "Have you talked to Naruto?"

"No. He is currently being... contained. If he returns, he will be in the training with you. I hope you tell him that I love him, just as I love you."

He's crying now. Sarutobi never /said// he loved them before. It was there in everything the old man did, but silent and out of hearing. "I... I love you, too." He does. Sarutobi is the grandfather he never had, the man treating him like family to be valued and cherished. Not something to be spat on or ignored like most of the villagers, even if most of their ire was focused on Naruto. "And I kn-know Naruto loves you, too."

His grandfather reaches up, dabbing Lee's eye to remove the tears. It doesn't help, he's still crying. "I know, too," the man's voice is empty and raw. Sarutobi hugs him, awkward with the straps and leaning over the bed. "Give Naruto a hug for me, too."

His voice is barely a whisper, heart aching deep in his chest, "I will, grandpa."

Then the door opens, and his grandfather has to leave, only to be replaced by Danzo. The man looks severe, standing over him with a dark scowl, "We'll see how you do."

--

The next thing he knows, Lee is standing in the white room again. He drops to his knees, holding his chest tightly, and just keeps crying. He feels like his heart has been yanked out and jumped on over and over.

He isn't sure how long he just stays like that, curled up on himself, sobbing. But when he finally collects himself, he feels empty and achey. Like his heart is gone, and he doesn't even have tears to fill the empty hole.

Standing up, he stares at the writing in front of him blankly, and not processing what's said for a bit. When he can read it, he feels confused. "Game Over. You can not become Hokage with Naruto when you are placed in Root, and must fight him to the death in order to go up in rank."

Oh... looks like he /did// still have a heart, since those words just shoved a lightning bolt straight through it. He barely notices as he touches the arrow indicating he has more messages to read. This is just filled with stats, pretty much everything that was said on the stat screen when he checked that. Only now it has at the bottom:

/B// Achievements unlocked!//B/
High cholesterol. /Eat nothing but pre-packaged ramen for a year.// (Unlocks trait: Iron Stomach)
More than just blood. /Perform blood brother ceremony with Naruto while being his sibling.// (Unlocks ability to choose two people as your siblings)
Isn't that Naruto's special ability? /Have Kurama attack in your defence!// (Unlocks Jinchuriki Lee)
Who needs emotions, anyway? /Join ROOT.// (Unlocks Living In The ROOTs Lee)
Now you're a traitor. /Kill a teammate.// (Unlocks trait: Betrayer)

Lee stares at the last one. /He// killed Hinata? Sarutobi said Naruto did. That means his grandfather lied to him to make him feel better about what was happening. And this stupid thing comes out and tells him he's a /traitor//.

It makes him ache even more. Even when he's being condemned to a fate worse than death, his grandfather loves him enough to shield him in anyway he can. Sarutobi is a good man. Family he doesn't think he deserve, but reassure more than he did before.

His hand shakes when he touches the next arrow.

"Continue from last save point? /Yes. No.//"

Save point?

His eyes widen, and he stares at those words. He can /go back//. He can return to before the test! He can /fix// the problem before it goes spiraling out of control! He'll do that! He's going to do it!

His hand is still shaking from the pain of being stomped on by an emotional beating, but he manages to press yes.

--

The world jumps to Naruto hopping around in excitement with Iruka grinning at them both. "How about we go out to get ramen?"

He stares at them, feeling confused. Where is he? He doesn't know what is going on? His heart aches in pain when he sees Naruto yelling in glee, "Yeah! Ramen!"

He can't help it, he drops to his knees, holding his left arm to his chest. He can feel the demonic chakra radiate through it, and it almost seems to sink into where his heart is. Seeing his brother alive and well, not in Danzo's clutches, makes everything hit him again.

Iruka notices instantly, of course, and rushes straight to him. The man picks him up, "Lee? Are you okay? Lee-kun?" When he doesn't answer, Iruka takes a sharp inhalation of breath, staring at him. The man's expression hardens, but Lee barely notices. "We'll have ramen tomorrow, Naruto-kun. We need to go to the hospital first."

Naruto says something, but Lee can't hear it, he's too busy listening to Iruka's heart, ear pressed close to the man's chest. The steady beat calming him, but his arm and heart still ache, so he lets his eyes drift closed.

--

Lee wakes up in a hospital bed again, Naruto curled up in his arms with him. His little brother's breathing is deep and even, showing that the boy isn't going to wake, so he rub their arms together, their scarred left arms that connect them deeper than blood. He loves his brother. He doesn't remember when he last said it, but he feels like he should. So he tucks Naruto under his chin, murmuring softly into the boy's hair about how much he loves him, and how he'll make /sure// that Danzo doesn't take them this time, and that they'll both be Hokage because Naruto wants it.

He stays like that for hours, just holding his brother close, protecting him. The light of the rising sun inches slowly up the bed, and when it is starting to get to his feet, the door opens, and a medic-nin walks in, The man tilts his head, looking at them curiously, "Feeling better?"

He stares at his arms, "... I think so."

The man walks closer, sitting on the bed, "Let's do a diagnostic, shall we? See if you need to fix anything else."

He holds out his arm, and says softly, "It doesn't hurt." Not really. About the usual amount.

The medic hums softly, doing handsigns as he says, "I'll be the judge of that. I have strict orders from your sensei that neither of you are to be let out until you're bot given a clean bill of health."

He blinks, watching as the green chakra travels up his arm, and fingers around his heart. Staring at the hand hovering over his chest, he asks, "Is something wrong?"

The medic frowns, concentrating, then smiles brightly, "Nope! I'd say you're fine! You're going to have lingering pain on that arm, but that's been noted in your file. Just don't use any sort of chakra exercise with the arm for a few days, and you should be fine."

Looks like this medic actually /read// his file. Meaning that he's not being scolded and told not o use any jutsus. Which he can't us /anyway//.

... Actually, isn't that not true now? Grandpa said he could use it now with his left hand. That is something to experiment with. Not now, but later. After the test.

He smiles a the medic shyly, "So we can leave?"

The man stands up, nodding. "Just get dressed and head out. The paperwork is as finished as it can be. You and your brother are free to go, no longer held  in the confines of an uncomfortable hospital bed." The medic grins, "Fly free, little birds."

Then the guy walks out, the door closing with a solid thump. He stares at the door, confused, only to nearly jump out of his skin when he hears Naruto say, "He's /weird//."

He blinks, and slides out of the bed smoothly. "He is. We need to get changed, and head to school. After we meet with our new sensei, we'll head to Grandpa and be with him. I want to talk to him, and you need to be there." He's going to save, too. He doesn't want to go back too far, it would be more effort if he has to keep heading to the hospital to fix his arm.

Naruto smiles at him, "I'd like that."

He strips out of his hospital gown, and puts on his outfit. It is similar to Naruto's, but green where his brother's is orange. "I thought you would." He turns around so he isn't seen fromthe front, and mutters, "Pause."

The world fades to grey, and he tries to button his pants, but every time he tries, they come undone again. He huffs in amusement, accepting that he can not do things while in the pause menu. He keeps one hand on his pants to eep them from falling, and hits save. Tapping an empty slot, he ignores it as it saves before leaving the pause menu entirely.

When the world jumps back to full color, he buttons up his pants. "Let's head to school." He's going to convince his team to just /leave// with Iruka. They can all visit the Hokage or something. Maybe.

Even if he /really// doesn't want to have Hinata see him break down when he sees his grandfather. He knows how he's going to react, he isn't stupid. He reacted badly seeing /Naruto//, and he can only let the boy out of his sight because he spent forever just holding his brother and making promises.

... Actually... He's changed his mind. "We're not going to school. We're going straight to grandpa."

Naruto looks confused, "We are?"

He nods, taking his brother's hand, and walking out of the room, "He'll want to see us after what happened last night. We should have after, but then my arm acted up. We're going now."

Naruto has to jog to keep up with him, "But what if we miss the team listings? And our Jounin instructor? What then?"

"We'll be with our grandfather. You know? The one that /runs the village//?" he just wants his family all in one place. If Danzo shows up, though.... He... He will pause, then attack the man after saving. So if he screws up, he will have a place to go after. He knows now that saving is /helpful//. "We'll be fine. Grandpa will be happy we're there. I bet he won't let us out of his sight. He'd have been in he hospital room waiting for us if he wasn't so busy."

His brother squeezes their hands, "Okay. We'll go right to him. I bet he was really worried about us."

He's glad Naruto agrees. He brushes past the various chunin in the Hokage tower, knowing they won't stop them. They have a longstanding invitation to come visit whenever they want to. "Exactly! Us being there will make him feel better!" He hopes Sarutobi reads how much /Lee// needs the man. Him comforting his grandfather is secondary to his own peace of mind, but not an unwelcome side effect, should it happen.

They breeze past the secretary, who tries to protest with, "Hey! You can't just-"

He pushes the doors open, walking in, "Grandpa! I spent all night in the hospital, and I'm now spending the day with you!" He pulls Naruto in with him, brushing past the jounin in the room, "Naruto was with me, so we're both here now. Tell that guy to go away."

Sarutobi blinks at them, and Lee can feel his confidence start to shatter. "Lee-kun? Don't you want to be at school for your team assignments?"

He lets go of Naruto, rushes over to the old man, and hugs him tightly, "No! I want to be with my /family//! Mizuki told me horrible things, and I want my /family//!" He'll lie about the reason but it segues straight into what he wants to talk about.

Abruptly, arms that make him feel smaller than he should but so much /safer//. The Hokage's age belies ninja training, still kept with, no matter how long it has been since the man should retire. He's hugged tightly, like he'll disappear if he's let go. Not that he blames his grandfather, he's doing exactly the same; was doing it first.

Naruto is snagged, and pulled into the hug with them. The family as complete as it is going to get. He holds his brother in a lose grip, Naruto doing the same. There's a sound behind him, and Sarutobi looks up, saying, "I think you should leave, Kakashi."

He stiffens, and whirls around, staring at Kakashi with anger in his eyes, "You! How /dare// you show your face around us? You should be /ashamed//! Our father was your sensei! You should have been there for us!" There's a tradition that when a sensei dies and has children left behind with no one else to raise them, the student steps in. Or the sensei's children taking care of the sensei's student if the children are older and trained enough.

Naruto turns around, and after studying the startled jounin, his innocent face befuddled. "He's not showing his face, though." Naruto's expression goes from simple befuddlement to confusion mixed with hurt and anger, "And what do you mean /our// father?"

"Figure of speech." He keeps his eyes narrowed at Kakashi while answering his brother, "I'd always expected that your father was Minato Namikaze, Naruto. How your hair looks when it gets a bit too long shows exactly who you look like, since no one else in the village has it, not even in pictures in the archives. The only people are you and the fourth Hokage."

Naruto freezes in place, breathing quickly, "W-we're really brothers?"

Sarutobi touches Lee' shoulder, squeezing it gently, "Lee, I'd say hair is a bit of a far str-"

"Jinchuriki are typically closely connected to the Hokage, and Naruto /just so happened// to have been born the very day the Kyuubi attacked. I researched this, Grandfather. This is why I wasn't surprised when Mizuki was ranting about Naruto. I'd /already known//. Because Hokage-sama showed how he cared about us enough to claim us as family. Our dearest grandpa, refusing titles in an effort to be closer. A look of guilt in his eyes when he glances at Naruto, a look of fear when he glances at me."

Kakashi stares at him, eye wide, "When they say your mother was a Nara, I didn't know it went /that// far!"

He fights to keep from sneering, "But nothing in the archives about me. No ninja or civilian with the surname of Rock, no mention of anything. Only the name of Rock, like I'm from Iwa. Possibly an unwanted child from an illicit mission behind enemy lines. A stolen child of the Tsuchikage. Something like that. Only it never made sense why I'd be with someone so treasured as to be doted upon by /The// Professor, and allowed near someone so clearly loved by someone so high up. But now that I /know// who my father is, it all snaps into place. I live with Naruto because he's my brother, and Grandfather genuinely loves me, not just keeping an eye on me in case a enemy decides to accept a suicide mission to snatch me back."

Naruto leans against him, "Of course grandpa loves you."

Sarutobi chuckles behind them, hugging them gently, "Well, it looks like it is /incredibly// difficult to keep secrets from the child of a Namikaze and a Nara."

He tilts his head, "And who is Naruto's mother? If she really is an Uzumaki, I have a guess. But if you just gave Naruto that last name to throw people off the trail...."

Kakashi stares at them, "W-who do you think it is?" The man is looking a little... desperate? Something. He wonders if Kakashi even knew they were the fourth's kids. He doesn't find that terribly likely.

He knows this, since Naruto told him before. "Uzumaki Kushina."

Kakashi looks like a puppet struggling to stay standing after its strings were cut. While Sarutobi just sighs behind him, "And why do you think that?"

He sighs, knowing he can't admit that he knows Naruto wasn't the first carrier for the fox. "She was in the same academy class with him, and they were shown to be very close when they weren't running around fighting each other." He /did// do research. It seems that here their father had an on again, off again relationship with Kushina. Now that he knows who his father it, is it only logical that his mother was with the man during the 'off again' parts.

Sarutobi hugs him and Naruto, "Looks like you're going to be chunin before long, Lee. With deduction skills like that, it won't be any surprise."

He flushes, leaning into his grandfather's rms,"Thank you, grandpa. I want to make you proud. We'd like to stay with you today, though. just being with you... helps. It helps a lot."

The Hokage chuckles, "Don't you want to find out who your teammates and jounin sensei are?"

He waves a hand dismissively, "I'm with Naruto and Hinata. You wouldn't break me up from my brother, and Hinata is a very valuable and vulnerable clan heir that needs people who know what they're doing to keep her safe while she learns."

His grandfather looks amused, "And who is your sensei?"

He shrugs, deciding to have a little bit of fun, "I don't know. Asuma, maybe?"

"Oh? Why is that?"

Lee smiles, "Because he's your son, grandfather. Of course he'd teach us. You'd want us to be trained by someone who would care about us and keep us safe. And Hinata would do well with him, since he's calm and patient. He was one of the seven guardians, so he'd know how to be patient. Which is absolutely needed when working with Naruto."

Kakashi is leaning against the wall, still not having left. "You said you knew your father was my sensei. Why wouldn't I be teaching you?" The man's voice sounds defeated, and a little hurt, even if Kakashi is clearly trying to sound like he doesn't care. If he weren't trained to find that in a voice, especially Kakashi's, he would never have noticed.

His voice is cool, dismissal clear in his tone, "You've already shown you don't care about us. Besides, the legendary Copy-nin wouldn't be with the demon," Naruto's hand tightens on his, and he squeezes back in reassurance, he hadn't said that to hurt Naruto, and what he's saying next is insulting to himself, "and the traitorous whore's son, would he? He's better off teaching the beloved last Uchiha." He glances back at his grandfather, "And Sasuke needs serious therapy, grandfather. He seems to be very obsessed with revenge."

Naruto is shaking a bit against him. His brother says softly, "I'd like to stay with grandpa."

Their grandfather pets their hair, "I can't really let you do that. What about your teammate? You can't leave her alone."

He sits on the loor, settling to lean against his grandpa's leg, and tugs Naruto down to follo him. "Naruto will send a clone to get her."

"And your sensei?"

"If a jounin can't find us in the Hokage's office after we leave a note with Iruka-sensei, then I don't think he's much of a jounin." He pulls out a piece of blank paper from the desk, and starts writing on it, drafting a note, "We'll be staying here. Just sign this so that Iruka-sensei doesn't get upset."

His grandfather, sighs, taking the note when he finishes it, and reads it over. It's nothing big, jut Lee telling Iruka they're at the Hokage's office, and their teammate is supposed to join them there. Naruto's clone walking with her to show her the way. Sarutobi hums softly, "You can stay until your jounin instructor takes you, is that understood? The moment the team is all in one place, you will leave."

/Oooh//, that sneaky and manipulative bastard. Kakashi is /right here//, and Lee said that it would be Asuma who teaches them. So the moment Hinata shows up, they have to leave. His grandfather is /clever as hell//. And Lee can't even refuse, or he'd be told to just head to the academy! That would mean it would take hours and hours to wait for Kakashi!

Well, there's no protesting this. They're not going to be waiting time, at least.

He nods, "Of course, grandfather. We just want to spend time with you. We love you and don't spend nearly enough time just being with you. And now that we're genin, we can't expect you to take time out of your busy schedule to be with us. We have more time off, so we can make sure to come visit." He smiles up at the man, "Maybe we can help with the paperwork. Naruto has the shadow clones, and he can fill out paperwork like nothing else, you know."

Their grandfather hums softly, looking them over consideringly, and signs the note. "I do remember wen you helped me with that when you were younger. I could even assign it to you as a mission now, making /sure// that Naruto doesn't run off partway through once of the contracts."

Lee nudges his brother, who gives him  a dirty look. Naruto /hates// doing paperwork, even if the boy has shown amazing aptitude with it. He grins, "Make a shadow clone, and have him give Iruka-sensei the note."

Naruto calms down, smiling, and making a single clone. "There!" The note is taken from Sarutobi an shoved in the clone's hands, "Make sure to remind Iruka-sensei he said he'd take us to ramen!"

The clone salutes, "You got it, boss!"

When the clone rushes out of the room, Kakashi tries to slink off, but Sarutobi stops the man with a deceptively soft question, "What do you think you're doing, Kakashi?"

The jounin straightens instantly, giving them that one eyed smile, "Well, you told me to leave, so I was just going to follow orders, Hokage-sama."

"If you were going to follow that order, you would have done it already," the Hokage almost purrs. Lee can feel fingers run through his hair, and he belatedly realizes he didn't comb it yet. A glance next to him shows that Naruto looks half asleep, Sarutobi's fingers also carding the blond hair. He thinks he should protest being treated like a pet, but he's honestly too amused and relaxed to do that.

Kakashi waves a hand, "You know me, I'm always late."

"Not when it comes to dismissal. You'll be staying, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugs, looking for all the world like he hadn't just tried to escape unnoticed less than a minute before.