A/N: Hey

Published: 12/10/2018

Warnings: None

Chapter 25

Sasuke vs Lee

Orochimaru licked his lips, watching on as Sora walked away from his defeated foe, whistling happily to himself.

What an interesting child, what fascinating power. Power that Orochimaru could not wait to make his own, to break to his will. The chaos of the invasion should suffice for that. Normally, Orochimaru would be content in letting the boy come to him willingly, as that was far better in the long run, but his alliance with the psychotic genome dictated Orochimaru would have to act quickly.

Kuja Tribal wanted both Uzumaki children, wanted any weirder of the Keyblade, dead. His desire for their slaughter bordered on fanatical. Orochimaru could not help but wonder why. He could not help but wonder what caused such wild and devoted desire for destruction. He wondered for but a moment before deciding that he did not care.

He did not care what drove Tribal. Tribal was but a means to an end, and, in this case, the end was the deaths of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mickey Mouse. It was almost time.

Soon, Konoha would fall.

Soon, it would burn, just as Uzushio had burned.

Burn, as it deserved.

Sasuke strode into the arena.

Rock Lee was already there, a happy bounce in the other boy's step. Lee's eyes locked onto Sasuke, a grin overtaking his features.

"Sasuke-kun! Finally, the pair of us can have our much anticipated rematch! I hope you've learned something from the last time!"

Sasuke twitched.

This utter little shit.

People thought Rock Lee was kind and innocent, but nope. Not at all. The boy was a complete and utter troll, judging by the shit eating grin adorning the other's face.

"Of course, I had hoped to face Neji afterwards, but it appears that honor has been taken from me. Let the best Shinobi win!" Lee yelled, pumping a fist in the air.

Sasuke raised a single eyebrow.

"You seriously think you're going to win this? What, do you think I sat around all last month?"

"Of course not! Sasuke is a splendid Shinobi! This is the only explanation for Sakura-chan's love of you! However…" Lee fell into a Taijutsu stance. "I shall prove, once and for all, that I too can be a splendid Shinobi, through the art of Taijutsu alone!"

Lee received laughs from the audience at that. For a moment, Sasuke froze. Froze, and felt a hot, boiling anger course through him like wildfire. Anger, at Lee being tossed aside as if he didn't matter just because of a little thing like not being able to perform Ninjutsu. How dare-

Sasuke blinked.

Why did he even care? Hell, he'd thought the same when he met Lee himself, so why would he care that these people were judging Lee, dismissing him without second thought, for something he literally had no control of?

An image of a grinning blond face surged into his head.

…

Sasuke was going to kill that annoying whiskered bastard if it was the last thing he did.

"Begin!"

Sasuke's eyes flashed red.

When two Shinobi fight, typically, the only people who can actually tell what is really going on are fellow Shinobi. Shinobi fight through subterfuge and tricks, through deception and lies.

They also fight by moving about so quickly all that's really visible is dust.

Such was the fight between Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha.

The pair of them continued to collide, again and again, the Uchiha only saved from defeat by his eyes, allowing him to see blows before they were even made.

A month ago, that wouldn't have been enough.

Kakashi really had put him through a ringer.

What Sasuke really wanted to do, though, was catch Lee in a Genjutsu. If he could do that, then this fight was over. If he could do that, victory would be his.

There was a slight problem with that plan.

Lee apparently was not going to play along.

"Your most glorious eyes of spinning tadpols shall never ensnare me, Sasuke! I have been trained in the ways of YOUTH!"

Sasuke spluttered.

"Tadpoles? Really, tadpo-"

A fist came hurtling towards his chest. Sasuke knocked aside the blow, aiming one of his own. Lee paired it, spinning about and aiming a punishing kick at Sasuke's head.

Sasuke very much would like to walk out of here without a concussion, thank you, so he dodged.

This… Wasn't working. At all.

Yes, Kakashi had trained Sasuke to fight at higher speeds so he could match Lee, but that hardly mattered. Lee was just better at Taijutsu than Sasuke was, plain and simple.

In a straight up fight… Lee, with his fists, was stronger.

So, if Sasuke wanted to win this, fighting head on wasn't going to get him anywhere.

He would have to be sneaky.

Sasuke leapt back, flipping through hand seals. Lee flipped backwards was well, no doubt expecting a fireball.

Psh. As if. Sasuke was not that predictable, thank you.

No. Instead, Sasuke did what the bloody done should have done to pass the Academy exam.

"Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Lee blinked in astonishment as Sasuke summoned an army of clones, a hundred strong. An army of clones that would fall at the faintest hit, sure, and an army that couldn't really fight back, but it was exactly what Sasuke needed.

A distraction.

"A most interesting tactic. However, a redundant one! Sensei, may I?"

Then, Lee turned his back to Sasuke. Technically speaking, he didn't know he was doing it since Sasuke was among the clones, but still.

"LEE! SHOW KAKASHI'S APPRENTICE THE POWER OF YOUTH! GO ALL OUT!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

Sasuke was very grateful Gai was not allowed to come down to the arena. That strange Genjutsu the both of them could cast whenever they embrace was far too horrifying to be ingrained into Sasuke's vision forever.

Then, Lee dropped the weights.

Dropped them, with sand exploding all around.

Without the weights, Lee was much, much faster.

Fast enough that crushing the clones was easy. Butcher was more like it. In less than a second, Lee had blasted all of them to pieces.

All of them, and no sign of Sasuke.

Lee narrowed his eyes, spinning about.

Where'd he go?

Suddenly, hands erupted from the ground, griping Lee's legs. Surprised, the Genin looked down. Under! Of course!

"Lightning Release: Paralyzing Touch!"

Energy surged from the palms and into Lee, coursing up his body and causing his hair to stand on end as he attempted to leap away.

Attempted, because instead of leaping, Lee tumbled back. Grunting, Lee backed away as Sasuke burst through the ground, already aiming a kick at Lee's side.

Muscles spasming against his control, Lee would not be able to dodge.

Still… If Sasuke thought this was enough to win, he was wrong.

Sasuke did not understand the meaning of physical pain and struggle if he truly believed this would be enough.

Lee caught the kick, letting himself fall back, dragging the other Genin down with him. Lee's back smashed into the ground as he slammed both his knees into Sasuke's sternum. The other boy gasped, the blow sending him flying.

Lee planted his palms on either side of his head before flipping himself up. Sasuke rolled once, twice, before coming up in a crouch.

"It's over." Sasuke proclaimed, standing to full height, slapping his palms together to get rid of the dust.

"That match has just begun, Sasuke-kun! Please, do not surrender yet!" Lee cried, genuinely sadder by this.

Sasuke twitched.

"This isn't surrender, you moron! It's a trap!"

Then, to emphasize, Sasuke tugged at a wire. Suddenly, Lee found himself ensnared as tiny cutting bonds lashed about him, pinning his arms in place.

Lee blinked before looking around.

Oh… Oh.

When had he done that?

Sasuke tugged again.

"Surrender, before I burn you into a coma." Sasuke threatened.

Lee stared.

Yes, he decided. Sasuke didn't understand at all.

"First Gate, OPEN!"

Sasuke was not entirely sure what happened.

One moment, he'd had Lee trapped in his wire snare. The next, he was digging himself out of the side of the stadium, bruised and utterly dazed and Lee was being declared the winner.

Did… Did he just… Loose?

Again?

Stunned silence filled the arena. Then, the cheering commence, cheering which Lee basked in gladly. Sasuke himself was busy doubling over, coughing up blood.

That… That had been…

Kakashi had warned him, Sasuke supposed. Rock Lee was an utter powerhouse, despite specializing in only hand to hand techniques. Sasuke hadn't even been able to see him properly after he had started opening those gates. That's how bad it had been.

Still…

Sasuke blinked as a hand appeared before him. He eyed it in surprise, not entirely sure why it was there. Or, why it was spinning so damn much, or maybe that was just him.

"Sasuke-kun! That was a most glorious match! We must do it again sometime!"

Oh. Right. Lee.

Looking up, Sasuke met the earnest, happy gaze of the other Genin. He'd lost. Again. Sasuke knew he should be angry about it. He should be pissed. Kakashi was obviously failing as a teacher if Sasuke wasn't growing properly. He should be mad.

Surprisingly, he wasn't.

Instead, Sasuke took the hand and grinned back.

"I'll get you next time." Sasuke promised.

Lee looked stunned, but only for a moment. A single moment before Lee cried out in joy, fists shooting up in the air as he turned towards the stands.

"GAI-SENSEI! I TOO NOW HAVE A MOST GLORIOUS SHARINGAN WEIDLING CHEAP CHEAT OF A RIVAL!"

Cheat of a rival?! Sasuke took back every good thought he had ever had about Rock Lee, deciding that it must have been temporary insanity. That was the only acceptable explanation.

"LEE! THIS IS MOST EXCELLENT NEWS! WE SHALL CELEBRATE BY DOING A TEN THOUSAND PUSHUPS!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

Then, surprisingly, the pair were drowned out. By what, you ask?

"HEY! IF ANYONE IS SASUKE'S RIVAL, IT'S ME!"

Lee jumped, turning towards the voice. Had Naruto's eyes always glowed red like that, Sasuke wondered, or was that a trick of the light?

"Naruto-kun!" Lee cried out, sounding horrified. "I apologize! This is most unyouthful of me! I had forgotten you had already claimed Sasuke as your eternal rival! Please, forgive me!"

Sasuke was done with this village. First chance he got, he was so defecting.