13The first thing Lee saw when he opened his eyes was darkness
"Ah...so I am dead" He reasoned.
Not only there was nothing but darkness around him, but even under him.
He was not standing. He was floating in the dark space.
Then the questions stuck his mind; How was Yang? Have they been able to save her life? Has she lost her arm? How about Ruby? Was she safe? She was so similar to Ten Ten...
How about his team? Where they safe? Another question was whispered in his hear; would they even cry his death?
"Well" He exhaled "This life was short, but I do not regret it. At last I died in the most youthful way."
"Neji-kun? Shiba-san? Are you there?" He called out "Gai-sensei? Hokage-sama? Is someone here?"
"Do you want to be dead this badly? How disappointing" A voice called out from behind him "to think that I hoped you would save that world"
Rock Lee turned, and immediately recognized the figure that was floating towards him
"W-Why are you here? What do you mean with that?!" He cried out indignantly.
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep
"Hurry up, give him 1.5 cl of dust infused aphanedine, he has irregular beat, we are losing him and we can't risk shocking him; J. what is the diagnosis?" A man dressed in light green said to the second, dressed completely in white.
"Vajo, his bones are nearly all broken or cracked, his arms are basically mangled, major blood loss, snapped tendons and damaged ligaments, his hands have nearly lost their muscles, his veins have been subjected to incredible pressures, there is a there is a risk of having to amputate a foot. A lung is punctured and a secondary circulatory system is visible, but it is strange, and completely empty." He sighed
"He is basically impossible, I honestly do not understand how he is still alive" the second man answered with wide eyes.
The first one, Vajo, was shocked too; but he immediately regained his cool, feeling the immense burden such a person placed on his shoulders.
"It does not matter. We must absolutely patch him up, at the moment every person that is not hating Faunus for what the White Fang did is praising him for his talent and sacrifice. If he dies under our hands because of carelessness we may as well kill ourself. We can send money requests to cure him to the CCTS, and we may even became famous"
The creator of ninshu looked intently in his eyes.
"When I first conceived the idea of saving the world you are now in, Remnant, I summoned Naruto in his dream. One and only one person had to be choosen to be sent reborn there, and after explaining the rules of this world the boy immediately decided on you. I first wanted to send the Thunder God, but you know what he said?"
"He said "Indeen, my father is strong, but even against such creatures you do not need overwhelming power, but overwhelming spirit, capable of destroy every problem on his way"; I, the one that created Ninshu to spread Peace and love, failed this once to see the true nature of the problem, and decided to react to violence with were the perfect candidate, born without talents, you managed to acquire such power with hard work and patience."
The RikudÅ Sennin closed his eyes and exaled, before revealing a sad expression.
"And yet I see you bend at the first problem, accepting your death after the first fight".
The once green beast of Konoha then answered in rage, tears on his eyes "FIRST PROBLEM? FIRST PROBLEM? I was born a reject on my own town because of my race, when I first obtained respect my family and my friends were exterminated by Grimms while I was powerless to help. I trained, I trained so much that I had to go to the hospital to heal, and when I was admitted to Beacon I stayed with companions that depised me for my inheritance. To protect those dear to me I revealed my power, and saved the ENTIRE CITY OF VALE while dying. What more do you expect from me?!"
"And what of your heart?" The sage cut in
"...What?" Plainly confused Lee replied
"Your heart, your motivation. The terrifying flame that was in you, capable of burning even your enemy with your spirit. That wanderful surce of power that made you possible to reach such level. In your whole speech, never once you talked about your flame of Youth."
When the Airship landed on Vale, Ruby left her father there and nearly literally flew to the Hospital. It was not only for her sister, that was still under observation for the arm that they miraculously reconnect to her body, God bless Dust-infused medicines, but for her friend Lee too.
When they where at Signal they often talked and sparred together, specially because of his unusual knowledge about throwing weapons and unharmed combat, but time divided them, and when they met again on Beacon she nearly did not recognize him. He was...different, while still training like mad, he was not as hyperactive, and stopped even throwing challenges like he did before.
A red blur steped in the hospital, and dodging on a way that he would have made past-Lee proud, he reached the Occupational Therapy and slowed down to ask a nurse about her sister.
"Yang xiao long? Yes she is on the last door on the right" Jasmine, the faint blonde nurse answered with a smile
"Thank you" Ruby said, but got immediately called back
"If you enter, can you ask her to keep her voice down? The patients on the nearly rooms complained about the level of the voices" Ruby bashfully looked away "Ah, and do not run on the hallways" Her now more strict voice called out again.
Hugh, she was seen her.
Ruby walked in front of the room, but quickly passed the door, Yang and uncle Qrow were really loud, it was normal that someone complained.
As the first person she wanted to visit was busy she decided to see how was Lee. Even if later her sister would pester her that she went to visit a boy before coming for her, what her father said about his condition was really worrying.
"My flame is still there, ever-burning, like Gai-sensei said. It is that that made me persevere, suffer to gain strengh to protect, taking hits from my leader to lessen his rage for what the White Fang did to his granfather."
The eyes of Hagoromo softened "It appears that I too owe you an apology. At first your passion was pure, but such hopes where a too heavy burden for you to carry. Your passion was tinged with despair, and later, with hate"
His face was regretful "We did not ask your opinion, we merely stranded you on another planet, with an impossible dream to archieve, and several trials awaiting you since birth. Child, I am really sorry"
Tears started straming down from Rock Lee eyes like from a broken Dam
"There is no need to apologize Kami-sama!" SNIFF Still crying Lee said sobbing, regaining his vigor "This time I will definitely save this world! I treated my friends like a burden, and even while helping them it was to make them less useless. I am ashamed of myself!" SNIFF
"There are many people that can beat me, but I definitely will lot lose to myself. Yosh! I will surpass my previous life self, or I will make a thousand push-up and run twenty kilometers without stopping. And if I can't do that, I will try doing a thousand and five hundred push-ups, before running for thirty-two kil-" Started saying Lee, with flames dancing in his eyes
"That is relieving" Interrupted the Sage with a wry smile. "I am happy that you found yourself again. The next time we will meet I hope it will be in more pleasant circumstances."
Skipping past the Nutrition and Dietetics sector she arrived to the Physiotherapist ward, where she started again searching for her friend
BANG
A loud noise reverberated, and quickly searching for the source she met Cardin, that with his minions Dove and Russel was threatening a young man.
"Cardin what are you doing here? Are your here for Lee?" Ruby asked
Cardin looked away from the young man, that took advantage of the opportunity to run away "Hey Shortie are you here for your boyfriend? They held him in this room all this week" He said, indicating a door behind his back.
Ruby pulled up her hood, before blushing "He is NOT my boyfriend!" she cried out, making the group laugh "He is merely a an old friend. What were you doing to that boy before? This is an hospital, you can't beat people here!"
"He said that Lee should have died because he was a freak, so we were 'testing' him to see if he was a valid replacement, he is already here so he do not need to pay the transport to come to the Hospital" He said amused, but with a dangerous glint on his eyes
"You-He- Still you can't beat him in this place!"Ruby said, before continuing surprising the trio "You should have lead him in a alley, there you can give a more complete evaluation!"
Even her has a bottom line, and the last events were giving her really bad thoughts.
Seeing that the God of shinobi was going to disappear the now reborn Green Beast asked a last question: "If it is not a problem, can I meet Gai-sensei? I want to apologize for having betrayed his teachings"
His interlocutor disappeared, but his voice reverberated again. "You do not have to worry about that child. While his body was damaged, his life force was replenished by the Yang symbol I gave Naruto, while you in your youth had a surgery that damaged your longevity, he is still alive. Live well and fully, and when you will meet here you will be able to shadow your mistake with your success! Live long, child!"
Lee started sobbing once again, before all went white around him.
"Ruby, even if you sell cookies for a year you will not help him with the medical bill, it is too large. Weiss said that she has a plan to help, and even Blake wrote that a lot of Faunus would donate something to help, he is famous!
"Yosh" Lee said waking up with tears still running down his cheeks, before trying to raise his back still talking still completely unaware of the three people that fell silent when he opened his eyes
"I slept enough, I should try to do at last twenty abdominal crunches in two hours, if I can't do that i will do Wall Sitting for five hours, if I still can't then I will-"
"Hey Ruby, it is true that you visited a boy before coming to meet me? Should I feel jealous"
The door opened, revealing Yang wi a strange metal object on her arm. Finally Lee noticed the three people staring at him dumbstruck. Specially a certain red dressed girl, that had tears on her eyes that were bigger than dinner plates
"LEE, YOU RETURNED!" She screamed, before teleporting on his side and giving him a strong hug
"Ugh" He cried out in pain, making Ruby shrunk away with a mortified look "sorry" she said, sorry for giving him pain
"No, it is me that should apologize, mine was not the behavior of a friend"
"COUGH" Lee and Ruby looked away, only to meet the eyes of a man with blonde hair like Yang, and with a very menacing look at the moment.
"Tai, he just survived a serious injury, he is merely happy to meet her again" A red eyed man that smelled of Alcohol interceded, calming him but glaring himself at the boy
"Hey Lee, you stayed here for over ten days, aren't you sick of staying in the hospital?" Yang said, trying a new joke "Do you understand it? sick of the hospital?"
Four pair of eyes immediately drilled on hers """"YANG""""
Hello, Author here.
Please review and comment about this short-story.
If you find errors I will be happy to correct.
I wanted to publish this before, but since the new year every member of my family fell sick and it is really hard to write with this headache.
If you want to write a full story from this feel free;
I am going to remove the announcement tomorrow probably, it is already midnight and I am still sick.
Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!