In Their Shadow

Fragmented Memory 3

By the running mans side was an equally strange looking character. A boy, sporting the same bowl cut, albeit parted in the front. A headband shined from above his equally furry eyebrows, offset by his oddly permanently fixed gaze.

"Yes Gai-Sensei! I shall finish these hundred laps!" The boy, Lee yelled with a furious passion!

They ran with a passionate fervor, dust kicking up behind them as they dashed into the forest. Gai smiled at his pupils progress, his teeth twinkling in the sunsets light.

'Outstanding! Its been only around three months of training, and this boy can already keep up with me! Youth truly is an amazing thing!'

Lee smiled up at Gai, his teeth twinkling as well.

'Just you watch Gai-Sensei! I will out stand you with my youth! If not, I'll run a hundred more laps! No! Three hundred more!'

Suddenly, a loud thump caught Gai and lee's attention. The sound resembled something falling onto the forest floor. Gai and Lee skidded to a stop, dust flying into the air around them. They looked around themselves, until a loud curse led them to where the noise had originated from.

"Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" A boy with long black hair cursed aloud to himself as he rolled on the floor in pain.

"Its just a damn tree! Those guys can run up one, so why can't I! Why are they so special!" The boy yelled out, slamming his fist into the dirt beside him in a fit of rage.

The boy was covered in dirt marks, and bruises galore. His hair appeared disheveled, a tie for his hair lying beside him. He slammed his dirty fists into the ground beneath him.

Gai looked at the boy in worry as Lee immediately rushed to the boys side.

"Are you alright!?" Lee exclaimed as he made it to the boys side, offering him a hand.

The boy looked at the offered hand in a subdued manner. He frowned and huffed, a pissed off look on his face. Smacking the hand away, the boy stood to his feet.

"I can stand up on my own you know." He said quietly, looking at the ground in shame.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry! Its just that you looked like-!?"

"LIKE WHAT? LIKE I NEEDED HELP!? IF THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK, THEN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR EYES CHECKED!" The boy shouted rudely, shocking the happy and energetic Lee.

Lee teared up, as the boy turned away, dusting the dirt off his shoes and putting his hair in a tail with a band as he prepared to leave. As he was about to walk away however, a question posed by Gai made him stop.

"You were trying to tree walk, right?"

The boy turned to the man with a glare.

"So what if I am? You gonna make fun of me failing like everyone else?" The boy questioned, his tone dripping with anger and sarcasm.

Gai ignored him and turned to Lee.

"Do it Lee"

After that order, a determined look replaced Lee's tears, as he immediately rushed up the tree, much to the shock of the boy. He stumbled back at the display, taken aback as Lee now stood atop the tree, a victorious look on his face a he smiled down at the boy. Gai gave Lee a thumbs up, his teeth twinkling with pride.