*3rd Person's POV*
"Where did you come from?" Sakura asked.
"I came...because you needed me. And I always will!" Lee answered.
"Actually, it's thanks to my little friend here... Go on, now."
Lee gently patted the squirrel away.
Sakura turned her head away to wipe away a tear, glancing at the three passed out boys.
"I don't know how to thank you. You're a lifesaver!" Sakura exclaimed.
Haku kept Shiro in his arms as he stared at the scene in his arms.
"I promised when we met..." Lee responded.
"Huh?" Sakura questioned.
"To protect you... Until death do us part!" Lee answered.
Sakura's eyes widened slightly when she remembered what Lee said.
"Yes! I understand! I get it, Master Guy!"
One of the sound shinobi held up an object
"It can't be helped... Zaku...little Sasuke and Shiro is all yours!"
Zaku caught the item that was thrown at him.
"They're as good as dead!"
Shiro shuffled a bit in Haku's arms.
"From the looks of it...Sakura doesn't have any more fight left in her, either." Lee thought as he glanced at Sakura.
"This unibrow kid is obviously a virtuoso of the taijutsu physical arts. He'll make an excellent plaything."
Sakura threw a kunai, but the man just over it.
Lee stuck in hands through the ground and lifted it up.
"This is some kind of illusion, right?! So, I'd be wasting my time ducking as though your attacks were real. I've seen you use these moves before."
"He's...so strong!!"
"But there's three of them and one of me, so they have the advantage. It's a gamble, but if I take them down one at a time... My strength should be enough to beat them!"
~scene change~
Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino were surrounded by trees.
"Gaaaaah! How can we pick off the weak when we can't find any weaklings?!" Ino shouted.
"Well...besides Naruto's team, of course!" Shikamaru added.
"What?! What are you talking about, you idiot?! Naruto and Sakura are total losers...but they're teamed up with Sasuke, Haku, and Shiro--the best of the best!" Ino exclaimed.
"Now, why is that? Maybe your precious Sasuke is better in theory than he is in practicing!"
Ino snapped her head at Shikamaru and growled.
"All right, all right, sorry for dissing your idol!"
"That girl is a total pain. Every time I open my mouth about Sasuke, she goes on me! I'd honestly choose Shiro over her right now."
"There's no way anyone here is going to beat Sasuke. But Sakura? She's a complete wimp!"
"Hey! Sasuke and Shiro's unconscious!" Choji called out as he pointed over.
Ino and Shikamaru looked over.
"And Sakura and Haku are defending them."
"Oh!"
~scene change~
"It's not like Lee to keep us waiting! It's odd... He's usually such a stickler about punctuality. I wonder if he ran into trouble..." Tenten trailed off.
"Not him!"
Neji smirked.
"No way. But we should still go look for him."
"Right!"
"I did it! I finally...got the hang of it!!"
"Don't go overboard!"
"Yikes..." Neji thought.
"Ultimately...only Lee was able to master this technique, eh?" Guy mused.
"All right, Lee..."
"Woohoo!!! I did it!! I did it! Me!! I really, truly did it!"
"Hey..."
Guy punches Lee in the face.
"Now that I've got your attention, learn this well!"
"Yes, sir... What is it?! Please share your wisdom!"
Tenten and Neji squinted in disbelief.
"Now that you've mastered the lotus technique...it will be classified as one of the forbidden arts!"
"Huh?!"
"Wh-what are you saying?"
"It's an art that draws its power directly from the energies locked within the wielder's cellular structure...so when you call upon it, you're sacrificing a part of yourself! Normally, human beings utilize a mere 20% of their own muscular energy. If anyone were to employ anything even close to 100% of the strength in his muscles...the muscles themselves would break down... So the brain sets a limit on how much of your own muscle power we are willing and able to use. The secret of this technique is in overriding that internal cranial safety feature, giving the wielder access to all of his own chakra. Dangerous as it is, the result is the release of enough muscle power to enable the wielder to perform a series of grueling and demanding tasks at an incredible speed...pushing his own body to the limits of safety...and beyond. Thus, the circumstances under which you may employ this technique...are severely limited."
Lee snapped a hand to his forehead.
"And...when is it permissible?"
"Listen closely, and instruct your muscles...like so..."
"Master Guy... The time has surely come for me to use the forbidden skill you taught me... I'm defending the life of someone who means the world to me!"
"Hah!"
Lee bend down with two fingers between his eyes before disappearing.
"Where'd he go?!"
Lee upper cuts the man with a kick before appearing behind him, in the air.
"I'm not done with you yet!"
Lee wrapped his arms around the others waist.
"He's wide open... Can't make a move to defend himself!! Oh, crud!"
"Take this! Forward Lotus Technique!" Lee yelled as they spun towards the ground quickly.
Lee hopped away after putting the man in the ground, which whom was saved.
"This... Does not feel... Good..."
Shiro shifted in Haku's arms once more before turning his head to where he thought the battle was located at.
"Who... Appeared?" Shiro asked.
"Lee appeared! The one with bushy brows." Haku answered.
The man pushed himself up slightly.
"No way!"
"What a terrifying technique... I managed to land on a pillow of soil... And it still almost wiped me out! But now... It's my turn."
"Oh... This is not good... That last move I just did just toasted me. I've got nothing!"
The man dashed straight at Lee and swiped at him.
Lee felt a shudder go up his spine as he moved a bit out of the way.
"Your moves may be fast...but ours are supersonic! And muscles alone can't break down...this wall of sound!"
"Uhhn...!"