—"Lee, what is your dream?"
—"What's happening?" Rock Lee asked himself. "Who's speaking to me?"
—"Lee, what is your dream?"
Lee opened his eyes in terror. He sat up and looked around. He didn't understand what was happening—his head throbbed, his body burned.
He tried to stand, but collapsed. The fall made his body tremble; every fiber of his being hurt, his throat was dry, and his body reeked of death.
With sheer will and determination, he forced himself up. After five minutes, he managed it.
He looked around, and everything caught his attention. He remembered this place.
—"My old orphanage…?" he whispered. Everything was exactly as he remembered. Yet it felt absurd—he hadn't been here since he was a child.
Slowly, he walked to where he remembered his wardrobe stood.
He opened the left drawer and found his old clothes—the only keepsake, the treasure left behind by his parents. Seeing them brought tears to his eyes.
He held them close, feeling them as if they were new. His nostalgic expression shifted, doubts rising.
With a foolish idea, he tried putting on the treasured clothes.
As he did, his eyes widened, his body trembled, and tears streamed down his face. Minutes later, shaken, he rushed to the room's only mirror.
Seeing his reflection, he was stunned. His mind couldn't process it. He touched the mirror in disbelief.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
—"May I come in?" asked a female voice.
The boy looked at the door, nostalgia overwhelming him again. In a whisper, he allowed her in.
Light flooded the room as the door opened, blinding Lee for a moment. A silhouette entered, approached him, and touched his head.
Lee rubbed his eyes and spoke: —"Mama-san… is that you?"
—"Who else, little Shion?" said Mama-san, the orphanage caretaker.
Lee was confused and protested: —"Mama-san, what are you saying? Don't you recognize Rock Lee?"
She looked at him strangely, then smiled warmly. She rubbed his head and quickly lifted him into her arms.
Lee was speechless, unable to continue questioning.
—"Little Shion, I didn't know you admired Lee-sama so much."
The boy frowned and asked: —"Lee-sama? Who's that?"
The woman chuckled and spoke of the valiant hero of Konoha—how he fought relentlessly against the traitorous Sannin, how he aided the Hokage in sealing him, and how he ended the war while his green power shone like a beacon in the darkness.
She kept talking, but the boy had stopped listening long ago. He was shocked, wordless, his mind struggling to process it all.
Seeing him frozen, the woman took his hand and led him to the dining hall.
The boy couldn't understand what was happening. His thoughts fixated on his failed attempts to accept the idea of his own death. His mental state weakened.
Everything blurred—voices echoed, silhouettes stared, his heart pounded. Brief moments of peace touched his soul, but an explosion dragged him back to the chaotic world. A world that now cheered his name.
—"Rock Lee-sama! Savior of the weak, guardian of the Will of Fire, protector of Konoha!"
The boy rushed to a window and saw crowds of people in green spandex parading through the city, chanting his deeds. They carried banners, balloons with his image, and even sold merchandise with his name.
When the crowd thinned, Lee saw a familiar figure—Guy-sensei, his teacher and almost father, the man who had taught him everything.
Joy overwhelmed him, doubts pushed aside, his heart raced. He ran out the door at full speed, reaching his sensei.
Just a meter away, he was about to shout his name—but then he saw his master's face and froze. This man was not his father figure. He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, an unkempt beard, his head hung low, his clothes dirty. Lee realized this was not the man who had guided him along the shinobi path. His true master radiated youth, joy, and positive energy.
This man dragged his feet, passing Lee by. He was stopped by other children who surrounded him, begging to be trained by the hero's master.
The man looked at them wearily and refused.
The boy—not Lee—looked at this empty shell of his former teacher. His heart shattered, despair consuming him.
Mama-san arrived, taking the crying child who babbled incoherently. She carried him back inside and closed the door. Above it hung a sign: "Konoha Orphanage."
"Life has changes, and changes are life… but this is extreme." thought the little green-haired boy. —"God, what's happening with reality? Why is everyone cheering my name as if I were a hero? Damn, I'm not complaining, but this is so confusing."
The little green-haired boy was left in his room by Mama-san. He lay down, lost in thought, until the rooster began its morning crow.
By routine, he got up, brushed his teeth, changed into the only clothes in the wardrobe, and went to the orphanage dining hall. There he waited for his meal, and while eating, familiar voices caught his attention.
He lifted his eyes from his plate and saw Naruto, his comrade-in-arms, Sakura, his platonic love, and their teammates.
Joy overwhelmed him, and he ran toward his friends. Happiness took him by the hand, positive thoughts filled his mind. He approached and shouted with excitement:
—"Friends, I'm so thrilled you're here! Today was a day lacking in youthfulness! But now that you're here, you can help me solve everything! Yosh!"
The kids turned to look at the little boy. Naruto, hearing those words, was struck by nostalgia. The others looked saddened, hearing a way of speaking so similar to their old friend and teacher.
Naruto knelt before the boy, touched his hair, smiled, and said: —"Ha, ha… you sound just like Bushy Brows."
—"I am Bushy… I am Rock Lee!" the boy shouted back.
Naruto laughed again and patted the child's head. —"So you're another admirer of Bushy Brows. But even if you admire him, it's not good to pretend to be someone you're not."
The boy stomped his feet angrily and spoke: —"Naruto, don't you believe me?" he asked. Naruto shook his head. —"And you guys?"
His other friends repeated the blond boy's gesture. This angered the child, and in an attempt to prove his identity, he exclaimed: —"I know you! And I can prove I'm Rock Lee! You're Naruto…"
But before he could finish, his lips were sealed by a mysterious force.
"What's happening to me?" he thought, alarmed.
—"Forgive my earlier behavior, Uzumaki-san… Sometimes I can't help but get excited when I think of the great hero Rock Lee," the boy said politely.
"What the hell am I saying?" He panicked, tried to speak to deny himself, but his body wouldn't obey. Instead, it chose to walk away.
The others were puzzled by the boy's sudden change, but since they were busy, they continued on.
Inside, the green-haired boy screamed over and over for his body to stop, not to leave them. But his pleas were useless. Desperate, he tried again and again to halt himself, but his body ignored him.
"Why is this happening to me? God, help me…" he begged.
His body walked back into the orphanage while the frightened boy struggled to resist.
—"Rock child, you're very annoying," said a powerful, imposing voice. "Damn, this is what I get for meddling in mortal affairs."
The boy didn't know who or where the voice came from, but he spoke: "Help me, something strange is happening to my body… I can't control it…"
A grumble came from the voice. —"How stupid… I knew you weren't the brightest of your kind, but I expected at least a little brain matter. Just a little…"
—"Hey, that's not youthful at all," the boy said, offended.
—"Child, shut up and take advantage of the second chance I gave you. Besides, I'm tired. Goodbye."
When the voice finished, the green-haired boy regained control of his body. He ran outside to find his friends, but they were gone.
He felt awful, confused, with a faint sense that only the strange voice could answer his questions. He tried speaking—no response. He tried demanding an explanation—no response. Instead, he received only headaches and a sepulchral silence.
Frustrated, he tried leaving the orphanage, but as he stepped outside, something strange happened. His feet began to float above the ground. He thought maybe it was all a dream. For a moment, he imagined he had gained flying ninja powers—but reality returned with a voice.
Mama-san was holding him, scolding him as she carried him back inside.
The boy struggled, but the woman's strength was inhuman. He felt fragile, familiar weakness. He didn't want this—he tried to break free using Taijutsu, tried to open the Gates of Pain, but failed. He pushed himself hard, but nothing happened.
Suddenly, his eyelids grew heavy, his vision darkened, and unconsciousness claimed him.
His surroundings distorted before his eyes. Once again, he was lost. He searched for where he was, but the more he walked, the darker it became.
He walked for a time—he didn't know how long. His sense of time was broken. He kept walking until he found a strange door.
He looked around—nothing. He touched the door. It was solid and warm. Curious, he touched the dark space beside it and realized there was nothing there.
The nothingness bored him, so he decided to open the door. He pushed, and it opened.
Inside, Lee saw a sofa, a nightstand, and a fireplace with burning wood.
The curious boy stepped in. As he entered, the door vanished. Uneasy but with no other choice, he continued exploring.
With each step, his hair stood on end. The creaking of the wooden floor irritated his ears. His heart pounded harder than usual, his hands trembled.
The seemingly empty place was, without a doubt, a trap.
End