The Blossoming of Sand

by gaaleex

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF NARUTO.

Just a little note before I begin. This is my first fan fiction and, well, it might completely suck. XD I'll do little notes at the bottom of each chapter so say what is coming up and such. Please review, it would be amazing of you to offer me tips on how to improve if you think I'm terrible too! Okay, enough with my rambling, on with the story. Oh one last thing! (You'll get used to me forgetting important things). The Blossoming of Sand is set in the future, ahead of the Manga, so it's just my interpretation (or hopes) of what happens next.

Chapter One: Starry Night

It wasn't an unusual night. The stars were in the sky, clutching it like sequins on a velvet ebony blanket. There wasn't a cloud that hung over Konoha, which meant civilians and ninjas alike were all out, enjoying the evening, drinking, gambling, doing whatever pleased them most.

Perhaps all but one ninja. Rock Lee, a unique looking twenty one year old was at his regular training spot in the forest, kicking his leg at a post. He had been training for several hours now and the sweat dripped off him. His black bobbed hair was tousled and his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. At the thousandth kick at the post, he sank to the ground, his breathing in heavy gasps.

"If I don't run around the whole of Konoha ten times," he panted, "I have to jump rope ten thousand times. If I don't jump rope ten thousand times, I'll have to punch this post two thou-"

"And if you don't do that, you'll do something else impossible?" A voice broke in.

Lee jumped to his feet, startled, and turned around sharply. That could have been an enemy nin! He thought, still catching his breath. I will need to train myself in harder so I am still aware of my surroundings while training my body!

The voice actually belonged to Sakura Haruno, a pink haired woman a year younger than Rock Lee. She was almost completely flat chested and often wore clothing that made them as much as possible. Tonight was no exception and her makeup suggested she was about to go out into Konoha for the night. Sakura looked at her comrade with a slight tilt to her head. When was the last time he had come out with the others? He was still wearing his green spandex suit after all these years, and the same blush appeared on his cheeks at the sight of Sakura.

"I am sorry, Sakura-san," Lee said, and bowed. "But this is my training." He smiled. "Surely Naruto-kun must train as hard?"

"No one trains as hard as you, Lee," Sakura chuckled. "But tonight, just for me, would you come out with us? The others and I? You need to find…" The Chuunin let her voice tail way, leaving an awkward silence. She had meant to say 'love' but never had the guts to quite tell Lee he had been single for too long. People speculated he may just be asexual but his friends countered that. Lee and love went together. There wasn't a moment he wasn't spouting about it and youth.

"I would love to, Sakura-san." Lee replied. In truth, he wasn't quite satisfied with the amount of training he had done, but refusing a friend twice for the same offer in one night was a no go for him. Sakura wrinkled her nose slightly when the Jounin insisted there was no time to go home and change, then took her hand and pulled her along to speed up. Rock Lee was the fastest Ninja known.

How Lee knew where they were all meeting up, Sakura didn't know, but they arrived at the restaurant to find everyone sat down on a large table with plenty of spaces left over.

"Lee! Sakura how did you get him to come?" Naruto yelled, thumping Lee on the back happily and indicating the seat next to him. "Sit here - Sakura can sit elsewhere. I thought when she asked you earlier you were training? You haven't been training all this time though have you?"

Hinata giggled. "What do you think?" She murmured. Naruto answered that with a soft kiss on the lips.

Lee averted his gaze from and looked around at everyone as they greeted him. It was as if everyone from their childhood was here, and happily in love. Naruto and Hinata were ordering the same meal to share, Ino and Choji laughing about their complete opposite diets. Sai was chatting to Shino as both their girlfriends were absent this evening. Shikamaru had his arm around Temari, the sand ninja, sister to Kankuro (who was currently in an embrace with Kiba) and…Gaara.

The redhead was sat alone at the end of the table, a reluctant Sakura taking her seat beside him. He glared at her for a second before staring at Lee intently, as if studying him. The Kazekage was visiting on account of Naruto having officially been made Hokage yesterday and he had stayed over the past month to help him learn how to rule a village with Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. He was leaving tomorrow.

Gaara and Lee spoke when they saw each other, and were friends in Lee's eyes, though Gaara had never uttered these words. He was a lot more talkative than the old Gaara, before Naruto changed him for the better, but they still hadn't quite made the bond of true friendship yet.

"Lee? You ordering?" Neji broke into Lee's thoughts. He was gesturing to the waiting waitress. Ten Ten, Neji's fiancée, giggled at her old team mate.

"So sorry!" Lee burbled. "I'll just have what you're having, Neji-kun." He smiled at the blonde waitress and leaned back in his chair, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. He could relax and eat his food and not think about Gaara. Why was he thinking so deeply about Gaara anyway? He had lots of friends.

"I'll have what Lee is having." Gaara's voice passed easily across the table to the waitress, who jotted it down, smiling slightly at the easiness of the three orders all being the same, then trotted off. "I believe you're escorting me back tomorrow, Lee," Gaara continued.

Temari prised herself way from Shikamaru for a moment. Her spiky blonde hair was piled into a complicated topknot. She cast a glance at Lee then at Gaara and smirked. The eldest of everyone seated at the table, Temari considered herself a bit superior. "Just Lee," she commented smoothly. "I rather think Kankuro and I staying a week on for personal reasons is quite selfish." She frowned. "The Kazekage should have more guard than one Jounin Ninja."

Gaara ignored her, but Kankuro, having heard his sister's loud voice, chuckled. "Temari, Gaara will be perfectly safe. Lee was the first guy to hurt him after all."

The Hokage, who had issued Lee to the mission (which Lee hadn't even heard about yet having been training all day), muttered under his breath, "Gaara wouldn't let me assign anyone else."

This caused the green spandex wearing ninja to look at Gaara in surprise. Only requested him? Why? This news gave Lee a strange feeling in his stomach.

***

Later, as Rock Lee was walking home, a little earlier than everyone else as much of them had started drinking and the whole village knew this ninja didn't, couldn't drink. So he tactfully withdrew himself from the bar (which they had moved on to after the meal at the restaurant) and was no halfway home. The stars in the sky were still sparkling steadily. Imagine being a star, Lee thought. Always pretty, always the same, always in the same place. Some might find this comforting, but Lee was horrified by the idea. He had to get better each and everyday.

"If I run home now and get there in ten minutes, tomorrow my mission will go twice as well as it would have done." No sooner had Lee uttered these words, he was running at full speed with his weights on all the way home. He made it there in nine minutes, and was very red in the face.

The mission was going to go twice as well! Lee jumped in the air and punched it with his fist. The Jounin showered off a day's sweat, and wrapped a small towel around his hips. After drying off and slipping into bed, naked, he sighed deeply.

His hand closed over his penis and he stroked it gently. As the feelings of pleasure passed over him an image popped into Lee's mind, startling him.

The Kazekage of Suna, staring at Lee with those brooding, haunted eyes, dressed in the Kage blue robes.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Lee is clearly having some thoughts about the Kazekage. Next time is the journey back to Suna, just Lee and Gaara…