Story: Twice, does the lotus bloom
Base: Sakura & Lee epic
Disclaimer: There will be no italics, bold, or underline-due to technical difficulties.
Chapter: One-When I was a child.
-Flash-back-
"Kakashi! I will win!"
A bewildered 11 year old Kakashi inclined his head towards the voice that called his name.
"Huh?"
"Guh...!" A young bobbed-headed male rounded his eyes, narrowing his lips to stop from screeching his frustration.
"Ah, my whole-hearted rival Kakashi, your way of pretending that you didn't hear my beautiful voice is somewhat 'hip' and 'cool', it never ceases to amuse me and thus grows my respect for having you as my eternel rival."
His shoulders shook as he raised a clenched fist slowly upwards.
"YA-TAH! Let us bask in our ever flowing youth as we lead our ninja lives! YEAH! KAKASHI, LEAD WITH MEEEE!"
A trail of dust exploded to Kakashi's right, if he was a bit taller he'd be able to glimpse two green arms raised in God knows what Gai was feeling.
Kakashi turned his body to the explosion; he could have sworn he heard something.
"Hmmm... What was that just now..?"
-Flash-back end-
"Yes... he resembles you alot you know, that kid."
"You mean his shining confidence and most handsome looks?" Gai winked into the sunlight, his oh-so wonderful white white teeth catching a shine, thus giving off an excellent sparkle...
Of which earned a sweat-drop from the masked Kakashi.
"If you like..." Kakashi raised his head to look up in thought, his finger and thumb in place at his chin to complete his 'thinking' pose. "It was weird though.."
"What was, Kakashi my rival-ness."
"Well, I tried to recall a memory, or if you like a flashback of whom that bobbed kid reminded me of,"
The thoughtful upward-pointed finger that was held in consideration went back to its place on Kakashi's chin.
"I know for sure I was looking for you, but I could've sworn you weren't in that picture... Let me think…"
Gai's scum look took for the worse as his masked companion furthered to embarrass him with deciding if that certain recalled memory included him, which Gai KNEW that IT MOST CERTAINLY DID!
"I heard someone speak my name-"
Gai straightened in posture, content that Kakashi now brought him back in the image.
"But I guess that was just the wind..."
His jaw dropped to the floor.
"But what about that magnificent trail of dust that I created with my beaYUtiful powered legs! You must remember that! I know I do!"
"Well..."
"Yes?"
"Sorry, were you talking to me?"
Gai dropped. "Hoi..."
"That kid, being incapable of using ninjutsu and genjutsu... that's quite rare."
Gai, recovering and now standing was looking on at the boy with enormous eye-lashed eyes; the said boy seemed to be in a dispute with some members of his class.
"Yeah," He paused. "Although, I sense a spark in the boy that could somewhat flame," He chuckled lightly. "He could turn out to be a real fire."
"You seem to be planning something, Gai."
"You know me all too well, Kakashi."
"..No I don't."
"Lee! Get back here! Where are you running off to! LEE!" The chuunin in charge of the academy students called in alarm.
"Lee, huh?"
Gai watched the boy run, running off into the distant, his last words burned him.
"You'll see! I WILL BECOME A NINJA!"
-Change scene-
Taking a final huff, Rock Lee dropped to the ground, exhausted and in need of a desperate break.
"No, get back up," He told himself.
"You're 100 punches short, you didn't finish, now you must do 1, 500 push-ups!"
From his position from the floor, he picked up an easy start to his push-ups. His eyes burned with determination as sweat poured down his back, his bowl cut fringe sweat-stuck to his face.
"30, 31, 32-"
His heart raced as an image of his earlier row flashed in his mind.
"75, 76, 77-I, will, win! 81, 82, 83-"
Up. Down. Up. Down. Until he reached his goal, hard work was what he'll do.
The sun was at its lowest, before it would completely diminish from sight 'till next morning.
Once again, Lee fell from exhaustion. If he didn't get something to drink, he was sure to faint, but at that moment he didn't care, because he had gone through his routine and stuck to it correctly, he beat the cow to the moon.
"Yatah!"
Before he knew it, he fell into a dreamless slumber, beneath the comfort of the silken mid-night sky.
-Moments later-
"Damn that Kakashi and his 'hip', 'cool' ways of winning." Gai was in mid step when he halted, he had strolled upon a fallen kid that he immediately familiarized.
"Working into the lateness of the night, what determination."
Gai stepped closer to the clad and shook him lightly.
"Lee, it is a chilly night; with all your hard-working sweat it could be disastrous if you stayed here any longer."
Lee stirred slightly, and then shot up abruptly like a catapult let loose.
"GAH! WHO ARE YOU?" His defences struck, causing him to bring his arms to protect his front.
"What? Has my beauty mesmerised your actions into shock?"
"Well," Lee began to lower his arms as he recognized him as a Konoha jounin. "No, it's just... Why are you up-side down?"
Gai blinked a few times, and then registered what Lee had said. "Oh," He chuckled. "This, well if you care to join me, I shall tell."
Gai began to walk onwards... with his hands.
Lee jumped up and starred at the jounin walking on his hands, shaking off the excess sleep, he ran after him.
"Sensei!"
"Call me Gai."
"Gai-sensei! How long have you done this for?"
"Well, this is only my seventh lap around Konoha, quite a long while to go."
Lee's eyes bulged out, his lips in a tight narrow.
"Kid, you remind me of myself quite alot."
He broke in a smile. "Huh! I DO! But Sensei, why do you do this?"
"Because I lost in a bet-whoop! Almost got a stone there, anyway, I promised myself that I would make 20 laps around Konoha upside-down if I was to lose, and I did."
"But why?"
"Think of it was a punishment, as I lost to my first task; I give myself my own challenge that will... that will- Lee! What are you doing?"
"Oh, ha ha Gai-sensei!" Young Lee was busily jotting down notes in a super-wad pad that suddenly existed in Lee's grasp. "I was just taking notes! Please! Carry on!"
"Very well, yes, my own challenge that will, with the effort of hard work, will turn out for the best and make me stronger."
Strangely enough, there was a tint of fire the erupted in Lee's eyes, momentarily pausing from his writing he gave a confident strike of a pose.
"Yosh! I will join you Gai-sensei!"
Fumbling through his layers of clothing, he put his wad pad away with his pencil. With a front flip, he got on his hands.
"Lee, what are you-"
"With hard work, it'll turn out for the best and make me stronger, right? Then I will join you, Gai-sensei!" Leading on, young Lee with his bowl fringe and awkward pony tail stepped hand after hand, into the night of which Konoha slept. The bond between these two became stronger.
And yet it will become stronger still.
-Elsewhere-
Soft sobs were carried with the night's chirps and chilly howls. A child sat at a back garden that flowered with cosmos and thoroughbreds, delicate tears watering the petals.
Just like young Rock Lee, this child was a bit more unnatural. Her little fists curled up around her legs, as she looked up into the glow of the full moon.
Her dainty locks of pink blossom lay to cover what was said by others to be an abnormally wide forehead. Pink blossoms that described her forename, Sakura.
Along with pure green eyes that stared off into the night. An emerald green that described her family name, Haruno. Haruno-in the spring.
Sakura Haruno.
Cherry blossoms in the spring.
And yet, they call her ugly.
She stood up unevenly, wiping whatever tears that stubbornly came forth. Carefully, she crept across the landing and back up the furnished stairs, towards her room. Sakura passed by her parents' room, seeing that the shoji doors were slightly opened, she peeked in.
They were sleeping peacefully. Two civilians of Konoha, her father a carpenter; her mother a weaves woman. They were a simple family that was born in Konoha, an ordinary lifestyle lived day by day.
Unconsciously, the young spouse brought her finger to her lip, as the other hand went to clasp the shoji door, pushing it aside a bit more to better her view. At the coming year, she'd be able to attend the academy to train as a ninja.
Konoha, as part of the famous five countries are well-known for their ninja's; they must breed more in order to keep their country alive. At most, the young would normally enter the academy on there own accord, whether either one of their parents were a ninja, or if they were part of a clan. It could simply just be following a heroic ninja as a dream to be that person someday.
Some young that have no ninja ties enter for their parent's sake. To help with money, or as thanking to the Hokage for keeping peace with the village, for whatever reason, it was a decision that wasn't forced.
Her parents brought it up one day.
-Flash-back-
"Sakura-chan, it is a new year."
"Yes, mother!"
Little Sakura was excited to test out her new spinning top that she received that Christmas. It was especially carved from the fallen cherry blossom tree that lived at their back garden. Her mother had painted the waves of cherry petals in the wind delicately onto the top, to signify its' belonging to Sakura.
"Sakura-chan, next year you will be old enough to attend the academy for ninja." Sakura's mother folded her apron away and sat with Sakura at the open landing.
Sakura blinked. "Mother?"
"Yes?"
Sakura began to swing her legs, her hands at either side of her, keeping her in balance. "Do you want me to be a ninja?"
Her mother looked back down on her young. Imitating her, she placed her hands at either side and smiled. A bird flew over-head, casting a shadow in mid-flight. Both Sakura and her mother looked up at the bird.
The little Haruno still swung her lithe legs as she set her top spinning. "Because if you want me to, I will."
"Sa-kura…" Her mother was taken aback.
She watched her baby girl control the tops speed, with a long fishing-rod made for the cause.
"Sakura, my baby..." She tilted her head down to take a good look at her daughter. Sakura looked back up to meet her hazel gaze. Sakura jolted, reaching up to cup her mothers face.
"Mother, no, have I upset you? Please don't cry."
"Oh my baby Sakura," She took her daughter in her arms. "I will never force you into anything you do not want to do."
"Really, mother?" Sakura remained snuggled to her mother, as a deer to its doe.
"Of course, my dear. Your decision, it's your decision." She brought her lips to kiss Sakura's forehead.
"Off you go dear, your father will be at the town's lake, and you are to meet with him,"
She wiped her tears with her sleeve, bringing Sakura up and fixing her ruffled attire.
"He wants to see your new top in progress; we'll talk later, okay?"
"Yes, mother!"
Sakura gave her mother a quick hug before sprinting to the front house, placing on her sandals she made through the town to find her father.
Compared to the people around her, she was a very little child. Swarming in and out of the busy civilians, she countered the concept of 'ninja'. Sakura looked up as she recognised the sound that came normally about of the day.
The tapping of ninja's feet atop the roofs tiles.
"Ninja, huh?"
Busy keeping up with the ninja's speed using her eyes, she mistook her way and bumped into a body.
"Oof!"
On the floor, Sakura looked up to see the object of her misfortune, only to gasp in surprise.
White eyes met green.
Sakura hurriedly spoke her apology. She was told of the many noble families in Konoha, by her father.
"Suimasen Hyuuga-san!"
In such surprise, she tried to stand but misplaced where she put her hand and hurt her wrist. "Ow…"
"It's okay." The young Hyuuga bent down and offered his hand.
"Here, let me help you up."
"Arigatou." Sakura bowed respectfully, and then dashed from her spot towards the town's lake.
"Hey, wait! Will you be okay?" Called the young Neji to the girl.
Sakura spun fluently, her little dress frilling about around her. Her hands rose to her chest.
"Hai, I'll be well Hyuuga-san, thank-you!" She sprinted once more, waving behind her before completely disappearing into the crowd.
Hyuuga Neji stood with his hand to his hip, just staring off to where she left.
"Strange girl…"
Sakura began to slow her pace; nearing her destination she could taste the lake in the air. Shoving a bush aside, she jumped down the stepping stones to her father's usual spot at the lake. It was close to the duck cabin, coot ducks would settle there to hatch their young.
Tip toeing through she found her father at the bank, he had caught two huge carps in his basket his wife had weaved, and was now sending them into his own bucket of water.
"Father!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Hm?" He turned around, falling back as his sole daughter jumped in his arms.
"Ah! Now who is this angel that bestowed upon me? Spare me from your beautiful sight!"
"Father! It is me, Sakura-chan your daughter!" Sakura giggled at her fathers charm.
"Oh my, my… How beautiful you look this day, my dear Sakura-chan." He took his hand in hers and kissed the top part, bowing jokingly.
Sakura cupped her mouth in laughter. She then took out her top from her side pouch, proudly raising it in view.
"Ooooh, what a beauty Sakura-chan, care to show me how it works?"
"Yes father," She bowed in mimic to his earlier action. "It works like this!"
With a strong pull to the string, it let loose the top of which spun gracefully on the lake, splashing expert waves around it, giving it a superb show of elegance.
"Well would you look at that? You have perfected the skill Sakura-hime, but I must say no matter how beautiful it rides,"
Sakura was encouraging its spin with the top fishing-rod, lifting her back leg, tongue stuck out in concentration.
"It will never compare to how beautiful my Sakura is."
The green-eyed darling stopped to gaze at her father.
"You… You really mean that?"
He bent down to her height, holding her by her shoulders. "With all my heart, Sakura."
She became teary-eyed. "Father…"
Sakura tackled her father once more. "Woah! Hey there princess, my back will give way if you do that again! Ha ha…"
"Father… it is the time of the ninja academy this coming year, isn't it?"
He looked down at his daughter.
"Would… would you like me to be a ninja?"
"Oh Sakura sweet heart," He wrapped his arms tighter around her. "What I would really love is for you to be happy with whom you are. Whether it is that you are a ninja or an ordinary girl."
Sakura inclined her head upwards.
"Which ever your decision may be, you'll always be special in my eyes."
"Is it my decision?"
"Precisely, my dove."
"Mother had said it was my decision also."
"Yes darling she is quite right. How is your mother dear?"
"She is fine, but I think I upset her somehow…"
"Oh?"
"She cried a bit."
Her father smiled warmly.
"That just means she loves you so much Sakura."
"I love her loads too… I love you loads too father." She smiled at him.
He smiled back.
"But father… I'm still unsure about ninja academy."
"How so Sakrura?" He placed his chin atop her bubblegum covered head.
"I'm not sure why I'm unsure… that's why I'm confused to why I'm unsure of why I'm… unsure?"
He chuckled lightly in her hair.
"How do I put this…? Come here," He sat at the edge of the bank, bringing Sakura onto his lap with the spinning rod he placed in Sakura's hands, he put his hands over hers to guide them out to the floating top.
"Do you know where that spinning top was originally from?"
Sakura beamed as she knew the answer straight off.
"Yes! From the Cherry blossom tree that had fallen in our back garden. That certain tree had been there even before I was born, so it was a very ancient tree."
"Ha ha ha, you are very well informed Sakura," She smiled at his acknowledgement. "Now, why is it you think I did not plant another seed in its place?"
His hand atop hers guided the top around, not quite succeeding in getting it to start.
Sakura furrowed her pink brows in deep thought.
"Because it will take too long for it to bloom before its petals will show, and because spring is almost over it will take longer still?"
Sakura grew impatient that the top would not spin.
"No Sakura, because I don't need another cherry blossom tree, when I already have one."
Sakura, bewildered, looked back at her father.
"Do you mean me, father? But I am not a tree."
"You resemble one."
Sakura still remained confused.
"You're right that a cherry blossom tree will take quite a long time to mature, at first it'll look a bare tree, nothing much to the eye. Though as four seasons change, gradually, the first flower will bloom, bloom until the very last has not yet opened its wings to fly.
You are like that last flower, Sakura."
Sakura bit her lip, disappointed with the outcome to one of her fathers many stories.
"Because all in all, the last bloom of the flowers will turn out to be,"
Sakura turned her attention to the top as she felt her father let go in order for her to drive the stick. With a slow accurate pull, she let out a jut that sent the top spinning gracefully, once again into the glowing sunrise.
"The most beautiful of them all."
-Flash-back end-
"Father…"
Little Sakura silently closed the shoji doors, pacing in the direction of her room; she entered with the slide of the door shutting behind her.
"Do you really mean that…?"
Sitting cross-legged on her futon, she was faced with her reflection displayed by the whole-length mirror across from her bed.
"Can someone like me… really become a ninja?"
Authors note: Yes, I know that Neji's father had died when he was much younger, to be precise when he was about 4. I had to make an adjustment to suit my story.
Many thanks.