Conflicted – By Ashford2ashford
Genre: shrugs
Rating(s): PG-13 now…maybe M later
Pairing(s): Oho….not to be revealed until the next chapter…
Timeline: I'd like to imagine sometime during the future when everyone is as they are after the three year gap…
Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto…its sad really….
Author Notes: My first Naruto fanfic, and also one of the best darn fanfics I have ever written! I'm looking forwards to revealing the mystery behind Lee's 'visions' in the second chapter…ku ku ku….
…
…
Raised Emotions – Chapter One
…
…
Lee tried not to think of much as he started another rigorous training session with his Sensei – Maito Gai (or Might Guy) – and his two team mates Neji and Tenten, but his mind was wandering; as it so often had been doing these days. He closed his eyes as he faced his usual training pole, ready for a few warm up kicks, and tried not to think of anything at all, tried to clear his head, tried his best…but images that he wished to forget were trying to crawl their way forwards into his line of vision.
…lips upon lips, gently caressing each other. He breathed hard and let out a soft, yet lusty laugh, the smile gentle and passionate.
"Never thought I'd do this with you."
The other looked up, a blank expression, yet the eyes were misty with more lust, "Shut up and kiss me."
He let out a soft cry and kicked the wooden stump once…hard.
The thundering crack his shin made against the wood was loud enough to make even Neji turn in surprise; the wood splintering beneath the weight and force of bone. Opening his eyes and looking around nervously, a little startled at the looks he was getting from his team mates, Lee proceeded to kick the stump again and again, trying to block out their stares, as his Sensei looked on with an unreadable expression.
"Is something wrong with Lee today?"
Gai Sensei lowered his gaze to the concerned face of Tenten and shrugged his mighty shoulders gently. His eyes shifted from her, to the unusually quiet Lee – who had nearly broken his way through the training post – and then back to Tenten again.
"I'm…I'm sure he's fine." In truth, Gai wasn't sure that was true at all. He himself was feeling the pain of concern gnawing at his chest, and the only thing he could do now, without causing concern to spread through his ranks, was put on one of his best smiles and try to get through the training session without delay, "He probably is still half asleep daydreaming about a youthful rivalry sealed in blood and sweat!"
Laughing heartily, Gai Sensei failed to notice the piercing gaze of Neji upon him, nor did he know that the all seeing eye of the former Chuunin was pulling apart his false attitude bit by bit. Neji turned to Lee and began to walk over to the already sweating Chuunin, trying to catch his gaze for just one moment.
"Lee."
The bowl-haired teen paused in mid kick, and yet still did not make eye contact, "Neji?"
There was a moment of awkward silence – Lee frozen in mid kick, one leg raised high, his body low to the ground, his arms frozen in mid balance, and Neji, arms folded, his hollow yet not entirely unsympathetic eyes drinking in the body of his companion, his mouth tight lipped and silent – before the approached Chuunin started to gradually lower his leg and took on an upright stance.
"Did you have something you wanted?" Like his Sensei, Lee's manner was false; you didn't need a Byakugan to see that.
"Hm…I thought I did…but now that I'm here…I find it not that easy to say what it is I intended to say…" Point blank honesty was one of Neji's both liked and disliked traits and it did not fail to swing on the side of disliked in Lee's ears.
"Then do not interrupt my training if you do not have anything to say to me." Lee's tone – although his language and mannerisms hadn't altered - was dangerous and dismissive at the same time, and it made Neji's blood boil, getting an undesired reaction from the Jounin.
As Lee turned away to continue with his 'training' Neji's arm had instinctively shot forwards and one tightly clenched fist was now wrapped around the slightly muscular arm of his team mate, and Lee's step faltered somewhat. Observing the two closely, Gai Sensei stepped forwards, opening his mouth to say something, but something held him back from even being able to utter one word of protest. Tenten, behind him, let out a soft gasp, as if she could feel the sudden tension between the two – which hung thickly in the air like an unforgiving unyielding mist of anger and guarded emotions.
"Neji…" Lee's voice was deliberate and careful, as if he was struggling within himself to say the right words to the Hyuuga clan member, "Please let me go. I do not wish to start an unnecessary fight with you. I have much training to do before I spar with you. If you have something to say to me…wait until then."
Neji's eye twitched and it seemed as though Lee had struck a nerve, until his narrowed his eyes and pulled Lee close. The sudden tug was that unexpected, that Lee complied, staggering in an almost drunken way towards the Hyuuga; whose eyes were now locked on his, entrapping the young Taijutsu user within their stern glare.
"Listen to me now Rock Lee…and listen well. I don't often say sentimental things to my team, but I think even your thick head can comprehend this." He leaned in close, and Lee began to squirm, feeling intimidated and uncomfortable by the sudden close contact…
…leaned in close until their faces were barely centimetres apart and then brushed those soft, tight – he imagined – lips against each other, going in for a gentle, delicate petal soft kiss…
…and more than a little squeamish at being this close to Hyuuga Neji. Neji hissed into his ear, "You'd better tell someone what is wrong with you, because if you keep brushing us off like this, when the time comes, you won't have a team to watch your back! Understand?"
Before Lee could respond Neji pushed him backwards, sending the Chuunin flying onto his rear, hitting the ground hard with his legs tangled. He gazed up with wide eyes as Neji turned his back on him and retreated, and then lowered them to stare at his feet, lost in his thoughts.
Neji…you could never understand…
"Right!" Gai Sensei clapped his hands together forcefully and flashed an award winning grin that made all three of his students look up at him, "We'd better train apart for today! Learn to know ourselves a little more! I can see you're all alive with fighting spirit today, for the air is electric with your raised emotions!"
Neji rolled his eyes. Just how long was their Sensei going to turn a blind eye to their emotions and feelings? Would that 'nice guy' act keep up when his prized student was practically begging for help without saying a word at all?
Tenten new in her heart that Gai's manner was false now, even she had seen his startled expression when Neji and Lee had almost had their fight, and now she knew that Maito Gai did not wish to have to engage in confrontations. He was just trying to keep the peace…and she thanked him for it.
Lee, for the first time in his life, turned away and said nothing, not even jumping up and agreeing with his 'beloved Sensei' as he normally did. Neji's words had bit deeper than anyone else's, simply because of the bitter truth behind them. To Lee…the truth had been what he had needed…and it was starting to make more sense to him than any gentle words and soft approaches ever would.
Gai Sensei was nearly sweating with the discomfort, but he kept his composure…as well as his abnormally large grin, "So I'd suggest that Tenten should train on the puppets in the woods, Neji should go out of town for a while and relax in a nice open field somewhere, and Lee…" He paused briefly whilst his gaze lingered on his prized student, his smile faltering for a second, "…you should go and train by the river! Water calms the mind and soul!"
In a way, sending Lee there was Gai Sensei's way of saying, "I know you're feeling bad, Lee. I understand what it is you are going through. If water calms the mind and soul, then I'd suggest you train there to find your own inner peace. I hope it works my student."
Gai had no need for words like that, and within a few seconds of announcing this, he found himself alone at their meeting spot outside of the woods, watching with a now hardened gaze as Lee's back slowly grew further and further away from him – as if symbolically showing the distance he had now placed between himself and his team.
The older Jounin's eyes closed and he wiped sweat from his brow, opening his eyes again to see that his student had disappeared completely.
"Lee…" He murmured, unable to shake off the feeling that what was bothering Lee was of his doing…
…
…
Ashford2ashford: So there you have it! Part one of my new Naruto fictions! YAY! Hope you all are ready for the big revelations in Chapter Two – Spare Me! No flames please!