A.N.: I know, I know! You're all saying "Mekon-chan, what are you doing? You have a story that needs updating!" Yeah, well, I was bored! I have a bit of writers block on My Protector, so I thought it'd be a good idea to do a small side-fic of sorts… to get me in the writing mood… Yeah, just read… BTW: the title refers to a little snippet in My Protector, so if you haven't read it yet, go read it!
Lee and Naru's Hideaways
1. First Friend
When Naru ran into the forest to escape the mob, she never expected anything good to come out of it. Instead of just more pain and loneliness, her life changed forever with the meeting of her first- and best –friend.
2. Protection
Lee thought when he met Naru that she needed protection from being beaten and chased out into the forest. But looking at her now at the age of eleven, he knew she mostly needed his support and protection from the insults the villagers threw at her. And even then, he was always there to work with her in their chance battles on missions.
3. Hug
Sometimes, when Naru was feeling down, she liked to be quiet and sit on her couch all day. Lee always understood when his friend needed sometime to talk to or when she just needed a silent hug. He also understood the difference between the two.
4. Alike
Lee and Naru were so much alike, it was scary sometimes. They both were energetic, talkative, childish, and determined. They also had similar pasts, both being orphaned and left alone for the first years of their lives. They share some personality quirks and mimicked each others actions, a result of being best friends for 5+ years. And most of all, they trusted and depended on each other.
5. Different
But what only the people who knew them best realized that they were very different too. Naru was often the more mature of the two, though she still had her child-like moments. Lee was the more talkative of the friends, always filling the silence. Naru was the Ninjutsu user, while Lee was the Taijutsu user. Naru was more inclined to being the leader, despite Lee being older than her. Lee was more of a follower, always trusting Naru's advice without question.
6. Reading Minds
Lee and Naru could almost always tell what the other was thinking. It usually only took a glance, but sometimes stiff shoulders or a dark expression gave away their thoughts to the other. And even rarer, no outward prompt was needed for the other to know what they were thinking about. It got especially creepy for Neji and Gai when one would answer a question that wasn't even asked out loud…
7. Obvious
It was obvious to Neji that Lee and Naru had an un-breakable bond. From just spending a day with them after his confrontation with Naru he could tell that they knew each other almost better than themselves. It was also obvious to Neji that they would always be best friends, no matter how many fights they had (if they ever had any, it was hard to imagine…), or new people they met, or enemies they faced.
8. Cute
Gai looked back fondly on the night he met Lee and Naru at the training field almost a year ago. At fist, he had only seen Lee, but when the black haired boy deemed it safe, Naru walked out from behind her friend, smiling timidly at the tall Jounin. That shy Naru was far from what she was now, outgoing and taking up the leadership on team Gai when Gai himself stood on the sidelines. But, thinking back, Gai couldn't help but admit that it was almost unbearingly cute how Lee took it apon himself to protect his younger companion.
9. Comfort
Naru knew that Lee was bothered sometimes by his disability. Of course it was hard to be different than other people, she knew that well. But not being able to use chakra was especially hard on him when he saw other ninjas studying Ninjutsu scrolls. But then, Naru was always there to comfort him with a vigorous training session.
10. Getting Ready
Lee was not angry when he noticed that Naru was slowly becoming the leader on their first C-rank mission. In fact, he was happy. Sure, when they were younger he was the one "being the leader", but really, he knew that he wasn't really all that suited for taking charge of a group. He liked to think he was just helping Naru get ready to be a leader.
A.N.: … Yeeeeeaaaah… Um, there you go. Just friendship this time, but if you guys like this, I'll do a more romantic one when their relationship gets more fluffy (OMG SPOILERS). Whelp, Bye! STAY YOUTHFUL!