Authoress: Lady Dusk -Raku-
Title: Love for the brow-less
Pairing: Lee X Gaara, Various implied pairings.
Warning/Note: I made this for, and dedicate to my friend Chibi. She's lucky I love her otherwise I'd have never written something about this couple. This is for you Chibi and I hope you enjoy it!
Summary: It's Valentines Day, not necessarily a pleasant day for some. For Lee, it's a challenge to find someone willing to share his valentines day spirit, and help spread the youthful seeds of romance on this day of love!…Who the hell is he asking?
Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. But I know I was right about Deidara being a boy and now its plain as day in the new episode. Haha! Okay, off subject.
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Love for the brow-less
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Valentines Day was never a 'joyous' event in the hidden village of Konoha. Not to the majority of the population, anyway. Things always seemed to go completely wrong. For one, most ninja believed that love interests in a ninja's life were a weakness and a burden. The remaining few however…were completely hopeless. There was Kakashi and Iruka for one…
A colored blur shot across the rooftops, gasping while in a frantic run for safety. Coming to a stop under a building, Iruka wiped the sweat from his brow.
"He's…insane," the chuunin panted.
"Oh Iruka…" came Kakashi's singsong voice. He sounded way too close. Iruka 'eeped' and took off. Well, one could honestly say Kakashi was stalking his own 'love interest' today; for what, it was dangerous to wonder. Team 7 was having their own troubles. Naruto, was trying to talk Sakura into a date, but she was too busy fussing with Ino on the best place to find Sasuke, who was hiding (like the brave ninja he was) from his fan club. As well as who had the best homemade chocolates.
"Sakura-chan…"
"No, Naruto! Ino-pig you're crazy, Sasuke will definitely love my chocolates!"
"Yeah, if he's blind! I think he's been staring into the reflected light off of your forehead too long if he chooses yours over mine, Sakura."
"What was that?"
"Hey, didn't Sasuke say he didn't like sweets--"
"SHUT UP, NARUTO!"
Naruto eventually gave up and went on his way, deciding a nice bowl of Ichiraku's ramen would make the day all better. Meanwhile, the mighty Uchiha avenger himself was hiding in a tree on the outskirts of the village, staying clear of the horde that was his fan girls. Marching through Konoha like an army- no, a pack of rabid wolves; there were even a lone few standing guard at his house.
Holding back a sneeze, Sasuke kept his Sharingan trained on every living thing within a twenty-foot radius. How he'd kill for a Byakugan right now. It was all right; he'd just wait it out. 24 hours of sitting stiffly in a tree with nothing to eat…ramen sounded so good at the moment…nope, no moving, no moving…
"Sasuke-kuuuuun…!"
He was doomed.
Neji didn't have a problem with Valentines Day. He glared anyone who came near him away, instantly. If that didn't work, people learned quickly that he was not above driving a juuken strike into someone's gut. TenTen was impervious to his act, but all he did was spar with her the whole day. That wasn't romantic at all!
"Come at me again, TenTen," Neji said, getting into the stance of his kaiten once more.
"Hai, Neji." She held back the urge to sulk at the dull way she was spending such a romantic holiday, and prepared to attack again. What a way to spend Valentines!
Asuma had met up with Kurenai, and they stayed in denial of any feelings all the way to the bar…that is until they went home together. Needless to say, someone's holiday was going well. Their teams however, would beg to differ. Kiba was too proud, thinking it to be a mushy holiday not meant for such manly men such as himself. Besides, he was too busy keeping an eye on his mother and sister, even though he was confident Kuromaru and the Haimaru triplets would chase off any bad suitor. Shino, on the other hand, didn't even acknowledge it. Hinata, of course, was 'not stalking' Naruto; a Valentines Day card with a pack of white chocolates shaking in her hands.
Watching him as he ordered another bowl of ramen, she bit her lip. W-What do I do now? I can't just…go up to him. No, that would be rude…but, but Naruto-kun wouldn't mind, I'm sure…I…no. Maybe this was a bad idea; I can't get near him without blushing. What if I … no…wait, no, no that's a terrible idea. I could pretend I'm in a hurry and leave it before he says something, but then something might go wrong. Wait, maybe I…
She wound up breaking into his apartment and leaving it. How that was better no one knew.
Chouji, as much as it pained him, tried to eat his barbeque with an annoyed Shikamaru; who wondered if he would get something from a certain Sand kunoichi during her visit. Unfortunately, the ninja in question had already decided she would torture the Nara instead, just to see the results. Kankurou…well, enough said. Then there was Gaara, who only came along because he hadn't seen Naruto in a while, and he was curious about this…holiday Temari had told him about. He had no idea what all the little red and pink hearts and streamers all over the place had to do with it, but he knew it was one weird holiday…
Far off, away from the chaos of the village, there was one spirited young shinobi who sought to learn all he could from his sensei on the values of love.
"Lee, my youthful student! The time has come for you to seek out your target of love and seize it!" Gai shook a fist in determination. "I have taught you all I can about the wonders of love and affection. You are a strong young shinobi; such youth should not be wasted!" Lee saluted his teacher.
"Yes, Gai-sensei!" He took off running. "I must find my valentine!" He would find them; as his chosen mission, he could not let Gai-sensei down! Gai wiped a tear as he watched his student go. They grew up so fast...
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He had started with the training grounds first. There was nothing except for a crowd of girls fighting over what looked like a piece of material. At first, Lee was going to stop and approach them, but those girls were…scary. It was probably best to avoid them.
"The shirt is mine, wench!"
"Back off, tramp!"
"Grrr, I'll kill you if you don't let go!"
Yup, definitely best to avoid them. He didn't know why those girls couldn't share in the splendor of Valentines but he would surely find his! Perhaps his teammates could help him. He was about to leave the area of the training grounds when he heard the sounds of sparring and headed in that direction. Lee didn't expect to find Neji and TenTen there but he was more than happy he did. The Hyuuga prodigy had just finished a kaiten when he dropped in.
"Neji! TenTen!" He greeted. TenTen brightened up considerably. At least something was happening around here. She and Neji both turned to Lee, only to stop…and blink.
"Um…Lee? What are you wearing?" The boy mimicked their action.
"Huh?" He looked down. "Ah! My outfit. Gai-sensei said that today I should wear something more appealing that my regular jumpsuit! You must…'dress to impress' he told me." He nodded as if agreeing with that statement. Neji just shook his head.
"You're actually doing something for Vale- this holiday?" he asked. Lee nodded again. TenTen giggled.
"Well I think it's cute. Who are you asking?" Lee scratched his head.
"I'm not sure who I should ask. Would you like to help me find my valentine?"
"Well…" TenTen frowned. Neji may not have caught on to any of her hints but she couldn't give up just yet. "Sorry, Lee. Neji and I were still sparring. What about Sakura-san?" She could practically see the light bulb above his head light up.
"Of course! How could I forget Sakura-san?" He was off in a flash. "Goodbye TenTen and Neji!" TenTen giggled again, until she noticed Neji was getting back into his gentle fist stance. She sighed.
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"Fine, we'll both go our separate ways and when I find him I'm keeping him for myself!"
"Not if I find him first!"
"Sakura-san!" Came a familiar voice. Sakura and Ino turned to see Lee jumping down from a nearby rooftop. He rushed up to them.
"Sakura-san! I'm so glad I found you!" The kunoichi blinked at his attire. He was wearing a tux; only he kept his normal sandals on. Well, that wasn't too weird she supposed. After all, she was wearing her best dress for when she saw Sasuke-kun.
"Why's that, Lee-san?" She asked, curious.
"Well, I was wondering…" He dropped to one knee and held out a flower. "Would you be my valentine?"
Sakura was surprised. She hadn't really been expecting to be asked by anyone other than Naruto, of course. Sadly, she wasn't interested.
"Sorry Lee-san. I'm hoping to be Sasuke's valentine. I'm sure that--"
"Hmph! Like he'll even ask you, Ford-y McForehead!" Ino taunted. Sakura seethed.
"That was completely lame, piggy!"
Lee sighed as the girls continued to argue. He'd been turned down. Now what? He clenched the flower in his hand. He couldn't give up! The search would continue! He leapt onto the rooftops.
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"Help you what?" Kiba asked from his position behind a trashcan.
"Help me find my true love. I must do so on this youthful holiday!" Lee remembered to whisper. Kiba shook his head and peeked around the trashcan, with Akamaru perched on his head.
"Nah, man. I gotta keep watch on this guy that keeps trying to talk to my sister." Akamaru growled in agreement. Where the hell were his sister's dogs!
Lee nodded in understanding.
"Good luck, Kiba-kun." He left, still on his search.
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Shino stared (at least he guessed) at Lee for quite a while before answering.
"I don't believe in Valentines Day." He stated simply. Lee blinked a couple of times before setting off again, confused.
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"Well, um, I-I would like to, Lee-san, b-but I don't think I'd be much help." Hinata stuttered quietly. "D-Do you plan on giving your valentine anything?" Lee slurped some ramen from his bowl and shook his head.
"I don't know who my valentine is yet. I cannot give them the same general gift I would give to anyone else! It must be special," He declared. "What should I give to a valentine?" He turned to the kunoichi who sat near him, expectantly.
"W-Well…I think you should be able to give your valentine s-something they need, maybe. Something you can share with them, b-but it's still meaningful and from the heart. It d-doesn't have to be an expensive gift…j-just to show you care…" Hinata answered honestly. Lee gave a cry of exhilaration at her words.
"You are most wise, Hinata-san! You truly see the youthful season of love that is Valentines Day! Thank you for your words, I shall take them to heart!" he cried happily. Hinata blushed but nodded anyway. She started to eat her ordered ramen and nearly choked when she heard someone shout her and Lee's name.
"Oi, Hinata-chan! Fuzzy-brows!" It was Naruto! Hinata's' poor heart hammered against her chest as she waved to the blond. She noticed a disgruntled Sasuke walking with him as well. Lee waved enthusiastically and ran to meet them halfway. Whew, at least she wouldn't have to say anything if Lee kept them busy.
"Naruto-kun, I am glad to see you! Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong with your shirt?" He'd noticed that the avenger was wearing a black shirt that wasn't his normal attire, not to mention it was a little fitting. Sasuke crossed his arms and ignored the question, but Naruto wasn't going to let him off so easily. He snickered.
"A bunch of girls mobbed him at the training grounds and ripped his shirt right off him. He came here shirtless with scratches and scrapes so we went to my place to get him one of mine." At this point Naruto had his arms wrapped around his torso to hold back from laughing. A vein appeared on Sasuke's forehead.
"Shut it, dobe." he warned. Naruto attempted to stifle his laugh, before wiping a tear from his eye.
"What's with the suit?" He gestured to Lee's outfit.
"I'm dressing to impress!" Lee stated proudly. "It's for my valentine!"
"Eh? Who, Hinata-chan?"
"Oh no, I am on a quest to find my love. Hinata-san was advising me on the ways of love." He looked at Naruto hopefully. "Naruto-kun, would you like to help me?" The blond started to open his mouth; as unpredictable as he was, Sasuke wasn't about to risk it and interrupted him.
"He would if he wasn't already entertaining a guest. Naruto, we're going back to your place." With that he walked off, dragging his struggling teammate behind him.
"Oi, oi! Don't tell me what to do! Let go, bastard!" Their arguing faded into the distance. Lee turned back to the ramen stand, only to find Hinata gone. Alone again it seemed. Oh well, no more breaks. It was almost afternoon and he still hadn't found his valentine yet. It was time to ask someone very intelligent, someone with the brains to know how to find true love…
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"You think Shikamaru can help you find your special someone?" Chouji asked, munching on a bag of BBQ chips. The said genius stood beside him in the bustling street. Lee nodded.
"Shikamaru-kun is very smart. I thought he could help me find my valentine." Shikamaru sighed. Troublesome, that's what this is…
"How am I supposed to know whom you're destined to be with? That's almost impossible to predict." Lee looked deflated.
"I have been searching all day and asking my friends if they could help. Everyone seems to be too busy." He said sadly. The two friends traded glances.
"Don't look like that, Lee. Valentines Day isn't that great a holiday," he grumbled, seemingly irritated by something. It didn't look like his words had any effect, as the look on Lee's face drooped even more.
"But…my valentine…" Shikamaru clasped a hand on his shoulder.
"C'mon, we were going to greet the sand ninjas by the gate. Want to come with us?" He was already pushing the boy before he could even accept the offer, heading in the direction of the Konoha gates. The walk was made in silence, except for the crunching of Chouji's chips (and Lee's continuous sighs). He suddenly pointed.
"Hey, there they are." The sand siblings were already past the gate it seemed, halfway into the village and heading toward them. Shikamaru waved halfheartedly to get their attention. Temari noticed first, and only he noticed the mischievous grin that spread across her face. He rolled his eyes. Of course she had done it all on purpose, just to irk him…women…
Lee averted his gaze from the ground to properly greet their guests when his heart stopped. He stood frozen for merely a moment, suddenly realizing everything, and then lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. Shikamaru didn't see him run; all he knew was in second he'd vanished from sight. Blinking, he shook his head and stepped up to Temari and her brothers.
"You're troublesome, you know that?" She merely grinned.
"You're just being a baby because you didn't get anything." Kankurou pretended to gag behind them. His sister stuck out her tongue in return.
"Temari." Gaara's voice was always monotone to most, but Temari and Kankurou could hear the inquiring tone clearly, and turned to see an odd sight. "What is he doing?" Gaara asked them; a tuxedo clad Lee down on one knee and a small bouquet of flowers held up to the redhead. Both the sand and leaf ninjas stared.
"Umm…" Temari started. Lee pushed the flowers closer.
"Gaara, please accept my proposal!" The others gaped. Gaara remained stoic, the only show of surprise being the slight widening of his eyes.
"…Your what?"
"Please be my valentine! I would do all for my one true love. I would give you my heart! I would share anything I have with you! I would even share, my eyebrows!" Chouji choked on his chips. Shikamaru was speechless. Temari and her brother were covering their mouths, though Kankurou was so he wouldn't laugh. Gaara stared at the completely serious ninja that was kneeled before him. The poor kid was going to be crushed, literally. A bead of sweat formed on Lee's brow as the silence grew on…and on…and on…
"…Alright." Gaara answered. Kankurou stopped his snickering to gasp in shock, and the rest watched on in a stupor as Lee whooped with joy and led Gaara away by the arm. Days could have passed by without them moving if Temari hadn't spoke up.
"Did we just…they…he…?" Shikamaru and Kankurou nodded. Lee of all people, had just asked the Shukaku host himself to be his valentine…and he had accepted. Chouji was quiet for a moment, until he raised his hand, as if still in ninja academy.
"Anyone up for some Korean barbeque?"
This time, Shikamaru was the first to stare at his friend in disbelief.
All in all, Valentines Day in Konoha was one hell of a day…
"Oh Iruka…found you."
"Gah!"
Yup, one hell of a day.
-Owari-
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No, I don't know what got in me to write this. I'm paranoid about how it is, especially since its not a pairing I like. I feel like I might not have put much effort into it, as I just wrote it on a whim almost. I was happy to write it for you though, Chibi XD That's what made it worth it. Hope it was enjoyable. Love you!
-LDR-