- i n c o m i n g t r a n s m i s s i o n . . . -

Hey guys. It's been a while since I've even submitted to let alone write a Naruto fanfic. I figured I should just lay out my Naruto interests flat:

-Big fan of Sasu/Naru

-Gai and Lee are meant to be (however weird that is..and I know it's weird, but I want a challenge!)

-mildly interested in KakaIru

-The rest are straight. I'm sorry, but Neji is too damn fine for me to make him a yaoi-boy.

So that should give you a little insight as to what to expect in this fic. I'm not going to guarantee anything- Hell, I don't even have a guided path for this one. Hopefully I'll be inspired as I go along. And maybe you can be part of that inspiration! I mean, it's pretty hard come by as it is.

If it's not clear with you yet- YES. This is a story about gay love. Boy on boy. Well, scratch that, man on boy! I'm not usually a fan, but I felt it appropriate with them. If you've come across this unknowing of what it is and are offended, I apologize, and you can go about your merry way. I don't truly believe this is what's going on in the anime, but hell, it'd be amusing if it was. This is just entertainment for a certain crowd.

So, if you're part of that crowd, you're in for a treat!

Hope you all enjoy this!

- / e n d t r a n s m i s s i o n -

It had been one of the most excruciatingly hot afternoons that Team Gai had experienced in a long time. The village of Konoha was currently sizzling and drying up, leaving the ground crunchy and smelling of quick decay. The breeze had died long ago, leaving the air still, humid, and boiling.

In their usual training spot, Ten Ten, Neji, Rock Lee, and their beloved Gai-sensei were suffering through the unbearable heat to get their daily regimen of training completed. Each had their particular training to accomplish, considering they had all been appointed Chuunin only a few months before. Ten Ten had increasingly grown in her weaponry skills over the years, proving herself worthy of further helping Neji with his own training of his Byakugan. The two of them were currently sparring in a clearing not far from where their counterparts, Gai and Lee, were busy with their own training.

The Chuunin exam hadn't been particularly hard for any of them the second time around. They hadn't been able to participate in the following exam after the whole Gaara-Lee incident, so they waited out a year training diligently until their golden opportunity. Luckily for them, they didn't encounter any particularly hard contestants, and easily moved through the examinations-even Ibiki's exam was a breeze once you figured out his logic.

As those Chuunin vests that they waited so long to wear lay shed on the ground, Ten Ten and Neji sparred, their intensity sagging under the seemingly rising intensity of the sun. Sharp roundhouse kicks became muted oblonghouse kicks, easy punches began to easily miss their mark, and neither of them were even moving to defend themselves after long. After sluggishly blocking one of Ten Ten's knives, Neji held up a hand to halt the spar. He looked across the clearing to Ten Ten, whose buns were not as much buns anymore as they were pigtails. She sagged against the tree behind her, and he followed suit, both of them panting incessantly.

"It's too damn hot," Neji said, wiping off the beads of sweat from his forehead. Ten Ten nodded, closing her eyes as she leaned her head upwards, begging for a breeze.

"I wish there was at least a breeze," she said. "It'd probably bearable if there were."

The two relaxed for a while, until Ten Ten began to collect the nearby knives and pack them. In the distance, Neji could here the sparring sounds of Gai-sensei and Lee. The echoing sounds of connected punches and kicks, battle cries, and the occasionally triumphant laugh could be heard, which left Neji surprised. What on earth were they doing continuing in this excrutiating heat?

"Do you hear them?" asked Neji increduously. Ten Ten chuckled.

"It's not that surprising. Those maniacs."

"Seriously, though," Neji sighed, "It's like those two are in their own world."

"Maybe they are," said Ten Ten. She smiled as she continued collecting her weapons. "I always thought it was fortunate for the two of them to be grouped together in the same team. I mean, imagine if they hadn't been?"

Neji stared at the ground and began playing absentmindedly with some twigs. "I don't know. I'd think that with their similar personalities, they'd eventually have come across each other. Though...Well, Lee probably wouldn't have even gone through with being a ninja."

"Yeah, you're probably right. They have quite the friendship," Ten Ten looked at Neji as she bent for one of her maces. "I know this is a weird question, but do you...you know, ever find yourself a bit jealous of Lee? That Gai-sensei's playing favorites?"

Neji smiled. "Of course he's playing favorites. But it's not because he doesn't like us enough or anything. He tells us all the time that we're his 'favorite people'. In his opinion, I believe we're held in high regard, but that Lee is held in a completely different regard. So no, I don't feel jealous. Besides, they both kind of need each other in some weird way. Don't you agree?"

"That's a good way of looking at it," replied Ten Ten. "And yeah, I suppose I agree. I don't think that they realize how much they need each other though. You said that Lee is held in his own regard, so what regard would that be, do you think?"

Neji laughed. "I think that's a question that time will tell. Besides, I don't even think I want to dwell on it that much." Ten Ten laughed at him in obvious agreement. "Only time will tell," he said with a grin.

As Ten Ten picked up her last knife, a loud yell was heard from the clearing next to them, and seemed to be coming closer. The two of them didn't seem to be concerned when Lee emerged from the bushes with an irate Gai-sensei at his heels.

"Lee! How could you even think about using the lotus against me during a spar!" screamed the angry Gai-sensei. Lee ran faster, seemingly in a mix of amusement and fear of punishment.

"It was a joke, Gai-sensei! I would never do that to you!" replied Lee. Neji looked over to see that Lee's bandages were unwoven around his right hand, clearly displaying the fact that he had been trying to psyche out his sensei.

"That is NOT something to joke about, Lee!" yelled Gai.

Lee decided it best to stop running and explain himself. However, just as he was about to stop, Gai-sensei ran into him full-force, plummetting the two of them into the ground. Gai had Lee pinned down successfully on his back, which made their position seem a bit compromising. While Gai-sensei was still incensed, Neji and Ten Ten could've sworn they saw a hint of a blush on his cheeks, while they both didn't even have to look at Lee to know what adorned his cheeks. Neji looked to Ten Ten with knowing eyes, and they both began to snicker.

Not wanting to admit to the folly, Gai-sensei played off the position quite well as the punisher. "Never do that again, Lee. Joke or not, to even consider using that move on a comrade is forbidden. Are we clear?"

"H-Hai, Gai-sensei," apologised Lee, looking unwaveringly into his eyes. They looked at each other for a few moments, then Gai-sensei removed himself as if nothing happened, expressionless. Ten Ten decided to speak.

"Hey, you guys up for something refreshing? I could use some chilled soup or a drink right now. I'm parched!"

Lee looked at her with a huge grin from where he lay. "Yeah!" he yelled enthusiastically. Neji just nodded to give his assent.

"Yosh!" cried Gai-sensei. " Let's go to Ichiraku. They're bound to have something to your taste, Ten Ten."

So the group packed up their belongings and headed to Ichiraku under the hot Hidden Village of Fire sun.

Gai-sensei pushed open the green, heavy curtain to the entrance of Ichiraku and held it open for his students. They were all greeted cheerfully by the staff and took their seats at the counter in the order of Gai, Lee, Ten Ten, and Neji.

Having noted their arrival, the old man walked up to the front to take their order.

"Hello, Gai. What can I get for you and your students today?"

"Hello! My student Ten Ten would like to know about your chilled soups. We'll have cold tea all around!" responded Gai-sensei.

"Ah, our chilled soups. We have a few on the menu, considering it's been so unusually hot lately. We're currently serving chilled cucumber soup, lemongrass and chile soup, and our new chilled fish soup, which I highly recommend."

Ten Ten looked pleased. "I'll take the cucumber soup!"

The old man smiled. "A fine choice! What about you, Hyuuga Neji?" he asked, having known Neji as a regular for a long time.

"I'll have the lemongrass," Neji responded.

"I'll have the fish soup! Might as well try them all," interrupted Lee. The old man smiled.

"Alright. Anything else for you, Gai?"

"I'll have some sake, thanks," Gai replied.

At those words, Lee stared ahead, his mind filled with mischief. He'd only had sake twice...Well, he hadn't remembered much, but the intrigue for the alcohol was still there despite what Neji said about him turning into a "monster". Besides, he was getting older now, right? That accidental sip he took of Gai-sensei's wasn't even a conscious decision, and he didn't really remember anything...

The old man went to the back, relayed the orders to his cooks, and strolled back to the counter where the team sat. "So, have any of you guys received word about Naruto? He's been gone for almost a year now, eh?" he said as he leaned forward lazily onto the counter.

The team looked at each other. Word was he was training with Jiraiya, but they never expected him to be gone as long as he was, or when he would return.

Lee spoke first. "We received word that he has been training with one of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya, but we don't know for what purpose or when he'll return," he said, his words mirroring all of their thoughts.

"Ah," said the old man. "He's usually here everyday, that's all. My best customer. I'm used to seeing his face around, I suppose."

"Aren't we all?" said Ten Ten with a grin. She had began to take a liking to the whiskered fellow during the Chuunin exam and found him very amusing.

After that was said, their soups and Gai's sake arrived. Halfway finished with his soup, Lee's attention was diverted to Gai's sake. He examined Gai's face, gauging whether or not he'd be successful in his attempt.

"Gai-sensei...Can I have some of your sake?" he begged.

Gai stared at him. "No, Lee. I'm sorry, but you know what happens when you have alcohol."

Unphased, Lee scooted closer to him and pressed further. "Please, Gai-sensei?"

Gai took a drink and looked to him again. "No! Since when are you interested in sake, anyways?"

Lee pouted. "I've just been a bit curious. It's not like I even remember what it tastes like or anything. And besides, how could one sip turn me into the "monster" that Neji talks about?"

"It does, trust me," interrupted Neji with a smirk on his face, in the middle of raising his spoon. "You might not remember anything, but Gai-sensei and I do. I never thought that I'd have to use my Byakugan against anyone outside of combat, but that time in the restaraunt you prove me wrong."

"Yes, exactly, Neji," said Gai in agreement. " It was very unexpected. We were forced to use our techniques against you that day, and it's something I'd rather not relive," he said, avoiding Lee's gaze.

Lee sagged in his seat, eyes downcast. Gai-sensei always had that effect of dampening Lee's agenda, especially if it was the least bit mischievious. Lee would always think of disappointing him, or wronging him, which usually led to a short guilt trip and the abortion of his ideas.

"Fine," said Lee, defeated. Gai turned his head to look at him, the guilt beginning to eat away at him. As much as he'd like to fulfill whatever Lee would want accomplished, he obviously couldn't give into the senseless demand. He mussed up Lee's hair a bit, causing the boy to grin softly to himself, his eyes still downcast. He soon began to dig into his own food.

"This soup is amazing!" interjected Ten Ten. She was relaxed on her stool, legs crossed, leisurely enjoying her soup. Next to her Neji sat up straight, prim and proper with his manners as always. The old man heard her from the back and grinned and waved in thanks to her approval.

Warmed inside and out from his sake and the temperature, Gai sat back in his seat, nonchalantly pondering his students. He had had charge of them for over three years at the moment, and had constant contact with them throughout that time. Ten Ten had become a bit more mellow throughout her time under his wings. She had slowly transformed from a bouncy young girl to a mature, warm young woman. She'd always mother her teammates, though not always as tenderly as expected of a mother. She had a stern way about her and was always reprimanding Lee, Gai-sensei, and occasionally Neji. Yet he knew that she loved all of them thoroughly as they were her second family.

Neji had also mellowed with age. Upon second thought, Gai had thought that the word "unwound" would better describe his transformation. Ever since his encounter with Naruto, he had become a more accepting individual, not constantly fighting circumstances and acting superior. Of course, there was no denying he was a bit of a snob, but he had become more open with time. On occasion, his guard would be nonexistant, and he'd allow himself to laugh alongside Lee during one of his pranks or current antics.

Which brought Gai to the subject of his beloved student, Lee. Lee had not mellowed with age, contrary to his peers. He had become a bit more mischievious, playing small pranks on his fellow teammates now and again or giving someone a bit of a hard time. But he had never lost his regard for others' feelings, or his knowledge of boundaries. He never pushed people's buttons or their limits, and in that sense he was quite reserved. Gai-sensei had also seen a great emotional maturity in him, and his naivete had begun to shed since his accident during his first Chuunin exam. His crush on Sakura had faded away, though Gai never knew why. Nevertheless, he was relieved, because his secret selfish wants had wanted Lee to be attracted to no one. And soon Gai's thoughts began to wander where they usually only hesitantly tread.

Something had always attracted him to his student. There had always been a sense of comfort and familiarity between them, and they hardly ever kept things from one another. But as Lee began to grow older, Gai's didactic intentions had soon become wary of another intent. Their frequent embraces had left him wondering, their constant contact had made him cautious. So Gai had started to let off on the phsyical contact, slowly, as though a mother would ween a child off a bottle. But somehow Gai felt that Lee knew what was going on, and Lee was not happy about it. However, because of his cautious social nature, Lee had never approached the subject. Every touch from then on was met with awkwardness on both ends, and usually left Lee blushing, which Gai didn't know what to think about. He didn't want his thoughts to become misguided, or his hopes raised, so he usually ignored his feelings. After all, Lee was only 15, soon to be 16. Though it was an old enough age to have one's bearings, Gai didn't believe that Lee was ready to make any drastic decisions about his personal life.

As he watched his student, Lee met his eyes after finishing a spoonful of soup. They looked at each other, eyes cautious, and Lee brushed it off with a smile, returning to his soup. Gai then derailed his train of thought as fast as possible in order to return to normalcy.

After surveying the rest of his team, he saw that they were all finished, and Ten Ten and Neji were currently occupying themselves with conversation.

"So, everyone's done? Should we call it a day?" Gai asked authoratatively.

Ten Ten and Neji stopped their conversation, nodding, and took out their money for the food. Lee followed suit. They left the restaraunt together, bidding the old man a warm goodbye, and then went their seperate ways.

Gai and Lee however walked together for a while, considering their houses were only two blocks away from each other.

"So, are we training tomorrow?" questioned Lee.

"Yes, I suppose so," responded Gai. "I figure we'll train tomorrow and take the next day off. All of you seem to be progressing normally. Well, only when a certain someone isn't threatening his sensei's life, that is," he said with a smirk.

Lee grinned back at him. "You do know that was a joke, right Gai-sensei?"

"Of course, Lee. I just don't want you taking the lotus lightly. I don't even know how you could after what happened to you a year ago."

Lee kicked a pebble. "Well...I don't take it lightly. I wouldn't ever use it outside of battle or dire circumstances...Just as you said for me to. You should have a little more faith in me than that, Gai-sensei," he finished with a farced smile.

Gai was about to respond when Lee suddenly bid him an abrupt goodbye, and ran to his house only a few meters away. Feeling a bit more guilty than he had earlier, he head home himself.

Lee arrived at his house a minute later and began to fumble for his key in his green suit as he watched his sensei leave him with the usual worry that ate at his heart. After getting in, he was greeted by the usual emptiness of his house. Unknown by most of his peers, aside from his own team, Lee had lost his parents at a very young age, leaving him alone in the foreign village of Konoha, where he continued to raise himself with the help of an elderly neighbor until she died when he was nine. His parents hadn't been originally from Konoha, which is why many people made fun of his foreign features.

As he walked through the rooms of his house, he brushed by the relics of his past: pictures of him and his parents smiling happily in a place far, far away, him playing in a sand box surrounded by little toy ninjas, a picture of him and his old neighbor Mara, newer pictures of his team, and the one he cherished most, the one of him and Gai-sensei only taken a few months ago with the two of them with their arms around each others' shoulders.

He dumped his pack on the chair next to his bed and made a beeline for the bathroom to shower. As he closed the door behind him and began to strip, a pin-up saying could be seen on the door. Throughout the house, he had pinned up pick-me-ups and inspirational sayings to boost his morale, for at times it could reach all-time lows. He always thought himself blessed to have a goal to work after- to be a great ninja with his taijitsu. However, it was always a double-edged sword when he thought about such things.

His parents had died in a skirmish with rogue ninjas, plain and simple. His parents had not been ninjas at all, and were therefore put at the mercy of their punishers. He had been with them, about to be killed, when the Konoha ninja had finally arrived, assassinating the murderous ninjas and rescuing Lee. After that event, he remembered their kind actions towards him and their reassuring words. He knew one of them had been Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and Sakura's teacher. The others weren't as memorable, however. From that day forward, he wished to be as strong and as brave as those that had saved his life and killed those who killed his parents. He enrolled himself in ninja school with no extraordinary talent whatsoever, and worked his way up from there. The rest was history.

He finished up his brief shower, the last remainder of it being very cold considering the blistering heat that lingered outside. Despite the time being relatively early, Lee readied himself for bed. Sadly enough, whenever Lee went home, that's all he usually did- sleep. Otherwise the emptiness would seep into him, the loneliness would creep inside his skin, and he'd work himself into a depression.

Jumping into his bed clothes, he climbed into bed, and resigned himself to lie there thinking. His thoughts fell to his sensei, whom his relationship with had been a bit strained recently. Gai meant much more to Lee than Lee ever though Gai would know. He could confide in him, joke with him, and allow himself to be comforted by him. But recently, Lee felt as though he was losing him, day by day. Lee had also acknowledged that his feelings for Gai-sensei were different, and always had been. His interest in Sakura was too forced on his part, for he believed it was expected of him to like a girl, just as everyone else had been doing. He ended up looking like an idiot, evidently. But after that he found that his interests were elsewhere inclined, which scared him. Gai-sensei was not only his "sensei" in his mind. He was his everything.

He turned on his side, his insides a turmoil of anxiety. Only one question resounded within him these days.

Would things every be the same- possibly better...more different- between him and Gai?

-----------------------------------------

Please review! Flame if you must! I'd like to get as much feedback as possible. Thanks for reading!