"You're in love!"
By: Taiyo-san
Disclaimer ((I almost forgot to put this in!)): I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters.
Summary: Gaalee and slight leegaa. Lee is training and Gaara wants to know something. Set when they're 14 and 15 but before Naruto comes back. Read and review please.
The sun was a bright white color, contrasting to the deep blue that was the cloudless sky. Multi-colored birds sang and flew in that peacefully hot and slightly humid atmosphere. Yes, it was summer in the hidden leaf village, and everyone was enjoying a nice day off of training. ...Well, almost everyone was...
Rock Lee, the infamous taijutsu specialist, was enjoying the warm and perfect day in his own way. He had woken with dawn and by midday had completed over 1000 push-ups and at least 50 laps around Konoha. He was currently working on his 500 kicks of an old tree stump, concentrating on perfecting his fighting form.
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Unbeknown to the hard-worker below, a silent figure watched intently, no expression on his face. He had been watching Lee train for days now, quietly admiring the green beast. Sooner or later, he knew the black-haired youth would find him out, but it was nice to enjoy for the time being. Shifting his position on the thick tree branch, he gently removed the heavy gourd he wore on his back and set it down against the trunk, not moving his emerald eyes from the energetic teen training below. Sighing contently, all he could do was watch as the object of his attention kicked mercilessly at its target.
For weeks, he had been pondering about why he felt a sudden strange emotion when he passed Lee in the streets, felt butterflies in his stomach whenever Lee stopped to smile and wave a friendly hello when they passed, and felt angry and concerned when he got injured on a mission. He was so worked up that he even asked his older sister, Temari, for her advice or opinion. She just smiled, laughed, and stated quite plainly to the Kazekage, "Oh, Gaara, you're in love!" Then she walked off, chuckling to herself about how weird boys could be. Not exactly understanding the emotion, he decided to just hang around Lee to see if it was true. After the first day, however, he was sure that he had feelings for the happy-go-lucky nin. Of course, he wouldn't tell anyone about it. And if his sister told anyone...well, he knew she knew not to tell anyone for her own good.
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Wiping his brow while taking a quick break, Lee sat down to catch his breath. He could have sworn he saw some sand fall down near where he was training, but he dismissed it as a mind trick from the hot sun. He reached for his canteen of water that had probably already become warm. "Ah, since I have to take this five minute break, I must now do another 300 kicks of this stump and 500 punches as well!" He exclaimed out loud to no one, a new burst of determination in his deep black eyes and a small smile of well-deserved confidence on his lips. Blinking at his own sudden outburst, he shook his head and got back up to continue.
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Back up in the tree, Gaara of the sand gave a very rare smile. Deep down, he thought Lee was the cutest person he had ever seen. In that moment though, somehow, he felt that now was the time for action. He stood up on the branch quietly and began to gather sand to help him down.
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Lee continued his furious array of lighting fast kicks when a low voice suddenly interrupted him. "Why do you bother all this?" It wasn't asked in a rude way, but in a way as to ask if it was worth his time and efforts. He could tell this as he whirled around, completely surprised, to face none other than the Kazekage, Gaara. He put a hand to his chest in failed effort to stop his quickened heartbeat at the sudden question and appearance of the least likely person to come pay him a visit. Sighing at his own lack of awareness at the moment, he registered the question asked of him.
"Well, I bother because I want to be a great Jounin someday, not just a Chunnin"
"But why do you work this much every day, with no breaks, and still not defeat that Huugya or a lot of other shinobi for that matter? What's the point? There's no limit to ninjutsu or genjutsu, but with physical strength a human can only go so far." His green eyes stared unblinkingly at Lee's own black ones. Lee wasn't sure if he had ever heard Gaara speak that much at all, never mind to him. Still a little startled, Lee managed a reply.
"Because I can still try, try more, and try harder to beat them. There may be a limit but I plan on breaking it. Heck, maybe I'll be as great as Gai-sensei one day!" There was a brief pause for a ding of his teeth and a thumbs-up, also known as the 'nice guy pose'. "Why do you want to know, Kazekage-sama?" Gaara almost flinched at the name Lee had used to address him. To hear it from anyone else, he wouldn't care, but from Rock Lee, it just didn't seem right.
"I've been watching you for a while now, and you don't quit, even when you're hurt or tired." Gaara stated bluntly, ignoring the look of confusion on Lee's face when he said the first part. He then flashed another nice guy pose and gained a look of odd confidence.
"As I've said before, hard work can defeat a genius bloodline. I came close to defeating you a few years ago even. I'd hope you'd remember that." Lee said quietly, the last part almost to himself.
"Of course I do." Gaara replied quickly, making Lee look up in confusion and Gaara look to the ground in embarrassment. "I mean, yeah, I remember beating you in the Chuunin exams. Anyway, I'm going to go now. See you around." Turning quickly, he walked as silently as he had come away, leaving a confused Lee to his thoughts.
Did… did Gaara just blush?
Uh, should I continue? I'd like to but I don't know if that would ruin it. Please review and tell me what you think.
Oh, and this was beta-edited by my good friend Pronowwn…though I may have ignored a few of her suggestions XP…
--Taiyo-san--