I'm not sure if I like how I wrote the latter half of this chapter...
Please read & review. Please?
Over the next few days, Lee slowly recovered from his ordeal. And he got to know more about the tiny village he'd been brought to. Although the village Morimura was far away, it was a completely civilian establishment under the protection of Konoha. The people here mostly made their living through hunting, fishing, and agriculture, and there was a school that kids like Jouichirou and his friends went to.
Lee got to know Nobuhiro and his family as well.
Nobuhiro was a hunter and fisherman who'd been hunting food for his family, when he'd accidently stumbled upon an unconscious Lee whom he'd brought back with him to his home. Ayane was a homemaker who made their winter clothing from the wool of the few sheep they had out back. They had chickens they tended to, as well as a couple of cattle for milk, butter, and cheese.
He'd quickly made friends with the fourteen-year-old Jouichirou. It was he who had tried to pick the locks on the chains to free Lee's legs. He was unsuccessful however, as the locks were pick resistant.
The second day Lee was here, he'd trusted Nobuhiro and his family enough to tell them about his ordeal, and his captor, Matsuhara. Lee gave a full and very accurate desciption of the man and his appearance. He'd told them what he knew of his personality and quirks.
Nobuhiro had then gone out and informed the rest of the village about Matsuhara, putting the village on full alert just in case he came through. Fortunately for Lee, things had been uneventful so far.
At the moment, Jouichirou was alone in the house with Lee. Nobuhiro was out fishing, and Ayane was out shopping for the vegetables and herbs she'd need to cook dinner for four.
"So you live by yourself in Konoha?" Jouichirou asked him as they sat on the floor of the house playing with a deck of cards.
"Yes. But he held me captive so long, I'll probably no longer have a place to go when I get back to Konoha." Lee said as he lay down a card then picked up another out of a stack, looked at it, and added it to his hand.
"You're welcome to stay here with us." Jouichirou said as he also picked up a card and added it to his hand. "You've only been here a few days, but you're like the little brother I never had."
Lee smiled, blushing. "Thank you. You're a lot nicer than Neji is."
"Who's Neji?"
"He's my shinobi teammate back in Konoha. He's like a mean, older brother." Lee said, looking away, scowling. "He bullies me, and says mean things to me."
"Like what?" Jouichirou said as he lay down a card and picked two more out of the stack.
"Things like, I'll never be a real ninja, without being able to do ninjutsu and genjutsu." Lee put down his cards and stared at his hands. "My captor said it too. But I know I can be a good ninja, a great ninja, if they'd just give me a chance. Gai-sensei did, but the others don't want to."
"Is Gai-sensei your shinobi teacher?" Jouichirou asked, putting down his hand and sitting closer to the younger boy.
Lee nodded. "He's the only one who believes in me. And Matsuhara..." Lee said the name as if it physically hurt him to say it. "Took me away from him. Said he was a bad teacher for telling me I could be a good shinobi when it was obvious that I couldn't. Told me I should just be a civilian."
"Gai-sensei doesn't sound like a bad teacher to me." Jouichirou told Lee honestly. "I think someone like that would be a good teacher. Sometimes, if you believe in yourself, things have a way of working out. But Lee..."
Lee looked up into Jouichirou's eyes.
"Civilian life isn't all that bad." he said. "Sometimes I think that I'd like to be a ninja, but it doesn't bother me that I can't. But I can understand how you feel too. Why not stay with us for a while, see how civilian life treats you. Just for a bit. You may find it to not be so bad after all."
"I really need to get back though..." Lee spoke quietly, tracing the grain of the wooden floor where he was sitting with a finger. "I need someone who can get me out of these chains... And I need to see Gai-sensei again."
"I understand." Jouichirou said, slipping an arm around Lee's shoulders and pulling him towards him. "But always remember you have a friend here in this village."
"I will." Lee said, tears clinging to his long eyelashes.
Matsuhara parted some shrubbery into a well worn path that led into the gates of Morimura. If Lee had made it to this little village, that little hellion brat should be fairly easy to find, seeing as the village was much smaller than Konoha. But of course, he had to get past the guards at the gate first. Good thing he'd dressed in civilian clothes before he left his residence.
He approached the guards whom, he noted, tightened their hands on their weapons upon sight of him. So, the little brat had been here, was most likely still here seeking refuge, and had warned them of his eminent arrival. "State your purpose here." The first of them said, brows furrowed, eyes narrowed.
"No need to be like that, gentlemen." Matsuhara said easily. "I'm just here for a friendly visit." he spread his arms, smiling pleasantly.
"We know what you're really here for." The second guard said. "And until he leaves this village of his own volition, that boy is under our protection."
Matsuhara's eyes narrowed, and his smile grew cold. "Oh, is he now."
"Yes, he is." the first spoke again. "I suggest you leave, and not come back."
Gai, who was still trailing Matsuhara, heard the entire conversation. He watched as Matsuhara was suddenly behind the two men as he smacked their heads together. Hard. They both slumped into heaps at his feet.
Matsuhara smiled pleasantly again. "I think not. I'll just take a little tour of the village while you two sleep. Nighty-night, guys." he said as he walked away through the gates of the village.
Apparently, the brat had managed to tell everyone about him, because as he strolled through the tiny village, everyone stared at him with suspicion and... a small amount of fear? Fear of him, or fear for Lee? Oh well, he didn't care. He was going to find the brat, beat him senseless for what he'd done, take him back to his residence where he'd be chained spread eagle to the bed for the rest of his life, then he'd be out of their hair.
Lee could feel the chakra long before he even saw the man. He dropped his cards. "Oh no..." he said as he looked towards the door.
"What's wrong Lee?" Jouichirou asked, noting the look of alarm on the younger boy's face and in his actions.
"It's him!" he whispered to the older boy. "He's found me, he's coming for me!"
Jouichirou lay his cards down. "I have to help you hide. Come on." He hoisted Lee onto his back as best he could, then he took him over to the closet space where they kept the futons during the day. Jouichirou took out the bedding, then stood Lee up in the closet, stuffing the bedding back into the cramped space.
"This should keep you hidden until he leaves." Jouichirou murmured, just before closing the door.
Lee wasn't sure that this would work, but he hunkered down behind the bedding and prayed like he never had before.
Matsuhara stopped in front of the door to the hut-like house, feeling Lee's chakra faintly from inside the residence. He'd had to dispatch with a few annoying bugs to get to this residence, but after that, the rest of the inhabitants of the village had left him alone. Probably gathering reinforcements, he presumed. He didn't care. By the time they got here, he'd have his prey, and be well on his way out of the village.
Gai stopped to tend to the injured men who'd fought against Matsuhara. Seeing his Konoha headband-belt assured the village men that this man was an ally. They informed Gai as to Lee's whereabouts.
"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Gai asked. Even with Lee in danger, he couldn't leave without at least offering assistance first.
"We'll be fine. It's Lee who needs your help." one of the men said, the others agreed.
Gai nodded. "Thank you for protecting my Lee." he said simply, before starting off again after Matsuhara, not waiting for a response.
Matsuhara burst through the door of the small residence, nearly knocking it off it's hinges. He looked around and his eyes lit on an angry Jouichirou. From what he could tell, the boy was frightened too, but hiding it well.
"Why'd you do that? You could have broken the door!" Jouichirou shouted, getting to his feet.
"If you don't release the boy to me now," Matsuhara said slowly, grounding the words out. "the door's not the only thing I'll break!"
Jouichirou's heart hammered in his chest, but he couldn't show fear. Not now, when he had a friend to protect. He pressed his lips together, not saying a word.
"You will tell me where he is," Matsuhara was getting angrier by the second as he stepped closer to the teen. "Or do you need a bit of persuasion?" His eyes took stock of the little abode. Not many places the brat could hide. He spotted the bedding closet. "Nevermind. I'll find him myself." And strode toward it.
"Nooo!" Jouichirou cried, lunging at the man. Matsuhara threw off the teen easily, whipping out a kunai and stabbing the boy in the upper arm, cutting deeply into the tender flesh. Jouichirou staggered backwards, clutching his injured arm. Matsuhara threw open the door to the closet, yanking out the bedding to find Lee crouched behind it, staring wide-eyed at him like a deer in the headlights. The fear radiating from the young boy was so palpable, even Matsuhara could feel it.
He grabbed Lee by the wrist and threw him out of the closet, onto the floor. Jouichirou got in front of the restrained boy, trying to protect him. "Don't touch him!" he shouted as blood ran down his arm in rivulets. He was growing weaker by the minute, but he had to protect Lee. Matsuhara threw him out of the way, then swiftly kicked Lee in the ribs as Lee tried to drag himself away.
"It's payback time, you little brat!" Matsuhara said through his teeth as he kicked Lee again hearing bones crack this time.
Pain flooded his body as Lee was kicked in the ribs again and again. He couldn't breath anymore, couldn't scream. Matsuhara stomped on his back, once, then again. He stomped on his arm not satisfied until he could hear the bones snap. Lee tried to move away, but Matsuhara dragged him back and continued to vent his anger on the young boy.
Jouichirou had to think fast, before he blacked out from blood loss. He stood unsteadily, going over to the kitchen area. He was looking for his mother's rolling pin. He found it, picked it up in his good hand, and walked behind Matsuhara. With the way he was gleefully lighting into the younger boy, Matsuhara wouldn't have even noticed a bomb going off.
Jouichirou raised the rolling pin and cracked the man over the head with it. Matsuhara slumped, and fell to the ground, once again out cold.
He staggered over to Lee, plopping onto the floor on his knees. He checked Lee over. A peek under the boy's shirt revealed a large bruise spreading over his entire side. His back also had a spreading bruise. There was another bruise on his arm, and Lee's breathing was labored. Pain was clearly etched on his face.
"We need to get you to a doctor..." Jouichirou said as he pulled Lee's shirt back into place.
"...I... I have... to leave here..." Lee said between painful breaths. "...Can't... put you... into anymore... danger..."
"It's okay, Lee... It's okay..." Jouichirou tried to reassure Lee, rubbing his shoulder, careful not to jostle his arm. Lee's eyes closed as he lost consciousness.
Gai burst in just then, taking stock of the disheveled little home and the unconscious man and two boys at the center of the room looking worse for wear.
"Lee!" Gai shouted sadly at the sight of his beloved pupil on the floor, dirty and injured.
He went to Lee and plopped down beside him in much the same way Jouichirou had earlier. Then he reached down and with what looked like little effort at all, he snapped the chains binding Lee's legs, freeing them. Jouichirou's eyes widened in amazement. Gai lay Lee's head in his lap, stroking his tangled hair.
Jouichirou looked down at Gai's headband-belt, then back at his face. "...Are you... Gai-sensei? The one he's been talking about?"
Gai nodded without looking up. "Oh Lee..." he said as he stroked Lee's cheek.
Jouichirou sighed in relief. "Thank god you're here..."