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Disclaimer: Is Lee getting chased by Seme's that want him as their Uke? No? Then I don't own Naruto.
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Title: Angel or Devil
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A month passed with Lee slowly getting better. The first few days, Lee couldn't be near Ibiki but the older man had shown a surprisingly soft side and had shown up in Lee's appartment each morning, doing something different each time. It always ended in Ibiki treating Lee to breakfast and it helped to make Lee comfortable again.
But something was still broken and it would take time to heal.
Lee found himself spending more and more time with Shikamaru instead, bringing him lunch when on break and seeking him out at the end of his day too. The shadow user made him feel safe and cared for and that was something rare now.
Then, Lee got a mission.
A mission to Suna.
Lee kept a poker face through the debriefing but as soon as he was home he squealed like a child. He was going to be able to see Gaara! After writing to him every week without fail, he was glad that it was finally happening, so he cheated a bit and sent an early mail telling Gaara that when the red head got this letter, he would be a few hours away from Suna at the most.
Lee sent out the letter, packed up, then ran to tell Shikamaru that he would be gone for a week, merely a escort mission for a merchant caravan. Lee hugged Shikamaru as long as he could and because he wouldn't see his friend any time soon, he kissed Shikamaru's cheek.
Shikamaru made a funny noise and his cheeks turned red.
Lee looked at him in concern but Shikamaru quickly shook his head and just told Lee to be careful.
Lee smiled and kissed Shikamaru's cheek once more, saying that he would miss him dearly before running off, giggling at Shikamaru's funny noise.
Then he had to tell Ibiki as he promised before.
That was...a little more awkward. When he got his words out, he was hesitant in giving his sensei a hug. Then Ibiki opened his arms and Lee found himself moving automatically. He hugged Ibiki, sighing softly in content as something felt right again. Lee pressed himself closer and inhaled the scent Ibiki carried around that he'd missed. The arms around him tightened and Lee made a pleased sound before he slowly pulled back. A warm smile curled his lips and he told Ibiki that he would be back in a week and not to torture Anko too much.
Ibiki called him a brat but his arms wrapped around him a little more so Lee knew it was meant as an odd endearment. Then again, Ibiki was an odd man but Lee loved him either way.
When Lee met up with his team an hour later, Lee felt…happy. Like today would be a good day.
It was a good day.
It was the next when things took a turn for the worst.
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Sound ninja attacked them, much too strong for the Genin team he was on with only one Jonin.
"Everyone run!" Lee called out frantically; their leader was already down, taken out within the first few minutes of cunning planning, "I will hold them off! Get to Suna!"
"We can't leave you!" Mako cried, her tear stricken face looking ashen with fear but she stayed anyway.
"Do it! That is an order as your senior!" Lee yelled, fighting off projectiles to create a path for them.
Mako, Taki, and Yun all looked scared as this had been their first out of Konoha mission but they nodded and ran as fast as they could. The caravan was destroyed and with any luck -not that Lee felt like they had any- their contractor had made it out safely.
One of the sound ninja chuckled and it made something cold run up Lee's spine.
"You left yourself to the wolves boy." One said, and three more came up behind him.
Lee did his best to fight them off but there was something cold gripping his heart as he realized that none of them were even trying to go after the others. They only focused on him.
Just as he realized who their target really was, one of them landed a lucky blow to the back of his neck and Lee's world went dark.
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When Lee woke up again, he felt sore and uncomfortable. He took in a slow breath, feigning sleep and slowly opened his eyes from under his too long bangs.
He was in a cell.
His breath hitched for a second but he forced himself to keep breathing steadily. He took stock of himself and noticed that he was strapped to a table with only his pants on. His heart slowly started speeding in his chest but he continued to look around. There were no windows so Lee guessed that he was underground.
Strapped to a table in an underground cell.
This made him think uncomfortably about the darker rooms of the T&I department...
The door suddenly opened and in came in the last person he expected.
Orochimaru.
"Hm...Look at who's awake..." Orochimaru said in his snake-like voice, "You know, I thought it odd that Sasuke-kun would mention someone like you so often but when he told me what you could do, it sparked my memory. I saw what you did to that Jonin at the exams...how interesting would it be if you could use that power for us."
Lee's throat closed in on itself and he couldn't say anything even if he wanted to.
"Of course, you're not like Sasuke-kun at all, you love Konoha...well, that will be easy enough to remove once you realize no one will be searching for you." Orochimaru smiled and Lee felt slimy.
"I'll see you again soon Lee-kun. After all, Sasuke-kun is so looking forward to you joining us." Orochimaru said before suddenly making a sharp movement and three sound ninja came in.
"Have fun..." He said the left.
Lee tried not to tremble but the thought that Sasuke was behind this seemed...too cruel to be real. Lee looked at the three Sound Ninja and forced himself not to shake at their evil expressions.
'Oh Kami-sama...please give me strength.' Lee mentally pleaded as they came closer.
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So much time had passed, not even Lee really knew what day or even what month he was. He was in a constant state of tired and hungry from each...session.
"Rise and shine!" A voice broke through the blackness of his sleep and Lee opened his eyes to see a man standing above him. Lee choked down a whimper and he knew he wouldn't have the bliss of falling unconscious at all. He envied normal people.
Pain pain pain
Knives cutting into his skin and his hands were covered so there was no relief in sight. They stopped with the small stuff days ago and went wild on his body, giving him wounds that were almost fatal each time, testing his resistance and trying to break him at the same time.
They had no use for someone who was willful.
The door opened and Lee just stared at the ceiling with uncovered eyes. They had cut off most of his bangs in the beginning but so much time had passed that they were the same length as before. They never covered his eyes anymore as his pained jerking always made them fall.
"Good morning Lee-kun~" Kabuto's voice came.
"Oh Lee, this would be easier if you just gave in." Kabuto said, stroking his cheek almost like a lover would but the grin on his face was demented. He had come in just to talk -something that happened rarely but it did...Lee hated it- and Lee wished that the silver haired man would just hurt him instead.
After finding out how much pain he could handle, Kabuto became the only one to break him.
"Don't you want all of this to stop? We could work so well together too, just think about it. You liked being friendly, I remember that...we could be friends and you would have Sasuke as well. He's been mentioning you more and more lately. It is because of him that you're here anyway..." Kabuto chuckled and though it wasn't a physical pain, Lee swore that this was the worst thing they could have done to him.
This really was all because of Sasuke? He truly had been speaking of him, telling his secrets to get him there...? He...he was the reason?
Lee closed his eyes and for the first time, he began to cry.
Kabuto shushed him gently, having the gall to actually wipe his tears away in such a gentle manner.
"That's it, Lee-kun. The sooner you realize it, the better. We are all waiting for you."
Lee didn't say anything or even move as Kabuto came closer. He continued his silence even as Kabuto caressed his cheek.
"You've grown very beautiful Lee-kun..." Kabuto said, a twisted tone in his voice, "And now Sasuke-kun wants to see you. It is our sixth month anniversary after all. We need to get you all dolled up for Orochimaru-sama's future vessel."
Suddenly, three sound ninja's came in and Lee was being unstrapped from his table. The three ninja took him away into a different room, still keeping his hands covered. Kabuto stayed behind, grinning.
Lee was bathed and his mid-back length hair washed. He was put into new clothes and he would have stayed like a living doll until one of them spoke.
"How much do you bet, once the Uchiha's has his way with this one, he'll let others have a go?" The man's grin was slimy and for the first time in so long, Lee felt angry.
Lee slowly turned his head and his lips turned up into a wide smile before he was suddenly on the man, biting into his flesh and tearing it off. Desperate hunger and instinct had him swallow the bit of flesh with no thought and he felt three rapid clicks in his mind. Triple the rush of dark power flowed through him, giving him the strength to continue. He attacked the other two and used his teeth like weapons.
He ate them all, tearing out their throats and swallowing flesh like it was natural. By the time he was done, there was no way to tell who the men used to be. Lee felt revitalized, stomach full for the first time in months and body flowing with more chakra than he'd ever remembered. Though he was covered in blood, he was laughing.
He quieted himself abruptly and when back to the bathroom to clean himself off like nothing happened. He forcefully removed the coverings on his hands and ran his freed hands through his hair, looking at himself in the mirror for the first time in six months.
What he saw was so radically different that he froze.
His hair and eyes were a whitish grey color. What was meant to be the whites of his eyes was stark grey and his skin was dark grey, maybe ten shades from black. It was like he was completely introverted in color from how a human was meant to be. There were white markings starting from his temple and continuing under his eyes almost to the inner corners of his eyes. They looked like soft overlapping branches...
It made Lee giggle.
He let his bangs go and the light grey strands covered his light grey eyes once again.
Now...now he just had to leave. If he met with Sasuke then Lee knew he would kill him.
Lee left the room in his new and bloodied clothes. He used his chakra sense -that'd he'd used for so long now just so he wouldn't be surprised when someone came into his cell. Just so he would know what was coming because knowing was better than not knowing- to sense his way around. He dodged the people walking around and slowly made his way to the outside.
When he felt the sun, he had to close his eyes from the brightness. He shuddered at the warmth and felt strangely at peace, like a lull in the crashing waves of his mind. He took a deep breath and just began walking. He never opened his eyes, just using his senses to dodge the trees and rocks around him.
... He walked for fifteen days in a mindless and lost haze before finally stumbling upon someone.
A man in a black coat with red clouds on it sat at the base of a tree. He had black hair and tired lines on his face.
The man opened his eyes and they were red with black markings on the inside.
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