Hello again my Ninja-friends! So sorry that this took so long, I needed to fix a few things with my other story, but I'm ready to focus on this one again! Hope you enjoy :)
Important! Just in case you heard wrong, I don't own the Naruto series, except Opulema and the fashion-crazed inhabitants of Gurumarasu
"Still no sign of the others?" Shikamaru asked Shino, watching the sun descend from the window of their room.
"None whatsoever. I thought I would have at least been able to find Kiba and Hinata, since my insects are so used to them, but I've no idea where they are. In a town as busy as this, we're going to have trouble locating them before tonight."
Shikamaru sighed, they had spent the entire day looking for the other Konoha Shinobi, but were left empty-handed. All that remained of the group were he, Shino, Sakura, Ino, Naruto and the restrained Lee.
Lee, having spent the entire time in the chair, was now understandably frustrated with the situation. He accepted Neji's actions of late were not malicious, and that no offence was intended to him, and thus was desperate to help the team find the other ninja.
"If I were to just have half an hour -" He begged.
"I can't do that Lee. You've already proven you're a danger to yourself and others when left unchecked here." Shikamaru responded. There was genuine sympathy in his voice, yet his logic was absolute; when considering the whole story, Lee wasn't to be trusted here – who knew what may happen if he were to come across Neji so suddenly in the town? Would he still be so forgiving if he saw Neji face to face?
"Naruto is able to help, yet he too was a part of our battle!" Lee retorted, glaring over at the lounging ninja who was flicking through a manga.
"You say 'able to help' like it's a good thing, Bushy Brow! I've been stomping around town all day, bored out of my mind looking for the others, while you get to sit around without a care in the world!"
"Grrr, but I am so frustrated, Naruto!" Lee roared.
"Tell me about it!" Shikamaru sighed, he had had enough of the situation.
"…where are the two girls, Shikamaru?" Shino asked, making all three other men in the room turn to him.
"…weren't they with Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, turning to him.
"w-wait, I thought they were with you guys!" He responded, dropping his manga and sitting up.
"They mentioned sneaking into the show tonight before leaving. I-I thought it was just conversation, but it may be possible that they indeed come up with a plan to infiltrate the show." Lee explained.
"Troublesome is not the word! It's like looking after a school of delinquents!" Shikamaru growled.
"…At least those two will be easy to follow. One of the three of us -" Shino began.
"Four of us!" Lee interrupted.
"-One of the three of us needs to be in the vicinity of the venue this evening; preferably either Naruto or you Shikamaru, you've both great knowledge of their movements – it'll be easier for you two to spot them."
"I see you're point, but Naruto and crowds of people is a combination that I want to avoid." Shikamaru mused aloud.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled in offence.
"Shino, you and I will go. Naruto: I want you to stay watch over Lee."
"Awww, I sort of wanted to go and see what all this was about, not sit in a room with Bushy-Brows all night…" Naruto groaned.
"Oh my god! Did you see him?" Spoke a waitress, fixing her hair in the kitchen of the venue.
"Oh, those muscles, he's so hot!" The other exclaimed, peeping through the doorway to the kitchen.
The two girls couldn't believe their luck when their restaurant manager had managed to find them two spots in the catering staff for the show. Now the girls could ogle as many handsome rich young men all day, note where these guys would be sitting, and be sure to linger in that area and using their charms become the next A-list celeb girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out, quite a lot.
"Hey, you two!" Shouted one of the senior staff members.
"Don't just stand there! Take this trash out round back!" He ordered, gesturing to the epically unappealing bags of rubbish by his feet.
Grimacing at their new assignment, the girls sullenly took the rubbish out into the alleyway. As it turned out, this would be the last thing either girl did that evening. Without a moment to comprehend what had transpired, both were unconscious.
"And now, a little transformation Jutsu…" Ino giggled.
"…and in we go!" Sakura followed.
Weaving through the already bustling crowd of celebrities, Sai couldn't help but feel the situation had exacerbated slightly. His new friends were leading him along, the designer rambunctiously declaring him a young protégé of his. He accepted he knew little to nothing on the arts of fashion, and responded with a cheerful smile and a nod.
"…why yes, I found him in some bumpkin town a few months back, tragic really. Thought I'd help him you know? A little charity work, haha!" The designer and the group he was talking to burst into laughter.
Sai frowned. He may not be adept in social interaction just yet, but he could tell associating him with the word bumpkin, and then laughing equalled an insult.
"…excuse me, I think calling Konohagakure a 'bumpkin town' is a -" Sai stopped, partly because the group was still laughing and partly for what image just crossed past his peripheral vision.
"What!? Here!?" He exclaimed, suddenly leaving the group still laughing at him.
"Haha, you see? He's spotted some food, probably fascinates him, cuisine of this calibre. Who is the chef?"
Sai didn't hear anything more from that group as he searched through the crowd. He knew what he saw, but what were they doing here?
His search was cut short however, when he overheard another conversation that stopped him in his tracks.
"…yeah, I mean canine fashion is my life, y'know? I mean, I've been given a gift – a gift to make this a better place for dogs worldwide – and I've dedicated my life to helping them." Kiba sighed.
Sai noted his comrade was surrounded by young pretty girls and various cute dogs. In the centre was a grinning Kiba and Akamaru.
"Oh, Kiba, you're so selfless!" One girl exclaimed.
"…yes, I know. But it's so hard sometimes, I just wish, I dunno, that I could share this with someone…" Kiba grinned internally, as all the girls around him proceeded to sigh with affection.
"…what are you doing?" Sai asked.
Immediately looking up, Kiba jumped back slightly at the sight of his smiling friend.
"S-Sai!" Is all Kiba could articulate.
"Oh, Kiba, is he a friend of yours?" One asked, stroking Kiba's face.
"He's cute…" Another stated looking Sai up and down.
"Er…er…yeah," Kiba began, jumping up and marching to Sai, leading him away, "He's like a subordinate, y'know? I've just gotta talk about some important animal stuff, hehe, I'll be right back!"
Away from the girls, Kiba's smiling face contorted into rage.
"What are you doing!? I can't have you and the others stealing my thunder!" He cried.
"I had no idea you where so knowledgeable in fashion Kiba, nor did I know you're ambition in life is to dress-up dogs." Sai cheerfully replied.
"You idiot! I don't care about dog fashion! But it's good for me if those girls think I do." He grinned, elbowing Sai in the chest and winking.
"You mean you would deliberately lie to such an extent just to seduce those girls?" Sai asked.
"…yeah…" Kiba shrugged, agreeing with him.
"...okay…regardless, It is good to know I've a partner, I just saw -"
"don't tell me," Kiba interrupted, "Akatsuki, right?"
"Actually, yes, have you seen them too?" Sai asked, taken aback by Kiba's blasé attitude to the situation.
"Ha-ha, they aren't real Akatsuki, you moron! It seems these fashion nuts bought out a new clothing line with the red cloud on it. I don't know how the real Akatsuki will take to it, but I doubt they'll be here to protest just yet." Kiba patted Sai on the back before turning to go back to his 'guests'.
"How did you even get in here? Security is quite tight. Comparable to Shinobi defences; I'm certain Chunin and Jonin are being deployed here." Sai noted, scanning the walls and ceilings of the room to see if any ninja were visible.
"You're probably right; there is enough celebrities here that it's only natural to hire some protection. I mean, I'm only here because those girls have important fathers. They managed to sweet talk me in. Wait a second, Why are you here?" Kiba shot a glare at Sai, accusation in his voice.
"Apparently I'm some savage bumpkin from a backwater town, whose going to be a future designer." Sai laughed.
Kiba looked on confused, when he heard a commotion from over by the kitchens. Nodding to Sai, the two went to check out what was happening. Cutting through the gathering crowd, the two Shinobi managed to hear a lot of yelling. Squeezing to the front, they finally figured out why.
Before them stood a victorious Choji, with one foot on the head of a chef lying face-down on the floor, whilst holding a large bowl full of food away from another chef brandishing a frying pan.
"Give…it…back!" Roared the chef. Choji just glared back at him, before opening his mouth wide and emptying the contents of the food into it. Stopping to taste the food he just ingested, Choji turned to the chef with a frown, before throwing the bowl at him.
"You call that ramen? You should just be glad it's me critiquing the food and not my friend Naruto!" He roared, as the entire crowd retreated.
"W-what's going on here? Choji, what are you doing?" Kiba shouted over Choji's towering claims.
His demand wasn't heard, as three more chefs appeared from the kitchen and shot straight for the Konoha Shinobi. Their fortune was not so great. Choji sent the three flying with a tremendous hay-maker. His onslaught was halted at this point when Kiba had jumped onto his back, bringing him crashing into the ground.
"Get off me!" Choji yelled.
"Not...until…you…calm…down…" Kiba growled, quietly enough so the rest of the crowd wouldn't hear.
"What do you think all that is about?" Opulema asked, standing demurely across the room. Turning to find an answer from Neji, she found her escort leaning against the wall, sneering in the opposite direction.
Despite laying out appropriate garments for Neji to wear, he had insisted on wearing his headband to hide 'his little secret'. Opulema had felt every minute drag for the entire day. Only a week ago would she storm about with a tantrum, but upon seeing how badly Neji had reacted to his mark, she decided it would've been best not to provoke him.
Her mouth and opinion, however, weren't so willing to leave him unopposed.
"You know, a lot of guys would kill to get into a show as exclusive as this…" She grumbled, turning away.
"…well there must be a few guys who'd kill to get out of a show like this, guess which category I'm in." Neji retorted.
"Could you at least try to act casual, you Shinobi are meant to be masters of espionage, right? That also means blending in!" She gestured to the men in the room that were obnoxiously laughing amongst themselves and eyeing the women.
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not casual enough for you? Is there something the matter with me?" Neji snapped.
The roars from the kitchen was now amplifying.
"That sounds bad," Opulema just wanted to distract him, anyway possible, "All right, I'm your client, you work for me! Now use that Byakugan of yours and tell me what's happening?" She ordered.
"…fine, as you wish." Sarcasm flowing out of Neji's comment. Activating the Byakugan, Neji scanned the room and noticeably reacted.
"What? What is it? Is it a fight? A bust up with the models? Ohhh, I bet one of them have been sleeping around…" Opulema began scheming until she noticed her escort marching forwards.
"What is it?" She shouted.
"Just wait here!" He replied, shoving his way through the crowd. The scene he came upon was amongst the most bizarre he'd ever encountered – and he trained under Might Gai.
Akamaru was laid across Choji's now subdued body as Kiba sat on the man's shoulders. However, the pretence of restrain put under Choji was fleeting as he rose again, lifting both ninja and hound with him.
Turning to his right, Neji noticed Sai trying to reassure the crowd that this was but a show.
"Hey, I saw something like this yesterday…" One girl shouted.
"Yeah! That guy and his dog were a part of that show! Is this the next bit?" Another commented.
"Yes, yes! But this is a rehearsal, so if you can let these guys practice, we'll be ready for the show." Sai laughed.
"Akamaru, bring him down!" Kiba roared.
"You look pathetic." Neji spat.
Both ninja stopped their conflict and blinked several times as they stood before Neji.
"Neji!" They both yelled in unison, dashing to their friend.
"Man, we've been looking all over for you! Listen, you've gotta watch out, Lee's here -"Kiba began.
"What's happening Neji-Kun?" Opulema asked, making her way to the front. She stopped and noticed Choji and Kiba.
"Oh…dog-boy and the human blimp." She grimaced.
"What!?" Choji took offence.
Neji just watched as Kiba, Akamaru and now Sai dashed to hold down their rampaging friend. Instead he focused on what he heard two spectators saying.
"Isn't Neji the name of that jerk in the play yesterday?" One man asked.
"Yeah, he's gonna get his ass kicked by Lee!" The other laughed.
Had he been in a better frame of mind, Neji would have brushed off any comment like this. But not now. Lee was here, and looking to finish what he started back in Konoha. He just hoped for one thing; that his team-mate got here quick. He felt like breaking something.
"…You see it's really cool! The main guy starts out as just a school-kid who can see ghosts, but then this spirit in the body of girl appears and gets into a fight with these bad spirits…" Naruto gleefully explained.
"…right…" Lee's reply was merely to keep Naruto talking; all the while his hand's were finally coming loose from the ropes.
"…and he gets her spirit powers – I've forgotten how – so now he's fighting all these spirits and saving his friends…"
"…I see…"
"…And then there's this other story about this kid who eats this cursed fruit, and he's dead set on becoming this great pirate king, you gotta read it!"
This last comment forced Lee to engage in conversation.
"…Hmm, that is funny; I did not realise pirates had a monarchy system, Naruto, and one where the ruler is selected due to his ingestion of cursed fruit..."
"No, no, no! You see he's gotta find this buried treasure that this other pirate guy left a while back… it's really long, but you'll love it Bushy-Brows!" Naruto turned to pull out another manga.
This was all the time Lee needed. By the time his friend had turned, Lee had dashed out of the room.
"Oh No!" Naruto screamed.
Already at the lobby and exiting to the dusk-ridden streets, Lee quickly saw many lights from one of the taller buildings in the town. Surely that was where Shikamaru and Shino were. Dashing towards it, Lee was fuelled not by common sense, but by sense of duty. He would prove Shikamaru wrong, he only wished to help find his friends now, considering he was partly to blame for all of this.
Stepping into the kitchen, Sakura and Ino had little time to get a feel of their surroundings when they heard a mighty roar. They saw several chefs dashing out of the kitchen, and heard one of the P.A.s moaning about the fight and Futoi Teinousha wants to postpone his new design range for a few more hours.
Heading out of the kitchen, the two girls saw the aftermath of Choji's tantrum.
"What happened?" Sakura asked.
"This guy recommended himself as a food-taster to one of our head chefs, and he bragged how he was a good cook. We were understaffed so we agreed. But once we started cooking today, all he's been doing is chomping down on all our food and then insulting it!" One chef exclaimed.
"He's been getting worse all day, and when the head chef called him fat he went mental." The other chef pointed out.
"Shouldn't there be some security around here?" Ino asked Sakura quietly.
"I'm guessing they've spotted these guys wearing Konoha markings. And since Choji has threatened any of the guests, I don't think the other ninja want to provoke them just yet. But I'm guess us Leaf Chunin must look a laughing stock now." Sakura sighed.
"You've really gotta watch that tongue!" Kiba spat at Opulema.
"It's not my fault he's got issues about his weight." Opulema shrugged.
"He should stick around, he could pick up some diet tips from the girls around here…"
Choji scolded, as Kiba and Sai placed their hands on his shoulders.
"Please calm down Choji." Sai requested.
"Yeah, man, be cool! Don't listen to her, 'Big is Beautiful'!" Kiba laughed, before turning to Neji.
"Hey, Captain Grim! Tell her to keep her mouth shut!"
Neji glared back at Kiba, then took Opulema's hand and led her away.
"Sheesh! What's got into him?" Choji asked, scratching his head. A vein of anger popped in Kiba's head.
"You're one to talk! Thanks to you the girls over there have left with those sportsmen! I've just lost my chance at a good night because I was too busy pinning you down!" He yelled. Akamaru agreed in the form of several barks.
Outside of the crowd, Opulema pulled her hand away from Neji's.
"Let go!" She yelled, "I want to leave!"
"I thought this is what you wanted, to be here with your prized pedestal of a boyfriend! I'm sorry if I'm too tainted to fill that role!" Neji spun around, merely inches from her face. She felt fear.
It was at this point that a loud crash was heard echoing through the hall. As debris from the main entrance scattered across the hall, and several ninja guards struggled to climb back onto their feet, Lee stood, albeit with a sheepish grin of embarrassment on his face.
"Hehe, I do apologise, I was a little too eager to get here."
Up atop the roof, Shikamaru and Shino witnessed Lee's truly Dynamic Entry with horror etched across their faces.
"That Idiot!" Shikamaru screamed.
"Which one? Him or Naruto?" Shino replied.
"Both! I'm gonna kill them!" Shikamaru dashed for the doorway leading downstairs, as Shino spotted the orange-clad figure of Naruto in the distance, speeding his way to the venue.
"I'm guessing after tonight Gurumarasu won't be forgetting the damage a few ninja can do to its image." Shino sighed, following Shikamaru.
"L-Lee!?" Sakura exclaimed, coughing from the dust as she did so.
Lee was busy trying to help the injured guards up to notice Neji's stoic glare.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes…" He shouted.
Looking up, Lee could see the outline of his friend. Moving forwards, he went to greet Neji, fully intent on apologising for his earlier behaviour in the Leaf Village.
"Neji! I am glad that I found you!" He stated.
"So am I." Neji responded, a twisted smile worn on his face.
Opulema had enough sense to step back. She knew Neji was only tame around her due to his orders. But this green guy had no such protection. Across the room, the other members of the Konoha 12 watched with tension boiling in their blood. All recognized the menace in Neji's eyes, all except Lee.
Lee took one step closer to Neji and then he felt it. Looking down, he saw Neji's palm stretch to his chest, the blue outline of chakra flowing through it. Absorbing the moment, Lee looked between the palm and his friend's enraged face. It took moments before he coughed, the first signs of blood tricking out of his mouth and he stumbled backwards.
Racing forwards, Sakura and Ino disregarded their transformation Jutsu and grabbed Lee, while Kiba, Choji and Sai stood between the injured man and his attacker.
"A little birdie told me you want a match Lee!" Neji shouted, "Never give your opponent an opening like that. Taijutsu training; basic stuff. And here I thought you'd improved."
"Stop it!" Ino cried.
"Look at you; look at all of you. You're a disgrace. You come barging into this place, flaunting yourselves by one way or another, without a burden – without a care in the world!" Neji roared.
"You call me the gifted genius Lee, Well you're the one with the gift!" He screamed, throwing his headband at his friend, "You don't have to walk around with this! You think you're hard-done by, take a look at me! So if you want to take your shot, then take it! I'll shoot you down every time…"
Everyone held their breath.
"…like the failure you are." Neji knew, with that line, he'd gotten his fight. There was no way Lee would stand for that. His anger clouded his judgement. He was wrong.
Standing up, Lee held onto the headband and gestured it towards Neji.
"Neji…what is the matter with you? I came to apologise and find our friends. I realise I was wrong about you and this girl -"
Neji moved. He'd knocked the outreached arm aside, leaving Lee open. With his body still recovering from the charge and Neji's blow, Lee couldn't defend himself quickly enough and received three more blows to his torso. He could tell Neji had already cut off a significant flow to his Chakra.
Stumbling backwards again, the other Leaf ninja moved forwards to Neji, ready to pounce.
"Hey! That's strike two, Neji! Just try it again…" Kiba growled.
"Don't make me laugh!" Neji retorted.
"Neji-Kun! Please stop this! You're not yourself!" Opulema cried.
Turning in rage, Neji stepped forwards to her. Within an instant, he walked right into Lee's figure. No one saw him move, yet there he stood; resolute in his defence of the girl.
"I have no idea what has upset you so much Neji. But you went for this girl in rage. I will not accept that from anyone..especially you!" He declared. Opulema just stood back in amazement at how fool-hearty this friend of Neji was. She witnessed Neji take down those thieves in the clearing, and saw him do the same techniques to this man just now. Yet, unlike those thieves, here he stands tall, ready to fight.
"Ha, it's fitting you'd defend such a girl, Lee. A failure like you guarding someone as worthless and unloved as her!" He spat.
Lee growled, as Opulema gasped, truly hurt.
"Oh, was that too harsh for you Opulema. You moan and bitch at everything, and I can see why. These eyes tell me everything! Between your behaviour and your sad little life story I can tell you're just a sad, snivelling little girl, feeling so hard done by the rest of the world -"
"You can talk! Is this not an outburst at resentment for what the head family has done to you?" Lee shouted.
"-Keep quiet! Or perhaps you'd like me to work on you a bit, Lee? Your sad devotion to improving yourself is pitiful. To tell you the truth, I do enjoy having both of you for company, because it reminds me that no matter how unfortunate I may have been in life, there are still people far more pathetic than me!"
Tears began to form in Opulema's eyes. Why? Because she believed every word Neji said. Her total lack of confidence in herself, this tough selfish exterior designed to keep people from seeing the real her, she knew deep-down that she was all that he said; pathetic, worthless and unloved.
"Stop! I cannot care less about what articulate insults you may throw at me Neji, but this is no manner to speak to a girl that was only trying to make you calm down!" Lee declared.
Opulema stopped crying.
"You insult her, me and the others as if you are something superior, yet you need to crush this girl's spirit in order to justify your own, and you dare call her pathetic? She only wished for you to see sense!"
Lee's claims enraged Neji further; he hadn't expected Lee to deflect the mind-games so easily.
"…there's only one way I'm gonna see this sense of yours, Lee…you ready?" Neji growled.
Lee placed one arm behind his back, and stretched the other out towards Neji, determination on his face. As he did so, the internal damage from Neji was more precise than he thought. He winced for a split second.
"You're feeling it already, huh? This'll be over quick then!" Neji laughed.
"Silence! Opulema-chan, please watch! This is both for my honour and yours! I will bring Neji from this lunacy!"
Opulema gasped – this guy was fighting for her honour.
As the crowds both within and outside the hall began to gather, as the other hidden hired Shinobi began to descend, and as the Konoha Shinobi looked on in fear, the two met in combat.
They've met, they've talked, and now...they fight. Is Opulema seeing Neji in a different light now, and how will she treat Lee fighting for her? With the other ninja worried about the spectators, who is gonna stop these two from tearing this town apart? All will be revealed next chapter...
If you liked it, or hated, then please leave us a review or comment, literary skills don't grow without feedback from readers, lol!