Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's notes: Chrysanthemums in general supposedly represent cheerfulness, friendship, and rest. I know they exist in the Naruto world, and that's why I picked them. If there are any other meanings that I may have missed, and they don't fit, please just disregard them. Oh, and last chapter I had a record number of reviews. Thanks, everyone!
A Portrait of Youth
"She's late." Sitting stiffly in a hard backed chair, Neji Hyuga states the obvious. Arms are crossed over his chest, and his face has a glacial stillness to it. He does not look happy. And why should he be? With the Chunin Exam finals coming up soon, he should be training, not hanging out with invalids.
Across from him, in the colorless hospital room's only bed, lays Lee. Much of his body is swathed in bandages, particularly the left arm and both cheeks. His left leg is in a cast, propped up on a pillow, a testament to Gaara of the Sand's fierce fighting prowess. Despite the pain, he smiles. "She'll be here."
A timid knock sounds at the door, and both boys turn to look. No one they know would rap in such a way. "Come in, please," Lee calls.
The door opens a bit, and Sakura peeks in. Seeing Neji, she backpedals. "I'm sorry, I'll come back later."
"No!" Lee practically shouts, glancing at his teammate. Neji's face has taken on an even more annoyed look. "It's okay. You can come in."
Sakura blushes and steps inside, murmuring something about interrupting people. Clutched in one dainty hand are three colorful chrysanthemums, and as she crosses the small space she holds them out. "These are for you Lee. How are you feeling?"
Lee smiles and does his best not to cry. Here is Sakura, the girl of his dreams, bringing him flowers! "I am feeling just fine," he lies, taking the chrysanthemums from her and giving them a little sniff. "I hope to be released soon, so that I may continue my training."
"That's the spirit, Lee! With an attitude like that, you'll be out of here in no time!"
Sakura jumps, nearly leaping onto Lee's bed, while both boys calmly glance over to the door. Gai has entered, and he's pulling a metal cart with a television and VCR stacked on it behind him. The thing squeaks so loudly they are all surprised they didn't hear him coming.
"You found one?" Neji is incredulous. There were perhaps two VCRs in the whole hospital, and he'd really been hoping Gai would not be able to borrow one. Then they wouldn't have to sit here and watch whatever dumb movie Tenten had gone to rent, and he would be able to focus on more important things. Like training.
Gai wheels the thing over so that it's positioned against the wall across from Lee's bed. He plugs the TV into an electrical outlet and strikes a pose. "I had to use my stunning good looks as collateral, but the nurses were more than happy to hand it over. I've still got it!"
Neji chooses not to ask what it is his sensei still has. Lee worships his teacher's every word. Sakura just looks away, embarrassed.
Gai glances from Sakura to Lee and back again and smiles knowingly. It's nice to see his favorite pupil getting some attention. "Well, I'll leave you kids alone. Neji, make sure you return that marvelous piece of machinery to the front desk when you're done with it. I'd hate for the nurses to hunt me down!" He laughs, suggesting anything but.
Neji arches an eyebrow and squats in front of the cart. The sooner they start this, the sooner it ends. Now if only Tenten would get here with the damn film…
"Goodbye, Gai-sensei! Thank you!" Lee waves with his good arm, before realizing that his hand is still full of flowers and he's shaking the petals off. Blushing furiously, he stops.
As Gai leaves, Sakura takes the chrysanthemums out of Lee's fist and reaches for the glass vase on the small bedside table. "Lee," she asks, knowing it's rude but unable to stop herself just the same, "don't you think your sensei is a little weird?"
Neji gives a little snort from his position on the floor, but they both ignore him.
"What do you mean?" If anyone else had asked the question, Lee would have immediately jumped to Gai's defense. As it's Sakura, he first gives her the benefit of the doubt.
Sakura fills the vase with water from a pitcher, and begins to place the flower into it. "Well, what I mean to say is…" She stops and bites her lips for a moment. Oh, how to say this? Curious emerald eyes meet Lee's onyx ones. "I mean, is he gay?"
"Huh?" Lee is genuinely confused. Sure, his teacher is a happy man, but he gets the feeling that's not what Sakura is asking him.
"You know, homosexual?"
Lee frowns. What on earth is she talking about? He glances around the room, seeking an answer from blank walls.
Plugging the VCR into the television, Neji is no help.
Out with it then. "Does he like men? You know, like that?"
This time he does catch on. Shock causes Lee's voice to rise an octave. "What? No."
Sakura busies herself arranging the flowers, but there's only so much you can do with three of them. A tense moment of silence passes, and then she dares to try again. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. It's just that he dresses oddly…" She stops, realizing that Lee wears the same thing and she may have offended him.
"He does not, and he is not," Lee states firmly, staring straight ahead. He's trying to ignore Sakura, and waiting for the television to come on at the same time. "Tell her, Neji."
Neji frowns, pushing buttons on the machine. There are lights, which must mean there's power, so why won't the stupid thing come on? He hates mechanical appliances. "He might be."
"Neji! How dare you be so disrespectful!" To be betrayed by one's own teammate. This is a dark, sad day.
Sakura, feeling that she has an ally, that her hypothesis is justified, continues. Holding up a hand, she begins ticking off reasons, one finger at a time. "Lee, he strikes poses, cries all the time…"
Lee covers his ears and shakes his head back and forth, petals flying off his hospital gown. He will not abandon his sensei, will not listen to this slanderous abuse. "Gai is just a passionate man!"
"See! That's exactly what I'm talking about. He's got an unhealthy obsession with my teacher…"
"I can't hear you!"
"What's all the noise about?" Tenten comes to a stop just inside the doorway, a videocassette in hand, and observes the odd scene. Worried that they might end up kicked out of the hospital before they even watch their movie, she shuts the door.
Lee removes his hands from his ears, proving that he could hear all along. "Sakura said that Gai-sensei has an unhealthy obsession with her teacher!"
Tenten frowns, and hands the tape to Neji, who promptly shoves it in backward. "Well, he does. What about it?"
"She says he likes men!" Lee's voice is a low whisper, his eyes wide. His mouth hangs slightly open, and he looks the epitome of shocked. "And Neji agreed with her!"
"I only said he might be," Neji clarifies, turning the video tape the right way around and pushing it back in.
Tenten glances back and forth between the three, making a mental note never to leave them alone again. Her gaze finally settles on Sakura. "You think he's gay?"
Sakura nods shyly. Being less than familiar with Lee's teammates, she doesn't know how the older girl will react.
Tenten is skeptical. Sure, her sensei is odd, crazy even, but homosexual? "With those eyebrows?"
"Well, maybe not." Sakura thinks about it for a moment, then concedes defeat. "All right, I take it back. He's just strange."
The TV finally flares to life, blaring some film about a family of clownfish. Sakura blanches. Speaking of weird… Does Team Gai always watch this kind of stuff?
"Tenten, you found my favorite movie!" Lee is ecstatic, fight with Sakura forgotten.
Tenten smiles.
Neji just frowns. This movie again? It's worse than he thought.
Sakura sneaks out when no one is looking.
Just a random little thing I thought of during a boring moment at work. No offense meant to anyone, of course. I love Gai. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.
