Chapter Twelve: Ambushed
Target: The Kazekage.
How We Get Him: Rock Lee.
Four Ninja were stood outside the entrance to Konoha. Each were wearing a mask of some sort over their faces and all were blonde but one, who had long straight red hair pulled into a high ponytail. There were two men and two women, all skilled Ninja. Somehow they knew of the relationship between Lee and Gaara, even though none of them had entered Konoha.
"Are you ready?" One asked in a low voice. His mask covered his entire face and was white, which red markings on the right eye in the shape of a circle. He was the tallest by far, and on his back were two blades crossing one another.
"Of course, Juro." The second man answered irritably. "We are just waiting on Yuna." His blonde hair was the mask over his face, the length travelling to just past his shoulders and covering the right side of his face. "She will use her technique to figure out where he is."
Yuna, from the direction of Juro's question, was the redheaded woman, who had her eyes closed and hands pressed together, concentrating. She had black cloth across her nose, covering it and her mouth. Her eyes were big and the colour of Byakugan, though she didn't seem to possess it. The final Ninja, whose hair was so blonde it was almost white, short and straight, not even reaching her neck, had her left eye covered by what seemed to be a piece of a red china mask, with white swirls over it.
The four were silent for a few seconds. Then Yuna opened her eyes and spoke. "I know where he is. Kiyomi -" The other woman glanced in Yuna's direction. "Juro, Yin. It is time."
"Rock Lee of Konoha," Yin, the long haired man whispered. "We are coming to get you."
***
It wasn't Ino's fault everyone knew. She only told Choji, excited he was finally back from his mission. And it didn't help Kiba had ended up telling Shino, Hinata and Sai. It was her fault they told Shikamaru and Naruto, who told just about everyone they could. Which wasn't Sakura. No one knew where she was and Ino was hoping someone would tell her about Lee before she made a fool of herself. Though she probably wouldn't believe them. This was the biggest relationship shock since…well, since Kiba and Kankuro she guessed.
Ino saw Lee about to step into the building leading to his apartment and waved over at him. "Hey! Lee!"
"Ino…" Lee was polite as always, and smiled at the attractive blonde. "I was just going to change, and then see Gai Sensei." It dawned on him the man might already know the news he was going to tell him before everyone else and cringed slightly. "Would you care to join me?"
She placed a hand on his muscular arm. "I just wanted to let you know I'm happy for you, okay? So is Choji. We're glad you've found someone. But Sakura doesn't know yet…" Ino chewed her lip. "About you and Gaara, I mean. She might -"
Another voice cut her off. "LEE MY YOUTHFUL STUDENT!" It was Gai Sensei. He strode over to them with a big smile on his face, and ruffled Lee's hair fondly. "How was your time in Suna? I hope you worked to the best of your ability!"
"I did, Gai Sensei!" Lee yelped. He had to tell him now, before Ino c-
SLAM! Gai punched Lee in the face, sending him flying backwards into Ino, and the two landed in a heap on the dusty path. "Wrong!" Gai shouted. "You can always do better! There is no limit to your ability, Lee!"
"What the hell?!" Ino screeched. "My outfit is completely ruined. Why would you punch Lee for that?"
"I am a stern master, Ino." Gai told her solemnly, but he laughed afterwards. "Lee knows!"
Lee, who had just picked himself up, and helped Ino up, brushed the dust from his suit and looked at Gai Sensei anxiously. Gai, sensing his anxiety, frowned and gestured at Ino to leave them for a while.
"Are you going to tell Gai Sensei about…?" Ino asked, surprisingly tactful and keeping quiet. She nodded. "I'll talk to you later about Sakura." She decided, and walked away.
There was a pause in conversation, the two staring at each other for a long time. A leaf broke from a nearby tree and fluttered past; if Lee caught it he would tell Gai everything, he decided. If he dropped it, it meant he already knew. Jumping high, Lee clasped the leaf in both hands and landed on the ground on both feet. He had to tell his Sensei, now the second most important man in his life. "Gai Sensei, there is something I have to tell you." Lee began, quietly, his eyes at the floor.
"I know." Gai's tone was serious. "As I was coming to meet you, plenty people came up to me and asked if I knew about you. I pretended I did and walked away quickly to avoid them telling me, as I wanted you to tell me yourself. What is it? It must be big, almost every Ninja I've come across is talking about it in hushed voices."
"I…I…" Lee had to just say it. "I'm gay, Gai Sensei."
The similar looking but older man blinked, then grinned. "Is that all? You have found that your path of love and passion is that towards men? But why all the fuss about this in the village? I thought you'd done something terrible!"
"That's not all." Lee sighed. Though inside, he was happy his Sensei did not mind his homosexuality. He had been worried about that even more than telling him who he had a relationship with - this was the part everyone was shocked about, and talking about. After all, this was the Kazekage of Suna, Sabaku no Gaara, whose heart was colder than ice and did not understand love in the slightest. But Lee had melted the frozen heart and made Gaara fall in love with him.
"It's Gaara-kun. I love him. He loves me."
***
Despite the amount of stares he was going to get, Lee agreed to Gai's request of a group of them eating out later in their favourite restaurant, the same restaurant Sakura had requested he go to before any of this happened. After telling Gai about Gaara after a few shocked reactions, and a long discussion of everything that had happened, while having a run around Konoha, Lee felt completely satisfied. They had spotted Shino and Hinata along the way, who told Lee they were happy for him, and as was Naruto, Sai, all of their friends. He decided he did not care what other Ninjas thought as long as his friends stood by him. It was going to be an interesting night, and after bidding goodbye to Gai he let himself into his apartment with a relieved sigh. Everything was going to be fine.
Which was why he was surprised, to say the least, when he entered his bedroom and found Sakura fast asleep on his bed.
"Sakura-san!" Lee gasped.
"Ehh?" The Chuunin sat up blearily, rubbing her eyes. Then she saw Lee and pink patches appeared on her cheeks to match her hair. "Lee!"
"How come you are here?" Lee asked, sitting himself on his bed next to her. "How long have you been waiting? I apologise for obviously keeping you here a long time. In fact…" Well, he had told Gai Sensei, and now all that was left was Sakura, seeing as it was clear everyone else knew. For a second he closed his eyes in horror at the thought of Neji's reaction. Then he shook his head. Neji would be fine about it, like everyone else. "I have something to tell you." Lee eventually said lamely.
Sakura beamed. He was going to ask her out again! But not if she got there first… "I have something to tell you too!" She nodded enthusiastically. "I noticed it after you went, and now you're back I know what I am about to say is certain. I lo-"
But she didn't get to finish her sentence as at that second there was a loud knock on the door. When the two of them just stared at the door for a few moments the knocking carried on, persistent, growing louder and louder. Lee shrugged apologetically to Sakura and went to answer the door, itching a polite smile onto his face for whoever it was. Neji or Ten Ten, maybe?
However, there was a tall blonde man Lee had never seen before glaring down at him with a smirk. Only the left hand side of his face was on show and there was no headband marking where they were from. Sakura appeared from behind Lee and frowned. "Who are you?" She asked. "You're not from around here."
"Shh." As if from nowhere another masked blonde man appeared from behind them. Before Lee had time to react he felt himself growing weaker and weaker as the man in front of him put a hand on his shoulder. "It's Lee we want. Not you." The other man snarled to Sakura, who gasped at the sight of Lee. He put his hand on her arm.
Lee broke away from the grasp held on him and lifted his arm up in his fighting stance, despite his weakened state. That was all Sakura remembered before everything around her went black.
***
"Naruto! We have an emergency!" Sakura ran past Moegi who was sitting at the front desk and barged into Naruto's office, who was talking to Shizune about something or other. They both looked up in surprise at the sight of Sakura. "These two Ninja appeared at Lee's apartment! I don't remember - something happened and I woke on the floor but I came rushing here. Lee's gone! They must have taken him, I -"
"Whoa, wait, slow down, Sakura-Chan." Naruto's eyes widened. "You're saying Lee was kidnapped by Ninja? Unidentified Ninja?"
"There's no time to slow down! We have to go and get Lee back right now!" Sakura cried, slamming her fist down on the desk. "Don't you understand? They were both wearing masks. Well, one I could be able to identify if I saw him again but will I if we don't act now? Get Shikamaru! Sai! Yes, get Sai. He can fly in the air. Naruto, this is Lee-san we're talking about."
Naruto could see how serious this was. Fuzzy Brows…why would they take you? He thought. "Shizune." He said. The dark haired woman nodded to signal her attention. "Get Sai, Shikamaru and Neji. Tell them it is an emergency."
She nodded again and scuttled from the room.
Sakura held clumps of her hair and tugged at them desperately. "They need to get here fast. I'm going with them, Naruto. I have to. Lee…"
"God knows how Gaara will react." Naruto groaned. "He'll probably go out there himself looking for him. I just hope he doesn't get extremely angry." He looked out of the window and saw the rain, the wind, that had suddenly picked up in the past hour or so. It seemed there was a storm coming. "They can't have gotten far, wherever they are going. Look at the weather. I'll send Sai in the air, Neji can cast Byakugan and Shikamaru will think something up. It'll be fine, Sakura. This is Lee. He never goes down without a fight!"
Gaara? Why is he suddenly going on about Gaara? Lee being the liaison can't make that much of an impact on Suna. The woman thought with a sigh. She couldn't stand still and kept pacing around the room until Shizune appeared about ten minutes later with the three requested.
Naruto informed them of the situation and they were to set out immediately.
"I cannot believe Lee wouldn't fight these two Ninja off. It seems so unreal. They must be very strong." Neji pointed out as the four of them left Konoha.
"Which makes me think they must have used some sort of technique. If Sakura blanked out, perhaps the same thing was used on Lee aswell?" Shikamaru added, frowning. He was thinking about everything. "That must be what it is. But why would they want Lee?"
Sai stepped way from them and took out his paint brush and a scroll. "Nimpuu, sora tobu tori." A large eagle burst from the scroll and Sai hopped on it's back. He smiled. "I will find Lee-kun. Neji-kun, are you joining me in the air or are you staying on the ground?" The huge bird was drawn so finely with Sai's artistic skills, it looked almost like a real one.
"I will come with you. It will be easier to see from above." Neji chuckled in spite of everything. "Well, it'll be faster, anyway."
"Why don't we all just go in the air? It will be far simpler than having to waste time looking for each other if one of us finds Lee." Shikamaru offered practically. "Sai, you can create another ink bird for us, can't you?"
"Of course." Sai did so, then the four got up onto their birds. Sakura with Shikamaru, and Neji with Sai. They rose from the ground and flew into the air, soaring through the sky, but there was no time to enjoy the wondrous feeling of the wind breezing through their faces or the fact they were flying, as each were on red alert for Lee and the enemy nin. Neji's Byakugan was on at all times.
Back in Konoha, Naruto gazed out of his window. He couldn't deal with it if anything horrible happened to Lee. He didn't think Sakura could either. And he knew Gaara wouldn't. The Hokage just had to hope the four he had sent out could find the passionate comrade, before it was too late.
***
Where…am I? What happened? Sakura! Lee tried to open his eyes. There seemed to be something across them, like a blindfold. He tried to move his arms, which were around his back, but they were bound by what seemed to be heavy rope, but when Lee tried to break free it was clear there was something that made the rope practically unbreakable. There was movement around him and he appeared to be in a room of some sort; he could feel the rough carpet beneath him.
Lee resorted to listening, keeping his breathing deep and slow so they would still think he was unconscious - whatever he was. This was too confusing.
"We should expect the answer from Gaara by tomorrow, with the time and place where to meet him." This was a man's voice. One of the men Lee saw before he woke up here? He tried to remember a face but only saw the masks both were wearing.
"He might not come alone…he might bring his brother and sister along." Another voice, a woman this time.
"We can deal with them." A man again, but a different one. The other man of the two kidnappers? What was going on? Why had they taken Lee? Why were they talking about Gaara?
There was a pause. Lee strained to listen. A door opened and light, quick footsteps pattered into the room. The door slammed shut, and it took all Lee had in him not to jump from the sudden shock of loud noise.
"He's awake." The woman muttered. "Kiyomi, why are you so late? What took you so long?"
"He's awake?" One of the men repeated in surprise. "Why didn't you say so earlier, Yuna?" Lee felt the presence of this man straight in front of him. "Welcome back, Rock Lee."
Now, Lee spoke.
"What are you doing? Who are you? What do you know? Why have I been taken? Why are you talking about Gaara-kun?" He asked in a rush, puzzled by everything.
There was a short burst of laughter from the man in front of him. "Shall I answer him?" Silence, but clearly someone had nodded as he continued with, "Great. I am talking to you in this rented hotel room. I am Yin, not that you'd have heard of me. I know everything between you and Gaara, if that is what you are insinuating. You have been taken so we can achieve the Kazekage in our plan. Which answers why we are talking about him."
"What plan?" I cannot believe this. Plan? Gaara-kun…this will all be my fault. I have to stop this. What would Gai Sensei do? Lee's mind drew a blank. It was hard to think in this situation.
Someone else crouched down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "To assassinate the Kazekage, what else?" This person, the other man, hissed in Lee's ear. "Now. Enough questions. You can fall unconscious again now."
"NO!" Lee gasped. Gaara-kun! I will protect you with all my strength. I cannot live without you…you are the best thing in my life. The Jounin felt weaker by the second. I will…protect you, because I…love…you.
Yuna smiled. "He's unconscious again. Good work, Juro."
Kiyomi raised an eyebrow. She hadn't said a word to either of the three, but what she wanted to tell them passed across without words.
"Now," Yin sat onto a chair and shifted until he was comfortable. "Where were we?"
***
To the Kazekage of Suna,
All you need to do is attach your reply to the bird that this message was delivered to you on. All you need to know is that we have Rock Lee. Reply to this with a time and place for us to meet. Bring no one but yourself. If you follow these orders Rock Lee will be safe, and free to go.
Yours sincerely,
Yin, Yuna, Juro and Kiyomi.
We give our names because we aren't afraid.
Author's Note: Er, what?! What's going on here? Will Lee be okay? What will Gaara do? Who are these mysterious four people?
