Chapter Fourteen: Split Decision
They had been fighting for hours but it was far from over. The sun was high in the sky, and the shadow of the tree was just enough for Shikamaru. He managed to capture Kiyomi, but caught Lee in the process so had to release her. It was harder trying to get the two men as they were darting around, attacking and defending themselves. Sai and Gaara were fighting with full pelt, and Gaara managed to trap Juro in a sand coffin. As he raised his fist and crushed him to death, his mind jolted back to that servant girl, her screams echoed this man's. The Kazekage shook his head to blot the thought and proceeded. There were only two left now.
"Sakura, go and help them fight." Neji demanded. He alerted his Byakugan and peered at the woman holding Lee in her strong grasp. While he struggled, she stood still as a rock. For hours. "I need to try and get to that woman somehow."
"I -" I what? What can I do? I'm a medical ninja. Sakura heaved a great sigh. Then she realised. Sai and Gaara were busy with the man, Shikamaru was trying to catch him in his shadow, and Neji of course was trying to get to that woman. Who was actually easy to get to, if you thought about it. And Sakura did have her tremendous strength. That was all the thought she need. The Chuunin stood from her kneeling position towards Neji and ran towards Lee and the woman, bringing her fist back to load a strong punch.
"Kiyomi!" Yin yelled. "Watch - Arghh!" He leaped backwards to escape a wall of sand. This wasn't good. Juro was right, though of course they didn't realise there would be backup. This wasn't part of the deal. Wait, he thought with a smirk. Lee is the trick. What have I been playing at? He placed his hands together and formed the first seal he had done hours before. Before, he hadn't acted on it. Now, he would. "Soutei Doragon!" Yin shouted towards Lee. From the sky a tornado erupted. Kiyomi vanished from her place behind the Leaf Ninja, who stood in amazement for a few seconds, then began to run over to Gaara. But the tornado was only for him, and it swept him up. After it disappeared Lee was thrown to the ground with strange lightning binds around his arms, clinging them to his sides. Sakura was left to run into nothing and pummelled her fist into the sand, causing a shake in the ground. This is hopeless, she thought. Lee needs help! But what can I do?
"What are they?" Gaara asked, appearing at Lee's side. He knelt down and helped Lee to rest upon himself.
"Powerful chakra ties. With each minute passing they get tighter, until they cut straight through the person bound." Yin explained with a calm smile. "You didn't follow what we asked, you brought Konoha Ninja here. The deal's off. We'll kill all of you. No games now."
"It appears to me you are the one with two down. I did not bring these Ninja here, they brought themselves." Gaara ran a hand through Lee's hair. "It also appears to me you won't let these ties go, and the only way to get them to break is to kill you. Which I am very willing to do." He stood up, arms folded. "You can leave now after freeing Lee and nothing more will be done. Or you can stay and be foolish enough to die."
"I've only lost a sensor and a blade master." Yin replied coldly. Then he smiled and widened his eyes.
Sai sucked in his breath. "This is a genjutsu. Don't look in to his eyes."
Meanwhile Lee felt himself growing frustrated. There he was, leaning on Gaara, bound by some Jutsu and basically helpless. This wasn't who he was. He had to act! But to break this would require opening the gates, and he hadn't planned on doing that as it was a Forbidden Technique that required permission from Gai Sensei. Though Gai wasn't really his Sensei anymore, just a senior ninja he had a close relationship with. He still found himself being trained by him though, daily, and that's when Gaara's earlier proposal before the enemy ninja arrived about his staying in Suna. Then he made his decision. What he was going to do after this about that, and of course now. There was no other option.
"Gaara-kun, please help me to stand up." Lee murmured. "And then keep away from the enemy."
"What?" The Kazekage picked his lover up so he was standing on his own two feet. Gaara looked up into Lee's eyes. He was always so much shorter than him; Lee could even ruffle his hair on occasions when he felt extra fond of the redhead. "Lee, what are you doing?"
Yin had since abandoned his genjutsu attempt and was blocking himself from Sai's attacks. Shikamaru carried on trying to catch him in his shadow. Neji and Sakura looked at Kiyomi, who was only dodging Shikamaru's shadow and not doing much else. Gaara stepped towards the two observers but looked back at Lee, concerned. "Lee, what are you doing?" He repeated.
"Gaara-kun…" Konoha's Green Beast chuckled daintily, his laugh quite different from his usual self. "Do not worry yourself about me. I will be fine with you fine." He tried to break from his bound state one last time, but to no avail. "Worth one last try! Gai Sensei, I am going to have to use this technique. Gaara-kun." Lee stared at the younger man. "You've done enough now. I have to do this to prove I am not weak."
What is he doing?! What is he playing at? "Lee!" Gaara scowled. "Just what are you planning to do?!"
That was when he knew what technique it was, as the Chakra began to build around the Leaf Ninja. Lee opened his eyes after screwing them shut for a second and shouted, "First Gate, Opening Gate - release!" It was only after the Third Gate did the bind break and Lee was off like a shot, speeding around the area faster than sound, too fast for everyone to see where he was going. Yin was dragged into the Reverse Lotus and slammed onto the Sand at incredible speed.
Shikamaru took this chance as everyone stared at the scene to shoot his shadow at the woman and caught her in it. Result! "Got you," he whispered. He ran up to her, Sai following. "Look. Give this up." He told her, rather calmly for the situation going on behind them, with Lee up to Fifth Gate. In all Lee's training, he'd only reached the Morning Peacock, the Sixth Gate. Yin couldn't do anything with Lee's speed so unchallenged.
Kiyomi smiled pleasantly. The shadow was slowly growing tighter and tighter, reaching around her neck, but she showed no discomfort.
"We'll take her in for questioning back in Konoha." Shikamaru decided. "I've managed to hold my shadow for twenty minutes before after months of strict training. That should be enough to drain her energy so she can't escape."
"Lee!" Sakura yelled. "That's enough!" In answer, Lee performed the Morning Peacock on Yin, who fell to the ground limp; silent. It was done for him, and Lee calmed down, back to his usual self. He looked at his legs and smiled wearily.
"I'm still wearing my weights. That's a first." The spandex wearing man realised with a grin. Yin was struggling to breathe on the ground next to him and Lee bent over him. "I don't want to kill you, but I will for the sake of protecting Gaara-kun." He said in a low voice, sighing deeply.
Which was when Kiyomi laughed. It was a high, tinkly sound, not suited to the current situation. She flicked her hair back and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"A clone?!" Shikamaru gasped, whirling around.
From the shadow of the tree, the real Kunoichi rose from the darkness and took out a kunai, wrapping her arm around Sakura's neck, placing the blade to her skin. "If you kill Yin, I will kill her." Kiyomi's voice was light, but it was obvious she was deadly serious. "If you move towards me, I will kill her without hesitation. Of course, all this for the Kazekage. If I kill her, this death will be enough for me." Under her breath, she added, "For now."
"I don't understand." Neji stood up, rubbing his forehead. "Why do you want to harm the Kazekage? What has he ever done to you?"
Kiyomi's expression turned to anger. "Because he killed my sister, that's why." The silence that greeted her from this sentence made her rage more. "She was no harm to anyone! She wasn't a Ninja like me, she chose the simple life, so she wouldn't get hurt. She worked in the building with Gaara, she was his servant. Her name was Mila." She spat out the last word with such venom at Gaara. "Remember her by any chance?"
Mila…that girl a few months ago? That day I lost it…? Gaara screwed up his face in regret. That was their sister? Why did I do that? She woke Lee up, drove him away. Or did she? What was I doing? Who was I? When was this? The memory of her scream was all that rang in Gaara's mind. The others began to protest his innocence.
"I'm sure that was back when Gaara was disorientated with where his life was heading. He is a better man now." This was surprisingly from Sai, who was not part of the Konoha Nine back then. "There is no need to fight for something like this. Let go of your feelings -"
"This was only a few months ago." Kiyomi stated bleakly. "I was walking through to meet her the way I usually did when I found a gathering of sand, blood, and Mila's basket. The basket she uses to collect things. I thought it wasn't true, it couldn't be. I ran inside and asked where Mila was but no one could tell me. I told them of what was outside but they dismissed it, insisting you were out with Rock Lee." Her gaze met the Taijutsu master's. "So I prepared. I spoke with my cousin, Yin, who hired Juro and Yuna to help track down Rock Lee to get to the Kazekage. And here we are now. That is what happened. I am simply bringing justice to a murderer."
Yin broke the lack of sound by coughing out blood onto the ground. Although he was in an excruciating amount of pain, if what they planned could become real he would die a happy man.
"This is…Gaara-kun?" Lee's tone was of shock, and there was hurt in there too. The hurt made Gaara feel awful. "This is not true, is it? You would not kill someone now?"
"I was angry; upset." The Kazekage replied stiffly. "I didn't know what I was doing. I'm a different person now, Lee. I promise you that one. You've seen me." He turned from his partner to Yin and his eyes darkened. "Do you not believe me?" His footsteps quickened until he was right next to the lying Ninja.
Lee held out his hand and put it on Gaara's shoulder. "Why did you not tell me this?" He asked, reasonably enough. "Gaara-sama, to kill an innocent young woman…" There were no more words, the Ninja trailed off from his sentence.
"Gaara-sama?" Gaara repeated, his voice hoarse. "Why did you retreat to your old terms for me? We all make mistakes. Lee, I thought you of all people would trust me. Was this all a charade? You never loved me…like I loved you. What is love to you? Have I gotten love wrong?" He lifted his leg and pounded his foot into Yin, who lifted his head and gasped, blood exploding out from his mouth. This didn't stop the redhead, who began to hit his foot with even more force, blood flying upwards and hitting his clothes, his face, Lee's clothes, Lee's face.
"Lee!" Neji yelled. Kiyomi had moved the blade deeper into Sakura's neck. The pink haired Kunoichi had tears falling from her emerald eyes, but she uttered no sound.
"Gaara." There was no kun and no sama. But it was Lee speaking. "It does not matter what I address you as. I love you. Please stop." Lee pleaded. He opened his arms, stepped around Yin, and closed the smaller man in an embrace from behind. As usual the red hair tickled his neck. "Why do you get so angry? These are people. That servant girl, she was a person. With a family, clearly, who mourn her everyday."
Lee was startled at this revelation, of course. That Gaara had killed someone unfairly. Though he had done this many times before, but not recently. But if I am not there for Gaara, who will be? His siblings? He needs someone to love him…and I need him to love me. It was Lee's final thought on the matter. It wouldn't matter if Gaara killed a thousand people - he would still love him. I shall be with him. I shall be there if his anger grows out of hand, and I will help him.
"If you did not love me, there would be no point to my existence. I would fail my duty as a Kazekage, too wrapped up in thoughts about you. There would be no point. No point." Gaara mumbled. He looked down at Yin and saw what he had done, and immediately Mila flashed into his mind. This was it. This was the last time. The damage here was done, Yin was fading away. But this was it. No more killings. He was finished with them. He just had to control his rage somehow. Lee would control it with him. The masked man coughed a few more times, then raised his arm in desperation. It dropped when his heartbeat stopped seconds later.
Sakura realised the situation with her mouth hanging open. Lee was with Gaara? Slowly, things fell in to place. People worrying what Gaara thought about all of this, Lee always going to Suna, coming back with the happiest of smiles on his face. She didn't know what to feel. What to think of this. But there was no time. Kiyomi had reacted to Yin's death - harshly.
"Help me!" Sakura screamed. It was Lee that ran to her rescue, Sai following from behind. Kiyomi threw the kunai she was holding against Sakura at Lee and Sai. But only after she had sliced the kunai across Sakura's neck. The kunai missed Sai as he was behind Lee. It hit the latter.
Kiyomi closed her eyes and formed a seal with her hands. "This is our revenge, Gaara-kun." She said. She disappeared briefly only to appear next to Yin, then took his body with her when she disappeared for the second time.
"She's gone." Neji assured everyone, not seeing her Chakra anywhere with his Byakugan. With this confirmation, everyone rushed forward to the scene in front of them. It had happened so fast no one was really sure of how serious it was. Sakura and Lee were both kneeling, clutching their wounds, eyes wide, mouths open in shock. "Sakura-san!" Lee yelped.
Shikamaru knelt by Sakura. "What do we do? You're the only medical Ninja here! How do we help this?" He shouted.
Sai created three birds. "The only option we have," he told the group, when Sakura merely clutched at Shikamaru's clothing in reply, "is to get them back to Konoha as fast as we can."
"That will take more time than we have." Neji informed them, looking at the wounds the two had. "These are serious - we need to go as fast as we can and just hope we make it to Tsunade in time to help them."
Gaara clenched his fist in one hand, and held the other in Lee's. This is not looking good. Do not die, Lee. I will not let you. I will not let you die like this.
***
The rain fell. It pattered against the windows of Naruto's office. He was sat in his chair, signing off a few documents. Night had fallen an hour or two or so ago, as had the rain. It wasn't gentle rain, it poured down so hard it was difficult to see outside. However, it was peaceful. There was nothing wrong with a little bit of rain. In a way, it helped to clear his mind. Unless he got started on a memory. That was the problem. Whenever something bad happened; rain appeared. It was never a bright sunny day if something happened terribly. So what was happening now?
On the sofa he kept in his office lay Hinata, her eyes closed, a pleasant smile on her pretty face, fast asleep. She was no longer allowed out on missions as she was pregnant, and each day found herself growing bored, so she often found herself in Naruto's office, talking to him until she grew tired. She got more tired now she was carrying a baby. His baby. Her baby.
The past few days had gone past slowly. There was some problems in the Country of Rain and Konan had requested some of Konoha's best so Kakashi, Ten Ten and Anko were sent. With Yamato, Gai, and the rest of the Konoha Nine away from Konoha besides Hinata, so there weren't many to socialize with. He'd caught up with Iruka yesterday and they spoke about Lee. That was the Ninja most on the Hokage's mind. Surely Sai, Shikamaru Sakura and Neji would be back soon? With Lee? They couldn't give up searching, and Naruto couldn't give up hope. That wasn't his way of the Ninja.
Another hour, perhaps more, passed, without much happening. Then two things happened at once.
Hinata woke up, rubbing her eyes, the smile still on her face, and murmured, "What time is it?"
And Shizune burst through the door shrieking, "Naruto! Come with me quickly to the hospital! Tsunade-sama is already there but Sakura asked for you! Hurry!"
Naruto stood from his seat immediately. "What?! What's happened? Is it Fuzzy Brows? Hold on, I'm coming!" He grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her along with him as he ran to the hospital, Shizune following from behind, her speed slower than Naruto's after running from the hospital to here, her breathing slightly heavy. When they arrived Naruto shouted at the man at the desk to tell him where Rock Lee was. When he did, Naruto was off again, running upstairs and down a corridor until he reached the room he required.
As he opened the door, he found himself in a private room with three hospital beds. However, instead of one, two were occupied, and to Naruto's immense surprise Sakura was in one, with Tsunade performing medical Jutsu on her there and then, there being no time to find an operating table. Shikamaru, Sai, Neji and Gaara were sat on the chairs in the room by the window. Gaara held Lee's hand in his.
Hinata gasped. "W-what happened? Why is Sakura…?"
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled. He turned to the three seated and shrieked at them. "What happened? Fuzzy Brows?"
Lee was lying in his bed with a broad smile on his face. "Naruto-kun." He greeted the Hokage. "I - will be - fine. Sakura-san will be - be fine. This is… all what, what we must go through - in the springtime…in - in the…springtime of our youth. Oh!" At the 'oh' he winced in pain and clutched his stomach. Naruto tried to notice the fact Lee had stumbled on most words he spoke, and when he did speak his voice was quiet and whispery. Lee's eyes dropped as he struggled to keep them open.
Shizune appeared then, Ino in tow, and (presumably having explained the situation to Ino as they hurried here) the blonde set to work on Lee, with Tsunade still with Sakura, trying to stop the blood flow and seal the deep cut. Sakura was cut in an odd place on her neck; not killing her instantly, missing the main point but slowly weakening her.
Naruto and the others were shooed outside by a passing nurse, and told to wait just in the corridor. There were four chairs. Naruto and Gaara, being Kages, took one each, and Hinata, being pregnant, took the third next to Naruto. Neji took the last, and Sai and Shikamaru just leaned against the opposite wall to face them. It was silent for a few minutes. Naruto's expression was one of complete shock, he was stunned into silence. But Gaara's face was desolate. His vision was aimed at the door to Lee.
"How did this happen?" Hinata asked meekly, eyes downcast, her hair falling in front of her bowed head.
Shikamaru sighed. "A female Ninja - she had Sakura in a grasp with a Kunai to her throat. Gaara killed her cousin, another enemy Ninja. This made her mad…she wounded Sakura then threw the same Kunai at Lee and Sai. It hit Lee. It happened so quick. I should have done something." He put his head in his hands in frustration.
"Why didn't I defend Lee with my sand?"
Everyone looked at Gaara. He was still looking at the door but he talked to them in a solemn, dead, tone. "I could have if I had turned around and saw what Lee was doing, but I was looking at that man. Why didn't I turn?"
"There is no point in pinning blame on yourselves," said Neji, tugging at a lock of his silky brown hair to calm his anxiety about Lee. This was one of his closest comrades; friends. "It is the enemy's fault. No one else caused this."
"If I hadn't killed that woman, that Ninja's sister, none of this would have happened." Gaara looked at Naruto as he said this. The Hokage was looking at his lap, but he stiffened slightly at what Gaara had just uttered. "I can't wait any longer than this. I need to see if Lee is all right!"
There was a sudden burst of noise from inside the room and gasps. A machine with a low beep could be heard vaguely. No one knew what it meant for real - but they were all thinking of the same thing. Naruto lifted his head and touched Gaara's arm. "It still won't be your fault for their injuries, Gaara. You are to blame for the enemy coming, maybe, but not what the enemy did once they came. Please remember this."
Gaara looked at the hand on his arm, then into the blue eyes of his companion. Naruto was putting up a brave pretence, he could tell. In reality, the man was terrified. Terrified of losing his best friends, his past love, his training buddy, his comrades. For Gaara, the loss of the pink haired woman would not pain him. He knew it would Lee though, and thinking of Lee tragically upset made him feel it. If Lee died? The Kazekage couldn't even bear thinking about it. It wouldn't happen. Lee was strong, he had a positive attitude. Everything was going to be fine, like the spandex wearing ninja kept insisting to everyone.
"Naruto, I know how you are feeling. Do not try to comfort me with deciding where the blame lies." The redhead eventually replied. "You have two to lose a close relationship with."
The door clicked open, and Shizune walked out, followed by Tsunade. For one moment everyone really did think everything was going to be all right.
Outside, the rain had stopped and the moon was hanging proudly in the sky, the stars sparkling. It was a perfect night, like a sunny day but in the dark with the moon. Naruto noticed this, but with a second look at the older women's faces, he knew the weather didn't really tell whether a bad thing was going to happen, whether rain was a link to negativity in life. Because the moon shone brightly, happily. And Tsunade and Shizune weren't beaming bright, happy smiles.
Their faces said it all.
Author's Note: REVIEW. Seriously. Review. No reviews, no new chapter up! Which would be a shame, right? Anonymous or not I want reviews. Next chapter is the last one I believe. Then an epilogue, then the alternate ending I had in mine for chapter fifteen. So what happened? It might seem a bit rushed and weird. I don't know. Longest chapter so far hoorah! What happens next? Are Lee and Sakura all right? Who knows…