The Wanderers
Chapter 34 – Lee – Hunting Prey
A/N: If anyone is curious, the personal stories after Separation will be until Chapter 44, if my plan is anything to go by. Then we'll go into the last third of the story.
Did I mention this is a long story?
Also a review last week said that I had pirated other people's stuff. Since it was all in capitals it was hard to take seriously, but I can tell you the only thing I've taken from another story was Naruto's Kattoken, and I credited Mattwilson83 and got his permission first. Everything else in this story is from my own ideas, perhaps shaped by other things, but nothing pirated.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be more personal struggles with strength.
***Previously-On***
After escaping the Hidden Village of Sound, the group was accosted by a warrior covered in white armour, bearing a frightening resemblance to the warrior from Kakashi's memories. After a short monologue, in which he confessed to compliance in the destruction of Konoha, the warrior dispersed the Konoha shinobi under orders from a mysterious leader, causing all of them to be sent to different parts of the world. Now, separated from their friends and comrades, each of the surviving Konoha shinobi are struggling to find each other again before they are found again by the group that had caused them so much grief.
Having been captured by the enemy, Lee was tortured to death and revived dozens of times at the hands of an unknown enemy connected to the warrior that separated him from his companions. During a lull in the torture, and through considerable personal effort, Lee was able to break free of his restraints and kill his torturer. Despite finding himself temporarily unable to use chakra, but instead a strange kind of physical energy that was easier for him to use than chakra, Lee was able to find a video feed that showed him a conversation between two of the leaders of the mysterious group in charge of the systematic slaughter of all shinobi. Within the facility, Lee rescued a long-term prisoner, who was able to inform Lee of many things about the organisation, including giving it a name. After discussing what to do against the Quiraji, Lee discovered the man who Jito Senju, and they subsequently parted company. Lee attempted to find his companions by travelling to Asuma and Kurenai's home, but when he got there it was already on fire, and a group of Quiraji were fleeing from the scene of the crime. Using his immense speed Lee caught up to the group and destroyed all except for the leader Iceheart, who got away from him at the start of the fight. By letting a single converted shinobi go with only minor injuries, Lee formulated a plan to stop the Quiraji before they could catch up to any of his friends.
***End Summary***
***Six Months after Separation***
Lee frowned and placed his hand to his head to shield his eyes from the sun, watching a black figure move among the clouds. He watched patiently as the figure appeared as a small hawk, without any detail beyond the shadowy black colour.
Reaching out a hand, Lee let the odd bird land on his hand. The shadow-hawk cawed at him twice before dissipating into a small scroll. Lee opened up the scroll and immediately felt a smile come across his face.
After decoding the Konoha-based code, Lee read it carefully, making sure he didn't miss anything.
Lee,
I wasn't expecting someone to find me so quickly. I've only just been accepted in this village, but it's nice to know that someone else survived. Thank you for the information, it correlates with much of what Suna has already gathered. The man you mentioned is of concern, but we should focus on 'getting the gang back together'. I know you are set in your crusade against them, but if you do see anyone please send them our way. We doubt that the Quiraji will leave us be, and we could use the extra strength. We are only as strong as each other.
Regardless, I hope you are well. This is a hard time for all of us.
And because she refused to let it go…Temari says…no I'm not writing that it's just stupid. Oh great, now I'm writing as I'm arguing. In code. Troublesome woman.
Shikamaru
Lee destroyed the letter, but not after grinning at the final bit of the scroll. He didn't know that much about the Temari-woman mentioned, but by the sounds of it Shikamaru was having some fun with his new village.
Tracking Iceheart near to Suna was a better risk than I expected. She never crossed the border after setting those troops loose, but only Shikamaru could have come up with that kind of plan.
Lee wondered whether he should have made proper contact with his companion, but he'd only been able to send a message before moving on to track the group he had been following. The woman known as Iceheart hadn't met him in battle since the murder of Asuma and Kurenai, but in six months Lee felt he had accomplished more than he had set out to do.
It still bothered him that the only person he had been able to find was Shikamaru, but Lee was getting better at tracking the Quiraji warriors. He found himself wishing that Neji was accompanying him; it would let Lee get to the warriors before they killed their targets rather than just missing the act as he usually did.
Breathing out slowly to regain his thoughts, Lee cracked his neck and continued to run across the countryside. He had just left the Land of Fire, and had moved into the Land of Hot Water. He wasn't aware of any shinobi presence in that area, but the signs on the ground that he had been following led towards that area.
I haven't seen them kill civilians yet…so she must be tracking someone. Someone who can use chakra.
It puzzled Lee immensely that they hadn't dedicated more resources to dealing with him. After five months of work, Lee had personal taken out dozens of warriors and severely crippled several operations in the Land of Fire. He was intentionally being a nuisance, but they hadn't taken the bait yet.
He noticed a small field of wheat a short distance away, which he was more than happy to run towards and look around for any signs of people. It didn't seem like there was anyone around, but the tracks of the Quiraji he was tracking didn't come near the field, telling him they had skipped the area all together. It had been subtle at first, but the Quiraji seemed to have a slightly different presence that he could follow than normal people, though Lee had lost the trail many times while learning how to properly track the warriors.
Seeing that there was no point in staying, Lee popped a piece of wheat into his mouth and chewed on it to distract himself as he tried to find the trail again.
Humming a tune he had been taught by Gai to dodge punches to, Lee began the same process he always did when trying to find Iceheart and her crew.
Find the nearest body, and go from there.
oOoOoOo
There had been no bodies, but Lee found himself in a small town that seemed rather homely to his constantly mobile life. There were no burning buildings, no screaming children, no bodies, so Lee figured that Iceheart mustn't have found what she was looking for.
At the edge of the town, still hiding himself from the townsfolk, Lee found the familiar looking footprints of the heels that Iceheart wore. They were surprisingly clear within the hard ground, leading Lee to quickly work out that she was trying to lure him into a fight.
So she finally wants a conflict. She must be sick of losing soldiers. I'll bet Sensou has given the order.
He didn't think he was arrogant enough to justify that level of attention, but he had made a point of making a nuisance of himself so that he could find out more about the leaders of the Quiraji. It had taken some effort, and some serious financial investment that he had 'liberated' from some soldiers, but Lee had convinced a retired shinobi to place a special seal on his body. If he were to be killed, then any information he had obtained since the technique's activation will be transported into a bird that would travel to Shikamaru in Suna.
Lee didn't want to die; he no longer had that wish. But he understood how risky his task was. And while he didn't want to leave people like Sakura or the others behind, Lee felt an uncontrollable need to pursue the deadly foe.
Just before moving out, Lee noticed something very familiar in the corner of his eye. He turned around and his eyes immediately widened when he saw a very thin Chouji chatting with a pretty-looking girl. He looked no different than when they had been separated, Lee didn't know all the details but he knew the Akimichi's weight loss was linked to some technique he had been forced to use at the Hidden Village of Sound.
He went to show himself to his old companion, but a few thoughts stopped him in his track.
Iceheart has clearly been through here. With four companions no less. Yet there Chouji stands, without a mark on him.
They don't leave shinobi alive. That must mean something either prevented her from killing him…or he isn't a threat as a shinobi anymore.
He stared at Chouji and considered the situation, watching as Chouji laughed and chatted casually with a group of children. Lee couldn't tell properly, but considering how close the girl was standing to Chouji he figured they were somehow involved.
It was odd, but he didn't particularly want to interrupt their conversation. He couldn't quite explain why, but Lee felt he knew what had happened to Chouji, or at least why Iceheart hadn't touched him.
He probably doesn't think the rest of us survived, considering he was unconscious when Shouri separated us. If he's decided to become a civilian…and to settle down…
I can respect that decision.
Using his shinobi training, Lee crept away from the village, ensuring that Chouji never noticed his presence. They had talked amongst the group about the idea of settling, and after seeing the reality in front of him, Lee didn't want to disrupt it.
There is enough war going on. If he has chosen not to fight…then I should leave him be. Besides, Chouji and I were never particularly close. I'll send a message to Shikamaru; he can decide what to do about his friend.
Lee felt himself smiling as he moved away from the village, following the tracks Iceheart had left for him to follow. He knew it was leading into a trap, but Lee had every intention of springing the trap.
oOoOoOo
With his impressive speed even with his weights on, it took Lee barely an hour before he found his quarry. Five robed figures stood in the middle of a rice field, waiting for him to approach them.
Once he saw them Lee smiled grimly and made his way towards them. This had happened several times in the past, but each time the others had been used to delay him so that Iceheart could get away.
"You aren't going to run away this time?" Lee stood in front of them just out of mid-range attacks, holding up an arm in a defensive position.
It didn't surprise him that none of them responded, but he was curious as to why the metal mask-wearing Iceheart hadn't retreated yet.
She stepped backwards slightly so that her four companions were in front of her. Without any indication or direction from her, the four of them ran forward to attack Lee.
It had been a month since he had last fought against Iceheart, and each time he'd demonstrated a growing ability to take them out.
But with the amount of training Lee had done, he didn't think it would have mattered if they had sent forty warriors at him. He grinned and ran forward, not wanting to let them perform whatever strange technique they also seem to come up with. Each warrior was difficult, and in the knowledge that they were converted shinobi Lee knew almost anything was possible.
The converted shinobi don't absorb chakra that affects only me…I'll only show her taijutsu at the moment. She needs to be drawn into battle.
Two of his opponents moved to his left flank while the others drew short swords and moved to strike at his advancing form. Using a small amount of chakra in his feet, Lee leapt into the air just above the warriors. With immense speed he rapidly kicked the air above him, causing his momentum to shift straight down on top of the weapon-wielding enemies.
"Konoha Inkan!" (Leaf Stamp)
He slammed both his weighted feet into the heads of the sword-wielders, causing them to slam into the ground with loud cries of pain.
The two other warriors hesitated momentarily, but Lee was not finished with them. He sped over to the two of them and swept a leg under their feet. They jumped up from the strike easily, but before they could land Lee had disappeared from their sight.
Appearing behind them and two quick chops to the neck later, it was just Lee and Iceheart left on the battlefield. He stepped away from the bodies, to ensure that they had plenty of room to fight. He had no clue of what her abilities might be, but he wasn't going to underestimate her.
"Any more underlings? Or will you fight a real shinobi?!"
It was difficult to tell through the hooded mask, but Iceheart clearly cocked her head slightly upon hearing his taunt.
"A shinobi that cannot utilise ninjutsu, genjutsu, and struggles with chakra-sensory techniques… You believe yourself a threat to us?"
Lee frowned immediately upon hearing her voice. It was oddly metallic, and nothing like the others he had heard before. The other converted shinobi tended not to speak too much, but as the leader he expected something other than what he had heard.
"You've fled from me at every opportunity. If that doesn't make me a threat, than you shouldn't be targeting us in the first place."
"Enough chatter. Your disruption to the mistress' plan comes to an end here."
Lee placed up a hand and motioned towards himself. "Come then."
Iceheart reached up slowly and removed her hood, flicking her hands slightly before removing her robe altogether. She wore a black skin-tight outfit with red armour plates across it, with black gloves on her hands. Her mask was elaborate and only served to make her appear even more alien than she already did.
There's something…odd…about her body…
Lee shook off the feeling and prepared himself, unsure of how she planned to attack him. She didn't look like the type to be particularly physical, but neither did Neji's cousin and Lee had seen her do some considerable damage at times.
The woman called Iceheart placed both her hands facing the ground stretched outwards, in a motion that appeared like she was commanding him to kneel before her.
She's probably like Shouri…chakra attacks won't work. I need to get close and knock her out.
He went to attack her, but hesitated when he felt a strange presence around him. Focusing his gaze towards her hands, he noticed that the air around them appeared to be moving differently than it should have been.
Tiny drops of moisture emerged from the ground and moved towards her hands, few at first but after a few seconds there was enough to make Lee wonder what she was going to do with water from the ground. He couldn't feel any chakra, so it wasn't a ninjutsu technique, but he'd seen converted shinobi use elements with spiritual energy before so it wasn't so surprising.
In the knowledge that she could use water to her advantage, Lee leapt towards her, unwilling to let her attack him unprompted. She seemed unconcerned by his movements and continued to collect water from the ground, moving her hands closer to her body at the same time.
Lee kicked out from behind to push himself forward and kicked outwards towards her face.
Also lazily she placed up a hand and caught his foot just before it struck, rendering both his momentum and power useless. Lee could feel his chakra slowly being drained by her touch, but he ignored the pain and swung his other leg around to strike at her side.
His foot was blocked by her other hand, but he had expected that. With nothing to block his attacks, Lee struck out with both his hands against her unprotected head.
To his surprise the strikes hit her mask cleanly, causing her head to snap back and forcing her to release his legs from her grip. Lee grinned and jumped back slightly, standing in an offensive stance as he let her stand up again.
"Seems you aren't as strong as you appear." It was cheap, but he figured if he could put her on edge than she might slip up like just then.
Picking herself up from the ground, Iceheart glared at him with her ice-coloured eyes through her mask. It was impossible to read any emotions from her, it was as if she was a part of the environment in how little she conveyed to him. His punches didn't look like they had even bothered her; there wasn't a single mark on her mask at all.
It felt like punching an unbreakable wall. I can't strike at the mask; I need to attack her body.
Iceheart casually motioned towards him, as if trying to flick him away. It was too late when Lee realised that the water she had collected had disappeared from sight. He looked down and cried out in pain as two spikes of water went straight through his legs, penetrating straight through his weights.
All the strength in his legs disappeared as pain shot up his spine, almost knocking him out by those strikes alone.
He was forced to drop to the ground as the strike shredded the muscles in his legs where the water had gone straight through to the other side. As he fell two identical strikes went through his hands, causing him to cry out in pain and fall completely into the ground.
Something like this…how can it…
As he struggled to look up at her, Lee watched her disappear into thin air.
"That's…!"
He cried out in pain again as another spike of water slammed into his back. It felt worse than any injury he had suffered before, and he felt a hand on his back preventing him from using chakra to get himself up.
This isn't over…I can use physical energy to force myself up…
I refuse to let myself die so easily!
"Such is the fate of all shinobi. Death is all you deserve."
Lee struggled to turn his head, but all he could see was one of Iceheart's legs in front of his face. She had surprisingly smooth skin despite her remarkably evil presence. Despite himself, Lee found his eyes tracking up and down her leg until his eyes rested on something horrifying.
"No…not you…"
Before he could say anything else, a spike of water slammed into his neck and Lee's vision turned black.
When Lee's eyes opened again, it was a very different environment to the one he had been expecting. There was no rice field. No clear sky. No hospital room that he was recovering in.
Everything was black, Lee couldn't see anything. He knew he wasn't blind though.
This was something different entirely.
"Where am I?" His voice seemed to echo throughout the darkness.
Lee brought up a hand and remarked at his ability to do so.
Didn't I have holes in my hands and feet? Yet I'm standing up and moving my hands.
He took a step forward and felt an invisible ground beneath him. Shrugging his shoulders, Lee looked around, trying to find a way out of wherever he had been put.
After a few minutes Lee saw a familiar looking building in the distance. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the characters across the sign on the front of the building.
I guess I know what has happened to me then…
He went to open the door to the dojo but paused with his hand on the handle. It wasn't something he normally felt, but Lee couldn't help but feel ashamed at his current predicament.
I don't know if I could face him…I failed in my mission…
Seeing nothing else to do in the area, Lee summoned up his courage and opened the door wide.
The dojo was the same as he remembered it. The floor was covered in wood and the walls paved with weaponry, with various weight-training instruments scattered around the sides.
Lee smiled widely; he had always felt more at home in the dojo than he had at the orphanage he had grown up in.
It was a place where you were judged on your skills, not your circumstance. Here, I always felt like I could defeat Neji if I tried hard enough.
To the side he saw someone that caused his heart to beat twice as fast within his chest.
Practising against a wooden dummy was Gai, looking the picture of health as he slammed strike after strike into the practise dummy.
"Gai-sensei!"
The deceased Jounin stopped his practise and turned around, frowning as he saw his student at the entrance.
Lee ran to embrace his teacher, unable to stop the tears from flowing as he opened up his arms.
Just as he went to hug his father-figure, Gai reached out and punched him straight in the face, sending him spiralling into a nearby wall.
Picking himself up with a groan, Lee stared at his teacher with a despairing look. "What was that for?" He wasn't angry at his teacher; Gai did that many times in the past.
Placing a hand on his hip, Gai deepened his frown and glared at his student.
"Why are you here, Lee?"
Since being killed by Kakuzu, Gai hadn't changed from the image Lee remembered him by. Even though it seemed harsh, Lee knew his teacher meant the best for him.
Staring at the ground as he collected his feet and crossed his legs. "I…I'm sorry Gai-sensei. I…wasn't able to…"
Lee was cut off as Gai ran up and kicked him in the face, once again sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
"You aren't the Lee I trained. Lee wouldn't have given up like you have."
"That…that's not true, Gai-sensei! I didn't give up…it's just…"
Reaching out a hand to help him up, Gai stared down at his student, noticing that he had gotten taller since he had last seen him. "This is not your place, Lee."
"It's not like I was trying to die…it's just…"
"Just what, Lee?"
Placing his hands together on his chest, Lee stared at the ground depressed. "It was Sakura-san. The woman who killed me had Sakura-san's tattoo on her leg. I…I can't fight her, Gai-sensei. I can't do it."
Gai stood back from his student and stared down at him sadly. "Lee…"
"What was I meant to do, Gai-sensei?"
oOoOoOo
Gai laughed as Lee struggled to pick himself up from the ground, rubbing his face sorely. "That is enough for now, Lee. You have improved since we last met."
"Thank you, Gai-sensei!" It never got old for Lee to be praised by his teacher, even when they were dead he looked to the man for guidance.
Throwing his student a bottle of water, Gai sat down to rest opposite him. He would never admit it to his student, because it would defeat the purpose of their relationship, but Lee had pushed him much further than he could have expected. Neither of them had opened the Inner Gates, but Lee's physical strength and speed were on par with Gai's when he opened the Fourth Gate, which was a frighteningly quick surge in strength.
"I've been thinking about what you said, Gai-sensei."
"Oh? And what did you think of it?"
Lee blushed slightly, he'd never spoken to Gai about Sakura before, and it felt strange particularly considering their current situation.
"I think on some level I knew it was her before we fought…but I couldn't fight her properly. I can't explain it properly, Gai-sensei."
Gai grinned and gave his student a dramatic 'Nice Guy' pose. "You are burning with youthful love, Lee!"
"EH?! Love? With Sakura-san? But…that's…"
Gai let out another laugh and put down his water bottle. "How nice to have my student in love. So what are you going to do about this budding love?"
Lee stared at his teacher with surprise. "What will I…do? Gai-sensei…I'm dead. There's nothing I can do."
"Eh? What kind of attitude is that? With hard-work you can do anything! Even defeat death itself!"
Even with a 'Nice Guy' pose, Lee found it hard to believe his teacher. They had created a legacy of ridiculous claims, but even so it was difficult to imagine something like that.
"Gai-sensei…even if I could go back…I don't know what to do. If Sakura-san has…then what…"
The deceased Jounin reached out and clocked Lee in the face again, standing up as he did so.
"If you cannot protect the one's you love, then you are not qualified to be a man."
"Gai-sensei…"
Lee picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. Standing up as he could, Lee finally realised what he had been trying to think of before. He gave Gai his best imitation of the 'Nice Guy' pose with a wide smile.
"Thank you, Gai-sensei! I think I understand now."
He didn't have a plan, but Lee felt like he knew what he had to do.
He looked around at the dojo, noticing that it was slowly disappearing back into the black darkness he had first encountered. Turning to his teacher, Lee wasn't able to hide his sadness.
"Gai-sensei…I think I'm…"
The taijutsu Jounin grinned and nodded slightly at his student.
"There is no need for words between youthful men, Lee. Just go."
As the dojo came apart, Gai began to fade into the background as well, even in his 'Nice Guy' pose. Lee couldn't help the tears coming down his face as his teacher disappeared. Lee had no clue what to expect on the other side, but after seeing Gai-sensei's smile again he was confident he could do his best.
"I'll always be proud of you, Lee. You were the son I never got to have."
Even before opening his eyes, Lee knew he was alive.
He could feel the agony all throughout his body.
Crying out in pain he struggled to open his eyes and look around his surroundings, feeling that the wounds in his body had been healed even though he could still feel the pain with such a dramatic healing process.
"How did…"
The first thing he noticed was that it was night, the sky was surprisingly clear for such a cold feeling night. With considerable effort Lee rolled over and breathed rapidly with the exertion.
Was it just a dream?
Shaking his head to try and bring himself back to reality, Lee made the considerable effort of sitting up to find himself sitting opposite a figure in a pale robe standing in front of him.
He could tell it was a woman by its figure, but a long hood hid her face from his view, and the darkness seemed to hide any other features he could have used to identify her, though he did note a particularly cruel-looking serrated scythe-like blade on her back.
"Are…are you Death?"
The woman said nothing, standing frozen with her arms crossed in front of her.
Lee flexed his hands, making sure that he could actually use them before checking his feet as well. It still felt the same as the last time he had opened the Third Gate, but to his surprise he was able to stand up, albeit slowly.
"Were you the one that healed me? Why?"
The woman took a slow step towards him. He still couldn't see her face, but Lee suddenly felt an immense sense of foreboding from her. He wanted to step back, to flee, but his body refused to listen to him.
The pale-robed woman reached out with a single hand, showing him a hand covered in flesh that was barely hanging on the bone. A single finger touched his forehead, and Lee knew that he was inches away from death.
He could not explain it, but the aura the woman projected was more horrifying than anything he had ever experienced. By touching him, he felt like all the light in his life had been snuffed out, and there was nothing he could do but resign himself to oblivion.
Kill me! Just get it over with!
Lee knew it wasn't like him, but he couldn't help but despair in front of her. It was like he was being compelled to throw himself off a cliff.
Luckily for Lee, the moment the woman withdrew her hand and stepped backwards the feeling disappeared, though Lee would always remember that feeling of helplessness.
He cocked his head slightly and stared at the odd woman curiously. "I…don't understand…but thank you. I know what I have to do now."
The hooded woman nodded slightly, just enough to convey her message. A large crack appeared in the air beside her, and as Lee's eyes widened as he recognised her method of exit she was gone.
That woman…was she…
He looked down at his bandaged hands, feeling the agony ebb away to a dull ache. He flexed his hands a few times before breathing out slowly and coming to a decision.
If that is what Sakura-san is going through…then I have to stop her. As her friend…as a man who loves her.
I will not let her suffer anymore.
***Seven Months after Separation***
Shouldering the pack over his shoulder, Lee looked over the valley he had been using for the past month. He felt back for all the damage he had done to the environment, but he'd made sure that he hadn't injured any animals during his intense training.
Lee had always trained obsessively, but with a new goal in mind he had felt renewed energy in discovering new techniques and improving himself beyond what he was originally capable of.
I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I wish Gai-sensei could have seen what I've achieved. He would have been so proud.
Making sure that Gai's flak jacket was secure around his chest; Lee turned around and began to walk to the nearest village.
oOoOoOo
"I'm totally serious. The Mist has been all manner of messed up for ages now."
"That's ridiculous. They are one of the most powerful villages still around."
"Yeah, but haven't you heard about all those shinobi going missing? Apparently that's happening there now as well."
Lee didn't visually react to the conversation, he didn't want to give the two drunken men the impression that he was eavesdropping. One of them was a nobody civilian, but the other was a man close to the Daimyo of the land, who Lee had been following for a few days.
The Hidden Mist, huh? If they are the next target…
Lee continued to act like he was interested in the meal in front of him, but after a few minutes it became clear that the man didn't know anything on the subject. He sighed and continued to eat.
It couldn't hurt to have a look. If I know Sakura-san as she currently is, she'll have left bodies in her wake. I hope she is still in there somewhere. If not…
oOoOoOo
Lee approached the wrecked village cautiously, aware that he had no means of checking whether there were enemies within or not. It didn't look like the destruction had been that recent, but Lee knew his foes to be thorough if nothing else.
After a few minutes it became clear he had nothing to fear from the village, so Lee began checking the villages from survivors. Just as the ones he had come through before his 'death', the only people still residing where the elderly and the children, none of whom had any association with the shinobi that had resided in and failed to protect the village.
An elderly woman offered him a cup of tea when he made it clear he wasn't going to hurt her. He accepted it graciously and watched as the old woman went about setting it up calmly, even amidst the ruins of her home.
"It's so nice to see a young man these days. Everyone left since those people came."
Lee sipped his tea, it was mostly water but he was grateful for the thought. "How long ago was that? I'm tracking the group that has been attacking the villages in this area."
"Oh? Why would you want to do that? They were most rude. Particularly that woman. You should have seen what she did to the young lad down the street. Very rude."
Sakura-san! So she was here.
"This woman…did she have an elaborate mask on? With a gravelly voice?"
The old woman sat down beside him with a struggle and stared at him through her small eyes. She seemed to be struggling to remember, but after a minute she nodded slowly and sipped her tea.
"She didn't want any tea. I don't like rude people."
Lee frowned slightly and stared at the woman when he knew she wasn't looking.
She's snapped. Seeing what Sakura-san and the other Quiraji did has probably proven too much for her to handle. Or she was always like this, it's hard to tell.
"I don't want to impose, but I need to find this woman. Do you know where she went?"
"Hmm? Oh there was a nice man the other talking about some shinobi…but I would think that the Mist village would take care of people like that. They were always so nice to me…but that rude woman doesn't know what she's in for with them. Did you know my young daughter was once a shinobi? She was living with me just the other day. She's due any minute, I think."
Lee nodded slowly and tried to decipher the information he was getting from the old woman. He was certain of a few things, and entirely confused on many other things. But he was willing to indulge the elderly lady, it was the least he could do after what she's been through. After all, he knew her daughter wouldn't be returning to her, and he suspected that she knew that too.
All this death and misery…it's so pointless. What could be worth this?
Lee knew where he had to go next, once the old woman had been indulged enough. The Hidden Mist would have more information, and if nothing else he could warn them about what they might already be facing.
Unlike Konoha, the Hidden Village of Mist was surprisingly difficult to find. Only by following a large cloud of mist in the area was he able to find the shinobi village.
He wasn't wearing his Konoha forehead, but the two guards at the entrance to the village immediately recognised him as a shinobi.
The Hidden Mist was a large selection of buildings beside a massive lake, all shrouded by a deep mist that served to give it an ominous presence. Lee was impressed; it took him some time to see all the guards that had slowly surrounded him.
He placed his hands up to show that he meant no harm, waiting for two Kirigakure shinobi to approach him.
"I'm not here to spy. I need to talk to the Mizukage."
One of the guards scoffed and pointed a kunai at Lee. "And why would we let you do that? You are the worst infiltrator we have ever seen."
"We should just kill him and dump him in the lake."
Lee frowned and placed his hands down. He had been expecting that kind of reception, but he had no interest in fighting them. "I need to talk to the Mizukage. It's about the people who are destroying your villages."
The two guards paused and stared at each other for a few seconds. They communicated silently with each other in an elaborate set of hand signals that Lee didn't recognise. After nearly a minute they turned to him and put down their weapons.
"Come with us. We'll have to cuff you. Do you understand?"
Lee placed out his hands to let them approach him.
oOoOoOo
Behind her desk, the Mizukage placed her hands together and stared at the cuffed shinobi in front of her. "This is a lot to process. We have been losing people for months now, but to believe it is some continent-wide organisation bent on the destruction of all shinobi seems foolish to me."
"It's the truth" Lee stated bluntly. He didn't have time to placate the female leader, but he knew he might need her resources if he was to find Sakura.
"And why should we believe you? For all we know you are one of them, since you said they use converted shinobi."
Lee shook his head and stood up slowly from his kneeling position. The guards in the room were instantly on edge, but he made no aggressive motions towards her. With his cuffed hands he reached up and pulled down the top part of his jumpsuit, revealing the Konoha tattoo on his shoulder blade.
"They destroyed my home. They killed my friends and have my precious person captive. I came to warn you as a courtesy."
The Mizukage leaned forward slightly, her green eye staring at him intently. Lee didn't move an inch under her gaze, determined to see this through the end.
After nearly a minute of silence her constant smile widened and she nodded slightly to the ANBU guards around them. She stood up from her desk and walked around to stand in front of him.
"You have made your case well, young man. If they come to Kirigakure, they will find we are not so easy prey."
"I'm glad. There has been enough death."
She nodded slowly, "Yes, indeed. But you must know we cannot let you leave this place. Unlike Konoha, Kirigakure does not suffer outsiders in its halls lightly."
Lee grinned and stared straight back at the imposing woman. "With respect, you cannot keep me here."
"I think you'll find we are within our rights to do so. You know too much for us to let you go."
"That's not what I meant." Lee pulled up his cuffs, and with a tiny burst of physical energy he simply pulled apart his hands and the cuffs fell to the floor. "We all have our strengths, Lady Mizukage. I'm not done quite yet. I still have someone I need to save."
Unsurprisingly there were a dozen swords at his throat immediately, though the Mizukage simply looked amused. She leaned back on her desk and crossed her arms.
"And what would you do in this situation? Even as we are grateful to you, you are hardly able to make any demands on us."
Lee flicked his wrists slightly and all the swords at his neck fell to the ground as the ANBU holding them grimaced and held their hands sorely. Lee nodded respectfully to the Mizukage, and before they could do anything to stop him he leapt out of a nearby window.
The ANBU shinobi immediately went to pursue him, but the Mizukage simply shook her head and walked slowly to the broken window, watching as Lee rapidly escaped the village without any Mist shinobi able to catch his immense speed.
"Such a fascinating young man. So determined and focused…"
Lee watched as the group of robed figures moved across the mist-covered countryside. He had practically stumbled upon the Quiraji group, and even though he couldn't see Sakura among them he knew that they would eventually lead him to her. He didn't know much about the structure of the Quiraji, but he knew that Sakura was in charge of a large portion of their forces.
If she is nearby, then I should prepare myself.
He pursued the group silently, watching as they moved over a ridge and into a valley. As he moved over the ridge to follow them, his eyes widened at what he saw.
Within the valley were over a hundred robed soldiers, kneeling in respect as a single figure spoke to them.
Standing at the front of the army, was Sakura. She still wore the mask that identified her as Iceheart, but to Lee's amazement he saw the red-haired Sensou by her side.
An army to attack Kirigakure. Only a hundred or so warriors, to destroy such a powerful village. They are either arrogant, or have a plan.
Ensuring that he wasn't seen, Lee reached into his pack and checked his equipment. He wasn't arrogant either, but he knew he couldn't let the army attack the shinobi village. If there were to defeat the Quiraji eventually, they would need all the help they could get.
In the distance, Sensou whispered to Sakura for a few seconds before disappearing into a crack in the air. Lee didn't wish to fight such a powerful figure while at the same time protecting Sakura, so he was grateful that she had left. He couldn't hear what was being said, but Sakura continued to address her soldiers, giving them orders and instructions.
Reaching down to his leg warmers, Lee removed the weights from his legs and placed them on the ground. He'd been meaning to replace them with heavier weights, but never had the time to do so.
Placing a dozen kunai in his hands, Lee worked out the best places to attack. Once he knew what to do, Lee disappeared without a sound.
Moving fast enough to break the sound barrier, Lee placed his kunai strategically between the robed warriors, kicking off against the air to keep his momentum going without them noticing he was moving within their midst.
Less than five seconds after jumping from his location, Lee landed back where he started, smiling as he put his weights back on. They didn't seem to have noticed his movements, but Lee wasn't going to risk them finding the kunai covered in tags scattered among them.
Placing up a hand, Lee activated the handseal and set off the dozen tags he had placed in their army.
The explosions were devastating, taking out nearly every robed warrior in the army instantly. He'd made sure that Sakura wasn't in range of the blasts, but everyone else was an easy target for his attack.
Waiting until the smoke cleared, Lee moved down into the valley to ensure that he had taken out every one of them. He quickly discovered that his attack had been more devastating than he had initially expected, there weren't that many bits remaining of the army on the burnt out ground for him to identify.
As the last bit of the smoke cleared, Lee found that the only person standing against him was the woman he had spent so long following.
"You are a larger threat than the mistress estimated."
Lee glanced over her, noticing several identifying marks that he hadn't seen before.
"Sakura-san…I hope you are still in there. I know it must be really scary, but I'm going to save you."
He grinned and gave her his best 'Nice Guy' pose. "It's a promise of the lifetime!"
She seemed confused by his pose, and for a split second he thought she was hesitating, but it quickly became apparent that she was only stalling for time as water began to gather around her.
The explosion sounds will probably have drawn Kirigakure's attention. I need to save her quickly, because they probably won't distinguish between friend and foe.
"Sakura-san, I want you to know…that I forgive you. I know it isn't you."
"Enough chatter. Are you going to fight or not?"
Lee placed up a hand and stood defensively. "You're right. There is no more need for words."
Two globes of water around her shoulders formed into long spikes, and without a single motion from her they sped towards him, aimed directly at his face.
Lee moved his head back and forth, easily dodging the projectiles. It was embarrassing to him that such an attack had defeated him before; the speed was nothing he couldn't handle although he knew there destructive power was immense.
"My turn"
Lee leapt towards her, pushing off the ground with a quick set of kicks. He motioned to punch her directly in the mask, but when she moved to block her face he swung around and collected her in the side with his leg.
Sakura was sent flying away, though Lee noticed she had softened the blow with a shield of hardened water. He stood rigidly and watched as she picked herself up from the ground.
"How pitiful. Sakura-san, I know you are a better fighter than this."
Sakura glared at him and threw off her robe, clenching her fists in an aggressive motion. He wasn't sure what her plans were, but he wasn't going to underestimate her any longer.
He leapt to the side, watching as the two spikes that had attacked him before barely missed shredding his neck from behind. Lee watched as she collected the spikes around herself and faced off against him.
She can manipulate the water once she gathers it around herself. I can't let my eyes off her attacks.
With a respecting nod, Lee pushed forward towards her, dodging and weaving as her projectiles began flying against him. Once he knew how she could attack, Lee had no trouble reaching her. Once in close-range he began to unleash a hail of rapid firing punches at her front.
She was able to block the majority of his extremely fast strikes, but Lee was able to penetrate her defences easier than he had expected. Her body was as hard as nails, but by the groans underneath her mask he could tell he was doing some damage. He batted away her arms and with a roar kicked her straight in the stomach, sending her flying backwards with a groan.
Lee grinned and put up his hand again. It felt strange fighting Sakura seriously like this, but Lee couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Even before she was converted, Sakura was a better fighter than this.
"I know you have more than this, Sakura-san. I don't want to hurt you, but this is just sad."
She picked herself up from the ground and shook her masked head. "Enough games."
Tapping a foot on the ground, Sakura clenched her fists again before disappearing.
Lee smiled as he turned around quickly, placing up a hand to catch the fist coming at his head. He stared straight into her masked head, reaching out to grab her other wrist and holding her tight so that she couldn't escape.
"I taught you that technique, Sakura-san. It won't work on me. I'm faster than you are."
She struggled to break free of his grip, but Lee held her as tightly as he could. He could feel his chakra fading away at the touch, but luckily he didn't need it to fight effectively anymore. Almost all his taijutsu utilised physical energy, which she wasn't able to absorb from him.
Taking a deep breath, Lee pulled back a foot and kicked straight into the base of her mask, sending her flying into the air as he let go of her hands. He grimaced and clutched at his foot. He knew how tough the mask was, but it still hurt like hell.
Falling dozens of feet away from him, Sakura landed easily on the ground and acted as if she had done it on purpose.
However a small crack just beneath where her mouth would be told Lee that the opposite was true.
I can't just beat her until she dies. There must be some way to reverse the conversion process…
He went to attack her again, but hesitated when he saw her gather a massive amount of water around her. It appeared to cover her like a suit of armour, and was segmented like armour plates as her fists tripled in size as water.
"That's…new. I guess that means my physical attacks won't work anymore." Lee didn't mean to voice that last part, but if the water was covering her entirely than he would struggle to penetrate through it. As hard as her body had become to damage, the water shield dispersed whatever strength he put into his blows.
She knows my strengths and weaknesses. If there was any proof that Sakura-san is in there, it would be that. That's probably how she knew to go after Asuma and Kurenai-sensei…
Cracking his knuckles, Lee prepared to defend himself while he worked out a plan of attack. He knew that he outclassed her in speed, but if he couldn't attack her then there was no way for him to save her.
From the short distance away, Sakura swung a water-armoured fist at him. At that distance Lee knew she couldn't reach him traditionally, but as a precaution he moved out of the way anyway.
It was lucky that he did so, as a massive projectile clone of her fist slammed straight through the space he had just occupied. In a few seconds her fist was back to normal, and Lee knew he was in a world of hurt.
She swept an arm across her front, sending a crashing wave of water straight at him. Lee was able to jump up in time, but even as he cleared the water Sakura had already gestured again and sent dozen of spikes towards him.
Flying in the air, Lee swore under his breath and placed his hands across his chest.
"Dai ichimonko Kaimon…KAI!" (Gate of Opening Release)
The veins on his arms and forehead started to pop out slightly as the technique came into effect. He knew it was risky using a chakra-based attack, but he had no choice as the projectiles came screaming towards him. Using his feet to kick himself slightly away, he rapidly punched the air between him and the spikes, making sure that he didn't actually touch any of the deadly weapons.
The force created through the air by his punches was enough to divert their angle of entry, causing them to just barely miss him. He looked down to see that he was about to land on a massive collection of water, but he also saw that the water-armour around Sakura had diminished significantly.
So she can only control a finite amount of water. Maybe that's a downside to not using chakra, she can't actually create the water, only manipulate it.
Kicking off in the air, using his temporarily increased muscle strength was enough to send him straight towards her position. His feet barely touched the water underneath before he leapt straight at her exposed front.
"Konoha Senpuu!"
His foot swung at her face, but before it connected her shield was back up again, absorbing all the strength in the kick before he kicked himself away back onto solid ground.
Lee frowned as he landed, staring down at his hands with fascination. It was only brief, but the contact with her water armour was enough for her to absorb all the additional chakra that opening the First Gate had generated.
I thought it required physical touch with her…if I need to avoid the water as well.
I don't know how to fight her.
Collecting her water around her completely, Sakura tended to face him again and prepared to attack him again. Lee went to jump away again but grimaced in pain as the effect of opening the gate took its toll on his body. He'd gotten better at mitigating the pain, but it still slowed him down.
He couldn't help but grin slightly at the pain, it reminded him of the first time he had learnt the Lotus.
Gai-sensei had to drag me to the hospital because of the damage to my muscles. He was bawling, he thought he had killed me.
Wait…Gai-sensei…that might be it!
He grinned as the idea came to him, the memory of his beloved teacher enough to allow him to recover completely. Dodging out of the way of several water projectiles, Lee moved backwards as far as he could muster, trying to find a way to get out of range of her attacks.
Sakura didn't seem interested in moving closer towards him, confirming Lee's idea that she was grounded in that position while using that water technique.
He landed close to the ridge he had arrived on and crossed his arms across his chest.
Sakura-san…if we survive this…I hope you can forgive me…as I have forgiven you.
"Kaimon…KAI!" (Gate of Opening)
The veins in his forehead began to pop out slightly as the limiters in his brain broke free again.
"Kyuumon…KAI!" (Gate of Healing)
His fatigue vanished as his body forcibly healed itself.
"Seimon…KAI!" (Gate of Life)
Lee's skin turned from its beaten colour to a deep red, as he could feel his blood racing under his skin.
"Shoumon…KAI!" (Gate of Pain)
A ripple of pain shot up Lee's spine, but he ignored it as he moved to the next level.
"Tomon…KAI!" (Gate of Limit)
It was an unimaginable feeling, the amount of power flowing through him, but he wasn't done.
"Keimon…KAI!" (Gate of View)
The air and ground around him seemed to split apart as enormous chakra exploded out of him.
Not yet…not yet…
"Argh…Dai nanamon…Kyoumon…KAI!" (Gate of Insanity)
Lee cried out in pain as a green aura slowly surrounded him. He'd only heard about his teacher reaching this level, and he didn't think he would have been able to do it if it wasn't for Sakura in front of him.
It was hard to tell because of her mask, but the sheer amount of power flowing out of Lee's body was enough to make the water around Sakura ripple and come apart.
"Sakura-san…I do this for you."
Lee leapt high into the air and placed his hands together. Facing one palm forward, Lee tapping it with a closed fist, straight at Sakura before forming the unique seal as the punch screamed towards her.
"HIRUDORA!" (Daytime Tiger)
The punch formed into a white tiger-like spectre and slammed into her. Lee fell to the ground as his punch ripped apart her water shield like it wasn't even there. He was surprised that she hadn't moved to avoid his blow, but considering the look of it she probably thought it was a chakra attack and could absorb it.
He closed his eyes as he landed on the ground, the green aura emanating from his sweat still surrounding him. He didn't want to see the damage he might have done to her, but Lee knew the battle was over, one way or the other.
After a few seconds he opened his eyes to see that she was lying face down on the ground in a large puddle of water. Lee couldn't see her moving an inch, causing him to instantly appear in front of her, his body still under the influence of an explosive amount of chakra.
He reached down and as gently as he could he turned her over so that he could make sure she was still alive. She still wore her mask, but it was covered in cracks and seemed to be falling apart at the seams.
With his hands firmly on the edges, using his massive amounts of strength he ripped the mask straight off her face.
Tears flowed freely from his face as he saw Sakura's face for the first time in over seven months. Despite wearing that mask for so long, she looked unchanged facially. Her green eyes stared at him with the same level of affection he showed her, though she couldn't move a muscle to respond to him.
He smiled and dissipated his green aura of sweat, cancelling out his opening of the Inner Gates. Lee figured he had a few minutes before the side effects kicked in, just enough for him to make sure she was okay.
Reaching down to place his hand through her pink hair, Lee smiled again and felt her soft skin.
"Thank god…you are okay…"
Sakura's eyes welled up as she stared at Lee's face, still unable to move an inch in response. "I'm really sorry Lee…I couldn't stop myself."
"It's okay, Sakura-san. I don't blame you."
"I couldn't resist her. I'm really sorry Lee…I…oh god…Asuma…Kurenai…Shino…Lee I killed them. I…oh god!"
Shino is dead? Damnit, this goes further than I thought.
Lee grinned and rubbed a thumb across her cheek. "Will you be able to get up? I don't think this place will be safe for much longer."
Her lips quivered slightly as her tears continued to fall down her face. "I don't deserve to live anymore Lee. Not after what I've done. Just let me die, Lee…"
"Not a chance." He bent down and kissed her on the lips, as gently as he could without hurting her before standing up and turning his back, using the last bit of his strength to stand with crossed arms and a determined look on his face.
"We will survive, Sakura-san. I didn't come all this way, fight that hard for you to give up on me."
"But I…"
"But nothing. It is what is it. There is nothing else to it."
"I don't want to fight anymore, Lee. I don't want to do anymore harm to anyone else…"
Lee wanted to respond, but he had already fallen unconscious in his standing guard over her immobile body.
Unable to move at all, Sakura could only stare at his back, wondering what she had done to deserve such a saviour.
"Lee…I…I'll try. I promise I'll try."
Author's Note:
Not gonna lie, that ending was going down a very dark path until I agonised over it and finally decided to make it the way it is.
I found the relationship between Gai and Lee very touching in the anime, and wanted to find an excuse to put more into my story.
And that's right; Lee can totally use Geppou from One Piece. I figured with his speed and strength, if there was ever something he could do it would be that. But not flying, just momentum changes.
Next up is Sasuke's story. There is a character in his arc that I made for another story that I want to see how they work.
I've been thinking of writing another fanfiction surrounding Naruto. One that is more…I suppose comedy-based. Not ridiculous, but less serious than this one. I'm not going to be taking any time out of this one, but I keep thinking about the idea and it's difficult not to want to write it. Something may pop up in a little while, if I have the time. It'll be therapeutic. Besides, after destroying Konoha it might be nice to have a story with it still around.
Please review and tell me what you think. I try to reply to each review, and believe me I read them all. Tell me what can be improved, what you liked, what you didn't, everything. I'm a writer so I'm always open to criticism.