Author's Note
I swear, few things anger me more than when a document loader will not allow me to tab. grrrrrr If the indentions look off, that's why. Also, if there are minor typo's, it's because this was written with Notepad, and I do the best I can without spellcheck. Sorry everybody. R&R
Chapter Two:
Lee was in a daze. Gai-sensei MURDERED!? For a moment, Lee entertained the notion that the Hokage was merely using that angle to get him to agree to the assignment...
'But you told her that if she said you must, you would...' Lee ran it all through his mind. 'She could've simply ordered you to do it, and you would've! Gai-sensei...It should've been me, not you. Because you taught me, you devieated from your normal training routine...If not for me, you'd still draw breath...'
"That's not true." Came a young, sharp voice from behind. Lee turned to meet Sasuke's gaze.
"What's not true!?" Lee replied, feigning ignorance.
"I can get a pretty good idea what you're thinking from something as simple as your body language." Sasuke informed cooly. "There isn't much my eyes don't see..."
"The Sharangin..." Lee muttered. "Lucky you..."
"..." Sasuke took a seat down next to Lee. "...I know that as a Chunnin, and the fact I abandoned t his village once before, means that my word means little or nothing, but...You were the first person to beat me as bad as you did. All the other opponents I've foughten until now were at least a close match up, but not you. You beat me utterly... Until I ran into HIM..."
"..." Lee didn't know what to say, this was very unlike Sasuke...
"If not for knowing you, Lee-san, I wouldn't be half the ninja I am now." Sasuke stood up, and began to slowly trot off. "But the most important thing I stole from you Lee, was not Taijutsu." Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "It was... the ability to... never quit. I guess what I'm saying is that I'll get stronger as long as there are powerful ninja in the world, but you,... You Lee-san, are a self made ninja. That's a true genius."
And Sasuke, more remote now than ever before, vanished off into Leaf's forests. Lee had too many thoughts bouncing around in his head, and decided to go sleep this thing off, and deal with it on an even plane and clear mind.
On his way to his quarters, Lee bumped into a fellow Jounin, Haruno Sakura. Literally BUMPED into her, knocking her flat on her back.
"Sakura-sama!" Lee gasped, mortified that he'd knocked down his one true love.
Lately, any looks that Sakura shot his way were hateful and that of despise, but the only emotion reflected in her eyes now was, concern. "Lee-san, I... heard about your meeting with the Hokage..."
However, that was all that lay in her eyes, concern. No love or compassion. "I'm sorry I bumped into you Sakura, but I'm very tired and you'll have to forgive me for not talking longer."
Those concerning eyes filled his view. "Did you accept!? Will you do it!?"
Lee walked around, being very gentle. "I'll watch were I go, from now on, I apologize Haruno Sakura..." He trotted off, head down, ignoring Sakura's trailing words.
Something just wasn't right, there was something he should be noticing but just wasn't. Something tickling the back of his brain, just out of grasp. He shook is head.
'I can't think with such fatigue...' Lee thought drowsily. 'I need to sleep, then I'll face this with a clear view.'
Standing outside of the door to his barracks, was another Jounin, Nara Shikamaru. He was leaning casually against the wall, an annoyed look drawn upon his face. Shikamaru was known for avoiding people, so perhaps he'd let Lee go by without any...
"Lee-san..." Shikamaru said, his brow knitting together. "...may I have a word with you, please?"
Lee eyelids were heavy, and he didn't want to really have to deal with ANYONE right now, his mind was just too fatigued. "Excuse me, Shikamaru-san, but I'm too exhausted to talk right now..."
Lee tried to step, but found that his body was frozen, and he had no control over it. He looked down and saw that Shikamaru's shadow was connected to his feet.
"You listen to me whether you'd like to or not." Shikamaru said, his voice ringing with the tone of command. "...Lee, I've come straight from the Hokage with a small, yet essential revision of your mission parameters." Shikamaru informed. "You actual mission has changed,... Now it is a direct assassination on the Mizukage."
Suddenly, it hit Lee, out of the blue. "You...You knew, didn't you?" Lee gasped, his body still held in place with the Nara Clan's patented Shadow Bind technique. "You all knew. All of Konoha. Everyone, except me, knew that Hidden Mist assassinated Gai-sensei! Why!? Why didn't anyone tell me!"
'Why do I have to be the one to convey such a message? It is too troublesome...' Shikamaru sighed. "Think back to when Tsunade first told you to commit genocide. When she told you to murder innocent women and children. When you where ordered to crush young men's hopes and dreams, just like yours... Weren't you appalled? Weren't you disgusted? Think about how you felt right at that moment... Now, if you'd found out on your own what happened, and enraged, you went to seek revenge on your own, this is what you would have done. Then, in response, the Hokage would have to declare you a rebel nin, and you would live out the rest of your days in persucution. Ninja rule #14; No matter what, a ninja must control their emotions."
Lee staggered forward, released of the Shadow Bind technique. His eyes, full of tears, turned up toward Shikamaru, before he marched off to his room. Shikamaru released a heart felt sigh. Tsunade emerged from the shadows of the building.
"Good work, Shikamaru." Tsunade congratulated.
Shikamaru glared up at her. "...I can't wait until Naruto becomes Hokage."
Then he marched of. Tsunade watched him go, depressed. 'Neither can I, Shikamaru, neither can I..."