A/N- This was so fun. Thanks for reading. May be a new upload soon
Naruto POV
"Truthfully, the disdain you feel for me is understandable—so I won't hold it against you. I've lied to you, used you—killed people you consider your friends. I get it, I'm the biggest piece of shit you've ever met. However, this situation isn't about me. It's about Hinata."
If he was being entirely honest with himself, he might've gone a little overboard recruiting Lee forcibly. He had gone about it the wrong way. Which had been exactly what Hinata was trying to tell him, but he couldn't see past the blood rage the moment he laid eyes on Lee.
The betrayal had his blood simmering.
Of all the people he had met in this town he had grown fond of Lee. Sure, the guy was a total dufus and somewhat of a know it all but being knowledgeable kept him essential. No one would ever get sick of tapping into someone with constant information. That's the thing he valued in Lee from the start. He was observant and for the most part generous.
"Have you ever considered that, maybe you're not good for Hinata?"
Of course he considered that but he was much too selfish to really let that get to him.
Naruto had taken Lee to a desolate area where a dirty fountain stood. Awhile back he had taken the liberty of scoping this area out quite a few times after he had met Hinata, it was all he could do when she hadn't turned up for school for a couple of days. He was hoping to abduct her when she left her home but neither she nor her uncle seemed to make an appearance outside of the house.
It struck him as odd but of all people on this planet, he decided he didn't feel eligible determining what was odd. He hardly understood the definition of normal.
Lee pressed on the dusty pedal of the fountain and water sprung forward with a slight hiss. The lanky boy pulled his shirt over head—seething through the pain and Naruto paced, shrugging a single shoulder.
"Never said I was but at least I'm trying to help."
Lee balls up his bloodied shirt and begins dunking it beneath the tap—sniffling.
"And why's that?" Lee asks, an undertone of judgement striking a chord within Naruto. Lee seemed quite bold—and shameless, considering he just pissed his pants a moment ago, but Naruto decided he'd humor himself. Ah, what the hell.
The blonde laughs bitterly, his grip hardening around the cold crowbar.
"I have my fuckin' reasons. Just like you had yours when you allowed her to go through that…"
Naruto froze, peering at the fag as he winced, wringing the water from his shirt. The clearing was dark, though a single light loomed in the distance. It was enough to distinguish his features and see the hardness that dented Lee's jaw.
Naruto felt the deafening beats in his chest decelerate to a crawl after a few seconds of standing still and taking several measured breaths. He sighs.
Shit.
"You think I don't feel awful about that?" Lee croaked as though he were afraid to speak any louder, "I think about it ALL THE TIME…every day. There were times where I wanted to go to the police station and spill my guts about everything but none of that would have changed what happened to Hinata. Sure, the truth would be revealed but by then—she was already broken, and my life was on the line. Sakura's father and—FUCKING SASUKE. The moment I said a word to anyone, I'd be dead—like that." He enunciates, snapping his fingers.
Lee's teeth clattered and he heaved in a breath after blurting out that mouthful. "It was heavy, so fucking heavy! Everywhere I turned I felt suffocated!" Lee shouts in anguish. "Like they'd just kill me—even if I never uttered a word. It felt like I was in hell, everyday and what made things worse is befriending Hinata—knowing her, seeing how people treated her and she deserved none of it. She was the purest person I've ever met…even after everything—she'd still smile at me in the halls or bring my homework when I missed a day of class."
Lee laments, his eyes glinting with tears as he uses his shirt to wipe away the blood on his face. "I thought being her friend would help me atone for what I had done—or hadn't done but the moment I got close, Mayor Haruno or Sasuke would scare me off. Sometimes with a house visit—nothing outright threatening but it was enough to get their point across. So, I made sure I'd keep my distance. Which, I could tell—made her think something was wrong with her."
Naruto's face felt cold and hot all at once. His heart was in a frenzy as he listened and the strain of the steel bar in his hand felt like it would break in his clasp. His body quivered with unmitigated anger that constricted his chest, and he couldn't help but to think about how that must've made Hinata feel.
After everything.
It felt irrational to want to beat Lee's head in. Afterall the guy was a victim of circumstance. Lee doesn't come from the same side of the tracks as he did, the kid couldn't possibly know how to protect Hinata—let alone defend himself. Everyone was simply more powerful—and they had more to lose. Sasuke was a drug lord with an army of goons to command and Sakura's father was a traitorous figurehead and a dirty pedophilic fuck.
Lee was facing some pretty shitty ass odds from the very start. Whether he came out to defend Hinata or not, the outcome wouldn't have changed.
He could acknowledge being dealt the unfair hand. It would seem he had also been born into a world that never gave him a fair chance.
What a disadvantage it seems to be…being born.
"It wasn't your damn fault, they were simply…out of your league. Which I'm sure they were banking on."
The words managed to sound genuine and unpracticed. He could tell that he meant them because he didn't even feel his muscles tense—a telltale sign of when he lied. He's been chameleon for so long it was difficult to release authentic thoughts—difficult to sympathize with anyone. Lying just seemed simpler.
Lee seemed taken aback by that, he slowly slid his drenched garment from his left eye and stared at Naruto—undisguised bewilderment alight in his eyes.
Naruto could see the red threads of vessels that had burst in his eyes, the glimmer of tears trapped in his eyes and Lee simply gave him a nod.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Ever."
An agreeable silence commenced as Lee continued attempting to clean himself up. When he began shimmying out of his pissy pants, Naruto immediately turned his back to him, fishing his phone from his pocket irritably.
"Oh, c'mon man." He complained, frowning.
"Sorry." Lee offered timidly.
He doesn't know what he expected to find since the only other person who knew his burner-phones number was Hinata. He's long since ditched his original phone in the fire, figuring it'd be best if he wasn't running around with a tracker.
The moment he prodded the dim light to life, his phone buzzed, and a message dropped down.
Hinata
-eyes emoji- o.o
Me
We're almost done here. Haru?
Hinata
Nope.
Me
Hina
Hinata
u wish Mr. hornypants : p
Me
Ah, must be the illusive Hotto I've been hearing so much about…
Hinata
Illusive, I like it—I'll take it. Flattery will get u everywhere, especially into me. ;}
Me
I can tell you're going to be a problem…
"Uh…Naruto…" Lee's nervous voice shrills. Naruto simply ignores him, padding in another message.
Me
Look, I need you…to be a good girl for me and not do anything.
Hinata
Would love 2 but then again, I just don't wanna.
Me
Cute 10 out of 10. I think you should reconsider tho. :) I'm asking nicely.
Hinata
U wouldn't dream of hurting me.
But me on the other hand…
Me
you have no idea what I dream of doing to you
"Naruto look out!" Lee shouts hysterically, breaking through the apprehensive fog stirring within his head.
Naruto looks up to see the familiar fender of his Audi ripping down a path toward him. The engine spikes—the headlights off.
"Holy fuck!"
The crazy bitch has lost it.
He twists around to bolt and Lee is already ahead of him doing the same, but the car is picking up ungodly speed. Exhaust smoke clouding its path as it zags down the hill. The engine a threatening guttural that sunk into the ground.
He could feel it under the soles of his shoes.
In no time, he had caught up to Lee's mad dash. The fag was whiter than a plastic bag and just as noisy as one too. He tosses a sharp look over his shoulder, spewing his lungs out.
"What the fuck is she doing!?"
"You can't be this dumb!" Naruto barks at him, lengthening his stride—the crowbar cutting through the air with a whistle.
"I KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING, WHY THE HELL IS SHE DOING IT! SHITSHIT—SHIT SHE'S CLOSE!"
Naruto didn't bother answering—instead he broke off from Lee, veering off into another direction. The tires streak and he doesn't have to look over his shoulder to know that she's on his path—doggedly pursuing him.
There was no way he'd outrun the goddamn car and he'd be a fucking dummy to even try. The Audi wasn't exceptional when it came to navigating off the road—and although he hated to expose it to the destructive terrain of the woods, his life held way too much meaning to him.
The adrenaline coursed through his veins at an alarming rate, and he could hardly feel his feet—but he knew he was booking it. Sweat coated every inch of him, and he naturally adapted to the very real feeling of imminent danger thrumming through his ears.
It used to scare him, potentially getting caught but now—he wielded that feat into survival. The cold air bit into his lungs but he persisted, muttering 'fuck'. The moment he felt the air go hot behind him—the mechanical sounds of the car sounded. He knew she was gaining on him but he managed to dash right into the wood-line-his shoulder snapping a very thin tree branch in the process.
He decided to put a little more distance between himself and the psycho bitch in the car, sprinting a little deeper into the woods before turning to examine the whereabouts of the Audi.
To his surprise the car was bracketed between two narrow trees—the headlights illuminating the underbrush of the wooded area
She couldn't have crashed; he would've heard it.
From where he was standing the car looked perfectly fine, although—upon further inspection—it possessed a few new battle scars, and a crack dented the windshield.
Naruto could see Hinata's body sitting in the front seat, passed out. With a sigh, he held onto the crowbar tightly and made his way back toward the car—hoping the locals weren't aware of the commotion.
He wrenched the door open and placed the crowbar on top the hood of the car.
An owl hooted in the distance and a few cicadas sizzled irritably.
"Naruto, yo?!" Lee was calling out in a whisper.
"Over here." He replied sternly reaching two fingers to prod the delicate veins in her neck, then her wrists. They were thrumming at a normal rate.
He stares at her unconscious face, the fucking nerve of her—looking peaceful after trying to kill him. He can hear Lee rustling toward them. He half expected the coward to use this time to get away-but he hadn't.
Naruto brushes the light flyaways from her forehead and Hinata's eyes flutter open.
For a moment she doesn't seem to recognize anything and then her eyes advert themselves to him and she swallows hard. Recognition dawns on her face at the same time as self-awareness has. He can see the inner conflict playing out through a multitude of expressions, her small things press against her temple and touch her hair.
He realized she was trying to ground herself. She shook her head gravely. "I-I."
"It's no big deal, you drive like shit." he vocalizes to keep her from losing it.
"Naruto-kun."
Her brows crease and her face is contorted with concern. Eyes as big as saucers, staring right at him.
Hina ducked out of the car and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him back over a tree-limb. She hugged him and apologized furiously in a deluge of unintelligible words. Her arms were woven so tightly around his neck he could scarcely breath.
She was shaking and crying, and he was…laughing.
Really.
Laughing.
A real one.
She felt so warm against his chest—she smelled like the hotel they had stayed in that one time; under a name he couldn't remember.
Experimentally, he slid his arms around her slim waist.
Only aware of her breaths coming down from the hysteria—her heart beating back against his—and then she was quiet. None of the anxiety she often had around him.
Since he had been so tall, he was slightly bent to accommodate her height. Her hot lips pressed against the sweat slicked column of his throat. It made him lightheaded, being this close. Several different impulses fought for control, but he kept them docile.
Lee appeared with a hand placed over his heart, his bodies spasming with every breath. His eyes widen at the sight of them hugging.
"Seriously, what in fucks name just happened!?"
"I'm thinking, we grab something to eat and come back tomorrow." Naruto states simply.
"Um...what?!"