Hah! Fooled you didn't I? ;D well, the chapter isn't called *nothing* as you can see… but I was about to call it that… I really was. You can probably guess why it's called *February 21*

Enjoy!

Chapter 15

February 21

"Here."

"What's this?"

"A violet." Neji handed the flower to her quickly.

"But what is it for?" Asuka asked her teammate.

"It's your Birthday right?"

"Yah..." she stared down at her violet and looked back at Neji.

"Happy Birthday." He finished then walked away.

That's odd of him to give me a violet... then again, he has started to change over the past year we've been together.

She looked back up to Neji, who had already turned a street corner.

Thank you Neji.

She smiled and smelled her soft violet; the petals were cold and slightly wet. Meaning Neji got the flower not too long ago.

Asuka went back into her apartment and put the flower in a small glass half full of water, then set it on the window frame and smiled.

"Looks perfect, don't you think boy?" She stared at her companion and gave him a warm smile.

He nodded happily and heard somebody walk up to the door; so before they could knock he answered it.

"Happy Birthday Asuka!" Lee came in and gave her good squeezed hug. "Your twelve now right?"

She buried her face into his chest happily. "Yah, I am." She smiled up him.

"I am here to take you on a date, and remember, you can't say no." he smiled and winked at her, offering his arm to her.

That's right, just over two months ago I agreed to go on a date with him, and I have to no matter the reason.

She nodded, "I remember." She then accepted his arm and he escorted her out her door and locked it for her, dangling the key in front of her face. She was slightly shocked, but swiped the key and put it back in her bag. "You're just lucky I was distracted."

"Mhm, sure." He teased as she snuggled into his arm. "Here." He opened his hand completely.

She knew what this meant and held his hand by intertwining their fingers. Even through his bandages, she could feel the warmth of his hand. They received a few weird stares, not thinking 'bushy brows' would get a date, but he did. And she didn't care that she was seen with him, he was her best friend, and didn't care what other people thought of her when with him.

"You still like sweet things right?" He looked down at her while smiling.

"Yah, of course, why?"

He nudged his head to the side, showing her the place he had taken her.

"The ice cream shop?"

"What's wrong? You like all sweet things except ice cream?" He asked innocently.

"Of course I like ice cream!" she hugged him tightly and ran inside.

Lee laughed to himself and trailed behind her, seeing that she's at the counter already ordering. "What did you order?"

She looked up at him with glee "Strawberry!"

"You're happy to get ice cream... do you never get any?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, usually I get it during my free time, which I barley have it seems like sometimes, so yah, I'm happy." She smiled as she fished for her wallet.

Lee put a hand over hers. "I got it." He smiled back at her. "Chocolate please." He put the money for him and her ice cream and led her to a table and sat down across from each other.

"But Lee-"

"Asuka, I am the one who asked you on a date, whatever we do today, I'll pay." He put a hand over hers and gave her a reassuring smile.

She averted her eyes and blushed. "Thank you, Lee."

"Don't you remember?" Lee asked.

That's right... the first wish he made on his Birthday.

"Sorry, I forgot." She looked back at him with the blush still on her face. "I'm not supposed to hide my face when I blush."

"Yup!"

The ice cream came and Asuka slowly dug into hers as Lee did a normal pace.

"You're a slow eater." He teased as he ate another spoonful of his ice cream.

"I'm savoring it." She retorted. "Unlike you." she winked at him. "You got a little ice cream on your face, let me get it." She grabbed a napkin and licked it before wiping his chin clean.

He blushed slightly, "Thank you." He silently ate his ice cream. Then a 'splat' sound came from Asuka's direction, and Lee nearly laughed, but managed to hold it in.

Asuka cross-eyed looking at her forehead. "How bad is it?" She had accidentally flung a spoonful of strawberry ice cream to her forehead. She reached for a napkin, but Lee stopped her.

"I got it." He got up and kneeled down beside her and kissed her forehead clean, then wiped away the remains with a napkin before sitting back down. "Strawberry tastes good with chocolate, you should try it sometime."

"Maybe I will." She smiled at him.

Guy sensei's advice is working! Lee cheered on the inside, not realizing that Asuka took a spoonful of his chocolate ice cream and a spoonful of her strawberry and eating it together. "Hey! You sneaky thief you!"

She giggled and pointed with her spoon, "I'm done with my ice cream, and so are you."

Lee looked at his and her bowl, seeing that they are both empty. "Looks like it, come on, I got other things planed." He offered his hand and helped her up, they held hands again as they left the ice cream shop.

"So, where are we going now?" She asked him.

"You know that little fair that they hold here sometimes?"

"Yah... but I never bothered to attend it... plus I kept forgetting." She scratched the back her head in embarrassment, for as long as she's lived in the Leaf village, she's only been to the fair once or twice.

"Well, I'm taking you there, and there's some stuff they added that I think you'll like."

"Well I am simple to please..."

"I know, but there's something I think you'll like a lot." He winked and gave her a toothy grin.

She snuggled into his arm warmly, like a kitten rubbing up against your leg snuggle. "I hope so."

They got to the fair to see that it's not that busy, yet not totally empty either. It's been a few years since she's been to the fair, it has changed. The stalls are more festive looking and kids were having more fun. She swept her bangs out of her eyes and looked around a bit more carefully; seeing that some of the fish weren't gold fish, but very colorful beta fish. Also known as Japanese Fighting Fish, they're bred to fight, but sometimes people just keep them as a decoration. She eyed a very beautiful male beta. The base of the color was a very pretty shade of purple, not too dark, not too light, it's dorsal fins were blue, and the area of it's gills were a bright red.

"You want it?" Lee asked, seeing what fish she was eyeing at.

"Hm? Oh um... I don't know..." she nervously said. Yes it's pretty, but it serves little to no use.

It'll be just a decoration, able to maintain easily, but waste money on it just to keep it alive for at most two years. She wanted it, yet she didn't. Before she knew it, Lee held the beta fish in a small container in front of her.

He won it that fast? I need to pay attention next time...

She accepted the beta fish and smiled.

"You have good taste." Lee complimented.

"Lee, you didn't have to." She started.

"But it would look nice in your apartment, no offense, but it is a little dull." He smiled awkwardly.

He's right, it is dull, the cream colored walls and wooden floors were... not my style.

"Thank you Lee, I like it." She hugged him and put the beta fish in her bag, putting it in a place she usually put her delicate stuff usually used for important C rank missions.

"You still like teddy bears right?"

Crap... I know what's coming, He's going to win me a giant teddy bear and I'll have to go to my apartment and put away the stuff he got me.

"Yah..." She answered slowly.

He went over to a stall and knew this one was rigged, it was the stacked bottles game. Usually kids get scammed and waste their money on it, the prizes were nice too, so you can't blame them for not knowing.

Lee gave the person behind the counter the appropriate amount of money to get three balls. Little does the stall vender know that Lee is stronger than some kid...

He threw the first ball with little strength backed into it. It didn't knock over any of the bottles and the guy laughed to himself, thinking Lee just waisted his money. Lee did his confident smirk and threw the ball harder, not putting even half of his strength in it he smashed the bottle's instead of knocking them over. The stall vender was shocked as the shattered glass bottles crashed onto the floor. The man sighed and gave Lee a prize.

Lee went back over to Asuka and handed her a little sugar brown teddy bear with a red ribbon around it's neck. It was cute, the perfect size for her.

"Thanks Lee." She smiled and put the teddy bear in her bag. They intertwined fingers and Lee led her down the fair, showing her some of the new stalls that have opened in the past few years.

She looked up at the sky to see that it was noon, Lee saw this too and both of their stomachs growled. "Hungry?" Lee asked as he pointed to a small food stall.

She nodded and Lee went inside and quickly came back out with a small basket of dumplings.

"Hmm, they look good." They were lightly brown and steaming slightly in the cool wind. She grabbed a bite and her eyes filled with glee. "These are lovely Lee."

"They're chicken dumplings!" He said happily as he popped one into his mouth. "I knew you'd like them, considering you don't like other kinds of meat."

"I'm surprised you remember Lee, other people don't really remember the things I like and dislike." She hugged him sweetly.

"Well of course, why wouldn't I?" he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a notepad and pencil. "I have it all right here!" he said cheerfully.

She laughed, "Of course you do Lee, you would do that." She kissed him on the cheek before he led her through a cloth door. People were sitting in rows in front of a decent sized paper screen with light shining into it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Try to whisper, it's a surprise." he whispered to her and sat down on the floor with her beside him. "It's about to start."

The room darkened and paper puppets appeared on the screen.

"This is the story of Yin and Yang," said the male narrator. "long ago, there was a war going on in a different country. It was a war of differences fought by the countries two best generals."

Two paper puppets showed themselves and fought each other very child-like.

"Both of the generals were fathers, the general who hailed from the east had a daughter named 'Yin'."

A traditional, young princess paper puppet came into view.

"The general who hailed from the west, bared a son who was his lieutenant, his name was Yang."

A handsome solder wearing his helmet showed, Yin and Yang were on opposite sides.

"One day, while Yin was devastated by the works of her father on the corpse filled battle field. She prayed that all the soldiers were in a better place as she walked through the battlefield."

The scene showed of several dead bodies as Yin walked through it in a praying position.

"Yang knew of the devastation and went to the battle field to pray for his friends who had died that day."

It showed of Yang walking through the trench filled fields with his head down.

"That is the day he met the fair and lovely Yin."

Yang saw Yin, and they went towards each other.

"It was love at first sight, they figured out that both of their father's were the generals at war, and knew they could never be together. But they kept hope and visited each other weekly in a field filled with daisies."

The scene was as the Narrator said, there was a field with Yin and Yang together.

"Then their fathers discovered of their visits and separated them for good. Filled with depression, Yin and Yang were, they began to write letters to each other, and came up with a plan to be together for eternity. They killed themselves, hoping to be together in the afterlife. When the generals saw their children's bodies, they read their letters to each other. The generals then stopped the war, seeing what devastation it had truly brought to their nation and birthed peace among the land. The end."

Lee got up and helped Asuka up and left the small room.

"So, what do you think?" Lee looked down at her and they held hands again, then started walking down the street.

"It was a good story, but I don't think I could do what Yin and Yang did... even if it is for love, think about the people around you who care about you too." She answered nervously, in truth. She didn't like it, but Lee was being so kind...

"Yah, I don't think I could do that either." He complied. "Guy sensei would be mad at us, don't you think?"

She giggled to herself. "Yah, he would."

She took a quick scan of the area and only one thing stood out the most.

"Akamaru? Where's Kiba?" She let go of Lee's hand and held Akamaru to her chest.

He barked happily and licked her face.

"Akamaru! You traitor!" Kiba came and Akamaru jumped out of her arms and into his.

"What are you doing here Kiba?" She asked.

"Just sight seeing, heard they added a few new things to this fair." He looked at both Lee and Asuka. "What are you two doing here?" He scratched the back of his head.

"We're on a date." Asuka replied and took Lee's hand.

"Really?! So you two are... boyfriend and girlfriend then?"

"No, we're just friends on a date." She said while hugging Lee.

"Hmm... alright then. Oh right! It's your birthday right?"

She nodded, letting him continue.

"Happy birthday!" Kiba took her into his arms and hugged her warmly. She hugged him back and Akamaru jumped out and was on Kiba's head, avoiding the squeezing hug. They released and Kiba was happily smiling. "Lee, I will teach you a trick to make Asuka calm down if she's hyper."

Her eyes shot out wide. "You better not..." she started to back away slowly.

"But it's only fair, it is your birthday." Kiba evilly smiled and quickly grabbed her arm, preventing her from running away.

"Kiba! You better not show him!"

"Lee, I know that you're protective when it comes to your teammates." Kiba said as he got Asuka to her knees, her back facing him. "But believe me, I'm not hurting her in anyway."

Lee just stood there, not knowing what to do or what Kiba was doing to his beloved friend. But his muscles were tense, ready to defend if Kiba does try anything.

"First, you get Asuka completely to the ground, face down." Kiba forced her whole body to face the ground and stay there by putting his foot in between her shoulder blades.

"Kiba! Get off of me! You know I hate it when you do this!" She yelled at him as she tried to grab his leg and use her own legs to knock him off.

"Wait about ten seconds in this position and..."

Her struggling was easing up. "Kiba... quit it... I'll... I'll hurt you... I swear this." Her struggling soon ceased and her eyes were droopy.

Kiba helped her up, but she was limp, so she didn't stand on her own. "And you've now got a tired, calm, Asuka... sometimes she falls asleep." She fell asleep while Kiba was holding her up by her arm. "Um... you wanna take it from here?" Kiba asked as he gave Asuka to Lee, he held her bridal style.

"How did you learn something like this?" Lee asked as he stared at his teammate, she was completely knocked out.

"Well, it was an accident really... we were playing around and I pinned her down one day and she fell asleep. It was weird, but when she woke up I did the same thing and she fell asleep again. She's a weird one alright." He jokingly said while crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I'll see you later, bye Lee." He waved at him as he walked off.

Lee looked at his teammate again.

Well... that ruins my plan for dinner. What am I suppose to do now?... What would Asuka do if I were so easily put to sleep?... I got it!

Lee bought a cold water bottle from a vender and set Asuka down and propped her up against him. He then tilled her head to the side and placed the water bottle on her neck.

Her eyes shot wide and sat up. "What the heck!? What happened?! Grr... where's Kiba." Her eyes filled with flames, fists clenched her nails nearly broke the skin.

Lee put his hand on her shoulder. "Asuka, calm down, Kiba's long gone."

She sighed and got up lazily, easily loosing her step and Lee caught her, letting her prop herself up with him as her support.

"You're not going to do that 'trick' on me one day right?" She asked nervously and averted her eyes. "You're too nice for that."

"Hmm... Maybe one day." He smiled and winked at her.

"I don't like this one bit..." she said depressingly, letting her head hang.

Lee patted her back comfortably. "Don't worry, at least you wont see it coming." He laughed to himself.

I still don't like the idea of him actually knowing that 'trick'...

She sighed and Lee took her hand and led her down the street.

"Are you hungry?"

"To be honest, not really, I don't have that big of an appetite like you." She nervously smiled and patted her belly.

"Oh..." he averted his eyes and silently kept walking.

"I guess I am slightly hungry." She lightly squeezed his hand and his eyes filled with glee again.

"Alright then! I know just the place." He was about to start running, but she pulled him back.

"Remember, I still have that beta fish, so I can't run." She looked up at him.

"Oh, right..." he nervously tapped his foot.

"My apartment isn't too far from here, I could go drop off my beta fish and teddy bear and we could run wherever we want." She pointed to her home with her thumb.

"Yah, I'll go with you." He smiled

They went to her apartment and she put the beta fish in new water in a clear bowl and then set her teddy bear next to the violet Neji gave her earlier that was still perky.

She left her apartment, locking the door behind her and told Hatsuharu that she would be back later. He let her go with Lee and went to go hang out with Kiba or Naruto, whoever he found first.

"You ready to go?" Lee questioned.

"Yah." She happily said while taking his hand into hers.

"Lets go!" Lee exclaimed and leaped onto the roofs of the village while still holding hands, so Asuka was close behind.

Within seconds they stopped and they had traveled a far distance. Stopping in front of a small restaurant she had known of, but never went in. She was never the one to try new things alone, and they didn't accept dogs inside so there wasn't any way that she would go in without somebody at least.

Lee opened the door for her and she entered. The inside was nice and traditional looking with Eastern dragon designs on the walls and floral designs on the tables. The tables had soft looking cushions to sit on with little a single snapdragon flower in a small clear glass vase sitting on the table.

Lee led her to a two seated table and they sat across from each other. A young, cute waitress in a traditional kimono handing them a menu.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She chirped.

"Jasmine tea please." Asuka ordered.

"Water." Lee followed.

The waitress nodded and bowed, leaving them to get their drinks.

"What are you thinking of getting?" Lee asked, still reading his menu.

"I might go with some dangos and dumplings... not sure yet." She looked up at Lee, he was still reading his menu. "What about you?"

"Some lightly spiced curry with a side of rice... maybe something else..."

"Lee, I'll pay for my half."

He sighed and put his menu down, looking at her with soft eyes. "No, I agreed to pay for it in the beginning. You were fine with it, weren't you?" He questioned.

"Well... at first, because I thought you were only going to pay for small stuff, like that ice cream and that teddy bear and beta fish." She folded her arms and laid her head down on the table.

"But, now I feel like I owe you. I know you're just nice like that, but then I feel like a burden for letting you pay for everything." She traced the floral designs on the table with her index finger, looking down at the table and refusing to look into Lee's eyes.

"So, you feel like a burden when somebody treats you for a night out?" He queered, still not comprehending.

"Well... Tell me, why are you treating me for a night out?"

"Because, it's your birthday. Plus, you're my best friend, I'd do anything for you." He replied softly, still staring at her, basically silently pleading for her to look up at him.

She was tempted to look up at him, but refused the little voice in her head and kept tracing the floral designs. "I feel guilty though."

"What?" Lee scratched his chin.

"I don't know... it seems that I need to give something in return for your kindness."

"You're not happy, are you?" Lee asked depressingly, letting his head hang and his eyes cover in shadows.

"Lee, I am happy," She looked up at him finally, her eyes burning for unexplained reasons. "I am overjoyed with the day you showed me. I am happy that you did this all for me but... you made me feel..."

He looked back up at her, seeing that tears were forming. "Feel... what?"

"Nothing, I feel like I am nothing." She got up and left, Lee quickly got up and followed her out of he building.

"Asuka!" Lee caught up to her and grabbed her hand, making her stop. "How do I make you feel like your nothing!?"

"How do I explain it in words you can understand?..." She thought for a moment. "Think about a Queen, what is her purpose?"

"To rule over the kingdom with her King."

"No, she is merely there with the King, barley lifting a finger, only being a statue in an art museum, the only purpose of a Queen is to be admired." Tears streamed down her face as she refused to look at Lee again. "Then what is a purpose of a princess?! Only to be prepared for that same purpose, only to be a statue. The only purpose of a Queen and princess, is to be admired and serve their husbands."

Lee turned her around and gripped her shoulders. "What are you getting at?"

"You've treated me like a Queen today, some girls may like being treated like that, get everything for free practically, but I don't. It makes me feel like I am a painting in a museum, the only purpose is to be admired." Her knees were weak, she was tempted to let her legs completely fail her and fall to the ground and weep. But she couldn't, not now, she was prepared for the worse right now.

"So, you feel like you have no purpose?" Lee asked, kneeling down slightly to look her in the eyes, but it was no use, her eyes where locked with the ground.

She nodded, not moving anything else in her body. She'd be considered an undead person if it wasn't for her silently choking up on her sobs.

"Asuka..." Lee took her into his arms and gently squeezed her. "If you had no purpose, then you wouldn't be a Shinobi, you would be like any other civilian in Konoha. But you're a Genin, soon to be a Chuunin, then a Jounin no doubt. You do have a purpose, everyone has a purpose."

She cried into his chest and slowly accepted the hug. "Th-then what... i-is my pur-purpose?" she choked out.

"I can't answer that, only you can, it may take time, but you'll find it." He rubbed her back and massaged her scalp, trying to ease her sorrow.

She laughed to herself, still choking on her sobs.

"What's so funny?" He queered.

She looked up at him while smiling, tears still falling from her cheeks. "You must think I'm pretty stupid huh? Crying over a great date you took me on."

Lee smiled warmly with his eyes softening and put a hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears. "No, not at all. Your probably the best person to take on a date, the guy doesn't have to spend so much on you."

She laughed more and nuzzled into his chest, "yah."

"Ready to go home?" He asked.

"Yah, I am." Lee put an arm around her shoulders, and she put an arm around his waist.

It seemed like they fitted perfectly as Lee rubbed her arm, and she laid her head on his chest as he walked her home.

"Are you going to be ok for tomorrow? We will probably have another C rank mission." He asked her as they were just yards away from her home.

"Yah, I will, don't worry about it." She smiled up at him as she fished for her key.

Lee unlocked the door and opened it for her, dangling the keys in front of her again.

She sighed and smiled, snatching her keys and stood at the foot of the door. "Thanks for the date Lee, I really did enjoy myself." She smiled warmly at him.

He returned it, but then quickly averted his eyes.

She gave him a questioning look. "What is it?"

He lowered his head and nervously scratching the back of it. "Um... come here." He put an arm around her waist and drew her close, their chests were touching, and their faces were so close she could feel his face radiating with a heat filled blush.

"Lee, you're so cute." She smiled at him again, wrapping an arm around his neck and placing a hand on his shoulder.

He put his other hand on her upper back and trailed up to the back of her head, threading his fingers through her silky soft butt-length hair. They gently pulled each other in, their noses crossed and he tilted his head slightly. Her hand that was on his shoulder went around his neck and helped her gain leverage. Their heads were more even now as she was on her tip-toes. They tasted each others warm, sweet breath. Their lips lightly brushed, not even considered a kiss yet-

"BARK!" A deep dog bark interrupted them and tackled them both to the ground. The dog claimed Asuka's face and licked it thoroughly.

"Hey Hatsuharu!" She hugged her companion warmly around his neck.

Lee was on the ground next to her, he looked over to his teammates and laughed. He got up and helped her up.

She was about to go inside, but turned around and smiled cheerfully at him. "Thanks for a wonderful day Lee, see you tomorrow." She winked and went inside with Hatsuharu and shut the door behind her.

Leaving Lee on her front door step.

He smiled and started his way back to his home.

Maybe next time.

He blushed all the way to his house, vowing to never forget this wonderful day, and probably a lesson he'll never forget. Let Asuka pay for something when taking her out on a date.

Dang… this was long… over 4,800 words long… hope you liked it :) I liked it a lot, and you found out more about Asuka.

Reminder: if I get 30 reviews for this story, I will post the next chapter the next day

See you all next week!

2/25/13

*Hammer Time!*

Follow the arrow and review please! It helps me out a lot.

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