Visit
Author's Notes: I lied about the last chapter (Tenten) being the last chapter. Shhh. Don't tell. *winks*
This will be a group chapter, meaning Neji, Lee, Guy, and Tenten will have their first visit in this crazy long chapter.
General Warning: made up timelines, OOCness, swearing, and all that other fun stuff. Goes along with the other four chapters (obviously) and is in the Twenty Truths of Team Guy universe which follows the canon so Neji does (eventually) die.
I don't own the characters but I like messing with them.
Hyuuga Neji
Contrary to popular belief, Neji's first hospital visit was not when he almost died thanks to Kidomaru. No, that was his third. His second was after his fight with Naruto in the chunin exams. His first was six months after he had joined Team Guy which was well before the first chunin exams so Neji still tolerated his teammates, Tenten most of all, but wasn't enthused about them.
It was a typical day for Neji: get up at three, groggily shower, blearily dry off, get dressed while mostly awake, eat a light breakfast then head to the training fields by four. He sat under one of Tenten's targets to meditate for twenty minutes until the thunk of her weapon above his head woke him up.
Neji opened his eyes, not daring to admit to the bun-haired girl he may have been sleeping this time around, and got to his feet. He pulled the kunai out of the target with his back turned to her to hide a yawn. Once he was finished yawning Neji turned and approached a smiling Tenten. He handed her the kunai, handle towards her with a soft smile.
"Good morning," Neji said.
"Morning, we're going on a mission today," Tenten returned.
Ah yes. They would be going on a mission today. Neji thought little of it as he knew it would be some D-rank mission which involved walking dogs, weeding or fixing something or another. He disliked the D-rank missions since they were shinobi for crying out loud but there was nothing which could be done about it.
Neji had a feeling Guy was still iffy about going on C-rank missions since Neji had taken his first kill on their last one. Neji was over the kill. He had to do it to protect the client. Besides, Neji hadn't told Guy he still saw the enemy's slack face in his dreams sometimes.
"What do you think we'll be doing?" Tenten questioned.
"Besides going crazy in one of Guy's challenges, nothing extreme I am sure," Neji said.
Tenten gaped at him then started giggling. Neji crossed his arms loosely over his chest and raised an eyebrow at her as she laughed.
"You made a joke," Tenten said.
Neji blinked. He had made a joke. Unintentionally but he had done it. Neji turned this around in his head a few times then shrugged. Tenten patted his shoulder then jumped when Lee and Guy-sensei appeared in the field, shouting about youthful missions. Guy-sensei had the mission folder in his hands and Neji had to squint since Guy-sensei and Lee were smiling too brightly.
"My precious students! Today you will embark on a mission of youth, vigor, and power! Today you will be undertaking the challenge of protecting the future of Konoha!"
Neji stared at Guy-sensei as Lee fist pumped with every exclamation of Guy-sensei's speech. Guy-sensei kept going and Neji looked over at Tenten. Her shoulders were sagged, arms loose at her side and her eyes were narrowed. She looked half annoyed and half flabbergasted. Guy-sensei could do that to a person.
"And you shall bask in the glories of youth!" Guy-sensei finished.
"Yosh!" Lee proclaimed.
"What is the mission?" Neji questioned.
Guy-sensei almost knocked him over to hand him the folder but Neji quickly took half a step back and grabbed the folder in one hand. Of course he was considered the team lead. Neji opened the folder but before he could read a word, Guy-sensei summarized it:
"Daycare duty!"
"Yosh!"
Neji raised an eyebrow then frowned as he looked over the contents of the folder. Guy-sensei wasn't kidding. He, Tenten, and Lee would be going to Konoha's local daycare for nine and spend their day watching children between the ages of six months to three years until five in the afternoon.
"Wha?" Tenten said in awe.
She was as confused as him. He felt a bit better knowing the fact he wasn't alone in being perplexed of why they had suddenly gone from shinobi to babysitters. Why in the world a daycare would need three genin was entirely lost on Neji.
"Why do they need us?" Neji asked.
"They are short-staffed today: one is having her baby a month early, another has the flu, and the third had to go see her mother who slipped and fell last night. It leaves solely the owner of the daycare and she needs assistance," Guy-sensei said.
He was beaming. Neji sighed heavily. Of course civilian children had school and the woman probably couldn't go pick a person off the street to do this. Who better then three genin? Neji inclined his head.
"Now, before this mission you will need special training," Guy-sensei said.
A flock of birds flew out of the trees at his shout. Neji refrained from shaking his head to clear it like Tenten. He stared at the backpack Guy-sensei whipped in front of him then scowled when Guy-sensei pulled three life-like baby dolls out of his backpack. Neji took his and held it by one foot. Tenten held hers by the head. Lee was the one who cradled his while Guy-sensei pointed to Neji and Tenten with horror on his face.
"This is why you need training," Guy-sensei said.
Neji huffed before putting the file in his bag and holding the fake doll properly. Tenten groaned and did the same. Guy-sensei clapped and out came bottles, diapers, and baby clothes. Neji had a feeling this was going to be the longest training session of his life.
What felt like a week later, Neji strode towards the front door of the daycare. It had been four hours but for Neji the morning felt like it was stuck in a loop with Guy-sensei showing them how to properly change a baby, dress a baby, feed a baby, and all the other concepts Neji did not want to bother with being twelve and hating his clan. He had no interest in having children as they would be Caged Birds like him.
Neji opened the door and spotted Yamaoka Miyo, the owner of the daycare. She stood a little taller than Neji and had brown hair pulled into a neat bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were hazel and she wore a pair of gray pants and a colorful blouse. She smiled when she saw them and Neji let out a breath.
"Hello. I am Hyuuga Neji and these are my teammates Tenten and Rock Lee," Neji said.
Lee gave a Nice Guy pose and Tenten smiled. Neji decided it best to ignore Lee.
"Nice to meet you and Neji but you may want to tie your hair up. But, thank you all for coming today. A few of my little ones are all ready here," Miyo said.
She gestured to the wide open space to her left and Neji tried not to frown. Six children were in the play room. Two older ones, a boy and a girl no more than three were coloring at a low table. One sat in front of a block set, a boy, while another boy pushed around a toy train. The final two, girls, were playing with dolls.
"Now, we have snack time at nine-thirty, lunch at noon, nap time at one-thirty then another snack at three. Parents start coming between four and five to pick up their children," Miyo said.
Neji inclined his head at the easy schedule. Lee was writing it down in his notebook. Tenten's eyes were wide and her lips slightly parted. Neji had no idea why she seemed so stunned.
"The kitchen is to our right along with the bathroom. Snacks are usually cheese and crackers or fruit. No one has any allergies but there are a few who may be a little picky about snacks. The naptime mats are against the wall. I'm going to be in and out all day either getting new supplies or working on the business side of things. I'll make sure I'm back by three, okay?" Miyo questioned.
She was going to leave them alone with the children. Neji swallowed a bit harder than necessary but nodded. Miyo thanked them before waving good-bye to the kids who hardly glanced her way then out the door she went. Neji stared between the closed door and the children with a frown.
"Er, now what?" Tenten asked.
He had no idea. The six children were entertaining themselves so all he and his team had to do was watch. Neji took a deep breath then let it out slowly while trying to ignore the fact Tenten and Lee were waiting for him to speak.
"We watch them," Neji said.
Lee grinned before running into the room and sitting in front of the two who were coloring. He introduced himself with a huge grin. The little girl smiled back at him before handing him a piece of paper and a crayon. Neji blinked.
"Right," Tenten muttered.
She walked into the room like it was covered with unseen traps then sat beside the two girls playing with dolls. They gave her one and she blinked before shrugging and joining in on the game. Neji was left with the child playing with the blocks or the child puttering around the room with the train. He set his bag by the door to the kitchen and almost jumped out of his skin when the door opened.
A mother with a baby came into the day care and glanced at him. For a moment they had an awkward staring contest but Neji got his senses back.
"Hello. I am Neji, Ms Miyo is out now but I am helping to fill in," Neji said.
The mother stared at his hitai-ate then nodded, a smile coming to her face. The baby in her arms cooed and Neji almost fell on his face when she offered him her child. Neji took the baby in his arms and cradled it to his chest as the mother put a bag on the floor.
"I brought extra diapers and Kata's bottles. Thanks so much. Have a good day Kata," the mother said.
She kissed her daughter's head then off she went. Neji blinked after her then stared down at the infant in his arms. Kata's little arms waved through the air as she studied the world around her. The hair on her head was pale brown, wispy, and Neji figured she was about six months. He took a light breath then shifted Kata's so she was against his chest and shoulder, supported by one hand.
He winced when she tugged on his hair but made no remark before picking up the bag with Kata's supplies and putting it into the kitchen. Again the door opened and Neji stared as another toddler was brought in. More introductions and Neji held the hand of Roku as Roku's father went off to work.
Neji ignored the twisting in his gut as he led Roku over to the play area. The little boy happily sat at the coloring table with Lee and again the door opened. Neji felt another tug at his hair and let out a breath before going back to the door to retrieve another baby. At least this one was in a bassinet he was able to put beside Tenten.
Her eyes went wide but she made no remark. The two little girls with her dropped their dolls and began cooing at the baby. The door opened again. Neji gulped and had a feeling this was going to be a long day.
"Lee, help would be appreciated,"
Neji tried again (and failed) to dislodge Kata's tiny hand from his hair as he attempted to feed one of the other children a cracker. The boy in front of him, Toshiro, was a picky eater and would not accept the cheese and crackers unless Neji gave it to him. Two little girls were doing something to his hair (thankfully he had spotted no scissors in the direct area) and Neji had a baby crying beside him.
Tenten was busy holding a crying girl who had fallen while chasing around a boy who had stolen a box of cookies. The boy avoided her grasp solely because he was smaller and could duck under the low tables and the indoor play area where Tenten couldn't. Four of the other children were sitting in the painting area covered in paint while there was a girl coloring on the walls.
Lee was running around the room playing tag with three children which was fine, really, when Neji didn't have a screaming baby on one side, one pulling his hair, two playing with his hair, and Toshiro. Lee skidded to a stop, saw Neji's issue then came over while the three kids kept playing tag. Tenten retrieved the cookies and the boy burst into tears.
"Ah?" Lee tried.
"Feed the baby," Neji said. "And see if you can stop Ina from coloring on the walls."
"Yosh!"
Neji let out a breath of relief when Lee took the baby and a bottle then went over to Ina. Kami it was hardly ten. They still had to deal with lunch, nap-time, and another snack before Miyo would be back. Neji didn't know if he could make it.
Tenten had placated the boy with a cookie as well as the crying girl. Both were happily set to munch on their cookies and she caught sight of the four painters. Neji saw Tenten let out a huge breath but she put the cookies on a high counter before going over to the painters. At least the four had white smocks on.
"Done!" Toshiro exclaimed.
Thank Kami the boy was full. Neji watched as Toshiro got to his feet and began running around with the other kids playing tag. Kata pulled his hair again and he sighed. This time he managed to get her hand out of his hair but she started crying. Neji groaned and let go of her hand. She snagged his hair again then started sucking on it.
"Bows," one of the girls behind him said.
He activated Byakugan to see the little girls were putting bows in his hair. Now he understood why Miyo had told him to tie his hair. Neji also spotted one little boy in the kitchen climbing a chair. He couldn't stand lest his pull the girls along with him by the hair and saw Tenten walking away from the painters who were making a mess. The mess was on the plastic sheet on that area of the floor and on smocks. He would ignore the paint on the kids' faces and hands for now.
"Tenten, kitchen, climbing," Neji said.
Tenten was off a moment later and Neji watched as she scooped the boy off the chair and brought him back into the main playing area. Lee had gotten Ida to color on paper along with another little girl. Toshiro ran into a wall, fell on his ass, and started crying. No small wonder Miyo had three people working here in the day.
Lee got to Toshiro first, the baby still in his arms and sat beside the boy, saying something. Toshiro sniffled then smiled before hugging Lee and getting back to his feet. One of the boys playing tag had stopped in the middle of the room in a kind of squatting position and had a look of concentration on his face. He stood after a moment and Neji knew what had happened before the boy shouted it:
"I poop!"
Neji tried not to grin when Tenten saw both he and Lee were occupied. She groaned but picked the boy up before walking away with him to the bathroom. Neji couldn't remember if that particular boy wore diapers or not but was glad he wasn't going to be the one to find out.
"Diaper icky," one of the girls behind him said.
Neji let out a breath and turned off his Byakugan before looking at the girl. She had lifted her dress up and was poking at her diaper. The other girl was looking at her but went back to brushing Neji's hair with a little pink doll brush. Neji had to pull his hair out of Kata's mouth then watched in wonder (and a bit of awe) as the little girl whipped off her diaper in one smooth motion.
The diaper landed on the floor, thankfully face up so there was no mess and Neji let out a breath. He got to his feet, much to the other little girl's displeasure but retrieved a diaper, changing mat, wipes and baby powder. The little girl who had taken off her diaper had pulled up her dress and was waiting for Neji.
Neji put down the matt and she laid down on it. Neji sat Kata beside him and she grabbed onto his hair for support while the other little girl went back to playing with his hair. Neji wiped the girl in front of him, powdered her then put on the new diaper before rolling up the dirty one. She thanked him as she stood and pulled her dress back in place.
"I throw," she said.
Neji watched her run to the garbage to throw her dirty diaper out. Kami, if only all kids were like her. He let the changing mat where it was since the other little girl or Kata would need a diaper change with his luck then pulled Kata into his lap. She came easily and kept her eyes on him as she played with a hunk of his hair.
Neji spotted the little boy who had pooped running back into the room with Tenten walking behind him looking exasperated. She spotted him with a changing mat and grinned. He sighed. Something crashed and Neji saw it was a tower of blocks thanks to Toshiro running into them. Both Toshiro and the boy who had made the block tower started to cry and Tenten went walking over with a frown. Neji winced at a tug on his hair from behind but said nothing. He had a headache coming on and tried not to think of how it had become ten a minute before. The day couldn't be over quickly enough.
Neji rubbed his temples and tried to ignore the harem of little girls tugging on his shorts. Kata had finally let go of him at lunch in favor of playing with one of the plush animals in her bag Tenten had found. It meant all the little girls (ten in total) were currently trying to get him to sit so they could play with his hair.
He had enough of his hair being played with for one day. He didn't mind people playing with his hair but the little girls pulled too hard when they took out the bows and they made horrible braids. Neji had given up and tied his hair into a bun at the back of his neck, much to the protest of the girls. He didn't care.
Something thunked and Neji looked up tiredly to see it had been a ball against a wall. One of the boys had kicked it. Lee had decided after their early lunch it would be a good idea to take the kids outside. Neji and Tenten had foolishly agreed as outside should be easier.
No, outside was more difficult. They had to make sure none of the kids were eating the sand in the sand box or worse, going to the bathroom in it. They had to push kids on the swings, kick balls for them or in Neji's case, not trip over any of them as they had surrounded him. Thankfully the babies were completely content to sit on the grass and continue their play with whatever had occupied them inside. Tenten was by the sandbox, helping one of the boys dig a hole while watching two others to make sure they didn't do anything horrible. Neji moved forward and the girls followed him, still clinging to his shorts. He could not even sit down or they would be on him in moments.
Neji bent to take grass out of a baby's hand and the baby whined at him. Neji picked up the infant with a sigh and it cooed as he rocked it gently. He hadn't wanted kids because of the seal, now he didn't want kids because they were too taxing.
Toshiro was on the platform with the slide. Somehow the boy managed to trip and went down the slide on his belly, landing on his face. Neji sighed before going over to the boy to see if he was all right. Toshiro shook his head as Neji helped him up.
"Are you all right?" Neji asked.
"Yes White-eyes-san," Toshiro said.
Toshiro had a smile on his face, dirt on his chin, and some grass stains on his pants. Neji didn't bother to say his name for the millionth time today as Toshiro went back up on the platform and went down the slide again, properly this time.
All the kids called him White-eyes-san because of his Byakugan. None of them had run away screaming from his eyes like some children did so Neji considered this a boon. Neji watched Toshiro sliding and was relieved his harem started to do the same or play on the rest of the play set. He put the baby down and watched it crawl away in the grass.
Neji was so intent on making sure Toshiro didn't trip and fall again and the baby he didn't see the ball coming towards him. The other boys were screaming so he didn't notice the pitch had changed or Lee's voice had been added. One moment he watched Toshiro go down the slide and the next moment he was blinking up into the blue sky and Tenten's worried face.
"Are you okay?" Tenten asked.
"What, how?" Neji tried.
"Lee kicked the ball for the kids but his aim was off and it smacked you. Your head kind of smacked off the play set and yeah," Tenten said.
No wonder he had an even worse headache then before. Neji groaned and sat up with Tenten's guidance. Lee had ushered all the kids inside and Neji could see him through the glass patio doors telling them a story for nap time.
"Neji?" Tenten questioned.
"I am fine," Neji lied.
He stood up and promptly disproved his fine-ness by falling over, landing mostly on Tenten who yelped. He groaned as she pushed him off then shook her head at him.
"Yeah, you're totally fine," she said sarcastically.
"Hn," Neji muttered.
The entire world spun and Neji closed his eyes. He felt Tenten touching the back of his head but didn't protest. Her hands moved to the front of his head and she hummed. He opened his eyes to watch her.
"You've got a really nasty bump on the back of your head and would have had one on the front if the ball hadn't hit your hitai-ate," Tenten said.
"Hn,"
"Come on, let's get you inside. The kids will be asleep for most of the afternoon," Tenten said.
Neji nodded but this was a bad idea. He groaned but let Tenten pull him up to his feet. Instantly the world tilted dangerously to one side and he almost threw up. Tenten held him steady until he could gain his vertical base.
"Wow, we might have to get you to the hospital," Tenten said.
"No, no, I'm fine," Neji said.
He didn't want to go to the hospital because of a D-rank mission at a daycare. It would be humiliating. He would get over the dizziness, feeling of nausea, and headache. He did want to take a nap. It wouldn't be so wrong since the kids were napping. They got inside as Lee was putting the last blanket on the last child.
"Eternal Rival, I am so sorry. I will run five hundred laps around Konoha on one leg to make it up to you," Lee whispered.
"Hn,"
Tenten helped Neji sit against the back wall of the place and Neji closed his eyes. What felt like a minute later he felt a shake on his shoulder. Neji blinked at Tenten who had a little frown on her face. The kids were up and running around again. It was almost three.
"We're almost done," Tenten said.
Neji nodded and held back his wince at the pain shooting down his neck and the back of his head. Tenten handed him Kata and Neji sighed as he took the toddler. She leaned her head on his shoulder and played with his hair. One of the other toddlers was in a bassinet in front of him and the child started tearing up. Neji used his foot to rock the bassinet and instantly the child calmed.
Neji watched Tenten and Lee run around like maniacs keeping kids from hurting themselves and trying to keep them entertained. The door opened at three-thirty-two and in came Miyo with bags. Neji would have gotten up but his head hurt too much. Miyo glanced in on them, smiled then went into the kitchen.
She was back to help Tenten and Lee after a few moments then the door opened again. One by one the children were handed back to their parents and the amount of little ones to entertain became lower. The toddler at his foot was taken but Neji didn't mind. Miyo did give him a look when he didn't bother to stand.
"White-eyes-san got hit with the ball," one of the older kids told her.
"Ah, I see," Miyo said.
He went back to stacking blocks and Miyo disappeared into the kitchen again. She came back with something wrapped in a towel and walked towards him. Neji looked up at her but said nothing when she leaned him forward and put the ice on his head. It felt nice.
"I'm guessing it wasn't one of the kids who kicked it at you," Miyo said.
"Lee," Neji said.
"Ah," she said in understanding.
He kept watching the remaining kids. Miyo would get up to deliver children to parents but remained by his side for the most part. Soon it was Kata alone in the room. Tenten had sprawled on the middle of the floor on her back while even Lee leaned against a wall: exhausted.
Kata's mother came into the room and smiled as Miyo lead her towards Neji. Kata was dislodged and taken from his arms. The little girl began sobbing as she was pulled away from Neji and he didn't want to admit he felt a bit like crying. He hadn't minded her cuddling with him, relying on him to keep her safe, and being a quiet little companion.
Neji sighed as Kata's mother tried to hush her little girl as she walked away. Kata's tiny hands were trying to grasp for him but Neji didn't move. He did watch until she was completely out of his sight. He jolted when Guy-sensei slammed into the daycare a moment later, teeth pinging and in a pose which put his feet shoulder width apart and one hand in a fist at his side. The other was in thumb up position.
"Well, I do have three more children to be taken home," Miyo said.
Neji was too tired to complain about being called a child. Tenten groaned from her spot on the floor while Lee got his second wind and got to his feet. Guy-sensei came deeper into the room and looked between Tenten and Neji.
"Tenten, Neji, it is time we bask in our youth somewhere else," Guy-sensei said.
"Ah, Guy-sensei,"
"Yes Lee?"
"I accidently kicked a ball in Neji's face which made his head hit the play set behind him,"
Neji raised an eyebrow as Guy-sensei gasped dramatically then punched Lee in the shoulder. Guy-sensei then apologized, hugged Lee close while the two sobbed, and finally let go of Lee to come to Neji.
Neji said nothing as Guy-sensei gently made him tilt his head forward. Neji felt Guy-sensei's fingers on the bump but the ice had done well to numb it a bit. Neji huffed when Guy-sensei brought his head up and stared into his eyes.
"Ah, right, Byakugan eyes, no pupil in most lights," Guy-sensei muttered.
Neji snorted at him then groaned as Guy-sensei carefully lifted Neji in his arms. Neji tried to struggle but Guy-sensei was having none of it. Neji was resigned to his position as they left the daycare and headed to the hospital.
"I'm fine," Neji said.
"No you are not, my precious genius," Guy-sensei said.
Guy-sensei had always called them his precious students. Tenten was normally called blossom or flower while Lee was prized pupil. Neji hadn't gained a nickname yet and he had been happy with it. Now he couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside. He chalked it up to the hit to the head.
They entered the hospital and Guy-sensei signed him in. Neji didn't mind lying down on the examination table and groused when Guy-sensei roused him so a med-nin could look him over. The woman brought out a special kind of light to shine in his eyes and she frowned.
"Mild concussion, he'll have to be watched carefully for the next twenty-four hours and woken up every two or three hours to make sure he doesn't go into a coma. No sparring for at least a week and light training for the same. We'll check on him after the week to see if he can go back to routine," the med-nin said.
Neji scowled as Lee went bright red and hung his head in embarrassment and guilt. Tenten swatted Lee's shoulder while Guy-sensei stared at Neji with a serious look on his face.
"We'll keep him here over night and you can come pick him up in the afternoon around this time," the med-nin said.
Guy-sensei nodded and Neji frowned as a wheelchair was brought into the room. Lee pushed him into a room where Guy-sensei and Lee helped him change into hospital issue gear while Tenten waited in the hallway. Once he was settled into bed he was given a tray of food Tenten helped him with. Guy-sensei left for perhaps half an hour to inform Neji's uncle then all three stayed until a nurse ushered them out at nine.
Neji yawned heavily and felt his eyes slipping shut against his will. He did not mind, not completely. He wouldn't be left alone because of the nurse waking him up every three hours. Even without the nurse Neji knew he was no longer alone. Neji was glad he fell asleep then. He didn't know how to deal with the thought of having people who worried about him.
Rock Lee
With the rough training regime Lee was put through for most of his life, one would think he ended up in the hospital well before the others on his team. Somehow, someway, Lee managed to get minor scratches, some bruises, scrapes but no broken bones or injuries which would put him in the hospital for any period of time. Neji unintentionally took this first for the team as awkward as it would be explain to the other teams if they ever asked. Thankfully, they never did.
It likely had to do with everyone being shinobi and hospitals reminding them of injuries no one would rather think of. Like Neji though, Lee's first hospital visit was not after his defeat by Gaara during the chunin exams. No, he ended up hospitalized a few months before this fight and like Neji's incident Lee's visit was not entirely his fault...
Lee stood happily beside Guy-sensei as they were briefed for their third C-rank mission. Lee tried not to think about how the first one had lead to Neji's first kill and the second to Lee's first kill. With any luck they would not have to comfort Tenten through her first kill. Lee also tried not to think of it being rather odd the teammate who threw around sharp pointy objects for her main fighting style would be the last to take her kill.
"Yes! My precious students! We will burn brightly in our Springtime of Youth!"
"Yosh!" Lee immediately followed up.
He smiled at Neji who merely raised an eyebrow at him. Neji did not frown and look away which Lee would take as an improvement. Tenten didn't roll her eyes and look to the floor with a sigh. She had her eyebrows raised a little and a small smile on her face.
"To packing then to the Gates in two hours. No! One hour! No! Half an hour! Lee! Tenten! Neh-Neji! Let's go!"
No one mentioned how Guy-sensei almost called Neji by the wrong name at least Lee didn't think Tenten or Neji mentioned it. He chased after Guy-sensei as the man took off out of the mission room. Lee separated from Guy-sensei to go to his small one-bedroom apartment where he grabbed his all ready prepared mission bag and took off out the door again.
He made it to the Gates to see Guy-sensei all ready standing proudly in front of the main exit and entrance to Konoha. Neji and Tenten came together, not seeming to care who made it third or fourth. Lee knew they were saving their enthusiasm for the mission. Off they went and Lee happily charged through the trees with his team.
"We will travel at this pace till sunset then break came for six hours. Tomorrow we will work on tracking down Kano Suzu, the thief who has been terrorizing our nation for six months now," Guy-sensei said.
"I would not call it terrorizing," Neji said.
Lee gasped at him. Anyone who stole from someone else was a terror and had to be stopped. People worked hard for their belongings and should not have to be worried about someone taking them. Lee told Neji exactly this. Neji sighed.
"The man signs his name on every door he steals from and besides, all he takes are bowls of varying sizes. People do not consider him a terror," Neji said.
"But how will people eat their soup?" Lee asked.
Neji shook his head but said nothing. Lee grinned at having won the battle of wills as they continued on through the trees. They did not speak as they continued through the woods and camp was set up as the sun went down. Lee slept because he knew he needed to be well rested and off they went. They hit the little village where Kano kept striking to see Kano's name on almost every door.
"People of Okuhaba! We have come to rid you of the menace known as Kano Suzu," Guy-sensei proclaimed.
Lee joined Guy-sensei in the Nice Guy pose as the people milling about stared. Lee noticed Neji rubbing his temples and Tenten sagging forward with her head bowed. No one said a word though a few people shook their heads before walking off. Lee almost frowned but Guy-sensei still had a grin on his face so it was okay.
They checked into a hotel then found one of the few houses without Kano's names carved into the door. Lee sat with Guy-sensei near the back of the house. Neji sat on the roof of a house three back, concealed by a chimney with his Byakugan activated. Tenten was off to one side and Lee tried not to scratch at the collar for his radio or adjust it in his ear for the millionth time tonight.
"Neji?" Guy-sensei whispered after an hour.
"Nothing," Neji replied over the speaker.
More time passed and Lee watched the cat sleeping on the back porch of the house. He ignored the itch on his nose and kept staring straight ahead. There was a leaf tickling the back of his neck but Lee paid it no attention.
"Neji?" Guy-sensei asked after another hour.
"Nothing," was the response.
The itch on Lee's nose had become insistent, spreading over his cheeks and into his nose which made him want to sneeze. He would not move until absolutely needed. The leaf on the back of his neck seemed stuck there and his calves were cramping up from remaining in his squatting position for so long.
"Neji?" Guy-sensei asked again.
Lee could not believe three hours had passed with still no sign of Kano. Lee was starting to think they had gotten the wrong house. There were another four or five in the town of Okuhaba which still had all their bowls so it was a good possibility.
"He is coming from the east, ten meters away," Neji said.
The itch spread over his entire face, the sticky leaf on his back, and the cramps in his legs didn't matter. Their entire reason for being out here was heading towards them now. He would be upon them soon. Lee bit his lip to hold back his excitement and turned his head east.
There. A rustle of leaves. A flash. Lee blinked and the back door closed. He shook his head then looked to Guy-sensei whose jaw had dropped and eyes had gone wide.
"What?" Guy-sensei muttered.
"I, he, he's gone. Heading east, back towards the way he came," Neji said.
Lee followed Guy-sensei as they took off. They met up with Neji who took the lead and Tenten who brought up the rear. Neji's eyebrows were narrowed and he had a scowl on his face. They had all missed Kano going into the house, stealing the bowl, and leaving his name. Lee had no idea how.
"What just happened?" Tenten questioned as they ran.
"Jutsu," Neji said.
"Similar to Minato," Guy-sensei described. "But at the same time, much different. Neji, did you see anything out of place on the door?" Guy-sensei asked.
Lee looked to Neji who thought about it for a few moments. Neji inclined his head in the positive.
"Markings started to form when Kano came in from the east. They were forming his name as we left. He must have every house marked then uses a jutsu to get inside, take what he wants then leaves the same way he came in," Neji explained.
Lee didn't understand but he did not have to. They had the man in their sights. Guy-sensei sped up so Lee did as well. He noticed Neji and Tenten do the same. Even so, they did not come closer to Kano who remained teasingly half a dozen yards in front of them. Guy-sensei made the hand sign for releasing a genjutsu but nothing happened.
"Neji?" Guy-sensei questioned.
"It is not a genjutsu. He knows we are back here and is merely keeping just out of our reach," Neji said.
Guy-sensei nodded and Lee tried not to wish Guy-sensei would ask Lee the same questions. He had to remember they each had their place on the team: Neji the genius, Tenten the support, and Lee the frontline man. Another flash from up ahead and they stopped.
"Where did he go now?" Tenten asked.
They all looked to Neji who scanned the area with his Byakugan, a frown on his face and his eyes narrowed. He inclined his head then took off in an entirely different direction than they had been going. Lee followed regardless, knowing nothing tricked Neji's eyes and trying not to wish he had something so special about him.
Long minutes passed and Lee wondered if something had tricked Neji's eyes for once. He was proven wrong when Neji pointed out another scratch in the trees and told them it was similar to the ones Kano had on the door. They followed the marks only Neji could see and soon came upon a cabin hidden in the woods.
"He is inside," Neji said.
"Good. Is there a back door?" Guy-sensei questioned.
Neji nodded. They were broken up again: Lee at the front door, Tenten at the back door, Neji to one of the windows at the side of the house and Guy-sensei on the roof. Lee tensed, completely prepared to kick in the front door on Guy's signal.
Lee ignored the sweat rolling down his forehead and the way his suit stuck under his arms a little oddly. He said nothing about the cool air over his toes from the light wind as he and his team stood hiding in the woods in position.
"Go,"
This was emphasized by four crashes: Guy-sensei went through the roof, Lee knocked down the front door, Tenten made the back door explode, and Neji smashed through the window. Normally when they made such an entrance they would head straight for the enemy but this time all four of them were shocked into stillness.
The entire cabin, large for a single man, was filled with bowls. Small bowls for a dessert, large bowls for a family to share soup from, white bowls, colored bowls, cracked bowls, bowls of all sizes and decorations filled the cabin from floor to ceiling with a single path leading from the front door to the middle of the room then off to the back door.
There were smaller paths, wide enough for a person through the high stacks of bowls coming off the main path which was wide enough for a man to lie down in. The bowls were stacked neatly a top one another from largest to smallest each separated with what looked like a piece of thick rice paper. None of them were filled and the top most bowl actually hit the ceiling. It was such a tight squeeze none of the stacks were swaying to fall over.
In the middle of the path sat Kado with a fire pit in front of him and stew cooking in the middle of the pit. The man did look stunned to see them as he stared first at Lee then at Tenten, the main two who blocked his path to freedom. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling Guy-sensei had made then to Guy-sensei who stood in a small path off to the right. Kano glanced over to Neji who stood inches away from toppling over a few stacks by the window.
"You almost knocked over my stacks," Kano said.
Lee didn't know what to do. None of his training had prepared him for this and all he was capable of doing was staring at Kano in awe. Guy-sensei recovered first and pointed to the man who stared at them with a frown.
"You are a thief! I am Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Pray! My students and I will bring you in for your injustices!"
"Yosh! I am Rock Lee! Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast! Guy-sensei and I along with the rest of my precious friends will bring you in!"
Lee, Guy-sensei, and Kano looked to Neji who stood with one eyebrow twitching and a frown on his face. He shook his head before running forward to attack. He had to dodge through the paths and around bowls which gave Kano ample opportunity to get to his feet.
Neji was drawing close and Lee watched with a little frown as it wasn't him running in. Then the mission became more interesting. Kano plucked a bowl out of a stack from behind him. The bowls a top the one he took from the stack fell into place as if they hadn't been disturbed. The bowl in Kano's hands was thrown towards Neji who skidded to a stop and lashed out with one hand to make sure the bowl didn't hit him.
What no one expected was the bright orange powder to fly out of the bowl and spray into Neji's face. Neji's Byakugan deactivated as his eyes started to water and he began coughing forcefully. He went to his knees while shaking his head of the offending powder. Lee smelled curry on the air and blinked.
"Neji!" Guy-sensei said.
"Curry powder," Kano said.
Neji offered a cough. Lee heard Tenten groan then spotted her in a familiar position. He gaped as kunai went flying through the air without error towards Kano who took a step back. The kunai didn't realize the target had moved and suddenly Lee was on the pointy end of Tenten's attack.
Lee shifted to the right as if he had space to do so. He didn't. He slammed into a stack of bowls while Tenten's kunai whizzed by his back and out the front door. Lee stumbled back and watched in awe as the stack he first whammed into began to fall over. His back hit another stack and Lee had a feeling this wouldn't be good.
The first stack fell back into the stack behind it which then hit the stack behind it and on the process continued. Lee slipped on something as he tried to regain his balance and went down with the stack on his back. He tried to grab onto something to prevent his fall but all there was were bowls. He felt stacks to his left and right get tugged out of place and Lee saw all the bowls coming towards him.
A few started falling on him, their contents splashing into his face. Lee tasted something bitter on his tongue and tried to spit the liquid out but was forced to swallow when what looked like a fish started heading for his open mouth. Lee closed his mouth and the fish, still flipping, smacked him in the face as he continued down.
The bitter liquid burned going down but left a sweet aftertaste. His head started to go cloudy but he felt amazing, like he could do anything. Lee grinned then fell onto the floor with bowls landing on him from all angles. A huge bowl fell over his face and Lee, well, he forgot what happened next.
Lee opened his eyes to see a white ceiling. When he turned his head to the right he saw a large window overlooking buildings under a blue sky. The curtains were semi-sheer and white. There was a shelf under the window as well as a small night side table in light brown near the window. To his left were more white walls and an open door leading to an all white hallway. There were also three empty brown chairs.
Lee blinked and sat up.
He lay on a bed with light blue sheets and wore a shirt that wasn't his. The bed wasn't entirely comfortable and Lee saw he was poked with some kind of needle that lead to a bag half full of clear fluid. There was a monitor near the bag and it was connected by a sort of clothes peg object on his left hand pointer finger.
It didn't take Lee long to deduce he was somehow in the hospital of Konoha. He remembered falling over in Kano's bowl house with a bunch of bowls landing on him but this was all. He felt a bit sore as if he had been training all day and his throat was dry but nothing felt entirely wrong, at least not right off.
"You are awake,"
Lee turned to see Neji walking into the room. Neji carried a book in one hand and a cup of something in the other hand. Lee watched as Neji set the cup on a tray table to Lee's left then sat in the middle chair. Neji kept his book in his lap as Lee stared at him.
"How long have I been sleeping?" Lee questioned.
"Hn, I would not call it sleeping, honestly," Neji replied.
Lee kept staring. Neji shrugged one shoulder as if it didn't matter. It certainly mattered to Lee. If Guy-sensei had come into the room first then Lee would have gotten a direct answer. Tenten might have smacked him first but Neji would not give the answer so easily.
"You were, well," Neji said.
Lee realized Neji wasn't intentionally stalling. Neji really didn't know how to explain to Lee what had happened. Lee kept his eyes on his teammate as Neji sighed and shook his head.
"The liquid in the bowl you swallowed happened to be exceptionally strong liquor," Neji said.
Lee nodded but still didn't understand. Neji huffed.
"We all thought when you went down, you were out for the duration of the rest of the mission but you leaped out of the bowls and starting attacking Kano who had a difficult time holding you back,"
Lee remembered none of this. Neji had a little flush on his cheeks as he shrugged again.
"Guy-sensei said it was the Drunken Fist, an extremely unpredictable and powerful form of taijutsu very few can master. Apparently it comes to people when they are intoxicated as you were,"
Lee gaped. He had gotten drunk, beat the enemy with a special form of taijutsu, yet didn't remember any of it. Lee felt disappointed in his lack of memory.
"Regardless, you beat Kano and destroyed his entire house in the process. Tenten and I had to chase you down since you started coming back to Konoha while Guy-sensei cleaned up and dealt with Kano. Then you challenged me to a spar and ah,"
Neji stopped there and his face went red as he pouted. Lee didn't know what to say. He didn't remember challenging Neji to a spar or running back to Konoha. Neji shouldn't be acting so embarrassed about a spar though. Neji always won.
"You won,"
Lee felt his jaw drop and his eyes go wide. He had beaten Neji. Rock Lee, dead last and unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu had defeated Hyuuga Neji, top in the class and master of a special clan technique.
"I won?" Lee asked.
"Hn,"
Neji's agreement sound with a bit of humiliation thrown in there. Lee could not even remember beating Neji or how he had done it. He might never get to do it again.
"Guy-sensei caught up with us but you would not stop until reaching Konoha. Then you fell over and would not wake up so we brought you here. That was yesterday,"
Lee managed to shake off his shock then kept looking at Neji who shrugged again. Neji's cheeks had returned to their normal color and both hands were folded over the book in his lap. Lee still had no clue what to say.
"How did I win?" Lee questioned.
Neji snorted at him but Lee didn't mind. Neji frowned and pouted. Lee would never tell Neji he was pouting. He might be in a hospital but he did not want to stay in it.
"Drunken Fist," Neji answered.
Lee blinked then nodded. Apparently the way for him to become invincible was to consume alcohol. Lee sagged. He was underage and could never go buy it.
"One of the med-nins said you have a low tolerance to alcohol which is why so little of it affected you so profusely. Apparently even having a sip can get you into a drunken state,"
Lee shook his head. One bottle would last him many fights but Lee did not want to rely on the Drunken Fist to win. It would be cheating. Even so, he had beaten Neji and finished the mission alone. The victory over Neji did not feel right.
"I did not win," Lee said.
"Pardon?" Neji enquired.
"The spar. I did not win. Consuming a foreign substance to enhance one's fighting abilities is cheating," Lee said.
Lee smiled at Neji when the Hyuuga tilted his head off to one side slightly. White eyes studied him and Lee tried not to be fazed. It was difficult. The Hyuuga eyes were especially creepy when the Hyuuga in question kept them wide open and did not speak or show an ounce of expression on his face.
"Hn,"
Neji's sound of thanks. Lee beamed at his teammate as Neji sipped whatever was in the cup. Lee knew it was likely tea or water. Neji placed the cup back onto the tray as Lee watched him.
"How are you feeling?" Neji questioned.
Lee thought about it. His throat didn't feel so dry and his body felt sore, yes, but not sore enough to prevent him from doing anything. He wanted to get up and move around but had a feeling the med-nin in charge of him wouldn't allow him this yet.
"Fine, a little sore but nothing out of the ordinary," Lee said.
"Hn,"
Lee smiled at Neji's amused sound. Neji left his book on the tray with his drink and Lee knew his stoic teammate was off to find a med-nin to make sure Lee was okay. Lee sat up a bit straighter and tilted his head to read the title of Neji's book:
History of Taijutsu.
Lee chuckled. Of course his Eternal Rival would be reading a book about taijutsu. Lee lay back in his bed and waited for Neji's return. They might not talk much and Neji wasn't exactly open about a lot, teammate or not, but Neji's presence was a welcome one for Lee's first hospital visit.
Might Guy
Guy had not met Lee, Neji or Tenten when he went into the hospital for the first time. He had gone into the hospital after taking his first kill to save Kakashi but it had not been his first visit nor would it be his last. Surprisingly Guy made it all the way through the Academy and to becoming a chunin before going into the hospital which is a feat in most people's eyes.
The typical shinobi entered the hospital during the chunin exams or slightly before for the first time. Falling out of trees, off roofs, or other various high places learning how to balance with chakra happened to be the number one cause of genin being trained.
The second common cause was getting stuck with a sharp pointy object from learning how to throw senbon, shuriken, and kunai properly. The third was getting hit too hard by a teammate in training. There were various mishaps on missions and technically Guy should have visited the hospital as a genin during one particular mission but his father had helped him out.
After his father's death, Guy trained as hard as he could so he would properly pass on his father's legacy. Ebisu, Shiranui Genma, and Choza-sensei were the first to see Guy's never-ending cycle of training. He would initiate a challenge and if he failed to complete it, he would do a punishment challenge. If he failed to complete this there would be yet another challenge. It led to Guy being able to run 500 laps around Konoha first normally then on his hands. It led to him doing a thousand regular push-ups first all the way up to three thousand one handed handstand push-ups.
Ebisu said Guy had become insane and scoffed when Guy tried to challenge him. Genma mastered the ability to disappear. Choza admired his (green) student but never rose to help in any challenge. They were all relieved when Guy continued his rivalry with Kakashi and despite the insanity of the training regime, never ended up seriously injured.
Guy made it past his successful chunin exam, through dozens of missions, and even through situations he should have been killed, all without having to see the inside of Konoha's Hospital. Then he went on a mission with Kakashi...
"You have no idea what happened, do you?"
Guy looked to Kakashi who had his visible eye narrowed slightly, his eyebrow twitching, and his shoulders sagged. Guy glanced around the room: white walls, white desk, single chair which Kakashi sat in, machine hooked up to him, IV bag, and he lie in an uncomfortable bed. The last memory he had was of leaping off the side of a cliff with Dynamic Entry to kick an opponent in the head. The rest had become a blur.
"No, I do not," Guy said.
Kakashi let out a long breath and shook his head. He ran a hand through the shock of silver hair growing from it and Guy caught a smile forming under Kakashi's mask. Guy wiggled his fingers, first on his right hand then on his left. No pain came to him so he wiggled his toes. No pain. Guy hummed and sat up. He spotted Kakashi raise his eyebrow and Guy looked over his body.
There were a few minor scrapes and he had a fist sized bruise on his chest but nothing else felt wrong. Guy hummed as he ran his hands over his head to feel for bumps but came up feeling his hair in its traditional glamorous bowl cut.
"I feel perfectly fine, my Eternal Rival. Why do you look so amused?" Guy questioned.
He blinked when Kakashi groaned and smacked himself in the face. Guy stared when Kakashi started laughing. The Copy Nin shook his head and sagged in his chair while giving Guy a weary look.
"Only you could defeat an entire army and forget about it," Kakashi said.
Guy kept staring. He remembered kicking an enemy shinobi in the head then, then, then...nothing. Kakashi sighed and shook his head. His arms had crossed over his chest and his eyebrow rose again.
"I suppose it's my fault," Kakashi said. "You were kinda close when I used that memory altering jutsu on the client so they didn't you know, have nightmares for the rest of their life."
Guy did remember the client, some rich man, they had to escort home through the Land of Wood which had become hostile territory. The man had been terrified at the prospect of having to go it alone but couldn't afford a team of jonin like he wanted. Guy had always thought Kakashi would be enough and Guy would be the back-up. Apparently it had not been so.
"The Dynamic Entry sort of snapped the guy's spine then you just went to it. One of 'em had said you were useless or something and yeah, remind me never to make you angry," Kakashi said.
Guy remembered the comment and the annoyance which had come with it. He shook his head. He had to try to keep a more level head while on missions.
"Then you opened Four Gates, which I had no idea anyone had figured out how to do by the way, and blasted through the entire army. You stayed up long enough for me to fix the client then fainted and I carried you back," Kakashi said.
"Huh," Guy mentioned.
Kakashi sighed heavily and shook his head. The smile still tugged at his lips. Guy watched as Kakashi shrugged.
"But, I told the Fourth you're jonin material so you'll be taking that test sometime soon," Kakashi said.
Guy gaped. He had been honored to become chunin. He had never thought he would become jonin. Guy watched, not knowing what to say, as Kakashi stood.
"Anyway, I'm going to go find a med-nin so they can release you," Kakashi said.
Guy watched him go and looked around the small room. He didn't mind he would get to leave but he wanted to know what he had done to the army. Opening the Gates and using them for too long put him here. Guy wouldn't have opened the Gates over an insult. Something must have happened to Kakashi during the fight or come close to happening to the Copy Nin and Kakashi didn't want to admit it.
If Kakashi didn't want to admit it then he would have left it out of the mission report. Guy frowned as he rubbed his chin and considered. Kakashi had begun slinking away from mutual friends lately. Guy always persisted and tracked him down but others were not as determined as Guy.
Guy nodded. He would pass the jonin test and take a few missions. Then he would wear down the Hokage to make Kakashi take a jonin team to show the man life would be worth living. It might take a while but Guy would not let his Eternal Rival disappear.
Tenten
Tenten opened her eyes and spotted white everywhere: ceiling, walls, curtains, and floor. A monitor was hooked up to her as well as an IV drip. She wasn't wearing her black pants and pink shirt, nor did she have her scrolls on her. Her hair was still tied in its messy buns but her hitai-ate sat on the nightstand beside her.
She had lost.
Worse yet, here she was stuck in the hospital while Neji and Lee fought in the preliminary matches. Neji would move on for sure, no matter who he fought. Lee, well, it would depend. As long as he didn't get the creepy Suna shinobi with the red hair Lee would be fine.
Tenten knew better than to sit up. Her back hurt, the back of her head hurt, and her legs felt all tingly and funny. She remembered landing on the Suna kunoichi's fan and felt ribs and other bones breaking under the metal. Someone had probably done a high-level medical jutsu so she would still be able to walk.
Tenten sighed. She had used her best attacks but it had been pointless. Temari of Suna had easily deflected every single weapon without moving or even getting hit. There went Tenten's never-miss aim. All Tenten might have been able to do was attack with taijutsu which she wasn't all that great at. Sure she could use a Bo but Tenten had a feeling Temari might have blown her away before Tenten could have gotten too close.
She had lost.
Worse, she had let her teammates down and wouldn't make chunin. Neji would get a vest for sure. Lee might not but they would be a man down when she and Lee tried a second time. It would be difficult to replace Neji too. As much as Neji tried to stay on the fringes of the team he was important to the team dynamic.
He was the captain when Guy-sensei sent them on D-rank missions, he was the close range fighter, and he could see what she and Lee couldn't. Now she couldn't even watch him or Lee fight because she couldn't stand until her back was fully healed. The match hadn't even lasted five minutes.
She couldn't even watch their matches or cheer them on. Stupid being paired against the one person who was a natural enemy to her attacks. Anyone else and she might have had a better showing. She might have been able to prove she was worthy of being a chunin. Tenten sighed heavily and scowled at the shadows on the ceiling.
She heard the sound of the door to her room opening a bit wider and glanced towards it, moving her eyes alone. Neji, a bit beat up but nothing major like her, strode into the room and sat in the chair to her left. He said nothing as he watched her.
"I fought Hinata-sama," Neji said.
A bitter sort of twist to his lips came to his face and Tenten frowned. Hinata would've gotten her ass kicked. Hell, Neji might have even killed the girl. Lee would hate Neji for this until Neji explained, if Neji explained.
"You didn't actually kill her, did you?" Tenten asked.
Neji shook his head. Good. The last thing Tenten needed was to find out one of her teammates was going to be killed for killing a family member.
"But she will be out of commission for some time," Neji said.
There was a kind of softness in his voice she wasn't used to hearing. Not regret, no, but something else. Guilt? Maybe. She wouldn't ask.
"You know it wasn't really her fault," Tenten said.
Neji snorted and shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. Tenten didn't want to talk about her match so his would've been the next best subject. Tenten knew Neji blamed Hinata for the death of his father. He had explained to her when he found out Hinata would be taking the chunin exams.
Tenten wished she could help him with his clan. If they hated him so much for being Branch, who knew what they were doing to him for trying to be a boy? Maybe they didn't care about that so much. They would once they found out Neji had almost killed Hinata.
"How'd Lee do?" Tenten questioned.
Neji winced. Tenten didn't like the look of it, not a bit but couldn't do anything. He met her eyes and she kept hers locked on his. Neji sighed heavily and shook his head.
"He was paired against Gaara of Suna," Neji said.
No. No way. Gaara would be the single person in the entire exam Lee wouldn't have stood a chance against, not with the sand.
"Is he," Tenten started but stopped.
She saw the smallest of smiles on Neji's face. Maybe Lee had won.
"He was amazing," Neji said.
Tenten grinned. Neji shook his head and the small smile stayed on his face.
"At first he could not penetrate Gaara's sand shield but he took off his leg weights and got in good hits. He performed the Primary Lotus but Gaara had switched out with a sand clone. Lee kept defending then opened some of the Eight Gates,"
Tenten wished she could have seen it. She blinked when Neji stopped talking and frowned. Guy-sensei had told her and Neji about the Gates and how much damage opening them could do to a person. He had never mentioned Lee could open them though.
"He performed a Reverse Lotus. I, if he ever used it on me then he would win without a doubt," Neji said.
Tenten gaped. The fact Neji was impressed at Lee's skills made her glad she was lying down. She would've fallen over if she had been standing when he admitted this. Neji's frown became deeper.
"It hit Gaara full on but, Gaara, he survived and was able to attack. Lee, he, you know the damage the Gates can do. Lee opened five of them and could not dodge Gaara's last attack. Gaara crushed Lee's left arm and leg and would have killed him if not for Guy-sensei interfering,"
Tenten bit her lip. So what if Lee had a crushed left arm and leg? He would get over it. He had to.
"Tenten, I, it may have been better had Gaara killed him. The med-nin, they, the damage is extensive, too extensive. Lee will never be able to fight again,"
Tenten wouldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. Lee, never give up, never fail Lee would not let himself stop fighting. She shifted to sit and Neji helped her. He didn't argue in getting her into the wheelchair at the corner of the room and said nothing when he wheeled her out of her room and down the hallway.
Tenten said nothing as she was pushed into Lee's room where the vibrant, over-excitable, noisy Lee lay silently on the bed with his eyes closed. Lee's left arm and leg were wrapped in bandages under the hospital issue gown and he had a needle stuck in his arm as well as a monitor. Tenten kept her hand on the cool steel of her rolling IV stand as Neji brought her to the bed.
Lee looked so fragile in the bed and Tenten had to blink a few times to stop from crying. The machine beeping was the indication Lee still lived. Tenten tentatively touched his arm and bit her lip. Lee's left forearm felt all wrong, like there was nothing under the skin to help Lee move his arm or to keep it solid so he could punch. It felt like all he had was mush under his skin: no muscle, no bone, nothing but ground up gunk under the skin in some kind of mocking arm. Lee couldn't fight with this arm.
"Neji?" Tenten asked lightly.
She felt the flare of chakra as Neji wordlessly activated his Byakugan. Neji took a breath behind her then let it out slowly. She glanced up to him and he shook his head. Tenten leaned back in her wheelchair and stared at Lee.
Lee would never fight again.
Neji did not need to say the words to confirm the fact Lee no longer had proper bone structure in his arm and leg. Neji did not need to tell her there would be nothing left of Lee's left limbs to help him move, to punch, to kick, to be a shinobi. Lee's career was over.
"Where's Guy-sensei?" Tenten questioned.
"I do not know. He did not follow the med-nin here nor did he wait in front of Lee's operation room. I think, that is, he," Neji tried.
Tenten looked over her shoulder to stare into Neji's face. Neji let out a breath and shook his head.
"Guy-sensei is the one who taught Lee how to open the Gates," Neji said.
So Guy-sensei would feel responsible for Lee's current predicament. Tenten sighed. What a time for her to be confined to a bed. She hadn't been able to see Neji or Lee fight. She couldn't even go find Guy-sensei with Neji to somehow make him not give up.
She was the back-up, the one who balanced out Lee and Guy-sensei's extreme personalities and Neji's too cold habits. She was the buffer between the guys, the one who brought them all back to reality and she couldn't even do this because she had lost and put herself into the hospital for the first time ever.
"Stupid," Tenten said.
She rubbed her eyes with one hand so they wouldn't start leaking in front of Neji. Bad enough he had seen her lose so spectacularly, no need to let him see her cry. She could cry later when he had gone home. No. He couldn't go home. Not after today.
"Go to my place," Tenten said.
"Hn?"
Tenten sighed and stared at him. One elegant eyebrow was raised and his eyes were widened a bit more than normal. His lower lip was pulled in the slightest bit to show his nervousness. Tenten wanted to laugh but didn't have the strength.
"Go to my place tonight, you know, give your family some time to cool down," Tenten said.
Neji blinked at her and a bit of coloring came to his cheeks. He nodded after a moment and Tenten let out a long breath before looking at Lee. She couldn't do anything for Lee now except be near him. She couldn't help Guy-sensei because she wouldn't be able to find him until she could move properly. The least she could do was make sure Neji wasn't hurt, tonight at least.
"Thank you," Neji said.
"Yeah," Tenten said.
They sat in silence until a nurse came to check on Lee then ushered Tenten back to her room. Tenten frowned but did as she was told. Over the next few days Neji would come visit her and bring her to Lee's room. After three days she was able to do light physical activity. By the seventh day she had moved to being able to walk alone for long distances. By day ten, she was able to leave the hospital with Neji helping her.
She entered her apartment to see it a bit cleaner than normal. Neji had picked up after himself and cleared out whatever mess she had left before the chunin exams. Her plants were watered, all her belongings put into place where they belonged, and her floors were sparkling. There were a lot of take-out containers in the fridge when she went for a bottle of water and she looked at Neji. He flushed.
"Ah, I was never taught how to cook and did not want to risk using the stove," Neji said.
Tenten grinned at him. The next few days went by swiftly. She and Neji would take turns sharing the couch and she taught him the basics of cooking. She beat sense into Guy-sensei who accompanied them in keeping a quiet vigil on Lee who hadn't moved or woken up. She also made sure Neji didn't feel bad for practically hiding in her apartment.
Two weeks after her first hospital visit found Tenten back on the training field with Neji. He wanted to perfect a move he had seen Hiashi teaching Hanabi and Tenten had no problem helping. It meant she could sling weapons at him while he tried to spin and create a chakra dome around his body: the Revolving Heaven.
Tenten was about to throw the next bit of her arsenal when Neji's frown of concentration became one of worry. His eyebrows knitted the slightest bit and he stood stiffly in his spot. Tenten knew he wasn't concentrating on her in front of him, no; he was looking at something behind him. Tenten spotted what a few moments later.
Hyuuga Hiashi was average of height and weight with the same long dark hair as Neji and the same pupil-less white eyes. Tenten held her kunai a bit tighter as Hiashi approached, his face set in a frown and his gait strong. Power, confidence, arrogance, all of it rolled off him in waves and for the first time in her life Tenten felt her stomach coiling in knots and wanted to run. She had never been intimidated, not like this.
"Nephew," Hiashi said.
"Hiashi-sama," Neji returned.
Neji had turned off his Byakugan and faced his uncle. Neji's hands were loose at his sides but his shoulders were tense. His head was lowered and Tenten knew Neji loathed showing this kind of placation. Tenten gritted her teeth when Hiashi looked to her.
"Girl. Leave," Hiashi said.
He spoke in a voice which made her want to jump instantly at his command and run off. Tenten stayed in the field, knowing if she left something horrible would happen to Neji. She wouldn't allow it, not as long as she could take a breath. He might not do the same for her or Lee but damn it she had gotten him to come around and she would show him how much she cared.
"No," Tenten said.
Neji glanced at her briefly and she saw his eyebrows go up in wonder, eyes widen in awe for a split second before he turned to face Hiashi again. Hiashi raised an eyebrow marginally and one corner of his lip quirked into a sort of smirk. It was gone so quickly Tenten was sure she had imagined it.
"Admirable," Hiashi said.
Tenten didn't recognize the hand seal Hiashi made. One moment, Neji stood but the next he went to his knees, screaming in pain like Tenten had never heard before and clutching his head. Tenten reacted before putting thought into her actions.
Kunai and senbon lashed out, flying towards Hiashi without error. The hand seal dropped and Hiashi spun. A chakra dome appeared around him which knocked the dozens of weapons Tenten had thrown away. He came to a stop and regarded her with cold white eyes as Neji knelt on the ground, panting.
"Impressive," Hiashi said.
She kept staring at him but he nodded. Tenten shifted until she knelt beside Neji and put a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were narrowed as he took in the form of his uncle and his body kept trembling but Tenten knew he would hold back the true extent of his pain until Hiashi left.
"I see why she means much to you. I will take this into consideration, nephew," Hiashi said.
He left as Tenten tried to wrap her brain around what Hiashi meant. She looked to Neji who closed his eyes, took off his hitai-ate and revealed the Caged Bird seal to her for the second time in their lives.
She rubbed his temples and he stiffened before relaxing into her touch. Tenten watched him relaxing under the motions of her hands. After a while they shifted until the back of his head was in her lap.
He had closed his eyes, his face serene in rest, and his breathing deep and relaxed. At rest he was prettier than ever and Tenten felt her cheeks heat. His long, dark, shiny hair fell over her leg and to the ground beside her still so perfect even though he lay down on the ground. Athletic legs were spread forward, open a bit but entirely relaxed. One hand was resting over his stomach while the other was in a half-fist on the grass.
If she had been there when Neji fought Hinata she would have told him not to almost kill her. She might have been able to get him to back down which meant he would not have had the curse seal activated. If she had been there to see the fight and not lying in the hospital then this moment wouldn't be happening.
Maybe her first visit to the hospital hadn't been so bad after all.
I couldn't think of anything for Guy. He's always the most difficult to write for which is why this "Visit" chapter was sitting on my hard-drive for a freaking year. Maybe now I can move onto other prompts. Reviews welcome, as always.