Ok ! So the new chapter is here guys and gals!
So, basically I will be updating this story on a weekly basis, and sometimes I may update earlier if I simply can't wait to see people reading it and any reviews that all of you lovely people write! :D
If you've made it this far, I am so happy you've stayed with the story! It means so much to me and I would absoloutely love ANYfeedback whatsoever. Don't be shy to message me as well. I'm always up for a chat!
Yours sincerely,
JWindMaker
The air was crisp in the village, the first signs that winter was fast approaching. To Renita, it felt weird to be outside, although she hadn't realised that it had been a week since she had been out. The last thing she remembered was Kakashi holding her close to him, his warmth pulsing into her skin with the rhythm of his heart. He remembered it beating incredibly fast, though she wasn't in the position to give it a second thought.
'Maybe it was because I was having a breakdown' she thought, walking towards a florist on the corner of a street 'It was probably because he was worried about me that it was that fast.'
Renita walked into the store, and a concoction of aromas from the various flowers washed over her. It was nice actually, the fragrances tingling her nose as she breathed in. She wandered about the store looking at the colourful formations the flowers were stacked as. Smiling to herself, she had a mere thought of how cute it would be to see Iruka or Kakashi buying flowers for someone. Coyly, the thought of them both buying flowers for her made its way into her personal thoughts…
She didn't notice a girl garbed in a red dress crouching down behind her looking at the clusters of daffodils and she stepped into her.
'Ah!'
The girl yelped out in fright, but Renita whirled about promptly and caught the girl across her midriff with her left arm, stopping her from falling onto the floor.
'Better?' she asked the girl, helping her stand up on her feet.
'Much' the girl replied, pushing a lock of her pink hair out of her face. She had green eyes that sparkled with youth, but looked as if they were hiding a powerful driving force behind those vibrant irises. Renita had a feeling that she had seen this ninja before, and then it hit her! It was Naruto's friend!
'You're Sakura, aren't you?' she asked, bending over slightly to look at her eye to eye. This girl certainly had a chiselled beauty about her, her cheekbones and eyes being the highlights of her face. Perhaps Naruto worked so hard to impress her and help her because there were some small feelings for her. She couldn't blame him if there was though; she was quite easy on the eyes.
'How did you know?' Sakura asked, a bit cautious towards Renita now.
'I know your friend Naruto' Renita replied, smiling. Sakura seemed to relax at this, and rolled her eyes.
'Oh right' she said 'I think everyone knows Naruto.'
'He's not that bad'
'Try being in a squad with him'
'Touché' Renita laughed. 'Did you get your bracelet back safe?'
'Yeah I did. Naruto brought it back with Kakashi-sensei. Who'd have thought it'd take two ninjas to bring back a piece of jewellery to someone.'
'Well, Kakashi only went because Naruto had left it at the Ramen shop. I take the blame for that. I treated him to lunch, and I found out just how excited he gets over ramen' (Renita raised her right eyebrow at this comment)
'Naruto is hopeless when it comes to ramen'
'Ahh, he's a good kid.'
'He is in a way. By the way, what is your name, miss? I've never seen you before.'
'Oh right. My name is Renita Takahashi. Putting it bluntly, I'm new here'
'That's probably why I haven't seen you. Why do you wear your forehead protector like Kakashi-sensei does?'
Renita sighed lightly and stood up straight again, placing her hands on her hips.
'It's a long story. (Sakura seemed to be slightly crestfallen at this remark) Are you buying flowers for someone special?'
Sakura's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.
'Well' she stammered slightly 'they're for my friend Lee (The name hit Renita like a kunai striking into her heart) who's in hospital. I heard that he was in a critical condition and I want to see if he's ok'
'Daffodils, huh? Why that particular flower?'
'They're a noble flower that endures the harsh months of winter, and still stays beautiful. Lee is a determined ninja, so it's a lot like him.' Sakura picked out a single daffodil from the bouquet, its petals a beautiful golden yellow and the centre a brilliant orange. Sakura surely had an eye for detail, it seemed.
'That's quite a beautiful sentiment' Renita said, looking at the lone flower that Sakura was holding 'Though…I would pick…(she walked over to the other side of the store and picked out a beautiful blue flower) this one'
'Huh? An orchid? Why?'
'Well' Renita began, rotating the flower slowly in her hand 'With an orchid, you can see it from miles away. It stands out, among all of the others. It's unique, willing, and there's this magical feel about it. Does that fit his personality at all?'
Sakura just blinked at Renita with awe. Somehow, this ninja who'd she'd never seen before managed to pin Lee's personality to a T, and she did it with a flower? Sakura wondered just how many things she could learn from this shinobi. Maybe she was an expert in gathering information!
'Are you ok?' Renita asked, waving at Sakura, who at once snapped out of her reverie.
'Oh, sorry' Sakura said, shaking her head quickly. Suddenly her flower didn't seem so special anymore.
'Here' Renita said, holding out her hand for Sakura's daffodil. 'I'll buy that for you'
'Oh no, it's ok'
'Please, it'll be my treat. After all, I did step on you'
'O-o-ok then'
Renita purchased the flowers and the two girls headed towards the village. Sakura kept glancing at the graceful kunoichi walking next to her, for the fact that she didn't seem to make a sound.
'I wonder why I've never seen her before' she thought hard 'And I wonder what she's hiding under her forehead protector…'
'Chaa, she's probably another Kakashi-sensei wannabe' Inner Sakura grumbled 'She's probably done it to get his attention'
The hospital doors loomed right infront of them, with the memory of Renita rushing in through the double doors cradling an unknown boy in her arms flooded back to her. Light blared into her eyes as they walked into the sterile, blinding white insides of the building. It was quiet, and pain began to throb in Renita's head, guilt building in her stomach. Sakura asked the intern for the room number, where they were then led down the corridors, two sets of footsteps echoing around in the air while Renita's remained silent, almost as if she was a phantom. The intern knocked on the door, calling out that there were visitors for Lee, if anyone was in there. Another voice, male, called out the invitation to enter, so Sakura and Renita were ushered inside the room.
Another shinobi, dressed in the chuunin/jōnin vest was standing stock still next to the bed, back facing the door. What hit Renita the most was that he wore the same ensemble that the genin Lee had worn. This meant that the two of them had a connection of some sort…
Gai turned around to see who it was that had disrupted his mediation about his student. Lee was so dear to him, and seeing the poor ninja was terrible to deal with. Frankly, Gai thought of him as his son, and no amount of pure talent in ninjutsu or genjutsu would change that. When his eyes fell upon the young Sakura and her associate, his face went white as a sheet. He had no control over his next actions, and really, he didn't care at this point in time.
Gai sensei lunged at Renita and she narrowly dodged his incoming attack.
'You stay away from my Lee!' he cried at her, whipping around to lunge at her again, but she was prepared. Sakura had backed up against the wall, afraid of what was going on and holding her hands together at her chest, clutching the flowers too. She watched Renita keep her calm as she dodged every one of Gai's attacks with her hands by her sides. Renita didn't want to fight him, but she had to make him stop so she could explain, and the best way to do this was to be firm with this shinobi. Her lips curled back into snarl and a low growl emitted from her, stopping Gai momentarily. She took this lapse in action as her opportunity, and grabbed Gai's fist that he had raised with her right hand.
'You listen to me, and you listen good' she threatened, her eye in a piercing and steely resolve. 'If you don't stop attacking, I will have no choice but to fight back. I am not here to do that. I am here to see the boy that I had injured, but I swear to you, that if you do not stop, I will have no choice to retaliate, and I will do the same to you that I did to him, only yours will be a hundred times worse!'
Gai swallowed, contemplating this predicament, but kept his arm strong against the force that Renita was giving back.
'Got it?' Renita snarled vehemently, dropping her voice lower which chilled Gai's insides subtly. It was then that he decided to relinquish his defence, and crossed his arms. Sakura watched the two ninja with wide, fearful eyes. She was completely lost as to what was happening. All she knew was that her and Renita had come to see Lee, who was lying in a perfect vertical line, eyes closed in the hospital bed, the blanket pulled up to his collar bone. Although she didn't know much about his sensei, she knew enough to know that when Gai was passionate about something, he could become dangerous in the blink of an eye. She could feel the tension between the two shinobi: so thick that it could be cut clean in twain with a kunai, or a precisely aimed shuriken.
'Why have you come here?' Gai said, his brow furrowed in anger as he stared at the kunoichi. 'You've hurt Lee enough, and you have the audacity to come back'
'Listen' Renita said, trying to calm herself down, though a hint of venom still present in her voice. 'I don't know who you are exactly, but you have to know that I wasn't the one that started all of this!'
'You really think that I'll believe that my Lee start-'
'Yes! Your Lee started everything! I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was the one that attacked me first!'
'Lee…attacked you?' Gai's mouth dropped open in shock. Renita sighed in relief: she seemed to be getting things straight with him now.
'Yes, Lee attacked me first, and the situation he is in now gives me no pleasure. I came to bring him my deepest apologies.'
'But..but Lee…he…'
Gai seemed to be lost for words. He knew himself that Lee wouldn't attack someone just willingly, but looking into this ninja's eye, he felt that he had to believe her. There was something in the way that her eye pierced into him with a resolve of honesty that made him relax slightly.
'You're his sensei I assume?' Renita asked and Gai nodded, still contemplating this news 'Your name?'
Raising his chin in a defiant manner, Gai seemed to have finally believed her and spoke proudly.
"I am Gai, sensei of young Lee here. I took him on as my student because I saw potential in him that I had never seen in any other ninja in the village. Poor Lee can use neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu, and fights only with his taijutsu, where one day he hopes to become a splendid ninja.'
It was all too clear to Renita just strong a fighter Lee was and her body ached all over because of it. Gai had done his job on training him, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would become the ninja that he dreamed of being. After all, she had to resort to using that technique just to stop him…
'He will be the ninja he dreams of' Renita said quietly, looking over at the boy bundled up in the sheets. 'He was a forceful opponent, agile and determined.'
Gai relaxed entirely at this. From what Lee had told him in between his agony, this shinobi was one to be feared when she was riled up, and what lay behind her forehead protector was another mystery in itself.
'Just like my Eternal-Rival Kakashi' Gai thought to himself.
A cough came from the bed, and all heads flicked to the same direction immediately. Lee had woken up and was opening his eyes slowly. Sakura walked to him and pushed the strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes out of the way. The first thing Lee saw was Sakura, and he immediately felt his feelings for her wash over him, sending a warm, fuzzy feeling coursing through him. Indeed, it was a wonderful thing to wake up to, seeing the one that you adore and, quite possibly, love. The tension in the room dissipated immediately, and Sakura was thankful for it, but her opinion of Renita had changed after learning that she was the one that had put Lee in this position to begin with. How could she trust her now?
'Oh Lee' Gai said, walking back over to the bed and sitting down on the chair next to it. 'How are you Lee?'
'Gai-sensei' Lee began, his voice hoarse, but still retaining its squeak. 'I feel as if a thousand needles are sticking into me (Renita dropped her look to the floor and Sakura let out a little gasp) but I see it as training. If I cannot forget about the pain, I can never become a splendid ninja'
Gai threw himself onto Lee, tears streaming down his face. Sakura and Renita just stared at the grown man weeping helplessly over the poor boy. Lee would have cried with him, but he was far too exhausted to muster up the ability to do so.
'Even in the state you're in, you never give up on training' Gai said, choking slightly through the lump that had developed in his throat. It was this determination, this driving force so deep within Rock Lee that made Gai so proud, and the very reason why Gai was so willing to protect him from anything that would interfere with his dreams and his ambitions in life.
'Gai-sensei' Lee croaked 'You're crushing me…'
With this, Gai immediately pulled himself up and composed himself. It was amazing how fast he did, and he could almost pull off a façade of being perfectly fine if it wasn't for his eyelids being red-rimmed from the salt in his tears.
"Lee, you're not just going to ignore these two young ladies now are you?' Gai joked, dragging the chair sideways so Sakura and Renita could get closer. Sakura kept her distance from Renita by moving towards Gai more: she wasn't so sure about her now.
'Hi Lee' she said, her voice a beautiful melody to his ears 'It's good to see you awake now. I brought you a daffodil' She gently dropped the flowers into the vase, the stems making a soft 'plink' noise when they tapped the glass.
'There's two there, Sakura' Lee said, admiring the flowers. 'Who is the other one from?'
'Oh, that's…that's from…' Sakura glanced at Renita uneasily, but pulled it off as if she had temporarily forgotten her name.
'That would be from me' Renita said, leaning in closer so Lee could look at her properly. When he did look at her though, his eyes grew fearful. He knew exactly who this shinobi was, but he was defenceless in this state. He grew worried for his own well-being now.
'Can I a have a moment alone with Lee?' she asked, still looking at the genin, but asking to the two around her. Reluctantly, Gai nodded and motioned for Sakura to follow him and they left, closing the door behind them. Lee really began to panic at this point: he had no idea what was going on, or what was going to happen to him.
'Can you sit up?'
'I-I can try…'
Lee struggled to move his limbs without pain, but was unsuccessful, although he managed to lean onto one elbow. It was just enough height for Renita to be able to hook her hands under his arms and lift him into a sitting position. She did it gently, treating Lee as if he was a porcelain doll, and for that he was grateful.
'Before you say anything' Renita began, taking the chair that Gai had left empty and slid it over to the head of the bed 'I want to apologise for the state I have left you in. I am guilty for it, and if there is anything I can do to make it up to you, call upon me. Right now, I am indebted to you and I will not forgive myself until you have done so for me.'
Lee stared at her, and his worry drained from him. Normally, a ninja would not ever apologise for beating an opponent, but this one? She was different, and he was intrigued by her.
'I need to ask you something Lee.'
'What is it?'
'Why did you attack me the way you did?'
Lee looked sheepish. In truth, he had been expecting someone else, a jōnin in the village to test his skills on. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen this particular shinobi for about a week, and when the angled forehead protector had become visible to Lee in his private dojo he had built, he jumped at the chance for the element of surprise. How wrong he had been.
'In honesty, uhh.. uhh…'
'Renita'
'Oh, right. In honesty, I thought that you were someone else…' It sounded weak, but it was the truth. He wanted it to sound better, but really, where was the point in trying to make things sound like something it wasn't? He looked down at his hands, clearly embarrassed.
Renita wasn't angry at him. She could see that she had put him in an embarrassing situation and she felt sorry for him. If this was the result of an accident, then how powerful would he be against a proper opponent?
'It's ok' she said simply. Lee looked up at her and she was smiling at him. It wasn't a particular type of smile, just a friendly one. Behind the sapphire eye, he could see Renita wallowing in a sea of guilt, and he had to believe her when she said she was sorry.
'Renita-sensei?' he questioned, bringing her back to reality 'Are you ok?'
'Lee, I will be fine. What about you? Are your lungs ok?'
'They could be better, admittedly. U Umm….what did you do to me, and how is it that you did it without laying a hand on me? Was it genjutsu or ninjutsu or…?.'
It struck a chord with Renita's insides. Having to explain what she did to the boy would be hard, but he deserved to know the truth.
'It's my kekkei genkai Lee' she started 'but what I did to you was unforgivable. (she inhaled deeply and sighed) I am a former sound ninja, which explains what I do with the grooves in my arm (she indicated to the wrappings on her left arm with her right index finger) but it's my eye that does the most damage'
She lifted her forehead protector to reveal the purple eye in all of its splendour. Lee gazed at it, caught in its hypnotic colours and pattern which swirled about in the iris.
'You see, it catches the opponent unawares and paralyses their movements. Then by emitting different pitches of sound, different noises, I can change the way I attack the opponent from the inside out… It's a powerful thing to deal with, and sometimes, I don't even know how to control it…It's a cursed gift.'
Tears seemed to well up in her eye and Lee was stunned at it. He had no idea that this was such a burden to her, and he knew exactly why she hid it from everyone until it was absolutely necessary. He had to admit, this was quite flattering to him in a sick sense. If she had to use this kekkei genkai to stop him, perhaps he was on the road to becoming the ninja he desired…
'What I did to you…I paralysed your muscles and cut off the oxygen supply in your body. This caused your lungs to collapse…' She had to stop. It was painful to continue, and Lee's wide, innocent eyes made it harder. He didn't press her on the matter, just nodded his head.
Renita placed her right hand on his head and ruffled Lee's hair, which was surprisingly sleek and full of volume. He smiled at this contact, because it was something he never really had in his life.
'Lee' Renita said, pausing with her hand in his hair 'you will be the splendid ninja you desire.'
And with that, she picked herself up and patted his head, his black hair falling back to its original position automatically. She bowed low to Lee as an enormous sign of respect to him and crossed the floor and out the door. It puzzled Lee how she walked: something seemed unnatural to him, but she was kind, nonetheless.
'I forgive you, Renita-sensei'.
Sakura and Gai were waiting silently outside of the room, and both of their faces lit up when they saw Renita's figure emerge. She just looked at them and smiled without a word, and began to leave the hospital. Glancing at one another quickly, Gai and Sakura rushed into the room to see a calm and happy Lee, wincing every now and then with pain in his chest. Sakura moved back to peek her head round the door, but Renita was gone, as if she had vanished into thin air. She shook her head and let the door click shut behind her.
The throbbing in Renita's head lessened somewhat now that she was out of the hospital and in the fresh air. Even though she had been 'asleep' for a week, she felt drained, and the sun was beginning to set. She thought it best if she went home, and maybe properly slept in her own bed, so she headed towards her ramshackle house. It wasn't much, but it was home to her, and she was beginning to grow fond of it. The air was beginning to bite at her skin, and it was fast becoming chilly. She picked up the pace of her walk to get home as fast as she could. Visiting hospitals were tiresome to her, and she hated feeling guilty all the time, but after seeing the boy in the hospital, a huge weight had lifted from her, making her feel freer and lighter. Only a few moments passed and she was on the path up to her house, tapping her shoes against the one stair infront of the doorway to rid any debris on the soles before taking them off and entering her home.
The first thing she noticed were the footprints: they were different, moulded into one another as if something was dragged over them to connect them. Renita grew cautious, on alert for any intruders. Her first instinct was to arm herself, so she grabbed a kunai from her kunai pouch and held it close. She followed her familiar route on the floor, all the way to her bedroom. Immediately, she dropped the kunai thudding on the wood with a dull sound. Fixated on the figure on her bed, she shifted the napkin lily and lay down side-by-side with Kakashi, looking at him and noticing the way his eye was darting around quickly as he slept. He was breathing softly, almost purring through his exhales. He was beautiful when he was asleep, and Renita stared at him until she had drifted off into pitch black and finally rested, lying alongside the mysterious Kakashi Hatake.
The story is just starting to heat up at this point!
Keep in touch if you want to see more of the Kaka-Ren pairing or the Iru-Ren pairing!
If you have any tips, I'd be more than glad to hear them, along with any suggestions you guys want to give me.
There's going to be plenty more chapters, and maybe a few new ones.
Who knows? I certainly do ;D
If you want to find out what happens next, stay in for the ride!
xxx
*Liked it? Tell me what you think. What can I improve, change, what would you like to see? Didn't like it? That's ok. Tell me what you didn't like. I'm not shy for reviews*