Title: A Demon's Tale
Author: swiftstar85
Genre: Drama/Friendship/Romance
Rating: T for some strong language, violence, suggestive material, and crude humor.
~Chapter Fourteen~
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wouldn't mind if I did.
It was as soon as they got back to the Leaf Village and made their reports when Quoi actually did wake up. And it was during Yamato's report to Tsunade when he finally managed to open his eyes and get a good look around. Kankuro had stayed by his side for the last two days, seeing that was how long it took to get back to the village. He hardly ever left his side at all. It had worried Gaara to some limit about Quoi and he couldn't help but pace a lot while his brother stayed by his student. It took Sakura's reassurance that it was just the mixture of the excitement and the sedatives that caused Quoi to be so tired. She told them that all he needed was a lot of rest.
So when he woke up in the Hokage's office, still resting in Kankuro's arms, Quoi had been pretty surprised and very relieved. He even started a little of the water works as he hugged Kankuro rather tightly before launching himself over at Gaara, nearly saying sorry fifty times a minute.
Tsunade wasn't annoyed by the racket that the apprentice was making. She actually understood very well after what Yamato told her that happened to the boy. She just listened to the rest of the report while merely glancing over at Gaara as he kept an arm around his apprentice. But when it was over, she let out a sigh. "I see." She said with her hands folded in front of her. "And so....."
"We're not giving up." Naruto interrupted with determination.
Tsunade let out a small snort and she bowed her head down at little. Very well. I guess I should tell you about your next mission then." She stopped herself as she lift her eyes and looked directly at Gaara though, frowning seriously. "Before I do, there is something I need to know. Why did you let us continue believing that it was Sasori who spared your life and not tell us the truth about Itachi Uchiha?' She asked, somewhat annoyed with the young Kazeage.
Gaara looked away towards the window. He honestly didn't know why he hadn't told them the truth. He knew he should have corrected them before when they even made their discovery of betray within the Akatsuki. But he could only figure out one reason. "I suppose I wanted to find out for myself first. I didn't understand why Itachi spared my life. And I still don't. I could say that I didn't tell anyone that it had been Itachi Uchiha because everyone was still recovering from losing Chiyo-baasama. It was not the right time. But I believe the real reason I can give you is that I wanted to find out from Itachi myself of why he spared my life. I have to know what he wanted other than I saving Sasuke from Orochimaru." he told everyone.
No one spoke for a long time as they all looked at him. They knew that he had his reasons and they couldn't really blame him for keeping it from them after that statement. Tsunade sure thought so because she was nodded as she lowered her hands to the desk. "I understand. I don't suppose you'll be going back to the Sand Village now that this mission is over, are you?" She asked.
"No." Gaara simply said, making everyone just look at him. He turned his head towards Kankuro giving him a nod. Then he watched as his older brother reached into his pouch and pull out several rolled up pieces of paper. "While searching for my apprentice," Quoi winced when his master mentioned that. "Kankuro came across several documents belonging to Orochimaru. We have a reason to believe," The young Kazekage looked directly at Naruto when he said this. ", That Orochimaru has a Tailed Bijuu in his possession."
"What?!" Naruto, Sakura and even Tsunade exclaimed, now very surprised. All three, Yamato, Sai and Shizune just looked stunned and Quoi was frowning in confusion.
Kankuro just nodded as he walked over to Tsunade's desk and offered her the papers, which Naruto nearly rushed forward to take a look for himself. That is until Tsunade shot him a warning look, stopping him immediately. But then she looked at the papers that Kankuro just gave her and looked them over. "It says on these papers that Orochimaru is possession of a boy who has a connection with the Third Tailed Jinchuriki. He's been using the kid as test subject. It even tells us what he's been having Kabuto do to this kid." The Puppet Master said.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she read on but then she looked at Gaara. She stared at him for a minute before she let out a long sigh and looked at the others of Team Seven. "So, I'm guessing you're going to go find him, yourself?" She asked.
Gaara nodded only once. "I don't like the idea that Orochimaru is using a Jinchuriki as a test subject. If he has this Bijuu in his control, it could be serious trouble for Konoha." He told them.
"I understand. But how do you really know that this information isn't a trap for something, Gaara? It could be the Akatsuki is setting a trap for you with Orochimaru's help. And how do we know that the Third Tail isn't caught yet?" Tsunade asked, frowning.
Gaara only shook his head, glancing side wards at Sai. "I became aware of the Third Tail while we were chasing after Sai. Shukaku clearly told me that he could sense the Third Tail somewhere close by. I would have went to investigated it myself if not for my little distraction." he stated, his eyes trailing over to Quoi, who lowered his head. "My student, however, is far more important than going to look for the Third Tail. But now that he's safe, I think I will determine if the information is false or not." he told the Hokage.
There was a very long silence before Tsunade slolwy nodded. "I see. So you will be going after Orochimaru then." She said, though it was more like a question.
"No." Gaara told her as he glanced off to the side as if looking at something. "As far as Shukaku can tell, the Third Tail isn't around Orochimaru right now. I'm not entirely sure where it's going to be, but with Shukaku to guide me, I'll find the boy who's connected to the Tailed Bijuu. So I won't be returning to Suna just yet."
"Wait a minute!" Naruto said now moving forward, bright eyed. "If you're going after one of the Tailed Bijuu, then I......"
Shaking his head, Gaara looked over at his best friend, rather seriously. "Naruto, I would love for you to come with me. But there are things you need to do. Finding Sasuke, for one. Tsunade is about to give you a new mission. This one, I'm giving myself." He turned his eyes over to Quoi, before he turned fully towards him. "As for Quoi, I don't think it wise if I take you with me. It'll be more than likely......"
Quoi shook his head as he lift his head and forced a smile. "Master Gaara, I'm not going. I know. I don't even think I should be your apprentice anymore." his words not only surprised Gaara but everyone. But the boy shook his head as he let out a sigh. "I caused you so much trouble. I don't deserve learning from you. Not until I'm actually ready." He took a deep breath. "While I was that snake freak's prisoner, I kind of.....got the real picture of being a real ninja. I'm not ready to go out into real battles like I wanted to be. I realized that all I did was cry and be scared. I know you said it's okay to cry but.....it wasn't the right time for me to do it. I should have been braver just like you." He looked back at Gaara and smiled. "You've been trying to tell me that. Everyone else has. So....with your permission, I'd like to stay in the Leaf Village and learn from Iruka-sensei. If I learned from him, maybe I can learn how to be strong and brave like you." he stated.
No one spoke for a long time but then Gaara's face softened as he watched his young apprentice. He realized that this experience for him had just made him grow up. With a gentle sigh, he went over to Quoi's side and placed a hand onto his head. "Your father would be proud of you, Quoi. I sure am." He then looked over at Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama, will you be willing to take a Sand Ninja student into your Ninja Academy to learn?"
Tsunade smiled and dipped her head into a nod. "I can already see some kind of student exchange program developing here. Very well. I will have it arranged for Quoi's stay. But this time," She gave the young boy a stern look but it was playful in a way. "This time, you better stay in the village. No more venturing out after Gaara, you hear?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Quoi said standing up straight and looking proud.
Gaara nodded before looking over at Kankuro next, who met his eyes. "Kankuro, I will need you to return to the Sand Village......"
"EEEEEHHHH!" Kankuro suddenly beeped like a buzzer and crossing his arms to make a large X, which made Gaara give him a dry look. "Forget it, Gaara! I am not going back to the village, only to have Temari cave in my head after I have to tell her what nearly happened to Quoi and have her go beserk, and I certainly am not going to listen to those old farts called Elders, minus Ebizu-sama, complain and rant and rave about how you're running off to search for another Jinchuriki! You want them to know about it, you send an message by eagle. 'Cause I am going with you!" He then pointed a finger at his red haired brother when he opened his mouth to give him a small lecture. "Gaara, you're Kazekage and my superior in the Professional world. I, on the other hand, am YOUR older brother. So I get to tell you what to do for once!" he said grumply folding his arms.
Both brothers glared at one another.
After a long while of arguing, they finally came to an agreement. Kankuro would go with Gaara and they would send a message to Temari in the Sand Village. It was more than likely she'd blow up on them. So they would make sure they were on their way before they sent off the message. Who knew how fast Temari would catch up? Which, they knew that she would be after them very fast to lecture them both.
Either way, they had only a few days to rest and recuperate after what happened during the mission.
As it was, Tsunade excused Naruto, Sakura, and Sai, asking them to just stand by at their homes until the right time for the mission debriefing. She figured that they needed to rest first. So she told them to go home for a while. Gaara, however, asked if they would take Quoi with them and let him rest with one of them for a bit. Of course, Sakura agreed to let his student stay at her house for a little while until he was ready to pick him up. Then they left. After they left, Yamato told Tsunade what Sai had been ordered by Danzo and even showed him documents about members in the Black Ops. That, however, really ticked the Hokage off and she demanded Shizune to tighten the security around the storehouse, making sure that no one at all got into the files again. Scared, Shizune ran out and did what she was told, leaving all three men to watch with sweatdrops on the sides of their faces and quite uneasy. Even the usually calm Gaara had to feel somewhat intimidated by Tsunade. She was very scary, he realized. Gaara also explained to Tsunade about why Quoi had followed them in the first place.
Tsunade then looked over at Gaara, her eyes dark with fury still for the Konoha Elder for what he had done. But either way, she knew very well about the young Kazekage's concern for his student. And she was sure that he still felt concern for Quoi, now that they knew that Danzo was a threat. "Gaara, about Danzo. Are you really sure you want to leave Quoi here? Even after he had threatened your student? He might still try to harm him." She told him.
The young Kazekage's eyes narrowed a little thoughtfully as he turned them away from her. He knew she had a point. This would be the perfect opportunity for Danzo to harm Quoi. "Before I leave on my new mission," He rose his eyes and looked directly at Tsunade. "I would like to have a word with Danzo." He said in a rather dangerous tone.
"Be careful of what you say to him, Gaara." Tsunade said warningly, her own eyes narrowed. "You might provoke him. Or worst, make things worst between the Leaf and Sand Villages."
Gaara shook his head as he lift his head, letting a very cold aura surround him. He knew that what she said was going to happen either way. But he had to make sure that Danzo was aware that he knew about the threat against his student's life. And the Kazekage was going to make sure that he wouldn't ever do it again. He wouldn't threaten him, not exactly. Nor would he even touch him. Nor physically or with his sand. He was just going to make it clear of what would happen if he tried to threaten Quoi's life again. "Do not worry about him, Tsunade. I won't harm him." Gaara reassured her, even though it didn't reassure her at all. "I promise."
The Hokage let out a light sigh but she nodded as she motioned towards the door. "Very well, Gaara. Just be careful. I don't want to see your student get hurt just because you're pissed off at Danzo." She told him. "I'll assign an ANBU to watch over Quoi too. A very good one that I do trust."
The young Kazekage only nodded before glancing at Yamato and bowing his head to him. "Thank you for helping me, Yamato-taichou. I am in your debt." He told him before he and Kankuro walked out of the office.
"Gaara, you're going to threaten him, aren't you?" Kankuro asked smirking slyly as he glanced sidewards at his younger brother.
"Yes." Gaara said very darkly.
The two Brothers walked throughout the Administration Building until they managed to locate Danzo. They found him in an office on the far side of the building, enjoying some tea and looking over scrolls. He wasn't alone. There were two ANBU guards with him and Gaara knew very well that they gave him serious and dark looks for intruding on Danzo's time. Danzo, however, looked up at the red head seriously and knew very well that he was there on business. Taking a deep breath, the old man waved a hand to his guards, telling them to leave. The guards, however, showed some bewilderment.
"Danzo-sama, I must protest....." One guard was saying.
"Get out." Danzo said in an intimidating tone, which definitely unhinged the guards to leaving. They knew better than to stay and argue with him. So they left. The old man lift his head a little, looking directly at Gaara. "Now, what honor brings the Lord Kazekage to my office?" he asked, trying to sound pleasant but both brothers knew better.
Gaara dipped his head down lower, his eyes turning into dark slits as he gave the old man a very hard stare. He was being way too serious and it was causing some of his sand to slip from his gourd and swirl around him. He knew very well that it was Shukaku's doing for the sand. But it really couldn't be helped. The demon had a mind of his own and even Gaara couldn't stop him from acting out. "I am already aware of your dislike for me because I was once a ninja for the Leaf and I have become the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village, so I will keep this brief." The Kazekage spoke in a dangerously low voice. "The day I left with Team Kakashi on the mission to capture the Akatsuki member, Sasori's spy, not more than two days later, my apprentice showed up after I left him here, stating that an old man threatened him that if he didn't leave and go after me, he would kill him."
"Oh, my." Danzo said, sounding interested and somewhat concerned but Gaara knew it was an act. "I do hope your apprentice is fine. We wouldn't want any conflicts between the Leaf and Sand Village to arise, now do we?"
There was a warning in that sentence. Gaara knew that Danzo was warning to be very careful of what he said to him. And it just made the red head's eyes narrow warningly. He knew he'd better be careful after all but he was going to make it plain and simple. "My student is fine. He has been safely returned here and will now become a student at the Ninja Academy here. He will learn the ways of a Leaf Ninja, later on returning as my apprentice. But my concern is still for his safety. There is still an old man in this village that has threatened his life. As I already have made it clear to the Lady Hokage, I have the greatest respect for the Leaf Village and will always stand by it as an ally, but if anyone threatens my young ninja again, that person will die in the worst possible way. I will not tolerate someone threatening a child like Quoi. And I mean what I say. I understand that the person who threatened him is someone you know and I would greatly appreciate it if you passed my warning onto him." He said warningly.
Danzo narrowed his one revealed eye right back at Gaara. He knew very well that the young Kazekage was talking directly to him but he bobbed his head into a nod. "Very well. I will pass on the message, if I can find out who threatened your student." He then tilted his head to the side. "And may I ask what you will be doing if you are leaving your student here?"
Again, Gaara narrowed his eyes but he shook his head as he stared Danzo directly in the eye. "I'm afraid the mission I have put my brother and myself on is classified. But I will be in contact with the Hokage and she's personally seeing to my student's safety. So if I hear that someone has threatened him again, I will be back very quickly to make sure that person who harms him will suffer. And nothing or no one will stop me. I've already been granted permission by the Lady Hokage, herself to use any means of punishment on the person responicible. And that means anyone who harms my student." he then turned his back onto Danzo and went straight to the door.
Kankuro, however, paused to give Danzo a dark look as he took a few steps after Gaara. "That goes for you too, old man." He said dangerously before he followed Gaara out. They both never well that Danzo didn't take that very well. Especially after hearing a loud thud within the room, the sound of Danzo's cane hitting the ground with anger.
"It was probably not wise to say that, Kankuro." Gaara said though he sounded amused.
"Pfffft. I meant what I said. If Chiquoi gets hurt because of that old fart, I will kill him, myself." The Puppet Master said darkly. "I won't let anyone hurt that kid and break Temari's heart. She loves that little gaki like she loves us. Then again, I pity the bastard who hurts him. 'Cause she'll cause a lot more pain than either one of us can. She would show no mercy to the guy who hurts the gaki. She's scarier than you when it comes to that time of the month."
Gaara pulled a face before turning a look on his face and raising an invisible eyebrow on him. "I'm not even going to ask." He said dully before he looked forward again. "Kankuro, we will be leaving tomorrow to find the boy, Yukimaru. If we find him in time, then we will convince him to leave Orochimaru." He told him.
"And if we can't convince him and he's actually staying by his will? What then, Gaara? What if he don't want to leave Orochimaru?" Kankuro asked, gravely. "I'm sure even you will have trouble fighting a kid who can control water, if he really is the Third Tail."
Gaara didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to answer that question. And he dreaded the answer.
~The Land of Waves ~
Ever since the fight against the Chakra Brothers, Rock Lee had not told the rest of his team mates what had happened exactly after he had returned, somewhat beaten up and weary look. He had not blamed Neji, exactly for jumping to conclusions and thinking that it was Alea who had beaten him up. After all, it had been she that Lee was following in the first place. But he immediately reassure him, and Tenten that it had not been Alea who attacked him. He actually left out the part where Alea rescued him, due to the look she shot him as he explained how he found some of the renegades and fought some of them. Lee knew very well that she just wanted the part left out where she helped a Leaf Ninja. So he obliged to her wishes and kept her involvement a secret.
Everyone grew very serious to hear about the Chakra Brothers though. Gai, however, admitted that he had heard of them after Lee told him about what the Chakra Brothers did and what kind of power they held. "The Chakra Brothers. There used to be Four of them. The Four Chakra Eaters, as they were known as. Now that I really think about it, that Sound Four guy, Jirobo was one of them. The one that Choji Akimichi fought and took out. He was the youngest brother, if I'm not mistaken." He said thoughtfully rubbing his chin, yet his eyes were serious as he looked around at his former students. "This isn't going to end well. I know for a fact that the Chakra Brothers are a vengeful lot. The remaining brothers are probably going to come looking for revenge for killing him, Lee." He warned his look alike.
"I wouldn't be surprised." Tazuna said, his eyes just as serious as Gai's. "Those big Ninja guys that those two Samurai hired are pretty nasty. They've killed quite a lot of merchants, sucking up their energy by touching them or whatever they do. As for that really big one, I guess his name is Jirati, he's the nastiest. He orders the other two around and they follow his every command."
"I am afraid that Jirati is dead." Lee told them solemnly.
Everyone looked at him in surprise as if he had just grown a head but Gai narrowed his eyes a little at him, confused. "Jirati is dead? Are you sure? How did he die?" He asked, in confusion.
So Lee told him how he died, still leaving out Alea's part in the whole ordeal. When he explained how he killed the Chakra Brother, Jirati, he sounded a little upset about it. By the end of it, Neji and Tenten were looking at their teammate with smiles and shaking their heads. They could trust Lee to get a little emotional about killing someone. For someone who was suppose to be a Shinobi, he was very emotional. In a way, they pitied him for having to kill someone. They knew very well that he hated taking lives. He absolutely hated it.
Gai, however, grew grave as he folded his arms and looked at Lee. "Jirati is not dead." He stated, surprising everyone. Even Alea looked alarmed to hear that.
"What? But Gai-Sensei, Lee just said he broke that guy's neck! How could he not be dead?" Tenten asked bewildered.
Sighing, Gai shook his head as he began digging into his hip pouch and pulled out a small booklet. He opened it and began flipping through it before finding something that he had been looking for. He nodded in satisfaction before holding up the book and showing a picture of the Chakra Brother, Jirati. There was even some information on the Ninja. There wasn't much though. "According to my bingo book, Jirati of the Chakra Brothers, is like a jelly fish. His specialty is Chakra control and Chakra Observation, just like his brothers. By touch, he can sense and memorize on how much Chakra you possess in your body and he can eat it away. His brothers, however, are different as you know. They have powers over a certain element, which are clearly water and air. The brother, Jirai uses Air to eat away your Chakra. He will be a very difficult opponent to face. Air is very hard to destroy and he's practically in league with it. The last brother, Jiro uses water. Water is just as difficult to destroy but easier than Air. Using water, he can drill into your very body and mine the Chakra, just like oil miners. And if that's not enough, he can use the very water in your body against you. Since most of our bodies are made out of water." He told them.
Lee frowned as he sat up taller, looking confused. "Gai-sensei, but how do you know that Jirati is not dead? I heard his neck break and saw him fall. I swear, he is dead." He told him.
"Lee," Gai sighed and shook his head. "Trust me, he's not dead. Like I said, Jirati is not dead. As far as my book says, it is said that Jirati of the Chakra Brothers was born with hardly any bones in his body. He was born with a very soft body, like a jelly fish." His words stunned everyone in the room. "I know how that sounds but it's true. He was born with very weak bones that they were practically not bones at all. He nearly didn't survive without his bones. But as my sources say, he went undergo a difficult and painful surgery, lead by our very own Orochimaru."
Again, Lee, Neji and Tenten looked shocked while the others just frowned in confusion and repulsion. Alea tilted her head as she stared at the Leaf Jounin with narrowed her eyes. "Who is that? How did he help Jirati?" She asked, sounding very confused.
Neji and Tenten both gave her a suspicious look but Gai held up a hand to them to keep them quiet. Even Lee had given them a look of disappointment for the all of the suspicion. "Orochimaru used to be a Ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village until he turned his back on our village many years ago. He was quite the scientist as well and always was conducting experiments. He has the knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and he knows how do the impossible with bodies. I'm not exactly sure how he did it, and I shouldn't even say anything, but one of Orochimaru's experiements that was consfigated by the Leaf ANBU said that he had once performed a surgery on an infant, creating a skeletonal frame and placing it into the infant's body so that it would be able to walk and live its life. My sources say that it was Jirati of the Chakra Brothers. The skeletal frame, however, grown from a certain DNA bone structure that I have no idea of how Orochimaru got a hold of. That DNA has given Jirati the ability to soften and harden his bones at his will. All the while, he seems to have taking on a jelly fish state. He can even soften the bones in his neck."
"So in other words......?" Tazuna asked frowning in disgust but shock.
Gai glanced over at him with a sigh. "It'll take a lot more than breaking Jirati's neck to killing him. His entire body like a jelly fish's. To kill him, well, I'm not even sure how to do it, myself."
Alea gritted her teeth before standing up and she began to pace. She didn't like this, nor did the Leaf Ninja, which was probably why Neji and Tenten weren't giving her a suspicious look. They were too busy thinking about what to do about this Jirati guy. Lee, however, was just too stunned as he let everything roll in his mind. "So....you mean that Jirati is not dead. I did not kill him." He said making it more of a question.
"Yes, Lee. You didn't kill him. If you thought you killed him, it was just because he was pretending to be dead." Gai told him.
"I can probably do it." Neji said as he stood up. "The next time we see him....."
Gai looked at him very seriously but shook his head. "No, Neji. Unfortunately you will not be able to kill him." He told him, getting a very surprised look from the Hyuuga Prodigy. He sighed again and looked at the long haired Jounin. "The Chakra Brothers are too dangerous, even for you, which is probably why the enemies of Wave City hired them in the first place. They drain the very chakra and life force from any they can get their hands on. Even with the Bakyugan, they will be too dangerous for you. Although you can use the Bakyugan to locate the Chakra streams and shut them down, they still can absorb as much Chakra as they like. They can even do it to you if they join forces on you." he told them, his face growing even more serious. "If anyone is going to take care of them, it will be me. I'm the only one in the entire team that may have a chance against them."
"But Gai-Sensei! If they were to gang up against you, I don't think you can take on all three of them!" Lee said sounding very concerned. "Althought I hate to admit it, they were very difficult to fight."
Gai only shook his head as he glanced over at his former student but smiled a sparkling smile. He gave him a thumbs up, which only made Lee's eyes brighten. "It will be okay, Lee! I can take them on if we work together! I think if we all fight our hardest against them, we might have a chance!" His tone softened a little. "But if it gets too serious, I want the three of you to back off and let me take care of the Chakra Brothers." he told them. Sighing, the three knew better than to argue with him. Gai was not the easiest to argue with as it was. So they only nodded.
Fortunately, for a week, nothing happened. There was no sign of the renegades and there hadn't been any attacks at all. Everyone didn't see any signs of them at all. The Leaf Ninja didn't let down their guards, of course. Neji would keep looking around with the Bakyugan and he knew very well where some of the camps were. He alerted everyone that the renegades were nearly a mile away from the city, keeping their distance. But it didn't look like they were making any preparations for an attack. In fact, as he told them, it looked like the renegades were now having fights among their selves. The members of the renegade seemed to be having a lot of disagreements and it caused them to fight each other.
"These guys are a bunch of idiots. They're not even worth our time," The young Hyuuga Prodigy said dryly as he reported to Gai and the others.
It only made every stop to think carefully. But Gai shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not. But we still have the Chakra Brothers to worry about. They are a threat to these people so we have to make sure that they don't have the intentions of attacking. I don't know too much about these Samurai that Tazuna-sama has told us about. Zori and Waraji. Unlike Shinobi, Samurai don't have code of conduct and are willing to do whatever they want for their honor. It doesn't matter who gets hurt. There is a similarity between Samurai and Shinobi, but there are also differences." He told them. "We'll still need to be careful of them. They are just as dangerous as Shinobi."
So for several days, they kept their eyes for any sign of attack but as none came, they slowly began to relax. And as they relaxed, the Leaf Ninja slowly realized that they were starting to get bored by nothing to do. They tried to train in the forests but even that didn't help the boredom very much. However, Tazuna found things for the four Ninja to do for the city. With the ninja's help, he was able to cut down a few trees and destroy boulders so that they could continue building the city and new houses for the people to live in. They even got to help out with some fishing in the bay. It wasn't exactly Ninja work but they were enjoying it. Even Neji, though he wouldn't openly admit it. The one thing he didn't enjoy was the fact that ever since Lee had fought some of the renegades and came back, Alea had been staying very close by and was constantly watching him. It was like she was observing Lee or something. That or she was biding her time to attack him or do something. Neji swore that if she tried to hurt his teammate and friend, he would make her pay.
However, that didn't make it easy when Lee decided to ask Alea for a favor.
It had been a nice day and everyone was sitting in the sun by Tazuna's house, watching Alea practice some tricks on a tight rope she had tied between two posts. She was walking across it and then practicing some new tricks on it. Inari started cheering when she did a backflip and landed easily on her hands. He was always excited about watching Alea perform. Even Lee joined in a few times, showing his appreciation for the little show.
Of course, Alea ignored him. She would only glance over at him before rolling her eyes and going back to what she was doing.
But finally after watching her for so long, Rock Lee felt as if he really wanted to try it too. Problem was, he wasn't very good at it. He knew he needed someone to teach him how to line walk. So he figured he had to ask Alea for some lessons. So he asked.
"Alea-kun!" Lee said brightly as he slowly approached the line posts, getting her attention. He noticed the look she was giving him but he didn't seem to mind. He could feel his team mates' eyes on him but again, he didn't pay any mind at all. His attention was only on the felinish ninja in front of him, standing on a thin rope. "This is such an exciting skill that you have! I have never seen such mastery before!"
"What do you want?" Alea asked dryly, getting right to the point.
Blushing, Lee reached up and rubbed the back of his neck but then with a deep breath, he lowered his hand to his side and smiled as kindly up at her as he could. "Well, I was wondering.......I was wondering if you would teach me how to walk a rope line." He said hopefully.
That very request made everyone shut up and look at him as if he was crazy. Most of everyone did anyway. Gai just looked surprised before he slowly began to smile and he nodded his approval. He knew very well that he was only wanting to learn a new skill, as well befriend this hostile young lady. Alea, however, just eyed him with suspicion before she crinkled her nose as if she was disgusted by the request. She stared at him with that look for a minute before her face changed again. With a shake of her head, she lowered herself into a crouch on the line and then fell backwards, yet still held onto the line. She now hung upside down on the line, holding onto the rope with one hand and both feet keeping on the rope. She looked more like she was standing up on it.
"So, let me get this straight." The dark haired young girl said in a dull voice before pointing at Lee with her other hand. "You want me to teach you the one skill that makes me unique? Why the heck should I teach you how to line walk? What's in it for me?" She asked sourly.
Her tone made Tenten glare at her and start to stand up to intervene but stopped when Gai placed a hand onto her shoulder, shaking his head. She looked at him with shock, while Neji didn't like it at all.
Lee, on the other hand, smiled his goofy smile and rubbed the back of his neck again with a shrug. He didn't really know what to say about that. He didn't really have an answer to give her. "Well.....I, uh....." His smile faultered just a little as he searched his mind for any answer. "I suppose it could give you the pleasure of helping me become a better ninja. And if I can master it like you, that way we both will be very good at line walking! And maybe if I get good enough, we can perform together at another show on the Bridge!" He said brightly.
Alea made a face at that thought while Neji and Tenten both sighed in frustration and shook their heads. They couldn't believe Lee was doing this to himself. They knew very well that Alea would refuse. And Alea almost did until she saw their faces. She glared at them, knowing they were thinking very negative thoughts about her. Again. She honestly didn't care what they thought of her. But then as if something was whispered to her, she slowly smirked an cheshire cat like smile. She wondered how wonderful it would be to see the looks on their faces if she......"You know what?" She said turning her eyes back onto Lee, who was still looking pretty hopeful. "I think I will teach you how to line walk."
Everyone looked surprised, if not shocked. Even both Neji and Tenten. Of course after only a few seconds of that shock, they eyed her with suspicion and distrust. They saw the smirk she was giving them and watching their reactions. They knew that she was only doing it to spite them.
"Thank you!" Lee said very brightly, feeling gratitude wash right over him and a new light of hope. He honestly started to believe that Alea was giving him a chance to befriend her. And he was not going to let her down at all! He was going to do his best to become her friend. "I will do my very best, Alea-kun! I won't let you down at all! I will be the best line walker you've ever taught!"
Alea made a face as she looked at him but then she dropped her legs down and let go of the line, dropping down in front of him. She placed her hands onto her waist as she looked him right into the eyes. She was judging him a little, truthfully but she knew that if she was really going to teach him, she needed to know how his balance was in the first placed. Taking a deep breath, she let it out again. "All right. For starters, how good is your balance? Stand on one foot." She told him.
Brightly, Lee did so, pressing one foot against his leg and held out his arms.
The felinish girl shook her head as she crinkled her nose again but then rolled her eyes. "No, no. Fold your arms, like this." She did it herself and then rose one leg out to behind her, standing on one leg. She looked more like a ballet dancer though. "And stand like this."
Lee nodded vigorously before he copied her stance. He folded his arms and held out his right leg out to behind him. Of course, his stance made his teammates and Inari make faces. 'He looks like a complete idiot.' Neji thought, dryly.
"Hmm." Alea hummed as she watched him before she lowered her leg and shifted her feet. She motioned Lee to do the same, which he did. Then she rose her other leg into the ballet stance and nodded for him to do the same. Lee, however, hesitated for a second before he tried to do the same. He wobbled only a little and that made Alea frown as she looked at his left leg. She stared at it for a minute then straightened herself again. "Don't move. Hold that stance." She told him.
"Okay!" Lee said brightly but there was some strain within his voice. He looked like he was having only a little effort in keeping his left leg up.
Alea moved closer to him, looking at his leg, which made him look at her with surprise. She could feel the suspicious gaze of Neji Hyuuga and Tenten but she ignored them as she studied Lee's left leg. She frowned with thought before reaching up and poking at it, trying to push it down. For a moment, Lee thought she was telling him to put his leg down and started to do so when she shot him a look and grabbed his leg, lifting it up again so that he kept standing in the position. Lee blushed and grinned sheepishly at her. But she ignored it. She just went back to looking at his left leg and pushing at it, while he fought to keep it up. Then Alea's eyes lit up as if she realized something.
"Your left leg. It's heavier than the other, isn't it?"
Smiling sheepishly again, Lee shrugged as he then wobbled and had no choice but to put it down. He had almost staggered and fell but managed to catch his balance and rub the back of his neck with a little embarrassment. "Yes. I'm afraid three years ago, I was in an accident."
"Please, Lee." Tenten said impatiently, folding her arms across her chest. "There was nothing accidental about that. Gaara went a little overboard and crushed your entire left side." She shook her head when Lee gave her a pout as if asking her not to say it but she ignored it as she just looked dryly right at Alea. "It was during the Chuunin Exams. Lee went up against another Leaf Ninja, well.....actually he's a Sand Ninja who was raised in the Hidden Leaf. But still, Lee went up against this guy, Gaara. There's this little issue with Gaara and it caused him to become a little unstable. He lost control of his own will and crushed Lee's leg and arm with sand. Because of the damage, it nearly destroyed Lee's chance of continuing being a Shinobi. His bones in both arm and leg were so catastrophic that he almost had to quit being Shinobi completely." She told Alea, who now looked surprised.
Lee, however, was giving Tenten a little bit a forlorn look. He really didn't want Alea to know about his little incident with Gaara. "Tenten, please. Don't. It wasn't really Gaara's fault. He didn't mean to do it." He told her.
Tenten looked at him and saw the look on his face before she let out a low sigh and shook her head. She knew she had upset him only a little for what she was telling Alea. "Sorry, Lee. But you know it wasn't an accident. And I know it wasn't Gaara's fault. Everyone knows it was that stupid Tanuki's fault, Shukaku."
Neji gave her a sharp look for revealing that. "Tenten." He hissed at her, making her wince and realize what she just said.
Alea, however, blinked only once in surprise before her face slowly lit up with realization. She looked as if she knew that name from somewhere. Her mouth even fell a little as she stared at Tenten with surprise. "Wait. Shukaku.....you mean.....! The One Tailed Bijuu?!" She gasped.
Tenten winced and cringed a little while Neji gave her a dry look for letting out some information to a possible threat. But Lee ignored both of them and nodded with a gentle smile on his face. He knew that Neji didn't wan to tell Alea anything but he figured that if he was going to try and become her friend, try to get her to trust them by trusting her. "Yes. Gaara possesses the spirit of one of the Nine Legendary Tailed Beasts, the One Tailed Tanuki, Shukaku." He said a little fondly. "And yes, it was the cause of Shukaku that almost made me stop being a Shinobi altogether. But not Gaara's. In fact, if it wasn't for Gaara, I would not be a ninja anymore. A month after my leg and arm was crushed, Gaara repaired the bones by transplanting sand within my bones, hardening them until they molded into the calcium, making them harder and stronger. He may have destroyed my leg and arm, but he saved me by repairing the damange that he inflicted. My leg and arm, my entire left side is very strong and if I were to hit someone with them, it could cause a lot of damage to an enemy." He told her, receiving glares from his teammates.
But Alea didn't look too bothered by them. Her eyes were only on Lee's, looking very surprised. She just stared at him as if she had never seen anyone like Lee before. The news obviously took her by great surprise. "And....you don't hold this....this Gaara in contempt for what he did to you?" She asked, as if accusing him.
Lee just shook his head with a smile. "No. Gaara is one of my most precious friends. I care about him as much as I care about Naruto, who is the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tail, Kyuubi. Both of them are our greatest friends and we all care for both of them. Don't we, Neji, Tenten? Gai-Sensei, don't we?" He said brightly.
Gai just grinned and nodded as he gave him a thumbs up. While Neji and Tenten sighed in frustration that their bone headed teammate was giving out valuable information but they knew it couldn't be helped. So they both nodded. "Both Naruto and Gaara have been through a lot and they've done so much for all of us, all of the Villages of Leaf and Sand. Gaara was raised in the Leaf Village, yet he left Konoha for his own birth village to free it from some evil organization of enemy ninja called the Akatsuki." Tenten said dully, figuring it wasn't worth hiding it anymore.
At the name, Akatsuki, Alea flinched as if someone branished a whip at her but she quickly covered it up by putting a stony look on her face. "But.....the Jinchuriki are monsters. Why on earth would you want to befriend creatures like them?" She asked coldly.
Never had Tenten moved so fast in her life, nor had her guy teammates seen her move. One second, she was sitting right next to Neji, the next minute she was right in front of Alea, glaring at her with the most dangerous look on her face. "Don't you ever call them monsters again!!" She nearly shouted at Alea, her eyes blazing, and actually making the dark skinned girl draw back in surprise. Alea was only too surprised to see tears growing in the other girl's eyes as she glared at her. "You don't know what Naruto and Gaara has been through because of their demons! Everyone hated them from the beginning! Everyone thought they were monsters because of Shukaku and Kyuubi! Both of them had to live alone and hated by everyone in our village! But then they found one another and they became best friends! Then they were assigned to the same team and they made friends with their teammates! And then they became friends with all of us! Gaara wasn't even born in our village but we grew up with him! He's been through more than any one of us! His own father tried to have him killed and it caused an uproar! But we never backdown from being his friend! It was because we got to know him for who he is!"
"Uh......" Alea stammered with unease.
Tenten shook her head as she glared harder at the other girl, her eyes still threatening to spill tears. "You didn't have to watch our friends Sakura and Naruto cry because the Akatsuki captured him and tried to remove Shukaku from his body! It almost killed him and we almost lost our friend! But Naruto refused to give up and let him die! You didn't have to watch him die protecting us from the Akatsuki!" She snapped. "Do not ever call Gaara or Naruto monsters just because they possess a Bijuu inside of them!! You just don't understand them like everyone else who despises them!!"
Alea stared at the enraged Weapons Specialist with shock for a long moment, letting all of her words hit her before her face slowly softened into a look of understanding. She slowly lowered her eyes away from Tenten and then she turned her face away from her. "Maybe you're right." She said quietly, which made Tenten blink in surprise, as well as everyone else. "Maybe you're right that I don't understand." She lift her eyes and looked right into Tenten's eyes again, a little forlorn but there was a hint of sadness. "But you didn't have to watch your best friend die for protecting you, saving you from the worst kinds of people when he was the only one who cared about you. He was the only one who cared about you when other people treated you like an ugly beast. He was the only one who ever loved you and now I will never see him again." She said her voice turning ice cold. Then she blinked as if she realized she let what she said slip before she turned away. "I may understand a lot more than you think, Tenten. My best friend was the Eight Tailed Jinchuriki. And the Akatsuki got him when he was protecting me." She told them before she slowly walked off towards the trees.
Very astonished, the members of Team Gai and Inari stared after her with surprise and alarm. Even Neji had to stare in shock after her. But then Lee's face softened into a look of pity as if he realized something then he looked at Tenten, who covered her mouth with a hand and let a tear stream down her cheek. "You meant well, Tenten, we all know." He told her gently, placing a hand onto her shoulder, before he turned and followed after Alea.
Gai, however, frowned with his eyes narrowing a little thought but then he sighed and shook his head. He had caught on to what Alea had said. "Well, looks like we have a bigger problem here than I realized." He whispered to himself.