A/N: Thank you for reading! Long chapter ahead. Also, be aware this chapter contains violence.
Chapter 14: Conflagration
At long last, the students at Konohagakure High School were in their final week before having a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lee was quite excited for the end of the week, which would be the night of the highly anticipated play Sakura was performing in. However, he predicted Sasuke would be giving him trouble.
Already, Sasuke had warned him to not go near Sakura and not to attend the play. To make matters worse, he had seen Lee in Sakura's bedroom of all places. Lee didn't regret going to her home, but he did feel somewhat bad for the Uchiha. It seemed to Lee that Sasuke must still have feelings for Sakura. One would not just forget about a love like her and give her up without a fight. A conflict was inevitable, and Lee had accepted it.
Lee arrived at school, eagerly making his way to where he usually meets Sakura. He passed by Ino and Sai, waving at them as he passed. Ino was disinterested in Lee, not returning his friendly gesture. Sai smiled at him warmly, glad to know Lee was still well. Sai was aware of Sasuke's growing madness. With the final game of the season at the end of this week, he worried that Sasuke's sudden free schedule would finally allow him to target the martial artist. Knowing of the younger Uchiha's ferocity firsthand, Sai was unsure how this conflict would resolve without someone getting hurt.
"Good morning, Lee." Sakura greeted. She wore a white beanie over her head, shivering after a cool breeze struck her.
"Good morning, my love." Lee greeted. "Let's get inside."
"Right. It's freezing out here." Sakura commented.
They stepped inside a hallway together, which was still frigid, but much warmer than it was outside. They noticed an empty bench and the two sat down beside each other.
"It's the big week." Sakura said. "I'm starting to get nervous now."
"Do not worry, Sakura. I know you will do great!" Lee said. "I cannot wait until Friday!" he said enthusiastically.
"Thanks." Sakura said, feeling flattered.
Suddenly, a large figure approached the two. Lee and Sakura looked up at the hulking figure. It was Choji Akimichi. Lee was surprised to see him so randomly. The last time they spoke was at the town carnival in early October. Choji stood there awkwardly with a family-size box of cereal, munching away on the sugary sweet breakfast pieces.
"Hey, Lee." He said with his mouth still full.
"Hello, Choji. It has been a while." Lee said. Sakura frowned, desiring to be left alone this morning.
"Indeed it has." Choji said before swallowing. "I need to speak to you. In private." He added.
Lee raised an eyebrow, finding this exchange quite bizarre, but he did not detect any deceit. He once played soccer with Choji and found him to be quite trustworthy.
"Alright." Lee agreed. "Forgive me, Sakura. I will be right back." Lee said.
"Okay." Sakura said, still suspicious of Choji.
Sakura remained on the bench while Lee stood up and walked with Choji, stepping back outside into the cold. Sakura watched as the two walked away, feeling that something was amiss. She decided to check her phone, a habit she fell back on whenever she was bored or had time to kill. She scrolled mindlessly, only managing to click once on her screen until she felt she was being watched. She looked up and saw Sasuke approaching her. She grabbed her bag and stood up, beginning to walk away.
"Wait." Sasuke ordered. Sakura sighed.
"What do you want?" Sakura snapped. "Did you forget something when you showed up at my house?" she said aggressively.
"Sakura. Listen to me." Sasuke ordered.
Sakura stood, turning to face Sasuke. His brows were furrowed, and he was tense. His eyes appeared dull, although they managed to convey his anger and sorrow.
"What do you want?" Sakura repeated through gritted teeth. Sasuke sighed, trying to calm himself and collect his thoughts.
"I know I screw up. I should have treated you better." Sasuke said. "Will you forgive me?"
Sakura paused. Though she did not want to be in this situation, she felt some satisfaction in having Sasuke ask for her forgiveness. Maybe some time away from each other allowed Sasuke to think about his actions and consider his feelings. Sakura sighed.
"I forgive you." Sakura said. Sasuke looked relieved.
"Thank you." Sasuke said genuinely. "I'm glad we could move past this. I missed you, Sakura." he said, moving towards her. Sakura immediately felt uncomfortable and put her hands out. Sasuke stopped in his tracks and was surprised.
"Wait. You don't think just like that that we are back together now, do you?" Sakura asked.
"You can't be serious." Sasuke said, his voice venomous. "Don't tell me you care about that bastard."
With lightning-fast speed, Sakura cleared the gap between the two and struck Sasuke's cheek with her open hand, creating a loud clap that silenced all of the passing students. About a dozen pairs of eyes were on them, staring at the scene. Sasuke reached a hand to his throbbing cheek, surprised by Sakura's strength and anger.
"Don't talk about Lee like that." Sakura scolded, curling her hands into fists and placing them at her sides, resisting the urge to strike him again. She turned around and walked towards the door Lee and Choji exited through. She pushed the door open forcefully, causing the door to strike the wall behind it loudly.
Outside, Lee stood dumbfounded at Choji, who had been telling Lee about his favorite restaurant. Sakura went to Lee and grabbed his arm, pulling him away. Her grip on his arm was painful, but Lee didn't protest, walking with her.
"Sakura, I am sorry I was gone for so long." Lee said.
She kept pulling him, still walking angrily. His concern grew for her. He continued walking with her until they were behind a building, out of sight and away from other students.
"Sakura…" Lee said as she let go finally.
Lee's fingertips in his affected arm felt tingly due to the lack of blood circulation. She was facing away, her back turned to Lee. He placed his hand on her shoulder. He felt her shoulder lift slightly as she began to cry.
"Sakura, tell me what happened. What is wrong?" Lee asked, embracing her, and trying to comfort her. She shook her head as she cried.
"Sasuke…" Sakura started. She sniffled as the cold air stung her nose. "He talked to me."
Lee's bushy eyebrows furrowed, and he gritted his teeth. He now understood that Sasuke sent Choji as a distraction to catch Sakura alone. He was angry with himself for leaving her alone and vulnerable.
"Sakura, I am so sorry." Lee said, holding her closer and stroking the strands of her hair that were uncovered by her beanie. "I will not allow that to happen again."
"I just want to be happy. I am so done with all of the drama." Sakura said, collecting herself.
"I know, I know." Lee said, running his hand across her back. "I will protect you, Sakura. I would give my life to keep you safe."
"I don't want you both to fight." Sakura said, feeling calmer now.
"Do not worry about that." Lee assured her. "Everything will be okay. I promise."
Sakura nuzzled her head deeper into Lee's chest. He smiled as he continued stroking her hair. He was managing his anger quite well. He was too happy to be with Sakura to worry about the Uchiha currently.
"Thanks, Lee." Sakura sighed, trying to regain her full composure. "We should go though, or we will be late to class."
"Right." Lee said as he let Sakura go, taking her hand instead. They two started walking toward her class.
After they parted ways, Lee raced to his class. With only a minute to spare, he planted himself in his seat next to Neji and Tenten. He panted, relieved he could rest his tired legs finally.
"Hey, Lee." Tenten greeted. "Only a week left."
"Hey, Tenten." Lee panted. "Good morning, Neji." Lee said to Neji. Neji grunted in response as he took a sip of his energy drink.
"Don't you feel weird yet about turning 18 next week?" Tenten asked.
"I have not thought about it much, honestly." Lee said tiredly. "There seems to always be something going on, lately." Lee added.
"Did something happen?" Tenten asked.
"Yeah, just before I arrived here," Lee said. "Sasuke talked to Sakura."
"So?" Neji asked.
"I want him to keep away from her." Lee said. The anger he was suppressing earlier now coming to the surface. "He is no good."
"Getting possessive already, huh?" Tenten remarked.
"I cannot help it. I love her." Lee argued. "Neji would be the same way."
"I don't know. I don't think Sakura would like it if you got possessive of her." Tenten said.
"It is not like that. I just want that jerk to leave her alone." Lee retorted. "Maybe someday you will understand."
"Enough. This is going nowhere." Neji said.
Just then, Dr. Orochimaru started the class. He droned on about the latest chapter the class started. Neji could barely keep his eyes open and Tenten seemed more interested in crocheting another shuriken. Lee tried to focus on the lecture, but he could not stop thinking about Sasuke. He sensed he would be encountering the Uchiha soon. Lee was eager to exchange a few choice words with him.
Suddenly, without warning, the fire alarms blared. Neji jolted in his seat, rudely awakened by the loud alarm. The students all looked at each other, confused and surprised by the alarm. There wasn't a scheduled fire drill as far as they knew. To be safe, the students began getting out of their seats and proceeding to exit from the classroom. Dr. Orochimaru led the class outside into the cold. Dozens of students flooded out of the school, assembling in the parking lot away from the main buildings. The students stood around, chatting with classmates, and some were concerned. Others were less than thrilled to be standing outside in the cold.
"I wonder what happened. Do you guys see any smoke?" Tenten asked as she peered at the buildings.
"I don't see anything unusual." Neji said.
Lee looked around, finding this situation strange. He was concerned about Sakura's safety, and he scanned through the crowd, hoping to see Sakura. Instead, he noticed another familiar face. The tall, masked man walked through the crowd, looking sheepish.
"Kakashi Sensei!" Lee shouted and waved. Kakashi turned and noticed Lee. He approached the three.
"Bonjour." Kakashi said, fidgeting with his black facemask and looking nervous.
"Do you know what is going on?" Lee asked.
"Oh, it's a funny story." Kakashi said bashfully, putting his hand behind his head. "Some careless teacher made the coffee machine in the teacher's lounge overheat. I tried to use a fire extinguisher but naturally, the thing wasn't working properly. The smoke detector was triggered, and I decided to let the experts handle it."
"It was you, wasn't it?" Neji accused Kakashi bluntly.
"Hey, at least this unfortunate occurrence allowed us to get some fresh air." Kakashi said, laughing. Neji and Tenten were annoyed, missing the warmth of the classroom. "I should get going. Perhaps the firemen would like some hot coffee to drink. Au revoir." he said and disappeared into the crowd.
"This morning couldn't get worse." Tenten complained.
The young student was already eating her words. She glanced up at Lee and noticed Sasuke approaching. She felt a shiver up her spine.
"It's him." Tenten said. Neji and Lee turned to face Sasuke, who had drawn nearer.
"You." Sasuke said while glaring at Lee, pushing some of the younger classmen out of his way until he stood in front of the trio.
Lee stood bravely, preparing for a fight. He felt his muscles twitch in his legs, ready to react quickly, despite the heavy weights which were attached to his extremities, concealed by his grey joggers. Neji's posture stiffened, as he perceived Sasuke as a potential threat. Two against one may not seem fair, but Neji did not care. He did not hide his distaste for the Uchiha.
"I warned you, you worthless bastard." Sasuke spat, scowling at Lee still.
"Go away, Sasuke. You're acting crazy." Tenten snapped. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Watch your mouth, bitch." Sasuke hissed.
"Enough." Neji interjected. "I won't tolerate you speaking to my girlfriend that way." He said angrily, closing the gap between them.
"And what are you going to do, you sorry excuse of a man? Go cry at your father's grave?" Sasuke growled.
"Why you piece of shit..." Neji said through gritted teeth.
"Get out of my face, Hyūga. Or I'll bury you too." Sasuke warned. Neji was prepared to fight, despite being dwarfed in size against Sasuke.
"That is enough." Lee said, stepping in front of Neji. "It is me you are angry with, Sasuke."
"Meet me behind the east wing building after school." Sasuke ordered Lee. "Be there or I will find you myself." he said before turning to leave.
Lee felt his heart pounding still after Sasuke had left. He noticed the crowd began moving, returning to their classrooms now that the minuscule fire had been extinguished. Tenten and Neji were tense.
"What an asshole." Tenten said, referring to Sasuke.
"Yeah, kick his ass, Lee." Neji added. "I hate that damn guy."
"It cannot be helped. I will have to do it." Lee said, his eyebrows still furrowed.
"If you don't do it, then I will." Neji said harshly.
"You guys are going to get in so much trouble if you get caught fighting on school grounds." Tenten said. "Let's think about this, what if you get expelled?" Tenten asked Lee.
"I cannot just stand by and do nothing. Sasuke wants Sakura back and he is not going to stop unless I make him." Lee argued. "I will put him in his place." He said while curling his fingers into a fist. Tenten sighed, defeated.
"I got your back." Neji said. "I will warn you if I see a teacher or anyone."
"Thank you, Neji." Lee said, teary-eyed, touched by his good friend's gesture.
"I owe you one anyway." Neji said, referring to the time Lee accompanied his cousin at the carnival.
"Neji…" Tenten whined, upset that he volunteered himself into such a risky position. "I just don't get you guys sometimes." she said, exasperated. "But since your minds are made up, go break his face, Lee. And you better stay out of sight."
"I will." Lee responded, thankful his friends had his back. It was moments like this when Lee was filled with determination thanks to his comrades.
Later that day, Sakura and Lee were reunited in their shared class. Sakura seemed still shaken up from this morning as was Lee. Despite the wild morning, the two were happy to be back together.
During the lecture, Sakura couldn't focus on class. Mrs. Sarutobi's pregnancy was now showing. It made Sakura consider the time that had passed since the summer. So much had changed in such a short amount of time. When her teacher got married during the summer, Sakura was still madly in love with Sasuke. Whenever she saw photos of a wedding or a new family, she always daydreamed about herself having that same experience with Sasuke. Seeing Mrs. Sarutobi pregnant made her contemplate if that was something she still wanted.
Sakura cursed herself for still thinking about Sasuke. She wanted to move past him, but he still occupied her mind considerably. It saddened her to think about what could have been with him. Although, that version of Sasuke she loved so dearly seemed to be dead and gone. It seemed as if her love for the old Sasuke and her budding love for Lee were wrestling with each other for dominance in her mind. Her hidden inner self, whom she kept out of sight carefully, delighted in such a conflict. Though acknowledging it would prove Ino right, it was true that a part of Sakura was gratified by having two guys fight over her. She found her deep thoughts both amusing and disturbing, leaning more towards disturbing when she considered her growing affection for Lee.
Sakura's thoughts turned back to Lee when she caught a whiff of his cologne. She still thought about the moment when she saw his arms. It was a tragedy he always kept his exquisite arms covered, even during some of the warmer months of the year. She was unaware of the kind of strength he possessed, but she was not sure if Lee would be able to overcome the strength Sasuke had. Though Sasuke had always been lean, his more massive size in recent memory combined with his experience playing American football made Sakura assume that he may overpower Lee. Lee was so kind, disciplined, and good-natured that it almost seemed comical to imagine Lee as some martial arts beast that he claimed he was. It made Sakura feel strange to consider that she may even lose some of her respect for Lee if he fell at the hands of the Uchiha again. As much as she wanted to bury the thought, it persisted. The thought sickened her.
Lee escorted Sakura to her next class as usual. Her next class period was much like the previous, she was growing anxious at the thought of a fight. It would attract unwanted attention to her, and she wasn't sure how to process her feelings. It felt like she was being disloyal to Lee by believing Sasuke could destroy him in a fight.
Her class was dismissed ten minutes early. Her classmates were overjoyed to be out prematurely. Sakura left her class and headed to a nearby restroom. She stepped in right as Ino stepped out from a stall.
"Oh. It's you." Ino said.
"I'm happy to see you too." Sakura said sarcastically.
"Your loser boyfriend is about to get beaten to a pulp. I hope you're proud of yourself." Ino said. "I had no idea you could be so sadistic." She accused.
"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.
"I heard Sasuke and Lee are going to fight behind the east wing once class ends." Ino said as she washed her hands. Sakura's heart sank.
"No way." Sakura said. She wasn't really surprised, but she did not imagine they would fight so soon.
"Admit it. You're so starved for attention that you would put that dork in danger. I'll bet you will get back with Sasuke after this." Ino spat.
Those words hurt Sakura. Do the people around her think so little of her? She cringed at the thought of what others were saying. It distressed her so much only because the thought had crossed her mind. She knew going back to Sasuke was foolish and unthinkable. Her parents would be furious, and Lee would be heartbroken. If Sasuke was somehow magically turned back to his old self, she knew she would consider going back to him. She felt sick thinking about being forced to choose if the moment came.
"I'm so done with all of this." Sakura sighed. "I don't want Lee or anyone getting hurt. I don't know what happened to Sasuke and why he's changed, but I like Lee. I admit I was being vain when I judged him, but he's a great person inside."
"That beauty on the inside crap is just something ugly people say." Ino retorted. "It pisses me off how you act so fake."
"Whatever. I have better things to do than stand here and take your shit. You won't admit it but you're jealous of me and everyone knows it." Sakura stated before turning to leave. She exited the bathroom, slamming the door and feeling like the early dismissal was a curse instead of a blessing. She marched to the auditorium, ready to get her rehearsal over with and hoping Ino was just lying to her about a fight happening.
The final class period concluded. Lee had been mentally preparing himself for his fight with Sasuke. It would mark his first serious fight outside of the safety of the dojo. Lee had not attended any football games during the season, but he imagined Sasuke would be strong. This time without Sakura present, Lee imagined Sasuke would not hold back. Thankfully for Lee, most of his hair returned, covering the scarred skin on his scalp from the injury Sasuke inflicted upon him several weeks ago. He walked towards the east wing of the school, noticing Neji and Tenten were nearby and waiting for him.
"Are you guys sure about this?" Tenten asked as soon as Lee joined her and Neji.
"There is no going back." Lee said boldly. Neji nodded, agreeing with Lee. Tenten shook her head.
"I just don't understand guys sometimes." Tenten complained. "Good luck, Lee. Please try not to get hurt." Tenten said. "I can't bear to watch, and I can't miss rehearsal this week."
"It is alright, Tenten. I understand." Lee said.
Tenten and Neji kissed and Tenten parted ways from them, heading to the auditorium to rehearse some more for the play this Friday. She took the role of a background character.
"It looks like enough people have left. Let's go." Neji said to Lee.
Lee nodded and the two continued their trek to behind the east wing. Behind the building was mostly dead grass, fallen autumn leaves, and empty space, backing to an old chain-link fence and a densely wooded area. The sun was now westward, the tall school building casting a shadow where Sasuke Uchiha, his two teammates, and a single cheerleader were waiting. Sai and Choji were accompanied by Sasuke and Lee did not recognize the lone girl who stood with the three. She had long red hair, black-framed glasses, and reddish-brown eyes that were just as intense as her hair color.
"Uh oh." Choji said as Lee and Neji appeared. He ran up to Lee and Neji. Neji put his fists in front of him, prepared to fight. "Easy there." Choji said, raising his open palms out submissively. "I am sorry, Lee. I didn't want to get involved in all of this." He explained, referring to the interaction from this morning. "I had no idea what was going on, I swear."
"It is alright." Lee responded. "Sai, what are you doing here?" Lee asked.
"I am sorry, Lee. I wanted to watch." Sai said.
"Shut up, both of you." Sasuke said to his teammates. He approached Lee and Neji. "Let's get this over with. I have football practice." he said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Lee." Neji said, pointing to Lee's legs.
"Oh! That's right." Lee said, reminded of his heavy leg weights. He sat down and curled up his pantlegs, exposing the weights to the frosty air.
"He's wearing leg weights to school? What a weirdo." The red-headed girl commented. "Not like removing those things is going to make a difference."
"You shut up too, Karin." Sasuke snapped at her.
She swooned, unusually happy by Sasuke's display of aggression. Neji frowned, disgusted by this strange girl. Lee removed the weights and handed them to Neji. Neji took them and felt his arms already straining from the weight. He couldn't believe Lee could carry these weights around everywhere he stepped and even drove his car with them on.
Feeling lighter on his feet now, Lee started doing a boxer's bounce with his fists raised, increasing his heart rate. Sasuke removed his sweater, wearing a navy blue compression shirt underneath. His bulk was intimidating, but Lee's expression was left unchanged. He slipped into the usual mindset he adopted whenever he got serious during training. Lee removed his oversized hoodie, wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt undeath.
Neji, Sai, Choji, and Karin all stepped back, watching intently. Neji knew Lee could fight, but Lee seemed smaller compared to the Uchiha. They stood at nearly the same height and weight class, but Sasuke's reputation preceded Lee's. Neji had attended a football game and was aware of the savagery of the Uchiha. He witnessed him previously drive through as many as three players like a bull on a rampage. He cringed at the thought of Lee receiving another ghastly injury. To Neji, this fight was akin to David and Goliath.
Sasuke approached first. Lee gritted his teeth and motioned into a defensive position. Sasuke pulled his right shoulder back, winding up his fist, and threw his clinched fist wildly toward Lee's head. Lee dodged and redirected the fist, catching Sasuke by surprise and performing a leg sweep, resulting in Sasuke falling to the ground. Lee stepped back and went back to his defensive position.
Sasuke quickly rose to his feet, angered by Lee. He attacked once again with his fist and Lee once again skillfully dodged his attack. Sasuke threw a barrage of punches, which Lee managed to dodge. Sasuke swung his left fist and Lee redirected the fist away towards Sasuke's right side, allowing Lee to land an elbow strike to Sasuke's head. The force of the impact was loud as Sasuke stumbled backward, his back crashing into the chain-link fence. It was the perfect moment for Lee to strike, but he hesitated. He remained in his defensive pose, glaring at Sasuke.
Neji winced. Lee could have finished the fight right then and there. He was silently cursing his friend for prolonging this duel. He knew he should have been on guard for anyone catching them, but he could not tear his eyes away from the intense duel. He feared Lee's mercy would be his downfall.
Feeling he was being made a fool, Sasuke lunged once again at Lee, his anger more intensified than before. Sasuke threw an even faster punch, taking Lee by surprise and grazing his chin as he dodged. Cautiously, Lee blocked the next barrage of punches before spinning and performing a tornado kick, striking Sasuke in the head. The Uchiha was dazed, seeing what looked like duplicates of Lee standing in front of him as he raised his fists once again.
Sasuke swung recklessly again at Lee, who quickly dodged the punch and returned the favor. Lee's right fist struck Sasuke's stomach and Lee's left hand grabbed Sasuke's right shoulder. Lee performed another leg sweep, pushing down on Sasuke's shoulder as he fell flat on his back, the force of Sasuke's body weight crashing against the ground sent a shock of pain through the Uchiha. Lee stood above and kicked the Uchiha on the side before swinging his entire body weight into his fist, downward into the Uchiha's ribcage. The momentum and power behind Lee's calculated attack was a frightening sight, causing Karin's jaw to drop and Choji's raised his hands to meet his head, conveying his shock.
"Fuck!" Sasuke shouted as he clutched his ribs.
Lee backed up, still in a defensive pose and ready to strike if the Uchiha dared to get up for more. He was aware he may have broken a rib or two in that last punch. Lee had that move done on him before, and it had felt like a bowling ball had been dropped from a 12-story building on his torso. Sasuke got up, grimacing from his injury.
"You son of a bitch." Sasuke spat.
Sasuke advanced towards Lee and stumbled; his right ankle unable to completely obey his movements. The force of Lee's leg sweep caused more damage than Sasuke perceived. He clenched his jaw as he swung again at Lee, who expertly dodged. Sasuke's ribs ached; the pain only dulled slightly by the surge of adrenaline. After parrying the three punches, Lee took a quick, large step back before rushing forward, delivering a powerful kick to Sasuke's abdomen. Using the power and momentum from his running start, Lee sent a flying kick, which landed against Sasuke's face. The kick forced Sasuke back to the ground, barely holding onto consciousness as he grabbed onto the chain-link fence weakly for support.
"Hey! What's going on over here!" A voice called. It appeared to be a staff member of the school. She was shouting from the third floor of the building.
"Lee. We got to move." Neji said, still carrying the weights and Lee's hoodie.
Lee nodded and ran with Neji, away from the building and towards the parking lot to their vehicles. Sai and Choji glanced at Sasuke before running off together towards the gymnasium to football practice. Karin remained with Sasuke, afraid of getting in trouble, but unwilling to leave him behind.
"It'll be okay. I'll come up with some story." Karin said.
"Forget it. Let's go." Sasuke grunted as he got up. His body ached as he limped.
"You can't run in this condition!" Karin said, alarmed by him.
"I'm fine." Sasuke said as he continued towards the gymnasium.
"Oh, Sasuke. You're so sexy when you're like this. Such a strong man." Karin swooned.
Sasuke frowned, annoyed by Karin but more focused on not getting caught. They reached the gymnasium and parted ways. Sasuke retreated to the locker room to tend to his injuries and nurse his wounded pride. He knew he was going to need to contact his older brother for help to get x-rays, or he would face his father's wrath if the man found out that Sasuke was involved in another altercation at school. Not willing to contact his older brother, he decided to lie instead and blame a tackle during practice as the cause of his injury.
Lee and Neji panted as they took refuge in the parking lot behind a large, lifted pickup truck. Neji felt himself sweating, exhausted from hauling Lee's heavy leg weights across the campus. Lee let himself fall to the pavement onto his rear, breathing heavily still as he was processing what just happened. Neji began laughing, which was an unusual sight. Lee had known Neji for at least seven years now and could count on one hand how many times he had seen Neji laugh.
"What is so funny?" Lee asked. Neji cleared his throat and regained his composure.
"That was the most satisfying fight I have ever seen." Neji remarked. "Not a single one of his punches connected. Seems he's less brain and more brawn when it comes to fighting." Neji added. "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
"My hero Bruce Lee once said, 'I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.'" Lee said proudly. Neji smiled, relieved Lee was unharmed, and justice was served to that haughty Uchiha.
"Let's not linger." Neji said, wary still of the teacher who witnessed the fray.
"Right. We should leave. I have to get to work." Lee said, noticing the time on his watch. "I hope Guy won't be angry that I was in a fight." he said worriedly to himself.
Neji and Lee departed from the school grounds. Lee arrived at work and worked as he usually does, although his mind was distracted by his thoughts. Guy Sensei noticed the change in Lee. After the last class finished and left, Guy approached Lee.
"Lee, you have been really happy lately, but it seems your happiness has come to a crashing halt. What's on your mind?" Guy asked.
"I am sorry, Sensei. I cannot lie to you. I was in a fight at school today." Lee confessed.
"What? What happened?" Guy asked, surprised by Lee's response.
"Sasuke Uchiha is trying to get back with Sakura. He warned me to stay away from her, but I was not going to let that jerk boss me around." Lee said, full of determination. "He challenged me to a fight, and I put him in his place." Lee said.
He looked at Guy, who was still dumbfounded. Suddenly, Guy let out a hearty laugh, to Lee's surprise and relief.
"Well done, Lee! I'm proud of you." Guy said.
"You-you mean you are not mad?" Lee asked.
"Now why would I be mad that you defended yourself and your honor?" Guy replied. He gave Lee a huge pat on the back. "Not only that, but you also don't seem injured."
"It was awesome, Sensei! If only Sakura was watching, she would have seen how strong her love has made me." Lee beamed.
"So tell me, Lee, who is this Sasuke guy?" Guy asked.
"You do not remember him?" Lee asked, pointing to the side of his head which had been scarred. Guy paused and thought deeply, resting his finger on his chin as he thought.
"I forgot." Guy admitted. Lee sighed. "Come here you rascal!" Guy said playfully and lifted Lee, swinging him around like a ragdoll.
Lee was not surprised by Guy's strength, which was unwavering even as he aged. Lee laughed as Guy spun with him, reminding him of his youth when Guy would pick him up like this with only one hand. The task required two hands now, but it was all the same as it was before. Guy eventually stopped and put Lee back down, the two of them still laughing together.
"It's wild to think that in just one week, you will be eighteen." Guy said. "How the years have gone by…"
"I already feel like a man now." Lee smiled, thinking about his victory.
"You still have the rest of this week for school, so you should go home and get some well-deserved rest." Guy said, ruffling Lee's hair.
Lee agreed and went home. After an uneventful drive in the dark and cold, he arrived at his countryside home. Shino and Kiba were both home and arguing.
"I don't care if you don't like cats. If you don't like it, then you can just move out." Shino said.
"Cats are lame. Not even Akamaru likes Killer B." Kiba argued.
In direct contradiction to Kiba's statement, Akamaru and Killer B were engaged in play. The still tiny Bombay kitten spun as he made playful swipes at Akamaru, whose tail was wagging, and he panted happily as he dodged the kitten's barrage of play swipes. Akamaru played with the kitten, taking extra care to not get too rough on the tiny feline. Shino smiled, amused by the animals playing.
"They seem to be getting along." Lee observed. Kiba frowned, standing corrected.
"Why did you name him after that rapper?" Kiba asked Shino.
"I'm not very good with names." Shino admitted. "He just dropped a new single that's been stuck in my head and the name seemed fitting."
"Anyways, welcome home, Bruce Lee." Kiba said sarcastically to Lee. Lee looked surprised. "Word spreads fast around school, you know."
"What happened?" Shino asked.
"Lee demolished Sasuke after school today. Or at least that's what I heard." Kiba said smiling. He scanned Lee, noticing Lee seemed completely fine without so much as a scratch. "Give us the details, Lee." He said while looking at Lee expectedly.
"He challenged me to a fight during the fire evacuation this morning. I agreed and - Oh! That reminds me…" Lee said and turned to his school bag.
He crouched down and removed his cell phone, which was still on silent from teaching at the dojo. He had some text messages from Sakura and his group chat with Neji and Tenten. He prioritized responding to Sakura first.
"I will tell you more later." Lee said, excusing himself from the room and heading upstairs to his bedroom, taking care to not step on the pets at play. He sat on the side of his bed and called Sakura. She picked up the line.
"Hi, Lee. How are you?" Sakura asked.
"I am doing great, my sweet angel. How are you?" Lee asked.
"I'm alright, just finishing some homework." Sakura said at her desk, nearly finished with her math equations. "I'm getting nervous, Lee."
"About the play?" Lee asked.
"Mhmm." Sakura responded. "I'm still shaken up from Sasuke approaching me this morning too."
"I do not think he will trouble you again anytime soon." Lee said confidently. Sakura felt her suspicions were confirmed.
"Ino told me you and Sasuke were going to fight after school today. Is that true?" Sakura asked.
"Yes." Lee admitted. "I am sorry it has to be this way, Sakura, but he approached me during the evacuation and challenged me. I could not say no. I hope you understand."
"Are you alright?" Sakura asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?" she asked.
"I am fine." Lee replied. "Not a scratch on me."
"…" Sakura wasn't too surprised about the fight, but she was surprised by Lee's response. She expected him to be bruised or battered from a fight with Sasuke. How could someone fight Sasuke and come out completely intact? Surely he must be lying, trying to play it cool or downplay the seriousness of the situation, she thought. On the other hand, she thought, Lee is not a liar and he certainly would not lie to her.
"Sakura? Are you angry with me?" Lee asked.
"I don't know." Sakura responded, unsure of what to say. "This is all a lot for me to process."
"It is okay. I understand." Lee said. "I will leave you be so that you can finish your homework. Goodnight, my love. Pleasant dreams."
"Goodnight, Lee. Sleep well." Sakura said. Lee hung up the phone.
Sakura put down her phone and rested her head in her arms on the desk. She sighed and fought back tears. Her frustration was boiling over.
"What's wrong with me?" Sakura asked herself. "Why can't I just move on and be happy with Lee?"
The two men in her mind and heart mixed like water and oil. Though she was confident in her feelings for Lee, Sasuke's intrusion into her new relationship made her uneasy. It made no sense how Sasuke could neglect her for so long and suddenly want her back, willing to fight Lee to win back her love. This conflict strained her friendship with Ino, whom she missed dearly deep down. With her relationships so tangled in the chaos, it was difficult for Sakura to be vulnerable and open her heart.
"That's enough Sakura, quit being so weak." She thought to herself. "Lee is doing his best and Sasuke and Ino are the ones who are acting out of line."
Sakura thought about Lee again. Lee exuded such positivity and warmth always that one could say he has golden retriever energy but with German shepherd discipline. His good vibes were contagious and her thoughts about Sasuke were so unwelcome when he was around her.
Unbeknownst to Sakura, Lee felt discouraged now. It felt righteous to beat that Uchiha down and he wished Sakura could feel the same way about it. His anger with Sasuke left him as soon as Sasuke was defeated, but that anger had already returned once he knew Sakura wasn't so pleased by this news. Lee realized Sakura must still love Sasuke. The thought was like a knife in his heart.
Lee lay down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wanted Sakura's love so badly. He thought he had it, but now he felt that he had to fight even harder to keep it. The thought of Sasuke made him uncharacteristically angry now. Though he had clobbered the Uchiha unscathed, he felt beaten down by the thoughts now haunting him. He needed to know Sakura was his and his only.
He climbed out of bed and took out his 40lb dumbbells and began lifting them. After completing a set of bicep curls, he traded the weights for 55lb dumbbells, his anger giving him monstrous strength to complete more reps than he normally could with this weight.
"Sasuke. You warned me not to turn up to the play. Let us see what you are going to do when I do attend." Lee thought to himself as he lifted.
He felt his blood boil from his anger as if a gate to his inner strength from his soul had been opened. His eyes darted to his poster of Bruce Lee on the wall. He turned away as if he felt he was being judged by his hero.
"I cannot be like water when my heart is like fire." Lee thought to himself, his eyes teary from the mental anguish.