A/N: I know Yamanaka is Ino's last name, but I assigned it to Sai in this story. Hope that clears up any confusion. Anyways, thanks for reading.

Chapter 8: A Scary Encounter

The weekend passed by, and Lee returned to his classes, but not his routine. His mandated rest caused him to miss his visits to the gym and running with Kiba in the mornings. Though his vision was back to normal, his head still felt heavy, and his scalp itched from his still-healing wound. Neji and Tenten examined the damage to his head, looking relieved that it looked better than it did during their last visit to Lee's home.

"How are you feeling?" Tenten asked.

"I am alright," Lee said. "I just hope my hair grows back quickly and that I do not get a permanent bald spot." He said, self-conscious of his current hairstyle. He attempted to cover the wound by styling his hair with pomade.

"Cut your losses and just cut it." Neji suggested. Lee frowned.

"Does it look that bad?" Lee asked, looking at both Neji and Tenten for their honest opinion. As much as they felt bad for Lee, they did not conceal their judgment. Lee sighed, defeated.

"Hey, maybe a change is good." Tenten said, trying to cheer Lee up. Lee sulked further in his seat. She looked to Neji for support, and he was afraid of making the situation worse. Tenten's face lit up when she got an idea. "Hey, Lee. There's a guy in theater who's really good at cutting hair. He trimmed my bangs for me last week. Maybe he can help you." She suggested. Neji poorly hid his distaste for the guy.

"Really? Who?" Lee asked.

"Sai Yama-" Tenten started, but she paused, trying to remember his last name.

"Yamanaka?" Lee asked. Tenten smiled.

"That's him!" She said. "He's a great artist and is very skilled with his hands," Tenten said, complimenting Sai's work as she brushed her bangs with her fingers. "He is a bit odd, though."

Lee knew what she was referring to. Sai is a quiet and reserved type of guy, and there were times he caught Lee by surprise. Namely when it came to his peculiar sense of humor. Sai would have one believe that he was a completely normal guy until he said something outlandish. As Sai and Lee began to talk more during class, Lee would still find himself caught completely off guard by the things he would say.

Neji wanted to make some remark about some of the art students being strange, but he kept his comment to himself, fearing it may offend Tenten. He shared his pre-calculus class with Sasori and Deidara, two students who were quarrelsome with each other and equally untrustworthy. Neji and Tenten's relationship was new, and Lee could not be happier for them. It was a refreshing sight to watch as two good friends grew together into lovers.

"Anyways, will you be going to the homecoming dance?" Tenten asked Lee.

"I am going to ask Sakura today." Lee said. Neji and Tenten cringed.

"Lee, at least cut your hair first before you embarrass yourself further." Neji said, irritated.

"There is not enough time to cut my hair between now and my class with Sakura." Lee argued. "Unless Sai is available before I see him later." He thought aloud. Pressured by Tenten and Neji, Lee texted Sai, who responded immediately; Meet me in the bathroom in the choir hall during lunch.

Lee followed through with Sai's suggestion, finding his way through the unfamiliar building. The building was large and labyrinth-like to Lee, who had not once stepped foot here for the entire time he was in high school. Lee explored and found his way into the men's bathroom, where Sai was sitting in a foldable chair and drawing on his sketchpad. He looked up at Lee, who seemed curious but also uncomfortable.

"You came to the right place." Sai said as he got up and gestured for Lee to sit down. Lee sat down, feeling nervous as Sai dug into his bag and brandished some hair-cutting tools. Sai carefully inspected Lee's hair and noticed the staples.

"Another victim to the roid rage." Sai murmured to himself as he examined the still-healing wound. Nervous, Lee ignored Sai's brand of humor as he sighed. "What look are you going for?"

"I do not know," Lee said, feeling defeated. "I just want my style back, but it cannot be helped." Sai thought deeply, still running his fingers through Lee's hair. The sensation was soothing to Lee, who was tensed in his seat.

"A modern Korean bowl cut would suit you." Sai said, now reading his tools. Lee took one long last look at himself in the bathroom mirror, preparing himself to depart with his current hairstyle which he had for the last decade.

"Okay." Lee sighed. Sai grinned and began working, thankful that Lee's hair was neat and clean. After a stressful half hour for Lee, Sai had finished his work. Sai was brushing and patting the stray hairs that were stuck to Lee's clothing. Lee noticed his head felt much lighter and he stared down at his dark locks that rested on the old, tiled floor. His ears felt the cool air, now that they were no longer covered by his thick hair. Lee reluctantly glimpsed himself in the mirror, feeling as if he barely recognized himself.

"What do you think?" Sai asked, now focused on cleaning his tools. Lee reached up and felt his hair, which felt strange with the undercut. The fading in his cut was done expertly well, and Lee was at a loss for words of how different he appeared. Sai watched, pleased as Lee did not appear to be showing distress. Sai then paused and then scrutinized his work, feeling that he left something unfinished.

"It looks good." Lee said, still inspecting himself.

"Silly me, I forgot something." Sai said. Lee straightened, trusting Sai to complete his work. Sai was armed with a tweezer and began plucking Lee's eyebrows.

"Please don't," Lee complained, although he was grateful for the help. "That's too much."

"If you insist." Sai said reluctantly.

"I am not ready to change that," Lee said, still feeling unsure about his appearance. "How can I repay you?"

"I saw the video." Sai said suddenly. Lee looked down, feeling ashamed. "I didn't know you and Sakura were close."

"We are not together." Lee corrected. "We are classmates."

"I'm trying to get closer to her friend. The cheerleader." Sai said as he was putting his tools back in his bag. "I would like to take her to the dance, but I don't know how she even feels about me." He said, now looking at Lee. "Will you just try to gauge her interest for me? It would be awkward if I asked, and she was already going with somebody else."

Lee thought about it. He recalled the way she was glaring at him in the hallway. He guessed she did not view him on friendly terms, but he felt that he owed it to Sai to talk to her.

"I will." Lee said, feeling indebted to Sai. Sai was pleased with his answer.

"If she doesn't go with me, I think I'll go ask Sasuke." Sai said in his usual monotone voice. Lee was not sure whether he should laugh or be horrified.

Later that day, Lee was in his child development class. He sat in his seat, nervous about what Sakura would say about his appearance. As he sat in his seat, he carefully plucked any remaining loose hairs on his clothing from his impromptu haircut. Sakura entered the room unbeknownst to him and approached him.

"Lee?" she asked, almost not recognizing him with his back turned to her. He flinched as he turned to her. Her look of surprise made him regret his decision to cut his hair.

"Hello, Sakura." he said to her, feeling self-conscious as she scanned him. She smiled as he remembered to pull back her seat. She sat down, still looking at him.

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised." She said, realizing she had been staring for too long. "I like your hair." A big smile crept onto Lee's face.

"You mean it?" Lee said absentmindedly.

"Of course," Sakura said. "You just look so different with it." Sakura was afraid her words would come off as judgmental. She preferred his new haircut over the previous cut, but she had to admit that she did miss his old hairstyle. She could not imagine him without it. "You look like you are a fan of K-pop." Sakura teased. Lee was flattered, relieved now that Sakura welcomed the change.

The class began and the students completed a pop quiz. Once the quiz was finished and Mrs. Sarutobi breezed through the start of a new section, only five minutes of the class remained. Lee felt his heart pounding as he prepared himself to ask Sakura about the dance.

"Sakura." He started as she put her belongings away. She looked up at him, noticing he looked serious. She felt nervous. She predicted that he was going to ask her to the dance. She already had an answer prepared for such an occasion. "Will you be going to the homecoming dance?" Lee asked. Sakura was caught off guard by his question. She expected him to be straightforward with her like he usually is.

"I don't know." Sakura responded. "So much has happened recently, and I just don't want more drama." She replied, looking tired. "Unless my friends talk me into going, I probably won't be there. Sasuke has not even asked me yet about it." Lee listened and thought about the next thing he should say.

"Do not worry about what other people say, Sakura. You should go if you want to." Lee said, smiling. He looked like he had more on his mind. "One of my friends would like to know if Ino is going to be there." Sakura looked surprised.

"I think she still intends to go." She spoke. She scrutinized Lee. "Who is this guy?" Although Ino has not been a great friend lately to Sakura, Sakura still cares about her enough to look after her.

"His name is Sai Yamanaka." Lee said. "He is in my art class with me next period." He said. "He likes Ino but doesn't know how to ask her."

"Of course, he's a football player." Sakura said, somewhat amused. "I could ask her."

"Do you know if Ino likes him?" Lee asked, trying to focus his mission on Ino's interest in him.

"She has been talking about someone on the team, but I haven't been able to go to any of the games this semester," Sakura said, somewhat ashamed. "I'm afraid I don't know who he is." she said tiredly. Lee could tell she was tired of speaking of relationships. He could not blame her.

"I can ask her myself." Lee said confidently. Sakura felt unsure about that but was relieved that the task she was willing to take on was now no longer her concern.

"If you insist." Sakura said. She looked at Lee expectantly and he smiled back at her. She felt awkward, expecting him to say more, but he seemed content with himself. "Are you going to the dance?" Sakura asked. Lee was surprised she asked. He was unsure of how to answer. As much as he wanted to ask her to the dance, he felt the time was not proper, considering he still had a fresh wound from being too close to her.

"I do not know, either." Lee said. Sakura was interested in his reasoning. "My friends, Neji and Tenten are a couple now." He explained as they began to leave their class. "I do not want to be a third wheel." He explained. He wanted to say more, but he was having second thoughts about asking Sakura, as much as he wanted to. Her jade eyes were tired, and he could tell she was still hurting from her unsteady relationship. It pained him greatly to leave things as they were.

"Well, if you decide to go, just let me know. Maybe I'll see you there." Sakura said. At this point, she was leaning towards going. Her recent absence from school had left her wanting to socialize more, despite the rumors going around about her.

"Will do." Lee said, smiling his usual big smile and winking, giving a thumbs up. He walked with Sakura, becoming very uneasy as they approached the same corner where the incident took place last week. Lee was relieved to see Sasuke was absent from the scene. He noticed Ino by her locker. She glared at him, surprised that Lee would have the audacity to walk with Sakura despite recent events. The duo said their goodbyes and Lee walked up to Ino, who slammed her locker shut and turned away, walking in the opposite direction.

"Excuse me." Lee said as he hastened to her. Ino turned around, not hiding her distaste for him.

"What do you want?" she said curtly. She noticed his new haircut but ignored acknowledging it.

"My name is Rock Lee. You must be Ino." he said, introducing himself formally. He didn't think she remembered him from their encounter at the mall.

"Friends call me Ino," she said sharply. "You may call me Inoshishi." she said, emphasizing her true first name. Lee tensed, sensing she did not like him.

"What do you think about Sai Yamanaka?" Lee asked her, afraid of upsetting her further. She was surprised by his question.

"What is this?" she said irritated, questioning his motives.

"He is a friend of mine. He would like to ask you to the dance, but he wanted to know how you felt about him first." Lee explained. She scrutinized him.

"Really?" She asked. Lee nodded. Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled as she thought about Sai. "I see." She said after considering her feelings. "I do think he's cute, but you should suggest to him that he asks me in front of the others." She said, referring to the team and other cheerleaders. "I don't like it when guys make a low effort." She explained.

"I will." Lee smiled. "I will tell him." Lee said as he turned to leave. "It was nice meeting you, Inoshishi." Ino smiled as Lee walked away.

Next period, Lee was excited to tell Sai about Ino's response. Sai was elated by the news and was preoccupied with his thoughts as he sketched. The class was assigned to paint a still-life in the class using oil pastels. Sai had finished after only ten minutes, and he was now doodling in his sketchbook. Lee stuck his tongue out to the side of his mouth as he worked on his painting, focused on his work. Throughout the class, Lee noticed Gaara's partner kept glaring. His gaze remained even after Lee looked back at him.

They returned to their desks to rate their partner's work. Lee examined Sai's art and was impressed by the detail and mastery. Sai examined Lee's work, seemingly much longer than Lee spent looking at his.

"What do you think?" Lee asked, looking for feedback. Sai spent another long moment examining Lee's work.

"It's bad." Sai said. Lee felt his soul leave him.

"I am so bad with art." Lee whined. He let out a big sigh. "I could not even ask Sakura to the dance today." He complained.

"You could still use your old plan." Sai said, referring to the fact that the dance was themed for a masquerade.

"I could." Lee said. He was eager to get back to his routine with exercise, work, dance lessons, and learning some French. Though his head needed some more time for a full recovery, he felt motivated to press on. "As long as she will be there." Lee said, uncertain still if he would even have the opportunity. Lee's eyes traveled across the room, and he noticed Deidara was still glaring at him from across the room. Lee was curious, but also concerned about this stranger.

The class was let out and Lee checked his phone before leaving the classroom. After reading some texts and checking emails, he got up to make his way to his car. As he was walking, Deidara approached him, and Lee stopped in his tracks.

"You." He said, pointing at Lee. Lee was confused as to why his classmate who was still a stranger to him had stopped him. "Come with me." Deidara said demandingly.

"For what? Why?" Lee asked, unsure of his intentions. He tensed up. Though he felt sharp enough to do things such as drive and complete his homework, his strong focus before his head trauma had not fully recovered. Though still wounded, his body and mind prepared for another fight.

"A colleague of mine would like to have a word with you, hm." He said boldly. Lee was sizing up Deidara. Though Lee was taller than him, Deidara was still intimidating in his own right. He had a wild look in his eye, and he had a staggering amount of confidence in himself. He was curious to Lee, as he had noticed that he wore black nail polish and a large ring that appeared to be a class ring, despite not graduating yet. Deidara was annoyed by Lee's reluctance. "Hurry up, man. I have places to be." He said, urging Lee to obey. "I won't repeat myself." He said menacingly.

Not wanting to fight, Lee reluctantly followed him. He braced himself still for a fight, worried he may end up in an ambush. He scanned his surroundings as he followed Deidara, relieved that it was near the student parking lot. Most of the students had left already and the school was now becoming emptier by the minute. Deidara waited impatiently with Lee, who was still surveying his surroundings.

"It's about damn time, hm." Deidara said as he eyed a black car approaching them. The stylish German-engineered car parked and two people emerged. Two men dressed in grey and black emerged from the vehicle. The shorter of the two had long, raven black hair tied back, and the taller individual was broad and bulky, even from a distance. They made no rush as they approached Deidara who waved at them. Deidara then turned to leave, headed towards the school auditorium. "Later." He said to Lee as he left.

Lee readied himself as the two strangers approached him. The shorter man carried a strong resemblance to Sasuke, though he was taller and more mature-looking. The taller man seemed to be all muscle and towered at least a whole foot over Lee. His arms were covered in tattoos, which his sleeveless muscle tee proudly exposed. Like Deidara, their fingernails were painted black, and they wore large matching rings. Their style conveyed luxury, although they were still obviously in their twenties. Lee could not help but feel like a puppy up against two adult rottweilers. His muscles twitched as he was still readying himself for a fight, but he could not help but feel outclassed and outnumbered.

"Hello, little guy." The taller man growled. Lee felt a chill up his spine. The man laughed, observing Lee's discomfort. "Take it easy." He suggested as he smiled a toothy grin, his sharp canines like that of a shark's jaw. Lee continued sizing them up, still ready for an attack.

"Hello. I am Itachi Uchiha." The shorter man said. "I am Sasuke's older brother." Lee was astonished.

"Kisame Hoshigaki." The other man introduced himself casually as he put his hands in his pockets. Itachi scanned Lee. Looking remarkably similar to Sasuke, there was no denying his handsome appearance was hereditary. Itachi had Sasuke's eyes, but they stood out even more from his long, curly eyelashes.

"I am Rock Lee." Lee said, introducing himself. Unnerved, he did not relax his shoulders. His large brows remained furrowed.

"I am here on my family's behalf," Itachi explained. "My father is incredibly disappointed with my little brother," Itachi said as Lee scrutinized him. "He wishes to reach out to you and to cover your medical fees."

"I understand," Lee said, relaxing his posture. "That is quite generous." He answered. He had forgotten how expensive a hospital bill could be. It was a matter of time before Guy would be receiving the bill in the mail. Itachi looked at Lee expectedly.

"We are all very sorry for what transpired," Itachi said. "I hope you accept our apology."

"Of course," Lee said. "I have not spoken to Sasuke myself, but I do not intend to press charges," Lee said. The two seemed relieved. Itachi eased his posture by leaning slightly to his side.

"I am glad to hear that," Itachi said. Though his voice conveyed relief, his face remained the same as it did throughout the conversation. Lee still felt unnerved by the two.

"It is my fault for what happened anyway." Lee started to explain. Kisame laughed again.

"We don't care about the details," Kisame said coldly as he grinned. "You kids sure are dramatic." Lee felt silly for even thinking about explaining himself, but he smiled nervously, glad he did not need to explain himself again.

"I am pleased we can put this whole situation behind us," Itachi said, ready to close the conversation. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, passing it to Lee. Lee accepted it carefully. "Please send the bill to this name and address. Our father will take care of it." He instructed Lee.

Lee examined the card. On the business card, it read Chief of Police Fugaku Uchiha followed by two phone numbers and the address of the police station. Lee felt the hairs on his neck and arms stand up. He had no idea Sasuke was the son of the police chief.

"I am relieved that you are making a good recovery, Lee," Itachi said, making a limp smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you." He said as he turned to leave. Kisame followed him back to their car and they both drove away. Lee felt stupid still standing in the same place. Relief washed over him as he no longer felt in danger. Though he was elated now that the expensive visit to the hospital would be someone else's responsibility, he was visibly shaken by the impromptu meeting with Sasuke's brother and his bizarre friends. He noticed the dark, cloudy skies above him and decided to return home, ready to allow his brain some needed rest.

Sakura remained at the school to practice for the play. She watched as Deidara entered the building and made his way to the back of the auditorium, behind the curtains. He stood out to her, although she was unfamiliar with him. She encountered him only once previously backstage while he was arguing with Sasori. He was to play the part of Pierre Gringoire, husband of Esmeralda, though Sakura did not interact with him much. He was more absent than she was, to the point that a fellow student had prepared to take the role in case he failed to appear for the play. Now, he seemed more serious about his role as they only had slightly over one month remaining to prepare.

Deidara made her uneasy. Like Sasori and Itachi, he wore black nail polish and wore large rings. She knew they were all connected somehow, but Sasuke did not share much information about them. To his credit, he seemed innocently ignorant about their connections. She was thankful that although the characters each of them portrayed were married, Esmeralda only married him to preserve his life, not out of love, but out of pity for the broke, hopeless artist that is Gringoire. The presence of the two made her reconsider her near future in the drama class and club after the play concluded.

After the rehearsal, she joined up with Ino who had just finished practicing with the other cheerleaders. Ino offered her a ride home and during the drive, she was elated to tell Sakura all about her encounter with Lee.

"Do you know about Sai, the placekicker?" Ino asked Sakura. Sakura vaguely remembered him from the football team last year when Sasuke was a lineman.

"I think so." Sakura thought. "He's the pale guy with short black hair, right?"

"That's him!" Ino said excitedly. "He wants to take me to the dance." She boasted.

"Oh, that's great," Sakura said, remembering what Lee told her already. Ino scrutinized her while at a stop light. "What?" Sakura asked, picking up the tension.

"I thought you'd be happier for me," Ino said, disappointed.

"I am," Sakura said. "Lee told me about it before he spoke to you." The traffic light turned green and Ino grew a mischievous smile.

"Seems like you and Lee talk a lot." She said, ready to gauge Sakura's reaction.

"He's just a friend," Sakura said defensively.

"I don't know," Ino said as she completed a turn. "Seems there's more to the story than that." she derided. Sakura let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sasuke and I are on a break. This literally just happened and I'm not ready for another relationship." Sakura said. "Besides, if Sasuke asks me to the dance, I'll probably go with him." Sakura said, defiant against her father's rules. Ino laughed.

"I knew it. You like that dork." Ino laughed. "He even cut his stupid bowl cut off for you."

"Whatever." Sakura said, exhausted already.

"I'm not the only one who thinks that way. I hear a lot of things, you know." Ino said as she made another turn.

"Like what?" Sakura said, now somewhat worried.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Sakura." Ino said. Sakura frowned, feeling like a fool. It was a rough day returning from school after the incident. Though she was no longer grounded, Sakura did not feel much better about her situation.

After returning home and eating a snack before dinner, Sakura sat down at her desk to complete some homework. She had fallen behind in her classes due to her absence the previous week. Her phone vibrated and she had received a text from Sasuke; I miss you.

She frowned when she read it. During the last two months, she had been missing him and he seemed to not care. Now that the tables were turned, she felt guilty that she did not feel the same way about him. She missed the old Sasuke, the one who was strong but gentle with her. Only a few days had passed since they had last spoken, and her heart still hurt. She stared at the phone screen, unsure of how to respond and not wanting to respond at all. Against her gut feelings, she responded, asking Sasuke about the dance. Call me. He insisted. She called his number.

"Hi." Sakura said as Sasuke answered the phone.

"Hello, Sakura." He said. "I would love to take you to the dance, but I cannot be there." Sakura felt her heart sink in her chest.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"The principal told me I had to choose between the dance or playing for the game that night," Sasuke said. "I'm sorry."

Sakura's anger returned. The wound in her heart reopened. Not a minute went by that day that she did not think about Sasuke, but now she was aware that he made a big decision like this without consulting her first.

"Are you fucking serious?" Sakura yelled into the phone, rising from her chair suddenly as it fell behind her. Her cat who had been napping on her bed got up, startled by her outburst, and ran under the bed for cover. "You didn't even think about asking how I felt?" she yelled, not caring about who heard her. Sasuke on the other end fell silent. "Well!?" she shrieked as tears rolled down her face, mixed with her now running mascara.

"Calm down. I'm sorry." He said, frustrated. Her anger intensified.

"You can take your sorry excuse of an apology and stick it." She said before hanging up the phone. Although her tears blurred her vision, she scrolled down to the block button on her phone and blocked his number. She then tossed her phone aside and moved to her bed, grabbing a pillow, and burying her face in it as she sobbed into it.

Sakura heard a knock at her door but did not respond. She continued her long, angry sobs into her pillow, wanting to scream. Her mother opened the door slightly and the horror-struck cat took the opportunity to flee out the door. Mrs. Haruno entered and sat by Sakura's side, putting her hand on her back to soothe her angry daughter. She said nothing as she rubbed Sakura's back with her hand while Sakura cried.