A/N: Special thanks to my boyfriend for co-writing this chapter (he helped me out with the fight scenes.) Reviews are much appreciated. :
"So... You want me to drive your car and find your sensei," Sakura said, relating the instructions given to her. She thumbed Lee's keys in her hand. She leaned her back against the car while Lee himself was changing clothes in the backseat. Her cheeks were flush from the thought of him being partially clothed. She berated herself for having such a thought at a time like this.
"Precisely," Lee responded. The window was open a crack so that they could converse. He rapped his knuckle on the glass. "I am done."
Sakura shifted her weight fully to her feet, allowing Lee to open the door and step out. He was wearing his signature green tracksuit with his arms wrapped up again. She figured that he always kept an outfit ready if need be and it was a good thing he did.
Lee notes her blank expression. "Are you okay, Miss Haruno?" He asked, extending his hand out to touch her arm.
"I'm worried," Sakura admitted. Her teal eyes flickered from his extended hand to his face. He could see the latent terror behind them. "About you, about Neji, about Tenten." She didn't get to spend much time with Neji or Tenten but they were kind to her. Neji didn't speak a lot when they met, but Sakura recalled how he stood protectively by her side. Tenten's personality was also infectious, she knew that they could be good friends.
Sakura swallowed hard. A lump was forming in her throat. "I don't want you to d—"
"I will not die."
Her forehead crinkled. "Lee..."
"I will not," he reiterated firmly. "If I die, I cannot protect you. I cannot protect them. I would not make myself into a liar."
Sakura was still doubtful. "Lee?"
His fingers were pressed into her arm, too cautious to try and grab her. "Yes?"
She shifted on her feet nervously. "To answer your question, about me being your girlfriend? I'll tell you when I see that you're safe and sound. Okay?"
Lee managed a smile. "Of course, Miss Haruno. That means I will try extra hard to come back to you."
Light lit them up, signaling that Neji was pulling up in his car. He stuck his head out his window. "Am I interrupting something?" Sakura thought she imagined it, but it sounded like he felt guilty. "I didn't know."
Lee shook his head. "It is fine Neji, let us go." He turned to leave but Sakura tugged on the hem of his shirt to stop him. Suddenly, he felt her arms wrap around him in an embrace.
Sakura buried her face into Lee's chest, hiding her choking sobs. "Come back... Please."
It took everything out of Lee to try not to cry. He had to stay strong, for her. But he failed. The tears fought their way out and streamed down his cheeks. "Miss Haruno..."
"Haruno!"
Sakura lifted her face to look at Neji. His eyes were filled with determination, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Haruno," he said again, "I'll watch his back. Don't you worry."
"Right," Sakura sniffed. She peeled herself away and mustered a smile. "Now go. Go save Tenten."
ˏˋ ˎˊ
The car ride with Neji was a rather silent one. Only the sound of the car running over the road filled their ears. There wasn't much to discuss. Neji already relayed his plan. There was no need to sneak in, the Hyuga Clan Conglomerate were already expecting him. Either he was coming to fight or coming to defect back to their side.
No more playing childish games as they would say. They never did approve of him stooping so low to street fight. That was the work of common man.
Common men like Lee.
As they approached, Lee's eyes widened. "Your family..." He said, "they live as if it were the fuedal ages!" The shinden-zukuri were old fashioned as far as buildings went but they were certainly elegant in their own right. They all encircled a beautiful courtyard with a fountain.
However, a soul was yet to be seen.
"The main family lives in the center building," Neji informed him.
"You used to live in there?" If they weren't the Yakuza, Lee would have been impressed. Neji would have been living like a prince.
However, Neji shook his head solemnly. "I was quartered in one of the outer houses. My cousin, Hinata, she would be in the main house. That's where they're keeping Tenten. Hinata was supposed to look after her while I was gone."
Lee frowned. "You do not think that they hurt her, do you?"
"They wouldn't do that if they wanted me to come back. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Let's go." Neji exited the car and strutted into the courtyard. Despite feeling furious, he still carried himself with grace. It was eery.
Lee had seen Neji angry before but never like this. He followed Neji out into the courtyard, flanking him.
"I'm here!" Neji called out. "You wanted me? Now I'm here. I know you're all hiding."
On cue, Hyuga members started slinking out of their hiding spots. No sign of their leader, Neji's uncle though. Some of them were armed with bladed weapons such as daggers and katanas, others with bludgeons, and the rest, they chose to fight with their hands.
Neji's family specialized in tai chi, something Neji would utilize in his matches against others. Using what he had learned, he was a menace. Lee kept a personal record of how many times he lost to him.
Neji would be the first to step up. However, Lee would stop him. Silently offering to go first, Lee gave him a nod. Neji was hesitant initially due to the times he and Lee had fought and the times he's won. But he knows how capable Lee is, he's the only one to give him trouble which is why he chooses to let Lee go first.
Lee finally steps up as three of the Hyuga members also stepped up. Thinking this would be easy they chose to go at him one at a time, boy did they think wrong.
The first Hyuga member charged at Lee, aiming for his trigger points only for Lee to easily deflect his attacks. He kicked Neji's relative—who decided to challenge him— in the knees and delivered an uppercut to his jaw. The other two decided to come at him at once, Lee once again displayed his skills as he easily deflected and dodged their attacks before he began his counterattack.
One of them thought it was a good idea to attempt to kick Lee! He pitied the fool.
He easily grabbed ahold of their foot and would sweep the other foot off the ground while he would use kicks of his own to push back the other Hyuga member as Lee kneeled down beside the one Hyuga member he brought down and began raining down punches before one final punch knocked him out.
Now it was time for the last one to be dealt with, Lee gracefully stood up and got in his fighting stance. One hand behind his back and the other splayed out, taunting the third Hyuga member to come at him. As the last one charged at him Lee would begin to once again play defense as he was only blocking and deflecting his attacks up until the Hyuga member managed to catch Lee slipping and snuck in a punch at his cheek.
A chuckle would escape Lee's mouth and he was now was on the offensive, he would use the bandages around his hands to bind the last member up and began throwing knees and elbows into the Hyuga member's head before he could no longer stand, that's when Lee let him go as they all watched him beat the first three members with ease.
As more Hyuga members had stepped up wanting to take on Lee however, Neji would be the one to intervene. "Let me handle this one, Lee." Neji said simply, stepping up. Lee nodded and took a step back, now it was Neji's turn to fight a small portion of his family. He's learned a lot since leaving the Hyuga Clan and now it's time to prove himself. Neji got in his fighting stance, it looked as if it was more defensive which is the Hyuga Clan style.
However, since leaving the Hyuga Clan and training with Might Guy and the others Neji has learned to be more aggressive and go on the offense, which is what he does going against this group of Hyuga members. He charged at one of the members, breaking their defense by feinting a strike to the head before going for an actual strike to the ribs. It allowed a small opening for an attack if fast enough, one of the things he's learned from training with Guy and constantly sparring Lee.
Neji then would grab onto the same member's wrist and throws a straight punch at the member's face before tossing him into the other members who stepped up to fight. He would then charge at the remaining members and leaps into the air and does the split where he kicks two of them in the face before landing on his feet and starts to dodge, deflect, and even counter the other two members who tried to attack Neji. He would deflect their attacks and have them attack each other! Neji was making them look foolish. There would be one more who attempted to fight Neji. He would get in his fighting stance once more and copy Lee in motioning the last Hyuga member to come at him.
Neji would dodge more attacks now, simply having his hands behind his back before he deflected one final attack and began to go on the offensive, finishing the final Hyuga member off with a punch breaking through the Hyuga member's defense and knocking him out cold. Making Neji show his newfound skills against his family.