Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ He Didn't Mind ❯ Waiting ( Chapter 3 )

Part III

“Who is attacking us?,” Gaara demanded, one hand trailing to his gourd filled with sand.

“We have reason to believe that it is a member of the Akatsuki, Lord Kazekage,” the sand ninja concluded, going back out into the battle in the village.

“Temari….Kankuro….,” Gaara said hesitantly, slowly turning to look at them for a moment.

“Right,” they said simultaneously, jumping from the window ledge of the Kazekage's office.

“Lee, I don't want you to get involved,” Gaara said softly.

“But Gaara…,” Lee said, “we are allies! It would not be right if I let you go alone!”

“You are to stay here, those are your orders. Do you understand, Lee?,” Gaara asked, a bit impatiently.

Lee's head drooped; Yes, Sir,” Lee replied sadly, taking a seat in the Kazekage's chair.

“Lee,” Gaara said softly, holding Lee's chin between his thumb and forefinger.

Lee looked up as he received a quick, loving kiss.

“I love you, Lee,” Gaara said, before following suit and going to join the battle.

(POV Shift)

“Gaara! The Akatsuki member is over there!,” Temari yelled, pointing to the north of his current position.

“Do you not know his identity?,” Gaara questioned.

“He has not mentioned his name,” Temari said shortly, blasting another large gust of wind towards an enemy with her overly large fan.

The battle scene was horrendous; many bodies, though clones, lay scattered below on the sandy streets; blood splattered in all directions as Gaara let the sand pour out of his gourd, twisting around at least ten clones and disposing of the bodies safely on the ground.

“Damn! There's too many of `em!,” Kankuro shouted, a clone weaving its way between his thin wires of chakra which controlled his puppets.

“We need more help!,” Kankuro added, receiving a nice slash on his shoulder from one of the clone's kunais.

“AHHH!!!!,” a familiar voice joined in, many clones falling to the ground from the force of a very powerful kick.

“Lee!,” Kankuro shouted, a look of relief crossing his face momentarily.

Gaara's eyes widened as he turned back to see his lover in green punch right through another damnable clone.

“Gaara! Look out!,” Lee shouted back at him, a look of horror crossing his face.

“Hmph, how pitiful,” the member of Akatsuki scoffed, a look of disappointment clear in his eyes.

“Who are you? And why are you attacking this village?,” Lee asked, holding the unconscious Gaara in his arms.

“I came to this place in order to gain more power,” the figure answered easily.

“But you already took the Shukaku! Why do you still bother with Sunagakure?!,” Lee exclaimed, an enraged look in his eyes.

“He is still the Kazekage, which means he still holds the power of Sunagakure in his hands,” the figure continued in a stoic voice.

“You…you are Sasuke-kun's brother,” Lee said more to himself than to Itachi.

“Hmph,” Itachi responded, his eyes narrowing a bit.

“Hand him over,” Itachi said, gesturing toward Gaara.

Lee looked at Gaara's face, his face bruised and a small cut on his left cheek.

“No,” Lee replied, glancing back at Itachi, his scowl slowing turning into a glare.

“Foolish boy,” Itachi disparaged, his Sharingan staring intently at him.

Itachi started towards Lee, as Lee gently set Gaara on the ground, positioning himself in his defensive stance.

“You must wish for death,” Itachi spat, a look of disgust on his face.

“ ……No. I wish to protect the one I love,” Lee responded, a bitter sweet smile on his almost tearful face.

“Hmph. You have to live only for yourself to be strong. You shall learn that lesson the painful way this day,” Itachi said, rushing forward, a hand outstretched.

The next thing Itachi knew, Lee was behind him, kicking him fiercely in the back of the head.

“Ugh,” Itachi groaned, Lee's foot barely grazing the back of his neck.

Damn, that was too close, Itachi thought anxiously.

Gaara groaned subconsciously, as Lee looked over to him for a brief moment.

“Lord Kazekage!,” a random sand Shinobi shouted, eyeing Gaara on the ground.

“Lee!,” Kankuro yelled behind the ninja.

“What are you doing?,” Kankuro asked again, eyeing Lee oddly.

Lee turned around, but Itachi was nowhere to be found.

“What are you looking at, Lee?!,” Kankuro shouted, Gaara situated on his back.

Lee didn't reply as he followed Kankuro back to the hospital.

(POV Shift)

“Lady Tsunade!,” one of the Konoha village's jounin came crashing through her door.

“What is it?,” Tsunade asked, a bored expression on her face.

“Sunagakure! It was under attack not two days ago!,” the ninja continued in his frantic state.

“What?!,” Tsunade shouted, standing behind her desk.

“We just now received word from Temari-sama,” the ninja stated.

“What of the Kazekage?,” Tsunade asked, her voice solemn.

“He is in critical condition, Tsunade-sama. They do not know how much longer he is for this world,” the jounin said, his gaze falling to the floor.

“Get me Shikamaru,” Tsunade ordered, sitting back in her chair, a worrisome look on her face.

(POV Shift)

A knock erupted on a young Shinobi's door, as a tired chunin made his way to answer the door.

“Why so damn early?,” he muttered under his breath, yawning in the process.

“Shikamaru!,” a voice called.

“I'm coming!,” he yelled back.

“Shikamaru!,” Sakura's voice greeted as he opened the door.

“What is it, Sakura?,” Shikamaru asked, a bored expression on his overly tired face.

“Tsunade-sama wants to see you right away! She has a mission for us!,” Sakura explained hurriedly.

“Ugh, what a drag,” Shikamaru complained, leaving his front door open to change his clothes.

Ten minutes later, Sakura and Shikamaru entered Tsunade's office.

“What is it, Tsunade?,” Shikamaru asked, rolling his eyes.

“Yes, well, Shikamaru. I'm sending you on a mission. You are to take a group, including yourself and Sakura, down to Sunagakure,” Tsunade explained, leaning over on her desk.

“What a drag,” Shikamaru muttered under his breath, not really paying attention to what Tsunade was saying.

“Assemble your team then,” Tsunade said, dismissing them with a wave of her hand.

They walked out of her office, both thinking of possible Shinobi to take with them on the mission.

“Well, Sakura, do you have anyone in mind for this mission?,” Shikamaru asked, not really that interested.

Sakura shook her head, sad that neither of her teammates were able to help out with the mission.

“Oh, that's right. Sasuke and Naruto are both gone,” Shikamaru said as an afterthought.

Sakura's face fell, as Shikamaru began to walk away.

“We can't go get Chouji, he's on a mission already,” Shikamaru groaned, a hand to his forehead.

“Hey!,” a different voice rang out.

“Kiba!,” Sakura greeted, a smile on her face.

“You up for another mission, Kiba?,” Shikamaru questioned.

“Sure,” Kiba replied, Akamaru barking in approval.

“Do you know of anyone else who isn't already on a mission, Kiba,” Sakura questioned.

“Hm…. Hinata was telling me yesterday that she was bored and wanted something to do…..,” Kiba said, recalling yesterday's events.

“Hinata it is then,” Sakura said with a grin.

After arriving at the Hyuga household, Kiba began to shout for Hinata.

“I'm coming, Kiba-kun,” Hinata answered, coming around the side of the house.

“Hinata, are you up for a mission?,” Kiba asked.

“Um… sure. I suppose,” Hinata replied with a small blush.

(POV Shift)

It seemed like hours. The med-ninjas of Sunagakure had been in Gaara's room for too long. No one had emerged, and conversely, no one had exited either.

Even the siblings of the Kazekage were not permitted in the room where Gaara lay.

Minutes ticked by, no one in the room moving.

“I can't take it anymore!,” Kankuro erupted, all ready to break the door down that separated him from his sibling.

“Kankuro! Don't you dare go in there! You may disrupt their work!,” Temari reprimanded, getting to her feet, reminding her brother that she was his elder.

Lee didn't hear or perceive any of what was going on. His head was in his badly injured, and even more bandaged hands, and he was very nervous.

He had never gotten the chance to tell Gaara that he loved him. Sure, it might have gone without saying, but saying it puts a whole new light on the subject. Lee was beyond worried; he was simply terrified. He did not want to lose Gaara, and didn't know if he could take it if something were to happen to his precious redhead. Yes, `his.' Lee was convinced of that; Gaara was his, and he was Gaara's. He felt no shame in that.

Death hung in the air, almost suffocating all who dared to breathe it. Lee was even more worried now that the Shukaku had left Gaara's body. True, the Shukaku caused Gaara to be little less than insane for nearly half his life, but it would have healed Gaara's body, and Lee wouldn't have had to worry anymore.

Lee involuntarily shook, Temari and Kankuro directing their attention towards said person.

“Lee…..?,” Temari asked, walking to him and laying a hand gently on his shoulder.

“He shouldn't be in there. I should be…,” Lee said more to himself than to Temari.

“Lee….there was nothing you could have done…,” Temari tried to console him.

“If I had just obeyed his instructions, he wouldn't be in there right now,” Lee said, his body shaking.

“Lee….,” Temari said, her eyes narrowing with compassion.

“Don't be so hard on yourself. We all knew that you could never stay put for long, especially when someone you love is in danger,” Temari said lightly, her grip on his shoulder tightening.

“Hey! Temari! Lee! Kankuro!,” an excited voice exclaimed, running down the corridor of the hospital.

“Sakura-chan?,” Lee asked, lifting his head, a few teardrops landing in his lap.

“Lee-san! What's wrong?,” Sakura asked, bending down to look him in the eyes.

“It's Gaara,” Temari answered for him.

“The med-ninjas haven't been able to help him,” Temari continued, a distant looking coming into her eyes.

“I think I might be able to help,” Sakura said, a fierce look in her eyes.

She walked to the door of Gaara's room, opened it, and closed it back again.

“What can Sakura do?,” Kankuro asked disbelievingly.

“She has been under the instruction of Tsunade-sama for quite a while now,” Shikamaru explained.

“And well, Tsunade's renown as a med-ninja goes without saying,” Shikamaru finished.

“So, you truly think Sakura can heal Gaara?,” Temari asked seriously.

“I honestly couldn't say,” Shikamaru replied, his eyes drifting to the wooden door that Gaara was currently occupying.

The door swung open suddenly, a tired looking Sakura coming out with an indiscernible look on her face.

“How is he, Sakura?,” Lee asked anxiously, not sure if he really wanted a reply or not.

(POV Shift)

Tsunade sat in her office, her arms crossed on her desk.

“You better not go back on my condition, Lee,” Tsunade whispered to herself, a small smile gracing her lips.