Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Photograph ❯ Advice ( Chapter 14 )

Theme #14: radio-cassette player

 

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“This is your fault. Again.”

 

“I am sorry, Kankuro-san. It was not my idea.”

 

The puppet-nin flopped back on his bed roll, glaring up at the spectacular display of stars. “It's still your fault. I know he could have sent a different team. And what the hell is the Kazekage doing out on a mission, anyways? But noooo, he just had to come along on this mission personally. And gee, I wonder why. Could it have something to do with you? I know he sent Temari, because she'd be an absolute bitch if she wasn't assigned to her pseudo-boyfriend's team. Makes me wonder if he's got plans for me and that blonde kid or something. That's fucked up, even me just saying it is fucked up.”

 

Lee was learning a lot about Kankuro. From previous experience, he knew it was time to beat a retreat. It would take the black clad shinobi about five minutes to wind down if left to his own devices, but it would take all night if he got any kind of feedback. Leaving his bed roll behind, Lee wandered across the camp. There was no fire, and only a rocky outcrop for cover. They did not want to give the rouge ninjas that they were after a chance to flee. They needed to get this mission over with as quickly as possible, since the Kazekage had invited himself and his siblings along as the Suna team.

 

In the faint light of the moon, Lee easily picked out Naruto's resting place, gazing up at the stars. With a friendly nod, Lee settled to the sand next to his friend. The silence stretched on, comfortable, as the two Konoha natives studied the night time sky. Memories of doing the same this with Gaara at his side kept coming to the surface, distracting Lee. `I have so much to think about! Gaara and I are friends, very close and important friends, but now . . . we have to be moving into something else. Right? I mean, sure, we started kissing just because Gaara was curious, but then he said that he liked to touch me, and I started having those dreams about him, and sometime in there we started just sitting together, so close we were touching, and then the dreams started to have chocolate in them, and then there was my birthday and his questions . . . ` Lee ran his fingers roughly through his hair. “Hey, Naruto?”

 

In the faint light, Lee could make out the blonde nodding.

 

“Can I talk to you about something? I need advice, and you are an important and youthful friend! Can you help me with . . . Gaara?'

 

Naruto nodded.

 

“I do not know what to think. I mean, I have never felt like this for anyone. I had a crush on Sakura for so long, but when we tried to date . . . I am not sure which one of us felt more uncomfortable. This, though. Gaara has been my friend for many years, and I know he is a very important person to me, but, is he my precious person? Is he the one precious person that I have been looking for? Is this why I feel this way?”

 

Lee worried his lip as he turned to his friend, hoping for an answer. He got a nod.

 

“Really? You really think that Gaara is my precious person? I would do anything for him, after all. It makes my entire day brighter when he does that little half smile. He usually does it when I bring him lunch, all decked out on a tray. I had to explain to him about decorations that should not be eaten, you know. I've spent hours trying to come up with ways to get that smile out of him. And he comes to see me. Do you know that we stayed up all night last week, arguing about tactics? It was one of the best . . . nights . . . of my life.” Lee trailed off, eyes impossibly wide. “Gaara is my precious person. Gaara of the Desert is my precious person. He really, really is my precious person. Oh, boy. Do you think he feels the same way, Naruto?”

 

The reply was an enthusiastic nod.

 

“Truly? I do not know how I would ask him about that.” Lee trailed his finger through the sand, drawing a swirling pattern. “But, so long as I know he is my most important and precious person, everything will be fine!”

 

Bounding to his feet, Lee struck an inspiring pose, grinning madly at his nodding friend. “Thank you, Naruto, for your excellent advice! I cannot wait for Gaara to get back from his check of the area!”

 

Lee bounced back to his own bed roll, sitting down only to fidget and draw meaningless patterns in the sand while looking about, anxiously waiting for his precious person to return. `We have so much to talk about!'

 

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Shikamaru sighed and rose, shaking his head. “I'll be right back, Temari.” The genius walked across the camp, stopping next to the still nodding blonde. He gave the shinobi a nudge with his toe and tapped at his ear.

 

Naruto reached up to pull his headphones off and hit pause on his radio cassette player, his gaze curious. “What's up, Shikamaru?”

 

“Did you hear anything that Lee said?”

 

“Huh?” Naruto looked around. “Nope. Why, did he need something?”

 

“No. I was just curious how loud you had that thing.” Shikamaru smirked and walked back to Temari, who had her jaw hanging slack.

 

“Lee is going to take the advice of Naruto, when he wasn't even listening?”

 

Gaara reappeared at the edge of camp in a swirl of sand, his eyes almost eerie in the desert night. With a happy `Gaara-kun!', Lee bounded over and grabbed the Kazekage around the waist and proceeded to kiss him senseless. Gaara, never being one to deny himself anything he wanted when it was thrown at him, grabbed the jounin and pulled him even closer, returning the kiss fiercely.

 

Shikamaru's expression drooped. “I would say yes.”

 

Naruto's eyes had gone wide as soon as Lee jumped on Gaara, and his jaw dropped when the kissing started. “Man, that's every bit as weird as you said it was, Kankuro.”

 

The puppet-nin had a hand over his eyes, his expression exasperated. “No matter how many times you see it.”

 

The couple in question was now completely oblivious to their surroundings. Naruto was pretty sure that there was tongue involved. “So, they do this a lot?”

 

“All the fucking time.”

 

The sand whipped up, surrounding the couple and whisking them away to parts unknown.