Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Power of Love ❯ The Power of Love ( Chapter 1 )

Tsunade looked across her desk at Rock Lee and the crowd of ANBU standing behind him, partially obscuring the other two causes of her current headache and resisted the urge to reach for the sake. She really needed a drink, but that could wait until after she had got rid of her unwanted guests.

 

Lee was standing directly in front of her, his feet shoulder width apart and his bandaged right hand raised and clenched in a fist. She could feel the determination coming off him in waves and didn't need to look directly at him to see the fire in his eyes. He was babbling about something to do with `reformation through the power of love' and `youthful mistakes' and she really wasn't paying all that much attention.

 

Her protest that his two - two! - lovers were both S-classed missing nin had fallen on deaf ears.

 

She was tempted to ask how on earth this had happened, but she decided she didn't want to know.

 

“Lee,” she said, massaging her temples. He kept going. “LEE!”

 

He shut up, a somewhat nervous look crossing his face. A brief scuffle broke out behind him, and the crowd of ANBU parted to reveal Sasuke Uchiha and Deidara. They stepped forward to stand on either side of Lee, presenting what passed for a united front in this alternate universe she had stepped into.

 

“You're serious,” she choked out.

 

“Hn,” Uchiha replied. Deidara, who she suspected was far less sane than he looked, just smirked at her, tilting his head slightly to one side.

 

Tsunade looked down at her hands and took a deep breath.

 

“They can stay,” she said, “under a few conditions.”

 

“We're listening,” Uchiha said. Lee still had that determined look on his face, and Deidara was now nonchalantly studying the ceiling. The ex-Akatsuki's disrespect made her eyes narrow, but he hadn't done anything upon entering the village that hadn't already been done by Naruto - apart from Lee and Sasuke, apparently - so she said nothing.

 

“You will be tracked by ANBU until it can be determined that you can all be trusted,” Tsunade said. “Lee will take lower ranked missions until you are cleared. After that, you will all work for Konoha. Uchiha…you can still hunt for your brother, but you will be aided in that search by other Konoha ninja. Other than that there is to be no contact between any of you and any former allies.”

 

Deidara raised his hands and waggled his fingers at her. His Akatsuki ring was missing - it had no doubt been blown up by now - and the mouths on his palms were grinning happily. Tsunade made a strangled noise low in her throat.

 

“Is there anything else?” Sasuke asked.

 

“Yes,” she replied. “I think you're all bloody crazy, now get out.”

 

She avoided looking at the sparkles of happiness radiating from Lee as she reached for the sake. She pretended not to notice the two sets of arms that wound round his waist as she uncorked the bottle. She tried not to think of the lectures she would receive from the village elders and Naruto once he realised that he was not the one to `bring Sasuke back', and instead sat back in her chair and took a swig of the alcohol straight from the bottle.

 

And she thanked her lucky stars that Konoha was not closely allied to Iwagakure, or she'd have even more explaining to do.

 

But then, she thought, if anyone could reform those two through the `power of love', it would be Rock Lee.