Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > One of Many
One of Many
Authoress: Skitter160
Disclaimer: I don't need to tell you it's not mine. Because if it were I would be making you pay not handing it out for free.
It was a while after Lee left that Temari and Shikamaru entered the room to find that Gaara was on the couch thinking. “Is something wrong Gaara?” Temari asked sitting down near him.
“I was just thinking about Lee.” Gaara admitted softly noticing the look that his sister and boyfriend exchanged. “I was just thinking about what Tsunade will say.” He clarified and went on. “According to Lee Tsunade likes him well enough and will probably send him but he’s worried about leaving Guy Sensei.”
“…” Temari and Shikamaru exchanged another look before she spoke again. “Well I’m sure he’ll get used to it. If not there is always the third master we could take with us.”
“NO!” Gaara didn’t quite shout he just said it so angrily that it shocked them. “It has to be Rock Lee.” He insisted.
“…Why does it have to be Lee?” Temari pushed having wondered if Gaara even had a reason. He had been insisting upon Rock Lee from the day he suggested it a week ago. She gave Shikamaru a look to make him stop poking her in the side, which was his way of telling her to stop.
When Gaara didn’t answer Shikamaru sighed. “It’s okay if you don’t have a reason Gaara. But there is always a reason and maybe this is one you need to think about.” He shot Temari a look and sighed again a small troublesome along with it.
“I have a reason.” Gaara asserted. He knew he had a reason but he could not quite place his finger on what Neji asking Lee to lunch had to do with anything. Of course it was right after reading that he settled the idea for a taijutsu master was indeed the right decision. An idea that had been sitting around going nowhere since he had become Kazekage because he had suggested it but had seen little reason to implement it until now. “Temari…” Gaara looked up at his sister with a thoughtful and questioning expression. “I think I like Lee.”
Temari smiled. “Well of course you like Lee or your sand defenses would have blocked his contact and you wouldn’t have invited him to cook for you.” She was actually taken quite off guard when she had come to their lodging to find Lee’s cooking waiting for them.
“That’s true.” Gaara frowned and Shikamaru gave his girlfriend a worried look. “I don’t know if that’s why it has to be Lee but it has to be Lee.” Gaara got up suddenly and left without another word. He quickly disappeared in the trees before his sister or her company could say anything else.
“…” Temari looked at the now closed door and sighed. “Well Gaara needs some time to think.” She looked at her boyfriend and frowned.
“You shouldn’t have pushed that.” He sighed shaking his head. “Now Gaara is going to tear himself apart looking for that answer then he’ll do it again when he figures out that it’s one that he doesn’t like.”
“I’m sorry.” Temari sighed as well. “I don’t think it will be that bad though. Gaara has never openly told me that he liked someone, usually he just acts it without anyone really being told. That means that he has already been thinking about it to begin with.” She wrapped her arms around Shikamaru’s waist. “Since he’s gone want to make use of the time?”
“Your so troublesome.” He smiled leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You know maybe we should give Kankuro the heads up though.”
“I will later.” Temari smiled pulling him towards the back. “For now make use of the time I’m here.”
+++
Gaara sat in his favorite tree in Konoha, it was near the training fields. He didn’t really know why it was his favorite tree. But he did remember watching Lee practice there a few times with his team while he remained hidden of course. But when he thought back to those few times he vaguely remembered the knowing look that Guy Sensei had given the tree before starting their practices and the glances Lee had thrown in that direction during them. He was never confronted so he assumed they must not have minded too much. It had been a few years since then though. Shaking away the thoughts of the past Gaara tried to think about the present. ‘Why does it have to be Lee?’ He let the thought linger a little before picking out all the answers his mind threw at him in a random order. ‘It has to be Lee because I see Lee differently. It has to be Lee because he is the only I trust enough to train me in any form of jutsu. It must be Lee because Lee is the best taijutsu master any where near Suna. It has to be Lee because Lee is Lee.’ Gaara nodded to himself as he decided all of these to be true.
He sat there a minute letting the answers he found sink in and he discovered it only left him more questions. ‘Why do I see Lee differently? Why do I trust Lee? What is Lee to me? Why Lee?’ He gripped his hair trying to understand why his answers only led him to more questions and the same question appeared again and he did not know the answers to these questions either. “Why does it have to be Lee?” He asked himself aloud with a sigh. ‘It has to be Lee because he is special.’ Is what his mind provided instantly but when he pushed the thought further into why the thought collapsed and refused to give him anymore answers. ‘What is Lee to me?’ Gaara sighed knowing he was getting nowhere and he decided to see if Lee might know the answers. It never occurred to him that going to the person in question was not exactly the right move.
+++
Lee had just arrived home when he realized that he had forgotten to buy his groceries for the week. Today was his normal shopping day and he would be out of food in no time if he didn’t go buy any. Taking a quick look into his cabinets and his refrigerator he dashed out the door with a mental list of necessities. It was as he was picking up the ingredients for curry that he went over the events of that afternoon making him smile so brightly the other customers almost ran in fear of the dazzling whiteness of his teeth. ‘I hope I get to go to Suna with Gaara.’ Picking up the rest of his necessities he made his way to the checkout still thinking about it. ‘I wonder why he choose me though. I mean surely Guy Sensei or that other master are more suited, and probably more diplomatically correct for the job. I really am only one of the taijutsu masters, I’m sure any of us would do.’ Lee’s smile faded a bit as he paid and made his way home. It wasn’t that the thought depressed him it just meant that Tsunade may decide on one of the other more qualified masters. Nearing his apartment he pushed his thoughts aside and rounded the corner.
“Lee.” Gaara called from in front of the green clad ninja’s building.
“Gaara!” Lee smiled happily. They hadn’t parted less than two hours ago but it was rare for Gaara to visit him and he was genuinely happy that he had. “What brings you to my place?” Lee hid his blush well as he looked at his dingy apartment building. Gaara had been there many times but every time made Lee feel embarrassed to be living there not that he could afford anything else on his pay.
“I needed to talk to you.” He almost faltered as he realized that talking to Lee about it really wouldn’t bring him a lot of clarity. “Can I come up?”
“Sure.” Lee smiled opening the complex door and allowing Gaara inside. “So what is it you needed to talk about?”
“Well I just realized that you don’t know much about Suna.” The Kazekage smirked. “So I’m here to catch you up.”
“But we don’t know that I’ll be sent.” The Konoha ninja smiled softly as he opened his door, he was extremely glad the cleaning was done recently.
Taking a seat on the couch the red head smirked. “It would still be useful to show Tsunade that you are well informed.”
Lee nodded moving towards the kitchen. “Make yourself at home I have to put these away.” He noticed that his friend was already doing so. Putting the groceries away in record time he returned to the living room. Taking his customary seat at his desk he looked over at his friend. “So what do I need to know about Suna?”
Authoress: Skitter160
Disclaimer: I don't need to tell you it's not mine. Because if it were I would be making you pay not handing it out for free.
It was a while after Lee left that Temari and Shikamaru entered the room to find that Gaara was on the couch thinking. “Is something wrong Gaara?” Temari asked sitting down near him.
“I was just thinking about Lee.” Gaara admitted softly noticing the look that his sister and boyfriend exchanged. “I was just thinking about what Tsunade will say.” He clarified and went on. “According to Lee Tsunade likes him well enough and will probably send him but he’s worried about leaving Guy Sensei.”
“…” Temari and Shikamaru exchanged another look before she spoke again. “Well I’m sure he’ll get used to it. If not there is always the third master we could take with us.”
“NO!” Gaara didn’t quite shout he just said it so angrily that it shocked them. “It has to be Rock Lee.” He insisted.
“…Why does it have to be Lee?” Temari pushed having wondered if Gaara even had a reason. He had been insisting upon Rock Lee from the day he suggested it a week ago. She gave Shikamaru a look to make him stop poking her in the side, which was his way of telling her to stop.
When Gaara didn’t answer Shikamaru sighed. “It’s okay if you don’t have a reason Gaara. But there is always a reason and maybe this is one you need to think about.” He shot Temari a look and sighed again a small troublesome along with it.
“I have a reason.” Gaara asserted. He knew he had a reason but he could not quite place his finger on what Neji asking Lee to lunch had to do with anything. Of course it was right after reading that he settled the idea for a taijutsu master was indeed the right decision. An idea that had been sitting around going nowhere since he had become Kazekage because he had suggested it but had seen little reason to implement it until now. “Temari…” Gaara looked up at his sister with a thoughtful and questioning expression. “I think I like Lee.”
Temari smiled. “Well of course you like Lee or your sand defenses would have blocked his contact and you wouldn’t have invited him to cook for you.” She was actually taken quite off guard when she had come to their lodging to find Lee’s cooking waiting for them.
“That’s true.” Gaara frowned and Shikamaru gave his girlfriend a worried look. “I don’t know if that’s why it has to be Lee but it has to be Lee.” Gaara got up suddenly and left without another word. He quickly disappeared in the trees before his sister or her company could say anything else.
“…” Temari looked at the now closed door and sighed. “Well Gaara needs some time to think.” She looked at her boyfriend and frowned.
“You shouldn’t have pushed that.” He sighed shaking his head. “Now Gaara is going to tear himself apart looking for that answer then he’ll do it again when he figures out that it’s one that he doesn’t like.”
“I’m sorry.” Temari sighed as well. “I don’t think it will be that bad though. Gaara has never openly told me that he liked someone, usually he just acts it without anyone really being told. That means that he has already been thinking about it to begin with.” She wrapped her arms around Shikamaru’s waist. “Since he’s gone want to make use of the time?”
“Your so troublesome.” He smiled leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You know maybe we should give Kankuro the heads up though.”
“I will later.” Temari smiled pulling him towards the back. “For now make use of the time I’m here.”
+++
Gaara sat in his favorite tree in Konoha, it was near the training fields. He didn’t really know why it was his favorite tree. But he did remember watching Lee practice there a few times with his team while he remained hidden of course. But when he thought back to those few times he vaguely remembered the knowing look that Guy Sensei had given the tree before starting their practices and the glances Lee had thrown in that direction during them. He was never confronted so he assumed they must not have minded too much. It had been a few years since then though. Shaking away the thoughts of the past Gaara tried to think about the present. ‘Why does it have to be Lee?’ He let the thought linger a little before picking out all the answers his mind threw at him in a random order. ‘It has to be Lee because I see Lee differently. It has to be Lee because he is the only I trust enough to train me in any form of jutsu. It must be Lee because Lee is the best taijutsu master any where near Suna. It has to be Lee because Lee is Lee.’ Gaara nodded to himself as he decided all of these to be true.
He sat there a minute letting the answers he found sink in and he discovered it only left him more questions. ‘Why do I see Lee differently? Why do I trust Lee? What is Lee to me? Why Lee?’ He gripped his hair trying to understand why his answers only led him to more questions and the same question appeared again and he did not know the answers to these questions either. “Why does it have to be Lee?” He asked himself aloud with a sigh. ‘It has to be Lee because he is special.’ Is what his mind provided instantly but when he pushed the thought further into why the thought collapsed and refused to give him anymore answers. ‘What is Lee to me?’ Gaara sighed knowing he was getting nowhere and he decided to see if Lee might know the answers. It never occurred to him that going to the person in question was not exactly the right move.
+++
Lee had just arrived home when he realized that he had forgotten to buy his groceries for the week. Today was his normal shopping day and he would be out of food in no time if he didn’t go buy any. Taking a quick look into his cabinets and his refrigerator he dashed out the door with a mental list of necessities. It was as he was picking up the ingredients for curry that he went over the events of that afternoon making him smile so brightly the other customers almost ran in fear of the dazzling whiteness of his teeth. ‘I hope I get to go to Suna with Gaara.’ Picking up the rest of his necessities he made his way to the checkout still thinking about it. ‘I wonder why he choose me though. I mean surely Guy Sensei or that other master are more suited, and probably more diplomatically correct for the job. I really am only one of the taijutsu masters, I’m sure any of us would do.’ Lee’s smile faded a bit as he paid and made his way home. It wasn’t that the thought depressed him it just meant that Tsunade may decide on one of the other more qualified masters. Nearing his apartment he pushed his thoughts aside and rounded the corner.
“Lee.” Gaara called from in front of the green clad ninja’s building.
“Gaara!” Lee smiled happily. They hadn’t parted less than two hours ago but it was rare for Gaara to visit him and he was genuinely happy that he had. “What brings you to my place?” Lee hid his blush well as he looked at his dingy apartment building. Gaara had been there many times but every time made Lee feel embarrassed to be living there not that he could afford anything else on his pay.
“I needed to talk to you.” He almost faltered as he realized that talking to Lee about it really wouldn’t bring him a lot of clarity. “Can I come up?”
“Sure.” Lee smiled opening the complex door and allowing Gaara inside. “So what is it you needed to talk about?”
“Well I just realized that you don’t know much about Suna.” The Kazekage smirked. “So I’m here to catch you up.”
“But we don’t know that I’ll be sent.” The Konoha ninja smiled softly as he opened his door, he was extremely glad the cleaning was done recently.
Taking a seat on the couch the red head smirked. “It would still be useful to show Tsunade that you are well informed.”
Lee nodded moving towards the kitchen. “Make yourself at home I have to put these away.” He noticed that his friend was already doing so. Putting the groceries away in record time he returned to the living room. Taking his customary seat at his desk he looked over at his friend. “So what do I need to know about Suna?”
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