Chapter Text
At first Lee didn’t know what woke him. He was still sitting on the floor beside the bed, the clock on the nightstand read 3:52. Then he felt it again. Something inside his pocket twitched. He put his hand over it, puzzled, and realized it was the sand, swirling and jumping inside his pocket in agitation. Behind him he heard a rustling sound from inside the gourd. Gaara slept on but his sand was awake, and maybe it was just Lee’s imagination running wild in the pre-dawn hours but he was certain it was anxious. Then another sound, barely audible, the creaking of a floorboard in the hall. So this was it then, the moment he had come here for. Memories surfaced before his eyes of Akatsuki robes, a fight against his own image that had dragged on for hours, Gaara lifeless and stiff in Naruto’s arms. Something deep in his soul roared and the sand in his pocket writhed furiously.
Although it pained him to leave Gaara’s side, he crossed the room silently and stood in the shadows beside the door.
Ever so slowly, the lock turned, the door creaked open and a man stepped inside. Not noticing Lee, he crossed towards the bed, drawing a tanbo from his belt, lacquered in black so shiny that it gleamed like obsidian. When the man was halfway to the bed, Lee swung the door shut, locked it and stepped out of the shadows.
“That is far enough.”
The man turned slowly to face him.
“How cocky our Kazekage has gotten. Travelling abroad with only one foreign ninja as a bodyguard. But then, you’re not really a ninja at all, are you? Konoha must be truly desperate to have promoted someone like you to chunin, let alone allowing you to attend their ninja academy in the first place.” As he spoke, Lee realized that he knew this voice and this face, if not the name that went with it. He had last seen this man in Suna, acting as a bodyguard for a member of the governing council. He let the taunts slide past, this was why he had been chosen for the mission after all.
“What do you want? Why are you following Gaara?” He asked. He knew that behind the man, Gaara was awake. Tendrils of sand snaked silently out of the window to alert the rest of their team who waited nearby. Lee now needed to keep the intruder’s attention for as long as possible so that he would not notice.
“I want nothing with him, I just want him dead.” The ninja’s voice was like ice.
“But why?” Lee asked, genuinely shocked.
“He will bring our village to ruin,” the man hissed. “Do you think a man can carry evil within him since birth and not turn to evil himself? Gaara may think that the village has forgotten his true nature, but not all of us are fooled. He should have been put down like a mad dog long ago. Councilman Kiyomori should have been appointed Kazekage and we intend to make it so.”
“We?” Lee repeated, a feeling like cold fingers running down his spine.
“Foolish boy. Do you think I act alone? Do you think I am the only shinobi in Suna who can still see reason? Who still cares for the safety of our village? Who knows that you Leaf ninja will bring nothing but betrayal and death?” The man spat. “Leave, boy. This doesn’t concern you and never has. Go back to your village.”
“If you believe I will do that, then you are even crazier than you sound,” Lee said.
The man lunged forward and Lee sprang into a high kick. The Sand ninja blocked with the black staff and Lee fell to the floor with a strangled scream. The tanbo glowed briefly with chakra, not the assassin's, but Lee’s, torn painfully from its pathways as the weapon made contact. His right leg was now numb and heavy, a useless weight that he could not stand on or fight with. Beneath the pain of having his chakra torn away, this numbness felt similar to a Gentle Fist attack that Lee knew all too well. He had just enough time to snatch his headband out of his vest pocket and use it to bind his right ankle to his thigh so that the useless leg would not get in his way. Not a big deal, he told himself, he could fight on one leg easily.
The ninja came in for a second attack and Lee dropped onto his left knee and spun behind him, his injured leg tucked against his body. He slammed his elbow into the back of his attacker's thigh, and then launched himself high into the air to deliver a crushing punch to the man’s collarbone from above, with the full weight of his falling body behind the blow. The assassin crashed to the floor and Lee came down on top of him, unable to land properly with his injured leg. He rolled to the side and bounced upright, careful to position himself so that the assassin would have to stand with his back to Gaara in order to keep his eyes on Lee. The two ninja stood staring at each other now. Lee balanced on one foot, the assassin stood lopsided with his shoulder at an unnatural angle, weight distributed unevenly to favour one foot.
“You’re finished,” the man growled.
“No.” Gaara’s voice rasped from the shadows behind him. “He isn’t.”
Sand shot forth from the gourd, holding the assassin fast. He winced as it pressed down on his broken collarbone.
“The sand monster rears its ugly head,” the ninja snarled. “Shukaku may be gone, but we all know that the real monster is you, Lord Kazekage. ” He spat the title like a curse.
Gaara ignored him. “So you work for Councilman Kiyomori? How many of you are there?”
“Enough,” the ninja said, laughing bitterly. “Even if I fail, we are your friends, your ANBU, your council. One of us will succeed.”
“Tell me everything,” Gaara commanded.
“Or what? You’ll torture me? Kill me?” The ninja taunted. “Go ahead Demon Kazekage, say it. Hold up your hand and say 'Sand Burial .' Crush me to death like you have countless others. Without a thought, without remorse. Make me a martyr for our cause. You’re nothing but an animal, and animals can’t fight their natures.”
Lee could see Gaara’s hand shaking as he held it out in front of him, commanding the sand which imprisoned their attacker. Awkwardly hopping on one leg, he moved closer.
“You are not,” he said gently. “This man does not know you, and he is wrong. Do not let his cruel words hurt you.”
“Isn’t that a sweet lie.” The Sand ninja laughed darkly. Gaara’s whole arm was trembling now, the sand wavered and with one vicious snarl the assassin tore himself free and charged at him.
“No!” Lee shouted, throwing himself forward.
The ninja turned in midair and struck at Lee instead. Lee could not stop his forward momentum and brought his hands up to protect himself, but too slowly. The shining tanbo caught him full across the face. Lee felt his nose break and then his whole head erupted in the most intense pain he had ever experienced. He saw white light and knew nothing more.
He did not hear the shattering of glass or the whine of shuriken flying through the space where the window had been to pin the attacker against the wall with perfect accuracy. He was not aware of the Black Ant swooping into the room to trap the traitor inside. The sounds of six more ninja alighting through the smashed window and Gai-sensei’s booming voice calling out orders and encouragement could not rouse him. Nor did he know that Gaara had run the few paces to reach him and skidded to his knees among the broken glass, gathering Lee in his arms. He lay still despite Gaara urgently calling for him to wake up as the blood which flowed from Lee’s shattered nose and ruptured eardrums soaked into Gaara’s shirt, red on red.
When Lee finally awoke again, he was in bed. At first he thought it must be the bed at the inn that had been mocking him. But it had an unpleasantly firm mattress, a thin blanket, and all he could smell was dried blood. Alarmed, he struggled to open his eyes and look around. The first thing he saw was a card table, piled high with papers and scrolls. Barely visible behind that was a figure in a wide brimmed green hat, and a long white robe, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.
“Gaara?” Lee tried to say. His voice came out hoarse and scratchy from disuse.
“Lee!” Gaara sprang to his feet, upsetting his chair and the card table in the process. Papers scattered across the floor of what Lee now realized was a hospital room. Scrolls unspooled and ink spilled as Gaara flung himself through the mess to land on the edge of Lee’s bed, grab his hand and squeeze it so hard that Lee was almost worried he’d break it.
“You’re awake. You’re okay,” Gaara breathed, relief evident in his usually calm voice.
“Yeah,” Lee croaked. “Where are we?”
“Suna,” Gaara replied. “Gai carried you back himself.”
Lee struggled to sit up. “How long have I been sleeping?!”
Gaara let go of his hand and grabbed his shoulders to push him back down. “Stay still, you’re not supposed to move. It’s been almost three days.”
“Three days?” Lee squawked.
“The rest of your team has gone already,” Gaara went on. “They took that ninja’s weapon to the Hokage for further analysis. It’s a nasty thing. It seems that it’s designed to sap chakra at the point of contact while also sending out a nearly undetectable shockwave that temporarily deadens muscles and nerves. Being hit in the head could have killed you.”
“I think I am okay,” Lee said slowly.
“You should be now,” Gaara replied. “The doctors were able to fix your nose and eardrums, and your chakra is recovering well, they say. It’s a relief to see you awake, to be able to talk to you again.”
“You do not need to worry about me. I will be right as rain in no time,” Lee announced. “I have had much worse.”
Gaara turned his head so that the veil of his hat hid his face, but not quickly enough that Lee failed to see the shame in his eyes.
“It is you I am worried about,” Lee continued. “He hurt you much worse than me.”
“He didn’t hurt me at all,” Gaara protested, still not looking at Lee.
“Gaara, I know for a fact that cruel words hurt far worse than any weapon ever could.”
Slowly Gaara turned his head back towards Lee, sea green eyes wide.
“You know those things he said were not true,” Lee challenged.
Gaara sighed dejectedly. “What does it matter? If that’s the way my own people see me. . .”
“They do not. They love you.” Lee said fiercely. “Anyone who knows you like I do, knows that nothing that man said was true. He said those things only to hurt you.”
Gaara stared at him for a few moments then made a sign in front of Lee’s face.
“Release,” he commanded.
“What was that for?” Lee asked.
“I have wondered for some time now if you have been placed under some sort of jutsu,” Gaara explained. “The way you act towards me, talk about me, after everything I’ve done . . . after everything I did to you. ”
Lee made a sound of indignation and began spluttering. “You think. . . you . . .you. . .”
Lee grabbed Gaara and pulled him down against his chest in a rough and awkward hug.
“Listen carefully, Gaara,” Lee said through gritted teeth, shaking him slightly as he spoke. “You are special. Your people chose you as Kazekage because they love and respect you. You have friends. You have. . . me. You are not a monster or a demon. You are the very opposite of those things.”
“If you say so,” Gaara said flatly, but Lee could feel him smiling against his chest. Gaara’s weight against his injured body was painful but Lee continued to hold him there anyway.
“Should I come back later?”
Gaara sprang away from Lee and whipped around to glare at his brother, leaning in the doorframe.
“Good to see you awake, man,” Kankuro addressed Lee. “The council is not happy at all about having to hold all their meetings in here.”
“In here?” Lee asked.
“Gaara refused to leave until you woke up. We’ve been busy since we got back trying to sort out this rogue councilman and his followers. Treason isn’t exactly a small matter, you know, and it would be better if the Kazekage would deal with it from his office instead of your hospital room.” Kankuro grinned at him.
Lee turned to look at Gaara, who had busied himself gathering up the scattered papers and looking anywhere but at Lee.
It was another three days before the doctor finally relented and allowed Lee to get out of bed. Mostly because Lee had taken the order to Just stay in bed, dammit as permission to do push ups, sit ups, and any other exercise he could think of on the bed itself. Gaara had been persuaded to move back into his office to hold meetings and assign missions, much to the relief of his subordinates. He still appeared in the hospital shortly after dinner every evening to interrogate the doctors about Lee’s recovery and scold him for attempting to train.
Lee suspected that Kankuro was under orders to keep an eye on him as he showed up several times a day. Lee didn’t mind; he quite enjoyed Kankuro’s company.
“Okay, here’s the situation. Are you fit to travel?” Kankuro asked him as soon as the doctor had given Lee permission to leave the hospital.
“I should think so,” Lee said. “I feel perfectly fine. I do not see what all the fuss was about. It was just chakra depletion and a broken nose.”
“Don’t forget the eardrums,” Kankuro reminded him.
“I barely noticed that. It did not hurt.” Lee waved him off.
“Okay, sure. So the thing is, it’s not that we aren’t enjoying having you here, but I’m taking you back to Konoha today, if you can make it.” Kankuro explained.
“Okay?” Lee said.
“Look, Gaara told me not to say anything to you,” Kankuro whispered, looking around warily. “But the Hokage has sent us a bird every day since your team got back, asking us to arrange to return you as well. We were supposed to send you by cart if you couldn’t walk. She says they need you back.”
Lee blinked in surprise. “Why was I not supposed to know this?”
“Beats me,” Kankuro shrugged. “Personally I think he just doesn’t want to let you out of his sight, until he’s certain you’re completely recovered. He thinks it was his fault, you know.”
“That is silly. It was just part of the mission!” Lee protested.
“I know that,” Kankuro said. “But he won’t listen. And he’s going to cause a diplomatic incident if he keeps this up. I know your Hokage likes him and he’s got a lot of friends over in Konoha, but I’m worried they’ll start to think we’re holding you hostage, which is technically an act of war, so. . .”
“I will pack my things!” Lee exclaimed. “But I would like to say good-bye to Gaara before I go.”
“Do you have to?” Kankuro asked, a definite note of pleading in his voice. “I know you two are, you know, close or whatever, but I don't want to know what he'd do if he caught me trying to smuggle you out of the village behind his back.”
Lee raised his chin defiantly. “Consider it payback for that prank with the bed.”
Kankuro turned pale under his make up. “No, come on. Don’t do this to me, man. It wasn’t a prank; I was just trying to help. I saw the way things were headed and just thought you two could use a little push, you know. Gaara is shy and you’re kind of. . . well, you know. I didn’t mean any harm by it. And believe me, I’ve gotten more than enough shit about it from Temari.”
Lee smiled and bumped Kankuro with his shoulder. "I am only messing with you; you know I cannot hold a grudge. I will leave the payback to Gaara."
“Okay, okay, sure, whatever. Just please, I’m literally begging you, let’s just go. Look, I’ll tell him that it’s my fault, that I forced you to leave without saying goodbye. Seriously, we’re desperate.”
“Okay,” Lee agreed. “I would not want to be the source of conflict between our villages.”
“Thank you!” Kankuro cried.
Within minutes they were rushed towards the gate, Kankuro glancing around anxiously the whole time. As they hurried through the long, shadowed corridor that led through the wall, the sand beneath their feet began to churn. Gaara rose out of the ground in front of them, his arms crossed over his chest and a wicked gleam in his eye.
“Kankuro,” he rasped. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Gaara,” Lee said, stepping forward. “Please, do not be angry. Kankuro told me about the messages from Lady Tsunade. I must head back immediately,”
Gaara smiled with his teeth, an expression that still always looked deeply disturbing on him. “The Hokage never sent any messages, Lee. Temari and I have been forging them to mess with Kankuro. You know, as retribution for the inn booking thing.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kankuro shrieked. “I’ve been so stressed!”
“I sent a message to Tsunade just now to tell her you’re on your way,” Gaara told Lee, ignoring his brother who was still muttering and swearing behind Lee. “Kankuro will make sure you get to our border okay. Your team will probably meet you in Fire Country if I know them. I’ve asked your Hokage to write to me when you get back. I really am worried about you, you know.”
“I am just fine,” Lee protested. Then, a thought struck him. “Could I write to you? Instead of the Hokage?”
“I would like that,” Gaara said. He stepped forward and hugged Lee clumsily, just a little closer and for just a moment longer than was really proper. “I’ll see you again soon.”
“You will,” Lee promised with a thumbs up.
Back in Konoha, Lee borrowed a pen from the Hokage’s desk and held it over a piece of paper. He didn’t move.
“Uh, Lee?” Tenten asked.
Lee looked at her with an expression of pure panic on his face. “What do I say?”
“Just tell him you got here safely,” Tenten said.
“No, no.” Neji cut in. “Lady Tsunade could have written that herself. It should be more personal.”
“Write him a poem,” Gai suggested. “About the ache you’ll feel in your heart until you are reunited. About how all of your dreams will be about him until you can hold him in your arms again. About how -”
“No! Too intense!” Tenten snapped.
Tsunade sat at the desk with her head in her hands. “Hurry up and write the damn letter, or I'll write it for you."
"Just write what you're really thinking, Lee," Sakura suggested.
"Okay. I can do that."
He put pen to paper and wrote:
Dear Gaara,
I have arrived back in Konoha and feel as good as new. I cannot wait to see you again. I hope it will be soon.
Yours,
Lee
PS - For your sake, it was worth it.