Archive of Our Own

“if this were the last slow curling/
of your fingers in my palm/
if this were the last I felt you breathing/
how would I carry on?

this is not the last snowfall/
not our last embrace/
but if I were that kind of grateful/
what would I try to say?”-The Last Snowfall, Vienna Teng

To my dear friend, Rock Lee,

Forgive the delay in my response to your last letter. The upcoming Chūnin Exams have taken up much of my time in addition to my usual duties. I hope my letter finds you in good health and safely at home in Konoha. Your last mission took a turn for the worst it seems, but I am unsurprised you were victorious. Your enemy underestimated you, as I once did. It is an advantage not many have had over me and one I have been careful not to repeat. I have said so before, but you expressed disappointment over your enemy's apparent mockery of you and it is my hope that my words lift your spirits—an enemy that mocks you is sure to lose against you. Your uniqueness is a strength and your strength unique to you. I admire both greatly.

Will you be in Konoha during the upcoming exams? You mentioned the Hokage might assign you a role and if that is the case I hope you will have the time to show me the restaurant you mentioned the last time I saw you. It is rare enough I leave Suna and it would be nice to spend some time in Konoha not as a figurehead, but as a friend visiting another friend.

I suspect that I will see you before your next letter reaches me. I look forward to catching up in person.
Your friend,
Gaara

I.

The tip of Lee's tongue stuck out as he concentrated on keeping his penmanship in tact. He rarely wrote personal letters while on missions—it would not do to allow for distractions, after all—but this latest mission had come to a close and he was on a time crunch: the moment he returned to Konoha, he intended to send his letter with the fastest bird he could afford. But speed did not mean he had to have shoddy penmanship.

“Lee!” Gai's shout echoed through the trees, sending a few nearby critters scurrying for cover. “Let's go!”

“Just one more moment, please, Gai-sensei!” Lee was almost done. Just a few more careful strokes and then he could seal the letter.

“Come on, Lee,” Tenten whined. “You're not gonna be able to send that out here anyways.”

Lee huffed, his pen veering slightly in his annoyance, ruining the character he'd been writing. He glared down at the imperfection before glancing up at Tenten. “I want to send this right away, Tenten! The Kazekage will be in Konoha for the Chūnin Exams before long and I want him to receive this letter before then.”

“You're always in a hurry to send him letters. What's so special about this one?” Tenten asked, slinging her pack over her shoulder.

Lee felt a flush creep up the back of his neck and he looked back down at his letter self-consciously. “I just want him to know that if he has time, I would like to see him.”

“The Kazekage's not coming for a friendly visit,” Neji reminded him for at least the tenth time. “He's not going to have time for a Chūnin.”

“But he will have time for a friend,” Lee snapped.

“Neji, Tenten,” Gai interrupted. “Let him be. The Kazekage is a dear friend to Lee. I am sure he will make time to see him.”

Lee shifted, rising to his feet and rolling up his unfinished letter. He'd need to start over now that he'd made a mistake, but they were only a few hours away from Konoha. If he was quick enough he would still have time to send the letter before the day was over.

He promised himself that he would send it by three or else he would do laps around the village in penance.

He slipped the scroll into his vest pocket, patting it once for luck.

II.

Konoha's gates were open, welcoming them home with open arms.

Lee was overeager to break away from his team and make his way home where he could start his letter over without interruption, but an unexpected sight at the gate kept him from making a run for it.

“Is that the Hokage?” Tenten asked.

“It certainly is,” Gai said, watching the Hokage with a severe frown on his face. “Perhaps she has come to welcome us home!”

Lee held back a heavy sigh. Any chance to be praised by the Hokage was not one he would normally pass up, and he wouldn't allow himself to be rude in her presence just because he had other things on his mind. His letter would have to wait.

“Gai.” The Hokage's expression held no hint of joy at the sight of them. “I have an S-Rank mission for you and your team.”

“An S-Rank mission?” Lee blurted, excited despite himself. The Hokage's expression was severe enough that Lee should not have felt excitement coursing through his veins, but an S-Rank mission would offer up even greater challenges than their last mission.

“You'll rendezvous with Team Kakashi in Sunagakure—”

Lee's ears, already so keen on what the Hokage was saying, honed in on that word like a microscope: Sunagakure. He might have the chance to give his letter to the Kazekage in person! Wouldn't that be wonderful? An S-Rank mission and the chance to see his friend—

“—the Kazekage has been abducted by Akatsuki. It's imperative that you leave immediately.”

“What?” Lee blurted, his thoughts crashing to a halt. “That—that is impossible! It cannot be true!”

“Lee,” Gai said seriously, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I'm sorry, Lee,” Tsunade said, the hardness of her expression softening as she looked at him. “But unfortunately it is true. We believe Akatsuki took him because of the Ichibi. Team Kakashi should be in Suna by now, but I trust you will not waste a moment in catching up with them. Please, do your best to bring the Kazekage home safely.”

Lee's eyes burned as he saluted, his throat tight. “I promise, Hokage-sama.”

“Gai, be careful. Whoever took the Kazekage was a powerful opponent.”

“Understood, Hokage-sama.”

Gai nudged Lee, gentle but firm, turning him away from the Hokage. Neji and Tenten were watching him, but he couldn't stand to look at them. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears falling down his face, and lifted a hand to the pocket where his letter to Gaara rested.

Please, be all right.

III.

White noise filled his ears as he raced through the trees, pushing himself faster with each moment. Behind him, his teammates lagged behind.

“Hurry up!” he called back, stopping on a thick branch to look over his shoulder.

“Slow down a little,” Tenten called. “It's going to take three days to get there no matter what.”

Lee's chest tightened, and he snapped, “The Kazekage might not have that long. We need to pick up the pace.”

“Lee,” Gai warned. “Kakashi's team has already reached Suna, I am sure that the search for the Kazekage is already under way—”

“But—”

“I understand you're concerned,” Gai continued, ignoring Lee's protests. “But you mustn't allow your feelings to cloud your judgment. Rushing head first into such a dire situation could put the Kazekage in more danger.”

Lee looked away, ashamed and horrified at the thought. He would never do anything to put his friends at risk—never. He swallowed down a sob, forcing himself to ignore the feelings that had spurned him towards Suna so hastily. He jumped to the next tree without a word, the silence between him and his teammates heavy.

The sun was setting now, the thick canopy of trees casting them in darkness more quickly than if they had traveled by a main road. Lee looked ahead, towards the specter of Suna that he couldn't see. They still needed to make it through the forests of Fire and into River Country before they set foot in the desert; the wait was an agony Lee had never known before. What if something happened to Gaara between now and then? What if they were too late? What if Lee never got to see him again?

“Lee!” Gai called, stopping him in his tracks. He slid across a thick tree branch, catching himself at its edge. “We should break for the evening.”

“But—we do not have time, Gai-sensei! The Kazekage—”

“As I told you, Lee,” Gai said, landing beside him in the tree, “rushing head first into this does not guarantee his safety. I know this is difficult, but you must take heart. Trust in Team Kakashi. We will get there when we do, and I am sure you will be a great help to your friend.”

Tears sprung fresh to Lee's eyes, and he quickly tried to wipe them away, but they did not stop. “W-what if—how could this happen? The Kazekage is so strong—”

“Even the strongest man has a weakness, Lee,” Gai told him. “Remember, no one is invincible. You know intimately the Kazekage's strength, but you also know his weakness.”

Lee shook his head, emotion constricting his throat like a metal clamp. “He has worked so hard to become the Kazekage. He always told me how much it meant to him, how much he cared for his village, and now this—it is too cruel, Gai-sensei!”

A strong hand settled on Lee's shoulder. He looked up into his sensei's serious face. “Sometimes, life is cruel. You know this well. You have faced life's cruelties before, and so has the Kazekage. I am sure this will be just another one to overcome.” He gave Lee a sad smile before pulling him into one of his usual bone crushing hugs. He released Lee a moment later, giving him a quick nod before jumping from the tree and leaving Lee alone.

He sucked in a breath, fighting down another sob, but it seemed he was fighting a losing battle. He fell back against the tree, sliding down its trunk and resting fully on the branch to cry. What was the point in being stronger than he was yesterday if he couldn't even save one friend?

By the time his tears had stopped and his face dried, the moon was glittering above through the leaves. He stared up at it, wondering where Gaara was now and if he was all right. His mind wandered from one horrible scenario to another, making his heart race. He clenched his hands in his lap, closing his eyes tight against the fear that had wormed its way into his heart.

Gai was right: he couldn't let his feelings cloud his judgment.

He took the letter from his vest pocket in trembling hands, pulled his legs up, and settled in to finish it.

The length of the letter grew, longer and longer with each passing stroke of his pen. He lost track of the time, lost track of his feelings as he poured everything he could into the words he was writing. Tears burned at the edge of his vision, but he didn't allow himself to cry again. He couldn't, not when Gaara's fate was still unknown.

Several hours later, Gai's booming voice reached him from below. “Lee! Come rest! A few hours of sleep will do you good, and then we can continue on!”

Lee sighed, wiping a stray tear from his face. Carefully, he placed the last few strokes of his name at the bottom of the letter before rolling it up. He sealed it, placed it in a metal carrier tube for safety, and once again put it in his breast pocket, holding his hand against it now in silent prayer.

Down below, Neji and Tenten had settled into their sleeping bags, and were thankfully not paying him any mind. He'd firmed his resolve, but he did not think he could stand to see the worry in their faces. It would only shatter what little hold he'd managed to reign over his own emotions.

Gai didn't say anything to him as he unfurled his own sleeping bag and settled in, but Lee could feel his watchful gaze nonetheless.

“Sleep well, Lee,” Gai finally said as Lee laid his head down. “I'll wake you in a few hours.”

Lee did not sleep well. He tossed and turned, and only started to drift off an hour before they would return to their journey. In that short hour, his dreams were plagued by nightmares; by the ghost of a demon chasing him as he chased down Gaara's captors and searched frantically for his friend.

“Lee!”

He woke mid-swing, only barely managing to stop the hit he was aiming at Gai's head scant centimeters before it would have connected. His breath came in ragged bursts and sweat beaded his forehead. He quickly collected himself, jumping from his sleeping bag.

“Forgive me, Gai-sensei. I was in the middle of a—a dream,” he faltered, looking away.

Gai let the little lie pass him by. “It is all right, Lee. I should have known better than to wake you like that. Come, Neji and Tenten are waiting for us.”

Lee scrambled to pack his things as Gai doused their small campfire and destroyed any signs that they had been there. He took in several calming breaths as he finished rolling his sleeping bag and returned it to his pack.

“It was just a dream,” he told himself, trying to soothe the anxiety that had crawled into his heart. He cinched his sleeping bag, closed his pack, and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“All right, let's go!” Gai said, taking to the trees.

It was still dark as they returned to flying through the forest and racing against time. By Lee's guess it was midnight and they'd lost at least five hours of travel. He pulled ahead of the group in silence, staring forward with the all the determination a lifetime of overcoming failure had instilled in him.

By the time the forest glowed with early morning light, dew drops falling from leaves as they raced past, they were nearing the boarder of Fire and River. Lee hoped the route they'd taken would allow them to bypass any boarder checks that would only delay them further.

“Can we stop for a quick break?” Tenten asked.

“We are nearing the border,” Lee called back. “Please, Tenten, hold out a little longer.”

No one said anything in response. Lee realized he was being unreasonable—his teammates were probably tired and hungry, and they hadn't stopped for a water break in at least two hours. He came to a halt, abrupt and unannounced.

“Forgive me, Tenten,” he said as the others stopped behind him. “I should not have dismissed you like that.”

“Don't worry about it,” she said, hopping down beside him. “We understand, Lee.”

Lee tried not to let her words affect him, nodding silently. “We can take a quick break. I am sorry for only thinking of myself.”

“You were thinking of your friend,” Tenten told him, a chiding note in her voice. “There's nothing wrong with that, but I am thirsty.” She pulled her pack from her back, letting it fall to the tree's branch so she could dig around for her canteen. In the other tree, Gai and Neji were similarly taking a water break.

“We are almost into River,” Gai announced. “We should be able to bypass the boarder checks from where we are, but if on the off chance we cannot, it will likely push us behind by another hour. In our haste to leave, we didn't get documentation for our mission.”

“Is it wise to inform a border patrol about what's happened to the Kazekage?” Neji asked as he returned his canteen to his pack. “Word of the Kazekage's abduction could inspire an attack on Suna.”

“That is very true, Neji,” Gai said. “However, I do believe that River Country's hidden village has an alliance in place with Konoha. If they were to attack one of our allies it would not bode well for them.”

“But word could still spread,” Lee said. “Right, Gai-sensei?”

“Indeed it can. Which is why it is in our best interest—and the Kazekage's—that we avoid the boarder check. Is everyone ready?”

“Yup!” Tenten chirped, a forced cheeriness in her voice. She was watching Lee carefully as he readied himself to take off again, her gaze as heavy as Gai's. They were worried about him, concerned that he would lose his cool and act too recklessly in the face of the enemy. He wished he could ease those fears, but even he didn't know what he would do once they reached their destination.

As they neared the border, they slowed their pace, moving higher into the trees and masking their chakra. Lee struggled as always to diminish his ever-present chakra signature, the fear of its brash nature drawing unwanted attention forcing his racing mind to quiet so he could focus.

Behind him, Neji activated his byakugan, scanning the surrounding area for any wayward boarder patrols.

“The nearest check is six-hundred meters north of us, there's another seven-hundred meters south. We're clear.”

Lee released the breath he 'd been holding, not quite a sigh of relief. He didn't think he'd feel relief until Gaara was safely home.

In the distance, there was a rustling in the trees as something small shot towards them. Lee pulled to a stop, a kunai in his hand before he had time to register what the approaching object was.

“Wait!” a familiar, gruff voice barked.

“Pakkun?” Gai said, landing next to Lee.

“Gai,” Pakkun greeted. “We've uncovered the location of Akatsuki's hideout. It's here in River.”

Lee's eyes went wide. “Really? Then that means we are close!”

“Kakashi has asked that you rendezvous with him and his team there. I can lead you to the location.”

“Perfect!” Gai declared. “Lead the way!”

Pakkun took off like a shot. Lee was hot on his heels, gripping his vest pocket as though it were a lifeline. The letter was still there, safe and sound, tethering him to the present moment. He couldn't let his mind wander, he couldn't lose his focus to the dread that coiled in his stomach, he had to take Pakkun's appearance and the news he'd brought as a good omen.

He will be all right.

The forests of Fire bled into River, but faded away in the wake of valleys and canyons. Out in the open, speeding through a country he only knew from maps, Lee felt a creeping sense of vulnerability like spiders crawling on his skin. He and Pakkun had taken a healthy lead, leaving his teammates to catch up, when Pakkun growled.

“Someone's coming.”

“Then we should be faster.”

“That may not be an option,” Pakkun warned.

Lee glanced over his shoulder to see Neji's byakugan activated, searching out the enemy.

“Behind us!”

Pakkun disappeared on the instant. Behind them, something burst from the ground, making straight for Lee and his teammates. Rocks flew into the air as the strange object gained speed, ripping through the earth.

“MOVE!”

In the blink of an eye, Lee was airborne and not a moment too soon. Almost immediately after he'd taken flight, the object collided with a boulder, shaking the ground and shattering the rock completely.

He and his teammates landed twenty yards away, watching as the dust began to settle.

“What was that?” Tenten asked. Gai narrowed his eyes, staring intently as someone appeared from the slowly settling cloud of dust.

“You...”

The man before them wore an ink black cloak with red clouds floating across its surface and held aloft a large sword, its blade wrapped in cloth. It was the very thing that had chased them down. The man grinned, flashing sharp teeth and laughing as he pointed his sword at Gai. “So you remember me.”

Gai's expression was one of intense concentration, his brows drawn in thought. “Who are you?”

“Gai-sensei, do you know him?” Lee asked, staring at the man's sword. He could sense a strength and a huge well of chakra coming from this stranger, and if his intent was as Lee feared, he did not see how they would get out of this quickly. Carefully, he spread his feet, taking up a defensive stance.

“Do you really not remember me?” the man asked, black eyes locked on Gai.

“We've met before then,” Gai said, carefully inching into a defensive stance of his own.

“Looks like your intelligence is the same as a beast's, but I'll make you remember soon enough.” He laughed, a high laugh for such a large man, and tossed his sword into the air. He clapped his hands together, reeling back and shouting, “Exploding Water Shock Wave!”

From his mouth sprang forth enough water to fill a lake. A wave rose above them, crashing down as Lee and his teammates jumped into the air to avoid being swept away. As they touched down, their attacker sprang forth on a geyser, rising up above them and surfing towards them on another fierce wave. They dodged him, but again he returned on a wave.

Their attacker was focused on Gai, barely paying the rest of them any mind, even as wave after wave chased them down.

“Neji,” Lee called, hoping not to draw attention to himself from their opponent. “He seems to have a vendetta against Gai-sensei.”

“Tenten,” Neji whispered.

“Roger,” she said, slightly breathless.

They dodged another wave, narrowly avoiding being drenched this time. From in front of them, their attacker appeared again, surfing towards Gai with his sword aloft. Gai dodged, landing a kick only for the man to burst like a water balloon.

“A water clone,” Gai said, turning left and right to find the real body.

He appeared from the water behind Gai, who dodged again, changing their attackers line of sight. Lee narrowed his eyes—it was his chance to intervene.

“Lee!”

He appeared in a blur behind their opponent, shouting with a fury he hadn't expected, “Leaf Rising Wind!!” His kick hit, sending the man's sword into the air. He dropped down, only to be met with Neji, who sent an attack directly towards him, pushing him back several yards. The enemy caught his sword, digging it into the ground to slow himself down, but Tenten had already lobbed an explosive his way.

The blast emitted a thick black smoke, hiding the enemy from view. When the smoke cleared, he was no where to be seen.

“Where did he go?” Gai asked as the four of them settled on the surface of the water, their guard up and their gazes intent on their surroundings.

“Neji—” Tenten started, but Lee cut her off.

“We do not have time for this,” Lee huffed, narrowing his eyes as something bubbled beneath the water's surface and his chakra control slipped slightly. One of his feet dipped into the water, and he forced himself to calm so he could correct it.

“Unfortunately, Lee, we cannot simply escape this fight,” Gai said seriously.

Lee didn't argue. Their enemy had reappeared, rising slowly from the water, his eyes taking in the team with renewed consideration. “You brats are quite annoying,” he said, surprise in his voice.

“We need to start our counterattack,” Gai told them, not taking his eyes off their attacker.

“You still don't remember,” the man admonished Gai. “I'll take my time making you remember, and if you think I'll be so easily distracted, you are sorely mistaken.”

He grinned, rushing at them suddenly, and Gai raced to meet him. He flipped over the man's sword as it sliced through the air, and Neji appeared at the enemy's side.

“Gentle Fist!”

Neji jumped back as his attack was absorbed by the blade of the sword, and Lee dove straight for their opponent, his tonfa at the ready. He was too slow, however, and his tonfa were no match for their enemy's sword, which easily shattered the wood of his weapons.

Lee tossed his ruined weapons aside, seething. They'd lost at least ten minutes with this pointless back and forth, and for all they knew Gaara could be dead. His eyes burned, tears springing to them as whatever counted as control over his emotions slipped further. He quickly wiped at his face, furious with himself for not keeping his feelings in check.

There was a sudden explosion that rocked the area, and Lee looked up in time to see smoke surrounding the enemy. “Did you do something?” he asked, looking at Tenten, who had her scroll open.

“Let's go!” Gai cried, not wasting a moment before springing into the next round of attacks.

Lee rejoined his teammates as Gai maneuvered the sword away from their opponent. Neji, Tenten, and Lee sailed towards him, but as they did three shapes emerged, forming clones of the man and blocking their attacks all at once.

Before either of them could recover, he shouted, “Water Prison Jutsu!”

Lee had no time to react before he found himself trapped in a bubble of water. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't move. He could only watch as Gai dove forward, swinging the man's heavy sword only for its hilt to grow spikes that sliced his hand, forcing him to drop the weapon.

“Lee! Neji! Tenten!” Gai shouted, now several paces back and a safe distance from the enemy.

“I'll admit, these kids are more skilled than they look,” the man said with a laugh. “But now we can fight without any interruptions.” From far off, his sword sped through the water, returning to his hand. “My great sword, Samehada, will only allow me to wield it.”

We are running out of time, Lee thought desperately as Gai pulled his nunchaku from his pack.

The fight between Gai and their unknown enemy escalated before them, like a show they hadn't meant to attend. Lee glanced at his teammates, frustrated by their inability to do anything more than watch as the one-on-one match intensified.

What do we do? he thought desperately, his frustration mounting with each passing second. He wasn't worried about his own capacity to hold his breath, nor was he particularly worried about Gai. He knew Gai's skill, and he trusted that though their foe was strong, Gai would be victorious.

What he did not trust was how much time they had left to get to Gaara.

In the distance, there was a loud splash and a furious cry as the enemy sent an attack directly into the water. Lee searched for Gai, but he'd disappeared beneath the waves that had disturbed the water's surface. Pillars of water sprouted before them, and in the distance, Lee could sense power.

“Gai-sensei!” he shouted, only bubbles escaping him.

The next moment, Gai burst through the water's surface, the power of the Sixth Gate surrounding him. The fire of the Morning Peacock blazed overhead, and Lee opened the first three Gates, burning away the water that surrounded him.

Beside him, Neji's prison popped as well, followed by Tenten's. She collapsed to the floor, supporting herself with her scroll and glaring up at the clones. “You'll pay for that,” she muttered.

As one they cut down the clones that had imprisoned them, watching as they dissolved into nothing. All around them, the water began to vanish, draining into nowhere as Gai defeated their enemy.

They did not have time celebrate their victory, though.

“We need to go,” Lee said, trying to hurry them along as they approached the body.

It was not the same man who had attacked them, but Lee didn't care. He was too preoccupied with the time they'd lost.

“It was a trick,” Neji said.

“A trick to slow us down,” Lee snapped. “We should go.”

“We're close,” Pakkun said, having reappeared at the end of the battle. “Let's go.”

IV.

They stood before a large stone, a seal placed high upon it. A bold red character had been written on its face, proclaiming FORBIDDEN to their gathered team.

“This is it,” Pakkun said. “The Kazekage is on the other side of this boulder.”

“How do we get in?” Tenten asked.

“There appears to be a barrier” Gai said with a thoughtful hum, tapping his finger against the massive boulder. “We should wait for the others.”

Lee whirled around, wide-eyed and furious. “But Gai-sensei—”

“No, Lee,” he said heavily. “We need to wait. We don't know what's on the other side, and if the enemy was strong enough to take out the Kazekage, we shouldn't rush in.”

Lee turned away, clenching his hands into fists until the bite of his nails broke skin. If they weren't strong enough to face the enemy, was there any hope of rescuing Gaara? He closed his eyes tight against a fresh wave of tears, touching the pocket of his vest to ground himself.

Behind him, there was a splash.

“Gai,” Kakashi's voice greeted.

“You're late, rival,” Gai said, no hint of jest in his tone.

“We were held up,” Kakashi explained. Naruto, Sakura, and an old woman Lee had never seen stared up at the boulder that separated them from Gaara.

“So were we,” Neji said. “By someone in a black cloak with red clouds.”

“Akatsuki.” Kakashi confirmed. His hitai-ate was up, revealing his sharingan. “It seems they wanted to delay us.”

“Those bastards can't stop us,” Naruto growled, his eyes red and his teeth bared. “We're gonna get Gaara back, ya know. I'll break that boulder in half—”

“There's a barrier,” Neji interjected. “We can't just break in.”

“Neji-kun,” Kakashi said dully. “Would you mind checking what's happening inside?”

Without a word, Neji's byakugan came to life, the veins at his temples bulging.

“What do you see?” Naruto and Lee asked in unison, hardly giving Neji a chance to investigate the enemy's hideout.

“Give me a minute,” he snapped. “It's hard to tell what's happening.”

They waited in silence, everyone surrounding Neji. Lee and Naruto stood closest, watching him with anxious expectation.

“There's some sort of... creature,” Neji said slowly, his brow furrowing.

“Where is the Kazekage?” Lee asked urgently. “Do you see him? Is he all right—”

“I'm looking,” Neji bit off, shoving at Lee's hand gripping his shoulder.

“Hurry up,” Naruto groused, tugging at Neji's other sleeve.

“I—I see him,” Neji finally said, the furrow of his brow softening as his eyes widened.

“Is he all right?” Lee asked again, stepping closer.

“We need to hurry,” Neji said, shoving Naruto's hands away. “I don't think he has much time.”

Lee's blood ran cold, his heart stuttering like a trembling rabbit sensing a predator. “He—is he all right?”

“Lee,” Neji warned. “Don't.”

Tears blurred his vision. He took a step away from Neji, afraid of what he could see in Neji's gaze. “H-how do we break through?”

“What?” Naruto growled. “What's goin' on?”

“We need to figure out what sort of seal that is,” the old woman said, stepping forward. “What do you make of it, Kakashi?”

Kakashi had lowered his hitai-ate, but he stared up at the seal with a blandly analytical gaze. “Mhm, a Five-Seal Barrier, I think.”

“Agreed,” the old woman said.

“What does that mean?” Sakura asked.

“It means we can't simply break through,” Kakashi intoned. “There are four other tags with this same seal, hidden nearby. We won't be able to break through until we've removed all five tags simultaneously.”

“Then—Neji!” Lee shouted, whirling on his friend.

“I know,” Neji said with a heavy sigh, once again activating his byakugan.

“Hurry, Neji,” Lee begged.

“I've found the first one,” Neji said almost immediately. “On a boulder about five-hundred meters northeast of us. The second...” Neji's eyes slid away from the tag he'd located. “There! On the trunk of a tree growing along a riverbank three-hundred-fifty meters, south-southeast.”

“Where are the other two?” Naruto asked when Neji fell silent for too long while his eyes roved over sights the rest of them couldn't see.

“Quiet,” Kakashi snapped.

“The third one is on a cliff six-hundred-fifty meters northwest.... and the last one is in a forest a little less than eight-hundred meters to the southwest of us.”

“That's too far away,” Sakura said. “How are we going to be able to signal when to remove the seals?”

“Not to worry,” Gai declared, removing his pack and digging around in its depths. “I have just the thing for this.”

No one had the sense of urgency Lee wished they did. Even Naruto had calmed down waiting for Neji to deliver the location of the four other tags. Lee could hardly wait for Gai to find whatever it was he was looking for.

“Wireless radios!” Gai held one up, grinning. “Now we will be able to stay in contact and find the tags!”

“Good thinking, Gai,” Kakashi said.

“Everyone, get your radios out,” Gai ordered. “We'll be the fastest at getting to the tags—”

“No! I want to stay here,” Lee demanded, every ounce of his body burning with a sudden fire.

“Lee,” Gai said sternly. “This is not the time to argue. You can help the Kazekage from a distance.”

“I can give someone else my radio,” Lee insisted.

“That's enough!” Gai shouted. “Put your radio on, Lee.”

Lee couldn't argue with Gai, but the desire to dig his heels in and stay exactly where he was and demand someone else go was almost overpowering.

“Lee-kun,” Kakashi murmured. “It's best if you go on ahead. You're faster than the rest of us. It would take too long for any of us to reach one of those tags, and who knows what would happen to Gaara-kun then.”

Lee clenched his jaw, his vision blurring as he did as he'd been told. His hands trembled as he pulled out his radio and attached it to his hitai-ate and tied it around his forehead. He wiped at his face, setting his jaw in an angry line.

“Lee, you'll make for the northwest forest, since you're the fastest,” Gai began, watching Lee with a heavy gaze. “I leave the northeast boulder to you, Neji. Tenten, take the south-southeast tag. And that leaves me with the northwest tag on the cliff. I suspect that will be the most difficult to remove.”

“What's the frequency?” Kakashi asked.

“One-Seven-Four.”

“Roger,” Kakashi said, adjusting his own wireless radio set.

The rest of the team adjusted their headsets.

“Settings are good,” Tenten announced.

“All right, Team Gai!” Gai placed his hand in the center of their squad, and for the first time in Lee's memory, he had no interest in joining in.

“We need to hurry,” Lee said, turning his back on Gai's waiting hand. They didn't have time for distractions, and if Lee's arguing over staying had pushed them behind, then this certainly would.

“You're right, Lee,” Gai said, straightening. His expression settled into the severe lines of a man ready for battle, and he stepped forward, placing a bracing hand on Lee's shoulder. “Don't worry, Lee. Let's go!”

Neji and Tenten disappeared in a flash, leaving Gai and Lee behind.

“It's okay, Lee,” Gai assured him with a final squeeze of his shoulder. “Let's go!”

They launched into the air, separating and making their way towards their respective tags.

V.

“Three...! Two...!” Gai's voice boomed, heavy with concentration, through the earpiece. “One!”

Lee ripped the seal from the tree, hopeful that he'd been in sync with the others. His whole body was tense with the need for speed, with the need to get back to the hideout.

For a few shining moments, everything appeared fine: Kakashi's voice gave Sakura the all-clear and then there was a thunderous boom that echoed across the land. Lee's mouth twitched up at one corner, the frown he'd worn since the news of Gaara's abduction giving way to a sort of relief.

“We're in,” Kakashi's voice buzzed over static and the sound of crumbling rock. “Hurry back.”

But he couldn't hurry back. As Lee prepared to launch into the air, the seal he'd abandoned on the ground let out a soft hiss and its face bubbled, a glutinous mass rising like mochi dough being stretched. Lee's attention diverted, split between a speedy exit and the worry that whatever this was would follow him.

“Gai-sensei,” he said into his headset, at the exact same moment the rest of his team spoke.

“Kakashi, we may be late in returning to you,” Gai's voice managed to boom over the rest of theirs.

Kakashi's end was silent, and Lee's anxiety spiked. Was the Kazekage all right?

Before he could open his mouth to ask, the mass took familiar shape, and Lee came face-to-face with himself.

“It's me,” Tenten's voice buzzed in Lee's ear, quizzical and a hint amused. “What is this?”

“A trap,” Neji said flatly.

“Don't let your guard down,” Gai advised.

Lee fell into his trademark fighting stance, and his doppelganger followed suit. “What do we do?”

“I'm not sure,” Gai said heavily.

With no clear idea what to do, Lee moved a step to the left, crossing one foot in front of the other before falling back into his defensive stance. The doppelganger followed suit, mirroring his every move. If he moved to attack, then he was sure the clone would too. He crouched down low, narrowing his eyes, and the doppelganger did so, too, though its expression remained neutral. However exact it resembled Lee, however it perfectly in sync it moved with him, it was not him. It did not care what happened to Gaara.

Without missing a beat, Lee launched himself into the air and was promptly followed by the doppelganger. They fell gracefully back towards the earth, as though in a strange dance. Lee did not move to attack, and neither did the clone.

“It does everything I do,” Lee said into his headset.

There was a heavy grunt, followed by Tenten's voice. “Y-yeah, I kinda figured that out already.”

“It knows all our attacks and defenses. It even knows when we'll strike,” Neji said. “I don't think we'll be making it back to the others anytime soon.”

“We have to!” Lee shouted. “We cannot let anything happen to the Kazekage!”

Lee didn't waste another moment. He turned his attention away from the clone, and made to leave.

The clone followed, but this time, it did not simply copy him.

Lee was tackled to the ground by a massive weight and a fist that drove him deep into the earth. He coughed up dirt and grass, spit dribbling down his chin as he pushed himself up with a force strong enough to crack the earth and launch his clone backwards. He heard the crash and crunch of a tree echoing around him.

“They will not let us leave,” he informed the others.

“What do we do, Gai-sensei?” Tenten asked, the clang of metal echoing in the background.

“We fight,” Gai said seriously. “We do everything we can to return to the others.”

That was easier said than done, and Lee's mounting anxiety over the silence on Kakashi's end was growing by the minute. What could he do against himself? How could he fight against someone that knew every move he knew? That was equally as fast and strong? That was just as skilled in hand-to-hand as Lee, but had none of the emotional bagged weighing it down and distracting it?

Lee huffed, staring in narrowed-eyed consternation at his clone as it rose from the wreckage of a tree.

“You will not keep me from the Kazekage,” he told it. It stared at him in neutral silence, neither angry nor amused.

Lee wondered if the clone had leg-weights hidden beneath its legwarmers. It had copied every aspect of his appearance right down to his clothes, but how? He wasn't skilled in Fuuinjutsu and had never spent any time studying what he knew he could never do—he would certainly rectify that once they had rescued Gaara.

“Tenten,” he said into his radio. “Do you know what kind of seal can do this?”

“I can't remember,” she huffed, her words stiff with effort. “It's—it's not something I usually—do! Fuck!”

“Tenten!” Gai reprimanded, his own voice heavy with distraction and gruff with effort.

“Sorry!” she said, not an ounce of remorse in her tone. “I—” A clang of metal and a grunt echoed through Lee's headset. “I'll try and think of something!”

Lee's clone stood waiting in the wreckage of the tree, its posture relaxed and nonthreatening. Lee moved one foot to the right. It copied. He moved his arm into the air. The clone did to. There was nothing he did that the clone wouldn't do.

He steeled himself, taking up a different stance—something he hadn't yet perfected. The clone mirrored his movements, as he'd known it would. Watching the clone, he could see exactly where his stance was weak, for that weakness was reflected back at him, a hole in the clone's impenetrable strength.

Lee didn't adjust to correct his stance, but he cataloged the knowledge away.

“Tenten, do you remember anything?”

“A little busy here,” she huffed.

“Stop fighting,” Lee said.

“What?! Are you crazy?”

“If you stop, the clone will stop too!”

“You are! You're crazy!”

“Tenten,” Lee snapped. “Trust me!”

Tenten gave a grunt before subsiding, panting heavily in Lee's ear. “Huh. Guess you're right.”

“Think, Tenten!” he demanded. “What is this?”

“Dammit, Lee. You can't just rush me! I don't specialize in this shit, I specialize in wea—wait! Wait! I know what this is! It's a Mirror Reflection Jutsu!”

“Brilliant, Tenten!” Gai's voice boom. On his end, whatever fighting he'd been engaged in had silenced as well.

“What do we do to defeat them?” Neji asked, cutting through Gai's praise.

“I don't know. It's a diversionary tactic more than anything—”

“I've gathered that much,” Neji bit off.

“Shut up,” Tenten parried. “I'm trying to remember, okay?

“If it is a mirror of us, does that mean it has everything we have? If I were to take off my weights—”

“It has weights, too. That won't matter. Besides, it has a set amount of stamina. You'll get tired, but it won't. So there's no tiring these things out.”

Lee wanted to scream. Was this completely hopeless? Was there no way to win this fight?

“What if we rendezvoused somewhere and fought each other's clone?” Lee suggested.

“We'd have to be able to get away from them,” Tenten pointed out. “If we can stay ahead of them that might work, but these things are our equals in every way.”

“Except they don't tire. We're outmatched.”

“No! I refuse to accept that! There has to be a way!”

“Lee—”

“We cannot fail!” he said, tears springing to his eyes. “We have to get back to help the Kazekage no matter what! Even if that means doing things we have never done before—” In that moment, a thought struck him. He'd already seen the opening in his doppelgangers stance. What if that meant...

“Tenten,” he said, wiping the tears from his eyes and squaring his jaw. “If they have all our strengths, then do they also have all of our weaknesses?”

There was a moment of silence over the frequency, then, “Lee, you're a genius!”

It was a rare thing for anyone to call Lee a genius, besides Gai. In fact, he was certain it had never happened before.

“If we're targeting weaknesses,” Neji began, a note of warning in his tone, “we won't come out of this unscathed.”

“So long as we come of it, I do not care,” Lee said heatedly. “I am prepared to do whatever it takes.”

“As am I,” Gai said, the tone of his voice was like a comforting hand on Lee's shoulder.

“Roger,” Tenten agreed.

The heavy sigh on the other end of the frequency was all Neji offered in response.

“All right, Team Gai!” Gai shouted. “Let's... FIGHT!”

His shout boomed in Lee's ear, like a punch of adrenaline to his heart, and his blood rushed in his ears. He took up the stance again, weak on the right side, and watched the clone follow suit, a perfect mirror of Lee's bad form. He had been practicing Taijutsu since he was old enough to walk. It was the only thing that had earned him praise at the orphanage, and the only reason he'd ever been admitted to the academy. He'd studied it like religion, but his body and mind did not always work as one, and that was why he'd focused so much of himself on the Strong Fist style of fighting—brute force and blunt trauma. It was still elegant, but it was harsh; it was painful. It hurt the opponent, but it also hurt the user.

Lee had learned, early on, that everything came with a price. And his price was usually pain.

But there were other ways of fighting, other styles of Taijutsu that he hadn't invested as much time and energy in until more recently. Styles that had made him feel weak and small, like the disappointing child he'd once been, staring up at the only maternal figure he'd ever known as she sneered her distaste. The matron of his orphanage had always been cold and cruel, but whenever he'd failed to perform a form correctly, her disapproval in Lee had been all the worse.

Across from him, his doppelganger had none of those memories. Just as it didn't care if Gaara lived or died, it didn't care if it overcame weaknesses, it didn't care if it failed. But Lee did.

He took a deep steadying breath and slid his right foot forward, moving swiftly yet carefully, towards his opponent. The doppelganger copied every move, and Lee watched with an analytic gaze for each and every mistake. With every careful misstep, every precise sweep of his arm, he saw what he was doing wrong. And with that he saw how he could take advantage of his own weakness.

The first problem Lee hadn't managed to overcome in studying this new style was that he was too straightforward. For him, a block was a brick wall. If he was blocking with his arm, then his arm was a wall; if he was blocking with his leg, then his leg was a wall. And when the hard surface of a wall was hit with enough force, it cracked. Lee had certainly broken enough bones over the years.

But the Long Fist style emphasized brushing, not blocking. It wasn't always about strength, and if he could brush aside an attack, he would open up his opponent's defenses. Tricking his doppelganger into attacking him, however, meant coming up with new moves and combining two fighting styles—not an impossible task, but not a simple one either.

He stopped just an arm's length from the doppelganger and moved to strike using one of his better-known attacks. His doppelganger, standing in a stance not meant for this, moved like him, its balance as off as his own. Lee just hoped it couldn't learn new things.

As the doppelganger's fist moved towards his throat, Lee shifted his stance, mixing the Strong Fist style with the Long Fist style. He lifted his arm, bringing it up in a graceful arc before sliding it across the clone's extending arm, like the stroke of a brush. The clone's arm sailed past Lee's ear, a whoosh of sound over the white noise of static from his radio. With the doppelganger's attack diverted, its chest was open to the attack Lee actually had planned—a punch-kick combo he had only read about recently.

In one anxious instant, he dropped lower, punched the doppelganger's chest—'punch the front, look at the back', he remembered from the scroll—and then swept his leg in a clean arc, bringing it down with a surge of chakra, heavy enough to shatter steel.

His doppelganger was driven into the earth, its face split in two and a concave forming in its chest where its sternum had collapsed and its spine had broken from the force of impact.

Lee jumped back, an ache in his hip from the strange combination of moves and styles.

A moment went by where the nothing happened. And then the clone dissolved.

“YOSHA!”

“Lee?” Tenten panted into her radio. “What happened?”

“I did it!”

“Already?”

“I will rendezvous with the others!” Lee said, ignoring her question. “Please hurry!”

With nothing stopping him, Lee took off, racing to find the Kazekage.

VI.

The hideout was in ruins.

Sakura and the old woman Lee still hadn't been properly introduced to were climbing from the rubble as he arrived, bruised but alive. Lee stared in horror, searching their surroundings for the others.

“What happened, Sakura-san?” he asked, crouching to help her assist the old woman.

Sakura's expression was hard and distant. “We were too late, Lee-san.”

Lee frowned, looking between her and the old woman. “What—what do you mean? Too—too late for what?”

“The Kazekage,” Sakura said, a heavy, pointed note in her voice.

“Where—where is he?” Lee asked, his heart frantic with fear. It beat heavily against his ribs, and the letter in his pocket seemed to burn as if on fire.

“Dead,” the old woman croaked. “The one who attacked the village flew off with his body.”

“Naruto and Kakashi-sensei went after them,” Sakura added, but Lee hadn't heard a thing beyond that dreadful word: Dead.

Gaara couldn't be dead.

Lee stumbled backwards over rocks, falling to the ground. “N-no, you—you are wrong! I am sure he is just—just unconscious and—”

Behind them, water splashed, a repeated sound of feet landing in the river to join them.

“Gai-se—”

“Oh, Bowl-Cut's here,” Kankurō drawled. “Good to see we got more reinforcements.”

Lee stared up at Kankurō and Temari, Gaara's beloved siblings, and started to cry.

He couldn't stop himself. The tears came like a storm, ruining whatever composure he'd been frantically holding on to since the Hokage had given his team their orders. He sucked in painful breaths and fought back the bile that rose in his throat, and he sobbed like the child he'd once been. He curled in on himself, curled in on the rocks and hated everything about himself for failing to reach Gaara in time. What were his siblings going to do? What were his people going to do? How had this happened? How could anyone defeat Gaara of the Desert?

“Lee,” Temari's voice was tight, like trip wire hidden in the trees waiting to slice off some poor unsuspecting shinobi's head.

“Why's Bowl-Cut cryin'?” Kankurō asked, his tone a mirror of his sister's.

“I'm sorry,” Sakura said somewhere far, far away from Lee. Everything was far away. The Kazekage the farthest of all.

“No,” Temari said, harsh with denial. It wasn't a gasp, surprised and broken; it wasn't a whisper, delicate and fragile. It was a refusal to face the truth; it was a fight against their new reality. “I don't believe it.”

“His body was taken—”

“Don't say that,” Temari snapped. “Where did they take him?”

“This way,” Sakura said. “We might not be able to catch up in time—”

“Dammit, Bowl-Cut,” Kankurō's gruff drawl was right in his ears and a hand was fisted in the back of his flack jacket, trying—and failing—to drag him up. “Get up. Now.”

Lee complied automatically, numb to everything but the action itself. “Y-yes, Kankurō-san.”

“What happened?” Kankurō asked, looking directly into Lee's face. There was a look in his eyes, a look Lee could recognize only because he felt it keenly in his own soul: desperate, failing hope.

“I—I do not know. We—we had to split up. There was a barrier and—and my team was delayed.”

“Naruto went on ahead,” Sakura cut in, her voice like a whip. “I know you don't want to hear this, but we were too late. The Kazekage is dead, and one of the Akatsuki took him to lure Naruto away.”

“Why would they do that?” Temari snapped.

“They're after Naruto,” Sakura said, a harsh note in her voice. “We need to find them. Naruto's being reckless, and he'll end up getting himself killed too—”

A resounding slap echoed around them as Temari's palm connected with Sakura's cheek. “Do-don't you dare talk about my br-brother—”

“Temari-san,” Lee said in a daze.

“Sis,” Kankurō murmured, coming up behind her and gently tugging her hand back.

Sakura looked stunned. Her cheek was a bright, angry red, but she'd barely flinched except to move her head with the force of Temari's slap.

“This isn't the time for fighting,” the old woman said. “We should find the Kazekage and that brash blond child.”

“Come on, Sis, don't—we don't know for sure. She could be wrong,” Kankurō was saying in Temari's ear. Her hands were trembling and the look in her eyes was now far off and vacant. The denial she'd clung to before had evaporated, but Lee didn't doubt that she would crumble. Not yet, at least.

He wiped at his own face, forcing his tears and grief deep within. Gaara's siblings deserved to find their brother and give him a proper burial, and Lee wasn't going to let his own grief distract him from that. He straightened, swallowing the ache in his heart, turning to Sakura.

“Sakura-san, which way did they go?”

“Come on,” she said, almost cautiously as she glanced away from Temari. “We might be able to catch up if we hurry.”

Lee tapped his radio. “Gai-sensei, I have found Sakura-san and—excuse me, ma'am, what is your name?”

The old woman barked a laugh. “Chiyo.”

“And Chiyo-san, as well as the Kazekage's siblings. Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei are currently MIA, but we are going after them.”

“Roger that, Lee! I am on my way!”

“Just finished up here!” Tenten chirped.

“I see you,” Neji announced.

“Neji, are you close?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell us where Naruto-kun is?”

“Give me a moment.”

“Neji is searching for them,” Lee relayed to the others.

“They're almost out of range of my Byakugan,” Neji reported a moment later. “They're moving farther up the river. The Kazekage—Lee—”

“I know,” Lee said, voice trembling. He watched Temari and Kankurō, the sight of them the only thing keeping him strong. He couldn't break in front of them. “That does not matter. We just—we just need to reach him.”

“Go, Lee. Hurry. I'll follow behind.”

“Roger,” Lee said. “They have gone up river. We should hurry.”

The five of them launched into the air, and Lee took the lead, still burning with the need to get Gaara back, somehow sure that if he could just reach him, everything would be all right. The Kazekage's siblings, just behind Lee, seemed to hold the same determination in their hearts. Sakura, however, lagged behind, her gaze on the old woman, who was clearly injured from the way she moved.

Lee slowed his pace slightly, pulling level with Temari and Kankurō.

“So you got a plan, Bowl-Cut?” Kankurō asked as though this were still a rescue mission.

“I was going to remove my leg-weights once they were in sight.”

“They won't know what hit 'em,” Kankurō growled, a vicious grin on his face.

“You grab Gaara,” Temari ordered. “We'll take care of the rest.”

“Understood. If you would like to grab hold of my arms, we could pick up the pace.”

Kankurō's grin grew wider. “No shit. Bowl-Cut, you are full of surprises.”

“We're going on ahead,” Temari called back, grabbing hold of Lee's left arm.

“Neji is just behind us,” Lee called back as Kankurō grabbed his other arm. “He will help you find us!”

“Good luck,” Sakura called, a glassy gleam in her eyes. She was fighting back tears, much like the rest of them, but Lee knew hers were for Naruto.

“Please hold on tight,” Lee warned Gaara's siblings, pushing chakra into his feet with such force he felt a few blood vessels burst. A wave of heat distorted the view beneath his feat as they sailed through the air. The moment they touched down on the solid rock wall of the river's canyon, Lee took off. The sonic boom of his speed echoed and behind him the wall crumbled.

“SHIT!” Kankurō shouted, and if his mouth hadn't been right next to Lee's ears, the curse would have been lost on the wind. Temari and Kankurō curled their bodies tight against Lee, a testament to their own strength that they hadn't been knocked back by the force of his speed.

They rocketed across the river, Lee running so fast that water rose like a tidal wave in his wake and boiled from the heat of his chakra. He was moving too fast to worry about falling into the river's depths, but he'd need to keep an eye out for dry land once they found Gaara and his attacker.

Within moments, Lee heard Naruto's familiar gravely voice shouting in the distance.

“I hear them!” Temari shouted in his ear.

“As do I!” Lee confirmed. A rock jutted up from the river just ahead, and Lee pushed himself just a little faster. “Hang on!”

Just before they reached the rock, Lee jumped into the air. Without solid ground behind him, he was only able to reach the rock's peek, but it was all he needed. He touched down on the rock for only the barest second, before launching them into the air and directly into the forest where Naruto's loud voice had echoed.

They came to an abrupt stop as they landed in the midst of a thick copse of trees. Temari and Kankurō let go of Lee immediately, Kankurō doubling over and groaning.

“Coulda warned us,” he grumbled.

“Forgive me, I was not thinking,” Lee said absently, tapping his radio again. “Neji, we heard Naruto-kun shouting. We are about 650 meters ahead of Sakura-san.”

“I found Sakura,” Neji said. “Tenten and Gai are just behind us.”

“Roger.”

“The others are on their way,” Lee reported.

“Baki's got backup coming, too,” Kankurō said, only slightly cross-eyed now. “Probably bringing the whole damn village.”

“—BASTARD!!!” Naruto's shout echoed suddenly, not close enough that Lee could see where he was, but not far enough that the enemy wouldn't sense them.

“Get down,” Temari ordered. “Lee, take your weights off.”

Lee did as instructed, hiding his weights in the thick bushes and bramble around them.

“There they are,” Temari said, pointing ahead. “About two-hundred meters to the north-west of us, I'd say.”

“Roger,” Lee said, shifting down low.

“Lee,” Temari said suddenly. Her voice was tight again, coiled around trembling emotion that she couldn't afford to let out. “Get him back for us.”

Lee met her gaze, then Kankurō's. “I promise. I will do whatever it takes.”

With that, he launched himself through the trees, running with everything he had. He flew, faster than a shot and quicker than sound, hardly paying attention to his surroundings as he went. If he knocked over a few trees in his haste to reach the Kazekage, hopefully he was moving too fast for the enemy to have time to react.

“I'll kill you!” Naruto raged as Lee came upon him.

Lee veered sharply to the left, circling the seen at speed so as not to draw attention to himself. Just above Naruto, a man with long blond hair hovered on the back of a clay bird, one arm missing and the sleeve of his cloak in tatters. Frantic at not seeing the Kazekage, Lee slowed, narrowing his eyes on the scene before him.

“Give Gaara back!” Naruto raged, red chakra haloing him.

Lee followed Naruto's line of sight and his eyes alighted on the familiar tails of Gaara's coat. He was held by the clay bird's talons, hanging limp as a rag doll and surely dead, the way Sakura had said. Lee's vision blurred and his throat tightened as he picked up speed again, racing closer and closer until he saw his opening.

“—like to see you try—”

Lee didn't slam into the bird, he ran through it. He launched like a shot, grabbing Gaara as the bird burst like a balloon and the blond man fell, his face awash with confusion. He was less than a blur of motion, gone long before either the enemy or Naruto could figure out what had happened.

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH GAARA?!” Naruto's shout echoed and his red-hot chakra flared above the canopy of the trees.

“Temari-san. Kankurō -san,” Lee greeted upon his return, Gaara held in his arms. Behind him, there was a thunderous sound and the earth shook.

“No,” Temari breathed. “It's not—he's not—”

Lee closed his eyes against his own tears, afraid that if he cried now it would mean there was no changing Gaara's fate. Perhaps he wasn't dead, merely on the brink of it, and Sakura could revive him. She was, after all, the Hokage's student. If anyone could bring someone back from the precipice of death it would be her.

At Lee's back, there was a crash of trees and a vicious snarl that echoed like the voice of a demon. Immediately after, an explosion rocked the forest before being sucked into nothingness, and then silence fell.

“What was that?” Kankurō asked, his voice gruff. He hadn't looked at Gaara yet, avoiding the body in Lee's arms as though by not seeing it, he could pretend Gaara wasn't dead.

“That must have been Kakashi,” Gai's voice said behind them. He added, turning to Temari, “Your comrades are just behind us.”

Neji, Tenten, Sakura, and Chiyo had arrived with Gai, and all were staring at the body in Lee's arms.

“I'll go fetch Kakashi,” Gai said. As he passed Lee, he placed a tender hand upon his shoulder and squeezed.

The last ounce of Lee's strength left him in that moment. His knees gave out. He collapsed to the ground. For the first time, Lee could feel the cold of Gaara's skin against his palms, could feel the stiffness of his body and the stillness of his heart.

Finally, he gave himself over to his grief.

VII.

“Is he really worth all this?” Chiyo asked, weakly. She didn't seem to be speaking to anyone in particular as she stared at the gathered Konoha teams and the Kazekage's siblings.

They'd moved from the edge of the river to an open clearing, where Sakura had tried and failed to revive the Kazekage several times. Temari and Kankurō stood on the other side of Gaara's prone figure, watching as the green glow around Sakura's hands died one last time.

“I'm sorry. I tried—I—” She bowed her head, tears glistening at the corner of her eyes.

Lee and Naruto stood just behind Sakura, watching along with Gaara's siblings. Naruto was the first to speak.

“There has to be a way,” he snapped. “I know there is—there has to be!”

“You can't—you can't bring back the dead,” Sakura said, almost clinically except for the break in it.

The old woman croaked a laugh, bitter and dry, behind Lee. “You can't,” she agreed. “But I can.”

“No,” Sakura said. “You—you'll die—”

“I'm already dying,” the old woman said, carefully making her way towards Gaara. “If not for that poison, I'd still be dying. I'm an old woman, you know.”

“But—” The tears threatening to fall from Sakura's eyes pooled heavy around her lashes, but somehow she kept them at bay.

“It's all right,” Chiyo said, patting Sakura's shoulder. “It's my fault the Kazekage's in this situation to begin with, isn't it? If I hadn't made him a Jinchūriki, his life would have been different.”

“What are you doing?” Temari asked, the words hollow with her sorrow. She stared at Chiyo, as unseeing as one of Kankurō's puppets. She hadn't been listening to the conversation, but even if she had, Lee was sure she'd be just as confused as he was.

“Bringing him back, of course. Stand back, stand back.”

Around them, there was the shifting of grass and the warmth of chakra as a large group arrived on the scene.

“Temari-sama?” an unfamiliar voice called.

“Kankurō , Temari,” another, deeper voice spoke.

“Baki,” Kankurō said stiffly.

“The Kazekage—”

“I said stand back!” Chiyo snapped, shooing the arriving shinobi and forcing them to form a circle around her.

Lee couldn't bring himself to look away from Gaara, not even to take in the incredible number of Suna shinobi who'd arrived to save their Kazekage. Gaara looked almost peaceful. His eyes were closed in such a way that they had become flat, black pools, like bits of coal waiting for the fire. His face was slack, not with neutrality, but peace, as though somehow the finality of death was more comforting than that continuation of life.

But Lee didn't think Gaara wanted to be dead. He'd worked so hard to become the Kazekage, to earn his peoples' trust, to forge a bond with his siblings, even to build a friendship with Lee. Why would he want to leave all that behind?

And there was so much he hadn't done yet! There were places he wanted to see, books he wanted to read, and he'd never even fallen in love!

Lee's gaze flickered to Chiyo as she knelt before the Kazekage's prone, lifeless figure. Could she really do it? Could she really bring him back?

His heart was in his throat, his every nerve buzzing. All he wanted was to see Gaara open his eyes. If he could have nothing else in this life, he wouldn't complain; if his dream was never realized; if Sakura never loved him; if he never beat Neji—he'd give it all up to see the green of Gaara's eyes, shining with life.

Chakra glowed around Chiyo's weathered hands, and a sudden, unnatural wind shifted the grass.

A moment later, Chiyo collapsed, panting heavily and trembling. “I—I'm too weak. My chakra—”

“Granny Chiyo,” Sakura said, coming up behind her. “You don't have to do this.”

“I do,” Chiyo panted. “I just... I just need a little boost.”

“Can you use someone else's chakra?” Temari asked, stepping forward.

“I could,” Chiyo confirmed.

“You can use mine,” Temari and Kankurō said at once.

“Use mine!” Naruto said simultaneously, stepping closer.

“And mine,” Lee offered.

Chiyo shook her head, a low, tired chuckle thrumming in her chest. “The Kazekage is quite loved. Well, get over here. I don't have much time left, after all.”

Lee practically tripped over himself to add his chakra to the mix. He dropped down on his knees, Temari and Kankurō across from him, and Naruto on Chiyo's other side.

“Here,” Chiyo said, grabbing Temari's and Kankurō's hands, then Lee's and Naruto's. She placed their hands on Gaara's chest, then her own upon theirs. “Hmm. You're a tough one, aren't you?”

Her beady eyes slid to Lee, a reedy smile at the corner of her mouth. “Are you sure you can do this?”

“I will do anything to help him,” Lee said heatedly, his face hot with embarrassment.

“My, my. I've hit a nerve,” Chiyo chuckled. “Well, if you're sure. Get ready.”

Her hands glowed again, so bright this time it was blinding and Lee closed his eyes, as if in prayer.

The hand on top of his burned, like a knife slowly pushing through the sinew of his tendons and breaking through to the other side of his palm. He bit back a scream, clenching his jaw and closing his eyes tighter against the blinding light.

And just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. The light died, the pain in Lee's hand faded, the old woman slumped and Sakura caught her, pulling her back against her chest.

“Did it...work?” Naruto asked, rubbing at the palm of his hand.

Temari and Kankurō were in similar states, watching their brother with bated breath.

The entire world shrank. Time froze. Nothing and no one moved, spoke, or even breathed.

And then the Kazekage gasped and his eyes opened, as green as Lee remembered.

VIII.

The resurrection and return of Gaara of the Desert to his village and his people was celebrated for five days and five nights, in traditional Suna fashion. The two Konoha teams had been asked to stay for the festivities, celebrated as heroes for their help and their sacrifices.

Lee had never seen the village so alive and so beautiful.

The village center was more colorful than usual, though how it had been decorated so quickly Lee couldn't say. It was awash in shades of blue as saturated as Gaara's robes of office, and at the center of it all, just below Gaara's office window, a monument of sand to Chiyo had been hoisted and draped in silks of cobalt shot with silver threads. The sculpture would not last, for it would melt with the rainy season, but Chiyo would stand sentry beneath Gaara's window until then.

It was difficult—impossible even—to get Gaara alone long enough to give him the letter that had weighed heavily in Lee's breast pocket now for days. If it was not Gaara's people distracting him and keeping him busy—and rightfully so, of course—it was Naruto stuck to Gaara's side as though he'd been the one to write to Gaara for the last three years and his sole rescuer. Lee wasn't jealous, of course. Merely... annoyed. Would it kill Naruto not to hog all of the attention?

Lee kept this uncharitable thought to himself. Naruto had worked hard to save Gaara, after all. He'd offered up some of his own chakra without hesitation, just as Lee had. Even if he hadn't bothered to write Gaara, that didn't mean he didn't care about Gaara.

“You ready to go home?” Tenten asked as they strolled back to their rooms with the festivities finally dying down around them on the fifth night.

Lee shrugged, kicking at the dirt road. “I guess.”

She snorted into the fresh squeezed juice that Lee knew she'd slipped sake in to. “Liar. You give the Kazekage your letter yet?”

“He has been rather busy,” Lee said, and the bitterness curled around the words as obvious as a poison warning.

“Dumbass,” Tenten teased, knocking their shoulders together. “Naruto's too busy crowing about being a better Kage than the Kazekage to actually notice other people might wanna talk to him. You just gotta be like Kankurō—tell Naruto to shove it. Then you can have the Kazekage all to yourself!”

Lee's face grew hot at the suggestion. “I—I do not need him all to myself!”

“Sure, sure. That's why you weren't bawling your eyes out when he was revived,” Tenten said, before chugging the last of her juice and smacking her lips. “Man, this stuff is good. We should take some back to Konoha.”

“How much alcohol did you put in there?” Lee asked, scrunching his nose at the smell on Tenten's breath.

“Shaddup,” she snapped, shoving him none-too-gently, though it certainly didn't phase him. “What if Gai-sensei hears you?”

“He's with Kakashi,” Neji said, appearing from behind them. “He's challenging him to something ridiculous, so I doubt he'll notice your underage drinking.”

Tenten stuck her tongue out at Neji, her eyes bright with mirth. “Are you here to ruin my fun?”

Neji snorted in kind, snatching Tenten's empty cup from her. “No, but I am here to make sure you don't embarrass our team.”

Tenten rolled her eyes, snatching her cup back with ease. “I know how to hold my liquor, Neji. Unlike some people.”

Lee flushed, and was on the verge of jumping to his own defense when a familiar brush of chakra caught his attention. It was as fine as silk thread and Lee felt it like spider webs caught in his hair. He turned to find Gaara staring at him from the shadows several buildings away, apparently alone and possibly hiding from the hoard of adoring civilians and shinobi alike.

“Speak of the devil,” Tenten murmured. She slipped her arm through Neji's, tugging him back the way they'd come. “You know, I actually want another drink! Come on, Neji. G'night, Lee!”

They made their way back towards the crowded village center, leaving Lee standing alone and awkward, staring after them. Suddenly, after all the waiting, seeing Gaara was not so easy. What could he say to his friend who'd almost died? Who had died? Who was somehow still standing before him—thanks to Lee and so many others, and an old woman who'd given her life for Gaara's? What could he say when all he could think of was Gaara lying in the grass as if in sleep? What could he say to his friend, whose body he'd felt growing colder and colder with each passing moment? What if he let slip the nightmares he'd had nightly since Gaara's safe return? What if he couldn't stop himself from crying all over again?

He touched his breast pocket, felt the letter heavy within and heard its rustling within the metal tube. It had almost been the last letter he'd write to the Kazekage; it had almost been the last time he'd scrawled, careful and slow, the radicals of Gaara's name, which Gaara so often had to remind Lee to use.

Tears sprang to his eyes at the thought, at the memory of every instance Gaara had said, not a hint of emotion in the tone of his voice, “Call me 'Gaara'.”

Lee knew he was a fanciful, imaginative person, but he always sensed there was a well of emotion buried deep within the flatness of Gaara's tone, like hidden treasures buried beneath sand. And he'd almost lost that.

“Rock Lee,” Gaara's voice was quiet and just as flat as ever. But Lee heard—maybe in his hopeful imagination—the rising tide of emotion, like water rushing through a wadi after heavy rain.

“Kazekage-sama,” Lee said on a breath, just to hear Gaara request his own name on Lee's lips again.

Behind him, there was a quiet, stifled sound. “Have you forgotten my name?”

Gaara's voice had grown tight, as taught as threads in a loom. It made Lee turn, as though he were weft threads being carried by the shuttle across the sley race to meet the warp threads of Gaara's voice. Suna was known for its artful tapestries, and he wondered what sort of picture the two of them would make.

“I could never,” Lee said, the words trembling like his fingers as he opened the pocket that had protected Gaara's letter.

“Then why not say my name?” In the dim, orange light from the lamps around them, Gaara's expression looked to be made of glass.

“Old habits?” Lee offered, still waiting and hoping for Gaara to say those words again.

“Is that for me?”

Lee nodded, a small, strangled sound of confirmation rising in his throat. “I—I thought I would deliver it in person.”

Gaara stared at the letter, now free from its confines and held in Lee's shaking hands. His fingers clenched its edges so tight it crinkled, probably irreparably, but the tension kept Lee's hands from shaking too noticeably.

“Were you so sure I'd be okay?”

No, Lee wanted to say. He hadn't been sure. And that had terrified him. They'd all wanted to be sure, of course. After all, what power could bring Gaara of the Desert to his knees? And in his own home, no less? But he'd seen his fears reflected back at him many times over—Temari and Kankurō, who knew their brother best, the good and the bad; Naruto, who seemed unshakable at the worst of times; Sakura, who was one of the best medics Lee knew. They'd all feared Gaara wouldn't make it home.

He could not bring himself to answer and so Lee held out the letter, bowing as he presented it to Gaara. “H-here.”

Gaara didn't reach for the letter immediately. Lee could feel Gaara's eyes boring into the top of his head, and wondered what thoughts he kept to himself. Gaara would only share what he wanted to and always carefully, never revealing too much; never saying more than strictly necessary.

“Thank you.” The words were a murmur, not quite words at all. A wish perhaps. Or a prayer. Maybe one of the warbling songs Lee had heard ringing through the Suna's streets as the village celebrated.

Gaara took the letter from Lee as carefully as he spoke. His fingers brushed Lee's, and the motion had to be deliberate because nothing Gaara did was by accident. Lee looked up into his face—alive and full of warmth—and let the tears fall.

“I am glad this will not be the last letter I write you, Gaara.”

IX.

To my eternal friend, Gaara:

Your letter has found me in excellent health, Kazekage-sama—forgive me, Gaara. It still seems strange to be so informal with you when you are the leader of your village now. I suspect that you will remind me again when I see you at the Chūnin Exams, for I am sure to slip up.

Your words of encouragement fill me with immense joy! I feel as though I could run twenty-thousand laps around my village now without breaking a sweat! If there was ever a chance that I doubted myself, it is gone in the wake of your heartfelt praise of my skill and unique ability. I am truly lucky to count you as one of my good friends, and I hope that you feel the same.

I would be both thrilled and honored to show you around Konoha when you arrive for the exams! Perhaps—assuming you do not already have someone assigned to you—I could make a special request with the Hokage? Although, perhaps you will not need a guide. Temari-san has spent much of her time here touring the village with Shikamaru-kun, and she seems quite familiar with most of the village now.

I would still love to show you that restaurant! The Little Lotus is my favorite place to celebrate a successful mission. They have the best food in the whole village—at least if you ask me. They have excellent desserts, too! You said in your last letter that you are a fan of mild sweets—

It is unusual that I should leave any sort of mistakes in one of my letters to you. I have never said as such, but I take great pride in composing every letter and ensuring that there is not a single mistake! It is important to me that my letters to you are perfect, because your friendship is one I hold very dear to my heart. Our friendship is unexpected—or so I have been told by my teammates. I do not believe they ever thought I would hold a grudge, but I imagine they are surprised by your acceptance of me. They do not know you as anyone other than Gaara of the Desert, the person I nearly lost so much to.

But I know better.

It is strange to think that this could be the last letter I ever write to you... And one you might not even see. I hope that will not be the case, but as my teammates and I race to Sunagakure to help Team Kakashi in rescuing you, I fear the worst. And I fear that those fears will make me more of a burden than a help to you. I could not bear to be a burden on such an important mission, nor could I bear for this letter to never make its way to your hands. To think that after everything you have done, after everything you have overcome that anyone could harm you—truthfully, it is unthinkable. Even now, though I am terrified of its truth, I do not fully believe it.

Gai-sensei says that we all have weaknesses, and perhaps I have forgotten yours because I hold you in such high regard.

The moon is bright and I wonder if you are too hurt to appreciate it, or if perhaps you are unaware of it completely. I no longer know what I am trying to say, only that I felt compelled to write to calm my racing heart and ease my fears. I do not know if it helps or makes me feel worse, though. We have stopped in the middle of the forest to rest before pressing on towards your village and, with hope, you. I would not rest if I had the choice, of course. If I could, I would travel all night; I would open as many Gates as it took. But I have always been hot-blooded. Racing through the night, traveling across three countries—I would exhaust myself before ever finding you.

Never finding you is not an option.

I simply refuse to accept such a thing. And perhaps, if I write the words, then the worst will never come to pass—yes! That is it! I will see you again, happy and well! You will return to Sunagakure, safe and whole! I will hand you this letter and our friendship will be strengthened ten fold!

Please, Kazekage-sama. Gaara. My friend. Please, be okay.

In the hopes that I see you soon,
Rock Lee