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When Flowers Wilt	By : VantheKeyofLain Category: Naruto > General Views: 1053 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer: I do
not own Naruto, and this is making me no profit.

NOTE: By now, if you�re this far, then you know that this fic contains:
Sakura drama, Lee
drama, SakuLee
Eventuallity, KakaGai, NaruHina, IrukaAyame
Mysterious dreams
and much much more�

When Flowers Wilt

�� The sky at
dusk was sometimes the most mesmerizing time of day. The hues of colors that
played across the sky like an oil painters canvas was never the same. Pinks and
blues mixed with hues of orange and red. Yellow would filter in and create
purples that were enchanting. Even though everything was settling into the
darker tales of night, nothing ever looked more vibrant.

�� A light
overhead sudden lit to life, but the occupant underneath was not startled, for
she had known it would come on at this time of night. Moonlight cascaded down
upon the little village, and somewhere, she knew in her heart, he was bathed in
that light too. A smile crept to her lips, with a blush creeping to her cheeks.

�� Hinata-Sama, you are out late. Are you alright?� A voice
behind her pulled her away from her thoughts.

�� Ah, Neji-ni-kun, I am fine. I was. . just
thinking.�

�� A knowing
look passed across the other Hyuuga�s features. He
stood with the heiress, and gazed back up to the moon upon which she�d just
been viewing herself.

�� As long as
you keep your heart pure from doubt, then you shall remain fine.�

�� I know,
yet I can�t� help but worry. He goes away for such lengths of time; facing�
facing things more dangerous than we see normally�� The young woman paused then
seemed to give a smile of pride.

�� But he
always returns stronger than when he left.�

�� Truly an envy to us all.�

�� Hinata
chuckled at the banter, but knew Neji meant no ill.
Ever since the days of the Chuunin exams, Neji had held a bit of respect for Naruto,
and many others, for that matter.

�� I shall be out for the evening, Hinata-Sama.
Should you need me for any reason, don�t hesitate to send for me.�

�� Do not
worry, Neji-ni-kun, I�ll be alright. Please, enjoy
your night out. Are you�are you outing with TenTen?�

�� Yes. We
will be going over some strategy concerning team attacks, and perhaps attend a
tea ceremony with her parents.�

�� Then
please have fun, with any event you partake. I am happy for you, Neji-ni-kun.� A smile graced the woman�s lips; one that
truly expressed her joy for the older man.

�� I shall.
Have a good night, Hinata-Sa. . .�� A pause.� �Hinata-nee-chan�

�� Her eyes
danced with mirth, and she gave the other a loving embrace, before he departed.
As she watched his retreating form, she began to recall the day Neji had come up to her. Since it was customary that a Hyuuga asked permission from the head of house to date or
court another, Hyuuga or not, Neji
had come to Hinata requesting he be allowed to court TenTen.
Hinata herself had been delighted to see Neji taking
an active stance of seeking a female companion.

�The fact it had been TenTen
hadn�t surprised her all too much; they were teammates, and they were rather
close. At the same time, she could never really recount at any point when Neji openly talked of the sassy weapons mistress.
Regardless, she had asked his reasons; seeking the legitimacy. She had also
been forced to go over the rules and regulations of dating with those not of
the Hyuuga bloodline. In the end, Hinata had agreed �
she secretly already had when he asked her the question.

Ah, the pains of being an heiress. Regulations; what a life.

Turning back to the moon, she once
again gazed upon its heavenly glow. Closing her eyes she took in the crisping
night air. She felt at peace with herself since taking Kiba�s
advice. This was defiantly the better choice than brooding away in some closed
room and making herself sick. No, she would smile and hold her head hide with
pride. She had an image to uphold, and a man to believe in; one that believed
in her as well.

Lost in her thoughts, the breeze
picked up lightly. The scents of the flowering trees drifted by and she inhaled
deeply. Lilacs, Daffodils, Plums. The breeze with it
carried the petals and leaves, and they seemed to dance around her, encircling
her like an embrace. Yes, this is what she wanted to feel; that of being
embraced by the elements; his element; as if he were hearing her thoughts, and
giving her a hug to reassure her.

�Yes. .
.this is what. . .I want to feel.� She cooed lightly.

�I enjoy this feeling too.�

Moonshine eyes opened slowly, as if
in a daze. Her heart was beating, and she could feel heat rising up to her neck
and ears. As she was pulling away from her fantasies, she realized that the
embracing feeling she felt before, was really an embrace. Two arms were around
her, gently holding onto her.

�I�m tired, aching and I even ran
past Ichiru Ramen without stopping, because there was
something I had to do first, above all else.�

Hinata turned, making sure her ears
would not betray her, and this wasn�t another fantasy.

�I had to come see you.� A flashy smile from a flashy blonde.

�Naruto!� Hinata gasped, and embraced the boy
tightly.

�I�m home.� Naruto
smiled, and nuzzled against the woman encircled in his arms.

�Welcome home.�

Together they remained there,
watching dusk become the night, and even watching the evening stars.

- - x - -
��
�� Blood
tickled its way down soft light lips, dropping unnoticed to the ground below.
Its taste was lightly bitter, somewhat of an irony like taste. However she�d
gotten use to this taste, so she didn�t really notice it one way or another.

�� The enemies
that had been stupid enough to cross her path on a direct attack had suffered
at the cost of their lives. As it was now, she was down to one last enemy; and
he was tough.

�� I was
afraid I wasn�t going to get a challenge today.� She smirked.

�� You do
have skill; I�ll give you that, but look at you now. You can�t even stand
straight anymore, and you�re losing a lot of blood. Seems
you�ll be the one to fall now.�

�� You�d
think that, wouldn�t you? However, you don�t know who I am.�

�� Actually,
from the way you killed my last six men, I think I know exactly who you are.�
The man grins and sniffed.

�� How about
we just skip the bullshit and finish this. I have a time to keep, and I�m never late.� The woman stressed the last
part.

�� Take her
words, the man gave no indication of his launch, but jumped in to attack. A
swift thrust to the left, but it was easily dodged. What was caught what a leg
across the abdomen. Losing a little blood, and feeling a bit of a sting, the
woman flew back, hitting the ground and skidding a bit of the distance. The man
laughed heartily, thinking he�d just scored a major blow.

�� This was
not the case.

It would take something far stronger
to get Sakura down.

Picking herself up and almost
smiling at the advantage the other had given her, she held her ground. Focusing
within herself, she concentrated.

�Ichi.�

The man, surprised to see her back
up; yet apparently too stunned to move, decided to take the opening.

�Ni!�

A pink and green ribbon of chakra
flared out for only a moment. The other hadn�t even noticed. Narrowing her
eyes, she waited until the exact moment�

The man took his swing.

�and disappear.

The man hit nothing but air.

�Wha-�

A straight kick in the gut sent him
flying back fast. The bandage around Sakura�s left air came lose, snaking out
and catching the opponent, still flying back. As it wrapped around the man and
was secured, Sakura grabbed the bandage and yanked back on it, pulling the man
towards her with the same force as he had been kicked. As he came fast, she
empowered her right hand, making a fist, and drawing back for her deadly punch.

�KISEI BLOSSOM!�

Just as the man came to her from
the forceful pull, she struck out, slamming her right fist into his solar
plexus. It caved in, crushing and slightly imploded. Once again the man was
blown back; the bandage snapping as she held onto it. The body hit the ground
with a sickening thud, and remained silent.�

�� Relaxing,
Sakura let herself calm, reining her chakra under control. Thankfully she
didn�t have to push herself that far; but she knew she�d feel it later. She was
already feeling slightly dizzy.

�� At least I
don�t throw up anymore. That had been embarrassing. No, I take that back�
losing my top had been embarking.� She lightly rewrapped her arm.

�� Thank god he�s not a pervert like some
people.�

�� Sakura
rolled her eyes, while bending down and picking up her earlier discarded kunai,
and a few choice items. Standing back up, the wave of dizziness crashed against
her again, and she stilled herself. She knew she had to hurry now. If she
didn�t make it back before her arm started aching, she�d be in serious trouble.

�� That and
she did have a time to keep after all.

- - x - -

�� Footsteps,
though soft and rather far away, sounded loud and almost right next to him. His
throat was dry, and he was trying hard to combat against the upwelling of fear
lurking just below the surface. Just as the footsteps stopped, he felt his
heart seize up.

�� The closet
door was being pulled open.

�� A muffled
cry from the one year old he�d be tightly holding startled him slightly, and he
tried to think of something � anything � he could do to protect them both.

�� He was cut
short when he heard another sound of glass crashing; then a scuffle, and
finally a hard sounding kick. The sound it made was as if someone had just had
their neck cracked.

�� Were they
saved?

�� The closet
door was thrown open. His eyes widened, and he was about to strike out.

�� Dammit, can�t you do anything right?�

�� Ah!�

�� The one at
the door was another ninja as him; looked relatively the same age. The youngest
of the 3 boys glanced up, partly out of confusion and partly out of fear. The
new boy took note of him and seemed to scowl again.

�� What are
you doing?�

�� Mother
told me to take him somewhere safe.�

�� You call
this safe? Idiot� come on.�

�� The three
of them fled; away from the academy, and threw a scene of mass carnage. The
smell of burning flesh was choking the tiny boy, so the older did what he could
to keep him from inhaling too much. However covering his face with his hand
wasn�t the best choice.

�� Turning
back, the new company cursed and dug out a piece of fabric from a pocket.
��
�� Cover his
face with this, so you don�t kill him!�

�� At any
other point that comment would have met a glare, but this was no time for that.

�� After what
seemed like a horribly long trek through a graveyard of hell, the three came
upon a rundown looking shelter; however it was actually a reinforced hideaway.
There were adults, Jounin and Chuunin
alike, ushering in families, people and civilians.

�� Get in!�
The other boy

�� Wait for
me to get back.�

�� Get in and
stay in.�

�� I�m going
to fight with my family, dammit!�

�� What can
you do that they can�t? They�re elite assassins; you aren�t! You were told to
keep him safe.� The other pointed to the one year old.

�� He�ll be
safe inside, and I can help-�

�� I don�t need
your help. Now get in. I�m going to find Sensei.�

�� The other
boy began to head off until he was caught by the arm. Turning back, he looked
about ready to strike, but stopped.

�� A look
passed between them before he spoke again.

�� If you
die, I�ll never forgive you.� He was angry, yet at the same time on the brink
of tears.

�� I won�t.
Get in.�

�� A nod and a
step back was his reply to the boy; who was now departing the two.

-
- x - -

The night
evening�s air was crisp and cool like it had been the previous evening. The sky
was clear and the stars twinkled merrily. Resting his leg out in front of him,
Lee gazed lazily upon the courtyard around him, taking in the beauty the night
represented. As he had predicted, his leg had begun to bother him even more so the
minute he�d made it back to the village. Though he had told Tsunade-Sama he�d
be in by seven, the fact of the matter was that he�d made it far earlier than
that.

Satisfied with the
mission complete, Lee headed back home, and felt the need to just unwind. So
there he sat on the porch, watching everything and nothing in particular. He
let his thoughts and feelings guide him, as well has what he felt around him.
Currently he felt at peace, and content. Though he was at the moment by
himself, he could feel the distinct presence of the spirit Shouyou next to him;
almost as if they were sharing the same space and time.

Carefully, Lee
leaned back, propping his arms behind him gently and staring up; gazing at what
part of the sky he could see. With his current relaxed state, and the perfect
atmosphere such as this, may he could try and talk with the other boy. It was
worth a shot right?

Closing his eyes
and inhaling deeply, Lee sought to center him self and relax a little bit more.
He tried to find that perfect limbo between sleep and awareness.

�When you look at the stars, what do you
see?�

Lee smiled,
turning to �look� at the other boy next to him. To an outside observer however,
it would look like he merely shifted in his sleep.

�I see my dreams.�

Shouyou nodded a
smile. While Lee could not exactly see him perfectly like he normally would
another person, Lee could more or less feel what the other man looked like.
First notably, was that Lee �not knowing how or why � knew the other was his
own age. Shouyou�s hair was dark, and long; it reminded him of Neji�s hair. His
eyes were dark as well, but anything beyond that was undistinguishable.

�I did too . . . though like the stars they
were distant and unobtainable.�
��
�I am sorry you did not achieve them.�
Lee frowned slightly.

�I am not; not any longer. We have been
watching for years past our time now. We shall always do so. I am pleased with
how things have come together.�

�Still, I am sorry for your loss.�

Lee paused a
moment to gaze back up at the stars; a question he had been pondering to ask
since the very beginning.

�Why me? Why do you choose to show yourselves to me?�

�You were accepted.� Shouyou gave the
other a charming smile.

Lee nodded,
accepting the answer. He briefly reflected upon his spar with �Aiyoku� and how
she had told him that as well. Lee was pretty sure that�s what Shouyou was
pertaining to.

�Is it just me?�

�Yes.�

�I am truly honored, though I am still
amazed that such things are capable.�

�The world is vast, and life is full of
mysterious things we shall never uncover. This is just one of those many
mysteries.�

�Yes, you are right.�

Shouyou looked
down at the other man and smiled softly.

�You are a pure soul, and you have the heart
of a selfless warrior within you. I will share with you a gift.�

�A gift?� Lee was surprised.

�It is something very special to me. I wish
to share it with you.�

�What is this gift?�

�One of my last fond memories.�
With this, Shouyou lightly touched Lee�s forehead.

Lee was so
bewildered as such a kind and loving thing, that he was lost for words. Before
he could blink, a blinding light flashed all around of him. Shielding his eyes,
he waited a moment before opening them.

The first thing
Lee saw was that the scenery hadn�t changed one bit. Well, the lighting had;
for it was a beautiful spring day, instead of a crisp fall night. Leaning up,
he could see outside to the courtyard. It was ever so vibrant this time of
year. The flowers were lovely, and the Koi pond was
stunning. He could see a fair amount of young adults in the farther reaches of
the courtyard. All of them were standing in line, all repeating the same
graceful movements in synchronization. However his attention was caught when he
heard a command from behind him.

�Again!�

Turning over to
look into the room behind him; the vacant room he used for sparing, he could
now see five people. There were two boys, who looked slightly younger than him
currently sparing. There was an older man behind them, arms crossed and looking
stern. There were two figures further back, on the floor. One looked like a
woman in a rather fancy kimono. The last was a small child, sitting in the
woman�s lap.

�Yaatta!�

�Kyyyooo.�

Lee�s attention
was drawn back to the two sparing young men. One had long dark locks that fell
smoothly along his form, down to his lower back. The other had short, wild
hair; it stuck out at almost ever imaginable. The dance between the two was
marvelous. The timing was almost deadly accurate. They had to be vastly
experienced for them to have been this good. Lee briefly wondered if he would
be able to handle himself against these two head on.

�Enough!�

The two stopped,
as if on cue. They regained a stout pose and then bowed to on another.

�Heh, just wait Shouyou,
I�ll land in my kick. When I do, you�ll be all over this floor.�

�Well, then hurry up, Hinoke-Niisan.
I grow impatient.� Shouyou replied, though his grin was kind, and it was
toned as teasing.

Lee�s eyes
widened. This was Shouyou and Hinoke! Two of the
spirits he would spar with during his vision dreams. Lee briefly wondered if
the names he�d dubbed them were actually correct, or if this was for benefit.
However, if that was them, then the man was�

�Well done. Rest for now.� The larger,
older man nodded to them, arms still crossed at his sides.

The man seemed to
exude power around him. Lee physically shivered. This was undoubtedly the man
he�d come to know as �Master Spirit.� His body was toned and hard, and dusted a
light copper - most likely due to the amount of sun the man saw. Like the two
boys, his hair was dark, though long like Shouyou. However he kept his pulled
tautly in binds behind him, unlike Shouyou who left it free. His eyes were of
the coolest blue Lee had ever seen.

�Hai, Otou-Sama�

Hmm, well that theory
was explained. These people were Shouyou�s family. Oh, then that meant the
woman � Lee gasped. The woman; she was undoubtedly Shouyou�s mother if that was
the case. Taking another look at her, and studying her carefully, Lee felt his
body flush all over again. It was akin to the familiar burning sensation he
felt when he only ever looked at one other woman. This was the woman from his
dream before.

It was Aiyoku.

Aiyoku looked up
and smiled to the two as they sat down beside her, one taking his seat to her
left; the other her right. At this, the tiny child in Aiyoku�s
lap wiggled himself free and all but ran out onto the floor. Lee furrowed his
brow. He�d never felt this tiny spirit before. Perhaps the little one was shy?
Lee guessed the child�s age to be three, maybe pushing four.

As the boy got
close enough to see, Lee�s heart melted. He was just too adorable! His hair,
like all his family was dark, and he too sported a little braid that ran to the
middle of his back. His eyes were dark, but Lee could see a trace of that ice
blue in them. For a moment, he watched as the tiny boy fidgeted. Was he really
going to spar? He could kill himself!

�Are you challenging me, son?�

�Hai, Otou-Sama!�

�Then state your challenge, and do not waste
your opponent�s time.�

�I challenge my right to match with you!�

�Very well. Ready!�

The boy fell back
into a stance � one that Lee�s eyes widened at. It was the stance he�d just
recently learned from his dreams. As he had no idea what this particular style
was, and only that it was similar to his own, Lee had dubbed the name �Iron
Hook� to it, as that�s what one�s arm literally looked like in such a pose.

�� Yet,
for this tiny boy to be using such an offensive style was somehow awkward to
Lee. However, Lee was just a spectator and nothing more. He could only watch as
the man and child began trading blows, kicks and punches. Lee cringed each time
the child left himself open, and could hear the harsh slaps of the blows
hitting the little one. It lasted a good amount of time � twelve seconds; all
things considering, that was a good spar for someone so young.

�� As
the final blow connected, Lee watched the boy fly back, sliding a little along
the floor. Lee felt himself tense up as the little boy was now only three feet
away from him. The child pushed himself up on his knees, though was still
bowed, and looking at the floor. Lee could see the anguish in his eyes. It
wasn�t directed at the man behind him, but it was anguish towards ones self;
the inner anguish which Lee knew all too well.

�� The
boy�s eyes began to mist lightly, he cheeks red and he was biting his lip to
prevent it from quivering. Lee desperately wanted to reach out and comfort the
little one. However he was beaten to it by none other than Shouyou, who quickly
scooped up the tiny one in his arms and began to tickle him. The tears came,
but they were tears of joy and high laughter, and cries of halting the
onslaught.

�� � Chibi Kame-Niichan, you
are improving. Do not cry.�

�� I�m not crying!�

�� Oh, but you were. I know you, my chibi-kame-Niichan.�

�� So this was
Shouyou�s fond memory; his baby brother. Lee couldn�t help but smile. Times
like these made him wish he�d not been an only child.

�� Shouyou, if you coddle him too much, he�ll
be soft when he gets older.�

�� You can have a soft heart, and still have a
hard body, Otou-Sama.�

�� Yeah, he�ll be like you Shouyou; a pansy
that could kick you ass.� Hinoke said, as he walked
up to his two brothers. He ruffled the little one�s hair.

�� You jest, Hinoke.
He�ll be fine; won�t you my chibi-kame-niichan?�

�� �Hai!�
The boy just wrapped closer to the long haired brother, and stuck his tongue
out at the wild haired brother.

�� This scene
was just getting to Lee. He seriously wanted to cuddle that tiny child. Though
one last look at the three brothers was all Lee got as the image began to fade
into nothingness. Now Lee was staring into the same room he usually did; dark
and mildly cold. It was weird to know that a family had lived so lively in this
house, and now it felt so dead.

�� Lee sighed
and closed his eyes once again. His own dreams were now interlaying the scene
he�d just witnessed; only now the people were different. Though really, this
dream was more a fantasy.�

�� Oh, to only
see Sakura in such a lovely kimono as Aiyoku had been in, holding his own child.

�� Rolling
back over, Lee was once against pressed to the hardwood floor. He relaxed and
closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he�d go and see Gai-Sensei.
Perhaps his old teacher would know something of the family that used to live in
this house before him? It was worth a shot. Further still, Lee would then go
seek Sakura out. He needed to be near her; at least for a moment.

�� Sleep found
him easily, as he was already worn and tired, so it was no surprise that Lee
drifted off, with Sakura on his mind, while laying out on the porch that crisp
fall evening. A dream of a night past; a night he�d never forget �one of
caresses and touches, and the joining of two; only this dream resolved in happy
endings, instead of how it had really played out.

- -
x Chapter 7 - -

-�
-� -
AN: Once again, a heartfelt thank you to
those of you enjoying this. Sorry about this taking a bit of time. I had to
organize my thoughts and ect.
I decided to bring Naruto in early, but it�s all
good. Oh and I�m sure this chapter will just add to your list of questions. Hu-zah.
XD
- 6
- 7
- 8
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When Flowers Wilt