"Sweet mother Iruka on a backwards horse, this place reeks."

You stood next to Lee in the second part of the Chunin Exams. The Forest of Death. The whole placed reeked of rot and decay. Totally gross.

"What the heck kind of sentence was that?"

Lee bonked you on the head and you huffed. "I don't know, it's just what came to mind."

Neji sighed and shook his head. "Can you two take anything seriously."

"Yes, I-"

"Don't. Answer that."

"Oh."

You grabbed a rock and threw it at Neji. "Don't bully Lee, he's just a lil child."

"I am not a child."

"Hush."

Neji ducked under your weapon of choice and sighed again. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with. Sic em' Lee."

"I am not a dog."

"Do it anyway."

Neji threw a kunai into the ground and said, "We'll all set out. Meet back here in, say, half an hour."

"Hai!" You could almost hear the salute that Tenten probably maybe put up.

Lee grabbed your hand and you looked away to hide your blush as he pulled you along. "Come on, (Y/N)! We can do this!"

Running through the tops of the trees, hoping from branch to branch, you were happy with Lee at your side.

But with your luck, that Sakura chick will probably show up and ruin your life.

Welp, that Sakura chick showed up, and was now in the process of ruining your life.

She was sitting on the ground in front of those ninja from the Sound Village. Aaand that was it. Just... Sitting there. Like an idiot. She was also crying, because apparently that Sasuke dude got hurt, or something. Like, heaven forbid a get in a to weed out the weak pansies, am I right?

Lee, being the chivalrous dork he was, decided that he must save 'Sakura-chan!' and jumped between the Sound ninja and said crying pink-haired girl.

So you had to follow him, of course.

"Oh look, the Leaf has to resort to blind kids now."

You ignored the Sound ninja, having heard all the 'she's blind' insults before. It didn't really affect you anymore. Lee, however, was a different story. Anyone mentioning your disability was likely to get punched in the face hard enough to break something.

You could feel his anger, beating in time with the bloodbeat of his heart. Lee took a breath to steady himself, and you tensed, waiting.

A long time ago, you and Lee had figured that he couldn't shout what he was going to do at you so you could work alongside him. It was far too complicated and needlessly dangerous. So you made a new language of sorts.

Dashing to the left, Lee clicked his tongue twice and you darted in the other direction. Through a series of clicks and whistles, the two of you attacked the three ninja head-on in perfect sync.

'How can they fight like that when one of them can't see...?,' Sakura thought with awe. But then Sasuke breathed and she was like, 'OMJ, Sasuke-kun you so perfec.'

Lee whistled and you swung your right fist, connecting a blow. Then your partner gave a short hiss. You hesitated, but followed his order, turning on your heel and dashing away as fast as your legs could carry you.

"Running away Blindy?" One of them taunted you, probably the one you hadn't just punched in the face, but you didn't slow. Lee sent you away, and there was only one reason he would do that.

He was going to use the Hidden Lotus.

Gai had taught Lee the move, but told Lee that it was forbidden to use. Unless he was protecting someone he loved.

'Gai Sensei,' Lee thought. 'You said I could only use this jutsu under very specific circumstances... And now, for (Y/N)-chan... And Sakura-chan... I must do it.' He untied the bandages on his scarred hands. 'To protect someone I love...'

Lee grit his teeth, and started to run.