Apple Peel

Perhaps Lee knew that wasn’t the case either… that the reason Neji was by his side had much more to do with the friendship that he always thought was one-sided. It was just hard to admit coming from a personality like Neji's. 

But seeing him there, being the first person in the room when he woke up, melted his heart with affection.

“Tenten and I are taking turns,” Neji said, not answering the question directly. Lee accepted it anyway. This indicated that, at least, some time had passed. It was enough for him to smile even more.

“I see.”

“But…”

“Um?” Lee murmured, curious.

“More than ready to start my training!” he exclaimed, raising his arm and clenching his fist to test how much effort he had to put into that simple act.

Neji let out a single sarcastic laugh. “Sure. But Tsunade said you’ll have to do physical therapy before resuming real training.”

Lee grumbled in disappointment. “Training isn’t that different from physical therapy, you know… It just changes in intensity.”

“Don’t be such a whiner.” Neji crossed his arms, looking out the window of the room.

It didn’t sound like a real admonishment. But Neji always had an authoritative tone in everything he said, as if he were right all the time. He was sharp with his words. Except, well, in the last period since the chuunin exams. Lee didn’t see any confidence being shaken in him; on the contrary, he believed that Neji no longer considered himself as superior to others as he once did. It was strange, for Lee more than anyone else, to see him being so… well, he didn’t even know the right word to describe it. He had become more… condescending, maybe?

“Your recovery time is faster than any other estimate. Tsunade worked miracles on you.”

“Yeah. I know, but…”

You see, Lee was immensely grateful and recognized how lucky he was. But he also knew that, due to his current weaknesses, he would need to work harder than anyone else. He wanted to find a way to skip physical therapy and start his training right away, so he wouldn’t fall behind. He felt like he had regressed. Even training in secret when the complete opposite was recommended, giving everything he had left with his weakened body. But that didn’t discourage him. Not at all. His soul carried a stubbornness that seemed stupid in the eyes of most. However, Lee had people who believed in him. One of them was sitting right next to him, with distant light eyes.

Well. He had to give time some time; there was no point in dwelling on it. Although, knowing Lee, Neji knew he was stubborn enough to try to break that limiting measure at some point. He wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if, during one of his visits, he found Lee doing push-ups on the hospital room floor, sweating and smiling like an idiot.

The attention of that impetuous spirit turned to the delicious apples. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world to eat lying down, and judging by the haste with which he devoured the fruit, he would probably end up choking. But hunger spoke louder at that moment, and Lee didn’t want to ask Neji for help sitting up and end up looking weak in front of him, regardless of just having come out of surgery.

"Anyway—" Lee swallowed, changing the subject. "How are things going?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

Lee paused. "I see..." He would have liked to hear a bit more, but he knew that from Neji, he couldn’t expect much expansion in conversation. Neji was very practical about everything. Any kind of exaggeration was usually ignored; conversations, emotions, and... well, any social aspect. Lee didn’t mind. He had learned to deal with Neji’s reserved nature, though he had been more talkative lately — not by his own initiative, but at least he engaged in some banter in his own way.

“Lee?”

The dark-haired boy made a positive hum indicating he was listening. His mouth was too full again to speak. Neji was still distractedly staring at the blue sky, watching some birds that had just flown off the windowsill.

“I’m glad you made it.”

He hesitated before the last piece of apple reached his mouth. Lee didn’t expect to hear that from Neji. Not verbally. Not as straightforward and sincere as that sounded. He expected Neji to be rooting for him, of course, in a predictable and automatic way. But the words touched his heart as if they had been warmed by his own hands. His lips trembled before breaking into a wide smile, reflecting the suppressed one that threatened to emerge on the not-so-bitter Hyuuga’s lips. The truth is that since the fight with Naruto, something had changed in him. Lee couldn’t identify it right away, but over time he realized it was that part of his core, so entrenched in binary concepts.

His defeat meant much more than all the victories he had previously achieved. He gained something more valuable. And Lee was glad to be one of the few who could witness this so closely.

“You better train hard while I’m here, Neji.” The Hyuuga looked at Lee with an eyebrow raised, while the other stared back at him confidently.

“Oh, really?”

“Because when I get out of here, you won’t stand a chance against me.”

The streets of Konoha had been very calm for a while, even after the disturbing events of the Chuunin Exam. It was only recently that the village had finally been rebuilt. Each new morning brought a sun that was increasingly stronger and more vibrant, equally comforting. However, all of that was just a façade. Those who had lived through the destruction and witnessed the deaths of those who gave their lives to defend the village knew that something big was coming. The calm, in reality, concealed uncertainties that hovered over Konoha. With the arrival of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, there was hope. But there was also a sense of urgency. Konoha needed to reestablish itself as soon as possible. With missions increasing in demand, none of the ninjas, whether genin, chuunin, or jonin, could afford even the slightest rest.

But while he wasn't summoned, Neji walked toward the training field, as he did every day at that same time. Until he came across a figure approaching from the opposite direction: Tenten.

Of course, it was Lee's physical therapy day. She accompanied him always, except when Sakura volunteered to go in her place. Not that Lee needed company for these sessions. They did it simply because they wanted, and over time it became a habit. Neji still visited him occasionally, but not with the same frequency as Sakura and Tenten did. The boy had many matters to resolve with his clan, now that certain things had been clarified.

"Ah, hi, Neji!" When their eyes met, the girl quickened her pace to catch up with him. She seemed more nervous than usual.

"Hello," he nodded. Neji would have continued on his way without prolonging the interaction, but Tenten's nervousness seemed to have something to do with him. He stared at her, waiting. He was certain it also involved Lee.

"Um, actually, I was looking for you," she scratched the back of her neck, avoiding direct eye contact.

"Yes? What is it?" 

"Are you really busy right now?" By this point, he already had an idea of what she was getting at.

"I was going to train." He responded tersely, without intending to be rude.

"Right..." She cleared her throat softly. "I just wanted to know if you could go in my place today to help Lee. Something came up at home, and they'll kill me if I don't stay to help," sighed, exasperated. "I even tried to ask Sakura, but I couldn't find her. It’s just this one time, I swear."

Neji didn't show any reluctance to the idea, as Tenten had imagined he would. That made her feel guilty for thinking he was too cold to help Lee in these conditions. He had no reason to refuse, after all. Besides, it had been a while since he last saw Lee. And missing one day of training wouldn’t be a big deal. Even though it wasn’t part of his strict routine, Neji didn’t feel that adjusting to a small change of plans would be that stressful — this time.

"Thanks, Neji." She gave him a tap on the shoulder before changing direction and starting to run, exclaiming and waving, "Lee will be happy to see you!"

Of course he will. That guy always got excited about anything. The simplest things were enough to leave him all fired up. It was ridiculous, like many other things about him. But, in the end, that was what made Lee, well, Lee. And everyone came to like him for that. Even Neji.

He adjusted his path towards Konoha’s hospital.

There were a few knocks on the door before it opened. Lee, who wasn’t expecting anyone other than Tenten, was both happy and surprised to see that the visitor was none other than his other teammate. He jumped out of bed, probably cracking his entire spine in the process, and received a scolding from the doctor who was doing his morning check-up. Lee complained that the pain was nothing at the moment, and that he had to show Neji how much he had improved with the (boring but effective) physical therapy exercises, pointing his finger and shouting in his usual energetic way. Not even the doctor’s taps on his head, as he lectured on the potential issues Lee might face in his recovery if he continued to make sudden movements, could stop him from boasting about his pain tolerance.

Neji delighted the scene in silence until Lee remembered he was there.

Still using a crutch, Lee insisted on moving on his own, but eventually gave in to his teammate's help to accompany him to another room. The white-eyed boy noticed by the way Lee’s jaw tightened and his eyebrows furrowed slightly, even with just a small flight of stairs, that he was still feeling some pain while walking. But Lee tried to hide it with one of his self-imposed rules: if he couldn’t climb thirty steps without Neji’s help, he would have to abandon the crutch for the rest of the day!

With all his wisdom, Neji managed to rein in that fiery spirit before Lee could do something foolish, promising that he could attempt it later. On the condition that he finish his physical therapy without further exaggeration.

That’s how, within a few hours, they arrived at the grand staircase in Konoha's square. They stood at the foot of the thousands of steps that stretched all the way to the top. Lee eyed them with the intentions Neji knew all too well.

He was about to break free and attempt to climb them on his own, just as Neji had predicted the moment he felt Lee’s body shift in the first inch.

“Don’t be reckless,” Neji said, firmly gripping Lee’s waist and wrapping his arm around his shoulders, while holding his bandaged wrist, just as a precaution to keep it in place. “You’re so stubborn, honestly.” He snorted.

"I just... don’t want to be a burden."

The memory of a specific training day caused an uncomfortable tightness in Neji.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the field when Lee challenged him to a fight. Neji knocked Lee out with a precise strike, sending him crashing against the trunk of a tree in the first moments. The Hyuuga laughed with disdain in his deep eyes, immersed in the Byakugan, as Lee tried to get up once more. "Stop trying if all you're going to do is be a burden to this team," were his merciless words.

Neji pushed the memory away.

"You will be if you get hurt again." He shot back accurately. "So don't."

It wasn’t exactly the kind of comfort one would typically offer someone. But that was Neji: relentless in battle, with nearly lethal skills, but a complete disaster when it came to social interactions and filtering his harsh words, even when well-intentioned. Still, unlike what many might feel in response to Neji’s coldness, Lee understood. At least, partially. Lee’s silence, however, made Neji think he might have discouraged him in some way. He continued with that quivering, teary pout.

In a clumsy attempt to offer something like a "pat on the shoulder," Neji cleared his throat lightly, averting his gaze to Lee’s injured leg.

"You’re not limping as much anymore," he said vaguely gentler. "So don’t waste that progress, that’s what I mean."

The boy stopped. He froze for a moment before turning his face, getting so close that their noses almost touched. Neji instinctively felt he should take a step back, or they would end up accidentally kissing. But none of that happened. All he witnessed was the chance to see, up close, every twinkling star reflected in Lee's dark and bright irises.

“Really? You noticed? I knew it wasn’t just my imagination! Ahaha! I said I was improving as fast as a scrape on the knee, didn’t I?” Lee exclaimed enthusiastically, resuming the climb with more speed and ease than before. What would normally take at least half an hour would be done in less than ten minutes at this pace. Neji could barely keep up with him.

In fact, it felt like he was the one getting help to climb all those stairs.

“Yeah, yeah, I did... but calm down, or we’ll end up rolling back down,” Neji said, finally able to rein him in.

How could someone using crutches be so fast?

“Sorry, sorry. I got a bit carried away,” Lee let out an awkward laugh, gradually settling down.

When do you not get carried away? Neji wondered to himself, snorting, not without a bit of affection.

“Let’s rest for a moment,” he suggested, gesturing to the next wider step, which wound its way to another corner of the village.

As expected, Lee hesitated but eventually agreed. Either way, Neji would make him. Gently lowering the boy, he soon sat down beside him; discreetly watching, alert for any sign that Lee had already pushed himself enough for now. There was none. Lee would hardly find a limit, Neji calmly pondered.

A gentle breeze enveloped them, sweeping away the heat of their walk and the little sweat they had. The serenity relaxed Neji's shoulders. Settling himself, he feels a greater weight next to his shorts. He remembered something that had been handed to him just before they left the hospital by one of the nurses. There was a special medicine that Tsunade had prepared specifically for Lee. The instructions were to make sure Lee took it. Not that he needed to be tricked into taking the medicine, just reminded. Lee tended to forget his supplements, so focused on improving his physical conditioning.

Pulling out the canteen from his pocket, Neji offered it to his friend.

"Take it," he said, opening the cap before Lee's bandaged hands could reach it.

Dying of thirst, the boy took two long gulps without thinking, only to realize the bitter taste of herbs and other mixed medicines afterward. Shocked, he coughed and made a grimaced. "Medicine!" he shook his head, his black, silky hair following the frantic movement. "You could at least have warned me!" whined, sticking his tongue out.

His teammate shrugged, unmindful.

"Arrgh—" and he kept making those funny, overly disapproving faces. "Whatever I have to do to get better as quickly as possible..." Lee paused, taking a deep breath, giving one last look at the inside of the canteen before downing all its contents. His whole face was tense again in a silly way.

Neji let out a short snore.

He averted his gaze to a tree, trying to hold back a laugh. It was a natural reflex to hide his reaction, although he didn’t really care if Lee saw him laughing or not. Or anyone else, for that matter. He didn’t reject humor, nor was he an irrefutable stick-in-the-mud, as many of his colleagues might think — he just didn’t find conventional humor, the kind based on common sense, all that funny. Coming from such a traditional and reserved clan as the Hyuuga gave him that convenience. Or perhaps it was just another one of those social aspects he didn’t quite understand.

The contained sound caught Lee’s attention, who promptly set aside the awful taste and focused solely on his companion, noticing Neji’s shoulders trembling slightly with the swallowed laughter. If Neji's willingness to help was something new and difficult to get used to, hearing him laugh genuinely because he found something funny was certainly another surprise. An accidental chuckle that escaped unnoticed made Lee falter. He didn’t say anything, just tilted his head in curiosity, fascinated. He didn’t even realize it, but he was smiling too, while a strange feeling formed in his stomach. It was warm and ticklish, a mix of joy and nervousness. Is the medicine causing some reaction? — he thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. Lee had his own eccentricity of exaggerating things a little beyond what they really were, but this was different.

The silence made Neji turn his face.

“What?”

Lee blinked, incredulous.

“It’s just that… You laughed.”

“Huh? Of course I laughed.” He coughed, clearing his throat.

Lee chuckled. “I thought you had some kind of physical condition that prevented you from laughing, Neji…”

“Just because I don’t laugh often doesn’t mean I’m incapable of laughing,” Neji retorted, frowning.

“The thing is, you never laugh! Not spontaneously. Only when you make fun of me.” Lee leaned in, with an enchanted tone. “But just now, you…”

Neji, in other hand, leaned slightly back, cautious. Lee usually had a sense of personal space — on his own terms — but what he had just heard coming from Neji's mouth was like the softest note of a koto. It was a melody. He needed to make sure he wasn't hearing things. It was the most melodious laugh he had ever heard! He might even dare to say it was more beautiful than Sakura's own.

"What are you talking about?" he huffed. "You're not making any sense."

The boy remained amazed, with sparkles jumping from his round eyes. Cheeks were tinged with a shade of pink, and his mouth was slightly open in admiration.

There was a pause.

“Neji…” Lee placed his hand on his shoulder, causing the other to furrow his brow with questioning irritability.

“What is it?”

Lee melt into a passionate smile.

“You— you laugh like a girl!”

He finally understood it wasn’t the fact that he laughed.

It was how he laughed. He chocked, feeling heat rise to his face.

“Stop talking nonsense.” Neji clicked his tongue and turned his face to hide his flushed cheeks, pushing Lee's hand away from his shoulder.

Neji didn’t know what was worse in these two cases. He felt the urge to bury any laughter deep in his throat and never let it out again if it meant avoiding being compared that way ever again. But, when it came to Lee, he obviously didn’t say this to offend or embarrass him. Neji realized, perhaps a bit late in their relationship, that Lee was as unfiltered as he was, but in a very different way. He had a tendency to make… gaudy compliments.

Lee was a gaudy guy in general. You could spot him in a crowd with that tacky green jumpsuit and his incessant confident shouting, saying everything that floated in his mind in the most genuine way possible — innocent. It was the same with his actions, filled with good intentions, even when they were ridiculous.

“It’s adorable!”

Lee's enthusiasm did nothing to alleviate Neji's growing embarrassment. He felt quite stupid. Lately, he had been feeling this way. Vulnerable, allowing others to see parts of him that he tended to ignore. Neji never did this intentionally, though. But his upbringing had taught him to suppress many emotions in favor of being excellent.

Unlike Lee.

Lee's excellence came from expressing everything to the extreme.

“Wait, let me make you laugh again!” Lee seemed ready to pull a funny, goofy face, which Neji rushed to prevent at all costs. “Just one attempt will be necessary!”

“Stop it,” Neji mumbled, standing up and offering his arm for Lee to lean on, avoiding direct eye contact. "Let's keep climbing. Soon you'll have to go back to the hospital."

Dry, as always. With a defeated grumble, Lee had to channel his enthusiasm into something else. But he would still catch him off guard at some point... It was only a matter of waiting.

“Alright, alright—" chuckled. "I know we’ll be climbing in no time, Neji! I could even carry you on my back if I wanted to,” Lee chattered, throwing his arm around Neji's neck without needing to be told.

“To break your spine in no time as well?” Neji replied with sarcasm.

“So much negativity! I’m strong enough; you saw it in physical therapy!”

What Neji saw in physical therapy was an idiot contorting himself on a Pilates ball, performing all the exercises with unnecessary zeal for such an activity.

The dubious silence from his friend gave Lee even more motivation: “You’ll see when you come next time!” he exclaimed with conviction, leaning on his crutch and smiling widely.

Neji gave what seemed like a tiny, imperceptible smile, letting out a discreet laugh through his nose.

“If you say so.” It wasn’t in a tone of indifference, but rather as a challenge.

There was a heavy, dark, and invisible energy hovering over the room, draining anyone who entered.

The door slid open slowly, illuminating the foot of the bed, where all that gloom was coming from: Lee was curled up with his back turned, muttering softly in total despair for having been denied, once again, clearance to return to training. It was shocking for those close to Lee to see him so downhearted. It wasn’t an image they expected to see of his fortified spirit. But the boy had been very anxious. These "tantrums" had already become a regular occurrence at the hospital whenever he asked Tsunade about his discharge.

"Lee, it hasn't even been two weeks since your surgery. Patience is as much a virtue as dedication," were her words during the last visit — just a few hours ago. Nothing different from all the other times he went to her for answers.

He had been in a bad mood ever since, locked in the room since morning, refusing to eat, despite the nurses' persistent attempts. A child's tantrum.

"Come on, Lee. Don’t be like this. It’s a beautiful day outside."

A nurse chirped as she entered, going to open the windows and curtains in the room.

The sound of the sliding made Lee promptly pull the blanket over his head to shield himself from the bright sun before it could hit him.

"I believe it is," His voice muffled, making it clear that his lips were pouting. "But it doesn't matter if it's beautiful if I can't really enjoy it, going out there without this thing."

"You can still go out," she looked at him, hoping he'd consider it.

Not even the visit from his best friend and teammate, Tenten, had been enough to pull him out of this depressive state. Unfortunately, Gai-sensei wasn’t around for them to turn to either, too busy on a mission outside the village.

"It’s not the same..."

She sighed deeply and shook her head. "Pouting won’t help, y'know. It’s not going to speed up your recovery..."

Lee knew. That’s what made it so torturous. Waiting was never something he could handle. If there was a problem to solve, he didn’t waste time dragging his feet. But this was one of those dilemmas that couldn’t be rushed. It wasn’t like a physical training list that you could complete ahead of schedule with perfection. On the contrary: you had to be meticulous and perform each exercise slowly.

With his heightened senses, Lee noticed that the nurse, who had been approaching the bed, likely to drag him out by force, had suddenly stopped.

"Oh. Lee, I think there’s a lovely girl looking this way."

He thought it was a trick to get him out from under the covers. Even with a slight spark of interest, he ignored it — at first.

"Do you think she came to see you?" The nurse chuckled. "Ah, Lee! She’s really looking over here. What a beautiful girl. But I don’t remember her coming here before..."

Huh? If it wasn’t Tenten or Sakura… He couldn’t recall any other female friend close enough to care about him and come visit him at the hospital.

Unable to resist his curiosity now, Lee peeked over the blanket, lowering it just enough to reveal his eyes, narrowed in caution. The nurse was leaning against the window, waving. Carefully, Lee slipped to the edge of the bed, using the wall for support to stand up and look down as well.

When he finally saw who was there, he couldn’t contain his scandalous laughter.

The lovely girl was none other than Neji!

Oblivious to whatever had prompted Lee's amusing, Neji raised an eyebrow for a moment, staring at him while Lee nearly fell to the floor from laughing so hard. He had imagined that his visit would make Lee happy, as it always did, but not to this level. The nurse watched the boy, confused, not understanding what was so funny, but pleased to see him in good mood again. Down below, Neji headed into the hospital with a sigh, disappearing under the awning as he entered.

"Well, I’ll go greet your visitor," she smiled, briefly patting her patient's back before leaving the room. "You’re becoming quite popular, aren’t you?" she warbled playfully.

Lee struggled to catch his breath, because every time he remembered Neji's serious and feminine face, he felt an uncontrollable urge to laugh again.

So he wasn’t the only one who thought that way!

Neji was, indeed, a very handsome guy, and it wouldn’t be Lee, of all people, who would have trouble admitting that. Far from it. Lee had a knack for being very attentive to details that others might overlook — though this was one that was likely noticed by many. With his feline, light-colored eyes, a long nose perfectly sculpted by genetics, and thin lips, Neji was a rare beauty. A valuable gem that enriched the team, without overshadowing the true splendor of the handsome shinobi that Lee was. 

Although Lee didn’t recall many girls swooning over Neji — not as much as they did over Sasuke, remarked a little bitter — he had no doubt that admirers were out there. Hmm. He need to pay more attention to this… Lee thought, considering that with his long, flowing, silky hair and still in the bloom of youth, where his masculine features weren’t yet fully defined, Neji must have been quite popular! Women liked guys who looked like… women. Delicate and romantic. He needed to improve his personality a bit, though.

"What is it?" He was caught off guard by the impatient voice of the one who had sparked all the laughter.

Neji stood in the doorway of the room, brow furrowed and looking at him in that typical Neji way: piercing through his soul, yet still unable to read much of anything clearly.

"Nothing..." Lee said between short laughs, wiping the corners of his eyes.

Neji scrutinized him more intensely. Lee tensed as the Hyuuga’s footsteps approached dangerously, swallowing hard.

"I swear! Everything is absolutely fine! Nothing out of the ordinary," Lee exclaimed, raising his free hand to emphasize the impact of his words.

"Hm."

But Neji didn’t suspect any comments about his feminine appearance.

What he was actually searching for in Lee was all that dark energy his teammate had told him about earlier.

He didn’t seem at all "inconsolable," as Tenten had described. He was the same old Lee, except a bit stranger than usual, with that mischievous smile that seemed to hide something Neji had no interest in uncovering — assuming it was just some typical nonsense from Lee.

"But what are you doing here, anyway?" Lee asked curiously.

He didn’t think Neji would visit him this often. Yet his appearances were always a pleasant surprise.

"I was told you were… in an absolute state of depression," Neji replied slowly.

Lee hesitated, remembering the reason for the heavy weighed on his chest. He sighed, lowering his gaze and sitting at the edge of the mattress. And there it was, all the gloom and bad mood once again. Neji felt a shiver, as if that dark aura was slowly creeping toward him, dragging along its toxic pessimism.

"It's just that the Fifth Hokage still hasn't told me when I'll be discharged..." he murmured sadly.

So that was it.

Neji closed his eyes, pondering for a moment.

He has an idea for something that could lift Lee’s spirits. He might probably regret it later, though...

"If you’re not too busy, then I’d like to ask for your help with something." Neji rolled his shoulders, still unsure if he truly wanted to go through with it.

Lee lifted his head immediately, eyes wide and fists clenched, full of anticipation.

"My help? What could I possibly help with?" he asked, brimming with enthusiasm.

Neji cleared his throat lightly, averting his gaze before continuing. What choice did he have now?

"Maybe accompany me in my training. I would appreciate it if... you could help me improve my techni—"

Lee nodded eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this moment his whole life. Neji, the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan, asking for help from him, Rock Lee! It was living proof that Lee's hard training was catching attention with its excellent results.

"Neji! Don’t worry. I know exactly what you need," Lee interrupted him, ready to leap out of bed. "I've been watching you closely, and I have many suggestions for how you could improve your technique!"

Neji's insightful eyes had already anticipated the impending disaster. Lee's still-weak leg wouldn't be able to support his body weight for long. Before he could awkwardly crash to the floor, Neji lunged to catch him, breaking into a cold sweat at the near miss. Lee hardly seemed to care about the setback — completely blinded by the excitement of the idea of training Neji. Being his mentor, his master... His dear and strongest rival, calling for just a bit of his training skills! Oh, he felt fireworks exploding in his stomach from so much anxiety.

"I have an awesome workout routine that will strengthen your arms and further enhance your Gentle Fist!" He beamed from ear to ear, still holding onto Neji for balance. "I promise that by the end of this, you’ll be stronger than ever!"

Neji let out a heavy sigh, looking up at the ceiling as if pleading for strength from any entity that might be listening to his silent prayer.

It was the last of the twenty-five exercises, each with two hundred repetitions, that Lee had assigned to Neji.

He no longer knew where the pain was coming from. Every muscle and limb in his body trembled.

"One hundred and ninety-one!" Lee shouted, pointing the tip of his crutch at Neji.

His temporary student was sweating profusely on the ground, doing one-handed push-ups under the blazing sun. There was a weight wrapped around his shoulder, driving his effort forward. With each movement, he felt the heat nearly burning his skin, intensified by the ache radiating from his hands up to his arms. He could feel the droplets running down his face, falling to his chin and dripping onto the floor and the back of his hand. Even the bandages covering it were on the verge of tearing, worn out from being dragged across the ground. Meanwhile, Lee sat comfortably in the shade of a tree, like a wise old master, with the crutch raised like a sword, encouraging Neji to keep going. An image appeared in Lee's mind like the most beautiful masterpiece — daydreaming, he saw the possibility of Neji being the next to wear the green jumpsuit, with orange leg warmers and a bowl haircut. They would be the unstoppable duo of rivals who, despite their burning desire to outdo each other, would turn that into their strength to defeat enemies! He laughed dreamily at the thought.

Neji, however, wasn't sure if Lee was laughing at his shaky push-ups or some small sense of superiority he had gained by becoming his mentor.

"Just nine more, Neji! Only nine more, and you’ll reach perfection!" Lee's voice echoed across the hospital courtyard.

Neji was definitely not prepared for that.

He had a rigorous training routine, but nothing compared to what Lee was used to doing on a daily basis. Gai used to adjust the training for Lee, with much more intensity and commitment. Lee trained far beyond what he and Tenten did together, driven by an impressive willpower. But Neji? He never felt the need to train to that extent. He didn’t need to subject himself to a thousand push-ups to stand out; he was naturally good.

And how was Lee able to do so many? With one hand? Neji could already feel his strength waning as he approached two hundred.

“Don’t even think about stopping!” Lee warned, as if reading Neji's thoughts. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle a few push-ups? Where’s the prodigy genius of the Hyuuga clan?”

Neji felt every vein pulsing, his blood boiling. Not angry with Lee's words, necessarily. Every part of him was already like that instinctively from the grueling exercises. Yet an overwhelming surge of motivation swept over him. Not because he wanted to push himself; not because he believed that hard work surpassed natural talent or anything Lee always said to justify his continuous effort. No. Neji was motivated solely by pride. If that guy, with no skill in ninjutsu or genjutsu, could do that without breaking a sweat, then how could he, an undeniably skilled shinobi, not?

Neji just couldn’t admit, however, that Lee made it look easier than it really was. A thousand push-ups, a thousand squats, a thousand kicks, a thousand punches... And he was still standing, even after those massive sequences.

“Gah! — Impressive, Neji!” The boy gasped, surprised by Neji’s renewed effort in the exercise. In just a few seconds, he completed the sequence with such intensity that left Lee speechless. “Great, incredible! Good job!” Lee praised, giving him a thumbs-up.

Neji collapsed onto his side, rolling onto the dirt ground and lying on his back. Dry breaths scratched at his throat, and his chest burned with each deep inhale. He covered his eyes with his forearm, trying to recover before he could manage to get up. Neji urgently needed two liters of cold water and something to eat.

He laughed proudly. “That’s enough for today! You were amazing! So good!” kept exclaiming as Neji finally managed to get up, dragging himself completely exhausted to the bench. “Too tired, huh?”

His teammate nodded slightly, sitting beside Lee and resting his arms on his legs as he tried to stabilize his heartbeat. He yanked the weights off his shoulders and dropped them to the ground with a heavy thud. Despite all the exhaustion, Neji felt satisfied with himself for having completed everything without failing — though a constant tremor lingered from the fatigue. What he had accomplished here was worth at least a month of training.

"Well, well..." Lee chimed, pulling out a shiny red apple from his pocket. Neji peeked at the fruit, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. "As a reward for your hard work today, I’ll peel this apple perfectly for you! But make sure to eat the skin too. It’s packed with nutrients, even more than the inside." He said, peeling the apple with a small knife with a light smile focused on his task.

Neji hummed in acknowledgment, watching Lee’s bandaged hands slice the apple’s skin into a long, continuous spiral without breaking it.

"You really embodied the Incessant and Genius Spirit of Hard Work now!" Ah, at what cost? Neji lamented inwardly, sighing. "And executed each exercise with more perfection than I did..." He said slightly less enthusiastic. A faint hint of melancholy flickered in Lee's eyes, which seemed to shimmer softly, and the subtle slump of his shoulders revealed his envy. He had enjoyed teaching, enjoyed being in charge, but still... oh, how he longed to be in Neji's place, the one enduring those grueling hours of exercise. He would give anything to be able to do even just one set of squats.

Neji watched him carefully, swiftly snatching the apple peel before it could hit the ground due to Lee's distraction. 

"Don’t say daft things. It’s rather difficult to do things the way you do." He stated nonchalant.

Lee’s gaze traveled across his face, trying to decipher what he meant. Was it a compliment, a merely attempt to console him, or a thought spoken aloud? Perhaps a bit of each. The boy feels a familiar burn in his eyes — and in his heart.

"Neji..."

The Hyuuga heard him sniffle, and when he looked back at him, Lee was on the verge of breaking down in tears. His face was flushed and twisted with emotion, his thick eyebrows knitted tightly together, and his eyes nearly squeezed shut as he fought to hold back the tears welling up. The effort to suppress his cry only intensified the urge to let it all out. It was an ugly, stupid grimace, yet for some reason, Neji felt a warmth spreading through his chest, soothing him. It wasn't that he enjoyed seeing Lee cry; he was definitely not sadistic. He simply... appreciated that his words had made an impact. Of course, before he never paid much attention to these moments of emotional outpouring; he always considered them unnecessary stress.

"You’re going to cry on the apple," Neji remarked, gently placing his hand under Lee’s chin, and it was at that moment that he began to bawled uncontrollably. Lee held out the apple, still crying. Unsure of how to pacify or comfort him, Neji set the fruit aside. "You're such a crybaby," he let out a snort of laughter, his previously tense eyebrows relaxing.

The boy snuffled hard, wiping his eyes. "And you're so nice!"

Hesitant, he reached out to pat Lee's back. 

The sensation of touching another person felt oddly unfamiliar. Warm. It wasn’t a strange kind of intimacy; if only they were used to that sort of thing. But Neji had never shown his fondness for anyone in that way. In fact, he rarely displayed any kind of it. Never at all. He had been much more open lately, and with an unsettling realization, he recognized that it had all begun with Lee. This was more than his own nature allowed. He didn’t want to delve into that thought for another second. He reasoned logically that their gradual closeness was natural. Being introverted, he usually permits very few — if any — people to truly see him from within. 

Even in the beginning, Lee showed unmatched tenacity. When they first met, Neji was too arrogant — and to be completely honest, he still was a little — and considered Lee an fool for having so much faith in himself. But as time went on, he began to understand how important this was for Lee. It was a fundamental part of who he was.

Nowadays, that feeling had shifted; it had transformed into something less bitter. Respect.

Or maybe... attachment?

"Shush..." Neji said, gently rubbing Lee's back in slow circles. He opened his fingers carefully, as if he were discovering for the first time how to provid reassurance to someone.

And, even though Lee was still crying loudly, Neji knew he was doing something right, for Lee said, with a slightly tremulous voice, “You’re a good friend,” and smiled in that way that made you want to smile too.