Lee
So far, Gaara isn’t too shocked by what’s going down on the battlefield.
The two kunoichis are disqualified because they both fainted during the fight, the one guy the Uchiha faced lost so he’s eliminated from being a Chunin as well, the lazy one just beat the giant rolling ball one by trapping him in his jutsu and redirecting him to hit a wall when he was released from it so that’s another one eliminated, and right now, his brother just defeated some beta who could stretch his body as though it were pure rubber.
He heard that there’s a person or two who may pass if their names are never randomly generated. He wonders if this will be the case of himself and the omega he’s been watching from across the room, but he can never too be certain about these things… Life does love to make him miserable for no reason at times, so who knows what would happen next?
He’s not truly invested and he doesn’t really care. There’s too much stuff about omegas that confuses him to really make him care much about the current exam, not when he knows he can easily defeat everyone here anyway.
“Kankuro, why is that guy glaring at me like that?” he asks his big brother at random when he approaches his side in the viewing area, “Also, why is he constantly trying to get close to the omega when he makes it pretty obvious he doesn’t like it? Is this some sort of alpha-omega thing I’m not catching onto or something?”
His brother shakes his head, “It’s not really an alpha-omega thing, more of a persistent jerk who can’t ‘no’ for an answer sort of deal. He probably notices you staring at the omega he likes and now he’s gotten all jealous, threatened, and intimidated by you, which is why he is glaring you down while trying to get as close as possible to an omega who doesn’t like him.”
Gaara hums to this, another thought in his head, “What of the shadow one? Why does he seem to not like the attention the blonde is giving him?”
“Eh, it seems like he doesn’t want a mate like him. It’s all his loss though—that one is cute! Anyone would be lucky to have him as their mate.”
…Gaara doesn’t see it. He’s too crazy for that one shadow guy and he could see such attention driving him mad if he had to deal with it for more than five minutes.
Now the loud one Kankuro called ‘cute’ is set to fight against a guy named Kiba. Well, okay, that’s fine. Just another boring match for him to watch while trying to better understand the strange relations between alphas and omegas.
Lee, on the other hand, was struggling to really resist the urge to speak to Naruto alone during Shikamaru’s match. While it was nice to watch the guy win, he really wishes Naruto were available to speak to him now because there’s so much he has to tell him that keeping to himself only makes it feel heavier in his chest.
However fun it was hearing his sensei explain the techniques he was seeing, he couldn’t get as into it as he normally would have had thanks to what is going on with Neji and the mark on his hand.
Now that Naruto is going to fight Kiba, he feels more at loss because the only other omega he can talk to about this is Ino and she seems to be busy warning Shikamaru, “If you don’t do something to end Naruto’s fascination of mating you, Sasuke will kill you with his bare hands.”
“Don’t you think I know that! I already do, and I don’t want that fate for myself, but damn…I never asked to have Naruto lusting over me. The bad thing is, Sasuke wouldn’t give a damn about that either—this whole situation is such a drag.”
…It’s a moment like this where Lee realizes Ino may have been onto something when she insisted Shikamaru was not mating material. He’s not really fond of his handling of Naruto’s newfound interest in him and he actually thinks the alpha’s laziness isn’t so much a quirk as it is a downside he doesn’t think he can live with.
Lee works hard and he doesn’t mind doing so. Sometimes he even enjoys it because it’s enough to distract him from everything else wrong in his life, so to be with someone like Shikamaru who does seem to be on the lazy side of things didn’t sound appealing the more he thought about it.
He’s also very active and he doubts Shikamaru would like being with someone as active as him.
…No, Ino was right; Shikamaru wouldn’t be a good fit for him.
Then again, who would be?
The only alpha ever to be interested in him is Neji and he highly doubts he has a shot with anyone here. No one wants an ugly omega with a beta scent. It’s what he’s been raised to believe by the world around him and he’s yet to be proven wrong on it. It’s not like any other alpha or beta will ever want him…which is why bothering with the idea of mating is a redundant waste of his time.
Nonetheless, he cheers on Naruto as sincerely as he can with his heavy mind and heart, “Go, Naruto! You got this!”
“Naruto, beat this guy and become the next omega Chunin with Lee! C’mon, I know you can do it!” Ino cheers, making Lee smile at her enthusiasm for their friend and fellow omega.
It’s not enough to keep his mind off what Neji told him earlier, but it’s enough to keep him focused on Naruto’s battle.
What Lee doesn’t know is Guy feels relieved to see his student smiling a more genuine smile again. It was so worrisome to see him with a fake smile earlier that seeing him with a real one now brought him nothing but happiness.
Guy was able to get his attention during the last match, though it was rather fleeting and Lee didn’t seem to be all there like he had hoped he would have been. Seeing him be much more interactive and excited about this entire battle had Guy feeling optimistic that he could probably figure out what’s going on with him before the next match starts…except, he keeps looking at Ino every few moments.
He is half tempted to just let him speak to the other omega. The only reason why he doesn’t is because he wants to lift his spirits and help Lee to feel safe going to him with whatever it is that is bothering him. While he does think it is Neji related—Lee would never slap his hand away like that without good reason—he knows pressuring him won’t make him talk. The last time he tried, he could have sworn the kid was about to cry, and Guy couldn’t live with himself if he made Lee cry.
Maybe at the end of the match, he will allow Lee to have some time with his omega friends to get whatever it is he needs to get off of his chest before the match after this comes up. Yeah, he should do that; it will help the poor kid feel less alone in his situation while allowing him to congratulate Naruto on what appears to be an upcoming victory for him.
No wait—it’s not an upcoming victory. He did manage to beat Kiba.
Guy is impressed; who knew the infamous screwup would be the one to pass the sudden death matches? If that’s not impressive then what is?
Also, seeing Lee light up and cheer, “That was amazing, Naruto! You did great out there!” made it all worthwhile.
Even Ino’s delightfully loud, “Yeah, way to go Naruto! Way to show those sexist alphas and betas everywhere what an omega can do!” couldn’t really rain on his parade. All that mattered was Lee was smiling and happy again after what felt like a lifetime of hidden doom and gloom.
When Naruto sees his fellow omegas again, he’s grinning brightly, “Looks like there’s gonna be another omega Chunin!”
“I knew you’d make it out of everyone here.” Ino remarks while Guy allows his student to approach his fellow omegas, “Naruto, you were so amazing out there! It’s making me feel excited for the next match!”
“I’m glad you’re getting excited for this. I was worried over you earlier, you know.” Naruto admits, whispering to Lee next, “Can we talk about what Neji said to you when Ino and I left? I want to be sure that creep didn’t try anything else gross on you.”
Lee nods, keeping his upbeat demeanor going so his sensei doesn’t worry so much over him, “Sure thing! Let’s talk about it where we were earlier so we can have some privacy.”
Naruto agrees, with Ino about to follow them when Hinata approached her once more, looking about as nervous as she did when she woke up after her match with Sakura, “I-I thought you did a great job on your match, Ino…faking a breakdown, cutting your hair, trapping her in it. If it weren’t for Naruto cheering her on, I know you would have won.”
“Thanks, Hinata, but it wasn’t really anything special.” Ino is smiling gently at her and she tries to give her a small, black container then, “Here, I think you’d like this.”
“Are you sure? Shouldn’t this go to Naruto? He did just get done fighting Kiba.”
“I know, but…well…um, I think you need it too. You can share with him if you want.”
Ino sees nothing wrong with this, “Alright, I will, but what is it? Is it some sort of medicine?”
She nods, informing her, “It is, but it’s more effective than your usual medicine.”
“Great, I’ll be sure to use it right away on the two of us. Thanks, Hinata! You’re way better than Neji in my eyes.”
She blushes as Ino walks away, feeling better than she did before when Naruto had insulted her clan and effectively shot down any chance she had with him by rejecting the idea of mating any Hyuuga and going for Shikamaru instead.
It isn’t without Sakura walking up to her side and casually mentioning, “So…you’re being very generous to Ino out of nowhere. Mind telling me why you are?”
“Who says I…I can’t be nice to her? Deidara was always nice to me; why wouldn’t I return the favor when she’s been nothing but nice to me as well?”
Sakura clicks her tongue, fighting the inner nastiness wanting to come out, and instead settling for a calm response of, “There’s nothing wrong with being nice to Ino, but it is rude to make a move on an omega someone is trying to win over, don’t you think?”
Hinata’s response had been to be calm, keeping her cool, “It is if they’re courting or dating, but if the omega is single then it’s not so rude. It—It is the omega’s choice in the end that matters, not what any alpha or beta thinks should happen.”
As Hinata walks away from her, Sakura is left to seethe at what was said, with Kakashi in the background silently praising Hinata for keeping her cool during this entire interaction and not caving to the attempted intimidation she was trying to pull. She may not be his student, but he cannot deny that was incredibly impressive.
Ino, in the meantime, had approached the area they were at before Neji had demanded to speak to Lee alone. She handed Naruto the medicine, ordering him on the spot, “Use this medicine right now. Hinata gave it to me to clearly give to you, so be nice to her after all the awful things you said about her clan and use the medicine.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll do it! But it won’t stop me from making Shikamaru my mate—if I can’t have Sakura, I’ll get the next best thing possible in my journey to becoming hokage.” he takes the medicine and uses it on himself with Ino’s help, but it’s not without his attention being brought back to Lee, “Did Neji do anything else to you that was bad when we left? Did he leave another mark on you?”
“No, no he didn’t…he told me about the ways I am attractive to him and then he kissed me when I told him I wanted to you, Naruto.” Lee then remembers suddenly, “Oh and he also knows I told you guys about the mark! He said the real reason why he gave it to me was to ensure I’d always be his, so no alpha or beta could steal me away from him even if they tried.”
Ino blinks to this, giving Lee a warning stare he could tell was a signal of her meaning business when she said it, “If you did not punch him for his assholery, I will glad do it for you, Lee.”
“I’m with her on this one; I swear that guy becomes a bigger jerk with every interaction we or you have with him alone. Trust me when I say it, but I’d hurt him for you.” Naruto immediately follows Ino on this end, leaving Lee to try to calm them down from doing something so reckless.
“I slapped his hand away, so there’s no need to get yourselves in trouble over him! Remember the rules; the only fighting that can happen is in a battle setting, not anywhere else.” Lee tries to remind them, but this is rather unsuccessful when he hears the voice of someone he didn’t expect to chime in on their conversation, “Lee, who are you to talk about the rules to them when you can’t tell Guy sensei what’s going on between you and Neji?”
His blood turns to ice as Tenten speaks, “Listen, I may be up for a match against this Temari girl now, but I’m not leaving without letting you know how upset you’ve made Guy sensei right now with your secrets and strange behavior.”
Tenten isn’t one to hold back in conversations. As such, he isn’t shocked when she unloads on him, “I know you have your reasons for not telling anyone about this, but you’ve got to think about Guy sensei right now! He’s worried sick over you, Lee, and so is Kakashi. I’ve heard them both speaking about you, I’ve seen the worry in his eyes, I’ve watched as Kakashi inserted himself in conversations with you two to get you to try to be your normal self again. You’re worrying sensei to an extreme I’ve never seen before, and I can’t believe you cannot or are not seeing it.”
“Tenten, I never meant—”
“It doesn’t matter what you meant to do or not. What matters is your keeping Neji’s mark a secret from Guy sensei is hurting him right now and it’s hurting me too because I know there’s something else most likely related to that mark you’re not telling me about either, that for some reason or another, you’re telling these omegas you hardly know instead of us! Your team!”
Lee is silent as Tenten warns him, “If you do not tell Guy sensei what’s going on with that mark during my match, I will tell him for you after I win. Guy sensei doesn’t deserve to be worrying himself so severely over this and neither do I.”
“Inaction and actions both have consequences, Lee. Don’t forget that.” Tenten warns him as she heads out onto the battlefield.
…She’s right. He’s being horrible to his sensei, he shouldn’t be lying to him, he should be honest with him—he should be honest with her… He feels nothing but guilt weighing down on him for not being honest with him.
“I don’t know…should I tell Guy sensei everything? I hate making him worry over me more than anything else. I feel like the worst human being ever when I do.” Lee wonders out loud to the other omegas, who are cut off from speaking by another member of Lee’s team, the one they both despise equally for the way he is treating him.
“Speak up and you’ll regret it.” Neji warns him before placing a hand on his shoulder, “Remember—I can inflame your chakra points thanks to the mark on your hand. You don’t want to miss out on your own match should it come up thanks to a burst of pain, right?”
“You bastard!” Naruto was about to punch him, only for Lee to stop the fight before it could begin, “No, I can’t run that risk. Worrying Guy sensei and Tenten more than I already have is unacceptable. If I have to keep quiet just to stay in the exams long enough to tell them the truth, then I will.”
“But Lee, you shouldn’t have to remain quiet!” Ino interjects, her hands balled up into fists at her side as she trembles in pure anger, “You can speak up! You have that right to and if you really cannot without being disqualified because of him, then we’ll speak up for you!”
“Speak up for him and I’ll be sure his clan knows of my intent to mate him. I know they won’t reject my proposal; Lee will be mine then.”
Ino snarls, getting ready to use her jutsu on the guy, “Why do you want Lee to stay silent so badly? Are you afraid of the exams being cancelled and ruining your chance of becoming a Chunin?”
“Not at all.” he answers coolly while ignoring the presence and scents of two angry omegas with perfect ease, “I am a Hyuuga; my clan is wealthy and prestigious enough to where even if the exams were cancelled or put on hold, I would be able to resume them and become a Chunin should I win in my sudden death match. All I want is for Lee to not miss out on whatever fight it is he has to face.”
Her pale eyes follow where Neji is glancing and it’s obvious then that he’s looking at the redhead across the room. She pauses, looking at Neji oddly when she speaks, “You have something against that redhead, don’t you?”
“The redhead is someone I’d like to face myself, but if I can’t then I see nothing wrong with Lee taking him on in battle.”
Given what Ino has seen that mark do and what she heard Neji said it does, she was about to tell Guy himself of this when she was knocked out suddenly by the quick moving alpha. Lee was able to stop him from going for Naruto with a firm stance and a firmer, “Stop it, Neji. I won’t tell anyone, but you have to leave my friends alone.”
“I will leave them alone if I can trust them to not say anything.”
“You can!” Lee’s dark eyes fall on Naruto in a silent plea, “I know Naruto won’t say anything, you can trust him! Look, he’ll even watch the match with us, wouldn’t that be proof enough for you?”
“It will, but only if he watches it with us.”
Lee is able to breathe easy for now, and Naruto complies without a word being said—but only because he doesn’t want to make things any harder on his friend than they already are.