[Open, SUPER BACKDATED]

[awokentospring]

Who: Rock Lee and Everyone~~~
When: Backdated to mid-April through the rest of the month
Where: Several of the shinobi villages and their outskirts (all except Konoha and Ame)

Notes:After gaining leave from the hospital, Lee sets out on a journey to take some of his darker thoughts out of his mind. He decided to see the world, or at least visit all the other shinobi villages, and hoped he would find some solace while seeing old rivals and making new friends.


Sunagakure

The arid desert air was a relief to Lee. As much as he loved his home country it had been a harsh winter and spring, so the heat felt more natural despite the sand under his feet. With the warm atmosphere Lee knew he was bound to continue to grow stronger if he trained here. At the same time, he was also cautious not to grow dehydrated. When he wasn't out running the perimeter of the village or visiting with the family of the Kazekage, Lee could be found at local juice bars. Oddly, he seemed less inclined to greet strangers unless they spoke to him first.

Iwagakure

The land of earth was rugged but it felt more like home than the desert sands of Suna. Lee took to rock climbing with gusto; he was familiar with mountain climbing and pounding boulders with his fists but rarely did he get the chance to try his hand at the sheer cliffs he found around the land of Earth. The local cuisine was hardy yet simple and Lee found himself generally enjoying that.

Lee took to camping outside the village rather than finding proper lodgings. It was cold but he found peace in the solitude the quiet nights offered.

Kumogakure

With his wounds almost completely gone (though never gone forever, he had a hell of a scar) Lee thought it prudent to seek out the famous hot springs located in the land of Lightning. He splurged a bit, taking himself to some of the nicer lodges outside of the village. While he felt safe enough to travel by himself he knew there was still some strain between Kumo and Konoha. He did not want to incite any sparks due to bad blood.

Lee was starting to feel a bit more secure and smiled more often before he left.

Kirigakure

Lee was no longer afraid of damaging himself further now with his wounds closed so he made good on his promise to Naoki and visited the land of water. It was fun to play off the shore and swim all day then have a hearty meal of fish cooked right over a fire at the end of the nights. Lee finally felt like himself again and he wanted to take on the world, thought how he could advance was still an issue on his mind. At times he would lapse into silence but his smile was warm any time he caught the eye of a passerby.

[ooc: Lee will be visiting Ame during the attacks in May; he will return home after all of that cools down. Also, Lee spends 3 or 4 days in each given place but there's no need to specify any certain date.]

Comments

[abluntwind]

To be perfectly fair, he had been in Neji's body at the time. And that had been the one time she had spoken to him and there was no way to recognize him otherwise. She hadn't spoken to him nearly long enough to know him by the way she spoke or acted. A little sad, but nonetheless true.

Her brows furrow in confusion. How did he know her? Did they know each other? "Do we know each other?" If was possible that they did, she met a lot of people as an ambassador.

It's only when he mentions her brothers and Neji that it clicks. "They're well Lee-san. And I did catch him for a little while." Even a couple moments were better than none. They'd known it would be difficult when they started seeing each other.

"How are you? And Neji he's been well?"

[awokentospring]

Lee blinked, wondering if he was that easy to forget. But she recovered quickly and he smiled, despite his sticky situation.

"That is good to hear, on both counts." He could be happy for her, but her own questions caused his smile to wane. Lee did not have much of a reason to smile for himself lately.

"I am recovering from an injury, so I went on vacation. Which is why I am here," he explained, continuing to wipe his front with the wet towel. "Neji... Last time we talked, he was well enough."

[abluntwind]

Not easy to forget, just hard to place when you've never seen his face before that moment. But now that she knew what face to associate with the name it was unlikely to happen again. It was good to know what Lee looked like when Neji spoke of his friends. Especially given how much he cared about his teammates; it showed in his voice when they came up. Temari enjoy his open of them, that he didn't seem worried she would try to use that information against him.

"Oh, well... we're honored you chose Suna as you're place of convalescence." The look on his face was concerning though. "Is he dodging you?" It doesn't sound right, but if he was there must have been reasons. Clearly she was unaware of what had happened recently.

[awokentospring]

Lee nodded, quite happy to be here himself. He enjoyed the warm heat, though it was a bit hot this month. At least it was relief from all the snow and ice that Fire country had been dealing with.

"Well..." Lee shrugged, taking a sip of his juice as he chose his words, "Neji has been busy. He is always busy lately."

He really didn't want to get into all the bickering they had done at their last meeting. That had been painful. Emotionally wrenching on Lee's side, though Neji had remained so damned calm the whole time he wondered if the Hyuuga even cared anymore. That is, if he cared about anyone other than himself and his own promotions.

But he didn't want to leave Temari wondering either. That seemed rude, considering she probably wanted more news on her boyfriend. Lee sighed.

"... We had an argument the last time we spoke. It was difficult."

[abluntwind]

If she didn't know any better that sounded almost bitter. But being busy wasn't something they could avoid. It was just a fact of life. Judging from the way he had chosen his words though, she didn't think pressing would be welcome. At least not from his girlfriend.

The revelation that they'd argued though leaves her stunned for a moment. Not because she doesn't think either is incapable of having a temper. Lee just looks so- well his cheerfulness doesn't radiate quite like it did when she spoke with him last.

"Why did you have an argument?" She asks accepting her drink from the barista and taking a sip.

[awokentospring]

No matter his original intentions it seemed the truth was going to come out. They were at a bar, after all. A juice bar, but the only viable bar as far as Lee's tolerance was concerned.

He set his glass down and stared into the bright liquid. Even now it felt painful to think about. "Neji... He thinks I am not worthy of promotion. That I am not ready, but that I can accept. It is that he also implied that I should give it up altogether that I could not bear."

Lee looked up, his expression grave. "I expect this means he cannot see me as a rival anymore, and that I just... cannot..."

Lee's voice trailed off and he had to look away, blinking. It seemed, no matter how hard he had trained to do his best to keep up, he was left behind. And Neji was too good for him now.

[abluntwind]

She hadn't meant to pry. Not exactly. It was just such a strange thing to hear that Neji had fought with him, and then to hear what he said. She can understand why Lee is hurt by the whole thing. None of what Neji said seemed particularly fair.

For a long moment she's silent, fiddling with her straw as she takes that in, a clear frown forming at her mouth as she does. "If you want to be promoted keep working toward that. People say things sometimes in the heat of the moment that they don't mean. Maybe this is one of those moment." Considering she'd only been dating his teammate for a few months she could hardly say for sure if it was, but it was meant to help ease the hurt, or at least take some of the sting out of it.

"And I don't think I've ever seen for myself what you can do in a fight. Perhaps when you're healed we can have a spar so I can."

[awokentospring]

"Maybe," Lee responded, willing to keep it at that. He didn't believe it to be true but there was certainly a possibility for that to be the case. Lee had been unconscious for a few days. For Neji to say something in the heat of the moment, he sure had a long time to stew.

But she shifted the conversation, turning it over to sparring and Lee blinked at her, his head tilting to the side as his lips formed a pout. "... You realize I am still technically convalescing, Temari-san? Are you certain you want to spar with me knowing I went down not that long ago?"

He wasn't turning down her challenge. He was just surprised anyone wanted to spar with him after knowing he had gotten his ass kicked.

[abluntwind]

She grins wide and just a little in challenge. "That's why I said when you're healed. Just because you're up and walking around doesn't mean you are." Physically he could be fine but that didn't mean his head was in the right place yet or that he even felt comfortable training yet or was even allowed to. To her it didn't matter that Lee had gotten his ass kicked so much as what he did from there. And even then it only mattered in a tangential sense given how they just barely know each other.

"I have a feeling your loss makes you more determined. And you you can give Neji a challenge then I'll probably find you to be one as well. And I'd like that."

[awokentospring]

Lee's fingers curled against the wood finish of the bar and he found himself having trouble swallowing a lump in his throat. Turning his head, he barely managed to keep his voice even as he thanked her, fighting back a sudden wish to cry. It seemed he was still a little sore from his talk with Neji and his feelings were still very, very tender.

Clearing his throat, Lee attempted to hide his emotions further by closing his eyes, though that probably just made him look weirder. "Then... certainly. After some more time has passed. Perhaps the next time you are in Konoha, then?"

[abluntwind]

She didn't mean to upset him. She really hadn't. "Would you like to go somewhere else?" She asks because he looks a little wet around the eyes. And she didn't think he would want to potentially cry around other people.

She smiles a little on the sad side as she nods. "Alright. I think we can arrange that at some point in the future."

[awokentospring]

"I will be fine... in a moment," Lee tried to assure her. He wasn't sure if he succeeded, but he expected the wetness would leave his eyes soon.

It really wasn't her fault. He was just very quick to cry.

"I look forward to it." He smiled, a real smile, though he knew it wouldn't last for too long. "I have not yet gone up against a shinobi with such a large fan before."

[abluntwind]

She nods, perfectly content to give Lee time to collect himself. It wasn't like she didn't have any pressing work to do back in her office. And if she did, it would wait until she got back anyway.

"So do I." And she means that. She's looking forward to sparring against her boyfriend's teammate.

"No? Well I'll have to make sure it's memorable."

[awokentospring]

"Certainly! I will do what I can to not break it completely," Lee said, winking to exaggerate the impression of a joke. He wondered if he could even crack that shiny finish, or if it was reinforced with a secret technique that he could not fathom. Either way, it would be an interesting bout, without a doubt.

[abluntwind]

"I'd appreciate that." Especially given how she spent so much time making her fans personally as opposed to commissioning them from a weapons maker. It was easier to gt it to her specifications that way. And if he cracked the finish she would be pleasantly surprised, given it was reinforced to be incredibly strong to stand up to the winds she summoned and directed with it.