The Light Of Konoha

A Surge Of Courage

Aki's P.O.V.

I rose a dubious eyebrow.

Mrs Crazy (Anko) was doing her little intimidation act and I tried to pay attention, I really did.
But after the stress of that test my mind was in tatters.

It certainly isn't a healthy hobby to spread your consciousness out as far as I did, the side affects, including the splitting headache, was the reminder of that fact.

It also didn't help that I had Gaara's intense gaze jumbling up my thoughts and making focusing ten million times harder.

I felt like melting under his stare.

I would have to ask my teammates about the instructions later, right now I was going in recuperation mode.

And by 'recuperation mode' I mean literally sleeping with my eyes open.

I leaned into Byakko's side and he understood the message to hold me upright.

After facing myself in the general direction of the dialogue, I let my mind wander and my eyes glaze over.

Flashback

"Hey, you with the scowl... Wait up!!"

We stopped in a large hall and we turned around to see a peculiar shinobi in green spandex.

"What is it?" Sasuke said moodily.

'Oh.... Shit!!!
It's Lee!'

I dived behind Byakko, fearing for my life.

My heart was still pounding in fear from a few minutes ago on the second floor when he stopped that fight between Sasuke and the chûnin ninja in disguise.

I had managed to hide at the back of the crowd, cowering and shaking as I relived horrific memories whilst anime crying.

Byakko was confused at my sudden fear, of course he did not know of the torture I had been through so of course he just had to say:
"Why're you hiding master?!"

'Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY
DID YOU HAVE TO SHOUT?!!!!!!!!!!'

" 'Master' ??" I heard a confused voice say from the other side of the room.

'I'm screwed.'

I sighed with tears streaming down my face before composing myself and peeking out from behind Byakko.

"Heyyyy.... Lee..." I said awkwardly.

Naruto blanched,
"You know this weirdo?!!" He exclaimed.

I nodded,
"Kakashi made me have a training session with him and his sensei a while back... " I said shakily.

Lee's eyes lit up in recognition,
"Aki! I haven't seen you for months! When are you going to train with me and Guy again?!!" He asked excitedly.

I shivered and held myself in my arms, the flashbacks causing me to break out into a cold sweat.
"Never!!" I squeaked,
"I almost died last time!!"

"Don't be like that Aki-kun! You just need to try harder!
Don't worry Aki, we can train right now! But you'll have to wait a bit..."
He turned his beady-eyed gaze onto Stalker-kun.
"You and me, here and now... Want to fight?"