To Wherever The Wind May Take Us

With red lanterns hanging on the sides of the streets, the festive spirit of the New Year vigorously greeted all visitors who went in the shops and establishments to welcome the new fortune coming in.

Taking in all the wondrous sights in curiosity, Gaara wandered around the city center together with Lee as his family didn't celebrate the New Year until the end of January to Early February.

On this day, the Shie Hassaikai had decided to bring Gaara to the city center to experience a proper New Year in this world.

Apparently, the city was going to host a 15 minutes long fireworks display at midnight and everyone had determined it to be something Gaara must absolutely see or else his life wouldn't be complete. Or something like that.

Nevertheless, as he had no say in the matter anyways, he decided to play along with it after Lee himself eagerly asked to tag along.

Which lead him to the current situation, being dragged along all kinds of street stalls selling food with Lee buying whatever interested him and making Gaara taste each one.

Truthfully, Gaara wasn't keen on participating in these kinds of festivals where who knew what kind of people were brushing against his body as they squeezed between one bustling street to another. Every second spent here is another second of risking your own well-being and safety.

What if an ill-intentioned person decided to attack? That would cause a wide-scale panic as people would go on a stampede trying to escape, not caring about who they accidentally hurt in the process.

"Hey, Gaara! Look! I found a stall that sells traditional Chinese snacks!" Lee suddenly exclaimed in excitement, looking at Gaara with bright eyes as he pulled him towards a brightly decorated stall. "I can't wait til you try some crispy honeycombs! Those are the best!"

Okay, maybe festivals aren't all that bad.

Gaara sighed helplessly as he allowed himself to be dragged along.

"Oh my god! Their tanghulu is so big! And it's cheap too!"

That night, Lee and Gaara sat together with the rest of the Shie Hassaikai on the viewing deck of the hotel they were staying at, with Lee constantly looking towards the clock every now and then.

Towards the far corner of the deck, Nemoto was casually leaning on the rails, engaging Irinaka in a conversation about drugging kids with LSD and escaping from the police.

Squatting on the other side, Kurono was boredly poking a ladybug while humming the tune of a nursery rhyme about a spider climbing up a water sprout.

Behind him, Chisaki and Arima spoke about business secrets in hushed voices, emitting a stifling aura which kept the other unrelated guests from approaching them.

And, beside Gaara, Lee had his hands gripped on the rails, buzzing with excitement and eyes so bright, they were like torchlights.

All those he cherished in this world were with him right now.

Looking around him, Gaara felt content.

"Hey, it's starting!" Nemoto suddenly exclaimed, causing them all to look towards the tallest building in the city where a giant electronic signboard lit up, showing that the last minute countdown had started.

With that, Lee immediately pulled Gaara with him towards the railing, the warmth from his uncovered hand traveling towards Gaara's wrist.

And, despite the freezing chill that the wind brought with it, Gaara could feel none of it. At this moment, all he could feel was the warmth coming from Lee's hand and the strange fluttering feeling in his chest.

He had never felt like this before. Was he sick?

Fortunately, time ticked by and soon, people began counting down with the clock, dragging Gaara out of his thoughts.

"Ten!"

The vast crowds on the streets below them began to shout and even Nemoto began to join, albeit purposely messing the counting up to make fun of people.

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Hey, Gaara!" Lee suddenly said, looking at Gaara with a bright smile. "I'm glad to have you with me today."

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"I hope we'll stay together just like this next year, and all the years after that!" Lee exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around Gaara's shoulders.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Yeah." Gaara said quietly, allowing the warm feeling to take over him.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"Me too." Gaara looked at Lee and smiled, stunning the other boy briefly.

"One!"

"Happy New Year!"

And thus, as the first firework shot towards the sky, a New Year had begun.

"Ya know, New Year wishes have to be kept to yourself, right? Otherwise, it won't come true."

"Shut yer trap, Nemoto! Let 'em be!"

"Ah, whatever. There's still next year anyways."

...

Towards the following days, after they had returned to their usual calm daily lives, Lee and Gaara could finally resume their training together and finally hold their much awaited rematch.

And thus, atop a wide platform surrounded by a bamboo grove at the far back of the temple, two boys stood solemnly face to face, approximately ten meters apart.

The cold wind howled past, blowing dust and snow with it.

And as a single dead leaf landed in the center of the platform, the two boys abruptly moved.

Within a split second, Lee disappeared from his previous location and reappeared beside Gaara, launching a quick punch towards Gaara's face which was countered by a cloud of sand which, Lee didn't mind as the first hit only served as a diversion for the real attack.

Crouching low to the ground, Lee stretched his leg out in a sweeping kick which aimed to catch Gaara off-balance.

[Leaf Whirlwind]

Unfortunately for him, Gaara had already made preparations in advance, having spread sand on the ground beneath him to ward off any attacks that came from below.

"You're much slower than I remember." Gaara teased with a confident expression, controlling his sand to trap Lee in a Sand Waterfall Funeral only for Lee to escape each time like a slippery eel.

"That's only because I still have my weights." Lee reminded, smiling at Gaara who had began to regard him more seriously. "And I haven't opened my Eight Gates yet."

Upon the realization that the speed and power that Lee was showing right now was just his weakest level, Gaara narrowed his eyes. If this was the case, then this Lee who could still escape his Sand Waterfall Funeral at his lowest was much more powerful than he remembered.

"Hmm." Gaara let out a breath of trepidition. Lee was a worthy adversary for him. With them existing to fuel each other's competitive spirits, they would grow to be incredibly powerful figures together.

"You're getting distracted in the middle of a fight!" Lee shouted launching a barrage of attacks towards Gaara's sand so quickly that it only left afterimages and shockwaves of sand behind, with each punch coming closer and closer to hitting Gaara.

Gaara refused to make the same mistake as he did when he was younger and, therefore, decided to take the initiative instead of passively waiting for Lee to attack.

Knowing that he had no advantage when it came to Taijutsu against Lee even if he were to use the Rinne Sharingan, Gaara hurriedly distanced himself, forming his sand into a giant fist which aimed to crush Lee underneath.

Quickly realizing the situation he was in, Lee immediately jumped back, escaping from the sand's range of attack just in time to avoid the fate of being crushed.

Seeing the large crater formed on the ground where he previously stood, Lee looked back towards Gaara and grinned. "Now, this is exactly what I've been waiting for!"

With a competitive grin Lee bent down, taking off his ankle weights and dropping them to the ground which formed a large crack, causing a loud booming sound.

With his speed suddenly increasing drastically, Lee once again gained the upper hand, bypassing Gaara's sand and engaging him in a physical combat when his sand couldn't keep up.

This was when Gaara realized that the speed in which his sand formed and gathered couldn't catch up with Lee's speed anymore. By the time Gaara could form one attack, Lee could have already made three of his.

Fortunately, Gaara wasn't as helpless in Taijutsu as he once was. So, when Lee launched a strong punch which was about to connect to his face, Gaara quickly twisted his body slightly to the side and used his palm to redirect the force of the attack away, catching Lee by surprise.

"I'm not the same as I used to be, Lee." Gaara said with a feral grin, while his other palm pushed towards Lee's chest, aiming to make his opponent stumble.

Suddenly, Lee grinned back. "Neither am I."

[First Gate Open]

With a flash of green light, the bandages which covered Lee's arms came apart, revealing his forearms which were covered in emerald-colored scales that began to shoot towards Gaara.

[Scale Bullet Barrage]

Realizing the danger he was in, Gaara immediately distanced himself from Lee and recalled his sand towards him to gather into a Sand Coffin in order to shield himself from the barrage of scales.

Gaara was truly caught off-guard this time. He never expected something like that to happen.

He nearly forgot that Lee inhabited a body which originally belonged to this world. He should have expected that he might possess a quirk but, somehow, with everything that happened, he just didn't think of it.

He needed to come up with something quickly.

[Wind Style: Desert Tornado]

Outside the Sand Coffin, Lee had been forced to stop his scale barrage by a sudden tornado of sand which appeared and surrounded the Sand Coffin in a protective barrier. But, he didn't give up his attacks. Instead, he encased his fists in sharp Reverse Scales. "You know, I always felt that this defensive turtle shell move was a really un-youthful tactic."

"So, if you won't come out, I'll just have to come in forcefully!" Lee grinned eagerly, a brief red light flashing through his eyes before disappearing.

[Second Gate Open]

With another flash of green light, Lee's skin began to take in a red hue as his muscles worked on overdrive. His scales took on a slightly darker coloration and the reverse scales on his fists turned longer and sharper, appearing like he grew spear points on his knuckles.

[Spearpoint Scale Fist]

With immense speed and power, Lee bypassed the Sand Tornado barrier and struck the Sand Coffin within it, aiming to finish the fight with a single hit since his current body couldn't support the Second Gate opening for too long.

No matter how much he trained, it wouldn't change the fact that his current body was still that of a still developing child.

Doing any more than this would put too much strain on his body.

Fortunately, with that attack, the Sand Coffin crumbled beneath his fist with his Spearpoint Scales piercing right through, catching Gaara inside it unaware.

And that was all it took for Lee to finish it, pulling Gaara out during his momentary surprise and pinning him to the ground swiftly.

For a short time, both figures didn't move, allowing themselves a short moment of rest after their first fight in a long time.

"I win." Lee grinned victoriously, eyes glinting in delight, only to later be left confused when the Gaara he was pinning down seemed to have no reaction at all. In fact, he didn't seem to be even moving, or breathing.

Suddenly, 'Gaara' began to dissolve into sand, sinking between the gaps of his fingers and flowing to the ground.

"No, I win."

Suddenly, Lee's surroundings began to crack and he found himself in a dome made of sand, his legs and arms restricted within the dome's walls, taking away his ability to move.

Towards the opening of the dome, Lee could see Gaara facing him with a victorious expression, the Rinne Sharingan on his forehead activated, making it clear to Lee that he must have fallen into a genjutsu at some point in their battle.

Lee looked at Gaara in complete shock. From the start, Gaara had only been using his sand and Taijutsu, never once showing his ability to use Genjutsu. But once he showed this ability, everything was decided. He'd never seen it coming.

Gaara had him completely fooled and with that, Lee accepts his defeat. But that didn't mean he failed!

That just meant he had more room for improvements. He just had to work harder and one day, he'd be able to defeat Gaara at his full power!

With that, Lee grinned at Gaara as the sand which held him down began to disperse. "I accept my defeat."

"Aiyo! My bamboo, ah! I spent fifteen years growing those!" An old man carrying a rattan basket on his back suddenly exclaimed loudly.

Unfortunately, during their fight, with the use of powerful and indiscriminate attacks from both sides, the bamboo grove surrounding the platform was not spared, coating the majestic bamboo trees in a layer of sand and dust.

"Granddad! You're back!" Lee happily yelled, launching himself towards the old man.

...

It was the fifth day of the first month, which Chisaki had circled in red ink on his calendar, that would determine the future of the Shie Hassaikai.

He had first sent Nemoto as well as their chief accountant, both people who were known to be good with words once needed, in order to discuss terms a few days prior. Despite that, the price they negotiated was still a bit higher than his existing capital.

Their target for acquisition knew their value and they refused to accept anything less than their worth even now when they were in a dire situation.

Neither party wanted to lose out on this business.

But, money in exchange for loyalty was something Chisaki was willing to accept.

Using the cards given to him by Arima, Chisaki sold several of the Shie Hassaikai's less profitable establishments and finally managed to buy the Hatsume Industries within a few days.

Upon learning of the news, Arima smiled to himself. Truly, the younger generation will soon surpass the old.

"Technology was once the cause of the Yakuza's downfall. In order to prevent that from happening again, we have to take hold of technology and bend it to our will." Arima sighed as he sipped his tea.

...

Within the thick blanket of snow beneath the platform at the back of the temple, two boys were crouching on a cold stone bridge, nibbling on some roasted sweet potatoes as they watched an old man dressed in a taoist priest garb fuss over his precious bamboo grove.

After lecturing both boys about raising awareness with regards to their surroundings and learning to hold back when appropriate for thirty minutes, the old man good-naturedly introduced himself as Lao Hu to Gaara as though he weren't just angrily berating them a second ago.

Lee's granddad was a strange man.

Gaara turned to look at Lee, sighing helplessly upon finding the other boy already finished eating three sweet potatoes and was quickly about to add a fourth.

"Despite only opening up to the Second Gate, your current power level seems to outclass your previous one during our last meeting in our previous world." Gaara seemed to say off-handedly, to which, Lee paused his chewing, a strange expression on his face.

"As much as I don't like admitting to it, this body just has more potential than mine previously did. Though our inability to use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu remains the same." Lee sighed to himself, lowering his head in resignation.

Gaara nodded, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"You know, you should start referring to that body as your own. No matter how you got it or who it belonged to before, it doesn't change the fact the you own it now." Gaara said quietly, remembering his own experience when he had just gotten to this world, having nothing to his name. But, now, he had his family, his friend, and a home.

"And besides, I personally think the difference in power lies more on the fact that your current body may possess more reptilian aspects than just scales, rather than a difference in natural talent." Gaara recalled the random facts about the muscle composition of reptiles that he was forced to learn in his studies. He never expected it to be useful one day.

"Reptilian aspects?" Lee tilted his head in confusion.

"You know, quicker regeneration, flexible and elastic muscle tissues, plus, they're cold blooded so when you open your Eight Gates, the heat and muscle strain brought by your chakra going on overdrive could be somewhat counteracted, making your Eight Gates mode last a little longer than it should." Gaara theorized, causing Lee to feel as though he was listening to Sanskrit scriptures.

Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?

"By the way, I'll be attending Martial Arts classes next week in a nearby gym. Would you like to join me? Arima got me a membership card." Gaara suddenly changed the topic.

"Oh- um, sure." Lee nodded blankly, not really comprehending anything at the moment.

...

EXTRA:

One day, while Lee was visiting Gaara in the Shie Hassaikai compound.

Lee was crouching beside the koi pond with a bag of bread, nibbling on a piece while he threw some for the fish every once in a while. 'One for you, one for me'.

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Gaara gently tended to his cacti.

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask." Lee suddenly said as he caught sight of the small, whitewashed wooden horns hidden within Gaara's hair. Then, he remembered the Rinne Sharingan that Gaara now possessed. "How did you get that by the way?"

Immediately, Gaara paused his actions and stared at Lee somberly, his expression cold and serious. Slowly he opened his mouth.

"I don't know."

The corner of Lee's lips twitched. "...Oh."