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candyconstellation · 13 days ago

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Need Your All Love

Ch.25:

Hinata wouldn't speak anymore, resorting to silence. Rather than stick around, Naruto took charge. "Hinata," he told her, gingerly reaching out to touch her arm, "why don't we go to the precinct so you can tell me everything. Sound good?"

Hinata nodded slowly.

Since they were all leaving, Lee handed Sakura his keys. "Here. You may drive my car home. I will take Tenten's car to her."

In turn, Hinata returned Tenten's keys, muttering her apologies.

Sakura and Lee exchanged their goodbye's with a shared kiss before Lee headed off to find where Hinata parked Tenten's car. Before Sakura could depart, Naruto stopped her with a word.

"Hey," Naruto's blue gaze was transfixed on her. "You're free to tail me if you want. I think we're waaay overdue for a talk." His expression was friendly and yet— there was a bit of longing. Unlike Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto always stayed in contact. But it has been a long time since they had spent time together in person (crime scenes not withstanding.)

"Yeah..." Sakura found herself nodding. "I think I'll do that."

Naruto took Hinata in his police car, letting her sit on the passenger side and drove off. As briefly discussed, Sakura followed closely behind him. All the things she wanted to tell Naruto swam around in her mind. It was nice to have a friend that would understand what she was going through. While Ino knew about Sakura's brush with the other side of the law, she couldn't possibly understand fully.

And who knows what her parents might say or do about it. Sakura shuttered at the thought.

Once they arrived, Sakura had to find a free parking space while Naruto got to park in his designated spot. They went indoors and Naruto excused himself.

"Just lemme speak with Hinata to see what's going on," he dipped his head towards Sakura. He had a hand touching Hinata at all times, passively anchoring her by his side in case she decided to run off again. Naruto took her to one of the more comfortable interrogation rooms reserved for non-suspects.

This left Sakura alone at the front. She found a seat and slid down into it. The police department was buzzing with activity. Phone calls came in at every second, papers were ushered around. Sakura figured that somewhere in here were Shikamaru and Choji. If not, they were probably patrolling their beat.

Now what?

"You must be Ms. Sakura Haruno. I remember you." A soft spoken voice alerted Sakura to the presence of Officer Kakashi Hatake. For some odd reason he wore a face mask, as if he had a perpetual cold. One of his eyes were scarred.

Sakura sat up. "This is she... You're Naruto's boss!" She was curious to see how Naruto acted at work.

Kakashi nodded his head. His looming presence was intimidating but there was a bit of warmth emanating from him. "Naruto talks a lot about you."

"... He does?"

Before Kakashi could clarify, a more booming presence appeared by his side.

"If it isn't the blooming flower herself!"

Sakura blinked. "Guy Sensei?!"

Guy stroked his chin, amused by the manner of which she chose to address him. "Well. It seems you've spent a lot of time with my favorite protege. He's rubbed off on you." He was honored to be referred to as sensei by her.

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. "We're dating, so yeah."

Guy's coolness fractured, leaving him wide eyed and stunned. "Y-you are?"

Sakura raised a brow. "You didn't know?" Even if Lee didn't tell him directly, it should have been obvious. It wasn't like Lee hid his affections for Sakura. He quite openly loved her, not shying away from PDA. Although, it has been about a week since they've been around each other and others.

Kakashi rolled one of his eyes. It appeared that the scarred one was false. "That's Guy for you." He shook his head. "What brings you here, Ms. Haruno? You don't have a crime to notify us of do you?"

Sakura chewed her inner cheek, deliberating on how she should explain the situation with Hinata. "Naruto has got it covered, I'm sure." He had to report to Kakashi anyway, it would be easier to hear it from him. "I know why you're here, officer. But um, Guy Sensei?"

Guy grinned. "Just helping an old friend out." He offered solace to her confusion by giving a thumbs up.

"... Right." Sakura was unconvinced, but nonetheless dropped it.

"Tell Shizune and Tsunade that I wish them well," Kakashi told Sakura before departing off towards the back— she has almost forgotten about Tsunade's connection to the police department. Guy stayed behind, still grinning like a lunatic.

"So you're dating Lee," he said, not letting a single moment of silence pass between them.

"Yes."

"I'll spare you all the things you've probably heard about staying safe," he told her. It was a given that dating Lee came with all sorts of baggage. Ones that he was carrying and ones that latched onto him whether he wanted them or not. "But I will tell you this; Lee has grown into a fine young man but he still retains some naivety of his youth. Go easy on him. I did my best in raising him, but even I can admit I could have done better."

Sakura studied Guy's features. It was remarkable how much Lee and Guy resembled each other. She couldn't believe that they weren't blood related. Perhaps if she saw a photo of Lee's actual father, would it make sense. But no, Lee had none of those. As to why, she did not know.

While Guy was usually smiling, his eyes were a little somber.

"Lee loves you," was all Sakura could say in comfort. Lee didn't just love him either, he idolized him.

"I know he does." More than anything, Guy's strong bond with Lee kept with youthfulnesd in his otherwise aging body. Everytime he gazed upon the boy, he still saw the puffy cheeked, fishy eyed baby he held when Lee's mother died. "And what's more," Guy continued, "even if you and Lee don't work out, I'll love you like a daughter."

Lee clearly cared about Sakura, so in Guy's book, she was practically family.

"I'll be a sturdy oak, protecting my little leaflets." The somberness in his eyes were replaced with enthusiasm.

Sakura smiled. "I can see where Lee gets his intensity from."

It was all too much for her taste but Sakura was used to it, she came from an intense family herself. She could see herself fitting right into Lee's family for the long run.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

By the time Naruto had finished up with Hinata, Sakura was considering on taking a raincheck and heading home. She had been sitting in this chair for the better half of an hour. She sent Lee a text, telling him where she was and what she was up to in case he was worried but she doubted that he'd even see the message anyway.

Sakura sat up a bit once she saw the blonde coming her way.

"Hey you," he said with a smile.

"Hey yourself."

Naruto gestured with head head towards the doors. "Why don't we step out for some fresh air, huh?"

Together they walked out and sat on the curb. Silence stretched out between them, neither one sure of what they wanted to say. Naruto cleared his throat. "So... How's medical school?" He asked. She half expected him to ask about her love life as most people did these days. But he didn't. He wanted to know about her. How she was doing.

Sakura clucked her tongue. "It's going really well, actually." Studying was what she did best. Even if she found that her time was being tugged at in several different directions lately, Sakura always made time to study.

"I bet you're still smarter than Ino," Naruto snickered.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Being around Naruto reminded her of their childhood. It helped that they all still talked. "I'll tell her you said that," she remarked between giggles. "What about you, how's work? Do you enjoy policing?"

"It's great!" Naruto exclaimed, he deflated a little, however. "I mean..." He lowered his tone. "I have to go off the book to actually get some things done around here. You'd be surprised how long it actually takes for justice to be served." He cast his gaze to his feet. "Like this Hiashi Hyuga thing. We wanna put him in prison already but he's stuck in jail instead. I don't even think he's gonna get a trial either. He's got bail but we're stuck negotiating it."

Sakura frowned. She sympathized with him. Everything was just too complicated. "And Hinata, what did she want?"

"Apparently that bastard Hiashi dropped a bomb on her that he had another daughter that was hidden away. He didn't tell her where though." Naruto snorted his disgust for the man. "I think he's trying to withhold information from Hinata to get her to bail him out faster. Legally or otherwise."

"That's..." Sakura didn't know what to say.

"It took me forever to try and calm her down," Naruto continued. He sighed. "I really should take her back to Tenten's but part of me wants to keep her close by. Tenten can't keep an eye on her forever, ya know?"

"Neji should be released any day now," Sakura informed him. "She could stay with him."

Naruto gave her a sidelong look. "You don't think that his location won't be compromised?"

"I imagine they knew where he lived this whole time. If they wanted him dead they would have done it a long time ago." She was also sure that Neji would go above and beyond to protect his cousin.

"True."

They watched as cars passed by across the street. The silence between them was now a comfortable one.

She missed this.

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #fanfic

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candyconstellation · 13 days ago

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Need Your All Love

Ch.24

The sunlight filtering through the window stirred Lee out of his sleep. Usually, he woke up with the sun. This time however, Mister Sun had been shining for a few hours before Lee roused into waking. He was congested again, one nostril was— annoyingly— clogged up.

He attempted to sit up before realizing their was a weight on top of him. Beneath his chin was a head of pink hair. Sakura was splayed out on him, limbs spread out every which way. An arm was draped across Lee's chest while a leg was hooked onto his own.

He recalled that they fell asleep with their backs touching, insinuating that they moved in their sleep. Lee was more comfortable sleeping on his back, but Sakura? He was surprised that her movement didn't wake him up. His exhaustion was more than he thought.

Sakura's hand gripped onto his pajama shirt when he attempted to sit up and her groggy voice murmured sweet nothings.

If it wasn't for being sick with a cold, this would have been the perfect way to wake up everyday, Lee thought. He considered asking Sakura to move in with him as they only lived across from each other.

Too forward.

Sakura's parents were paying for her rent and Lee figured that they wouldn't be too happy to hear that their daughter moved in with her boyfriend of a little over a month. Besides, Lee wanted them to have a house when they finally moved in together.

He placed a kiss to the top of her head, silently promising that he'd give her the life she deserves.

Disturbing their peaceful moment, Sakura's phone vibrated on his nightstand. It woke her up as she blinked away the sleep. It took her a moment to register that she was in her own bed. Sakura reached over Lee, tiredly grasping for her phone.

She yawned and answered. "Yes, hello?"

"Sakura, have you seen or heard from Hinata?" It was Officer Uzamaki. The raspy voice of the young cop was unforgettable. He was also Sakura's childhood friend.

The urgency in his tone made all the weariness in her disappear. "Uh... No. Why?"

"She came to visit the police station. She seemed frantic. But she suddenly upped and left in Tenten's car."

Lee's eyes widened. "Is Tenten there?"

Sakura huddled closer to Lee so that Naruto could hear.

"Who is that?" Naruto asked. "Erm, Tenten isn't here. Like I said, Hinata just used her car."

"Maybe she went to go visit her cousin," Sakura suggested. "Why don't you call Neji?"

"I can call him," Lee offered, fishing his phone out from beneath the mattress. He went to his frequent contact, Neji being fourth on the list, and dialed.

"I'm surprised you're the one calling me," said a rather bemused Neji on the other line.

"No time for that Neji," Lee held his phone close to Sakura's. "Have you seen Hinata? She is missing."

"Haven't seen her..." Neji gave slight pause. "Although, I have a terrible feeling of where she might of gone. She might have gone home."

"Damn!" Naruto cursed, "She can't just do that!"

"... Are we on a three way call?" Neji was slightly puzzled.

"It is the police," Lee explained briefly. "She went there first before suddenly taking off."

Lee could imagine that Neji was scowling. "Somebody better go find her before I leave this hospital on my own accord," Neji threatened.

"I am on it, Neji! You do not have to worry!" Lee hung up on him.

"I'll talk to you later then, Sakura," Naruto hung up as well.

Lee stood up out of bed, gently peeling Sakura off of him to her dismay. She sat on the edge of the bed, bearing an expression that looked like she wasn't sure if she was going to yell at him or goad him back into bed.

"You really don't plan on going in your condition, do you?" She asked.

"My body feels a lot better," Lee remarked as he flexed his arms for extra effect. His muscles still hurt but a little soreness never stopped him from anything. "As for my cold, I will be fine. It is not like I have the flu." He furrowed his brows in determination. "Neji needs me. He cannot do this himself, therefore I have to help him. Hinata could be in grave danger."

Sakura hopped to her feet. "Then I'm going with you."

"I... I cannot allow that. Please stay, Sakura." Lee outstretched his arms to place them onto her shoulders but she reeled back unexpectedly. She wound up her fist and clocked him in the jaw.

Bap!

"Ow...!" Lee cupped his face. His wide eyes softened, somewhat proud of Sakura's ability to catch his off guard. "You hit... Hard," he uttered quietly. He wasn't sure if he should be scared or aroused. Sakura was a strong woman after his own heart.

Sakura bounced on her feet, assuming a boxing position. "They used to call me South Paw Sakura due to my left-handedness. It's been a while but it's just like riding a bike."

Despite himself, Lee still refused her. "This is the Yakuza. You will be no match against them."

"You managed the best them before, right?" Sakura stopped her bouncing, looking at him seriously. "I should be fine with you by my side. I know enough to defend myself. We're just looking for Hinata after all."

Lee pursed his lips. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to convince Sakura otherwise. "Very well then," he said. "But when I say, you will stand back or run away."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

For the second time in their lives, Sakura and Lee were on the proper of the Hyuga Clan. When she was here, Sakura barely processed what everything looked like. Before there were many police cars and officers, paramedics and chaos.

She looked to the spot where Neji has been laying in a crumpled up mess, picked up by paramedics. Hiashi had been standing there too, knuckles covered in Neji's blood.

Hard to believe that was only a few weeks ago.

Naruto had arrived shortly before they had. The compound was deceptively empty. Many Hyuga were taken into custody, but many still resided in their homes.

Naruto used the loudspeaker attached to his car to make an announcement. "If Hinata Hyuga is here, hand her over now. Or else I will have to use force." His words were scathing. A poor shy thing like Hinata should never be harmed. Even if she was clearly the favorite compared to Neji, Naruto wouldn't put it past them to hurt her too.

Sakura couldn't believe that Naruto was a full fledged cop. He always had it in him to protect those he cared about as well as those in need. Truly, Naruto Uzamaki grew into himself. Sakura felt a bit of pride swell up inside of her.

They were greeted with an unexpected sight. Hinata showed herself, dragging an unconscious Hyuga behind her. The visage was rather ghostly. Hinata's white eyes were rather vacant, her expression was far away.

"Miss Hyuga...?" Lee called out tentatively.

"Hanabi..." Hinata responded. Her voice was hardly above a whisper. "... They won't tell me where she is."

"Who?" Naruto asked. "Who's Hanabi?"

"M-my sister."

The three exchanged glances, equally confused. Lee in particular was more shocked than anyone. "Neji never mentioned having another cousin," he said, perplexed.

"She... Was hidden from us," Hinata explained. Her blank expression turned into one of worry. "He didn't know... Neither did I."

Naruto stepped up to her, offering his hand for her to hold. "Why don't we all just head back to the precinct and get this all sorted ou- oof!" Hinata delivered an open palmed blow to his gut, knocking the wind out of him.

Lee recognized it from Neji's arsenal of moves, typical of the Hyuga fighting style. While it was clearly a warning shot, Lee wasn't too keen on attacking a woman in distress.

"I'm sorry!" Hinata's hands shot up to cover her face. Her pale skin was now beet red. "I-I just can't go yet!" She turned on her heel and ran off further into the compound.

"Hinata!" Naruto ran after her.

Without thinking, Lee bolted. He was faster than Naruto, overtaking him and catching up with Hinata. Hinata was fast and light on her feet, but Lee's agility was on another level. He tackled her to the ground, rolling and curling his body around her as to not harm her.

"I am sorry, Miss Hyuga," Lee apologized. "But I am doing this for your sake and for Neji's. He would be here right now if he could."

"B-big Brother? He wanted to come?" Hinata squirmed in his grasp, but he wouldn't let go until he was certain.

Naruto caught up, peering down at the two on the wooden floor. "Nice save," he complimented, panting a little. "Hinata... Did you do all this?"

Lee was going to fast to notice it but many Hyuga had been incapacitated, littering the halls. Either unconscious or drifting in and out of it, Sakura trailed behind the group to prop them up into sitting positions.

"I-I..." Hinata turned red once more as if flustered at the thought of her own brutish actions. She fell silent and that's when Lee released her. He offered a hand to stand her up and she gladly accepted.

"I am not surprised," Lee remarked. "If she is anything like her cousin, no doubt she is capable of doing something such as this."

Hinata lowered her head, all eyes on her.

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #fanfic

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candyconstellation · 14 days ago

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Messy LeeSaku doodles.

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #my art #fanart #traditional art

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candyconstellation · 15 days ago

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Fighter. 💚

#naruto #rock lee #might guy #animation #my animation #fan animation #leesaku #leesaku but if you squint

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candyconstellation · 15 days ago

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Ch.23:

Lee sank down into the tub, giving a sigh of relief. The warm water soothed his aching muscles, almost sapping away at his pain. Sakura was sitting on the edge of the tub. Despite the reprieve the bath was giving him, having her here made things infinitely awkward.

Not only was he stripped down in a literal sense, he was stripped down in an emotional sense. His inhibitions were showing completely. Lee curved his shoulders in shame, covering himself the best he could. He was sure that she saw his nakedness, but her expression gave nothing away.

She was upset with him.

Instead of saying the right thing, Lee uttered something meaningless. "I have never gotten sick," he said, his voice congested. "Not since I was really young."

"You must have pushed yourself really hard. Your immune system was probably low." Sakura scooped some water in her hands and poured it over his head. With the runoff water streaming down his face, she washed it.

Lee looked up at her through his eyelashes. Droplets clung to them, obscuring his vision a little. Her face was contorted with disappointment. He felt a pang in his chest when he realized that she was trying not to cry.

"Sakura..."

"Why?" She asked, choking out a sob. "What was so important that you had to draw away from me? I expect that from someone like Sasuke, but you?" They haven't been together for very long but Lee could tell that she wasn't going to stand for that kind of behavior. Not again.

"To get stronger," Lee supplied, feeling rather small beneath her gaze.

Sakura frowned at him. "Is that all you care about ?"

"N-no!" Lee blurted out. "Not at all! I am sorry, Sakura." He hated that he made her feel this way. It was worse than the physical pain and discomfort he was currently in. "I can name who I care about on one hand. You, Tenten, Neji, and Guy Sensei," he continued. For whatever it was worth, he hoped it gave her some kind of comfort.

"And what about you?" She asked him.

"I do not understand."

Sakura knit her brows together. "Don't you care about yourself?"

Lee was unsure how to answer. Of course he cared about himself, right? Certainly not enough to put his own well-being over others, but he cared.

"How can you keep your promise if you keep pushing yourself?" Sakura now lowered herself to the floor and leaned against the side of the tub so that they were face to face. "What happens when you push yourself all the way to death? Are you going to die for this like your father did?"

His breath hitched in his throat.

"Lee, I—" Sakura turned her back against the tub. "I'm sorry. That was too far."

Lee shook his head, even if Sakura was no longer looking at him. "No. I deserved that. You are right."

A small stretch of silence formed between them. Only the sound of Lee's sniffling filled it. The steam from the bath was doing its job clearing his nostrils. "I am deeply sorry, Sakura," he apologized again. "I should have told you... I should not have left you in the dark."

"I missed you."

The water shifted as Lee turned his body to look at Sakura over her shoulder.

She missed him? The concept of being missed was relatively new for him. He can't recall a time when anyone has said that to him. Both Neji and Tenten were either too proud of embarrassed to say anything of the such. He spent so much time with Guy that there was no need for him to be missed.

He then realized with a jolt, that he too, missed her. He was simply too focused on the goal at hand to realize with.

And what would happen when he reached that goal? The finish line would have been moved if there ever was a finish line to begin with.

Sakura stirred his thoughts. "What are you so afraid of anyway?"

He wasn't even sure himself. He has been obsessing over what-ifs. The conversation he had with her father came to mind.

Anyone. Anyone that would do harm to her, he was afraid of.

"Huh, Lee?" She was staring directly at his face now. The tips of their noses were barely touching.

"Uchiha," Lee admitted. "I am not specifically afraid of him but of what he might be capable of doing to you."

"But Sasuke wouldn't hurt me," Sakura retorted.

"But the Akatsuki might." Lee found his confidence, his voice raising. "And the Hyuga, you saw what they did to Tenten, to Neji. I know not of what the Inuzuka or the Aburame are capable of but there exist many crime families in this city—"

"Lee." Sakura grabbed his jaw, stopping him from uttering another word. His cheeks were squished. "You can't worry about everything. You're starting to sound like my parents."

He couldn't speak, even if he wanted to.

"You're just one person. My person." She slowly let go of him, searching his expression. "Take care of yourself, Lee."

Lee met her eyes. "I cannot promise that."

He was always going to push himself to do better and if anyone he cared about was in danger, he would happily put himself in harms way. Not only because he loved them, but because he knew that they would do the same.

"Then I'll take care of you," Sakura said. "You want to train all day? I'll go with you to make sure you don't hurt yourself." She mustered up a smile that warmed his heart. He truly wasn't deserving of her. Sakura leaned in and kissed his lips softly. It was a brief one, but it still gave him butterflies. "I'll let you wash up then."

With those parting words, Sakura stood up and left the bathroom.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

When Lee finished, he found that Sakura left him a pair of clean clothes outside the bathroom door. She hadn't come back in, deciding that Lee should have some semblance of privacy. It was only a matter of time when they would get to know each other intimately, but they were supposed to be going slow. Lee himself wasn't sure if he was up for it. It was the only thing that still made him feel shy.

Guy Sensei either overcompensated or decompensated when talking about sexuality. He used too many flowery words when describing it, mixing up the hormone addled brain of Lee's youth.

With childish embarrassment, Lee realized that Sakura had searched his underwear drawer. Not that... It mattered much. She already saw everything.

When he found her again, she was waiting on his room. Sakura sat up straight, attempting to keep herself from nodding off. "Oh good," she said, "you're done." Sakura stood up and took something off of his nightstand. "Take some of this."

Cold medicine. From her medicine cabinet no doubt. Lee obliged and swallowed it down.

"That should help you sleep too. Come on," Sakura turned and sat back down on his bed.

His face went flush. He already had a fever, so he thought he might faint. "... In the same bed?"

Sakura blinked a few times. "What? We're not going to do anything except cuddle." The corners of her mouth upturned into a coy little grin. "Unless that's what you want," she teased.

"Sakura," he said simply. "If you continue to tease me like this, I will hardly be responsible for the man that I will become for the next few minutes."

"Excuse me?" Her expression went blank.

Even Lee was shocked by his own words. "I... I apologize. I am tired." He trudged over and flipped down onto his bed as Sakura moved to the far end to make some room. They awkwardly find themselves beneath the covers, their shoulders touching. Lee's bed was not big enough to sleep side by side like this.

They opted to lay with their backs pressed against one another. It worked out well considering the sexually charged tension between them. They were too sleepy to discuss anything about it either.

Lee's eyelids felt heavy, succumbing to slumber.

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #fanfic

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candyconstellation · 15 days ago

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Ch.22:

The past few nights, Lee had been showing back up at the apartments way later than usual. If Sakura was lucky enough to hear him in the hallway, she would check the time. Without fail, each time he appeared during the odd hours of the day before the sun woke up.

And when she woke up to go to school, Lee was already gone.

She would text him, but as she had learned from speaking with Neji, he hardly answered his phone. She spent a lot of time with Neji now, staying to look after him in the hospital. Tsunade gave her a free pass if it meant that she would be studying. Other times she spent it with Ino and occasionally she felt mad enough about the situation to practice boxing again.

Neji was fairing a lot better. He was up and walking around. However, he would suffer dizzy spells and occasional blurry vision.

Despite Neji's standoffish nature, the two had grown quite close. They initially bonded over their shared closeness with Lee, and through Neji, Sakura learned a lot about him. But then... Neji began speaking more about himself. In a few ways, he reminded her of Sasuke. Although, Neji would still surprise her in ways that Sasuke would never act. Perhaps he felt that he needed to speak to an outsider looking in.

"How is Hinata?" He asked her. "Have you spoken to her?"

"Ah no," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "She's living with Tenten so I haven't gotten much of a chance."

"You'd like Hinata," Neji mused. "She needs... More female friends. I regret leaving her behind, I should have taken her with me when I defected from the clan."

"Yeah but- Weren't you sixteen when you did that?" Sakura recalled information that Neji had given her the previous days. When he was sixteen he officially left the Hyuga Clan. That was five years ago now. Sixteen was also when Lee started taking up street fighting, joined by Neji and Tenten under the mentorship of Might Guy.

Neji folded his hands in his lap. Now that he was conscious, he was allowed to sit up. "And Hinata was fifteen. Protecting her was my only job."

Sakura beckoned for him to hold his arm out so that she could reinsert the IV. "Maybe you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. No one should have your life."

"And yet my life is mine."

Sakura flashed him a grin. "And you're lucky to be alive right now."

He didn't share much of her enthusiasm. "Indeed."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

More days and nights go by and yet, still no sign of Lee. She placed her trust in him but she was becoming more aggravated by the second. She caught herself mouthing off about Lee towards Neji on one such evening. It wasn't until she realized that Neji was looking at her with an exasperated expression did she stop.

"Sorry..." she apologized.

"In case you haven't noticed," said Neji, "I haven't seen him in a while either." Tenten frequently visited him alone. Not that he minded, it was just odd to see Tenten without Lee by her side. Even Guy Sensei appeared without him. He would never say it out loud, but Neji was missing his friend.

Neji continued, noting Sakura's subdued silence. "Maybe you ought to do what I can't do and go see him. I know Lee, he either has a really good reason for his behavior or a really idiotic one. Either way, his intention is not to hurt you."

Sakura hesitated. Her mouth contorted as she wrestled the words out of herself. "I... I don't know."

"Lee does everything one hundred and one percent. Whether that'd be his dedication to training or to his family, whatever it is he's caught up with, it has to be one of those things," Neji concluded. "Besides," he flexed his arm where the IV was inserted. "I don't think you need to keep looking after me anymore. I'll be released any day now. You'll no longer have an excuse to stop yourself from going home."

Sakura shrank in her seat. "You're not an excuse..." She murmured.

Neji looked at her with an ever unchanging expression. Only the slight flicker of his eyes gave away how he felt. He looked from Sakura to the door. "You and I both know that's how it started," he said cooly. Suddenly, he grabbed his head, gritting his teeth together.

"Neji-" Sakura sat up, ready to help him in any way that she could.

He put up a hand, signalling that he was fine. "Just a headache. Now please, go. I would like to get some sleep."

Sakura pursed her lips and took her leave. It wasn't what she wanted to do but she couldn't keep bothering Neji like this. She had to go back.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The drive back to the apartments was a rainy one. Sakura wasn't prepared so she held her school bag over her head and ran under the awning for some cover. Her feet were soaked from splashing in the puddles. Her footsteps squelched the whole way inside and up the elevator.

Of course, on top of everything that was going wrong, she just had to get wet socks too. What a day.

As soon as she got inside her apartment room, she took a hot shower. Deliberating whether or not she should confront Lee, she decided that once she changed into her pajamas, she'd wait for him at his apartment. He'd have no other choice but to talk to her then and there.

She set up on his couch, bringing her own blanket and pillow. Despite herself, she'd figure that some sleep would do her well. He wouldn't be back until the ungodly hour of 3am.

His scent was all over his apartment and the familiarity of it lulled her to sleep.

It was only the sound of keys turning in the doorknob that roused her out of her slumber. "...Lee?" Sakura rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Ah, Sakura! You are here." Lee shambled over. He looked paler than ever, his golden skin was looking sallow. He hovered over Sakura on the couch, seeking her lips for a kiss. His lips were met with her fingertips. "Mmph?"

"What's going on with you?" Now that he was up close, Sakura could see that Lee's eyes appeared sunken in the darkness. He was burning up under her touch. "Are you sick?"

"I—" Lee pulled back suddenly to sneeze into his elbow, wincing from the effort. His body was completely sore.

Sakura stood up from the couch, taking Lee by the arm. He followed her with no complaint until they reached the bathroom. She started fixing a bath for him, holding her hand under the running water. "The steam would ease up your congestion," she informed him, adopting the medical persona she was working on. "The hot water'll help your sore muscles."

She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Now strip."

Some color returned to Lee's face in the form of red cheeks. "Sa... Sakura?" He shifted his weight nervously. "Is that necessary?"

Sakura nodded. "Go on," she waved her other hand, gesturing towards him. "Let me see the damage."

Lee started to undress himself excruciatingly slow. Not just because he was flustered but because it hurt to do so. Exasperated, Sakura stepped in to help with a sigh. Together they discarded his jacket and his shirt. From the looks of his torso, he gained fresh bruises.

"Sparring," Lee explained.

Sakura took it at face value. Based on the placement and the bruise coloring, it was probable. Lee wouldn't lie about something like that.

To Lee, she didn't appear phased by his state of undress. While she saw the damage his arms had sustained over the years, it was something else to expose his body to her.

She then took to unwrapping his bandages. He averted his eyes, steering away from her gaze. Sakura let the wraps fall to the floor, revealing the brand new injuries on Lee's arms. Cuts, bruises, and reformed callouses.

"Lee... Why would you do this?" Sakura took one of his hands in both of hers.

Lee's mouth quivered as if he wanted to speak but he wouldn't respond. It was pressed in its signature bow-like shape, the corners pointes downwards for a deep frown.

Sakura brought his hand up towards her mouth, pressing her lips against his knuckles. She could sense the metallic taste of blood from his cuts on her tongue when she pulled away. With an inward sigh, she turned away, allowing him some semblance of privacy to take his pants off.

"I'm staying right here," she stated firmly, returning to her objective tone. "So get in the tub. We need to talk."

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #fanfic

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candyconstellation · 15 days ago

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Need Your All Love

Ch. 21:

A dog's bark filled the interior of the gym, followed by the sound of scrabbling feet across the wood paneling. A giant ball of white fluff nearly knocked into Lee when he came in that morning.

"What in the..." Tenten appeared behind Lee, peering over his shoulder at the dog.

The dog ran circles around them before hurrying back inside, tackling Kiba into the ground. "Akamaru!" Kiba cooed, scratching the dog behind his ears. "I knew you would find me, such a good boy!"

The dog, Akamaru, barked his response as if he understood.

"That dog... Is yours?" Lee asked as he plucked long white hairs off his tracksuit.

Kiba nodded, bearing a boyish grin on his face. His abnormal teeth were showing. "Damn right he is! You don't see him greeting Shino like this, do you?"

Shino stood off the the side, hands in his pockets, saying nothing.

Tenten groaned and rolled her eyes. "Where's Guy Sensei? He can't let this smelly dog stay here."

Kiba's mouth was agape, taking offense. "He's not smelly! He behaves well, I promise!" He sat up on the floor once Akamaru took his weight off of him.

"I was talking about you," Tenten shot back. "How much longer are you going to stay here?"

Ignoring her question, Kiba gave sidelong glances to Shino and Lee. "Is she saying that I smell?" He asked, to which he got raised brows in response. Kiba then raised his arm to give himself a sniff, instantly recoiling.

"That's besides the point!" Tenten crinkled her nose in disgust. "When are you two going to leave? Haven't the police said anything yet?"

"Have they? No," Shino began to explain. "They are much too busy handling Hiashi Hyuga. Now that they have him, they want to go over his various crimes. We are low on their priorities."

Tenten sighed, walking further inside with her things. "Well..." She chewed the inner side of her cheek. "Can't you be on probation somewhere else?"

"Aw Tenten," Kiba gave her a forlorn look with puppy dog eyes. "I thought you liked us. Just to think when we got on so well..."

While in the Hyuga's care, they were kind and cordial to her at first. That was of course, before she found out she wasn't going to be let go. Hinata and her bodyguards weren't aware until the last possible second, to which Kiba and Shino changed their attitude towards Tenten and prevented her from leaving.

But now that they were no longer under the Hyuga's contract, they were no longer required to act under them. They have been nothing but cordial since.

"Is he wrong?" Shino raised his brows just enough for them to peak above his glasses. "Our treatment of you that day was of no personal matter to us. We understand why you wouldn't think fondly of us for that, but we cannot change what happened but move forward. You are placing your anger in Hiashi towards us."

"Yeah!" Kiba agreed. "It's not like we were the ones who put Neji in the hospital!"

Tenten dropped her things on the floor, placing her hands on her hips. If they were anywhere else, she might have put her hands onto either one of them. "But you still worked for the Hyuga, what's the deal with that?"

"I too, am wondering why," Lee added. Neji never brought up the mention of hired workers. Then again, it was a while since he had gone home.

"Well you know about the other crime families, right?" Kiba gestured towards himself, jabbing his thumb into his chest. "The Inuzuka don't have as much power as the Hyuga. So my family wanted to be in their good graces by lending me out."

Shino dipped his head. "Same goes for me and the Aburame. Why exactly? We were tasked with protecting the princess in Neji Hyuga's stead."

So that was it. A small bit of pride swelled up in Lee's chest. It took two of them to make up for the loss of Neji. His absence had hurt them greatly. It was no wonder they went to this extreme to bring him back.

"Now that I think about it," Lee said, "his initial disdain towards his cousin makes sense now." When they were younger, Neji hated Hinata and would hardly speak about her. He had no choice but to look after her as Hinata's lesser. However, as they grew older, Neji formed a fondness for Hinata. He still didn't speak much of her, in a ways of protecting her and keeping his privacy.

Shino turned his hidden gaze directly towards Tenten. "At the Hyuga's behest, you too, were supposed to be treated like the princess."

"Yeah," Tenten retorted, "just so that the Hyuga can get on Neji's good side."

"Neji this, Neji that," Kiba scratched behind his ears, Akamaru doing the same. "It's all everyone talks about." He snorted. "Now that we don't work for the Hyuga anymore, we're prolly gonna go home to our families now."

They had nothing else to do except waste away. Guy gave them things to do, but even he was too intense for the pair. Now that Hiashi was locked up, his absence caused a power imbalance. The Hyuga would have to act without their head, their numbers dwindled. The Inuzuka and the Aburame had a chance to fill that gap.

Something the police wanted to prevent by keeping Kiba and Shino away from their families.

"In the meantime," Lee remarked, plaintively rolling on the balls of his feet. "We should all try and get along. No use being at one another's necks. In fact... I have an idea!" He lit up at the prospect, smiling brightly. "We should settle our differences in the ring!"

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "You don't mean—"

"Tenten and myself against Inuzuka and Aburame." Lee bared his fists in excitement. He didn't get the chance to fight them before, especially since Guy cut them off short the other day.

"Two vee two, huh?" Kiba stood up and dusted himself off. "I like the sound of that, how about you, Shino?"

"Do I like the idea?" Shino tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. "It does have some merit. I agree to these circumstances."

"Wait," Tenten held up her hands, brow furrowed. "What do we get if we win?"

Lee thought about it. The 'prize' should be something of no consequence, a harmless means of winning that held some kind of weight for motivation. "Nothing too brutal I should say. All in good fun."

"I got it!" Kiba pointed a finger at Tenten. "If Shino and I win, she has to give Akamaru a kiss!"

Tenten nearly gagged. "What? No way!"

Kiba smirked at her. "Would you rather kiss me instead?" Her audible disgust told him everything. As expected. Kiba didn't intend for it to go anywhere. "Just as I thought," he taunted. "Obviously you only have eyes for the prince of Hyugas."

"Alright then, Tenten has to kiss the dog," Lee stroked his chin. "But what of me?"

Surprisingly, it was Shino who answered. "A haircut," he spoke, hardly a decibel over his normal volume. Lee almost didn't hear it.

"What?"

"You heard 'im," Kiba jeered, "he told you to get a haircut, mushroom head."

Lee's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Get rid of his hair? He was confident that he and Tenten could win, but now he definitely did not want to lose so that he could spare his dignity.

"If we win," Tenten was grinning mischievously now. "Mr. Aburame has to take off his glasses because I'm definitely getting a picture of that."

Shino shifted his weight, but said nothing.

"And for Inuzuka," Lee turned towards him, "he has to pet every cat at the shelter."

Kiba tensed. "Damn, if I was allergic you would have killed me."

Lee raised a brow. "Are you?"

Kiba pouted and grumbled, "No."

Tenten clasped her hands together, prompting everyone's attention. "Then it's settled!" She announced. "Two weeks from now, we'll have a match!"

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The four proceeded to train the day away, preparing for their self declared match. When Guy had returned from... Well whatever it was that Guy did nowadays— Lee wasn't too sure. He spent a lot of time out which was uncharacteristic of him. If he went out for something important, he'd usually take Lee along. If not Lee, on the rarer chance he'd take Tenten or Neji if he was well. Regardless of what he was doing, he returned right after the sun had set.

Once he heard about their challenge, he signed up Kiba and Shino for the ring. If they wanted, they could keep returning for subsequent matches if they so choose.

Tenten took off when Guy arrived. On a normal day, Lee would have left too. But he obtained renewed vigor to continue his training. Not only because he was brimming with anticipation about fighting Kiba and Shino, but because he knew he couldn't win off the skin of his teeth anymore.

He simply has to get better.

His heart ached in his chest.

Strong enough to protect Sakura.

"Boy, I'm beat!" Said an exasperated Kiba. He was laying down on the floor with his arms splayed out. Beside him, Akamaru was flopped over. He lifted his head up just enough to look at Lee. "You're still here?" Lee opened his mouth to respond but Kiba waved it off anyway. "Don't care. I'm turning in for the night."

That was right. Lee kept his mouth shut. Kiba and Shino lived here for the time being. They would be sleeping in the clinic where the cots were. If Guy still had his old place where Lee grew up in, there would have been rooms for them.

"Help me up Shino," Kiba lifted his hand in the air, but the Aburame swept on by towards the showers. "Well fuck you too then." He helped himself up as trotted along after him as Akamaru followed.

Now Lee was alone with Guy who watched as pummeled the punching bag rhythmically.

Punch.

Kick.

"You know you don't have to stay, Lee," said Guy with his arms crossed. "I know it's been a while since you've had a partner to fight with in the ring, but it shouldn't be too hard for you. Unless..." The corners of his eyes crinkled with bemusement. "This is about something else."

Punch.

Kick.

"I cannot simply let myself plateau," Lee responded, picking up his pace. "I always have to get better."

"I see. I admire that about you Lee."

"Thank you, I have learned from the best." Lee smiled, but it faltered. "Guy Sensei... Where have you been all this time?" He figured it was safe to ask him now that it was just the two of them. They never hid things from one another. At least, Lee didn't think they did. Not on his part anyway.

Guy answered him indirectly. "I've told you about my youth, haven't I?"

Lee paused. "Plenty of times, Sensei."

"And now you've met Kakashi, my eternal rival."

"Yes." Lee recalled the off silver haired officer that Guy told him so much about when he was younger. However, he failed to mention that he was cop.

"He and I used to clean up this city." Guy smirked, unfurling his arms to strike a jarring pose to show off his bulging muscles. He may have been older now, but Guy was going on the inside, insistent on never letting himself go. "Konoha City used to be ours!" He shouted. "The dregs of society answered to us!"

"Sensei, are you insinuating that..." Lee couldn't find the right words. By now he had stopped his exercises completely to stare at Guy with a puzzling expression.

Guy Sensei struck another pose. "That's right my boy, your Sensei here used to be a vigilante! We took the law into our own hands back then. But what about now you might ask?" He proceeded to stroke another pose with his index finger pointed up. "With Hiashi locked up, many Hyuga began to act out on their own accord and the other crime families are looking to expand their reach."

Lee figured that the latter half might have been true. But it was still too shocking to hear. "Sensei... Why did you not tell me sooner? You have to let me help you—!"

"No." Guy now stood straight, glowering at Lee. "You're not ready for that kind of thing, I never intended for you to fall into vigilantism. I stopped because of you... When I took you in."

A lump formed in Lee's throat. "You do not have to keep protecting me. As my father you have done your job." He swallowed. Guy Sensei never allowed Lee to call him father. As soon as he was old enough to be able to understand, Guy drilled it into him that he was not his father. Not his real one. He insisted on being called Sensei.

Guy didn't want to take the place of Lee Senior, he never could.

"Please Sensei," Lee begged as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. "Allow me to help in your endeavor. Protecting this city would allow me to protect those I care about."

To protect his Sakura.

Guy's features darkened. "You're too much like me."

"I am my father's son after all."

#naruto #rock lee #sakura haruno #leesaku #fanfic

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