Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or its characters... sad, but true. I'd love to have a Lee-kun of my very own.

I've edited this a few times since the first time I published it mainly to fix tense errors and tighten up sentence structure. 10 points if you find the Brat Pack reference. :-p

Japanese glossary:

Sensei: teacher

Chapter 1: Determination

There was something I had to do. I knew I must, or else I would self-destruct. I was full of energy and passion and determination, but above all else, I was filled to the bursting point with love. This love I felt seemed as old as time and yet fresh as the dew on the grass that squeaked under my feet as I took my morning run.

It sounded trite to say it out loud, but Haruno Sakura truly was the girl of my dreams. I knew from the second she crash-landed in my world that I would never be the same. I made a complete fool of myself and faced rejection and humiliation countless times, but through either sheer determination or pure stupidity (my teammates would choose the latter), I was relentless.

I exasperated Tenten many a time with my lovelorn antics. "I know you can't change the way you feel, Lee, but I don't want to see you get hurt by her again. Please just let it go." As sincere and concerned as this sentiment was from her, I did not listen. I just kept on chasing the object of my affection. I even stubbornly ignored Neji's attempts to berate me into abandoning my endeavors.

Gai Sensei was the father I never had. I respected him so much, and I am to this day still astounded by his enduring spirit and drive. However, I realized that he was not one to consult for relationship advice. "You must continue to pursue her with zeal, Lee," my mentor bellowed with glistening eyes. "Soon, she will see what a terrific catch you are. It is the only youthful way to win a lady's heart! Yosh!"

I appreciated Gai Sensei's support and confidence in me, but one could only hear Gai-isms like that and take them seriously so many times. He was a very knowledgeable man and an extremely skilled ninja, but Casanova he was not.

I obviously needed to try a new approach. I kept scaring Sakura away with my fervent displays of affection. I had heard some girls found this type of behavior endearing (Something about a duck? I did not get it), but evidently she did not.

Tenten gave me an idea during one of our long talks. After swearing me to secrecy, she had told me of her feelings for Neji. She confessed with a sigh, "I don't know how he does it... he's always there when I need him, but not clingy. He's a faithful friend, but still kind of mysterious." She wore an expression that I had never seen before, but upon reflection, I was sure I looked the exact same way when thinking about Sakura.

I decided to cool down my pursuit for a while. I had no intention of giving up, but I needed to step back and assess a couple of things. First, was this a silly crush that would go away, or the real thing? Second, maybe absence (or at least less presence) would make Sakura's heart grow fonder…..

All right – that was asking a bit too much. But maybe she would be more receptive to a slightly less blatant and bumbling guy than my previous self.

And so it was that Rock Lee, the obsessed weirdo, became Rock Lee, Haruno Sakura's friend. We were not best friends, but when we saw each other, it was never tense the way it had been. I really enjoyed her company, and I liked to think she felt the same. It was nice to be able to have a relationship beyond admiring her from afar. Of course, this just reminded me of how I cared for her and it made my heart ache. It was a challenge to resist my romantic impulses, despite my strong will. I had a very difficult time staying "in friend territory," as Tenten put it.

Dear sweet mercy, I loved her. I had always loved her. I thought it might fade with time as we grew older, but I found myself living for stolen moments, fighting alongside her on a mission, or seemingly casual conversations in the village that were in fact major events to me. I never knew one person could monopolize my thoughts this way, even after all that time. This is how I knew what I felt for her was real.

Therefore, I, Rock Lee, Konoha's Handsome Green Beast (more like Konoha's Funny-Looking Green Geek…. Can you believe I actually called myself that?), decided to gather all the courage I had and try again. I would once again tell Haruno Sakura of my feelings for her. I would tell her that my boyhood crush had matured into something much greater despite the time and space that had passed between us. She would know of the fire that still blazed in my chest for her…. She would know that I was still completely and unconditionally in love with her.

I just prayed she did not laugh in my face.