Author's Notes: SPOILERS! SPOILERS! DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO ROCK LEE IN THE MANGA!
Sorry, BluePard....
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I really like Rock Lee's character. I've been spoiled that he gets better in the manga, but I just got around to thinking what it would be like if he didn't heal completely, if *was* never able to live as a true ninja. If he had to stay in the village and be content with teaching the younger villagers.
And, because I am fond of the Rock Lee/Sakura pairing, I have indulged in it.
Naruto is not mine, I make no profit from this story. All rights reserved to their rightful owners.
The last few members of the class filtered out of the room, some calling out goodbyes to the teacher as they went.
Rock Lee closed his eyes and leaned against the wall and tried to work through the pain in his leg. It never usually bothered him this much, but the weather had been damp recently. He sighed and it felt wrong. He was the irrepressible Lee-sensei, dammit. The irrepressible Lee-sensei who walked with a funny limp because the bones in his leg had never completely healed but who still gleamed when he grinned.
"Lee-kun?"
He opened his eyes and saw Sakura standing in front of him, her face a little uncertain. Other than a few minor bruises, he was relieved to see that she looked exactly the same as she had when she left a week ago to go the Wave country.
"Angel!" he said, the pain forgotten. "You got done with your mission already?"
She nodded and smiled, the uncertainty gone. "Yup. You wanna go get something to eat?" She held out a hand, but he brushed it aside and jumped to his feet.
He was, after all, the irrepressible Lee-sensei.
"Lee..." she whispered.
He looked to see her standing there, the towel hanging from her hand, obviously forgotten. She was watching him with some kind of emotion he couldn't place, a small smile playing on her lips.
She dropped to her knees beside him and ran a hand down one of his thighs. He paused in mid-situp."Sakura-chan?"
"
You know," she said softly as she rubbed his shoulder, feeling the muscle there bunch under her touch, "when you fought with Gaara...afterwards, I really wanted to jump down and be with you."
She couldn't see his face, but she could feel him tense. "Why didn't you?"
Sakura didn't answer him right away, just leaned against his back. After a moment, she went on, "Kakashi-sensei said...he thought it would hurt your pride." When he didn't answer, she poked him. "Well, would it have?" She poked him again, a little harder.
"Dammit, angel, that tickles."
"Answer me, then, and I'll stop." She wriggled her fingers along his ribs, making him squirm.
"Yeah, probably. I had a lot of pride back then."
"Stupid," she said with an exasperated sigh. "You have a lot to be proud of now, too. You're the best taijitsu trainer the village has ever had, and you could probably kick everyone's ass even with those stupid weights of yours on, so stop being dumb."
He leaned back and kissed her, a nice lazy kiss that made her sigh into his mouth. "Even Sasuke?"
"Especially Sasuke-kun, who I don't even like anymore, so stop being stupid like I said. Men..." She flopped onto her side. "Why do men try so hard? For nothing. Nothing at all!"
Sorry, BluePard....
.
.
.
.
.
I really like Rock Lee's character. I've been spoiled that he gets better in the manga, but I just got around to thinking what it would be like if he didn't heal completely, if *was* never able to live as a true ninja. If he had to stay in the village and be content with teaching the younger villagers.
And, because I am fond of the Rock Lee/Sakura pairing, I have indulged in it.
Naruto is not mine, I make no profit from this story. All rights reserved to their rightful owners.
The last few members of the class filtered out of the room, some calling out goodbyes to the teacher as they went.
Rock Lee closed his eyes and leaned against the wall and tried to work through the pain in his leg. It never usually bothered him this much, but the weather had been damp recently. He sighed and it felt wrong. He was the irrepressible Lee-sensei, dammit. The irrepressible Lee-sensei who walked with a funny limp because the bones in his leg had never completely healed but who still gleamed when he grinned.
"Lee-kun?"
He opened his eyes and saw Sakura standing in front of him, her face a little uncertain. Other than a few minor bruises, he was relieved to see that she looked exactly the same as she had when she left a week ago to go the Wave country.
"Angel!" he said, the pain forgotten. "You got done with your mission already?"
She nodded and smiled, the uncertainty gone. "Yup. You wanna go get something to eat?" She held out a hand, but he brushed it aside and jumped to his feet.
He was, after all, the irrepressible Lee-sensei.
"Lee..." she whispered.
He looked to see her standing there, the towel hanging from her hand, obviously forgotten. She was watching him with some kind of emotion he couldn't place, a small smile playing on her lips.
She dropped to her knees beside him and ran a hand down one of his thighs. He paused in mid-situp."Sakura-chan?"
"
You know," she said softly as she rubbed his shoulder, feeling the muscle there bunch under her touch, "when you fought with Gaara...afterwards, I really wanted to jump down and be with you."
She couldn't see his face, but she could feel him tense. "Why didn't you?"
Sakura didn't answer him right away, just leaned against his back. After a moment, she went on, "Kakashi-sensei said...he thought it would hurt your pride." When he didn't answer, she poked him. "Well, would it have?" She poked him again, a little harder.
"Dammit, angel, that tickles."
"Answer me, then, and I'll stop." She wriggled her fingers along his ribs, making him squirm.
"Yeah, probably. I had a lot of pride back then."
"Stupid," she said with an exasperated sigh. "You have a lot to be proud of now, too. You're the best taijitsu trainer the village has ever had, and you could probably kick everyone's ass even with those stupid weights of yours on, so stop being dumb."
He leaned back and kissed her, a nice lazy kiss that made her sigh into his mouth. "Even Sasuke?"
"Especially Sasuke-kun, who I don't even like anymore, so stop being stupid like I said. Men..." She flopped onto her side. "Why do men try so hard? For nothing. Nothing at all!"