"Footprint"
By: Curry-ona
The smell of smoke clung strongly in the air and the dust from the rubble shimmered under the morning sunshine. As a new day starts, the smoke and the dust—bitter reminders of what has transpired—gradually cleared.
Uprooted trees and excavated earth were what remained; the corpses and the injured were taken care of as soon as the surviving shinobi were told to do so.
Under the glimmering rays of the sun, Rock Lee dug a fresh new grave. Despite the protests of his aching arms and back, he did not stop until the last corpse was buried. He grieved for every lifeless body that has been laid to rest, covered with the very earth of the village they fought for. No one will ever see their smiles or hear their voices ever again, save for the pictures and video recordings that had been taken at some point of their lives.
But they'll forever stay in everyone's hearts, that much, Lee was sure of.
He was wiping his brow and his cheeks when he caught a flash of pink from the corner of his eye. And despite his desire to greet the pink-haired woman with the cheeriest of smiles, he found that he didn't have the energy to do so.
"Hi, Lee." She greeted, a small, sad smile on her face. Her eyes met with him for a second and then at the grave behind him.
"Hello, Sakura-san."
A moment of shared silence passed between the two of them. Lee knew Sakura was inwardly hurting, guilty of the life that she failed to save. He also knew that his words would ease nothing, and that it was only time that can heal the wounds brought on by these losses.
"I have something to tell you Lee." She spoke at last.
If the war hadn't just ended and they hadn't been slapped by the numbers of casualties, Lee would've bounced with anticipation. Based on his notes, the sentence she had just said was one of the signs of a confession.
Lee just look at her with that serious and tired expression on his face, something that showed on Sakura's too.
"It's about Tenten-san." She added.
Lee stiffened, fatigue falling away from his body. "Has anything happened to Tenten?"
Sakura took a deep breath and reached out to touch Lee's shoulder. "Are you aware of her and Neji's affair?"
Affair?
The knowing looks, the secret smiles, the late night training, the extra inch of proximity between the two of them, the over-protectiveness, the extra second of their hugs and a lot more that Lee couldn't recall anymore flashed in his mind. And before he could think, the answer spilled out of his mouth.
"I would think so." He answered. "I have always noticed that they were being more…youthful with each other." Lee's eyes were far away. "Although they'd kept a wonderful job keeping it under wraps."
Sakura withdrew her hand from him and took hold of his wrists. "I guess you wouldn't be surprised at what I would say next, then." The kunoichi smiled softly, but with a hint of slyness and mirth.
Lee cocked his head to the side, brimming with childish curiosity and intense concern for his and Neji's beloved teammate.
"Tenten is carrying Neji's child." Sakura said, fully expecting Lee's youthful and grandiose reaction.
But Lee merely looked upwards, smiling at the cloudless blue sky with a tear sliding down his face a saying three words that made the Sakura cry.
"Don't worry, Neji."
I'll take care of them. But it seemed you have left a footprint, after all.
Review if you can't get over Neji's death, and never will. T.T