Sakura's POV

Ino and I just stood there frozen, clutching our flowers in complete horror. Lee, even in the condition he was in of having both his arm and leg broken, was still attempting to train and was currently on his 194th push-up.

But he was struggling. Really struggling.

You could tell by the way his arm was almost crumpled under his weight, the sweat that was trickling down his face and onto the ground because of the effort, and the way his eyebrows furrowed and he grit his teeth as a pained expression mared his features. Of course he would be in pain. He was in no fit state to be training. But of course, that wouldn't stop him from trying. He had decicated his whole life to training after all.

My eyes widened suddenly as I realised the severity of Ino's words from earlier:

"...he'll never...well, his days as a ninja are over."

His whole life, wasted, in the blink of an eye.

I could hear the vague groans coming from Lee and his counting of, "195...196...197...198...", and held my breath as he pleaded, "Don't count me out yet!" before just making it, shakily, to 199. He didn't want to give up, he didn't want to believe that all his efforts had been in vain. And as it looked like his arm would buckle under him before he got to 200, something in me snapped.

I don't know what possessed me to do it, but in that moment there were no thoughts of Sasuke, or the curse mark or his possible abduction by Orochimaru. All that was in my head was: Lee, Lee,Lee.

So, I feel to my knees in front of him. I slamed my palms to the ground, flowers forgotten, as I cried out- begging him to carry on, to prove us all wrong and that he wasn't finished yet, he can still fight. And I continued to cheer for him as his spirit returned and he lifted himself to finish push-up 200, gaining the hope that he could possibly win this time.

He had tried so hard, he really had. He had almost made it, too. But both his arm and his consciousness had given out at the last minute.

Fate was too cruel.

So as the nurse ran to find a doctor, before she had even asked both Ino and I to stay with Lee, I was at his side. I cupped his cheeks with my hands and pressed my forehead to his as tears streamed down my face and onto his. Yet, there was a smile on my face.

"I'm so proud of you Lee," I began to whisper to him, "You almost made it, just a little more and next time you'll definetly make it. I know you will. I won't count you out Lee, I promise I won't-"

But my voice faultered, and I realised how useless my encouragement was. And then the smile fell, and the helpless cries began.

And the whole time, Ino never said a word. Just stood there in sorrowful understanding.

I stood in Lee's hospital room as he lay unconscious and began to tend to the new daffodil I had placed in the vase next to his bed. I stood in complete silence, just gently smoothing out the white petals before I grabbed the wilted daffodil and made to leave the room. However, I halted as I got to the foot of his bed and glanced in his direction one last time.

"We're pretty messed up people, huh Lee?" I began with a humourless chuckle, my head now bowed to the floor. "Me, with my wide forehead and short hair," I gave the locks a sharp tug and scowled, "And you with your broken arm and leg and your broken dream." The words stung a bit, but it was the truth. They were broken, beyond repair.

"It seems we both can't keep our promises, afterall. I'll never be able to catch up to Naruto and Sasuke, and you'll never be able to protect me ever again." I lifted my head then and turned to leave but stopped in the doorway one last time.

"What sad people we are, Lee." The tears started again then, and the wilted daffodil was crushed in my hand as I finally exited his room.

"What sad people indeed."