A/N: Ah, my single venture into second person narrative. I can't remember anymore what made me decide to write it this way, but I recall having fun with it.
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You're making notes on bodies in the morgue when Tsunade-shisho walks in, says, "I have a job for you, Sakura," and walks right back out.
Startled, you hurry to get your things in order and go after her; it does no better to leave a mess of a work area than it does to keep the Hokage waiting. And she isn't waiting, isn't sparing so much as a glance over her shoulder to see that you're keeping up, but is moving with swift, no-nonsense strides down the hospital halls. It's all you can do to keep at her heels, and if you stumble a bit and over-correct yourself as it sets in that this job has nothing to do with running out to buy sake or place a bet (illegally, again), well, she doesn't say anything about it and you sure as the sun shines aren't going to.
"Here," Tsunade-shisho says, pushing open a door and motioning you in ahead of her. Shoulders squared, chin up, scroll of notes tucked under one arm and pen behind one ear, you stride in as casually as if this is something you do every day (or at least you prefer to think so, and no one says otherwise). You're a full three steps inside the room before you really see what you're seeing.
"Lee-san," you sputter. "Not again, what have you done to yourself this time?"
Lee-san opens his mouth to speak- and so does Gai-sensei, standing beside him- but Tsunade-shisho- thankfully- cuts them both off.
"It isn't anything serious, Sakura, just a sprained ankle and a few scrapes. Gai-sensei's team was in for their post-mission check-up and Lee-kun here was gracious enough to volunteer himself as a subject for your medical training. Isn't that right, Lee-kun?"
Lee-san's smile is as bright and warm as ever as he flashes a thumbs-up, but Tsunade-shisho's lips are pulled tight across her teeth, and you have to wonder if her idea of a volunteer matches up with the official definition. You only have time to wonder for a moment before you register Tsunade-shisho's pointedly expectant look, the appraisal in Gai-sensei's eyes, the fascinated, little-boyish anticipation rolling off Lee-san in waves, and then all at once your chest clenches tight, catching your breath.
But only for an instant, only for the barest instant, and then you're at the bedside, placing your things on the side table and coolly taking note of his injuries for yourself. He shivers lightly beneath the skim of your hands over his skin, and you're horrified to feel heat pooling high in your cheeks. Trying to retain control and composure, you pull your back muscles so tight that they twinge, promising a vengeance to be served cold, and your fingers go rigid and chill, like icicles; Lee-san stills beneath your touch and you can read the confusion and the hurt in his eyes.
You take a deep but subtle breath and stand back, trying to look like you're piecing together your opinion on his condition rather than getting your bearings. It isn't like this is the first time you've healed minor injuries, even if it will be your first time on record, your first time under Tsunade-shisho's eye and assessment. Lee-san's wounds are as minor as Tsunade-shisho said, and it will take a tenth (okay, maybe a fifth- maybe) of your skill to patch him up. A nod, as if you've come to a conclusion, then your hands are on Lee-san again, and you try to warm them with more than just the pulse of chakra as you heal the injuries, one after another, with the touch of a true professional. Sure it takes maybe a few seconds longer than it would take, say, Tsunade-shisho or Shizune-san (or, yeah, any- most... alright, any- of the medics on staff) to eliminate all trace of what was, and maybe you feel the drain of your chakra store more acutely than any of them would, but the job is done in short order. Gai-sensei is drawn up to his full height, every too-white tooth in his mouth flashing his approval like a signal flare; Lee-san is more wide-eyed than usual, face flush, looking as though he might truly burst open with pride.
That would be rather more difficult to fix, even for a medic of your obvious natural and ever-growing talent; the thought makes you giggle before you can help it, and you bite down on your bottom lip as a blush spreads across your nose and cheeks. You swallow the giddiness but can't help a smile, looking at Lee-san from under your eyelashes; he returns your smile with interest, the corners of his mouth all but meeting up behind his head.
There is a whisper of fabric shifting against fabric behind you, shocking your spine ramrod straight as you remember that Tsunade-shisho is here, watching you, grading you, appraising the little girl she agreed to take on as her student with the understanding that there would be no short-cuts, no nonsense- you clear your throat, maybe a little too loud, and launch into a lecture on rest and care and moderation. You're put out to see Lee-san's attention become distracted, just enough focus on you to be polite; you can look into his eyes and see where he will be when he leaves the hospital, leaves your care: He will be off training, maybe with Gai-sensei, maybe with his teammates, maybe- and just the thought makes your heart chill from the inside out- by himself, pushing himself well past the limits of, to be blunt, normal people, past his own insane limits in an effort to apologize to his sensei, to the village at large, for the weakness that you have seen here. By himself, off somewhere doing too much too soon, slowly undoing your careful work, Tsunade-shishoi's careful work, turning back all those months of healing wounds that by all accounts shouldn't have healed because he has to, just has to not matter what-
"Lee-san," you say, sounding just too short of breath, only realizing that you're touching him when his arm flexes beneath your hand, "please. I realize that you have a high threshold for damage- anyone who tries to argue that is a fool- but, please. I don't know what we'd do if we really lost you. I don't want to know. Please, take care."
Your entire bearing- posture, tone of voice, the way you're looking up at him even though you're standing over him- all of this is the sort of thing they teach in the kunoichi-exclusive classes, but you don't bother to congratulate yourself; it would be a lie. There is no trick in this. Somewhere along the way you've gotten yourself attached to a bunch of boys who are out to kill themselves or die trying; Naruto and Sasuke-kun have been spirited away from beneath your worried eye, but Lee-san is still here, and maybe you can still take care of him.
Tomato-red in the face and looking- for heaven's sake- as though he's about to burst into tears of gratitude, Lee-san nods once, twice, decisively.
"Sakura-san," he says, sounding choked with emotion. He clears his throat, takes a breath and starts again, "Sakura-san, your concern and your regard are truly an honor, and I will do my best to heed your instructions." He hops up off the exam table, standing tall and proud, one fist clenched and eyes ablaze. "In the meantime, I will make it my goal to ensure that you need not concern yourself with my safety in the future- I will become stronger!"
"Yes," Gai-sensei, who has been worryingly quiet up until now, you have to give him that, rises to the words, one hand gripping one of Lee-san's shoulders. "Yes, stronger, strong enough that the lovely Sakura-san will have no need to spend her precious chakra on healing such meager injuries! Now, my adorable student," and Gai-sensei's eyes flick your way and his teeth flash- that's not natural, you think, not for the first time, that just can't be natural- in the lighting as he says it, "it's the training grounds for us! For so selfishly taking Sakura-san and Tsunade-sama away from their work, we'll start by lapping Konoha five hundred times!"
"Yes, sensei," Lee-san agrees, trembling- honest to God trembling- at the prospect, eyes shining with admiration as he looks upon his sensei. "And in repentance for upsetting Sakura-san, I shall run an extra one hundred!"
"That's the ticket," Gai-sensei is positively swelling with the energy trapped between himself and Lee-san. "Those are the words of a man destined for greatness!"
"Gai-sensei," Lee-san cries, voice thick with his unshed tears.
"Lee," Gai-sensei responds, his pride a tangible thing, and you'll throttle them both with your bare hands if they start hugging, you really will, because this isn't what you had in mind at all, this is the antithesis of what you had in mind-
But they don't hug. Gai-sensei just drapes one beefy forearm across Lee-san's shoulders, clasping the one where his hand rests, and leads Lee-san out the door at a march. Tsunade-shisho watches them leave through the fingers of one hand pressed over her face. The silence is a dull roar in your ears; you shift your weight from foot to foot, bite your lower lip, look everywhere but at your master until, in your peripheral vision, you see her straighten up, shaking her head and sighing a sigh of the well and truly put upon. When she catches your eye you stand at attention, waiting.
"Rough around the edges," she says, "but you'll get there."
She leaves, and you take the hint to go back to your studies.
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Lee-san is back by evening. You don't even have to be told; it's written all over the nurse who Tsunade-shisho sent to get you, dripping from the words to puddle around your ankles. You just nod, not really listening. The nurse is maybe still talking when you walk past her to where she says that Tsunade-shisho is waiting, but you can't find it in you to care. Your muscles feel tight, as though your body is trying to hold you back, but you know you have to move quickly, you have to get to Lee-san before you think about it too much.
Three halls away and you can hear Tsunade-shisho; two halls and you can actually feel her words in the floor beneath your feet. Your steps are light by instinct, and the tone of her voice makes you wish that you were carrying a big stick. At the last corner separating her from you, you pause to take a steadying breath- which does you no good at all when you step out into the hall with your enraged master and the sheer volume hits you like a physical force, pushing you back a step.
The scene is about what you had been expecting: Gai-sensei stands at attention, head bowed, looking like a kid who broke something valuable and got caught trying to tape it back together; Tsunade-shisho, red in the face, looks to have doubled in size since you last saw her as she beats him verbally about the head. Just down the hall, Tenten-san is making a thorough study of the walls, floor, ceiling, pretending that she doesn't know Gai-sensei, let alone know what all the commotion is about; the sight of her is like a cold knife in your side- isn't she supposed to be one of the sensible ones?
"Even if you honestly don't give a damn about that boy, Gai, you could at least consider what sort of talent that you're spoiling for your own village!"
Gai-sensei looks up so fast that it's a wonder that he isn't on the floor howling about whiplash in the next second; Tenten-san freezes, staring wide-eyed at nothing in particular, lips parted in silent shock. Tsunade-shisho's fury itself seems to echo around the abruptly silent hall, and a burn in your lungs tells you that you've caught you breath somewhere in all of this and need to let it out soon.
"How dare you suggest-"
"Don't you talk back to me!"
And that's it, you have to get out of here, you've stood around too long. You hurry forward, flush but breathing again, and don't even have to open your mouth before Tsunade-shisho shoves a medical chart into your hands without taking her eyes off of Gai-sensei and jerks her towards the door to the very same room where you found Lee-san earlier today. Tenten-san, who has finally turned to stare at her sensei, face painted in the horror of realization that, yes, he is about to verbally challenge the Hokage, sweeps a critical look over you; in return you offer a smile that you can only hope is more encouraging than nervous and rush to get into Lee-san's room before anyone can see that your hands are shaking.
It feels uncannily like running away as you shut the door behind you and slump against it, even though this is where you're supposed to be. To your surprise- and relief- you can't hear Tsunade-shisho and Gai-sensei's argument- but you can feel it, an intrusive touch up and down and across your back, and that's what makes you finally stand up straight. An ear-shattering shriek of obscenity follows after you, but it's the sight of Lee-san laying still, so unnaturally still even for someone who knows the meaning of no, seriously, rest before you kill yourself, that has you across the room at Gai-sensei speed, heart leaping into your throat for a look at what's going on.
Lee-san blinks up at you, lips twitching in what you suppose is meant to have been a smile, and you slump, boneless, against the side table, one hand over where your heart is back to beating a jittering rhythm in your chest. You take a deep breath and run that same hand over your face, and regard Lee-san from the corner of one eye. Now that you're really looking- stupid, stupid, stupid, getting distracted- you see that he's been tied to the bed, and you almost comment that you wouldn't have expected that to hold him when you chance a second look at his restraints, and-
"Are- are those my-?"
There's no point in finishing the question, you know the answer before you look back at Lee-san's face, red and twisted in embarrassment and apology. Tsunade-shisho- at least it better have been Tsunade-shisho- has secured Lee-san with your clothing. That's just- You aren't even sure what that is, although you suppose it's sort of sweet, the way that Lee-san is being so careful not to move.
Only-
"Just what did you think I meant when I said that you should take it easy?"
He winces, gaze flinching away from you, but you won't forgive him so easily. When he parts his lips around some stupid excuse you open up and just let him have it, unable to keep in words you have no recollection of forming, and Lee-san just lays there and looks up at you with misery and shame pooling in his eyes. It's enough to make you falter, but not enough to make you stop-
"Just what the hell are you trying to do to me, anyway?" you demand, and you've got your mouth open for the next lash before you hear what you said and freeze, holding the rail of the bed in a white-knuckled grip and staring intently at the bed over Lee-san's shoulder.
What- "do to me"? That wasn't- well, you weren't really thinking about what you were saying but what you meant to say- you're sure what you meant to say was "yourself." What are you trying to do to yourself, anyway? not- But that little girl, perched on the railing and looking down at that broken body and not being able to do anything, being helpless, useless- you're not supposed to be that little girl anymore.
In your peripheral vision you can see that he's shocked, his expression not unlike the one he wore when you socked Naruto for insulting him in the Forest. You'd lay even money that he's taken aback by your language, though. At least until you finally meet his eyes and he turns a shade of red normally found in ripe cherries. You let out a breath you hadn't noticed you were holding and smile at him, humorless and bone-tired. He peers back out from under hooded eyelids.
"Naruto-kun will return to you," he says so softly that you aren't convinced that he means for you to hear it. "And if the two of you want Sasuke-kun back in this village, then Sasuke-kun will some day be back in this village."
The words make your stomach flutter and your face burn, and for a moment you have to look away. When you look back, he's smiling at you, teeth glinting even though he's cast in your shadow- and, really, that's just creepy- and you have to smile back.
"Now then," you say, professionalism fitting you like clothes that haven't been worn in as you pick up his chart from the table and cast an eye over it, "I see here that you worked yourself to exhaustion. Again."
"I- yes," he situates his gaze over your shoulder- not avoiding looking at you, you realize, really looking towards the door. "But-"
More cursing from outside, causing both of you to cringe.
"Sakura-san," he looks up at you imploringly, "please- it was not Gai-sensei's fault. I told him I was alright to finish training when he suggested that we rest. I tried to explain to Tsunade-sama when I regained consciousness, but she was not keen to listen to what I had to say. And then, well..."
He casts a look down his body, at your clothes holding him down to the bed, and then meets your eyes again with a kicked-puppy expression.
An almost-real smile tugs at your lips.
"Yes, I, ah, appreciate- ahum- Thank you for, er, handling my clothing with such- care-" You cut yourself off with a rather manic giggle, because honestly, how can you be expected to take this with a straight face? You catch Lee-san's eye, and you just sort of grin at each other before you're both trying to swallow all manner of snickers and snorts and, yes, more giggles because- well, honestly!
"L-Lee-san," you manage, trying and failing to sober up, "if I- if I un-untie you-"
He understands your meaning- which is good, because you can't get a sentence out- and nods. He's biting his lip and shaking with the laughter still bidding for freedom, but he's serious, you can tell. It takes longer to untie him than it should, fingers clumsy with the ridiculous inherent in the situation, but soon enough he's rubbing at his wrist where a zipper was digging into it, and you're standing with your arms full of clothing that you last saw folded neatly in you dresser drawers.
"You're being kept overnight for observation, and to make sure you get some rest, but you should be good to go tomorrow afternoon," you recite from the notes on his chart, even though he must know the drill by now. "Lee-san-" and the bubbles in your chest suddenly turn solid and cold, "really, please- you've been going on milk runs for a reason, you know? And I have to be honest, if you keep up self-destructive behavior like this..."
You let the sentence hang there; you both know that there's a word for a shinobi who can't be trusted to keep himself alive: Unemployed.
Things are quiet for a moment, until-
"You dare to use such language against your Hokage?"
"Hell, yeah, I do!"
A panicked look passes from Lee-san to you and then back again; you jerk one thumb over your shoulder, mutter, "I should maybe-" and spin on your heel to go. Just before you open the door, you turn back and half-order-half-plead, "Take care of yourself, Lee-san."
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Ino isn't exactly happy when you turn up at her bedroom window ("Mmrph nughnnf guhg baah- beauty sleep!") and ask her to let you in the shop ("Come on, Ino-pig, I know what I want, and I've got cash!"), but you're content to know that Lee-san will wake up to a sunny-yellow daffodil and a note explaining that Gai-sensei hasn't been locked up, just banned from- well, from wherever Tsunade-shisho is, until further notice.
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The first time you open up a crater with your fist, three weeks later, you surprise yourself with the thought, I've got to show Naruto! When you remember that you can't, remember why you can't, your stomach sinks into your shoes and you feel as tired as you did that first day climbing trees hands-free.
It's funny, don't really know when you stopped thinking of Naruto as an annoyance and started thinking of him as a friend, but you think it may have happened independently of realizing you would die to protect him. Still, this punched-in-the-gut feeling is a new one. Usually you run to show Ino-pig what you've learned (and if you sooth yourself to sleep on restless nights by listing all the things you can do now, all the ways you're going to help Naruto bring Sasuke-kun back, under your breath- well, that's no one's business anyway). Of course that's mostly medical ninjutsu, and she's learning a bit of that herself, whereas this- this would make Naruto so jealous, but he would congratulate you anyway, loudly.
What would Sasuke-kun think..?
You shake your head as if trying to dislodge the blush you feel creeping over your cheeks, and fight down the feeling of nausea churning in your gut. There's no time for this now. What would Tsunade-shisho think if she caught you- oh, oh, she would be pissed.
Tensed for battle, whipping your head from side to side, you search for any sign of your master- but she isn't here. You sag in relief even as your good mood falls further. Tsuande-shisho has been letting her paperwork pile up, so she left you here for the afternoon and went back to the office with Shizune-san, promising to return to check on your progress once she'd made enough of a dent in her inbox. That was two hours ago.
You're still trying to decide whether or not it would be a good idea to go to her- not to brag or anything, you know this is a small fish for her, you just think she would maybe have some specific instructions for you since this is a pretty big step in your training- when you feel the ground vibrate beneath your feet, and glance up to watch Gai-sensei and Lee-san go by their afternoon run.
"Good morning, Sakura-san!" Lee-san calls as they pass, and you lift one hand in a wave.
It's as much a surprise to you as it must be to either Gai-sensei or Lee-san when you suddenly cry out, "Lee-san, wait!"
Lee-san grinds to a halt, sliding almost a meter along the dry ground and stirring up dirt like the tail of a comet behind him, and returns to you at a jog. Gai-sensei, having come to a much more dignified stop, runs in place and watches curiously. And you- well, you just stand there and quietly panic.
"Is there some way I can assist you, Sakura-san?" Lee-san asks, eyes and smile bright.
"Oh, well, it's just..." you shoot a glance over his shoulder to Gai-sensei, face burning. Gai-sensei catches your eye, actually stands still for a moment, expression speculative; then he offers a sly, face-splitting grin, the light reflecting off his teeth- and that just isn't right, he has his back to the sun- nearly blinding you.
"Lee! I'll lend you to Sakura-san for now, but it will be your own responsibility to catch up with me, you understand?"
"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee-san salutes as Gai-sensei turns and leaves at a run.
Just you and Lee-san now, and he's smiling expectantly.
"Um, Lee-san, I- could I maybe... show you something?" You're blushing and mumbling, scuffing at the ground with your toe like a shy child, but you can't find it in you to be embarrassed by your behavior. This is Lee-san standing here watching you, after all.
"What is it?" he asks, head cocked like a curious puppy. His eyes go wide and his smile goes wider and he actually bounces on the balls of his feet as he asks, "Oh, is it a technique, a new medical jutsu? I am afraid I do not have any injuries for you to demonstrate on, though..."
"I- no, it- well, yes, it's a new technique, but it isn't a medical jutsu. It's just that," you pause to take a breath, feeling silly, "Tsunade-shisho had work to tend to and wasn't here to see me when I first mastered it, and..."
When you sneak a peek up at Lee-san's face, he looks understanding and interested, and your face heats and your stomach twists for an entirely different- though not entirely unfamiliar- reason.
"So, ah... here I go," you say lamely, hiding a grimace by turning your back to walk closer to the center of the training field. "I've only just managed this and it's not completely under control, so please stand back."
You can see him nod out of the corner of your eye, and you almost laugh as it seems to run through his whole body, and you do blush harder as he stands there vibrating like a tuning fork, his eyes wide and intent and locked on you. You toss him a quirky grin that has maybe more than a little of Naruto's influence and concentrate on gathering chakra into your right hand.
Deep breath in, fist clenched tight; let it out, arm pulled back and ready; deep breath in, aim focused on the dry, cracked grounds; let it out in a war cry, let it all go.
Over the crunch and grumble of dirt and rock splitting apart, opening up beneath a hand that healed a child's bloodied knee not two days ago, you hear Lee-san's startled yell. You smile as you brace yourself against the backlash of your chakra flow correcting itself, forcing yourself not to panic at the feeling of immobility as the ground breaks away beneath your feet. Fighting against old-woman joints, you straighten up to see Lee-san's reaction for yourself- last week you saw him trip over himself and his sensei trying to express his pride in Tenten-san's newly-perfected weapons technique, only held back from engulfing her in what would no doubt have been a bone-crushing hug by the kunai she was clutching for dear life- and get caught unawares by a wave of vertigo.
In retrospect you maybe should have taken your low stamina into more thorough consideration before showing off.
You fall gracelessly, but into warm, strong arms instead of unforgiving rubble. Lee-san is saying something, but he's too quiet, not properly enunciated; it hurts your head to try to focus on his words, so instead you focus on his arms around you, the way they tighten as his voice hits a new pitch. It's a little embarrassing, really, especially considering that you're right out in the open, but you can't help being pleased that his pride in your accomplishment would so effectively kill whatever passes as his self-control.
You're tired, so tired, and you slip into pleasant unconsciousness as he lifts you up off the ground.
.
The first time you wake up, Tsunade-shisho is there to welcome you back to the land of the living with a scathing diatribe that makes you realize that the little fit she threw at Gai-sensei those few weeks ago? Was the tip of an iceberg. Or the smoking mouth of a volcano. Whatever. Your head aches too badly for you to worry it about lining up a proper metaphor. In the end, all you really get out of the rant is that you're an idiot, lucky not to be dropped from Tsunade-shisho's tutelage and confined to the hospital bed you woke up in until tomorrow morning.
The second time you wake up, Ino is just coming with a basket of fruit. She takes a seat next to your bed and makes a few snide remarks. You still feel woozy and a headache is pulsing behind your eyes, but you sit up and snark back at her. Insults fly between you like a ball in a game of catch, getting louder and more personal at each pass. The, ah, conversation devolves into a generic name-calling competition before a nurse pokes her head in to tell you to take it easy or she'll send for Tsunade-shisho. Once she's gone, you meet Ino's eyes and you both giggle behind your hands. She wishes you well and leaves you to your rest.
The third time you wake up it's dark and you're alone. There's a sunny-yellow daffodil on the table at your bedside; just enough light filters through the window for you to make out the words on the accompanying note: "Take care of yourself, Sakura-san."
.
Praise appreciated, concrit treasured, flames raspberried.