Author's note: set on the morning that Tsunade sends the five guys to retrieve Sasuke (anime episode 118-119ish, somewhere around there.). This happens to be the morning of the same day that Lee is scheduled to have the operation to fix his injuries from the Gaara fight.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Hard Work Genius for getting me back to the clipboard. It was her last review that motivated me to get a move on and turn some of the ideas I had into a story.

As always, R & R is greatly appreciated, no matter how small or flame-like the comment is.

He'd spent the morning wandering the village he called home, as if seeing its simple beauty for the first time. Even with the lingering damage from the attack during the Chuunin exam Konoha was still a place that spoke of life. When Lee had started walking that morning, after he and Sakura had seen off the team leaving to retrieve Sasuke, and after the weeping Sakura had run from the gates, it had been aimlessly, wishing that he had the mobility to run after her. He had been hoping to encounter Sakura again if he walked long enough, and at least do what he could to comfort her.

The other reason for the walk had become apparent once he'd been at it for half an hour. He was nervous; his operation was scheduled for noon of that day, and if anything went wrong then this would be the last time he'd see Konoha. That thought had prompted him to commit the entire village to memory.

As he walked further he'd realized just what a peaceful, yet vital place Konoha really was; homes that had stood for generations, the bustling market, children playing ninja. And he'd managed on his walk to borrow some of that peace for himself. The operation would succeed, just as his sensei said it. Though a slight sense of trepidation remained in the back of his mind.

Now nearing the time for the operation, Lee was walking to the hospital when he heard a voice behind him.

"Lee-san."

A smile split his face as he turned, recognizing the voice.

"Sakura-san."

Sakura stood near the corner of the side street she'd come from, looking very much like she was lost. Lee's grin faded as he took in the red rims around her lovely green eyes and the tear marks down her cheeks. She looked like she had spent the entire morning crying her eyes out.

"Are-are you okay?" he asked, feeling stupid even as he said the words. Of course she's not okay, he thought, but I have no idea how to make her feel better. The only one who can do that is Uchiha.

Sakura didn't answer the question directly.

"Can I walk with you awhile?"

"Of course."

Sakura took a place by Lee's side and the pair started walking in the general direction of the hospital.

"I got sick of moping around at home and figured a walk might help. Are you going anywhere in particular?"

"The hospital. We can take the long way though."

"I don't want you to be late—"

"I want to spend time with you, Sakura-san. Don't worry about it."

They walked on in silence for a moment before Sakura asked, "So… what have you done with your morning? It has to be more interesting than mine."

"I was going to spend it training, but after what happened at the gate decided to walk around the village."

"Why?"

"At first I was looking for someone, but then I got to enjoy the walk. I hadn't realized what a beautiful place Konoha is."

Though not as beautiful as you, Lee almost said, but bit his tongue. Sakura hadn't liked it when he had been that straightforward before the Chuunin exam.

"It's just wood and glass," Sakura replied, "There's been too many bad things happen here for it to be beautiful."

Like what happened to the Third, and Sasuke, Sakura thought, and what happened to you too, Lee-san. How can you call this place beautiful when you're in so much pain?

"I mean look around," she continued, a slight tremor entering her voice, "There's broken windows, broken walls, broken families… how can Konoha be beautiful?"

"It's not the wood and glass that make Konoha beautiful," Lee responded, "It's the people still living here despite all those broken things. Konoha makes beautiful people."

He looked meaningfully at Sakura when he continued, "Some of the people it makes are more than beautiful."

At that statement Sakura glanced quickly over at Lee and away again, a small blush creeping across her tear-stained cheeks. Inwardly Lee was ecstatic. I did it! I gave Sakura a compliment without her getting mad at me!

It was another moment before either spoke again.

"Still… you're going to make your leg worse by walking on it so much."

Lee smiled in response, though it was not his normal sparkling grin.

"Once I get to the hospital today I won't have to worry about my leg anymore. Tsunade-sama is fixing my injuries today."

"Nani? That's great news! Why didn't you tell me?"

"The only people who know are Tsunade-sama and Gai-sensei. I didn't want anyone else to worry."

It was then that Sakura picked up on Lee's lack of his normal explosive enthusiasm.

"Worry? What is there to worry about?"

Lee sighed. He had hoped not to tell anyone the odds until after the surgery had been successful. At the same time, he refused to lie to Sakura.

"I'm going in for an operation that has a 58 percent chance of succeeding."

"Oh, um… do the odds improve for the second attempt if the first one fails?"

They had reached the hospital, but Lee stopped at the gate. Even though he really did not want to answer, it felt wrong to dodge the question on the off-chance that he never got to see her again.

"There won't be a second attempt. If it fails I'll die."

Seeing a suddenly stricken look come over Sakura's face, Lee continued hurriedly, "But it's going to succeed, I know it will—"

He stopped talking and stiffened with surprise when Sakura pulled him into a tight embrace. The girl was shaking, and he could already feel a wet spot forming on his shoulder where her chin was resting.

"Why did all this have to happen?" she sobbed. Lee gently put his arms around her, his crutch falling to the ground unnoticed as Sakura continued "Why do bad things happen to people I care about? Why did Sasuke have to be marked by Orochimaru? Why did he have to leave? Why? Why?"

She sniffled before finishing, "Why do you have to go through all this pain?"

The words why am I the only one who has to go through this? flashed through Lee's head as he remembered the day before when, in much the same state that Sakura was in now, he had appealed to his sensei for the same answer.

"I asked Gai-sensei the same thing yesterday," he told her, unable to hold back a few sympathy tears of his own. It was painful to see Sakura like this, to feel her shaking like a twig in a gale and not be able to do anything about it. He unconsciously held her a little tighter as he continued, "He didn't answer directly, but as we kept talking I realized that some things just are. They happen."

He swallowed to get rid of the lump forming in his throat before continuing, "But we don't have to let them happen without doing anything about it. We can work to change bad things, and if we work hard enough we can overcome them. With enough hard work anything can get better. That's why I know this operation will succeed."

"How can you be so sure? Only 58 percent…"

Sakura's hug tightened to the point where the pressure made the sore spots in Lee's half-healed back twinge, but he paid no attention to the pain. If holding him that hard made Sakura feel even the slightest bit better then he'd let her break his back rather than push her away.

"I don't want you to die," he heard her voice murmur from somewhere near his ear, "You've been a good friend… Lee-kun."

Lee felt a swell of joy at Sakura's words.

"Then it's impossible for me to die," he replied, now sounding wholly confident. Sakura pulled back to look Lee in the face in surprise while he continued, "Because if I die then I can't be that good friend to make you smile again, and—whoa!"

Lee had discovered his crutch to be missing and stumbled. He caught hold of the gate with one hand as Sakura grabbed him again to stop him from falling.

"—and I want to see you smile again," he chattered on totally unfazed as Sakura retrieved his crutch. "Arigato. Do you have a dream?"

Sakura was stunned by the abrupt change of topic, but replied, "I thought I did, but now…"

She looked down briefly.

"…not like Naruto's or Sasuke's, or yours. Why?"

"You'll be happier if you have a dream to work towards. The moment you have a dream to fulfill just tell me and—"

Lee moved into the 'nice guy' pose and gave Sakura his trademark grin.

"I will help you achieve your dream, no matter what it is!"

Even if it's to be with Sasuke. If that makes you happy then I'll help find him. I love you too much to keep you from him if he makes you happy. Even though he doesn't deserve an angel like you.

"Lee-kun, I… thank you. Oh, there's a nurse looking for you."

Lee half-turned and saw a nurse watching him from the hospital door.

"Then I'd better go before I'm late. Thank you for walking with me… Sakura-chan. Especially to here."

"Good luck."

Lee turned and took a step, then turned back to face Sakura.

"Sakura-chan, I love you. I don't expect anything from you, but I'm willing to do anything to see you happy again. Even try to make Sasuke-san love you."

Sakura stood there open-mouthed as Lee walked to the hospital door. As he was about to enter he glanced over his shoulder and saw Sakura still standing at the gate, watching him. He gave her a beaming grin, and was gratified to receive a small smile in return. All his previous trepidation was gone, in its place the memory of Sakura's arms around him.

I'm going to come through this operation, and them I'm helping to get Sasuke back. Just to see you smile, Sakura.