I've tried so hard my dear to show
That you're my every dream
Yet you're afraid each thing I do
Is just some evil scheme

Lee sank down onto the tree branch with a sorrowful sigh. He barely blinked as Tenten suddenly appeared beside him. His teammate gave him a nod in greeting.

"Sakura reject you again, Lee?" The young man's head drooped in response.

"You really should try someone else Lee," she chided him.

"I know," he softly replied. He winced as Tenten squeezed his hand. Cursing herself, his friend quickly removed her own hand.

"I'm sorry! I forgot that was the hand you hurt." Lee smiled at her, showing no harm was done. He glanced at his appendage, as it was beginning to throb.

"You hurt it helping Sakura again didn't you?" Lee nodded. Tenten suddenly became greatly agitated.

"I can't believe that girl sometimes! You keep saving her life and still she refuses to go on one date with you! It's not like you still idolize Gai-sensi and wear that ridiculous jumpsuit anymore!" Lee smirked at the young woman's outburst. It was true. At the age of twenty-one, Lee was quite a good looking young man. He no longer sported the green jumpsuit or bowl cut that his former sensei used to wear during the years he was alive. Instead, his hair had gotten a bit shaggy and finally, after years of persuasion, let Tenten shrink his eyebrows dramatically with tweezers. (a/n: thank goodness!) To him, the experience was a painful nightmare, but that is another story.

"She's still in love with someone else I guess," Lee murmured.

A memory from your lonesome past
Keeps us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart

Tenten frowned as she threw a comforting arm around her friend. She knew that Sakura still felt immense guilt over Sasuke. It had surprisingly been she who had finally killed him. While he and Naruto fought, neither paid attention to the young medic. She was easily able to slip behind Sasuke and injected a poisoned kunai through his shoulder blades. The poison had worked rapidly and in mere minutes the traitor had died. Sakura had never been quite the same since then. Tenten felt sympathy towards Sakura, but she thought that the younger woman should begin to move on. Getting over things was part of the life cycle; she was holding it up.

"You would be traumatized too, wouldn't you? If, for example, you had to kill Neji?" Lee asked. Tenten smiled wryly at him.

"Lee, you know how I am about those things. You have to get-over-it. And she needs to get over Sasuke. Yes, Sasuke hurt her, but she wasn't the only one that was hurt. Naruto was hurt and he's already well on his way to having a family! Kakashi was hurt and he…well-he's bought at least ten more books…and briefly dated someone! They've moved on. She hasn't."

Another love before my time
Made your heart sad an' blue
And so my heart is paying now
For things I didn't do

"Did she give you the old 'just friends' excuse again?"

"No. We fought today," Lee blatantly informed her. Tenten gave him a look of surprise.

"Why? About what?" Lee rested his head against the tree and exhaled loudly.

"About things. I insulted her too. I said she probably would rather be Sasuke's whore - and I think I broke her door," Lee admitted, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh…wow. Have you apologized yet?"

"No, I don't really want to." Tenten was very surprised now.

"You don't even want to patch things up?"

"If patching things up would include kissing and making up, then I would love to. However, when I go to 'patch things up' I'll just be back to being Lee her friend."

"Ah, but you want to be Lee her boyfriend."

In anger unkind words are said
That make the teardrops start
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart

Sakura was lying on her couch when she heard a knock on her cracked door. She rubbed her red eyes, unwilling to take the few steps from her couch to the door.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice called. She grimaced as she recognized it. She felt to embarrassed to face the man, so she pretended to be out.

"Sakura!" The voice called again. "I know you're there! I just came by to… apologize. I'm sorry about your door. I'll stop by to fix it tomorrow. I'm sorry…about what I said." Sakura felt tears brimming in her eyes as the she heard his receding footsteps. It reminded her of a scene that had taken place years ago. The night Sasuke left.

There was a time when I believed
That you belonged to me
But now I know your heart is shackled
To a memory

Lee trudged away from Sakura's door, his hands in his pockets. His shoulders were slouching forward in a dejected manner. He scowled as Sasuke's insolent, smirking face flashed in front of his eyes. Another face suddenly appeared, causing Lee to frown and his heart to ache. The face was beautiful. Aqua eyes twinkling and sweet pink lips parting to reveal a gorgeous smile. Lee realized that Sakura never smiled like that anymore. He sat on the ground and cradled his head in his hands.

"How do I compete with a dead guy?" He asked no one in particular.

The more I learn to care for you
The more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold cold heart