On the other side of the plaza, Tekka looked mad enough to chew iron and spit out kunai. His ultimate attack had failed. How? How had the boy gotten so fast?

Tekka started to stand, but stumbled. His own chakra reserves were spent, he barely had the energy to stand. No matter. He'd end this fight here and now.

"I'm not yet defeated!" he announced, palming three shuriken in one hand... and letting his other drift behind his back as he made his way forward.

Lee stood. On shaky legs, but he stood. "I will not permit this to continue," he stated quietly.

"Then die, you freak...!"

"Konoha Shoufuu!"

Tekka hurled his shuriken with his off hand, and Lee countered with his whirlwind kick, knocking them harmlessly aside. However, this momentary lapse in focus on his enemy was all Tekka needed to throw the contents of his other hand at Lee. Now that he was much closer, Le had no way to dodge or counter as a small glass vial came hurtling towards him. It shattered on impact, since it was designed to do so, and instantly the green-clad boy was splattered with a filthy crimson liquid. He staggered, landing awkwardly as Tekka stepped back.

"Aaagh...!"

Tekka just laughed, even as Lee doubled over in pain. "Imbecile boy," he sneered. "Do you really think I'd be so easy to defeat? That's was a concentrated form of the Crimson Plague in that vial. You'll be lucky if you last an hour." Circling his wounded opponent like a shark eyeing a tasty morsel, Tekka continued to torment Lee with his words. "So let's see," he said, counting on his fingers. "You failed to defeat me. You failed to protect this village. You even failed to protect your little girlfriend." Without a word Tekka slammed his foot down hard on Lee's leg, and the resounding crack left little doubt that he'd broken a bone from his vicious attack. Lee cried out in pain.

"Oh don't worry," he continued, speaking as much to himself as to Rock Lee, who was writhing in double agony on the ground. Already red lesions were breaking out along his skin. "I'll take good care of her. Show her what a real man is capable of. As for you, you insufferable loser, you can just-..."

Tap. Tap.

Tekka frowned. Someone was tapping his shoulder.

Confused, thinking perhaps it was Kuroia, Tekka turned back around...

... just in time to see a small but powerful fist coming right towards his face.

"You... BASTARD!!"

Though a woman with very delicate, soft hands, Sakura's fist struck with the force of a meteor, shattering Tekka's nose and cracking his jaw, rendering his face nothing less than a bloody mess. Her follow through sent him flying through the air as if he'd been hurled from a catapult, and he went soaring off into the distance. He'd likely come crashing down on the edge of the Fire Country/Earth Country border. And he'd be missing at least half of his teeth. If he was lucky.

"SHANNARO!"


Her fist still aching from that punch to Tekka's face, Sakura none-the-less managed to ignore her pain and turn to more immediate concerns. That being Rock Lee, who lay on the ground, his skin already starting to break out into crimson lesions.

"Sa-sakura-san," he croaked out weakly, reaching up with a hand.

Heedless of the danger, she took his bare hand in hers, squeezing it, knowing full well she was risking infection herself. "Lee, no... hold on... I'll find a cure... I swear I'll find a cure... you are not dying on me, damnit!" She blinked away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Sakura!"

"SAI!" she all but screamed, bringing the pale boy over to her side in an instant. "We have to get him inside, now! He's been infected. Tekka was...!"

The story poured out of her lips as Sai and Sakura tried to transported the now-delirious Lee into the infirmary, but didn't get far before he started thrashing in pain, and his leg wound did not make things much easier. Not wishing to do further damage, they lay him down outside, under the shade of the overhang, so Sakura could do her best to try and treat him. She barked orders for Sai to grab some medical equipment from inside, and then tried her best to seal Lee's tenketsu. Alas, his thrashings made it impossible to aim properly, and her tears blinded her.

"Sa-sakura..."

"Save it," she spat out angrily, all but grabbing one of the vials Sai had placed in her hand and angrily tipping the concoction down Lee's throat. It would slow the virus down but it wouldn't stop it. At least, she hoped it would. It had worked well against the regular plague, but how would this undiluted version fare?

Lee's hand gently reached up again, trembling, his fingertips coming to rest on Sakura's shoulder.

"If... if I have to die..." he coughed weakly. "I..."

"Don't say that!" she swore angrily.

"I... have..." Cough. "... have to tell you..." he stated, his eyes unnaturally clear and lucid. "Sakura..."

Choking back a sob, she nodded, almost wishing she had long pink locks again, if only to hide her face. But she couldn't deny Rock Lee this. Not after all he'd done for her. All he'd risked for her. He'd defended her life on countless occasions, and she's always rewarded his services by running off after her precious 'Sasuke-kun,' leaving him behind. By all rights he should've given up on her ages ago, found someone who could return his feelings, like TenTen... but he didn't. He stayed.

Like Naruto, Rock Lee never backed down from anything he'd set his sights on. Even love. Especially love.

Sai, sensing somehow this was a private moment, slipped back into the infirmary to try and find some more of the supplies Sakura had wanted him to locate. Giving them what could be their final moment together. And then there was that other matter to look into...

"Sakura, I... I just want you to know... that I... that I..."

And she held his hand, and listened.


When Sai had returned to the infirmary, he could tell something was out of place instantly. Once inside, he was surprised to find it empty. But not filled with corpses, as he'd half-expected. Completely empty. Someone had gotten all of the sick out in time to save them from the Rock attack. And it did not take Sai long to conjure up an idea of exactly who had been able to move so many people in such a short amount of time.

Conjuring one of his ink snakes, he'd sent it to track Uzumaki's scent as he grabbed the equipment Sakura had needed. When he'd sensed a private moment outside, he'd given them their space (as much for his sake as theirs, since he had no idea how to react to such a very emotional scene) and turned back in time for his ink snake to return, bidding him follow with a tilt of its head.

Sai sped along the ground now, and sprang up and over the spiked walls of the Takaki village, speeding southward. Indeed, had he known it, he was heading right back to the grove where Naruto had been discovered by Lee. And it was there, still wrapped in their blankets, he found all of the infected, as well as one uninfected, highly confused, blonde shinobi.

"Sai! Sai over here!" called out Naruto, waving his arm. "I don't know what happened, I fell asleep yesterday and woke up here and... and what happened? Why is everyone whose sick outside of Takaki? Isn't this dangerous?" he asked.

Typical Naruto, Sai noted, a faint smile on his face (which only confused Naruto more). He'd saved the day, and hadn't even a clue how he'd done it.


Blink.

"I... feel... fine...?"

Sakura's eyes opened wide in confusion, and she reached up a hand, rubbing away her tears with the back of her palm. "What?"

"... I..." Cough. "I feel fine?"

Rock Lee's skin had been all but soaked by an accelerated, undiluted form of the crimson plague. His whole body had broken out into red lesions in mere minutes after being infected. But now, as Sakura watched, unable to believe her eyes, his skin was quickly regaining its healthy, regular color. The lesions were receding almost as rapidly as they had appeared. Rock Lee's coughs had started to fade, and he could breath more easily again. In moments, they were gone as well. Sakura lightly slapped a hand to Lee's forehead as he sat up, checking his temperature. He was a little flushed, but nothing that a good night's sleep wouldn't cure.

Jade eyes met midnight orbs, as they stared at one another in equal amounts shock and amazement.

"But... how?"

And that was about all he could manage to get out before he suddenly found himself engulfed in the arms of Sakura, who was weeping uncontrollably now, tears literally pouring down her cheeks as she clung to Lee like a lifeline. And considering her strength, she came dangerously close to putting him back into critical condition. And Lee just held her, doing his best to comfort her and assure her that yes, he was going to be alright.

After a few moments, Sakura finally managed to snap herself out of it, dried her tears, and put on her professional face, bringing her hands together and forming a seal, then tapping two fingers to Lee's forehead. "Chakra probing may provide an answer," she explained, her fingertips growing green.

Lee, puzzled, tried to follow her hand, almost crossing his eyes to see it on his own forehead. "Perhaps it was a fake?" he theorized aloud. "To scare us?"

She shook her head. "Tekka wouldn't be that stupid..." she started to reply, then got cut off with a soft gasp. Slowly, she removed her hand from his forehead.

"What? What is it?"

"It's... it's you..." she stated, which only puzzled Lee even more. "Oh Kami-sama, Tekka is that stupid!"

"Huh?"

Once again Lee was hauled up and into Sakura's embrace, who hugged her fuzzy-browed hero shamelessly. "This is it!" she cried. "This is the answer we've been looking for! It's the cure, Lee!"

Only vaguely accustomed to being shaken about by a screaming female teammate (working alongside Tenten tended to do that to anyone) Rock Lee shook his head and took a moment to gather his thoughts, unable to comprehend what his pink-haired angel was talking about. Dimly, he repeated "huh?"

"It's the cure! It's you!"


Rock Lee was unique in the shinobi world, having been born without the ability to properly mold chakra with handseals. Even with the most intense of training, the most powerful drive to succeed, he simply could never master ninjutsu or genjutsu. No matter how often he practiced, no effect would come when he made the necessary handseals. Nor did it seem likely such would ever occur, though he had long since given up trying to focus on his new path. None of his teachers at the Academy could explain it, nor could his family.

When Tsunade had become the Fifth Hokage, she'd had a lot of work ahead of her, but due to the promptings of Gai and Sakura, she'd taken a pointed interest in the progress of Rock Lee, particularly after she managed to heal him from his post-Gaara duel wounds. Sometime shortly afterwards, she'd conducted a small study of her own on his blood samples. She might not have been a brilliant gene splicer and chakra manipulater like her fellow Sannin Orochimaru, but her understanding of the human body was near unparalleled in the shinobi world.

She'd discovered, what she confided to Sakura, something amazing.

"It was a reverse bloodline limit," Sakura stated, midway through her story as she spoke to Lee. Sai and Naruto were bringing back the patients now as she prepared the cure for them. She couldn't be terribly gently as she pushed a needle into Lee's arm to extract his blood, time was off the essence, but he was tough, and she was a delicate as she could be given her haste.

"Most bloodline limits you're familiar with," she stated, shaking the vial with the precious crimson fluid inside. Lee's blood. "Like the Byakuyan or the... well you know. But they usually imbue shinobi with jutsu that only they can master. And you were born this way, unable to mold chakra. It's inherent right down to your DNA," she stated, tapping her fingers to the vial. An emerald glow engulfed her fingers as she performed a healing jutsu.

"But that's exactly why you're immune to the disease," she stated with a smile.

Lee caught on quickly. "Because of my blood?"

"Exactly," she murmured, giving the vial a shake to swirl its contents, which were now a diluted purple in color. "The disease... the crimson plague... was made by ninja. Made to attack ninja. Our chakra systems. But your unique bloodline makes you immune to it, because you cannot mold chakra. Not like normal ninja do, at least," she added, fitting the vial into an injector.

"So I am immune... and you hope to find what is in my blood to make me immune... and make more for everyone?" asked Lee.

"Oh, not hope to..." she replied with a wink. "Have!" she declared, holding up the injector triumphantly.


Unfortunately, given limited resources (read, one green spandex-clad boy) it took Sakura nearly a full day to completely synthesize and administer the cure to everyone in Takaki who was infected, working well into the night with the aid of Sai and Naruto to distribute it to the remainder of the town. Lee had, naturally, tried to help as well, but Sakura had outright forbade it, and threatened to tie him down to a bed if he did anything more strenuous than eat and rest. Especially given that he had a broken leg that needed healing. However, his aid was not necessary. Not after Naruto had been given instructions and performed his legendary 'Kage Bunshin Jutsu.'

As for Naruto himself, the reason for his miraculous recovery also puzzled Sakura, and some light chakra probing revealed close to nothing... simply a barrier created by the seal on his stomach. But that was enough for her to theorize his recovery was influenced by the ever-present Kyuubi. The Nine-Tails must have awoken within him, commandeered his body while he was unconscious, and between their merged intellects managed to defeat Jankyu (later found mauled to death under one of the cots) and transport the ill to what he/they believed was a safe location.

Finally, in the dark hours of the next morning, Sakura managed to rest, and she lay on the only remaining cot in the infirmary (the rest having been moved out) with Lee watching over her nearby, and Sai and Naruto too once they returned. She had never felt more safe. And they had never felt more proud of her.


In the end, Takaki was saved, though the cost was high. Not even had been able to receive the cure in time. And as was necessary, t heir bodies had to be burned to prevent the spread of infection. A pyre was already blazing by the time Sakura awoke the next day. She dreaded the thought of having to tell the families their loved ones would not be returning. But to her vast astonishment, she saw no bitterness, no hatred, and no anger.

One little girl, whose mother had died in the plague, had summoned exactly how they felt as she gave Sakura a much-needed hug. "My mom may be gone... and I'm sad... but I still have my dad and my big bro back. You saved us. So... thank you, Sakura-sama."

They'd all been like that. And not just with her. Lee, Sai and Naruto had also gained many thanks for their defense during the invasion. If not for their actions, more than a few people wouldn't have had a chance to die by the plague, they'd've been killed by shinobi weapons instead. Some of the villager Elders, who been temporarily placed in charge of the town in the absence of Lord Tekka (or whomever he had really been) had been trying to persuade the team to stay on as their permanent guardians and the town's medic-nin. To a one, they politely declined. Konoha was their home. And they had important things to do yet.

So it was that their makeshift team met by the eastern gates, which they'd entered less than a week ago, preparing to depart. The guards bowed low as they passed through, treating them like royalty.

Out in front, setting the pace, was the blonde, spiky-haired Uzumaki Naruto, who looked none-the-worse for wear after his near-death and possession by both plague and Kyuubi. Behind him, at a slightly slower but no less determined pace was the bushy-eyebrows and bowl cut of Rock Lee, who limped along on a crutch, his broken leg still healing. At his side was the pink-haired Sakura, ready to offer support, but at the same time, respecting Lee's attempts to make it on his own strength. And behind them all, no sporting a genuine smile on his pale features, Sai.

"Well, that's a wrap up to another great mission," summarized Naruto.


By the team got back to Konoha and reported in two days later, Tsunade had already gotten their message and was responding accordingly, dispatching fresh teams to protect the border town, as well as sending more than a few 'polite' requests to the Hidden Rock Village to re-consider any further attempts of a similar nature. Though the Leaf and Rock could not go to war given their current status, no one imagined Rock would be able to get away with this. Tsunade would most definitely make them pay one way or another. Especially since they had two captives, Hebi Kuroia and Yurasu Nadare, in custody in the Takaki dungeons.

"Well, you certainly did a good job," she summarized, placing the written report Sakura had prepared on the desk before her. "And only a little the worse for wear, it seems," she remarked, her brown orbs resting on Lee's broken leg. Still, if that was the worst he did, maybe he's finally learning some self-restraint, she mused. "Naruto, Sai. You're released. Go train or whatever it is you do on your downtime." Naruto didn't need to be told twice, bidding a farewell to his teammates to hurry and find his tutors so he could get back to his training. He needed to get stronger as quickly as possible. Sai also slipped out quietly.

Leaving Lee and Sakura. Tsunade frowned faintly, steepling her fingers as she regarded the two quietly. "Unfortunately, Lee, I am going to have to take you off active duty for a few days while we let your leg heal. And have a medic-nin assigned to you to make certain you do nothing more strenuous than light stretches."

Rock Lee started to protest that he was fine, and that he needed no one to babysit him, but Tsunade silenced him with a single look. Great, he decided. A week or more of being coddled...

And then she permitted herself a small smirk. "Haruno Sakura," she barked not unkindly, letting the pink-haired girl snap to attention. "Since Lee's injury occurred while he was in your charge, you will monitor him until the wound is healed. Day and night, if necessary. Understood?"

Sakura tossed off a salute. "Hai!"

... okay, maybe he could stand a little coddling, Rock Lee mused with a grin plastered over his face.


Author's Notes:

But wait, there's more...!