A/n – My first Naruto fic! Heheh this started when a friend of mine asked me what "coming undone" means, and one thing led to another… Please review, and tell me how I can improve, thank you! ^__^
To Come Undone
Sakura sat at Lee's bedside. There was an unnaturally serious look in her eyes. "Neh, Lee-san, bandages are meant to cover your wounds right? To help prevent infections, to help your wounds heal faster, right?"
Lee shrugged. Or at least, he tried to. It was pretty difficult for him to move any part of his body, it being as battered and worn as it was. "I guess so. Why?"
"But you use your bandages to hurt other people. You immobilize your opponent with your bandages while doing the Omote Renge, and during that fight with…" Sakura trailed off. She hadn't completely gotten over her shock at the match between Lee and Gaara. Both of them had been positively terrifying. That they could reach such a high level stunned her, and besides, she realized too late how insensitive it was of her to broach the topic of what might possibly be Lee's last fight as a shinobi.
"I'm sorry, Lee-san. I didn't mean to…"
He interrupted her with heart-breaking earnestness. "No it's alright. Gai-sensei has always faced up to reality. Therefore I will follow his shining example. You can say whatever you want, Sakura-san. I don't mind."
Sakura was silent for a while. "You started bandaging your arms because of your training right?"
Lee nodded. "You know what my training is like, don't you? My arms and legs were always covered with scratches and cuts, so Gai-sensei told me to bandage them so they wouldn't get infected. My skin's tough now. They don't bleed anymore, but I learnt to use the bandages for fighting. They're very useful, as weapons, so I've kept them on. Now, Neji on the other hand… I wonder what –he- bandages his arms and legs for…"
Another pause.
"Lee-san… What does it mean when someone comes undone?"
He looked rather bewildered at the abrupt change in conversation topic. He was more then slightly worried about Sakura… The girl was usually bright and cheery whenever she visited him in the hospital, updating him on the latest news about the village. The somber Sakura sitting by his bedside today was… worrisome. (He'd be the first to admit he didn't have a very large vocabulary. He was usually too busy training to learn new words.)
"I suppose that's when someone falls apart emotionally. You're smarter then me, you should know what that means, don't you?"
"I know what the phrase means literally, Lee-san. What I want to know is what that phrase –means-."
Lee tried to make sense of her words, but gave up. "I don't get what you're trying to ask. Not at all…"
Sakura gave no indication that she heard him. "I think people's feelings are like bandages, except feelings don't necessarily cover wounds. No, what they do cover is your heart. And when you come undone, the bandages surrounding your heart are removed, leaving it open, vulnerable. Easily hurt. That, I think, is what is meant by 'coming undone'."
"Sakura-san…" Her head was bowed, but she slowly lifted it. Her beautiful green eyes were tear-filled and she bit her lower lip.
"He's gone, Lee-san. Sasuke-kun left, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. There was nothing I could do… Nothing." She started crying, her slim body racked with sobs, and there was nothing Lee could do to stop her tears from flowing. Nothing.