She Will Be Loved – Three
"Why does my collection interest you so much, Uzumaki…?" Shikamaru asks us as we watch him glance at his marvelously huge collection of scrolls. There is no doubt about it, he is indeed a genius. So many scrolls, all of them in prime condition, inside glass cases, surrounding Shikamaru's plain room.
"Shikamaru, you won't believe this, but I'm the fox demon," Naruto says. Shikamaru stares at Naruto in disbelief for a few seconds before he bursts out laughing.
"Are you nuts, Uzumaki?" Shikamaru manages to spit out amidst laughter. "That Sakura chick is the fox demon, remember? That psycho freak is the demon! Don't put yourself down on her level."
I begin to shake. My emotion is ruling me, and I can't stop myself from running away from Shikamaru and Naruto.
"Lee --!" Naruto cries, but I can barely hear him as I dash away from the scene. I bang the door of Shikamaru's house open, and I run to where I left Mistress Anko and darling Sakura. Of course they aren't there.
I go to the next best place – the grassy knoll where I first learned of Naruto's crazy actions. I sit down upon the fresh grass, my arms wrapped around my knees and my mind throwing random thoughts back and forth, across the realm of my brain.
Shikamaru, that huge bully! Why did Naruto look so pained when I ran away? Naruto dragged me into this. Where's Sakura? Sakura, my love…!
I see someone out of the corner of my eye. It appears to be Sakura. I stand up and walk towards Sakura…
…Sakura looks up to me.
"Hey, Lee," Sakura sighs. I sit down beside her, and Sakura looks down at the emerald grass. She looks depressed.
"Hello, Sakura," I smile. Sakura gives a faint grin, but her eyes are still downcast. "What's wrong?"
"…Lee, have you… ever really liked anyone, but they didn't like you back?" Sakura asks.
I feel like yelling, 'No crap!' But that probably isn't the best idea.
"Yes," I respond. Sakura looks into my eyes, and I see one of the most enchanting features of her. Her eyes, those eyes with the power to suck your soul into her, to glimpse into your life…
"Well, then, I guess you'll understand… because… I really, really like…" Sakura blushes, another very attractive thing about her. "…I really like Gaara…"
I nearly fall backward. "Gaara?!"
"Ha hah! You actually fell for it!" Sakura giggles. I sigh. That scared the crud out of me.
"No, I actually like someone who's long dead…" Sakura murmurs. "And I know it can't work out, with him not alive and all."
"Oh?" I ask. "Who is it?"
Sakura gets a tear in her eye, a tear so miniscule that I could barely see it. "My old teacher… the one guy that taught me the biggest lesson of all. Orochimaru… my teacher… and lover…"
I nearly throw up. My stomach is bubbling nervously and my eyes become wide. Sakura notices this.
"…But that's the past, Lee. Two years ago. When I was thirteen, when I was naïve and crazy." Sakura looks to me. I gulp. "There's someone else now, though… and that's why I'm so depressed…"
"Who?" I ask tentatively. Sakura smiles, and I think I know the answer.
"Rock Lee. A bit strange, but very smart… you need to be taken for who you are, not how different you are… I learned that…"
Sakura leans in closer to me. I know what will happen now, because that's what always happens in movies, when the girl finally confesses and the guy likes her too…
I feel something that strangely resembles passion inside my system, and Sakura kisses me. It's warm and soft and I like it…
I don't want to let go. I don't care about the stupid scroll. For Sakura finally loves me!
But Sakura lets go. I don't exactly understand why at first, but then I look up to see Hinata's grinning face.
I expect to hear cruel laughter, or jeering. But instead I hear, "I told you, Sakura. You can get anyone you want if you try."
Sakura looks upward. "Thanks, Hinata. I owe you."
"No prob," Hinata smiles as she walks away. "Now, on to making Naruto mine…!"
Sakura and I watch Hinata walk away, just as Sasuke runs up to me. Sasuke looks a bit harried, and Sakura's eyes widen.
"I can't be here!" Sakura screams.
"What?" I ask. Wow, I feel brilliant now.
Sakura jumps up and runs down the hill. I am compelled to follow her, so I do. She runs so fast; I can barely keep up with her.
And then, Sasuke is following me, so he's trying to keep up as well. What a tangled web.
Sakura finally stops, in a clearing. But the clearing isn't clear at all. A person, who seems to be an adult jonin, is watching Sakura. Sakura can't tell, but from my position, I can see a pair of eyes – and a shuriken, poised to kill.
I see Sasuke out of the corner of my eye. He's panting, and he tries to get to Sakura. I stop him.
"Lee, what are you doing -?" Sasuke asks in a low whisper.
"Don't you see that person?" I ask him.
"What person?"
"In the clearing," I clarify.
"No."
I gulp. I don't like this, not at all. I watch in horror as Sakura leans to the ground and pulls out a kunai knife. Slowly, she digs a hole in the ground with it, and as the dirt falls away, I see a scroll.
Sakura clearly has no idea that anyone is watching her. She lifts the heavy scroll out of the hole, and lays it on the ground.
"Is this the scroll Master Mizuki was talking about?" Sakura pants.
"Master Mizuki?"
I turn around. Naruto managed to sneak up on me. He's with Shikamaru, who appears to be a bit irritated. He's clutching a large green scroll.
Sakura opens the scroll. Naruto gasps and drops the scroll on the ground. The person moves their hand back, about ready to throw the shuriken. I run out into the clearing.
It all happens so fast. Mizuki throws the shuriken, Sakura shutters, Sasuke steps backward in shock, Shikamaru's eyes widen, Naruto cries out in anguish, I stand above Sakura, a shuriken sticks out of my chest, and blood pours onto the ground.
I feel that saving Sakura's life is the least I can do.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.
A/N: I'm sorry about the late update. I really wanted to make sure this chapter got written perfectly – I mean, come on. Sakura kisses Lee, and now Lee is about to die. I had to make sure this flowed perfectly.