First, I want to say thank you all for the wonderful reviews! And to answer a question, Sakura is (or was) starting to like Lee just a bit. This chapter is (hopefully) a bit longer than the others as someone requested. I apologize in advance for those who like Sakura and I suggest that if you do, you stop reading this now. Other than that I don't really have anything to say except that I think curry is disgusting. So I hope you enjoy this chapter, cause I had fun writing it!

Disclaimer: Naruto is too genious to have been made by me.

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The marketplace seemed to be more busy and crowded then it usually was as Haruno Sakura strolled through the streets of Konoha. She smiled at two small boys who were fighting over the last shopping basket available. Everybody seemed so lively out in the fresh air where the sun wasn't too hot, but just right. "Lucky I got all my shopping done early," Sakura thought. She looked up at the sky and realized that it must've been noon time.

Instead of going home for lunch, the pink-headed girl decided to eat outside since the weather was just too nice to stay crammed inside all day. She sat down on a patch of soft green grass growing beneath a tall tree, setting down her wicker basket full of goods. Out of it she pulled a plump, round apple and bit into it fiercely. The sweet juice tasted so nice and before she knew it, her green eyes were staring at a browning apple core.

Sakura put the core back into the basket, straightened out her skirt, and leaned back against the tree, looking up at its thick branches. It seemed so peaceful, now that most of the crowd had gone home to eat and all that lingered was the sound of the leaves rustling and the occasional laugh from a child. "Mom won't be mad if I rest…" she said to herself, yawning and beginning to drift off to sleep against the hard trunk of the old tree.

Her eyes shot open as a pale hand slipped over her mouth and a kunai made its way to her neck. Panic flowed through her body; she couldn't see who the attacker was and no one was around to help her. She did the only thing that came to mind. Biting into the soft flesh of the hand covering her mouth, she realized her attacker was a male by the sound of his scream. But that's all she could figure before the kunai was sliced into her throat with one quick motion.

"I told you I would kill you."

Her attacker smiled wickedly and hopped into the tree above, leaving Sakura's lifeless body behind to rot.

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News of Sakura's death had swept over Konoha within the next few days. Soon everyone, including the other villages, knew that the Haruno girl had been murdered, but no one knew who had done it. This began to rise up fear within the villages and Konoha didn't know whether the attacker was from another village or one of their own.

Lee wouldn't believe what he had heard. She just couldn't be dead…. Not her…. Not Sakura. For a few days, Lee wouldn't talk to anyone, only Gai-sensei and that was only to try and see if it was all a joke. He couldn't seem to accept the fact that the girl he liked was dead. And on top of that, he didn't like that he had seen Gaara again. Or rather Gaara saw him. The boy was odd, following Lee around from time to time. Sometimes Lee would catch a red blur out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, it was gone.

A while passed before Lee got over the death. Konoha and the other villages were still busy trying to figure out who had done it, occasionally saying they had a suspect, but soon enough found out that they hadn't committed the sin. Gossip was spreading around the village and it was almost impossible to go to the market without hearing the words "murder", "Sakura", and "suspect". But after three months, Lee was finally able to stop wincing every time he heard her name.

As the Beautiful Green Beast began to continue his normal everyday life, he kept seeing more things out of the corner of his eye. He figured out by now that it was a person and not just himself gong insane. The person just never seemed to let Lee get a good enough look of him.

The boy came home from his training one day to find a large package placed on his doorstep. Puzzled, Lee took it in and opening it slowly, checking for any traps or jutsus that could have been hidden within it. When it appeared to be safe, Lee looked inside and forgot about his troubles as he realized that package was from Sanshou-baasan. It was the Curry of Life! Lee became thrilled and heated it up before delving into it. His face became beet red and he exclaimed how delicious it was, startling Gai-sensei who had just walked in. Gai laughed and smiled at Lee's enthusiasm. It was nice to have Lee back to normal, even if it was for a bit. "Remind me to thank Sanshou-baasan next time we go to the Curry of Life Shop!" Lee told his teacher between mouthfuls.

Gai nodded. "So, I guess you're feeling better. I wanted to check up on you. To see how you were holding up." Lee sighed, placing his empty plate on the wooden table. True, Lee was feeling better, but there was some emotion deep inside of him that wasn't right. He shook the feeling and look up at Gai.

"Will you go training tomorrow with me?" he asked. Gai shook his head sullenly.

"They told me to report to Tsunade-sama for an important mission, but I promise I will train with you as soon as I return!" he replied, striking the good-guy pose. Lee smiled and gave him the thumbs-up back to him.

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Later that night, Lee laid in his bed in green flannel pajamas. His window was open, letting the cool breeze flow in, circulating the room. The boy was not asleep however. Moonlight shone through the window and plastered his face with a diffused glow. The town was so quiet at the moment and it seemed as if nothing could break the silence.

Unfortunately, the peacefulness was shattered as Lee yelped in surprise and pain. Something grabbed his ankle and shot pain up his calf. He looked down at his feet to see sand laying sprawled over his bed and floor. When and how had-?

A loud thump had come from the roof and through his window a figure climbed in and fell on the floor. It took Lee no time to realize that the figure was Sabaku no Gaara and he was in pain. Gaara's hand gripped his red hair as if it was the only thing left he had to hold on to and the rest of his body was half-curled into a ball. Lee, got up and ran over to Gaara, forgetting that he hated him for the moment. "Gaara!" he screamed to the boy having a mental meltdown.

Gaara's arm shot out and gripped Lee's sleeve, turning his knuckles a ghostly white. "Gaara! It's alright! Calm down!" Lee repeated these things to him over and over again until he finally relaxed his grip and laid motionless on the hard floor. "Come on, you need to rest," Lee said, helping the struggling Gaara onto his bed. "Now you stay here." Gaara gave him a stale look and said nothing.

In seven seconds flat, Lee had gotten the extra Curry of Life and brought it upstairs. Thankfully it was still warm from earlier as he held the plate out to Gaara. "Eat."

"No."

Gaara gave him a stern look. "I'm not eating." Then Lee remembered how much he hated him. He threw the plate at Gaara, who caught it just before it spilled.

"Eat." Lee's tone was nastier now and more demanding.

"Why?'

"…"

"…"

"Because. It'll make you feel better."

Gaara looked down at the black goo and rice on his plate. It didn't look like anything he'd seen before, and it also looked like it was moving. Regretfully, he picked up his spoon and scooped up the curry, holding it up to his face and examining it. But then he turned to Lee. "Why do you want to heal me?"

Lee froze. He didn't really know why, and he didn't think that he actually did want Gaara to heal. Gaara was after him for something. "Oh, just eat it already!" was the only thing he could think to say before storming out of his room and down into the dining room so he wouldn't have to look at the redhead.

Gaara watched Lee exit the room with his pale blue eyes. He sighed and turned back to the plate on his lap and the spoon still in his hand. "Just one bite, for Lee…" he told himself, bringing the spoon close to his mouth. As the substance slid down his throat, he paused, only to realize that the curry was probably the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted. It burned the inside of his mouth with its hot spices and he finally knew why Lee had left.

The boy appeared at the door with a glass of water. "Here." Gaara took it gratefully, downing the whole glass and put it and the plate on the table near Lee's bed. "Why are you following me?" he said directly, which was unusual since he would always work up to his questions.

"I told you when you were asleep," Gaara said remembering the time they had last met.

"Telling me while I'm sleeping doesn't help me," Lee said defiantly. "What did you say then?"

"I love you."

"Wha-?"

"That's what I told you."

Lee was awestruck. He was following him because…? No that couldn't be it. He was a Shinobi who would see through this deception. "You're lying…"

"No, I'm not. I don't lie, you can ask Kankuro and Temari if you wish."

Lee couldn't think of anything to say. He had always wanted Sakura to-

"You killed her."

"Yes," Gaara responded simply.

The green boy collapsed on the floor in disbelief. Unshed tears welled up in his eyes and soon Lee didn't think he would be able to stop crying before the room flooded. Gaara just sat on the bed looking at him. "W-Why…?"

"Because she was getting in the way."

"No! She wasn't!" Lee screamed at him. "You're a…" he paused, "just get out of here!" Gaara nodded and headed towards the window, wondering why he hadn't used 'monster'. With one last look at the crying Lee, he hopped up on the sill and gathered the sand that had been unmoving and all over the room.

Lee felt a great deal of relief when Gaara exited the room. He got up and wiped his eyes, even though tears still flowed. He got on his bed and laid down on the soft covers. Long after the tears had stopped, he finally found the refuge he needed in his dreams.

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I warned all of the Sakura-lovers, so please don't flame me for it, but I personally don't like Skura myself. So reviews on this chapter would be nice and I think that the next chapter will be the last, i'm sorry to say. :(