Spring Rain by DyingForYou
The rain was pouring down in the village of Konoha. The muddy streets were deserted and the shops were eerily quiet. A soft wind blew through the streets and blew through a young girls hair.
Haruno Sakura was standing alone on the walkway underneath the Hokage Cliff. Her matted bangs fell over her eyes as she leaned over the rail, looking down on a part of the village. She sighed and rested her elbow on the railing. I wish everything would be back to normal, she thought.
It was a week after the big battle, and Konoha wasn't the peaceful little village anymore. The Hokage was killed, and Tsunade-sama was elected to be in charge; damages worth more than she could count had been done; and Konoha had been betrayed. Sasuke-kun had betrayed his village and left to join Orochimaru and his ninja.
Sakura looked down at a puddle by her feet and stared at her reflection. He wouldn't have wanted me, she thought. He said I was as bad as Naruto. She kicked a pebble over the side and listened as it fell, hitting the sides of the stone. Sakura looked up, and a gasp escaped her lips.
"Sakura-chan! I-I am sorry if I frightened you!" Rock Lee bowed quickly, almost losing his balance and falling over.
"Lee-kun!" Sakura caught his arm and helped him balance. "Are you okay?" she asked, picking up one of his crutches and handing it back to him.
"Yes, yes, I am fine, thank you, Sakura-chan." Lee shifted his weight. "I was training by myself and it started to rain. Walking back home, I saw you alone and wanted to see if you were okay."
Sakura smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I'm fine, Lee-kun. I was just thinking."
Lee bowed again and reached into his bag, pulling out a light jacket. "Here, Sakura-chan. I would not like for you to become ill."
Sakura smiled again. "Thank you, Lee-kun."
Lee struck his thumbs up pose. "I would do anything for you, Sakura-chan. Would you like for me to walk you home?"
As they walked slowly down the street, the rain lightened into a slight drizzle. The clouds were disappearing and the shops started to open back up. The soft clicks of Lee's crutches filled her ears. He has worked so hard to be able to fight again, she thought. Sakura let her mind wander back to when she first met Lee.
"I'll protect you with my life!", followed by that pose and a sunset. And that's what Lee has done. He protected her with everything: during the second part of the chuunin exam, he fought for her safety, and made sure she was okay. He pushed himself lately, wanting to be able to fight again. To protect his village. To protect her.
As they approached Sakura's house, she paused and turned to Lee.
"Sakura-chan, is there something wrong?" he asked.
"No, but I would like to thank you for everything that you have done for me. I really appreciate it, Lee."
Lee smiled. "There is no problem. I did say I would protect you with my life!" He looked up at the sky. "Look, Sakura-chan, a rainbow!" He pointed up, and Sakura smiled gently.
As they looked up, the rain let up and Sakura felt happier than she had in a long time. He is so much better than Sasuke-kun.
