I don't own Naruto, but it means a lot to me.
"How does it feel, Lee?"
It was weird, Rock Lee decides, to be asked how his body felt. The obvious answer, of course, was youthful, the same answer he gave every time anyone inquired.
Every time.
For three decades, at least.
Despite his reflex, something in the way Sakura's face remains etched in a deadpan reply tells him he ought to elaborate.
"Er, well..." He coughs, diverting his eyes to not have to meet what he decides is a mixture of annoyance and promises of violent ramifications if he doesn't say something else.
"I have been feeling a little stiff in my left knee."
Sakura's eyes linger for only a moment longer, and Lee visibly sighs in relief when she finally turns to stare at the aforementioned appendage.
"Stiff how?" She asks, bringing her pen against his skin. "Does it hurt?"
"Hurt?" Lee retorts, his voice filled with a masculine echo like he was emulating a superhero as he sweeps down into the city to placate the panicked masses. "Oh, no! Of course not! Just a little stiiffffaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Lee doesn't notice the smug smirk that dances across Sakura's lips as his hands crimp the metal of his chair beneath his grip. His voice climbs whole octaves, and he's too busy addressing the burning, torturous pain erupting through his limb to even keep his eyes open. The medic removes her pen from his kneecap, and Lee melts back into his seat like a popped ballon.
"A little stiff, huh?"
"Sakura-chan." Lee heaves, trying and failing to will his youthful pose back under his trembling elbows.
"I may have been untruthful with you. That is, err, was very un-youthful."
Sakura nods sagely. "Extremely un-youthful." She says. "And how did this little injury occur?"
Lee doesn't audibly gulp, but if eyes could talk…
"Well…" he begins. "I was training with some of the very youthful new chunin."
"I'm sorry." Sakura interrupts. "I asked how, but my first question should have been when."
"When?" Lee says, voice like a summer breeze. Sakura nods, stern and like rock.
"When."
"Last week."
"Last week?"
Lee doesn't answer, but the gulp in his throat says enough.
"You mean to tell me that your kneecap has been in more bits and pieces than Naruto in a porcelain shop, and you've chosen to wait a whole week before coming to me?"
"And I would like to try again."
Sakura is busy checking boxes on her chart when Lee asks for a do-over, but nods.
"By all means." She agrees, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. With a theatrical wave, her hand passes over her body and the pinkette opens her eyes anew, greeting her patient with attention and care and definitely not the full intent to cause bodily harm if he tries stupid shit like that again again.
"How does it feel, Lee?"
This time, Lee doesn't try and be youthful. His eyes still sparkle, but there's a hesitation and sag in his shoulders that looks like his muscles are relieved to not be pretending.
"I feel... very un-youthful, Sakura-chan."
Sakura's brow furrows, a real and not-at-all dramatized seriousness marring her face with concern. Lee's eyes follow Sakura's hand to her pen, his attention glued until the tip reached the notepad in her hand and not his knee, again.
"What seems to be the problem?"
I tried writing this story without this chapter, but it just didn't feel right.
- Free Drinks
