Note: In this story, Lee managed to stay awake in the Forest Of Death during the Chunin exams. Naruto and Sasuke...well, read on to find out what happened.

Rock Lee pressed his hands gently down on Sakura's wound, which was bleeding extremely heavily at the moment from being attacked by the Sound Ninjas. Her friends...well, her teammates...they weren't faring so well. Rock Lee had managed to pull Sakura to the side to avoid a psychotic attack from one of the ninjas, but that had sadly backfired as it had caused the attack to miss her only to hit her teammates…

Sakura was badly injured as well. Blood soaked her pink hair, plastering it to her face, and Lee was pressing down on a gash on her thigh. She was leaning against a tree and he could tell that she wasn't conscious enough to even know what was going on...she probably hadn't the slightest clue that her comrade was dead.

"Oh, Sakura…" Lee whispered. He took bandages from his arm and wrapped them around Sakura's wounded thigh. She just slumped down further and he realized that she was completely unconscious. He took her in his arms and looked around anxiously. He had managed to actually defeat the Sound Ninjas with the help of Ino...but Ino wasn't there anymore. She had run off after the attack and he hadn't seen her since, though she had begged Lee to take care of Sakura.

"Of course I will!" Lee had replied to Ino with blazing passion, clenching his hand into a determined fist. "You need not worry, Ino, for I have vowed to protect Sakura with everything in me."

Ino had given him an odd look, then nodded, then spirinted deeper into the Forest Of Death. Lee cradled Sakura gently, trying not to look at how bad her injuries were. He had managed not to get knocked out or hurt too badly...but Sakura on the other hand was a complete mess.

"Lee!" A familiar voice called. Lee smiled. It was Tenten. He looked up in the direction of the voice to see that Tenten was crouched in a tree above with Neji nearby.

"Come down here, please, you two!" Lee called, his happiness draining to the side as his gaze flitted briefly to where Naruto and Sasuke were lying dead on the ground.

His friends quickly leaped down to join him and rushed over. Tenten looked furious, while it was hard to tell what Neji was thinking.

"Lee...what the heck happened?" Tenten asked, her eyes flickering with anger and concern. "We were waiting for you but you didn't come…" She looked at Sakura. "Why are you holding Sakura?"

"Her teammates are dead," Neji replied somberly before Lee could even respond. Tenten gasped and Lee sighed as they turned to look at Sakura's deceased friends.

"Oh...poor thing," Tenten murmured, sadness gleaming in her eyes as she looked at Sakura. "Do you think Sakura will be alright?"

"She must be!" Lee declared.

"She probably won't be," Neji replied bluntly. "Not only is she injured badly, but her teammates are dead. Chances are she won't be recovering anytime soon, physically or mentally."

Lee clutched Sakura the slightest bit more tighter, trying not to tremble. He felt like he was swaying on his feet, but he used all his willpower to push the thought away. She has to be alright. He thought to himself. I will dedicate one part of my life to taijutsu...and another part of it to making sure my gentle blossom lives the best life possible!