A/N: This damn story is coming to a close. Still no one cares. Why do I continue this you ask? A friend of mind likes this story and there are a few readers out there. I dedicate this story to you. Tell your friends about me! Please!

The Price of a Dream

By Nine Tailed Vixen

Last Time:

Lee froze. No…no way…this can be happening. He and Sakura…they were so close…she didn't like

Sasuke half as much as she used to…he finally had a chance…

Ino broke down again. Shikamaru spoke up from the door; "The doctors will have to work fast if they're to save her. She's lost almost half of her blood."

Lee felt sick.

Chapter 7- Discovered

Lee was in a stupor. This couldn't be happening. Sakura, his angel, was dying. Lee frowned as he rose from his bed, gently pushing Ino to the side. He ignored the throb of protest coming from his leg as he tested his weight upon it. He needed to see her. She needed him now more then ever.

"Lee, get back in bed, you haven't fully recovered!" Tenten looked at Lee nervously.

"You'll only further the damage on your body," Neji told him.

"No way," Lee said as he took his crutch. "She needs me."

"No, she has her teammates to help her." Neji said, "You are useless to her if you are a cripple."

Lee ignored him as he pushed his way past Shikamaru and headed to the next room. He peered into the window and almost choked. Sakura was laying there with doctors and wires surrounding her. Kakashi, Gai, Sasuke and Naruto were standing in the corner watching as Tsunade worked with nimble hands to heal the bleeding wounds on Sakura's body.

"Oh god," Lee gasped, the bleeding wouldn't stop. He may not have been a healer but he could see that much. Crimson liquid life bathed the white hospital bed and Sakura's now deathly pale skin. Lee clenched his hands as they began to shake. His eyes met those of her teammates, who, when they saw him, opened the door and let him in. Lee couldn't leave the doorway. He couldn't see Sakura like this any closer.

Naruto put a hand on Lee's shoulder while Sasuke just looked at him sadly. Lee tilted his head, slightly confused. Sasuke met Naruto's eyes as if asking permission for something before taking one of Naruto's arms in his own. Sasuke knew how he'd feel if it had happened to him.

Oh.

Oh.

So that's why Sakura wasn't into Sasuke anymore. Lee looked away. He had thought that maybe Sakura was actually falling for him. Maybe. But no, Sasuke only came off the market. Oh, well, it's better to be second choice then to not be a choice at all, he supposed. He turned to look at the treatment happening for Sakura. At least she was getting the best treatment.

Tsunade leaned down to closely inspect the point of bleeding. The look on her face turned from fear to anger. She mouthed something before screaming a name. "Gypsy! What did you do?!"

"You screeched?" A young girl brushed past Lee and entered Sakura's room. She pushed the doctors and Tsunade away before unhooking the equipment. The group was outraged but Lee was the first one on scene.

"What do you think you're doing? Get away from her!" Lee shouted as he dropped his crutch and went to shove the girl away. Gai stopped him. "Gai-sensei, stop her! She's-"

"-Going to save the girl's life if you'd just stay out of my way!" The girl snapped. She glanced at the wound. "Damn, the process must be finished. Shit."

"Gypsy-sensei, what did you do?" Tsunade gritted out through clenched teeth.

All occupants of the room stopped dead. "S-sensei?" Lee stuttered. This girl taught the great Tsunade?!

Gypsy ignored the boy's outburst, "I gave her an option, she made her choice. Now we must continue with the procedure if she is to live."

"H-how? Tell me what to do and I'll do whatever I can!" Lee stood as nobly as a gimped boy could.

Gypsy looked at him and smiled, "Then go back to your room and get some rest. Get strong and well so that you can be there for her when she wakes."

Tsunade looked into the eyes of her medicine teacher, "She used the Blood Salve, didn't she?" Gypsy nodded, "Dammit! I should have known something was up! He was healing way to quickly. Even if I had worked with him everyday, he wouldn't have healed as perfectly as he was! Shit, how did I not know?"

Lee looked from this Gypsy to Tsunade. He knew that they were referring to him. What did he have to do with this? Lee looked at Sakura and his heart clenched. If he had something to do with this then he would just die.

Gypsy put a gentle hand on Lee's shoulder, as if knowing his inner turmoil. "You must be getting careless if you don't even know your teacher's handiwork." Gypsy chuckled and wiped the blood away from Sakura's arm. There was no cut, just a bruise. But as soon as the blood was cleared it was quickly replaced by more blood. Sakura was bleeding through the pores of her skin.

Gypsy pulled a five-leafed plant from the large bag around her waist and placed it in her mouth. She chewed it into a fine paste before spitting it into her hand. She gently rubbed it over the bruises on Sakura's arm and leg and immediately the bleeding stopped though the bruises remained. "She is out of danger now"

Gypsy looked at the occupants in the room somewhat sheepishly.

"I guess I have some explaining to do, eh?"

To be continued…