Disclaimer: ...Last time I checked, I was still penniless.

AN: And now, the much anticipated drama! ...Not really...-silence- Warning, just in case: There's a lot of yelling, a lot of crying and a lot of surprises.

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The Power of Youth
By SapphireWhiteTigress

Chapter VII – My Surprise

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It was a little after seven when Sakura decided to call it a day and headed home. She tried to avoid her parents since she told that about her pregnancy, yesterday, but she couldn't keep running to Lee's house every time something went wrong. She had to confront them and take the consequences of her actions, no matter how harsh they seemed. At least, she thought bitterly, they won't kill her while she's pregnant.

Today was pretty tiring, even though Kakashi-sensei told her to take it easy. Unfortunately, she found out that her ninjutsu and genjutsu wasn't performing correctly. She shrugged that off as being a side effect of being pregnant with a ninja's baby. Also, she was sloppy, really slopping and could barely dodge one of Naruto's weakest attacks. She concluded that being pregnant sucked. A lot. Not only was there morning sickness, getting fatter, and weird food cravings, but there was also the small prospect of her ninja ability failing.

She should kill Lee later...but stopped at the thought and sighed. It wasn't entirely Lee's fault. After all, 'it takes two to tango'. And besides, she was the one to coax him in their night of passion. That thought made her face turn to an incredibly bright shade of pink. Even though their first time was more than a month ago, it was still fresh in her mind and made her blush like a little school girl.

She neared her house and paused, standing three feet away. The first floor lights were on, telling her that one or both of her parents were downstairs. She took a deep breath and released it, only to inhale and exhale four times after that. It was hard getting herself ready to face her parents, especially after what happened yesterday.

With all the willpower she could muster, she marched up to her front door, placed the key in the keyhole, and opened it once it was unlocked. Peeking inside cautiously, she noticed that no one was around. Sighing in relief, she fully entered the house, getting an odd sense of deja vu as she did so. Unfortunately, this time as she tried to creep up the stairs, her mother was the one to catch her.

"Sakura, is that you?" The voice of her mother drifted in from the kitchen and a few seconds later, her mother appeared around the corner.

Sakura groaned. "Yes, mom..."

Her mother's eyes quickly filled her tears as she wiped her hands on her soft blue apron. "Oh, Sakura!" She cried, quickly running to her daughter and pulling her into a tight hug.

Sakura was taken aback as her mother sobbed onto her shoulder. "Mom...? Are you...okay?"

In that exact moment was when the door flew open and in rushed Sakura's father. Mother and daughter drew apart to stare at the only male in the household. His eyes glazed over as he saw his daughter, but it passed as quick as it came. He solemnly stared at his pink haired princess, unsure as to what he should say to her. So many things ran through his mind at once. He was unprepared. He had no idea what to do. So, he did what he knows best and walked passed them and started to climb the stairs up to his room.

Sakura stood dumbfounded as she watched her father leave her without so much as a single word. Miki, on the other hand, was having none of it. "Matsou, we need to have a family discussion now."

Matsou cringed and paused in his ascend. When the wife talked like that to him, it was best not to argue and do as she said. He slowly placed his feet evenly on the steps and turned around. It was bound to happen sooner or later and there was no way out. He complied and walked back towards his wife and daughter, stopping only a few inches from both.

Miki turned to enter the sitting area and Matsou followed her, both sitting on the one couch there. Sakura soon followed after them and nervously took a seat in the armchair that was across from her parents. No one dared to speak for a solid five minutes.

Matsou was the first to say something. "Why?" He spat at his daughter.

Sakura flinched at the tone of her father's voice. "Why...what?" Of course, she knew what he meant when he demanded it.

He growled and was ready to stand up when the hand of his wife landed on his shoulder, stopping him. "Why did you allow that...boy to do this to you?"

Sakura glared at her father. "This isn't Lee-kun's fault, dad. It was something we both decided on. The blame is equally mine as it is his."

"You're getting an abortion." Matsou told her, his words final.

Sakura eyes widen. "What! You have no right to decide that!" Tears filled her eyes.

"I have all the right! You are my daughter and you will not dishonor my family any further!" He yelled fiercely at his daughter, his face red with anger.

Miki stood up and glared at her husband. "Matsou, calm down!" She turned to Sakura and her eyes soften. "Sakura, dear, what do you plan on doing now? This discussion is yours and yours alone. However, whatever you choose, I will always be your mother and I will always love you. As will your father." She glanced at her husband, then back to her daughter.

Sakura wanted to cry and hug her mother, but she held back. Her mother was just so...understanding sometimes. "I...we...he asked me to marry him...He...he wants us to be a family..." She whispered. "I...I accepted..."

Matsou went motionless, his jaw set firmly. "You're too young. If you won't have an abortion, you will put it up for adoption. And you're not getting married."

Miki frowned. "Matsou, you'll being unreasonable."

Matsou rounded on his wife, a fierce glare in his dark eyes. "I'm unreasonable? This is our daughter! She shouldn't be in this predicament in the first place!" He turned back to Sakura. "You're under house arrest until the baby's born. I will no longer allow you to see that boy."

Sakura's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. "No! Dad, you can't do that!"

Miki glared at her husband. "Matsou, I thought you understood the situation. Keeping her away from him isn't going to solve anything."

Matsou grumbled. "It'll make me feel a hell of a lot better if she doesn't see that kid anymore."

Sakura exploded. She couldn't take her father's insensitivity any longer. She wanted out and she wanted out now. "I can't believe you! How could you treat me like this! I love him, shouldn't you be happy for me! Shouldn't you be at least happy that he hasn't left me but is willing to stay?" Tears were now falling from her eyes like a waterfall, wetting the blueish carpet beneath their feet. "Shouldn't you be..." She was sobbing now, her voice broken. "Shouldn't you be happy that he loves me more than anything? He..he would never hurt me. He wants to take care of our...of our child! And I want to be there with him! With them! I won't have an abortion! I won't put my baby up for adoption! And I most definitely will not leave Lee-kun's side!" With that, she ran out of the house, leaving her father staring wide eye and gaping.

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Lee frowned as it suddenly started pouring down rain. His 'training' with Gai-sensei earlier that day was tougher than he thought it was going to be, and now he was alone as the rest of his team decided to call it a day and went home a few hours ago. Except for Gai-sensei, who stayed with the young father-to-be to give him a few 'pointers' at raising a family and the married life.

Lee never knew that Gai was once married and when he asked him about it, his sensei had this faraway look in his eyes as he distantly told him a story from his past. It turns out that, no, Gai has never been married before, but came so closed to it once.

Kakashi had stolen his fiancée.

Lee was shocked to hear that, but he was even more shock when Gai told him – with a grin – that she left Kakashi for Asuma, Shikamaru's sensei. And after that shock wore if, Gai had once again told him that she dumped him for some Sand village shinobi, leaving a trail of heartbroken men behind. Lee was happy that Gai didn't marry her, she didn't sound like a trustworthy and loyal person to be dedicated in a longterm commitment, not like his Sakura-chan.

After Gai had told him the story of how he almost got married (and explaining more about the ring he gave him), and once they had an important discussion, the older man declared with a youthful outburst that it was once again time to challenge his eternal rival, thus running off into some random direction, leaving Lee alone with his thoughts.

And here he was now, getting soaked thoroughly with the unexpected rain shower. He remembered one of the lessons from that day's Special Training. He never knew that raising a baby was so difficult, and he regained new respect to all parents nationwide. Soon, he too will be going through those difficult times, but that didn't matter, because as long as he has Sakura with him, he'll be able to beat death.

As he stood there in the rain, thoughts of his future wife (that thought still seemed so surreal to him) entered his head. He would do anything in his power to be the best father and husband that he could be. But there was something Gai told him. Something that would stay with him for as long as he lived.

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Gai sighed as he watched his favorite student proceed his daily workout, after the Special Training he had his team go through. There was something on his mind that he had to talk to Lee about. He would rather not bring up such a topic with his favorite student as he was sure it would crush him, but it was something that had to be done.

"Lee," Gai started as Lee prepared himself for his regular training in his taijutsu.

He turned around to give his sensei an award winning grin. "Hai, Gai-sensei?" He asked.

Gai sighed and took a seat heavily on a fallen log with his elbows resting on his knees. "Come here." He said, in all serious, and this caused Lee to immediately fall from his fighting stance to walk over to his sensei, a curious expression on his round face.

"Gai-sensei? Is everything okay?" He took a seat next to Gai as he waited for him to continue.

Gai's eyes drifted upwards to the sky, noticing the darkening clouds but paid it no mind. "Lee, there is something we need to talk about."

Now Lee was even more curious than before. This wasn't like Gai-sensei at all. His normal youthful enthusiastic personality was gone and replaced with a more serious one, something that Lee wasn't quite used to.

"About what, Gai-sensei?" He asked. There was a slight jitter in his stomach that told him something was wrong.

Gai remained quiet for a moment, trying to think of how he should say this to the young man beside him. His entire dream was to fulfil his nindo, but could he really do it while raising a child and caring for a wife? Lee was far too young for the trails he was sure to endure. Does he understand what all this will do to him? Gai wasn't trying to make him choose between the people he loves and the thing he loves, but Gai didn't want Lee to fall apart because of it either.

"About you, Lee." He finally said.

Lee blinked in surprise. "Me?"

Gai nodded. "There is something you must know," he said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Raising a child isn't an easy task to do, Lee, especially for a ninja. In the early stages of a child's life, they need both parents to care for them. A parent cannot properly care for a child if they are often gone on missions."

Lee nodded, afraid as to where this was leading to, but he remained quiet and listened to his sensei's words.

Gai continued. "Raising a child is sort of like a mission in its own. There are a lot of sacrifices to be made and a lot of responsibility to be taken care of." He turned his head to look Lee straight in the eyes. "One cannot raise and child and be a ninja at the same time."

Lee's own eyes widen in disbelief and shock. "But...Gai-sensei! Surely I can!"

Gai sadly shook his head. "Lee, do you not understand? What if you go out on a mission and never returned? Your child would have never known his father. Sakura would then have to raise your child on her own."

Lee frantically shook his head. Why was Gai-sensei acting like this? He didn't like it. "But, Gai-sensei! I will return, because there is nothing in the world that will keep me away from my family."

Gai only smiled bitterly. "But how long will you be able to keep that up, Lee? You are not invincible and there are much stronger ninja out there in the bitter world. Can you truly tell yourself that you will return home after each mission?"

Lee said nothing as he pondered this. Was Gai-sensei trying to make him choose between his ninja way and his life with Sakura? He just didn't understand. "Gai-sensei...why are you...?"

Gai suddenly smiled, just a little. "Lee, I am confident in your ability to be a good husband and father and a good ninja, but there are things that may happen. You can possibly lose either or both of your most precious things." He looked at the sky again and stood up, rolling his shoulders back and grinning. "Now, my precious student, I must find my eternal rival!" Before he left, he turned back to Lee once more. "And Lee, no matter what happens, know that your family comes first." And with that, Gai-sensei was gone, leaving a bewildered Lee behind.

Lee blinked after Gai in astonishment. Of course his family would come first. Only an idiot would choose otherwise...but was it true what he said about giving up his ninja right? Could he, Rock Lee, just suddenly give up his dream and become a civilian? Konoha needed him, as they were already short on manpower. For years he has been training to become a great ninja without the use of genjutsu and ninjutsu. Was all that effort for nothing? What was he going to do?

He sighed. "...I would do anything for Sakura-chan...even...if it meant giving up my ninja way..."

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Lee wiped the water out from his eyes, a pointless task, as it continued to rain ceaselessly. He frowned as those thoughts entered his mind. He meant it when he said he'll give up his ninja way for the woman he loved. Nothing was more important than her. He would die a hundred times if it meant that she would be safe from danger.

A bolt of lightning and a roar of thunder brought him from his thoughts as the rain suddenly came down in waves. If he stayed out here any longer, he may just catch pneumonia and than what good would he be? He quickly grabbed his forgotten bag and raced home, thoughts of seeing his beloved angel filled his mind and he ran at top speed, nothing but a green blur in the pouring rain.

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Sakura ran through the rain, running towards the Hokage's tower. She needed to see Tsunade and talk to her. Unfortunately, she never made it there as she carelessly bumped into someone, causing her to fall backwards on the cold and muddly ground. She winced in pain and cast her eyes upwards, only to have them widen in shock.

A tall young man, around her age, stood overtop her looking down. He wore a dark cloak that protected him from the rain and hide his face from view. The only thing she could see were his eyes and they scared her. His eyes were dark and emotionless, and she has never seen anyone with such murderous intent in them. However, it didn't take her too long to realize why he looked so familiar to her.

"Sasuke?"

Indeed, standing before her was her old teammate, who had left her and the village only three years prior. What was he doing here? Why was he here? He was considered a missing nin and if he was caught, the consequences could be horrible. She was confused as to why he would show up now. She knew she didn't love him anymore, but he was still her teammate, her old friend. She continued sitting on the ground, gawking at his mysterious presense.

"Sakura." He stated, his voice showing no such emotion as he said her name.

Fear struck Sakura as she looked up at him, many things running rampant through her mind. Why was he back now? After almost three years? What did he want? She wanted to ask but she couldn't find her voice, not with his piercing black eyes staring at her so intently. She was frozen on the ground, valuable to the world, especially to the man that stood before her.

He spoke, his voice was as cold as when he spoke her name. "It's been a while."

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AN: And thus, it ends. The chapter, not the story. I like to apologize for being super late with this one. I had the worst ever writer's block in history, but I got it done because I knew all my adoring readers would be quite upset if I did not get it done soon. So, there you have it. Please review!

Of course, credit goes out to EnduranceInTribulation for making all this possible by being my support and inspiration.

Next Chapter Teaser: So he had caught her crying. She sniffled and felt even more ashamed. She didn't want to look weak in front of the person she admired most. She wanted him to think she was strong. "I...I wa-wasn't...cr-cr-crying..." She stuttered, forcing the sobs that threaten to break through her throat down.