The Power of Youth
By SapphireWhiteTigress

Chapter XII – My Battle with the Blender

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One week later, everyone could tell that Sakura was indeed, pregnant, as it became more pronounce. Sakura wasn't too happy about it either, as she couldn't fit into any of her favorite clothes. Her mother had brought her some maternity clothing and she felt ridiculous in them. Lee, on the other hand, loved it. He was excited to be a father. Sure, Sakura was a bit excited too, but you tried carrying twins and have your stomach expending. It wasn't a walk in the park.

She decided though, that the best part about being pregnant was that Lee would give her anything she wanted. Well, he already did give her whatever she wanted (not to sound spoil or anything, but let's face it, Lee DOES spoil her) as he was willing to go out at 2:30 in the morning just to get her some guacamole ice cream yesterday.

"Lee?" She asked in the darkened room that they shared whenever she came over to stay the night. She hadn't slept in her own room ever since that day one weeks ago after finally being able to get out of that house. Her father just drives her crazy and she just didn't want to be there with him right now. And besides, she loves being by Lee's side. "Are you asleep?"

"No…" He said tiredly, even though he was on the verge of sleep. If Sakura needed anything, sleep could wait. He rolled over on his side to get a better look at the girl next to him and placed a hand on her rounded stomach. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded as she rested on her back and placed her hand on top of his. "Could you…run to the store for me?"

Lee wasn't at all surprised with her request as it had been going on for almost a week. He asked Tsunade-sama about it and the Hokage told him that late night food cravings were part of the pregnancy for most women. He nodded at her. "Of course, Sakura-chan. What do you want?"

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling in the dark. But Lee could always see her bright smile in the darkest of nights. "Pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice with whipped cream." She said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Lee turned green at the weird combination of food choice. "…Pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice?" He repeated.

"With cream." She added.

Lee nodded and slowly stood up, moving away from the warmth of her body. He was only dressed in a pair of boxers and a white muscle shirt. Sakura had to admit, he looked damn sexy in his nightwear. Lee glanced at the clock next to the bed and saw that it was only 12:32. At least the 24 hour store was opened. He pulled on a pair of old jeans he had laying around (he didn't feel like fighting with his green jumpsuit at 12 o'clock at night) and leaned down to kiss Sakura on the forehead. "I will be right back and if I am not back within-"

Sakura cut him off. "Just get the stuff, Lee."

Lee grinned sheepishly. "Of course, Sakura-chan!"

As he left the house a thought suddenly hit him. Do they even HAVE pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice with cream? He made a mental list of ingredients to get and wondered if he even had a blender. Hopefully, he did. He doesn't remember since he rarely used one anyway.

The moon was out high in the night sky as Lee slowly made his way to the 24 Hour Store (ironically enough, that's the actual name of the store and is the only store in Konoha that happens to be opened 24 hours a day). He walked in the store and listened to the jingle of the bell. Looking around, he waved to the cashier and walked around the corner to the refrigerated food items. He needed pickles, strawberries, pineapple juice and whipped cream. He would definitely go for the whipped cream and strawberries, because he, himself, enjoyed them (in more ways than one…naughty Lee!), but the pickles…he wasn't too fond of those. He just preferred the sweet stuff rather than the sour. He shrugged it off and grabbed the items needed to satisfy his pregnant fiancée. He was glad that nobody else aside from himself and the cashier were in there, he wasn't up to waiting in a line.

Placing the items on the counter, the cashier (a young male) raised an eyebrow at Lee. It wasn't his place to ask about his customers' choice in food, but this was just weird. He said nothing as he ringed him up and tallied the total. Lee paid the man, bid him a goodnight, and left the store.

He opened the door to his apartment as quietly as he could so he wouldn't disturb Sakura. Checking the clock, he took note that it took him twenty minutes to get the items as it was now nearing 1 o'clock. He placed the bag of pickles, strawberries, pineapple juice and whipped cream on the table.

He looked around the kitchen and tried to remember what the blender looked like. He checked in the cabinet and found a barely used blender and grinned in triumph as he pulled the blender out from its hiding place. He set it on the counter and stared at it.

"How…do I use it?" He asked out loud. The blender offered no answer.

He went over to the bag he brought home with him and took all the items out of the bag, setting them neatly on the counter. Looking from the blender to the pineapple juice, he grabbed the carton and poured it into the bowl of the blender. He put the carton of pineapple juice on the table when the blender was halfway full. After that, he picked up the jar of pickles and scrunched up his nose as he opened the jar. Taking out one long pickle, he dropped that into the blender too. Finally, he picked off the steams of the strawberries before dumping a few with the other ingredients. Once done, he grinned and turned it on.

Unfortunately, he forgot to put the top on the blender and in a matter of seconds, he was covered in pickle strawberry pineapple juice. Lee slipped on the mess as he tried to turn the blender off. "Ah!"

He continued to slip and slide as he pulled himself up on the table and slammed his hand down on the off-switch. The blender jumped around the countertop, avoiding his hand. It was as if it were possessed by some demon. It continued to throw large amounts of goop on him, almost covering Lee from head to toe in the green mess. Lee used his quick speed and pressed a finger down on the off-switch before the blender could escape him again.

It finally came to a stop, but not before spitting the last bit of goop in his face. Lee stood up and glared at it. "I will not allow you to defeat me…" He said slowly before redoing the task. He was determined to make Sakura her…pickle strawberry pineapple juice with whipped cream.

This time, he remembered to put the top on before turning it on again. He cringed at the loud whirling sound it made. After one minute, he turned it off and stared in disgust at the puke green concoction with a tint of red from the strawberries. He poured the goop in a blue cup and added the whipped cream. He wasn't sure how anyone could drink this. Finally, he plucked a straw in it.

He took the cup into his bedroom, still covered in the remnants from the disaster earlier and more tired than he was when he left.­­­ It was extremely quiet as he entered the room and he became alert. Glancing around, he noticed the lump in the bed and cautiously made his way to her, hoping that the gut feeling he was feeling was wrong. Slowly, he reached forward and pulled the covers down…

And found nothing. Panic ripped through his body as he frantically searched the area, the pickle strawberry pineapple juice with (now melted) whipped cream was still clutched in his hand. Some of the greenish stuff started slipping down the glass and onto his hand, giving it a sticky feel to it, but Lee ignored it as he hastily placed the glass on the nightstand. He pulled the covers all the way to the foot of the bed. He then searched under the bed, but found no Sakura. There wasn't even a sign of anything that might have told him that she's been kidnapped. He was so scared that tears started to well up in his eyes. He then noticed that the window was opened and instantly ran over to it and stuck his head outside. A gentle breeze rustled through his hair as he looked up and down the street. He saw nothing but a flickering lamppost.

Lee was beyond worried. He was so worried that he felt incredibly sick to his stomach. Where was his Sakura-chan! As he was about to leap out of the window and into the streets, he heard an odd sound behind him. He blinked and turned around. The sound he heard was…

The flushing of a toilet? And to confirm his suspicions, the bathroom door opened and out walked the pink-haired angel he was just worrying over. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. Immediately, he was on her like a crazed ninja (ignoring the fact that Rock Lee is indeed a crazed ninja) and hugged her so tightly that the air in her lungs was nonexistent.

She gasped in surprise. "Lee-Lee-kun!" She struggled to get out of his iron death grip, but Lee held on firmly.

"Sakura-chan! I thought something happened to you! I was so worried!" He cried out as youthful and manly tears streamed down his face.

Sakura sweatdropped. She wished he would let her go. It felt like he was crushing her and she felt sick. "Lee-kun! I can't breathe! And the babies!" She shouted.

Lee immediately released her, the tears still rolling down his face as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Sakura-chan, I am so sorry! Please forgive me! I was so worried about you, that I thought something might have happened to you! I would do ten thousand laps around Konoha on my-"

"Lee-kun," Sakura said warningly, shutting him up before he started on with his nonsense. "I was only in the bathroom. Normal people use it when they need to relieve themselves." She stated as if she was talking to a three year old child.

Lee laughed nervously at how foolish he acted. He was just so worried that he didn't even think of the possibility that she could've gone to the restroom. To make up for it, he grabbed Sakura's pickle strawberry pineapple juice and handed it out to her.

"I made the…pickle strawberry pineapple juice for you, Sakura-chan!" He said proudly and puffed his chest in a manly fashion as if he had just accomplished the greatest mission known to man. Actually, he considered it a perilous mission, after the battle with the blender…

Sakura took it from him with a bright smile. "Oh, thanks Lee-kun!" She thanked him and started slurping up the substance through the straw. Lee watched in amazement as it disappeared within minutes. For a second, he was extremely glad that guys didn't get pregnant. Oh, the horror that would bring.

Once she was done (and it took only five seconds to finish it), she placed the empty glass on the bedside table and took a seat on the bed. She looked at the clock next to her and yawned. It was blinking 1:45 AM. She scooted over as Lee took a seat next to her with his back against the wall.

Lee lifted up his arm as she leaned up against him. He loves these small intimate moments where they could just spend time in each other's arms. He smiled as he felt her snuggle against him.

Sakura sniffled. "Lee-kun, you smell." But she made no move to get up from his side.

Lee blinked in surprise and remembered the battle zone in the kitchen. He swore that the blender was out to get him for being neglected for years.

"Ah…Sakura-chan, about that…" He started, "As I was fixing you your…pickle strawberry pineapple juice…"

"With cream,"

"With cream," He grinned down at her. She was so cute when she did that. "I had an unfortunate battle with the…blender."

Sakura blinked open her eyes at that. "You lost to a blender?"

Lee sweatdropped. "Not…exactly?"

Sakura smiled and shrugged it off. It was late but there was something they needed to talk about. "Lee-kun, we need to talk about something."

"What is that, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked while looking down at her as she rested in his arms.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Ino brought up an interesting point yesterday when I went to go see her." She said, thinking back to her time with Ino and a few of their friends yesterday. They all decided to hang out (her, Ino, Tenten, Naruto, and Shikamaru – Hinata was nowhere to be found (they haven't seen her in almost three weeks and they're starting to get worried) and Neji, Kiba, and Shino were on a mission, Lee was off training around that time). "She wanted to know if we're going to have the wedding before or after the babies are born."

Lee looked up at the ceiling in thought. "When would you like to have it, Sakura-chan?" He asked as he brought his eyes back to his beautiful girlfriend.

Sakura frowned in concentration. "I was thinking after the babies are born because I don't want to be wobbling down the isle like a penguin."

Lee chuckled. "I think Sakura-chan would make a beautiful penguin."

Sakura narrowed her eyes and pinched him. "Shut up, you."

Lee just smiled sheepishly and rubbed his arm where Sakura pinched him.

Sakura continued to talk. "I was thinking that since the babies are due in July, we could have the wedding a week or two after that."

Lee nodded enthusiastically. His dreams were slowly coming true. He was going to marry the woman he loved and they were going to have the most wonderful family imaginable. He just couldn't wait for the day that he would say his vows to her. In fact, he already started writing them…two pages worth of love, passion, and youth. And to think, that's not even half of what he wants to say. "That is wonderful, Sakura-chan! Our children can bear the rings!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Lee-kun, they won't even be old enough to roll over, I don't think that they'll be able to even hold the rings without sticking them in their mouths."

That was when Lee realized his mistake. As if the training he had with Gai-sensei a couple weeks ago wasn't evidence enough, Lee knew nothing of babies. That could also be because he has never, ever been around anyone under the age of eight before in his whole life. He started to panic.

"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with fright and terror. Sakura looked up at him with confusion in her green eyes. "What if…what if I am a bad father? What if they do not like me? What if…" He trailed off.

Sakura pushed away from him to get a better look at his face. "Lee-kun, you worry too much. You'll be a wonderful father and I'm pretty sure that they will love you!" She kissed his cheek and smiled reassuringly at him.

Lee's eyes instantly filled with large comical tears. "Oh, Sakura-chan, you are so nice to me!" He pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly to him, catching her by surprise.

After a moment of difficult breathing, Sakura finally got Lee to release her and she glared at him. "Lee-kun, lay off the big bear hugs for a while, okay? That can't be healthy for the babies."

Lee nodded and yawned. "Maybe we should get some sleep? You are supposed to be seeing Hokage-sama later today, right?"

Sakura nodded and scooted under the covers, bringing Lee with her. "Yeah, I also have to check in with my parents, even though I really rather not." She gave an exasperated sigh as she snuggled in Lee's arms.

"Everything will turn out for the best, Sakura-chan." Ah, Lee, always looking on the bright side and ignoring the fact that Sakura's father is out to get him. He sweatdropped when he thought of that.

Sakura laughed but it was immediately cut short with a yawn. Before she would place her head on Lee's chest, however… "Lee-kun, get clean up. You really look and smell like you have had baby food dumped all over you."

Lee frowned and stood up. "Hai, Sakura-chan, I would take a quick shower and if I-"

"Lee-kun, do you have to do that for everything?"

Lee grinned and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Sakura's forehead before going to the bathroom to take a quick shower. If that blender was an actual ninja, he would surely be dead by now. Cursed blenders…Even though Lee wasn't one to hold a grudge; he definitely held one against that…machine.

Ten minutes later, Lee's shower was done and over with. He dressed in his trendy black boxers (a gift from Sakura-chan) and cotton green pajama bottoms. He left the bathroom and flicked off the switch. Darkness instantly filled the rooms and he couldn't tell where he was going. It was a good thing that he knew his apartment inside and out. After navigating through the darkness, he finally found his way in his room and to his bed, where Sakura seems to already be sound asleep. He slipped under the covers quietly so he doesn't disturb his sleeping wife-to-be. He slowly snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her gently to his side. Automatically, she rolled over and rested her head on his chest and gave out a blissful sigh.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan. I love you." He whispered in the darkness and allowed sleep to take over.

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It was 2:25 AM and the moon filled the sky over Konoha. The dark clouds hovered in the sky, surrounding the bright moon and casting the village in darkness. One lone figure was standing outside of some large, familiar clan's house, small pebbles in his hand and a wicked sly grin on his face. She had avoided him for too long and it was time to confront her. Sure, it was 2:30 in the morning and no doubt she was peacefully sleeping in her own room, but he couldn't wait any longer. He was losing sleep over this and they needed to talk. And besides, he never really had much common sense to wait until later, but since she kept dodging him and avoiding him like he was the plague, he had no other choice. She was going to talk to him or he was going to make a scene.

He took one small pebble, prayed that the room he was aiming at was Hinata's, and let it ripped. The pebble tapped against the window, creating a small 'ding' before rebounding off. He waited a few seconds to see if it was heard. There was no reaction from the resident inside. Frowning, he took another pebble and threw it at the same window. This time, the light flicked on and a shadowy figure appeared behind the curtains. He grinned, waiting for the figure to see him.

Unfortunately, that was the wrong window as the curtains were drawn and the irritated face of Neji appeared. Naruto eyes widen as he quickly hid himself from view so that Neji couldn't spot him. He hid in some bushes where he could keep an eye on Neji but at the same time, so the other boy couldn't see him.

Neji poked his head out of the window and glared around the area, activating the Byakugan. His eyes scanned the area until they stopped on a figure trying to 'hide' in some nearby bushes. Instantly, he could tell that the idiot that was throwing rocks at his window and disturb him from his blissful sleep was Naruto. His hair cascaded down his face as he withdrew his head back into his room. He wasn't in the mood with Naruto's stupidity. He'll deal with the idiot later.

Once Naruto was sure that Neji was gone, he got out of his hiding spot. He glanced around and randomly picked a window on the other side of the house. He crossed his fingers, grabbed a pebble, and threw it at what he hoped was Hinata's bedroom window and prayed that it wasn't Hiashi's. In a matter of seconds, the light in that room flickered on. Naruto's smile widen as he saw the sleepy figure of the girl he has been trying to reach.

The window opened and Naruto could see Hinata's shock pale eyes looking down at him. Naruto grinned and wave. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" He whispered loudly. It was pretty hard to whisper loud enough for her to hear him without shouting loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood.

Hinata was torn between shutting the window and hiding under her bed for the rest of the night or going down there to see Naruto. She wasn't sure what she could say to him after avoiding him for so long. Why, oh why, was he here now? And at two o'clock in the morning?

"N-Naruto-k-kun?" She stuttered, trying to keep the tears at bay as she remembered the night in the rain. The night she kissed him.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, can we talk?"

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AN: I'm not too thrilled with this chapter…I don't know why either…I hope everyone likes it, though. Please, send me your reviews so I can possibly make the next chapter better for you guys, m'kay? Even though this chapter was a blast to write, I'd like to make it enjoyable for my dedicated readers. Next chapter may take a while to come out (and that is why this one came so early). Until next chapter, continue to review. Thanks everyone.

I like to thank Sambers and EIT for their help in beta-reading my story for me. Thanks guys.

Next Chapter Preview: "N-no…it's…it's okay, N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata gently interrupted him. She wanted to turn away from him, but she couldn't, not with his hand on her chin and his eyes being so…hypnotic.