The Power of Youth
Chapter XV
"To Behold"

By: SapphireWhiteTigress

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"Sasuke, why are you doing this?" Lee asked as he dodged an oncoming attack from the enraged Uchiha. He was trying desperately to think of a way out of Sasuke's range without harming Sakura, who was now his main priority. He chanced a glance at the feverish young woman in his arms as Sasuke once again charged at him. Lee quickly turned away from the girl just in time to dodge yet another attack. "Stop this Sasuke! Would you really hurt Sakura-chan?" He asked tensely as he tried to talk some sense into the boy who once fought beside them. "She is still your teammate and friend, Sasuke!" He tried desperately to reach out to him. "You do not have to do this!" His breathing came out in gasps as he tightly held onto his love. "Sasuke…if I…If I don't get her to the hospital…Sakura-chan could…she could…die…Please, Sasuke." He begged with a heavy heart weighing him down.

Sasuke paused in his attacks to contemplate this. He was certain that all his feelings and ties to Konoha have been eradicated, leaving him as an emotionless fiend with only one thing in mind: To Kill Itachi. He was closer to that path than he have been in years and he wasn't about to let something like this come between him and his goal. He cursed himself as he reminded himself that this wasn't about Itachi, not right now. This was his own personal gain, wasn't it? Killing off the people he once cared about would prove to everyone, especially Itachi, that he was ready for him.

It was an internal battle raging inside of him. A conflict that wanted to be resolved, but Sasuke was stubborn. He was torn between finishing the job and leaving again. Did his heart still beat from his friends? His old comrades? As he looked upon the sickening Sakura, he wasn't sure what he felt. A tidal wave of feelings washed over him with such force that he was momentarily taken aback.

Lee watched Sasuke in silence as he bared witness to his inner sufferings. Even though Sasuke wasn't a Konoha Ninja, Lee still considered Sasuke as one of them and his friend. He wanted to help him and hopefully convert him back to the way he was, before Orochimaru and possibly, before the incident that led Sasuke to become so unstable.

Lee glanced back down to the girl in his arms as she moaned in discomfort, reminding Lee what he must do. Casting a sidelong glance at the preoccupied Sasuke, Lee quickly dashed off to the hospital, in hopes that Sasuke wouldn't chase him down.

He didn't.

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Ino was starting to grow impatient with the preparations for Sakura and Lee's little party that she was hosting. What was most annoying was the fact that Naruto kept goofing off and almost sabotaging the whole thing with his carelessness and clumsiness. Not only was there that, but the constant bickering between the blond idiot and Kiba was tearing at her last nerves.

She tried to ignore them and focus on more pressing matters. Given the current circumstance, she decided to move the party up a bit to a few hours. She was excited about it and could hardly contain herself. She called over Tenten and Neji. "Hey, Tenten, Neji, come here!"

Tenten, dragging a reluctant Neji along, were by Ino's side almost immediately. "You called?"

Ino nodded as she said, "Yeah, could you see if you can find Sakura and Lee? Make sure they're here by eight, okay?"

Tenten nodded and saluted Ino before running out, still dragging Neji with her. Ino shook her head and murmured under her breath, "She spends way too much time around Lee."

---

As Lee made his way through the semi-crowded streets that would take him to the hospital, thoughts of the girl that rested in his arms consumed his mind. He prayed to whatever God that there was, that she would be alright and that his children, his blissful little babies would also be alright. It was tearing him apart inside to see someone in loved so much in so much pain and it hurt worst knowing that he was the one to bring on such pain.

She will be alright…she has to be…He repeated over in his head that this was only minor, that it was a normal thing during a pregnancy, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that settled in the bit of his stomach. What was really going on? By God, he loved this woman with everything that made him whole and if something, anything were to happen to her…his life wouldn't be worth living. She was the reason that he was alive today. She gave him strength when he felt weak and unable to fight on. She was his caused and without her, his reason to live would cease to exist.

The tears fell from his eyes as he clenched her tightly to his chest, his destination coming into view quickly, but a blurry sight it was. He ran through the doors and to the receptionist area, frantically rushing the nurses to look at Sakura. They immediately went to work on her as they ushered the unwilling Lee away from her as they placed her on a stretcher and rushed her into the emergency room. It was all a blurred for him, as if he was on autopilot. There was nothing he could do but just stand there and wait.

He found himself once again in the hospital, waiting for answers to his unasked questions. He hated this. He wanted to be in there with her but they wouldn't allow it. He was a mess. The suit that he borrowed from Sakura's family friend was tattered and covered in mud from his brief fight with the young Uchiha. His hair wasn't its usual shine and it drooped, as if to match his mood perfectly and dripped with perspiration and droplets of water. He heaved a heavy sigh and dropped in a nearby chair with his head in his hands.

Why couldn't life be easy? Why must this keep happening? He was starting to despise hospitals.

After a few minutes of being lost in his thoughts, Lee was disturbed from his reveries when he heard the echoing of a familiar set of footsteps down the hall. He lifted his head, unaware of his bloodshot eyes, still brimming with unshed tears, to see Tsunade as she made her way to him. Unfortunately for him, she didn't pass him a second glance as she soon disappeared inside of the room in which Sakura was being held in.

He sighed and found a spot on the floor to stare at until the news of Sakura's condition could reach his ears. Did they not realize how important this was to him? That he, too, had the right to know what was going on? Apparently, they didn't think so and it was driving the usually polite Lee crazy with anticipation and despair.

"There you are, Lee!" The voice of his teammate Tenten broke him from his thoughts. "Somebody said that they saw you running into the hospital. What happened?" She asked him as soon as she and Neji were standing in front of him.

Lee ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair and took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "Sakura-chan…" He started but his words were lost in his throat.

Tenten's eyes widened as wayward thoughts ran amok in her head at all the possibilities that could have happened to her friend. "What happened to Sakura?" After a moment when Lee still hasn't said a word, Tenten placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Lee?"

He sighed and looked into Tenten's brown eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he said in an inaudible whisper, "What have I done?" His voice cracked and he reminded Tenten of someone who have betted his life away – and lost. He was broken and scared and she knew that if something were to ever happen to Sakura and their unborn child, he would kill himself in the grief. Not physically, as she knew Lee was against one taking one's own life, but the despair would slowly eat away at him. She watched enough movies to know.

Tenten raked her brain for something to say to bring him out of this slum, but found that there was nothing she could say to him. She turned desperate eyes to Neji, who, until now, stood silently behind her, observing the scene with a small hint of concern in his clear eyes.

Neji shrugged and stared at his companion. "Lee, you brought this upon yourself."

Tenten glared at Neji before turning back to Lee and sitting down beside him. "Don't listen to Neji, Lee. He doesn't know what he's talking about," she gave Neji another glare in warning before he could say anything else to offend Lee. She gently placed an arm around her friend. "Look, Lee, Sakura's going to be okay. She's strong and when this is all over, you're going to be a proud father and, well, husband too, I guess." She said soothingly and couldn't help but notice how weird that all sounded. Lee becoming a father seemed so…foreign to her, like it was all some weird dream.

Lee stared at the floor in silent contemplation. Neji snorted with the roll of his eyes, but both Lee and Tenten chose to ignore him.

The silence that followed was deafening as each one was last in their thoughts, waiting on news about Sakura's condition. Waiting was something Lee has always been accustomed to as he often abide by the saying "Patience is a Virtue". However, this was different and if Lee hadn't been so proper, he would be pulling out strands of his hair by now. How many times has it been now that he waited impatiently in this cold and disturbing hospital?

Lee found himself being drawn out of his inner turmoil once again by a sudden voice that somehow seemed to chill him to the bone. He cringed and looked up to see the ominous approaching figure of Sakura's father.

"Where is my daughter? Where is Sakura?" He demanded, his voice carrying down the hollow halls and bouncing off the off-white walls.

Lee suddenly wished that he could crawl into a hole and die.

Tenten watched with mild amusement as Sakura's father was stopped by a nurse and redirected to the nurses' station, followed by his embarrassed, but obviously worried wife.

"What the hell do you mean; I have to calm down?! My daughter's in the damned emergency room for Christ sake! I demand to know what the hell's going on!" He roared and Tenten instantly understood why Lee seemed to be wishing that he was anywhere else but here. That man scared her and she has never officially met him before. She had no plans to either. As much as she was worried for her friend, and she truly was, she felt that the others should know of the situation (and it was a good excuse to dodge the oncoming bullets).

She stood and stretched, turning to face Lee. She raised an eyebrow as Lee tried slouching in his seat to appear smaller and shook her head. "I should probably tell everyone what's going on and why Sakura won't be able to make the party today." She turned to walk away from Lee with Neji willingly following. Before she went too far, and tilted her head around to get a better look at Lee and said, "Lee, don't worry too much. Sakura and the babies will be fine. You'll see." She smiled at him briefly before leaving the troubled boy alone.

Lee sighed and only hoped that Tenten was right.

---

Down the hall, Matsou was deeply annoyed and agitated. How dare they forbid him from seeing his daughter? Hadn't he the right? He was her father! He had all the right in the world to go see his baby girl. His thoughts then shifted gears and focused on the reason why he was here in the first place. Forget about what he said about giving Lee a chance. Damn that boy! It was his fault that Sakura, his precious Sakura was here suffering! It was his fault that Sakura was carrying his spawn!

With any luck, Sakura would lose the babies and they could go back to the way things were, before all this ever happened. He also knew that that was wishful thinking and he had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that wishing for Sakura to lose the babies was a coldhearted and almost demonic thing to wish on anyone.

How could he, the proud father of a beautiful girl, wish such misfortune on someone he loves so unconditionally? He knew the pains of losing someone so dare; someone that he was never able to meet. Truth be told, Sakura was his and Miki's third child. It was a painful thought he wished to avoid thinking about, but he couldn't stop himself as they invaded his mind.

Four years before Sakura was born, Miki found out that she was pregnant with their first child and he was ecstatic with the thought of becoming a father. They were young and inexperience and this was a new experience for them, a whole new adventure. The pregnancy went exceptionally well, but somewhere during the birthing, complications were met…

Matsou closed his eyes to block out the pain he felt during those hard times. It was a boy, his son…the son that he never had the chance to meet. Both he and Miki were torn apart over the tragedy. It was a horrible time for both of them, but they learned to move on and one and a half years later, Miki was pregnant once more with their second child. They were terrified. What if the same thing happened like last time? What if this one wouldn't make it too?

Miki went to every appointment that was necessary and then some. They were determined to keep this one. They so desperately wanted a child to love, to raise, to teach and watch grow.

Luck was far from their side once again as the fifth month rolled around and Miki was struck with an excruciating abdominal pain. And then came the blood. Fear overtook them and Matsou got Miki to the hospital as soon as possible…but they were too late.

It was a miscarriage.

He didn't think that the pain of losing his first child could return with such force at losing his second. They were grieving and came to the conclusion that it just wasn't meant to be. They weren't supposed to have children and that thought alone tore them up inside.

And then a miracle happened.

When Miki, for the third time, found out that she was pregnant again, they were scared out of their minds. Would this one survive or would it…end up like the previous two? He didn't think that he could take another one. He knew he wouldn't be able to.

And then, his precious and beautiful Sakura was born. He was able to hold her in his arms. He was able, for the first time, to look down upon her beautiful infant face and smile at the life that lived. She was his little miracle and he would do anything in his power to protect his baby.

"Matsou?" The voice of his wife cut deep within his thoughts.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"Are you alright?" She asked gently, placing a hand on his forearm.

"No I'm not alright," Matsou grunted as he tiredly rubbed his index finger and thumb against his temper to fight off the coming headache. He turned back to the forgotten nurse. "When will I be able to see my daughter?"

The nurse meekly replied with a 'in a few hours sir' before dashing off to find something else to do. Anything to get away from the intimidating man.

Matsou growled and stomped down the hall, briskly walking past Lee without even noticing the boy. However, Lee wasn't so lucky when the man stopped only a few steps away and slowly turned towards him, his eyes had the look that could kill ever the most powerful of ninjas.

Lee gulped as he found out that he was caught and no matter how fast he could run, there was no escaping the bloodlust. He immediately stood up at attention, his arms stiffed by his side and his breath hitched in his throat. Not even his most dangerous and challenging fight could compare to the terror he was feeling now. He guessed that the saying was true when they said that there was no wrath worst than that of a parents' wrath.

Matsou stared him down like a man who could rip apart titanium with his bare hands. Lee's eyes glanced briefly to the clenching and unclenching of the older man's hands and he could tell that he was fighting back the urge to strangle him.

Miki stood behind Matsou and rested a slender hand on her husband's shoulder to try and ease his nerves. It almost worked, if it weren't for the fact that his daughter was in one of these rooms.

Thankfully, nothing else could be exchanged as the door to Sakura's room slowly opened and out stepped Tsunade, looking worn and tired. She stifled a yawn and looked around the area with a raised eyebrow. All heads turned to her in anticipation.

Lee's heart was thumping wildly in his chest and all thoughts were focused on finding out about Sakura and their children. He felt lightheaded and sick as the worry consumed him. He needed to know if she was okay, if they were okay.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama…" He choked back tears as he spoke, his voice cracking. His eyes shined with unshed tears and hope. "How…is she?"

Tsunade glanced in the room before completely stepping out into the hallway and closing the door. She looked into all three of their eyes before speaking. "Well,"

---

Damn it! Damn it all! Damn them. Why was this happening? Why now? He was confused and he needed to sort out his thoughts. For years he avoided them like the plague, trying to find true power. It was hopeless. The feelings he thought he left behind years ago resurfaced with such a force, he wasn't sure what he was doing was what he really wanted.

Yes, he wanted to avenge his parents; his clan. He wanted to be able to live again, live the life he had before the onslaught of everyone he cared about. For the first time in years, Sasuke Uchida wanted to cry out in pain, in irritation, in frustration and to cry just to be crying. He doesn't even remember the last time he actually cried, really cried.

"Damn it!" He cursed as he threw his fist against a tree, causing the poor defenseless tree to splinter in all directions, leaving nothing but a disfigured stump.

Suddenly, there was a slight click of the tongue that sounded behind him, like someone was testing him. "Tsk, tsk, Sasuke-kun, are you having a bad day?" The voice taunted and Sasuke turned around to only come face to face with none other than Orochimaru. Orochimaru was standing only mere inches away from him.

Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously. "Orochimaru," he spat in distaste, like that very name was venom on his tongue.

Orochimaru gave Sasuke a smug smile, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth and slowly moved across his lips. "I see that you're happy to see me, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru loved toying with his precious Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke refrained himself from punching Orochimaru a hole through his chest. He knew that he could not win in a fight against the Snake Sannin. Instead, he ground out between clenched teeth, "What do you want, Orochimaru?"

"Ah-ah-ah," Orochimaru said with a wave of his right index finger. "How do we address our Lords and Superiors?"

Sasuke's nerves were wearing thin, and this snake bastard wasn't making matters any better for him. "What do you want, Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru smiled that damn sickening smile. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, if only you knew." His laugh was deadly.

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AN: I did it! I actually did it! I got it out before Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone! I really do hope that you all, everyone, enjoyed this chapter. I felt that this chapter wasn't that good, though, but I'll let you be the judge of that.. Inspiration just…hit and took over. I had only three pages when I started on it today and I just knew that today would be the day that I get this chapter out and low and behold, here it is…Wow. I hope nobody lost interest in this baby. It's here to stay, guys. This beauty ain't goin' nowhere. Thanks to everyone who stayed with me and supported me throughout this whole ordeal. I love you guys endlessly. I mean it. You're like my extended family, without your thoughts and comments this story would really be nothing. Here's yet another heartfelt thank you:

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Additionally: Orochimaru might have seemed a tidbit out of character, but you gotten forgive me. It's been months since I even glanced at Naruto (aside from a few selected fanfics). I'm sorry, but I find this to be a little bit funny. Oh, and yeah, I have NO idea what's going on in Naruto Part II. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Not only that, but Sasuke's persona is drawing a blank too. Basically, I'm just winging it from here on out. Hopefully, that won't ruin the fic.

I'd like to thank my mother for reading this over for me, twice, and providing me with feedback. I told her to read over this very slowly and very carefully two times. I wanted to make sure it was good enough to be posted and the reason I didn't ask any of my friends to do it was because, well, I wanted to surprise everyone. Yep. Merry Christmas everyone and may you have a good one at that!