Chapter 10: Renewed Hope

Sakura got herself ready for school. It was Monday, only days after the dance. Although it was an eventful weekend for her celebrating Halloween with friends, not a moment went by that she didn't think about the charming, masked stranger from the dance. As she was bundling up for the cold, she noticed his jacket still hanging on the back of her chair. She still wasn't sure what to do with it. As much as she enjoyed keeping it to remember the night, she wanted to reunite it with its owner. After careful consideration, she folded it up and tucked it into her tote bag. After arriving at school, she met with Ino, whom she had not seen since the dance.

"I saw your photos from the dance and Halloween." Sakura said, smiling. "You two look very cute together." She added, referring to her and Sai.

"Thanks!" Ino said, smiling. "Sakura, girl, he's so dreamy." she said, swooning over Sai. "Oh! There he is now!" she said as Sai was approaching them.

"Good morning, ladies. How are you doing?" Sai asked politely.

"I'm good! Even better now that you're here." Ino said as she took his arm and Sai smiled warmly. The scene was sickly sweet for Sakura, but she was happy for Ino.

"Sakura, how was the dance?" He asked, curious about the outcome of Lee's mission.

"It was amazing." Sakura said, her smile intensifying as she remembered the night. "I'm so glad I decided to go."

"I'm glad to hear that. Did you see the school's post about it?" Sai asked. Sakura was confused.

"No. Why?" Sakura asked. Ino's smile faded. "Did something happen?" Sakura asked, becoming more concerned.

"Oh no. Nothing like that. You should see for yourself." Sai said. Sakura pulled out her phone and found the post. She must have overlooked it during her busy weekend.

She saw the video thumbnail and felt her heart sink. She pressed the play button and watched the short clip of her dancing with her mysterious partner. She watched herself and the stranger dance perfectly in sync with the music. She was happy that this moment was captured on video, but she was also mortified. The last thing she wanted was to have more attention on her. The rumors of her and Sasuke's relationship and breakup along with the graffiti in the bathroom followed her like some curse. Sai took notice of her change in demeanor.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Sai asked. Sakura peered up at him like a deer in headlights. She tried to soften her features and relax herself.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a bit tired." Sakura sighed. "It's a good video, but I'm afraid I don't even know who that guy is." Sai failed to hide his surprise. Sakura scrutinized his sudden change in expression. He had the sudden urge to run away.

"That's… a shame. I hope you can find him. If you want to, I mean." Sai said. He turned to Ino. "May I walk you to your classroom?" Ino looked down at her smartwatch.

"Class starts in like 20 minutes, but sure, why not." Ino said. She smiled at Sakura and left abruptly with Sai without another word.

"He knows something." Sakura said to herself. She had spent her weekend thinking of potential suspects. Someone had to know something about this guy. Getting information from Sai may prove difficult or impossible.

She ruled out Sasuke. The thought of him doing any of that was laughable to her. Sasuke wasn't romantic like him, and Sasuke would never dance or learn French just to impress her. Sasuke wouldn't risk being caught at the dance either, or he may face a punishment more severe than the detention he had to attend for weeks. He did show photographic evidence that he was at the gym, after all. She ruled out most of the guys she knew because she had recognized them at the dance already.

Although she had dismissed Lee as the masked dancer initially, she had factored him back into her list of potential suspects. To her, it was almost as nonsensical as considering Sasuke, but she had a strange gut feeling about him. She knew he was into martial arts, so he must be quite skilled with moving his body and being quick on his feet. She felt silly considering him though. Though he had grown quite large and strong over the last couple of years, she still remembered him being the goofy-looking boy he was at the time when he took a chance and asked her out. She realized she had not spoken to him since class last week. She looked forward to seeing him so they could catch up and so she could put her ridiculous theory at rest.

Lee sat in the classroom, waiting for Neji and Tenten to arrive. He was aware of the video and was anxious about the expected verbal lashing from his friends for not revealing his face to Sakura at the dance. However, the memories of that night still danced in his head. He felt sad when he had to wash his face where she had kissed him. If he closed his eyes and concentrated enough, he swore he could still feel her soft lips against him. He smiled as he remembered her warmth against him.

"Lee."

Lee flinched so hard his desk shook, and his pen rolled off of the surface and onto the floor. His eyes met with Neji's. Tenten was with him, but she was noticeably paler than usual.

"Lost in your thoughts again I see." Neji teased as he reclined in his chair. Lee frowned.

"Nothing gets by you, Einstein." Lee retorted and stuck his tongue out at Neji. Neji smiled playfully. Lee turned to Tenten. "Tenten, are you alright?"

"My stomach hurts." Tenten said as she held her belly. "I'll be fine, I just ate too much candy this weekend." She said while grimacing.

"I hope you feel better." Lee said. Lee smiled when he remembered seeing their photos on social media. "I loved your costumes." Lee complimented Tenten. Neji looked embarrassed. Tenten's face brightened.

"Thanks!" Tenten chimed. "We made the best Bonnie and Clyde." Neji blushed. He was still adjusting to the PDA. "I wanted to do Beauty and the Beast, but Neji didn't like it." She teased, noticing Neji seemed slightly abashed. Lee chuckled.

"That's enough." Neji said although he couldn't hide his slight smile. "Maybe next year." Tenten beamed, despite her discomfort.

"So…" Tenten said, trying to think of what to say next. "How was the dance? We saw the videos." Lee's smile faded.

"I wanted to ask her out, but it was not the right time." Lee said. Neji shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

"Lee…" Tenten said, anger forming. "I spent a lot of time on that costume. Why didn't you do it?"

"I am sorry." Lee responded. "We were having a fun time, but then she was upset about something. Sasuke." he said, saying Sasuke's name without hiding his disgust. Lee realized his tone and wanted to bite his tongue. This new emotion he felt was unusual for him.

"Oh." Tenten said. She looked uncomfortable too. She thought about something and decided to spit it out. "I have heard some rumors about her." Lee focused on Tenten and was listening closely. Tenten couldn't even tell what Lee was thinking based on his expression.

"Like what?" Lee asked. Neji's discomfort grew. He looked over his shoulder, hoping their teacher would begin class soon. Tenten's stomach hurt worse now.

"Someone wrote something awful on the walls of some bathroom stalls." Tenten said. Lee's large brows began to furrow. The air was cold even in the classroom, but Tenten could swear she was sweating now. He looked at Tenten intently, patiently waiting for her to spit out what she read. "They called her a slut."

Everything clicked in Lee's mind. He knew Sakura was resilient, so her breakup must have not been the only issue she was going through. At last, the missing pieces of the puzzle were uncovered. And now, he regretted what he had done to her. If he had known that Sakura was being targeted like this, he would have changed tactics and done something more private. Who knows just how many people saw them and watched that video? His mask and carefully crafted costume granted him anonymity, but it was no secret that Sakura was the one he danced with in that video. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut and had the wind knocked out of him. His anger toward Sasuke was now directed at himself.

"Lee." Tenten said, concerned for his well-being. "Don't let it get to you. It's just immature stuff. Sakura knows better than to let it get to her." She rationalized. Lee shook his head and sniffled as tears began to roll down his face.

"Lee, pull yourself together. There isn't anything you can do about that. Just ignore it." Neji said.

"You guys just do not know her like I do." Lee cried, wiping his tears away with his forearm. "I will tell her it was me so that I can apologize." he said while looking down. "Or maybe, I should just forget all about it. Maybe telling her will only make things worse."

"Lee…" Tenten said, not sure what to say to comfort him. It was true that while Tenten worked with Sakura in theater, she wasn't very close to her. She wanted to comfort Lee, but the class had started, and they all had to turn their attention to their teacher, who was sharing a PowerPoint presentation at the front of the classroom.

Throughout the day, Sakura couldn't focus on her classes. She kept looking around at the other students, scrutinizing each male with black hair. None of them matched the profile of her dance partner. She looked at their hands when she was close enough, looking for scars. The freezing weather made her search difficult, since some students seemed to cover their hands with gloves, or they placed their cold hands in their pockets. Her search was still fresh but already seemed hopeless. Discouraged, she decided to focus on class and try to let it go. She held onto the hope that maybe it was someone who knew her and would find her before she found him.

She made it to her class with Lee, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed already in her search. Like always, Lee greeted her and pulled out her chair for her. She sat down and took out her notebook and pencil.

"How was your weekend?" Sakura asked him.

"It was alright. How was yours?" Lee asked. Sakura knew she would need to pry some more.

"Oh, it was great." Sakura said. Lee smiled. "I had a very nice time at the dance." She said, looking into his eyes. She swore for a split second his pupil size had changed when she mentioned the dance.

"That is great!" Lee said, smiling. "Tell me about it." Sakura smiled, starting to think that maybe she was crazy to think Lee was the masked dancer. She didn't detect deceit from Lee.

"I almost didn't go." Sakura explained. "But I went and met someone. He's a great dancer, but I never got his name. I was an idiot and left abruptly." she said sadly. "Did you go to the dance, Lee?"

Lee froze. He decided to not tell Sakura, but he wasn't willing to lie to her face. He was now stuck between lying to her or telling her the truth and making things worse for her. He felt uneasy being in this situation.

"I did, but I did not stay long. I did not want to be a third wheel." Lee said, referring to Neji and Tenten. It made perfect sense to Sakura.

"Oh, I must've just missed you. It was pretty packed, and the masks didn't help, either." Sakura said, noticing Lee was uncomfortable.

Sakura was confused. Lee would have just told her already. He would have shown his face at the dance and asked her out. Maybe it wasn't him and he was just trying to conceal his jealousy? She thought she knew him well, but now, she was reconsidering that maybe she just didn't know Lee as well as she thought she did. Before this year, she saw him only occasionally and did not speak to him outside of school. They had become somewhat close until the incident with Sasuke. Lee was a chatterbox, but he never seemed to talk about himself unless asked. Once Sakura thought about it, she found it sweet of him how selfless he could be, but she felt guilty. It seemed she had shared so much about herself with him, but she was not as curious about Lee as he was about her.

That has changed now. She felt like she must have missed something when she had judged him before. She was quick to judge him for his looks, but not his character. In the months they had class together, Lee showed himself to be kind, forgiving, hardworking, polite, respectful, humble, and empathetic. Though Sasuke had looks, his virtues seemed to have slipped away as time passed. The lesson she learned with Sasuke was that she should only be with someone who enjoyed her company and wanted to be with her. She couldn't stand the memory of being in a relationship that emotionally strangled her.

Lately, Sakura had considered what it meant to be a woman, an adult. She hated it when her parents treated her like a child, but she understood they were only trying to protect her. The few times she felt like she had grown and matured were the times she was on dates with Sasuke and the homecoming dance last week. It hurt to admit it, but that dance she had with a complete stranger made her feel more special than Sasuke managed to make her feel in recent memory. If that stranger was Lee, she felt guilty for not realizing it sooner. Now, she wanted to know him more.

The class went by as usual. Lee seemed somewhat distant and lost in his thoughts. Sakura kept looking at him and eventually, he noticed her gaze. He became shy and turned away, focusing on Mrs. Sarutobi giving her lecture. Sakura couldn't help but find his sudden shyness endearing. There must be something going on for Lee to not be his usual confident self. Lee was wearing some long fingerless gloves under his sweatshirt sleeves, concealing the top of his hands to Sakura's dismay. She knew she had seen those scared hands before but couldn't remember who they belonged to. Class eventually ended and Lee still seemed to be acting strange.

"Hey, Lee," Sakura said to him as they were gathering their belongings.

"Yes, Sakura?" Lee responded, looking more nervous.

"Would you like to hang out sometime?" Sakura asked.

"Oh. To work on our project?" Lee asked.

"No. I mean like as friends. It would be fun if we could do something together." Sakura suggested. Lee was taken aback.

"Of course!" Lee said, smiling. Though he feared what others would say about Sakura if they were seen together, she seemed like she was okay with it since she suggested it.

"Great, I'll text you later," Sakura said. "Have a good rest of your day."

"Likewise!" Lee chimed.

Feeling in better spirits, he went to his art class. Sai was busy drawing in his sketchbook. He was drawing Ino from memory. Lee sat next to him and let himself relax in his seat, still in a good mood from his recent conversation with Sakura.

"Did you tell her yet?" Sai asked Lee. Lee's smile faded.

"No. It is complicated." Lee sighed.

"Say no more," Sai said. "Women are complicated," he said as he tried to fix a mistake in his portrait.

"Sakura is perfect," Lee said. "Some people just don't understand her."

"I can imagine she's attracted a lot of attention lately," Sai said. "I think my girlfriend is jealous of her."

"What makes you say that?" Lee asked, wondering why. Why would someone be jealous of someone in Sakura's position? She just ended a committed relationship, her boyfriend assaulted her friend on camera, she was grounded for the first time and now she's being targeted in school. What was there to be jealous of?

"I thought they were close friends, but Ino hardly talks about her. It's still early for me to tell, so maybe it's just my imagination. It's no big deal anyways." Sai said, shrugging. Sai focused on Lee, who looked like he had spaced out. "If you want to impress Sakura, maybe you should train your glutes more."

Lee sighed, feeling mentally exhausted by the day he had. He noticed Gaara looking at him from across the room. Lee yearned to go to work and forget about his life for a few hours. Mercifully, his class passed by quickly and he managed to get to work shortly, enjoying the half hour of free time before teaching his first class for the night.

After work, he headed home and let his weary body recline in his office chair. He checked his assignment due dates and noticed he didn't have anything pressing. His forehead hurt and the light seemed to be making his headache worse. He took a hot shower and retreated to his bed, trying to get warm again. The temperatures seemed to have dropped even lower. It wouldn't be long before the three of them would finally turn on the heat in the house. For now, Lee relied on his radiator heater to warm his bedroom.

Sakura sent Lee a text message: Hey. How was work?

Lee responded: Hello Sakura. It was good. How was your day?

Sakura responded: Are you free to talk? Lee smiled to himself. He preferred to speak over text. He called her and he saw her face on the screen.

"Oh, Sakura. I am sorry. I pressed the wrong button." Lee said, realizing he tapped the video call button by mistake.

"It's fine, Lee. I'm dressed." Sakura said, smiling. She took a closer look at Lee and chuckled. Lee was confused by what she could be laughing about. He realized he was wearing his Spiderman-themed pajamas and was embarrassed. His face flushed and he reached for his hoodie. "No don't worry about it, Lee." she said giggling. Lee couldn't help but laugh at himself.

"How was your day, Sakura?" Lee asked.

"It was alright. I still haven't figured out who danced with me, but I think Sai Yamanaka knows." Sakura said. Lee felt a lump in his throat.

"I am sure you will find him soon." Lee said, trying to avoid telling a lie, but at this point, he felt he was already past that point by concealing the truth. He did not want Sakura under more pressure than she already was.

"Do you know anyone who speaks any French?" she asked. Lee could feel himself sweating. His fitness watch indicated his heart rate had increased from 50bpm to 85bpm.

"I believe Mr. Hatake does." Lee said coyly.

"Call me crazy, but I have a suspicion that you know who he is." Sakura said, half teasing and the other half serious. He was acting strange, just like Sai was. He was hiding something.

"Y-you do!?" Lee asked. Sakura analyzed him. Lee's first instinct was to tell the truth, but he remembered her situation and decided against it. "Uh." Lee froze.

"Is it a secret?" Sakura asked. Lee began to think. While it was a secret, he did not like the burden of keeping it for long. He could keep a secret from others, but as for himself, he felt odd about it. Normally he was an open book to whoever asked, but not this time. Lee nodded at Sakura.

"Yes. I know who it is." Lee confessed. Sakura's eyes lit up. "But…" Lee trailed off and readjusted his posture, trying to feel more comfortable, despite his obvious discomfort. "He did not feel like that was the appropriate time to reveal himself." Lee explained. Sakura sat stunned in silence. "He wanted to, but he felt it was a bad time." Lee felt odd referring to himself in the third person.

Sakura recalled that night. She remembered leaving abruptly when she became aware of all the people around her. As much as she tried not to care what others said about her, she had to admit that the rumors were taking a toll on her well-being. She cursed herself for being a coward, for running away when things got tough. This stranger must have been so kind as to have considered how she felt above his feelings. He even gave her his jacket and did not expect to have it returned. He was even willing to part with his gloves. Sakura's crush intensified for the masked dancer.

"I understand." Sakura said. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did."

"It is not your fault, Sakura. A lot has happened in a brief time." Lee said, trying to comfort her.

"That's true, but I want to be accountable for my actions." Sakura said boldly. "I let things get bad in the first place and I care too much about things that aren't important. People can talk all they want about me, and it shouldn't matter to me." Sakura said, feeling relieved to get that off of her chest. "I'm ready to move on."

Lee felt his heart skip. He knew Sakura was strong, and she grew even more beautiful to him for her personal growth. He tried to bury his feelings and his hopes to be with her, but all those feelings were coming back to the surface and were sprouting like greenery in the springtime. He felt a warm, comforting feeling in his soul that everything would be okay.

"I am glad to hear that you are doing better, Sakura." Lee smiled.

"Could you do me a favor, Lee?" Sakura asked.

"Of course," Lee responded. "Anything."

"Tell this mystery man that I am interested in him." Sakura said, looking somewhat sheepish. Lee's eyes widened. He felt as if Cupid had shot him with his largest arrow. He felt his face turn hot.

"I will." Lee squeaked.

"Thanks." She said. "Also, I wasn't sure if you would be interested, but I want to invite you to see the play I'm in next month. It would be great if you could come." she said, still analyzing his responses.

"I would love to!" Lee chimed. Sakura smiled.

"Great, I'm glad to hear that," Sakura said. "Also, weird question, but have you gone ice skating before?" Lee shook his head. "Well, would you like to try it? I have been wanting to go to the ice rink and it's more fun going with someone. Ino said she doesn't want to get all bruised up before the football season ends." Sakura said while rolling her eyes.

"That sounds like fun!" Lee said, excited at the prospect of spending time with Sakura.

"Good. How does this weekend sound?" Sakura asked.

"That's perfect!" Lee said. "I could pick you up if you need a ride." Sakura thought about it. She wasn't sure how her dad would feel about that, considering recent events.

"Oh don't worry about that. I have no issue with that, but my dad might get upset. Sorry." Sakura explained.

"It is okay, Sakura. I understand." Lee said.

"I appreciate the offer though." Sakura said. "Well, we should get some rest. We still have school tomorrow."

"That is right." Lee said, realizing that it was beginning to get late. "Sweet dreams, Sakura." Lee said sweetly.

"Goodnight, Lee." Sakura said while smiling. Lee hung up the phone.

Lee connected his phone to the charger after setting his alarm. He rested on his side in his bed, trying to get comfortable as his mind flooded with so many thoughts. Sakura must have suspected him of being the dancer, or perhaps, she believed he was someone else and not Lee. Lee understood that maybe Sakura just didn't know him well enough to come to that conclusion, but that did not upset him. He wanted her to love him, and he was willing to sacrifice and be patient for her to come to that point.

Lee rationalized that Sakura must either suspect him or she only sees Lee as a friend. Why else would she ask Lee to go ice skating if she already had her sights set on the mystery man? He thought he had her figured out, but now he was questioning his perception. He decided to save his problems for tomorrow and settled into sleep.