"What in the world?"

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Ms. Haruno?"

Sakura shrank beneath Professor Tsunade's gaze. She had blurted out in the middle of class during a lab no less. All the students were dressed with lab coats and gloves, dissecting a cadaver to study anatomy. Hardly the appropriate place to yell.

"Sorry..." Sakura apologized meekly. She felt her fellow students looking at her as well, trying to discern the source of her outburst.

It didn't come from anything she saw on the cadaver, goodness no. The med students were a bit on edge having to work with a dead body for the first time, but that wasn't the source at all. It actually came from a message Lee sent her.

And no, Sakura wasn't supposed to be on her phone. She kept it discretely in her pocket with the screen facing up so that she could see. Once she felt the familiar vibration, she opened her messages only to be met with yet another picture Lee took.

This time, it was of a squirrel in his apartment. Not a creature that had accidentally wandered in like the cat he christened Saku-nya. An actual squirrel that he seemed to be keeping as a pet. It was on his pillow next to the stuffed squirrel she gave him all those weeks ago.

[Photo Attachment]

Might Squirrel has a new friend now.

I do not know what to name him yet.

As the lab resumed, Sakura still couldn't believe what she saw. She was beside herself with amusement. Of all the things he got up to when she wasn't around. She can't let go of this man, he was too precious.

Ino was eyeing her with a perplexed expression. "You okay, forehead?"

Sakura just softly shook her head with a smile on her face. "I'll tell you later." She didn't want to interrupt class further, earning Tsunade's ire. Although, no matter how flippant Tsunade could be, Sakura would always be her favorite student. She always had a talent for medicine, but for the past couple months, Sakura has been working harder than ever and it showed.

Especially since she hasn't been able to spend time with Lee at night and watching matches. Sakura simply took her studies home after working with Ino and busied herself. She got Shizune to acquire a binder of all known injuries that had taken place in the ring from Guy. Sakura would have asked him herself but she hasn't been able to see him either, of course.

It would have been useful to get his cellphone number if he wasn't the proprietor of Lee's bad habit. Come to think of it, she's never seen Guy hold a phone. Did he even have one anymore? He must have at some point.

No matter.

Sakura flipped through the binder each night, making more of potential injuries she would have to look after. It was not only useful information, but it was rather interesting. For the sake of data entry, Guy labeled each section by date and by name so it would read as follows in his handwriting:

02/12

Rock Lee

Minor concussion

Bruising and swelling on the face

Shards of glass in forearms

When Sakura has come across that entry, she recalled seeing these injuries on Lee. It was occured on the day she first spoke to him formally. In fact, many of these entries were attributed to Lee. Several of which from before she had ever met him.

After all that he has gone through it was a wonder that he was still alive, unable to go see a proper doctor.

Of course, a lot of these entries were attributed to Tenten and Neji as well. Reading through them helped Sakura understand them more. There were hardly any descriptions of anything further than the actual injury sustained, but Sakura would imagine how the fight played out in her head and how one would actually get such injuries.

It was a good thing that Guy kept track of it all. Sakura assumed that it was to ensure that if someone died, if it was due to succumbing to their wounds. It could also be to keep track of his fighters' health. It could be both.

Regardles of intentions, now that Sakura has gone through the binder, she feels more prepared than anything.

ˏˋ ˎˊ

When she got dropped off by Ino, Sakura told her parents that Lee was coming to pick her up so that they could go out on a date. At least, that was the cover up story.

"When is that boy coming back over?" Kizashi asked with a frown. He took a liking to Lee and would very much like to see him again. "Did we scare him away?"

"He's always welcome to come back for dinner," Mebuki added. She was getting ready for her shift at the office, checking her makeup last minute in the small mirror by the front door.

"Unless..." Kizashi folded his arms over his chest. He was back from his shift. The two had spoken with their boss to create this arrangement that wouldn't leave Sakura home alone. "Unless you've been keeping him away from us because you're embarrassed."

Sakura scoffed. "Me? Embarrassed by you guys?" She rolled her eyes. "Never."

Kizashi grinned. "So you don't mind if I open the door for him?"

Sakura did a once over, eyeing her dad with slight disdain. "Dad, I love you but you're literally wearing your bath robe and boxers. Your hairy legs are all out."

Kizashi looked down at himself and there was a knock at the door. In case her father wasn't joking, Sakura rushed to the door to get there first. This time, she made sure to check the peephole— lest she receive a lecture from her parents. Even though she was an adult now, they loved giving their lectures.

Once she made sure that Lee was indeed on the other side, she opened the door for him. "Lee!" She exclaimed. "You are scarily on time!"

She arrived at home mere moments ago. Wait a minute, was that the squirrel on his shoulder? Sakura's brows were furrowed.

Lee gave a nervous chuckle. "I am..."

Obsessed with you, I love you so much and want to spend as much time with you as I can. "Just punctual. Guy Sensei taught me that it was a good virtue to have."

"Okay, bye mom and dad! I'll be back later!" Sakura kept only a small gap open in the door for her to slip through and for Lee to not see her dad. Lee was a little confused by this but he didn't ask any questions. "So!" Sakura pointed to the squirrel. "What's the deal with that?"

"He is my new friend," Lee responded. "I saved him from a glue trap."

Sakura blinked. "Er, okay. He's just cool with being on you like that?"

Lee nodded excitedly. "Yes! Just look." He outstretched his arm and placed his hand onto Sakura's shoulder. The squirrel then proceeded to use it as a bridge to get to Sakura, now perching onto her. He took his arm back with a smile. "See?"

Sakura was frozen in fear of disturbing the creature. "Oh wow. He's on me."

"He is!" Lee's grin got wider. "Which is great because I need you to stay with him while I am in the ring."

"Just like that, huh?" Sakura was now friends with this rodent who was surprisingly easygoing.

"Just like that."

Sakura too, bore a smile on her face. "Lee?"

"Yes?" He asked.

"Don't ever change."

ˏˋ ˎˊ

And so, Sakura found herself standing on the sidelines being a supportive girlfriend for her street fighter boyfriend while holding onto his pet squirrel.

So this was her life now?

Oh— and the squirrel's name was Rocky. Lee told her so in the car. Ne insisted that he wasn't naming the squirrel after himself but rather, naming the squirrel after Rocky Balboa the boxer in the movies.

Sakura didn't believe him very much because he did name his stuffed animal Might Squirrel and the names the stray cat after her. It wouldn't be too farfetched for Lee to do such a thing.

She sighed to herself, watching as Lee sent kicks into his opponent. She didn't know who the other person was repping some sort of gang no one has ever heard of before. "Sound" something or other is what they called themselves.

This fight should have been a cinch if Lee wasn't overworking his body nearly everyday. He wasn't struggling like he was in his match against Sasuke, thank goodness.

Sasuke provided Lee with a challenge unlike anything he had to face before. For many years Lee was something of a prodigy. He lost plenty of times before, yes, but he wasn't coined the Green Beast for nothing.

"He's great, isn't he?"

Sakura turned around to see Guy standing beside her, hands on his hips.

"Lee? Yeah, he's amazing," Sakura agreed.

Guy Sensei dipped his head. "It's good to see you again, Miss Haruno. Lee wasn't the only one missing you!" He stood there rigidly but it was obvious he was fighting the urge to throw his arms around her.

Sakura did him a favor and moved to hug him first. "Glad to be here, Sensei. Lee hasn't been getting into too much trouble, has he?"

Guy guffawed, squeezing tightly onto Sakura's much smaller frame. She still wasn't used to his spine cracking hugs. "Define trouble. Our boy has been keeping himself busy, if that's what you mean."

"I mean..." Sakura looked back towards the ring. Lee's opponent had him on the floor beneath his foot which Lee used to his advantage to bring him right down with him. "He'll be okay, right? Exhausting himself like that?"

Guy's usual jovial demeanor faltered a bit. "I don't approve of it, but he is stubborn. I think this was one of the few times he actively refused to listen to me."

"Really?"

"He really wants to make that money back as soon as possible," Guy explained. "And now that you're moving out, he's trying to make a lot of money so that he could—" he stopped himself, parting from the hug. "I've said too much."

"What is it, Guy Sensei?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion. Rocky crawled up into her hair.

"Nothing." Guy insisted. "I've got to go now, looks like Lee knocked out his opponent. Have to announce the winner now!"

With that, he was gone.

Which meant that Sakura better get going into the clinic. Although, she couldn't help but wonder what Lee was hoping to accomplish with all that extra money. She'd have to ask him when she got the chance.