Bruising and cuts from bruising.

A bludgeoning match with pure hands transpired tonight, making it fairly easy for Sakura to treat. She was actually shocked to find out that Lee's opponent had metal in his arm, having work done on it before due to a previous injury.

All that and Lee still won.

All because he was determined to get that money.

Sakura understood it, partially. After all, he was robbed and was left with nothing. But he had the whole rest of his life to get it back, what was the rush? Why kill himself slowly over it?

She watched as Lee slept away on a cot. He came in here to get looked after but he simply fell face first into the pillow as drowsiness took over. He didn't even fix his positioning, his arm dangled over the side and his backside was slightly lifted into the air. Sakura has never seen him sleep in such a way. Always, even if they were sharing the bed, Lee slept stiffly. Whether he'd be laying on his back- which was typical of him— or on his side, hugging Sakura.

Sakura was the one who flailed about in her sleep. She didn't understand how Lee could stand to sleep with her always moving. Maybe he slept like oa rock or maybe he did it because he loved her.

But never, ever, did Lee sleep like this. Hardly anyone does to Sakura's knowledge. His exhaustion got the better of him.

It was... Quite sad to look at.

Sakura stood up and went over to him, placing her hand onto his side so that she could shake him. "Lee... Wake up."

He uttered something incoherently, shifting his position slightly to get more comfortable on the cot. His head was bent at such an awkward angle, Sakura was worried that he was gonna get stiffness later if he kept up like this.

She picked his arm up and placed it next to him. Leveraging her strength under Lee's weight, Sakura attempted to get him on his back. "Gosh you are heavy..." She grumbled. She gave up with a sigh and stood upright. "Oh, Lee, what am I going to do with you?"

Sakura stroked his hair and exposed his forehead to her. Some of the bruising already swelled. In a couple of hours the redness was going to become black and blue, perhaps even a bit of green due to the nature of it.

Lee turned his face away from her, screwing his eyes even though they were already shut. "My girlfriend..." He muttered, "I do not think she will appreciate you touching me...like that." His words became more and more muffled.

Sakura was more or less amused. "It's me," she said, "your girlfriend."

Lee's eyes snapped open. "Sakura! You are here!"

"I've been here... You came in here to see me."

"Ah, yes... I did." Lee flipped himself over into his back, groaning. "Hello."

Sakura shook her head to herself. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Lee frowned, recalling his Sakura accused him of becoming just like his father. At first he held some resentment for his father choosing his career over his family. Now Lee understood better. Perhaps his father was choosing his family after all by trying to provide for them with the prize money.

After all, that's what Lee was working towards.

Not the family he had currently, but the family he was hoping to create.

"I do not expect you to understand, Sakura," he said softly.

Sakura tossed him an ice pack. "Then help me understand. I know it's about the money. I know how bad you want to change careers and build your school- but you don't have to rush. You're killing yourself in the process."

"I am aware of my limits," Lee deflected.

"Are you sure?" Sakura raised both of her brows. "Because you hardly recognize me back there?"

Lee dipped his head. "I am certain... Guy Sensei has only been giving me easy challenges. Although he will not say it, I know this to be true."

"That still begs the question; why. Why are you doing this?" Sakura gazed at him, feeling sorry for him. He didn't have anything to prove. Shikamaru and Choji were going to do their best to catch the thief. Things were going to be okay.

If only Sakura could believe herself.

"You're still hiding something from me," she continued. "What is it?"

Lee's response wasn't anything like she expected it to be. His face turned red and he averted his gaze. "I cannot tell you."

"What?" Sakura was more confused than upset. Lee didn't have any reason to lie to her, so that couldn't be it.

"I cannot tell you," Lee repeated, daring to look up at her. "You do trust me, do you not?"

"I do."

"Then all will start making sense," Lee promised her. "You just have to trust me."

Sakura's cheek twitched with apprehension. It didn't feel right to be left out of the loop, but she did trust Lee wholeheartedly. Whatever it was, it had to be for a good reason. "A-alright," she said. "I'll trust you."

Lee sagged with relief. "Good."

A moment of silence passed between them, much to Sakura's discomfort. "So uh... How much longer will I have to wait to find out?" She asked. It was already eating at her.

Lee chuckled.

What was so funny? Certainly what he was hiding wasn't that serious.

"With any luck," he said, "you will not have to wait very long."

ˏˋ ˎˊ

With how tired Lee was, Guy Sensei couldn't let him drive Sakura home in good conscience. So, he drove Sakura instead. Lee was just going to have to spend another night with with dear (not) old dad. Nothing was going to stop him from coming with, however. While Sakura sat in the front with Guy, Lee was sprawled out in the back seat fast asleep. Rocky the squirrel was curled up on his chest.

Sakura looked back there every so often until Guy addressed it.

"He'll be fine," Guy promised her. "He won't listen to me but I'll make sure he won't go overboard."

Sakura felt embarrassed to be caught fretting. "Thanks... Sensei."

"Of course."

"Has he always been this..."

"Hardheaded?" Guy supplied.

"Yes," Sakura responded with a nod. "That."

Guy laughed. "Oh if you think he's hardheaded now, he was way worse. Good kid otherwise. Still is."

Sakura tried picturing Lee when he was younger. It was actually quite easy due to the amount of photos she's seen and stories she's heard. She could picture him as a preteen getting scolded by Guy because he pulled off something dangerous and hurt himself in the process. Then after all was said and done, they'd hug each other and cry about it. Lee would promise that he would never do it again and Guy would punish him with some sort of menial task that was arduous on the body. Lee of course, would happily comply if it made up for his mistake.

Guy snapped her out of her musings by speaking once more. "He is doing all of this for you, I will say."

"He is?" Sakura was taken aback. "But why? I don't need the money."

"The rest isn't for me to say," said Guy, brushing it off.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "So he confided in you."

"Naturally."

"Hm."

"It's nothing bad if that's what you're wondering."

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, looking out the window. "Well that makes me feel even more anxious." She jostled her leg with impatience. "... Not even a little hint?"

"Nope," responded Guy without missing a beat.

She groaned.

"Lee will tell you in time," Guy assured her, smiling.

"Does anyone else know?" Sakura asked.

"Nice try, but no. He hasn't even told Tenten or Neji."

Sakura pouted. Patience it is then. "How are they, by the way? Tenten and Neji I mean." She hasn't been able to see them and she didn't have their numbers. Next time, Sakura noted, she'd have to do that. She wanted to be more than acquaintances on the account of not wanting to be known simply as Lee's girlfriend.

"They're working tirelessly on the Hanabi case," Guy told her. "Neji, well he actually has a match tomorrow."

Sakura never saw Neji fight before. She was still a bit apprehensive about him doing so due to the nature of his injuries. Sakura knew that he wasn't the same and he knew it too, he just didn't want to acknowledge it.

"He's been training hard despite his shaky hands... Shizune says he's ready, so I will take her word for it." Guy gave a sigh. "But why must it be Kankuro?"

"Neji seems pretty adamant about it."

"Out of all my students, he listens to me the least. I suppose I shouldn't expect him to, I didn't raise him." He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. Rather than let the mood get heavy, Guy turned to Sakura at a red light. "You'll come though, right?"

She could tell that Guy really wanted her to be there. Behind his sincere smile was a hope that Sakura would be there to help in case things went wrong. If anything happened to Neji again— there was no telling how long Guy Sensei would keep it together. More than ever, his students were stressing him out. He had to worry about them in almost every aspect as if they were his own flesh and blood.

Sakura offered him a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't miss it."