Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG-13
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor.
Summary Sakura never remembered Lee’s promise because who would actually keep such a promise made when they were thirteen? Before the battle, Lee asked Neiji to promise him something, and the Hyûga genius kept it. NeijiSaku.
Chapter Prologue, Chapter One
Note Naturally, this will start off LeeSaku, but the main pairing will be NeijiSaku once it gets rolling.
Prologue
It was the kiss of doom. Sakura cringed and bent so far back she could have touched the floor as she avoided it. Lee, who was across the room, didn’t seem phased by her blatant disgust. He told her that he would protect her even with his life.
She was thirteen and he was almost fourteen. She only clung to Sasuke to assure herself that she could make it with someone less scary looking.
Lee was in the hospital after being brought back by Gaara. Sakura walked in and put a new flower in his vase after changing the water. She felt oddly compelled to visit the boy with the freaky eyebrows. He thanked her and gave her that smile he always gave. She didn’t understand how he could possibly smile at her. All she ever did was tell him that he was a freak and brush him away.
“Thank you, Sakura-san, for visiting me,” he said as she went to leave. He also told her she was very special to him.
She was thirteen and he was fourteen. She only gave him a weak smile and left the room.
Sakura was alone. Two years had passed since Naruto and Sasuke left her and Kakashi was never around, not that they had ever been close. Standing on the bridge that they met on so many times, Sakura looked down at the water under it. She looked worn and tired, indicative of why Tsunade had given her a day off. She didn’t jump when she saw a figure beside her in the reflection. “Good morning, Lee-san,” she said as cheerfully as she could manage.
“Good morning,” he returned. They talked for a while and took a walk around the village. When they reached her house, he told her that she was special to him and if she needed anything, she could always come to him. “I promised to protect you,” he told her, “and not just from enemies.”
She was almost fifteen and he was fifteen. She only gave him a smile and thanked him for spending time with her before she disappeared into her house.
It was beginning to go drastically, horribly wrong. It was only supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission. Sakura was the decoy, and she had insisted that she could hold her own if it went wrong. Yet, here she was on the floor, four large men surrounding her. ‘Dammit,’ she cursed and tried to kick out, but two of them were holding her down. Her mind raced for a solution, but just as she was about to implement a hasty plan, a green blur leapt into the room.
Lee made quick work of the large men through speed and strength. He looked down at her as he held out a hand to help her up. “I promised to protect you, Sakura-san,” was all the explanation he gave, “even with my life.”
They were eighteen and nineteen. Sakura only took his hand and thanked him with a very tired expression.
Sakura was crying. Nothing was working, everything was the worst it had ever been. They were at the end of a battle in a wooded area days from Konoha. “You idiot,” she said as she looked down at him from where she was trying to heal him. “Why did you do that?! You know that it can kill you!”
“I promised you,” Lee said slowly, blood trickling down his chin, “that I would protect you,” he paused to take in a gurgled breath, “even with my life.”
Sakura froze and looked down at him in horror. He had said it so many times. She never thought that he would actually follow all the way through.
She was nineteen and he was almost twenty. She only tried harder to heal him, but he died soon after.
Sakura stared numbly at the memorial stone and said nothing. She felt Naruto stir by her side. He looked like he was trying to figure out how to comfort her, but he just didn’t know how. Ten-Ten stood on her other side, eyes closed and head bowed. Sakura had been powerless. It wasn’t the first time she had lost someone she was trying to heal, but this patient was Lee. This patient had given up his life for her. Sakura bit her bottom lip from the inside of her mouth until blood ran.
On the other side of Ten-Ten Neiji stood, his eyes looking at the memorial stone, a conversation flowing through his mind.
“Neiji,” Lee’s voice came back to him, “I need you to promise me something.”
“What?” Neiji had asked. It was odd for Lee to ask something like that of him.
“I know that it’s selfish,” the young man had said, “but if I die on this mission, will you take care of Sakura-san?”
Neiji remembered the silence that followed.
“Alright,” he had said, “I promise.”
Neiji looked at the name on the memorial stone and frowned inwardly. Had Lee known that he was going to die? Neiji didn’t know the exact circumstances that went into that battle, but from the description, he knew that the foe had been too strong. It had been a mission between Sakura and Lee with no one else. It wasn’t the first time the pair had such a mission. Neiji’s eyes glanced over at Sakura. She was biting her lip to the point it was most likely bleeding, he noted. Neiji rarely spoke to Sakura, even on joint missions. Frowning inwardly, he kept from sighing out loud.
Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder. People had cleared out and only a few were left. Looking up, she met Tsunde’s gaze and then looked away. Tsunade didn’t say anything but simply moved on when it looked like her student didn’t want to say anything. Walking over to the memorial, Tsunade stood near Kakashi and scanned the names, her head bowed.
Sakura observed her two mentors and turned away. Would that become her? Someone who scanned the names at the memorial and regretted? Putting her hands into the pockets of the black uniform for funerals, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Taking a few steps forward, she paused and then raised an eyebrow. “Neiji-san…?” she asked. He was standing a bit away and was leaning against a nearby tree, clearly waiting for someone.
The older Jônin stood up and walked over to her. “Ten-Ten and Naruto went to get something to eat,” he told her.
Sakura only nodded. She didn’t want to test her voice. Also, she was sure her teeth were hideous. She was still swallowing blood from the large sore in her mouth.
Neiji put his hands deeper into his pockets and looked her over. She was very pale and her hair was slightly stringy. This was hitting her quite hard. “Let’s go,” he said. He didn’t know what else to say to her. He promised that he would bring her back with him after all.
Sakura shook her head. “I…” she started and then closed her mouth.
“Want time alone?” Neiji asked. He watched her nod, but she didn’t leave. “You really don’t, do you?”
Sakura didn’t look at him. Neiji always seemed to be able to read people. Opening her mouth she said, “I just don’t know.” She shifted her weight, Neiji’s eyes still on her.
“Ten-Ten and Naruto are waiting for us,” he said after a while.
“Yeah,” was all Sakura said before she took a step forward and followed Neiji down the street.
“Do you think they’re going to come?” Ten-Ten asked after a while. She and Naruto were in her apartment and she was making a very simple and light lunch. First thing a shinobi learned was even if you don’t feel like eating, it is important to get your meals when you can.
“I don’t know,” Naruto murmured from where he was helping.
“I was thinking,” Ten-Ten began and then she shook her head. “Sorry, I just babble when things like this happen.” She rested her knife down as she spoke. “If it bothers you – “
“No, it’s okay,” Naruto interrupted. He went to say something more, but there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Ten-Ten said, walking past Naruto and disappearing around a corner. She appeared again with Neiji and Sakura in tow. “Naruto and I almost have lunch together,” she said as she guided Sakura into a nearby chair. “It won’t be too long now.” Exchanging a look with Neiji, she quickly returned to where she had been working on lunch.
Soon Naruto and Ten-Ten brought out a simple lunch of various things from Ten-Ten’s refrigerator and cabinets. The group ate in silence, but all four ate something, even if it might taste like cardboard. After they were done, Ten-Ten stood up and began clearing the table. Sakura soon stood up as well and said, “I should get home. I promised.”
Naruto looked over his shoulder from where he was putting something back in the refrigerator. “Can I walk you?”
Sakura shook her head. “I’ll be fine, and Neiji offered before we got here.” She motioned in the direction of the tall ninja. Naruto stared a moment and looked over at Ten-Ten who was busying herself with putting plastic wrap over a bowl. “Bye. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Ten-Ten replied and heard her apartment door closed. Running her hand over the top of the container, she made sure that it was sealed properly and sighed inwardly. Something was amiss.
“You didn’t have to walk me,” Sakura said as she and Neiji neared her street. Neiji didn’t say anything. Sakura looked down at the houses on her block and sighed inwardly. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, she turned around to face him and asked, “Do you pity me?”
Neiji held her gaze and then he shook his head. “No.”
“Then why are you…” she waved a hand through the air looking for a good description, “doing all this? You take me home – you took me to the memorial this morning.” She kept his gaze. “Why?”
Neiji debated whether to tell her or not. “Because,” was all he said. He watched her narrow her eyes, but she merely deflated.
“I’m too tired to pursue this,” she sighed. “Bye.” Then she walked down the street and to her house. The instant she was gone, Neiji turned away and headed off towards his own home.