Disclaimer: Don’t own Naruto, am pirate and stole it.

Author’s note: For those of you who aren’t a BETA reader for me and have not had a chance to read part of my big Lee/Sakura fic Springtime Roses, you should know this: Lee has a rose plant outside his house and it has yet to bloom except for later in the story, though it is strong and healthy. He views it as Sakura almost and cares for it the same. This is kind of an alternate thing that could’ve happened at one point after the rose finally blooms. Semi-SWOAP, aka: “smut without a plot”, since I don’t like PWP, because I don’t write porn, I write smut. Non-con by the way.

THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE PLEASURABLE. FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR PORN OR THE CANNON CHARACTERIZATION SHOULD GO ELSEWHERE BECAUSE THIS IS SIMPLY MEANT TO BE CREEPY. I KNOW THEY'RE OOC, I WROTE THEM THAT WAY, DON'T TELL ME IT'S WRONG BECAUSE IT'S MY FIC.

THANK YOU.

Temptation Too Great

Sakura had been there, all the while. She had been watching him train, watching as his muscles moved quietly under the skin. He had abandoned the green jumpsuit he once wore for pants and a loose shirt instead. His head-protector still held its original spot on his waist, drooping slightly to the side.

He punched once more, and the boulder crumbled. Sakura didn’t move; blink; clap; anything. She simply stared. He was not quite sure if she stared at the rubble that had been the boulder, or him. He hoped she was staring at him still.

He stepped back, grabbing up his shirt, and pulled it on, shaking his sweat-tipped hair to cool off some. Sakura’s eyes followed the hem of the shirt as it closed over the pale skin and trim waist. She sighed ever so quietly and stood up, not talking to him, smiling, or even looking anymore. She simply stood, and turned her back; leaving him. His eyes followed her all the way till she was no longer in sight, and he punched a nearby tree, sending it flying. He sighed and sat down on the ground against another tree.

Sakura-san…

He sighed once more and laid his head against the trunk, closing his eyes. He wished she would have said something; done something. He sunk lower to the ground and looked down at himself. He had gotten stronger, filled out some. He was still the scrawny boy she had first met though, and even he couldn’t deny that. A virgin at the age of eighteen.

A boy, still not fully grown; the eyes of a lost child graced his face now. His eyes had softened and Gai often told him that his youthful explosiveness was fading. If he continued to be a lost puppy to her, then he would be lost to Gai and his goals for good. He knew all this, and ignored it. He opened his eyes again and stared at the sky. He lay completely on the grassy forest floor now, and he stared past the leaves and the patches of light shining down through them onto his face.

As he stared up there, the sky darkened and sunlight no longer fell warmly on his face. He blinked, and then blinked again. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust, but eventually, Tenten’s warm smile came into focus, and the sun beaming around her hair and face told him he had not been lying there long.

“Tenten…” He muttered quietly.

“Nah… I’m Neji, don’t you recognize me?” His best friend joked sarcastically.

“Funny… Neji’s about 500 feet…” Lee looked around slightly and pointed behind Tenten, “…that way, screwing Sasuke.” Tenten smirked and held out a hand. Lee took it and stood up, not needing it at all.

Lee dusted himself off, fixing his pants, then adjusting the shirt that had ridden up over his stomach. Tenten’s smile widened and she poked his bellybutton before it was covered. “Hey!” He shouted, much louder than he had intended. She smiled at him then, starting to walk off.

“Oh… Gai-sensei says you need to get your scrawny ass back into town. It’s dinner time.” And with that, she resumed walking, Lee following closely. He called out, “It’s a good thing that it’s not dinnertime, Neji might be left hungry tonight!” Him and Tenten shared a smile at Lee’s way of announcing dinner and walked back into town, quickly followed by a disgruntled and dishevelled looking Neji.

“Ha.” Lee remarked quietly. “You fell for it.” He finished when Neji looked at him. Neji simply shook his head and walked past them. They soon met up with Gai and sat down to dinner.

_\T.T.G/_

All the while, Lee seemed… Distant. He was quiet, not eating much, and he constantly looked off into space for minutes at a time.

Sakura’s eyes had lowered with the hem of his shirt and snapped away after it was down the rest of the way.

Tenten snapped in front of his eyes, and they didn’t flicker.

He watched her back moving off into the distance, disappearing from his sight for the time being, and laid down on the ground, eyes closing.

His eyes closed now, he leaned back in his seat. He sighed wistfully as he thought on Sakura.

Her hair had grown some, but it was still short, and her attire had yet to change. She had filled out a bit, breasts and butt going up in size only slightly. Her eyes were colder, more serious, and her mouth rarely curled into a smile. She had been retreating for years now. She was now much like Sasuke was~ cold, distant, quiet, serious, and smart. She had always been smart and serious with her goals, but he had never seen her cold or distant, and that was what she was now. She rarely talked to anyone but her former team and she had been focusing on new skills more than mastering old ones.

He blinked as he realized Tenten had been talking to him for quite a while. “What?”

“I said, “Daydreaming? Must be a good one”.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair after smacking him lightly on the arm.

He blinked, and Neji gestured down. His eyes dropped to his lap, and then widened. He stood and walked to his room, not caring what they saw. But inside the sanctuary of his room, his face turned beet red.

_\T.T.G/_

He decided that the only way to be rid of this was to talk to her- after taking care of his other problem. He couldn’t possibly face her with a tent in his pants like that.

Lee stripped, lying down on his bed. He closed his eyes and rubbed the head of his erect penis. After a moment, he grabbed the lotion from beside his bed, pouring some of the cold liquid into his hands. He slipped his hand down gently, gripping lightly. As he pumped his hand up and down the shaft slowly, the cold liquid warmed and his breath came slightly ragged. Lee may have been only eighteen, and a virgin, but he knew what he was doing. He moved slightly faster, enjoying the luxury of this night’s pleasure trip. It felt great; warm night with a slight breeze through the window, and Sakura’s image in his mind. Lee moaned, probably a little louder then he should have. He needed to do this more often. Thinking back, he hadn't masturbated in over a year. That was a year of a lot of wet dreams. Lee’s breath had become ragged, and he was panting hard, pumping his hand faster and faster around his rod. He imagined being in bed with Sakura, kissing her, feeling her soft body yearning for his caress. He picked up his speed, moaning, and back snapping to an arch as he writhed with pleasure. Grunting loud, Lee bit his lip. He could feel his climax coming, and he took his other hand and placed it on his shaft on the other side. Flattening his hands out, he rubbed it hard back and forth, back and forth, and at the last second grabbed it one hand again and pumped vigorously as he shot his load. “SAKURA-CHAN!” He cried out, and collapsed against his now sweat soaked sheets. He lay there, not caring that it splattered against the wall, and he regained his breath.

He heard the footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hallway, stopping in front of his door. A heavy knock came down, and he couldn’t move; his muscles had relaxed into a point where nothing, especially a highly exhausted Lee, could get them working. Gai’s deep voice boomed around the door, “Lee? Can I come in?”

“…” He waited for a moment, swallowing deeply. “…only if you don’t mind the mess,” he finally settled on.

Gai opened the door, stepping inside and shut it, accustomed to Lee in his down state, though had not expected to see this.

Lee was lying on his bed, soaked in sweat, and looking expectantly at the door with his eyes alone. His hands were down in front of his naked youthful body, hands still resting gently against his shaft. His blankets were kicked all over the place, and his breathing was a little too fast for normal. And then Gai saw the semen that had shot against the wall.

“…” Was the only thing Lee said, as his face flushed slightly, that is until, “I warned you about the mess.”

“So you did…” Gai cleared his throat, stepped over to the desk and pulled out the chair, sitting down. “You seem… distracted lately.”

Lee swallowed, breathing slowed to a normal pace finally. “Distracted? How do you mean?”

Gai’s eyes tried to keep on his young students face, though he found them wandering sometimes.

“Gai-sensei… Distracted how?” Gai blinked, eyes snapping beck to the boys face.

“You aren’t focusing on your normal training routine, and you haven’t eaten in three days, you just pick at your food! I’m afraid you’re going to keel over dead if you keep this up!”

There was a long pause, and Gai’s eyes were wandering again when the clear voice of the adolescent male spoke up. “Ano… About that…” He scratched his head slightly, hands finally gone from his groin. “Y’see…” He began again. “…”

“Haruno Sakura.” Gai stated simply.

Lee blinked, looking up at his teacher, and rolling onto his stomach to hide the renewing erection. “What?”

“You’re thinking about her again. That’s what’s keeping you so distracted.” Gai crossed his arms across his chest and almost glared down at Lee.

“…” Lee’s eyes looked down as he turned away slightly. He swallowed, and shifted his gaze to the far wall. “Would you rather me not think on her?”

Gai knew that when Lee spoke so formally, he meant business. Gai nodded. “Yes.”

Lee nodded as well, heart sinking. If he promised Gai-sensei that he wouldn’t think about Sakura anymore, then he wouldn’t. Gai stood up, pushing the chair back in and walked over. He ruffled Lee’s hair slightly and headed out, shutting the door once again.

_\T.T.G/_

Lee stood up eventually, feeling as though his heart lay plastered on his bed as he did so. He still needed to talk to Sakura, and then that was it. He would simply go there, talk to her for a bit, and be rid of it.

He cleaned himself up a bit at his sink, and pulled on his pants. He zipped them up quickly and pulled back on the shirt, then grabbed up the head-protector which he tied loosely around his waist. He set his will to iron and stepped out, passing his rose bush along the way. His eyes glanced over and fell upon a full blossom.

It was a pale pink, as he had known the plant would produce, and its tips were tinted with red. The edges of each of the petals were slightly jagged, and he knew that the thorns could slice him apart, leaving bacteria to poison him if he dared touch it~ so he did. He bent down slightly and kissed a petal gently, feeling the moisture of decay already setting into the powdery soft flower.

He stood back up, walking to Sakura’s house, and stopped every so often to look back over his shoulder at it. When he could no longer see the flower, he still eyed the direction of his house, knowing that it would be there when he got back. He stepped up to the porch and knocked gently, eyes adjusting to the light.

Mrs. Haruno stepped up and opened the door. “Oh… Lee…” She remarked with slight derision. “What brings you here?” He looked down at her, though not intentionally~ she was just that short.

“Is Sakura home?” He asked hopefully.

“No, she’s still out at the ramen place with her ex-teammates.”

“Oh…” He sighed and turned to walk away. “Thanks…”

“Hmph.” She remarked flatly, walking back inside and slamming the door.

He walked to the ramen place, to find that they had left, and tried to find her all over town. Alas, she was nowhere in sight, nor did anyone know where she had gone.

_\T.T.G/_

Lee headed to the forest, hoping to get some time alone to think, when he heard quiet humming off in the distance. He walked in the direction of it, hoping to find out who was in the forest at the late hour. He found the answer in a clearing, making herself a small band of flowers.

Lee smiled as he looked upon the one he so admired. She paused her song as she realized she wasn’t alone. She turned sharply to see Lee, standing under a tree.

“Lee-kun…” She sighed, relieved. She continued making her wreath, but had stopped humming.

Lee didn’t make any attempt to move closer, he simply stood there and watched. He was suddenly reminded of earlier that day, when she had sat there, staring at him as he worked. It wasn’t his infatuation that made him stare, but a human curiosity, and he felt terrible for this realization. It meant that Sakura couldn’t possibly like him.

After a while, he spoke; though his voice was meant to be quiet, it seemed loud in the silence of the clearing. “You didn’t have to stop singing.” She looked up, eyes wide as she became conscious of the fact that he had been there longer than she thought.

“…” She looked down, blushing slightly. She resumed work, though did not pick back up the tune.

He stepped forward, pushing away from the tree, and eventually standing up behind her. She hadn’t heard him move, and didn’t see the shadow looming over her. He reached down, and touched her shoulder lightly, feeling her freeze beneath his touch.

He set his other hand down on her other shoulder, just as lightly, and she began to shake in alarm. He released her and stepped away, knowing now what she truly thought of him. They could be friends, possibly, but he frightened her.

“Do I scare you?” He asked quietly.

She swallowed, thinking carefully about the impact her answer could have. She swallowed again, taking in a deep breath. “You don’t scare me, Lee-kun. It’s your training that scares me. You were powerful and strong when we first met, and I haven’t seen you in close to five years besides this past week. Five years of training means that my eyes could never follow your speed and my body would shatter with either a punch or a kick.”

Lee stepped back even further, nodding. “…I understand…” Sakura turned to see the slightly older boy’s face dotted with tears. He thought about running. Just turning and running and never talking to her again. That’s what would happen anyway.

He gulped audibly, as his shoulders stopped shaking, and his face turned back up from the ground some. His eyes were colder now, and far darker. Sakura began to feel apprehensive again. She stood up, just in time to feel arms wrap around her from behind, trapping her. She was about to scream when a hand was felt over her mouth.

She felt a chest heaving behind her, and warm breath fell on her ear. “Not afraid of me? You should be… Being afraid of my power is only one reason to fear me.” And with that, he tossed her to the ground, using his speed to quickly remove her clothing, and keep her pressed firmly to the ground. She turned her face to the side so that her nose wouldn’t be broken, and she tried to look over her shoulder at him.

He bent over her, pressing against her so that she could feel the effect she had on him. She shrieked and squirmed, only serving to make the matter worse. “Lee! Don’t do this!”

“And why not? So that you can keep your perfect reputation, and be fit for him?!” He growled at her, trying not to hurt her though.

She blinked. So it really was about jealousy… she thought quietly to herself. “That’s not it at all! You’re not like this Lee! What’s gotten into you tonight?”

“I dunno… But I know what’s getting into you tonight.” Her eyes snapped as wide as they could have in that time, pupils contracting. She struggled once again.

“This isn’t the sweet and honest boy I know who had a crush on me! I demand to know who you are and why you’re impersonating Lee!” She cried, hoping that this wasn’t him. She had seen him just earlier that day and he had been himself~ hadn’t he?

“See, that’s where you make your mistake Sakura-san… You assume that when someone is different than normal, it can’t be them, and anyone who once had a silly infatuation is over it now. Over you? I’m never over you.” He nuzzled against her neck slightly, kissing the throbbing heartbeat.

She froze. It was Lee. Those were his words.

“Over you? Who could get over you?” He asked her, smiling cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back, and make sure I’m not lame then.” He had told her that he would be back for her heart.

He felt her body go rigid underneath his and knew that she was afraid again as a thin line of sweat beaded her forehead. He was getting really annoyed with that. He unzipped his pants and let his erection press against her exposed vagina.

“Do you see yet, Sakura? Or are you still blind to what you do to me?” She struggled, attempting to move their bodies apart. She didn’t wanted to be there, and she protested loudly, trying to ignore what he was saying.

“Lee-kun, you don’t want to do this! It- it isn’t right!”

“You’re right Sakura-san. I don’t want to do this, but I have to, to let you see for once in your life!” He couldn’t bear to hear her anymore, and he grabbed his forehead protector, tying it around her face like a gag so she couldn’t tell him any more.

She still squirmed and whimpered behind the protector/gag, but to no avail. And soon, he entered her.

He was being gentle, but she couldn’t help but cry. This wasn’t how she wanted it. She wanted her first time to be beautiful, with a careful and loving partner. Not in a forest with a gag in her mouth, taken from behind.

Lee moved in and out slowly, trying to have her take some pleasure in it. When her sobs came louder, her stopped, and wrapped his arms around her gently, holding her there, but not pinning or hurting. He kissed her neck lightly and smoothed her hair, and eventually began to move again, still smoothing out her hair and whispering softly to her, as though he wanted to comfort her.

She couldn’t believe it was happening. First, Lee was not acting like himself in the least, and then, she was raped. But he was trying to be gentle?! She cried even harder after that, but couldn’t help her body’s reaction to his. It was enjoying this, even though her mind was crashing down.

And eventually, he pulled out, leaving her there on the chilling ground, not even reaching a climax. He dressed, and took his forehead protector from her mouth, tying it back around his waist. He reached down and redressed the near-catatonic Sakura, and kissed her gently on the lips, shutting her eyes from him as he lifted her up.

She lay there, on his shoulder as he walked her home, eyes shut, and trying not to think. When he stopped, she heard a knock.

“Oh! Lee! You found her. That’s a relief, I was starting to get worried when I stopped by the ramen stand and she wasn’t there!”

“She’s asleep, she was in the forest. Can I just put her in bed?” There was a shuffle, and then they were moving again. She knew they went upstairs and into her room by the movements and noises, and soon, she was set on her bed.

Once more, Lee undressed and redressed her, tucking her into bed and touching her as little as possible.

“Why did you do that?”

Lee froze as he had turned to leave.

“Can’t you even stand to look at me? I though that you liked me.”

If she had been able to see his face, she would know that he was crying. His voice didn’t tell it, but his aura did. “I like you a lot Sakura-san. That’s why I had to. I- I did it like that… because I didn’t want you to remember me that way. I didn’t want you to not be able to look at me anymore after this. Think of it as someone else, like you said. Lee couldn’t have done something like that.”

“But you did…” She squeezed out with a sob.

“And you’re still blind.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Lee-kun.”

“I can’t talk to you anymore. I can’t even think about you anymore. It’s interfering with my training. Please just… think about what happened, and hopefully, the mist will clear from your vision in the future.”

As Sakura opened her mouth to speak, he ran out, and she heard his footsteps retreat off into the distance, back towards home.

_\T.T.G/_

Lee stood outside his house for a long time, thinking about what he had just done. He had told her that she was blind, not seeing what he was doing. But now, he thought that maybe he was the blind one.

He stared for a long time at the flower on the ground. He picked up the full blossom and held it close to him. The first flower his rose bush had ever produced, gone before it’s time. He blinked away tears, remembering what he’d just done. Hell, even he didn’t know quite why, and as he carried the flower inside, he broke down.

_\T.T.G/_

Sakura lay in bed, not able to cry. She hadn’t been able to feel much of anything since last night. She lay in bed all day, and refused to eat. She wanted to waste away. She wanted nothing more than to simply disappear. That’s what Lee needed her to do. They would never be the same again.

Every time he passed her in the street, every time their eyes locked at a restaurant, every time she heard his voice, her heart would break. She had never been good at coping, and this would be a true test to her skills.

_\T.T.G/_

Sakura grunted and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. No… I can’t give up. Lee-kun never- Sakura blinked and shook her head. Naruto and Sasuke never gave up. I can learn this skill. I’ll do five hundred laps if I can’t finish learning it tonight. She set her determination, and began to concentrate again.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi stood in trees nearby. “You’re right, Kakashi-sensei. She is a lot more like him these days.” Sasuke remarked quietly. Naruto nodded in agreement.

“And to think, they won’t even talk to each other. I wonder what happened.” Naruto muttered. “Maybe she just told him that she wants to be like him instead of date him. That’d throw me off.”

“I thought something like that too at first, but apparently not. Could you two possibly find out anything for me?” The boys nodded, and Sakura trained. She wasn’t going to be used by anyone unless she wanted it that way, and for all of her genjutsu skills, she still couldn’t “see”.

_\T.T.G/_,/p>

Sakura was walking down the street just a year later, looking around for any sign of her old teammates. She couldn’t find them anywhere, and instead, she found a much less appreciated surprise. Lee was walking out of a shop. He’d been avoiding her in everything they did, he even went so far as to drop out of the Chuunin exam when he had to fight her in the finals, without even saying anything to her- but now, it was her chance.

She ran up, grabbing hold of his arm and yanking him down some. “Lee-kun!” She whispered fiercely, not wanting to attract too much attention. He blinked and looked down at her. Immediately, his face hardened and eyes narrowed. “Is there something you wanted?”

“Yes, there is. I want to know why you did what you did.”

He feigned innocence and blinked at her. “Did what I did?” He inquired, acting as though she were from another planet entirely.

“Why did you….” A bright red flushed up into her cheeks and she averted her eyes that were tearing up with the memory.

“You’re still blind Sakura.”

She blinked and looked up at him once more, a faint trail of tears on either side of her face. “What do you mean by that? I’ve never understood…”

“And that’s why you’re blind. Blind to the reason, blind to the question, blind to the answer… Blind to what you do- did to me. You never saw how much I cared, how much I wanted you to care for me too.” He continued walking, turning away from her and pulling his arm free.

She ran after and latched on again, pulling him back around to where he could see her. She opened her mouth, and heard a familiar, chiming voice from behind her. “Oh! Sakura! Nice to see you, been a long time. How ya been?” Tenten stepped up and into view.

Sakura immediately dropped Lee’s arm, looking down, hoping her still short hair would cover her face. She couldn’t bear to face anyone when she was like this- wide open and hurt, like a fresh wound that refused to stop bleeding. “Good… you?” She asked quietly, still not looking up.

“I… interrupted something, didn’t I?” Sakura shook her head, as did Lee, but Tenten smiled and stepped off and faked interest in some books on a stand. Sakura looked up again.

“Lee-kun, I want to know something…”

“Make it fast; I’ve got to get to training.” He was losing his cool.

“…” Sakura paused only for a moment, and as Lee turned, shaking his head she grabbed hold again, hugging him tightly to her, and not letting go for the fear that all in the street would see her tears.

“…Sakura-san…” Lee whispered quietly, head down and eyes shut, much like her own.

“Lee-kun, if you’d have simply…” She stifled a sob and breathed in raggedly. “Asked me again. I would have gladly dated you. But it’s too late for that now…” She let go, looking up at him, eyes and tears shining in the daylight. Lee opened his eyes at the release and looked back at her. He blinked as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips. “You’re the one who was blind Lee-kun. You never looked past your own eyes to someone else’s vision.” She backed away, turning to leave.

It was Lee’s turn to keep someone there. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and she stopped, immediately stiffening from the memories flooding her. Her eyes were wider as he nuzzled the nape of her neck, quietly crying. “Sakura-chan…” He sobbed quieter than she ever could have.

“Go to your training Lee. We’ve nothing to say to each other. You finished anything that could have started a year ago.” She tore free from his arms, running off, as salty drops of liquid filled her tread path.

Tenten turned and looked at her sobbing ex-teammate, sitting in the middle of the street. “What was that all about?”

Lee turned his face to her, and she dropped down beside him. “Lee! What’d she do?! Did she hit you?”

Lee shook his head and collapsed against the ground, the tears slowly drying up. “If anyone is the cause of this pain, it’s me.”

~@~

A rose in bloom is meant to live a full life, be cherished, and cared for. One that is plucked before it’s time is wilted, cold, and useless.

~@~

She… I… I did this to me… to her… Lee stepped to the end, feeling the curve of the hard stone underneath his feet. I’m the one that caused her to withdraw as far as she has… He stepped onto the very edge, the last ounce of balance he had was set to his back. You’re right Sakura-chan… I was blind, but now… I see. The only remedy to this is… He squeezed his eyes shut as he dropped off the edge of the Hokage monument. Goodbye Sakura-chan. I think I love you…

_\T.T.G/_

Sakura blinked. “What?”

“I said…. “Lee’s dead”. He killed himself- last night, after you ran off.” Tenten glared at her would-be friend.

“Lee-kun?”

“Yeah, the guys whose heart you ripped out and stomped on who knows how many times?”

“Lee-kun wouldn’t kill himself… He had a dream, a goal… Not like me.” She sat down; eyes wide and mouth open in a small “o”.

“Well he did, Sakura-san. And you’d better be ready to talk…” She stepped away as Kakashi stepped up.

“Sakura-chan, how are you coping?”

Sakura looked at him with the same expression she’d given Tenten. She shook her head. “Lee-kun wouldn’t kill himself…”

Kakashi put an arm around her. “I know it’s hard to believe, but…” Sakura tore away, holding herself.

“Please don’t touch me.” She was withdrawing again, like last year, and Kakashi knew it.

“Sakura, something happened with Lee, didn’t it?”

She blinked, looking at him out of the corners of her eyes. She shook her head quickly, averting her eyes again.

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder. “Alright, whenever you feel like talking about it…”

Sakura stayed curled up, and when Kakashi started to leave, Sakura queried quietly, “What did he do?”

Kakashi didn’t turn around, but looked back over his right shoulder. “He… Jumped. Off the Hokage monument. Straight off Sandaime’s nose.”

Sakura squeezed her arms tighter around her knees. “Jumped?”

“Jumped, and landed on his head, like he dove.”

“Dove?” She questioned again.

“Fell head first to his death. Iruka-sensei was at the scene, you might try talking to him.”

Sakura nodded, and waited to be questioned.

_\T.T.G/_

“Sakura? What’s this about, all of a sudden?” Iruka looked up from his desk. Sakura averted her eyes and spun her foot a bit. Iruka nodded. “About Lee, is it?”

Sakura nodded. “What happened?”

“I was out thinking by the Hokage monument when I saw something moving up on Sandaime’s likeness, but when I went to leap up there, I saw it falling. Lee was spiralling straight down towards the ground, arms outstretched like he was waiting to be hugged. The wind made this terrible ripping sound, like cloth being torn. He opened his eyes just before he hit and opened his mouth just as his head collided with the ground. If there had been anything left after the fall, his neck would have broken, but he was…”

“Smeared?” She prompted, not looking up again. “I understand, thank you, Iruka-sensei.” She spun and walked off, Iruka calling after her.

_\T.T.G/_

Sakura slipped in using her genjutsu abilities. The guards were off anyway, and she had to see. She needed proof. She dropped to the ground just inside the tape, bracing with one hand. Her fingers collided with something cold and wet. She froze.

She turned her face to stare at her now red hand, and she began to tremble. Something had at least bled here, and she was on the very edge of the scene. Her eyes were finally adjusting to the dark of the area, and she could se the shine of moonlight across multiple pools and splashes of a dark liquid. She stepped carefully, avoiding any of the puddles, and slipped into a pool on something thick and slimy. She immediately removed her foot and stared. A crushed piece of something pink was now partially on the bottom of her sandal, and she gagged.

Sakura put her foot back down beside the piece, and breathed deeply through her mouth, trying not to vomit. I can’t barf… I can’t vomit, just don’t breathe through your nose and you should be fine… Careful where you step… She breathed in once more and stepped closer to the center, paying more attention to where she stepped this time.

There were light footsteps behind her. Whoever was there wasn’t trying to hide it. She spun, pulling a kunai as she went. Her eyes locked with brown as Tenten also pulled a kunai. Sakura knew that this was a battle she couldn’t win.

The slightly smaller girl made sure that her chocolaty brown hair was tucked into their buns tightly, and crouched. Sakura swallowed audibly in the quiet night, and gripped her kunai tighter. She crouched as well, and moved into a battle position.

“Tenten… don’t do this.” Sakura warned. She was willing to use every trick she knew, and hoped for a chance to get in a knockout.

“You’re no match for me Sakura.” Tenten hadn’t even blinked.

“What are you planning to do?”

“Kill you.” She stated it plainly as though it wouldn’t matter if she had offered Sakura to get laid, be killed, or become a beggar. Sakura darted forward, slashing, and Tenten leaped back easily, as though she had seen it coming.

“Why do you want to kill me?” Sakura slashed again, pulling a kunai surreptitiously out of her pack.

Tenten pretended not to notice, idly blocking the second slash. Sakura ducked under as Tenten swiped at her head. “Because you killed him.”

“What?” Sakura stopped, once again dropping her hand to her side. Tenten glared.

“You killed him. You’re the cause of his death, that’s all there is to it. You broke him, and now he’s dead. You killed him.” She restated it as though Sakura didn’t understand.

“I assure you, if he killed himself, it wasn’t over me. Lee-kun had ambitions, hopes, and dreams for the future. He never got to beat Neji.” Sakura shook her head. “You’re wrong.” And threw the kunai straight towards Tenten. The small girl dove to the right and Sakura tossed the shurinken with deadly accuracy. Tenten dove further, more towards the ground and cart wheeled out of the way, flipping over backwards to regain her balance.

“I see you’ve gotten better, Sakura.” Tenten breathed in deeply, steadying herself to attack.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, but I’m telling you, I’m not the reason for Lee-kun’s death.” Tenten scoffed and dove at her. She flipped the kunai to point forward and shoved at Sakura. The pink haired girl jumped back at the sudden attack, stumbling slightly. Sakura was using all the skills she could think of to get out of this fight, and was coming up blank on anything that Tenten couldn’t see through. Even an illusion of Gai and Kakashi didn’t faze her, she was that manic.

“Yes, you are. Now go and join him!” Tenten yelled fiercely and leapt again. Sakura jumped back, trying to block, but Tenten grabbed a near invisible string and yanked hard, sending the very same kunai Tenten had been using all along flying at Sakura’s head. She leaped and narrowly avoided it, though it did slice into her leg a bit. Blood spurted from the gash, and Sakura dropped. Tenten smirked, a strange look in her eyes.

Sakura grabbed hold of her leg, putting pressure on the slice, and looked up. Tenten’s eyes glowed with a strange lunacy that made Sakura’s spine tingle and every hair on the nape of her neck stand up at attention.

Tenten knelt down in front of her, flicking her wrist and catching the blade once more. She licked the edge of the kunai slowly, tasting Sakura’s blood. “I don’t really know what he saw in you. You’re selfish, stupid, and unskilled.” She sneered and flipped the kunai a bit, then caught it and gripped it, point towards that sky. She brought it crashing down onto Sakura’s head, hilt first, and knocked her out.

For Sakura, she thought it was death, and as her world went black, she had no clue that what was coming was far worse than her own rape, any mission, or this very fight. Sakura’s eyes fluttered closed as she fell face first to the ground. Her vision was red, and her head hurt, and then there was nothing. No light, no dark, no feeling, no pain.

Tenten didn’t grunt, or make much of any din as she lifted the other girl over her shoulder and began to leap upwards. She paused after losing her footing and nearly falling, so that she could build up some Chakra and make the trip safely.

She landed inaudibly, and set Sakura down. “Now, Sakura-san, I want you to know that you’re getting very special treatment here.” Tenten nearly sung to the unconscious girl lying at her feet. “I’m sending you to the same exact place as Lee, the same way he went. I never really liked you, but since he did, I guess I’ll be nice and do this for him.” She smiled sweetly and adjusted Sakura’s position, lifting her again.

“And now we -step- -to- -the- edge-….” Her voice got higher with each step, as well as an emphasizing grunt to go with, and she walked Sakura to the edge of Sandaime’s nose. “You like swimming, right Sakura-san? Good. Well, it’s very much like that. First, you raise you arms above your head…” Tenten lifted Sakura’s arms above their heads. She giggled and grinned wider with everything she did. “And then…” She winked at the still limp body. “You jump, jump, jump…” She hopped a bit with each “jump”, and eventually paused.

“Lean forward….” She bent the two of them forward, “And DIVE!” She giggled insanely once more and shoved Sakura over the edge, waving. “Bye bye…!” Tenten hummed lightly, and started her voyage back down.

_\T.T.G/_

Sakura was plummeting, falling towards the ground. Wind ripped around her, just as tearing cloth- like Iruka had said… She squeezed her eyes tightly, seeming to take forever to get to wherever she was going… and she opened them. At first she thought it was bright, but that was just the stinging of the wind to her sensitive eyes. She blinked, once, twice… She recognized this place, but not from this angle. She blinked once more, and her eyes widened. They began as wide as Lee’s often were, as she realized where she was, and what she was doing. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, arms pushing against the wind that had kept them at her sides so long. She squeezed her eyes shut, stopping the screaming. I’ll be with Lee-kun soon. I’m sure this is what Tenten wanted… She suddenly knew. I see now Lee-kun… I see why you did this. Let’s just hope, that since we can’t be together in life, we’ll at least be together in- She tried to finish the thought, but as she opened her eyes, she collided. She didn’t feel the pain, her head crushing into the ground.

_\T.T.G/_

Tenten reached the ground before Sakura, using her Chakra to speed up, and watched as the girl plunge towards certain death. She smiled sweetly at the ear piercing shriek.

Sakura was forcing her arms against the wind so she would fall just as Lee. Tenten giggled again and danced around. The wind had quieted, but there was a loud shredding sound as the small blossom fell spiralling. She bobbed her head at Sakura’s impact, blood and quite a few thicker things smacked against her face, chest, and legs. She stepped over, not bothering to mind her step. She bounced and skipped and trotted over to the remains of the bodies. She picked up Sakura and set her next to Lee, found their hands, and folded them together. She sat down in the pool of blood beside them, and giggled quietly, waiting for the breaking dawn.

_\T.T.G/_

Shino stepped out of his house at sunrise, as he did every day. He muttered quietly to his bugs, and froze when he heard something around the corner. Someone was giggling. He walked around carefully, knowing that he lived right near the Hokage monument. As he peered around the corner, he blinked, adjusting his glasses. Tenten sat, inside the tape marking off the scene, covered in blood, and petting a black, pink, and red mass of something shiny, stringy, and definitely not alive.

END

Author’s note: Sorry about the freakish ending. How’d ya like insane Tenten? Did you think there was a real plot, or am I just in this fic for smut and blood? I thought so too. So, not really a PWP, but, hey. Whatever.

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