The Power of Youth Chapter 16: To Love, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I still didn't own Naruto.

AN: Yes, I know, it's been FOREVER!! But HERE!! FINALLY!! The next chapter of The Power of Youth. I'm actually pretty excited about this, and I'm sure you are too…I've rewrote this chapter at least six to ten times, I kid you not. What's going to happen now? Well, what are you waiting for? Read on!!

The Power of Youth

Chapter XVI

"To Love"

By SapphireWhiteTigress

Lee couldn't sleep, he wouldn't even dare try. Every time he would close his eyes, visions of her would enter his mind. Her beautiful smiling face and her equally beautiful eyes would haunt him endlessly. Her laughter would fill his mind's ears. It would drive him insane. He forced himself awake as in slouched in the only chair in the quiet, dark room. The only sound was the slow and steady beat of the heart monitor that was carefully placed next to the still figure in the bed. The small room was littered with get well gifts from friends and family.

It was nighttime now, the sun having gone down long ago. It felt like years went by, since the start of that morning. It could have been too, Lee felt disoriented, like he was having an outer body experience or a recurring nightmare. His heart constricted painfully within his chest as new tears welled inside of his dark eyes once more. He looked towards the single bed, watching the figure silently and praying that she would pull through. She looked so pale and so fragile, almost like she was…

No! She was fine. She had to be.

Lee slowly moved his hand to clasp those of his beloved. His fingers intertwined with hers and he held her hand tightly in his. He was afraid that if he let go, he would lose her forever. As he looked upon her face, he remembered the words that Tsunade told him earlier that day.

Tsunade glanced in the room before completely stepping out into the hallway and closing the door. She looked into all three of their eyes before speaking. "Well," she started, taking a deep breath. This was painful for her to say, but she knew she must continue on. They had the right to know. "The worst has passed," she paused as there was a collected sigh of relief from the small group of three. "She's now in stable condition…but…" She paused once again to take a deep breath. Lee's blood ran cold as all possibilities ran through his head. She continued. "During the operation, Sakura slipped into a coma."

Lee stared wide-eyed at Tsunade as his world came crashing down around him. Everything else that was said after that went unnoticed by him as he was paralyzed, but he could scarcely remember hearing Sakura's mother asking about the babies.

The answer that Lee heard made his heart stop and he couldn't take it anymore. He fainted.

As he broke from the memory and the feeling of relief, he gently caressed her silky smooth hand with his thumb. He remembered hearing somewhere that it helps if you tried talking to them, that they could hear you, even in their deepest dreams. He cleared his dry throat, it felt like forever since he was able to speak.

"Sakura-chan…" He whispered. His voice sounded croaked and it almost hurt to talk, but he didn't care. He squeezed her hand before continuing on. "Sakura-chan…I…" He paused to gather his thoughts. "I love you so much…" he whispered as the tears fell from his eyes to form a damp pool on the white blanket that covered Sakura's prone body. His heart ached painfully for her. He watched her intently, hoping to see a sign, any sign that she'll wake up soon.

There was nothing but the steady beating of the heart monitor.

He sighed but didn't move a muscle. He tried talking to her again. "Sakura-chan, please…wake up? My world is nothing without you. If you can hear me…please, come back to me…"

Silence was his only answer.

Weeks flew by with no sign of any changes. The doctors tried everything they could to pull Sakura out of her lapse, but there was just nothing they could do. Nothing but wait and hope that she'll pull there. Lee refused to leave her side until he was forced by Gai and Kakashi to take a much needed rest. Lee could only sleep for two hours before he found himself back at Sakura's side, holding her hand, and talking to her. He hoped that his words would reach her. He knew that they would.

Others came to visit too; Ino, Naruto, Tenten, and all of their friends. Even Shikamaru came in for a brief visit. Each of them noticed how bad Lee looked, but kept their comments to themselves as they came and went, leaving Lee once again to be alone with the unconscious girl.

It has been three weeks now, as Lee found himself seated by her bed. His eyes were bloodshot and heavy from all the tears that wouldn't stop falling and from the lack of sleep. He shed so many tears that he was afraid he had none left. His hair was sticking out at all angles, but he didn't really care. He was lacking his usual green jumpsuit and orange legwarmers as he now done on a pair of loose black pants and a black sleeveless t-shirt. He looked like someone who had just lost someone very important to him.

He hasn't smiled for three whole weeks, no matter how much his friends tried to cheer him up.

His bloodshot eyes traveled to Sakura's pale face and well-rounded belly. Just a few more months, and then the babies would be born and if…and if Sakura doesn't wake up by then…

He didn't even want to think about it.

He took a deep breath and tried talking to her again, willing her to find his voice and follow it. It hurt to speak, but pain was now something he was all too familiar with. He told her, every single day, how much he loved her and how much he needed her in his life. He told her that when she woke up, he'll change. He'll be a better man. He would protect her with his very soul. He told her that without her, life was not worth living. That he would just be an empty shell, wasting away. He told her that the pain he was feeling was the worst possible feeling of pain he had ever felt, more excruciating then when Gaara crushed his leg and arm.

Tears were dripping from his eyes and his heart screamed, just like he wanted to do now. He wanted to cry out loud, to sob like a child. To pull her into his arms and repeat over and again how much he wanted her to be with him, now and forever.

"I thought I would find you here, Lee." A voice came from the door, interrupting Lee's thoughts and agony. Where else could be possibly be?

Lee knew instantly who the voice belonged to even before he turned around to face him. "Gai-sensei? Is something wrong?"

Gai looked at his young pupil with concerned eyes. To see Lee like this pained him deeply. He stepped into the room, blocking the only source of light provided from the hallway. "Lee," he hesitated, but only for a moment, "how are you feeling?"

Lee turned away from his sensei to wipe away the shameful tears that continued to fall from his eyes. He hated for his sensei to see him like this, but he supposed that with the current circumstance, it couldn't be helped. "I…I am fine, Gai-sensei." He lied with an unsteady breath. It was obvious to anyone who knew him that he was far from being fine. "Considering…" he turned sad eyes to the woman on the bed.

Gai shook his head. "Lee, you need to rest. Your youthful exuberance has gone dried. You will not be doing Sakura any good if you are unwell yourself!"

Lee looked towards Gai and sighed, unwilling to leave her side at all for anything. "But Gai-sensei…"

Gai walked across the room and quickly closed the distance between the two, placing his large hands on Lee's shoulders. "Lee, listen to me, killing yourself over this will not change the fact that it happened. The best that you can do for her is to rest now, so when she does wake up, you will be well rested and give her your most youthful greeting!"

Lee's eyes glistered with tears once again as his bottom lip trembled. "Ga-Gai-sensei…"

"Lee," Gai said with a smile on his face.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed as he hugged his sensei, allowing the tears to freely fall.

Gai returned the hug, holding the heartbroken boy in his arms, like a father would a son. And for a moment, Gai could almost imagine that Lee was actually his real son.

After the emotional scene, they drew apart and Gai suddenly looked serious. "Lee, there is something that we must do."

Lee blinked at his sensei. "What is that, Gai-sensei?"

Gai took a deep breath, "Well, Lee, it seems that Hokage-sama has a mission for us." He started.

Lee eyes widen. "A mission? But Gai-sensei! What about Sakura-chan? I cannot leave her side."

Gai glanced towards Sakura on the bed. "Lee, do not worry about Sakura. Hokage-sama has the best medical ninjas taking care of her. She is in capable hands."

"But Gai-sensei, what if she wakes up when I am not here? I want to be there for her!" Lee tried insisting. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on successfully completing a mission while Sakura lay unconscious in a hospital room, with the prospect of death looming overhead. He turned to his sensei pleadingly. "Is there no one else to take on the mission?"

"Lee," Gai started to say, "I know how you must be feeling, but you must uphold your duties as a Konoha Ninja."

"Gai-sensei…" Lee looked between the man he admired and the woman that he loved.

Gai smiled softly at his pupil. "Lee, there is nothing for you to worry about. Once this mission is complete, you may return back to your beloved Sakura. It will take no longer than a few days."

Lee bowed his head slightly as he gave in. Everything would be okay. He trusted Gai-sensei with his life so there was no reason not to trust him right now. Gai-sensei said that it will take no more than a few days. He hoped that he was right. He took a deep breath before slowly releasing it and lifted his head up to face his sensei again. "What is the mission, Gai-sensei?"

Gai smiled at Lee.

Naruto sat alone at the stand of his favorite ramen restaurant, a barely touched bowl of cooling ramen in front of him. His mind was blank as he refused to think about anything. He completely ignored his uneaten ramen and the people around him as he stared into the bowl, not really

seeing the contents. It's been three weeks since Sakura has been in a coma. To see one of his best friends, his old crush, in that state chilled him to the core.

His mind was numbed with possibilities and what ifs. What if Sakura doesn't wake up? Should he then blame Lee, one of his closest friends? As much as he would like to, he knows that Lee would never intentionally harm Sakura in any way. Lee loves Sakura with every fiber in his being and he would rather die a trillion times then let anything happen to her.

He was slightly aware of the feelings he still harbored for his friend, and as much as he would like to, he just couldn't shake them. He had Hinata now and she truly cared for him, deeply. It wouldn't be fair to her if he continued to have such feelings for his pink haired friend.

Hinata was sweet and she deserved someone better than him, didn't she? He wasn't worth anyone's love, especially hers.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself, brat. The inner voice that belonged to the demon inside of him growled.

'Shut up, damn fox. I'm not feeling sorry for myself.' Naruto growled back at having his thoughts interrupted by that annoying creature inside of him.

'Oh, I'm not worthy of being loved. What do I do now?' The fox mocked his vessel angrily. I'm only going to offer you advice this one time, kid, so you better listen up. I hate repeating myself.

'Just go away,' Naruto said to the fox as he now started to play with his food. He took a small bite of his ramen and almost immediately spit it back out. Cold ramen was never a good thing, no matter how much he liked it. He sighed and stood up to leave.

The owner and his daughter sadly watched as Naruto disappeared into the crowd.

The Kyuubi roared loudly, almost deafening the boy. Naruto winced and rubbed at his ears in frustration. 'Why the hell did you do that, you stupid fox?'

Shut up, kid. I'm getting tired of you feeling sorry for yourself over nothing. It annoys the hell out of me to listen to your inner thoughts. Don't take this the wrong way; I could care less about you. I'm only doing this for my own benefit. Got it?

'Whatever,' Naruto inwardly rolled his eyes as he walked slowly down the street. The streets were partly busy as many faceless people did their own things. Naruto paid no mind to any of them as he went on his way. Where he was going, he wasn't sure.

Grah, you are one annoying little punk. The Kyuubi paused before continuing with what he wanted to say, Look, brat, get over it. Those feelings you have for that pink haired companion of yours aren't real. She doesn't love you, no matter how much you think you like her. And feeling sorry for yourself won't change that fact. Look, idiot, that Hyuuga has genuine

feelings towards you. She is probably the only person -ever- who will take the time to love someone like you. Hell if I know why anyone could be with an idiot like you. But, hell, she does. Love is not something you should take lightly kid. If you love her, tell her so. If not, end this now. That whole bullshit about 'not being worthy of love' -is- bullshit. If I ever hear you pitying yourself again, I'll escape and kill every single person that you hold dear, got it? He concluded with a huff and growled.

Naruto was shock and speechless as he now stood stock-still in the middle of the street. Who knew that the fearsome Kyuubi could be sentimental, even though he did have a funny way of showing it?

I'm not sentimental, idiot.

Naruto drew himself from his thoughts and grinned. 'Hey…thanks stupid fox. I never knew you were so wise. Maybe everything will work out…' His grin dissipated as another thought enter his mind. "I just hope Sakura-chan will be okay…" he whispered.

"Naruto-kun?" The soft and gentle voice of his girlfriend whispered from behind. Naruto couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he turned to her.

"Hinata-chan!" He gave her a fierce hug. It felt like forever since they last seen each other. The last time they were together was yesterday when they both went to go visit Sakura in the hospital.

Hinata blushed a beet red as she returned the hug, albeit shyly.

They released from their hug and Naruto took a good look at Hinata, gathering all his thoughts and feelings for the little beauty that stood in front of him. She really was a rare gem, something that one would spend their whole life searching for. Yeah, it was corny, but Naruto didn't really care.

"Naruto-kun…are you…are you okay?" She timidly asked him as he led her down the street.

Naruto gave his girlfriend a grin before slinging a strong arm around her shoulder. "Of course, Hina-chan!" He was only slightly surprised that he felt better now that Hinata was there with him. Maybe now he could really let Sakura go and focus all his attention on his lovely girlfriend. She deserved everything and more from him. He kissed her gently on the cheek and a blush immediately burned Hinata's neck and cheeks. Naruto was being oddly affectionate and she found that she enjoyed it. "How about we go get something to eat and then visit Sakura-chan later?"

Hinata nodded shyly as they made their way in search of something to eat, that didn't consist of ramen. It was the least he could do for her.

Lee sighed, slightly irritated, a rare sight for the green-clothed ninja. He was stuck here, on an escort mission for some lord while he should be by Sakura-chan's side. He even had the urge to strangle Gai-sensei for dragging him away from her. What made matters worse was the fact that the lord that they were currently escorting was a self-centered, egotistical jerk only concerned about himself. He claimed that he needed someone to guard his goods as they traveled from Fire Country to Tea Country.

What they didn't expect was the sudden ambush that took them all by surprise. Four Sound Ninjas jumped from their spots in the tree, as if expecting the travelers. Lee and Gai-sensei quickly stood in front of the man that they were escorting to protect him and his goods from the sudden attack.

"What is going on here?!" The Lord cried out in surprise. "Protect me from these fiends!" He demanded and Lee rolled his eyes, biting back the rude comment he so badly wanted to say.

"These two must be from Konoha, huh?" One of the ninjas said.

Another nodded, snaring. "Should we take 'em to Orochimaru-sama?"

The third shook his head. "No. We were told to eradicate the enemy. Every. Single. One." The enemy ninja grinned smugly behind his mask. "These guys should be a piece of cake." He said cockily.

Gai took up his traditional fighting stance, with his back erected and his left arm placed firmly behind his back and right arm outstretched towards the enemy. "Lee," he started to catch his favorite pupil's attention. Lee glanced up at Gai-sensei, adopting the same stance as his teacher.

"Gai-sensei?"

"Protect Kenjimaru-sama with your youthful power." He said, not taking his eyes off of the four Sound Ninjas that surrounded them from for different points.

Lee nodded once. "Hai, Gai-sensei," he stood protectively in front of Kenjimaru-sama, as if daring the Sound Ninjas to try something.

This caused them to laugh. "I've heard about these characters; wearing green, hm? That brat Sasuke said that they're not hard to handle. I think even he could beat them."

Gai-sensei frowned, deep in thought. "It is rude to underestimate your enemy."

"Really," the opposing ninja said, with a terrifying grin. "Let's do this then." And the four ninjas launched in an array of attacks, forcing Gai-sensei to defend.

AN: Wow, it took me years for that? Don't worry, the next chapter won't take as long, I promise, because I'm already going to start on it!! I just really needed to get SOMETHING out there for you guys. Tell me what you think! I know that a few things may seem weird and whatnot, but, well….I like it. Well, REVIEW!! That's what got me getting this one out. Reviews Inspiration and Inspiration More Frequent Updates. (Sorry again for the major delay).