Naruto - reader x Rock Lee (Gender neutral)

The Burden

*Back to when war is about to start*

You hugged Lee before he was sent, everyone split up into teams depending on the area they were going to cover to kill the enemies. You didn't want to let go and gripped tightly on his green suit. Your hands were sweaty and you were nervous and terrified.

What happens if because of me, everyone somehow ends up dead and we lose the war?

What happens if Naruto dies and we are left with no choice but to fight so we all fall like flies?

What happens if Lee dies?

Lee noticed how you were latech onto him. How you were sweating and you were sweaty. The look of your wide eyes as all the possibilities of what could go wrong caused turmoil in your head.

Lee soothed you by patting your head. He didn't want to say goodbye yet either, but everyone was departing already and you and him couldn't fall behind.

He grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you away from him. He held on firmly as he looked you in the eyes and smiled, "we'll be okay."

He pulled you in and his lips embraced yours. He stroked the back of your head and before he walked away, he whispered in your ear.

"I love you."

You sobbed.

If because of me everyone I care about dies, I won't know what to do

Lee stopped when he heard your first cry, but he didn't turn around.

"P...Promise me that you'll come back," you cried.

Without turning around he answered. "I will." And he marched again.

You turned and walked as well. Even though it wasn't fully up to him whether he came back alive or not, it didn't make the promise less special.

It was grueling work setting up the tents for patients, setting up a barricade around the tents and scouting the area for enemies. When the work was finally done you prepared yourself with gloves and set up many medical equipment near you, prepared for the first injured people to arrive.

You walked out your tent since you were prepared already. You met Sakura outside, her tent was just 1 tent down.

"Hey, how's everything going?"

"Great," Sakura replied.

"I'm jealous, I wish I had someone to say goodbye to like that."

You blushed, "Oh, I kinda forgot I was in public..."

Sakura shuffled her feet. "I wish Sasuke was here, part of me blames myself that he went away, maybe if I did this or that, then maybe he would've stayed."

You understood how she felt. All these what if's and how the outcomes of things could be different.

"You know after what Sai told me about the burden I placed on Naruto, I decided that I would take responsibility for myself and try to help more than be a burden. All this time I wasn't the only one suffering because of Sasukes absence, everyone was and I was ignorant and well stupid. I need to focus on what's in front of me now and move on to make a better future instead of dwelling in all the possibilities.." Sakura took a deep breath.

You ran towards her and hugged her. "Thank you."

"For what?."

You ran back to your tent and sat on the floor.

Sakura is right. I should work hard, so that the possibilities could be positive.