A Lotus in Winter: A Rock Lee Love Story

Chapter 55: Rain

Kakashi's POV: 

When Sayuri discovered the false Lee, I tried convincing her to let Ibiki gather information from him. She wouldn't let that happen, she felt that it was her fault that Lee was missing and she needed to fix it herself. I tried preventing her, but I had no right to. She was previously a spy, and her genjutsu and other jutsu were primarily focused around torture and information gathering. I knew it crushed her to use these, she had never wanted to develop them but she had been forced to. 

I remember many a night running to her room after she began living with me because I heard her screaming and crying. She was plagued by nightmares about the people she was forced to torture and the horrible things she had witnessed. She would do anything for Lee, even if it meant forsaking herself. 

As soon as she gathered the intel she needed, she was off. I was concerned about her safety but when it came to Lee, there was no stopping her. 

After awhile, her dog Hitsugi came running past the Hokage office carrying an unconscious Sayuri and Lee on his back. I ran out of my office immediately after, leaving my cloak and hat behind. I wasn't a Hokage in that moment, I was an older brother who needed to take care of his sister. I followed him to the hospital, Lee was immediately taken to a room and Sayuri was rushed into surgery by Lady Tsunade. I only saw my sister for the briefest moment, but what I saw horrified me. I didn't know how she did it, but I knew she had to have Lee's injuries based on what that man said he had done to Lee. I held no ill will towards Lee for Sayuri's current condition, I held Hiro responsible for the way I felt. As Hokage I planned on punishing him appropriately, as a brother, no punishment was enough.

I sat outside the Operating Room waiting desperately. I couldn't help but remember the first time I met her, it was in this very hospital under similar circumstances. I had no clue who she was but I gave blood to her. Even now as I sat waiting, I was doing a blood transfusion for her. 

My thoughts were interrupted by Lee running up to me. I breathed a sigh of relief that he was okay, he had no idea how much he meant to me. He is Guy Sensei's student who is my rival and best friend, and the fiance of my sister who is my whole world. I smiled at him, and before I could speak, he began speaking. 

Lee:  "I'm so sorry Kakashi. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, this is all my fault. Please forgive me for failing her....."

I interrupted him and spoke how I felt.  He sat beside me and we waited to hear news. We could faintly hear sounds from the operating room. A sudden bang broke the melancholy silence, I looked towards the source which was from the window. I saw that it was beginning to rain.

Rock Lee's POV: 

I sat by Kakashi watching the rain fall. It was pouring. The sky seemed to be a reflection of my feelings. This never should have happened to her. She had gone through enough, she deserved to be happy. Yet here I was sitting there waiting to hear if she was okay.

We didn't bother to speak to each other, it was too painful for me to try choking back tears. That was when I heard a sound from the operating room. It was a sound I will never forget. One continuous beep. I knew instantly what that one note meant. It was the sound of a flatline. I no longer tried to hold back my tears. Kakashi looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. He seemed to be holding his breath. I knew that he was putting up a front for me but we both knew what that sound meant.

Sayuri was dead and with her went my will to live.