Chapter 150: Rock Lee's Surgery

As the crowd thinned and the noise of the arena faded into the distance, Naruto spotted Temari sitting quietly, still catching her breath.

He walked over, hands in his pockets, a soft smile on his face. "Hey, Temari… what are you gonna do now?"

Temari glanced up at him, her eyes calm but a little tired. "Rest, I guess. I lost, so… there's nothing else for me to do."

Naruto nodded, the breeze ruffling his messy red hair. "Fair enough."

Then, with that trademark spark returning to his eyes, he added, "Well, after you're rested, how about we meet up? I could show you around the village. There's more to Konoha than just battlefields and arenas."

Temari blinked, caught a little off guard. But something in his tone—genuine, kind, and strangely comforting—made her pause.

She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Okay."

Naruto smiled. "Cool. I'll find you later."

And with that, he turned and walked away—leaving Temari staring after him, a faint blush on her cheeks she'd never admit to.

As Naruto walked away, waving at the others and laughing like the fight never even happened, Kankuro leaned over to Temari, eyes wide with suspicion.

"Temari… don't tell me. You and him?" His voice cracked halfway through the sentence, like his brain short-circuited just thinking about it.

Temari stiffened. "W-What?! No! I mean—"Her words faltered as her face turned crimson.

Gaara, silent as ever, watched the silhouette of Naruto fading into the distance, surrounded by friends. Something in his expression shifted—almost thoughtful. Almost.

"But I heard he already has five girlfriends," Kankuro blurted, still reeling. "Five! That's like... a squad!"

Temari's head turned slowly toward him, one hand on her hip, the other twitching in a way that spelled doom."You heard everything?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

Kankuro grinned awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… ehehe… Not everything… just, you know, the relevant parts?"

Temari sighed, her anger dissolving into a weird, vulnerable quiet. She looked off in the direction Naruto had gone, a faint smile curling on her lips.

"I know he has five," she admitted softly. "But I can't help thinking about him…"

Kankuro stared at her like she'd grown another head. "You're seriously okay with that?"

Temari rolled her eyes, cheeks still pink. "I didn't say I was. I said… I can't help it."

Kankuro threw his hands in the air. "Man, love in the ninja world is complicated."

Ever the cryptic, Gaara muttered under his breath, "Maybe… not as complicated as we think."

All three walked away, vanishing into the crowd, leaving behind questions, blushes, and one very nosy brother.

Meanwhile… with Naruto.

After the preliminary matches wrapped up, Naruto found himself walking the quiet hallways of the Konoha Hospital. It didn't take long to find where Guy's team was housed.

He poked his head into the room, eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Yo," he grinned.

Tenten cracked one eye open and blinked. All she saw was Naruto's forehead and eyes peeking through the door like some nosy raccoon.

"Ha… Naruto?" she chuckled weakly.

He entered fully, followed closely by the usual suspects—Karin, Sakura, Hinata, and Ino, like a battalion of concerned queens.

Naruto walked over and plopped down beside her bed, raising an eyebrow. "Dang, Tenten. You got enough bandages to mummify a bijuu."

Tenten huffed. "This is the result… of Guy-sensei's emotional damage."

"Yeah… if it's Guy-sensei, even hugs come with trauma," Naruto said, grinning.

Karin leaned down and gently pressed Tenten's wrist to check her pulse, but—

"Ouch!" Tenten winced.

Karin immediately pulled back, looking sheepish. "Ah—sorry!"

But Tenten, seeing Karin's slightly panicked expression after the accidental squeeze, couldn't help but laugh through the ache.

"Hahaah, don't worry about it," she waved off. "I'm not that weak to be rattled by a little flesh wound. I've taken kunai to the shoulder and still hit my mark."

Karin gave a relieved sigh. "Spoken like a real iron lady."

"That's the spirit," Ino grinned, giving a playful wink.

"You'll be back on your feet in no time," Hinata added softly, her tone like a gentle breeze.

Tenten caught the gentleness in Hinata's voice and gave her a small, genuine smile in return. "Thanks, Hinata… you've really grown, huh?"

Just then, a faint groan stirred from the bed beside them.

Neji slowly opened his eyes, his pale Byakugan gaze focusing as the light settled in.

"Neji!" Hinata called gently, stepping closer. "Are you okay?"

Neji gave a small nod, then looked directly at her. "Hinata… you passed the exam?"

Before she could answer, Naruto stepped in with a wide grin. "Yup! Not just her—everyone here passed. We're all headed to the finals."

Neji's eyes moved to Naruto, and something unreadable flashed through them—respect, perhaps? A sense of challenge renewed? Either way, his lips curled into a faint, approving smile.

"I see," he said. "Then we'll meet again… stronger."

Tenten looked between them all, pride glowing in her eyes despite the pain. "Finals or not, I'm just glad everyone's alive and kicking. Kinda surprised no one lost an arm, to be honest."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "We save that drama for the main event."

Everyone chuckled. Even Neji, for once, allowed himself a brief smirk.

Sakura, watching the light banter unfold, gave a soft smile. The warmth in the room was almost enough to forget the pain they'd all endured. Almost.

"You guys keep talking," she said gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to check on Lee."

Tenten blinked. "What… what happened to him?"

Naruto's smile faded just a bit, his tone turning serious. "He got beaten… hard. One of the Suna trio nearly crushed him."

Tenten's eyes widened, concern washing over her face.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her voice just barely steady.

Without missing a beat, Naruto reached out and held her hand—not with any flirt or flash, but with that rare, comforting firmness that said I've got you.

"Don't worry," he said, with the quiet pride of someone who knew what he could do. "He's going to be okay. He's got Tsunade, Sakura… and me."

That last part made Tenten blink in surprise, then chuckle despite herself. "When did you get so cool, huh?"

Naruto gave her his signature grin. "Born this way."

Sakura, smiling softly at their exchange, added, "He's right, you know. We'll do everything we can. He'll heal in no time."

Then, with a small nod, she turned and walked over to the other side of the room—where Lee lay, unconscious but still breathing strong.

When Sakura reached Lee's room, she stopped in her tracks.

Might Guy was standing just outside the door, his usually vibrant face weighed down with layers of quiet, suffocating emotion. His arms were crossed, but they trembled slightly, betraying the storm inside.

"Guy-sensei?" Sakura asked gently. "What are you doing out here?"

He looked up slowly, his eyes red—not from tears, but from holding them back for too long. "Sakura… it's Lee."

Sakura walked up beside him, placing a hand on his arm. "Take a breath. Tell me everything."

Guy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, like he was trying to breathe in all the pain just to keep it away from Lee.

"Lady Tsunade examined him. She… she found microfractures. Too many. Bones shattered in ways that normal healing won't fix." His voice cracked, a raw edge bleeding through the words. "She says he needs surgery."

Sakura's breath caught.

"There's only a fifty percent chance he'll survive," Guy continued, voice low, trembling. "And if it fails… he might not wake up again."

Silence fell for a moment.

But then Sakura straightened her back, her expression hardening—not with fear, but with resolve. The kind of look Tsunade herself wore when standing between life and death.

"Then we'll make sure it succeeds," she said firmly. "Because Rock Lee isn't someone who gives up halfway. He's too stubborn, too strong, and way too full of youth to let something like odds stop him."

Guy blinked, stunned by the quiet confidence in her tone.

"I've trained under Lady Tsunade," Sakura added, voice softer now. "And if anyone can save him, it's her. I'll help too. I'll do everything I can. He's going to pull through."

For the first time since the battle, a flicker of light sparked in Guy's eyes. Relief wrapped around his heart like a warm blanket.

"Thank you, Sakura," he said, eyes glistening now—not with grief, but with hope.