--
It took a good hour for the sand shinobi to find their leader...and when they did, they were horrified by the sight.
Their dangeroius and fearless leader was soaking in a pool of his own bllod.
With the older leaf clutching onto his cold dead body as his own shook with heartbreaking sobs.
Noone could remove the leaf. He grew hysterical whenever someone tried. Whenever they told him that Gaara was dead and there was nothing that could be done anymore. Lee would hit and scream at the people trying to pry him away from the former kazekage until he could rush to his friends side once again.
"Gaara...I love you...so much."
They walked into the village with a respectful silence
There would be some that would be happy Gaara had died;
but noone would dare say anything with a redeyed and dangerous leaf ninja shooting deadly glares at the citizens as he carried Gaara's body. At one point he stopped in the center of the small community.
"Do you see what you did?! All your hate...your fear...he died to protect you. YOU KILLED GAARA! He laid his life on the line for you all...every day...it hurt him so much to be hated by the very people he protected.l But he never gave up! He made sure that you were all safe until the end. Even though none of you deserved it. You filthy, lousy, blind excuse for a human!"
Gaara's sister rushed from the kazekage tower as she heard the hysterical ranting and she grabbed Lee into a hug feeling her brothers cold body in her arms as well.
The leaf froze in shock before dissolving in tears as he fell to his knees; the blonde kunoichi following in the embrace.
"He didn't deserve this, Temari. He deserved to have just a little bit of happiness. Not be used like some sand village pawn. We loved eachother..and I-I c-could have...I could have protected him. I should have done more..."
Gaara's older sister stroked a finger down Lee's back reassuringly.
"Shh. Don't blame yourself. He wouldn't have let you protect him. he was the leader; that meant our fate was in his hands. So he did everything possible to keep the village safe. He lived and died for us...he never asked for the responsibility; but he accepted it in hopes that he would gain some respect. And he got yours...I think that mattered to him more than anyone elses."
