Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Naruto.

Author's note: I said there would be differences from the Naruto anime, but there will also be parallel similarities. Such as in this chapter.

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Ch. 8 "The Demon and The Gates"

"I did it, Guy-Sensei," Lee said, trying to catch his breath. "I won."

"That-a-boy, Lee!" Guy praised his prized pupil. "That's how it's done!"

"No," Kurama protested quietly, catching Guy's attention. "I don't believe Hiei will be beaten that easily. It takes much more than that to keep him down."

"Huh? Are you serious?"

Hayate stepped in, "I guess I should start counting (cough). One... Two... Huh?"

As predicted, the small demon started picking himself up, surprising nearly everyone in the building. "Heh, that was pretty good, kid," he said as he got back to his feet, and started stretching out his arms.

"Huh?" Lee watched, stunned, as he got back up so quickly.

"I didn't think anyone else here could give me this kind of exercise." Then, Hiei popped his neck. "I gotta hand it to you, Lee. You're really something else."

"I don't believe it," Guy said, stunned that the Primary Lotus actually failed. "How can that kid still be up after that?"

"Believe me," Kurama answered ominously. "Hiei is no child. He is much older than he looks. In fact, he is even older than the Hokage."

"WHAT?!" Everyone around him questioned in disbelief. Kakashi asked, "How the hell is that possible?"

"Do you believe there are creatures other than humans roaming the earth?" Kurama asked cautiously.

"What, you mean demons? You mean that's what he is?"

"Yes. Hiei is a demon, and has lived for over a century. And the only human who has ever defeated him in battle is Yusuke."

"Wait," Izumi demanded, trying to wrap her mind around all this. "You mean you kids actually know all three ninja in that group?"

"Yeah," Edward spoke up, shifting the attention in his direction. "They know Hiei, and the other two are my problem." He turned and faced the two on the opposite balcony. "One of them is my younger brother."

"Your brother?.." Kakashi turned to examine the other team. "Yeah... I can see the resemblence. It's the kid in the red coat, right?"

"That's right. But I don't understand why he's here. I thougth I was the only one who went through the Gate..."

"Gate?" Guy questioned. "What the heck are you talkin' about, Ed?"

Meanwhile, down on the arena floor, Hayate allowed the match to resume.

"So, kid," Hiei asked with a little excitement in his voice, "have you got anything else for me? You see, this is the first time I've been able to enjoy a good fight in several months. It would be a shame to end it so soon."

"But," Lee started to get his breathing under control, "how did you withstand the power of my Lotus? You would have to be inhuman to be up and about after that."

"Why don't you ask my red-headed friend about that when you get the chance to talk? You'll find there's more to me than meets the eye."

"Very well, then," Lee said after a little rest. "I suppose I have no choice but to unleash my ultimate technique." He then crossed his arms in front of him. "Forgive me, Guy-Sensei. But I must do this." Here, Lee's chakra started to rise at an alarming speed.

"What the--? His chakra... Guy, you didn't...?" Kakashi turned to face him with concern on his face. "Guy, what did you do?"

"Kakashi, you know good and well what this is."

Izumi interjected, "You mean..."

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "Guy, you taught Lee to open the Eight Inner Gates."

"Eight Gates..?" Edward and Naruto asked, completely clueless.

"It is a forbidden jutsu," Kakashi explained to the students. "There is a network of chakra points in the body that coincides with the bloodstream. But there are also eight points of regulation that keep the amount of chakra someone can use in check, called Gates. They are located throughout the central nervous system, and the heart. In order, they are the Gates of Opening, of Rest, of Life, of Pain, of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and finally, Death." This word caught Ed's attention, making him wince. "The Primary Lotus can only be performed when the Gate of Opening is released. I'm not so surprised that Lee was taught to open that one. With each gate that the user opens, they gain an incredible amount of strength and chakra, but in exchange, the technique puts an equally incredible strain on their life force." He then faced Guy again. "Guy, I can't believe you would be willing to teach such a technique to one of your own students."

"Don't give me that, Kakashi. I only taught Lee this technique as a last resort. It means he has no alternative left."

Back in the fight, the air flow around Lee became visibly distorted. "The second gate, Gate of Rest... Open!" Just then, a burst of air blew in all direction from him.

"I see," Hiei said, interested in seeing what he was dealing with. "You still haven't reached your limit."

"Guy," Kakashi said with concern, "how many Gates did you teach him to unlock?"

"He can only reach the fifth gate. He can't go any farther than that."

"The third gate, Gate of Life... Open!!" Now, Lee's skin started to change color, becoming red. The air flow started to dramatically change around his body.

"Amazing... To learn how to open the Eight Inner Gates," Kakashi said, confounded at Lee's power, "it takes more than strength and will alone. This kid must truely be a genius."

"The fourth gate... Gate of Pain... Open!!" Now, Lee's voice showed evidence of the strain on his body. The amount of chakra he was releasing actually started breaking the ground of the arena, and changing the color of the air nearby.

"Yes!" Hiei said with excitement. "This is what I'd hoped to see! Now this fight is actually worth my time!" He held out his right hand, and started to let his energy flow through it. "Now, let me show you what I'm capable of!" The energy he was releasing awakened his Jagan Eye, and his tattoo, unraveling the wrapping, and revealing a black, glowing dragon spiraling his entire arm, as well as opening the third eye on his forehead.

"Is that a... third eye?" Kakashi asked, perplexed.

"No, Hiei! Don't!" Kurama yelled out. "The dragon will destroy everyone in the building!"

"What?! Are you serious?!" Kakashi asked, shocked. "How can he have that kind of power?"

"The fifth gate... Gate of Closing... OPEN!!" As Lee opened this gate, he stood back up straight, pulling his hands back to his sides, and released a massive amount of chakra, followed by a storm-like blast of wind.

Ignoring the pleas coming from the balcony, Hiei held his hand up, the aura of the dragon getting bigger. "I see the power you have! However," as he started to release it, "even as strong as you are, there's no need for me to call the dragon. At least, not all of him." He opened his palm, releasing a dark flame of energy, which fed the tattoo running up his arm, enveloping it in the same energy. From the top of his arm, the chakra trailed across his back, coming up, off of his left shoulder, shaped like a tail. "You see, no mortal, especially some fifteen-year-old punk, is worth the dragon's time, but he is willing to lend me some of his strength."

"What? Your chakra..." Lee said surprised, as everyone else watched in awe of the specticle.

"I... I don't believe it," Naruto said, actually frightened. "This chakra... It's massive... And, it's scary. You said that Hiei guy is a demon?"

"Yes," Kurama replied, as he started to sweat with fear. "And believe it or not, as much energy as he is exuding now, he can still call much more of it." Everyone around him yelled a jaw-dropping "What?!" He continued, "This is roughly a quarter of the dragon's full potential, equivelent to its tail."

"But," Guy asked, paniked, "if he has that kind of power, then how can Lee possibly win?"

"I believe winning is no longer an option. I'm simply worried about his survival," Kurama stated, shocking Guy. "That is, unless Hiei decides to show mercy."

"Unbelieveable," a deep, raspy voice whispered from the other balcony.

"I hear ya, Gaara," Kankuro answered from his side. "I thought you were the only one with that kind of chakra."

"You idiot," Gaara snapped back at him. "You didn't even hear it. This is not the limit of his power."

"Huh? Which one, the green kid, or the one with the weird arm?"

"The latter, Hiei. That dragon of his... It can still reach even greater limits." Gaara started twitching. "I can't believe it..."

"Uh-oh..." Kankuro and Temari stepped back, aware of what was happening to their little brother. Temari calmly pleaded, "Gaara, please, just wait..."

"Shut up, Temari... I'm fine."

Back in the arena, Hiei held out his hand for an attack. "Now, see if you can match my strength!"

"My pleasure!" Lee knelt down, getting ready to unleash a devestating attack. This chakra... I only hope I can beat him. With that, Lee jumped forward, moving faster than the human eye could keep up. He kept one hand down, dragging it along the ground for physical stimulation. "Dodge this!" He raised his hand up at the last moment, aiming for Hiei's chin.

"So, you really are faster!" Hiei said, pleased, as he moved his head only enough to avoid a direct hit. However, he didn't think of the aftershock of the rapid air movement. This mistake sent him flying several feet, barely stopping himself before he hit the wall. Before he could return the the center of the floor, however, Lee had already moved behind him, ready to make another attack. This time, instead of dodging, Hiei turned and countered, blocking the attack, and throwing a punch, which Lee pulled away from.

This combat went on for several minutes, moving all across the ground, with only a select few able to watch the action. "It's amazing," Naruto said. "I can feel the energy they're using, but I can't even see them. What the heck's happening?"

"This isn't good," Guy answered. "Lee is at his limit. He shouldn't even be able to last this long."

"Wha--? But, who's winning?"

"Hiei," Kakashi answered. "It's hard to believe, but opening the gates has actually made this fight worse for Lee. Now, not only is he outmatched, but the additional energy he's generating is damaging his body, causing severe fatigue."

Kurama pitched in, "It's only a matter of time, now. Hiei doesn't even need to attack. He can simply wait for Rock Lee to tire and pass out."

"Hey! Don't say that!" Guy snapped at him. He turned back to face the arena. "Lee is strong... Even if he does get tired, he will continue to fight."

"Guy," Kakashi warned, "your overconfidence in your student will cause him trouble if you aren't careful."

However, Guy just continued to watch the fight. Please, Lee... Just stop. Don't push it any more! If you do...

"Damn you, Hiei!" Lee said as he continued trying to attack him. "Why can't I hit you?!"

"Just give it up, child! You're too slow for me! Huh?"

Then, Lee got one lucky hit, landing a hard punch in Hiei's face. "Now," he said, pulling back his hand, the loose cloth around his hand wrapped around Hiei, "you're mine!!" As he jumped into the air, pulling Hiei up with him, he landed another normally bone-shattering punch to Hiei's chest, knocking the breath out of him. Then, he gave him an even stronger kick to his left set of ribs, almost knocking him out of the bandage. "Oh, no you don't!" Lee pulled Hiei back to him, spinning him at break-neck speed. "Now, handle this, why don't you?!" He stopped Hiei, grabbing him from behind. He kicked his left leg forward, catching Hiei's, pulling them both up to their heads, while gripping both of his arms at the wrists, and swinging them both forward, crossing over Hiei's leg, pulling it tight to his chest. The speed of their arms sent the bandages from Lee's hands wrapping around Hiei, catching him in this awkward position.

"What are you doing to me?!" He said, surprised at the sudden strength and skill of this 'punk.'

"You want power, Hiei?! Then witness the power of the Extreme Lotus!!" He then started spinning Hiei around even faster than the first time. However, this time, instead of only spinning around, he started spinning in an unpredictible manner, rotating in all sphirical directions. (Sorry, I couldn't think of a better way way to say it.)

"Damnit! I can't get loose!" Hiei struggled to get free as they continued towards the ground, in vain. Within less than a few seconds, Lee had tossed Hiei into the air, wrapped him up, and spun him into the ground. The strength of the impact practically shattered the ground, leaving a crater over three meters across, causing another explosion with a large puff of smoke, and leaving everyone to, once again, watch with anticipation as the smoke cleared.

"What?.. What just happened?" Naruto asked, clueless.

"I can't believe it," Kurama said with genuine shock. "Hiei actually..."

"He what?!"

"Kurama?" Edward asked from the side. "Am I feeling this right?"

"Yes, Edward. It seems I might have been wrong."

"What are you two talking about?!" Naruto yelled at them, annoyed.

Ed decided to answer. "What we're talking about, is that Lee might have actually beaten Hiei."

"Huh?" Naruto stared in disbelief. "You... mean Bushy-Brow won?" He turned back to face the arena, where they had landed.

"Damn, that really had to hurt." Shikamaru understated.

"You got that right," Ino replied.

"Oh no," Hinata gasped lightly, "Lee..."

"Even Hiei had to feel that," Al stated from the other balcony, almost concerned. "It doesn't matter if he is a demon."

"Yeah," Greed told him. "But there's no chance he actually lost. If he did, then he's really losing his touch."

"I didn't think that kind of power was even possible," Dosu said from the side. "It's amazing..."

Meanwhile, everyone else in the building just stood silently, waiting to see what lie inside the puff of smoke. Slowly, the dust and debris cleared, leaving a shocking, and kind of confusing, sight. Both fighters were lying face-down on the ground, head to head, motionless. The bandages from Lee's attack lie sprawled out, winding around both of them, ending in piles of the cloth.

"Lee!" Guy yelled worriedly from the balcony.

"Well, this is a new one," Hayate said from the floor. "Hokage-sama, how should I call this fight?"

"Proceed with the count, Hayate. If neither of them gets up in time, then both are disqualified."

"Very, well, Hokage-sama." Hayate stepped out to the center of the floor, and started counting. "One... Two... Three..."

"Come on, Bushy-Brow. Get up." Naruto silently rooted for the leaf ninja.

"Please, Lee," Tenten said, full of worry.

"Four... Five..."

"I don't believe it," Greed said. "Did he actually lose?"

"Six... Seven... Huh?" Hayate stopped short, watching something move.

"Ow..." One of the ninja said as he raised his arm. "Okay, that hurt." He pushed himself up, rubbing his head with the other hand.

"Heh... I should have known," Kurama said with a slight amusement.

"No," Guy said with shock. "It can't be..."

"What did I tell you?" Greed said confidently.

It was Hiei, of course. After this attack, his Jagan Eye had closed, once again limiting his strength. As he continued complaining about his aches, Hayate continued counting. "Eight... Nine... What?" Now, something else surprising was happening. Lee started moving.

"Lee!" Guy yelled for his student. "I don't believe it..."

"What? You're still moving?" Hiei asked, annoyed, while Lee slowly got back to his feet. "You really are a persistant one, aren't you?"

"Well," Lee barely managed to speak, breathing shallowly, "I want... to prove... that I am... a strong... ninja."

Hiei showed signs of fatigue as well. He was having trouble keeping his eyes opened, and had to work to keep up his 'tough' apperance. "Well, then, I think it's time to end this fight, now!!" Once again, Hiei took the initiative, and sped towards Lee, set on attacking. "This ends here!" He started to draw out power from the dragon tattoo again, only to find he didn't have enough stamina to pull out even another quarter of it's power. He only managed enough to augment his own strength. He had not trouble using this extra energy, though.

"AAHHH!!" Lee yelled in intense pain as Hiei landed a bone-breaking attack on his arm, with the pain amplified by the strain of fighting with the inner gates opened for an extended period of time.

"NO!! LEE!!" Guy couldn't bare to watch as his student continued in this torture.

"And now," Hiei said as he spun around, "for the leg!!" He swung his arm, aiming for Lee's leg, while swinging a kick to it from the other direction, ensuring devestating results.

"AAAHHHHH!!..." Lee screamed in immeasurable agony, as he buckled under the attack, falling as soon as Hiei let up, off of his leg.

The specticle was almost too much to bare for several of the (leaf) ninja, not only Guy. Many couldn't handle being forced to watch the agony of the determined child. Hinata had to close her eyes and cover her ears. Ino tensed her grip on the rail, tears forming on her lashes. Tenten yelled for it to stop, openly crying for her teammate. Sakura was lucky to still be unconscious, though she was close to waking up. It looked almost like she was crying, too, hearing the cries around her. While the girls were in such emotional pain, a few of the boys silently cursed Hiei for his brutality.

"Hey! Lay off him, you bastard!!" Naruto was not one of these boys.

"There, that should keep you down," Hiei said heartlessly, breathing hard. He then turned and started to walk away, with his left hand over his right arm, while Hayate started counting again.

"One... Two..."

"The fool didn't know when to give up," Neji said, coldly.

"Don't say that!!" Tenten snapped at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"Three... Four... (cough)"

"Even if he did go too far, don't you ever talk badly about Lee!"

"Bushy-Brow..."

"Five..."

"Lee..." Naruto and the others could hear a quiet voice behind them. They all turned, finding Sakura, still sleeping, but with a look of worry on her face, like she could hear what was happening.

"Six..."

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said, silently. He started to reach out to wake her, when Kakashi gently grabbed his wrist.

"No, Naruto. There's no need for her to see this kind of brutality." Naruto paused, and decided Kakashi-Sensei was right.

"Seven..."

"Remarkable," Dosu said. "I could barely even keep up with them."

"I can't believe it," Kankuro said, shocked. "They were so fast..."

"Eight..."

"Well, well," Greed said, pleased. "It looks like our teammate's still got it."

"That's good," Al answered back.

Hiei continued walking away, slowly, stopping as Hayate counted 'nine' and paused, yet again. "No... You've got to be kidding me..." He turned his head, finding Lee rising to his feet, visibly struggling. "Why won't you stay down?.." Hiei was barely able to walk and speek, now. Lee didn't answer. He just continued struggling to get upright, getting back into his attack stance, his head down. Hiei turned back around, getting angry. "I'm really getting tired of you, kid!" Hiei started releasing energy from his arm again, much lower than before, but enough to finish the job, and started running towards Lee. "Now, you lose!" He jabbed his hand towards Lee, ready for a final attack. "Huh?" However, his attack was stopped short by his wrist being swiped away. "Get out of the way."

"Sorry," Guy told him, "but I can't do that. I can't let Lee die just to protect his pride."

"Why?.. Why are you protecting him?"

"Because... I care about him."

"What?..." A raspy voice said from above. Gaara watched with intense attention. "He cares... for that guy..."

"I see..." Hiei pulled back. "Well, I guess there's nothing more I can do now. Your interfering has made any further fighting pointless. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He turned back around again, ready to leave.

Guy turned to face his pupil, who had just lost the fight. "Lee, are you alri--" He was stopped short, shocked at the sight in front of him. Lee was unconscious, his eyes half-opened, and glazed. "Oh, Lee... What have I done?.." Tears formed under Guy's eyes, as he reached around him. "I'm sorry, Lee. I should never have allowed you to learn that technique." He hugged him tighter, as Lee slowly relaxed his body against his teacher. "Please, Lee, forgive me..."

"Touching..." Hiei said, aloofly, turning to continue walking back to his team, as Hayate declared him the winner. The medical team immediately came to retrieve Lee, as Guy released his grip on him.

"I almost thougth Hiei would lose," Kurama admited, "but I suppose I was wrong."

"I can't believe you guys were allies," Edward said with slight aggitation. "He's a monster."

"What's wrong?" A soft voice caught everyone's attention, yet again. They all turned to find Sakura standing at the rail, with tears staining her eyes. "Lee! What happened to him?!"

"He lost to Hiei," Kakashi answered her calmly.

"Are... you serious, sensei?" Her eyes widened.

"No..." Their attention was pulled back to Guy and Lee. "You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry, sir, but his injuries are just too severe. I'm afraid he can never fight again."

"I can't believe it." He turned to Lee, who was being carefully carried away by stretcher. "This is all my fault."

"Is... he for real? Bushy-Brow can never fight again?" Sakura and Tenten gasped at Naruto's question.

"I'm afraid so, Naruto." Kakashi answered.

"But why? Why, Damnit?! All he wanted was to prove that he was a good ninja!! He was willing to risk his life for that goal!"

"Well, Naruto, things aren't always as simple as we would like them to be. It's because Lee was willing to go so far that he's in such bad shape now."

"That bastard..."

"Watch you language, Naruto. You're still only a kid."

"Hey," Greed asked Hiei slily as he got back up to the balcony, "what happened to you? You almost look like you lost."

"I didn't think that kid could possibly last so long. (Whaa...) If I knew how strong he was, I would have called more of the dragon's strength." Hiei's eyes were extremely heavy now. "I'm counting on you guys to fill me in on the rest of the fights." He walked back to the wall, and sat against it. "Wake me when something important happens."

"Sleep well, Small Fry," Al told him, playing for a rise out of him, and getting none. Hiei was quickly asleep. "I guess that dragon really takes a lot out of him."

Guy soon rejoined everyone else back on the other balcony, after Lee was taken away. "Guy," Kakashi called, trying to comfort his friend, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I had no right to take such a self-rightious attitude."

"No, Kakashi, it was my fault from the very beginning. I was wrong to allow him to learn how to open the gates. I was such a fool."

"Now," Hayate broke up the uncomfortable air. "For the drawing of the next match. Please watch the screen." Everyone watched nervously, and many of them were more scared now, after watching the brutality of the last match. Eventually, the screen stopped: 'Shikamaru Naara vs. Kin Tsuchi.' "Shikamaru vs. Kin. Will these two fighters please come down for the next fight?"

"Well," Shikamaru answered, "at least my wait is over." He started walking down to the arena.

"I hope this guy doesn't have anything like that up his sleeve," Kin said wearily to Dosu before she started walking to the arena.

"I doubt it." He answered her. A minute later, she and Shikamaru were face to face.

"If you're ready, then fight!" Hayate signaled the match.

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