When the dust cleared, everyone gasped as Gaara's sand had created some kind of half cocoon, stopping the impact. Gaara was in the middle of it, panting like crazy. While trembling and panting, he raised his left hand and the sand took the form of it. Lee knew that he was going to attack him, he was giving his best to walk as far as possible but it was difficult as he was so exhausted. He tried to move faster but stopped, as his feet could not take it anymore. The sand caught up with Lee and grabbed his left hand and foot.
"Sand coffin," Gaara said as he closed his palm.
The sand did the same and a loud *crack*, followed by Lee's yells echoed in the whole room. The leaf genin, at the same time, tried to move but end up falling on his back, several feet away. The sand went against him again but Guy stepped between it and his student, ready to take the hit for him.
The sand stopped in mid-air, inches away from Guy's face.
"Why save him?" Gaara asked while holding his head and as the sand slowly turned to the gourd.
"Because he is... he is my student and also because he is precious to me"
Gaara looked at him, for a minute, you could see a change in his cold eyes but that immediately faded and he ordered the sand to attack them. Guy got ready to either grab Lee or fight the sand but to everyone's surprise, the sand suddenly took a turn to the right and collided with the wall. Gasps escaped almost everyone's lips as they noticed Tsuki standing between Guy, Lee and Gaara.
Her hands were spread in a protecting manner and she was sending him a warning glare/stare, her ears flat on her skull and her tail raised in warning. Without even flinching, Gaara sent the sand to attack once again but suddenly grabbed his head and fell on his one knee while the sand fell to the ground.
"Don't do it Gaara. There is no need for it", she said in a motherly/scolding tone.
His sea foam eyes locked with her lavender/blue ones. After what seemed like a century but was less than a minute, Gaara spoke and his words shocked everyone. "I quit," he said as he stood up and the sand returned to the gourd.
"The winner is..." Hayate tried to say but stopped when he looked at Lee.
All the rookies gasped, as Guy was glaring at Gaara. If looks could kill, he would be 10 times dead and six feet under the ground by now. Gaara was only looking at him from the corner of his eyes, his face emotionless.
"Huh? It can't be" Guy, wondered as he also looked at Lee. He had managed to stand up, despising his wounded leg and hand that was now dripping blood to the ground. Gaara had turned and was looking at him; a small but almost invisible smile was on his face. "No Lee! It is all right, it is all over now. You are in no condition to-", Guy was trying to reason him. "Lee, oh Lee! What have I done? Look at you, you are unconscious but you are still determined to show the world what you can do" tears escaping his eyes and falling down to the ground. "Lee, you have already proven it" he hugged him.
"The winner... is Gaara" Hayate announced and pointed at him.
Guy laid Lee down while Naruto jumped the railing and quickly ran to Tsuki's side.
The medics came soon after and placed him in the stretcher
"You are his teacher aren't you?" One of the medics asked Guy.
"I am. What is it?"
"Will you come with me?" he said and they both walked far away from the others but Tsuki and Naruto were able to hear them.
"His breathing is faint but steady. There are bone fractured and muscles tears all over his body. He is facing a long and difficult rehabilitation. However, I am afraid that is not the worst of it. His left arm and leg, in particular, have suffered massive damage. He will never fight again; his days as a shinobi are over"
Naruto and Guy's eyes were wide open along with their mouth, while Tsuki had her right hand in front of her mouth in order to contain her gasp. Her ears dropped along with her tail, her eyes landing on the unconscious form of Lee on the stretcher. She could not believe what she had just heard.
No, no. It cannot be true, she said to herself and tried her best not show any other emotion.
"No, he is wrong. He is wrong, it can't be true" Naruto was telling himself as he was watching the medics to hold Lee on the stretcher. He started to shake and his eyes started to water. Tsuki came from behind him and placed both her hands on his shoulder. Her expression sad and broken but she was trying her best to be strong for him. Guy came too and he was doing his best not to cry as he was seeing his unconscious student lying on the stretcher. He started to shake too as the medics were taking Lee away. Naruto could not hold it any longer and broke. "Easy for you to say that. What about pushy brow? What he is supposed to do now?" he yelled at the medic while he was held back by Tsuki.
"Naruto stop. By yelling nothing will change"
"Failure! I thought you were going to win. I thought you were going to show how a failure... It was all a lie wasn't it?" He continued yelling and tried to attack the medics.
"That's enough Naruto" Kakashi said as he appeared behind him, holding his mouth closed only for him to push it away.
"But sensei, it isn't fair. All he ever wanted, was to prove himself against Sasuke and Neji"
"And maybe that's what led to his downfall. He was so fixed on that goal; he sacrificed his body, his future, to maintain it. Now that goal is untenable. It was not just Sasuke and Neji he was thinking of. It was you too. *naruto was shocked* That is right; he risked everything just for the hope in meeting you in combat. Remember that. Be worthy of his sacrifice" he placed his hand on his head and turned to his friend and also jounin. "Guy, what I said earlier, it was out of line. I was being a self-righteous fool. I realize now, that if I had been in your shoes, I probably couldn't have stopped him either" his gaze then went on Tsuki and Naruto who were standing behind him. "Come on Guy. Let us go up. They can't start the next math with us standing here"
"Right" was his only answer and the four of them started to walk to their places.
Guy was not speaking, Naruto was sad and he was constantly looking between Guy and the ground below him. Tsuki and Kakashi were not speaking either but you could see it in their faces that they were thinking about the whole situation.
"Now then, the last 2 competitors, will you please step forward," Hayate said and the sound ninja known as Dosu and Choji came forward.
