Aiko stood in a good distance away from Kimimaru. "Don't think I'll hold back." Kimimaru spoke.

She only smirked, "Oh, I don't want you to." She glanced back to Gaara, 'Watch Gaara, I'll get his weakness for you to see.' She didn't turn her head back around until he nodded. Over the past few weeks, Aiko and Gaara were able to work efficiently, their team work was flawless, and neither one of them knew how.

Aiko braced herself, before rushing forward, and she ducked, missing his punched, but she barely had time to miss the bones that came down at her face. 'So if he misses, he can extend by using his bones..' She turned as she kicked him in the side, but bones blocked it. 'It's almost like Gaara's sand, they move without him doing any hand signs.. That means long range isn't his specialty.' She braced herself as he brought his foot to her side, and she saw sand come up her arm, reducing the damage.

'I'll have to thank Gaara after this.' She thought, before standing up, smirking, "All right, I think I should get serious." She took a deep breath and held the sign of dragon, "Tatsu." She whispered, before she transformed lightly. "Let's hit round two." She didn't hesitate to rush at the man, and threw a punch to his face.

Kimimaru put his hands in front of him, and bones formed a shield. Aiko only smirked as her punch landed on the bone, there was a slight silence before the bone cracked, and the punch continued on hitting him in the face.

Kimimaru fell back and Aiko skidded back, now closer to Lee and Gaara, a slight smirk on her face.

Lee was amazed, "That was truly amazing Aiko! I couldn't land a blow on him."

"Don't go thinking I'm amazing." Aiko spoke, looking at her hand, it was bleeding and bruised, "The bone's harder than most, a lot denser." She flexed her hand, "I even had chakra behind that punch, and it was just barely enough." She looked back at Gaara, "His defense is similar to yours, but his has to have a limit." She glanced back at the guy, and braced herself, but sand came up in front of her, taking her back.

"I'll take it from here, look after Lee." Gaara said, now stepping forward.

Aiko gave a slight frown, but nodded, releasing her genkai, "Just be careful Gaara." She said taking a few steps back before going to Lee. She knelt down next to Lee, "How's the wounds."

"How did-"

"It's simple. I was there at the chounin preliminary's Lee." She said softly, then placed her hands on his leg. She was taken back, "You idiot!" She half screamed at him, "You just came out of surgery!"

Lee was taken back, "You figured that out too?"

"Yes, there's still slight anesthesia in your blood system, Lee what were you thinking?" She hissed, "No wonder you couldn't fight properly." She muttered, healing his leg, then went to his arm.

Lee watched Gaara's fight, "It still amazes me that Gaara can control that much sand. Even in this environment."

Aiko didn't look back, then in a low voice "Look at Gaara's feet, he's feeding sand in the ground." Once she saw Lee look down, she continued, "Gaara always makes sure he has more than enough sand, his opponents only think his sand is limited to what's in his gourd."

"I see."

Aiko finished his arm then looked at Gaara's fight, watching with Lee. Gaara stood unfazed, but this was getting annoying, he had tried Sand Burial once, but he was still alive. He did hand signs, and then sand rose up from the ground, miming a giant wave, rushing over the clearing and even into the forest, changing the environment, and burring Kimimaru.

"It's over." Lee spoke, slightly relieved.

"No, not yet." Gaara said kneeling down, "Giant Sand Burial." He spoke, placing his hands on the sand. Tons of pressure was forced, and no one could possibility survive.

Aiko looked at Gaara and he frowned, "Why won't he give up.." Gaara muttered.

That took her back, "He's still alive?" She spoke, and before Gaara could answer, she saw Kimimaru, but he had changed, his skin was darker, he had a tail, and his eyes had changed. 'What?'

Before the three knew what was going on, Kimimaru rushed forward. Gaara brought sand up, but Kimimaru was still able to protrude through, knocking Gaara back, Aiko acted on instinct, attacking Kimimaru with flames, but his tail caught her off guard and she was knocked back.

"Do not forget that I am also your opponent!" Lee said ready to kick him.

Kimimaru acted fast and was ready to swat him easily, making sure his spikes would kill him, but the attack was cut over half since Gaara's sand interfered.

Aiko propped herself up, noticing that she had landed on sand, looking over to Gaara who wasn't that far from her and noticed that his armor was cracked. "Did he really hit you that hard Gaara?" She whispered, now sitting up. "Thanks by the way." She muttered.

Gaara stood up. "So." Kimimaru spoke, "If I want to get rid of the sand, I have to get rid of you first, so be it, Gaara of the Dessert." He pulled a bone from his back, and Aiko shivered, now realizing that that was his spinal cord.

"How is he standing!" Lee and Aiko said, while Aiko shook her head, trying not to look at it.

Kimimaru's 'sword' turned into a whip, and as he moved it, it then wrapped around Gaara, who had sand block the majority of the damage. But Aiko saw Kimimaru's left hand become engulfed with a spiral bone. "this is my hardest bone density." He said, "Nothing can break it."

Gaara was quick to react, forming a large sand shield, resembling Shukaku, "Ultimate defense; Shukaku's Shield."

Kimimaru seemed to hesitate, but then attacked, drilling into the sand. Aiko didn't doubt Gaara's defense, but she was still worried. 'Gaara's been using a lot of chakra, I'm still amazed that he can even stay this long..' She then smirked when she saw Kimimaru's shocked face as his bone cracked and shattered.

"I gathered the hardest minerals to form this shield, no one can penetrate it, not even your bone." Gaara spoke, 'I've used too much chakra.. I have to end this now.' The sand broke the grip on the whip and then let his sand grab Kimimaru's feet, and started to pull him down, "I'll take you down 200 meters, where the pressures so great, not even your bones will be able to stand it, and you'll stay there till the end of time." He said, as Kimimaru was dragged down.

Aiko and Lee relaxed a bit, she looked over to him, "See, aren't you glad we came? Or at least Gaara?" She said with a slight chuckle.

Lee nodded, "I truly do owe you two greatly."

Aiko gave a slight laugh before she froze, then heard a voice, "Bracken Dance." she then saw bones start to protrude up, jagged and would kill if someone was caught under them, for the first time, Aiko was afraid and closed her eyes.

There was silence before she opened her eyes, and she was on sand, sitting down, in the air, Gaara right next to her, and Lee on a different slab, but still close.

"You are truly amazing Gaara, to have us on the air!" Lee spoke.

"It's nothing, I'm only having the sand do my bidding." He said.

Aiko noticed he was struggling, "Gaara, you're eating up your chakra aren't you?" "Don't worry, I just need enough to get everyone down." He said, trying to cover up.

Aiko didn't say another word.

"You lie! Orochimaru hasn't brain washed me, I'll kill you!" Kimimaru shouted from behind Gaara.

Gaara turned, and saw the piercing spike come for him. Aiko froze with fear, "Gaara!" She screamed.