Author's Notes: Something happened to my damn file and it gave me like--computer gibberish! I'm just thankful it only took my author notes and not the chapter or else I would have been immensely ticked off.

I like to think I portrayed Sasori's personality well enough via the manga. In case anyone is wondering, Sasori has yet to join the Akatsuki organization but he will. And since Gaara left Suna (will be explained later on) Temari and Kankuro needed a third team member so they included him.

Disclaimer/ Warnings: From now on I will only post these on the first chapter. I don't want to fill up the chapters with these things and annoy you, the readers. Sound fair?

"Family Ties"

By: Beloved Shadow of Light

+ Going Against the Wind +

Nara Shikamaru vs. Sabaku no Temari.

The young man sighed as he rubbed the back of his head in a bored manner. "Mendokusē." He looked over at the blonde woman who looked ready to jump down and pummel him to death. 'What's she getting all excited about? I wish she'd just die!' He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I forfeit," he said loud enough for his opponent and the examinor below to hear him.

"Nani??" the girl could only, blink over at his direction. "Did you just forfeit?"

"Hai... its too much work for me to fight against a girl."

"Care to repeat that?"

Down below in the arena, the examinor--Gekkō Hayate--looked up at the Sandaime Hokage who just gave a very brief nod. Coughing into his hand he proclaimed Sabaku no Temari the winner by default. "Now direct your attention once more to the screen for the next match."

Asuma sighed, wishing he had a cigarette right now as he looked over at his student. "You couldn't try and give it a shot at the very least?" he asked.

Shikamaru sighed, putting his hands in his pockets as he slouched where he stood. "Mendokusē," he repeated. His sensei just sighed, releashing a puff of cigarette smoke.

Up above the screen flashed through the remaining names before settling on two. Gai smiled and held his fist up as he declared proudly, "It's about time for your turn! Let's go Lee!!" But the young man frown, his lower lip jutting out and his entire body went tense.

"Iie!!"

Maito Gai and Hyūga Neji could only stare at him. Did they just hear him correctly? Did he say no? To a match?? Even Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura were shocked at his outburst.

"Its come this far... so... I might as well go last," he explained.

"..." Gai could only stare at him.

'... Lee'san's getting a little bratty...' Sakura though to herself but everyone else who was watching was thinking pretty much the same thing. The screen beeped and the next two names were revealed.

Rock Lee vs. Sabaku no Sasori.

Baki narrowed his eyes and turned to tell his student to remember their plans but the young man was already making his way to the arena, humming a wordless tune under his breathe. As he passed Gaara he looked up at him, his dark rust-colored eyes meeting the pale jade-colored orbs but he gave him a small smirk before walking off. There was just something about that smirk that both chilled and enraged him. The sand swirled and he took a step but a hand reached out and closed over his shoulder. He looked up at Hidama who said nothing. The sand went still but he still felt enranged. Everyone watched as the strange young man made his way down into the arena, waiting for his opponent.

Sakura sighed softly. 'Finally Lee-san... but I have a bad feeling about him...' she thought to herself worriedly. She jumped in startlement when she heard a loud yell followed by something kicking the air.

"You fell for it!!" Lee proclaimed very loudly. "If you say you wanna be last it won't happen!! It's the rule that if you throw a stone to try and hit an electric pole you miss... but if you throw it to miss it will hit!! I never wanted to go last!!"

Sakura felt a small sweatdrop roll down the back of her head. 'Umm... who fell for what...?'

Zabuza sighed deeply, resisting the urge to press the heel of his hand against his forehead as if to keep the headache from pounding. How could anyone, especially a shinobi, follow that sort of logic? He watched as the man in green leaned down to tell his student something and once more he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If it wasn't that warped sort of logic giving him a headache it was the fashion sense.

"Who wears spandex these days?" he muttered under his breathe.

"Someone who doesn't care for fashions," Naruto replied with a soft groan.

"So says the boy in that loud jacket of yours." That earned him a sour-looking face complete with his tongue sticking out; he gave the blonde a light cuff in the back of his head.

"Alright Lee!! Go do it!!" Gai shouted for everyone to hear.

"Hai!!" With nothing else the young genin jumped over the railing, landing in the arena where he slowly stood and faced his opponent. "To be able to face you this early... I couldn't be happier."

Sasori ever so slightly tilted his head to the side, like a curious kitten. "Is that so? It was under my inpression that you wished to battle the boy that would be so callous that he would openly kill someone who obviously holds more love for him than he does even for himself," the redhead said calmly as though he was commenting on the weather but his words set more than one person off. Maito Gai was forced to clamp a strong calloused hand on Hyūgi Neji's shoulder before he could try and attack the strange boy from Suna. His other teammates from Suna shifted subconciously, as though unsure how to react to such harsh words. The other redhead in the stands watched with such a fierce determination one assumed he was studying their forms but he was grinding his teeth so hard they threaten to shattered under the powerful pressure.

Everything was eeirely quiet, the sound of people shuffling their feet or nervously rubbing their hands over their arms sounded abnormally loud in the large space but down on the ground level neither combantants made a move or acknowleged the noise. Silently, Lee moved into a firm stance as he held one of his hands towards his opponent, palm faced upward. His very round black eyes stared unblinking into Sasori's dark red-brown gaze. Through it all the young man appeared perfectly calm as though nothing of immediate importance was happening right at this moment.

Naruto couldn't help but swallow the lump in his throat nervously, gazing down at his new friend and the red-head. There was something about him that reminded him strongly of Gaara but where his brother was like an open, if badly torn, book, this one was a tightly locked and shackled book that the pages would never see the light of any day. Next to him Kankuro watched the blonde from the corner of his eye and smirked.

"I don't know what kind of attacks bowl head does... but there's no way he can beat Sasori..." he said with a superior air of confidence.

"Iie..." he said softly, thinking back to the way Lee managed to defeat Sasuke so easily. "He's strong..."

The two combatants continued to stare each other down, waiting but Lee's eyes widen a fraction and he quickly brought his hand to his face, catching an almost invisible projectile as it tried to lodge itself into the center of his forehead. He opened his hand to reveal a strange block of wood, like it belonged to something bigger.

"There's no need to get antsy," he said calmly. Hayate allowed a quirk of his lips and Sasori barely smirked, as if he was enjoying himself.

"..." Sakura looked on silently yet worriedly.

Gai watched his student intently, concerned. 'Lee... be careful...'

"Now, 9th match begin!!"

No one moved, both having a quiet stare down but it was the calm before the storm. Lee looked on with such a fierce determination that the world could have fallen around his ears and he would still be standing in the exact same position, waiting for his opponent. Sasori, on the other hand, did not look completely awake. If anything, he looked a lot like Shikamaru in attitude but hidden behind that almost childlike exterior was a cruel and calculating mind.

Lee made the slightest of movement before rapidly dashing towards his opponent, eyes determined and body twisted into a ready to attack position. He jumped up and kicked his leg out, posied and ready to collide with Sasori's head. "Konoha Senpuu!!"

The redhead just stood there, as if the attack wouldn't do some bone-shattering damage to his skull but just as the leg was about to collide he darted his eyes to the right. Everyone watched in pure and utter confusion as the kick sliced the air above his head, causing Lee unbalance his stance. He blinked when he noticed something moving beneath the large coat and forced his body to back flip several times before sliding to a halt. One thing going through everyone's mind, especially Gai, was what had just happened?

'I don't get it, his kick should have connected but it went too far up,' Naruto thought to himself. He was developing a bad feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. Lee, however, refused to give up. Once more he charged, this time with his fists but every time he tried to strike his body was thrown off-course. It was almost as if his body was refusing to cooperate with what his mind was telling him. A punch was thrown back so he turned it into a spinning kick but it was too far up which seemed to keep making him lose his sense of balance. He kept going at this until he forced himself to pull back, panting heavily at he looked at a very calm Sasori.

'And he's not moving an inch… damn!' he thought to himself. 'What is happening to me?'

"Lee-san's fast movements are having no effect…" Sakura whispered just barely loud enough for his sensei to overhear her but he made no comment.

"Zabuza-san… how is it that his attacks keep missing?" Haku asked softly. "He seems perfectly focused but whenever they attempt to connect he goes too far or misses entirely."

"I have no idea, but there must be something going on that we haven't noticed," he murmured to him, watching intently. What exactly was happening?

Lee tried once more, his fist coming in fast and strong but it stopped barely an inch from Sasori's face before swinging back with enough force to try and rip his arm from it's socket. With a grunt of hidden pain he spun with the momentum and tried a low sweeping kick but whatever was happening forcsed his leg into the air, making him do a handstand before flipping upright to his feet.

"Having trouble now?" Sasori asked softly, a quirk of the corner of his lips lifting. "I'm not moving but you seem to have trouble stirking me." No reaction from the young genin in green except a harsh pant of breathe.

"Why is Lee-san only using taijutsu? This close range combat is tough, he should fight from a distance with ninjutsu," Sakura exclaimed as they continued watching the seemingly one-sided battle.

"It's not that Lee doesn't use ninjutsu…"

"Nani?"

"He can't use them."

"!?" The only thinkg going through Sakura's mind was 'huh?'.

"… Lee has almost no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu."

"No way!! … Then how did he get this far!?"

"When I first meet Lee, he was nothing. He had no talent at all. So the only talent left for Lee as an ninja are taijutsu… There aren't many ninjas who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu…"

"!!" Lee's eyes went large as he saw the same thing as before moving beneath the cloak, faster than anyone could notice it shot out, zig-zagging in a rapid manner, trying to get at him but Lee was just as fast, forcing his body to jump farther and farther away until he performed a high jump, curling up into a tight ball he landed atop the statue of the hokage hands clasped together. The thing that was after him quickly drew back into Sasori and was hidden behind the coat. Up in the stands everyone was muttering about what they thought they had seen. It moved too fast to be seen but it resembled a kind of black blur with claws or something.

Gai smirked and looked at the kuniochi from the corner of his eyes. "That's why he can win!!" he said proudly.

"Huh?" Even Kakashi was perplexed as he looked at his excentric rival.

"Lee!! Take them off!!" More than one person jumped at the booming voice of Maito Gai's voice. Those same people utterly rather colorful words under their breathe though he paid them no heed.

Lee looked a bit surporised himself as he took the chance to look over at his sensei. Sasori said and did nothing save for looking up at the older man dressed in the same outfit and hair style.

"But! … But Gai-sensai!! That's… only for a time when I must protect many precious people, isn't it!?" he asked back in a slightly less booming voice. More than one person was going home with ringing eardrums, that was certain.

The older man graced his student (and though surrounding him) with a brilliant white smile that caused more than one person to look away before holding out his fist with a thumb pointed up. "It's alright!! I'll allow it!!"

"... Aha… hah… aha…" he breatehd and sat indian-style on the statue, reaching down and removing one of that burnt organe leg-warmers to reveal what looked like large ankle weights. Though it was hard to tell, written on each and every weighted pocket was 'Konjyou'. Snapping them off one leg he put his leg warmed back on and di the same to the other leg before standing to his feet, holding them out at either side of his body.

Down below Sasori tilted his head to the side, looking like a curious kitten or puppy while up in the stands Gai smiled with a strong air of confidence. Sakura was the first to speak though it sounded dubious.

"Weights?..."

'What an old style training method, Gai…' Kakashi thought to himself.

"Alright!! Now I can move easier!!" Lee proclaimed and released the weights.

Kankuro smirked from his spots, thinking how stupid the idea was of using weights as his sister thought along the same lines. 'Pft… There's no way taking off a little weight will let him keep up Sasori's-'

Twin sounding booms filled the area, the heavy weights creating large craters in the heavily tiled and hard-packed floor. The sound was so loud it sounded as if someone ignited more than one box of exploding tags! Everyone was shocked at this, even Sasori looked a bit taken back but he showed no other emotions what-so-ever.

'... Isn't that a bit much, Gai...' Kakashi asked sieltnly but deep down inside he wondered if his rival did the same thing. If so... then he was in big trouble the next time they fought!

"LEE!! GO!!" That was all the young man needed as he smirked.

"HAI!!" He vanished from his position, no one able to make him out but Sasori felt something and turned slightly, looking behind him and could make out a large blur heading straight for him. He was starteld though when the fist came much too closer than he would have liked but before he could counter it was gone. Attacks kept flying left and right, no pattern visible as his opponent struck with the force of a powerful galestorm, coming closer and closer. He looked around, trying to pinpoint him but he was moving much too fast. Everytime he tunred the boy was gone.

"... He can't use genjutsus or ninjutsu... that's why... he spent all his time on taijutsu... he worked hard and concentrated everything on taijutsu," Gai explained to his very shocked audience. "Even if he can't do any other jutsu he won't lose to anyone... He's a taijutsu specialist."

It came unexpectedly and without any notice, Sasori looked up just in time to have Lee's foot connect sharply with the top/back of his skull with enough force to cause him to double over. His teammates and sensei from Suna were more than shocked and began to worry.

"Lee won't lose in speed to anyone... I warned you earlier... that "this kid is strong"."

Sasori slowly looked up, straightening to reveal a bruised and deep scratch with a tiny trickle of blood gracing his right cheek. If anything, his eyes turred darker as Lee skidded to a stop several paces away. "..."

"Now.. we're just getting stared!!"

For years to come, if one were to ask someone what happened during the chuunin exams during the rein of the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi, there would be no words to describe what had happened. Even to those that were there to witness it they would be unable to describe it in such words. Lee proved to be a very powerful young man, for a ninja who could only use taijutsu he seemed to be one of the most powerful young man his age. He moved as fast as lightning, struck like the wind, and his attacks felt like the very earth was attacking you. For the young nin from Suna he was finding it hard to stand much less counter-attack or even defend. Everything was broken through but it was strange how not once did anyone hear him utter anything. Not even a grunt when he was struck repeatedly. It was as if, he couldn't speak. More than one person was shocked, and a bit terrified, of how powerful the odd boy in green was but for the team from Suna they were getting nervous. It was proven when Sasori began to laugh, a small kind of laughter that sounded like a child's. Lee was thrown off as Sasori slowly straighten and looked up. Lee's eyes grew so large they looked ready to pop free from their sockets.

Sasori's face was now sporting bruises, specks of bright blood staining his nearly white skin. His eyes showed no emotion of being in any sort of pain, looking as if he had not had the life beaten partway out of him. He continued to laugh softly, reaching up to wipe at his swollen and bleeding lip. Calming his laughter he gazed at Lee and slowly, the smile left his lips. Whether or not anyone notice, something was stirring. It was ready to lash out and kill this foolish boy before him.

Sakura was trembling so hard she felt ready to collaspe, wondering if this was some kind of twisted genjutsu he had cast but it was all real. Kakashi was stumped even as his mind when a mile a minute to figure out what was going on.

"No one has ever been able to touch me much less make me bleed," he said softly, lightly touching he bruises and cuts marring his face but he didn't so much as flinch. "But I'm afraid you've gone and angered him."

Lee frowned as he noticed movement beneath his robes once more and prepared himself. "And who have I angered?" The red head just smiled. A soft rustle and something flew out of the robes, tackling the unsupecting young man but it didn't last as it was kicked off and Lee put more distance between the two of them.

Hidama frowned, narrowing her eyes her pupils shifted into slited points and what she saw made her hiss sharply under her breathe. Zabuza heard but he knew that whatever she saw was not good. Haku looked up at his mentors before looking down into the arena. He had a bad feeling…

Naruto blinked, taking a small moment to rub at his eyes but they weren't playing tricks on him. Standing before Sasori was a large scorpion that was easily seven to eight feet long, pinchers large enough to snap a man in half and a tail that was poised high, ready to strike. The color though, was that of dried blood. It was then and only then did a very few amount of people notice that his fingertips were glowing with chakra.

"Nani… what is that thing?" he asked in disbelief. Beside him Kankuro said nothing but if that meant that Sasori was showing that already, then the weird guy in green really pissed him off. Their teammate never showed what he was thinking, that calm and child-like fascade kept everyone in the dark, but he couldn't even remember the last time that thing had been revealed.

"If he gets caught by Sasori this time… he'll be killed for the fun of it," Kankuro said as his face paled. Naruto whirled to look up at him but he ignored the blonde at the moment. He didn't have to look and see the same expressions on Temari and Baki's faces.

The scoprion seemed to give out a high shriek, like a mix of nails running over a chalkboard and the pitch battle-cry of a cat. The redhead seemed perfectly at ease, watching his opponent carefully. He had hoped it woldn't come to this but this young man was a bit too powerful for him to take. But inwardly he was smiling like a child when it saw a new toy. While it was a toy that no one else wanted, he saw so much potential in this one.

"Is that all?" he asked softly.

"!" Something about the way he said that made a shiver race down Lee's spine and he had an inkling that this match would not be so easy even with the weights removed. The slightest movement was followed by whatever the bug was, refusing to allow him near his opponent. '... what protection... with that protcting him my attacks are meaningless... I have no choice but to deal some severe damage from above the scorpion's protection...'

'Now... what will you do?' Temari asked silently.

Sakura looked on worriedly. 'Lee-san...'

The genin in green frowned, thinking for a brief moment before the answer came to him. '... the Lotus!!' But he quickly looked up at his mentor. Gai gave him the briefest of nods which only made Lee smile. Lowering his head he began to undo the wrappings around his arms, loosening them little by little.

'The Lotus smashes down at a high speed... against that creature is useless, regardless of how fast it moves.'

Sasori's eyes widen as his opponent began running around him, going so fast he resembled nothing but a large green blur. Even the scorpion was confused but stayed close to his master, quickly climbinging up and wrapping its skinny legs around his chest in an embrace, leaving it to look like the red-head had an actual tail and extra set of pinchers for arms.

'But with the thing increasing his weight, it will be harder to kick him up... then I'll have to...'

"Hurry and come."

"As you wish!!" Skidding to such an abrupt stop Lee braced his right hand on the ground and using his gained momentum, delivered a powerful upper side kick beneath his opponent's jaw. He barely made a sound as his body jerked. "It's not over!!" Lee proclaimed loudly, delivering kick after rapid kick, sending him higher and higher into the air but the strain he was putting on his body made the genin wince, closiing his eyes momentarily. Though no one notice, no one but the being with red-brown eyes the color of dried blood.

Gai clapsed both hands tighter tightly, fingers interlocking as he shut his eyes tightly, looking as if he were praying. 'Even the normal Lotus is self damaging, all these extra kicks are dangerous for Lee too... end it here, Lee!!' he prayed feveretly.

"..." Kakashi was silent as he watched the events unfolding, already feeling a hard lump of dread falling deep into the deepest pit of his stomach.

Snapping his eyes open Lee's wrapping seemed to come alive, wrapping around Sasori, creature and all, tightening so his arms were trapped at his sides. There was no escape from him, not like this. "Take this!!" he shouted as they began to fall downward, head first, spinning rapidly.

"OMOTE RENGE!!"

There was no better way to describe what everyone saw as the two plummeted to the ground, like a child's toy top being possessed by some crazed spirit of the powerful spin of some giant releasing a wound-up corkscrew. Only one person had seen this before, during the examination that took place in the Forest of Death, but this time there was no one to cushion the landing for one Sabaku no Sasori. The force of the impact was enough to jar the bones of all the spectators but only a few could have noticed as Lee managed to jump out of the way safely. He alone seemed to have avoided the bone-shattering force.

Once the dust cleared and everyone was able to see, they noticed a broken form in the middle of the crater, a tattered cloak hiding it from view. More than one person gasped and those with weak constitutions began to feel physically ill at what may lie beneath it.

Naruto and Kankuro couldn't believe it. Sasori... defeated? "Is... Is he... dead...?" the blonde whispered, his respect for the kid with the caterpillar for eyebrows soaring to new heights.

"Hey... no way!!" If he was dead, then they're plans were ruined!!

"Lee-san... won!!" the pink-haired kunoichi shouted proudly.

"..." Kakashi could stare down at the incredibly large hole and the figure that lay deep inside it.

"Hai!!" Gai said proudly without his brilliant white smile.

"..." Hayate said nothing but glanced out of the corner of his eye as Leen landed, panting hard for breathe. For a moment, everything was quiet but it didn't stay that way for long. It was so soft no one caught it but something twitched under the cloak. A scrapping noise was heard and everyone peered down only to see what looked like the broken chunks of a large puppet emerged. The scorpion had barely survived, pulling itself free from the cloak with one of its badly broken pinchers and a broken tail. It chittered weakly but angrily.

"!... when did he leave...? There's no way Lee could have missed that!!" Gai shouted in disbelief.

"It was when you clsoed your eyes to pray, Gai... Lee stopped his body for a moment beacuase of the pain... it was then..." Kakashi really didn't need to finish the sentence but it was true. In that very brief moment. Sasori managed to escape the powerful attack that could have easily killed him.

Lee couldn't believe it himself and his entire body frozen when he felt a prescense behind him. The slighty chuckle was enough to cause a cold hand of dread to creep up and put a strangle hold around his throat.

"To think that such a quiet village holds this much talent in its youth, I am quite--surprised," he said quite calmly. Sasori looked unfazed save for the injuries he substained earlier. He smiled, looking at the frazed and tired Lee. "But now, you must die."

"!!" Now that was something he wasn't expecting to hear. He turned, ready to move but it was no use. His muscles protested in pain, making him tremble uncontrollably but it was no use. The red-head moved his hands up and only one person noticed the signs or chakra. Kankuro kniw what would happen as soon as he noticed the Kawarimi no Jutsu being released. But if that happened, then why did he only see one puppet?

"Iie..." he whispered but it was no use.

"Kugutsu no Jutsu." Down in the crater the scorpion rapidly crawled out of the crater, charging toward the weary Lee and used its remains of its tail to slam him into the nearest wall with a resounding slam. Unfortunately Lee didn't have time to move or even put up a defense as it charged at him once more, shrieking shrilly it began slashing at him with its broken pincher, drawing blood with every strike.

In the stands Gaara began to smell the blood and couldn't help but shiver, licking his lips he felt his own demon purr with excitement. So much redness... He ended up biting his tongue in order to bring him back to his senses.

"Why didn't Lee-san dodge it?" Sakura asked, wincing at the sounds Lee was making every time the thing struck him. How much could he take just standing there?

"That Lotus Technique is a double-edged sword..." Gai explained. Sakura looked confused.

"It's normally a Forbidden Technique. All that high speed taijutsu puts a lot of stress on the legs and body... right now he's feeling so much pain he can barely move... right... Gai?" The only answer for Kakashi was the sound of Lee being thrown across the arena floor like a rag doll, his body covered in blood and cuts all over but even so he forced himself to his feet. He was already past his limit, making him gasping for breathe.

The young girl looked down worriedly at her weird friend, trying her hardest not to break down crying at his pitiful form. "At this rate, Lee-san will..." She just couldn't bring herself to say those awful words. She opened her mouth, her mind coming up with some encouraging words but it all died in her throat as when Lee stood up something erupted from the ground and attacked his unprotected back. Another scorpion, smaller than the first, emerged and using its pinchers snapped one of his legs in more than one place. Before Lee could cry out, his body jerking, the tail came out and viciously tore at the skin and muscle of his arm and shoulder. Even this pain was unable to be ignored and so everyone inside and outside the arena heard the anguish cry of someone slowly being tortured.

Sasori smirked, watching as the scorpion kept his opponent still. He had wanted him undamaged but that was nothing he couldn't fix. He moved his hand, moving his fingers slightly, sending the other scorpion to finish the job but he never had a chance. A sudden rush of wind and the broken puppet stopped short of a man standing before the boy, the same outfit and hair and eyebrows except he wore a chunin vest. "... Why did you save him?" he asked softly.

Gai didn't answer right away, thinking back to when he first meet Lee, hearing his dreams and goals, to the endless hours he worked to improve his taijutsu, to prove that he could be just as good a ninja as Neji. "He is my beloved comrade."

Sasori was silently but he knew about beloved ones. He just, never felt them before. It was a strange feeling that made his young heart ache painfully in his chest. Wordlessly he dropped his hands, eyes never leaving the older man before him.

"That's enough." The scorpions paused but scuttled back towards him. The broken one wrapped around his body like before, clinging tightly but the large one wordlessly released the bleeding boy and scuttled after its master.

"Winner, Sabaku no Sasori!!" Hayate proclaimed but hearing everyone gasped and he looked, eyes going wide. Gai turned and he stared in shock. Lee was still standing, challenging Sasori to fight him but the look in his eyes showed that he was unconscious. The poor boy had nothing left but he was not willing to give up, even if it meant his death.

Gai slowly turned, resting his large hand on his student's shoulder. "Lee, enough, it's over. You shouldn't be standing with that body...!" He could feel the bleeding body shudder and only then did he realize just how badly hurt he was. '... Lee... you...' He was trying so hard not to cry but he couldn't, he felt the tears well up and begin falling. '... what a guy you are... even after losing consciousness... you still strive to prove your ninja way... Lee... you already are... a great ninja...!' He gently pulled him into his arms, hugging him close even as the tears continued to fall steadily, like two gleaming rivers as the mixed with the still flowing blood.

Hayate didn't waste time as he quickly, and carefully, made his way over to the jounin and his student, already knowing that the medics would have their hands full with a second emergency of the day. In the stands Sakura was ready to jump down, worry etched in her spring green eyes but was stopped by her sensei's voice.

"Sakura!! What can you do by going down there... You consoling him will only make it harder..."

"..." She could only watch as Gai gently lay Lee down. However, the same could not be said for Naruto as he jumped down and began running towards his friend. As he passed Sasori he couldn't believe that Lee had lost to him but he didn't care. All he cared about was his friend.

The examiner frowned. "Medical team, onegai come here quickly!!" Different people dressed in the white medical coats hurried faster, setting the stretcher down they apologized and went about their work. Naruto stopped a few feet away but from his distance he noticed that the doctor checking over Lee got a worried look in his eyes. He watched as he stood and motioned Gai over to speak with him.

"... he is breathing properly but... he has shattered bones and torn muscles throughout his body... we could do something about it if that was the only problem, but... the damage to his left arm and leg where he was attacked is grave. It is difficult to have to say something like this but..."

"..."

"With his body... he will never be able to love as a shinobi again."

Both Maito Gai and Naruto's eyes grew large, their worse fears confirmed. Lee, eccentric friend and student, would never achieve his dream. Silently the doctor nodded and nodded for the others to carefully lift the stretcher and take him to the hospital as quickly as possible.

"I... Iie... It must be some kind of lie..." the blonde whispered, his body trembled with confusing emotions. The Green Beast of Konoha was also trembling but was trying vainly to remain strong no matter what. He would not help anyone if he, too, broke down crying. 'Lee... I didn't want to believe you could lose... I wanted to help you achieve your ninja way... onegai forgive me Lee... for being unable to stop you...'

The young Uzumaki boy couldn't stand it, emotions churning deeply in the pit of his stomach. He didn't care if he got punished or not but he needed to let the words out. "It that's so... then what's bushy-brows supposed to do!?" he demanded angrily. "He was always saying how he wanted to fight against Sasuke and that Neji guy... can't you do something about it!!" The medical team quickly left the arena. "Hey... mmm mm!!" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off as he took the step to go after them he felt a presence behind him and a gloved hand cover his mouth, the other arm wrapping around his chest to keep him from escaping.

"... that might... have been what caused this tragedy," Kakashi said quietly. The blonde gave a muffled shout but stopped struggling. "The decision to use even Forbidden jutsu to win at all costs... this is the result... to Sasuke, Neji... and you too, Naruto-kun... To fulfill the silent promise you all made to each other...!!"

"..."

"He put his life at risk... so that he could reach that final stage to fight all of you..." The hand that covered his mouth moved up and ruffled the blonde strands. "Don't forget that..."

"..." He couldn't say anything but before the arm around his chest pulled away he held onto it tightly, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood but he didn't care. Kakashi said nothing but held him tightly, giving him any small amount of comfort he could offer right now, for a young genin that had barely meet--they prayed for him.

In the stand, Neji watched it all and for a moment, his eyes lost their icy hardness. 'The heavens will not allow a pawn that can only... seek victory at the cost of himself to advance...' he thought silently, only now realizing just how hard his teammate had worked to come this far. In fact, it was almost safe to say that out of all the genin here today, Rock Lee was the one that had worked the hardest.

Sasori watched it all silently, reaching up to feel the painful beat of his heart but he ignored it and walked back up the stands, the large scorpion still following like an obedient puppy. When Temari made to welcome him back she had to move back as the large tail came close to removing her head from her shoulders. "Nan...!?"

"Onegai, don't speak to me as if I am part of your family," he said calmly and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "I would rather be dead than be apart of your family." He either ignored or didn't notice the flash of pain hit her like an unexpected slap to the face.

The jounin still stayed in the same spot, emotionless and not as loud and bright as he used to be. Kakashi could see his rival--friend, was in pain and needed his comfort as well. He gave his student a tight hug then slowly pulled away and took a few steps towards the other man.

"Gai..." He noticed the shoulders tensing ever so slightly. "I said some really arrogant things to you earlier but when I really think about it... If I were in your situation... I probably would have been able to stop my student either..." He felt Naruto tense behind him and wondering for a brief moment but continued speaking. "... Gai, we're in the way for the next match. Come on, let's go upstairs."

"... yeah..."

Naruto didn't bother to wait for his sensei, heading for the stands he ignored Sakura, turning her deaf ear as she tried asking about Lee's condition and instead folded his arms over the railing and leaned forward. With his head bowed, his bangs and headband cast a shadow over his eyes. What Kakashi said earlier, it made his heart hurt but why? When he held him and ruffled his hair, it felt good, much different when his mother did it. He was feeling--so strange. He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the examiner call for the last remaining combatants.

Kankuro sighed deeply, knowing the next match would pit him again his younger brother but he couldn't. "I forfeit!" he called down with a smirk. A murmur rose but he didn't care as he walked back to his team. Had it been anyone else sure he would have fought but not against him. More than one pair of eyes watched him suspiciously but there was nothing more that could be done.

"Umm... Gaara is the winner!" Hayate coughed. "Well, with this, preliminary trails for Round 3... had been completed!!" Looking up at the screen it read through the list of the winners from the preliminaries:

- Gaara

- Sabaku no Sasori

- Sabaku no Temari

- Hyūga Neji

- Uzumaki Naruto

- Momochi Haku

- Uchiha Sasuke

- Shiruba

Author's Notes: There's a reason I didn't include the scene of Lee using the Eight Gates. In the series, when Lee used the Initial Lotus against Gaara, Gaara used a Sand Clone to escape it, thus prompting Lee to instigate the Extreme Lotus. In my fic, right now Sasori is still flesh and blood yet he still uses puppets but I gave him basic puppets of dessert scorpions. Honestly, if I tried putting in that battle sequences I didn't know how to work it. Sasori would not survive something like that and I can't have him die until after he joins Akatsuki. That and this chapter is getting pretty long. Don't worry Lee will be using the Gates but later in the future.

Sabaku no Sasori:  Scorpion of the Desert ("Sasori" means "scorpion")

Konoha Senpuu:  Leaf Spinning Wind

Omote Renge:  Initial Lotus

Kawarimi no Jutsu:  Body Replacement Technique (also known as "Substitution")

Kugutsu no Jutsu:  Puppet Technique