I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters. I changed the order so I could have the most story-relevant ones but skip the rest. The only time I will use a Japanese honorific is when Ryuu is addressing Yugao by her mask which will be Neko-chan. I get so confused by honorifics so I try not to use them.


Preliminaries

Ryuu stepped up next to Sakura and asked what was going on and whether he had been failed.

"You were allowed to continue," Sakura assured him. "We're being selected at random to fight. So far, the Sound Village kid with the gauntlet and the hunch back beat Choji, me and Ino tied so we both lost, Shikamaru beat the Sound Village girl, Shino, the kid with the trench coat from the Leaf, beat the other Sound Village guy, Tenten lost to the Sand Village girl with the fan, The Sand Village boy with the face paint beat one of the leaf village with the purple clothes, Naruto beat Kiba, barely, and Sasuke fought one of the Hidden Leaf guys and won but almost had all of his chakra stolen."

"Right," Ryuu nodded just as the screen where the matches were shown displayed Hinata and Neji's name. "Oh dear."

"What?" Sakura questioned.

"If I remember right, Hinata was too gentle to stand a chance against Neji," Ryuu stated as both Hyugas moved to the ring and stood facing each other.

"I never thought that you and I would have to face each other, Hinata," Neji commented.

"Nor I Brother," Hinata replied.

"Brother?" Sakura questioned.

"They're both descended from the Hyuga clan," Kakashi, who had just returned from wherever he had been, stated. "One of the most ancient and honorable clans of the Hidden Leaf Village, not actually brother and sister."

"Okay, but they are related, right?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes, in the way that branches of a great tree are related to its trunk," Kakashi stated. "Technically, they're more like cousins."

"So, it's like a family feud," Sakura stated.

"Kind of," Kakashi nodded.

"They're starting," Naruto stated.

"Alright, you may begin when ready," Hayate, who Ryuu was happy to see was the judge of the fights, stated.

"Before we do this, a word of advice," Neji offered. "Hinata, listen to me. Withdraw now. You know you were never meant to be a ninja."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise and hurt but Neji wasn't done.

"You're too kind and gentle," Neji explained. "You seek harmony and avoid conflict. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence. You feel inferior to everyone else here. It would have been better for you to simply remain a genin. But to register for the Chunin Exams you need a team of three people. You never even wanted to take part in these exams but Shino and Kiba did, and you couldn't bare to let your teammates down, could you?"

"No!" Hinata practically pleaded. "You're wrong! You're wrong! I wanted...I had to find out...I did it because it I wanted to see if I could change."

After several moments, Neji said, "Hinata, you are the pampered offspring of the Hyuga's Main Branch."

"What?" Hinata said in surprise.

"People can't change no matter how hard they try," Neji stated coldly.

Hinata's eyes were instantly filled with hurt while her face showed shock. She believed him, at least in part.

"They can't run away from their true nature," Neji continued. "A failure will always be a failure."

Ryuu noticed Naruto gripping the hand rail tightly, nearing the end of his patience.

"People are judged by their true nature," Neji stated. "It is the way of the world. That is why we have an elite, and why we have outcasts. We can change our physical appearance. We can improve our skills with training and study. But ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change. What can't be changed, must be endured. We are who we are Hinata. And we must live with it."

By now, Hinata was on the verge of tears, and Naruto was only still on the balcony because Kakashi had a hold on his arm.

"Just as I must live with the face that you were born into the elite of our clan, while I am from a lesser branch," Neji stated. "I understand these things because I see the world clearly, with my Byakugan. Despite your brave words, what you're really thinking is that you'd like to run, run as far away from here as you can."

"No!" Hinata cried. "You're wrong! You're wrong about me!"

"Byakugan?" Sakura questioned Kakashi.

"It's the Kekkei Genkai, or Bloodline Trait of the Hyuga Clan," Kakashi stated.

they all turned back to the Hyugas in time to see Neji form a hand seals and say, "Byakugan!"

Veins began to stand out at the sides of his face and smaller ones in his iris and his pupils became more distinct. The simple act of him activating his Byakugan was enough to make Hinata shake in fear. After a moment, she looked away, unable to look him in the eye.

"My eyes cannot be deceived," Neji finally said. "A moment ago, in the slightest of movements, your eyes drifted to the upper left corner of the room. I saw, at that moment, you were thinking of your past. Bitter past. And then, almost immediately after your gaze drifted to the lower right. It was a mere flicker of the eyes but to me it revealed all of your mental and physical suffering. You're seeing your old self, and wondering if your life is prepared you for this moment. You're picturing the outcome of the battle. You see yourself losing!"

Hinata gasped and Naruto growled in frustration. Ryuu subtly shook his head but Naruto ignored him.

"And the way you're holding your arms in front of your body like that?" Neji sneered. "It tells me that you're trying to build a wall between us to keep me at bay. You want me to keep from reading the deepest recesses of your mind. And why? Because everything I've said is true! Shall I go on?"

Kakashi tightened his grip but knew that it was futile.

"That familiar gesture of putting your finger to your lips," Neji continued. "I know that it's a desperate attempt to suppress your rising panic. Made all the more desperate by the fact that you know it's futile! It's all futile Hinata. You are what you are. Whether you admit it or not. You already know-"

"Enough already!" Naruto finally shouted. "Who the hell gave you the right to tell her what she can an can't be? Just shut the fuck up and mind your own damn business! You call her a coward but she's not the one who's trying to talk you out of actually fighting! Come on Hinata! Show him just how strong you are!"

Hinata stared at him for a moment before her head fell. Neji glared up at Naruto then looked back at Hinata and his eyes widened. A moment later, Hinata looked up at him with a determined stare.

"If you don't forfeit the match, you know what will happen," Neji warned.

Hinata responded by beginning to make hand seals.

I won't run away, Hinata thought. Never again. No more hiding!

She finished her seals and activated her Byakugan. Ryuu sighed knowing, as did everyone else in the room, that the fight was over. There was no way Hinata could beat Neji.

She took a stance and said, "Defend yourself, my brother."

Neji mirrored her stance and said, "Very well then."

After a couple minutes, they both darted forward and Hinata thrust her hand toward her, palm open and Neji blocked it, careful not to touch her hand. As she threw her hand forward, chakra shot out of it in a small burst. They spent several minutes dodging and blocking each other's attacks until Neji slipped off balance and Hinata threw an attack instantly. Neji stepped backward, barely avoiding a shot to his side. They both took a step back and after a moment, they returned to trading blows, careful to avoid taking damage from each other. After several more seconds, Hinata very nearly hit him again and Neji jumped back. After a few more seconds, they continued and after a few blows, Hinata stepped forward for a blow to the heart and both of them stopped. No one moved but everyone could see that Neji had dodged or blocked the attack.

"Did she get him?" Lee questioned.

"Yes," Sakura nodded and was about to start cheering but stopped when she realized that Naruto was holding the railing in a death grip.

"What?" Sakura muttered.

"It's over," Ryuu stated. "The strike was to the heart."

"So, she killed him?" Sakura questioned.

"Not by a long shot," Naruto stated voice clipped.

After a moment, Hinata leaned back, coughing up blood and everyone gasped seeing what had happened. Neji's left hand had two fingers against Hinata's attacking arm where he had used a blast of chakra to stop her attack while his right arm had delivered a direct hit to her heart.

"So that's it huh?" Neji questioned. "That's all there is to the Main Branch's power?"

I'm not done yet, Hinata thought using her left hand to knock Neji's right away and threw an attack at his head. However, before she could hit him, he caught her wrist and hit a spot beside her elbow. Then, he pulled her sleeve up and revealed several burnt spots along her arm. All perfectly round and bright red.

"But...you mean..." Hinata gasped. "All this time you-"

"That's right," Neji interrupted, voice cold. "I could see your chakra points the whole time."

"What's he talking about?" Naruto questioned.

"On the Chakra Network there are three hundred sixteen chakra centers, or chakra points, and each are only about the size of the head of a pin," Kakashi explained. "Hitting one directly can affect the flow of chakra either halting it or increasing it, depending on how the attacker strikes the chakra points. Theoretically, doing so allows one to gain complete control of their opponent's chakra flow. But these chakra points, they're undetectable, even to my Sharingan eye. And even beyond the ability to see the chakra points, he can target them accurately, even during intense battle."

Suddenly Neji hit Hinata again and launched her backward.

"Look Hinata, I'm completely out of your league and that won't change," Neji stated. "That is what separates the elites from the failures. You may not like it but it's a fact. From the instant you said you wouldn't run anymore, your fate was sealed. You were destined for failure. And now, you're consumed with hopelessness. Now this is your last warning Hinata. Forfeit this match."

"I...I..." Hinata, now on her hands and knees, struggled to say before pushing herself up, more blood running down her chin. "I never...go back...on...my word. Because that is my nindo, my ninja way."

Naruto blinked in surprise, remembering telling his class the same thing a long time ago. Naruto snapped back to reality to see Hinata look up at him and smile then lower her gaze to Neji as her Byakugan reactivated.

"Bring it on!" Neji said reactivating his own.

Suddenly she doubled over, coughing up more blood. Naruto gripped the rail tightly as Neji took his fighting pose again. Ryuu looked around and saw that everyone was giving the Hyugas the same look. The fight was over. Hinata had lost. They all knew it.

"No," Naruto whispered to himself. "Don't risk your life to prove your point. You can't win."

Hinata sprinted forward again, attacking Neji as before but still couldn't hurt him. This time, she wasn't using gentle fist, she was simply trying to hit him. And still, she couldn't. Finally, after about five minutes, Neji hit Hinata's arm away then slammed his hand into the bottom of her jaw, launching her yet again. Hinata stood and sprinted forward, attacking Neji but he knocked her attack aside then delivered his own along with a massive blast of chakra to her heart yet again.

Hinata coughed up blood again as her knees gave out and she fell forward. Everyone gasped and Naruto took a step back, leaning on the back wall with a sick expression.

"You just don't get it do you?" Neji questioned. "Your strikes were ineffective from the very start. You're finished."

He deactivated his Byakugan and stared down at her in disgust.

"It's too bad but after that blow to the heart, Hinata...is done," Might Guy stated.

"Don't say that!" Naruto snapped. "What the hell are the Medical Nin here for, huh?"

"They can only help if she concedes or Hayate calls it," Guy stated.

Hayate finally stepped forward and looked down at Hinata.

"Since she's unable to continue, the winner of this match is-"

"No!" Hinata managed to say as she began to push herself up again, barely able to move.

Finally, she reached her feet and stood, barely conscious.

"What do you think you're doing?" Neji questioned. "If you continue to fight, you'll die."

After a few seconds, Neji finally activated his Byakugan and Hinata began stumbling forward.

"I'm far from finished," Hinata stated.

"Give up the tough guy act," Neji ordered. "I can tell you're barely standing. You've been carrying a very heavy burden, having been born to the Main Branch of the Hyuga Clan. And you've cursed and blamed yourself for being weak. But look, people can't change the way they are. That's just how it is. Just accept defeat and you won't have to suffer anymore."

"No, you're wrong Brother," Hinata panted. "You've got it backwards. You see...I can tell...that you're the one...You're suffering much more than I."

"I what?" Neji questioned not understanding.

"You are the one...who's all torn up...about the fate of the Main and Side Branches of the Hyuga Clan," Hinata stated.

Neji suddenly growled in frustration and charged forward, shouting in rage.

"Neji no!" Hayate shouted running to intercept him but not able to run fast enough. "The match is over!" Oh man!

At the last second, Guy, Kakashi, Hayate, and Kurenai all caught Neji's arm with Hayate placing two fingers on Neji's forehead and calming him. Naruto was at the railing but Ryuu had a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Neji, get ahold of yourself," Guy ordered. "You promised me you wouldn't let this whole Head Family thing get you riled up!"

"Why are you and the other jonin butting in?" Neji demanded. "The Head Family gets special treatment huh?"

Hinata suddenly coughed and Kurenai rushed over and caught her as she collapsed. Lee, Naruto, and Sakura all dropped to the ring and rushed over to check on her as well and Ryuu followed standing beside Lee.

Hinata tried to speak but blacked out before she could and Neji called out to Naruto.

"Hey you, Loser," Neji called and Naruto turned toward him out of instinct. "Two pieces of advice for you. One, if you insist on calling yourself a ninja, stop that stupid cheering of yours, it's disgraceful. And second, once a failure, always a failure. You can't change that."

"We'll see about that," Naruto growled sprinting forward but Lee appeared in their path as Ryuu caught Naruto's arm. "What the Hell you guys?"

"We get it," Lee stated. "Trust us. But the rules say that all fighting must be done officially in a match. The Loser beating the Genius through sheer willpower alone. Does that not sound like an exciting match?"

"Sounds like it's exactly what Neji deserves," Naruto muttered.

"True," Ryuu muttered. "But whether you or Lee fight Neji, he's going to get his ass kicked. So calm down for now."

"Fine," Naruto sighed. "Have it your way."

Lee and Guy silently flashed each other thumbs up and Ryuu rolled his eyes looking back to see several Medical Nin carrying Hinata away on a stretcher.

"Too far Neji," Ryuu growled. "You could easily have disabled her arms and legs."

"I warned her she would die," Neji shrugged.

"Regardless of whether you win or lose against Lee or Naruto, I'm going to kick your ass myself," Ryuu promised. "Better yet, I'll send you into cardiac arrest, minus the medics."

Ryuu turned and walked away as Neji remained silent. Ryuu glanced at Hayate as Hayate began to cough. The others didn't seem to notice so he had likely been doing it for a while. After a few minutes of coughing hard, Hayate took a shaky breath and looked around.

He seems really...sick...so that's who it is, Ryuu thought remembering what Yugao had told him. I see.

They all returned to the balcony and the screen displayed Lee and Gaara's names. Gaara, apparently, was the Sunagakure kid with the gourd that Ryuu didn't like. Both dropped to the floor and the cork from the gourd shot out of it and at Lee who caught it then dropped it.

"Alright," Hayate spoke. "If you are both ready, begin."

Lee sprinted forward, jumping and spinning away from Gaara, throwing a kick. Just before it hit, a wall of sand appeared between his foot and Gaara, blocking the attack. Lee landed on his feet and then leapt away as the wall of sand turned into something akin to a hand and crashing down where he had been. As Lee slid to a stop, he looked at Gaara and saw the sand returning to the gourd.

"So that's it," Ryuu muttered. "This should be interesting."

Lee darted forward again, leaping into the air and throwing a kick at Gaara. The sand hit his foot, spinning him. Lee landed on his feet and spun again, again the sand blocking it. Lee continued trying, nothing getting past the sand. The sand suddenly shot toward him but he drew a kunai and slashed it, forcing it to separate. This happened for several minutes before Lee dove aside from a wall of sand then rolled along the ground before leaping into the ground and hurling several shuriken at Gaara, the sand blocking it.

"He's shielding himself with the sand!" Naruto gasped.

"He's not doing it," the Sand ninja with the bandaged object on his back, Kankuro, snorted. "The sand protects him of its own accord. That's why he's never been hurt. No one can touch him."

"Is that all?" Gaara suddenly spoke up making everyone freeze. "I hope you're not done entertaining me yet. We haven't had enough blood."

The sand suddenly shot away from Gaara, toward Lee and he leapt into the air only for the sand to catch his foot and swing him around before hurling him into the wall. Lee rolled out of the way of some of the sand and sprinted forward, attacking Gaara again with a series of punches and kicks but nothing made it past the sand. Suddenly, the Sand shot up at him. He began to do successive back flips. Just as he began to get away, he landed on sand and slipped. Instantly, a massive sand hand formed over him and fell. At the last second, Lee leapt out of the way, landing on top of the fingers of the stature in front of the wall with the screen in it.

"Alright Lee, take 'em off!" Guy called out holding up a thumbs up and Ryuu grinned.

"But Sensei, you said that it was only a last resort," Lee called back. When the lives of very important people were at stake!"

"That's right I did," Guy stated. "But this is an exception."

Lee instantly switched to a seated position, pulling his leg warmers down off, exposing his leg weights and standing, one in each hand.

"Leg weights?" Sakura questioned.

"Watch," Ryuu smirked as Lee let go of the weights.

Everyone in the room was either looking at Lee in confusion or mockingly. The looks all faded to shock as the weights crashed down, sending debris flying and forming a crater each.

"Alright, now go!" Guy ordered.

"Yes sir!" Lee shouted.

He knelt down and then was gone. Gaara looked around in shock before Lee appeared behind Gaara, fist smashing straight through the sand and stopping just short of Gaara before Lee vanished again. He appeared on the opposite side and his foot smashed through the sand. Then a fist in front of him, a foot behind him, another foot to his left, and so on and so forth with Gaara looking around, unable to keep up, much like the others around the room, besides Ryuu, who had his Sharingan active. Ryuu could track him but definitely wouldn't be able to keep up now that Lee wasn't being weakened due to proximity to the Brothers' armor.

Lee's fist suddenly smashed through the sand and past Gaara's head, missing by less than an inch making Gaara freeze. Lee continued in this fashion, smashing sand and nearly hitting Gaara for several minutes before finally jumping over the sand around Gaara and smashing his feet into Gaara's head on the way down. The strike was so fast that the corner of his sandal left a shallow cut on Gaara's cheek.

"Yes Lee!" Guy shouted. "Let the power of youth explode!"

"Right!" Lee shouted sprinting forward again.

Gaara held his hand up, sending out a wave of sand at Lee but he vanished. Reappearing behind Gaara and punching a hole in the sand before almost instantly smashing more on the opposite side. As Gaara turned toward it just in time for Lee's fist to crash into his jaw, launching him away. Gaara stood as pieces of his face began to fall away as sand. He looked up at Lee, grinning and Lee's eyes widened. His body was covered in cracked sand, almost like armor, which several people realized, it was. Sand rose from the ground, restoring his armor which blended with his body flawlessly, leaving no indication that he had it and leaving no injuries at all.

"Well?" Gaara questioned. "Is that all?"

I cannot touch him, Lee thought. My speed will not be enough. But maybe if I can get him off the ground, away from the sand, then hit him hard from above, with the Lotus...

Lee began to unwrap the bandages around his arms and everyone watched with rapt attention. After a moment, Lee began to blur around Gaara, kicking up a ring of dust.

"What are you waiting for?" Gaara questioned.

"Okay, you asked for it," Lee stated before appearing below him and smashing his foot into the underside of his jaw.

Then, Lee leapt after him, smashing his feet into Gaara's stomach again and again as the two of them moved higher and higher into the air. Finally, he swung his arms forward, the bandages wrapping around Gaara before Lee grabbed on and flipped over, beginning to spin. They quickly turned into a blur as they fell.

"Take this!" Lee shouted. "Primary Lotus!"

The impact creates a massive crater in the ground and Lee landed a ways away, re-wrapping his bandages and breathing hard while Gaara simply lay there. cracks now spiderwebbed across his body and his eyes stared unblinkingly at the ceiling.

"It is over, I got him," Lee stated smiling tiredly.

After another moment, Hayate walked over as Gaara's body began to fall apart, revealing the sand armor, now hollow.

"No way," Ryuu breathed as Naruto shouted the same thing.

"What?" Lee gasped.

Suddenly, sand rose up behind Lee, revealing Gaara. Lee turned around in surprise as Gaara made one hand seal. Sand shot into the air in three tendrils then at Lee. Lee blocked the first but it shot sideways just in time for the second to blast Lee away. Lee struggled to stand but collapsed, too tired to be able to stand. Gaara grinned as a Tsunami roe up around him then fell toward Lee. It swept Lee up then smashed him against the wall before he fell to the ground. Gaara blasted him again and everyone on the balcony watched in shocked silence. Gaara retracted his sand then sent several more blasts at him, Lee barely dodging each. Gaara made a hand seal again and Lee instinctively crossed his arms in front of himself. Gaara blasted him, the sand remaining where it was and spinning, pressing down on Lee slowly like a dull drill. Finally the sand retreated only to blast Lee backward again as he sat up. Lee stood, panting for breath with his arms crossed in front of his face.

"What good do you think that'll do?" Gaara snorted as sand rose in front of him but didn't attack.

After a moment, it blasted him and Lee landed hard. The sand instantly crashed onto his back, acting as a drill again. After a moment, it retracted again and again he stood, holding his arms up defensively.

"He can't go on," Sakura stated turning to Guy. "Make him quit before he gets himself killed."

This time, as the sand shot forward, Lee vanished, reappearing on one side, then the other, then the other smiling tauntingly. Gaara began sending blast after blast of sand at Lee and Lee avoided every one with ease, if not moving as fast.

"Lee's smiling!" Sakura gasped. "He's running for his life and he's smiling!"

"Yes, but now it's Gaara's turn to run," Guy stated smiling. "The Leaf Village Lotus, blooms twice."

"I've heard that somewhere before," Sakura muttered. "Yeah, Lee told me that."

"But...Guy...no you didn't!" Kakashi breathed.

"Yes Kakashi I did," Guy nodded.

"So that Genin, that boy, is able to open the Eight Inner Gates and use the Hidden Lotus?" Kakashi questioned.

"That's correct," Guy affirmed, voice emotionless.

"Well, if that isn't the most..." Kakashi stopped himself, taking a calming breath. "Okay, so then how many of the Inner Gates is he able to open now?"

"Five Gates," Guy informed lowing his head.

"Okay, what exactly are these Eight Gates you're talking about, and the Hidden Lotus?" Sakura questioned.

"The Eight Gates are like valves, or chakra limiters, that must be opened if one is too release the Hidden Lotus," Guy stated.

"I'm still not following," Sakura stated.

"There are gates along the chakra networks, at the points where the chakra is most heavily concentrated," Kakashi stated lifting his forehead protector and looking at Lee. "Starting at the head, they are the Gate of Opening, the Gate of Rest, of Life, of Pain, of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and the Gate of Death. These are what are called the Eight Inner Gates. There purpose is to limit the flow of chakra through the body. But the Lotus exerts tremendous pressure on these limiters, eventually forcing the Gates open. This releases the restraints on the chakra. The result being that the person's strength can be increased tenfold, or more."

"The Primary Lotus opens only the first Gate, The Gate of Opening, releasing the Brains restraint on the muscles," Guy stated. "This frees a person to bring forth their body's strength to its full extent. You've...seen the results."

"And the...Hidden Lotus?" Sakura questioned.

"At the second Gate, the Gate of Rest, one's strength is increased further," Guy explained. "And at the third Gate, the Gate of Life, one enters the Hidden Lotus."

"Wait, just the Primary Lotus almost destroyed him, he could barely move," Sakura stated. "What's gonna happen to him if he takes it farther?"

"Exactly," Kakashi sighed. "By opening all eight Gates, you could obtain power beyond even the Hokages. The only draw back is...you die. I don't know what this boy means to you Guy, but I shouldn't have to tell you that we never bring our personal feelings into play. I wouldn't have thought you were capable of this."

"You have no right," Guy stated. "You know nothing about him. Nothing at all! That boy has something important to prove. And he's determined to prove it. Even at the cost of his life. And I am determined to help him reach his goal. Not for his sake, but because that goal is worth reaching."

Lee crossed his arms in front of him as waves of energy began to shoot up around him. A memory of Guy teaching him the technique but warning him that he could only use it on one condition.

And that condition is... Lee thought as the waves intensified.

"I don't know what you think you're planning right now, but this match is over for you," Gaara stated making a hand seal and preparing to blast Lee again.

"You are right," Lee stated. "It is over. One way or another. Neji, Sasuke, and...I am not going to be the only one to lose here."

His hair began to float up as if caught by a slow up current and his skin turned an angry red. "Guy Sensei, please let this work. It is now or never."

Glowing blue chakra began to roll off of him and everyone stared in shock. Lee swung his arms down, the chakra stopped coming off of everywhere except for his feet and forming a circle around him.

To protect one's own Ninja Way! Lee thought, remembering the condition for using the technique. Third Gate, Gate of Life, open!

The chakra, now forming a ring around him and a crater below that. Debris began to float up past him as a green aura appeared around his body.

"The Fourth Gate," Lee growled in pain, bending forward. "Gate of Pain...open!"

Lee then darted forward, the floor behind him exploding into a destroyed trail leading to Gaara. When he arrived, he smashed his foot into the underside of Gaara's jaw, sending him flying while an explosion of dust and debris shot through the room. After a moment, it began to clear near the ground enough for everyone to see that Gaara and Lee were gone.

"Gaara!" Kankuro shouted.

"Where'd they...go?" Naruto gasped.

"Up there!" Shikamaru suddenly shouted as Gaara exited the top of the dust cloud, his sand armor cracking and falling away slowly.

"There's Gaara but what happened to Lee?" Ino questioned.

"He's just...gone!" Choji stated.

His sand rose up, only now catching up as Lee darted toward him again.

"Hiding behind that Sand Armor again eh?" Lee sneered. "Well we will see about that!"

He appeared over Gaara, smashing him toward the floor only to appear below him and smash him back up. Then, just as Gaara cleared his arc, he began shooting around in mid air like something in visible had a hold of him and was shaking him. This continued for several minutes.

"You are a tough one!" Lee noted seeing Gaara was still conscious after Lee smashed him upward yet again. "Try this!"

He landed on the ground then leapt to the ceiling and back at Gaara from above. He struggled to curl his hand into a fist, then to pull it back. His muscles were beginning to tear themselves apart from the stress placed on his body and it was beginning to show.

"One more and we are finished!" Lee shouted. "The Fifth Gate...Gate of Closing...open!"

Lee vanished for half a second as he neared Gaara before appearing at the exact same time his fist crashed into Gaara's stomach. Gaara flew toward the ground but snapped to a stop[ and looked up to see Lee holding him by a bandage now wrapped around Gaara's waist over the white cloth Gaara already wore there. Lee yanked Gaara back up to himself just in time for Lee's right fist and foot to explode into Gaara's torso at the same time.

"Hidden Lotus!" Lee shouted as the attack blasted Gaara to the floor fifty feet below in under a second.

A massive cloud of dust and rubble instantly filled the room, blocking everyone's view. Lee flew out of the cloud of dust and rolled along the ground before coming to a stop. As the dust slowly cleared, everyone stared in shock as it revealed Gaara, laying in a bed of sand made from the Gourd on his back. Lee sat up, staring at Gaara in surprise. Gaara slowly lifted his hand, his body shaking from exhaustion. Sand from below him began to move toward Lee forming a perfect hand, rather than the misshapen silhouettes from before. Lee turned to try to crawl away but his right arm and leg failed to support his weight, pain shooting through his body when he tried.

Impossible! Lee thought. He not only survived the Hidden Lotus, but he still has the strength to go on the attack!

Two tentacle like pieces of sand extending from under him and running under the hand suddenly latched on around his left arm and leg.

"Sand Burial!" Gaara grunted closing his fist as the sand constricted, instantly crushing Lee's arm and leg.

The sand then lifted him and moved him further away before slamming him back down, knocking him unconscious. The sand hand continued, nearing him quickly.

No! Hayate gasped as the hand descended.

At the last second, Guy flashed between Lee and the hand, smashing it to pieces as Gaara sat up watching with a mix of surprise and hatred. After a moment, Gaara groaned, placing a hand on the side of his head.

"But why?" Gaara questioned. "He failed. Why save him?"

"Because he's..." Guy began but trailed off. "Because he's...he's my student. And also because he's precious to me."

After a moment, Gaara stood, his gourd reforming from the sand below him and the rest returned to it, bringing the cork with it. Then, he began walking away.

"I quit," Gaara stated as he walked.

"He what?" Sakura gasped. "He quits?"

"But it's too late for Lee," Kakashi stated. "He lost the match the moment Guy intervened."

"The winner is..." Hayate stopped, his mouth falling open as he stared past Guy, the others around the room doing the same.

Gaara turned to look and also adopted a disbelieving look. Guy turned around, knowing what he would find and sure enough, Lee was on his feet again, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side, blood running down it from the wound the sand had made as well as running down from the wound in his left leg which was shaking.

"It can't be," Guy breathed.

After all that, he shouldn't be able to move, Kakashi thought. Let alone stand up!

Guy rushed over to Lee, resting his hands on his shoulders.

"No Lee," Guy said calmly. "It's alright. It's all over now. Anyway, you're in no condition to..."

He stopped, his eyes widening as he realized that, while standing and ready to try to fight, Lee's face was empty. He wasn't even conscious.

"Lee...oh Lee," Guy suddenly began to cry. "What have I done? Look at you. Not even conscious and you're still determined to show the world what you can do."

He's out cold, Kakashi sighed. Nothing keeping him up but sheer willpower.

"Lee," Guy continued pulling Lee into a hug. "You already proven it. You are a splendid ninja."

"The winner is Gaara," Hayate stated then looked around and jumped up to Ryuu. "We will have to hold your fight outside now. You'll be up against an ANBU so all you need to do is put up a fight. If you do well enough, I will judge that you pass."

Ryuu nodded and Hayate left. No one else moved. After a moment, Sakura moved to jump down but Kakashi stopped her.

"There is nothing you can do for him right now," Kakashi stated. "There are times when sympathetic words only make things worse."

The medics moved over to Guy, gently setting Lee down and checking his injuries. After a moment, one of them looked up at Guy in shock.

"You're his teacher aren't you?" the medic questioned.

"I am," Guy nodded voice hoarse. "What is it?"

"Will you...come with me?" the medic questioned standing then leading Guy to an empty corner of the room where they wouldn't be overheard while the other two set Lee gently on the stretcher. "The boy's breathing is faint but stable. There are bone fractures and muscle tears throughout his body. He's facing a long and hard and hard rehabilitation. But I'm afraid that's not the worst of it. His left arm and leg in particular suffered major damage. I'm sorry. I know how much it means to you both, but he'll never fight again. His days of being a Shinobi are over."

The medic then bowed and turned, walking to the others and they took Lee away. Kakashi dropped to the floor and walked over to Guy.

"Guy," Kakashi began. "What I said earlier, it was out of line. I was being a self-righteous fool. I realize now, that if I'd been in your shoes, I probably couldn't have stopped him either...Come on Guy. The next match is outside."

"Right," was all Guy said.

Everyone slowly filed out of the building and Ryuu brought up the rear. Everyone else took to the trees leaving Hayate and Ryuu standing in the clearing around the building. Ryuu looked around and Hayate could only smirk.

"Be patient," Hayate smiled.

Finally, swirl of leaves appeared beside Hayate and then blew away leaving Yugao standing beside him.

"Neko-chan!" Ryuu smiled. "Of course he would pit me against you."

Yugao smiled behind her mask and nodded, drawing her sword. Ryuu decided against using a Flame Sword and instead drew his tanto, creating a Vacuum Blade over it. After a moment of silence, Yugao darted forward, slashing at Ryuu. He blocked her slash and shoved her sword away then slashed at her stomach. She jumped back, avoiding the slash easily then thrust her sword forward. Ryuu swept it sideways then swung at the top of her head. She turned sideways, the Vacuum Blade flashing through the spot she had been as her sword flashed toward Ryuu's chest. He spun around then blade and slashed at her again only for her to block it then trip him. He landed on his back then rolled out of the way of her sword standing.

"You've gotten better," Yugao noted pulling her sword out of the ground. "But you're holding back. I can take anything you can dish."

Ryuu nodded and stabbed his Vacuum Blade into the ground making hand seals.

"Fire Style, Giant Fire Ball Jutsu!" Ryuu shouted before exhaling a massive fire ball at her.

She leapt to the side, avoiding the fireball that exploded against the ground, sending smoke and dust throughout the clearing. When it cleared, Ryuu was gone, along with his sword and Vacuum Blade.

"Hayate," Yugao sighed shaking her head, voice almost a whisper so only Hayate and possibly Ryuu knew it.. "I should have known you would teach him that one."

She suddenly spun, blocking an invisible Ryuu's likewise invisible blade.

"Bet you didn't know I knew the Transparency Jutsu too huh?" Yugao muttered still being quiet as Ryuu became visible again. "You mastered it quite well, nearly as good as Hayate."

"Thanks," He smiled just as thunder rumbled overhead and both leapt back as it began to rain. "Can you say corny?"

"Not unless one of us was fighting for revenge over a loved one's death," Yugao smirked behind her mask. "Shall we?"

They both charged forward, fighting in a near blur, rain bouncing off of their blades, the Vacuum Blade included, and flying around them as their blades clashed. After a few minutes, Ryuu ducked under a slash and kicked Yugao back, his Sharingan active.

"Finally decide to not hold back?" Yugao questioned as Ryuu began making hand seals.

"Just wanted some room," Ryuu smirked, Sharingan deactivating. "Fire Style, Dragon Flame Bomb!"

He exhaled a massive stream of flames. The heat was so intense that it instantly began to evaporate the rain three feet away and light the grass on fire. Yugao leapt over the stream which blasted a tree, exploding and demolishing three, thankfully all unoccupied, and the explosions put out all of the fires. As Yugao landed, Ryuu was forming more hand seals and grinning.

"Wind Style, Air Bullets!" He exhaled a dozen spheres of air but they only hovered around him as he made still more hand seals. "Fire Style, Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

He exhaled several fire balls that mixed with the Air Bullets, one each, before each now red, glowing ball of wind-strengthened fireball flew at Yugao. She jumped past one, slashing it but it merely became two and followed her while the others turned onto an intercept trajectory. Finally, all of the spheres exploded around Yugao as she landed, leaving her unharmed but the air around her so hot that it was nearly impossible to breathe. She fell to her knees gasping for breath for a moment before Ryuu used several Air Bullet explosions to cool the air.

"Where did...you...learn that?" Yugao questioned.

"I got a lot of practice while I was held captive," Ryuu stated. "One of the bases only experimented by watching Kekkei Genkai in action."

Yugao shook her head, smirking then stood and wiped some sweat from her forehead, reaching under her mask briefly.

"Impressive," Yugao stated walking sideways away from the still warm air before readying her sword. "No more jutsus. Let's see if you've learned anything about sword fighting."

She charged and as she neared him, Ryuu thrust his Vacuum Blade toward her, fully expecting her to dodge it. She tried too. However, the rain had made the grass slippery, a fact both had failed to realize. As a result, the foot she tried to propel herself sideways with slipped on the wet grass and she continued forward instead. The Vacuum Blade, while aimed at her stomach, instead drove itself through her chest, just barely missing her heart but still fatally wounding her. Everyone stared in shock as the Vacuum Blade faded and Yugao collapsed, blood flooding out of her wound.

"H...Hayate...help her!" Ryuu shouted, voice week and pinched.

"Sh...she...b-but...she...she can't..." Hayate struggled to do anything and Ryuu looked around, seeing that the others were all in much the same state and the medics still weren't back from transporting Lee yet.

"Damn!" Ryuu swore activating his Sharingan and using the ability he had copied while watching Lee's fight.

Chakra exploded off of him as the fifth Inner Gate and the four before it all exploded open and Ryuu picked up Yugao, standing and vanishing.

"He...that was...the fifth Gate," Kakashi breathed.

"He...must have copied it from Lee," Guy stated.

"But...the Sharingan can't copy that ability," Kakashi stated. "It can't see the Gates. Only the Byakugan can."

"Then how the hell did he open the fifth Gate?" Neji demanded.

Everyone fell silent, unable to formulate any form of clue, none knowing the meaning of the necklace they had all seen Ryuu wearing or Ryuu's true heritage.


Ryuu arrived at the Leaf's hospital and several medical ninjas noticed him instantly as he staggered forward, the Inner Gates all closed again, leaving him barely standing.

"What happened?" one demanded.

"Accident," Ryuu gasped, unable to breathe properly. "Stabbed...Accident...Help her!"

The medics took Yugao, carrying her inside to the more experienced medics then returned to the now unconscious Ryuu.


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