38: Gaara vs Rock Lee: The Power of Youth Explodes!
Suiren Uzumaki: The disclaimer: I do not own Naruto cause if I did then Sakura wouldn't be a useless fangirl in pre-shippuden, and Naruto would have his father's smarts while keeping his mother's personality and knows about seals and how to use to them. I do, however, own Ryurama Senju, Yuki Senju nee Miran, Raika Miran (Senju), & the White Tiger Summoning Contract (A/N: If there is already a White Tiger Summoning Contract…then please ignore the last part). Remember to Read and Review to let me know what you think. Also, if you don't like any twist that I might make then stop reading and find something else to read plus don't leave a review that's a flame or I will find a way to block you. Ja ne!
...My Line...
"Hey!" Neji called out. "You! Senju!" The blonde looked over at him. "I have two pieces of advice for you. First of all, if you are going to call yourself a shinobi and the Senju Heir then 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," the Senju Heir said as he stood up.
Neji smirked and just before Naruto could attack him, Raika grabbed his arm.
"Don't Aniki," she told him. "He is not worth it."
"Raika?" the blonde asked as he looked at her.
"Besides if you attack him then you'll be disqualified even though you won your match."
Lee then walked up to them and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Naruto, I get where you are coming," the older Genin told him. "Believe me? But, Raika is right. The rules say that all fighting must be done officially in a match. The loser beating the genius through sure will power. Wouldn't that make for an exciting match?"
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Naruto narrowed his eyes while Raika started to crack her knuckles, however, the blonde knelt down and placed his hand in Hinata's blood that was on the ground before he stood up.
'Hinata, I give you, my word,' he thought as he turned around and held out his bloody fist which surprised everyone. "I vow to win."
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While the teams were all standing together, Ibiki cleaned the blood off of the floor.
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"Wow, Choji," Shikamaru said as he looked at his friend and teammate. "Glad, I'm not you. I mean, that you still got the tough ones left. I wouldn't want to face any of them. That unknown guy from Iwagakure, Rock Lee has to be tough if he took on Sasuke, and especially not that Sunagakure guy. I don't even like being in the same room as him."
Choji groaned as he knelt onto the ground.
"I'm not feeling so good," the Akimichi complained. "Maybe I should just forfeit right now."
"What?" Asuma asked in shock as his students looked at him. "You know if you win, I'll take you to BQ."
"WHAT?!" Choji asked. "Come on."
"Choji," the Sarutobi spoke up as he joined the young teen. "Come on? Don't worry. If it gets bad, we'll step in and stop the fight just like with Hinata. Okay? Thank of it? All the short ribs you can want."
'That's a low blow,' Ino thought.
'When did he step in and stop the fight anyway?' Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"NOW YOU ARE TALKING!" Choji yelled. "ALL YOU CAN EAT! BRING IT ON!"
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'Uh-oh,' thought Kankuro. 'I have seen that look before.'
'I can sense his bloodlust.'
'That last fight...I wonder...did it stir up his inner demon?'
'I'm still curious about that Neji guy,' the cat wearing Sand Genin thought as he looked at the Konoha ninjas before noticing Naruto and Raika standing away from them. 'Yeah. That might work.'
Temari watched him pass her.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"Just doing a little recon," Kankuro answered with a raised hand. "I'll be back.'
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The greenette stood close to Naruto as a silent pillar of support.
"Hey, you two!" a male voice called out making the two cousins to look over to see Kankuro walking up the stairs. "Why aren't you two over there with your buddies?"
"Huh? What's it to you?"
'Well, well, touchy,' thought Kankuro.
"Aniki," Raika spoke as she gently thunk the blonde on the head. "Be nice." She looked over at the older Genin where she bowed a bit. "I apologize for how my cousin said that." The green hair Senju stood up straight. "However, please understand that it is really none of your business."
"Of course," the Sand Genin agreed. "I also apologize." 'Huh? At least one of them has manners.' "Anyways, tell me something about this guy, Neji? I got the feeling that we didn't see the full extent of his powers in the last fight, did we? So, what's his story?"
"I'm going to..." Naruto started only for the greenette to cover his mouth. "MMMMMMMM!"
"I am sorry, but even we, who are only a year younger then him, don't know the story of Neji Hyuuga," the green hair Genin stated as she gave an apologetic smile. "And even if we did, I am sorry to say that we wouldn't be able to tell you." Her smile turned a bit cold just then. "Village secrets...you know?"
"Of course, of course," Kankuro agreed with a nod. "I completely understand." He looked at the blonde Senju. 'I wonder what this kid's story is, too, but...' He looked at the second Senju Princess to see that she was looking at him with distrust in her wine red eyes. 'Something tells me that his cousin is majorly overprotective.' He then smiled a bit. "You know, you two seem like nice people. I like you.
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but..." the Senju Heir turned to him. "I don't like you."
Raika's eyes widen in shock before she smacked the blonde upside the head.
"ANIKI!" the greenette yelled as she forced him to bow. "Sorry. So sorry." Angry red eyes turned onto the older Senju. "Naruto, don't be so rude. Especially to an ally of Konoha." Kankuro flinched at that. "How are you going to be Hokage when every time you open your mouth, you say something rude?"
'This kid wants to be Hokage, huh?' thought Kankuro in surprise. 'You learn something new everyday.'
A slight cough was heard making them all to look over.
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"Alright, we shill continue with the computation," Hayate stated.
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"Alright!" Gai spoke. "I know that you will be picked for sure this time." He gave a thumbs up to Lee. "Are you ready Lee?"
"No," the wearing green wearing male answered as he turned away.
"Huh?"
"I have been waiting for so long that I do not care," he stated. "I might as well go last."
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'Is something up with Lee?' Raika thought as she looked over. 'It looks like he's sulking.'
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The broad ran through the last four names before stopping on two.
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'Come on,' thought Gaara as he appeared in a swirl of sand. 'Let's do this.'
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"AHHH!" Choji yelled. "Safe again!"
"Stop that!" Ino scolded as she hit him on top of his head.
"You want everyone to know that your a chicken?" Shikamaru asked as he, too, hit his friend on the head.
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Gaara Subaku vs Rock Lee
...My Line...
Raika let out a gasp at the names on the screen.
"Lee?" she asked as she looked over at him.
However, the young man was kicking the air with a determined look on his face.
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"It worked like a charm," Lee stated. "I know that if I said that I wanted to be last then I will be next. I applied the simple principle that states that way to hit something is to stop trying to hit it. It is a form of reverse psychology."
"Hoorah," Gai cheered. "That's my student."
"I absolutely was not going to be last," Lee stated. "No matter want. Haha. I sure fooled them did I not?"
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'Fool who?'
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"Now listen carefully," Gai told him. "A piece of advice before you go in."
"Sir!"
"Look, you see that gourd that Gaara is wearing?" the Might asked. "Watch out. There is something weird about it."
"Good advice, sir."
"Don't write it down!" his sensei ordered as Lee started to write the advice down. "What are you thinking? Your not going to have time to read any notes during the match are you?"
"Ah, more good advice," Lee exclaimed as he wrote that into his notebook, too.
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'He just figured that out about the gourd?' the Hatake thought in worry.
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'Oh, Lee,' the greenette thought. 'I hope that you are going to be alright.'
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"Alright!" Gai yelled. "Time to rock and roll!"
"Yeah!"
Lee jumped over the railing and onto the training grounds for his match.
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"I know that sooner or later we will have to meet," Lee told Gaara as he got into his opening stance. "And I am glad that it is sooner."
The redhead, however, was silent as can be.
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"I don't know what kind of moves that kid with the dumb hair cut got, but he'll never take Gaara down," Kankuro stated. "Not in this life time."
"Oh, I can think of a few jutsus that would make any earth jutsu especially sand useless," Raika deadpanned. "And their all water and lightening style jutsus."
The puppet user swallowed at the smirk on the greenette's face while Naruto snorted.
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'He's fast on his feet alright,' Temari thought. 'But, he's kick isn't that great.'
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"Wrong," Naruto stated.
"What?"
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Lee kicked him under his chin sending the Uchiha into the air before reappearing under him
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"Lee's stronger then you think," the Senju Heir told him. "You have no idea."
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The green wearing teen blinked before catching something in his hand.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked as he dropped the topper from the Sand Genin's gourd onto the gourd.
A swirling noise was heard from the gourd as Gaara just stared at Lee.
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'Please be careful?' the Senju Princess thought as she clasped her hands in front of her.
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'Stay on your toes, Lee.'
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"Alright then," Hayate said as he raised his hand. "If you both are ready?" He then sliced his hand down a bit. "Begin!"
That was all Lee needed to hear before he rushed towards Gaara and jumped up onto the air.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
The green clad Genin spun around, however, a wall of sand shot up and blocked his kick. The sand then aimed to attack Lee, but was dodged before it returned to the Suna Genin.
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"What is that?" Ino asked.
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"Sand," Raika stated in surprise.
'That's an unusual jutsu,' Kakashi thought.
'So, that's what he has in that gourd.'
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'That...'
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The dust disappeared and showed Gaara being protected by a dome of sand.
"Is that all you can do?" the Suna Genin asked making the Rain ninja rushed at the Sand Siblings while Gaara placed his hands in a hand sign. "Sand Coffin!" The sand started to surround his opponent before the cocooned enemy shinobi was lifted up into the air. "Sand Burial!"
The Rain Ninja's blood rain down on the group after that.
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'That nightmare,' thought Shino. 'Not again.'
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'Hmm, a sand manipulation jutsu, huh?' thought Lee. 'It will not be easy getting through that, but it is as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.'
Rock Lee shot at Gaara and started to attack him, but every one of his attacks was blocked before he was forced to use a kunai to cut the sand. The green wearing Genin had to dodge the sand again before he threw shurikens only for the sand to block again.
…My Line…
"Wow."
'It's the sand has a mind of its own seeing as Gaara isn't even moving,' the greenette thought. 'Did this guy learn any kind of taijutsu and weaponry cause if he faces either Aniki or me then his sand will be useless against us. Aniki because of his Wood Style and I because of my water jutsus.' "No matter how fast he is, Lee can't get anywhere close to him,"
"The sand," Naruto breathed in surprised. "He's using it as a shield."
"He's not doing it," Kankuro stated. "The sand is protecting him of its own accord."
"Huh?"
Both Senju cousins looked over at him in confusion.
"It's almost like a living thing," the black wearing Suna Genin informed them. "It'll come to Gaara's defense without him doing anything. That's why Gaara has never been injured. No one can get at him. No one's ever been able to touch him."
Naruto and Raika shared a look with each other at that.
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'Ugh,' Lee groaned. 'How is he doing that? He is not even moving a muscle.'
"Well, is that all?" Gaara asked.
"Huh?"
"I hope you haven't finished entertaining me?" the redhead asked. "We haven't had enough…blood."
The sand rushed at Lee before grabbing him by his foot when he jumped up into the air and tossed him into the wall. However, the green wearing Genin looked up before dodging another wave of sand while he got back to his feet and went on the attack once again.
…My Line…
"I just don't get it," Ino said. "He is using only Taijutsu. Why doesn't he get some distances and then use some Ninjutsu?"
"Yes, that would be a good idea," Gai agreed with her. "That is if he had any."
"Huh?"
The Yamanaka looked up at him in surprise.
"Lee had not Ninjutsu or Genjutsu skills at all," the green wearing Jonin informed her.
"You're kidding," she breathed in shock.
"Ha, oh that's nothing," Gai cackled. "You should have seen him when I meet him. No talent at all."
"Really?" Ino asked. "I don't believe it."
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Lee, in the meantime, backflipped away from the sand only to end up tripping over the sand. He looked up when a shadow fell over him to see a wave of sand aiming for him.
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There were gasp when the sand came down on him.
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"It's over," Shikamaru stated.
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They all ended up looking in the air to see Lee.
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The Konoha Genin landed on the hands statue and glared down at Gaara, who just stared at him.
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"A ninja, who can do neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu, is certainly a rarity," Gai stated. "Lee has only his Taijutsu to rely on. Some might consider that a disadvantage…But, that's what makes him winner."
"Huh?"
Ino looked at him shock.
"Alright, Lee!" Gai called out as he gave a thumbs up. "Take them off."
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"Ah, but Gai-sensei…" Lee stated as he saluted the man. "You said that it would be used as a very last resort when the lives of important people are at stake."
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"That's right I did," the man agreed. "But, this is an exception!"
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"Really?" Lee asked. "Really?"
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Raika raised an eyebrow as the green wearing Genin sat down and removed his leg warms.
'I wonder,' she thought before a smirk made its way onto her face. 'Gai-sensei, you are one sly fox.'
The greenette had in that moment realized what kind of training Gai put Lee through though she can be the first to admit that she preferred weight seals.
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Once Lee had removed his leg warms, everyone saw that he was wearing leg weights under them.
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"Are those?" Ino asked in shock.
"How old fashioned."
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'Leg weights?' Kakashi thought as he looked at his old classmate. 'Basic training equipment.'
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"Totally cool!" Naruto stated.
The green hair Senju ended up face palming with a groan.
"Totally dumb," Kankuro said.
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"Ah, that is better," Lee said as he stood up with the weights in his hands. "Now I can move freely."
He then dropped them.
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'Come on,' Temari thought with a smirk. 'You think that you can get through Gaara's defenses by dropping a couple pounds of weight?'
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However, to the shock of everyone, was the cater that the weights made when the height the ground.
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'Gai, you are to much,' the Hatake thought. {A/N: *Shrugs* Well, he's not wrong.}
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'Actual weights maybe old school, but they still work in a pinch,' the greenette thought with a smirk.
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"Alright!" Gai called out. "Now! GO!"
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"Yes sir!" Lee yelled back.
However, Gaara stood in place and stared at him unimpressed only for his eyes to widen in shock when the green wearing Genin vanished from sight. The redhead kept trying to follow the fast-moving spandex teen, but the Konoha ninja was moving too fast.
…My Line…
"Wow," Kurotsuchi breathed. "Talk about speed."
"Just what Konoha needs," Roshi groaned. "Another speed Demon."
"Yeah," Akatsuchi agreed. "As if the Yellow Flash wasn't bad enough."
Yamitsuchi felt a large grin come to his face as excitement coursed through his veins.
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Lee kept circling Gaara while the sand moved as fast as it can to protect him, however, the older Genin's fist came close to the redhead's face as he managed to punch through it.
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"So close!" both Ino and Raika exclaimed at the same time.
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'So fast,' thought the silver hair Jonin.
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'Amazing,' the blonde thought in shock. 'He's almost as fast as I am without my weight seals.'
Kankuro could only stare in shock at how fast Lee was.
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"I could see that Lee had no altitude for neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu," Gai informed them as Lee continued his assault on Gaara. "So, we've skipped them and focus all of his time and energy into developing his Taijutsu. That way we've turned his disadvantage into a blessing. Now he doesn't need those other things to win because he transformed himself into the world's greatest Taijutsu specialist."
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Lee rushed forward before he jumped into the air and brought down his heel onto Gaara's head. This sent both of them back, but only the green wearing Genin smirked.
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'I don't believe,' thought Temari. 'Gaara's been hurt.'
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'Impossible,' Kankuro thought in shock.
"Talk about scary," the blonde Senju stated. "And he had been quick on his feet before." The greenette snorted in amusement. "I thought that he had been fast before."
"Aniki, your talking like your aren't faster then Lee," she said with amusement.
Naruto just grinned at her.
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"YES, LEE!" Gai yelled. "LET THE POWER OF YOUTH EXPLOD!"
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"Right!" Lee agreed with fire in his eyes before rushed forward only Gaara actually tried to attack this time. "Over here!" The redhead turned his head look behind him. "No, over here!"
When the Suna Genin turned his head, a fist hit his cheek and sent him flying.
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"Good."
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'A direct hit,' thought Lee with a smirk.
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"I'm impressed," Raika stated. "That sand can't keep up with him as Lee is just to quick." A smirk came to her face. "YOU NAILED HIM, LEE!"
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"That's incredible," Shikamaru stated in awe.
"I never seen anyone move that fast."
"It makes me dizzy just looking at him."
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Gaara stood up as sand started to pure out of the gourd.
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"Uh-oh," Kankuro breathed.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed with a grin. "Uh-oh, is right. Your friend with the eye makeup is getting the stuffing beaten out of him."
"That isn't what I was talking about kid," Kankuro told him.
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Lee watched as something fell off Gaara's face, but when it hit the ground, it turned into sand.
"What?" he breathed in shock as it looked like most of Gaara's face was made of sand.
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"What the heck is wrong with this guy?" the blonde asked in shock. "It's like his face is falling off."
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"It's like a shell made of sand," Kakashi said.
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"Look," Shikamaru told his team. "There isn't even a mark on that guy."
"That is so weird," Ino stated.
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"So, Suna sent their very unstable Jinchuuriki," Roshi stated as he looked at the redhead.
"Say what!?" Kurotsuchi asked in shock. "Are they fucking insane?"
"I guess so," Yamitsuchi answered instead.
"Suna is stupid to think that they can take on the strongest and oldest of the great 5," Akatsuchi sighed.
"Agreed," the other three seconded with nods.
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The sand on the ground swirled around before moving towards Gaara.
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'He in cased himself in sand, huh?' Kankuro thought. 'Things must be bad. I haven't seen that look in a long time.'
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The sand started to cover Gaara's face as he smirked with bloodlust in his eyes.
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'I knew it,' Temari thought. 'I've sensed him getting more and more unstable as the Chunin Exams progressed.'
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The redhead growled as he was covered in sand.
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'It is as I thought,' Baki sighed. 'His inner demon had been awakened.'
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The Suna Genin was soon standing with his arms crossed over his chest as if nothing was wrong.
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"I don't get it," Naruto said. "Is he made of sand or what? All those blows and kicks that Lee hit him with…did any of them get through?"
"No," the older Genin answered. "It's like his wearing a suit of armor."
"A what?"
"Ordinally those shifting clouds of sand are enough to shield him," Kankuro explained. "But, in the event that the shield is penetrated Gaara can also wear the sand like armor as a last line of defense."
"This guy is just to much," the blonde stated. "He's got armor now. Does he have any weak spots?" Raika face palmed at that question as Naruto sweatdropped. 'Stupid! Of course, he does! My Wood Style and Rai-chan's Water Style!'
'Ha,' Kankuro mentally laughed. 'If only you knew kid. Actually that armor is one big weak spot. Unlike the sand shield, the armor can be broken and there is the enormous amount of chakra Gara has to use to keep it in place. That takes its toll.'
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'That's proof that Gaara is feeling the pressure,' Temari thought. 'He never would have resorted to the armor otherwise. This Lee is good. No doubt about it, but that's not the same as winning. It won't be as easy as we thought, but the outcome is still a given. Gaara can't lose.'
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"Well, is that all?" Gaara asked.
'Ugh, my speed won't be enough,' Lee thought. 'He's impossible to get at from behind those sand defenses. But, maybe if I can get him up off the ground and away from the sand then hit him hard from above with the lotus.'
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Gai nodded his head at the questioning look that Lee throw his way.
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This brought a smile to Lee's face before he started to undo the bandages around his hands.
"Get ready."
It was then that in the blur of movement, Lee vanished and started to run around Gaara in a circle at high speeds.
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'Ha, that's right Lee,' Gai thought. 'Good work. That flimsy shield of sand won't be able to protect him from your high speed lotus.'
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"What are you waiting for?" the redhead asked.
"Okay," Lee spoke up. "You've asked for it."
It was at the moment that Lee appeared under Gaara and delivered a kick to his chin, however, it had very little effect.
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"He's not floating," Raika gasped in shock.
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"Try this!" Lee yelled as he started to kick Gaara repeatedly into the air while the sand rush to try and save him.
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"What incredible series of kicks," Kakashi said in awe.
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'Even an ordinary lotus puts an enormous strain on the body let along this,' Gai thought as he placed his hands together to pray. 'You've to finish him off no."
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Lee groaned at the strain he was feeling before he started to wrap the bandages around Gaara and turned to their heads were facing the ground.
"Now take this," the green wearing Genin stated as they started to spin around. "Primary Lotus!"
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Everyone watched in worry and in the ninjas from the Leaf's case a victory for Konoha as the two Genin hit the ground.
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Lee jumped away from the crater panting as he watched to see if he won or not.
"It is over. I've won."
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"Right on!"
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"Amazing," Naruto breathed. "He really did it."
"No," Kankuro breathed. "I don't believe it.
"You did it!" Raika called out with a smile. "That's the way to do it, Lee!"
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"Is that other guy dead?" Shikamaru asked in shock.
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Hayate walked up to make sure that it was truly over only to see the sand armor instead of the redhead in the crater.
"What?!"
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'I knew it,' the greenette thought with anger. "I thought so."
"Huh?"
Both Kankuro and Naruto looked at her in surprise and confusion. Their confusion grew when the green hair Genin turned her intense pair of glaring wine red eyes onto the Suna Genin.
"Is Sunagakure trying to start a war that they cannot win with us by sending their unstable Jinchuuriki to our Chunin Exams?" she asked softly.
Naruto shuddered at the soft tone that his cousin is using as it was more terrifying than if she had yelled.
'Shit,' Kankuro thought. 'How did she figure it out?'