The atmosphere was a bit more intense, Rock Lee set Aceso against the wall as the floor got cleaned up.

" You didn't have to carry me, " Aceso said as Naruto squatted beside her.

" I made a promise and I will stick with it," Lee smiled as he gave her a thumbs up.

***Flashback***
" From here on forward I will always protect you!" Lee promised as he gave a thumbs up with a smile.

****Flashback over***

" Rest till the next names are called," Naruto advised. " And then you'll be full of energy to watch it. Believe it!" He laughed and Aceso smiled. Lee walked over to Gai sensei as Naruto stayed by and went to the railing.

" Whoa, Choji, glad I'm not you," Shikamaru said. " I mean you've still got the toughest ones left. I wouldn't want to face any of them. That creep guy from the Sound Village? And Rock Lee's got to be tough if he took on Sasuke. And especially not that Sand Village guy. I don't even like being in the same room as him.

" I'm not feeling so good," Choji groaned as he lowered to his knees. " Maybe I ought to go ahead and forfeit right now.

" What?" Asuma asked they looked at him. " You know if you win, I'll take you for barbecue."

" Wha!" Choji exclaimed. " Come on!"

" Choji," Asuma began as he kneeled beside him. " Come on, don't worry. If it gets bad, we'll step in and stop the fight, just like with Hinata, ok? Think of it--all the short ribs you can eat."

" Rrrrraaaahhh!" Choji roared, Aceso leaned over and looked down his way. " Now you're talking! All you can eat! Bring it on!" She then got up onto her feet and joined Naruto at the rail.

" You should still be sitting," Naruto grunted.

" I'm fine," Aceso breathed. " Been meaning to tell you, you had a great fight."

" Thanks!" Naruto laughed. " You should have seen Kiba's face up close when I hit him!"

" I saw it up close after you hit him," Aceso said.

" Hey, you!" A voice shouted.

" Hm?" the two asked, they looked over to see Kankuro walking up towards them. His hands were stuffed in his pockets.

" How come you two are isolated from the others?" Kankuro asked. " Why aren't you hanging with your buddies?"

" What's it to you?" Naruto asked as he glared at Kankuro.

" This is where Lee set me down," Aceso answered as she looked back at the arena.

" So tell me something about this guy Neji," Kankuro requested. " I get the feeling we didn't see the full extent of his powers in the last fight, did we? So what's his story?"

" I'm gonna pulverize him!" Naruto yelled as he turned around. " That's his story."

" Ok, but that's not quite what I meant," Kankuro said.

" I'm not so sure what his story is," Aceso answered. " If any would know anything it would be Gai Lee and Tenten."

" A reasonable answer," Kankuro nodded. " You know, you two seem like nice people. I like you two."

" Well, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't like you!" Naruto said. The two glared at each other.

" I think you seem pretty cool," Aceso said. " You were a bit rough at first."

" Don't give in to his friendship Aceso," Naruto said as he put an arm in front of her. " It could be a trap!"

" If it was a trap, why would he start to step in earlier when that centipede came in?" Aceso asked.

" It's a trap," Naruto stuck with the decision.

" Thanks by the way Kankuro," Aceso said as she smiled at him. " I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier."

" It's no big deal," Kanuro shrugged, Hataye shrugged and they looked down at him

" Now then, we'll continue the competition," Hayate stated.

" All right!" Gai shouted. " This time you'll be picked, I just know it! You ready, Lee?"

" No!" Lee denied as turned away holding out a rope.

" Huh?" Aceso asked as she looked over at him. " That sounds so unlike him."

" I have been waiting so long, I do not care," Lee explained as he looks back at Gai. " I might as well go last."

" Where did he get the rope?" Sakura as the screens ran through names. Aceso looked down to see she now had only two ropes around her. The screen stopped, landing on Gaara and Lee. Gaara used the sand to transport him into the middle of the room.

" Yeaaahhhh!" Choji yelled, Aceso gasped and looked over. " Safe again!"

" Stop that!" Ino yelled as she hit him on the head.

" You want everyone to know you're a chicken?" Shikamaru asked as he hit him on the head.

" It worked like a charm!" Lee cheered he kicked his leg out, swinging around the end of the rope. " I knew if I said I wanted to be last, I would be next." He kicked again. " I simply applied the principle which states that sometimes the surest way to hit something is stop trying to hit it." He put his leg down, threw the rope down, and started to punch outwards. " It is a form of reverse psychology."

" That made no sense," Aceso said as she readjusted.

" Hoo-aah!" Gai cheered as he pumped his fist. " That's my student!"

" I absolutely was not going to be last, no matter what," Lee added on. " Ha-ha! I also had a lucky rope!"

" I wouldn't classify the rope as lucky," Aceso denied.

" It is for him," Naruto laughed.

" I sure fooled them, did I not?" Lee asked.

" Now, then, listen carefully," Gai began. " A piece of advice before you begin."

" Sir!" Lee saluted him.

" Look," Gai began. " You see that gourd that Gaara is wearing? Watch out. There's something weird about it."

" Good advice, sir," Lee said as he wrote it down.

" Don't write it down!" Gai scolded. " What are you thinking? After all, you're not going to have time to read any notes during the match, are you?"

" Ah!" Lee exclaimed as he wrote it down. " More good advice!"

" Now rock, and roll!" Gai encouraged.

" Yeah!" Lee yelled fire in both eyes.

" If the rope is so lucky, I want to hold it," Kankuro concluded as Lee jumped over the railing.

" It helps hold up my pants, I wouldn't call it lucky," Aceso corrected as she held it out, Kankuro took it from her. Lee stood up and held out his hand toward Gaara.

" I knew that sooner or later, we would have to meet, and I'm glad it is sooner," Lee said with a smile. Gaara didn't respond, he kept that same deathly look.

" Is Gaara always this grumpy?" Aceso asked Kankuro.

" I wouldn't call it grumpy," Kankuro said as he looked at his little brother. " More like bloodthirsty."

" What?" Naruto asked as Aceso's eyes went wide.

" This match is not going to end well for Lee," Kankuro admitted. " I'm just glad I wasn't the one to go up against Gaara, he would have killed me for sure."

" That's frighting," Aceso gulped.

" I don't know what kind of moves that guy with the dumb haircut has got, but he'll never take Gaara down, not in the lifetime," Kankuro explained.

" Wrong," Naruto denied.

" What?" Kankuro asked.

" Lee's stronger than you think," Naruto explained. " You have no idea."

" You've seen him fight?" Aceso asked.

" You are going to be impressed. Believe it!" Naruto shouted as Lee closed his hand.

" Why are you in such a hurry?" Lee asked as he dropped a cork, Aceso glanced over to see the cork on Gaara's gourd was not there. The sand slowly started to come out of it.

' Good luck Lee' Aceso wished him in her mind.

" All right then," Hayate began. " If you are both ready-begin." Lee immediately charged toward Gaara.

" Hyah!" Lee yelled as he jumped up, one hand behind his back. " Leaf Hurricane!" He spun around and his kick got blocked up the sand. "Huh?" The sand rose up. " Aah!" he then jumped up, tucked in, and backflipped away from it. " Huh!" He landed on his feet and skidded back. He was very quick on his feet. The sand retracted back into the gourd.

" What is that?" Ino asked.

" It's sand," Sakura answered. Lee then took off running, one hand behind his back again, and the sand came out of the gourd. He then jumped up and kicked the sand blocking it, each punch or kick lee tried to land, but the sand blocked it. The sand came around towards him. Lee took out a kunai knife

" Hah!" Lee breathed as he sliced at it. He danced around it, slicing and kicking at the sand. The sand follows him everywhere he went, Gaara didn't even bother to see where Lee had gone. He jumped up and threw a shuriken at Gaara's head and the sand blocked it.

" Whoa!" Aceso and Naruto breathed.

" Even as fast as he is, Lee can't get anywhere close to him," Aceso noted.

" The sand!" Naruto breathed. " He's using it as a shield."

" He's not doing it," Kankuro denied.

" Huh?" Aceso asked as she quickly glanced at him and then back at the match.

" The sand is protecting him of its own accord," Kankuro explained.

" Huh?" Naruto asked as he looked at him.

" It's almost like a living thing," Kankuro added. " It'll come to Gaara's defense without him doing anything. That's why Gaara's never been injured. No one can get at him. No one's ever even been able to touch him."

"Well, is that all?" Gaara asked.

" Huh?" Lee asked.

" I hope you haven't finished entertaining me," Gaara wished. " We haven't had enough blood." He looked up a little and sand sped towards Lee.

" Huaah!" Lee yelled as he jumped up, but the sand grabbed his leg. " Aaaaaahhh!" It spun him around, before letting go and sending him flying into the wall. His back smacked against it, he slid down, but he looked up, the sand was pelting at him once more. He dodged it and sped towards Gaara. He went to go punch, but the sand blocked it.

" I don't get it!" Sakura exclaimed as Lee continued to try to land a hit. " He's only using taijutsu. Can't he see that's never going to work? Why doesn't he get some distance and use ninjutsu?"

" Yes, that might be a good idea," Gai agreed. " That is if he had any."

" Huh?" Sakura asked as she looked up at him.

" Lee has no ninjutsu or Genjutsu skills at all," Gai explained."

" Your kidding?" Sakura gasped.

" Oh, that's nothing," Gai brushed off. " You should have seen how hopeless he was when I first met him. No talent whatsoever."

" Really?" Sakura asked. " I can't believe it."

" Lee looks and sounds very talented," Aceso commented. The sand bolted at Lee, he jumped back, trying to dodge it, but the sand got right below his feet, he slipped on it and fell. The sand then over Lee, covering him.

" Mmm," Sakura cried.

" Oh!" Ino gasped.

" It's over," Shikamaru declared.

" He got out of it!" Aceso gasped as they saw Lee backflip away, high into the arm, before landing on the top of the giant hand sign statue. The two combatants stared at each other, trying to figure out the next move.

" A ninja who can do neither ninjutsu or Genjutsu is certainly a rarity," Gai said. " Lee has only his taijutsu to rely on. Some might consider that a disadvantage. But that's what makes him a winner."

" Huh?" Sakura gasped.

" All right, Lee!" Gai shouted as he held out a thumbs up. " Take 'em off."

" Uh, but Gai-sensei, you said that was only as a last resort when the lives of very important people were at stake," Lee recalled as he saluted him.

" That's right, I did!" Gai confirmed as he held his thumb out more. " But this is an exception."

" Really?" Lee asked in excitement. He sat on the finger and then took off his leg warmers, revealing ankle weights.

" Are those-" Ino began.

" How old-fashioned," Shikamaru said.

" Has he been wearing them this whole time?" Aceso asked.

" Totally cool!" Naruto exclaimed.

" Totally dumb," Kankuro disagreed.

" Ah, that is better," Lee said as he stood up, leg warmers back on, weights in both hands. " Now I will be able to move freely." He then dropped them. They made contact with the ground, and it exploded, and smoke flew up. Everyone gasped as their eyes went wide.

" All right, now go!" Gai encouraged.

" Yes, sir!" Lee agreed happily. He jumped up, his speed enhanced, Gaara even seemed surprised.

" Raahh!" Lee landed and threw a punch, it went right through the sand. He appeared on the other side, and kicked through the sand, Gaara didn't seem to know what was happening. Lee was so fast that Gaara couldn't keep up.

" Aaah!" Lee yelled as he punched through the sand, his fist going right past Gaara's head

" So close!" Sakura yelled.

" All because of some leg weights?" Kankuro asked with wide eyes.

" It's highly impressive," Aceso smiled.

" I could see that Lee had no aptitude for ninjutsu or Genjutsu," Gai began. " So he skipped that and focused all of his time and energy into developing his taijutsu. That was we turned his disadvantage into a blessing. Now he doesn't need those other things to win." Lee began to run around Gaara, creating some smoke. " Because he's transformed himself into the world's greatest taijutsu specialist."

" My eyes can't keep up with him," Aceso said as she started to go in circles herself. Lee then jumped up, spun around, and kicked Gaara in the head. Everyone gasped. There was a cut on Gaara's cheek and Lee skidded back with one hand behind his back.

" Hm," Lee smiled as he looked up.*

" Whoa, that's scary," Naruto admitted.

" And I thought he was quick on his feet before!" Aceso exclaimed.

" He's been that fast all this time?" Naruto asked.

" Yes, Lee!" Gai cheered. " Let the power of youth explode!"

" RRrrright!" Lee agreed as flames appeared in his eyes. He shot towards Gaara, stepped back, and threw sand in front of him. Lee skids to a squeak, and he quickly moved. " Over here." Gaara turned. " No here!" He turned just as Lee landed a punch, and Gaara went flying.

" Good!" Gai cheered.

" He's just too quick!" Sakura cheered.

" The sandstorm can't keep up with him," Aceso said. " Lee, you nailed him!"

" That's incredible," Shikamaru breathed.

" I've never seen anyone that fast!" Ino exclaimed.

" Makes me dizzy just trying to keep track of him!" Choji exclaimed. Gaara slowly stood up, grunting, the sand surrounded him.

" Uh-oh," Kankuro breathed in an unpleasant tone, he was now standing beside Aceso.

" Yeah, uh-oh is right," Naruto agreed in a happier tone. " Your friend with the eye makeup is getting the stuffing beaten out of him!"

" I don't think that is what he is talking about," Aceso shook her head. Pieces of Gaara were breaking off of him, like when the pieces fell off Crow. Each drop turned into sand.

" What?" Lee gasped as his eyes went wide. Gaara looked up, he was smiling, his whole face was covered in sand as if it had cracked. He was a weird wheezing sound coming from him.

" What the heck?" Aceso asked as she leaned over.

" What's going on with this guy?" Naruto asked. " His face is falling off!"

" It's like a shell made of sand," Kakashi said,

" Look, there's not a mark on the guy," Shikamaru pointed out.

" That is so weird," Sakura breathed.

" You should stand back," Kankuro advised as he pulled Aceso back over the railing.

" I don't get it," Naruto said. " Is he made of sand, or what?"

" All those blows and kicks hit him with," Aceso said. " Did any of them get through?"

" No," Kankuro said. " It's like he's wearing a suit of armor."

" A what?" Naruto asked.

" Ordinarily, those shifting clouds of sand are enough to shield him," Kankuro explained. " But in the even the shield in penetrated, Gaara can also win the sand like armor as a last line of defense."

" This guy's too much!" Naruto exclaimed. " He's got armor now?"

" Does he have any weak spots?" Aceso asked.

" Well, is that all?" Gaara asked.

" Hm!" Gai nodded with a smile.

" Hm," Lee smiled, he then started to unwrap the wraps around his arms. He only unwrapped them to a certain length,

" Get ready," Lee warned as he looked up from his arms. He then took off, running at full speed around Gaara.

" What are you waiting for?" Gaara asked.

" Ok, you asked for it," Lee gave in. He then appeared in the middle and kicked Gaara upward.

" He's not floating!" Sakura noticed.

" Try this!" Lee shouted, he used his hands to push himself up and lodged his foot into Gaar's body. He gave him multiple kicks going up, the sand was following, but it was way behind. Lee gave a kick, he then closed his eyes as if he was in pain, and Gaara looked back. " Aaah!" He threw his arms around, the wrappings went around Gaara's body. Lee grabbed Gaara when he was completely wrapped. " Now take this!" They started to go down, spinning. " Primary Lotus!" They smacked into the ground, pieces went flying everywhere. When the smoke cleared, Lee landed on the ground, while Gaara was lying on the broken cement. Lee was panting heavily. Gaara looked very cracked up.

" It is over," Lee confirmed. " I got him!" Gaara's eyes were very wide.

" Right on!" Guy cheered.

" Amazing!" Naruto breathed. " He really did it."

" No, I don't believe it," Kankuro breathed in denial.

" You did it!" Sakura cheered as she pumped a fist in the air.

" Way to go, Lee!" Aceso cheered.

" Is he--that guy isn't dead, is he?" Shikamaru asked. Hayate waved his hand to Aceso as he walked over to Gaara, Aceso jumped down and pulled out things to assist Gaara. She stopped beside Hayate, looked up to see pieces of Gaara falling in. His body was crumbling. It was sand.

" Huh?" Aceso asked as the middle caved in. His body then turned to sand, it was another shield.

" What?" Lee gasped, and his eyebrows began to shake.