"An empty shell!" I shouted out, my mouth wide open. "But how?" Guy shook his head in disbelief, "When did he do it?" Guy shouted, crossing his arms. Kakashi turned his head over to him. "It was when you closed your eyes to pray," Kakashi explained, "Huh?" Guy turned his head, his eyes wide open. "At that moment, Lee closed his eyes too, because of pain. That's when he did it." Kakashi turned his attention back to the fight. Guy gritted his teeth, looking back down as well.

"Hm?" Baki's eye widened, Gaara.....

Lee was out of breath, down on his knees, he couldn't feel his legs. Lee gasped as he heard sand, turning his head around. A low chuckle rumbled out of Gaara's chest, Lee's hand shook slightly. Sand floated around Gaara as he stared down at Lee, his head tilted slightly.

"No....." Temari breathed out, "It's......"
"So it's happened, just as I thought," Kankuro whispered over my shoulder, "That look in his eye. That can only mean one thing.....the demon inside of him has been awakened."

Gaara's hands clicked together, chakra coursing through his veins. The tips of his fingers inches away from his face, but his eyes were on Lee, not letting him out of his sight. Sand extended towards Lee like arms, moving up into the air, they fell down towards the ground, towards Lee. "Ah!" Lee shouted he put his arms in front of his face, blocking the first sand attack. But another blow was right behind, throwing Lee backward. 
Lee placed his palms on the ground, trying to balance on his knees, but his legs wouldn't give. He pushed himself up, a desperate attempt to stand, but he fell back to the ground. He looked down at his leg's, they were shaking violently. As he tried to move them, they popped, sending a wave of pain through them. Lee gritted his teeth, turning his body around, he looked back at Gaara.

Gaara stared back at him with a grin. Sand rose behind Gaara like a wall, breaking in front of him like a wave, it was heading towards Lee.
"Run! Lee!" I shouted out, but there was nothing Lee could do, the sand picked him up like rapid waters, throwing him against a back wall. Lee coughed as he felt his back crack, the sand retaliated back towards Gaara, leaving Lee leaned against the back wall, crumpled over himself. 

Lee rose his head, looking back up, Gaara didn't give him any time to try to get back up. He sent another arm of sand slashing Lee's way. Sand filled the air, covering the scene below. The wall shook, pieces of concrete flying around the arena.

"The kid is helpless......he doesn't have anything left." Kankuro said with a small sigh, "Gaara is just toying with him now."

Gaara his dry lips, staring at the could of sand, an outline of Lee's silhouette stood at the back of it. 

"I don't get it!" Sakura choked out, shaking her head. "What's Lee doing just standing there?" Sakura turned her head over to Guy, "With his speed, he should be easily able to get out of the way from those blasts. Why doesn't he dodge them?" Sakura asked, Guy closed his eyes. "For a very simple reason. He can't." Guy explained in a quiet tone, "Huh? Why is that?" Sakura continued on, inconsiderately. 
"The lotus is what you might call a double-edged sword." Kakashi began, giving Guy some peace. "Wha--what does that mean?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side. Kakashi gave a long sigh. "You know that it's a forbidden technique, why do you think that is?" Kakashi turned to her, his arms crossed. "Well....." Sakura looked down at her feet. "The lotus isn't ninjutsu or genjutsu, it's taijutsu requiring extreme physical effort. The strain it puts on the body is unimaginable. No one can sustain it for long." Kakashi closed his eye. "Right now Lee is in so much pain, he can hardly move at all. Isn't that right, Guy?" Kakashi looked over at him. "But! B-But that means!" Sakura gasped, looking back down at the arena.

The sand drew back, Lee was left with his back against the wall, crushed into it. He was down on his knee, his palms out as he tried to deflect incoming attacks, he was out of breath. Gaara rose another arm of sand, Lee's eyes watched as it came closer, he threw himself out of the way before it could hit him. The sand rammed into the back wall. Lee rolled out of the way, dragging his stiff legs along with him, he pushed with his palms, avoiding Gaara's quick attacks.
Lee landed back on his knees, facing Gaara, he was out of breath, his head down. 
"Heh." Gaara breathed out a low chuckle, Lee snapped his head back up, grimacing at the pain stinging his legs, it felt like they were on fire.
Gaara squinted his eyes down at him, the cracks on his face crunching. Gaara moved his head up, Lee flinched, gritting his teeth as he moved his arms in front of his face. Gaara slowly rose his hands into another hand sign, looking down at Lee with a small smile. 

"No ninjutsu or genjutsu....." Sakura said in disbelief, "All he's got is his taijutsu." Ino carried on, "And not much of that." "There's no way he can win this!" Choji shook his head, "Win? He'd be lucky to get out alive." Shikamaru said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

Lee......Guy looked down at him, out of breath, only able to open one eye. His arms shook as he tried to keep them up. Guy closed his eyes.

"Alright, you guys! Keep it moving! You want to run two hundred more laps?" 
"Heh! Dummy. Why bother? You'll never be a ninja!" A kid in front of Lee laughed, they continued to run in a crowd. The kids around him started to laugh as well. "Will to!" Lee shouted back, "There's no way a kid who can't even do ninjutsu can ever be a ninja!" A kid to his side continued to laugh, "Yes I can!" Lee shot back, trying to ignore them. "Whatever. I don't get why you're even at this ninja academy when you can't do some of the most basic stuff! You can't do ninjutsu, genjutsu, and you're even worse than average at taijutsu! It's idiotic!" The kid in front of him carried on, the boy to his side elbowed Lee in the shoulder. "Hey, you know what everyone in class is calling you? Don't you?" He chuckled, Lee slapped his hands over his ears, closing his eyes. "Dork Lee! Dork Lee!" The kids chanted, Lee shook his head, shouting as he ran away from the crowd, his hands over his ears. 
"Hey! Lee! Where are you going?! Get back in line!" The teacher shouted out after him, but Lee was already gone. 
"Heh. So that's the no talent overachiever I've heard so much about." Guy chuckled, watching Lee run away from the field. Kakashi leaned against the windowsill, his arms crossed. "Yeah. He kind of reminds me of someone." Kakashi looked over at Guy, "Hm?" Guy put his hands on his hips. Kakashi gave a small shrug, "Especially in.....the eyebrow area." Guy chuckled to himself.
Rock Lee. The dork with nothing going for him except a little lousy taijutsu. 

"AHHH!" Lee screamed out as he got slashed against the chest with another sand attack, Gaara stared down at him, a bored look returning to his eye.

But you kept at it, didn't you? You kept practicing your little 'lousy taijutsu'.
"Three hundred ninety-four......three hundred ninety-five.......three hundred ninety-six......three hundred ninety seven......three hundred ninety-eight.......three hundred ninety-nine.....
Four hundred!" Lee gasped out, sweat beading down his forehead, he continued to kick at the log. "If I can not do five hundred kicks then it is two thousand squats!" Lee shouted to himself, his fists clenched as he continued to kick. "Four hundred and four.......four hundred and five......four hundred and six....." Guy walked through the path, watching Lee quietly. "Four hundred and seven......four hundred and eight....four hundred and nine......four hundred and ten!" 
"Hm....." Guy said quietly, "Someone else is here....." 
"Four hundred and eleven......four hundred and twelve....."
I'll come back later.....Guy thought, leaning against a tree as he watched Lee continue to count his kicks. Guy turned away, walking back down the trail.
"If I can not do a thousand squats, then it is a thousand punches!" He told himself, his arms behind his head as he continued to bend his knees. They burned as he continued to push on them. 
"Seven hundred ninety-five......seven ninety-six......seven ninety-seven.........seven ninety-nine!"
It turned night quickly, the stars were shimmering in the sky. Sweat was beading down Lee's head as he continued to punch the log in front of him, his knuckles were turning bloody. 
He's still at it! Guy's eyes widened as he watched Lee from a bush. "If I can not do two thousand punches, then I have to do two thousand jumps!" 

You focused everything on your taijutsu. Training relentlessly until....

"As of today, you are all genin. So now, tell me. Why you've done it. What are your goals? Hm?" Guy asked them, Lee, Tenten, and Neji all sat down in front of him.
"Oh! Me, me! Sensei! Me first!" Tenten shouted out, shooting her arm up into the air. "Yes, Tenten?" He turned to her, his hands on his hips. "I want to be a great and powerful ninja! To walk in the footsteps of the legendary Kunoichi Tsunade!" Tenten called out, Lee looked over at her, Neji paid no attention. "I see." Guy nodded,  "And you? Neji." Guy called out to him, Neji kept his head down. "I'd rather not say." He answered back, turning his head away. Lee turned over to Guy, shooting his hand up into the air. "How about me, sensei?" He asked. 
"I want to show that I can be as great a ninja as well! Even if I do not have ninjutsu or genjutsu! I want to prove it to the whole world!" Lee's eyes glittered with determination, Guy smiled down at Lee. 
There's that look in his eye. "Hmph." Neji scoffed, Lee shot up out of his seat, pointing down at Neji. "What?! What do you think is so funny?" Lee's voice cracked. "I mean it! I'll be a great ninja by just using taijutsu and nothing else!"

Lee moved his aching legs forward, unsteadily balancing on them as he pushed himself, each set he took felt like he was walking on burning coles. Gaara sand sped after him, he continued to run from it.
"It's painful to watch, why doesn't he just give up?" Temari crossed her arms.
"He should quit while he can." Kankuro grabbed onto the railing, "It was just bad luck that he got Gaara as an opponent." Kankuro shook his head. "Come on, Lee," I whispered next to him, Kankuro looked down at me.

Neji's arms were crossed as he looked down at the fight, a frown on his face. Lee......he thought silently, closing his eyes as he thought back.

Lee jumped down from the tree branch, landing unsteadily on the grass, he turned around on his heel, about to run the other way, Neji stopped him dead in his tracks. Neji jumped up at Lee, his palm extended, Lee quickly ducked his head. He kept his eyes on Neji's hands, clumsily dodging his attacks. Lee stumbled over an open tree root, starting to fall back, Neji sent his palm straight into Lee's chest. 
"Gah!" Lee shouted as he felt his back hit the tree. He tried to move sideways, but Neji didn't give him the chance. Neji sent a kick straight up to his head, Lee tried to dodge the kick, but it only made it land in his shoulder. Neji's palms went straight into Lee's stomach, one after another, pushing him back, Neji sent another attack towards his face. 
Lee could keep his balance, starting to fall back, Neji gave him one last kick to the chest, sending him flying back into the grass. Tenten shook her head, watching their little fight. 
Lee's shoulders shook as he leaned his hands on the grass, "N-Not....yet...." He gasped out, struggling to climb back up to his feet, "Not.....yet!" 
"Lee!" Tenten shouted out, shaking her head with a long sigh. She put her hands on her hips. "This is stupid. Why do you keep on doing it to yourself? Come on." Lee climbed to his knees. "You're never going to win against Neji because he's......well, he's a genius!" Tenten exclaimed, Lee turned his head back to Neji. "A genius, huh? What does that mean, 'genius'. So, I was not born with a whole lot of natural talent, not gifted like Neji. But I work hard! And I never give up! That is my gift, that is my ninja way!" Lee shouted back, Neji shook his head. "It doesn't change a thing." Neji answered back, "Huh?" Lee looked up at him. "The sad fact is you'll never beat me. No matter how hard you work, no matter how many times you try." Neji crossed his arms. 
"That is not true and you know it!" Lee shouted back at him, "It is not true." Lee said, turning his head away from Neji. 

Guy opened his eyes back up. True or not, you didn't listen to them. You never gave up.

Lee sat on the ground, his head down. Gaara flicked his arm to the side, a wall of sand crashed down on Lee. Lee moved his hands over his face in a futile effort to stop it, the sand threw him back once again. Lee slid against the ground, landing on his side. Lee struggled to get back up on his feet. 
Gaara's breathing changed, his breath uneven, shaky. His wheezed as sand gathered back to his body, filling in the cracks that lined against his face. But the thing that didn't change was his smile. His unnerving smile. 

Lee's legs burned as he stood back up, only looking at Gaara with one eye, his arms in front of his face, his last defense. Sand circled around Gaara's feet, he chuckled as he watched Lee take his weak stance. 
"What good will that do?" Gaara called out, his grin widening.

"I pity the kid." Kankuro said next to me, "Gaara will just toil with him until he begs for mercy."  Kankuro scoffed. "Well then, your friend Gaara's in for a long match." Guy's voice was strong, it echoed around the stands, Kankuro shot him an odd glance. "Lee doesn't know how to give up."

Sand rose in front of Gaara, it moved like a hand, claws bearing down at Lee. It pushed him down, flinging Lee across the arena, he landed on his chest. The sand moved back, whisking through the air like a whip, slashing down on Lee's back. Lee cried out in pain, his shout echoing around the room. It was horrible.

Guy furrowed his brow. Lee will struggle on long after the point where anyone else would've quit. 

"If I can not do a thousand jumps without mistake," Lee said through heavy pants, "Then it is one thousand kicks!" Lee continued to jump. "Nine hundred ninety-five.....nine hundred ninety-six......nine hundred ninety-seven-----ah!" Lee shouted, Guy gasped as he watched Lee trip over himself, falling face first. As he fell his head hit the training log with a loud thud, Lee shook like a fallen leaf on the ground. 
Lee sniffled. Tears ran down his face as he put his hands out on the ground, he struggled to get back up, falling down to the ground again. The tears dripped down his face, onto the ground. "Lee!" Guy called out behind him, Lee's eyes opened wide. "Ha, taking a break already?" Guy called out, Lee stayed silent, climbing to his feet on shaky legs. He sniffled, wiping his tears away onto his arm. "What is it, Guy-sensei?" Lee called out with a sigh, he pivoted his heel. He rose his other leg, starting with a new kick.
"If it is about my messing up on the last assignment," Lee paused, continuing to kick the log. "I said I was sorry."
"Lee. It is true that you are different from Neji and the others, you have no gift for ninjutsu or genjutsu, and you taijutsu needs work." Guy smiled, "But then again, you have a gift that Neji doesn't have. Not as flashy, but perhaps even more important." Lee continued on, kicking the log harder. "You do not have to make me feel better," Lee called back, Guy shook his head. "You idiot. You think I'd waste my time with that?" Lee stopped, leaning his head against the log. "No, all I'm saying is that you have the gift of perseverance. And that's what makes you a genius too." Lee bent his head down, holding on tightly to the sides of the log. 
"But.....is that true, sensei? I wonder." Lee answered back, Guy's brow raised. "I used to think so. I used to believe that if I just trained harder then Neji, two or three times harder, that I would make myself strong enough......" Lee's hold tightened against the log, "But now.......I am not so sure. I do not know if I will ever be able to work hard enough to beat real talent." Lee closed his eyes, his shoulders strained as he tried to hold back tears. "That is why I am always taking on Neji. I keep thinking all of my efforts will pay off......but it is always the same." Lee bit his bottom lips, tears slid down the side of his face. 
"I am no match for him at all!" Lee shouted back at Guy, he crumpled over himself, "Every time we have a mission, my legs begin shaking! I do not know if I can take it! Sometimes it seems as if the whole thing......the whole thing is pointless.....like I'm a loser and I will always be a loser!"
Guy closed his eyes, his arms crossed as he listened to Lee cry. "I-I do not know what to do......" 
"You're right, all the effort is pointless, if you don't believe in yourself." Lee turned his head up, looking back at Guy. He walked over to him.
Night soon came, the moon was high in the sky, stars shimmering down on them. Lee and Guy sat alone in the grass. 
"Y'know, Lee, you and I are a lot alike," Guy said, looking over at him. "You mean the eyebrows?" Lee asked, "Eh.....no.....I don't mean our eyebrows!" Guy shook his head, "Why does everyone keep bringing that up?" Guy whispered to himself, Lee turned his head over to him. "Huh, sensei?" Lee tilted his head, "Uh......you see. I was a loser too once." Guy said with a nod, Lee's eyes widened, "What? You were a loser?" Lee gasped, "Oh, yes indeed. But I made myself the equal of any ninja, even Kakashi." Guy flashed Lee a grin, "And even I did it through effort. You say you want to show the world that you can be a great ninja, even if you don't have all the gifts that others have. That's your ninja way, right? Well, I think that's a fine goal! As fine a goal as I've ever heard, and one worth sticking too!" Lee sniffled, tears blurring his vision, he scrunched his shoulders close to him. "Don't let anyone steer you off the path you've drawn for yourself," Guy rose a tight fist, "Forge your way to the end." Guy looked up at the night sky, "Stick to it, Lee! Make me proud! Be everything you can be!" Guy looked back over at him, putting his hand on the top of Lee's head.
"Will you do that for me, Lee?" Guy asked, looking down at him with a smile. "Yes, sir!" Lee answered back, wiping his tears onto his arms. 

Lee regained his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked up at Guy. Guy gave him a nod, a genuine smile on his face. Guy-sensei.......Lee thought with a sniffle, thank you.

Sand slithered around on the floor, moving up in a circle around Gaara like a tornado, it was preparing for another attack. 
"He can't go on!" Sakura shouted out, "Make him quit before he gets himself killed!" She whined, putting her hands over her eyed. 
"I know you can do this Lee," I whispered, nodding my head. "Give it your all!" I shouted out, punching a fist up into the air.

Lee regained his stance, the back of his hand pointing towards Gaara. The sand lept towards him once again, Lee dodged it with ease, the sand crashed back down into the floor. In a flash of Green, he turned towards Gaara. "Hm?" Gaara squinted his eyes at him.

"What?" Kankuro breathed out, "He's still able to....." Neji's eyes widened, "Move!" I gasped, my grasp around the railing tightening.

I will make you proud. Lee thought with a strong smile, staring Gaara down. I will forge ahead and follow my path till the end, and become the ninja I know I can be!

"Lee's smiling!" Sakura gasped, watching as Lee dodged Gaara's incoming attack. "He's running for his life, but he's still smiling!" Sakura's eyes widened, "Yes. But now it's Gaara's turn to run." Guy answered back, his hands on his hips. "Huh?" Sakura tilted her head, "The leaf village lotus always blooms twice." Guy said, turning down to her. "I've heard that somewhere before. Wait---!" Sakura gasped. "Back in the Forest of Death, Lee told (Y/N) that!" Sakura nodded, looking over at me. All my attention was on the battle, Kankuro and Naruto stood close by my side. "But...." Kakashi's eye widened, "No. Guy, you didn't." Kakashi's tone turned harsh, he took a step closer to him. Guy closed his eye.
"Yes, Kakashi, I did." 
Kakashi squinted his eye down at Guy, "So, that genin.....that boy is able to open the eight inner gates and use the hidden lotus?" Kakashi crossed his arms. 
Neji squinted his eyes, hidden lotus? "That's correct." Guy confirmed, "Well, if that isn't the most!" Kakashi seethed, turning his head away from Guy, his fists clenched. "Okay. So, then, how many of the inner gates is he able to open now?" Kakashi asked, his tone serious. Guy looked down at his feet. "Five gates."
"Okay, what exactly are these 'eight inner gates' you two are talking about? And the hidden lotus?" Sakura asked, looking back and forth between them. 
"The eight gates are like valves or chakra limiters that must be opened if one is to release the hidden lotus." Guy explained, his eyes closed. "I'm still not following." Sakura shook her head, Kakashi turned to Lee. He dug his finger's under his headband, pulling it back to reveal his Sharingan eye.
"There are gates along the chakra network, located at points in the body where chakra is the most heavily concentrated. Starting at the head, there is the Gate of Opening, the Gate of Rest, the Gate of Life, the Gate of Pain, the Gate of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and then the Gate of Death." Kakashi explained with a grim look, "These are the eight inner gates. Their purpose is to limit the flow of chakra through the body, but the lotus exerts tremendous pressure on these limiters, eventually forcing these gates open. This releases the restraints of chakra, the result being that the person's strength being increased ten times fold. Or more." Kakashi shook his head as he looked down at Lee. 
"The primary lotus opens only the first gate, the Gate of Opening, releasing the brains restraints on the muscles, freeing your person to bring forth it's bodies strength to its full extent. You've seen the results." Guy continued on with Kakashi's explanation, "And, uh, the hidden lotus?" Sakura continued on with her line of questions.
"At the second gate, the Gate of Rest, one's strength is increased further. And at the third gate, the Gate of Life, one enters the hidden lotus." Guy said with a nod, "Wait a minute, just the primary lotus almost destroyed him, he could barely move! What's going to happen to him if he takes it further?" Sakura asked, shaking her head. 
"Exactly." Kakashi sighed, "Huh?" Sakura turned her head around to him. "By opening all the eight gates, you could obtain power beyond even the Hokage's, the only drawback is.........
You die."

Sakura gasped, Kakashi snapped his head back to Guy. "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, you know nothing about him, nothing at all!" Guy shot back, "Besides, it yourself is a bit hypocritical to say." "What?" Kakashi seethed, Guy shook his head, pointing down at Lee.
"That boy has something important to prove, and he's determined to prove it. Even at the cost of his life." Guy paused, looking back down at Lee. "And I am determined to help him reach his goal. Not for his sake, but because that goal is worth reaching."

"Alright Lee, I'm going to be teaching you a new technique. So, pay attention, now." Guy called out, Lee's eyes widened. He jumped up into the air, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Lee's cheering muffled together as he danced around excitedly, "Okay, okay, enough of that." Guy called out, watching Lee buzz around, Lee continued to jump and cheer. "A new technique! A new technique! A technique!" "Gnnnn!" Guy seethed, "Lee! I said pay attention!" Guy shouted, punching Lee in the side of the face. 
Lee rolled back on the grass, sitting straight up. "Right! Pay attention! Yes, sir!" Lee shouted back, quieting down. Guy put his hands on his hips. "Let me first just say one thing, this technique is even more forbidden than the primary lotus. It is not without danger, but it will be your trump card." Guy explained, Lee looked up at him with big eyes. "Ah.....it wha....." Lee could barely speak.

"But, listen." Guy paused, pointing one finger up. "You can only use this technique under one condition, one very strict condition. And that is-----

Lee rose his arms in front of him, closing his eyes. And the one condition is.....

Chakra filled the air around him, the wind started to turn, flowing upwards around Lee. It picked up his hair, power flowed through his veins. Gaara rose to fingers in front of his face. "I don't know what you think you're planing now, but this match is over for you," Gaara said to Lee, looking him in the eye. "You are right," Lee called back.
"This match is over. One way or another!"
"Neji.......Sasuke.....and.....Naruto." He whispered. 

"I am not going to be the only one to lose here!" Lee shouted out, Guy-sensei, please let this work! It is now or never!

Lee's immense power filled the room, pieces of rubble flew up around him. Lee's veins started to pop out, his skin changing into a dark red. His chakra zipped around him, it was heavy in the air. Lee shot his arms away from his face, back down to his sides, the condition is...

"To protect and maintain one's own ninja way!"

To be continued..................