Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"LEE!"

Neji reached his arm out, not knowing exactly why he did. The image before him was horrid. Blood spilled from the large wound in Lee's torso on both sides. His mouth wide open with blood pouring out like a river. Neji fell to his knees in pure shock. Bending over, he allowed himself to empty the contents of his stomach. It was gross. It was frightening. It was Lee.. dying.

"NO! LEE!" Naruto screamed, tears slowly beginning to slip down his cheeks.

Tsunade on the other hand, ran to Lee just as Gaara pulled Shukaku's arm out. It then turned back to its original form, human. Gaara's pupils seemed to dance with the succession of finally owning Lee. He opened his arms, waiting for the dying boy to fall into his grasp. Neji interfered.

"You.. You BASTARD!" Neji cursed, directing all of his chakra into the palm of his hand. He pounded Gaara on the left side of his chest, practically obliterating the chakra lines that were intertwined with his heart. He killed the Kazekage.

Neji caught Lee, but reluctantly handed him over to Tsunade. She lied him down and placed her hands above Lee's gaping wound. Green chakra emitted from the palms of both her hands. She bit her lip, releasing an incredible amount of chakra. Neji watched as Lee's round eyes closed, slipping into unconsciousness.

"DAMN IT!" Tsunade cursed. "Open your eyes!"

Lee didn't move, nor did he show any sign of opening his eyes. He just simply lied there as though he were.. dead. He didn't react to anything that was being done to him. Neji pinched Lee's arm; he didn't even cringe.

"Live damn it, LIVE!" Tsunade screamed, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

Neji blinked back tears. This was not supposed to happen. They were supposed to defeat Gaara so that they could have their happily ever after. Well, Neji didn t like putting it that way; it sounded too cheesy. Naruto stood, dumbstruck until he heard a deep groan of discomfort. He looked at Gai, whose face was in a grimace. Naruto nearly grinned. Gai-sensei is still alive!

"Grandma, Gai needs help. I'm going to take him to the hospital." Naruto carefully picked up the larger man and took off as fast as he could toward Konoha's hospital, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain in both his neck and arm.

Tsunade panted, smiling a little when the bleeding began to slow. "Okay Neji, he's not bleeding profusely anymore. Let's get him to the hospital."

Neji nodded, watching Tsunade pick up the dying boy. She nodded in return and they both took off toward the hospital.

Tsunade abruptly stopped.

"What is it?" Neji asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Bring Gaara with you."

Neji grew enraged. "What?! You have got to be joking! There is no way we are going to help him!"

"DO IT NOW! I will not risk Suna declaring war on Konoha," Tsunade explained.

"But-"

Tsuande faced him. "This is an order."

"Fine," Neji muttered. He angrily walked to the fallen Kazekage and slung him over his shoulder. "Let's go."

A mug of hot tea hit the wooden floor, shattering into several pieces.

"Temari, are you okay?!" Kankuro asked, quickly standing.

Temari sat with a frightened expression, her mouth slightly open and eyes wide. "I- I have a bad feeling."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "Bad feeling? What do you mean?"

She slowly turned her head to look at her younger brother. "Something's happened," she gulped, "to Gaara."

"WHAT?! How can you be sure?" Kankuro all but screamed in disbelief.

"I'm his older sister, I know in my heart that he's.. that he's hurt." Temari's bottom lip trembled.

"Temari, he's the Kazekage. I'm sure that he's just fine," Kankuro said as he kneeled to pick up the shattered porcelain.

Temari all but punched Kankuro square in the face. "He is NOT just fine! We have to leave! You and I both know what trouble he had caused in Konoha. I.. I just don t know what Konoha has done with him."

"What do we do?" Kankura asked, scooping the last of the pieces.

She half faced him. "We go to Konoha."

"SHIZUNE!" Tsunade screamed, bursting through the hospital doors.

"Yes?!" Shizune answered, running from the ICU in the left hospital wing.

"Take Lee, I have to revive Gaara," Tsunade pushed the boy into Shizune's hands.

She grabbed Gaara and ran to the nearest empty room. Plopping the young Kazekage on the soft bed, she stripped him of his clothing. Performing precise hand signs, green chakra emanated from both hands and she placed them on his bare chest. She had to connect his severed chakra lines. It was surgery from the outside.

"Dammit, Neji!"

Shizune hastily took Lee to the operating room after quickly gathering a bunch of skilled surgeons. Once there, they hooked him up to a breathing machine since he was no longer capable of doing it himself.

"Come on! Put him under! We don t have much time!" Shizune yelled.

"Yes ma'am!"

Miraculously, Gaara had missed his spine by mere millimeters, but he had managed to break several ribs, rip off the lower portion of his right lung, and destroy nearly half his stomach. The acid spilled onto various organs needed for survival.

Shizune bit her lip. 'It's like operating on a dead person,' she thought.

One surgeon approached her. "Ma'am, there's really not much we can do. He's dying and there are too many things wrong internally. It's going to take too long and we won't be able to keep him alive much longer."

"I DON T CARE!" Tsuande screamed, banging the door open. "If you feel that way, then get the hell out. I am not going to let everyone's hope die."

"Lady Tsuande," Shizune smiled.

"How's Gai?" Tsuande asked, as she and a few other surgeons began closing what was left of his stomach while a nurse suctioned as much of the acid possible.

Shizune's eyes were downcast. "He's not doing too well. I was working on him when you called for me."

"Go. We can take care of Lee from here. Go tend to Gai and make sure he lives."

"Wait, what's that?" Temari stopped, walking over to note half buried in sand.

"What's what?" Kankuro asked curiously, walking up behind his older sister.

Lord Kazekage of Sunagakure,

It has come to my attention that you had lingered around Konoha(gakure) after our meeting a week ago. I don't know why you had decided to stay, but when you did, Rock Lee had acted strangely.. more than usual. When you left, he became oddly depressed. He doesn't train and he stays home. I'm not even sure if he's eating right! I am almost positive that it has something to do with you and I'd really appreciate it if you would like to take the time and come back to Konoha to find out what is bothering him. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Hokage of Konohagakure (Tsunade)

"What the-?" She kicked some dirt, revealing a very dead messenger. Looking at the forehead protector, she realized he was from Konoha. She reread the note.

"Kankuro," Temari turned, still looking at the note, "tell me this doesn't sound like a trap."

Kankuro snatched the note from her shaking hands. He eyed her before reading. "Well, this sounds like a trap, err, I mean it doesn't sound like a trap?"

Temari only glared. "I'm sure that this was to make it to Suna but Gaara was already heading toward Konoha. And so he, well, killed the messenger."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow and looked behind her. He grimaced. "Now that s just sick. I thought Gaara was over his fetish of killing people unnecessarily."

"No, it's not that. He's just killing those who are in his way."

"Ugh, but look at the poor guy! I can't tell if that's his leg or his arm! And what the- is that his ear?!" Kankuro pointed to a tan, oval shaped thing resting on the sand by his feet.

Temari didn't even want to look. The poor guy was disfigured and she was disgusted enough. "Nevermind that, we need to get going."

Kankuro followed his sister, watching the ground. "Ah! Temari! A toe!"

"We're losing him!" One of the surgeons warned.

They successfully repaired his stomach and lung, now their attention was on his pancreas and kidneys and other organs. Most of the stomach acid had been removed through suction, but the damage that had been done was irreversible.

"Well, don't lose him! Do your job!" Tsunade snapped.

Gai wasn't making much progress either; Shizune struggled to mend and repair his broken bones and keep him breathing. His lungs were steadily being restored but the breathing machine was doing all the work. Once every few minutes he'd groan, showing that he was still alive.

"Where is he?!"

"He's in the ICU. Shizune is taking care of him," the woman at the front desk answered.

"I have to see him!"

"I'm sorry, no visitors until he's stable."

Neji, hearing the desperate demands, swiftly walked from the waiting room to the front desk where he found Tenten. She fell to the floor in a heap, holding back tears. He came up next to her, grabbing her forearm. Lifting her eyes, she jumped up and embraced him.

"I'm going to lose him!" Tenten sobbed violently into his chest.

Neji said nothing, not wanting to make her feel worse or give her false hope. He led her to the waiting room and sat her down in a comfortable chair. He kneeled in front of her, pulling her hands from her eyes. She stared at him, annoyed, until she saw his eyes. His eyes held pain and worry, though he'd never admit it aloud.

Tenten bit her lip, trying to control her cries and breathing, but it was hard. She didn t understand how Neji could keep his composure. Then again, he was Neji and Neji never showed emotion. Sighing, she curled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. Neji sat across from her in a chair.

"S-so, have you heard anything?" Tenten asked, still trying to ease her breathing.

"Gaara is fine," he stated coldly.

Tenten gained interest, "Why, did something happen to him?"

"I severed the chakra lines around his heart."

"Ouch," she winced, knowing that must have hurt. She placed her hand over her heart and realized hers was hurting. She fell silent and a single tear slid down her red cheek. She knew she must look like a wreck, her hair frayed and her eyes red and puffy.

"How'd you know they were in the hospital?" Neji inquired.

She sighed deeply. "I heard some people yelling and Naruto dropped by, telling me that- that," her voice cracked and she held back a sob. "He told me that Gai was here and in critical condition."

"How are you guys holdin up?"

Tenten and Neji turned their attention to the entrance of the waiting room. There stood Naruto, leaning against the frame. He walked in and took a seat next to Tenten, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"How are you?" Neji asked, eyeing his injuries.

"Oh, well, they fixed my arm. It's not bending the wrong way anymore," Naruto explained.

"I can see that."

Naruto continued. "It hurt soooo bad when they had to bend it back! And I had broken a vertebrae but that's also been taken care of. And my forehead's fine. It wasn't life-threatening."

"That's good to hear," Neji said, remembering that the other two have life-threatening injuries.

"I'm impressed Neji. You didn t freeze up or anything when the Shukaku was released. You instantly realized that it was dangerous and acted on that," Naruto said truthfully.

"Hn."

Tenten sat quietly, her head leaning on Naruto s shoulder. She had known her sensei for five years and they were dating for two of those years. She couldn't lose him, not now or Lee, her closest friend on the team. He always kept her happy and never gave her a dull moment. When first coming onto the team, she immediately knew it was going to be interesting but never predicted that their lives would become so intertwined.

She sighed. She had to be strong.

Temari furrowed her brow. "Well, that's strange."

"What is it now?" Kankuro asked. "Did Konoha disappear?" He looked up. "Nope, it s still there."

"Shut up, you idiot! Gaara's fine," Temari told him as she passed through the front gates.

Kankuro slapped his forehead. "You're joking. We came all this way for nothing? I told you he was fine!"

"He wasn't fine before. I know he was hurt badly, but I think he was healed." She nodded, agreeing with herself.

"I don't know how you can tell these things. Are you an alien?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Temari glared. "You are so annoying, you know that? Anyway, we need to get to the hospital and find out what the hell has been going on!" She instantly took off toward the opposite end of the village.

Kankuro stared, shaking his head before following her. "Women," he sighed.

Flat line.

A strong, steady ringing reverberated off the walls of the room.

"No no no no NO!" Shizune screamed, running to Gai's bedside. She placed her hands over his heart, trying to get it to beat again.

Flat line.

"Please, no!"

She checked the breathing machine. It was plugged in to the wall. She checked everything else hooked up to him, everything was okay. So, why did he decline?! Shizune pressed up and down on his chest with her hands, and at the same time releasing healing chakra into him.

Flat line.

"Come on, Gai-sensei! COME BACK!" Shizune screamed.

"What the hell's going on in here?!" Tsunade suddenly ran into the room. She didn't give Shizune the chance to answer. She had recognized the ringing. Immediately, Tsunade jumped onto him, straddling his waist as she landed. She all but pounded at his chest, releasing her powerful chakra and trying to get his heart and lungs to function.

"How long ago did we lose him?" She yelled, though not intending to.

Shizune caught her breath. She thought she was going to hyperventilate. "About three or four minutes ago."

"Dammit! If he doesn't come to in another four or five minutes, we're going to lose him for good!"

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Shizune started choking. She thought that her heart was going to stop. Never had she been so scared in her entire life. Tsunade stayed in her position, dumbstruck. She had been also been scared, and she had never felt such relief in her entire life. The repeating beeps of the heart monitor was like music to their ears.

"So, how is Lee?" Shizune was almost afraid to ask.

"The other surgeons have closed him. We've done all we can do for him right now. We'll further examine him.. when he wakes up," Tsunade explained.

"Tsunade?" Shizune didn't like the way she said, 'When he wakes up.'

"Nevermind. Let's go talk to Neji and Naruto."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Are they okay?! What happened? They are alive, right?! Please tell me they're alive!" Tenten exclaimed the moment Tsunade and Shizune walked into the waiting room.

"Yes, they are both alive. Lee is currently residing in the ICU, as well as Gai. Lee has gotten out of surgery not fifteen minutes ago. We just had an episode with Gai. He was flat-lining, but we finally brought him back to us," Tsunade said solemnly.

Tenten's eyes began to tear up again. "They will both pull through, right? They'll be all right?"

Tsunade looked away and bit her lip. "Right now, to be honest, I don't know. The only thing we can do is wait until they're conscious."

That was obviously not what she wanted to hear. She was on the verge of crying again. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she bit at her lip. Neji's face was grim. How could he hope for their survival if the best doctors in Konoha didn't know whether or not they were going to make it? Naruto held Tenten and gave Tsunade a nod.

"We understand."

"But," she continued.

"No! No buts! Please," Tenten begged, her eyes tightly shut.

Tsunade gazed at the distressed girl sympathetically. "It is likely they won't wake up."

That was it. Tenten lost it. She lifted her head to the ceiling, pulling on her hair and screaming from the top of her air-filled lungs. Neji backed up, from both surprise and from the volume. The scream lasted for at least a minute. It was a piercing cry of intense sorrow and frustration. Naruto was used to such a loud volume, he had to listen to himself everyday after all. Anyway, he held Tenten close, squeezing her as she released.

She gasped for air when she finished and fell back into the chair. No one spoke. The four of them just stood, with the exception of Tenten, in awkward silence. No one even looked at each other. Tsunade walked away, Shizune followed her a few moments later.

"Is Tsunade here?" Temari asked the woman at the front desk.

The woman nodded, but had a pained expression. "Yes, she is. Oh! There she is now," she said, pointing behind the blonde sand ninja.

"I was just about to send for you two," Tsunade said. "Follow me."

She led Temari and Kankuro down a hall to a room housing none other than the Kazekage. He was lying there, obviously not sleeping, but still resting. He was very much alive.

Tsunade sighed, "Neji had temporarily killed Gaara, but I managed to bring him back. He attempted to possess Lee but since he wasn't able to with him alive, he decided he'd kill him. In the process Gai was crushed by Shukaku and Lee.. Lee is worse. Gai has a better chance of surviving than Lee, though both chances are slim. Naruto was also hurt, but nothing serious."

"Are you serious?!" Kankuro exclaimed. He looked at Gaara with disappointment, shaking his head.

Temari choked, "Oh my God.. What do we do now? The people of this village will be outraged."

Kankuro pulled a chair up to Gaara's bedside and sat in it. He sighed. "Gaara," he called, "I thought you wanted to change. I thought Naruto taught you the importance of people. I thought you didn t want to be feared anymore. I thought-"

Gaara grabbed Kankuro's wrist, so tightly that his hand was shaking. He turned and looked at his older brother. His eyes were unreadable, but his actions spoke for him. He released Kankuro and brought both hands to his hair and pulled. Everyone in the room could tell he was confused and in complete mental agony.

"Will there be war?" the suffering Kazekage asked.

Tsunade closed her eyes. "The villagers of the Leaf will certainly be infuriated with you, as well as those of the Sand. However, I don't intend to declare war."

Temari gasped, almost in relief. "Thank you so much Lady Tsunade." She bowed.

"You two may stay here with him while he recovers," Tsunade said as she headed for the door.

"Thank you," said Kankuro, not looking at her.

"I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hm?" Tsunade turned to look at one of the surgeons that had participated in Lee's operation. She let go of the doorknob to Gaara's room.

"Lee.. isnt well," he told her, "He's declining.. fast."

Tsunade turned away from him and sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true," she said under her breath.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

'I guess I'm going to have to let the kids say their goodbyes,' she thought.

She turned to the surgeon. "No, I ll be right there. I have to take care of something first."

"What is it Tsunade?" Naruto asked, standing from his chair.

She had entered the waiting room and pulled a chair up so that she could face everyone. Everyone was tense. She had yet to speak a word. However, the grim look about her face gave everything away to Neji. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, and his nails dug into the palms of his hand. He was silent.

"I strongly believe," Tsunade started.

Everyone else in the room stopped breathing.

"that Lee is not going to make it."

The quick, heavy breaths of Tenten were the only noise in the room. She clasped a hand over her mouth, struggling to keep from crying out. Neji closed his eyes. He knew, but it sounded worse aloud. Naruto shook his head in disbelief.

"NO! There has to be something you can do!" Naruto shouted at her.

Tsunade looked at him pitifully. "Even if I was able to save him, do you really think that would be in his best interest?"

The three of them looked at her a little strangely. What did she mean by that?

"I-I don't understand," Naruto sounded desperate.

"He would not be able to resume his life as a shinobi. I know you've heard that before but, this time it would be for good. Permanently. Living without the only purpose he had, would probably kill him. Slowly over the time it would eat at him until finally-"

"Enough."

Tsunade glanced over to see Neji turned away from her, his fists now shaking. He knew she was right. The support of everyone else would only make him feel worse, considering they'd still be able to be ninja. They wouldn't understand how it felt. "I'll take you to him, to Lee, so that you may say your goodbyes and make peace with him."

By this time Tenten was crying again. How do you say goodbye to someone you're not ready to let go of? Naruto sat dumbstruck. His face was blank, his eyes wide, and his mouth open. It couldn't be over just like that.. could it?

Gaara gazed at the broken, dying boy before him. Mixed feelings swirled about inside him. He was disappointed that he was unable to control himself, he was scared that people were going to hate him, but most importantly, he felt regret.

Lee lay like a statue underneath the milky white bed sheet. He was hooked up to everything you could imagine. A breathing machine, several IVs, life support, everything that would stretch his remaining life out as long as possible. Gaara put this Leaf village shinobi through hell, through emotional and physical pain. He put this boy through endless suffering.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He held his face in his hands and continued to apologize over and over.

"What are you doing in here?!" Neji screamed angrily, the veins around his eyes popping out visibly under the skin.

Gaara's hands fell to his sides. He didn't look up. "I was just leaving."

His feet slightly drug, the sound of his sandals scraping the tile was like nails to a chalkboard to Neji. Just as Gaara passed right next to him, he turned and grabbed Gaara by the neck, pushing him into the wall beside the door frame. He held him there, staring him straight in the eyes.

"Neji, don't," Naruto said quietly, gazing with glossy eyes at the figure in the bed. "There isn't much time left."

Neji growled, but released his grip on the Kazekage's neck. Gaara's feet touched the floor and walked him to the door. He took one last look at Lee before rejoining his siblings.

Tenten and Naruto stood at Lee's left side, Neji on his right. Tenten held both Naruto and Lee's hand. Tenten instantly felt the difference in body heat. Naruto's delivered an intensity of heat whereas Lee's gave off nothing but coldness.

"L-Lee, I-I a-am s-s-so sorr-y," she started, holding back choking sobs unsuccessfully, "I l-love y-you. Y-you w-were more t-than a t-teamm-ate. Y-you were m-my b-best f-friend." Tears streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision. Her body racked with sobs. It looked as though she was convulsing. "I w-will never f-forget y-you." She couldn't speak anymore. She let go of their hands and cried into her own.

"Bushy Brow.. Lee. You reminded me of me. Always believing that anything could be achieved through hardwork. You never let anyone convince you otherwise or break you down. I admire your determination. And I promise, I promise," Naruto swallowed hard, "that I will continue and carry out your legacy."

Neji didn't say anything, or rather, he couldn't say anything. He had no idea what to say. Nothing adequate came to mind. It didn't help that the other two were already speaking in past tense. He lifted a hand and gently stroked Lee's cheek. His pride was getting in the way of expressing his true emotions. He didn't want to show vulnerability but, he had to show Lee that he was there and that he cared for him.

"Lee," he lifted the thick black locks off his forehead, resting his hand soothingly. "no matter what, I am here for you. Always. Anything you want, anything you need, I'll do whatever I can for you." Neji leaned over, placing his lips beside Lee's ear and whispered, "I love you."

Naruto politely turned his head as Neji placed one last kiss upon Lee's lips.

Neji then stood up straight. "We're ready," he spoke.

Tsunade walked in without a word and started disconnecting Lee from everything in which he was attached. She completed, taking the machines out with her. It was time to play the waiting game.

Naruto and Tenten sat in the only two chairs in the room. Neji climbed into the bed and lied facing Lee. All three of them hoped and wished for some kind of miracle.

'Don't leave us, Lee,' Neji thought.