Spear & Shield

Spear & Shield
Chapter 30

There had been an occasional night, every now and again, where Gai would happen upon Hatake Kakashi amidst a rather severe bout of mental bleakness. 

More often than not, Kakashi would be alone and hapless, sulking somewhere in the village where he would not easily be found. Upon discovering his "one and only eternal rival"-- or "friend," as others would say-- in such a state, Gai would take it upon himself to do whatever it took to see Kakashi through such woes.

Sometimes it would be another radical declaration of “challenge." Sometimes it would be a more subdued method, where Gai would sit with him in silence until he was ready to move on once more. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they wouldn’t. Regardless, Gai always stayed.

He made sure Kakashi was okay.

So when Kakashi found Gai in such a state, he felt the overwhelming need to return the favor. 

He joined his friend atop the monument, letting his legs dangle over the side. 

Gai greeted Kakashi with an absent-minded grunt, kicking some dust up with the heel of his sandal. 

The sun was setting over the horizon, casting the sky in amazing hues of red, orange, and purple. Kakashi was reminded of Uzumaki Kushina’s hair and how it would glisten in the light, shining from vibrant vermillion to a deep, bloody burgundy in the dim shadows. 

As beautiful as the view was, Kakashi couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the sheer silence of the man beside him. 

No declaration of confrontation, no demand for a challenge… No titles exchanged, not even a gross overstep of social norms.

Gai was just… quiet.

It disturbed Kakashi. 

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, voice soft and unassuming. He wasn’t used to being on this side of comfort. 

Gai heaved a dramatic sigh, slumping forward. “I don’t know if anything is wrong.”

“You seem upset.”

“... What makes you say that?”

If Kakashi had a week, he still wouldn’t be able to list all the reasons why Gai seemed off. He settled for, “Just a hunch.”

“Ever intuitive as always, my rival,” Gai scowled with as much humor as he could muster. 

Judging by the fond way he called Kakashi “rival,” it was safe to assume Kakashi was not the cause of his strife. Good to know.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Consolation was not Kakashi’s forte. But he would try for Gai.

So he listened. 

He listened as Gai described a rather impressive spar between him and Ushi Yasu, going into great detail over every move made and possible counter-moves that could have been done, and every hypothetical scenario Gai had come up with.

He listened as Gai recounted how she had faked an injury, only to sneak in a harsh attack.

He listened as Gai described the grappling lock he had caught Yasu in. He listened as Gai admitted this was the moment he had truly realized the progress she had made. He told Kakashi how proud he was of her.

...And then, he listened to the rest.

It was rare for Kakashi to find something interesting enough to hold his attention outside of his beloved Icha-Icha Paradise. The things that did were rarely benign, and more often than not life-or-death situations. 

That being said, he did like training with his students, as adorable and helpless as they were. He also liked missions with his kohai, who looked to him as a beacon of leadership while still being able to speak without rebuke of criticism in a way that most of his peers could not. Kakashi also enjoyed assisting the citizens of Konoha in their day-to-day struggles, even if it made him late for prior engagements. 

The vice of gossip, however, did little to draw Kakashi away from the pages of his esteemed Icha-Icha. 

Yet this bit of gossip enticed him to the point of giddiness.

“Are you saying…” he paused, trying to find the correct phrasing, “That Yasu-san made a move on you?”

Gai’s cheeks were bright red, looking very much like he had just opened his Third Gate. Kakashi was tempted to point out the similarity, but held his tongue. 

“O-of course not!” Gai denied, but his eyes were unsure. “Yasu-chan is my student! She--” he stuttered, eventually trailing off. 

“She made a move?” Kakashi provided, recalling a similar plot point from Icha-Icha Paradise Six: Lover’s Quarrel wherein two soldiers of opposing countries fall helplessly in love. 

“She was surely distracting me!” he vehemently asserted, clenching his fists in front of him with ferocity in his expression. “She must have been trying to distract me to gain advantage!”

“A valiant motive,” Kakashi drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “I only know a few kunoichi who use tactics like that… But Yasu-san doesn’t seem like the type. I think she may have just wanted to kiss you.”

The look of hope in Gai’s eyes almost made Kakashi regret what he said. Almost.

“Why, though?”

Kakashi sighed, clapping a firm hand on Gai’s broad shoulder, “Only she knows the answer to that question. Maybe you should talk to her.”

The sun had fully dipped behind the horizon. Stars appeared above, and the shade of red Kakashi had been ruminating on disappeared into a deep, navy blue. 

“What do you think of Yasu-chan, Kakashi?” 

Gai’s face turned to him as he asked the question, monitoring Kakashi’s expression. He stiffened, no liking how the question was vague and leading in a way he couldn’t quite pin down. 

“I don’t know her very well,” he answered honestly at a length, choosing his words carefully, “But I can say she’s a decent shinobi. She’s a fantastic builder and helps the village as often as she can… She cares deeply about the foundation of the village and wants to see it thrive...” 

Gai hung onto every word.

“...And from what my ninken told me, she makes a great nikujaga.”

“I love nikujaga.”

Kakshi wasn’t sure if there existed a food Gai didn’t love. Still, he noted the comment. “Do you like her?” he finally asked.

“Of course!” Gai answered immediately. “I love all my students--”

“That’s not what I mean, Gai.”

His companion slipped back into that uncharacteristic silence. Quiet, but contemplative in the most chaotic way. Kakashi was familiar with that look, but it didn’t suit Gai. 

When he did finally answer, it was just the sort of thing Kakashi expected to hear.

“She’s an admirable kunoichi.”

Kakashi resisted the urge to push him off the mountain.

“...And?”

Gai gulped down a lump in his throat, face clenching as he came to a realization he may have been avoiding up until now. “And I think I like her.”

Kakashi’s eye turned up in a gleeful smile. He realized how rare it was to see Maito Gai in such a state of unease and nervousness. 

He was half-tempted to seal away the memory in his Sharingan. 

"If it helps any," Kakashi offered, "I'm sure she'll still want to train with you no matter the outcome."

Gai frowned at the ground thousands of meters below them, thoughts so loud Kakashi could practically hear them.

Satisfied he had done his part, Kakashi stood. He fished his usual entertainment from his pocket, flipping to the dog-eared page he had left off on. “Talk to her, Gai.”

Gai tilted his head skyward, shoulders still stuck in a slouch. Kakashi watched with a keen eye, assessing for any signs of distress, but only finding jitters and the type of dread only love could bring.

“... Should I bring her flowers?” Gai asked after a few wordless minutes.

Kakashi’s eyes pinched shut, his frustration hidden behind his mask. “Sure. Bring her flowers.”