Spear & Shield

Spear & Shield
Chapter 42

Gai was stalking the streets, watching as the lanterns began to light. The village stayed busy, lined with food carts and celebrating citizens all along the main road. His students had long since abandoned him, pursuing their own search for youthful fun at the festival.

He had only managed to treat them to a stick of dango each before they decided their sensei was hopeless. If they noticed Gai's distracted behavior, they didn’t comment on it. He was a man on a mission and they knew better than to get in the way.

"C'mon, you two," Tenten had huffed with a grin as she dragged Neji and Lee towards a game stall. “I think Gai-sensei’s gonna be busy for a while.”

And while the comment had brought a dusting of blush to his cheeks, he knew they were right. He had to see her today, he knew he did. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but there was some deep, primal urge driving him forward through the crowd. Even spending time with his students and enjoying the festival didn’t seem quite right without her there. Gai loved them, and loved spending time with them, but he couldn’t bring himself to enjoy the night without Yasu by his side.

He was truly and utterly bewitched, and he didn’t care one bit. Just by stepping out to view on the podium, Yasu had stolen both his breath and possessed his thoughts. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. Like how she looked standing on the platform, like a goddess standing over him, a mere mortal. Or how her pride and joy made her glow brighter than the sun, pulling him into her gravity as she became the center of his universe.

Part of him wondered if it was healthy that she consumed his thoughts in such a way.

The other part reminded him about how beautiful she looked in her yukata.

He had begun making his way in the general direction of her home, hoping to narrow down his search. 

Sure enough, he was quickly able to pick up the passing scent of sawdust and citrus he associated with her. He also caught a whiff of …Sake and fish?

Even from the other end of the street, he could sense something was wrong. She was just as stunning as she had been at the ceremony, but something about her was just off.

It was the way she was walking, eyes cast downward instead of roaming the sights of the Village like she normally did. Her feet were dragging slightly, and the way her shoulders sagged… 

She was leaving herself wide open for an attack, too. He made a note to plan more ambush drills for her soon, then shift focus to awareness training and sensory work.

Her head was down, giving him no indication she had seen him yet. Instead of bolting over to her like he wanted to, he gave pause and watched her for just a few moments longer.

Not for the first time since he’s met her, he felt as though he was intruding on something he shouldn’t see. He was reminded of the time he caught her surveying around the village border. How he stumbled upon her, looking lost and scared even though he had no idea why. It wasn’t unusual for shinobi to get like this sometimes. 

His first instinct was to fix it. Just the thought of his Yasu being upset on her day of celebration filled him with a dark displeasure. So much so, he found himself marching up to her in the middle of the street with all the determination of a charging bull.

“Good Evening, My Most Beautiful Azalea!” he declared, drawing the attention of everyone within hearing range. “What a Wonderous Celebration to Commemorate Your Youthful Achievement! The whole Village is invigorated by your hard work!” If his patented “Nice Guy” pose didn’t help, he wasn’t sure what would.

Yasu paused her steps, slowly turning towards him with a disturbingly blank face. 

Nervousness (a feeling Gai was not accustomed to) pinched his gut. Was that the wrong approach? Should he not have said anything? Was he bothering her?

Slowly, Yasu lifted her head to look at him directly.

And once their eyes met, all his worries vanished.

Because she looked at him like he was the divine one. Like this festival was in celebration of him. Like he carried the Village on his shoulders. Because she smiled at him with such adoration, it made his heart twist. And what had he done to deserve that? He had never been so lucky in life, but he still somehow found someone who looked at him like he was something wonderful. 

She started laughing before she was able to answer. She started laughing so much, she doubled over and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you!” she gasped out between laughter. “I…” she gave a painfully wide smile, just for him, “I just-- …Thank you.”

Relief flooded his heart. He took great joy in seeing the dark cloud disperse from over her head. Gai quickly realized there was no reason to worry.  Whatever was upsetting her, he could fix it. Because everything he felt for Yasu, she felt for him, too. He wasn’t sure if there was anything more wonderful than that.

“The unveiling was magnificent,” he beamed, not at all bothered by the pedestrians weaving around them. “Your hard work is a thing of true beauty.”

“It was a team effort,” she waved a hand flippantly, but the blush on her cheeks gave away her gratitude. “Speaking of, where are the kids?”

“They’re on a mission of youth,” he explained plainly.

“I’m glad they’re enjoying the festival,” Yasu nodded, understanding him perfectly, “...I saw you all at the ceremony. It meant a lot to have you there.” While she was truly grateful for Gai's presence, the initial excitement of seeing him was beginning to ebb and the creeping feeling of her night being ruined was beginning to return. Her voice was dropping, that sad look returning to her eye.

Gai’s stomach churned. He kept talking just to keep her distracted. “It was a magnificent display of village pride,” he fell into step beside her, ushering her out of the middle of the street to a slightly less-occupied path. “A beautiful celebration of Konoha’s unity and strength!”

Yasu followed wordlessly, noticing he had resumed her original journey back home. She stalled, suddenly not wanting the comfort of her bed, or Bao-chan’s soft purrs. She wanted to stay with Gai.

She gently caught his elbow, “The fireworks will start soon. Could you walk with me? I don't want to go home yet…"

"Of course! Where would you like to go?"

She thought for a minute, "The park? Maybe the bridge. Somewhere towards the south end. …I can't see them from my apartment,” she added hastily.

Gai perked up, smirking at her with all the deviousness of an eager puppy, “Yosh! I know just the spot.”

Yasu ignored the way her heart fluttered when he grabbed her hand. Her steps picked up their pace, following more eagerly than before as he practically dragged her through the crowd. She didn't mind one bit.

But something still wasn’t quite right. Gai tugged her to an almost deserted road, away from the bustling festival. He let the noises fade away around them, slowing his stride slightly to fall in step with Yasu. She was still looking at her feet, letting him lead in silence. He waited for her to comment on some crumbling wall, or unkempt courtyard. He was tempted to ask her about an old shrine they passed, wondering if she knew when it had been built. But nothing quite felt right.

“Will you please tell me what’s wrong?” he eventually beseeched her. “You were a Glowing Beacon of Youthful Beauty at the ceremony... But something has caused you to wilt. It pains me to see you this way."

She sighed, having known he was going to ask eventually. She also knew she wanted to tell him. In fact, he was the only person she felt okay talking to right then. Yasu pressed her lips together in a sad smile, staring down at the ground as she attempted to push down the disappointment of dinner once more. "I, uhm… I went to dinner with my parents."

"Oh?"

"It didn't go well…"

"Oh."

An uncomfortable sort of embarrassment filled him when he realized he actually had no idea how to make her feel better. Despite his best efforts, this was a problem he had no experience with.

He could deal with combat trauma, dealing with failure, and even the never-ending storm that was teenage angst. He had enough medical training to assist with broken bones, strains, sprains, and mild lacerations. 

But he had nothing for Yasu's type of hurting. Unfortunately, hers was a problem Gai couldn't relate to. Hell, he wasn't even sure how to approach it… 

After a minute of silence though, he decided to go with what he knew.

"Are you hungry?"

"Eh?"

Gai didn't have the wherewithal to handle her actual problem, so he defaulted to taking care of her basic needs. "Are you hungry?"

She looked at him in that strange way she sometimes did… like she was surprised by what he said, even though it made perfect sense to him. Still, despite her surprise, her expression melted into a warm smile. He would never tire of seeing her smile like that. All dimples and freckles and the most beautiful pair of lips he had ever seen.

"I think I'm good… kinda lost my appetite." Her eyes shifted up and down the street as she slipped one of her hands up her sleeve, "But are you thirsty?"

"Huh?"

A ceramic bottle appeared in her hand. It was painted with an ornate pattern, clearly very expensive and part of a set. Where on earth did she get that?

"Yasu-chan!" he scolded as soon as he pieced it together.

She only smiled wider, "Hey, now. I think I earned it, right?"

His disapproval was clear on his face, even as he swiped the bottle and took a swig himself. 

She giggled as redness bloomed over the bridge of his nose. 

“Stealing is wrong. Stealing alcohol is worse. Not to mention, it’s dangerous to drink when you’re upset,” Gai told her sagely, handing back the bottle. “Especially when you’re alone.”

“Well, I’m not alone anymore, am I?” she smirked, playfully bumping into his shoulder.

Gai broke into a grin with a hardy laugh, “No, I suppose not! But are you familiar with the rules of having a drinking partner?”

“There’s rules?”

“Of course,” Gai snorted, “And the most important one is telling your partner why you’re drinking. It’s a code of honor, you see.”

“Ah,” Yasu nodded, feigning seriousness, “Well… For the sake of my honor, I guess I can tell you.” 

Gai watched her carefully, waiting patiently for her answer.

Yasu's expression slipped into melancholy again as she sighed, “My mom tried to trick me into a miai.”

“What?!” Gai gasped loudly, drawing the attention of a few nearby bystanders as they stepped through the gates of Ginko Park.

“Shhh!” she scolded him half-heartedly, “It’s fine. She does it all the time.”

"All the time?!" he quoted; the horrifying scenario of Yasu having a nice dinner with a handsome suitor running through his mind like a waking nightmare. Oh, he'd bet the suitor was charming and made her giggle that silly little laugh she did-- the giggle where she'd scrunch her eyes and cover her mouth, absolutely radiant with glee. Gai pictured her offering him a bite of her dish, then delicately feeding it to him, an unworthy stranger. 

"Every couple of months or so, yeah…" she cringed. "I should have been expecting it, honestly. It's almost been a year since the last one. I thought she had given up, but really I think she was waiting until I let my guard down."

The jounin was too stunned to speak. Arranged marriages were not uncommon in Konoha, but very rarely did they happen outside of a ninja clan. Due to Konoha's progressive community, they were becoming more and more rare.  Of course, all parties had to consent to it-- although there were certain social pressures-- one's refusal to participate was always accepted, and rarely questioned.

His blood was sent aflame with a righteous fury at the very idea of another man fighting for the hand of his fair Yasu--

"It's not a big deal," Yasu continued hurriedly, a wrinkle forming in her brow at his shocked face. "She just wants me to marry someone wealthy and successful."

Something about how she said that so flippantly stung him a bit. "So someone who's not a ninja, then?" Gai asked glumly. 

He could tell she wasn't present, instead buried deep in her thoughts, Yasu shook her head absently, "Of course not, she hates ninja. No, no one at all like that…" Gai had to repress a flinch. "But I'd rather marry you any day over any of them-- uh, well," she sputtered, "Someone like you, I mean," she added in a rush, her cheeks flushing red. “A ninja, that is.”

"...You would?"

"Of course," she shrugged plainly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're kind and capable… You are an amazing teacher, like I've said before. Not to mention,  you're a very successful ninja. You're  the strongest person I know, too. And you care about people so much. Plus, it's not like I need a husband to buy a home and settle down. I can build one for myself."

The way she said it made it sound like the simplest thing.

"That sort of stuff doesn't matter to me. But not having my freedom of choice does. So I left."

"You just walked out?" Gai had never been more proud.

Her blushed deepened a shade, "Uhm, well… for the most part. I might've said some things I didn't necessarily mean…" She shook her head as if trying to dislodge the memory from her brain. "Was running away the morally and ethically correct choice? Probably not. Was it the smart one? I think so."

“But they are your family. You’ll have to confront them sooner or later.”

Gai finally found a small hill, quiet and a bit off from the main crowd that had gathered in the park. He held her hand as she sank into the cool grass, joining her once she was comfortably situated.

Yasu shrugged, stealthily pulling out the sake bottle once more, “Then let’s settle for later, yeah?” 

She took a drink before passing it to him. “You can’t just run from your problems, Yasu-chan,” he scolded again in a sage tone.

She looked at him with a grin, “I guess you’re right… Running away didn't work with you, huh?” 

He wasn't sure if the heat he was beginning to feel was the sake or her smile. “I wasn’t being ‘problematic,’” he argued indignantly, “I was merely Unlocking Your Fullest Potential.”

She regarded him for a long minute, simply taking in the moment and memorizing his handsome features. The lingering sadness that had been following her since the restaurant had finally cleared away, without her even noticing.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me feel better with no effort. How do you be you?"

"I just am," he shrugged sheepishly, having no other answer. 

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you… for letting me get to know you, even when I didn't want to. For getting to know me, too. For teaching me how to be strong.  For caring about me, even though you don't have to."

Gai snorted, "Of course I have to, Yasu-chan. You're my student."

Yasu was overwhelmed, lost in a whirlwind of her gratitude and joy burying her misery. She opened her mouth, ready to say one more thing, but the shrill whistle of the first firework being set off drowned her out. 

The pair stared up at the sky, letting their feelings out into the air and shower down in sparks. No words were spoken between them as Gai gently took her hand and laced their fingers together. No words were needed when Yasu smiled up at him.