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The students were staring wide-eyed at the giant Jōnin buzzing with energy in the courtyard. It was just before class and Iruka-sensei had not opened the classroom door yet, so the students were all in the courtyard waiting.
The two goliaths were standing back-to-back, arms crossed over their chests looking petulant.
“I see we have two new students today?” Iruka asked with a wry smile.
Gai jumped to attention, rushing up to Iruka, grabbing both if his hands in his own. “Precious, most esteemed sensei, we need your assistance in a challenge.”
Iruka rolled his eyes. This was not the first time he had heard of their games. “Trying to butter me up, Gai-sensei?” Gai stepped back, like he had been burned by the words.
“Never! You can say no, of course!” Gai said clutching at his chest.
“No, you can’t really though. Iruka-sensei, we are here to help you. The students,” Kakashi’s started saying a little louder, the students were clearly eavesdropping, and they all perked up at being addressed. “I’m sure they would really like a special lesson, taught by two of the top shinobi in the village.”
The students immediately cheered. Iruka glared for all he was worth at Kakashi. “I had my own lesson plan for today, Jōnin-san.” Iruka said rudely as possible. Kakashi just looked smug, Iruka fuming.
The students all turned to their sensei, eyes shining and hands begging. “Pllleaaaassseee!”
Iruka hung his head, anger deflating. Iruka took hold of Gai and Kakashi’s arms and pulled them out of hearing range. “Gai-san, Kakashi-san, what exactly did you both plan on teaching my students?”
“Well, we were hoping to inspire and enlighten the youth with a burning will of fire!”
“Our challenge is to see who the best teacher is.” Kakashi answered, tired of Gai’s flowery language and sure that Iruka wanted a straightforward answer.
“I don’t understand. You want to do this by… teaching the students for half of a day? One lesson? Did you have any plan on how this would happen?”
Gai and Kakashi looked away from Iruka, whistling innocently.
“OK,” Iruka looked at these two dummies and almost felt bad for them. They were probably bored without a mission and trying to distract themselves. Iruka could use this to get a break and finish his grading, while still getting a lesson taught. “Well, I was planning on doing an easier lesson today since it is a half day. We can split the class into two and you can each teach in a rotation. Then we can have the students fill in a rating scale for you both and whoever scores highest wins?”
Gai looked starry-eyed at Iruka, “you are just as brilliant as you are kind and beautiful!” He turned to Kakashi with a steely glint in his eye, the change was so sudden that Iruka shivered. Kakashi looked unaffected, still slouched and bored.
“What’s the lesson?” Kakashi asked, trying to get this over with.
Iruka looked at Kakashi. This smug man was going to lose if it was the last thing Iruka did. He decided then and there what the lesson was going to be.
“Field nutrition and blunt weaponry.” Iruka didn’t want to be too obvious with his bias, so he didn’t suggest taijutsu, but Iruka knew that these were skills Gai excelled at. Kakashi seemed to accept, nodding at Iruka. Iruka couldn’t tell if Kakashi made a face, since his mask was firmly in place, but he hoped the man was nervous.
“Students! Come inside and let’s get this day started.” Iruka called, walking into the building with a line of tiny ninja-wanna-bes following like ducklings; two very large ducklings bringing up the rear.
--
Iruka was alone in his classroom. It was rare that Iruka got to spend time in this room quiet and peaceful like this. Iruka finished his grading and even a new lesson plan for next week. It was only an hour after the Jōnin left with his students too. Iruka felt pride swell in him at his efficiency, patting himself on the back as he walked over to the window.
Below him, he could hear the students excited squeals. Gai was the first one on blunt weapons’ training and he was showing the students a simple form with his nun-chucks. Some students were mesmerized, some others were mimicking the movements, and fewer were looking bored trying to hit their friends.
Iruka decided to head down and see how he could help.
“Tsukune! Don’t hit anyone!” Iruka grabbed Tsukune’s nun-chuck right out of the air as it was arcing down on Sansho’s head. “Sansho, you need to learn to pay attention to your surroundings and block as well.”
“Iruka-sensei!” Gai waved over the kids heads as they practiced the forms he had just shown them. Gai approached Iruka, stopping some kids from hitting themselves in the face with their weapons on his way. Iruka couldn’t help but smile at their little faces, saved from damage at incredible speed, looking up with awe at Gai.
“You are quite a force, Gai-sensei!” Iruka started, smiling wider at Gai when the man stopped feet from him, teeth glinting. “The students are very focused right now. Maybe I should invite you back to teach more! Normally when I take them outside, they are much more rowdy.”
The kids were indeed behaving themselves, focused on their sticks. Iruka always loved when they learned something completely new and made those little faces scrunch up in concentration.
“You underestimate yourself, Iruka-sensei!” Iruka looked up at the behemoth of a man, lightly blushing at the encouragement and the man himself. Gai had removed the top part of this suit (Iruka was unsure how) and it was bunched around his waist, sleeves tied tightly around his narrow waist like arms embracing him. Underneath his top was a sleeveless, black tank top. It was skintight and showed off so many bulging muscles that Iruka felt dizzy looking at him.
Iruka thought he could help this man out, but he was doing great. Iruka turned bodily away from Gai’s shining form to try and stop his heart from beating so hard. He focused instead on the students.
Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. “I hope you enjoy the show Iruka-sensei!” Iruka tried not to shiver at the touch, so few people touched him. Gai’s touch was gentle, despite his huge, strong hands. Iruka looked back at Gai as he started to walk away again. He was holding his weapon in a very traditional, one stick was in his hand, and the other clenched under his arm. The tenseness of the pose made his arm muscles bulge and Iruka’s gaze lingered.
“Let’s show your most youthful, energized, sensei what you have learned!” Gai walked back in front of the students. They all lined up in rows and columns, so orderly Iruka had to rub his eyes. These were only 9-year-olds. Gai was doing great!
“Form one!” Gai yelled, reminding the kids of the form first. As soon as he finished the demonstration, the students all attempted the moves in unison! Iruka was amazed. These little brats could do this after all.
Iruka watched Gai as he yelled, “form two!” showing the students the form again and they followed. Iruka knew the man was the fastest and strongest Jōnin in the village (well not as strong as Tsunade, but out of the Jōnin!). So, Iruka knew he was slowing down the forms for the students. The students still watched the great green beast with awe. Iruka wondered what they would think if he went at his full speed.
“Form three!” Iruka blinked back to awareness, realizing he hadn’t seen the students do form two. He turned away from Gai again to watch just his students. ‘FOCUS,’ Iruka internally berated himself, feeling hot all of a sudden.
The students went through ten different forms with Gai. They looked great. Most of the students messed up, but Iruka was really impressed that in an hour Gai was able to teach a brand-new weapon to the excitable bunch.
Just as the students were getting praised by Gai and Iruka, Kakashi’s half of the class appeared from out of the woods. They all looked ragged, some were soaking wet for some reason, and all had mud covering their feet, up to their ankles.
“Ah, my eternal rival! You have challenged your students and they have arrived victorious?” Gai looked at the small ones, imploringly. None of them looked up at the man. “Well, we have been very successful today, right children!” Gai’s students all cheered, putting their weapons back in the box.
Iruka smirked, he probably didn’t have to try at all to get Kakashi to fail, the man did a spectacular job of failing all on his own. He was just way to harsh with children! Hopefully losing this challenge will get him to change his ways. Probably not, the man was so stubborn.
“OK, sensei, you will now switch roles, Gai will go into the woods and try and collect his own plants. Kakashi you can do the blunt weapons training, any weapon we have in the boxes will do. After that, we will use the plants to make the nutrition balls.” The two sensei acknowledged Iruka’s words, starting to talk to their respective students on their plans. Kakashi brought the kids into the classroom quickly to store their plants.
Iruka had made Kakashi go in the woods first so the kids would be tired for the weapons training and the plants would wilt slightly. Iruka only felt a little bad for sabotaging Kakashi’s students. It was just half a day; they would be OK. It was worth it.
Gai started off with his students, he had replaced his shirt, pulling it put and snapping it closed again at the neck. ‘So, that’s how to take off…’ Iruka thought, blushing at his own imagination conjuring up images of himself unbuttoning that top again and pulling it much further down. He had also put his flack vest back on and the students all yipped as they started off into the woods. Gai waved behind him, Iruka was the only one out there, so he waved back.
He could just hear the brawny man singing a small hiking tune to his cohort before they were gone without any trace. Gai had a nice voice.
Kakashi chose that moment to come out of the building, his students shuffling after him, seeming to match his hunched form.
“Will you be staying for the show, Iruka-sensei?” Kakashi asked, pulling out the box of kendo beginner katana for his students.
Iruka rolled his eyes as Kakashi took off his own flank vest and over-shirt. He had on the same style sleeveless undershirt (skintight) that Gai had, except with his mask attached.
Iruka’s eye roll stopped as he took in Kakashi’s lither, but still very built form. “Umm… I will come back at the end.” Iruka said trying to suppress his blush as much as possible. Kakashi was very annoying today, Iruka did not need to add fuel to the fire by blushing!
Iruka quickly turned and rushed into the classroom. He saw all the plants and flowers on the student’s desks. It was cute to imagine each student proud of their bundle and gently laying them on their desk.
Iruka’s guilt won over, and he didn’t want to have the students come back to wilted plants, even if it hurt Kakashi’s chances. So, he took napkins, soaked them, and placed them on the bottom of the stems of each bundle. He hoped that would slow the drying process.
He needed more distraction, so he decided to make the survey. He went up to the board and started to write the questions that would help the men learn the winner.
He decided to have three questions. Rate your day 1-10 (1-bad, 10-best) by the following parameters: 1. How much do you believe you learned today? 2. Confidence if quizzed on the lessons tomorrow? 3. How much did you enjoy your lessons?
Those questions seemed fair to Iruka. He hoped the last one would hurt Kakashi the most. Gai’s students seemed to be enjoying themselves if their smiles as they entered the woods was any indication.
Iruka was actually very interested in how the students would do on a quiz the next day, but he didn’t know what the Jōnin said on the woods trip. Maybe he would just base it off the prep-part. Iruka nodded and started writing the quiz for Gai’s students on the nun-chuck forms.
After an hour more, Iruka had written as much on the quizzes as he could and had prepared tables for the field nutrition lesson part two: meal prep. He thought he should probably check on Kakashi like he did Gai. He walked over to the window again, eyes racking over the students. They were partnered up and were doing a series of blocks and hits.
Iruka sighed, he had gone through some of the basic Kendo forms with the students already, so luckily, they were probably OK being partnered up. Of course, Kakashi would push them though.
Iruka wondered down into the training grounds. The kids were looking much happier than when Iruka left them an hour before. They were really enjoying being partnered up it seemed.
“Ah, so the good sensei blesses us with his presence.” Kakashi said as he was adjusting a student’s stance. Iruka wanted to roll his eyes, but Kakashi was making his way to another student and was moving the bamboo sword into the proper height for the hit the student was attempting.
It seemed that Kakashi was letting the students have more individual attention than Gai had. It wasn’t a bad technique. It was Iruka’s normal teaching technique in fact. Kakashi waited a couple minutes and then clapped his hands loudly. All the students snapped to attention.
“Let’s show Iruka-sensei what you’ve been practicing. Pair one!” Kakashi said with a voice of a leader. Iruka inadvertently snapped to attention at the rich timbre.
The first pair of students walked up to the front of the group, looking nervous, but excited to be sparing. They did a series of forms, blocks and attacks Iruka had shown them in the past, and some he didn’t. Kakashi then asked them to freestyle. The students looked excited and started to try and get a hit on their partner.
Before it got too far, Iruka would guess it was just three minutes, Kakashi stopped them. “Fair job.” The students swelled with pride at the slight praise.
Iruka saw the method. Give the students very little so any small praise seemed fantastic. The students did a great job. “Really good, Ai and Ken.” Iruka smiled at his students. They looked even more proud, their own smiles brighter than the sun.
The rest of the groups went much the same, do the forms, then freestyle. There were only five pairs, so it didn’t take too much more time. Just as the last group was being stopped by Kakashi, Gai’s group came trotting out of the forest. Iruka wondered if it was planned so perfectly by the Jōnin, or just kismet.
Gai had mud all over his legwarmers, their orange dimmed by drying dirt. He had one student on each side of his head sitting on his broad shoulders, smiling proudly with a bundle of fruits still attached to branches in their hands.
Gai’s smile was blinding (literally) as he made it out of the shade of the trees and into the sun. Iruka had to turn away, holding two children was a good look on Gai. Iruka didn’t want to have these thoughts, so he made his way back into the classroom, calling for the students to come inside.
Kakashi’s students walked in first, immediately going to their desks to make sure their plants were safe. Then Gai’s students started to come in. The first student handed Iruka a lovely blue flower. He thanked the student, then the next came in, also handing Iruka a flower. Then the third. All eleven of Gai’s students handed him a different flower.
Finally, Gai walked in, Kakashi slightly behind him. “Just and kind Iruka! A dozen flowers for your care today,” Gai said as he handed Iruka the last flower. Gai’s was a red rose. The stem was stripped of all thorns and the flower was just on the cusp of blooming. It was perfect.
Iruka managed to garble out a, “thank you,” before quickly turning back to his students, they were all at the desks talking to one another after their hours apart. Iruka smelled the rose in his hand, his fingers unconsciously moving up to the petals. They were so silky soft.
He really needed to get a hold of himself! He would try to ignore the adults in the room. He addressed the students directly instead. “It’s almost lunch time, so we will have to make our nutritious snacks quickly.” Iruka had moved two large tables with all the prep materials that would be available in the field, to the front of the room.
“Kakashi-sensei’s student’s take this table,” Iruka indicated to his right and those students gathered their plants and moved. “And Gai-sensei’s here.” Iruka left the room after everyone was ready at their tables. He made an excuse that he needed to find a vase, and he did want to do that, but he also needed to cool off.
That is how Suzume found him, splashing water on his face in the teacher’s lounge.
“What a nice bundle of flowers, Iruka! Are you OK?” She asked as Iruka splashed more water on his burning face. “You aren’t allergic, are you?”
“No, no, Suzume. I’m just… It’s nothing, really. Just needed to cool off.” Iruka said, flashing a quick smile to his coworker, taking the flowers and the mug he was using as a makeshift vase, and dashing back to his classroom.
The students didn’t even notice when he snuck into the room, keeping to the walls and hiding as best he could in the shadows.
“He’s my best friend you know.” Iruka nearly jumped out of his skin as Kakashi suddenly appear next to him. He nodded mutely. “Gai is the best person in the village. He deserves the best. I know you are a good person, sensei, so don’t hurt him.” Kakashi walked away, back to his table.
Gai’s broad back was still facing Iruka, his table was closest to the door and he was focused on helping the students. Iruka slowly walked back to his desk, his stomach churned watching Gai carefully measure the right amount of herbs into a mortar, giving the most adorable of Iruka’s students the pestle to grind the bits into a paste. The young girl gave Gai a big gap-toothed smile and Gai patted her head. Iruka collapsed into his desk chair, ensnared.
One time, a fortune teller had told Iruka, “you will fall in love in one day. It will be hard and fast, and you will never escape it.” At the time, Iruka was only 15 and he was so shocked by the prediction he openly laughed at the old woman. She just smiled at him. Mizuki made fun of him for years for that prediction.
Iruka felt his heart pound in his chest and his stomach twist into nots, unable to look away from Gai’s table. Gai seemed to finally notice Iruka’s gaze and met it with a serious alertness that made Iruka’s heart stop it’s pounding. In fact, it felt like it stopped completely. There was a blank white-noise filling his ears and he started to breath heavily through his mouth.
Iruka couldn’t move. Gai didn’t look away. He told his students to keep mixing their concoctions and he walked right up to Iruka at his desk.
“Iruka-sensei, are you OK?” Gai said, getting down on one knee in front of Iruka to better look into his eyes. “You look flush and you’re breathing hard. You aren’t allergic to the flowers, are you?! I can remove them immediately.” Gai moved his hand to the mug with the flowers, before he could touch them Iruka snapped to attention.
“No!” Iruka grabbed Gai’s wrist to stop him from touching the flowers. Iruka felt his hand tingle intensely everywhere his skin touched Gai’s skin. He really needed to get himself together!
“No…. I mean, no I love the flowers. They are beautiful. I’m OK. I’m more than OK.” Iruka tried to explain and failed. He didn’t release Gai’s wrist until Gai started to move his hand away from the flowers on Iruka’s desk.
“They may be fresh and colorful, but they are not the most beautiful and vibrant thing in this room.” Gai said, grabbing Iruka’s hand after it had released his wrist, he brought his knuckles to his lips, and gave Iruka a chivalrous kiss. He put Iruka’s hand down and got up right after, a light flush on his cheeks.
Iruka felt his whole body burning. He just sat there gapping like a fish out of water, but instead of being wet, he was on fire. He had never ever felt like this before. To be fair though, no one ever really flirted with him before.
All these years, Iruka had forgotten that stupid fortune teller and her stupid prediction. He just thought he was never going to find love with another person, and that was OK. He had his career and he had Naruto and he had ramen.
Iruka watched as Gai got back to his students, helping them roll the nutritious paste into a portable and easy to eat ball. Iruka knew Gai. Well, the whole village knew Gai. Iruka knew Gai about as well as the rest of the shinobi did. He was loud and flamboyant and sparkly and stubborn in his training. He was on par with Kakashi as a ninja, becoming Jōnin without much chakra control.
Gai had saved the day on many occasions, Naruto and Sakura had told him about only some of the tales. Iruka had listened with just a passing interest then. More worried about his former students being in such dangerous situations. Now Iruka couldn’t help but imagine the man as a hero standing between enemies and allies, ready to fight.
Iruka’s personal interactions with Gai were very limited. From his work at the mission desk almost exclusively he knew that Gai always handed in pristine mission reports, always was extremely polite, and always challenged himself to extreme feats of physicality.
Now, Iruka was looking at all those qualities in the lens of a partner. Gai was kind, he always tried so hard, he was enthusiastic, he was social and had friends, he said lovely things… Iruka blushed at the compliments he had gotten already today.
Iruka felt eyes on him and looked up, Kakashi was glaring at him. Well, Iruka thought he was glaring, it was hard to tell with the mask and his eye covered. Either way, it brought Iruka back to the land of the living and he got up out of his chair, determined now to stop making of fool of himself.
“Five minutes left. Then we taste test!” Iruka smiled at all his students, who in turn whooped at getting to eat their treats. The kids all focused on making the balls perfect. Iruka thought it was cute that they cared so much when it was just going to be eaten. Gai was concentrating more than any of the kids on rolling his pair of nutritious nuggets.
Iruka turned away to stop distracting himself. Kakashi’s students were all ready, all their perfectly rolled balls were in a line in front of them. Iruka looked shocked at Kakashi. Did the man roll all his students’ balls for them? There was no way some of these students were making them so perfect. Iruka glared at Kakashi but didn’t want to accuse him here in front of the kids. They all looked very proud of themselves and it was precious.
Iruka really hoped that they would score Kakashi low and Gai won. It had nothing to do with his new feelings either! He always wanted Gai to win in these challenges. Now that Iruka thought about that, he wondered why? Even before Gai had said one word to him, when Iruka heard about their silly challenges through the grapevine, he routed for Gai.
“OK! Time’s up. Everyone, try your treats.” Iruka trusted that neither Jōnin would poison their students, so Iruka didn’t worry about it. Kakashi tossed a ball at Iruka to try since he was still standing closer to his table.
“Iruka-sensei! How do you like our recipe?!?” Mibuna asked with delight in her eyes. “Since Jōnin-san won’t take his mask off to try.” Iruka looked into Kakashi’s eye, trying to will him to try for the sake of the children. He just kept the same bored half-lidded look he always had. Iruka popped the ball in his own mouth and chewed dramatically in Kakashi’s face.
Then he was hit with just how delicious it was. He hummed to himself and couldn’t stop a smile from breaking through his indignant cover.
“Wow guys! This is amazing!” Iruka praised. The students all preened. Kakashi looked like he was smirking. Iruka was irritated, so he decided to turn to the other table.
“Iruka-sensei, you must try ours! We know that we can prevail!” Gai said as Iruka approached the tall man. He could do this. The slight tingle in his hand and lower abdomen were easy to suppress. When Gai reached over the table with his perfectly round globe, and brought the treat to Iruka’s mouth, Iruka lost control of himself. He instinctively leaned closer and took the offered ball into his mouth. His lips lightly brushed Gai’s fingers and Iruka lost all feeling in his entire body.
Gai blushed deeply, but the goofy smile on his face said that he still had control of his faculties. Iruka had no such luck. He didn’t even taste the treat. He couldn’t hear anything. He wasn’t even sure if he was still in the timeline.
“Well?! Who’s is better?!” The troublemaker of the year, Tsukune asked boldly.
Iruka came back to himself. He really had to stop these out of body experiences. First, he felt the tingle in his lips, then the heat on his cheeks, and finally the rest of his body started to get feeling again. He didn’t have the rushing in his ears anymore, so he could tell that the room was pin-drop silent.
He realized he hadn’t chewed much, and the ball was still mostly intact in his mouth. He quickly ate it. It was, disappointingly, not as good as Kakashi’s team. Iruka couldn’t admit it. He didn’t want Kakashi to win anything today. He wanted the world for Gai.
The thought made him nervous. Much more nervous than he had been. This was intense. This must have been what that old hag was talking about. For a moment, he thought she must have been a witch that cursed him with these feelings. Why did it have to be a Jōnin so far out of his league? Why Kakashi’s best friend? Why a man so enthusiastic that he was often the butt of the mission room jokes? Now he would defend Gai even to the Hokage herself! It felt so sudden and out of nowhere Iruka wasn’t sure it was all real.
When a dull kitchen knife suddenly scratched his arm, he knew he was not dreaming. “Tsukune!!” The boy looked mortified.
“Iruka-sensei! How did you not dodge that?! Are you not a ninja!? You dodge harmless spitballs from behind while lecturing and writing on the board, but not now?!” Tsukune was shocked. Iruka was shocked. Gai leapt from his place behind the table brandishing gauze (from where Iruka had no idea).
“It is minor! No worrying, dear sensei.” Gai had a slight waver in his voice as he spoke and Iruka could only watch as the man applied a salve (again, where did he procure these?!) and wrapped his upper arm in the gauze. “There, no problem. I’m sure Tsukune,” Gai yelled the name and the boy’s spine straightened and he started to shiver slightly at the tone, “is very sorry for what he’s done. I’m sure he learned that no knife is a toy, even to a shinobi as talented as his precious teacher.”
Gai stood straight and took his ‘nice guy’ pose, done tying the bandage tight. The cut was incredibly shallow, just ripping his shirt and causing the smallest amount of blood. Iruka knew he would be fine, but the care with which Gai treated him made his heart dance.
It had been a long time since someone worried over him like that.
The room was silent, looking at Iruka. The students were expecting an explosion, in true Iruka fashion. Iruka felt all his anger dissipate as he looked at Gai’s ‘nice guy’ pose. Instead of yelling, he smiled up at Gai, merely a couple feet in front of him. Gai’s thumb shook slightly and his goofy smile (shiny teeth and all) morphed into a more subdued, but genuine smile.
“It’s all fine. Don’t let it happen again Tsukune.” Iruka didn’t look away from Gai as he addressed the children. “You can all go back to your desks and answer the questions on the board, then you can go home.” The kids truly believed they had dodged a fūma shuriken and wished that they could have half days with Jōnin every day!
They all got back to their desks and did as instructed. They wrote which sensei they learned from that day and ranked each question on the 1-10 scale. Iruka finally lowered his head, embarrassed at staring for so long. Gai had even started to blush, though he didn’t look away either.
The students each finished, handed the papers to Iruka, and walked into the bright day, happy to get out early and have lunch at home.
When Iruka had all the papers in front of him, he immediately counted the numbers, trying to be a fair judge, even though he was far from it.
“OK so, question one ‘How much do you believe you learned today?’ was a tie, both averaged 8.5, which is very good!” Iruka smiled up at Gai, ignoring Kakashi. “Question 2 ‘Confidence if quizzed on the lesson tomorrow?’” Iruka scowled, trying to hide his displeasure, but clearly failing. “Kakashi won: 9 point average verse Gai’s 8.3.” Iruka looked apologetically to Gai, “but it was really close.”
“Who cares? We are always close. Close only counts in horseshoes and Katon. I would like to get this all over with.” Kakashi said coolly.
“My hip and youthful rival,” Gai cried. Iruka was about ready to strangle the grey devil.
“OK, well, the last question ‘How much did you enjoy your lessons?’ was for Gai! 8.6 verse 7.6!” Iruka smiled brightly up at Gai, he could feel his scar crinkle upward at the motion. Gai just stared at his lips.
“So that totals to… 25.1 for Kakashi and 25.4 for Gai!” Iruka leapt out of his chair and launched himself onto Gai, wrapping his arms around his broad shoulders. Gai smiled spinning Iruka around yelling “yosh!”
Suddenly he grabbed Iruka by the waist and spun him into the air until he was sitting on Gai’s right shoulder (much like the children were) while Gai did his best ‘nice guy’ pose at Kakashi.
Iruka sobered the second Gai had put his arm around his waist. Gai was so strong, he tossed Iruka like he was a ragdoll. Iruka knew he was safe on Gai’s shoulder, Gai’s right hand was holding him securely around his thigh. It was so intimate that Iruka felt like he was going to pass out from blood rushing to his face.
“I’m happy for you Gai.” Was all Kakashi said as he sauntered out of the classroom, leaving a confused Gai and a maddeningly embarrassed Iruka alone.
“Umm, Gai, could you…” Iruka started, stuttering and unsure. Iruka was normally very sure. He bullheadedly ploughed forward and followed his instincts. There were very few times Iruka was unsure. One was when he first got Naruto as a student, and the next was right now.
“Of course, Iruka! I’m sorry, I was just… I mean I got carried away. I have tied Kakashi now in our challenge wins! It’s 43-43.” Gai explained as a way to occupy his mind as he squatted so Iruka could slide off his shoulder easier, releasing the iron-hold on his leg.
“That is great news Gai, what did Kakashi agree to do if he lost?” Iruka asked, trying to change the subject from Gai to Kakashi so he could cool down and try to ignore the lasting ghost of Gai’s fingers on his leg.
“I… I cannot recall.” Gai said, now standing face to face with Iruka. They stared at each other for a long moment. All at once they both tried to say something and ended up talking over one another. It made the tension break a little and Iruka looked down, avoiding eye-contact.
“You first.” Gai said hoping it would bring those shining dark eyes back onto his.
“I just wanted to thank you. It was fun today getting company while I worked. You allowed me to have time to finish some paperwork I had been neglecting.” Iruka looked up after that sentence, smiling more normally. “Also thank you for the bouquet. Roses are my favorite.” Iruka blushed, not meaning to say any of that, but the look in Gai’s eyes just made him keep going.
Gai’s eyes got shiny with emotion, he grabbed Iruka’s hands and brought them close to his chest, it also brought Iruka closer. “I have admired you ever since I first met you.” Gai blurted it out, and Iruka gasped at the confession. It didn’t stop Gai from continuing, “you probably don’t recall, but you were in the mission room and you just had a botched mission with Kakashi as your leader. You were injured, but you took the blame when some older Jōnin were badmouthing Kakashi. People often spread rumors about him. You spoke up to elders on behalf of Kakashi. The passion in your eyes. I’ll never forget it.”
Iruka didn’t remember that moment. There were many times he talked back to Jōnin. He couldn’t recall a time he held his tongue in front of one actually.
“I would do the same for you,” Iruka said, his mouth moving without his brain’s consent. “In fact, I would be more likely to do it for you.”
Gai looked at Iruka with tears welling in his eyes. Iruka was an emotional ninja, he knew that about himself. He was quick to anger especially. It seemed that Gai was quick to overwhelming joy, it made Iruka start to tear up.
Before he got too swept up in the emotions, Gai leaned down, slowly, giving Iruka plenty of time to reject him. Iruka had no such intentions, tilting his head up and bouncing onto his toes to meet Gai halfway.
Their first kiss was sweet and simple. When they pulled away, both were blushing. Iruka gave a light chortle and rubbed the back of his head nervously.
Gai sprang into action, “let me take you out to dinner. Let me take you on a date. Please?” Gai realized he sounded a little to commanding and added the please hurriedly at the end, blushing deeper and turning his head to the side, coughing in an attempt to regain his composure.
Iruka laughed, “Gai! I should take you out, as a congratulations for beating Kakashi!” Iruka exclaimed, Gai’s head snapping back to align with his.
Instead of reply with words, Gai placed his hands on either side of Iruka’s jaw, his huge hands covering from close to Iruka’s chin all the way into his hair behind his ears. Iruka’s lips parted as he breathed sharply in.
Gai lost his resolve and pulled Iruka closer, bringing his own head back down in a much deeper and savory kiss. Gai would probably cry manly tears of joy later, but for now, he would not waste such a golden opportunity.
Kakashi smirked as he watched his best friend make-out with his long-time crush. He was happy that there was finally someone that would defend Gai to the masses, who would indulge the strange man. Iruka was kind and cared about people. He was also just as emotional as Gai, so he would be more sympathetic when Gai burst into tears.
Kakashi rolled his eyes, recalling his friend’s strange antics. Now he would have to deal with two emotional rollercoasters. Kakashi hung his head, he really didn’t think this through.