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For the past few years, Maito Gai had been intentional about being in the village for the few weeks after Kakashi received his new team… Yes. His Rival was likely to fail them, but. maybe. *Possibly*. Hopefully. If he kept them…
…well. Even if he kept them, he would probably need support.
Seeing the list of students assigned to Kakashi this year confirmed this belief beyond a doubt; his Rival had been assigned the Last Uchiha, the Jōnin commander’s only daughter, and- as an additional stressor- his beloved, deceased sensi’s only child, (the village’s Jinchūriki at that).
He knew Kakashi would be intentionally late to collect this team and resolved to make him work for this particular lateness. (The fact that his bombasticity and the energeticness of their challenge would prove a distraction and release of tension for his Rival surely wasn’t the real reason he suggested a flower arranging competition followed by a vigorous spar… *truly*.)
His Rival gave him a knowing look over his orange book when Gai declared the flower arranging portion of this challenge, but, nonetheless, participated in leaving three flowers at the house of each obaa-san along Seikatsu street. Naturally though, he went full ANBU stealth the moment Gai declared the competition to start; even Gai found it difficult to keep track of his Rival when he truly put his mind to shielding his presence.
With an enthusiasm born of his Dedication to Youth, flowers were purchased, and vases arranged with Bird of Paradise, Bouvardia Double, White Calla Lily, Gerbera Daisy, Yellow Lilac, and bunches of daffodils. Each of his arrangements held either three daffodils, or an exotic combination of three of the others. Many eyes were drawn to him and his theatrics as he proceeded down the street knocking at each obaa-san’s door and presenting vases of flowers.
After identifying the disturbance as himself, (green jumpsuit proudly worn, with enthusiasm abounding), most eyes left him to his rounds and the polite bemusement of his current quarry.
As he traversed his self-assigned challenge, he saw, along windowsills and tucked atop mail boxes, collections of Aster, Gladiolus, and Freesia. The occasional addition of a Snapdragon or Lavender Heather in place of Aster showed a startling amount of growth from the time his Rival had paired two snapdragons with a single daffodil. (He’d had to rush to supplement each of his Rival’s bouquets with a handful of daffodils, lest the more gossipy civilians take those arrangements as a portent of ill omen, rather than the display of temper that they actually represented; he’d lost that particular challenge for the need to essentially do it twice… but with his Rival’s mood at that time, he could only be grateful that Kakashi deigned to participate in so frivolous a dare at all.)
However, given this round of flowers, and the increasingly inventive locations he was spotting them in (he’d already identified two in the drainage pipes, three within teacups in living rooms, and five tucked along exterior shutters and along interior picture frames), he could only conclude that Kakashi had found a better coping mechanism than contemplating the memorial stone… or he had finally cracked. Knowing his Rival as he did- and his Rival’s current stressors, it was likely some unholy combination of the two.
Mentally fortifying himself at that thought, he proceeded to his preferred training ground. Kakashi had clearly completed the first portion of the challenge before him and could therefore be found waiting in the branches of the largest tree of training ground four.
A brief moment of eye contact was all that was required for his Rival to square off against him, and the slightest twitch of Gai’s calf muscles was enough to start the spar. With any lesser opponent, he would have fallen into a well-practiced banter of encouragement. With Kakashi, there was only the swift exchange of blows and the well-worn grooves of taijutsu combat among the trees.
Even ten minutes into combat, Gai knew that the slow creep of his Rival’s decline was yet to be halted. The heaviness of this knowledge gave weight to the gravity around him and his Rival responded with even more precision guiding his attacks… like he believed the exactness of his form would overcome Gai’s worry for Kakashi’s diminishing endurance; his Rival’s well trained form did nothing to hide the fact that his sharingan was notably kept tucked away, chakra reserved for extending the time of their fighting.
He knew that, despite his Rival’s historic and continued ambivalence to obtaining a new team, Kakashi would not risk passing out from chakra exhaustion and failing to give his prospective team their first directions; Kakashi used only tricks and C-ranked jutsu throughout the fight, allowing himself to last well into the noon hour before a final blow from Gai cast him to the ground. There he lay, slouched and utterly relaxed; his chakra was spread out in a muted dome around himself.
“My Rival! That was a most Youthful exchange! A tie!” Gai made no move to withhold his proclamation; as worried for Kakashi’s long term health as he was, he really was most excited by the shift in temperament his Rival’s chosen flowers had suggested. He paired his exclamation with quiet hand-signs for ‘hold’ and ‘I’ll retrieve rations’. Kakashi barely lifted a hand in lazy acknowledgement before Gai provided a double thumb’s up and gleaming smile as he rushed from the field to retrieve lunch for the two of them.
As he brought back their lunch, he resolved that, no matter how suddenly the shift in Kakashi’s mindset had appeared… or how odd it was that it emerged just prior to testing this particular team… or whatever it actually was that triggered this upward shift in mental health; he would get answers (and no matter those answers) he would find a way for this progress to continue.
Like most of their meals, he filled the silence; he shared plans of training for his Delightful Young Genin, and mused on the joint training and challenges they might participate in once Kakashi had his own team. Kakashi remained strangely quiet on the subject of the team he would be testing in the day to come, refraining even from the barbs of disbelief, quips of humor, or sounds of inattention when Gai testingly brushed against the topic.
Eventually Kakashi rose, a thoughtful look in his eye, and his head cocked just slightly in a move that either came from his ninken or AMBU, (Gai had never been able to determine which).
An intentionally disinterested, “I might find you later.” slid from his Rival’s masked lips as his book came up again. Gai could see Kakashi’s armor raising, each piece of himself radiating indolent disregard. With each muscle held lax, Gai observed the lines of tension reawakened in his form as he went to meet his new team.
From the moment Kakashi suggested that not only might he need Gai’s presence later, but that he would intentionally seek him out, any plans Gai might have had were canceled. He could meet Genma and Raidou for drinks another day. He would run a training circuit Kakashi knew well until he was retrieved.
Pakkun came for him as the sun was setting and the query sprang from him without thought to withhold the words. “Is He Well?”
His heart remained in his throat as he spoke the question. Kakashi was showing every sign of a person who had had an epiphany… and as neutral as his flower choices and as mellow as his behavior, epiphanies in ninja their age were dangerous; they were just as likely to cause a permanent quirk as they were to kill the recipient of them.
As greedy as it made him, he prayed to any Kami listening that his Rival would go the way of a permanent quirk and better mental health…
(… and- the quiet thought lingered in the back of his mind, almost a half-formed, eternally hopeful, subconscious consideration; If his rival’s endurance returned?... If he was no longer dying in a silent, lingering, slow, decline… well. He may even become an acolyte himself. )
Pakkun’s voice kept him from fully considering these thoughts. “Boss will be better. You’ll need to be his lookout. I’ll tell you where to go.”
And with that statement completed, he hopped upon Gai’s shoulder, urged stealth, and provided directions to Kakashi through taps of his paws.
Training ground forty-eight shared a fence with training ground forty-four. Covering a fifth the acreage as fourty-four, its animals were larger and even more vicious due to the comparative scarcity of space and resources. However, they were not culled nearly as often as those of forty-four, since the Jōnin who could safely transverse the field were much more likely to spar against each-other than to bother with the creatures, and forty-four was significantly more conducive to multi-level team training (due to the large water supply, expansive space, central tower, and routine patrols.)
Pakkun’s directions lead them well into training ground forty-eight, up a massive tree, and into it’s hollowed out center. A mess of blankets, mussed in a way denoting canine bodies, laid beside a thin sleeping mat. A cloth, a bowl of water, sealing ink, a fine brush, and a stack of papers was set upon a makeshift stool. A web of unknown seal-work threaded the sides, floor, and ceiling of this blind.
Gai strangled any hint of enthusiasm for being introduced to one of Kakashi’s niches and greeted his comrade with an emotive question of, “Kakashi?” He made sure to imbue the word with all the sincerity, concern, support, and seriousness that his friend would flinch from should it be spoken of more directly.
A signal to hold was flashed his way as Kakashi walked briskly to the entrance of his hollow. Rapid hand signs brought forth a shadow clone who gracefully leapt from the tree. A puff of smoke signaled that Pakkun had released himself from the summoning as a way to limit Kakashi’s immediate chakra expenditure. Gai walked forward silently to join Kakashi in watching himself work.
From the looks of it, this tree was becoming more trapped than a rogue Jinchūriki’s bunker.
His companion placed his hand on a seal to the left of the door. A glance between Gai and a nearly identical seal to the entrance’s right clearly indicated that Gai was to trigger the seal at Kakashi’s signal.
Gai paused for the briefest of moments, remembering all the ways that Kakashi had been himself throughout the day; none other could have pretended to be Kakashi so well during their challenge, no other would read his dedication and priorities so clearly and obtained his assistance with so few words, no other could have summoned Pakkun, and no other would request that he trigger an unknown, paired seal without explanation. He brought his chakra forward, a nudge against Kakashi’s, a final confirmation that Kakashi was himself. He nodded to himself, aware that Kakashi would have understood these considerations. A half step forward and his hand was upon the seal, chakra rising to trigger the seal at his comrade’s command.
“And yourself?” he asked quietly, a glance at the still forming traps in the branches around them clarifying his question.
“I’ll join us soon. As long as we are both here, we’ll be able to come and go as required.” The implication being that they would be here for hours yet.
Two taps of Kakashi’s fingers refocused them both, and the third was accompanied by a focused, “Now.” The seals glowed with the strength of two Jōnin. Gai looked at Kakashi worriedly at the cost of the activation. He knew the cost of a Kage Bunshin for himself, and could feel that he could have made two with the chakra he’d just expended… he couldn’t imagine that Kakashi had given any less than himself.
Kakashi did, indeed, look pale. His hands clenched briefly before a ration bar was retrieved from the pouch on his hip. He glanced questioningly at Gai, who immediately shook his head, denying the need of a bar for himself. Gai politely studied the seals surrounding them, giving his companion the privacy he needed to consume his ration without genjutsu.
Kakashi sat himself upon the sleeping mat, gesturing that Gai could sit across from him. Both had a clear view out the entrance. Kakashi slouched forward, his left hand playing over the sheaf of notes. His eye was upon the seals of the wall, and his right hand absently traced what Gai first tried to identify as a hand-sign or Kanji, but soon parsed as yet another unknown seal.
As minutes passed in silence, it occurred to him that. that… Kakashi might not actually know how to say what he’d been brought here to hear.
However, before he could bring up the new style of seals as a way to help broach the topic, Kakashi spoke.
“I told the Hokage that I encountered a goddess three days ago.” As a topic opener, that was a doozy. If that’s what he told the Hokage, was that actually what occurred?
“I did… In a way. Her name is the Shikabane-hime.” That name did not bode well for people’s belief in Kakashi’s continued sanity.
“She’s the ideal Kami for shinobi; Explosions. Seals.” He waved a hand to encompass the seals surrounding them. “Secrets hidden in shadows. Truthful lies. Unconventional friendships. Vigorous protection of friends and family. Miracles. And all states of undeath. These are all in the domain of the great Shikabane-hime.” Kakashi actually appeared to perk up a bit when reciting this. If he hasn’t actually cracked, this does sound like a goddess his companion would respect.
“Through her grace, I’ve been gifted knowledge of the future.” By all that’s Good in Spring-Time… his Rival might actually have cracked.
“I shared little things, things that won’t make a difference if the Sandaime chose not to believe me; they proved true… but the Hokage has ruled that ‘divine inspiration does not constitute actionable intelligence’.” Kakashi actually sounded rather miffed about that ruling. Gai was just feeling an inexpressible relief that the Hokage hadn’t sentenced Kakashi to a stay of indefinite length with the Yamanaka; allowing this to be a quirk of Kakashi was *much* safer for him.
“Once Tsunade-sama becomes the Godaime, we’ll be able to get much more done.” The last Gai knew, the Slug Sannin had sworn never to return to the Village. He figured that her taking the hat could serve as enough proof to him that Kakashi’s ‘divine intelligence’ *was* actionable… but maybe it was best to turn Kakashi’s mind to more current events.
He questioned, “And, your Genin?” Praying to any kami, even this new Shikabane-hime herself, that the team he would be testing tomorrow would prove a grounding force for Kakashi.
Kakashi actually lit up at this question. “My cute little genin are going to pass! They’re going to be absolute monsters.” He said that last with a degree of prideful relish. That was… probably the most hopeful thing he had ever heard Kakashi say.
“And this?” Gai gestured to the hidden blind they were currently bunkered within. He didn’t want to dampen Kakashi’s enthusiasm, but if whatever Kakashi had planned was going to take hours, it was best that the specific reason for present locale be approached with alacrity.
Kakashi straightened, a mission-mindset clearly enveloping him. “She” (Gai could hear the capitol letter to Her reference.) “has given me the knowledge to stop the worst of the chakra drain caused by the Sharingan.” What?!?!?!?
“This seal,” a scroll was produced with a flourish, “will allow me to turn the Sharingan off and on.” Kakashi’s handwriting proved him to be the transcriber of the document, and for the first time and for the briefest of moments, Gai felt the faintest flicker of true belief begin to percolate.
In response, he did what any self-respecting Konoha jōnin would do in this situation; he reached a hand to clutch his comrade’s bicep. He then cast the strongest genjutsu disruption he could manage through both their systems.
Kakashi looked at him with amusement.
Nothing had changed.
Clearly Kakashi had brought him to witness the seal being placed and to guard him while it occurred. Gai took it under his own prerogative that he vet the pre-application as far as Kakashi would allow; he would guard his companion even before his shift to do so was to begin, so he asked, “How can you trust that seal?”
The response was one he’d call glib coming from any other shinobi; “The Shikabane-hime *is* a Goddess of Seals; the rest of them have worked as She said they would.” Gai’s heart practically stopped; his Rival had been *testing* an Unknown’s seals.
Kakashi didn’t allow him the curtesy of having his heart attack in peace and proceeded to shuffle through the pile of loose papers, pulling various sheets out with alacrity; “Explosions. Explosions. Explosions. Barriers. Barriers. Light. Lightening. Stasis. Storage. Storage. Gravity. Fire. Temperature. Medical. Medical.“ He tapped each seal as he set them down, clearly making a point about the accuracy of their labels. Even at a glance, Gai could tell this sealing style was cohesive and not one known to Konoha outside of Kakashi (and now himself).
Kakashi met his gaze, shifting up his hitate to expose his… *shifting* sharingan(!!!).
“This is the Mangekyou Sharingan.” He kept it for only a moment before his eye shifted back to the three tomoe state. He looked down, drawing Gai’s attention to the complex seal before him. “This will work.” He assured.
Many thoughts ran through Gai’s mind; if he were to drag Kakashi to the Yamanaka, he would lose him forever. If he were to drag Ibiki to Kakashi, the same would result. If he were to back out, he would break Kakashi’s trust in him. If he were to ask Kakashi to wait, he would not be there when Kakashi inevitably pursued this course of action anyways.
There was only one path here that he could live with; Kakashi would have his support and his silence.
(He consoled himself that he was concealing nothing from the Hokage; the Sandaime was already informed of Kakashi’s Kami-touched-state… the fact that he’d chosen to call it a quirk was not something Gai would risk Kakashi’s Life by challenging.)
Gai closed his eyes briefly, he would do this. But… Kakashi needed to know; he summoned up every scrap of emotion he could: Dedication. Fear. Worry. Solidity. Concern. Resolve. Protection. Love. Hope. Kakashi- even this goddess-touched version of his friend would flee from the words- but he would show this in his face and eyes and pray his companion received his message. He locked their gazes.
The Sharingan spun into its new form, memorizing every word Gai refrained from voicing. Kakashi broke eye contact first, his swallow was visible even through his mask. A thumb brushed against the paper of the seal in unconscious search for comfort. He glanced at the seal and fleetingly back to Gai.
“This will work.” He assured again. Gai could only pray he was right, and trust in his Rival’s own belief.
Kakashi laid himself down upon the sleeping mat and his shadow clone scuffed a foot politely upon his entrance. Hanging moss now masked the doorway, making it a perfect blind from which to stand watch. As Gai retreated closer to the door, the clone spoke to him, “The laying of the seal will take nearly an hour. After activation, the affected pathways will be learning their roles; it will cause the Sharingan to return to a resting state over the course of three hours. It will be slowly reactivated over a fourth hour. During this time, the only chakra we are to do will be my dispelling and the subsequent activation of the seal.”
Gai nodded- words failing him for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he took a page from Kakashi’s book and signed a brisk ‘acknowledgement’.
As safe as they were in Konoha, in Kakashi’s well trapped blind, in an avoided training ground well away from all patrols, Kakashi was placing his life in the hand’s of Gai and the Shikabane-hime… and- for his part- he was determined not to let his friend down.
He would watch.
(And, if he sent a desperate prayer requesting the Shikabane-hime’s support for Kakashi in this endeavor… well… that was between himself and the Shikabane-hime.)
Gai arrived home in the late hours of early morning mentally and emotionally exhausted. He had only an hour before he was to meet his team for training.
But! Kakashi’s Sharingan was fixed. It was fully integrated within his system; a boon that he had often wished would occur, but one he feared would eventually cause Kakashi’s end for its absence.
However, as his mind took in thoughts of a shower before breakfast, his eyes caught a change to his bedroom. He crept forward to investigate;
A plain vase, marked with a muddy paw print, rested atop his dresser. In it, a Snapdragon, Queen Anne’s Lace, Blue Hyacinth, Hydrangea, White and Lavender Heather, Gladiolus, and Aster, kept the company of five Daffodils surrounding a single Freesia.
Parsing its message, he promptly burst into tears of relief, joy, and gratitude. Kakashi might never claim his friendship verbally, but his belief in the Shikabane-hime clearly lent him the strength to proclaim his friendship in silence.
Gai breathed out a fervent prayer, “By all that’s Youthful, Hardworking, and Springtime…. Thank You.”
Be She True or a Quirk of Jōnin born insanity, he would forever be grateful for his best friend’s life.
He never did manage to catch the shower he’d wished for before meeting his team that day, but with all that had occurred, he was not disappointed at all.