This is a story of before Neji and Tenten fully accepted Gai as a teacher. It's kind of an explanation of why everyone just ignores or overlooks Gai's behaviour.

some funny scenes too. happy Halloween!

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story but how the characters are acting.


The top of the sun peeked over over the top of the hill, sending soft light down on the fire village. The soft songs of faraway birds gracefully floated into the windows left open. The aroma of drying dew and live flowers gently drifted down the breeze.

Neji was sitting calmly inside his room, meditating on the calm surrounding.

Tenten was fast asleep in her room, still dreaming of dancing with her knives all around.

Lee was drooling even, fast asleep on the floor, having not actually made it to his bed the night before.

Suddenly the tranquility was completely broken, Gai opened his eyes and let out a loud bellow to welcome the day.

"Youth! Power! Life!".He had been doing this every morning since he had taken a team. His neighbours were complaining daily, but eventually they would come to think of this as their alarm clock. The Hokage saw the progress he was making with his team though, and made certain allowances for Gai's eccentricities.

Gai stretched before donning his normal suit. It was a little smug, but it always stretched out after a nice warm up. A warm up he did before his students came to him, after all their youthful energy should never be wasted waiting for their Sensei to warm up!

As Gai came jogging into their training grounds, he was pleased to meet up with Neji. Although this student of his was always on time, he was never actually early. No no no, that particular claim could only come from Lee. And here his star pupil was now, Lee tripped over something in his haste to meet up with his Sensei.

"Alright you two, since you're here first you might as well. . . . Come for a run!"

For once there was no grumbling in the back as Gai took up point. Gai led them straight to Tenten's home, greeting her mom in a pleasant manner while prancing through her house.

"Sensei!" Tenten shrieked, grabbing her numb-chuck patterned housecoat from the floor.

Her room was typical; littered with tools, paper and polishing cloths. Although a Jounin she may not have yet been, she could still tell when three males went stampeding through her living space.

Gai was proud to see the youthful glow across her face. "You are full of life and energy today, my youthful student!"

That youthful energy Gai was talking about seemed to those sanest in the room like a volcano ready to explode. Tenten finished tying the sash tightening her housecoat over her nightgown (which looked had a lilac pattern from what Neji could see), in an attitude better used as one prepares to enter battle.

It came as no surprise to Neji that Tenten was preparing just for that. Popping out of her bed with a loud shriek, she leaped wildly at them. Neji took point in a strategic retreat, ensuring he had Lee by the arm as they bolted out of there. Tenten chased them all the way out of her room, down the hall and almost to the kitchen where she stopped short.

Blushing furiously, Tenten quietly headed back to her room to get dressed.

Gai kept an eye on the hall as he took a seat down at Tenten's kitchen table. By the stove, Tenten's mom stood eyes wide and letting the eggs burn.

"What are you doing here?" She finally asked.

"We decided training should start a little early today," Gai flashed her his shiny teeth. "Our Youthful energy was too much to hold back on such a beautiful day as this!"

She stood there, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. Not sure what they were talking about, and angry that they had barged into her home unexpected. Lee was nervously dancing from one foot to another, waiting for Gai to do something.

"We're sorry for interrupting Lady Tenten. May I take over on the stove, and let you sit with our Sensei?" Let it never be said Neji never helped out his team, even if he just wanted to avoid the loud obnoxious man.

The mother moved aside, coming to sit at the small table, "I'm afraid I did not expect company for breakfast, would you like some toast?"

"Thank you," Gai smiled at her.

A good five minutes later they had a delicious meal on the table, and Lee was pouring everyone a glass of juice. Tenten watched from the doorway as her mom slapped Gai on the shoulder blushing at something he had said.

The world was crashing that's for sure.


Lee was happily mimicking his Sensei, trying hard to learn this new kind of jutsu that apparently even he could learn. It was hard work, and he could never take off his leg weights, but it would be worth it. Already, he had noticed his speed increasing.

But it was slow and tedious work, He had heard a lot of the other trainers muttering about it to themselves, one another, to his teammates and even once to his own Sensei. The people had mostly just laughed about it to one another. Neji had rolled his eyes and then promptly walked out of the room while the person was still talking. It was funny to watch in a way, even though he could tell both Neji and Tenten had not fully settled into life in their team, he felt more at home here than ever before.

That did not mean though, that it didn't hurt to hear people talk about him in such a way. all his life he had been picked on, he was completely used to it, but here in a team that he considered a home he found himself wondering if they maybe agreed at times.

Neji always said he agreed, but he always did something contrary to what he was saying. If they were on a mission or training, Neji would insult him the entire time whilst helping him out. Sensei Gai told the team once that Neji needed someone to make him laugh, someone to get him to open up to his team. He said that once Neji could work as a teammate, they would be eternally youthful.

Tenten seemed opinionated. She never said what she thought, but at the same time, was not really a quiet person either. She talked about her weapons and never stood up or told anyone around her that she didn't like something. Gai said that she needed something, and that Lee would see her completely change when she found this thing that she still needed. Sensei Gai told them, and Tenten too, that she needed someone strong to emulate so she could form her own opinions and stand by them. Lee thought that was unlikely, if someone as strong as their leader couldn't change her, there was no one else who could.

Neji had remarked that Lee himself needed their Sensei's outlook on life or he would parish crossing a street. Lee thought maybe Neji considered him depressed or insane. After all, the spandex look had not gone over well with the entire team, only Lee. Lee himself heard Neji say the suit was psychologically and emotionally oppressing and ridiculously laughable when he was asked to wear one. That meant to Lee that Sensei was headed in the right direction, even if his teammates didn't think so.

Sensei had told him, he just needed more energy. Maybe the outlook of life could come later.


Gai sat back in the closest tea house to his team, it was their first solo team mission, only their second mission ever. If Neji hadn't have spoken up, the four of them would have been forever catching cats. As it was the three of them had a level higher mission, a 'C'. This 'C' was safer if Gai didn't go with them, that's why he was sitting with Asuma now.

"Catching their first criminal, huh? Is Neji still giving you trouble?"

"Just a citizen. He would have recognized me too soon. No, Neji isn't any trouble., who said he was?"

Asuma leaned back playing with his cigarette, "I hear rumours. . . not that I usually listen.'

"He's a good kid. We're going for a climb this afternoon, why don't you stop by and see for yourself?"

Asuma just shook his head, "I'm meeting the guys. We wanted to do something relaxing."

"A nice hike through the woods will bring back that youthful energy!"

Asuma smiled naively, " I think I'll take you up on that, it can't be too taxing with students that young."

It might take a few days, but once they were that far out, the Jounin accompanying them would be unable to leave team Guy out there alone. The record was 8 days, Guy planned on making it in 6. it was a fairely warm day, so the mud and swamps wouldn't be too much of a problem. Unfortunately the bugs were going to be murder. Gai grinned not letting a word slip about their treacherous trek across the fire countries borders.

No one ever again took Gai's training for granted. Especially when he told everyone they had to do it all again; they had missed the record by half a dozen hours.


Telling Neji his faults was like telling a computer a math problem; so long as you had all the numbers, it went smoothly. . .

the start of another oneshot in my workings. It was going to be a scene in here, but it didn't actually fit in smoothly. I thought I'd leave this line in anyways as I really like how it sounds.


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