A Shinobi of Reckoning
Kakashi was often up early not taking the time to wait for his counterpart since he liked to sleep in. He was headed for the market to get some fresh food, they were out three days now, only living on Ichiraku and other restaurants. It was nearly nine when Kakashi was headed on his way home and Obito leapt in front of him trying to scare him.
Kakashi only yawned, "Don't worry Obito, I got the groceries since you were so lazy in bed."
Obito frowned in disappointment that he'd failed again to surprise Kakashi. And then he noticed something move. It was quick. He only noticed it out of the corner of his eye and carefully began pulling a kunai out.
Kakashi sighed, "Relax, it's only Mighto Gai."
Kakashi only realized that this made Obito more eager to fight and as soon as Gai came up to issue another one of his crazy challenges to Kakashi, Obito leapt in front of him, "Not today turtleboy! You're fighting me before you fight Kakashi!"
Kakashi only watched out of curiosity because normally whenever Obito issued a challenge on Gai, Gai would gracefully decline making the Uchiha mad as an ox. Kakashi didn't mind, in fact he rather liked having Obito take his place.
"That is unnecessary my friend, I want to fight Kakashi."
Kakshi half turned, "It's my turn to choose this time, isn't it?"
"That is correct my eternal rival!"
"Then I chose that you do a free for all with Obito."
Obito's face lit up gratefully and Kakashi flung him a peace sign with his fingers, "I've got to get this home if you don't mind."
"Thanks a million Kakashi!" He waved back. Flustered Gai realized he had not choice and led Obito to the training grounds. Kakashi used the transportation jutsu to get home and quickly put away the grocieries. Despite his constant dislike of their one sided rivalry, Kakashi was actually interested to see the outcome of Gai and OBito's battle. Through Obito, Kakashi had learned a lesson of humility, and he knew that Obito was not a flaky character any more, he was tough to beat these days. As soon as all the grocieries were in the fridge he took his book and again teleported to the training grounds to find Gai and Obito. Both were getting ready quickly and then it began. It was an anything goes battle until one gave up or was out cold. Obito's right eye awakened quickly into sharingan, but Kakashi knew that OBito had already acquired even the legendary Mangekyou sharningan at this point. He wondered if Obito would use it or not.
Both were quick on their feet. But it seemed as always that Gai's taijutsu skills were superior. Kakashi leaned forward almost wanting to cheer Obito on and make him use his mangekyo, he wondered why Obito wasn't. And then almost instantly it did happen and none of Gai's punches did him any harm, simply sinking through Obito's body. For a moment Gai was astonished but just a moment too long because Obito instantly kicked him in the face. But that alone wasn't going to beat Gai. Soon Gai discovered that all his punches were virtually doing nothing to Obito since Obito was no out of phase. Kakashi was pleased, and was sure that if Obito was ever fighting, he could probably rely most of his strength of the mangekyo alone, but the problem was, the mangekyo was very wearing on its user and Obito could only use it for fifteen maybe twenty minutes. If he wasn't careful, he'd become too week and lose to Gai. But Obito knew this, and though the fight had only lasted for ten minutes, he was trying to wrap it up fast, he quickly made hand sings for the infamous fireball jutsu. Gai could take fire though and of course being a turtle master used a few water jutsu to counter Obito's fire jutsu.
Both were surprisingly out of breath, and in such a short amount of time too. But both were far from finished with each other.
"You fight well my fire breathing friend!" Gai interjected.
"You too Gai," Obito responded. Kakashi sat back wondering if they were just buying time to get the fight over with. No…Obito had a clone hiding around and it was going after Gai from behind with a shurikan, Gai of course sensed it and tried beating the shurikan out of the air when it instead turned into another clone of Obito and swung off Gai's arm and kicked him into a tree nearby. The two clones disappeared. Kakashi smiled to himself, and watched as Gai slowly came to again and got up, "Impressive, I didn't see that one coming. But of course, you didn't see mine either."
Obito blinked dumbfoundedly and only at the last minute sensed the trap Gai had set. He instantly went back into Mangekyo mode and disappeared below the surface of the earth. Round after round the two were getting the better of the other, cheap traps weren't working on either of them or at least not too well. After fifteen minutes of straight fighting, Kakashi guessed they had about five more minutes before both were worn out and would start suffering from chakra depletion which was undesirable.
Obito was avoiding Gai's swift and all too powerful blows, one connected though, causing the boy to fall back. But he kicked Gai in the stomach as he went down. Obito got up slowly, obviously running low on chakra. Gai was in just as bad of shape.
They were down to simple taijutsu. Obito was good at avoiding Gai, and making a few of his own offensive attacks, but Kakashi already noticed that they were evenly matched. Kakashi heard the bushes rustle and Asuma, Kurenai and Ebisu emerged, "What are you guys doing here? You missed the dumplings this morning."
Neither of them paid any attention to the new guests interceding on their match.
"Whoever falls down first and stays down for ten seconds, is the loser," Gai said.
Obito nodded. And then Gai proceeded with something Kakashi hadn't quite expected. He was opening the first of the eight gates…the jutsu Kakashi wasn't quite sure how Gai came across, but was powerful enough to keep him going. He sighed realizing that despite all for Obito's effort, he would fall to Gai's powerful jutsu. Kakashi was just about to leap off the tree and stop the battle when Obito went out of phase again.
"Using Mangekyo again? Doesn't he know that it's dangerous to use more than once and worse twice!" Kakashi was flabbergasted. He always knew Obito was crazy and rash, but there was no way he could hold out that long against Gai's attacks now and not to mention that all of Gai's attacks were twice as potent as before. Obito simply played around making Gai use up all his energy chasing him through the trees. A few times Gai slapped flat into a tree because Obito would slip clean through to the other side. The other viewers had stopped chatting and were as into the fight as Kakashi had been. Gai could only open four of the eight gates, and the more fired up he got about Obito's avoiding him the more he opened hoping he could beat Obito in between his in and out phasing moments. Both were obviously at their limits and Gai collapsed. All his chakra left him from the last of the four gates. Obito looked more than happy to stop using his mangekyou because he didn't look like he could take even five more seconds of it.
"How many bets that Obito will go down first?" Asuma asked his comrades.
"A dinner at Ichiraku, Gai'll beat him hands down," Ebisu said. They all nodded in agreement and looked up at Kakahsi in the trees. Evidently the two boys overheard the others making bets. Obito's fury was probably going to be the last stroke since he was being bet against.
"What do you say Kakashi?" Asuma asked. None of them were really expecting the haughty boy to answer. But Kakashi did, "I bet a miso soup with eggplant that it's a draw." Kakashi came down from the tree. All of them knew the fight was at its end but none thought that Obito would hold out against Gai much longer.
Both lay against trees opposite of one another, panting and watching each other carefully. Gai attacked and Obito caught the punch lunging his own at the same time which in turn was caught by Gai. They held each others fists until letting go and pushing each other to the ground. Obito was the first to attack this time and made for a swift kick that was quickly blocked by Gai's. Their taijutsu match was longer than anyone expected. Both getting up when beaten down, and the more the others watched, the more they were afraid Kakashi had won the bet.
Both were still standing, and one kick from Gai sent Obito into the trees, but not before he used the very last of his strength to use an earth jutsu to punch Gai to the other side. They both hit hard, and even with Kakashi using his sharingan it was hard to determine who hit the ground first. After a few seconds without movement from either one of them Asuma stepped forward to see if either one was even ceonscious. It turned out both were out cold.
Kakashi smiled to the three of them and sighed, "mmm…three miso with eggplant soups in a week,"
"Hey, we only bet one!" Kurenai yelled at his back.
"But weren't we making individual bets?" Kakashi asked.
They all sighed and gave in going over to Gai to help get him to the hospital. Kakashi meanwhile went over to Obito and picked him up and momentarily performing the transportation jutsu to get him there as well. As they walked in, they met Rin who didn't look very surprised to see Obito was beat up.
"Asuma, Kurenai and Ebisu aren't far, they're carring Gai. It ended up being a draw."
"Really? Obito actually didn't lose?" She asked as she led them to the same room Gai would be put in.
"I hope Lady Tsunade isn't too mad about this," she said a moment later as surveyed the damage.
Kakashi smiled, "She'll be furious, I'm sure and I don't think I want to be around to experience it."
Kakashi looked back at Obito who lay in the bed being tended by Rin, it was funny how they're friendship had developed since his accident and how well Kakashi actually began to get along with everyone else in the village as well. Of course, Sensei would be proud of Obito too, that even after his accident he'd made more progress than ever before.
"Well, I'm off to enjoy a wonderful lunch provided by Asuma, see ya," he waved to Rin and left. A few moments later Gai was brought in, just as unconscious as the other boy. Rin quickly finished sticking the last of the needles into Obito's arm and went to Gai's side.
"Wow, I didn't believe it when Kakashi told me," she said, "but he looks just as beat up as Obito."
"Yeah, now we have to pay for a stupid miso soup for that arrogant little brat, Kakashi," Asuma complained. Rin laughed a little, "Have fun. I think I'll join you as soon as my shift is over."
"And listen to Kakashi brag about how he was right again?" Asuma asked.
She smiled and nodded and tended back to their wounds letting them leave.
"I wish you were there, Rin," the whisper startled her out of her concentration and she looked over to Obito's bed. His right eye was barely open and he smiled grandly.
"It sounds like an amazing fight. I don't think I needed to see it though," she smiled kindly to the raven haired boy who only enjoyed her ongoing company until Lady Tsunade arrived to tear him apart even more.
A few days later many people in the village were surprised to see both Obito and Gai training and doing laps on their hands around the village. The hokage laughed from the tower, more than happy to see his student getting along well for the first time in a long time.