This just popped into my head, and I had to get it out - because god knows when I'd be able to come back to this when I would need to. Though, that being said, this is also sort of a spoiler for one of my stories... and for that, I am very sorry. I just recently bounced back a little into the Narutoverse, and it has caused me to draw and write and be inspired again. SO! If you'd rather not be spoiled, then don't read past the page break. However, if you're willing to give up a little surprise for something new go forth and read!

Due to this new found return to this series, I may update on some old stories soon. :3

So yeah... here we go!

~Stupid~

It was upsetting to say the least, and it ate at him with a growing ire the likes of which he'd never felt.

At least, not since last Tuesday.

It was idiotic, moronic, downright childish! It was...just...plain...

Stupid.

Did they really think he of all people wouldn't care? Okay, so maybe we wasn't the most perceptive of the group...perhaps to even be ever the slightest bit oblivious to the deeper workings of their ragtag group.

Still...

It hurt a little. He'd be lying to himself if he said it didn't. Perhaps his intense anger at the situation was partially due to his embarrassment; which he hardly ever got over anything.

Embarrassed, that is - it was thought nigh impossible. Yet here he was, face flushed red and emerald eyes flashing dangerously.

His temper, on the other hand, was quick and easy to trigger if you knew what buttons to push. Otherwise he considered himself a relatively calm person. Whatever the case, you didn't want to be on the receiving end if he happened to be angered. His ire was known to be rivaled by only one other ninja in the village.

Which just so happened to be his mother.

So it was with much poise and what dignity he had left that he stood his ground, inhaling deeply, let the deep breathe go slowly and turned away from the small group of laughing ninja all of whom were on the ground in hysterics, save one or two.

He fumed silently to himself all the way home.

Opening the door, he gave a curt "I'm home" and, still caught up in his mood, shut the door a bit rougher than necessary. Kicking off his shoes and removing his Chuunin jacket, which he tossed over the back of the living room couch, the young man huffed to himself as he unceremoniously flopped onto the aforementioned furniture.

A moment later, a woman stepped into the room from the hallway. She appeared to be in her late thirties, to early forties. Her medium length hair, one of her most notable traits for its particular color, was tied back in a loose ponytail. She frowned slightly as her gaze fell upon the boy. Moving over to the couch, the woman sat down next to the other and gave him a questioning look.

His eyes briefly flickered to hers before looking away.

"Kakashi's an asshole."

The boy yelped when a knock to the back of the head was the response to this statement.

"Watch your mouth, young man!"

"You swear more than the elite ninja from water country!" He retorted, rubbing the back of his head.

"I've lived and fought through a war, bartered peace treaties with that very country and once more, I'm your mother. I've earned the right. You have not."

The boy rolled his eyes, and gave her a look that read 'That's bullshit and you know it.' His lips set in an ever so small pout.

It caused her to still, and for a breaths moment her heart skipped a beat. She was taken somewhere in a time since passed; the corners of her eyes pricked with tears.

"Mom?"

The boy's eyes had widened a little when he noticed the sudden change in his mother's attitude. It gave him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Growing up he was use to seeing his mother get this faraway look on her face. Her mood would change and more often than not she would end up in tears. He had always thought it was because he had done something wrong.

"Sorry...just...lost in thought, dear."

Time moved on, and so did she. He had eventually learned that it wasn't his fault or that he'd ever done anything wrong. His mother had, once she felt he was old enough to understand the concept, told him that it was due to his late father. Save for the color of his eyes, he was apparently the spitting image of the man. Pictures he'd seen proved this.

Now a days it wasn't often he'd see her act like this, but every once in awhile...

"So tell me what's wrong? Why'd you come home in a huff?" She cleared her throat, coming back to the topic at hand.

The boy sighed and fell back into the couch. For a long time, he remained silent. When he finally spoke up, he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Taken back by the question, the woman's shocked expression melted away as she reached out and turned the boy around so he was facing her.

"Why on earth would you think you're stupid, or for that matter, believe I think that?"

His eyes narrowed a bit.

"Apparently everyone else does." There was a small bitterness to this statement.

The woman sighed and gently lifted his head up so she could look him in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Gai. You are not stupid by any means. Who cares what anyone else thinks? You are incredibly smart and don't let anyone make you think otherwise. Sure, you can sometimes be... a bit...oblivious to certain things; but that's not the same as intelligence."

The boy, Gai, let a small smile break over his face.

The sound of the door opening caused the two occupants of the couch to turn to see who had arrived. Gai's small smile turned into a frown; and his eyes narrowed.

"Seriously? We joke around a little and you run to mom?"

Gai turned towards the other boy, leaning over the back of the couch.

"Don't make me come over there and hand you your head on a plate! The only reason I didn't pummel the lot of you was be-because the girls were there!"

"Please! You've never cared about that before. You just didn't want her to see-"

"Shut up, Kakashi, or I will kick your-!"

"As if you could even touch me!"

"ENOUGH!"

Both boys quieted immediately and seemed to almost shrink in size. Getting up from the couch, the woman gave Kakashi a stern look and pointed to the spot she just vacated. Without hesitation, Kakashi made his way to the couch and sat.

Both boys looked at her with guilty looks.

"Alright. Now..." The woman inhaled and exhaled; calming herself.

"Kakashi, apologize to your brother."

Kakashi frowned, and not looking at Gai, mumbled a 'Sorry'. Gai seemed to accept this.

"Okay. Now tell me what's going on."

Gai began to fidget, while Kakashi stared at his shoes.

"If no one is willing to tell me, I will send you both to your rooms without dinner."

Kakashi straightened and pointed at the other boy.

"He pierced his ear!"

"Kakashi!"

The woman turned slowly to Gai, and leveled her gaze at him.

"Gai... is this true?"

Unable to hold himself in check under the powerful gaze, Gai sighed, and ran a hand through the black locks of hair that framed his face. Pushing them back, he revealed a pierced right ear, with a small rhinestone stud.

The woman sighed.

"Tomorrow after work, if you'd like, I'll take you to get the other one pierced. However, because you decided to not ask me or your father about this, I'm grounding you for a week."

"Yes, Mother." Gai looked down.

"And as for you, young man..." The woman turned to the other boy.

"You too are grounded for a week."

Kakashi's thick eyebrows shot up under his shaggy bangs; wide obsidian eyes flashing.

"What? Why?"

"You damaged your brother's pride and feelings in front of your friends. You know your brother can sometimes act without thinking and probably didn't realize some of the social stigma around piercing one's ears."

She turned to look at the older boy, who met her glance briefly, then looked away in embarassment.

"You could have simply told him in private about something like this, instead of making it a joke. Do you understand me, mister?" She spoke evenly as she turned back to her younger son.

"Yes, Mother." Kakashi said quietly, looking a little ashamed.

"Good... now you two go and get washed up. Dinner should be ready soon."

Both boys got up and shuffled into the hallway leading them to the bathroom. She could hear them bickering and slowly let a long breath go she didn't realize she was holding. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she turned back towards the kitchen.

Upon entering the room, she was pulled into an embrace from behind. Had she not felt the other's chakra signature, though faint it may be, she would have thrown the other through the nearest wall.

"One of these days, you're going to surprise me like this and I'm going to end up hurting you."

"I am not nearly as full of surprises as you are, Sakura blossom."

Sakura snorted, rolling her eyes and turned around in the embrace.

"And I'm not full of corny little one liners like you are, Lee Lotus petal."

Lee flushed, and the look on his face caused Sakura to laugh lightly. She rested her head against her husband's chest as well as the rest of her weight against his body. There was a moment of peaceful quiet of which was warm and comfortable.

"Gai pierced his right ear."

"What?"

~x~

The following day seemed a little brighter, as if full of some hidden promise of good cheer.

Sakura had finished with her work and, as promised, was taking Gai to get his other ear pierced. However, to save her son's grace, she had turned it into what seemed to be a casual shopping trip with Gai in tow behind her.

"Oooooyyy! Gai-kun!"

Gai stopped and turned his attention towards the voice that had addressed him. Sakura too, had turned, catching a quick glimpse of who had shouted; though really, she already knew who it was.

Turning back towards the vender, Sakura began to move just slightly out of earshot as a small blur of orange and lavender ran past her; a quick "Good Afternoon, Mrs. Rock!" being said with the light breeze.

Said blur of color halted in front of Gai.

"Ne, Ne, you ran off yesterday so suddenly! What gives?"

Gai flushed a bit, eyes flickering over to see his mother who seemed to give him a knowing smile. It just made the boy that much more fidgety.

"I, uh-"

"I mean, usually you just crack some heads and it's all good, right?"

Gai paused to still himself. The girl was right. Normally if anyone began to get like they had, he'd give them a whack to the back of the head. Wow... was he really that predictable?

"Don't tell me they got to you." Her voice seemed to soften a bit.

"...Yeah. A little." Gai looked away.

He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes; eyes that seemed to have the power to look into anyone's soul without resorting to use her Byakugan.

"Well, that's just sad...because I felt inspired by it all." There was a glint in her eyes and her wide grin.

"What do you mean?" Gai rose an eyebrow, giving her a look.

She leaned in a little, and pulled back the long blonde locks covering her left ear.

"What do you think?"

It was pierced; with a small gold hoop. Not enough to get in the way, but enough to be noticeable.

"It's cute." The words left him before his brain had registered otherwise.

"I know, right! But don't tell my Dad, he doesn't know yet!" She smiled even wider, and then turned to hook her left arm with his right one.

"Between us we both got a set of pierced ears!"

Her laugh was a bit infectious, and Gai found himself laughing with her. After a moment the boy spoke up.

"Thanks, Hiru-chan."

"What are best friends for, -ttebane? Now be a sport and treat me to some Ramen?"

"Oka-hey! I bought your bowls all of last week! You owe me this week."

She looked away, giving a fake pout.

"Ah, but I just spent all my money on getting this done." Hiru indicated her ear.

"Why?" Gai questioned, watching the girl's profile closely as she fidgeted.

He'd never admit it out loud, but while Hiru thought the marks on her cheeks made her look silly, he thought they gave her a certain appeal.

"You didn't do it just for me, did you?"

"...Yeah. A little." She gave him a wide grin, a small blush dusted her features.

Gai sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright. One bowl."

"Yeay! Come on, let's go!"

Hiru was practically dragging the boy with her, though Gai didn't seem to mind.

"Going somewhere?" Sakura said from behind them.

Hiru stopped, and Gai slapped a hand to his face.

"Ara! I forgot. I can't go Hiru. Sorry."

"Oh..." The girl slumped a little, visibly upset.

Sakura frowned as she watched the girl looked down defeated. It pulled at the older woman's heartstrings. She had seen that sad look too many times mirrored on the face of Hiru's father.

With a sigh and a huff, Sakura waved her hand at the two.

"Go on, go on, before I change my mind."

"Really?" Both Gai and Hiru exclaimed; Gai surprised and Hiru excited.

"Yeah, go on. Just be home before dinner, hun. You too, Hiru-chan."

She watched as they left. A grin formed on her face.

To tell Naruto or not to tell Naruto about his daughter's new fashion accessory?

~X~

Questions, comments and concerns are welcome.

And yes, I will be doing some more with these characters down the road.

So I guess this could be considered a sneak-peek.

Also, if you didn't really catch the concept of the problem; this stems from a stereotype that guys who pierce their right ear (for as long as I've known of this stereotype I've been told/heard it was the right ear) are considered gay. Gai, being oblivious to such things, just wanted to get an ear piercing - 'cause it was cool' - and... well yeah. XD