Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters.
Gai was disappointed to see that Neji was late returning from breakfast. Lee and Tenten were both wrestling by the time their sensei made an appearance. Not that he minded, Tenten could use the practice. With weapons, she was superior, but hand to hand was sometimes tricky, and he always ensured that those skills never got rusty. Gai knew that the genin constantly worried that her aim would be slightly off, or that her knives would not hit hard enough. He felt it was his duty to take care of this small matter so she could focus on her strengths.
Lee was using his great youthful strength to pin Tenten's left arm behind her back. Why her left? Her right had no weapon. He was studiously ignoring all the hurtful plans Tenten was making apon his person. That was Lee's way, to ignore the hurt, and be triumpant through all the bad! If only the other two could learn the glorious feeling of letting their youth take flieght, but Gai was certain he had managed to get through to them once or twice. . . and he was certain he would manage to get the lesson to stick before they moved on.
But, to learn this lesson, his students had to be here! Where was Neji?
Ten minutes past, and Gai was about to go look for Neji himself when he saw him jogging over the hill.
"Neji, you are late!"
Neji nodded, "Sorry Sensei. I had to finish a few chores."
"Chores, I thought I had told your family that we needed you to train. Didn't they get the schedule I lay out for them?!" Gai was frustrated, no, no, he was more than just frustrated. He was angry. If this were the second or third time, it would be a mere annoyance. This was more like the fourth time this month.
"I wouldn't know," Neji said seriously.
Oh well, no use wasting a good day complaining about something a hsort call to the Hokage could fix in a giffy. Besides, Neji looked more than prepared for training. His chores had only taken up a small amount of time, not energy.
"Well then, we were just sparing, you and I can team up, as Lee and Tenten are already in the middle of their match."
Gai waited for Neji to fall into place, "No jutsues."
Neji nodded, changing his stance. When he was ready, he signalled Gai to attack. Gai leaped forward, starting off with a roundhouse kick to the throat. Neji blocked, he should have dodged, it was a simple rookie mistake. Gai frowned, but still threw a punch, just slow enough to be caught-barely. Neji backed off a step.
"Channel your youthful energy, Neji!" Neji answered with an elbow directed at the spleen. Gai caught his shoulders. "Ahh, that moves you off balance, see?" Neji frowned, then punched Gai soundly in the liver. Gai deflected, perfect, Neji was focusing again, the way he should be. While he was blocking, Neji aimed his elbow into Gai's throat. Gai was so proud he could have cried! Neji noticed an opening that Gai left. It hadn't been just any opening in his movement, the weakness left by standing profile, and one hand down was covered by his other hand. . . Few actually caught that as rookies.
Gai didn't have time to continue this thought though, Neji kicked out, almost catching Gai off gaurd. Neji hardly ever faught with his legs unless specifically asked to. He must be bettering his training! Gai told him so, and Neji nodded.
Gai signalled that they were about to start again. He took a moment to glance at his two other students. They were still rolling around on the ground, trying to pin one another.
"Alright," Gai called everyone in, "This time, it is Lee and I against Tenten and Neji!"
He waited for them to fall into position, "Lee and I will attack. Go!" Lee leaped forward, heading towards Neji immediately. Tenten intercepted, smart, she was trying to leave Gai to Neji. Well, that wouldn't work! She shouldn't underestimate herself!
Gai leaped forward, catching Tenten's elbow, and turning her away from Neji. She blocked all three strikes directed at her, and even managed to dodge a swipe at her legs, but it cost her. Slowly, Gai managed to lead her away from her partner. He had just managed to get Tenten's confidence in her strikes when he felt a wash of chakra. Gai was instantly on alert, Tenten was too, she dropped the strike mid swing.
Gai looked around, there was nothing coming from the outer village. He turned around, looking inwards. First he saw his students, still mid-battle. Neji stood, facing both Gai and Lee, ready for the attack, his arms spread out. Lee was leaping forward with a kick so powerful, the wind was pushing the trees away.
Gai was about to continue on looking for the source, when something made him look back. Lee kicking, Neji standing, Gai noticed it this time. Neji wasn't standing, he was falling, down to his knees. His eyes were wide with shock, looking up over the trees and not even paying attention to Lee at all. It was the slightest tilt of the chin, barely a few degrees, a detail only experience could teach you to look for. It was the one that mattered though.
Gai raced forward, almost instantly appearing by his student, in time to catch him, and deflected the strike. "Stop Lee."
Lee dropped his leg, "What is it?"
Gai held Neji with one arm, signalling team Gai to cover. It wouldn't do anyone any good to stay in the open like this. They were sitting targets, and Gai needed a little cover to look around.
It only took a few steps for Gai to realise that his student was more injured than he had thought. Neji was completely stiff, making movement harder than it should have been. Since he couldn't see any injury, and therefore didn't know how to not injure the student more, Gai put him down once they were hidden enough. Neji was breathing easily, Gai determined that he wasn't in immediate peril. He signalled Tenten and Lee to do a search of the area with him.
They did a quick look around, and determined that the area was clear-for now. If a ninja were hiding, it was doing a good job, and would attack again very soon. Gai needed back-up when that occured, he didn't know what had the power to take out a ninja from such a great distance. Normally, Gai would take his team, find the problem and fix it. With Neji's eyes out, and no one in the team finding anything suspicious, Gai had two options. The first was to stay and call for back up. The second was to leave and call for back-up.
"Neji is hurt. Go get Asuma, he should be headed this way. We will follow behind you. Tenten go with him," Gai wasn't sure about the attack. If whoever it was could have struck any of them, why go for Neji? He concluded it was most likely inexperience. So he sent two of them on.
Gai went back to his student. Neji was still exactly where he'd been left. He hadn't moved position at all. Neji shivered as Gai looked for any wounds, none. Then what was incapacitating his student?
Tenten and Lee ran off, taking on a perfect (with compensation for only two people) formation they had been taught to use against an ambush, making Gai and Neji the second team. Neji seemed to be vibrating, and he wasn't even trying to get up. Still, he was lying back, restlessly squirming. That's all Gai could call it, his hands kept going up to his face, then dropping down to his sides. He still gave no response to Gai at all.
"Come on Neji, tell me what's happening," Gai said, lifting his shirt to feel his ribs, nothing. So far as he could tell, nothing was wrong with his student. There were no puncture wounds that he could see, broken bones. . . His pulse was racing though, and his fists were both bloody.
Neji stopped Gai from his check, by grabbing his wrist. Gai thought he was going to say something, but suddenly he arched his back, cramming his fists -and Gai's arm, between his teeth. Gai could feel the skin breaking, his students teeth were going right through his shirt. Neji ripped his arm to the side, so that he was now biting his own fist again. Gai tried to sit him up, Neji wasn't bending. He was just breathing, panting really. Gai's arm was bleeding.
"What is it?" Gai tried to pull his arm out, but for some reason, Neji wouldn't let go of it. Actually, Gai realised, he couldn't let go. Deathgrip. Well, damn.
I can really see Gai using the word giffy!
Please review, at the very least to tell me how in character (or not) I am.
