Hiya! So it's been ages since I posted this fic, I know. But you can blame the fact that I kept getting annoyed trying to write Gai. He was so difficult, that I admit I kinda gave up there a bit. But now I've finished this chapter, finally, and hopefully it won't be so bad next time.

Also, I edited the previous chapter a bit, just changing why Kakashi's headed to the Hokage for a meeting.

In any case, disclaimer and enjoy! :)

Chapter Two

When Maito Gai woke that morning, he'd been surprised to wake up in his seven year old body. At least at first. Then he remembered that incredibly kind and generous old woman who'd told him that she would give him a chance to reclaim his youth. So then… this is what she meant? It was something he could definitely go along with.

Leaping out of bed, he rushed out of the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen, freezing briefly at the sight that greeted him. "T-tou-san?" he asked, choked up.

Maito Dai looked over from where he was cooking breakfast, already in his signature green, with kaa-san's frilly, white floral apron tied on tightly. His father was frying rice, one of the few things he knew how to cook without burning it. Much. A grin graced his face, one that Gai himself had emulated all these years in honour of him, along with the trademark green jumpsuit.

"Gai!" his father's voice boomed. "You're just in time! Breakfast is almost ready, and once that's done, we'll get stuck into our morning training regimen!"

"Yosh!" Gai exclaimed, his heart on his sleeve and stars in his eyes. "It is such an honour to train with you once again, tou-san!"

Dai laughed heartily, then dished up breakfast.

For two hours afterwards they trained, pushing themselves as far as they could. Gai could feel that his old conditioning had left him, but no matter! That was nothing that training, training, and then training couldn't solve! Once he and his father had completed their morning training, Gai rushed upstairs to shower in time to be at the Academy for classes. Classes! He couldn't wait to see his comrades once more! Genma, Ebisu, Asuma, Kurenai, Rin, Obito…

At the thought of the wayward Uchiha, Gai frowned briefly before deciding that he was going to save him, this time around. There was no way that Madara or Zetsu would get their hands on his former classmate this time around. And Rin, sweet Rin, Asuma as well. They weren't going to die like they had before!

As he rushed downstairs, grabbed his lunch and enthusiastically farewelled his father, Gai had this niggling feeling that he was forgetting something. Or perhaps someone. As he raced through the streets of Konoha, expertly dodging and evading the citizens so as to not knock into them, he came across a sight that made him Remember.

Hatake Kakashi. His Eternal Rival and Dearest Friend in all the elemental nations. Memories returned to him, and he remembered that Kakashi had been there with him, had also drunk some of that marvellous elixir the old woman had given him. So, He was here then? His Rival and Friend. Gai grinned, teeth gleaming white. Now, here was someone he could plan with! With that thought, he dashed off towards him.

"KAKASHI! MY ETERNALLY YOUTHFUL RIVAL!"

Gai stood in front of his Rival, thumbs up, teeth shining, and eyes sparkling. "KAKASHI! It is so good to see you here!" he exclaimed. "We have returned to the Springtime of our Youth! The Budding of our Green Leaves, the Flowering of our…"

"Enough! I get it!" Kakashi interrupted. "What are you doing here, Gai? What do you mean, returned?"

Anyone else might have been put off by the way he spoke, but Gai… Gai knew Kakashi. He knew his tells, as much as he'd tried to hide them over the years. And it seemed, time travel hadn't dimmed this ability. Kakashi was tense, like a coiled spring, ready to fight or flee as needed. But there was no need.

"I mean to say that we've returned to our Youth!" Gai told him enthusiastically. "Last night for us was not here and now, my friend! We have returned to the past, and now we have the chance to make things better than before!"

"Wait, are you saying…?" Kakashi gave him a hard stare, then looked around for anyone watching, then grabbed Gai by the collar and shunshined them both off to a different place, where Gai was sure no one was nearby. "Gai, what the heck did you do?"

"We're in the past, Kakashi!" Gai declared. "Surely you remember? You were quite as eager as I was to drink that tantalizing elixir! And now we're here!"

Kakashi face-palmed, though Gai had no idea why. "Gai, what on earth made you think it was a good idea for us to time travel?" he asked in that tone he usually reserved for Gai when he felt he'd done something a little too extreme. "Especially while drunk? Do you have any idea…?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, sighed, and allowed himself to relax. Gai waited for his Rival to be ready for whatever it was he was going to say, recognising that look and posture as one that he had when solving a problem, or a complex riddle. Gai was a bit disappointed that Kakashi wasn't more keen about this chance they had to change things, but he supposed, being back here… Letting out a self-depreciating sigh, Gai privately admitted that rushing into this might not have been the best idea. He was enthusiastic, ever ready for a new challenge, but that didn't mean he was stupid enough not to realise, even if it took awhile to register with him.

He'd just… been so excited at the idea of returning to his Youth, after everything with the war, and being confined to a wheelchair for so long…

"You're about to say we shouldn't have done it, right?" Gai guessed as Kakashi's eyes opened and he stared at him. "That we should have left well enough alone, that the world was fine. I just… It was a chance to reclaim my Youth! And also… our dear friends."

His Rival sighed. "I suppose I can't fault that last reasoning," he admitted. "But unless you know a way to reverse this…? I guess we're stuck here, so we might as well do something about it."

Gai grinned, teeth gleaming white. "That's the spirit!" he encouraged. "Never fear, Kakashi! We shall rewrite the past, saving our friends, and all the innocents who died because of the Fourth War!"

Kakashi simply sighed, then asked, "Speaking of the past… Shouldn't you be headed to the Academy now?"

Gai's eyes widened. "You are correct, Rival!" he realised. "I shall go to the Academy, then, and make sure to watch over our friends! Uh, though, what are you going to be doing? I'm not entirely sure exactly when we are."

"I'm six, you're seven," Kakashi said. "I'm headed to the Hokage to meet with him about being promoted to chuunin, then I'm going to be placed with Minato-sensei for the next three years. You're going to graduate later this year, and be placed with Genma and Ebisu… You with me so far, Gai?"

Gai nodded, a trickle of anticipation running up his spine. So, Team Chouza would form soon, huh? Excellent! He could not wait to see his comrades that made up his gennin team once more! But then he came to a startling realisation that dampened his mood.

"Kakashi," he said, tone serious. "Your father…"

His Rival briefly closed his eyes, and Gai knew he was right. He remembered that Sakumo had died shortly before Kakashi's promotion to chuunin, so that meant that they… They were too late then. He sighed.

"It's fine," Kakashi said. "It's not like I haven't come to terms with it already, and at least this time… I won't cast his memory aside, like I did before."

Gai nodded grimly, then realised that he should get going. "Well, Kakashi," he said. "We should meet up later to plan. For now, though, I have school to attend, and you have a meeting with our esteemed Hokage."

Kakashi nodded, then said, "The old bridge, an hour after classes get out. And remember, don't tell anyone about the time travel, alright?"

"Is that an order from the Rokudaime Hokage?" Gai half-teased.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, then he shunshined away.

Gai took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and took to the rooftops, headed in the direction of the Academy. He had old friends to reacquaint himself with, so he sped off, eager to get started on changing the world.

So what did you think? Review please!