Author's Notes: Gai is a terribly unexplored character, and has more in common with Kakashi than most may believe. A bit if insight on the origins of the Springtime of Youth and Gai's view of his students…
Gai's Story
"But Gai-sensei, if you would allow me to remove my weights, I know I would be a match for Neji during training!" Lee had been trying to convince his teacher for the past few days to allow him less restraint, but Gai would not yield.
"No Lee, there is only one time you will ever be permitted to discard your legs weights or utilize your chakra gates," Gai folded his arms and a far-off look came over his face.
"When is that, sensei?" Lee's eyes were wide and expectant.
"If either Neji of Tenten's lives are in danger, that is the appropriate time to use your full ability." Gai continued, watching as his protégée's expression wilted slightly.
"Gai-sensei, I doubt that they will ever find themselves in such peril…" he looked frustrated, but he understood.
"And be glad for that Lee," Gai warned, his voice suddenly stern, "If ever you were to lose them…that is a pain I hope you will never know."
Lee nodded, taking the words to heart.
"Now do five-hundred sit-ups!" Gai commanded and Lee rushed off to a vacant spot in their training field, ready to get to work.
Across the way, Gai could see Tenten hurling wave upon wave of potentially lethal weapons at Neji— testing his defenses.
His eyes narrowed sadly. Seeing them train so hard, striving for their dreams, only made his heart ache from the memories he had when he had been their age. Even if they accepted Gai's tough-love ethics and unbreakable determination, he felt his students could never really understand the reason why he was the way he was.
They had a different team dynamic than that of his own gennin team.
Neji viewed Lee as little more than a nuisance, and at most, a subordinate. Lee saw Neji as a rival who he aspired do defeat one day in a glorious contest of skill. Tenten remained the intermediary between the two, keeping the balance. She trained with Neji tirelessly every day, and she strove to encourage Lee as his friend.
She also never failed to critique her teammates on their form, but Gai suspected she was under more pressure than she let on being in the center of an enduring tug-of-war between the Hyuga Prodigy and the Green Beast of Konoha.
Things had never been like that on his team. His team had a natural balance— there had never been competition between them.
He recalled things being so calm with his team, that he had to search elsewhere for a challenging rival. After meeting Kakashi, the rest was history. But Gai remembered it had been long ago and yet in the blink of an eye when he had first met his teammates.
Haru, the kunoichi of their squad, was a beautiful, talented ninja with hair red as flame. He had adored her, worshipped her, yet she had always seemed fonder of their teammate than of he. He relented in his pursuit of her when he had still been a gennin, not wanting to encroach upon her feelings.
His other teammate, and closest friend was a boy named Sukei. He had been a frail shinobi, but had remarkable skill in genjutsu that made Yuuhi Kurenai look like a complete novice.
Gai watched Neji and Tenten dance in a mass of jyukken and flying kunai. There he could see himself and Haru training, but in place of the criticism Neji and Tenten offered each other, he remembered laughter and praise. Times had changes so much.
After he and his teammates had become Chunnin, Gai recalled vividly how Haru had trained endlessly to be a respectable Medic-nin, and how when he hadn't been challenging Kakashi— he spent most of his days training with Sukei.
He had been young then. He had been naïve. Their first B-rank mission together marked the end of their ignorance.
Gai watched as Lee neared 110 sit-ups and he closed his eyes restlessly.
Haru and their sensei had been separated from them during the ambush. At the time, it had still been during the height of the Great Shinobi War. The Rock ninja had stabbed Sukei once in the shoulder and then a second time in the stomach. Gai killed the Iwa nin with his bare hands, furious and terrified all at once.
There hadn't been time to look for Haru or his sensei— they had been on the other side of the valley at the time. He knew a town that was only a few miles South from where they were, and he ran with Sukei over his shoulder, faster than he had ever moved in his entire life.
"Gai, I'm fine, really," Sukei had been putting pressure on his wounds on the way there, "I'm going to be okay."
"Those blades were poisoned— I don't know what it's going to do to you," he had to keep reminding his friend, "Now please, stop talking."
Gai's countenance turned downward at the memory. He could hear his friend's voice now as clearly as he had then.
Nearly an hour of frantic running had passed and Gai was still following the mountain trail South. By then, Sukei was disoriented and hallucinating.
"It really is bright out here, Gai— it isn't nighttime," his voice was eerily cheerful, "I know you're hungry, but I ran out of food two days ago…I'm sorry…"
Gai did his best to ignore him.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…please forgive me…" Sukei began sobbing uncontrollably, "Gai I know you love her…but I love her too…I'm sorry…take care of her will you? I…please…I don't want Haru-chan to be all alone…"
"…I forgive you." How he had wished Sukei would be quiet.
Less than an hour later the village was in sight, and he had stumbled in exhaustion, dropping Sukei to the unforgiving ground.
Gai was on his knees— in hysterics.
"Come on! We're here!" Gai pulled Sukei's helpless form back over his shoulder, "If we're not in that village within five minutes, I swear I will do 100,000 pushups! I swear it on my life, Sukei!"
He trudged painfully along the gravel road, and Sukei's feverish rambling had decreased somewhat. They passed through the gate at long last, and Sukei was smiling, "I'm going to be alright, Gai…you saved me…"
"I know, now just rest—"
"Listen! I know! I've seen you fight like a beast!" Sukei declared, grinning broadly, "That's what you are, see? A green beast! The beautiful green beast of Konoha!"
Gai started laughing at the preposterous thought, "You really think so?"
Sukei stopped talking and had gone frighteningly limp after that, and Gai was afraid. It was night, by then. Few houses had light in their windows, and he lowered Sukei gently down on a lawn before rushing to the nearest door, banging on it in blind panic.
His mind was failing him. Gai was losing focus. Yet he had to wake someone. Anyone. Anyone who would know a physician of some sort. He was losing Sukei. Every second wasted held unfathomable value.
"GAI!" Sukei was screaming from his spot in the grass and Gai hurried back to him, terrified.
No one was around.
"It's like fire Gai— fire that's in me, burning," Sukei was out of breath, panting heavily, "Don't rush it, okay? You're…you're fine."
"I don't have any medicine for you," Gai tipped the last of the water in his canteen into his friend's mouth, "Just hang on— stay awake. We'll find someone."
He wished that Haru was with him— she'd have known what to do. And she loved Sukei— that alone would have saved his life.
"I'm sorry, Gai," Sukei seemed lucid for a moment, "You're my friend. I'm glad."
He nodded dumbly. He was exhausted, and he doubted he'd be able to walk anymore. It was difficult just to keep his eyes open.
"It's springtime, you know," Sukei said quietly, "Be glad."
"I am!" Gai hollered, it was a battle with himself just to stay awake.
Sukei grinned up at him. He looked like he was saying something but Gai could not hear him.
It was silent then.
"Sukei." It hurt to say his name. Blood had soaked through the boy's vest. He was dead, and he probably hadn't even realized he'd been dying.
"I am glad." Gai repeated.
He blacked out beside his departed teammate, just as a light in the house switched on and people were shuffling about.
Two days later he woke up screaming. Haru and his sensei had tracked him into the lone mountain town and told him that there was nothing he could have done for Sukei, and that they were deeply sorry that they had not found them sooner.
Once back in Konoha, a week later, he was still overcome with grief. Gai visited the memorial stone only once, and in front of it— where Sukei's name had been newly added, he kept his word and proceeded to do 100,000 pushups. It had taken him over four days to finish, but he had succeeded. He could tell that Sukei had seen him do it too.
"I am glad. I am the beautiful green beast of Konoha." Gai reminded himself, unable to fight back a smile at his friend's proclamation. He never returned to the memorial stone, not even after his sensei had died.
Gai promised himself that his Will of Fire would prevail above all other things. He was determined to bring to inspire other ninja and bring out the best in them— as Sukei had done for him. He refused to dwell on his friend's memory in sorrow— as Kakashi did.
Instead, he wished to celebrate and honor his teammate's life.
Gai opened his eyes and continued to watch his students train, "It is springtime, and I am glad."
A/N: Gai is an enigma. But a youthful enigma.
