Where you go, I will follow...

Summary: Hyuuga Namiko never asked to be placed on a team with Maito Gai, but maybe fate knew exactly where she belonged or was it ever in fate's hands? Maito Gai didn't like leaving things to chance after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own many of the characters in this story. This wonderful fandom belongs to its creator.

Short Note: Thank you so much for the reviews I have received. That last one prompted me to upload this tonight rather than wait so yay! I am ironing out some details but this story (if I don't lose my mind) will be nearly 30 chapters. I have 28 done. I'm working on wrapping it up.

Chapter: Festivals

Namiko sat beside her father, looking out over the throng of shinobi and civilian Hyuuga. Here and there were shinobi from outside the clan, a couple villagers accompanied by Hyuuga escorts. She hated these things. They were boring and no one was allowed to wear their shinobi uniforms except of course the clan leader's guard and those that protected the hokage who was of course always in attendance.

She felt uncomfortable in the restrictive dress. It was tight, tighter than she would like, but her mother had forced it upon her. Obviously it was beautiful. Her mother had good taste according to all the other women in the clan. It was a deep black color with a slight shimmer to it and was stitched with silver lotus blossoms She was so silly at times. Also, she was acutely aware how stupid her face looked with the "war paint" as she had referred to it to her mother, who had glared at her, scolding her for being so against a couple brushes of mascara and lipstick. She had then been subject to the most pointless and time-consuming lecture she'd had in months about the merits of acting like a lady.

"You sure are in a winning mood tonight, dearest," her father said, smiling. He was completely at his ease in full shinobi uniform, his weapons pouch at his side, sword slung over his back. She felt so bare, so weak without them. Even if she could kill a man without ever touching a blade, she liked having them. They had become a part of her.

"I was wondering where my date was," she said, with an idle smirk. Her father was absolutely furious with her about that. His smile was wiped clean off his face and he reached for his glass to conceal his disconcertedness.

"Just in time to cease your wonderings," Genma said, coming up behind her. She glanced back at him with a wicked grin. Genma was very much in on her little game. He held out a cup to her which she took with a flourish.

"Thank you Genma-kun," she said, smiling winningly for all the table to see. Her father was going to get her back for this she knew. He'd told her such when Genma had arrived at the house to escort her, but she could deal with that later.

"Hiashi-sama, you know Shiranui Genma," she guessed. He inclined his head.

"My brother speaks highly of you Shiranui-san," he said simply.

"I'm not sure why, Hyuuga-sama. He's not very fond of me," Genma said with his most roguish grin. He was dressed sharply in dark blue and she had to admit her comrade cleaned up rather well. He sat next to her, a bit too close, but she noted that it irritated her irritating father. As she started to eat the small meal before her though, she heard a chuckle from her father. She looked up at him with a frown. He shouldn't be chuckling. He was supposed to be troubled, angry even.

"Would you look at our Gai-kun?" he murmured.

Namiko's head shot up and her eyes darted through the crowd until they landed on a man who was facing away from them. He was rather tall, even among the Hyuuga, his hair a stark black, falling in his usual silly fashion. His back was to them, but he wore all black, clothes covering him from his shoulders down to his ankles as usual, but they weren't spandex. He wore a fitted, simple shirt and pants, but they look so strange on him. Subconsciously she conceded that strange was not the word. It was more like breathtaking. He turned at the beckoning of the woman on his arm… a woman! His features were relaxed and warm, a laugh breaking from his chest and causing a familiar shooting feeling to go through her. Her laugh… not that woman's. That was his laugh for her!

Her blood boiled, murderous intent rolling off of her in waves. Genma snorted. "Try to be a bit less obvious about it, Namiko-chan," he whispered in her ear. She blinked, looking at him then over at Gai. She swallowed hard, her hand clenching tightly around her knife, a handy projectile.

"Can I borrow that?" her father's voice distracted her from contemplating the path of travel. He reached across her plate taking old of the knife. "Mine's just a bit dull," he said mildly, but she could see it in his eyes. He was really enjoying this. She barely swallowed a growl in time, drawing a deep and centering breath. When she looked up, Gai stood across the table from her, looking down at the seats before him.

Gai held the seat for the beautiful young Hyuuga Hita one of her least-favorite cousins. She smiled up at him warmly before sitting down. Gai sat down as well. Genma was fighting a grin and it was really starting to piss her off. She wouldn't meet Gai's eye her face flaming with irritation and embarrassment. He was here with one of the prettiest Hyuuga in the clan and she was in this stupid dress with her stupid war-paint.

"Gai-kun, it is good to see you again," her father welcomed with a booming voice.

"Norio-san, I am grateful for the invitation," he replied with a friendly smile that she only saw out of the corner of her eye because of that damned twinkling. Her skin buzzed at the sound of his voice.

"I'm grateful too," Hita said in that high-pitched, irritating tone that nearly distracted Namiko from what Gai had just said. She looked to her father, her eyes blazing with anger. Of course he had been the one to invite Gai, perhaps having suggested to Hita that the little twit should ask him to escort her. She should never have intimated that she would show up with Genma that morning. He had obviously set out immediately to find the green-clad shinobi. Also, it was a very strategic move ensuring that they were seated with Hiashi-sama and his wife. Had they not been, she would not have been able to control herself as she did.

"Anything interesting happening with training, Gai-san?" her father asked.

"I have mastered my summoning training and have moved on to attempt more serious sage pursuits," Gai informed him as if it were the simplest thing in the world. It was amazing and she hated when he did that… even more than she hated when he declared how good he was. She wished he would just not speak because it was always one extreme or another, under or overestimating himself.

"Namiko-san has mastered a new jutsu as well Norio-san. Has she showed you?" he asked.

"Of course she hasn't Gai. You know she only shares her accomplishments with you," he said with a mild and false sorrowful tone. She clenched her fists under the table, looking at Genma with a glare. He was only smiling, enjoying the show. Of course he was, selfish blighter. He should be helping her. She didn't know what to do. She was so angry, but was this anger? It felt an awful lot like hurt.

"Namiko-san is so very secretive!" Hita chirped, placing a hand on Gai's arm. Namiko stilled completely, her rage which had had her shaking moments before, steeling her into a stone. She stared at Hito's hand, livid. It didn't matter where she was, who was seated at this table, Gai was her captain, hers.

"All the best shinobi keep their full abilities to themselves, revealing them only when necessary to protect their precious comrades," Hiashi-sama's wife said from beside him. Namiko met her gaze at once humbled and honored that she had come to her defense.

"Arigatou Hitomi-sama," she said. The woman gave her a warm smile. Namiko felt her anger flee, leaving her tired… exhausted.

"Namiko, are you alright?" Gai's voice asked from across the table. She looked to him, blinking at how different he looked in those clothes. She had never thought she'd wish he were wearing that ridiculous spandex suit, but that green suit was him and this was not. It still took her breath away and that meant that it had probably done the same for every girl at this formal dinner.

"I am fine taicho, just tired," she said. Her father looked to her in concern, clearly seeing that his little joke was not as funny as he thought it would be. Conversation at the table turned to the inter-village political climate and she felt perfectly fine staying out of that discussion. She was a shinobi whose purpose was fighting and she was okay with that. She did not miss how Hita continued to gush over Gai. She'd never seen anyone do that before.

She leaned over to Genma, taking hold of his arm to catch his attention. He ducked his head slightly to listen. "Is it always like this with Gai-kun?" she asked, wondering if she had simply missed it.

"What do you mean?" Genma asked, frowning. He glanced over at Gai. Hito was gazing up at him earnestly, hanging on his every word just as she hung onto his forearm. Namiko kept her head down and he could tell something was wrong. She didn't know? How did she not? "Girls? Noticing him?" he asked, turning his head to look down at her seriously. "Yes, of course Kakashi and I could never figure out why they fall all over themselves to worship him… almost as much as they do Kakashi."

"I've never seen it happen, these girls," she admitted.

"Because no one in their right mind could see you and Gai together and not see how much he cares about you. Any man in this village who says they aren't afraid of Gai, is either a liar or is completely ignorant. You really don't…? Kakashi was so right about you, Namiko-chan," Genma sighed, smiling almost ruefully at her.

"What did he say about me?" she demanded, instantly on her guard. She pulled at her stupid sleeve on her stupid dress, feeling so uncomfortable, so out of place. She didn't belong here, not with Genma, not with anyone. She was just another shinobi, hardly felt like the high-born Hyuuga she was. She rarely had. She wasn't feminine enough, she wasn't gentle enough, she wasn't pretty enough. Her mother told her often enough. Apparently she was right. That's what it felt like.

"You don't see anything, Namiko. The way he looks after you, the way he looks at you," he said. She frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she gasped. She looked over at Gai who was staring at her again, clearly ignoring whatever Hita was rambling on about. She was so frustrated. He was frustrating. What was he doing here? He didn't belong with that girl!

Namiko stood swiftly, her chair scraping along the stone beneath it, drawing everyone's attention. She blushed, but focused as well as she could, bowing to Hiashi-sama and his wife. "Hiashi-sama, I find I am not at my best and would please beg your forgiveness for leaving so abruptly."

"Of course Namiko," he nodded, glancing to her father, but the older Hyuuga said nothing.

"Eh, Namiko," Genma said softly, wondering if he should have perhaps not said anything about that. He watched her disconcerted.

"Arigatou, I apologize Genma-kun," she said, walking away at a calm and measured pace. She was halfway home before she heard the footsteps. They were in time with her own, steady and sure. He could move silently if he wished, but for some reason he didn't.

Finally she spun around, unable to stand it anymore. "What are you doing, baka?" she demanded. "Why do you always follow me!" she shouted. Gai stared back at her, his eyes soft, expression untroubled by her words even as she breathed heavily, an array of emotions whirling through her muddled brain.

"Do you not want me to?" he asked her.

"I… of course I don…" she paused, breathing heavily and swallowing, her expression turning to confusion. "I don't… I don't know!" she snapped. "I want… I-" she couldn't form the words. She blinked as he started walking towards her again, closing the gap between them. She took a step back and he immediately stopped, regarding her seriously.

"Do you not want me to follow you, Namiko?" he repeated.

"I just…! I don't know why I do!" she shouted. "It doesn't make sense. You don't make sense!" He was quiet for a long while, sliding his hands into his pockets in a very Kakashi-like manner. His eyes didn't leave hers though and she found she couldn't look away.

"I am sorry to have hurt you. I was unaware you would be disturbed by the sight of me with another girl," he said. She blinked. Was that why she was upset? She frowned, clenching her teeth together. It was, it was exactly why she was upset. She gazed at him with confusion.

"I… think I don't hate you taicho," she breathed. He chuckled and she stiffened, covering her abdomen with her hand as it fluttered madly.

"I think we both know that you never have," he told her with a grin.

"I… don't know what I want," she said.

"But you want me to follow you?" he clarified, closing the distance between them with a few hesitant strides. She nodded slightly, staring up at him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him tightly. "I'm sorry for hurting you Namiko," he whispered, his voice so sincere and apologetic that she couldn't help but believe him. "I only wanted to spend more time with you," he told her.

"Gai," she murmured, hesitantly lifting her arms around his waist and gripping the back of his shirt. She pressed her face against his collarbone, letting out a breath. "Thank you," she whispered. "But you're still a baka." His laughter shook her and warmed her all at once.