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Chapter Ten: Waking, Loving and Training

Hikari was warm when she woke, and for once she was in a good mood and very comfortable. She looked at the ceiling of the room she was in and her good mood fled and fear replaced it.

Hospital? Who...what? Was I brought in for questioning again? Where are my boys? What-

"Mmm...Iron Lily..."

Hikari nearly gave herself whiplash with how quickly her head turned to regard the man beside the hospital bed she was laying in. Maito Gai, the man whom she had fallen in love with and married, was sitting in what had to be an uncomfortable position, slumped in a plastic chair, his chin on his chest and one hand clasped with hers, asleep. She smiled slightly, calmed immensely and reached over to grab a hold of Gai's green outfit. She'd never seen him in it, but it wasn't unexpected considering that his whole aura was saturated with the bright color, so it didn't bother her in the least. She lifted him carefully and laid him beside her, her right arm not even straining from the effort.

Sometimes, she thought, it's good to be a cyborg.

Gai stirred just enough to pull Hikari's injured body flush with his and hold her tightly. Hikari sighed and snuggled up close to him, burying her face into his chest and clutching his green top in her hands, falling into a healing sleep that was not only healing her body, but her mind and soul as well.

Kakashi sat in a booth at the dango stand with the other Kurenai and Asuma, who was smoking like a chimney, with his nose buried in his favorite book when Anko burst into the stand in her own inimitable way. She ordered three plates of dango and then hurried to sit beside her best friend Kurenai.

"Hello all! How are your students? And where's Gai? I haven't seen him since yesterday's invasion when normally I'll see him at least in the morning when he and that clone of his are running around."

"You know, you're right Anko. I haven't seen Gai since he went to the hospital to check on Lee, you Asuma?"

Asuma looked at Kurenai and shook his head.

"I haven't seen him either, how about you Kakashi?"

Kakashi turned a page and began giggling.

"I saw him at the hospital yesterday, he's probably still there with his wife."

CRASH

Anko dropped her plate while Kurenai looked at Kakashi wide-eyed and Asuma's cigarette dropped out of his mouth and onto the table, putting a small scorch mark on its wooden surface. Anko stood, bracing her hands against the table and leaned across, almost in Kakashi's face.

"His...what?"

"His wife. Lovely woman, hell of a fighter too."

Anko shook herself and sat heavily beside Kurenai.

"Gai is...married? When the hell did that happen? Why did none of us know this?"

Kakashi shrugged.

"No idea. You'll have to ask him."

Anko stood again and quickly headed for the door.

"I will."

The ominous undertone of a threat hung in the air for a few moments before all three of the other jounin stood, paid for the dango and took off to follow Anko.

Gai was a bit disoriented when he woke that afternoon. He looked around and realized he was in the hospital, but the last thing that he remembered was falling asleep in the chair beside...Hikari...

Gai's head snapped to where he could now feel a small body pressed against his and couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips at the sight of his wife curled into his chest. He frowned however when he saw the wounds that covered her small, lithe body and recalled that he still didn't know what kind of fights she'd been involved in the day before. She had heavy bandages around her neck and around her chest, but those were the only two that he could see. He had the feeling that she was more injured then he could tell. He could see dark circles under her eyes and her face looked gaunt and drawn as she'd obviously not been getting any sleep recently, but it made him curious as to what had been going on in her dimension to have all this happen to her. Gai didn't have any more time to ponder his wife's poor condition as the door to the room burst open and he caught a glimpse of Anko leaping into the room, following a handful of thrown kunai. Gai was in a bad position and quickly moved himself to block Hikari from the projectiles, putting his back to them and bracing for the impact that never came. He felt his necklace, hidden beneath the green clothing he so loved, became almost scorching and a red shield snapped up to take the impact. Hikari jerked in his arms, her body going into a short seizure as she gritted her teeth and growled, her words just audible to the jounin who walked into the room.

"Not hurt, not hurt, not hurt, die before I let hurt..."

The seizure lasted a few seconds before she relaxed and the shield dropped, the kunai falling to the floor in shattered pieces. Hikari curled further into Gai's chest and her growling became purring as she fell into deep sleep. The jounin could only watch in shock as the woman snuggled into Gai's hideous clothing and became unconscious again while Gai watched her with a very affectionate gaze. The green jounin turned to his friends and his voice was back to a normal tone, now positive that his wife wouldn't wake for anything short of an apocalypse.

"Hello my most youthful friends. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Anko walked from where she had rolled after her grand entrance and sat in the chair beside the bed, crossing her arms over her chest while Asum, Kurenai and Kakashi all leaned against the wall, the silver haired jounin pulling out his trademark orange book.

"Well Gai, we heard about the little lady there and wondered when you got married."

"Yeah, and why weren't we invited?"

Gai had opened his mouth to answer when the door was once again opened and the men Jocobo and Chief entered, followed closely by the third hokage. Jocobo was wearing a typical jounin uniform, though without the vest, while Chief was in his usual under armor clothing, which consisted of a skin-tight turtleneck and a pair of close-fitting black pants with his normal combat boots. The two looked at their boss/sister in the arms of the large jounin and where Chief smiled at the pair, Jocobo growled.

"Remember what I said Greeny. You hurt Boss Lady and I'll hurt you. Got it?"

Gai nodded amicably and the three Hokages smiled in amusement. That is, until everyone noticed that they were in the room and that the Sho and Nidaimes were real.

"Holy fucking shit!"

All the jounin secretly agreed with Anko's declaration, though none of them were so bold as to announce it to all and sundry. Gai chuckled softly as Hikari attempted to pull herself even closer to him, but was unsuccessful because it simply wasn't possible. She frowned in her sleep and her body glowed violet for a second, Gai's body flashing with a green aura before both faded away and Hikari smiled again. Jocobo snorted in amusement as the others in the room watched in utter confusion. The snort caused everyone's collective gaze to shift to Jocobo.

"What was that all about?" Jocobo snickered.

"That, my friends, was Boss Lady pulling off a bit of your buddy's soul and giving him a piece of hers. She must really want to get close to him."

Anko clenched her fists and growled at Jocobo.

"His soul? She took a piece of his soul?"

"Calm down lady! Like I said, she took a piece of his and replaced it with a piece of hers. It was an even trade that basically allows Boss Lady to give the dude energy or even absorb injuries from him long distance if necessary. They will now know without a doubt that they are never alone. It isn't a bad thing at all."

The nin in the room considered this for a few moments before Gai sighed and nodded at Anko.

"It is alright Anko-chan. I understand what she did. She is looking for comfort from me and I will give it. Do not worry. I know that she will never hurt me."

Anko huffed and leaned against a nearby wall, Kakashi doing the same as Kurenai and Asuma take the chairs on the far side of the bed while the Sandaime took the chair directly beside the bed. Shodaime and Nidaime stood behind him and Jocobo and Chief stood on the far side of the room on either side of the window, looking out over the village. The Shodaime leveled a look at Gai, who was looking at Hikari.

"Maito-san? How is she?"

Gai looked up, a bit startled at the softly-spoken question, and smiled slightly.

"She is healing Shodaime, but she is still injured. I fear that she is more injured then I can see without taking off her bandages."

"Which I'm sure is exactly what you want to do, eh bro?"

Gai stuttered and tried to come up with a response to Chief's uncouth and vulgar suggestion, but soon simply gave up and snorted, turning his attention back onto Hikari. Hikari stretched her body out, moving in her sleep to try to relieve some of the pain she'd been in, consequently rubbing against Gai's body. Luckily, Gai had immense self control and merely smiled at his wife. He was at peace and even the voices of those around him could snap him out of it until the Sandaime addressed him directly.

"So Gai, what do you think Hikari-san will want to do when she wakes up?"

"Besides jump his bones you mean?"

Sarutobi glared at Jocobo, who placed his hands up in a complacent gesture, and turned back to Gai.

"Well Hokage-sama, I think that she will want to placed with my most youthful team. If you would allow, we can co-teach."

"Can she teach kids?"

Chief and Jocobo both snickered, pulling the attention of all to them. Chief smiled and nodded.

"Dude, Boss Lady was the favorite of every single child at the Green Haven Orphanage, and there were just about two thousand of them. If she could put up with almost two thousand kids between the ages of 2 months to nineteen years then I'm positive that she can deal with whatever team of misfits you put her with."