Chapter 12

When Kakashi got to the mess hall, it was two-thirds of the way full, teeming with slow-moving people in black spandex suits and white armor.

He located Gai easily by the green. Gai always refused to dress in standard black spandex suits, stating that black was not the color for him. Instead, Gai wore his brilliant emerald green, just like at home. Sometimes Kakashi thought that Gai's presence in ANBU was the most poorly kept secret in Konoha, but it continually surprised him how few people understood there was more to Gai than shouts of 'Hey, Rival!' and 'Youth!'.

Gai and Tenzo sat across from each other at one of the long tables further into the room. All of the tables were of the folding design: two rectangular tables with built in benches, connected by a hinge in the middle so that it could be folded and stored.

Kakashi made his way over to them, weaving around people carrying metal trays of food and navigating through the narrow aisles between tables.

"Hi." Kakashi plopped down next to Gai, looking at breakfast curiously. Gai had a bowl of rice topped by a sunny-side up egg, sprinkled with seaweed. It looked surprisingly appetizing. In addition, Gai had toast and little grilled fish. "That looks good."

"Why don't you get some?" Gai asked. He pointed. "They're serving rice just like this over there –"

Tenzo stifled a snicker.

In the time it took Gai to point, Kakashi had stolen Gai's chopsticks and started eating Gai's egg and rice. "Mm. You should."

Gai glanced back at Kakashi. "Huh?" Then he did a double-take. "Hey!"

Kakashi grinned. "You're right. You should get some more of this. I'm really hungry."

"Kashi, stop it," Gai protested.

Kakashi ate another bite of rice, and then relented. "Maa, here." He handed over Gai's chopsticks and stood, walking towards the serving station.

"Why do you always steal my food?" Gai asked pathetically.

Kakashi turned and grinned. "If I don't take a bite, how do I know I want any? You're my taste-tester."

Gai looked mildly mollified.

Kakashi chuckled. He came back with his own breakfast tray, laden with two bowls of rice topped with eggs and a serving of grilled fish. He rejoined Gai and slid one bowl of rice from his tray to Gai's. "Here. To make up for me stealing part of your breakfast."

A bewildered smile spread across Gai's face. Then he turned and hugged Kakashi tightly.

Kakashi flushed slightly. "Oi. It's not that big of a deal."

"You're so considerate!" Gai declared, squeezing him harder and then letting go in order to dig into Kakashi's gift rice bowl.

"Isn't that kind of a weird of consideration?" Tenzo asked. "I mean, he stole your breakfast before he replaced it."

"You just have to know Kakashi, young Tenzo," Gai said smugly, halfway through the bowl of rice already. "Besides, this is far more food than the few bites of rice and egg that he stole from me earlier."

"Whatever works for you," Tenzo said. He looked at Gai blankly. "I guess…"

Gai finished the bowl of rice and grinned, flashing Kakashi a thumbs up. "Excellent!"

Kakashi ate his breakfast at a slower pace, amused. "Maa, it's not like I cooked it or anything."

Tenzo rubbed his chin. "Sometimes it seems like Gai-sempai is determined to view everything you do in a positive light."

Kakashi slung an arm around Gai's shoulders and smiled cheerfully, leaning against him. "That's what friendship is all about."

"Maybe." Tenzo didn't look convinced.

However, he did change the subject. "Where's Taichou?" Tenzo asked. He looked around the mess hall. "I thought he would have been here by now."

"Oh, that's right," Kakashi said. He finished his bowl of rice. "He said he's not coming. He wants to eat later."

"He's not coming?" Tenzo looked crestfallen. "Are you sure? Why? It's not because he's still mad at us, is it?"

"He claims he's not angry anymore," Kakashi said.

That didn't seem to comfort Tenzo at all. In fact, he looked as if he hadn't even heard. Tenzo passed a hand over his face and said finally, "Well, we can't let him sleep through breakfast."

"He asked us to," Kakashi pointed out.

"He's never missed breakfast," Tenzo said.

"Also, we're not leaving today," Kakashi said.

"What?" Tenzo protested.

"The Taichou said that, too."

Kakashi didn't even get all of the way through his sentence before Tenzo jumped up from the table.

"I'm coming, too," Gai protested. "This sounds serious."

Kakashi trailed along after his teammates, back to the captain's barracks. He wondered what would happen since they left their trays behind. If they would get in trouble or not. He wasn't sure. He couldn't imagine it was good manners…but maybe people wouldn't actually care. Someone else might clear up their trays for them. Or an opportunist might simply steal their remaining food.

xXx

When they entered the barracks, Kakashi once again picked out their team leader easily as the only person still in bed. Bensaku looked as though he hadn't moved. Somehow, that set off alarm bells for Kakashi. He crossed halfway over to Bensaku's bed and then glanced at his teammates. "Ah…Taichou…?"

Bensaku groaned. "What? What is it? I thought I told you to go away and have breakfast like a normal kid."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Gai and Tenzo are here, too."

"They – what?" Bensaku shot upright, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He stared at the three of them. "What for?"

Gai and Tenzo shifted uneasily. Kakashi could see the question in their eyes, and knew that he felt the same: Why hadn't Bensaku just sensed their presence?

Bensaku looked at them and sighed, sinking back onto the bed. He propped himself up on one elbow and gazed at them tiredly. He had rings under his eyes. Kakashi hadn't been sure before, but now there was no doubt. "Give me a break. Do you really need someone to babysit you? Why can't you just be good and go somewhere else for a while?"

Tenzo propped his hands on his hips. "You need to get up and eat breakfast."

Bensaku groaned. "Tenzo…go away." He flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

Kakashi took a step forward uncertainly. "You need to…" He trailed off at the flicker of absolute sadness in Bensaku's eyes.

Bensaku gave him a hard stare. "What, Hatake?"

"Tenzo has a point," Kakashi said.

"Really? You failed as a mother hen, so then you brought Tenzo up here? What's so hard about me needing to sleep? Is that such a tough concept that you have to get me out of bed? Is that it?"

"Taichou, I don't understand," Gai protested.

Bensaku gave him a look and then rolled onto his side, facing away from them. "Maito, you never do."

Kakashi frowned. Now that's uncalled for.

"You're not supposed to be in here anyway," Bensaku said. "This is the captain's barracks. Now shoo."

Kakashi was ready to call it quits, but as he took a step back, Tenzo marched forward. He wanted to grab Tenzo's shoulder and haul his teammate away.

Tenzo went right up to Bensaku's bed and looked down at their captain. "Why aren't we leaving?"

"Some of us need more time to rest," Bensaku said.

"I'm fine," Tenzo said.

Bensaku snorted. "Not you."

"Who?" Tenzo demanded. "Gai-sempai? Kakashi-sempai?"

"It's me," Bensaku said.

"You?"

"It's me, okay? It's me. I'm tired. I need rest."

"Rest? How much rest? A few hours of rest? A day of rest?" Tenzo looked pale and defiant and angry. "It's not just breakfast, is it? Is it, Taichou?"

Kakashi covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. He fully expected Bensaku to blow up at them again.

"If you thought you were able to get up, you'd come get breakfast anyway," Tenzo said. "You'd never lounge around in bed. So what is it?"

"I'm chakra exhausted, okay? I used up too much juice. I wasted too much energy having fun like a little kid in some stupid race, expecting nothing to come of it if I went a little overboard. I was wrong." Bensaku's voice trembled with bitterness.

So that's what he meant when he said childhood was behind him, Kakashi thought. The older we get, the less we bounce back from chakra exhaustion. He overestimated himself. And now he's…tired. No wonder Bensaku had been trying to get them to leave him alone.

When Bensaku spoke again, all that was left in his voice was weariness. "Now I'm too shaky to stand up for long periods of time, too shaky to go the distance from here to the mess hall. So I'm just going to rest in bed."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tenzo asked.

Bensaku sat halfway up and stiffened. He slowly turned his head to look at Tenzo.

Kakashi suppressed a wince.

"We're your team," Tenzo said feebly, wilting under Bensaku's gaze.

"Like I would tell you guys," Bensaku snapped. "If I admitted to being tired, it would be, 'Benku-taichou's getting old. Benku-taichou needs to rest. Do you need us to carry you on our backs like an old man, Benku-taichou?'" He crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. "Like I need that, when I'm already exhausted from fighting two, yes, two, jonin level enemies by myself."

"Two?" Tenzo protested. "I thought there was just one you went after."

"Count 'em, Tenzo," Bensaku retorted. "Two plus one equals three. That's three-quarters of a team. Where's the other guy?"

"There could have been casualties," Tenzo said. "There was fighting."

"Was there a body?" Bensaku asked. "Did you see a body in that clearing?"

Tenzo silently shook his head, looking at their team leader with wide eyes.

"That wasn't some empty threat that Rain nin made," Bensaku said. "He was going to report us to his superior: their team leader. I fought him and their team leader in the woods while you took care of Vine Guy and, ah, Reiko."

"The other ninja's name was Sazu," Gai said helpfully.

"Not now, Maito," Bensaku said.

Gai fell silent.

"You didn't tell us?" Tenzo looked at Bensaku with big eyes.

Bensaku faltered. It seemed that Tenzo's hurt expression was finally filtering through to him. "You were there for the report. I gave the report with you all in the room."

"But you didn't say you fought two people. You just said we fought two teams of River nin, close together, and that we took them out."

"Well…" Bensaku shifted uneasily. "The inference was there."

"Barely." Tenzo pointed at him accusingly. "You should have told us the truth outright."

"Why? So you could baby me?" Bensaku glared at Tenzo.

"I…" Tenzo glanced at Kakashi and Gai as if for support.

Kakashi didn't know what to say. From his point of view, Tenzo had brought this on himself. Bensaku was rightfully angry at being treated like an old man and at being made fun of by a subordinate. To be honest, Kakashi hadn't thought an ANBU captain would put up with such behavior. Much less on a regular basis.

Tenzo focused on Bensaku, and his expression firmed. "Yes," he declared, his eyes flashing. "So I could baby you. Because then I'd be taking care of you, like you always take care of me."

"I refused to carry you in the rain, remember?" Bensaku said dryly.

Tenzo clenched his fists. "That doesn't count. I didn't really need it then. You were right. But when I have – when I did need babying, you did! And you did it without pointing it out, or complaining, or telling me I could do better. You just did. And now you won't let me do the same for you."

"I'm…" Bensaku appeared to be struck speechless. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not letting you…" He sighed heavily. "Go away. If you really want to help me 'feel all better', or whatever it is that's going through your brain, bring me some miso soup later from the mess hall. That's about it. Just get off my case about being old. Make fun of me for having nose hair. Whatever. Just not that 'old' stuff anymore." He added reluctantly, "It hurts."

Tenzo nodded sadly. "Okay, Taichou. I'll bring you some soup." He turned away and walked towards the door, then paused and looked over his shoulder. "Later."

Bensaku sighed.

Kakashi thought that perhaps that could have gone better. On the other hand, a confrontation seemed to be what Bensaku and Tenzo needed.

Tenzo stopped again in the doorway to the barracks. "I love you," he said timidly.

Bensaku gave a sigh so heavy it was almost a groan. "Go away, Tenzo." But he didn't sound as hurt as before. Kakashi could tell because the emptiness in the captain's voice was gone, replaced by half-hearted anger and poorly hidden affection.

Tenzo smiled, hearing the same thing as Kakashi, and left with more of a bounce in his step.

Kakashi and Gai followed.

"So where are you going to from here, Tenzo?" Gai asked. "Would you like to come train with us?"

"I'm going to the mess hall," Tenzo said happily.

"The mess hall?" Kakashi asked. "You just ate." He narrowed his eyes. "It wouldn't be for the Taichou's miso soup, would it?"

Tenzo bit down on a chuckle but didn't entirely suppress it.

"You just left," Kakashi said.

"Fifteen minutes from now can be later," Tenzo said.

Gai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's true, Kashi."

Kakashi wanted to bang their heads together, but he had to smile. "That's not what the captain meant."

Tenzo let out a full-fledged laugh. "I know." He looked over his shoulder at his teammates and grinned at them. "I'm going to bug him all day." He waved. "Ja ne!"

Kakashi waved back, resigned. He imagined that Bensaku's first temptation would be to kick Tenzo out of the barracks with a bowl of soup upturned on his head. He hoped, however, that was not what the captain did. Their team leader needed some TLC, and there was probably no one Bensaku would rather have do it than Tenzo.

Kakashi knew if he were feeling tired, he would want Gai to take care of him. He turned to Gai and smiled. "Well, let's go train."

"Alright!" Gai gave Kakashi a thumbs up, as excited as ever at the prospect.

Kakashi supposed some things just didn't get old. For Gai, training was one of those things.

xXx

The outpost had broad fields all around it in every direction, but Kakashi was drawn to the packed dirt circle that was obviously designed for sparring matches. He nodded at the sparring area, and then walked over there with Gai.

"Looks like they've already thought up the rules," Kakashi said.

"Yeah," Gai said. Kakashi could hear a grin in his voice.

"First one to touch the ground outside the circle loses?" Kakashi asked.

"I bet that I get you outside the circle first," Gai replied, stretching his arm.

Kakashi chuckled. "Or what?"

"Or I'll carry you the rest of the way home to Konoha," Gai said.

"Planning on using me as an oversized training weight?" Kakashi teased, dropping into a fighting stance. "That doesn't sound like much of a win for me."

"Well, you wouldn't have to walk," Gai said.

"You're right," Kakashi said. He grinned. The idea of getting a piggyback ride all the way home amused him. "Alright. You're on."

Gai took his time, stretching out his legs next.

Kakashi watched him, trying to judge how serious Gai was going to be today. "I bet that I land the first punch."

"Oh?" Gai tilted his head at Kakashi, and then chuckled. "What's at stake?"

Kakashi had to think. "Hmm…How about, if I don't land the first punch today, then I have to do fifty push-ups?"

"Fifty?" Gai protested. "I've seen you do a hundred without breaking a sweat. Don't be shy, Kakashi. Wager something big. Be youthful! To be youthful is to take chances on your winning and losing."

Kakashi thought they did enough of that as shinobi. However, he turned his mind to trying to think of something appropriate. "If I don't land the first punch, then I have to fight the rest of the match, and every match after for the rest of the day, without using my hands. How's that? Is that youthful enough?"

Gai stopped stretching, startled, and then exploded with enthusiasm. "What an excellent wager! You truly are a hip and cool rival!" He clenched his fists. "I look forward to seeing whether or not you accomplish your youthful goal!"

"I'll most likely be black and blue by the end of the day if I don't," Kakashi muttered. But in spite of his reservations, he was pleased that he had managed to excite Gai.

Gai straightened, did one final stretch, and then flashed a thumbs up. "I am ready for our match to begin."

They started out easy on each other; they always did. Gai's fists swooshed past Kakashi's head as he dodged. Kicks missed their mark. Slowly, their pace grew faster, their attacks melting into each other with practiced grace. A smile spread across Kakashi's face. Gai let out a laugh. This was the natural high of sparring together; they knew each other so well, it was almost live weaving an intricate, ever-changing dance around each other.

Of course, the grace of the dance had to be interrupted sometime.

Kakashi clipped Gai's mask with a punch he'd intended to crack against Gai's jaw. He followed through, three more punches in quick succession, and missed Gai's shoulder, his chest, his stomach, by fractions of a centimeter.

"That wasn't a full hit, it doesn't count," Gai said.

"I know it doesn't," Kakashi said. He ducked a high kick and attempted to uppercut Gai's groin in a split second of irritation.

Gai, thankfully, grabbed the top of his head and used it as a spot to launch himself off of, jumping out of the way with a showy somersault. "What was that?" he protested.

Kakashi laughed. "That would have been amusing."

"For who?" Gai protested.

Kakashi lunged for him. "You know who."

Gai dodged a punch aimed for his solar plexus, grabbed Kakashi's arm, and threw him.

Kakashi used chakra to slow his momentum and landed just inside the sparring circle, arms spread wide. "That was close."

Gai charged him.

Kakashi had no time to think at all. He was going to get caught with his arms wide and his midsection wide open. Desperation took over. He made a clone and leapt high into the air.

Gai plowed through his ghostly image and fell flat on his face on the grass outside the sparring circle.

Kakashi landed, light on his feet, and turned around.

Gai whined something muffled into the grass.

"Sorry," Kakashi said. He walked over and helped Gai up.

Gai spat out a mouthful of grass.

"You face-planted hard, huh?" Kakashi felt a little bad, but it was also funny. Gai didn't often go flying like that.

Gai scrubbed his mouth on his sleeve. "You usually don't use ninjutsu so early."

"Maa, I'm sorry, but I have a bet at stake," Kakashi said.

"I did, too," Gai protested. "Now I have to carry you all the way home."

Kakashi chuckled. He patted Gai on the back. "Don't worry. I'll try to be as light as possible. Another round?"

"Yes," Gai said, walking with him back into the sparring circle. "I need some revenge."

"Revenge?" Kakashi pretended to be shocked. "But, Gai, haven't you heard revenge is never the answer?"

"It's the answer to one thing," Gai said.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked.

"My rival winning the first round in a sparring match," Gai said.

"Maa, I guess that's true." Kakashi tried not to laugh.

They started the next round, and Gai did end up taking his revenge, beating Kakashi solidly with a combination of strategy and bloody-mindedness. In spite of the fact that Kakashi inched towards victory at landing the first punch, and he did avoid being punched himself, he still ended up on the ground, and with his head outside the ring.

"Did you have to hit me so hard?" Kakashi asked pitifully, though he wasn't more than lightly bruised and dirty.

Gai laughed and helped him up.

Kakashi noticed that people were starting to gather at the training ground. He thought that he and Gai would be asked to move aside for some of the regulars at the outpost, until the man in the black bird mask nodded at them and said to a companion, "A thousand yen on the green one."

The person he'd spoken to, a man in a monkey mask, laughed. "Hey, no way. I'm betting on Inu all the way. Inu's going to kick Kame's ass."

Kakashi flushed slightly at that reference to him. "Kame," he said to Gai teasingly, "it seems we're being used for entertainment this afternoon. Why don't we give the people a show?"

Gai's actual codename was Umigame, or Sea Turtle, but the ANBU stationed at the outpost wouldn't know that. They were calling Gai just plain 'turtle'. Likewise, Kakashi's codename was actually Souku, which meant 'hunting dog' or 'hound', but due to his mask, he'd been reduced to 'dog' by their observers. Kakashi didn't mind the handy nicknames they'd been given. He thought it was amusing, actually.

"Ten percent of our chakra," Gai said immediately.

"Deal," Kakashi said. They'd hold themselves to only using ten percent of their chakra, which would keep them from hurting each other, but would provide enough flash to satisfy people.

They circled each other with intent.

Gai attacked first, with a flying kick.

Kakashi repelled Gai with his forearm and immediately launched a fireball at him.

Gai flickered and reappeared at his side, grappling with him.

Kakashi shook him off.

The match was on.

Kakashi was careful not to reveal too many of his abilities to their onlookers. He didn't want to expose his range and allow anyone to put together that he was Konoha's Copy Ninja. He stuck to using fire release techniques in conjunction with low-level ninjutsu, and did his best to counter Gai's advanced taijutsu techniques.

But Gai always was better at taijutsu, and he pressed his advantage.

Kakashi managed to out-fight him, but barely. Getting behind Gai and trying to take him down from there really didn't work anymore. It hadn't been a one-time fluke in their sparring match at home. Kakashi was impressed. At the end of the round, Kakashi was breathing heavily and sweating. Not being able to use ninety percent of his chakra meant doing a lot more work the old-fashioned way.

By now, a human ring had formed around the sparring circle, a crowd of interested ANBU.

Gai pushed himself back up. "Another round." He gestured. "Come on."

Kakashi bowed. "As you wish." He came at Gai, fire dancing on his fingertips.

Gai avoided half a dozen punches and blocked the rest, finally admitting defeat in Kakashi's bet.

"Guess I get to keep using my arms after all," Kakashi said.

Gai grunted, too busy fighting for an opening to respond in words.

Kakashi guessed it was no surprise that in the end, he was facedown in the dirt with one arm twisted behind his back. His only satisfaction was hearing how heavily Gai was breathing. Gai's breaths were noisy behind his turtle mask.

"Alright, let me up," Kakashi said casually. "I give."

To his bewilderment, when he got to his feet there was actually applause.

Gai clapped him on the shoulder.

Kakashi scratched his temple and tried not to meet anyone's eyes.

Gai, on the other hand, flashed a thumbs up and gave Kakashi a one-armed hug.

Kakashi tried not to wilt with embarrassment. "Let's clear out and let someone else have a chance to practice, ne, Umigame?"

"Right."

Gai walked to the sidelines with him.

They were approached by the man in the black bird mask. "Nice work."

"Not really," Kakashi said.

"You play a mean game, Inu." The man sounded as if he were grinning. "I'd hate to spar against you."

Instead of responding to the compliment, Kakashi bowed. "Maa, it's Souku." He straightened. "Karasu?" he guessed, pointing at the man's mask. 'Karasu' meant 'crow'.

The man bowed. "Ah, it's Yatagarasu, actually. Nice to meet you." Yatagarasu was the name of a raven from a myth; the raven had guided an emperor on a journey to the land that eventually became known as the Land of Fire.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "Let me guess: sensor nin?"

Yatagarasu laughed. "I was about to say the same for you, Souku-san."

"Maa, well, my designation is a little more complicated than that," Kakashi said. "But I do possess some sensing abilities."

"Likewise," Yatagarasu said. "But I'm primarily known for my wind jutsu."

"Ah, that explains the bird connection." Kakashi nodded.

"What about you? Why a dog?" Yatagarasu asked.

"It's my summon," Kakashi said. "Ninken."

"Ah, a summoning contract," Yatagarasu said. "Nice. You're lucky."
"Nah. I envy those who can summon animals that are truly legendary," Kakashi said. "Like the Sannin Jiraiya."

"Yeah, Gamabunta is something to behold, isn't he?" Yatagarasu said admiringly. "I've heard he's enormous."

"Yes, I've heard that, too," Kakashi said.

Yatagarasu gestured. "And this is my teammate, Seiyuuki."

The man in the monkey mask bowed. He'd stayed within two paces of his teammate, but remained silent.

"Ah," Kakashi said cheerfully, bowing. "Another mythical name." Seiyuuki was another name for the epic tale Journey to the West, which centered around the Monkey King.

"Our whole squad's that way," Yatagarasu said. "We're called the Genjuu Squad." 'Genjuu' meaning mythical beast.

"Ah, the Genjuu Squad!" Gai exclaimed. "I've heard of you. Haven't you recently returned from Kusagakure?"

"In the Land of Grass, yes," Seiyuuki said, nodding. "That's right."

Gai rubbed his chin. "You suppressed a rebellion there, didn't you?"

"Whoops," Yatagarasu said. "I guess there're few secrets in ANBU."

"Word gets around." Kakashi shrugged.

"Well, don't let our team leader hear about it." Yatagarasu sounded as though he were grinning. "He'll have an aneurysm."

Seiyuuki laughed.

A young man wearing a mask stylized like a carp appeared across the training field and waved to them. "Oi! Time for debriefing!"

Yatagarasu gaze a start. "Ah. That's us." He turned and waved in response. "Sachihoko! Be right there! Tell the Taichou we're coming." Then he bowed to Kakashi. "Got to go, Souku-san. Nice meeting you. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

"Yes, nice meeting you," Seiyuuki said, bowing as well.

They jogged over to meet their teammate.

Kakashi waved. "Ja ne."

The other team disappeared inside the outpost.

Gai came to stand by him. "Well, that was nice." He wrapped an arm around Kakashi's shoulders. "It's good to see you be so outgoing."

"Outgoing?" Kakashi murmured, taken aback. "Hardly. They approached me. I was simply being polite."

"Which it would not have occurred to you to do, unless you were becoming more outgoing," Gai said triumphantly.

Kakashi could see that Gai was not going to change his assessment. "Maa, let's see if Tenzo has managed to drive the Taichou crazy yet."

Gai chuckled.