Chapter 17

I wake up slightly as I feel Gai pull me closer to his chest. I turn over and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Good morning, Gai," I say.

"Good morning, Mizuki," he snuggles up to me. "When did you get home?"

"It was long after dark."

"I take it training is going well."

I sigh as I look up at him.

"Tsunade has to do paperwork before Kakashi gets back and she wants you to continue my training and teach me Taijutsu in the meantime," I reply.

"What!" He says excitedly. "Really?"

"Yup… She agrees with your thinking that teaching me Taijutsu will help give me a base to mastering this technique."

"Well what are we waiting for!?" He looks down at me with a giant grin.

"Eh?"
"We should start training now!" He starts to shuffle a bit.

"Can't I have a couple more minutes snuggled up before we begin?" I curl up closer using my arms and legs to attempt to hold him in place.

"Very well." He settles down a bit and pulls me closer. "I can tell you what I am planning."

"And what's that?"

"We will start off with fifteen laps around the village."

He laughs when I groan and bury my face in his chest.

"Alright, I agree that is a little much for our first training," Gai says. "We can start with five laps instead. Then after the final lap, we will run towards the training field," he rubs my back reassuring me. "Once we hit the training fields, I will see where your skills are and take it from there."

"I can work with that," I say. "I won't be able to keep up with your extreme speed, but I think I would be able to do five laps around the village. Fifteen would have been a little much for the first couple times, but five is definitely doable."

"That is the spirit!" He pulls me into a tight hug. "Soon you will be out running me!"

"I don't think that will happen. You have been training a long time."

"With enough determination you will be just as strong as me. But you have to believe in yourself."

He looks at me with a confident smile.

"Do you believe in yourself like how I believe in you?" He asks.

"I will believe in myself and I will be an amazing ninja!" I give him a confident smile.

"Now let's get training!" He begins to get off the bed. "We have a whole day ahead of us!"

"Aww okay."

I watch him get off the bed. He is facing me as he stretches back. His shirt rising slightly revealing his muscles.

"Are you coming?" He catches me staring at him.

"I will," I smirk. "I'm just enjoying the view from over here."

"Are you now?"

"I am."

He leans on the bed and gives me a passionate kiss. I can feel his hand reaching around me, holding my back and his other hand grazing my legs.

"Now come on we must get to training!" He grabs me bridal style and pulls me out of the bed.

"Gai!" I cling onto his neck. "What are you doing?"

"It is time to get this day started early. We must train while we are still youthful."

He carries me off with me protesting the entire time. He eventually puts me down and we both go and change to get ready for the day ahead.

"Are you ready, Mizuki?" Gai jogs in place outside the house.

"I guess I am," I put my sandals on. "So what's the route?"

"We are starting here and we will make our way to the village gate and follow along the wall."

"Alright."

"We will continue that for five laps then meet back at the village gate after the final lap so we can run towards the training field."

"When do we start?" I stand up and walk out the door with him.

"Now!" He takes off running leaving a trail of dust behind him.

"Eh!" I attempt to run after him. "Gai, wait for me!"

I am running as fast as I can still barely see Gai ahead of me. I make it to the gate and begin making my way around it, following the wall. I am making sure I run fast enough to keep his dust trail in sight.

'This isn't as bad as I thought,' I breathe a little heavier.

After a couple minutes I can see the gate ahead of me.

'At least I made it through my first lap!' I think.

I start up on my second lap around the village. I look a head and I don't see Gai's dust trail anymore.

'How does he run so fast?' I think.

I increase my speed slightly and am halfway through my second lap.

"Mizuki-sensei?" I hear a voice say as I am running.

"Lee?" I see Lee keeping up with me. "What's up?"

"I never thought I would see you doing a morning run around the village."

"Yeah, Gai is training me today and wants me to run around the village a couple times then we are heading to the training field."

"Oh that is awesome!" He says excitedly as he keeps up with me with ease. "That explains why I saw Gai-sensei running!"

"Yeah, so far this is harder than I thought," I am slightly out of breath as I pass the village gate finishing my second lap. "I can barely see Gai anymore."

"You will do great Mizuki-sensei!" He gives me a confident smile. "I remember my first couple training sessions with Gai-sensei. It took me a while to get used to it and now I feel weird if I don't wake up and train."

"Thank you, Lee."

"Lady Tsunade wanted to see me for a mission so I will run with you until we reach the Hokage office to give you some company."

"I appreciate it, Lee."

"So he is going to be teaching you Taijutsu?"

"Yes, Tsunade agreed that it would be best for him to take over my training until Kakashi gets back from his Honeymoon with Denizu."

"Maybe after my mission I would be able to spar with you and Gai-sensei!" He gives me a big smile. "It would be fun friendly spare between Gai-sensei's two students!"

"I would love that!" I give him a smile. "That means I will have to step up my game to attempt to hold my own against you!"

"No worries, Mizuki-sensei! I am sure you will do great!" He gives me a thumbs up.

We continue running for a bit longer and we see the Hokage office in the distance.

"Well, looks like this is my stop," he looks at me. "Good luck, Mizuki-sensei! I can't wait to spar!"

"Be safe on your mission, Lee!"

I wave him goodbye as he runs towards the Hokage Office. I keep making my way around the village. I am finally on my final lap. I hear footsteps coming from behind me.

"Mizuki!" a familiar voice says from behind me.

I turn and see Gai running towards me at full speed. I quickly jump out of the way as he runs past me. He stops in his tracks and comes back towards me and jogs in place.

"Don't stop now, Mizuki!" He encourages.

"You're right!" I continue to run, trying to finish my lap.

"You are doing great, Mizuki!" he runs keeping up with me. "You feel your blood boiling yet?"

"Oh I am feeling it."

I can see the village gate in the distance.

"We are almost there, dear!" He picks up his pace slightly. "It is time for us to put full force in our final lap!"

I run with him at full speed. We make it to the gate and start heading towards the training field.

"Race you!" He says as he speeds up.

"You're on!"

I put my entire being into running. I run as fast as I can yet Gai manages to stay a couple strides ahead of me.

'How the fuck!' I am breathing heavily. I concentrate a bit of chakra into my feet and use that to propel myself forward.

Using my chakra I manage to stay a stride behind him.

"Using your chakra, huh?" he says as he sees me slowly catching up with him.

"I am being resourceful!" I smile.

"That's my girl!" He then smiles at me and increases his speed.

I am baffled by how fast he is going.

"Now I know I can't go easy on you!" He is soon out of sight.

"EH?!" I try to catch up to him but I am too tired and out of breath.

I make my way to the training field and I see him doing pushups in the middle of the field. I run up to him and collapse to my knees trying to catch my breath.

"You did well, Mizuki!" he stands up and walks towards me.

I just look at him catching my breath.

"Here, drink this," he hands me a water bottle.

"Thank you," I take the water bottle and drink the water.

He walks over to one of the trees and brings a bag over to me and sits across from me.

"What's that?" I ask.

"I figured you were going to be tired and out of breath, and since we didn't eat before we left, I decided after my five laps, I could run home, make us some sandwiches, find you running, and we could eat," he hands me a sandwich.

"You managed to do all that while I was running?" I accept the sandwich as I look down contemplating my speed. "Am I that slow?"

"Nonsense!" he tries to reassure me. "You forget that this is part of my regular training so I run a hundred laps almost every morning. For your first five laps around the village in addition to racing me to the training field you did very good. You exceeded my expectations!"

I take a bite of the sandwich.

"Once you rest up a bit we will begin sparing!" He gives me a thumbs up.

"Sounds like a plan, hun," I smile.

He grabs a sandwich and begins munching away. I didn't realize how hungry I was until after that first bite. I devour the sandwich.

"Alright, so what is the plan?" I grab another sandwich.

"We are going to do a quick spar to see where you are since training with Tsunade and since the war," Gai replies.

"You won't go full Gai on me like during the war?" I chuckle a bit.

"Of course not," he chuckles. "I just want to see where you are at."

He and I finish eating, we clean up, and he stands up.

"Alright, Mizuki!" he gets in a defensive stance. "It is time to start! No holding back! I want you to show me everything you know, including what Tsunade has taught you."

"Alright, Gai!" I get up and also get in a defensive stance.

He comes towards me trying to kick me. I quickly do a backflip dodging the attack. I put chakra in my feet and charge towards him trying to kick him.

"Nice form," he easily blocks my kick.

He then grabs my leg and sends me flying. While falling towards the ground, i flip myself over and throw a kunai in his direction.

"Oh, getting dangerous now!" he chuckles as he dodges the kunai.

"You said to give you everything I got," I land on the ground a couple yards from him.

"Please continue," he stands straight up with one hand behind his back and the other in front of him beckoning for me to attack.

I throw a paper bomb kunai in his direction. It lands just in front of him causing smoke to cover me. I charge up my hands and run towards him. I can see him jump to the right. I quickly charge up my chakra, go through the smoke and jab him straight in the side sending an electrical current through him. As a reflex he roundhouse kicks me and sends me flying. I fly back a couple feet, land on the ground and just stay there.

"Damn that hurt," Gai rubs where I jabbed him.

He walks over to me and helps me stand up.

"Good thing you didn't paralyze me," he says.

"That's because I haven't fully mastered it," I wince as I get up. "That was a hard kick."

"Sorry, hun. You caught me off guard," he gives me a peck on the lips. "Which is a very good thing. You have a knack for it!"

"Thank you."

"Now let's get you learning some Taijutsu!"

"Yes!"

We spent the rest of the day learning basic techniques. He has me doing nonstop roundhouse kicks and punches. We do a another couple of laps through the training field. It is getting dark and Gai has me doing pushups.

"Come on, Mizuki!" He jogs next to me. "We could do another 50 pushups."

"I can't do another one," I try to do one more push up and I collapse straight to the ground. "I did 50 already… I can't do another. I can't feel my arms."

I try to stand up but I fall straight back to the ground.

"Are you okay!" Gai grabs me

"My legs feel like jello," I look up at him. "Just give me a moment to rest and I will be able to walk."

"Nonsense!" He then grabs me and puts me on his back. "I will carry you home so you can rest in a bed not on the ground."

"Aww, Gai," I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on the back of his neck.

"You did great today." He readjusts me. "You just rest while I get you home."

I am so tired. I close my eyes and I can feel him grab the bag and start heading home. Slowly I drift off into sleep.