Chapter 6: Gai Sensei the Savior

They all ran through the forest as fast as they could, putting as much distance between them and the Akatsuki as possible. Finally, once they were far enough away, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"I thought you said they were human!?" Naruto yelled at Neji.

"They were, more or less." Neji said.

"I wasn't expecting that!" He cried, panting.

"What do we do now?" Shikamaru sighed.

"Let's take a rest." Kankuro sat down on the ground.

"Sasuke, now that we're alone…" Sakura smiled.

"But, we're not alone; everyone else is here." Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat down.

"It doesn't matter." Sakura sat down next to him, "Take me."

"What?" Sasuke said very quickly.

"Take me." She repeated.

"I don't know what you mean." Sasuke shuffled away from her.

"TAKE ME!" She lunged at him. She cupped her hands over his ear and whispered something to him. His eyes widened and he shifted away from her.

"Oh, GOD, no!" He shook his head.

"Why?" She whined.

"Because I don't want to!" Sasuke moved as far away from her as possible.

"Oh, fine. But I'll always be waiting!" She grinned.

"I miss Gai-sensei!" Lee whined, tears flowing over his cheeks.

"Stop crying, we'll get out of this." Naruto commanded.

"BUT GAI-SENSEI!" Lee fell on the ground.

"Yelling for him won't help us." He sounded irritated.

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee yelled to the sky.

"LEE!" A cry from the distance rang through the forest.

"Gai-sensei?" Lee questioned.

"LEE!" The voice got louder.

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee stood up and listened for a reply.

"I'M COMING LEE!" The voice was very close.

"GAI-SE-" Lee was cut off by a kunai shooting through the forest and sticking into a tree behind him with a "Puh".

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Gai leapt through the trees foot-first. He kicked Lee in the face, knocking him down. "Lee! Are you alright?" Gai cried, helping his student up.

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee did a thumbs-up.

"Oh, Lee! I'm so glad!" Gai hugged him, "I sensed that you were in trouble, so I borrowed a fleet of canoe's and came looking for you! I didn't think I'd find you, that is, until I heard you yelling for me."

"Gai-sensei, I can always count on you!" Lee cheered. "Wait, how do I know you're the real Gai-sensei?"

"You're right; ask me a question only I would know." He grinned.

"Yes, Gai-sensei, with the exception of you, who is my best friend?" He asked with confidence.

"Trick question: you don't have any friends." Gai beamed.

"You really are Gai-sensei!" He cried. Everyone, with the exception of Neji and Tenten, stood wide eyed at the scene. Lee and Gai continued to hug and cry for a few minutes before Lee said something, "Gai-sensei, I feel like something is missing…"

"Hmm…" Gai looked around. Neji and Tenten raised their hands. Gai snapped his fingers when his eyes landed on them, "Neji! Elizabeth!" Gai gave them two thumbs-ups, "How have you two been?"

"It's Tenten, my name is Tenten." She stated.

"Yes, Lizzy." Gai nodded and smiled.

"You always forget about us, remember that time at the amusement park near the Ferris wheel?" Neji narrowed his eyes. Gai and Lee tried to remember.

Neji and Tenten stood near a Ferris wheel with four melted ice cream cones, one in each of their hands. The sky was almost black, the sun had set an hour ago and the stars began to come out. Everyone else at the amusement park had gone home.

"Neji, I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Tenten said, turning to her friend.

"You said that an hour ago, and the hour before that. They're not coming." Neji shook his head.

"Maybe we should wait just a little longer," She looked at her watch, "it's only been eight hours…"

"They said two minutes, Tenten. I think they forgot about us, again." Neji put the ice creams he was holding in the trash can next to them and wiped the melted substance off with a napkin.

"You're probably right…" She threw her ice creams away and wiped her hands off.

"Come, I'll take you home." Neji began walking in the direction of her house. She hurried after him.

"That's ancient history, Neji!" Gai laughed.

"Yes, you and Lizzy are past that incident, right?" Lee asked.

"That is not the only time. Tenten and I still hold it against you." Neji sighed.

"Grudges are funny that way. Anyway let's take all of you to safety!" Gai spoke to everyone, "THAT WAY!" Gai pointed to where he came from.

"Yes Gai-sensei!" Lee jumped onto Gai's back as he began running. Everyone else followed, walking. "WE'LL CARRY ON!" Lee sang, "WE'LL CARRY ON! And though you're dead and gone believe me; your memory will CARRY ON!"

"WE'LL CARRY ON!" Gai joined in and they sung together, "And in my heart I can't contain it! The anthem won't explain it!"

Within a few minutes of running, Gai and Lee finally made it out of the forest. Lee jumped off of Gai and they hugged each other in joy. Two minutes later, everyone else came through the trees and onto the beach with them. It was true; there was a fleet of canoes just resting on shore.

"Alright, everyone take a canoe, I have 8." Gai grinned.

"But there are 16 of us." Sasuke pointed out.

"Yeah," Gai thought, "The canoes are big enough for two. Lee, you're with me." Gai gave Lee a thumbs-up.

"Yes Gai-sensei!" Lee returned the gesture.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura jumped on him.

"Oh no…" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Temari, will you be on my boat?" Shikamaru asked drowsily.

"Sure." She replied.

"Everyone into their boats!" Gai pointed to the fleet.

"Hinata!" Both Kiba and Naruto shouted.

"Um…" Hinata was confused.

"Hinata," Naruto smiled, "you can go with whoever you want."

"Uh… I don't want to make anyone sad…" She played with her fingers.

"It's okay," Kiba grinned, "we can take rejection."

"O-okay… I'll go with N-Naruto-kun…" She clenched her eyes shut.

"Yeah!" Naruto jumped in pride.

"I'll go with Shino, then." Kiba said, trying not to sound hurt.

"I'm glad to hear I'm just the alternate choice." Shino said sarcastically as he walked towards an empty canoe.

"Neji," Tenten scuffed her feet nervously; "do you want to be in a canoe together?"

"Sure." He said nonchalantly.

"Ino," Chouji was stuffing his face, "want to go in my canoe? Shikamaru is going with Temari."

"Fine…" She growled.

"Gaara," Kankuro looked at his brother, "come on, there's room in my canoe."

"I suppose if I have to." Gaara followed him.

"Let's go!" Gai put one leg on the end of his canoe and pointed into the sea.

"How do you know that's where we are supposed to go?" Sasuke asked.

"Because, dear boy, I have a keen sense of direction, I've always been right!" He stated, thrusting his chin upward.

"Yeah, or maybe it's because of this map." Neji held up a map.

"Where did you find that?" Gai questioned nervously.

"You dropped it." He said handing the map back to Gai.

"No matter! It doesn't matter how I know where we're going, all that matters is that I do!" Gai began rowing his boat. "Come on, students, row your boats!"

"Yes Gai-sensei!" Lee helped Gai row their boat.

Shikamaru sat resting his back leaning on the bow of the boat and his arms over the edges. His eyes were half open and he was staring up at the clouds. The boat looked just like all the others did. They were wooden, polished, no seats, and nothing to separate the front rower from the back rower. The paddles were double-bladed, one blade on either side of the wooden stick which joined them.

"Shikamaru," Temari was rowing the boat with no help from him, "can you please help me with the rowing?"

"Hmm… Nah, I'm tired." Shikamaru stretched and lay in the boat.

"Come on, just pick up this paddle over here," she gestured towards a paddle resting next to her, "and start rowing."

Shikamaru grunted as he measured the distance between him and the paddle, "But it's far." He whined.

"Come on, be a man; you're The Nara." She rolled her eyes.

"You're referring to me as if I am a boat." Shikamaru sat up, "And I'm not The Nara, I'm Shikamaru Nara."

"Whatever, boat boy, pick up the paddle and row." She threw the paddle at him.

"Troublesome woman…" He picked up the paddle and rowed half-assed.

"Thank you." She said pleasantly smiling behind him.

"You're welcome." He replied drowsily.

Naruto and Hinata were in their boat, Hinata in the front and Naruto behind. Naruto was rowing as hard as he could to try and keep up with or beat Sasuke, but he seemed to be going the same pace as everyone else. Hinata was very nervous with Naruto behind her; she wanted to look back at him or start a conversation but was too shy.

"Hinata…?" Naruto's voice was a little shaky.

"Y-yes?" She was glad the silence was over.

"You don't think there are sharks in this water, do you?" He whispered.

"Um… There could be." Hinata rowed slowly.

"I really hope not…" Naruto grunted quietly, almost sounding afraid.

"RAWR!" A loud noise boomed behind them. Both Hinata and Naruto turned pale and screamed very high pitched screams. Naruto turned around and looked behind him.

"Sasuke?" He was confused and angry at the same time.

"Grow a pair." Sasuke said loudly.

"I've got some!" He replied angrily.

"Yeah, okay." Sasuke said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes and rowed away.

"I-I believe you Naruto-kun…" Hinata said quietly.

"Thanks!" Naruto turned around and flashed a peace sign.

Kiba rowed angrily as he watched Hinata and Naruto scream and recover. His eyes narrowed. Shino was rowing behind him and noting every movement of his. Kiba rowed harshly, causing water to almost hit Shino in the face, but he expertly dodged with no problem.

"Kiba," Shino began a conversation, "you're acting unusual."

"It's just that… Naruto… we were supposed to be pals, but he turns around and stabs me in the back."

"Emotionally, correct?" Shino inquired.

"Yeah," Kiba looked back at him and grinned, "but my stabbing of his back will be real."

"Kiba," Shino sighed, "that's a little irrational."

"No, you're irrational." He pouted.

"I don't think this was intentional. His goal was not to stab you in the back, he simply wanted to row in a canoe with a friend who, for some reason, enjoys his company." Shino stared at Kiba through his sunglasses.

"But… Why doesn't she enjoy my company?" Kiba glanced at Naruto and Hinata.

"You deduce that," Shino followed his gaze, "but it was never implied. I don't think Hinata meant to hurt your feelings in any way. She spends time with you all the time, you are on her team. She hardly ever gets to spend time with him. Let it go." He looked away from the other canoe and continued rowing his own.

"I guess so…" Kiba looked at the dark water.

Time had gone by quickly and it was nearly evening by the time they had rowed far enough away that they could only see a dark outline of the island, engulfed in the deep grey storm clouds. They tried to avoid icebergs, for sure. Gaara was already sick and tired of Kankuro, talking about every subject that popped into his head. Not only Kankuro, but his puppet, too. Karasu, or the Crow, as Kankuro usually referred to him as, implying that he was less than a person, seemed to have a mind of his own; he constantly tried to insert himself into conversations. His annoyingly high pitched bird-like voice pierced through Gaara's sand shield and caused him to wince every time the puppet dared to speak.

"So Kankuro…" Crow began.

"Oh my god, Crow, go away." Kankuro said between his teeth.

"But Kanky-kun," Crow always called him that and was too stupid to notice Kankuro's dislike of it, "Crow just wants to spend some time with you."

"Well Kankuro doesn't want to spend time with you." The puppet master spat.

"But you're my Kanky." Crow whined.

"Shut up or I'll push you off of this canoe!" Gaara burst.

There was an awkward silence, Crow was taken aback by Gaara's outburst and remained silent. He hated silence, though, and it was very unfortunate that his memory wasn't that great. For about seventeen seconds there was silence.

"So Kankuro…" Crow began again.

"Shut up and play your Game Boy." Kankuro replied, his eye twitching.

Chouji was sitting behind Ino, pretending to row their boat, but he was really stuffing his face with chips. Ino was watching Shikamaru and Temari carefully, her eyes narrowing every time they got close to or touched each other. They were arguing about something Ino didn't understand.

"Ino…" Chouji tried to get her attention.

"What?" She snapped.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"No. Fatty." Ino continued spying.

"I don't think Shikamaru likes it when you stare at him…" Chouji said, mostly to himself since he knew Ino was barely listening.

"Well that's just too bad." She growled.

"What if they see you?" He asked, not really caring.

"I don't really know, or care." She replied, wanting their conversation to end. She continued to stare at them. Suddenly, she saw Temari's head turn towards her. She looked confused. She tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and said something to him that Ino couldn't hear. He turned his head in Ino's direction and glared at her. "They saw me!" She whispered loudly.

"I warned you…" Chouji laughed.

"Shut your face, fat boy!" She turned to him and clenched her fists.

"Hey Shikamaru," Chouji called to his friend, "Ino has been watching you for quite some ti-" He was cut off by Ino slapping him silly and yelling threats at him. Shikamaru looked back at Temari questioningly, then shrugged and continued fighting with her.

"Students!" Gai's voice washed over the sea, creating ripples. "If we row all night, we'll be there by morning."

"Excellent estimate, Gai-sensei!" Lee saluted him.

"Thank you, Lee!" Gai stood up on his boat and gave the sky a thumbs-up.

"You are most certainly welcome, Gai-sensei!" Lee stood up slowly and made a nice-guy pose, gleaming with youth sparkles.

"We are so hot!" Gai posed to himself.

"Yes, I concur!" Lee agreed, almost crying with pride.

"Row, row, row your boats," Gai sang, "gently down the-" Just then, they felt the boat receive a sharp jerk to one side, knocking them into the freezing water.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee gasped for air.

"Lee! Are you alright? Don't strain yourself to swim!" Gai grabbed Lee and helped him back onto their boat, carefully.

"Gai-sensei…" his eyes were half closed and weren't focusing on anything. "W-what happened?"

"Lee… I don't know." Gai began to cry.

"I-I feel kind of tired Gai-sensei…" He strained a cough.

"Don't die on me, Lee. Lee. Lee!" Gai thrust his hands into the air and clawed at the dark sky, crying into space. He inhaled deeply and screamed, "LEE!"

"Quit being so melodramatic. You were simply knocked into the water." Neji rolled his eyes and sighed.

"How Neji, how!? Tell me that?!" Gai yelled.

"I kicked your boat." He said as he closed his eyes and rowed past Lee and Gai's boat.

"But… What about Lee? He's dead!" He cried.

"He's not dead, he's just craving attention." He called back.

"Gai-sensei?" Lee opened his eyes and looked at his sensei.

"You're okay!" Gai hugged him.

"Idiots…" Neji muttered as he could faintly hear their cries. There were no clouds in the sky, currently. He looked at the dark water; it was almost pitch black but was reflecting the stars. Tenten sat behind him, rowing softly.

"It's nice out, huh?" Tenten whispered close to his ear.

"Sure." He replied, rowing steadily.

"Pretty romantic…" She whispered, even closer to his ear.

"I suppose." He glanced at Temari and Shikamaru, yelling at each other. His gaze shifted to Naruto, winking at Hinata and laughing with her about something. Sakura was tugging on Sasuke's sleeve and crying about how she loves him. Ino was trying to strangle Chouji, but couldn't get her hands over his scarf or completely around his throat. He smirked. He was so focused on watching all of his acquaintances mingle he didn't notice Tenten move closer to him. He heard her rowing slow, though. He felt hot breath on the back of his neck that made a tingle go down his spine. "…Tenten?"

"Yeah?" She sounded calm and relaxed.

"What are you doing?" He asked without turning his head.

"I'm just," Neji felt her knees slowly move to either side of him, "getting comfortable..." She said slowly and softly.

"Um…" Neji's mind momentarily drew a blank. Finally he spoke up, "I think we should row a little faster." He said shifting forward, slightly further away from her; his face lightly tinted pink.

"Oh… Okay," She said as she rowed faster and remained where she was, "I guess it's comfortable here, too."

Finally, after hours rowing, listening to youth speeches, and arguing countless times land was drawing near. Gai, Lee, Naruto, and a few others spent most of the time singing songs, and everyone else was thankful they had finally reached land and could escape from them. It was still relatively dark out, though all the stars had disappeared. The sun was rising beautifully behind them, which means they must have been somewhere east of where they had begun.

"Land!" Kiba pointed to a green outline of a forest.

"Yes. Students, we will probably be on land in an hour." Gai predicted.

Within five minutes, they landed. Gai tried not to mention his miscalculation. He returned the boats back to where they were supposed to be and they started walking back to Konoha. Gaara and his siblings decided they were going to stay in the village for a day or two; they had done enough traveling already. Even though all of their luggage was lost, they were still cheerful.

But even without the luggage, the trip took all day. Occasionally they would stop and rest or find some food. The trip was filled with song and Sasuke spraying Sakura with holy water whenever she would ask him to "take her". Kiba and Naruto were inseparable, since Kiba had forgiven him. Finally, near dusk they arrived. Everyone was relieved that they had not run into any trouble along the way.

"Finally we're back in Konoha!" Kiba howled, standing in front of the gates and throwing his arms into the air.

"Kiba, please stop yelling," Shino said as he walked past him and through the gates, "you're disturbing the peace."

"Hey Keebs," Naruto had come up with that nickname along the way, "want to go get some Ramen?"

"Yahoo!" Kiba hollered at the top of his lungs as he and Naruto ran towards the Ichiraku Ramen Bar

"Well," Ino sighed, "maybe we should follow the Fox and the Hound's example and leave, too." Everyone nodded and split up.