That's right folks; Team Gai is here! Somebody requested another Konoha team to come, but I thought it was too late into the making of this fanfic to do that. Then I thought about it for a while and figured maybe it'd make the story better. So I altered the story from the last two chapters and the future chapters to fit Team Gai in here and there. I'd like to thank that person who gave me that idea and that push. (I think you know who you are, but I won't shout your name out of respect. Anyhoo, thanks man!) Hope I didn't bore you readers there, now on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Believe it!
After they had managed to wake Sasuke up and drag him out of the chair, Team 7 was ready to finally head down to the lake.
"I'll race you guys down to the lake!" Naruto challenged before he took off towards the lake, Sakura following close behind. Kakashi took the canoe off "Michael" the SUV and started walking behind limping Sasuke.
Naruto suddenly stopped as someone was blocking his path. Sakura stopped as well, giving a loud shriek.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke called out.
"It's the creepy old hobo man!" Sakura cried in fear.
"And his butt-ugly dog!" Naruto added.
"You dare go 'a callin' mah dog ugly? I'll show yeh who's the ugly one after I smash my axe into yer face for losin' mah boat!" The old man spat, clearly angry. "And today's the day for me to kill ya kids since I couldn't do it last night!"
"Now, now. Using violent threats like that never solves anything." Kakashi told the crazy old man as he stepped in front of his students.
The crazy old man looked at Kakashi for a moment, eyes widening and then pointed at him. "Y-you're that grey-haired brat that broke mah first boat some 15 or 20 years ago!"
"Kakashi-sensei, you broke his boat? How?" Naruto asked, gaping at his sensei.
"Ok, stupid of Naruto to let the boat float away, but you broke the boat? That's really stupid!" Sakura cried.
"Yeah! Put a giant hole in it and sunk it, ya did! Yah'll pay for what ya did to mah boat!" The crazy old geezer shouted as he threw his axe at Kakashi. But the ever-so swift jounin quickly flung the canoe, hitting the old man and deflecting the axe into another direction.
Naruto stared wide-eyed for a moment and then grinned, "Well that solves our problem!"
"Ok, that old hobo man was really crazy and scary, but that was overkill, sensei!" Sakura scolded.
"Don't worry. He's just unconscious. He'll wake up within a few hours." Kakashi assured her. "Anyways, let's head to the lake."
Kakashi picked up the canoe and the four shinobi headed to the lake as the old dog barked at them. Sasuke quickly shut the dog up by kicking it with his good foot.
Team 7 arrived at the lake, and found a surprise waiting for them at the shoreline.
"Hey look!" Naruto exclaimed as he pointed, "The old man's boat's back! I bet the wind blew it back in!"
"Not quite Naruto." Kakashi corrected, pointing to beside the boat where Gai stood, soaking wet but flashing a thumbs up, grinning.
"Gai-sensei saved it?" Sakura asked.
"Alright! He's officially on the top of my favourite sensei list!" Naruto cheered. "Well, right after you of course, Kakashi-sensei!"
Team 7 approached the boat. No obvious harm had been done to it while it had been left floating in the lake. Sakura looked at the side of it where black charcoal writing had been slightly smeared, but was still readable. "..."The Naruto Boat"...you named a boat after yourself?"
"Yeah!" Naruto grinned with pride, "Isn't it awesome?"
"No, it's stupid." Sasuke spat in his ever-fowl mood.
Naruto crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Sasuke.
"Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Gai grinned as he flashed a smile. "Great to see that you and your team arrived! Are your and your team ready to go?"
"We're all set." Kakashi nodded. "Good work on getting the boat back, Gai. Is your team coming down soon?"
"You bet there are! And they're going to eat your dust! And speak of the devil, here they come!"
Lee, Neji, and Tenten came down from the path. Lee was looking very excited, Tenten was looking a little unsure, and Neji was looking...well, like Neji.
"Hold on, what's going on here?" Sasuke demanded, "Is this another one of your crazy training exercises?"
"I suppose it could be called something along the lines of that." Kakashi replied.
"Not more training!" Sakura groaned. "Can't we just have fun and relax here?"
"Don't worry. This will benefit your training and you'll have fun. You can relax all you want afterwards." Kakashi told her.
Naruto jumped up and down in excitement. "It'll be fun training? What kind of training is it?"
"You three will be racing against Gai's team by going across the lake in boats. Its main purpose is for teamwork building, so this is where you will put your teamwork skills to good use. There are obstacles and traps in and around the lake that Gai and myself have set up at random. You will have to try to cross the lake unharmed. The first team that makes it across the lake gets a prize."
"A prize? What is it? Is it ramen?" Naruto asked, hoping the answer would be ramen.
"Just shut up and listen, you loser." Sasuke told Naruto.
"What will you and Gai-sensei be doing?" Sakura asked.
"Gai and I will be refereeing. We'll follow you around the lake, but we can't help you unless you get hurt by any of the obstacles. Gai's already explained everything to his students, so if there are no more questions, you three can now get in the cano-"
"Woah! Hold up there, Kakashi!" Gai cut in. "You and I are in this training race too! We can't let our youthful flames burn out by slacking off from training and just watching our students do all the competition!"
"Gai, we can't do that." Kakashi shook his head. "For one, it's our students that need the teamwork building, not us. And secondly, we are the ones who set up the traps. I know where I put my traps, so I can just easily evade them, and that partially defeats the purpose of this exercise. And on top of that, there's not enough room in the boats for 4 people. Your boat can barely fit 2 people in it."
"I'm sure one of our students won't mind if they have to referee instead of paddle across the lake!" Gai grinned.
"I don't mind." Neji spoke up loudly.
"Neither do I." Sasuke said as well.
"Me neither." Sakura added.
"You see?" Gai grinned, "Also, I didn't see you set your traps up and you didn't see me set my traps up, so neither of us would know what we're heading into! So the purpose of that part of the exercise isn't defeated after all! As for teamwork building, we teachers need to bond with our students more, so everything works out in the end!"
Kakashi couldn't argue with what Gai had just said. Giving up, he sighed, "Alright, if that's the way you really want it."
"Now our students will draw straws to see you will be staying out of the race." Gai announced, handing three straws to Kakashi. Neji, Lee, and Tenten drew their straws. The bottom of Tenten's straw was dipped in red.
"And so Tenten is out! That puts Lee, Neji, and myself in the race!"
"Alright!" Lee cheered, throwing his fist in the air. Neji made a sarcastic "Whoopee." as he lamely raised his fist in the air. Tenten looked a little disappointed that she was out, but said nothing.
Kakashi held the three straws for his team. Sasuke drew the straw with the red bottom out.
"Well this is my lucky day." Sasuke smirked.
"Phew! I'm glad I didn't draw that straw." Naruto sighed in relief. "I wanna race after all!"
"Oh-no! Now I'm separated from Sasuke!" Sakura cried. "That's not fair! I demand a re-draw so Sasuke paddles with me!" Inner Sakura screamed.
Well that's taken care of, so let's get in the canoe." Kakashi announced.
"But why can't we race in the 'Naruto Boat' boat?" Naruto asked.
"Because Gai's team is already using it, and the canoe belongs to me."
"But the 'Naruto Boat' boat is better and way cooler!" Naruto whined.
"I beg to differ." Sakura chuckled. "I think we got the better deal here."
"How come we have to get this piece of crap while Kakashi's team gets the good, sturdy boat?" Neji asked, slightly peeved.
"What are you talking about? We got the good boat!" Lee cried. "It must be an excellent boat, or why would Naruto be so passionately trying to get this boat instead of the one they have now?"
"Because he's an idiot." Neji answered. But Lee was barely listening.
"We will win with this wonderful boat! I am sorry Naruto, but this boat and victory shall be ours today!" Lee cried, eyes burning passionately.
"Fine, whatever. But we're going to rename this boat." Neji said.
"No way!" Naruto shouted. "Don't you dare change the name on the boat, or else! You're giving it back to me after the race is done!"
"Naruto, it's not even your boat." Sakura pointed out.
"Guys, we're wasting time. Let's do this before it gets too dark." Kakashi told the bickering genins.
Neji muttered something under his breath as he, Lee, and Gai pushed the "Naruto Boat" boat into the water and hopped in. "Whatever. We'll win this stupid race with or without a good boat." Neji muttered as he took hold of a paddle. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi pushed their canoe into the water and hopped into it.
"Now don't be an idiot and try to break the boat, Naruto." Sakura warned her team-mate
"No, I won't. Not like Kakashi-sensei did 15 years ago!" Naruto replied. He burst out into fits of laughter just thinking about it.
"Kakashi-sensei, how did you break that crazy old man's boat?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"Alright Tenten! You and Sasuke can give the signal when you're ready, and we'll meet you across the lake!" Gai announced.
Tenten nodded and raised her arm.
To be continued...
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