90 Degrees
By Fancyspinner
For warnings and disclaimers see part 1.
I apologise for any severe mangling of character names. I hope the story content makes up for it. Also, as I was researching it came to my attention that Gai has a personal summons. For this story he'll have a couple, I didn't realize the summons had a name.
Part 3: Healing
Gai hurried through his ablutions. It wasn't that he lacked trust in Kakashi it was simply that he understood the mixed feelings the jonin had for the Kyuubi child. The rush was compounded by the fact that while Kakashi was the copy-nin he didn't take the time to understand Jutsu's he copied right away unless they would help him in a fight. Medical Jutsu's were one of those areas where one needed a great deal of chakra control and they were only helpful after the fight so while Kakashi had knowledge of some medical jutsus. Gai wasn't certain how well he understood them...
Gai heard the front door opening and through on a pair of light weight pants and a long sleeve shirt with wide sleeves. They were his typical Green. Hearing Kurenai's raised voice he hurried back towards the living room.
He walked out of the bathroom and felt a wave of relief run through him. He wondered where Asuma was.
"Thank you my friend!" He spoke even before anyone had noticed him entering the living room.
"You are welcome Gai-cun. Will you be needing me again this night?
"Not at the moment. Would you be willing to check in with me tomorrow morning?"
Gai hoped the turtle would be willing because he wasn't sure how much energy reserves he had. He'd used a great deal of Chakra to heal the children to the best of his ability and he didn't have energy to keep the summons with him.
"I will."
"Thank you, my friend."" With that, the turtle vanished.
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Naruto did his best not to move or breathe. He didn't know where he was. Once the man had taken Lee and him away from the ones that were hurting them, it had taken all of his will to lay still. He could feel his body fixing itself and in one of the brief moments no one had been paying attention to him he had looked at Lee and had been scared because Lee's body was not fixing itself. He had tried to get up and go to him but he had been pushed back down.
"Easy Kid. Gai's a bit … unusual but he's a good man. If he's taken it into his head to take care of you, then it'll take a couple of armies to get you away from him. I don't even know if the Sandaime would get him to let you two go at this point."
The hand that had pushed him back down kept him still. Naruto kept his eyes on Lee. He tried not to cry.
"Your friend was hurt really badly and we're having some trouble healing him up but I'm sure he'll be ok. The bleeding has mostly stopped. It looks bad but it's going to be fine."
Most of the words went right over Naruto's head but he understood enough of them and he calmed slightly.
A sound had naruto's eyes flicking towards the door so he missed the instant Lee returned to consciousness. He stared as a woman on a creature came into the room.
"Kakashi, what is going on here? What compelled Gai to …" her words trailed off. "Oh Kami." She breathed shocked by the damage.
"He's already healing but the other child … well, Gai and I did our best but you know my Medical Jutsus aren't much to brag about and Gai about wore himself out. You know that while his control is great he has never had any real medical training."
Naruto watched while the woman ran to Lee and her hands began to glow. She slowly ran them over his body. The energy seemed to go from her hands inside of Lee. He watched, wide eyed, as the damage went away. First all the red stuff disappeared. Then the skin put itself back together.
Just then the man that had saved them came back into the room. Naruto wasn't sure where to look. He listened as the creature spoke. He watched and couldn't see where the words were coming from. Then to Naruto's amazement, the creature poofed away.
He must have made some kind of sound because suddenly, all eyes were on him. He tried to back away even squirming away from the hand that had been holding him down. This caused him to fall off the place where he had been resting on to the floor. The thing he had been resting on was suddenly moved out of the way and the man that had taken them away was suddenly beside him.
"Hello Naruto. My name is Gai. You and your friend are in my home.
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Gai made himself as small as possible. He figured that he must look like a giant to the tiny child. He made his voice as soft as possible. He wasn't sure if that would be enough to calm the skittish child but it was currently all he could think to do.
"No friend, Lee."
Gai blinked at that emphatic answer.
"Lee?" He pointed back towards where Kurenai continued to work on the other boy.
Naruto nodded in agreement.
"Lee is your friend too, right? He tried to keep you safe. You protect each other?"
Naruto seemed to give it a great deal of thought. Gai had a sinking feeling that he was dealing with a child who existed mostly on pure instinct and had few if any practical skills. He hoped the other boy was more age appropriate in his behaviors.
"Safe." Naruto said firmly.
He tried to get up again and instead of restraining him as Kakashi had done – held out his arms. Naruto started with seeming incomprehension in his eyes.
Gai slowly reached out a hand to the Blond. He stopped until he watched Naruto relax. Then he moved his hand a little closer. Naruto watched through curious Blue eyes. With the same care he had taken in approaching Naruto, he allowed his hand to fall on the Blond's hair until his fingertips were just touching the strands. Naruto didn't move away so Gai slowly began to stroke the surprisingly soft hair. After what felt like forever but was in fact only a few minutes, Naruto moved a little closer.
"Want to see Lee?"
Naruto nodded and moved even closer. Gai took the opportunity to scoop the child up. Murmuring softly the hole time. Letting him know in quiet simple words what he was going to do.
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Naruto felt very small. Things were happening that he didn't understand. Someone was talking to him but it didn't hurt and he was not being pushed or hit. He let the man pick him up and carry him over to Lee. The man had a soft voice and Naruto felt safe.
"Na-ru-to?"
Gai quickly moved Naruto so that Lee could get a good look at him.
"Gai, you're in my way. I can't heal this child with you hovering.
"I apologize Kurenai! I simply wanted the children to see one another so they would be assured of the fact that they were safe."
Naruto ignored the two speaking and stretched out a hand to touch Lee.
"No," Kurenai snapped and batted his hand away.
Naruto, frightened by the unexpected contact and the firm tone lashed out with chakra sending Kurenai skidding away from Lee and smacking up against the wall. He then smashed his elbow into Gai's diaphragm and while it didn't hurt it was startling enough to where the grip he had on the child loosened and Naruto wriggled out of his hands and stumbled over to Lee.
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Lee's world was pain. The last thing he had been aware of was the Kunai that had cut into him and of the fact that he had not been able to help Naruto. He was surprised then when a man held Naruto right in front of him. He mumbled Naruto's name but everything hurt and he found it hard to breathe.
He watched as a lady worked on healing him and was only slightly surprised as the pain he was in became less. He smiled as Naruto's hand reached out to touch him. One thing he'd noticed was that Naruto like to be touched. He flinched when the lady pushed Naruto's hand out of the way.
Naruto rarely reacted when someone hurt him but Lee clearly remembered Naruto's defiant behavior when the bad people had attacked them. Naruto's goal had been to protect him, even if it meant that Naruto would suffer more pain.
He gaped, along with everyone else, as Naruto's chakra sent the lady clear across the room and smashed her into the wall.
Naruto then made his way over to where Lee lay and tried to crawl in with him. Lee did his best not to cry out and made room for Naruto.
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"Well, that was interesting." Kakashi stated as Kurenai got to her feet.
"I don't think he understands that I'm trying to help. He saw my batting his hand away as an attack. Do you think he has had so little physical contact?"
"I think," came a voice from the doorway, "that most if not all of the Jinchuriki's physical contact has been of the negative kind."
They all spun Kunai and other weapons coming to hand. Kakashi even exposed his Sharingan.
"Sarutobi-Sama sent me. Asuma is otherwise occupied and I was asked to assist.
"You? What would you know about kids?" Kakashi snorted
Gai reached over and hit him over the head.
"Ibiki-San, did Sarutobi happen to send … any of the necessities with you?" While Gai didn't know what exactly children would need, he was certain that it would be many things. He was also certain that his work at the 2 orphanages around town would not prepare him to care for two boys.
Gai was too tired to put up any kind of act and he was relatively certain that Konoha's T&I specialist saw right through it and never commented for some reason. Jiraiya's theory was that it amused the sadist to watch people cringe and squirm.
The man pulled out a couple of large storage scrolls. He unsealed the first one and pulled out savs and ointments. He also pulled out needle and thread, goz, some clothing and food.
"Food?" Gai asked.
"You should not feed them curry."
Kurenai reached for the medical supplies and did her best to go back to work. She glared and even Ibiki moved out of her way. He reached out and pulled Gai, who was trying to watch what she was doing, with him.
Gai reached out and took the several containers of food away from the other man and walked towards his kitchen. It took him a moment to realize that Ibiki was still following him.
"I don't' just eat curry!" Gai replied to Ibiki's previous statement with indignation.
"Yo Gai. I'm leaving. I can't do anything else and I have a mission in the morning."
Gai dropped the containers on top of other groceries sitting on his counter space and slid past Ibiki. He grabbed Kakashi before he could leave and wrapped Kakashi in a hug.
"Thank you, my dearest rival for your assistance tonight! I'll treat you to dinner upon your return! May your flames of—"Kakashi pulled himself out of the embrace and glared from his one eye.
"Oh shut up!" He slammed the door on his way out.
"Gai must you torment Kakashi so?"
He turned his beaming smile and twinkling eyes towards Kurenai.
"Kakashi is my dear Rival!"
"You will keep it down or I will skin you alive and cut body parts off that you really don't want to lose."
A bit stunned by Kurenai's pronouncement he went back to the kitchen. When he arrived he found Ibiki putting the various containers away.
"Do you ever use these appliances?"
Of course I do!"
"Look, this is baby food, I guess. The Sandaime feels that because of the Jinchuriki's under nourished state, he needs to eat soft foods so that his stomach can get used to eating regular portions of food."
"I can do that!" gai protested. He scowled as ibiki put things away inside of his refrigerator and into his cabinets.
"I have been assigned along with Inoichi Yomenaka to work with the …Jinchuriki."
The faint sneer on Ibiki's lips just took Gai's control and shredded it. He'd make up for what he was about to do when the children were out of danger. He'd think of something. Maybe he'd run 1000 laps around Konoha while carrying both boys and compose 5 challenges for Kakashi. While this thought was running through his head he reacted.
He slammed a fist into Ibiki's stomach. He then grabbed the heavier man and pressed him against the wall applying pressure to his throat.
"You will not," his voice was colder than ice, "disparage the sacrifice this child's life has been. You will not" Gai applied more pressure just to get out some of his own frustrations, "treat him as everyone else in this village does, or I will kill you. Get out!"
Gai released him and snatched the other scroll out of his hands.
Gai walked over to Kurenai feeling slightly calmer.
"How are they?"
"It's hard to work on them when they're all curled up like that. The other boy, Lee?" Gai nodded. "He'll probably scar. They cut him up pretty badly. Honestly, Gai, they need true doctors and I'm not one."
"I don't know any doctors that would treat Naruto. I'm certain they would treat lee though. He's … just an orphan."
"I'll take Lee and stay with him. Depending on what they say, are you willing to keep him?"
"Yes, I am."
Gai knelt beside the boys and very gently touched Naruto's shoulder.
"Naruto. It is Gai. Can you wake up?"
Naruto slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to face Gai.
"Lee needs help. See the lady?" he pointed over to Kurenai. "She will take Lee." He motioned towards Lee and then motioned as though he were going to pick up Lee. "When he is better, Lee will come back."
"Lee go?" Naruto whispered.
"Yes, but only for a little while Kurenai interjected.
"Better?" Naruto asked.
"Yes." Gai said softly.
Naruto nodded and with surprising gentleness he untangled himself from Lee. He gently touched Lee's cheek and then went to a corner and curled up.
"If I could skin every person in this village that has mistreated that boy, I would." Gai murmured quietly.
"I'd help," Kurenai said, "and I know others that would too. You'd think that at least the Shinobi and the Anbu would understand the basics of sealing scrolls."
Gai growled as Ibiki exited his home.
"I thought you got along with him?"
"You should have seen his face in there. He and Yominaka have been assigned to assess Naruto."
Kurenai sighed and gently lifted Lee from where he lay.
I'll be in touch, ok?"
"I'm going to try and see the Sandaime in the morning."
Before she left she went over to the corner where Naruto had wedged himself.
"Naruto!"
He looked up and the anguish she saw on his face made her want to go and burn down the orphanage.
"As soon as Lee is better I'll bring him back. You listen to Gai and we'll be back soon."
When they were gone Naruto curled back up. Lee was gone and Naruto was alone. He sniffled.
Alerted to the fact that something was wrong, Gai went to see Naruto. Originally he had decided to allow him to fall asleep and then he would put him into bed and clean him up.
When he reached Naruto he saw the boy crying.
"Naruto. It's going to be ok." The ball of misery tucked in to a corner broke his heart. He felt his own eyes well up with tears.
"Come little one. We'll go to bed and if Kurenai isn't back by the time we're done talking with the Sandaime tomorrow I'll sneak you in to see Lee."
"Lee gone!"
"I know but he'll be back."
Gai went through the same process as before in order to be able to touch the child. He noticed it didn't take as long. He gently scooped the exhausted boy into his arms and went into the bathroom.
"Let's clean up."
Gai talked Naruto through the bathing process and wrapped him in a towel. He had nothing for the child to sleep in so he got another towel and used it as a robe. Then he tucked the boy into bed.
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Naruto was worried about Lee. He was warm and comfortable though and he had never felt so warm. He wanted to wait for Lee to come back. The man Gai, and the lady they said Lee would be back so Naruto wanted to wait. His body had other ideas and before he could think anything else, Naruto was asleep.
TBC. Interlude with Sarutobi