Disclaimer: How troublesome. A disclaimer. Don't own Naruto.
AN: Ha. Do you know how in the anime that after a serious mission/episode/whatever they throw in a random episode (ei: Kakashi's Mask)? Well, this is that chapter (it still stays in the plot, however). Longest chapter yet, seven whole pages. Believe it! ...Eh, enjoy!
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The Power of Youth
By SapphireWhiteTigress
Chapter VI – My Training
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Early the next morning, Lee woke up as the rays of sunlight fluttered into his room. He opened his round eyes and yawned, stretching. Or, he would have stretched if something wasn't holding one of his arms down. He blinked and glanced down, only to be met with a mass of pink hair. A bright smile spread across his face as he looked down upon the love of his life.
His smile broaden as he noticed the ring that rested perfectly on her ring finger. Sakura agreed to marry him. His Sakura-chan was going to become his wife. The simple thought overjoyed him and he fell in love with her all over again. He'll do everything in his power to make this relationship work and to keep her safe from any and all danger.
Her face was nestled ever so sweetly on his shoulder. She took a deep intake of breath and slowly let it loose, tickling his neck. He laughed gently to himself, a soft sound in the back of his throat. If he could, he would stay this way forever. But, he had to meet Gai-sensei in – he glanced at the clock – fifteen minutes.
He snuggled against Sakura, bringing her closer to him. Her arms automatically tighten around his waist as she sighed softly. Lee was lured back to sleep almost instantly, until he remembered what time it actually was. His eyes snapped right back open and he almost bolted upright, if it weren't for his cherry blossom angel.
He was suppose to meet Gai-sensei is fifteen minutes! He was torn between just staying in bed with Sakura for the rest of the day and going to meet his sensei. Unfortunately, he couldn't let Gai-sensei down, so he regrettably untangled himself from Sakura's warm embrace and stood up. He looked down at her and carefully tucked the blanket around her to keep her secure and warm.
Lee quickly went to the washroom, showered, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, and got dressed into his typical training outfit. When he entered the room ten minutes later, Sakura was just waking up. She rubbed her hands tiredly over her eyes and yawned. She sat up and looked at him, her stomach lurching painfully.
"'Morning, Lee-kun." She murmured, still tired and not yet ready to meet the upcoming day.
Lee smiled at her. "Good morning to you, Sakura-chan! Did you sleep well?" He asked as he sat on the bed next to her to put on his leg warmers. He watched as she nodded her head and frowned when he noticed that she didn't look too good this morning. "Sakura-chan...are you...okay?" He asked, turning around to face her, which turned out to be a big mistake as Sakura jerked forward, thus covering him in...vomit.
Sakura gasped and Lee stared down awkwardly at his now soiled jumpsuit. Sakura covered her face in her hands in embarrassment and tried to wiped the remnants of yesterday's lunch off of her face. "Oh, Lee-kun! I'm so sorry!"
Lee chuckled nervously as he stood up. "Ah, do not worry, Sakura-chan. It was not your fault..." He went to the bathroom to quickly wash up.
Sakura still couldn't believe that she just threw up all over Lee. She groaned and got up too, following Lee into the bathroom so she could wash her face and brush her teeth. It was a good thing she had an extra toothbrush here. As she entered, Lee was frenetically trying to rid himself of the mixed food that was all over the top part of his green jumpsuit with a damped washcloth.
Sakura frowned. "I'm so sorry, Lee-kun..."
Lee looked up at the girl and smiled. "It is okay, Sakura-chan!" His eyes then switched to worry as he gazed at her. "But, how are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you still feel nauseated or faint? Maybe you should continue to rest...?"
Sakura shook her head and stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring into her reflection. She looked horrible. Her hair was at odd angles, her face was a sickly white color, and small bits of leftovers hung from her chin. She wished that the floor would open up and swallow her. She groaned and gently leaned her head against the cool glass of the mirror, Lee worriedly rubbing her back.
"Sakura-chan...maybe it is wise if you..." He was unable to finish as Sakura suddenly emptied the rest of her stomach contents into the marble bowl of the sink. He cringed at the sight, pulling her hair out of her face.
Her breath came in short gasps. "I hate morning sickness..." She murmured, once again throwing up into the sink. Lee was at least glad it wasn't him she was throwing up on. Looks like training with Gai-sensei has to wait.
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Neji frowned in concentration, his pupil-less eyes flaring slightly. He formed several seals and focused his chakra, muttering, "Byakugan." The veins around his eyes bulged as his kekkai genkai took effect, the slightly lavender hue of his eyes disappearing. He gracefully moved into his stance and successfully dodged a kunai, his left hand brushing against the next one, deflecting it. He spun around and plucked another kunai out of the air, dropping it to the solid grass ground.
He jumped and spun sideways, avoiding another hail of the sharpen weapons. His sharp ears picked up the muttering of his sensei about his 'youthful' dodging. Neji blinked as saw the scroll unraveling, surprised that he hasn't seen that attack before. He quickly drew his chakra in and leaped, spinning around quickly, "Kaiten!" he yelled
Tenten ducked, her kunai and shuriken flying at all angles. She stood up and snatched one of her kunai out of the air, reholstering it. "Nice job, Neji." she said, wiping away the bead of sweat that formed on her forehead from their morning training.
Neji only grunted and deactivated his Byakugan. He rolled his shoulders back and smirked at the girl before him. "You did well yourself, Tenten."
Tenten blushed at the compliment, but hid it well as she turned to their sensei, his face usually blanked. "Gai-sensei?" She asked, snapping him from his thoughts.
Gai's eyes quickly return to their 'youthfulness' and he grinned. "Ah! Excellent training, my precious students! A great show of your youth! Now, we must wait for Lee to arrive!" Gai-sensei was a little worried that his never tardy pupil was an hour late.
Tenten leaned up against a tree and played with one of her kunai. Gai-sensei had told them that once Lee arrives, that they would be doing some very special training. What this training was, he wouldn't say. She just hoped it didn't involved a lot of 'youthful' yelling, hugging, tears, and sunrises. Those just...kind of freaked her out, no matter how often she has seen them.
Neji rested next to her, leaning up against the same tree, his eyes close. He, too, was curious about Gai-sensei's special training. If it was training, it was bound to be good, even if it was with Gai-sensei. He wouldn't admit it, but having Gai as a sensei wasn't nearly as bad as everyone thought it to be. The older man taught them well enough and trained them hard to become who they are today.
A few minutes later was when Lee came running up to them, short of breath. "Gai-sensei! Neji! Tenten!" He yelled once he was within a few feet of them. "I am so sorry that I am late! Please forgive me, Gai-sensei!"
Gai held up a hand to dismiss Lee's apology. "Do not worry, my precious student! But please, what has kept you from your early morning training?" He inquired.
Lee frowned in thought. "Sakura-chan got sick and I stayed until she felt well again. She is doing fine now! Her morning sickness has passed!"
Both Neji and Tenten's ears perked at that. "Morning sickness?" Tenten asked, her eyes slightly wide in surprise.
Lee blushed and looked away. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to tell his friends or not. He knew they had the right to know, but did Sakura wanted them to know so soon? It was already bad enough that Gai-sensei had to find out, but Neji and Tenten? What would they think? They were his best friends, after all, or at least he considered them two of his best friends.
Tenten took the hint and gasped. "Is Sakura pregnant!" She yelled out, causing Neji's eyes to slightly widen in shock. She remembered a little over a month ago when she had to walk Sakura home. Was that because Sakura was pregnant?
Lee scratched the back of his neck. "Yes..." He watched as Tenten nearly passed out, falling into Neji's arms. Neji looked to be in shock too.
Neji wasn't sure what to say, but thankfully he didn't have to say anything as Gai-sensei decided to step into the conversation. "My youthful students! We must continue this later, for now, we have Special Training we need to take care of!"
Lee jumped in excitement. "What kind of special training, Gai-sensei!"
Neji also nodded as he help Tenten to stand up correctly. She was still in shock over this discovery of Lee impregnating Sakura. The thought seemed almost ludicrous. How was that even possible? Oh, well, she knew how babies were created, but...sweet little innocent Lee? Turns out, Lee wasn't as innocent as she thought. 'Damn it, Lee...how could you lose your virginity before me!' ...Well, it couldn't be a bad thing. At least she wasn't pregnant...she felt sorry for both Lee and Sakura though. Raising a kid could be hell. ...Not that she would know.
Gai-sensei struck a pose and Neji was momentarily tempted to cover his innocent and 'youthful' eyes. When Gai-sensei struck poses like that, it scared him. It scared him beyond words.
"Today is the Special Training day!" He declared once more.
His students only stared at him. "We've already established that, Gai-sensei." Tenten said.
"What's the special training, Gai-sensei?" Lee asked again.
Gai was quiet for a moment before dropping the pose. "...Hmm...I have yet to think one up!"
All three teenagers fell to the ground in disbelief. Tenten was the first to recover and she glared at their sensei. "You mean to tell us that after all this waiting and talk about 'Special Training' that you have no idea what it is?"
Gai thought for a moment. "Hmm...Ah-ha! I have finally decided on the perfect training for you, Lee!" He turned to his most youthful student and grinned wildly at him.
Lee's eyes sparkled eagerly. "Yes, Gai-sensei?"
Gai paused for a most dramatic effect. It lasted for ten seconds. Then twenty. Then thirty, until it reached one whole minute. "I will train you in the art of baby raising!"
Once again, the three met the ground. Tenten was the first to recover again as she yelled at Gai-sensei. "Gai-sensei! What do you know about raising a baby!"
Gai's eyes dimmed a little as he thought of his past, the past that was a mystery to even Lee. It passed almost as quickly as it came however, and his eyes returned to their youthful shininess. "I may know a few things, Tenten."
This time, Neji decided to speak up. "What do you know?"
Lee was kind of embarrassed about the whole thing, after all, he was the one that was going to be a father in seven months. That thought froze in his mind. He was going to be a father. In SEVEN months. Seven short months, they were going to bring a baby into this world. A little replica of him and Sakura. Their little bundle of joy. Oh, he couldn't wait!
Gai explained to his team what he did know about babies. Truth be told, he was just as inexperience in this than they were, but he wouldn't tell them that. Nope. That would be his little secret. So, he ignored Neji's question and went straight to it. He grabbed a bag that was sitting a few feet away from them and opened it. After digging around for a few minutes, he pulled out a baby doll (this made everyone's eyes widen ever so slightly) and a few diapers. He turned around to them with a huge grin on his face.
"First, you will learn the art of CHANGING a diaper!" Gai declared as he thrust the baby doll and diapers into the air.
Tenten, Neji, and even Lee's eyes fell to the ground...in the non-literal sense, of course. "You want us to do what?" Neji asked incredulous. He was not going to be humiliated in such a way. He was the perfect prodigy of the Hyuuga clan and prodigies just don't change diapers. Remember what he said about Gai-sensei being a great sensei? He takes it all back.
Gai only continued to grin as he placed the plastic doll on a log and sat the diapers next to it. He turned to his students, giving them a thumbs-up sign with his left hand placed on his hip. "Now, Tenten! Let us see what you can do!"
Tenten blinked slowly. "...Why me? I'm not the one that's pregnant." She glanced over at Lee, who blushed. "I think Lee should go first."
Lee shook his head and held up his hands in defense. "But, Tenten! You have that maternal instinct in you that drives you to care for an infant!" Tenten was just about to threaten Lee with sharp and pointy objects when Gai interrupted them.
"Now, now, Lee! Tenten!" He cut in between them. "Perhaps Neji would like to go first?"
Neji death-glared them all and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a man with power and dignity. Hyuuga Neji was not, as he tried so desperately to emphasize earlier, the type of guy to care for a baby. He believed that that role was played by the wives. And only the wives. No way in all of Konoha was he going to change the diaper of a stupid doll.
Fifteen minutes later, Hyuuga Neji was changing the diaper of a stupid doll. "...I can't believe I'm doing this..." He muttered to himself as he applied the powder that Gai had given him earlier.
Gai grinned happily at him. "Excellent, my student! You are doing a wonderful job!"
Tenten nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Neji. Keep it up, one day, you might actually make a good housewife!"
Lee happily watched as Neji provided the tactics needed to change a baby's diaper. In his hands were his overused note pad and pencil as he quickly wrote down some basic notes.
Neji felt like an idiot. A complete and utter fool to be tricked into doing such a task. Who did they think they were? Getting him to change a stinkin' diaper! They will pay...oh yes, they will pay dearly for his humiliation.
Neji angrily folded the diaper around the baby doll's tiny waist and held the clasped in place. The only problem was that this diaper was really old fashion and required pins to keep them up. He glanced around him, looking for one. Sadly, he found none. Now, Neji being the smart guy that he is, reached one hand into his side pouch and pulled out a kunai, pinning it to the diaper and keeping it in place.
Tenten raised an eyebrow at Neji as Gai exclaimed excitedly. "What a very youthful display of creativeness Neji!" Both Lee and Tenten sweatdropped as Neji rolled his eyes and picked the baby doll up by the arm, tossing it to Lee. Gai gasped horrified and dramatically. "Neji! That is no way to treat your child!"
"Not my problem." Neji murmured as he took a seat next to Tenten on the grass. Tenten playfully poked Neji's arm and rolled her eyes.
Lee on the other hand grasped the doll tightly in his arms as his eyes widen comically and filled with tears. "Neji! How could you possibly be so mean to this precious child!"
Neji was pretty sure that both sensei and his look alike student were insane. Actually, he has known that fact for as long as he had known them, if not longer. Heck, he probably dreamed about it before he even met them. But, whatever, he just knew that they were insane.
Gai decided to move on to the next lesson of The Art of Raising a Child. "Alright, my most wonderful and youthfully youthful students, the next thing one must do to maintain a happy and healthy child is to make your child laugh!" He turned to Lee and give him his traditional thumbs up sign. "Lee, your mission is to make Neji laugh!"
Lee's jaw nearly fell to the ground as Tenten tried hard to contain her laughter. Neji, on the other hand, was anything but amused. "But, Gai-sensei! That is nearly an impossible mission!" Lee yelled in disbelief. Tenten nodded in agreement, not even bothering to contain her laughter anymore.
Gai just continued to grin. It was as if that grin was forever painted on his face. "Lee! Nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it! And if you cannot get Neji to laugh in ten minutes, than you will have to run around Konoha 500 times with Neji on your back!"
Neji frowned. "Why am I always being dragged into your stupid 'training'?"
They ignored him. Lee's eyes lit up with a fire of determination as he pumped his arm into the air. "You are right, Gai-sensei! There is nothing that I cannot do! ...Except for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu...but that is besides the point! I will make Neji laugh and if I fail to do so, I will be a terrible father!" Lee immediately turned his attention to his teammate and pointed a finger at him. "I WILL defeat you, Neji!"
Neji laughed at that. It wasn't a "HAHAHA" type of laugh but a "haha, I like to see you try" type. Lee really could be an amusing person.
Lee grinned. "Yosh! I have done the impossible and got Neji to laugh in record timing!"
Everyone sweatdropped.
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Sakura slowly walked into the training area where she usually trained with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. She wasn't really feeling up to any training right now, but she couldn't draw any suspicion to herself if she just didn't show up one day. As she walked into the area she could see Naruto and Kakashi warming up, but as soon as they noticed her, they immediately stopped.
Sakura awkwardly stood there looking at the two. Naruto looked to the ground to avoid her eyes while Kakashi's one visible eye scanned her. You couldn't really tell if she was pregnant just by looking at her, though her stomach was a little rounder than usual.
Sakura spread a cheesy grin across her slightly paled face as she approached them. "Hey guys!" She shouted, looking around uncomfortably. Her grin instantly disappeared. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kakashi one eye met hers. "Are you sure you want to be training today, Sakura?"
Sakura blinked and glanced at Naruto, whose eyes still wouldn't meet hers. She turned back to her sensei. "Of course I'm sure. Why else would I be here?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe you should take it easy for a while. You shouldn't be training in your condition."
Sakura's eyes widen. He knew. Kakashi-sensei knew. She glared at Naruto and threateningly advanced onto him. Naruto eyes lifted off the ground and stared at her. "Naruto, you idiot!"
Naruto back up with his hands up protectively. "What I do, Sakura-chan?"
"You told Kakashi-sensei!" She yelled, ready to punch the living daylights out of him. She let loose and her fist connected to the side of his face, sending him into a nearby tree.
Kakashi sweatdropped. "Actually, Sakura, I heard it from Gai and your father."
Sakura paused before she could beat Naruto up anymore, her mouth formed in an 'o' shape. "Oh..." She turned to Naruto and gasped. His eyes were swollen and he had a back and blue mark on his cheek, a few teeth hanging out of his mouth. "Oh! Sorry Naruto..." She laughed nervously and helped the boy up.
Naruto accepted her help. "It's...it's okay...Sakura...chan..." He said, feeling slightly dizzy and swaying on his feet.
That was when Naruto noticed something glimmering off of her finger due to the sunlight. Forgetting that she nearly killed him, he pointed at the object. "Hey, Sakura-chan, what's that on your finger?"
Sakura glanced down at the ring Lee gave her. "Oh..." She took sometime to admire the beautiful ring and smiled in thought. "Lee-kun gave it to me..." She said, looking back at Naruto.
Naruto wasn't sure what to say to that. Usually, when a guy gave a girl a ring, it meant that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Does that mean that Sakura was really going to marry Thick-brows? He sighed. He should've known he had no chance with Sakura ever since she started dating him. But it still hurt all the same.
Kakashi only shook his head. Today was going to be a loooong day. He thought for a brief moment if he should possibly knock some sense into Lee for doing this to Sakura, but decided that Gai would be a better choice. Something about punching Gai for no apparent reason made his day better.
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AN: End of Chapter Six. Not my best chapter, but oh well. I like to thank everyone who reviewed, supported and motivated me to continue. Thank you so much! This story truly wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you! Continue to review and help me grow! ...And this story, too. By the way, just in case you were wondering, I LOVE Gai-sensei. He's my favorite sensei, while Kakashi's my second favorite.
--Edited-- I realized I posted this chapter up a little too quick...I even forgot the Next Chapter Teaser...
Next Chapter Teaser: Miki turned to enter the sitting area and Matsou followed her, both sitting on the one couch there. Sakura soon followed after them and nervously took a seat in the armchair that was across from her parents. No one dared to speak for a solid five minutes.