It's one of those small things that escalate far too quickly.
Gai didn't use to summon Ningame all that often, but he's trying his hardest to make it up to his beloved tortoise these days, and Kakashi has always loved to have his dogs around. So the apartment ends up being far more crowded than they thought it would be.
Not that Gai minds. Moving in together had been his idea, after all, and it's an idea he's still very proud of. Except…
Except that one day he hears a rather unfamiliarly high-pitched scream coming from the kitchen, where he'd left Ningame to enjoy some salad he got fresh from the market.
When Gai gets to the source of the commotion, what he sees is this:
Ningame on the ground, completely withdrawn into his shell, only his little tail sticking out. Sticking out and being chewed on by Bull, who glances up at Gai with his bloodshot eyes in a way that is fifty percent happy and fifty percent ashamed. As if he's trying to say, I'm sorry, I know this is wrong, but the taste is so great, I just can't stop!
"Help me!" Ningame's whimper comes floating out from the depths of his shell, and Gai shouts, "No, Bull!" and starts pulling on the dog's collar, which does nothing to deter Bull but triggers a howl of pain from Ningame.
"Sorry!" Gai let's go of Bull as if scorched and runs to the fridge where Kakashi keeps extra special treats for his ninken. He gets a steak, something that was never even meant for the dogs but for their own dinner, and waves it in front of Bull's snout.
The dog's pupils track his movements left, right, left, right, like he's being hypnotized. But he does not let go.
Something like a sob comes out of the shell. At this point, Gai starts to consider using actual force. He could pry Bull's jaw open with his hands or pinch the dog's ears or…
No, he can't hurt Bull.
Frustrated beyond caring, Gai drops the steak and pulls at his own hair.
"Can't you just teleport away?!" he wails.
"What do you think?! His teeth are in my tail!" Ningame hisses back, "you should bite his tail!"
"He doesn't have one!" Gai exclaims. Bull's little stumpy tail is doing its best to wag.
Pakkun and Bisuke choose this moment to wander into the kitchen; Gai stares at them imploringly.
"Don't look at us, pal," Pakkun says, unperturbed, "we're here for the steak."
"Get Kakashi! Please!"
"He's not going to do that again. I gave him a good scolding." Kakashi shoots Gai a suspicious look. "You're pouting, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not." Gai finishes wrapping the bandage around Ningame's tail and ties it off with a little bow. He's not pouting, but his tortoise sure is. Ningame hasn't said a word since Bull finally let go of him.
"I'm sorry," Kakashi says.
"I know, but we have to make it up to him somehow, Rival."
The things I do for love, Kakashi thinks as he climbs into bed.
Immediately the enormous mountain next to him shifts to the right, away from him, taking Kakashi's blanket with him.
"His feet are cold!" it complains and sniffs indignantly. No doubt going to hog warmth off Gai, which had been Kakashi's plan.
"Your feet have claws on them," Kakashi shoots back, making a desperate grab for his blanket. "And aren't you cold-blooded anyway?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ningame asks provocatively, ready for a fight, and somewhere behind the giant tortoise in the middle of the bed Kakashi hears Gai sigh.
It's going to be a long month.