KakaGai Week 2022!

All because Gai was standing there, smiling at him.

Neither of them said anything. They simply stood there staring at each other, Kakashi glaring daggers into the other boy, and Gai smiling back at him as if nothing was wrong. When neither of them said anything, he decided to try and continue the conversation he’d been having with Kakashi shortly before inviting Gai into his office.

 “Your task-” he began, frowning when Kakashi directed his glare towards him. “Is to catch two Pokemon each.”

“Why?” Kakashi asked as he stared a hole directly into Minato’s soul. 

“Well, as you know it’s standard procedure to test all recruits before granting them a position on the survey corps.”

Kakashi shook his head. “I know that,” he grumbled. “But why do I have to do my trial with…this!?” He waved his hands towards Gai.

Before Minato could respond, Gai stepped forward and jammed a finger directly into Kakashi’s chest. A move that earned him a swift slap to the hand from Kakashi. “You’re just afraid I’ll do better at the trial than you will,” Gai’s smile grew wider when Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Admit it. You think I’m going to outshine you.”

“As if,” Kakashi grunted. “I’ve been raised alongside Pokemon. You’re just some newcomer from another land who has to prove himself.”

“You have to prove yourself too,” Minato barely contained his laughter at Gai’s jab, a slight snort escaping when Kakashi drew in a sharp breath. “We both have to do this trial, which means you’re in the same position as me.”

“The sa- Minato-san!” Kakashi looked his way for support. “I am not in the same position as him, am I?”

Minato could only shrug his shoulders. To agree with Gai would do little more than earn him Kakashi’s wrath, but he also couldn’t lie and act as if Kakashi had any sort of edge over the newcomer.

“See, even he agrees,” Gai grinned. “And he chose me to do this trail with you, so you’re stuck with me.”

“I’d rather have Obito as a partner,” Kakashi grumbled. “You’re just going to slow me down.”

It was Gai’s turn to gasp, the insult striking right at his pride. “I will not,” he insisted. “You haven’t even seen me in the field!”

“I don’t need to. I’m the best of our age group,” there was no arrogance in Kakashi’s voice when he spoke, his words more of a statement than a brag. “Any partner would slow me down.”

Rather than getting upset at the insult, like Obito would, Gai simply smiled brighter than before. “Prove it.”

“I- what?” Kakashi stared at him dumbfounded. 

“You heard me. Prove it. If you’re so much better than me it should be easy to beat me in a competition.”

For the first time since he’d met Kakashi, Minato saw Excitement in his eyes. An expression that he was certain the boy wasn’t capable of showing until this very moment. 

“First to catch three Pokemon and get back to camp wins.” Kakashi declared, officially accepting Gai’s challenge.

“Wait.” Minato was certain he was dreaming, or in another reality, or hallucinating. The scene unfolding in front of him could not possibly be real. Hatake Kakashi had never caved to someone else’s taunts before.

“You’re right, Minato-san,” Gai nodded in agreement, though Minato hadn’t said much of anything to warrant such a reaction. “Three is too easy. How about four?”

“How about the first to complete two of Professor Onoki’s research tasks wins,” Kakashi fired back. “That will be more than enough to secure our spot in the survey corps, right Minato-san?”

“Well, yes but-”

“It’s a deal!” Gai threw an arm out in front of himself and gave Kakashi a thumbs-up. “You’ll see. I’ll beat you and then you’ll have to accept that I’m just as good as you.”

Turning his back to Minato, Kakashi waved Gai off and made his way toward the door. “Whatever you say. Come on, Eevee.”

All Minato could do was stand there, watching as Gai chased after Kakashi, their Pokemon following after them and their conversation fading off into the distance with each passing second. 

“What…” He stared at the door and tried to process everything that he had just witnessed. “You- You two didn’t even say Hello to each other!” 

Gai Passes out

Just over the hill, about five minutes away, was the heights camp. There, Ibiki and Yugao would be awaiting Kakashi and Gai’s return from their surveying so they could all head back to the village.

“They’re going to be surprised,” gravel crunched under his feet as he pushed forward. “We’ve only been out for a few hours.”

Usually, he and Gai could be out in the field all day. Hiding in tall grass studying various Pokemon, or running around catching and battling everything they ran into. It was normal for them to return only when the sun was setting and the cold of the night was beginning to set in.

“Minato-san is going to lose his mind when he finds out you got hit by a Pikachu’s thundershock,” stepping over a fallen log, he cringed when the muscles in his legs began to protest all of the weight he was carrying. “You are really heavy. You know that, right?”

There was no response from Gai.

Unsurprising, since that thundershock had hit him so hard he blacked out. 

“You know, this means I win by default,” Kakashi taunted his unconscious friend. “You said whoever stays out the longest win’s today’s challenge, but here we are. Me carrying you back to base.”

Not that he would hold the win over Gai’s head. Sure, it put him in the lead for their overall total, but it wasn’t Gai’s fault he got roasted by a tiny Pikachu. He hadn’t even seen the thing until he stepped on its tail, and by then it was too late.

With two more short steps and Kakashi reached the top of the hill. Heights camp was visible in the distance, with Ibiki and Yugao standing just beside the tent they had set up just in case Kakashi and Gai decided to make today's trip an all-nighter. 

“Not too far now,” he glanced to his left where Hitmonlee and Eevee stood staring at him. “Hitmonlee, can you go ahead and get their attention?”

The fighting Pokemon didn’t move. Its eyes focused on Gai’s unconscious form laying across Kakashi’s back, it stayed firm in its spot. Refusing to leaving its trainer even when there was someone else to watch over him.

“Right,” Kakashi sighed. “Eevee?” Springing to action, Eevee ran ahead.

With that taken care of, Kakashi continued on his way. Each step he took, Hitmonlee followed, Eyes glued on Gai the entire time.

“He’ll be alright,” Kakashi promised, though he wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince with his words. Hitmonlee or himself. “Rin will take care of his injuries as soon as we get back to the village.”

“Hit!”

“I know,” he chuckled. Although he didn’t understand exactly what Hitmonlee was saying, he’d spent enough time around the Pokemon over the last six months to learn a little about how it expressed itself. Its worry was evident in the way it watched Gai, ready to jump into action if needed. “But how many times had this happened before? We always get out of it fine, and he’ll learn to watch his step from now on.”

Getting knocked out by an angry Pikachu was already enough to earn Gai a week's worth of teasing from Genma and Anko. If he made the same mistake again he’d never hear the end of it.

“Besides,” stopping in his tracks, Kakashi turned to face Hitmonlee. “He has us watching his back, right?”

The Pokemon straightened right up and nodded its head in agreement.

“We’ll keep him out of trouble,” at that moment, Kakashi felt the slightest movement on his shoulder. “Ah, signs of life.”

Lighting his head slowly, Gai let out a pained groan and immediately dropped back against Kakashi’s shoulder. “What happened?’

“Hello to you too,” Kakashi responded with a roll of his eyes. “You got knocked out.”

“Please tell me it was something big that did it. Like a Rhyhorn, or Gravellor.”

“Well…”

“I take it back,” Gai sighed. “I don’t want to know.”

“If it makes you feel any better, it was a pretty powerful Pokemon,” Continuing down the path, Kakashi smiled when Ibiki noticed Eevee now sitting beside his Umbreon and looked their way. A rather unimpressed expression on his face when he spotted them. “It nearly took out Eevee.”

“You fought it?” 

“I caught it,” Kakashi clarified. “Oh, and by the way-”

Lifting a hand, Gai placed it gently over Kakashi’s mouth. “Don’t you dare.”

All Kakashi could do was chuckle. 

Gai was awake and coherent enough to be upset about his latest loss, Hitmonlee seemed a tad happier with its trainer awake, and they were going home.

Everything had turned out alright.

Eevee Evolves

Plums of smoke rose from the little campfire Kakashi had set up, the smell of grilled fish wafting through the air. After a long day of running around in a cold, damp cave, Kakashi was enjoying the fresh air and the freedom it gave him to eat something other than Onogiri that Emi-san had been kind enough to make for him and Gai before they headed out for the day. 

“So,” Gai set his bag down beside Kakashi’s and claimed a seat to his right. “How many Pokemon did you catch, Rival?”

It hadn’t even been two seconds since he arrived, and already Gai was looking for the results of their latest competition. A competition that Kakashi had been ready to win until he stepped inside that cave.

Poking at the fire, he grumbled out his answer.

“I’m sorry?” A smile tugged at Gai’s lips. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“One,” he grunted. “I caught one Pokemon.”

He expected laughter or teasing. Perhaps even ridicule if Gai was feeling particularly rude, though that was unlikely. What he did not expect from his best friend, the man who had something to say about everything, was stunned silence. 

“Gai?” he watched as his friend sat there staring at him, mouth ajar but no words coming out of it. “Did I break you?”

“N-No!” Gai shook his head. “It’s just…you’ve never caught less than fifteen Pokemon everything we go out. What happened?”

Thinking back over his day, Kakashi couldn’t help but scold himself. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t tried to catch anything while he was trudging through puddles of water and hiding behind rocks writing down his observations. He’d thrown about sixteen Pokeballs throughout the day, and only one of them had managed a successful catch.

The problem was, he’d left all of his Pokemon back in the village ranch and only brought Eevee along with him today. Which wouldn’t have been an issue, except that every Pokemon that Eevee tried to battle ended up being too strong. 

“I’ll just have to catch more tomorrow,” he decided, not noticing the moment his Eevee stood up and began walking towards the bags that he and Gai had left behind them. “Eevee and I were just having a rough day. We’ll do better after some rest.”

“A bad day,” Glancing over Eevee’s way, Gai frowned. “Kakashi…”

“Don’t,” Kakashi warned, already knowing what Gai was going to say. He’d heard enough about how Pokemon got stronger through evolution, and Professor Onoki had begun lecturing him about the bond he had with Eevee almost as soon as Ibiki’s Eevee had evolved into Umbreon. “I don’t need to hear it.”

“Are you sure?” Gai pushed. “I mean, it is kind of weird, isn’t it?”

Sighing, Kakashi turned his attention back to the fire. It seemed obvious that Gai’s mind was set. Something about Eevee was bothering him and it wouldn’t stop bothering him until he talked about it. “What’s weird, exactly?” 

“Well, we know that Eevee has seven different evolutionary possibilities,” Gai started, rattling off information that Professor Onoki had spewed during one of their many different conversations. “Flareon and Vaporeon require certain stones, Leafeon and Glaceon require a specific spot to evolve,” Kakashi cringed at the memory that popped up. He, Gai and Yamato had been walking around in Obsideon fields when they came to a giant mossy rock sitting in the middle of a nice field. None of them had thought much of it until Yamato’s Eevee got a little too close.

It was the first time any of them saw a Leafeon, and Yamato had ended up loaning his precious Pokemon to Kakashi for a week so he could take notes on it. A fact which he still moaned about whenever he saw Kakashi. 

“I know how they evolve,” he sighed, willing that memory out of his mind. “And I also know Umbreon and Espeon seem to be evolutions based on the time of day. Ibiki’s Umbreon evolved while we were in the field at night.”

“I remember that,” Gai chuckled. “And from the information, we’ve gathered from the leader of the Diamond clan-”

“Itachi.”

“Itachi, right. Sorry,”  Running a hand through his hair, Gai chuckled. “He said that one of the wardens had a Pokemon, Sylvion?”

“Hinata does, yes,” Kakahi confirmed. “We’re still not sure how it evolved or why.”

There was a lot of research they still needed to do. Every day it seemed like there were new things for them to learn, and Kakashi loved that about his job. Studying Pokemon was a lot more fun than sitting around being a warden, even if Electrode was a cool Pokemon itself.

“So that’s seven different types of evolutions for one Pokemon, and yet, glancing behind them, Gai watched as Eevee sniffed his bag. “It's been three years.”

“Three years you’ve known me,” Kakashi corrected him. “Eevee has been with me since I was two.”

“Alright, so eighteen years,” Gai corrected himself. “That’s eighteen years that Eevee has had to evolve, and she hasn’t. Not even into Umbreon or Espeon, which don’t require a location or a certain stone.”

Kakashi would be lying if he said he didn’t care. Questions about Eevee and what it might one day evolve into constantly plagued his mind, but it wasn’t his place to question his Pokemon.

“She’ll evolve if and when she wants to,” he declared, poking at the fire once more. “It’s not my place to try and force her to evolve. I don’t know what she wants to become, or even if she wants to change at all. She might be just as happy as she is right now.”

“Well, yes. Of course,” Gai nodded, his eyes glued on Eevee as she pawed at his bag until it opened enough for her to stick her head inside of it. “But if she’s not going to evolve…”

“I’ll bring another Pokemon with me on our next outing,” Kakashi promised. “I just thought because I was going into a cave today we’d want to make as little noise as possible. Besides, I still have tomorrow to catch up to you, right?”

When he and Eevee were recharged and ready to take on another day. Then he’d catch enough Pokemon to beat Gai and claim a victory in their competition. A victory that would put their total at twenty-five to twenty-four in Gai’s favour. 

“Are you sure you can?” Gai teased, dropping the conversation in favour of stroking the flames of their rivalry. “You haven’t even heard how many Pokemon I caught today.”

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi set down his stick and reached out towards Gai, shoving him in the shoulder. “Not enough,” he smirked. “You could catch a hundred Pokemon and I’d still find a way to catch up.”

Gai laughed, his joy filling the air all around them. One of the most beautiful sounds Kakashi had ever heard in his life, though he’d never admit that out loud. 

“You’re right as always, rival,” his laughter died down until there was nothing but the sound of the wind between them. “But don’t think I’ll make it easy on you. I have every intention of wi-”

At that moment a brilliant light filled the area. Bright and yellow, Kakashi could swear he saw lightning crackling through the air as he looked around. “What?”

“Kakashi,” Gai reached out and smacked his arm, calling his attention back to him. “Look.”

Seeing that Gai was staring back toward their bags, Kakashi turned his head and felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw just where that brilliant yellow light was coming from.

Eevee.

There she stood in all her glory, head inside of Gai’s bag and body glowing in a way that Kakashi recognized all too well.

“She’s evolving…” he whispered as he watched Eevee, wondering just what she was turning into. Perhaps a Sylvion just like Hinata’s, with a brilliant pink ribbon and all of the love a Pokemon could give. Or a Flareon with flaming fur. There were so many options and all of them would be perfect as long as Eevee was happy.

Eevee gave her body a shake, and Kakashi watched with excitement as her fur popped up all over her body into little spikes. “Rival,” Gai turned to face him, a brilliant smile stretching across his lips. “I think she found a stone Hitmonlee got out of a cave wall for me today.”

“A stone?” Kakashi asked. “What kind of stone?”

“I’m unsure,” Admitted Gai. “It’s like the fire and water stones we’ve seen before, but it was also…different. It had what looked like a lightning bolt on it.”

Kakashi’s excitement grew as he listened to his friend.

A lightning bolt stone that seemed similar to the fire and water stones could only mean one thing to him.

A new evolutionary stone.

One that Eevee had just activated somehow.

“Does this mean,” Gai glanced back at Eevee as the light began to die down. “Did she?”

“She did!” surging to his feet, Kakashi ran forward and scooped Eevee up into his arms without a thought. “You evolved!”

Opening her eyes, Eevee stared up at him. No longer the little brown Pokemon he’d been raised beside, she now had bright yellow fur that stuck out in every direction, with a white collar around her neck. 

She let out a breath, the sound of crackling electricity filling the air around them while Kakashi hugged her tight against his body. Wriggling around a little, she turned herself towards him and placed a paw on each of his shoulders before licking his face.

“Hello,” he chuckled. “You’re beautiful.”

Eevee didn’t say anything. She simply stayed there in his arms letting him hug her while she continued to lick his face, more than happy with the attention she was getting.

“She is beautiful,” Gai agreed as he stepped up to Kakashi’s side, Hitmonlee directly behind him waiting for the opportunity to greet his new friend. “I guess all you needed was a pretty yellow stone.”

Turning her head, she licked Gai’s face. 

“I think she’s saying thank you,” Kakashi explained as his friend raised an arm and gently wiped away the slobber that Eevee had left dripping down his cheek. “For the stone.”

Laughing, Gai reached out and patted her on the head. “Well, you’re very welcome Ee- I mean… Ummm…”

Thinking fast, Kakashi smiled down at his new Pokemon. “Jolteon,” he declared. “Her new name is Jolteon.”

“Well, you’re welcome Jolteon,” Gai grinned. “And hello.”

Gai meets Yua

New people weren’t unheard of in Jubilife Village. Every once in a while a ship would appear at Prelude beach with people from all over the world hoping to make their homes in the Hisui region.

Just four short years ago Gai had been on one of those boats. His Hitmonlee by his side and his father’s promise for a better life in his ear. 

Today, however, it wasn’t a newcomer from a far-off land that Gai was faced with. 

Instead, he found himself standing face-to-face with an older woman who wore the same diamond clan outfit as his best friend, and who looked like she was searching for something.

Not one to leave someone hanging, Gai had chosen to offer his help. The problem was, as soon as she turned her gaze onto him he froze. The weight of her stare held him in place as he tried to think of something to say.

“Hello,” she spoke first, her voice surprisingly soft for someone who looked at him with hard, calculating eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Sakumo is, would you?”

“S-Sakumo?” he perked up at the mention of his friend's father. “Oh, he’s in the headquarters,” turning his body just a fraction, he pointed at the tall building just behind him. “I believe he’s in a meeting with Tsunade-sama.”

“Ah,” a smile stretched across her lips. “I should have known.

“If you would like, I can take you there,” Gai offered. “My friend is running late and I can’t head out without him.”

Kakashi would never let him hear the end of it if he did. Though he wouldn’t be as vocally upset as Gai was the one time Kakashi had headed out without him, he’d make his disappointment known, and Kakashi’s disappointment wasn’t something that Gai could deal with. 

It weighed too heavily on his heart whenever Kakashi was upset.

“Your friend…” the newcomer narrowed her eyes. “His name wouldn’t happen to be Kakashi, would it?”

Gai’s jaw dropped. “How-”

“I should have known,” she chuckled. “He’s always talking about you when he visits.”

“He does?” Thinking about it, Gai shook his head. “Wait, how do you know Kakashi? I mean…” his eyes darted down to her outfit. “You’re Diamond clan, just like he is. So you must know his mother.”

Perhaps she was the woman who cared for Kakashi when he was growing up. He’d always told Gai that his mother was one of the Diamond clan’s wardens, so she wasn’t always able to be there to raise him. During Kakashi’s visits to his clan, there must have been others who watched over him, and Gai was certain this was one of them. 

“Well, you could say that,” she nodded. “You and Kakashi are going out to do some surveying today, right?”

“We are,” he confirmed. “We go out every day, but today’s the first time that we’re going to Alabaster Icelands. Kakashi says that there are a lot of different types of Ice Pokemon there for us to research.”

“More than even he knows,” she chuckled. “Though you have a preference for fighting-type Pokemon from what he’s said,” Peering over his shoulder, she smiled at Hitmonlee. “Perhaps you’ll enjoy the Riolu’s that are in the area.”

Gai’s eyes widened. “R-Riolu?” He’d never heard of such a Pokemon.

“It’s a fighting Pokemon that hangs around the Icelands,” she explained. “Fiesty little ones, but they’re rather loyal when they get to know you.”

Gai had already been excited about today’s adventure, but hearing about this new Pokemon had his blood pumping even faster. He couldn’t wait to get out there and catch himself a Riolu. 

“Though you’ll have to be careful,” she continued. “We also have quite a few more dangerous Pokemon. The Glalie are especially territorial and will attack without notice if they see you in their area.”

“Right,” he nodded, unphased by the dangers facing him in this new area. “Speaking of Pokemon…” searching the area behind her, he frowned. There was no sign of any Pokemon as far as he could see, but he’d never met someone from the Diamond clan who didn’t have their own partner. “If you don’t mind me asking, where is your Pokemon? Kakashi’s always telling me that his clan is proud of their partner Pokemon and the bond they have formed with them.”

Some days his friend couldn’t shut up about it. A fact which seemed to annoy their other friends, especially Asuma, but which Gai adored. Hearing Kakashi going on about his clan, the Pokemon he had met even before joining Team Galactic, and the various wardens was always a treat.

It was one of many reasons he loved hanging out with Kakashi. No matter what they were doing, Kakashi always had something to talk about. Sometimes it took a bit more effort to get him to talk, but it was always worth it when he’d cave and answer all of Gai’s questions. 

“Ah, well you see-” turning her head, she looked back towards the east gate where Genma was diligently standing watching the parameter. “She’s over there.”

Peering over her shoulder, Gai gasped when he saw what was standing there. A giant Pokemon stood taller than the gate, with enormous tusks that stretched out in front of it.

“What is it?” he asked, excitement dripping in his voice. 

“Mamoswine,” turning back to him, she chuckled when she saw the excitement in his eyes as he stared at her partner. “She has been with me since I was little. Just a little Swinub when we first met, but she has grown a lot.”

“It makes sense why she didn’t follow you in.”

“I don’t think my husband would have appreciated her taking down the gate, again.”

“Husband?” he turned his focus back onto her. “Wait…again!?”

“Yua!” Hearing a voice behind him, Gai turned to see Sakumo and Kakashi headed towards him, a cheerful smile on Sakumo’s face as he greeted the woman Gai had been chatting with. “I wasn’t expecting you here today.”

“Well, you have two people from the survey corps heading into the Alabaster Icelands today,” Yua explained. “I know that Team Galactic has decided they’re ready to tackle such a job on their own, but I would still prefer if they had someone walking them through such a harsh climate.”

Gai stood there confused. 

“Three people,” Kakashi corrected the woman, holding up three fingers on his left hand. “Rin got a promotion today after some late-night surveying. She said she refuses to be left behind while we run off and become the first Surveyors in team Galactic to head out into Alabaster Icelands.”

Snickering, Gai turned to face Kakashi. “I would expect no less of her,” he declared. “Rin is a dedicated surveyor and Doctor. It’s impressive that she was able to catch up to us in a short time.”

“Well, she is Rin,” Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. “And this way if we get split up it’ll hopefully still result in at least two people together so if anything goes wrong-”

“It won’t go wrong,” Yua interrupted him. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Right, Sorry…” Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Gai, I take it you two have met.”

“A bit, yes,” Glancing back at her, Gai smiled when she winked at him. “She’s very nice.”

“Nice?” Kakashi frowned. “Her?”

His father turned to him with a horrified look. “Kakashi!”

“What? She’s never nice.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gai huffed. “Well, she was nice to me.”

“It’s alright,” Yua chuckled. “Let Kakashi say what he wishes. At the end of the day, I win.”

“You win?” Gai asked.

“How do you figure that?” argued Kakashi. “We haven’t even done anything for you to ‘win’?”

“Of course, we have,” stepping up to Gai’s side, Yua draped an arm around his shoulder. “Your boyfriend likes me, and that’s a win.”

“Well, I do like her- wait…” Processing what he had just heard, Gai looked back at Kakashi. “Did she-” 

Before he could even ask Kakashi’s face began to turn a deep shade of red. “M-Mother!”

“Mother!?” Gai nearly collapsed in his spot. First, he’d been called Kakashi’s boyfriend, and now he was finding out that the woman he had spoken to, who he’d gotten along with and laughed with, was Kakashi’s mother.

The woman who gave birth to his best friend.

“Well, am I wrong?” she asked, her arm still draped around Gai’s shoulder. “The way you talk about him you two may as well be dating.”

“Mom!”

“Don’t forget the way he smiles,” His father added, stepping back just as Kakashi turned towards him. “Whenever someone even mentions Gai you get this dreamy sort of smile.”

Extending his arm out in front of himself, Kakashi poked his father in the chest. “You are not helping.”

“He’s your father,” Yua reminded him. “He’s supposed to embarrass you. It’s his job.”

Standing there watching the three of them bicker, Gai processed everything he had heard.

The way Kakashi talked about him.

How he smiled whenever someone mentioned him.

The more he thought about it, the harder it became for him to ignore the signs he had seen before today. Like how Kakashi would always scootch closer to him when they were sitting by a fire trying to pass the time, or how he always seemed to be looking at Gai whenever he was talking even though he hardly paid anyone else the same attention.

“You…” All three of them stopped and turned towards Gai, but Gai only focused on Kakashi. His best friend. The boy he’d spent the last four years journeying Hisui and catching Pokemon with. “Do you really like me?”

“I-”

“Oh come on,” Rin appeared at Kakashi’s side suddenly, a cheerful smile on her face as she stared at him. “Everyone in Jubilife knows already except Gai. You might as well fill him in.”

Lowering his eyes, Kakashi huffed. “It doesn’t matter.”

The signs were there in front of him. Gai knew them better than anyone else, he’d seen them far too often over the years whenever Kakashi became overwhelmed or upset.

His friend was shutting down.

“Alabaster Icelands,” he declared with a proud smile, grinning when Kakashi looked back at him. “We’re going there today, Rival. The first of our generation.”

“The first of Team Galactic,” Kakashi corrected him with a fond look in his eyes. “We’re making history.”

Rin stepped forward at that moment. “Not without me you’re not.”

“Of course not!” Jumping up into the air, Gai smiled as the wind blew through his hair and pulled it in all directions until his feet touched back down on the ground. “I’m going to catch fifty Pokemon today, and one of them is going to be a Riolu!”

Kakashi smiled that soft, sweet smile that he always seemed to have for Gai. A smile that Gai was certain was made just for him because whenever he saw it he felt like the whole world was looking at him.

“Fifty-one.”

“What was that, Rival?”

“Well, you’re going to catch fifty Pokemon,” Kakashi explained with a twinkle in his eyes. “So I’ll catch Fifty-one.”

A challenge if Gai had ever heard one.

“I won’t lose to you, Rival.”

“Yes, you will,” making his way past him, Kakashi reached out and gently poked his nose. “And when you lose, you can pay for dinner.”

Seeing an opportunity to embarrass his friend, Gai grinned. “Is that a date, Rival?”

Kakashi stopped in his tracks, and as the back of his neck turned a brilliant hue of red Gai couldn’t help but laugh. All he had to do was win his competition and he’d get free dinner and a date with the coolest guy in all of Hisui.

You’re not strong enough. 

Gai pushed on. No matter how often he heard those doubts floating around in his brain, he refused to listen. All he had to do was keep training and he’d prove them all wrong.

He’d become the strongest Shinobi in all of Konoha. Even better than Kakashi.

‘It’s not possible.’

‘No one can beat Kakashi. Just give up.’

He shook his head. “I can do this. Just two hundred fifty-three laps to go.”

Pushing himself a little bit harder, he dashed around the large maple tree. 

Over the years he’d run around that tree so much that he’d come to recognize it. There was a small patch of moss growing on the left side and a hole leading into an open trunk. When he was a little younger and a lot smaller, he would crawl into that hole and huddle up in that little hideaway for a quick nap.

“Just a bit further. A little bit more,” he chanted to himself. “I can do this.” 

Give up. You’re tired. You need to lay down and rest.

Whispers turned into shouts. Doubts that were so loud that they drowned everything else out. 

Give up.

It’s impossible.

You can’t.

“Gai!” A voice cut through the shouts. 

Looking down the path, Gai grinned when he saw Kakashi standing at the end. Right, where Gai had left a marker to indicate his starting point.

“Kakashi!” Sliding to a stop right at the starting line, he grinned. “Have you come for a challenge?”

“Not right now,” Kakashi dismissed with a bored expression. A look that Gai had come to understand not as disinterest, but simply as one of Kakashi’s quirks. “I was thinking we could go get a bite to eat.”

The request was simple. The two of them had shared lunch more times than he could count and there was no reason he could think of for that to stop.

Yet, when he heard it he could feel his heart swell with joy. 

Still, he couldn’t stop now. He’s promised himself that he’d complete five hundred laps around the village. 

“I have two hundred and fifty-two more laps to do,” he grinned. “I can’t give up now.”

Kakashi rolled his eyes. “I should have expected as much.”

He hates you.

The voices returned, but this time they were harsher. Rather than attacking his hope, they aimed directly at his greatest fear.

His friendship.

He has better people to hang out with.

Why would he like you?

“Hey,” a finger pressed against his forehead. Blinking, Gai stared straight ahead at Kakashi. “What if I do the laps with you?”

“With me?” A grin split across his face as the whispers faded into the background. “I thought you didn’t like training more than you needed to?”

“Ma, it’ll help the time pass.”

Gai’s grin grew impossibly wide.

“If you want,” he took a step back and waved toward the ground in front of him. “We can make it a competition. First to finish all of the laps wins!”

“That’s a bit extreme,” Kakashi sighed, though he still took a few steps forward and claimed his spot at Gai’s side. “But sure, why not.”

He hates you.

Gai hears the whisper in his mind, but he pays it no attention.

Whispered doubts had no power against the shout of Kakashi’s smile. They would never win against the crashing, thunderous sound of Kakashi’s laughter in his ear.

“On your marks,” he turns back towards the path and stares at the challenge ahead of him.

“Get set,” Kakashi slips his hands out of his pocket.