A Hound Should Never Want for a Fox

Chapter 3

There was something...different about his Rival™. It was a good something, for the most part- he couldn't remember the last time he saw such fire in Kakashi's eyes-but also concerning. It sometimes looked as though whatever passion was burning inside him might soon consume him whole.

Even now, Kakashi was oblivious to Gai's presence. All his attention was set on a...sewing project? As Gai watched, long fingers joined pieces of fabric with practiced motions, stitches neat and orderly and very medical. The poor creature Gai vaguely recognized as one of his Rival's™ dogs looked like it had barely survived a full body field surgery. He looked from it to its creator, taking in the dark shadow under Kakashi's eye and his hunched, unguarded posture. Not even his mask could hide the way he bit at his lip.

Right. Concern it was.

"My Rival™," he said gently. "What are you doing?"

Kakashi jumped high in the air, more like a cat than a dog as he landed, kunai in hand and Franken-Dog lying half done in the dirt. Something was definitely wrong. Gai may currently hold the lead in their rivalry-127 wins to 126 losses!-but he had never, never, managed to sneak up on Kakashi.

Gai held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. There was a tense moment before Kakashi came back to himself. His Rival™ sank down into a crouch, hands pulling at his silvery hair. His breathing was rough and ragged.

"Kakashi," Gai began again. "Tell me, what has managed to disrupt your cool and hip façade?" Something he had never managed to do.

The boy looked up at him, hands running down his face and tugging at his eyelid. "I've been challenged."

!!

The word 'challenge' filled Gai with vigor for a whole 6 seconds until he remembered he hadn't issued any sewing challenges to his Rival™.

Had...someone else challenged Kakashi? Challenged his Rival™??

...and he accepted?

A strange sense of melancholy welled up inside Gai as he watched Kakashi dust off the poor little...creation. Gai had challenged Kakashi at least once a day-missions allowing-ever since they were very young. As far as he could remember, Kakashi's expression had remained the same. It was part of the game, after all. He did his best to upset Kakashi's cool and Kakashi invariably kept it. This...manic fervor was new and unsettling. Kakashi was like a man possessed.

He was even muttering to himself! Who was it? Who inspired such all consuming passion?

Kakashi's one eye snapped into focus and the poor little dog fell back to the ground.

"Eh? Gai? When did you...?" He looked around, disoriented. "When did I...?"

Oh, had he spoken out loud? Oops.

Gai reached out-slowly, to give him time to move, if he wanted-and put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder. It was half to comfort the other teen and half to hold him in place. He looked like he might vanish at any second, or else shatter like glass under Gai's hand. Kakashi was...precarious, these days. Ever since the death of the Fourth Hokage, his precious Rival™ acted less and less like himself.

"Are you alright, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed heavily. "I don't know, Gai."

They stood in silence for a moment before Gai's curiosity got the better of him.

"Who challenged you, my Rival™? Please I must know!"

"Ah-ah, well." Kakashi's expression finally returned to something Gai could call normal. And...was that mischief in his eye? "It's a ghost."