Naruto One Shots

Similar (Might Gai)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to shattercrack]

Requested by: Myself

Keys:
- Y/N: Your Name

Word Count: 4,274

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:
- Non-romantic one-shot; more friendly one-shot vibes
- A bit of Kakashi love at the start and definitely Kashi focused

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     My fingertips cling to the bottom of Kakashi's vest as he walks me through the empty streets of our village. "I can just stay at your place," I try again, tugging on his vest some.
     Kakashi's eyes drop down to me, his anbu mask sliding down his hair some as he moves his head. "No," he answers shortly, sliding his fingers down my arm before colliding them with my own. His fingers are chilly against mine, but that's no surprise since Kashi is always cold. "You're not safe with him on the loose," he adds, picking his head back up as he continues leading me forward.
     About ten minutes ago, Kakashi and I got a not-so-nice wakeup call from Yamato. He went on a rant about someone attacking the Uchiha Clan or something. I'm not sure though.
Kakashi has made it very clear since he joined the anbus that he wants me nowhere near his work, let alone the shinobi world. It saddened me a bit, Kashi being so stuck on me giving up life as a kunoichi, but after the both of us lived through the loss of Obito, Rin, and Lord Fourth, I know he wouldn't survive losing me too. Especially after he joined the anbus. The thought alone of me going on a mission without him sent Kashi into a panic attack. So, reluctantly, I settled for the life of a civilian.
     It's not all that bad. Finishing normal schooling was quite boring and slow-paced compared to the fast-pace, on-the-go training I was used to. A couple of months ago I started schooling to become a civic medic, and with my background of shinobi medical training, I'll hopefully get to graduate a year or two early.
     I still spar with Kakashi, it gives me a nice outlet for the chakra I don't use as much anymore. He also shows me new jutsus and has me practice older ones 'just in case' and because 'you can never be too prepared'. I think it's just his anxiety about being away so much, but I don't mind. It's bitter-sweet moments that remind me of my old life, and my old squad mates.
     "While who's on the loose?" I ask, slightly poking the subject. I know it's not going to go far; it never does. If I've learned anything about Kakashi's line of work over the past five years, he won't talk about it, he doesn't want me to know about it and he doesn't want to relive any of it. I don't blame him. Anbus deal with the darkest corners of our world, which means Kashi deals with the darkest corners of our world.
     Kakashi freezes, tugging my arm some from me taking a couple more steps. "I need you to listen very closely to me, okay?" He asks, his hands cupping my cheeks and forcing me to look into his eyes. I love his eyes; I love the contrast of the dark red of Obito's sharingan against Kashi's natural coloring.
"If you see Itachi, you drop everything and you run. You run and run and run until you are sure he's gone, you understand? And then you continue running, and you do not stop until I find you, okay? If that happens, you make sure it's me. You ask a million questions about me or you or Obito or anything, and if I get even one of those questions wrong, you continue to run. Over absolutely everything else, do not look into his eyes, you hear me?"
     I tilt my head some, letting my eyes run over Kakashi's face. He's scared. I haven't seen him this scared since Lord Fourth died. "I understand, Kashi. What's going on with this Itachi guy? Did you forget I'm trained too? I might be rusty but I'm not useless."
     His jaw clicks open and shut a few times, eyes wandering around the darkness before settling on me again. "No, you're not useless. Which is why I'm okay with you staying home alone when I'm... working, but this is different. Itachi is... he is capable of things out of your abilities, out mine... possibly even out of the Hokage's... I need you to stay safe," Kakashi whispers the last part, his breath shaking as he scans over my face again, drinking it in like he'll never see it again.
If Itachi is as dangerous as Kashi is making him seem, it might be the last time he sees me. The last time I see him... I can't think like that though. Kakashi will be safe, he will come home, he always comes home.
     "I'll be safe, Kash, I always am," I mumble back, wrapping my hands around his wrists and rubbing small circles into his skin. He tilts his head down, connecting our foreheads and closing his eyes. I flutter my eyes shut too, letting my other senses soak him in. I soak in his scent, the icy feeling of his skin against mine, the soft sound of his lungs at work.
     The moment doesn't last long, the driving need Kakashi has for his job pulling us apart once again. A part of me has always wanted to ask him to give up the shinobi life too, but a bigger part of me knows that's not possible. Kakashi hasn't known anything besides this life, being the son of a highly regarded shinobi, starting this lifestyle himself when he was only five. I had the joy of a normal childhood, unlike my partner which made the shift back to a civilian life easier for me than it'll ever be for him.  
     "We need to get going," he mumbles, dropping one of his hands back into mine before continuing to pull me forward.
     The rest of the walk is silent, the emptiness taking up space between us, which doesn't help my worry about his newest mission. I take the time to remind myself of worse things Kashi has survived, worse missions he's gone on, and still managed to make it home to me.
     A door lamp is lit up a few houses ahead of us, cutting through the darkness. It was a rush leaving the house; Kashi threw on his uniform, grabbed my to-go bag, and dragged me out the door. Not much information was passed down to me, just a quick 'you're staying with my colleague'. I'm going to assume this is the colleague's home, or their house at least.
     I'm proven right when Kakashi stops in front of the door, pulling me in front so I'm tucked away safely. He knocks and the door opens almost instantly. I guess this colleague has been expecting us.
     "Ka-ka-shi," the man in the doorway says, dragging out my partner's name in a weird way.
The guy in front of me is very... loud in his appearance. He's in a green jumpsuit, which does not help his bowl cut or his blocky eyebrows. I've seen him around the village a couple of times, usually sporting the usual shinobi vest paired with obnoxious leg warmers and his village ID as a belt. "Mini Ka-ka-shi!" He adds, looking down at me and saying Kash's name all weird again.
     "Um... no... Y/N," I correct, glancing up at Kashi. His face is a bit more relaxed now. I can survive some time with Mr. Obnoxious if it means Kakashi can focus on his mission instead of worrying about me the whole time.
     "Y - N!" The man says, dragging my name out as well. I smile a bit at that. Maybe he's not as obnoxious as I thought he was. He's just a sweet guy with volume issues.
     "This is Gai," Kashi says, gently pushing me through the door. He drops my bag on the ground next to me, still touching me, but on the small of my back instead of wrapped up in my hand like before.
     "Gai?" I repeat, glancing down, my eyes following Kakashi's movements.
     "Gai," he repeats, standing back up. His hands snake around me, wrapping me up in his hold and gently pressing me against his chest. He presses a gentle kiss to my neck, the thin material of his mask separating his lips from my skin. "I got to go. I don't-"
     "Know when you'll be back. I know Kash," I say, cutting him off and tilting my head back. I lay against his shoulder, taking in his face once more.
     Kakashi tilts his head, his mouth next to my ear as his hold tightens on me. "I love you," he whispers before pressing another divided kiss behind my ear.
     "I love you," I echo, sketching him into my memory. Kash will be safe, he will make it home to me.
     "I'll see you soon," he says, reluctantly letting me go. "Take care of her," he adds, looking over at Gai before turning back towards me again. "I will see you soon," Kakashi repeats his words almost a promise.
I know it's not though; he can't promise he won't die on any mission because there's no guarantee he will make it back.
He stays for another beat before slowly letting me go. His eyes stay locked on me as he backs out of the room, once again moving slowly as he closes the door. My heart stings a bit at the lost sight of him. The feeling of dread, sadness, and worry fills me up every time he leaves, and refuses to leave until he's back safely in my arms.
     "So, mini Ka-ka-shi!" Gai says, pulling my attention away from the door and towards him.
     "Y/N," I correct again, glancing around the room. It's very much the house of a newly out-of-the-house teenager. It's a lot cleaner than I'd expect from a man. However, most shinobis are very strict with themselves. Gai seems to be that way too.
     "Mini Ka-ka-shi," he voices again, a huge smile on his face. I decide to let him win, it's not worth the fight. "What shall we do on this glorious night?"
     "Well... I planned to lay down and cry myself to sleep, per usual," I answer before I can stop myself. I know it's not very ex-shinobi of me but the first night without Kash is always the worst, and if I let myself cry it out right away it's a lot easier to deal with him being away the rest of the time.
     "That is certainly a plan, not the best plan, but still a plan. Let's come up with a different plan," Gai says, smiling at me again and throwing up both of his thumbs. I giggle a bit at this. It's nice to see a shinobi still so full of life. "Here's a plan!" He cheers, walking away from me. I take the time to bend down and slide my shoes off. "We can make some hot cocoa and we can look through some of my old academy photo books! Believe it or not but Ka-ka-shi wasn't always so cool." You know, I think I'm going to start saying Kashi's name like that too. It's quite funny.
I was in the same year as Kakashi - and in turn Gai I'm pretty sure - but I wasn't close to either of them. I usually hung around Asuma and Kurenai so Kashi and I didn't interact until we both got assigned to Minato-Sensie. I still had the hugest crush on him though, as did half the academy.
     "That sounds fun, Gai," I answer back, setting my shoes next to the other pair by the door. Gai's attention turns back to me, a smile still covering his face. I grab my bag, tugging it towards me with the small hope there's a pair of house slippers in it. There's not.
     "How unprepared Ka-ka-shi," Gai says, causing himself to laugh. "I don't have a spare pair of house slippers, but I do have some fuzzy socks. I'll be right back!" He cheers, flashing another big smile before walking out of the room. I wonder if he's being cheerful on purpose or if that's just how he always sounds.
As he's gone I look around the room again, taking in more of it. The place is small, but that's no surprise. Shinobis are paid on commission, which means they kind of make their salary with younger shibobis usually being at the bottom of the food chain. Once someone gets their footing, they tend to be able to go for harder missions with bigger commissions.
With Kakashi being an Anbu he gets commission pay on top of salary pay which leaves us living a pretty comfortable life. It also leaves me with a pretty payout if he does die on duty. I shouldn't think like that. He's not going to die. It's just my anxiety.
The entry is pretty open, an archway being the only thing separating the entrance from the combined kitchen and living room. The kitchen is neat beside the old wobbly-looking table, which is covered in different piles of paperwork. It's still neat, everything in its pile. The living room is pretty empty besides a boxy TV, a mostly empty bookshelf, and a grandma-looking couch. Definitely a "freshly out of my parent's house" kind of home. I think it's cute and it makes me a bit sad I never got to experience this stage in life.
My parents died during the Nine Tail attack, leaving me alone. That's when Kashi insisted on sharing his apartment with me, seeing how neither of us had anyone besides each other left in the world. At the time he had already been in the anbus for about a year so his home was all set up. That also meant when he bought me a house we had everything we needed. By then he already had a few steps in the door so getting our home to look how I wanted wasn't much of an issue money-wise.
"I'm back Mini Ka-shi!" Gai says, walk through one of the doors on the right wall. He makes quick steps back to the entrance, an unopened pair of socks in tow. When Gai said he had a pair of socks I didn't expect a new pair. How sweet of him.
      "Thank you," I say, giving him a small smile. His arm stretches out, holding the fuzzy socks out to me. They're the same bright orange as his signature leg warmers, making me giggle a bit. I take them from him, making sure to tuck the plastic they came in, into my bag before sliding them on my feet. They are warm and fuzzy, a nice little moment on this dreadful night.
"So, Grand Tour!" Gai says, clapping his hands together before bending down to take my bag. "This way Mini Ka-ka-shi."
I climb to my feet, following after him. It's weird having Gai carrying my stuff for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to this kind of treatment from Kashi, but not others.
I'm not hated around the village, but I'm not exactly liked. Women envy me because I'm with Kakashi and I don't blame them; I'm aware of the status and attractiveness he has. I'm also aware of the loom of death that hangs around him and me, which usually scares people off. If that doesn't scare them off, the fact that my boyfriend is an anbu tends to scare people.
"This is my glorious kitchen!" Gai cheers, throwing his hands around the small space. The walls of the space are that yellow apartment color. "And this is my cozy living room!" He adds, taking a couple of steps forward.
"Your home is adorable, Gai," I say, looking around some more. I kind of miss my apartment. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for the things Kakashi can give me but I do think it would be nice to live life at a normal pace, in a normal way.
He hums in agreement, stepping away to open the furthest door on the wall. "This is the bathroom," Gai says, leaving the door open before stepping towards the other door. "And this is my bedroom."
Once the door is open I poke my head in. It's a generic boy's room, with blue bedding, and a single pillow on the bed. There's a desk in the corner, more neat piles of paperwork on it. "You'll be sleeping in here tonight."
"What?" I ask, turning my attention to the shinobi.
"You'll be sleeping in here," Gai says, pointing to his bedroom. "And I'll sleep out here," he continues, pointing to the couch.
"I'm fine sleeping on the couch," I tell him, shifting my weight between my feet. I don't want to put him out of his room for the night or make him feel like I expect him to.
"Absolutely not. What kind of friend would I be if I let my best friend's partner sleep on the couch? Not even that! What kind of man lets a guest sleep on the couch? Boys do that, not men." I listen to Gai's ramble as I watch him set my bag on the little desk in the room. He is just a sweet guy. "Anyway, enough of my morals. How do you like your cocoa?"
"I'm fine with however you make it," I answer, watching him close the door and march towards the kitchen.
"Well, I make mine with cinnamon and marshmallows on top, is that fine for you too?"
"Ya, that's fine."
I stay silent, watching Gai make circles around the kitchen as he heats the milk and collects our toppings.
"Mini Ka-shi?" He calls, pulling my attention out of my thoughts. I hum in response, letting him know I'm listening. "Would you make yourself comfortable? You look like a stiff board pressed up against the wall." The statement is paired with a soft small, completely different from the wide one I've seen all night.
"Ya, sorry. I'm just worried about Kakashi," I mumble, slinking over to the couch before sitting down. I curl up against the arm closest to the kitchen, a small attempt to prove to my host that he's not the reason I'm so stiff.
"There's no reason to worry about Ka-ka-shi. He's a pretty good shinobi. Not as great as me of course! Still pretty good though."
I smile a bit as Gai chuckles to himself. "What makes you think you're better than my Kashi?" I ask, amusement growing in my chest.
Kakashi doesn't talk much about his fellow shinobis but this Gai person has been mentioned a few times throughout the years. I never knew his name; I just knew him as the 'want to be rival'. He'll never admit but Kashi considers Gai his best friend too despite the annoyance he insists Gai brings to his life. I consider their friendship a good thing, it brings a childish element to Kash's hardened life.
"Well, we're tied right now. Twenty-one wins and twenty-one loses but I will beat him! I shall be better than Kakashi Hatake!" I stifle my laugh a bit, finding Gai's counting funny. I've heard about their contests which consist of anything from sparring to a game of rock-paper-scissors.
"Oh ya? You'll have to keep me posted on the win-to-lose count then," I say, watching Gai carefully walk into the living room, way overfilled mugs holding his attention. I'm careful as I take my cocoa, taking a burning sip from it to help avoid a spill.
"You know, Mini Ka-Shi," Gai starts, taking a few sips of his cocoa before setting it on the kitchen table. "Our similar doesn't talk very much."
Similar is one way to word that. "Ya, Kashi isn't much of a chatterbox."
I watch as Gai shifts things around the bookshelf. It doesn't take him long to find what he's looking for. "And yet, when he does talk it's usually about you. You've had him whipped since the academy."
A laugh bubbles up again from Gai's comment. It's no secret that Kashi was the heartbreak of our class. It's also not a secret that he had eyes for Rin. It does mess with my head sometimes, knowing I was the second choice, knowing that if Rin was alive Kakashi and I wouldn't be together.
"Ya okay, Gai. I think you should get checked for dementia. Everyone knows Kashi had a huge crush on Rin," I comment, my giggles coming up as I sip more of my drink.
"No, he's always had eyes for you." Gai fights back, walking over as he flips through a thin book. It's the yearbook from our second to last year at the academy.
Gai sits down on the couch, leaving a bit of space between us as he flips through the pictures. "Whatever you say," I mumble, turning my focus back to my drink.
"It is what I say. Ka-ka-shi respected Rin and was protective of her for Obito. He loved her to an extent, we all love our squad mates. They're our family, but his heart has always been yours," Gai rambles on, continuing to focus on the memories in the aging book.
I roll my eyes at the rant. He's not completely wrong. Constantly risking your life alongside your squad builds a family bond among the members, and with that comes love. I love Rin and I love Obito - not like I love Kashi, but I do still love him.
Gai pushes the book towards me. I bend down, gently placing my cup on the ground before taking the book. I open it up, being meant with the academy crest and the year the book covers. I flip through the books, letting the memory of my childhood fill my mind.
I end up settling on a blown-out picture of Genma and me practicing our chakra control. I'm hanging upside down like a bat on a tree branch, my hair filtered through a flower crown of sunflowers. Genma is lying flat on his back on the ground, a pissy pout on his face as looks up at me. His hair is wrapped up in a flower crown too, courtesy of me.
I had a habit of making flower crowns in class to help me focus. If my hands were busy my mind could focus, hence the teacher turning a blind eye to it.
"Ka-ka-shi adored you back then, still does," Gai mumbles, his eyes locked on the picture too as he smiles. "He'd get up early every morning to pick flowers by the gates of the village for you to make crowns."
By the time we were nine, I would find a basket of different flowers waiting on my desk every morning. I always assumed they were from Genma since he always insisted on wearing one of the crowns I made every day. He would always say it would be a waste for it to go unworn and just tossed out once class was over.
"He would collect them too, after class, the ones you'd throw out," Gai adds, his smile growing.
"You're delusional," I say, a smile growing on my face too. The thought of Kakashi digging through the trash to save my forgotten artwork makes me feel good.
"No, I'm not. I'm pretty sure he still has them in a shoe box in his locker at work. He's whipped." Gai erupts in laughter, very contagious laughter that spills over to me. That's another warming thought. This tough, veteran anbu having a box full of flower crowns his girlfriend made during their school years.
"Kakashi does not have a box of my flowers in his locker. That is so like... uncool." Our giggles continue as I flip through the pictures.
"I told you Ka-ka-shi wasn't cool during our school years," Gai pushes out through his chuckles. "Oh my, you should have heard the ramble he went when he learned you'd be in the squad. I thought lungs were going to give out from how fast he talked."
"He was not that excited!" I say, stopping on another blown-out picture. This one is of Gai doing a handstand as Kash is rolling his eyes at his friend.
"He was. 'Gai she's on my team! Y/N is on my squad! I'm going to get to see her every day!' That and he was oh so excited to get Genma off your hip," he interrupts himself, another round of laughter being pulled from his chest. "'Genma isn't going to be around all the time! I'll get to talk to her as long as I want without him butting in! Do you think she'd go to dinner as a squad if I ask? I should put the idea in Obito's head,'" Gai seems pleased with his explanation.
I can't help the warm feeling that pulls the corners of my mouth up further. That did happen. The night after squad assignments were announced, Obito insisted we should all go out to eat so we could 'get to know each other better'. Kakashi - surprisingly - said yes which caught everyone by surprise. He never was and still isn't much of a going-out person.
"You know Gai, I think we should hang out more," I comment, flipping through a couple more pages.
"Yes ma'am! I'd love any excuse to embarrass Ka-ka-shi and to learn new embarrassing things about him, of course."
We both laugh a bit more, the warm feeling of my newly forming friendship and the secret admiration Kash has always had filling me up. I think I'm going to start staying with Gai more often when our 'similar' is out on a mission.