21.
Maito Gai was often described as simple.
A simple shinobi with simple dreams - protecting the village as much as he was able to - and straightforward techniques that knew nothing of subtlety and deceit.
Of course, Gai knew that, with his reputation, it would be a given that some people usually meant it in a way far from what he interpreted it to be but-
Gai didn't mind.
Their words didn't really matter anyway.
...
..
.
Don't get him wrong.
Gai loved his village - sincerely loved its people in a way that even if they disparage all of his efforts - even if they were eager to put him and his father down,
his dedication was unflagging as he finished his missions and killed for its people.
His love-
His love for the village wasn't conditional.
(It never was for his father even if they treated him like a joke and it wouldn't be for him.)
(His father said they were worth it.)
(And they were or they would be, even if he couldn't quite see it at the moment as collective people seemed eager to put the people he cared down in order to pacify their egos and sense of self-worth.)
Running his way around the village was a routine. He started it when he was but an academy student eager to prove himself to everyone and make his father proud, and after several years, it didn't let him down and still kept him at peak form whenever there was a lull or break from the seemingly endless missions during the war.
The exercise was therapeutic and kept his mind off the blood he couldn't quite wash out off his hands.
(And make him remember why he was still doing this - killing people with families of their own - and for whom was he sacrificing himself for.)
(Gai was looking for hope and a reason so he could keep going. Even if he was tired, as long as he saw how his village was redeemable, he could push for just one more lap - just one more step again and again.)
Gai often tried to mixed it up every now and then with an interesting rule or two - dragging Kakashi into it just so he could hit two birds with one stone.
His eternal rival needed to get out of his head sometimes lest he gets lost and crumbles into pieces from the pressure the village put him under. It had gotten worse now actually, with rumors flying around that Uchiha Obito got back from the dead and the whispers of Sharingan reclamation started again.
Kakashi needed a diversion now more than ever and well-
Gai was free and willing to be Kakashi's foil so it would probably best if he'd look for him again. A rematch wouldn't be amiss and he'd heard from Genma that Kakashi had the time since Hokage-sama laid him off this week.
(Kakashi was prideful and a difficult one to deal with most of the time, but Gai preferred that Kakashi to the Kakashi he'd seen after Obito 'died'. If he could do
anything to make Kakashi heal, Gai was willing to expend the effort and get beat up in the process.)
(After all, Kakashi was his friend.)
(Gai never abandoned his friends.)
-----
"Why are you here Gai?" Kakashi muttered, his visible eye twitching slightly as he looked at the group of toddlers behind Gai's back. They were arranged in two lines - the toddlers standing in attention as they visibly forced themselves to look solemn and grave even as the twinkle of excitement in their eyes give them away.
Their eyes strangely sparkled harder when they caught sight of the Nara chibi near him, but Kakashi brushed that off for a moment to pay attention to more alarming things.
Like Gai, for one.
And how the hyperactive ninja found him in this place, for the other.
Kakashi could chalk it up to coincidence or fate for as to how the Nara heiress found him, but Gai-
Kakashi specially covered his tracks and used stealth techniques just so the other ninja wouldn't find him.
(For the record, he didn't just go the long way to Ichirakus because he was petty and he wanted Minato-sensei to get whipped by his wife. Kakashi also did that in order to avoid the endless pestering Gai put him under.)
(Kakashi could handle three to five challenges per week, but three to five challenges per day was pushing it, damn it.)
With his self-proclaimed rival suddenly appearing out of nowhere, added to the fact that Kakashi still hadn't been able to deal with the judgemental Nara toddler currently talking to his dog in a very serious manner-
Kakashi was slowly getting overwhelmed.
"I was escorting these youthful and inspiring youths in their journey to find you."
"What." He replied flatly.
"What?" Gai flashed a bright smile. "They said they were looking for a white-haired man that looked suspicious. You fit the bill."
Kakashi's eye twitched even harder. Just how was he supposed to take that as?
"I'm younger than you, Gai." Kakashi pursed his lips. "I can't exactly be called a man at the moment."
"Maa," Gai waved his hands, unconcernedly. "Ninjas are considered adults in everyone's eyes, so you still fit the bill."
"So I looked suspicious then?" Kakashi raised his brow.
"How could you say that, my eternal rival?" Gai looked shocked. "You - suspicious? How despicable. How could I say that to such a cool, fashionable friend?" Gai patted the head of a serious young Hyuuga who was standing at the head of one line. "Right?"
The Hyuuga glanced at Kakashi before slowly nodding - visibly dubious. "Right."
"I thought they were referring to your mask." Gai reasoned sincerely, his teeth blinding as his smile widened. "How could I make fun of you, my eternal rival? I wouldn't say such a backhanded, unyouthful thing."
Kakashi stared at Gai dully for a moment before clicking his tongue - discontented.
...That little shit.
People would often say that Kakashi was the harsher between the two of them - always painting Kakashi as the cold, mocking one in their relationship, but Kakashi knew better.
Gai's waters ran deep. There was a reason they got along and it wasn't because Gai forced him to.
(Gai was an exceptional shinobi - with hidden depths that even Kakashi couldn't see through at the moment. He had potential and the grit to keep on going, and Kakashi never turned up his nose on strength.)
The show Gai put on wasn't feigned, but it would be a mistake to measure Gai based on the image he showed to the public.
"Is he the one all of you were looking for?" Gai asked the little Hyuuga happily.
The toddler shook his head. "No, but we thank you for the help."
Gai gave a thumbs-up. "Ah, so polite. I'm sorry I couldn't help much."
"That's fine. It's our fault that we let that fiend go in the first place, so we didn't mind." The Hyuuga nodded to Gai cordially, before turning to his comrades. "Attention." He announced crisply. "Line up!"
"Hai!" Milky voices rang out and they immediately fall into a straight formation as they moved towards the Nara toddler presently patting Pakkun's back.
Kakashi could only look on baffledly at the spectacle - absentmindedly wondering when Obito's cousin, Itachi, joined in and appeared beside Shikari.
"One-two-three~" The toddlers counted seriously, their chubby cheeks puffed up in concentration, before bowing with astonishing synchronicity. "Ohayo gozaimasu, bossu!"
Shikari paused on questioning Pakkun and waved her hands nonchalantly - as if pardoning her subjects. "Ohayo." She answered, demeanor inexplicably dignified.
When Obito's little cousin also nodded in approval, the other toddlers relaxed and looked extremely pleased with themselves.
...How terrifying.
Kakashi knew that the Nara heiress wasn't simple when she asked him earlier to...fix her dog, but still-
It was a bit exaggerated to gather minions at such a young age. With most of them being clan kids - Kakashi could only wonder at the horror they would wreak upon Konoha if left unchecked.
They're small now, but if that level of loyalty was maintained after a decade or so-
Hm.
"Kakashi." The familiar rough voice of his dog reached his ears, bringing him out of his musings. When Pakkun saw he got Kakashi's attention, he gestured his snout to the little ones looking at the two them with pleading eyes.
As he was preoccupied with his thoughts, Kakashi didn't notice how the Nara toddler finally let Pakkun go from her clutches a minute ago in favor of a small meeting with the little Hyuuga and Uchiha Itachi.
Kakashi didn't even bother to eavesdrop, since the kids even made the effort to walk away from them, and planned to just book it out of there when Pakkun brought his attention to several pairs of pleading puppy eyes.
Kakashi could practically see the "Please let us pet him!" plastered on the little kids' respective foreheads.
Normally, Kakashi would have ignored them - hurt feelings be damned, but Pakkun was looking at him meaningfully, as if to say that he owed his dog for subjecting him to the Nara heiress's tender mercies and interrupting his nap.
Kakashi felt it wasn't worth it to have his closet raided with poo and pee and well-
Looking at the additional puppy look from Gai beside him that honestly looked more scary than adorable, Kakashi could only surrender. "Fine. Play with them if you want."
When the little ones cheered and Pakkun barked happily at the pampering the babies would subject him to, Kakashi's head started to hurt as he realized that he was weak against this so so much.
Enemy shinobis?
Hah. Bring it.
Kushina-san's temper?
Let's throw Minato-sensei to the pit.
Demanding babies and overbearingly adorable dogs?
Kakashi could only fold silently.
When the small meeting finally finished, Kakashi was still wondering about the meaning of life as Gai intently watched the whole show - uncharacteristically silent.
Kakashi stiffened as Itachi and Shikari approached - the two waddling endearingly in front of him.
Their steps sounded oddly foreboding, though.
"You're accepted. Report to Itachi tomorrow." Shikari yawned and patted the head of the toddler beside her. "I'm going now."
Obito's cousin looked at the little girl helplessly before smiling. "Alright, Shikari."
"What do you mean by accepted?" Kakashi asked, trying to be polite even as his voice was tinged with sharpness.
"You're part of our group now," Shikari said blandly before walking away. "Come for dinner later with Pakkun, the green one, and the small animal so the omnivore would be notified and I could brief you about your duties."
"What."
Kakashi fought the urge to tear off his hair. Was his title as jounin just for show, now?
"What is this for, Uchiha-kun?" Gai asked Itachi curiously. "What does your group do?"
"Ah, Maito-san, we keep the peace in the village," Itachi explained. "We needed babysitters, you see, so both of you fit the bill. Shikari could talk to her father for you, so it wouldn't be inconvenient with your missions."
"Babysitters?" Kakashi snapped out.
"Ah." Itachi blushed, coughing slightly. "I meant trainers." He clarified. "We wanted to get strong enough to help in any way we can and well- Kou recommended you two. Shikari also didn't disagree so it would be nice if the two of you could mentor all of us."
"How youthful!" Gai cried out, appearing visibly moved even though the other party was phrasing it in a way that didn't ask for their opinion.
"I-" Kakashi started to protest before Pakkun barked loudly at him escaping from the toddler army's hold and glancing up at him with an expression that did nothing but sell cuteness.
Pakkun hadn't done that in years.
The attack was very effective.
Kakashi could only fold silently and swallow all his protests - ignoring the judgemental look from the Hyuuga and Uchiha toddler duo.
It wasn't like Kakashi was that weak to crumble in the face of his dog's pampered look, but Kakashi knew that Pakkun meant it for his own good.
Kakashi had been aimless lately and well - the babies attempt at coercion was admittedly interesting enough to occupy him for a lengthy period of time. It was an activity that didn't involve killing other people or isolating himself in his house just so he could avoid moping, so it was a pretty safe option, all in all.
Kakashi sighed and metaphorically waved the white flag high up in the air.
...He was just fetching ramen fifteen minutes ago, damn it.
When did things turn out like this?
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Author's Note: Pandash's ko-fi sponsored this chapter. Thank you very much for waiting. T_T
I want to give benefits to my one patr*on supporter lmao (and entice people to get in on it cough cough), but I'm not willing to update my package on the for VIP locked chapters. To compromise, I decided to continue the Little Sister AU bonus which was an AU of Ruminant where Kyoya was the younger sister of Shikamaru, instead.
(It's in my work entitled Musings which includes all of the AUs of this story, if you didn't know.).
I'll upload chapters in Patreon in advance, and would only publish it in the usual sites (Wattpad, AO3 and FFN) after a certain amount of chapters. It would probably notify the followers from the website and I update randomly so it would still be pretty exclusive...I think? PM me or review so I could get feedback on this, yeah?
Thank you. :)