Gai was distantly aware of an aching, pounding headache that throbbed in his ears. His battered, broken body however wanted to get up. Gai gritted his teeth, trying to force his body into budging. Muscles protested but- It still doesn't hurt as much as when I fight Kakashi.

That thought alone was enough to make him stir and slowly drag himself into a sitting position. Blurry eyes attempted to focus on what was before him, some inner sense warning him that a battle was going on.

Gai squinted at the two blurs as they fought each other, fists flying and chakra boiling over. He licked dry lips, attempting to focus. What was… what was going on? The last thing he remembered was his attempt to rip open the gates and-

Darkness. Pain. But pain was pretty normal so why- Kakashi? That was Kakashi, wasn't it? That lithe form could be nothing but his rival. His rival who was about to get kicked-

Gai's body moved of it's own accord, arms crossing to take the heavy blow. For a brief moment he had the pleasure of seeing Kakashi's thunderstruck face, before Gai was sent flying from the force. His body didn't need his mind though, and was already contorting itself into a semi-proper landing position.

"Gai!" That was Kakashi, who sounded a little bit off.

"Well, looks like the brat finally woke up." That was his teacher, sounding a little surprised. "Surprising that you can move kiddo."

Gai landed heavily on a tree branch, attempting to arrange his battered mind into working order. Kakashi was still in attacking position against his teacher, who had on a rather amused smirk as he stood with deceptive ease. "Kakashi? What's going on?"

"This guy was strolling around the forbidden forest with you over his shoulder like a sack of rice, so I decided to step in." Despite the casualness of the words, Kakashi's body remained in fighting stance. His red eye shone.

"Oh." Gai got the feeling something was off here- that something was wrong. That Kakashi was too fragile and angry, and that his sensei was going to start getting serious unless he somehow brought this all to a halt. So he did the only thing he could think of- he straightened up with a huge grin, stuck out his thumb in his traditional Nice-Guy Pose, and started announcing in his loudest voice, "Oh my dear rival! It brings me to tears that you would think of me in such tender concern! It is most youthful of you to-"

Kakashi sighed, all tension spilling out of him like a popped balloon. Gai continued on his ramble, ending with, "Indeed, although I may seem bad, I can assure you that our fights when we were children left me much worse for wear!"

Even in this half-scrambled condition, Gai can still get up, he can still move which is more then what he can say when he had challenged Kakashi when they were in the academy. Then he would be carted off with broken bones and ruptured organs, especially on the day when Kakashi's father had died. But he kept going because… that's what friends did. It was the same on the days when Rin and Obito died. Gai would be there with fists and they would fight until either or neither could get up again.

Gai continued grinning and sparkling as Kakashi looked up at him with a disbelieving(Sorrowful? Tired? Angry?) expression. His new sensei on the other hand- "So that's where you got your determination from huh? Well then, I'll let you two sort everything out."

His sensei vanished, and Gai regarded the ground. It would be a bit of a rough landing, but with his brain slowly unwinding itself, he figured he could probably make it. Besides, the only one who would see would be Kakashi, and Kakashi wouldn't care because Kakashi had already pounded him into the ground more times then Gai cared to count. Speaking of which- wasn't Kakashi supposed to be on a mission with ANBU right now?

The scattered thoughts cleared as Gai hit the ground heavily and stood on wobbly knees. "So then Kaka-"

A fist hurtled at his face.

Gai blocked it automatically, eyes already focusing on the feet as Kakashi's red eye remained exposed. "-Eternal rival! What brings you here at this time of the day?" 'Here' was just outside of Konoha Walls, overshadowed by forest. 'Time of Day' was midnight. Gai spun, lashing out with his foot in his automatic continuation of the fight.

"I thought you were dead." Gai's ears burned at the low accusation. "I couldn't sense any chakra flow at all, and you weren't moving."

That was kinda odd, because chakra wasn't needed to open the gates- just the willingness to endure pain and the ability to get up again. Or was chakra needed? It was hard to remember his sensei's words. "Of course I wouldn't die. I promised, didn't I?"

Kakashi was a silvery glint of moonlight, liquid flowing to catch Gai in the midriff and throw him back. "Since when have those promises ever mattered?"

Gai stared up at the moonlight edged leaves, mind tiredly scrambling for a response of some kind. Any kind. It was true that Kakashi seemed cursed when it came to personal relationships, but- "I won't die until I beat you with a score of at least ten more in our challenges! I would never be able-" Gai rolled to narrowly avoid the foot coming down. "-face all those who went before us! Besides, how could I possibly die in the springtime of our youth!"

Kakashi didn't seem very convinced considering the way his fist buried itself into a tree. Gai swayed drunkenly on his feet, aware that Kakashi was holding back. Or Kakashi was just as tired as he was. Either one.

They exchanged blows for just a little longer, Gai trying to force himself to keep up, and Kakashi suddenly holding back. It was disheartening. After the effort of years, and Kakashi had decided to hold back on him. "You're holding back rival!"

Kakashi snarled something indistinct, as Gai caught sight of an fist aiming for his head. Gai ducked, a brilliant, cunning plan forming in his mind if he did say so himself. Today was his first day of opening the very first gate to his new technique- so Gai was going to make the best of it. He hadn't thought of showing Kakashi until their annual battle, but Kakashi needed to be able to let loose now.

Gai clasped his hands together, drawing within himself for the energy. Pain flooded through him, as chakra forcibly flowed through him. Kakashi drew a quick breath inwards, his eye no doubt telling him of what exactly the chakra was doing- sweeping past limits muscles put on themselves to keep from being destroyed. But Gai really, really didn't care.

When it came right down to it, Gai was more then willing to burn his body into a crisp. He'd recover. He was good at recovering and getting back up again. Kakashi wasn't. Kakashi broke, and didn't know how to mend broken pieces into something workable. He faked it well, but-

Gai grinned, knowing full well his teacher would have a lot of choice words to say to him and probably a few punches as well. "C'mon then rival- fight me!"

Hands came up, beckoning Kakashi on, before going for a quick attack himself.

Minato crouched in the trees, eyes regarding the taijutsu master across from him. He was a well-known wanderer, one whose allegiance was to himself only. "So then… You're the one who taught Gai this… travesty?" Destroying one's body for such a small amount of power…

"Now now, don't say that! You've only seen the first gate! There's seven after it you know!" The man laughed, eerily reminding Minato of Gai. It wasn't the voice or actions- just the pure single-mindedness that danced in his eyes as he watched Gai throw open the gate for the second time.

Minato was already deciding which medic-nin to rush Gai too after he and Kakashi had beaten some kind of sense into each other. He didn't dare interrupt though- Kakashi was still too fragile and broken to risk pulling Gai away, even if his senses told him he should before Gai permanently destroyed his body.

"Seven- So eight gates in total, and this is the weakest one?"

"Of course!" The Taijutsu Master pulled out a large bottle of what seemed to be Sake. "Just wait until you see how damaging the other gates can be! Even I, after opening the fifth gate can barely fight for a good day after! This kid is already opening the first gate twice in a row! I can't wait to see how he handles the seventh!"

The fact that he stated the seventh, and not the eighth set off warning bells in Minato's mind. If seven was all that Gai would be opening and implying that he would live after... Suicidal techniques were never his favorite. Minato watched as the other took a deep gulp of sake, wondering what kind of body he'd see in full daylight- a body wracked with scars and stretch marks, skin hanging off of where muscles once were? Or something firm and smooth? So he spoke instead, attempting to get him mind off the train of thought- everyone had something that could kill them. "You're a wanderer, the Yellow Beast of the Wild."

"Aye, that's right." He lifted the bottle to Mianto, before taking a deep drought of it. He seemed at ease- but Minato didn't doubt for a moment that he would be able to fight him on equal footing in a heartbeat. "You got a problem with that?" His voice was light with amusement- he didn't really care what Minato had to say. They were both just passing time as their students fought each other below.

"I've heard you turning down students before." Why not turn down Gai who was at this point one of the few things that kept Kakashi clinging to his sanity?

"None of them had the willpower to get up again. The gates are a very dangerous thing you know- most people can't even open the first, and those that do usually quit after that." The Yellow Beast took another long drought. "I thought that the technique would die with me, before that kid came dashing by spouting his Youth philosophy. I like it- Youth." He cackled softly, easing further into shadows.

Minato tried very hard not to flinch as he imagined the burly man before him shouting about youth as he strode through the streets of the world. Gai was bad enough- the world might not be able to stand a second. "Then you will be staying?" A quick prod for his planning-

"Mmm, for a little bit- then it's back out to wandering for me." Lies or truth? Truth, probably.

Minato tried to believe that Gai wouldn't follow the man, his very first teacher that didn't roll their eyes at his antics, that he would stay behind. That he would give up on the gates. It didn't fit. "I see."

"Worried about your precious white-haired student are ya? Not that I blame you- He gave me quite the run for my money before the kiddo decided to wake up and take over." It all came back to Kakashi. How Kakashi would handle another upheaval of his life.

Gai was thrown back, smashing through trees. Minato changed to a different tactic as Gai struggled to get up, "Are you sure you want someone who's loosing so badly even after opening a gate as your student?"

That made the Yellow Beast pause, and stare at him. Minato met his eyes squarely- it was a true enough question. Gai had no talents other then the art of not giving up. There were many who were born better at everything then Gai, and even now made fun of him. Kakashi was one of the few who didn't do so after the first few dismissals, and nobody really respected Gai from the very beginning. It was enough to make Minato wince, but he kept his face straight and schooled. He had never doubted Gai's ability to prove everyone wrong one-day, but would the other across from him-

The Yellow Beast held out his Sake bottle. There were no distinctive marks on it, but Minato's nose could catch a scent that wasn't alcohol wafting from it. Medical herbs, to dull pain perhaps? Would Gai need something similar someday to continue moving? "He's plenty strong now, even if it doesn't seem like it. It doesn't matter. He's got plenty of time left to show himself as strong. That's the thing with Taijutsu- unlike the rest, we're the long-term strength. We take the longest to come to full strength, but we also last the longest since we don't rely on chakra."

It was true- Taijutsu were the first one's in, and the last ones out in just about any battle. The fact that the man could recognize Gai's strength beyond his antics was enough to convince Minato that perhaps this was for the best. But… Minato sighed, glancing to where Kakashi had chosen to sit on Gai's back, shaking hands pulling the bandana over his red eye and listen to Gai groan. Kakashi wasn't going to take Gai leaving very well. He was going have to plan the next missions very, very, very carefully.

"Oh, do I finally get the Hokage's approval of my teachings?" The Yellow Beast cackled as he took another draught of sake.

"On one condition- Once a year, you must return Gai here." If there anything Minato was going to avoid, it would be Gai missing his and Kakashi's yearly battle. He could take Gai's place, but not well.

"Hmm, that sounds fine to me. It's worth it- being able to pass down my techniques." The man sighed, sounding tired and old. He whispered to himself, so soft that Minato wasn't certain if he had caught it, "Only got a couple years left before it all catches up anyways, so it's not like he'll be gone long."

Minato charged forward, kunai slipping out to try for an attack. Something to measure the man's standards. Something to tell him that he wasn't about too loose another piece of Kakashi that no one would ever be able to fix.

The Yellow Beast was gone though, on the ground next to Gai and Kakashi, both too weak to really fight back and slinging Gai over one shoulder. "Back to the mountains with you. If you got enough energy to open the gate twice in a day, then you don't need the medic-nins."

Minato could see Kakashi attempting to rise, knees quaking from the ferocious battle. "Wait!"

"I will be back!" Gai promised, forcing one hand to wave. The two's eyes caught in the moonlight, Gai pledging his next challenge with all the fervor he could produce despite being so beaten up, "And challenge you to yet another youthful battle of eating!" The two vanished into the forest, Kakashi staring after, fingers fisted in the loam and dirt.

Minato considered following after them, before shaking his head. No- the problem right now was Kakashi. Gai could take care of himself. Gai was the best at taking care of himself.