Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sexy no Omake ❯ Sexy no Omake: Nightmare ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

As everything slowly swam back into focus Gai found that he was in a familiar room, although he couldn't quite remember where he had seen the dark furniture and the old fashioned tapestry. There was a window with a comfortable looking window seat that was bathed in light that almost screamed his name in invitation. Moving across the room with an odd feeling of fatigue the azure beast finally curled up in the sunny patch relishing the warmth on his skin and the serene calm that enveloped him.

There was a warmth in his arms, it felt like, and against his chest. Although there was weight to it, nothing was there, like an invisible person resting against him. It was a comforting weight, though. Everything was serene, peaceful...

A series of voices from outside the window called out his name.

"Gai-sensei!" "Sensei!" "Gai-sensei!"

On the grassy ground below the window, Lee, Neji and Tenten all waved up at him, all healthy, all uninjured, all smiling (even Neji.)

Smiling brightly at their youthful cheer Gai waved back, shifting so that he would not disturb the warm presence with him. "Lee! Tenten! Neji! It is SO good to see you!" He called through the open window.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee called up, "Aren't you going to train with us today?"

Slowly, the warm weight on his chest shifted, lessened, like whatever was there decided to go lay somewhere else, but not without a soft caress at Gai's shoulder.

Enjoying the fading sensation for a few more moments Gai called back down to Lee. "I'll be there in a moment you guys."

The trio nodded. "We'll wait for you at the training grounds!" Lee yelled, starting off as they gave one final wave. "Catch up with us!" Tenten added.

The three turned, heading to the forest area past the long stretch of grassy field... but the forest was dark and imposing, forbidding. The three Gennin didn't seem to notice as they ran towards it, carefree

Gai threw a worried look at the looming trees but figured that three that were the pride of his teacher's heart would be alright. After all he had trained them to be the best they could. Standing he stretched then turned to the door that led to the stairs.

The stairs were longer going down than Gai remembered them being going up. Did he go up them? In any case, it seemed like every time he'd gotten down to the last five steps another three mysteriously added themselves onto the length.

Frowning he sped up. His students were waiting for him. He really shouldn't keep them waiting, lest he develop the same bad habit as his rival. Finally he reached the bottom of the stairwell. Taking a deep breath he crossed to the door and pushed it open.

The sky outside had grown dark, heavy grey clouds hanging where brilliant sunlight on a cloudless day used to be above. A cold wind blew across field, and his students were nowhere to be seen.

Heading towards where he thought the training grounds where Gai spared a thought for the warm presence he had left behind as an particularly cold wind cut through him. Nevertheless he jogged on, his students were out there. At least he should make sure that they headed home if the weather stayed like this.

The closer Gai seemed to get to the forest, the darker the clouds became. Just as he managed to reach the cold shelter of the trees, a sharp, ice-cold rain began to pelt down. Although the forest offered protection from the rain, it too had grown more dark and forbidding, and it was a toss-up for which was more preferable, the forest, or the rain.

Gai managed to catch glimpses of signs of his students' passing, leading deeper into the forest.

Pressing onwards he called out, hoping that they hadn't gone to far. "Tenten, Lee, Neji! Where are you guys?" Although he was following the path deeper into the woods branches snagged at him, tangling in his hair and his Jounin vest slowing him down.

The first he found was Tenten. Even though Gai almost fell over her from her sitting in the middle of the pathway, she was easy to miss. Partially because she was... semi-transparent, like a ghost.

"Tenten?" her teacher asked, her appearance baffling him. "Where are Lee and Neji? What happened to you? Why are you ...see-through?" Casting worried glances around he knelt so that he was on her eye-level. The dark atmosphere had his nerves tingling ready to defend himself and his cute students at any second if necessary.

She let out a deep sigh, slowly turning to look at Gai. He could see straight through her to the branches behind her. Even her voice was hollow as she spoke.

"...In the end, I'm the disposable one..."

And the branches behind Tenten started to become more visible as she looked away from Gai, fading out to nothing.

"No! Tenten that's not true!" Gai tried reaching her even once she had completely vanished from sight. Standing up he once again glanced around searching for any signs of where the children could be.

Footsteps continued onward, deeper into the forest. Neji and Lee's. They had continued on from where Tenten's footsteps ended.

Worried now Gai hurried after them. Hopefully the two boys would be able to shed light on what happened to Tenten so that they could all be together once again. Bounding through the trees at top speed he was on high alert.

It was Lee who was found next. He was dressed differently from when he entered the forest, though. Now he was in the simple hospital robe, his crutch broken in half and to the side, covered with bandages just as he had been when Gai first saw him in the hospital after the fight that ruined his left arm and leg. He was on the ground as well. Kneeling at an awkward angle due to his bound left leg, apparently unable to get up.

"Lee!" In a flash Gai was at his side. "Are you alright? What happened to Tenten? Where is Neji?" Question after question bubbled up from Gai's lips. Anxiously he checked Lee trying to figure out what happened to the boy.

Lee was shaking under Gai's inspection, body cold to the touch. He put on a brave smile as he looked up to Gai, but had to turn away and cough into his hand. The hand came away with blood on it.

"I guess, maybe, I shouldn't push myself so much in this condition after all." Lee murmured, slowly leaning back, eyes sliding shut as he fell back to the ground.

"LEE!" Gai caught the suddenly frail seeming boy in his arms before he could completely hit the ground. "Gods! What is going on here!" Cradling the broken form to his chest Gai was torn between the need to find Neji and hopefully get behind what was going on and taking Lee to a hospital. Glancing down at the boy that was so much like himself Gai nodded. Lee would not want him to abandon Neji for him, therefore he held him securely in his arms as he once again began his search calling out to Neji as he ran.

Lee was far too light in Gai's arms, but dead weight just the same. The forest darkened still, branches reaching out as if to grab on to Gai and hold him there. Just as the path seemed to overgrown to continue, Neji was there.

He stood between the branches, staring out to Gai without seeing him, eyes clearly glassy despite the typical byakugan colouring. Like with Tenten, Gai could see to the branches behind him. Unlike Tenten, it wasn't because he was transparent. It was because there was a gaping hole in his chest. Neji's shirt was soaked red with blood, his face pale and white. He said nothing, just quietly folded in on himself as he crumpled to the ground.

Not wasting any time Gai was there to catch him. One boy resting in each arm. "What happened?" he whispered as he stared in disbelief at the two. A tear made it's way unnoticed down his cheek. Carefully he checked both Neji and Lee for any signs of life and be they hardly noticeable.

A single heart beat could not be found in either chest. Somehow, there was the sense, the knowing, wherever Tenten was, she did not live still, either. The forest was silent and dead, save for the sound of Gai's own thundering heartbeat.

A cold hand gently placed itself on the back of Gai's head, an absolution. "...really... you did what you thought was best, and no one can blame you for that." whispered a chilled voice behind him.

Clutching the two bodies to him as if he hoped to impart some of his own warmth and life Gai blinked back his tears and turned his eyes to the voice. "I failed them..."he murmured hardly bringing sound to the thought. "I should have been there with them."

The small boy with dark patches of skin stood there, his expression almost entirely blank, but somehow understanding as well.

"Yes." Toshi agreed. "But, more importantly, you should have taught them better... youth is too expensive for a ninja's salary. It's better to teach children to grow up as fast as they can."

Gai choked on a sob. "What happened to them?" He finally demanded.

Toshi shrugged. "Life." he answered, cold. "As soon as you're born, you start dying. We come into this life dying. It's just a matter of how long we take to get there."

Gai glared at the young ANBU. "They had their whole lives still ahead of them!" he argued as if that would bring back his team.

"Do you know how fragile the human body is?" Toshi asked. As he spoke, there was a flash of movement out of the corner of Gai's eye. A mayfly. It came to rest on his shoulder. Toshi continued to speak, as if in a trance. "Even trained... it's a miracle that we live ten years. By all rights, we have no business living this long... Gai."

Toshi's voice had deepened at that last word, the calling of Gai's name. Out of nowhere, he repeated Gai's name once more. It was someone else's voice coming out of his mouth, and the warm presence touched on Gai's shoulder again, gently shaking him.

Struggling against the warm touch he didn't feel he deserved at the moment Gai countered "Some of us die of old age! As they should have!" A pained snarl twisted his lips as he tightened his arms around his dead burden.

The world seemed to shake around Gai, the warm presence now grasping him firmly by both shoulders, fingers tight against Gai's skin. Toshi's not-voice began to get louder, unheeding of Gai's cries. "Gai. GAI. GAI!"

Snapping awake Gai blinked his eyes open, the sensation of Neji's and Lee's dead bodies resting in his arms slowly vanishing. "Kakashi...?" he croaked softly. They really should learn to fall asleep on beds and not the floor.

Kakashi kneeled over Gai, an expression of concern clear on his face as he looked down at him.

"...Are you alright?" he asked, clearly not going to believe an answer of 'yes'.

Blinking Gai felt the wetness on his cheeks that indicated he had not just dreamt the tears streaming down his face. "They were all dead..." he murmured his voice barely audible, still trying to push the events into the realm of fantasy where they belonged.

Kakashi blinked in confusion. He looked around for a pillow but since he'd made the bed already (and then started to get dressed), the closest one was currently out of arm's reach and he didn't want to leave Gai alone. Improvising, then, he carefully moved Gai's head into his lap. He would never hear the end of this, Kakashi was certain of it, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Shh, it's okay, it was just a nightmare." Kakashi murmured, gently wiping at Gai's tears.

In an instinctive need for comfort Gai buried his face in Kakashi's lap. The unexpected reassurance crumpled his barrier and fresh hot tears travelled down his cheeks staining the fabric of the copy-nin's trousers. "I failed them." he sobbed curling into himself.

Kakashi stroked Gai's hair, gave a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay. If there's one thing I know, it's that you've never failed anyone." Kakashi insisted. It hurt seeing Gai like this, somehow, and Kakashi felt he'd do anything to make that pain end.

Gai stayed that way for a few more moments before he sat up and wiped his eyes, smiling half-heartedly at Kakashi. "…thank you…" he muttered, avoiding meeting the other man's eye.

Kakashi regarded Gai with worried eyes, still. "...Why don't you lay down on the bed? It'll probably make your back feel better."

Standing Gai noticed the unexpected soreness in muscles he normally didn't use to this extent. Glancing down at Kakashi he remembered his mistreatment of his rival. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you like this!" Earnest worry marked his face.

Kakashi managed to raise an eyebrow while keeping his eyes half-lidded. "I could barely walk when I woke up this morning" He stated plainly "...It was great." a flash of those sultry eyes, that wicked smirk, and he was back to the cold and distant again. "As for you, sleeping on the floor probably didn't help any."

Gai flushed a bit at the compliment, but blinked at Kakashi's last words. "Help any? I feel perfectly alright." Which was a slight over statement, but his eternal rival didn't need to know that.

"Well, if you say so." Kakashi shrugged, getting up and stretching. "After all, /you/ didn't have a half-mad beast pounding into your ass like a jackhammer half the night." he remarked, casually.

Managing to look affronted even though his cheeks were blushing madly Gai glared at Kakashi. " This is NOT something you can just blame on me!"

"Sure I can." Kakashi shrugged. "You'd think you would remember a leather strap on your dick, but I guess not."

Feeling oddly exposed Gai gathered the shreds of his jumpsuit that still hung off him around himself. "Would it be possible to borrow some of your clothing?” He looked down at the badly torn spandex. "Mine is... no longer satisfactory"

Kakashi smirked a little inwardly, remembering the satisfied feeling he was getting when he shredded the jumpsuit. "Ah, sure, but my build is a little smaller than yours, some of the things might be a little tight..." he paused, regarding Gai's body under the torn jumpsuit. "...You know, you were right. You do look better with all that hair." On that note, Kakashi went to look for clothing that would work for Gai.

Clenching his hands around his Jounin vest to keep from fidgeting Gai wanted nothing more than to leave the apartment as quickly as possible. Partially to check up on his students after his dream and partially to leave the site of his humiliation behind. Kakashi may be able to switch from one personae to the other but Gai had only himself to deal with all that had happened and he found it difficult to regroup after it.

It was difficult for Kakashi to be made to feel shame at all, and about his body it was doubly so, so he felt no remorse in the comment to Gai. After all, he knew he himself didn't look good if he let his body hair get out of control. "Hm, I think these will work." Kakashi said, tossing a pair of pants and a shirt in Gai's direction.

Gai caught them and looked at them in consideration. Deciding that they would most likely fit he dropped his vest and quickly slipped out of the few pieces of green fabric that had managed to cling to his limbs and even quicker shimmied his way into the pants and then the shirt. As expected they were a tight fit on him but not enough that they would hinder his movements overly much, and after the bodysuit tight fitting clothing didn't worry him visually either.

Kakashi watched appreciatively as Gai changed his clothing. Maybe he would have to keep a scrap of that green jumpsuit as a souvenir. Kakashi crossed his arms at his chest, knowing Gai would escape as fast as he could after this, much to Kakashi's disappointment. "...Well." he said, looking Gai over. "...Come back soon, eh? We can do that again."

Shrugging his vest back on Gai threw a look at the green pieces scattered throughout the room. Normally he would at least offer to clean them away, disposing of traces, the shinobi part of his brain whispered, but right now all he wanted was to see for himself that Neji, Lee and Tenten where alive and well. Nodding he made his way to the door. "I'll see you..."he trailed of unsure when they would see each other again. It probably would depend on when they would get their next mission. "Around." he finished lamely.

Kakashi nodded. "Of course." he leaned against the wall, watching Gai with a predatory gaze.

Feeling the eyes on him Gai threw a wary look over his shoulder. Surely Kakashi couldn't be after what he had the distinctive impression the man WAS after. Pausing at the front door he slowly turned around copying Kakashi's position and posture. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kakashi's lips twitched into a smirk once more. "Thinking of last night." he said, simply.

Feeling his face heat again Gai was still unwilling to completely throw down the challenge. "Which bit?" he countered, curious just what about the last night had Kakashi in such an odd mood.

Kakashi shrugged, still smirking. "The part where you almost literally fucked me into oblivion."

Gai blushed slightly but furrowed his brow in thought. "But you had to have been in pain at that point." The gods above and below knew HE certainly had been in agony.

"Un." Kakashi agreed. "I thought I was going to start bleeding. Doesn't change that it also felt good, too."

Paling at the thought that he could have injured Kakashi enough to make the normally hardy shinobi bleed simply through having sex with him, Gai closed his eyes. The mental picture of a blood covered Kakashi fit only to well into the personal horror cabinet his dream had turned into less then an hour ago.

Kakashi stood fully, looking at Gai with concern as the other man's expression changed. "...I was just teasing, you know." he lied.

Blinking Gai opened his eyes, reminded once again why he had been in such a hurry to leave but now he didn't want to leave either in case something would turn that sudden vision into reality. "I need to see them..." he offer Kakashi, although his voice sounded oddly choked.

Kakashi wasn't sure who Gai meant by 'them' at first, but he had an idea. "...Your team?" he asked, taking a step forward.

Gai nodded weakly, almost dreading taking a step outside the door and running the risk that his dreams might prove true. It wasn't the first nightmare he'd had about his team receiving injuries or even dying, but this time it had seemed so much more real than usual, so much more his fault for allowing it to happen.

Kakashi grasped Gai's shoulder, just a moment, just enough to give a light squeeze and let go. "I'm sure they're okay." he assured Gai. "But they'll probably be happy to see you anyway, so you should go visit."

Looking to the side Gai nodded again gathering himself and reached for the door. "Take care," he almost ordered before slipping away.

"Yessir." Kakashi said, just loud enough that Gai might be able to hear it. He went about the rest of his morning normally, worrying about Gai.