Gai was walking down the streets of the village watching with a smile as Naruto was running around full of energy. He also noticed a few other things, most people would smile at the little boy but Gai caught a few glares at the boy. He knew full well of Naruto's little 'guest' inside of the boy but apparently word was getting around slowly about it. Gai honestly couldn't see why you could hate such a child but maybe the few of the elders on the council that had spoken of Naruto could have embellished certain details.
Meaning that they played up the demon role to the point that anyone would mistrust the boy.
Even he had heard rumours of things such as 'a demon child' that was around, they never mentioned Naruto by name but there were things such as the child having whisker marks. In a way they were getting around the Hokage's rule with not mentioning Naruto by name but still this was something that would only harm the boy.
Thankfully Naruto didn't notice this as he was too happy with the thought of ramen. Gai kept a look out for any trouble makers that is besides the two shadowy figures he sensed that were following them. Ninjas on the rooftops was a normal thing but after they had left Kakashi's he thought he felt a presence following them, as they walked on he kept an eye out and found not one but two.
They weren't bad either, they weren't a Jonin like he was most likely a high Chunin level of ninja. He couldn't turn his head to get a good look at them without giving away that he knew. So he kept an eye on them at any rate. He also continued to watch in amusement to how Naruto ran around with that huge smile on his face.
"Naruto here we are," he said and he led the boy under a tarp with a sign over it that read Ichiraku Ramen. "Hey there Ichiraku."
A man with an apron who was working the hot stove looked over his shoulder. "Ah Gai what are you doing here this fine day? And who is the little one?" he asked looking at Naruto.
Naruto had to go on his tip toes and pulled himself up just to look over the counter. He could smell ramen from here and he looked like a predator ready to eat its prey at all the ramen.
Gai smiled and ruffled his hair, "This is Naruto Hatake, and I'm taking care of him while his father is on a mission. And he seems to like ramen and you make the best in the city."
"You got that right!" He said with pride.
"Dad where is that extra stack of noodles?" Ayame the young teenage daughter walked in.
"I think under the counter dear."
"Okay," Then she turned to see a small blonde boy trying to get onto the stool. He obviously was having trouble. "Aww, whose the little cutie?"
Gai picked up Naruto and placed him on the stool.
"Naruto." He said happily wondering where his ramen was.
"He's so cute," She gushed at the little boy, he had these cute little marks and these beautiful blue eyes. She couldn't remember ever seeing anyone with eyes like his before. "So what do you want little man?"
"Ramen please!"
"What kind?" She asked.
Naruto thought about it, he wasn't sure he liked all types of ramen...well...not vegetarian for some reason. So he crossed his arms looking deep in thought then he suddenly got an idea. "All of it!"
Gai laughed and gave them an order, while all this was going on he felt that chakra of the ninja behind them. The partner didn't seem to be there so this could be the perfect time to see who was shadowing them. "Naruto I have to check on something, I'll be right back so be good okay?"
"Kay!"
Naruto went back to waiting for his ramen, the little boy was almost bouncing in his seat in anticipation. Gai had to smile at the little boy's actions and went outside.
Up on the building one of the ninjas were already lining up a shot, Ichigo took out a long tube that he had hidden under his cloak and pulled out a dart. There was enough poison on the dart to kill an elephant more than enough to take out a small boy within a second. He waited for the boy to finish, the damn flaps were in the way so he'd have to wait until the boy was out from the cover.
"I wonder what's so special about him? Oh well most likely just someone wanting to settle a score against Kakashi," He muttered to himself. He was thankful that the other guy left just for some reason. He watched and waited.
"Dynamic Entry!"
"Dynamic wh-AUGH!" Ichigo turned to the sound of the strange battle cry to get a foot planted into his face. He was surprised by the hit as it sent him flying through the air. He bounced a few times over the roof and nearly went over the edge. He quickly managed to stop himself and frantically pulled himself up, his heart racing from his near fatal fall.
He looked up to see that strange green ninja standing there. "What the hell!?"
"I figured you were up to no good," Gai said with a more serious look on his face. The ninja had lost the hood and he could see the young man with blue spiky hair and grey eyes. He didn't know the ninja from the bingo books so he must either be new or just not that good.
"You knew!?" Ichigo couldn't believe that he had been found out. He figured he had shadowed the two of them perfectly.
"Of course I am Gai Maito, the Green Beast of Konoha! The power of youth burns in me with the intensity of a thousands suns!" He struck out a pose.
Ichigo sweat dropped at this, 'This is the guy that got the drop on me? Renji will never let me live this down.'
Ichigo stood up, "Okay then weirdo, take this!" The threw out a few kunai and the guy just vanished, "What the? Was that just an illusion?"
A powerful blow to the back of his head told him otherwise. Once more he was sent flying and landed hard on the rood. He looked to see the green ninja was behind him. He honestly didn't know how he had managed that but he formed a few hand seals. "Water Technique; Rapid fire!" Out of his mouth many small but fast moving pieces of water shot out at Gai.
The water shots were formed into blades and Gai noticed that when one hit the roof it actually cut into it. He knew that water at super pressure would cut through things like a blade and so he quickly dodged the shots. His speed was so fast that Ichigo could barely even follow, and when the attack ended Gai was right in front of him, and landed a blow to his gut that felt like a sledgehammer hit him.
He felt ribs break and fell to the ground holding his chest gasping for air. Gai lifted him up to face him, "Now then who sent you to attack Naruto-kun?"
"D-don't know his name, was through a m-middle man. Oh god I think my lung is punctured." He managed to get out.
Screaming was heard and Gai left the man there, he wasn't going anywhere and if he was it wouldn't be far anyway. He caught sight of another ninja running off with Naruto.
"Damn, so there was the other one I sense," He felt foolish for forgetting the other one. If anything happened to Naruto he would never forgive himself, plus he was sure Kakashi would kill him.
Naruto didn't know what had happened, one moment he was eating another bowl (his fourth) of the best ramen he ever had when some strange and scary ninja grabbed him. He tried to struggle but the man was too big and strong and his grip was hurting him.
"Damn brat, this was supposed to be an easy gig and now I may have just lost my partner. Well more money for me but I'm going to skin you alive for the trouble you've caused as soon as I lose the other guy." He said in a deep and cold voice. Naruto had never been so scared in his life, he wanted his daddy to be here, he always protected him and Naruto started to cry.
"Shut the hell up!" He hit Naruto on the head with his free hand, "I'll give you something to cry about soon enough."
Naruto whimpered as the man hit him and tried not to cry. Although he hoped that his daddy would come soon to save him. After a while they came to one of the forest training grounds, Renji figured he had managed to lose the other guy by now. He threw Naruto against a tree and Naruto whimpered in pain with tear filled eyes.
He looked up at the man with long blood red hair and dark eyes, there were some purple tattoos on his face and when the man was snarling at him he could see a missing tooth. "Brad normally I'm all business but you've pissed me off," He drew a large looking curved knife, "I'm going to enjoy this."
Naruto closed his eyes feeling the tears fall, he waited for the man to get over to him. It was like an eternity waiting for the man to kill him. He felt the pain of his body and wondered if it would hurt worse than this.
"Dynamic Entry!"
Naruto's eyes snapped open as the bad man was dropped kicked out of nowhere by Gai. Naruto watched with wide eyes as Gai went on to fight the ninja. He moved very fast and the bad ninja tried to attack him with the knife, Gai dodged a bit to the right making the blade pass through where his head had just been. Now while inside his opponent personal space, he gripped the wrist, he twisted making his enemy cry out in pain dropping the weapon.
Gai gave a palm strike to the man's chest sending him back, "I have no idea what kind of person would kill and harm a little innocent child, but you are definitely a very unyougthful person."
The other ninja didn't bother to say anything he made a few hand signs and then slammed his hands together. Gai saw an electrical current running over the hands as his foe charged forward trying to strike at Gai.
Gai could feel the electrical energy coming off the hands even when they weren't touching his body. He could feel the hairs on his body stand up and he knew that getting hit by just one of those wouldn't be a good thing for him. A glancing blow to his arm was proof as he cried out in pain and felt his arm got slightly numb.
The assault continued but Gai managed to keep one step ahead of the larger and thankfully slower enemy. The man was getting very frustrated with this, he went for a large right hook and Gai jumped up and over with a flip. As he was in mid air, Gai sent the back of the hell of his fight foot into the back of the man's skull. The blow was enough to daze him and when he turned around feeling the world spinning, he got one of Gai's feet to his face.
He flew through the air and landed, and didn't get back up.
Naruto had watched if all with wide child like eyes, he had never actually seen ninja's battle before and he had to admit, he thought Gai had to be almost as strong as his dad.
-ANBU Team-
Kakashi and his squad had been traveling for days as they were on their way to one of Orochimaru's possible hideouts. The man was a missing nin to be killed on sight, but so far he had always remained several steps ahead of the Leaf Village. It was their hope that he was using the old base of his again or there were clues to where he was going. Kakashi was thinking about what they would do if they faced him, he was good but he couldn't take on one of the legendary sanin.
He glanced at the young girl to his right as they made their way through the trees, she seemed to really want to find her old sensei. Although from the killer intent he felt her trying to repress it wasn't for a happy reunion and most likely wanted to rip him a new one. He hoped she could control herself since going into a battle with emotions like that would get her and others killed.
Then again going into a mission with just logic wasn't the right way either, he remembered how he had focused only on the mission while Obito had gone after Rin. He still wished he could redo that day over again, maybe they both would be alive today.
Kakashi pushed those thoughts away, they were on a mission and he had to keep focus.
After a bit Kakashi stopped, "I think we traveled far enough, I think we need to rest for a bit."
The others looked a bit winded although Anko looked like she wanted to keep on going.
"We can be there in a few more hours," She told him.
"Yes but it's getting dark and I don't want to travel into a possible enemy stronghold at night, with who knows what traps along the way. Besides we're tired, hungry and we're not at one hundred percent," He told her in his usual lazy tone. She seemed like she wanted to argue the point but she seemed to take a moment and jumped down from the tree, still pissed but seemed to relent.
He looked at his two other members of his team, "Women huh?" He said as a joke. The other two shook their heads and jumped down.
They set up a small camp with everyone taking turns at watch. Kakashi took the first watch as he pulled off his mask and sat down on a stone resting. He looked up the stars and his thoughts turned to Naruto and hoping that Gai was taking good care of him. Because if he didn't he was going to use his Sharingan on the green ninja.
He sighed and pulled out his favourite orange book and started to read it. It was hard to find time and places to read his favourite series with Naruto around. About an hour into his watch he heard some moaning and then a small gasp.
He looked at the tents and after a bit Anko came out looking like she had a rough night and from the looks and sounds of it, a nightmare too. He also was surprised to see her hair down, she looked more feminine like that, more soft in a way. Or it might be the lost look on her face as she sat down across the fire staring into it.
"Can't sleep huh?" He said not looking up from his book. She just shrugged and muttered something he didn't hear. He thought about what could cause the girl nightmares but given their lives it was part of the job.
"It's bad enough living with it when we're awake, but it's when we fall asleep, the point we let our guards down and want nothing but peace that it seems to attack," He said.
She looked at him confused, "What?"
"Our kind of life is a hard one, we see a lot and experience more than most. When we're awake we try and bury what has harmed us, but when we're asleep that's when it can attack us at any time."
She gave a small grunt looking at the strange ANBU, she was trying to figure this guy out. He didn't look much older than she was, although she was wondering why he was wearing that black mask when he wore that wolf one. Plus his forehead protector was covering one of his eyes, but from the small scar she saw, Anko figured he might be missing an eye.
"I don't need anyone's pity," She told him sternly.
"Wasn't offering."
"Then what?"
"Understanding."
That threw her for a bit, she had seen the looks about her when she first got back. She hated pity, she wasn't some weak little girl and hated it when people acted like she was around her.
"What would you know about anything?" She muttered.
"I know loss and loneliness."
She cast him a look, "How so?"
Kakashi sighed trying to concentrate on his book but the memories that were coming up weren't easy. "I lost my parents when I was young, my father killed himself in shame, my only two friends are dead, my sensei who was like a father to me is dead. All my precious people are gone except for one, and I don't ever want to lose him."
Anko didn't know what to say to that, her parents had died when she was young on missions, she really didn't have many friends. Although this Kurenai woman she had been teamed up with for her Chunin exam was nice and the only person she kept in touch with. But by the sounds of it this guy had a rough life, maybe that was why he hid his face from the world.
"So who is this person?"
"My son," He told her.
"You got a kid? But you don't look that much older than I do," she said shocked.
"Adopted, he lost his parents the night the Nine-Tails attacked. I know what it's like to grow up alone so I took him in, at first I was more like a guardian but over the years...I think of him more like my own son now," Kakashi meant the words, Naruto was the most precious person in the world to him he had no doubt about it.
Anko didn't know what else to say, so she just looked into the fire. After a moment she looked at him reading one of those adult books that she had heard about, she was surprised he was reading that. "Please tell me you don't keep those in your home," She smirked pointing at the book.
"It's perfectly good literature," He ignored her snort at that comment, "Besides I lock them up so he never finds them."
Anko actually broke a small smile at that, "You're a strange one...uh...you know I don't even know your name."
"Kakashi," He said looking at her with a small smile, normally ANBU don't just throw out their names kind of defeats the purpose of the masks but he didn't mind.
The name registered in Anko's mind as her eyes widened. She knew only on ninja named Kakashi that was said to hide his face from the world and by the fact he was covering one of his eyes only led to one conclusion, "Sharingan Kakashi, the Copy Nin."
He sighed at that, he really didn't like having a large reputation, it wasn't ego it was just the way people acted around him because of it. He had enough of that as a child being the son of the 'White Fang' as a kid. Odd how no one even remembered that old name these days they just focused on what he had done, it nearly made him laugh too. As a kid he vowed to get out of his father's shadow and he had, barely anyone remembered the 'White Fang' which kind of hurt. He loved his father and although many thought of the end of his father's life was a big disgrace he deserved better than to be forgotten.
Anko meanwhile shook her head as she looked up into the night sky, so here she was with the famous Copy Nin of their village. She had heard how some younger Kunoichi talk about him, or maybe swoon over him. Everyone wondered what was under that mask and others thought he was so mysterious and tried to figure him out. It nearly made Anko laugh at how here she was with him and had most likely just learned more about him than any of those so called 'fan girls' learned in years.
She looked at the man, trying to wonder how he was raising a son all his own. Since he never mentioned a woman in his life she guessed he was single at least that was something those girls would be pleased to hear. Hell even Kurenai had gossiped about him a few times. At any rate when she got back she could have some fun with this, there was all kinds of women that would pay to learn anything about him.
She smiled her nightmare forgotten and then she frowned glancing at him, did he plan on making her better? He just sat there reading one of those books looking dead to the world. She figured he didn't plan anything and decided to try and get some more sleep.
Kakashi however watched her from the corner of his eye and smiled, he was glad that he could help her out. There was just something about her, that pain of being totally alone in life that made him want to help her. Maybe because it was Naruto that helped to fill the void in his life, so he wanted to help others who had that same pain. At any rate he went back to his book, it was getting to a good point and he wanted to finish before his shift ended.
-Konoha-
Naruto was back in bed, he was still scared to death from that morning but he was better now that Gai was looking after him. He was holding Mr. Foxy his favourite toy the orange fox in a death grip to his chest. Gai was there in the doorway looking at the young boy, he had been so full of life that morning and looking at him now was depressing. The two ninjas had been captured and sent to interrogation although he bet that whoever was behind this was already covering their tracks.
If the middle man was still alive, he wouldn't be much longer that person was a loose thread. But this had been the first out in the open assassination attempt of Naruto, whoever was behind this was getting bolder. Gai felt like he personally wanted to punch the man or men behind this until they couldn't be identified. He had only known Naruto for a day and yet he liked the boy, and looking at him now made him sad and angry.
Normally he let things slide, never one to let things bother him that much but at times like these, they were the exception. He walked into the room and sat down next to Naruto, "Are you okay?"
"When is daddy coming back?" He asked him.
"Not until a few more days or more," He saw how Naruto held his toy even closer, "But don't worry I'm here, no one will harm you as long as Gai Maito is protecting you Naruto-kun. I promise you this, or I'll do five thousand push ups with led weights on my back."
The young boy looked up at him, "Can you really do that?"
"Of course!" He flashed a grin at him.
"Cool, you must be almost as strong as daddy."
"Well I like to think I can rival him, I may be even stronger."
"Uh-uh, my daddy is the strongest ninja there is!"
"Well technically the Hokage is the strongest ninja in the village."
"You mean the old man with the robes and funny hat?" Naruto had seen him a few times, in fact he visited Naruto a couple of times a month. He found it strange that he was stronger than his dad.
"The Hokage is the strongest in the village and for a good reason. He protects everyone in the village Naruto, it's his duty to protect everyone under his care so he has to be strong."
Naruto thought about that, he wanted to be as strong as his dad, he wanted to be able to be a great ninja as well. But if the Old Man was the strongest then maybe he should be even stronger than him, stronger than anyone so that he could protect his daddy. He knew that his dad went off on dangerous missions all the time and he always worried, but if he was stronger than he could look out for his dad.
Little did anyone know that night Naruto made a new decision in life that would shape his future and the rest of Konoha.
Gai ruffled his hair, "Get some sleep Naruto I'll be right here."
Naruto nodded his head feeling a bit better. "Thanks Unca Gai."
Gai smiled at that, he gave a small laugh as Naruto tried to get some sleep walking to the doorway. 'Unca Gai...I like tha,' he smirked to himself.