Red Hot Summer Days Begin

Gai was doubling his training efforts these days. His wife constantly on mission, the village relatively peaceful and him being stuck in the village has left him bored to death.

Even Lee now a Jonin is always out and about. A feeling of being left behind eats badly on Gai.

The comments and wagging tongues of some villagers also start to eat on him when he knew he shouldn't listen to those thoughtless judgmental words.

Gai walk on his hand dripping with sweat. When he opens the door of their house he smells breakfast being made. Hinatsu is home? He wondered.

"Welcome home Gai San! Have a shower then breakfast will be ready."

Gai quietly went to shower as Hinatsu glance at him sensing something is wrong.

Gai quietly sat down at the table and was picking on his food.

Hinatsu cleaning the kitchen turn and said.

"The Hokage was rush to the hospital again. Shikamaru san found him on the floor of his office... work fatigue is really something."

Gai just sat quietly.

"Umm.. didn't he once asked you to be his advisor of some sort? To help him with his work?"

"I'm busy training.. " Gai's snap response.

"But you train too much. Don't you think you should do something else besides training?"

"So you are one of those who think my training is useless."

Hinatsu has to pause and face her husband. "I didn't say that Gai. I was just saying there are other important things you can do besides training."

"So there you said it.. other important things.. meaning training is not on top of those. But I have to be training to keep my body in top shape if the village needs me."

"Well, that's the point I'm trying to get Gai, the village needs you right now but not as a combatant.."

"But I'm a shinobi not a paper pusher." Gai's voice rising. "I still have the fire of youth! You all will see!"

"Gai! Fire of youth? But don't you think one day you need to grow up and be an adult? How about fire of adult? That's important too!"

"Are you mocking me?"

"No Gai! I'm just saying, instead of just training and moping around, why not take a more important job like an adviser to the Hokage."

"Is that it? You have a problem with me being jobless?"

"No Gai! I mean just do something more useful than training yourself whole day" Hinatsu is feeling exasperated now.

"Humph! So you think I'm a useless jobless old fart that needs to grow up! You are just the same as all of them! Why don't you find someone else then if you are not content with me!" Gai said getting up from the table.

"Now you are really being ridiculous Gai!"

"So you are adding ridiculous now!"

"Gai stop this! This is childish!"

"If you think I'm not good enough then go find another! Since you worry too much about the Ho-ka-ge.. why don't you go to him! He's all better than me anyway right?"

"Gai! I said stop!"

Gai was out of the house already as he left an exasperated and fuming mad Hinatsu at home.

In the woods, the rocks and trees have taken the brunt of Gai's frustration.

"So I'm useless now! Ei? Ridiculous?" He was punching the rocks so hard he was defacing the mountain.

Then suddenly the village warning sound blared.

"Intruders!" Gai said. He was about to leap off but he remember the argument he had with Hinatsu.

"Not needed as a combatant ei? Ok let them take care of this." He thought indignantly.

It was already night time when Gai reached home. The apartment was dark.

Where did she go? Did she really left me? He thought

He turned on the light and the food and plates from the morning was still there.

He quietly went on and started cleaning up the plates.

Then there was a loud knock on the door.

"Gai sama Gai sama are you there?"

Gai opened the door to see an anbu.

"The Hokage wants to see you."

"What does he want now?" Gai asked irritated. "I'm busy here"

The anbu sound surprised. "Gai sama where were you today?"

"In the woods training.."

"In the woods .. did you not hear the intruder warning.."

"I did, but I figure you all can deal without the help of useless me."

"Gai sama.. " the anbu stutters.. "Gai sama, we were attacked by a small army of rogue ninja. All the available shinobi came to help. But all our Jonin and most of the chunin are out.

Your wife was the first to respond. There were about 40 intruders of at least chunin level. We were able to suppress them but the 5 ring leaders were able to escape taking 3 hostages with them.

Your wife was one of them."

The moment that words left the anbu's mouth the green man was gone. Only an empty wheel chair was left.

"Boss. What are we going to do now?"

"Shut up! I'm thinking.. we do still have our hostages.. this will buy us time."

"Please, you must let one of my comrades go. He is very injured and might die." Hinatsu asked.

"Quiet Hinatsu, don't bargain with these fools." said Riu, one of the hostages.

"Ah.. fools ei.. " and the ring leader came and kick the poor man until he was unconscious.

"Stop!" And some lightning flare seems to escape from Hinatsu but not enough to use as weapon.

"Feisty.. " the man approached her. "And not bad looking too." as he held her face roughly to have a better look.

"Why you are not too bad looking maybe I should relieve myself a little bit with you!" He said with a malicious grin.

Hinatsu eyes flared in alarm and anger. "Bastard don't you dare!"

But the man started to unzip her jacket and grope her. Hinatsu wiggled then head slam the man!

"Why you little?" And he hit her on the face sending her flying to the nearby wall.

"You really want this rough e!" The man sneered.

"Bastard!" Hinatsu said her face badly bruised.

The man held her face again.. "I'm pretty good at pleasing women you might be surprised!" And started to kiss her on the lips.

Hinatsu bite the man's tongue.

The man was furious and slapped her. "You are really going to get it now!"

Hinatsu brace herself for another assault when suddenly she heard what seems like bones cracking and the man was screaming in pain.

"You dare lay a hand on my wife?" Said a low growling voice.

Hinatsu peek to see Gai towering over her. His back was turned. He was emitting a blue chakra and his hair was raise up. The man who was assaulting her was stuck on the wall in a peculiar way and the arm was twisted in the most abnormal manner.

The 4 rogue ninja stood ready to fight.

"Gai.. please be careful. " Hinatsu whispered before losing consciousness. She can only hear screams of pain then it was silence.

Hinatsu woke up in the hospital with Sakura checking on her.

ER again she thought. It's been a while.

"Hinatsu San? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine just stiff and a little bruised.. how's the others?"

"Everyone's alive but Riu is still in ICU. He was beaten up pretty bad."

"And Gai?"

"His fine, not even a scratch."

"He seem to have open some gates again that he is not allowed too..." Hinatsu started.

"He is all good. That's the least of your worries. I'm leaving you now. You'll be fine after resting a couple of days. I'll let him in. He is very worried for you."

Sakura open the door and a very quiet Gai wheeled himself in.

Hinatsu sat up at the side of the bed to make him less worried. "Hello there?" She started.

Gai quietly went to her then hug her waist and started to sob "I'm so sorry I'm so sorry" he said repeatedly.

"Gai! What are you saying? None of this is your fault! You actually did save me and the others! What are you sorry about!" Hinatsu asked confused but holding the crying man tightly.

"Ok. So we have our little fight and said things we shouldn't but this attack has nothing to do with that... " Hinatsu trying to understand the man's thinking.

"Gai! Please don't do this to yourself. This is not your fault! No need to burden yourself. If you hurt I hurt too Gai!"

"I should have been there! I should have jump in and help! Then none of this would happen! You need not have gotten hurt so badly. I let this happen bec. I prioritize my stupid training. But what is the point of training if I can't protect the people I love?" Gai said in between sobs.

Hinatsu just held him more tightly. "Still.. this is not your fault.. I cannot forgive you if you didn't do any wrong.. but if it will make you feel better... I will forgive you for whatever wrong you think you did just don't wallow on it too long ok?"

Then she forces him to look at her. "I love you Gai! I said some hurtful things today but those are not the words I want us to part with. You are not ridiculous.. eccentric maybe but you are you and I love that about you. Childish.. maybe I realize I judge you too hard. Maybe you are just finding your way.. Besides, being a combatant is all you know in the past... I should not have pressured you to anything but support you in the path you want to take... please don't take me for those judgmental people that say hurtful things without really knowing how awesome you really are. Gai.. you are very precious to me.. you are my new lease in life, you made me choose to live again.. not the delimiters although having those fix helped a lot. So stop this now ok? Don't be too hard on yourself. You are making me worry if you are like this!"

Gai can only nod in response as he hugged this woman who sustain the fire in him.

Gai sat quietly as Hinatsu slept. He held her hand and watched her calm breathing.

The he went out of the room to go to another nearby room just in time to see a white hair shinobi trying to escape through the window.

"Kakashi?"

"Gai!"

The two seasoned shinobi sat in front of each other in silence.

"Gai, I'm sorry about Hinatsu, if I was able to come earlier... " Kakashi started.

Gai looked at Kakashi.. his eyes red, he lost a lot of weight and he look sickly grey. Even his silver hair don't look too silvery... more dull and white.

"No my friend, I'm the one who should be sorry. When you get appointed as Hokage i promised to support you in whatever ways I can. But it seems I failed and have not done anything for you.

I'm taking your offer as adviser now and I want you to share your burden with me Kakashi! As your rival and friend! I will not let you down."

Kakashi looked at Gai and smiled. "Thanks! I will rely on you as I always do!"

So Might Gai took on the role of advisor next to Shikamaru and Shizune. Because of his speed and his discipline he was able to clear a lot of the requests. Not having a bad head. He proposed a new surveillance and village defense scheme.

The training requirements after the war also went slack a little bit so the next generation chunins and genins were not up to par. Gai immediately change that. Making the program and overseeing it himself. He collaborated with Iruka to ensure the genins coming out of the academy are strong.

Gai started to ease in his new role. He still finds time for training during early mornings. He still make sure to spend some time with his wife and as he get into the grind of things he regain back his confidence and youthful passion.

With extra hand, Kakashi too was able to find his footing, was able to catch up with work and became less fatigue. He also get some time to catch up with Gai and on occasion get to do some hot blooded challenges with his old friend so as not to lose his fighting edge.

Gai was seating quietly on the river bank with Hinatsu leaning on him fanning both of them.

"Sure is hot this beautiful summer day! Glad you were able to get some free time out of the Hokage's office.. that man can be a slave driver.." Hinatsu said while munching on some sweets. She was gaining some weight but Gai doesn't mind.

Gai laugh. "He's alright, and I can still outrun him if I need a little free time! But desk work and advisory work are not all too bad. Can't believe I'm doing this for almost a year now."

Truly, the Summer time of youth has arrived for Gai. With his new role and new goals all boiling down to protecting the Konoha he loves and the future, the fire of passion in him is as bright as ever. Of course it also helps to know that future includes a particular little one kicking hard in Hinatsu's tummy.

Gai placed a hand on Hinatsu's stomach and gave her a quick kiss on the head as they continue to enjoy the quiet time they have.. while they still have it.