"Rock"ing the Boat

It did not matter how hard his heart was pounding in his throat or the way his muscles groaned in protest to his speed. The trees shot below him, winding together as if there was a green carpet lining the way to the thicket in which he hoped to find his student.

Thank god for Kakashi, Gai thought to himself, ignoring his aching feet as they pounded relentlessly on each tree branch. After returning from one of the hardest missions of his life, Gai would not have thought to check for Lee if Kakashi had not been the one to bring his absense to notice. Lee had been gone six hours when Gai came home, without word or note.

The most terrifying moment of his entire existence was when the guard posted on the village walls told Gai that his most loved pupil had raced after the rogue Sound ninja, Zenaku. If anyone knew Zenaku, Gai did. As children, Gai and Zenaku had come face to face at a footrace between the villages. Zenaku had mocked Gai for his ridiculous hair style and what he got in return was a firm punch to the nose.

Gai responded with all that he knew, minor taijutsu. Strange about the battle though, was the child fighting opposite of Gai: he was the same in age and yet had acquired an astounding control over chakra already, making it easy to shatter Gai's nose. Since that fight, Gai had kept an eye of Zenaku, losing track of him for a decade as he dedicated his time to Lee's taijutsu training. Recently, however, as Lee had taken training into his own bonded hands, Gai had learned what became of his first opponent.

Zenaku had fled the Sound village after murdering several women. His unique ability to fashion sound waves into massive cone shaped needles gave him an almost sniper-like advantage. He had taken pleasure in hiding on the highest of buildings, using keen eyesight and deadly aim in a game of death-spreading target practice.

Gai did not fear crossing paths with Zenaku again, he merely wondered what had occured that Lee would follow him into the forest without assistance. He also feared for Lee. Gifted as his pupil was, Lee was really no match for the rogue ninja. His deadly aim almost matched Lee's speed. Quickly calculating the odds as he raced closer to his destination, Gai figured that one in every seventeen sound bullets would hit Lee, traveling at his fastest. It only took three or four bullets, however, to end a life; and that was assuming that Zenaku was only using his bullets.

Thinking so deeply, Gai nearly fell from his canopy-based run. Several branches, as thick as his waist, had been snapped clean from the trees. Finding this an ominous sign, Gai lowered himself into a clearing, staring around at the devastation with incredulity. Had it not stirred feebly, Gai would not have noticed the young body laying on the ground, blood matted and dried on many surfaces of its skin.

Drawing nearer, Gai found the person to be Lee. He was mumbling and his breath was coming, to Gai's horror, in labored, ragged gasps. Gai bent over Lee, lowering an ear to his murmuring mouth.

"Gaara," came first and Gai nearly smiled. Even in great pain, Lee thought about love. Tears found their way into Gai's eyes as Lee gave an incredibly painful gasp and shook, as if he was playing a game of tug-o-war for his life. Gai raised a shaking hand to wipe blood away from his lips, lest he aspirate it, but was caught in mid-motion when Lee's lips formed a new word.

"G-Gai... Sensei." And for one heart-stopping moment, he shook again and was still.