Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

"Of course!" Lee said, a little too eagerly. Gai never spoke about his past!
"Okay then... since the day I was born, my parents beat on me. When I was five and failed the Graduation Exam at the Acadamey, my parents locked me in my so called 'bedroom' and set the house on fire. I barely escaped. Then they were sentenced to to death and their last words were 'I hate you'. Even before that time, my sensei in the Acadamey used to rape me during all of our break periods. I was too weak to stop them and no one else ever listened to anything I said, so it went on until I finally graduated when I was six... and then I only had one sensei torture me. After the Chuunin Exams I also took that year, and passed, I started missing my parent's beatings so I started to cut myself. When I turned seven, I started trying to commit suicide, stabbing myself, burning myself, drowning myself, and even hanging myself, but none of it ever seemed to work. Meanwhile, my squad was falling apart. After I admitted to the other boy on my squad, Aklirio, that I was gay, he killed our sensei, our teammate, the only friend I had, and then he tried to kill me. I don't know what happened to him after that. When I turned eight, I started to drink. Every chance I got, I would steal alcohol, and drink it all within minutes. When I was nine, I got kicked out of my apartment because I forgot to pay the rent. I found an alley where a bunch of other kids like me lived. I started living with them. They introduced me to drugs, but I refused to try them... at first. At ten, I just got fed up with everything that was going on in my life, so I started doing them. Every single drug in Konoha, I've tried them all. I was thirteen when I became a Jounin... and when the Third Hokage traced us back to the alley after we stole some of his food. I don't remember much of that time, but I do remember waking up in a hospital the next morning. They said I was near death when they found me. As much as I struggled and told them I was fine, I knew I wasn't. They managed to put me into a rehabilitation center and I stayed there for the next year. About three years after I got out, I got my first Genin squad: Haru, Kaniroi, and Nami. From the day he met me, I knew Kaniroi hated me. The look in his eyes was the same as everyone else's who saw me on the streets. They thought of me as a useless peice of garbage, meant to be stepped on. Anyway, the very first thing I ever got Kaniroi to say to me was 'You disgust me'. Two years later, he killed Haru and Nami. Just like Aklirio, the next person he went after was me, and like Aklirio, he disappeared after that. Shortly after, I met you and I guess you know the rest... so I think you get my point. Everyone has bad points in their life, but they get over it. Just look at me!"
Lee stared at him, unblinking.
Gai smiled warmly and said "You don't need to worry about me now, Lee. For once, I've acctually gotten my life straightened out, thanks to you."
Lee gulped, covered his mouth, jumped up, and ran into the bathroom down the hall. Gai followed, knowing why Lee was throwing up.
Gai held Lee's hair, which he hadn't been able to cut in over six months, back as he threw up and he patiently waited as Lee washed his face off in the sink.
"I am sorry sensei..." Lee muttered, shamefully staring at the ground as Gai led him back to his room.
"I just thanked you and now you're apoligizing?" Gai asked, laughing a liitle.
"You... you did not have to tell me all that..."
"I wanted you to know." Gai said, "I've never talked to anyone about it and you're the only one I can talk to. It felt good to get it off of my chest."
Lee was shaking a little with Gai's words. He took a deep breath and said "Why are you the only one that ever comes to visit me?"
"Well... part of it is that I promised you I'd train you until the day that I die, but for that to happen, you have to be alive, so I have to check up on you! But that isn't all of it..."
"What? Then what is rest?" Lee asked as he sat back down his bed.
Gai smiled as he closed the door. He didn't say anything as he sat down on "Gai-sensei's Throne" either.
"Tell me!" Lee exclaimed.
Gai laughed, taunghtingly. Teasing Lee was so much fun!
Lee tackled him "Tell me!" he demanded, but all the while, he couldn't keep a straight face, but Gai could see he was really trying.
"Alright, alright! Just get off of me! You broke the chair!" Gai laughed.
Lee rolled off of him, noticing it was true. "Gai-sensei's Throne" no longer had legs.
Gai got up, brushed himself off and helped Lee up. The two of them sat down on the hospital bed, facing each other, and Lee eagerly got up into his face "So?!"
Gai put his hand on Lee's shoulder causing him to slowly sit back down.
Gai took a deep breath and said, "You won't hate me, right?"
"Of course not! I could never hate you! And even if I could, it would not be because of something like this!"
"I haven't even told you what it is yet!"
"But it is about me!" Lee beamed in the most adorable way.
"True." Gai said, "Oh, but one more question!"
Lee groaned, "What?"
Gai smiled. Lee was so impatient! "Why didn't you say anything when I mentioned I was gay?"
"O-oh! Well, it does not matter, does it? I mean... I am too, so.." Lee blushed ferociously, "Anyway, now that I answered, will you tell me?!"
Gai tried to hide his pleasure. "Alright, so... the rest of it is..." Gai gulped and rubbed his temples for a second. Lee impatiently leaned forward. Gai put his hands down and smiled a little at Lee's over enthusiastic face. "The rest of it is..." Gai continued, "I love you."
Lee's entire face seemed to beam at that moment. His smile had been bigger than ever before.
But now, everything was different. Lee now stood in front of Gai's grave, their two sons, Rock Gai and Doku, by his side and their daughter, Ame, in his arms. Lee's now 26, the twins are 8, Ame is 3, and Gai had been 39. His 40th birthday would have been the today... the day after his death.
"It is 2018." Lee says, "But it is not just a new year... it is a new life."
The children nod in silent agreement.
The only thing that's consoling Lee is what Gai's last words were, as he lied on his deathbed, fully prepared to die. Lee had been sitting right next to him.
"I'm going to die, Lee..." Gai began, "we both know there's no question about that... so thank you for everything you've done for me.... Take good care of the kids... and... I love you... and you've always been a splendid ninja. I'm proud of you."
Lee stared down at him, shaking, "Thank you... and I love you too!" Lee said, forcing back tears.
Gai smiled and closed his eyes. That's when he died.
The worst part was, about an hour later, a medical ninja, who had obviously been working as hard and fast as possible, showed up. "I found a cure!" he exclaimed "Where's Gai?!"
"He is... dead...." Lee sighed.
The medical ninja's eyes widen, "What? When? Maybe we can-"
Lee shook his head, "It was an hour ago. There is nothing you can do."
"I'm so sorry.... I was too late."
Lee did his best to smile and said, "Well, life must go on! Even through the bad times! I know you tried your best, but even though you did not save Gai, with this cure there are many others you can help! Thanks for all you've done!" Lee bowed to him, politely.
"Huh?" the medical ninja asked, but bowed anyway.
Now, Lee smiles at the engraved message on Gai's grave, "A great man, even through hard times"
"Let us go." Lee says to the kids.
They nod and they all head home.

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