Gai shrugged. "I always have to fight for Kakashi's attention; it is not something he gives out casually. I do not know for certain, but maybe if he gave it out easily, I would not want it so badly!" That sounded awful, but Gai felt it was largely true. He was driven by things held out of his reach. Kakashi was always withdrawn.
Just because Obito's injury had nothing to do with Kakashi's attention on Gai, that wasn't to say he wasn't jealous of Obito. He was. Badly. Kakashi never paid Gai attention like that, no matter how many missions had banged Gai up badly, but then Gai had never...well, rumor had it, Obito nearly died for Kakashi. And that eye...
"I do not know how to answer your question, though," Gai admitted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "I worry because you are a comrade, and Kakashi's teammate, and you are injured." His gaze flickered to Obito's bandaged left eye. And because Obito saved Kakashi and in many ways, it made Gai notice something--a passion, a fire, a selflessness--he had never noticed in the tardy, flaky Uchiha before. Obito...protected something he cared about. It made Gai regret ignoring Obito and forced him to realize that he might have missed knowing this person had that mission ended differently. He could offer Obito something--indomitable hope, enthusiasm, a cheerleader in these trying times--if Obito wanted it. He could help! He knew a lot about beating the odds! "And I know what it is like to overcome hardship and hurdles, and I want to help! I do not want you to stop here, not when you have so much more Youth ahead of you! I am good at training, and all you need is a little re-training!"
"And perhaps," he added with an enthusiastic twinkle to his eyes, "you should not be too hasty to put the Dragon behind you! Own it! Conquer your weakness! That could be your new nickname! I will be Konoha's Beast and you can be its Dragon! After all, Uchihas breath fire!"
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Just because Obito's injury had nothing to do with Kakashi's attention on Gai, that wasn't to say he wasn't jealous of Obito. He was. Badly. Kakashi never paid Gai attention like that, no matter how many missions had banged Gai up badly, but then Gai had never...well, rumor had it, Obito nearly died for Kakashi. And that eye...
"I do not know how to answer your question, though," Gai admitted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "I worry because you are a comrade, and Kakashi's teammate, and you are injured." His gaze flickered to Obito's bandaged left eye. And because Obito saved Kakashi and in many ways, it made Gai notice something--a passion, a fire, a selflessness--he had never noticed in the tardy, flaky Uchiha before. Obito...protected something he cared about. It made Gai regret ignoring Obito and forced him to realize that he might have missed knowing this person had that mission ended differently. He could offer Obito something--indomitable hope, enthusiasm, a cheerleader in these trying times--if Obito wanted it. He could help! He knew a lot about beating the odds! "And I know what it is like to overcome hardship and hurdles, and I want to help! I do not want you to stop here, not when you have so much more Youth ahead of you! I am good at training, and all you need is a little re-training!"
"And perhaps," he added with an enthusiastic twinkle to his eyes, "you should not be too hasty to put the Dragon behind you! Own it! Conquer your weakness! That could be your new nickname! I will be Konoha's Beast and you can be its Dragon! After all, Uchihas breath fire!"