sunshineverse | [OPEN]

Entry tags:

[OPEN]

Where: All over Konoha village.
When: From May 12th to May 24th (the day before the auction)
Notes: Open to anyone in Konoha during that time-frame.

It didn't take much for the Hokage to convince Gai to participate in the upcoming auctions. A few words about how Obito was joining, how it was good for the village, how Kakashi should do it too...and Gai was sold on the plan. Fundraising for the exams, where promising young ninja would show off their skills? Definitely a worthy cause. Besides, it would help to build bonds between the ninja and their comrades or the villagers! And perhaps even make a love connection or two! Ah, blossoming springtime affections!

Gai was excited! For his own part, he was only concerned with making as much money for the village with his own sale as possible, not with romance. His goal was to make more than Kakashi! Perhaps even more than the Hokage himself! He hadn't even given much thought to the concept of being bought. After all, ninja were sold like commodities daily, every time the village leased them out as soldiers/bodyguards/assassins for missions. Whatever his buyer was interested in, it was worth the funds for the village coffers.

But one man alone could probably not fund the entire exam, so Gai was running around the village (sometimes on his hands), enjoying the warm weather and enthusiastically trying to drum up interest in the upcoming event.

Buyers and potential participants would all get an earful on why they should be sure to attend--and help out with!--the auction!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He'd been hearing about Gai's efforts and honestly? He felt smug. More than a few people had come running in before Gai could get to them just so that they wouldn't have to be persuaded, and that more than worked for Obito.

It meant that they wouldn't even think to blame their Hokage for roping them into it, since they did it themselves. Grinning to himself, he'd ducked out for lunch, he spotted Gai going down another street at full tilt and took a couple steps sideways to intercept. "Busy day?"

Gai halted as Obito stepped in front of him and, from over the Hokage's shoulder, he could see a few people in the street ahead sigh in relief and quickly disperse. Ha! He would catch up to them eventually! They would not get away without hearing his advertisement for the auction!

"Ah! All in a day's work, Hokage-sama!" Gai grinned and offered a thumbs up, taking this opportunity to relax a little. He supposed he had been especially busy. But it was worth it. Someone had to make sure people knew about the auction, and the Hokage shouldn't have to dirty his hands (or image) with persuading everyone. His ninja could do that. And Gai had his own very effective persuasion methods, many time-tested on none other than Kakashi. "After all, it never hurts to have all the participation we can get! Perhaps we will even make enough for two exams!"

He'd still picked on a few people, of course, but leaving the bulk of the persuading in a few specific sets of hands? It meant he could focus on the politic coming up for the next month instead.

"If we do I'm sure our grounded shinobi'll be happy. They're going to get a chunk of this back in pay after all." He turned and resumed walking, waving for Gai to come with him. "I was just going to get lunch, interested?"

Getting some of it back in their pay, hm? "That is good. There are some very ambitious buyers out there. I would hate to see them spend all of their monthly funds on a date, as noble of a cause as it is!" Gai wasn't sure yet who he would bid on, though he was determined to do his part; if nothing else, helping by driving up the price of some of his comrades.

"Of course!" Gai diligently followed along, keeping pace with Obito as they made their way through the village towards some of the restaurants. It was not every day Obito had time on his hands for friendly lunches. Gai was pleased to be able to steal a little of his friend's day and get to chat with him, even if only over lunch. "I admit I have worked up quite the appetite!"

He glanced sideways at him, then gave a little shake of his head as he just laughed quietly. "I'm just hoping I get any bids at all. It would just be sad if no one wanted to spend time with the Hokage, eh?"

He was headed for one of his favorite places, since they had excellent grilled fish.

"What?! How can you-- Why would anyone say 'no' to a day with the Hokage?!" Gai declared, absolutely baffled and stunned that Obito could even consider--even out of humility--that he could get no bids at all. As one of Konoha's most powerful shinobi, and still in his youthful prime, Obito had a great deal to offer on those merits alone. But given that he was Hokage, surely he would have even greater appeal. Someone might see it as prestige to take him out on a date, or might enjoy having his ear for important matters, or any number of things! "I think you greatly underestimate your appeal. You will be swamped with bidders! In fact, perhaps you should have ANBU screen your bidders before you go on a date with them...make sure they are not--" anarchists, assassins, spies "--problematic!"

That said, Gai decided that he would have to place at least one bid on Obito. And perhaps, if he won Obito for the day, they could go for lunch!

"Hey hey calm down there. You know I'm not going to be without the ANBU no matter who gets me." He absently flicked his hand upward to indicate they were being watched as it was. "I don't exactly have that luxury anyone calls 'alone time' you know."

He laughed but he didn't mind. He'd had plenty of time to get used to the idea that he always had someone's eyes on him, and it wasn't bad, not at all. Even if it meant that when he got into stupidly over the top spars with Kushina and it was a disaster that there was a clear record of the thing. Which sucked.

"So no matter who gets me should I promise you I'm not going to let them drag me into any dark corners to set your mind at ease there Gai?"

Gai knew. He could feel them watching now, even if he couldn't see or sense them. The Hokage could go nowhere without guards. Still, he worried about his leader, and his friend. Someone could definitely take advantage of this auction.

How did Obito even get used to this? Every time Gai had a chance to speak with the Hokage--Obito particularly, since they had once been peers--it struck Gai was impossible to feel comfortable. Even knowing the ANBU were on their side, it felt like being watched by enemy ninja. ...No sudden movements, no ill-conceived words...

"I appreciate that promise, though I would appreciate it more so from your ANBU guards," Gai said with a glance up towards where he suspected Obito's stoic stalkers were hidden.

They were at the restaurant now and Gai allowed the Hokage to seat himself before following suit.

"If you were to be bid upon, who would you want to win you?" Gai ventured asking, as innocently and unassumingly as possible. This was purely in the interest of conversation, of course! "Surely there must be a cute villager or fellow ninja you have your eye on?" Just conversation. But while he was chasing around, rounding up participants, it wouldn't hurt to make a few suggestions to certain parties, if it would make Obito happy.

The question left Obito visibly stymied. For all that he could charm and coax people with finesse when he felt like it... he'd pretty much given up on the idea of a date just for the sake of a date. The idea of Rin had long since been set aside, after all, and after that he hadn't really devoted himself to anyone, obliquely or not.

He picked at it for a moment, opening the door to the restaurant and stepping inside, holding it while he waited for Gai to follow. "Ah... hm. Not really. I mean. I guess I haven't really mentioned to you that I gave up dates a few months ago after the last one bailed before I could get there, did I?"

"Thank you," he said for the courtesy at the door before continuing. "Obito, you are in your prime of life! If you want a date, you should really not throw in the towel so soon!" So he was a little late... Obito had always been annoyingly, chronically late, but that was to be expected of him! "If you do not want to date, that is fine, of course, but if you do... Perhaps you are just not meeting the right people! I am sure this auction will be your chance!" Gai blinded any doubts with a reassuring grin.

He slammed his hand down resolutely on the table. "I will find you a date--an excellent one. If not for this auction, then soon! That is a promise!" Now what was on this menu...

He peered at him, bewildered why he was so invested in the idea. It's not like anyone would be happy with how little time they could get thrown at them from him anyway, and he knew it. He gave a little scoff and shook his head, checking to make sure his favorite was still on the menu.

His voice was dry. "Gai, the only people who even put up with my time issues are you, my team, my students, and a couple of my cousins. Everyone else just doesn't have time to try to see me around how stupid my schedule usually is. And out of that list, there's what, three? four? people I'd even look at twice for a date okay."

Edited 2014-05-12 11:04 (UTC)

Stupid?! The Hokage's schedule was not stupid! It was indeed problematic and restrictive, but it was important for his duties. Surely the Right Person would be able to appreciate that! Relationships had been made on less contact! Plenty of ninja spent long periods away from their significant other when missions overlapped and vacations did not.

"Obito," Gai reached over to pat his friend on the shoulder. He knew his insistence on this matter was surprising. It surprised even himself, but Gai had given it some passing thought after Obito convinced him to join the auction. Maybe a silly setup like this would be just what Obito needed. Or Kakashi! "You must not be so hard on yourself, or your schedule. The Right Person will understand your duties and support you in them, even if he or she cannot have you to themselves all the time! They will understand; that is part of what will make them Right. Just because you are Hokage does not mean you have to go it alone!"

It was right for the Hokage to settle down, find himself someone. Wasn't it? Obito's stability and family would be a symbol of Konoha's stability and family, and besides... Obito needed someone. Kakashi and Rin couldn't be around to support him, or weren't, not all the time, and being Hokage in times of Peace was difficult--if tensions were to increase between villages... ANBU would be little in terms of moral or emotional support; they were nothing but guards. Obito needed someone who brought a smile to his face, put confidence in his step, and would be a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.

Gai was determined to help find that person.

He blinked at Gai a few times, staggered, and not for the first time, by the man's protective insistence. It really did come off that way to him when this happened too. Protective, determined. It was one of the reasons that Gai was a close friend, now, even if when they'd been kids he couldn't wrap his mind around the loudness having substance.

He would readily admit that before the mission that redirected his life, he'd been a bit of an oblivious little punk.

So that's why he just gave Gai a wry smile and reached up to pat the hand on his shoulder. "Like I said. The list of possibilities isn't all that long. But hey, I'm okay. I'm not exactly young, but I'm not old yet either."

Edited 2014-05-13 05:19 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OPEN]

I'll say the 15th

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject