...you'll take this challenge. After all, this guy stole Mr. Straw! The least he can do is substitute in for him.
With a yell you charge in, hands raised to strike. But before you can attack your opponent does. Their hands lash out almost too fast for you to see. You take the blow on the ear and fall with a ringing in your head, pushed to the side by the sheer strength of it. You push yourself back to your feet and glare at your phantom mentor. They shakes their head mocking, wagging one finger back and forth as they go.
Right. This Mr. Straw fights back. And you haven't been able to work on blocking or dodging before with just a dummy.
Well. There's no time to learn like the present!
You rush back in with speed that surprises even you. Again the same blow lashes out, and again you take it on the side of the face. But this time you turn your head just enough that it catches you on the cheek instead of right on the ear. It still sends you sprawling, but the ringing doesn't get any worse. Progress!
This time when you push yourself up, you're ready for the blow. It strikes out at you and you raise your shoulder in a block. The fist glances off your muscle and you waste no time in retaliating with a strike of your own. Your jab finds nothing but cloak as the phantom mentor dodges slightly to the left.
Your head's on a swivel as you look for the next blow. But you don't need to look far. It's the same blow that comes for your ear- a looping left jab. Again you block and again you strike out- and again you miss. And then the same jab comes for you again.
As you block it automatically, your mind races. This is another test. Clearly this is another test. If this was anything else, he would be doing more than just one strike. So you're supposed to block it in a certain way, or maybe strike out in another way to hit them. You can't just keep doing the same thing over and over again if you want to pass.
So when the blow comes for you again you twist, spinning your body under the strike and coming up on the other side of the arm. Your arm snatches out like a cobra striking, catching the massive forearm of the phantom mentor and pinning it between your arm and your body. The shadow freezes as if caught by surprise and you waste no time in following up. You spin more, extending the arm, and slam down with your free arm in an angry elbow strike.
The point of your elbow crashes home in the joint of theirs. The arm collapses on reflex, dragging you closer to your opponent. Now you lash out, punching the shadow right in the face!
The sweet feeling of success pulses in your veins. You did it! You landed a blow! You-
Go sprawling as the shadow mentor's foot catches you in the side in a push kick, scraping you off their arm like you were gum on the bottom of their shoe.
Right. One hit does not a victory make. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You're going to have to do more than that if you want to unmask your trainer.
You push off and charge in again, and the same blow lashes out. You dodge, trap, elbow, punch, and when the foot comes you're ready for it. You check the kick and duck backwards, ready for more follow ups. They aren't long in coming.
The 'fight' goes on for an eternity. Every blow, you find, as an appropriate counter, and every counter proves the same reaction every time. If you miss one, you have to start over again from the very first jab.
Before long your body is moving automatically. Strike, step, duck, twist, all without input from your brain. The only thoughts you have time for in the haze of constant motion are your lessons. Strike solid blows. Keep your eyes peeled for differences. Make sure you have stable footwork.
And above all: do not give up. Do not surrender. You can do this!
Your lungs are burning and your heart is beating like a drumline before too long. Sweat pours down your body, stinging at your eyes and at the dozens of tiny cuts that have been opened in your skin. Your throat is dry, your knees weak, and you know that your hair is all sorts of fucked up. Mother is not going to be pleased about that last one.
But still. You can do this. No surrender.
You pick yourself back up after your latest failure and move. Trap the first punch. Strike at the elbow, strike at the face. Check the kick, dodge backwards. Low kick to the knee than hit it with a change-up, hitting the checking leg from the other side. Forearm smash to the midsection, slide to side to avoid the headbutt. Quick one two the exposed head, push down the upkick before it can fully form, rabbit punch to the abdomen.
The two of you aren't fighting anymore. You're dancing.
Until finally you get passed their spinning back elbow by ducking, trapping their leg with yours, and pulling them into a spin. Your fist is cocked back, ready to punch. But you've hit them from this position before- it's not the right answer. There's something else you can do here that- you sense- will bring this whole test to an end.
When you think about it like that, it's obvious.
Your fist lashes out like you're going to jab them right in the face. But at the last moment your fist opens and you grab onto the bandages wrapping their face .
The phantom mentor freezes as if they weren't expecting this and you take full advantage. You hook your fingers, driving them deep into the protective cloth. And then with all the strength left in your weary, burning, five-year old body, you pull.
The bandages tear and flutter away, caught by the breeze.
You stop.
You stare.
All thoughts of fighting further vanish from your mind. All your lessons are gone like dust in the breeze. Your determination flickers and vanishes as you stare at the true face of your phantom mentor.
And then you have to shield your eyes, because day makes it's triumphant return, conquering the evening that had settled over the forest clearing.
Such is the power of Maito Gai's smile.
Your eyes! They fucking burn!
You blink to clear them and stagger backwards. But your phantom mentor- but fucking Gai doesn't advance to follow up. Instead he plants his fists on his hips and throws his head backwards in a deep laugh that echoes through the forest. "Congratulations my young pupil!" he bellows to the world. "For you have succeeded in unmasking me! Allow me to introduce myself!"
"I! Am Maito Gai! And I am very pleased to meet you!"
…
How does he make his teeth do that?
Can you get him to teach you how to make your teeth do that?!
Gai drops his pose and extends his hand. "And you! You are Satomura Daisuke! It is a joy to finally meet you face to face!"
That snaps you out of your stupor. You limply reach out and accept his handshake. But instead of being polite, questions start to spill from your mouth. "Why are you here?" you ask. "Why have you been moving Mr. Straw around? Why did you kidna- steal Mr. Straw?! What's the point of all this? I have so many questions!"
Gai laughs loudly and proudly, still shaking your hand. "An inquiring mind! A good sign! And while you have many questions, I have many answers! So allow me to slake your endless curiosity!"
Somehow, you find yourself sitting down on a log with Mr. Straw at your side. You don't even think you moved- but Gai must have moved you. He plants himself down on your other side, flicking his wrist and producing a bottle of water from a pouch on his belt. He offers it to you. "Thirsty?"
You snatch it out of his hand before he can change his mind and pour it down your throat. You hadn't realized just how thirst you were before Gai had pulled out the water, but you're completely parched.The bottle is empty far too soon, and Gai has another in your hand before you can ask for on. "Proper hydration is vitally important before, during, and after any strenuous physical activity! Remember that in the future!"
You knew that, but still you find yourself filing away the words. After the second bottle, you're able to think about stuff besides wetting your throat. "You said you had answers for me?" you ask.
Gai nods. "I believe that all of your questions can be answered with a small story! So allow me to tell you!"
"I first became curious about you upon visiting my favorite store in all Konoha to replenish my supply of training dummies. I entered it like it was any other day only to find that their stock of the beginner's models- perfect for reinforcing the basics!- were bought out! Curious, I looked to find the source of the mysterious outage! And that was when I found you, Daisuke-kun, punching away at that dummy. Mr. Straw I believe you called him?"
You nod, and he continues. "I watched your training with a keen eye and I quickly became aware that you knew absolutely nothing about the art of Taijutsu! But still, you pushed yourself hard and worked with a will! And so to test your eye, I manipulated Mr. Straw into a new position- perfect for training certain types of blows. And you took to it with a will!"
"That was where I planned to end my interference with your training- but my curiosity continued to bite at me! So I asked several acquaintances to find out more about why you were training. A young child in the early bloom of their youth does not begin arduous training without reason. And I received my answer- to protect."
You stare at him nonplussed for a long moment, and he reaches out and claps you on your shoulder with a hand so heavy you can hear your bones creaking. "I learned that you sought to protect your Mother and your loved ones from whatever could come! And after I learned of your circumstances, your burning desire to protect spoke to me! I could not simply leave you to your own devices! Such a powerful urge to protect must be nurtured until it sprouts into a mighty oak, able to shelter all the young of the forest in it's branches!"
You filter out most of that automatically, but one part sticks in your mind. Your circumstances? You're missing something here. But you're not sure what, and you definitely don't want to ask Gai. At least not yet.
The two of you sit in silence for a moment as he drinks his own water. Once he finishes the third bottle he continues his story. "And so I stopped by your home daily- and I apologize for my rudeness in not introducing myself! But I would not risk showing myself and causing events to unfold prematurely! But what I could do was help! And so I watched your training for a small time every day. And what I saw impressed me greatly! Despite not knowing the simple basics weeks before, you somehow understood the moment you had a technique perfected, and you strove for that perfect blow every time! It was a marvel to watch!"
Right. You'd guess that making sure every hit made your hit counter rise would make your blows textbook.
"But we had reached a difficult chapter in your training! There is only so much you can do without a sparring partner! Someone to grow alongside with and someone to keep your muscle memory from forming into unfortunate patterns! And that is why I took Mr. Straw from you. With your attachment to your dummy, I knew you would chase after him. And I wanted to see your progress in more ways than just watching you strike a dummy, so I set tests and tasks in your way!"
"But now, Satomura Daisuke, we have reached a new phase in your training! A phase beyond punching dummies and dodging phantom blows! We have reached a phase…"
"... a phase that requires dedication."
You quirk your eyebrow at him, a gesture you've stolen from Mother with pride. "Oh?"
"You are mature for one so young!" Gai proudly proclaims. "So I will speak plainly. Honestly, one reason I was so circumspect in your tutelage, young Daisuke-kun, was that I could be greatly disciplined for training you!"
"Really?" you ask. "Why?"
He looks at you as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Because I am a Jonin of Konohagakure, and you are… not. You are not a shinobi of any kind, and you have expressed no interest in becoming one aside from your arduous training! Information security demands that no shinobi teach a non-shinobi even the most basic of techniques, from the simplest punch to the most complex jutsu! I have skirted this rule most expertly by not having direct contact with you before, but now we have reached a point where I can skirt it no longer!"
Well. You hadn't thought about it, but you guess that makes sense. A shinobi village, even one as open as Konoha seems to be, would doubtlessly be cagey about any of their techniques getting into the hands of an outsider. "Um… so what can I do if I want you to train me more?" you ask plaintively.
Gai beams. "It is simple, young Daisuke! Go home and inform your Mother that you do not wish to attend Hagakko like she currently has planned for you! Instead have her sign a declaration! Declare that you will join the Konohagakure Shinobi Academy! The moment the ink is dry on your formal declaration, you will be free to learn whatever you wish!"
"But know this! The path of a shinobi is a long and difficult one, full of tears and loss. And I shall not be there to guide you the entire way! Indeed, I shall not be there to guide you most of the way! I am still an active duty shinobi after all, and I cannot refuse missions to tutor you- nor can I take a formal apprentice so young. Nor would I if I could! Blossoms must be given reign to bloom outside of the confines of their trellis if they must gain their full beauty!"
"But I will continue as I have, and train you whenever possible! And I will even ease you through the boundaries that keep just anyone from joining the Academy! After all, such a passionate bloom of youth must be encouraged!"
Well… you think you got all that. Gai can only keep training you if you declare your intentions to become a Shinobi and sign an official document stating that. Do you agree to do that?
[] Yes. Becoming a Shinobi of Konoha?! That's the whole reason you're here! Of course!
[] No. Being a ninja means your life is not your own anymore- and you have other things you want to do than spy for your country.
[] Write-In (Must be approved)
