[RL - A refreshing jog - Konoha Gates]

[spandex_rex]

Just as Gai had promised, he went to the gates one lovely early morn. Today, he and some of his dear friends would go for a jog a few times around the village, to appreciate the incoming season and to celebrate the fact that he was no longer a sea creature.

Those who go to see him at the gates will find him stretching vigorously, making loud "Hup! Hup!" sounds as he warmed up.

Comments

[wannabesanta.livejournal.com]

Frost shouted back to Gai, "Over a long meal, prehaps?"

"Thank you now. But you're probably just as good with the sand, eh? After all it is your element now."

Frost paused for a moment, since he relayed on following those two for the most part, "Well, I do rather enjoy ice skating... What about about yourself now?"

At which he relieved how tricky it was going to be on making a corner turn without using too much space now but he could do it, right? Of course he could.

[spandex-rex.livejournal.com]

Somehow, Gai was indeed able to continue conversation despite the EXTREME jogging. He is Gai after all. Of course, simply running while he answered such a question would not suffice.

"I too enjoy...ice skating!" he began, leaping into the air and doing a triple spin.

"And just as we are now, running!" His next step was a great, leaping bound.

"Sparring! HUAAAH!" A flying kick that, for a moment, put him a few steps ahead of the others.

"Dancing!" Taking on a more elegant air, Gai somehow managed to turn high-speed ninja dashing into high-speed ninja prancing. His grace would have made a ballerina jealous. Or sick.

"Oh, but truly there are too many things to name! Whatever ignites the passion between friends, creates fond memories, reminds us that we all have kindred spirits who share the same flaming soul and will always be there to run alongside you or pick you up when you've fallen! That is what activity I prefer with my comrades!" At this point, great big tears were beginning to form in Gai's eyes.

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

A small smile of amusement formed over his lips at the two's enthusiastic answers; so this was how it felt to have close companions and relax when one wasn't too occupied with other important duties. Gaara took his responsibilities with the utmost serious intentions, and he was completely devoted to his position, but on the other hand, he was only sixteen and still young enough to enjoy life, a concept that he wasn't all too familiar with at this current point.

"I don't know how to ice-skate." He admitted to his friends without inhibition - there was, after all, no chance of getting snow in the desert, so how was he even able to go skating? Unless he traveled over to one of the villages with that kind of suitable environment... but he didn't have a whole lot of leisure time to do things in Suna, let alone wander over to another place.

Dancing was another area that Gaara had no knowledge about, although he did see other people his own age parttaking in that activity before, and idly wondered if perhaps Matsuri liked to dance... would she be willing to teach him? Hmm...

[wannabesanta.livejournal.com]

As Frost turned the corner sharp he noticed there was ice ahead. Did they go around that fast. Amazing, really.

Frost smiled over to Gai nodding in agreement. Couldn't argue that now.

Then looking over to Gaara he frowned. That's right, desert boy. "Well, maybe you'll get lucky one of these days and it will snow in the desert." Frost shouted to him, followed by a rather large smirk on Jack's face.

[spandex-rex.livejournal.com]

"A stroke of fortunate that certainly would be!" Gai shouted. He too then noticed that they were approaching the beginning of Jack's ice ring. "So we've already run a lap have we? My goodness how time zips by when one is zipping along with precious friends!"

"I say when winter comes, we should have another run such as this one, only upon ice! Yes, we should have a grand 'jog on ice' as it were, ha ha ha ha! Why, we should get together and do this on all sorts of different terrains! Truly would it test our endurance while strengthening our friendship! What say you both?"

[fifth-kazekage.livejournal.com]

"Hmm. Yes." Gaara agreed, feeling his smile widen a bit at his friends' enthusiastic behavior toward the event, though part of him wished he could express himself in that same manner; still, many years of suppressing emotions made it a difficult process.

"Running over ice?" The redhead blinked at the suggestion and pondered on how that would work - he didn't have very much experience with that particular kind of terrain, so he would have to dely on the advice of Jack and Guy. "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

[wannabesanta.livejournal.com]

"Well not really. I mean if you have ice skates and all now."

Frost paused with a grin spreading over his face; "We don't have to wait till winter ya know."

[spandex-rex.livejournal.com]

"My mistake in lexicon, Gaara-kun! I meant that figuratively, as in we could go ice skating!"

Realizing what Jack meant, Gai appeared intrigued. "Of course! You have it in your power to create winter wonders! Perhaps you could give the gift of snow to Suna sometime! What a wonderful surprise!"

The Jounin took note of how much they had run. Though he made a habit of running far more laps than what they had done thus far, this was meant to be a means of exhilarating bonding, not a training exercise. Not to mention that Jack and Gaara didn't quite have his stamina.

"Perhaps another day though, my friends - for I think now would be a perfect time for us to finish our friendly jog with a scrumptious meal."

Deciding that sounded like a good plan, the three of them ceased their jogging/skating/sand gliding and headed over to a nearby restaurant. There they talked, they laughed, Gai told manly stories; it was a perfect way to end the day. When the time came for them to go their separate ways, there were tears - at least on Gai's part. Getting together again would definitely be something he would look forward to again and again and again.