plotbunny at crunchtime

[Valles]

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Now, pipe that through spandex and powerposing and the explosive power of youth and this is SABAKU NO GAARA and AAARRRRGH! MY EYES ARE BURNING! THE GOGGLES, THEY DO NOTHING!!

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Well, I'll have to think a bit for ways around that, but in the meantime, here's a soothing image (if you're straight and hormonal, anyway): Hinata at 16 (Yes, I know it's not really, but first cousins is close enough, ne?)
Having thought, I have couple speculations for you: Would it not be reasonable for Naruto to, after being exposed to some other high-level ninja besides Gai (Jiraiya leaps to mind, but Haku or 'Uncle Zabu' would do quite well, too), sit down and take a look at what 'the explosive power of youth' really -is-? And, given influence from those three (Haku in particular), might he not come up with an answer that's, well, pretty much what he said in canon?
The other option is that that's, mmm, how he thinks of things when he's alone in the dark rather than alive and awake in the daytime where he knows he's got friends and such - which, given how -toasted- he was at the end of that fight, is probably a fairly reasonable place for his mind to be during that conversation.
Ja, -n
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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."