In his youth, Gai was already obsessed with the idea that hard work could surpass innate talent. He painfully recognized his inability in ninjutsu and genjutsu, but instead of despair, he chose the path of absolute self-sacrifice. His character was shaped under the influence of his father, Might Duy, whom everyone considered an "eternal genin," but who in reality possessed an unbreakable will. His father's death, opening the Eighth Gate to save Gai from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, became Gai's main lesson: true strength lies not in talent, but in the willingness to give one's life for comrades. Gai vowed to become stronger so as never again to be helpless. He began training with inhuman zeal, often to the point of complete exhaustion. Even then, his hypertrophied emotionality manifested—he could loudly shout about "youth," cry from tenderness, and perform strange deeds, but behind this lay absolute seriousness regarding his principles. He chose the genius Kakashi Hatake as his rival, seeing in him the embodiment of everything he himself lacked. This rivalry was not based on animosity—Gai sought to prove that even a "failure" could defeat a genius if he worked a hundred times harder. He then began forming his philosophy of "green leaves": youth must blaze to leave fertile soil for future generations.
