What Should We Do About Naruto?

by Devi77

This is my third Naruto High School story as it features the main character not only dealing with the social scene, but the nosy trio, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin while they invade his house and take a peek inside.

Naruto High School

Story 3: What Shoud We Do About Naruto?

(Rated T for mild violence, adult content, and adult language.)

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Naruto because it belongs directly to Masashi Kishimoto. As for the drama in the high school, it really has some coolness in it. So, enjoy the show!)

In the past few days, high school here in Konoha Academy had been like a steel mill as everyone was hard at work cramming for their essays and whatnot. Even Naruto was busy doing his work as he was doing some math. He was always the busy one as he was still going home to his house every night. He didn't have much of a social life as he was always home at his house. After spending the day in school, he was always home right on time as he was sitting in a quiet environment like clockwork. Now, little did he know was that the kids that hung around Sasuke were curious about him as they followed him wherever he went. Karin wasn't interested in Naruto, but she is also his cousin as she was eager to spy on him and see what he was up to. Even Suigetsu and Jugo wanted to find out more about him as they were spying on him just like Karin did.

"I can't believe that we have to spy on that kid," said Suigetsu as he was hiding behind the bleachers in the gym. "That kid's got a lot of guts just to keep up with today's school standards."

"I wanna know what he's doing, alright?!" yelled Karin.

"Shhh! Keep it down," said Jugo quietly. "We're in sixth period P.E. right now. If we get caught, then we'll get sent straight to cleanup duty."

"That dolt of a cousin of mine sure has a lot of work on his shoulders. No wonder he avoids the social scene."

"He might have a lot of things to do, you know," said Suigetsu.

"Excuse me," said a tall girl with brown skin and black hair. "What are you guys doing here?"

"D-D-Devi, is that you?!" cried Karin as she was startled and fell onto the floor.

"If Might Guy catches you guys skipping class, you'll be doing a lot worse than cleanup duty."

"Like what?" asked Jugo.

"You guys would be forced to run laps around the track with your hands if you don't get back to class right away."

The mere thought of Might Guy, the P.E. coach forcing Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin to run laps around the track with their hands had made them scared as they left the gym and back to their study hall class. All three were also scared of the girl with brown skin and black hair as she was more like Naruto when it came to following the rules here in Konoha academy. Sitting at their usual desks, they were digging straight into their textbooks as they were starting to get some of their homework done. Their spying tactics upon Naruto were put on hold as they were dreading the wrath of P.E. settling in. Although, it was their least subject, they didn't want to be put in such torture by running laps while standing on their hands as they tried to distance themselves from the wrath of physical education.

"That was a close call," said Suigetsu as he was doing some homework assignment.

"As for that girl, she sure looks like a good candidate for hall monitor," said Jugo.

"That girl is Devi Vajnakhan and she sure gets on my nerves," said Karin.

"At least she warned us about Might Guy," said Suigetsu.

"That girl needs to be transferred to another school. She thinks she can police the halls and-"

"Karin," said Jugo. "We owe her for getting us out of this situation. As for Naruto, on the other hand..."

The mere thought on spying on Naruto resumed for Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin as they were formulating a plan to keep an eye on the student that was simply keeping up on his homework assignments. When the bell rang, they were on their way to seventh period as they were not in the same class as their intended target of interest. It was such a shame for them, but they got to hang out with Sasuke, who was in the same class as them. After spending the whole period musing over notes and assignments, they noticed that it was nearing three o'clock as they were ready to go out of school and pursue Naruto. When the bell rang, everyone was out of school as they were on their way home. As for Naruto, however, he was on his way home as he had his backpack full of work that needed to be done because he had a history test for tomorrow. Unknownst to him, he had never noticed Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin following him as they were hiding in the bushes. They had to keep up with him before he got towards his house, but they were stopped by Sasuke, who was also on his way home as well.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

"We were going to the arcade," said Suigetsu sheepishly.

"The arcade, huh?"

"Yeah, but we were in the midst to try out some old school video games over there," said Karin.

"Actually, the arcade is in town, not by the canal where the cottages are standing at."

"He's right about that," said Jugo.

"Boy, do you really catch on to our little skirmish, don't you, Sasuke?" said Karin.

"Look, I know that Naruto is your cousin, but do you have to stalk him all the time?" he asked.

"He's top news by being the kid who dresses up like a yanki all the time. I wonder if he has a girlfriend..."

"I hate to break it to you, but Naruto's more into homework than girls. On the other hand, I suggest that the three of you need to get home and get started on the homework assignments that Kakashi-sensei gave you."

It wasn't long until Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin saw Sasuke head for home as they watched him sit at a bus stop. When the bus arrived, he stepped into it as it drove away to where he went to. As for the nosy trio, they resumed their activities as they were on their way to the neighborhood where Naruto's house was. Hiding in a tree, they saw him return home as he went inside of his house. They had to remain a low profile in order not to be spotted as they were watching carefully over Naruto's house. They wanted to find out more about him, for he was someone that was considered to be "fresh meat" in the social scene. Naruto, himself, was a student that had to stay on task if he wanted to remain at Konoha Academy as he was hard at work not to be in the high school across the street. As for the nosy trio, however, they were watching him like a hawk as they didn't leave their spots while spying on Naruto. Little did they know was that their intended target didn't come out of his house yet as he remained for the rest of the day.

"Well, isn't he gonna come out of there yet?" asked Jugo.

"That windbag!" yelled Karin as she was struggling to maintain her balance in the tree.

"Karin! Not so loud!" warned Suigetsu. "There are neighbors here, you know."

"So?! It's as if there aren't anyone noticing us here!"

"Jeez, Karin; do you have to be so annoying?"

"That dopey cousin of mine has some nerve to keep himself there in his house. Why can't he come out once in a while?! As the editor of the Konoha Reader, I'm not gonna let this thing slide by."

"What are you gonna do about it? Put a snake in his house?"

"That wouldn't work and you know it, Suigetsu!"

"Perhaps there would be an article about the social scene at Konoha Academy," said Jugo.

"You've given me an idea, Jugo! Thanks for the insight! Oh-ho-ho! We're onto you, Naruto!-"

CRASH!

Karin fell out of the tree as she landed into the bushes. When Suigetsu and Jugo came out of the tree, they helped her up as they were noticing that it was starting to get towards dusk. Somehow, they had a bright idea in their heads as they were still on the subject of Naruto. Truth be told, Naruto didn't have much of a social life due to the excess homework that was piling up at his disposal as he was still cramming all that work in his head just to stay in the game while being in Konoha Academy. With the day winding down, everyone in the neighborhood was gearing up for the next day to plan ahead as school life was no walk in the park. Life here in Konoha City was just one fiery bustle after another as most of the students were on task when it came to doing their assignments and keeping up with their grades. It wouldn't be long until Naruto would be thrown into a tailspin when it came to being on the social scene, but it wouldn't last for long.

###

"WHAT?!" cried Naruto as he saw Kakashi holding up one of his assignments. "You can't give me an F just because I worked hard on it!"

Kakashi was more concernd about Naruto's social status as he was as strict as a stone. He couldn't let Naruto slip by as he always noticed him sitting in the back of the classroom. In Konoha Academy, schoolwork was one of the primal elements in keeping up to par, but the social scene was far more different than the rest of the life at school as it had a place of its own. Even Naruto was no match for the social scene's status as he resented the fact that Kakashi flunked him because he didn't have enough activities with others.

"I hate to break it to you, but you need a lot more improvement if you want to be here at Konoha Academy," he said.

"I've been studying my homework every day and getting the answers right every time and this is the flunking grade I get?! An F?!" yelled Naruto

"The grade will still stand until you find a lot more social activities to participate in. Otherwise, your social reputation would go directly down the toilet as well as your grades."

"Could you at least change that grade into an A for once? I've been doing homework under a strict regimen and stood on task. I don't even goof off all the time because doing school assignments and homework is key to staying on task."

"There's more to being on task than just daily assignments that are given to you on a daily basis. For one thing, there is the social scene. Most teenagers muse about cute girls and handsome boys while others pine for the social networking that exists here. In your case, it's the sheer avoidance of everything here except the work that's been handed to you."

"This isn't fair!" Naruto sat down on his desk. "My relatives even told me not to take part in such trivial matters like social activities because they could damage the work regimen. Playing around in the social scene is a deliberate waste of time and effort."

"Immersing yourself in the social scene is not a waste of time and effort." Kakashi walked away from his desk as he was standing in front of Naruto. "Earlier, I heard from your cousin that you don't take part in the activities that are around here because you go home and do studies and homework all the time."

"The social scene sucks. There's hardly anyone who would want me in their little group and besides, I can't go goofing off right now."

Naruto had a point there as he remained at his desk. He was made to go through a strict regimen in order to keep up with the classes here at Konoha Academy. With Kakashi still fueling the fire with giving one of his completed assignments a failing grade, he was starting to get angry at his teacher as he was starting to get embarrassed. It wasn't long until the principal walked in with Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin as they were caught red-handed with some of the teachers' pens in their hands. Tsunade couldn't let this one slide as she was angry with the trio for pulling a prank on Naruto.

"Kakashi," she said. "I believe that those three were responsible for pranking Naruto with their little stunt there."

"Well, well," he answered. "If it isn't the nosy trio."

"They were spying on Naruto the moment he arrives at school and leaves school. Isn't that right, Karin?"

"Damn it!" she yelled. "I was so close to convincing Naruto to go for the social scene."

"And that F on Naruto's paper, even though it's been complete and with all the answers correct, you shouldn't be tampering with the assignments that he gets. Can't you see that he's trying to get ahead in this school and not get into trouble?"

"Well, he always stays at home all the time and not have any time to go out or perhaps have a healthy social life instead of being cooped up," said Suigetsu.

"He has a point there," said Jugo.

"For your information," said Tsunade sternly. "This little prank of yours will never happen again, do you hear me?!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" all three yelled.

With that, Tsunade left the classroom as the first period bell was about to ring. With the rest of the students coming for the day, everyone sat down as they were ready to get out their textbooks. When Kakashi looked at Naruto's completed assignment, he decided to change the grade from an F to an A at the last minute as he later went towards his desk. Life here at Konoha Academy was simply just a whirlwind of trials and tribulations as everything went on normally as planned. Work was work and it was also hard for anyone, including Naruto, to grasp at the social scene that occurred afterwards. Yes, he couldn't let it get to him as he continued to focus on his schoolwork for the rest of the day. After copying notes that Kakashi left on the chalkboard, he left first period as he went about his daily work regimen with the rest of the classes. The notion of being on the social scene had puzzled him as he didn't have anyone to talk to except for his relatives and especially Sasuke after the study hall debacle that lead them directly into cleanup duty. Anyway, he had a long way to go in the days of school as he was most likely to be caught in a much greater challenge than normal.

###

It was three o'clock in the afternoon as everyone was out of school for the day. As usual, Naruto would leave for home as he was still doing his assignments. He had a lot of work to do as he was busy preparing for the first test of the year from Kakashi's history class. Even though he's hard at work, he still avoided the social scene as he was still doing more of the assignments that were given to him on a daily basis. When dusk hit, he completely finished up his homework as he was ready to start up some dinner. When it only consisted of just instant ramen and an ice cold Pepsi, he had nothing else to do as he continued to eat his dinner. It was quiet, but it was also suitable for Naruto as he later finished up his meal and cleaned up afterwards. After dinner, he decided to watch some t.v. as he saw an episode of Regular Show. He always loved to watch that program as it featured some of the characters that everyone here at Konoha Academy loved so well, especially Muscle Man. When the program was over, he flipped the channel as he was starting to watch the news. It was the same thing as usual when it came to traffic reports and weather as it even featured the local news that occurred.

When it came towards the evening, Naruto went upstairs to the bathroom as he was busy taking a shower. After having his clothes stripped, he was simply cleaning himself up for another school day that was coming tomorrow. Now, tomorrow itself was a Friday as it was also the start of the simple three-day weekend. It was also a day just to do things after school as Naruto would do just the simple basics of homework and school assignments. When he finished up his shower, he dressed in his nightclothes as he brushed his teeth and went straight to bed. Tomorrow was simply just another day to him as he would go toe-to-toe in the halls of high school.

###

The next morning, Naruto woke up as he was off to an early start. Even though he woke up at five in the morning, he was hard at work doing some laundry as he had to have clean clothes for school. After a breakfast that consisted of cereal with milk, he even had a little glass of orange juice to accompany it as he was busy monitoring the laundry that he was doing up. After breakfast, he washed up his dishes and put them in the dish drainer as he went into the laundry room to check up on the clothes that were in the washer. Even though they were clean, he stuffed them in the dryer as he placed them on a delicate cycle so they wouldn't shrink. Some of the clothes were his everyday things as they were a relief to wear on the weekend. Naruto had a lot of reasons to keep his clothes clean as he also had his school uniform in there. He even had to iron it after it got out of the dryer as the clothes were done and clean. With the rest of his clothes put away where they go, he went into the bathroom to change out of his nightclothes as he quickly put his clothes on and brushed his teeth for the day.

When the clock came close to seven o'clock, he was fully dressed in his usual school uniform complete with the same black trenchcoat and black headband with the orange spiral on the front. With his necklace around his neck, he also grabbed his backpack, cellphone, and keys as he went out the door and locked the door behind him. He was off to school as he had no idea that the nosy trio were tailing even though they got a warning from Sasuke yesterday. They were on the move as they followed Naruto towards school. Somehow, they were being called into an early meeting by the Newspaper and Press Club as they were about to put their pursuit on hold for now. As for Naruto, however, he was still ready to get to work as he was ready to hit the books. Classes were starting as the school was starting to become a battlefield between some of the students and Hochika the junior with the black pompadour on his head along with a black trenchcoat. He was a yanki as he wanted to show off his fighting skills out in the courtyard where the entrance of school was. Like Shuga, Hochika was often harrassing the freshmen as they were simply victims of the whim that went on in the school, for he would be spotting another one who was on his way towards class.

"Okay, who's next?!" he yelled.

No answer.

"Well, isn't any of you pissworms gonna fight me or what?!"

"I hate to break it to you, but you can't just pick fights with other people," said Naruto as he was on his way to class. "Anyway, you need to take your fight away from school grounds before you get suspended."

"Oh, a freshman who thinks he's a tough guy, huh?! Well, I'll be poised to kick your ass!"

Without warning, Naruto was punched by Hochika as he fell to the ground. Even though he wanted to fight his opponent, he had to follow the rules of school in order to stay in the game. It wasn't long until the bell rang and Hochika left the scene with a smile on his face. Naruto felt the sting of Hochika's punch as it gave him a black eye. It wasn't long until he saw Sasuke standing in front of him as he noticed the mess that he got into. This wasn't the time to be groveling in front of the most popular boy in school, but Naruto didn't want to waste any more time as he noticed Sasuke reaching his hand out to him.

"You really are such a loser," he said as he grabbed Naruto's hand and helped him up.

"Hey, there are rules when it comes to staying here in Konoha Academy," he answered.

"You really need to go to the nurse's office and have that black eye checked out."

"And be late for class? I had to deal with yet another junior who didn't wanna follow the rules."

"You could have at least take him on, you know."

"And get suspended from school? Not a chance."

"Well, Shuga's still nursing that headbutt that you gave him a few days ago. He's probably hanging around that group of yanki that hang outside the school grounds."

"Anyway, we better head inside or else we'll get a lecture from Kakashi-sensei."

And so, Naruto and Sasuke were on their way towards first period where Kakashi was expecting them. As usual, class went on as planned as everyone was about to have their first test for the first quarter of school..., well in Kakashi's class, that is... After spending a full session in first period, everyone went to their usual second period classes as everyone was hard at work, regardless of the situation at hand. Hour after hour, everyone at Konoha Academy was in their classes as they were still doing some studying in order to pass some tests in this first quarter. Life here in Konoha Academy was still the same as usual when it came to the hard work of all of the students. There was also the lingering social scene that came to play as well when the students were in many friendly circles, yanki flocks, or cliques. Nevertheless, Naruto didn't have time to play around with the social scene as he was still striving to get by in school. Basically, he had only thing on his mind and that was to stay on task in school and get that prized diploma that he wants so badly.

###

After another day of school had gone and went, Naruto was on his way home as usual when he had nothing better to do than just study over the weekend. Little did he know was that the nosy trio was following him back to where his house was. They were on the move as they saw him enter inside of his home and close the door behind him. They had to strike in order to see what he was doing as they were ready to make their moves. Just as they were about to do so, they saw Sasuke standing in front of them as he wasn't too happy with them for spying on Naruto again. He was fully aware that the nosy trio were up to no good as they were about to get another lecture from him. He never liked nosiness coming from the trio as they were still on the prowl to find out what Naruto was doing.

"Uh-oh! We're so busted!" cried Suigetsu.

"Isn't it rude to be spying on people?" asked Sasuke sternly.

"Actually, we were just curious about what Naruto was up to," said Jugo.

"I don't buy it one bit."

"C'mon, Sasuke, you could at least aid us in seeing what my dopey cousin's up to," said Karin.

"Okay, fine; we'll go and see what he's up to, but you better not try anything silly."

And so, Sasuke tagged along with the nosy trio as they were standing next to Naruto's house. The place itself is like a country house as it had a rustic feel to it. It was such a moment to strike as Sasuke and the nosy trio went inside through the back door, which was unlocked due to Naruto going in and out towards the shed. All four were busy scoping the house as it was clean and organized like clockwork every Friday. Even Karin was impressed by the cleanliness of the house as it was on the brink of being managed inside and out. It wasn't long until Suigetsu and Jugo were in the kitchen as they were looking through the cupboards above the counters. They only saw the stockpile of instant ramen, chow mein, and yakisoba at one's disposal. There was the constant stockpiling of box cereals as there was a whole variety of it. Jugo loved to get his hands on as well as Suigetsu, but Karin hated box cereal because it was considered to be kids' stuff. It wasn't long before Suigetsu opened up the fridge and noticed the milk and Pepsi that was put in there. He was in hog heaven, but he was in someone else's house as he closed the fridge and decided to take a look upstairs.

"Suigetsu, you dork!" yelled Karin. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"I'm gonna find out if he's got any dirty magazines upstairs." he said as he zoomed up towards Naruto's room. "He's probably got some hidden under his bed."

"Hey! You better not get into anything," yelled Sasuke as he ran upstairs.

"C'mon, Sasuke, that yanki's more than likely to be looking at something dirty."

And so, Sasuke and Suigetsu had noticed the master bedroom ajar as they went inside. It was empty as the bed hadn't been slept in for years, but the bed itself was made with clean sheets and bedding every time. To their surprise, they saw a photo of Naruto's parents as they were smiling while holding their newborn baby. It was nothing like they have ever seen before until now as both Sasuke and Suigetsu were staring at the photo of the parents that lost their lives to that car accident. It also seemed that Naruto was living here by himself as there were no adults here in the house. It was also something to savor when it was only Naruto himself living here as they were still intrigued by his presence at the school. When they left the room, they saw Karin and Jugo walk upstairs as they were hearing footsteps from outside. It wasn't long until Naruto came in from the back door as he was bringing in a basket full of sheets that were drying from the clothesline. With Sasuke and the nosy trio hiding in the main upstairs closet, they heard Naruto's footsteps coming further as they watched him go past by.

All four made a break for it as they ran out of the closet and downstairs. They had to get out the door right away before Naruto stepped back downstairs. With a swift exit, they were out of there as they were away from the house. It was a close call, but it had a few spoils when Suigetsu got out a few cans of Pepsi from the fridge. It was his way of pillaging Naruto's stuff as he grabbed a can of Pepsi and opened it up. He was fully satisfied when he did a little victory dance while guzzling down the cola in his hand. After finishing the cold Pepsi, he crumpled up the can and threw it away into one of the recycling bins. Even Jugo and Karin were offered a can of Pepsi as they were also relieved to be out of there before Naruto ever spotted them. As for Sasuke, however, he was most likely to be in the doghouse after seeing Suigetsu snag a couple cans of Pepsi from Naruto's fridge. It was more than just a close call, but there would also be some explaining to do when it came to dealing with breaking and entering someone's house.

"That Naruto sure has a lot of stuff in his house," said Suigetsu.

"'Consider ourselves lucky that Naruto didn't see us," said Jugo.

"Well, that's Naruto for you," said Karin. "He's just another yanki who's all alone in a group of fish."

"I hate to break it to you, but Naruto doesn't have any parents," said Sasuke. "That's what Kaho from the arcade told me while I watched Shisui complain about his high score being bumped off the top spot."

It was a fact that Naruto didn't have any parents as he mainly relied on his relatives from the Uzumaki Clan. Even Karin was part of the clan as she was still jealous of Naruto's rustic house that stood with such care. As for Suigetsu and Jugo, they were still reeling from breaking into the house as they were also stunned by the instant noodle packages in the cupboard. When dusk came around, it was time for all four to go home as the day was nearly over. When Sasuke walked towards the bus stop, he saw a bus approach as he got on and went home himself. Even the nosy trio were on their way home as they were still on the money about Naruto's unusual behavior.

###

Naruto was still busy cleaning his house after vacuuming the carpets where there were footprints on the floor. He had a suspicious feeling that someone was in his house as he noticed that four Pepsi cans were stolen from his fridge. He even noticed that there were others in his house as he was hard at work cleaning the floors to where the intruders were hanging around in. It was a miracle that no valuable stuff was taken except for a few cans of Pepsi as he was relieved to see everything else all accounted for. When he finished cleaning up the house, he was ready to have some dinner that consisted of some instant yakisoba and an ice cold Pepsi. He was still reeling from the intruders sneaking in without him noticing him, but it was a godsend that nothing was taken after all.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Who could that be at this hour? Naruto had to put his dinner on hold before it could be fixed as he went towards the front door. When he opened it up, he saw Shikamaru standing near the doorway with the nosy trio next to the gate and fence. It was ironic that Shikamaru was one of the neighbors in Naruto's neighborhood, but he was also one who was always alert when it came to the safety of others. In such a twist of fate, it was a moment of guilt that put the nosy trio in the doghouse as they were no match for Shikamaru.

"Okay, what gives?" asked Naruto.

"These guys were in your house while you were doing your daily chores," answered Shikamaru.

"Wait, is that Karin out there?"

"She's one of the trio that went inside your house while you were busy hanging up your clothes on the line."

"I can't believe that you guys went in my house and even took a couple of Pepsi cans with you. Next time, you should ask first before you try anything."

"And to top it off, Sasuke was there with them, too," said Shikamaru.

"What? He was here with those guys, too? I bet that he made sure that nothing else was taken out of the house."

"Hey, we wanted to get a little bit more out of you," said Jugo.

"You keep this house clean all the time," said Karin.

"And you have a sweet stockpile full of instant ramen," said Suigetsu.

"Hey, it's getting late. If I were you guys, I suggest that you get home right away," said Naruto as he saw them leave. "By the way, next time you guys come by, I suggest that you have the courtesy to knock first before entering. I just had to clean up the carpets again for that."

And so, the nosy trio left for home as Naruto and Shikamaru were the only ones here in the neighborhood that hadn't left. It was ironic that the break-in was a minor one, but it was a close call when it came to having one's valuables intact. Tomorrow would be Saturday and there would be all of the social scene coming into place as Naruto would more than likely be tested in dangerous waters ahead. After he saw Shikamaru leave for home, he went back inside as he was about to cook the yakisoba noodles in his microwave. It was one big whirlwind of a debacle as he wanted to put it behind him. When he finished up his noodles, he added in the seasoning and vegetable packets into them as he was ready to eat at the table. It was simply just another one of those days for someone like him to put up with the nosy trio as he was eating at his dinner and drinking an ice cold Pepsi to add to it. After he finished up, he threw away the empty noodle box and washed up his lacquer chopsticks with some soap and water from the sink. When he put them in the dish drainer, he finished up his Pepsi and threw away the can in the recycling bin.

"Man, this was one big whirlwind," he said as he left the kitchen.

He sat down in the living room as he turned on the t.v. Friday night was nothing new as there was nothing on but cheesy reality shows and news specials. When he turned it to Channel Seven, he saw a cooking show that featured challenges all over. The latest cooking challenge featured the secret ingredient that Naruto knew all too well and that was a whole bustle of tuna. He loved the sight of it, but tuna was something to be featured in both casseroles and sushi. After seeing the cooking challenge up close, he saw how delicate that the dishes were made until the winner was announced. It wasn't long until he was about to get ready for bed as he was going upstairs to the bathroom to take a shower. With his clothes stripped, he got into the bathtub as he turned on the shower head. It was heaven when he was busy cleaning himself off for the evening. Tomorrow was Saturday as he was getting ready for the weekend when he was all done and ready to get to bed. With some nightclothes put on, he brushed his teeth as he put his dirty clothes in the hamper and left the bathroom. When he went towards his room, he decided to make sure that nothing was taken out of there.

As usual, everything was in place as there was nothing taken. In a simple twist of fate, he didn't have any usual magazines under his bed because it was bad luck to put them there. His relatives were always strict with him when it came to suspicious magazines that involved swimsuits, popular culture, or sports. Basically, there was nothing dirty under his bed to look at as he only had several tins and cannisters full of strange things. When he got them out, he had a lot of them as they were different ones that once had chocolates or cookies in them. Opening them up, he had a lot of change that he collected as he was busy recycling aluminum cans from time to time. There was also another box that had a rabbit on the front as he opened it up and looked at the coupons that were inside. He had a way with them as he would be going for some of the deals for tomorrow. There was also the fact that he mainly bought things with them because they were useful in his stockpile full of stuff. When he put away the tin boxes, he climbed into bed as he was eager to gear up for tomorrow. It was the weekend after all when it came to the students taking it easy for a while as Naruto would be in for a much bigger shock in the long run.

###

The next morning, Naruto was up as he was still in his nightclothes. It was Saturday morning after all as he was eating a bowl of cereal. Even though he ran out of milk, he used what was left of it in his cereal as he would sooner or later go dumpster diving for extra coupons later on. He had to get some more milk as he would go on the Konoha Transit Authority's Weekend Express route. After finishing his breakfast, he washed up his bowl and spoon and put them in the dish drainer. It wasn't long until he went upstairs and got on some regular clothes for the day while changing out of his nightclothes. He later went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth as he even styled up his hair in order to make it more manageable for him. After getting a few touch-ups done, he put on some cologne and deodorant as he was ready to make it out the door. When he grabbed his longstrap bag, he went into his room and gathered up the tin box with the rabbit on it as he took all the coupons out of there. Today was simply a day for grocery shopping as he placed the rabbit tin back under the bed while stuffing the coupons into a pouch that was in his longstrap bag. He also got out one of his other tins as he dumped out the change out of it and put it back under the bed. With all of the change in another pouch, he put it in his longstrap bag as he later grabbed his wallet, keys, and cellphone. He was finally out the door as he was making sure that both front and back doors were locked before he left.

When he went towards the bus stop, he waited for the Weekend Express bus to show up as it was on its way towards Tanzaku Town for the day. After he got on, he was on his way to where he needed to go as he rode the bus to Tanzaku Town. The place itself had a grocery store that took coupons as Naruto often went there just to pick up some ramen once in a while. He was in a store that even had a coin converting machine in it when he dug out his pouch and put his change directly into it. When the change was fully counted, it was all present, but some of it had to be into a fee for the coin machine to do so. When he took out the coin voucher, he went towards the customer service and got his cash amount as planned when he decided to count it out thoruoghly. It was a whopping fifty thousand yen after collecting a lot of change from recycling aluminum cans as it was a small jackpot for him. He would mainly use it to not only pay for groceries, but for minor bills like utilities and internet as he had to utilize his cash responsibly.

First, he decided to make out a money order to pay for his internet bill after collecting a letter that contained the bill. With a pen, he wrote on the money order for the decent amount as he put it in the stamped envelope and wrote the address on it. Luckily, there was a mailbox outside of the store as he placed the bill into it in order to be delivered. Just as he was about to get back into the store, he saw some strange people from out of town as he recognized them clearly. They were from the Land of Wind as they were in Tanzaku Town to do some grocery shopping as well. They were also from Suna Academy as they had their emblem on their bags. Naruto had remembered them clearly as they were also the ones that he met in the mountains years ago. He also knew the youngest one with red hair as he once had a troubled demeanor over his head. It was by chance that Naruto had changed his outlook on life as he decided to adopt a much more task in the future.

"It's sure is a pain to be stockpiling on a Saturday," said Kankuro as he was busy pushing the cart.

"We should always plan ahead," said Gaara.

"Coming here from Suna City has a lot of perks," said Temari as she was dressed in a grey dress and boots. "By the way, if we're gonna do some shopping, then we best get a move on."

Naruto watched them go on in as he later did the same. He had to get some groceries the right way as he had his pouch full of coupons in his hands. He was off on a good start as he picked up some packages of microwave popcorn that was on sale. With ten coupons of the popcorn collected, he was eager to pick up twenty because of a great deal. It was the simple "Buy One, Get One Free" deal as Naruto was on a roll. Next, he went towards the soup and ramen aisle where the yakisoba was on sale for only fifty yen. With only twenty coupons, they were at least fifty yen off a purchase of one as Naruto was ready to be in for more instant noodles. After picking up the noodles, he was off to the eggs in which he needed some for either cooking or baking. With two dozens of eggs in the cart, he was good to go as he was ready to pick up a couple gallons of milk just for the house due to some milk coupons that he had. After that, he decided to get a few baking things just in case he was in for a sweet tooth as he was in the cooking and baking aisle. He collected five boxes of chocolate cake mix as he simply collected one of each different kind of cake mix: carrot, spice, funfetti, tres leches, and red velvet. With ten different kinds of frosting to accompany the cakes, they were in the cart as they were ready to go.

When it came to going to the cash register, Naruto was no slouch as he was paying for his things right and left. With his loyalty card scanned, the price of the goods were getting as low as the price named as the total cost was going to be a real shocker. With twenty boxes of microwave popcorn, forty boxes of instant noodles, four gallons of milk, two dozen eggs, ten cake mixes, and ten frostings, the total cost was phenomenal as Naruto was ready to get out the big guns in the form of coupons. With each scan, the price was lowered as the ones for the popcorn had doubled along with the ones for the instant yakisoba. Even with the coupons for milk, eggs, cake mix, and frosting, each scan had brought the price to a negative twenty-four hundred yen. It was luck that he got come cash back as he saw the cashier bring out the amount to him.

With the grocery shopping done, he was on his way home with plenty of groceries as he later saw Aunt Kirina pull up in her truck. She was busy in Tanzaku Town as she got back from Sochiki's with a few cleaning supplies and utilities. This wasn't the first time that she caught him with a lot of groceries in his cart. She could only lend him a hand because she was on her way back to Konoha City anyway.

"Looks like you picked up some more stuff for your stockpile," said Aunt Kirina.

"I just got done shopping," answered Naruto.

"It was luck that I found you here of all places. By the way, you wanna ride back home that way you won't have to lug that stuff around?"

"I'll take the ride."

And so, Naruto gathered up his groceries as he hauled them into Aunt Kirina's truck. Luckily, he had a ride home after all as he rode all the way back to Konoha City without any problem. Little did they know was that the three siblings from Suna Academy were left stunned to see how many groceries that he had in his cart along with the coupons. All three had never seen anyone lug coupons like Naruto, for he was someone who had some luck on his side after all.

###

After that shopping trip in Tanzaku Town, Naruto was back home as he brought in some groceries into his house. He had plenty to fill into his stockpile down in his basement as Aunt Kirina put away the milk and eggs into his fridge. She was also the one who taught Naruto how to coupon the right way as she was astonished to see him work at his luck instead of his homework for a while. When it was noon, she left as she had to go back home and put the stuff for the school up. She was someone who was more than likely to be more of a parental role model along with Aunt Kaho since their sister passed away as he was growing up in the halls of high school. It wasn't long until she went out the door while Naruto escorted her out. With the day going into the afternoon, she waved goodbye to Naruto and got into her truck.

"Hey, if you still have any free time on your hands, I suggest that you make the best of it," she said.

"Yeah, I will," said Naruto.

"I would hang around, but I have to sort out the supplies needed for the custodian's office. I'll see you later."

"Drive careful, okay?"

And so, Naruto watched Aunt Kirina drive off in her truck as he went back inside and put away the rest of his groceries. He was simply alone, but he had his aunts as they were there for him as he would someday invite them to a dinner party someday. It was still Saturday after all as he had all that time in the world at his disposal. With some money left in his wallet, he stared at the clock as he wanted to go into town and straight to the mall. He had a lot of energy to burn as he was off in a flash with the doors locked behind him. When he got into town, he was at the mall as he was checking out the latest trends that went on in the days of youth. When lunch had hit, he decided to go to the Ichiraku Ramen stand as he wanted a bowl of the special. It was something to savor as he sat down at the stool and picked up a bowl that he wanted so well. Just as he was about to dig into the ramen, he noticed that the place was busy when it came to people who came out of town. He didn't mind it, but he had a lot to savor in such a great manner, for the weekend would come to an end and school would return for the students of Konoha Academy.

After finishing up his ramen and paying his bill, he left Ichiraku Ramen as he was off to Hot Topic to check out the latest trends there. Even though he wasn't into the Goth fashion, he simply liked the fashions of various things, including Regular Show. To his surprise, he saw a t-shirt that Mordecai and Rigby on the front as they were doing their little victory dance on a cotton canvas of black. He wanted to get it so badly that he grabbed one in his size. With the price of twenty-two hundred yen, he was eager to please as he paid for the shirt while the cashier stuffed it in the plastic bag. After that, he was off to the food court to get something sweet as he saw some of the students from Konoha Academy sitting together. He loved the mall, but he had a long way to go when it came to the social scene, for it was a gathering of many things yet to come.

"Life is such a great effort sometimes," he said to himself.

The End