Naruto
-319-
By Geor-sama

Exhaustion was not entirely new to him, but it had been a while since he had felt it. His breathing labored; his hands trembled from the sheer amount of chakra he was concentrating on them. Added to this was the way he shivered in the cool air while standing under the three mile wide waterfall Yamato had created for him.

Stretched out to cover the whole length were several thousand clones, each doing the same task and he knew that when they dissipated was going to be in for a world of hurt. Still, he couldn't back down or stop; this was something he had to do both for himself and for so many others.

Sakura, to see the life-time promise he had made through. Jiraiya, to try to erase the doubt the man harbored. Tsunade, to prove he deserved the job of Hokage. Even for Sasuke, who he still considered a brother if estranged.

Closing his eyes, arms trembling he concentrated every erg of his concentration and with a massive surge of chakra unleashed his wind chakra. For a moment, he felt nothing and then with a soft rush of wind the water parted and he opened his eyes, shocked to find that he had managed in combination with his clones to cut the entire flow of water in half.

Now the trick would be to sustain it and he bent his will toward that task. It grew harder with each passing minute, more than one clone shouting that they couldn't do it much longer. He refused though and as the Kage Bunshin disappeared, he increased the amount of charka he was expelling.

Exhaustion piled on top of exhaustion, mental fatigue grew with each destroyed clone, until Uzumaki Naruto alone remained.

"I...can...do..." Naruto breathed, eyes glinting in determination as he surged his chakra to the highest level "THIS!"

A second later, he collapsed in a heap, the waterfall resuming its natural flow, not knowing that he had sliced halfway through the earth that Yamato had created to form the waterfall. All that mattered, as he drifted in his semi-exhausted state was the fact that he had completed this final stage and could now move forward one more step.

"Geez, you ok?" Kakashi asked, landing on the ledge next to him. Naruto looked up at him weakly, vision wobbling, but managed a faint smile. Kakashi sighed reaching out to grab him "I think that's enough for now, let's get some lunch and you can take a nap. We can work on the new jutsu later."

Naruto nodded faintly, trying to recover and with Kakashi's help assumed a sitting position. Breathing heavily he stared sightlessly ahead, mind drifting in his exhaustion. Then with a supreme amount of effort, and the helping hand of Kakashi, he climbed to his feet before descending back to the ground where an equally exhausted Yamato sat.

"Thanks," Naruto mumbled, retrieving his shirt and jacket stumbling slightly. Exhaustion was a bitch that was for sure, shaking it off he thought about his sweet, delicious ramen. That alone gave him enough energy to face the coming horrors of continued training, and of making the trip back into Konoha.

He was absorbed in his fantasy of the perfect bowl of ramen, how he would savor each delectable morsel and use the delicious broth to quench his thirst, when he came to a sudden stop. Thinking about ramen, even in his state, made him remember Yugito a fellow ramen lover who had been forced to endure two days without the godly food. If he was about to eat then he should ensure she did to and he grinned punching the palm of his other hand "I have to do it!"

"Huh? Naruto, what are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, looking at him in mildly surprise.

"There's something really important I have to do," Naruto said shooting him a bright, though tired; smile "I'll see you after lunch to continue training!"

"Wha, Naruto!" Kakashi called, but the blond was already gone.

"Assemble."

A single word, a command said to an empty chamber, aided by a hand seal and a teensy bit of chakra. Yet it could summon eight of the most dangerous and powerful of ninja in the world, or at least the six of them currently out on missions.

Two were present, disgruntled, and glaring at him from their designated positions. With a soft rippling of air, a influx of chakra that raised the air on his neck, six distorted images appeared in the hall. Lowering his hands, Pein stared at them before addressing Deidara and Tobi. "I take it you've captured the Sanbi?"

"Of course!" came the enthusiastic response from Tobi "I told you I was really ready for Akatsuki! It was no trouble with my awesome skills!"

"...Tobi." Deidara hissed a warning in his tone even through the distorted of the astral justu.

"When do you expect to arrive?" Pein asked, ignoring the minor argument and more worried about his schedule.

"Should only take another day, yeah." Deidara answered before looking at the two other present and then back at him "Are we sealing the Nibi, yeah?"

"No," Pein said, shooting a glare at the two newest members "it was taken from Kakuzu and Hidan."

"Do we know where it's at?" came the rather somber question from none other than the group's most enigmatic figure Itachi.

"Yes, it was rescued by Jiraiya of the Sannin. Currently it's within Konoha, along with the Kybi." Pein paused, watching the subtle narrowing of the eyes as best he could through the distorted image. "I have Zetsu scouting the situation."

"We captured her once," Kakuzu said sourly "we can do it again. Along with the Kybi-"

"Kakuzu, Hidan, if you go to Konoha a word of advice," Deidara said, his voice surprisingly serious "the Jinchriki that lives there, take precautions, yeah."

"Hey, hey, hey, as if I'm like you!" Hidan piped up, indignant "I'm not about to-"

"-go there. Either of you." Pein said acidly, fixing them with a glare "the last thing we need is for you to go into Konoha without thinking."

"We handled Kumo, we can handle Konoha." Kakuzumanaged before getting what she meant said with a snort of disgust "if you had let us go immediately after that fool ambushed us, we'd be sealing three demons instead of none."

"It'd be the perfect chance to show those godless bastards the glory of Jashin." Hidan added, fingers tightening around his three bladed scythe.

"Konoha is not godless, they place their previous generations and act with 'the Will of Fire'." Pein said, personally disgusted at the stupidity before him but keeping it in check "However, if you go there you both face death. Konoha is not like any other Village we've dealt with; they are very prepared for us, they have teams that can prove the death of you and they won't give up their Jinchriki without a full scale war."

"Pfft, if they're that attached to their weapon they should use him." Hidan muttered a scowl on his face.

"To them he's not a weapon," Kisame said his tone amused "it's amusing, but to them he's a comrade and dear friend."

"Exactly." Pein said fixing his gaze on the two present "You'll go take over the transfer of the Sanbi, while Deidra and Tobi check with Zetsu before they move to recapture the Nibi."

"What about the Kyūbi, yeah?"

"He waits." Pein said, his gaze drifting to Itachi trying to figure out what was going through his head then glanced at Kisame "Have you gotten any closer to the Yonbi?"

"He's good at hiding his tracks," Kisame said "it's why he's the oldest one after all. But I'll find him don't worry."

Nodding he looked at the various others and closed his eyes, obviously dismissing the gathered group. As they shimmered from view, and two left in a glacial silence, he felt a lot of the tension leave him. So many egos not to bruise, so much work to keep the act up, he shook his head and turning met his angel Konan's gaze.

Seeing her look, he offered a fleeting smile, and then walked past with her falling into step beside him.

Yugito had been a bit startled by Naruto's sudden appearance, after they had eaten ramen together two days ago, he had disappeared. Nobody other than a nurse had stopped by and they were not very talkative, especially when she asked about Naruto. The look that had crossed a few of those nurses' faces had reminded her of the looks she sometimes received in Kumo.

So, when he turned up she had been surprised and bit relieved to see him. It wasn't so much that she liked him, he was ok, but it was that he was the first person to A, share her love of ramen and B, talk to her about things other than being a ninja. He had, upon arrival tossed a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed and grinned in a fashion that hinted at some sort of mischievous plan.

Looking at the clothes, then up at him, she raised an eyebrow "What are those for?"

"We're going to eat!" Naruto proclaimed proudly, eyes closing reminding her vaguely of a kitsune from a story "so, so, hurry up. I'll be out in the hallway waiting!"

Before Yugito could respond, he was out the door and she was left sitting there. Shaking her head, not about to look a gift horse in the mouth -this could be a prime chance to escape- she tossed aside her blanket and stood. Her hands remained heavily bandaged, but she had no problem sorting through the assortment of clothes.

She almost, but not quiet, winced when she discovered the neon orange tank-top. The pants were, of all things, lime green and would prove just long enough to touch her knees. Now, Yugito was by no means a fashion snob, but this would not stand. Not that she saw many options considering the situation and the fact that he most likely stole them. Debate raged inside her until she realized the perfect solution and gathering the clothes walked to the door.

Naruto of course, was outside waiting on her, grinning as the door opened. Yugito then promptly threw the clothes in his face. "If you want me to go out with you, then get me some clothes that don't make me look like a clown!"

Naruto blinked, staring at her, and then scratched the back of his head "Well...they were the only things I could find."

"Fine. Go find something else, preferably in dark blue or black!" Yugito snapped, giving him her most frightening stare. Naruto seemed well-trained as instead of staring at her, he scrambled to collect the clothes and hurry off in search of more. Sniffing in annoyance and satisfaction the Kumo kunoichi retreated into her room and waited, wondering what her chances really were of escaping.

If he was as big an idiot as he appeared, Yugito figured that once she got away from him then she would stand a good chance. Nobody would look at her twice until it was too late, but if she didn't have her chakra she'd be a sitting duck. All it took was for her to remember the black cloaks and red clouds of Akatsuki for her to resign herself to waiting things out.

The door opened a minute later and she whirled, only to find a pile of clothes hitting her face this time. Sputtering she shook her head and glared at a grinning Naruto. "Hurry up, if we don't get going then it'll be too late."

Grumbling Yugito snatched up the clothes and tossed them on the bed. Looking over his selection this time she wondered at his taste, this time had proven a jackpot. The shirt was black, with short sleeves trimmed in purple along with the collar, and would show off her stomach. The pants were black as well, but in a style similar to the traditional hakama and would hang low on her hips.

Yugito grinned as she changed, pleased to find the shirt a bit tight. The overall effect on her athletic body was stunning, Yugito might not be endowed like the Hokage or leggy like others, but she knew how to work what she had. Plus, unlike others, Yugito liked showing off what she had, not that it did much for her social life.

Then again, she mused silently, just being a Jinchriki ensured that. It was one thing to work together as a team but entirely another to hang out as friends and date, she had quickly learned that and it had proven true ever since. Shaking her head, the blond lamented not telling him to get her a hair band. Resigning herself to leave her hair loose for the moment she went to the door and was rewarded with a Naruto that passed out upon sight of her.

When he came to only a few minutes later, he quickly averted his gaze, but his blush seemed permanent. Yugito could only grin like a cat and slink her way alongside him as they exited the hospital. After a few minutes of enjoying both his embarrassment and the attention she was receiving, she focused a trained eye on her companion.

He wasn't talking, nor looking at her, but that wasn't what she noticed. It was the obvious signs of fatigue, which meant he had been pushing himself hard lately. He seemed to notice her attention cause he cast her a quick glance and grinned brightly "So, so, after lunch you wanna go on a tour?"

"Huh?"

"Of Konoha," Naruto said happily "I mean it's gotta be boring in that hospital room right? I'd have visited more but I've been doing some serious training, which is why I'm here. They said I needed to take a break and eat, apparently going two days straight without food and an hour's worth of sleep is bad or something."

Yugito nodded, but mentally she tried to grasp such a concept. Two days without food and an hour's worth of sleep and he was still up and moving? What kind of stamina did Naruto have, better yet, why wasn't he in the hospital? Clearly, Yugito decided, there was more to Uzumaki Naruto than met the eye.

"So, where'd you find my clothes?" Yugito asked after a moment, turning her attention the village around her. It was not at all like Kumo, everyone was friendly and in no particular hurry, though she did notice the occasional sneer directed her way.

"Oh? Well, see, promise not to get mad?" Naruto said, glancing at her briefly before looking away once more.

"Sure, I like'em," Yugito agreed, flexing her fingers and hiding a wince "So, lost and found? Dirty laundry?"

"Huh?" Naruto managed before getting what she meant and chuckled weakly "they were in the closet one room over."

"Thief," Yugito said, grinning before her stomach rumbled "So where are we eating?"

"Best place in Konoha," Naruto said mysteriously as they turned down a street and started passing various food stands "if we're lucky, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato will still be there and they'll pay. If not, well I got a tab, unless they want money...then...er...we'll have to go someplace for instant ramen."

"So you eat there a lot huh?"

"It's the only place to eat."

After that they lapsed into silence for several minutes, then finally Naruto led her to his shop. The delicious aroma, the way her mouth watered, she paused just outside the entrance. Ramen, delicious, wonderful ramen and from the smell this was the place he had gotten her previous serving. This place had ruined her for any other kind of ramen.

Hurrying in after him, she found Naruto scanning the small stand before his face lit up.

"Is that Kakashi?"

"No," Naruto said, moving toward the hunched over male eating his meal alone at the bar "even better. Iruka-sensei!"

The man gave a start and turned, ramen noodles dangling from his mouth. He slurped them up and eyed Naruto warily before his attention flickered briefly to Yugito. In that brief flicker of attention Naruto had managed to sit down next to him and Yugito sat beside Naruto, wondering what the boy had in mind.

"It's good to see you," Iruka said cautiously "how are you doing?"

"Awesome!" Naruto said brightly "I've been on a few really high ranked missions ya know? Doing some heavy duty training right now..."

"Oh, you've brought someone with you this time." A new voice said and all three turned their attention toward the pretty waitress behind the counter.

"Yup, this is Yugito." Naruto said addressing the woman happily before clapping the man with the scar over his nose on the back "Iruka-sensei agreed to buy us lunch!"

Yugito grinned, listening to the man stammer an argument until the waitress smiled at him sweetly and he caved. Apparently Naruto was a lot more cunning than he appeared, which made Yugito glance at him once more. Then, to further her confusion and interest, Naurto's meal arrived despite his lack of even ordering.

"That's...a big bowl," Yugito commented, eying it with a great deal of envy.

"It's the Hokage special," the waitress offered pleasantly "he always has the same thing. Sometimes I think Naruto would give up his dream to be Hokage, if someone were to give him his own noodle shop."

"Mffph," Naruto protested with a mouth full of noodles, which made Yugito chuckle and prompted her to order her own Hokage special.

Surprisingly it arrived almost as quickly as Naruto's and with a happy Ikamatsu, she dug in. She paused, eyes watering with delighted tears, her face uplifting itself into a joyful expression and then with gusto truly began eating. It was almost comical when both she and Naruto held their bowls out at the same time in supplication of more.

Twenty minutes later, fifty or so Hokage-sized bowels apiece, Yugito and Naruto bid the sobbing Chūnin a cheerful goodbye.