Pausing midsentence, Iruka turned away from the blackboard to face his class of one with a sigh. Judging from the fact that Naruto was woefully distracted and couldn't answer any of the questions, he could only assume that the young man's meeting with Lady Fifth did not go the way Naruto had expected. Rather than waste any more of each other's time, Iruka gently placed the chalk down on the ledge.

"That's enough for today. How about you and I go grab a bowl of ramen? My treat."

Naruto stood and gathered his books, and as he turned to go, for only the second time since Iruka knew him, he quietly answered, "No thanks."

Iruka could only watch as the younger man walked silently out of the classroom, unsure what to say or do to help him. After the first few meetings with Tsunade-sama Naruto had appeared unfazed by the delays, but as time went on Iruka could see that he was starting to become discouraged. Little by little, his trademark smile began to fade, and now Iruka could see that Naruto was just going through the motions to get through the day. It hurt him to see Naruto like this; after all, Iruka came to think of him as a little brother over the years. But, as it would seem, he was not the one who could help him with this situation.

Back at his apartment, a loud gurgling noise quickly pulled Naruto out of his thoughts and into the present once again. He had been lying on his bed, thinking about what the future held for him, when his empty stomach finally won out. Maybe I should have taken Iruka-sensei up on that ramen after all, he thought to himself.

Making his way over to the cupboard, Naruto opened the door but only to be greeted by the same emptiness as his stomach. Letting out a loud sigh, he closed the cupboard and made his way over to the door.

It would seem that he was eating out tonight after all.

Meanwhile, not far from Ichiraku, a young man clad in a green jumpsuit and tan legwarmers could be seen strolling through the streets of Konoha, faithfully pushing a wheelchair-ridden gentleman who was wearing the same curious attire as his escort as well as a lightweight blanket across his lap. Although the weather was starting to get warmer again in the evenings, Lee always wanted to make sure his teacher was well cared for. On this particular evening, Maito Guy seemed deep in thought.

"Listen Lee, I want you to know something."

"Yes, Guy-Sensei?"

"Always remember that what makes you a shinobi is what's in your heart, got that? Even in this wheelchair, I will be a most splendid shinobi to honor my father and my village."

And, my eternal rival, he added silently.

"... Yes, Guy-Sensei. But is there a reason you are bringing this up now?"

There was a slight pause before his answer came.

"Something tells me that you may need to share that knowledge with someone else soon."