"How long has it been..." sighed Kiba contently, "...Since we've been able to actually spend an entire day by ourselves with no interruptions?"
Tenten shrugged, "Don't know... Few years at last count." It was a rare day off for all of them, one which they elected to spend alone together. The original plan was for an overnight camp-out, but given that Tsunade felt Naruto had enough time off over the time he was gone, she wanted him back on active duty as soon as possible. An oxymoronic theory if they'd ever heard one, but Tsunade's word is law in the village so what could they do?
"Too bad Grandma Tsunade wouldn't give me more time off..." yawned Naruto as he woke us from the first decent nap he'd had in quiet awhile.
"Right... We could have put the time to good use," winked Kiba, which elicited a grin from Naruto.
"Now see, why couldn't you two have just admitted that you liked each other before Naruto left?" quired Tenten. "
Yes," agreed Lee, "That would have eased some of the tension between the two of you in the past." A pair of matching grins was all the response the got.
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"I will say this: the day may have been far too short, but it was still the best day I've had in years." commented Kiba as they packed up at sunset.
"Yeah well, hopefully when summer comes around we can ask for more time off," said Naruto as way of agreement."
"You know what we should do?..." said Tenten as they started the walk back to town.
"What?" came the response. "We should play hookie tomorrow."
"Easy for you to say, I have to report to Grandma Tsunade first thing tomorrow morning. I'd like to see you survive the beating I'd get if I skipped," Kiba chuckled. "I'm sure if you just explained why you were late she'd let you off easy," grinned Naruto. "Might work for you Naru, but she'd kill me."
"Not if I told her not too. I've got the old bat wrapped around my little finger."
"Ha! You wish Naruto," said Tenten dryly. "Even you aren't that popular with her."
"Just wait...You'll see soon enough..." he said conspiratorially.
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"You're late." grumbled Tsunade, "I told you to be here first thing this morning, not at your leisure."
"Lighten up Grandma," yawned Naruto. "It's not like we're hours late or something. I'd be willing to bet you just woke up yourself."
Seething glare. She turned to Kiba, "And you Inuzuka? You gunna give me lip too? Or are you going to explain why you're just as late as this blonde idiot?"
Kiba gulped, "No ma'am...I mean, yes ma'am...I mean, no lip from me ma'am."
She grinned sweetly, a sign that her patience was almost gone, "Then explain yourself."
Kiba gulped again, "Yes ma'am. I was...we were...that is...Naruto and I...We were...and we lost track of time..."
Tsunade silenced him with a gesture. "Let me guess...You and the blonde idiot here had a... long night... did we?"
Kiba blushed and nodded. She glared at Naruto, "And I know how you're just aching to fill in the details, but I must ask you not too. Although Kakashi and Jiraiya might be interested. Anyway, next time try not to let personal issues interfere with punctuality."
Naruto grinned, "Whatever you said Grandma."
Very sweetly, "Naruto, how many time have I asked you to not call me that?"
"This week or ever?"
"This week." He shrugged, "I dunno...about 10 that I can think of."
Sickeningly sweet, "Only 10? Hmmm I thought it was more. Well then I shall ask you one last time...DON"T CALL ME GRANDMA, BRAT!" She threw the scroll with his assignment at his head. He grabbed it mid-flight and opened it, reading it quickly.
He frowned, "What the hell? Only a C-rank? What the hell are you putting me on a C-rank for!?"
"Because you are still technically a Genin, and I don't feel like sending you too far out today."
Random shouting match ensues.
Kiba is totally forgotten. He backs into the farthest corner of the room and tries not to get hit by the myriad of object flying around the room.
Genma sticks his head in the room to see what all the ruckus is and is knocked unconscious by a flying scroll.
Kiba manages to get to and drag Genma's unconscious form into the relative protection afforded by the chair in said corner.
Shizune enters the room, completely nonchalant, walks over to a desk and picks up a stack of papers that needed to be delivered and walks out, still completely unphased by the all out war taking place.
Kiba decides to make a run for the door. He shoulder's the still unconscious Genma and runs as fast as he can for the door. He has his hand on the door when he's nailed from behind by a rather large book and is knocked out cold.
Raidou opens the door slightly and drags the unconscious forms of Kiba and Genma out and to safety.
Shizune returns 10 minutes later to find them still fighting. She sighed and walks right into the center of the room, not in the least bit afraid of the books, scrolls, and occasional jutsu flying across the room.
Loud whistle.
Tsunade and Naruto's head's pop up and they stare at Shizune, whom they hadn't even realized was there.
"As much as I enjoy watching you two fight," she said calmly, "You've already knocked Kiba and Genma unconscious and I do believe that the last time I let you two fight for much longer than this we had to rebuild the office."
Tsunade rearranged her hair and sat down behind her nearly demolished desk. "That's enough for one day."
Naruto ambled back to the center of the room, "New mission. Now."
Tsunade glared, "Don't you dare order me kid."
"Then forget me doing anything today. I got plenty of sick day's I can use, and you can't stop me from using them either."
More seething glares, "Kid, I haven't got anything higher than a C-rank, so take it or leave it."
"Hey, I may still be a Genin, but you don't have to treat me like one. Don't call me until you have an A-rank or something." He turned to leave and dodged the scroll that Tsunade tossed at his head.
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Kiba wakes up five minutes later to see a grinning Sakura standing over him. "I see you still haven't learn how to duck, Kiba." He groaned and sat up, "What did I get hit with?"
Sakura shrugged, "I haven't got a clue. Raidou was the one that got you out of there. He said there were a few books and a rather large scroll laying not that far from you, so it could have been any one of them."
"Oh," he said as he rubbed the sore bump. "How long was I out?"
"Not very long, Less than thirty minutes."
He groaned again, "Any chance of getting some aspirin or something. My head is killing me."
Sakura smiled and handed him some water a aspirin, "Here you are."
He took the aspirin and drank about half the water, "How's Genma?"
She turned to Genma, who was laying a few feet away, "He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off. This isn't the first time he's been knocked unconscious by them fighting."
Kiba nodded, which only made his headache worse, "Are they still fighting?"
"No," said Naruto from behind him.
Kiba spun around and fell over.
"I'd take it easy for a few minutes Kiba," he said as he sat down next to the dizzy boy.
"Ugh...is it normal for the room to spin?"
Sakura smirked, "No, but then again you should know not to move so fast after a blow to the head."
Kiba groaned again started turning green. Naruto jumped up and grabbed a trash-can just in time. Kiba somehow managed to empty the entirety of his stomache in one heave.
Sakura handed him more water and tissue, "Yeah...I'd suggest keeping still untill the headache passes." Kiba blinked in acknowledgment. Sakura turned to Naruto, "Stay here for a minute while I go tell Shizune they're alright." He nodded and she left.
"Remind me never to be in the same room as you and Tsunade," mumbled Kiba, still a little green.
Naruto nodded, "Usually it take a bit more before we get fighting like that, but it's been so long since we'd seen each other that it was bound to happen."
Kiba blinked, "That happens alot?"
Naruto smiled, "Not all the time, but often enough."
"Hostile much?"
"Not even," laughed Naruto, "That's just one of the way's we show how much we care for each other. That and the name-calling."
Kiba sighed, "Weirdness abounds with you two."
"Oh please," teased Naruto, "Like we don't have our weird little rituals?"
"Point taken." They laughed.
Sakura returned to to bouts of laughter. "Well, if you can laugh like that them you're ready to get up and go on." Naruto help Kiba stand up and Sakura shooed them out of the room.
"Come on Kiba, let's go find Lee and Tenten and grab some lunch." Kiba nodded and they walked out together.