It had been a surprisingly peaceful month for Naruto now that they were back home. Most missions they did would only span at most a day, the rare one would take two. Sasuke spent most of their down time training his eyes or something, Sakura was doing some weird tactics training and Naruto was.
"DODGE" Kakashi, now behind him and mid swing, yelled.
Naruto froze time for an instant and jumped back, his training was mostly comprised of this. Sometimes he'd learn a new move with the shadow clones.
"DODGE" this time it was a kick.
He'd gotten pretty good at managing his limit and even grown it up from ten minutes to fifteen total. It didn't make a lot of sense as to why he could just break up the limit into smaller chunks like this, but hey it works.
"Not bad, you managed to avoid being hit for a total of ten minutes" Kakashi praised him, Naruto instantly dodge back from another attack. "And you've learned not let that guard down."
"What can I say, a prodigy like me can do anything" Naruto was feeling pretty good about his progress.
"Alright let's see your progress on the techniques I gave you last week then" Kakashi took a seat on a stump to appraise the progress.
"First I need a volunteer" Naruto summoned a clone to fill this role. "Now hold onto your seat and prepare to be amazed."
Naruto grabbed the clone by the legs and swung it around in front of him.
"Sickle Weasel" channeling a burst of Charka through the clone Naruto blasted out a wind blade cutting into the trees at the edge of the clearing. "Not bad right?"
"You just used a clone as a fan instead of doing the hand seals?" Kakashi was incredibly confused by the sight before him.
"Yeah I was having trouble with the hand seals, but I figured this would work since you mentioned people used big fans to use it sometimes" Naruto had used a large amount of brain power, and help from Haku, to figure this out.
"I'm actually impressed, I didn't think you'd be able to get it down this fast" the surprise in his voice made all the effort worth it.
"Like I said, a prodigy like me is unstoppable when my heads in the game" Naruto dispelled the clone by throwing it aside. "What's the next Jutsu you're gonna give me to learn?"
"I guess if you've got this one down the Wind Cutter Jutsu shouldn't be too hard for you to learn either" Kakashi stood back up from the stump. "I'll show you the hand seals for it, but I'll also try and show you the chakra channel for the fan."
"The chakra what?" Naruto knew what those words individually meant but together, no dice.
"You know how you did the Sickle Weasel jutsu through the clone?" Kakashi was once again surprised, just in a bad way this time. "You did it by channeling chakra through the clone into the air to send out the attack."
"Oh why didn't you just say it like that" Naruto sat down to watch the demonstration.
"Sometimes I forget you almost didn't graduate" Kakashi sighed a little as he performed the technique for Naruto to see. "Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu."
Kakashi shot out several wind blades from around him, each one only being about two feet in length but were able to slice deep into the tree trunks.
"Don't try and overload the jutsu with too much chakra to get more of the wind blades, just try for one or two for now" Kakashi pulled out a small scroll and gave it to Naruto. "If you need a refresher for the seals I wrote them down here for you."
"Thanks Kakashi" Naruto happily took the scroll, knowing full well he wasn't going to read it.
"Oh and tell Haku I said hello, I haven't seen him much this past week or two" with that Kakashi took his leave of the training field.
Naruto stayed in the field working the technique, channeling his chakra into the wind felt weirdly easy. Even without using one of his clones as a fan he could manifest one blade after an hour of practice. He realized he should probably head back home, or he would have if some yelling hadn't stopped him.
"One hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred three" a green jumpsuit wearing bowl cut having guy was lunging into the training field carrying a log. "One hundred four, one hundred five, one hundred six."
Naruto was too confused to leave now, bot stunned by the guys outfit and the weird exercise. When he hit one hundred twenty five he threw the log aside and started stretching. During those stretches he finally saw Naruto.
"OH I didn't mean to encroach on your training" wow this guy was loud and kind of chipper.
"Oh no it's fine I was gonna be leaving soon anyways" Naruto only now saw his ridiculously bushy eyebrows. "Are you meeting up with your team here or just doing some solo training?"
"I'm finishing the last of my morning training now actually" he said morning training, which either meant he woke up very late or had been training from morning to mid-afternoon. "Care to join me?"
"Oh uh, sure?" He said he was almost done so how long could this take, an hour tops?
Four hours later, Naruto was covered in sweat and felt like his limbs were going to fall off his body.
"Only one more set come on!" this guy, Lee or maybe Ree, was a demon. "Four hundred fifty one!"
Naruto did the saddest sit up of his whole life, knowing there was still another five miles to run and one hundred pushups, jumping jacks, squats, sit ups again, and leg raises to do.
"NARUTO" oh thank god Haku please get him away from here.
"Haku!" Naruto had never felt happier to see Haku in his whole life.
"Naruto why are you still here training?" Haku was in his casual clothes meaning he had already left work gone home and changed. "I waited for you for two hours."
"I'm most sorry" Lee quickly bowed and apologized. "I didn't realize my training buddy had plans already otherwise I would have cut our morning training short."
"Oh, its ok I was just worried since he told me he'd be back home" Haku paused at the sincerity of Lee, and also at the morning training statement.
"Gosh I'm sorry Lee, I think I'll have to tap out early" Naruto was so incredibly happy to get to leave. "Maybe we can meet up and this again."
"Of course! I'll stop by and find you in the morning the day after tomorrow" god Lee was so excitable, and also a demon.
"See you then buddy" Naruto was half carried away by Haku since he couldn't feel his legs.
Once they were out of ear shot Naruto sighed a very long and sad sigh.
"I take it you had a very, interesting day?" Haku gave his back a comforting rub.
"He said he was almost done his morning training four hours ago, he started at six in the morning Haku. He works out for fourteen hours a day" Naruto felt his soul leave his body remembering saying yes to Lee. "Haku we need to move so he can't find me in a day for more training."
"Don't be so dramatic honey, I'm sure he won't be able to find us till at least eight" Haku did his best to be reassuring here. "And you love training it's like your third favorite thing next to ramen and me."
"I'm surprised you put ramen before yourself on the list" it was true but he didn't think Haku would say it.
"I know the inner working of my boyfriend's mind quite well I'd say" Haku gave him a sly smile. "I can accept second place so long as I don't catch you sleeping with the ramen."
"The ramen doesn't provide free cooling when it's hot out so deal" Naruto returned the smile. "Speaking of ramen, I'm super hungry can we stop and get dinner somewhere?"
"We can but it's my turn to pick" Hakus eyes had a devious glint to them suddenly.
"Please no" Naruto knew that look, it meant healthy food.
"It'll be perfect after all this training you did today" Haku now also had a devious smirk to match his eyes.
"LEE I CHANGE MY MIND SAVE ME" Naruto knew it was useless Lee was doing his log circuit now.
After stopping at their apartment so Naruto could clean up a little from all the training the two headed out. Haku had found some newer place that served healthier foods at a good price. If he was honest Naruto would admit it was really good, but he was a child at heart.
"See if this was ramen it would just be better" Naruto had run out of real things to complain about so he resorted to just saying that.
"And you wouldn't have proper nutrition and would stay five feet tall forever" Haku didn't even bat an eye to the comments at this point. "Also I think your friends are spying on us? Don't make it obvious but look over there."
Instantly turning very obviously Naruto caught a glimpse of Kiba before he ducked behind a booth.
"Weird I didn't think Kiba of all people would eat here, maybe we should go say hi to them?" Naruto had just forgotten about the use of the word spying.
"I'll pass, he came into my job the one day and didn't say anything the whole time. He just stared at me and tried to be sneaky about it" Haku sounded a little creeped out by that.
"Then I'll tell that dog breath what's what, no one creeps on my boyfriend" Naruto walked over to Kibas table.
"Thank you darling" Haku sounded more cheery hearing that from Naruto.
"Hey Kiba, sup Akamaru, why are you, and uh the rest of team 8, spying on me?" Naruto didn't expect to see all three of these people here.
"What we're not spying on you, why would we spy on you, who even brought up spying on you, not me why would you say that" Kiba did not do well under pressure apparently. "IT WAS AKAMARUS PLAN."
Kiba quickly bolted with the small dog under his arms, he really was not good under pressure. Naruto turned his attention to the other two people in the booth.
"So, that was weird and all, but my question still stands, why am I being spied on?" Naruto didn't really know these two; but he hoped they'd mention who they were naturally so he wouldn't need to ask.
"Um, Shino said he wanted to try this new place out" the blue haired girl answered first, even though she was volume locked at a whisper. "And we um, saw you here."
"So Kiba freaked out for some unrelated reason to me catching him looking over here?" Naruto wasn't buying this story at all, no great Detective Ninja would.
"He gets nervous in nicer restaurants since he's has no manners" this guy was probably Shino by process of elimination. "Seeing you, someone he knows probably set him over his edge and caused his episode."
"Alright, that sounds just dumb enough to be true about Kiba" this guy sure knew how to lie, Naruto had to give him that, his poker face was insane. "Except I know for a fact Kiba has eaten here before, and he didn't freak when I saw him here then."
"Um, he, uh, um" the blue haired girl seemed likely to crack soon, she wasn't cut out for the gangsta life. "Had to, um, go back home…"
"And now you're stories start to fall apart huh, listen up busters, nothing gets by Ace Detective Naruto Uzumaki, so you both better fess up" he was really laying it on thick with this interrogation.
"If I tell the truth will you leave us alone to finish eating" Shino was trying to strike a deal and cut himself a good break, willing to rat on his presumably closest friend too.
"If the information's good you've got yourself a deal" Naruto also kinda wanted to just eat his food.
"Kiba wanted to learn more about your new friend over there but isn't willing to just ask you or her" Shino was quick to sell a man out, can't trust a snitch like him.
"Well then, to clear this up, me and Haku are dating, if Kiba has any more questions tell him to dog up and ask me himself" Naruto felt like that came off as really lame, but didn't care.
"Oh, oh ok" the blue haired girl seemed a little sad for some reason, where they trying to help Kiba get a date with Haku?
"Now goodbye" Naruto went back to his booth with Haku.
"Well, that was certainly a scene" Haku looked a little embarrassed after all that.
"Right, I can't believe Kiba would do something like that" Naruto was now eating his food and also trying to talk, making Haku more embarrassed.
"Maybe we shouldn't come here anymore" Haku seemed a little done with the whole ordeal.
"What why the food here is great" Naruto realized he'd just lost.
"Ha I knew you loved the food here" Haku had played him like a damn fool.
"NARUTO I SEE YOU DO ENJOY EATING HERE" of all the times for Lee to show up, here he was, still in the jumpsuit, and with an older version of himself?
"AH SO THIS IS YOUR NEW TRAINING BUDDY LEE" the older Lee gave Naruto a swift handshake, nearly crushing his hand in the process.
Haku had snuck off to pay for their food to make a stealth escape more viable. Their chances were slim but maybe the two would get distracted by something else.
"AH KAKASHI" thank you Kakashi for being a hero.
Wasting no time Naruto dashed out of the restaurant with Haku, safe from whatever horror would go down in that place. As quickly as they could they ran back home, Naruto just wanted to put today behind him. After their nightly rituals the two were in bed together. In a single month something that had made him so nervous was so normal now. He drifted off to sleep, wrapped up in Hakus arms, it was his turn to be the little spoon today.