02: new routines

"Sakura, I sent you out for our lunches twenty minutes ago. What kept you?"

Sakura's stride slowed as she entered the Hokage's chamber, the neatly folded bag containing their lunches in arm. Had she really taken that long? She walked up to the Fifth's desk and set the bag neatly down on the corner near her.

"Please accept my apology, Tsunade-sama. It is the lunch time hour and I had to wait a few minutes for our meals to be prepared."

"Why didn't you tell them the Hokage was waiting?" Tsunade shot back lazily.

"I ... I didn't think it would be wise, or fair, to use your name for something so petty as a meal." Tsunade smirked at her young prodigy, pulling her chair closer to tear into the paper bag on her desk.

"Fair enough. But what else?" she said casually, locking eyes with her pink-haired student. Sakura hitched, inwardly rolling her eyes for doing such a thing. Curse the woman for being so adept at picking up on her moods. She supposed it was only natural for a shinobi of the Hokage's level, but she sure wouldn't mind a break from time to time.

"I ran into an old friend on the way back."

"Oh?" Tsunade said, shooting a mildly interested glance up at Sakura from the neatly packaged bento lunches. Sakura jerked again inwardly.

"Yes, a shinobi from my class. Rock Lee, the taijutsu specialist you performed surgery on."

"Ah, who can forget Gai's most precious student," Tsunade said with a faint grin. "So he's back from his mission in one piece, hmm? I almost didn't expect him to return."

"How can you say a thing like that, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura immediately regretted her outburst. She already knew the answer; it was indeed a fact Lee had gone on a very dangerous mission, and now she'd have to hear the hokage lay it on her in depth. The hokage looked up at her student with a laugh.

(Here it comes...)

"You're such a stubborn girl, Sakura." Tsunade sat back in her chair with the bento box and pair of chopsticks in hand, the steam of the food rising up into her face as she continued to look at her student. "But I take it you were glad to see him, hn?" The younger kunoichi nodded once. Tsunade returned the gesture. "Well, I suppose it's good there is someone from your class back in Konoha for a little while. I won't have to put up so much with your wistful whining now, hopefully." A pleased smile passed over the Fifth's lips and Sakura found herself momentarily horrified at what she had said. Did she really talk about everyone that much?

"Sakura."

"Hn? Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"After this, we continue with the third level revival technique. You'll need your energy."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."


(Everything is still familiar.)

Lee jogged through the hallways, up the steps, to the place his teacher took him most when they weren't training; that covered look-out of the ninja academy where almost the entirety of Konoha could be seen. The weights hidden underneath his leg warmers had been increased dramatically over the short years, but the jog up took no less time. However, once he got there, he did not see his teacher. This was not a problem though. Lee had given it a fifty-fifty chance, had made a bet, and if he had been wrong, which he had, this turned out just to be some fair exercise.

Some seven minutes later, in which no one else stopped to talk to him, Lee reached the familiar front step of Maito Gai's home. He'd passed the kitchen window coming round the corner and seen no one, and now at the front he saw the curtains on the window here drawn shut. A small frown. Maybe he was sleeping.

He knocked on the door.

"Gai-sensei! I'm back!" Inside, a body roused from it's resting place in the bedroom, and just as he thought about knocking again, Rock Lee felt the whoosh of the opening door against his skin. A strong hand clapped down on his shoulder. Immediately he was bathed in the radiant smile of his much-loved teacher. Under such a warm gaze, it was impossible not to return the feeling. Lee felt his heart swell.

"Lee ..." Gai's smile softened and he drew his beloved student into his embrace. When he withdrew it was with a sigh of relief and shimmering eyes. "I suppose it is unavoidable that one will worry greatly about someone who is precious to them." Lee looked up at Gai with a regretful frown and sighed himself.

"Gai-sensei, you told me you understood -"

"And I do, Lee. There is no need to apologize to me. You're back, and no doubt a greater man," he said, flashing his smile at the, now, young man before him. Lee could not resist the calmness surrounding him from such kind, proud words. Again he was embraced.

"Thank you, sensei," he nodded firmly after they parted again. Gai grinned and simply waved a dismissive hand.

"Come inside, Lee. I was resting."

(worried about you...)

"Sleeping on an afternoon like this, Gai-sensei?" Lee said, somewhat surprised as the two of them went into Gai's minimalist but welcome apartment. He practiced Feng Shui very seriously, and there was never a time when Lee did not feel calm inside. Gai laughed in response to his student's question and only led him into the kitchen, where Gai had taught Lee the many secrets of his special ninja diet.

"Actually, I was able to challenge Kakashi to a taijutsu match yesterday and -"

"Really! Who won?" Lee's eyes were wide. Gai looked at him with another smile and nodded once, letting his head stay down.

"It was a draw." Gai waited for Lee to respond, but the boy said nothing, only standing there in his wide-eyed innocence. Inwardly, Gai warmed to that. So Lee still held fast to it, even after such a hard mission. "As a result, Lee, I thought I'd rest up today."

"It must have been a good fight, Gai-sensei," Lee marveled. "I wish I could have seen it!" Gai let up a hearty laugh and nodded to his student's words.

"Yes, it was rather good," he chuckled, his arms rising above his head in a showy stretch. "But regrettable that nobody was there to witness it," Gai ended with a gentle sigh, coming back to his normal posture. Lee frowned briefly.

(I know!)

"Gai-sensei, I saw Haruno Sakura-san today."

He perked up immediately.

"Oh?"

Lee nodded enthusiastically.

"Who is that?"

Lee faltered for a moment. Gai-sensei had forgotten?

(No, Maito Gai is just giving his precious student a hard time.)

"Haruno Sakura. The kunoichi with hair like her name." His voice was hopeful. His teacher, however, still seemed clueless. "She brought me flowers in the hospital."

"Ah! Sakura-chan!"

"Y-yes. Her." The older of the two chuckled as he set two drinks he'd been preparing down on the generous island in the kitchen. He faced Lee across it now with his warm smile, pushing the frothy pink concoction towards him.

"Did she receive you well?" Gai said this with a suggestive tone, leaning back against the kitchen counter with his arms folded. Lee picked up his drink and sipped at it quickly (a milkshake?) as he thought about this. Did she? How didn't she? He nodded slowly, setting the drink back down on the island counter.

"Yes. In fact, she told me she missed everyone from our class and wanted to catch up with me."

"What luck, Lee! Did she say anything else?"

"Yes. She wanted to catch up tomorrow afternoon, but I told her that was my heavy training day and could not." Gai nodded as Lee paused to take another, longer sip of the strawberry milkshake, which was definitely a treat in Gai's house. Usually he prepared only health and energy drinks, which were good for the body but not nearly as good in taste. "Then when I told her that, she asked if she could come anyway and maybe even join me." Lee looked up at his teacher for this thoughts. Gai's strong brow had risen with interest. He seemed on the verge of a chuckle.

"Are you prepared for this, Lee?" A serious question.

"I told her I would be honored if she joined me. And that she would make me work harder, if anything, Gai-sensei." Another sip of the shake. Gai did chuckle this time, nodding his approval.

"Excellent words, Lee." The boy smiled. "But be careful with her. Tsunade-sama is known for her fearsome strength, and Sakura-chan is her pupil." Somewhere in his head, Lee knew this. But hearing Gai remind him sped up his heartbeat for a brief moment. It intimidated him and also, excited him. Haruno Sakura was an excellent ninja ...

Finally Gai pushed off of the counter and took an exceptionally long drag from the straw in his milkshake. He let off with a refreshed ahh and set the now half-empty glass on the counter with a purpose.

"Lee, welcome home. I'm very proud of you." He paused briefly and Lee noticed both their eyes growing shimmery. "After this, we'll go out and celebrate your return to Konoha!"

"Really?"

"Of course! My adorable student has returned from his very first B-rank mission in one piece, albeit a few days late. That is definitely a reason to celebrate, don't you think so, Lee?"

"I guess so ..." Lee said, this realization suddenly dawning on him. His first B-rank mission ... "But Gai-sensei! I have to train for today still!" Gai looked at Lee, thinking about waving it off and telling him it would be okay to skip for once, due to the occasion. But something made him stop. Lee was becoming a man (and a fine one, at that), and perhaps his old teacher should let him make more of his own decisions.

"Well, Lee, so be it. When you are finished, wash up and come back here. Then we'll go out to wherever you like." Gai finished this with a flashy smile, the one that had drawn Lee in, that he'd since adopted. Lee gave him a firm nod, raising his glass to his lips for another long drag at the shake.

"Thank you, Gai-sensei." The jounin rounded the island and set a hand down on his student's head, ruffling his fine hair into a very fine mess.

"Of course, Lee."