Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All characters thereof belong to its respective owners. I'm not writing this for any sort of profitable gain.

Chapter 5

-Recap-

After Naruto had finished all the vegetables, the two kunoichis were apparently so used to doing this so often, they forgot about him. They grabbed the vegetables and gave him no further instructions. He dropped himself on the couch. Glancing at the clock he was surprised to find it saying it was 4:27. He warped to the spot where he typically trained and went on with his daily exercises. It was a very generic workout, but added with the chakra cuffs, an hour of work left him more than winded. He went back to his place for a shower and just remembered Shizune and Tenten. He looked at his clock and it read almost 6.

"Shit!"

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Shizune abruptly stopped working and shifted her gaze to Tenten.

"Did he just leave?"

"I think he did.." Tenten looked towards the living room and noticed the blond had indeed left.

".. I didn't hear the door shut though.." She said as an afterthought.

Shizune rubbed her chin thoughtfully but then shrugged.

"He'll be back." She said confidently since the teen seemingly had a bottomless pit of a stomach.

The pair continued working until the younger one just noticed something strange about Naruto. It was something insignificant, but years of being a shinobi, one tends to be observant. Ignoring the fact that Tenten pretty much stared at him the whole time anyway.

"Neh.." She started, trying to stay aloof and casual about it.

"What?"

"I know I haven't really known him that long, but, is it just me, or this whole time he seemed so tense.. Like he just did something he regrets?"

Shizune faced her, signaling her to continue.

"Earlier today he was so carefree, relaxed.. But during the exam meeting, and just now, he came off really tense. Something was bothering him."

Shizune chuckled and focused back on her work.

"Since when does 'Miss never has time for anybody', notices something like that with a person she just met?"

"Well.. um.." Tenten hadn't told anyone yet. Neji just seemed to know.. but even that.. she never really spoke with him about it.

The older woman laughed while waving her off.

"No need to explain. Yes, poor Naruto-kun was rather stressed today. But I got a fun little idea that'll loosen him up.. But for now, lets just finish this. I'm sure he'll be back hungry."

With the meal ready, the two prepared the table for dinner. They pulled a few plates out, silverware, glasses, and of course napkins.

Everything seemed ready until Shizune looked around and noticed the lack of blond in the room. She put her hands on her hips.

"He's still not back yet?"

Tenten undid her bun and brushed it along her shoulder. "Nope. Its already almost six."

Shizune shook her head.

"Let's just get started. At the rate he eats, he'll come late and still finish before us."

By the time Naruto showed up, both the girls were so annoyed with him, they hardly noticed his peculiar entry into a lock-downed apartment.

He scratched the back of his head.

Well aware of the full blown glare Shizune was giving him, he couldn't exactly say anything. Tenten busied herself with the food.

"Eh.."

"Shut it! Now come here and eat." Shizune barked.

The table was round and brown. Naruto ended up taking the seat across from Shizune.

"Uh.. Looks good…"

Shizune's eye brow twitched and Tenten just ignored him.

Shrugging, he tore in. He didn't know what the hell this was, nor did he remember what they called it. But it was damn good. Then again, it could have been crap and he wouldn't even know the difference. That happens when you ate nothing but dried food for the past two years. He couldn't cook. Jiraiya couldn't cook. It was pathetic really.

"Mm. Tastes good too. You two are great.."

Giving them his typical lopsided smile, they couldn't stay angry with him. The bastard had just gotten too cute.

The slight tension disappeared and Naruto just enjoyed the presence of an old friend and a new one.

"What's this called again?" He asked in between mouthfuls.

"Okonomiyaki" The two females said in unison. Naruto laughed.

"Jynx? Hah. You both owe me a drink."

Both were ignorant of the little game he was playing and told him off. Or at least they tried to.

"Why you – " Again in unison, they stopped mid sentenced and glared at each other.

"Double jynx! That's another drink from the both of you!" Naruto laughed. Free drinks rule.

They both exhaled sharply and continued eating. True to Shizune's prediction, the girls were barely finished with their second helping when Naruto had already cleared them out.

Shizune sighed. "What happened to the gentlemen from earlier today?"

"What? I'm hungry." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a gulp of some water but almost choked.

It was sake.

Tenten was looking at Naruto incredulously. "Naruto, this morning you had over five bowls of that instant ramen, at lunch you had that enormous sandwich, and just now you ate enough food that should have fed ten people. Where the hell are you putting it all?"

Her thoughts strayed to his steel like abs…

"Fast metabolism?"

After taking so much chakra from the Kyubi, in fact, from what Jiraiya told him, he should have died. Humans just are not supposed to be exposed to so much demonic chakra. The fact that the demon was sealed to him at birth helped his body adjust to the foreign toxic substance, but to the extend Naruto was channeling?

Improbable.

However some good actually sprang from its use. Especially from his transformation against Sasuke. He noticed a sizable difference in his natural strength, he already hardly ever got sick and now he was pretty much immune to anything, and there were still a few more things he hadn't even figured out yet.

But of course, he couldn't just say that now.

"This is sake." He blurted.

"And?" Shizune seemed to be on her fourth cup. Tenten was just slowly taking small sips. She had just recovered from a hangover; she was in no rush for another one.

"Nothin.." He looked at his cup wearily. He was a little worried of what could happen when he was drunk, but he shrugged and continued to drink

Shizune suddenly smiled. It was a sort of smile that didn't reach the eyes. The type to let you know that you're screwed. But Naruto just didn't have enough human contact to pick it up.

"Naruto-kun, you said I owe you a drink?" She asked coyly.

"Uh huh."

"Go make yourself comfortable on the couch.."

"I'll help…" He offered.

Shizune smiled and winked at Tenten.

"Feh. You're my guest. You shouldn't have to do anything. Go on."

A little suspicious, he reluctantly made his way over to the couch and plopped down. He watched while the two girls whispered about something while clearing the table. Whatever it was, Tenten looked rather surprised. He had better hearing then they thought, but either way, he couldn't make out the womanly gibberish spouting from their mouths. The only thing he could make out of "Sake" and "Maybe".

When they were finished, Tenten walked over and sat on the other side of the couch. She looked at him, decidedly amused and shook her head.

"Full?" She asked, inwardly wondering where it all went.

He gave her grin. "Sort of."

She chuckled.

Shizune suddenly hollered from the kitchen. Which was redundant since said kitchen was barely three steps away from the living room.

"Oh, Naruto! I got those drinks I owe you." She looked at Tenten.

"Looks like you gotta pay him back some other time, sweetie."

Tenten crossed over her arms. A habit she intended to break. Just hung around Neji too much..

"Whatever."

Shizune bounced into the living room holding three glass cups and a large unmarked bottle. She seated herself between the two Genins and handed each of them a cup.

"Drink up! But Naruto-kun, since you're so special, take a full swig in gulp." She beamed at him.

"Why?" Naruto took a moment to inspect his drink.

It was clear, but a little shiny almost. It might have been soda water; but the smell gave it away as something alcoholic.

"What the hell is this?" The blasted glass was almost scorching hot.

"Jiraiya-sama said its called 'Everclear'. Its supposed to be something like an extremely strong shot of sake."

"Pah. I bet its nothing." Shrugging it off, he picked up the glass and downed it.

His throat was on fire. It burned all the way down, when it finally hit his stomach, he could practically still feel it smoldering.

"Shit!" He gasped. Beating his chest, for what reason know one knows, its just instinctive. He let out a whistle.

"Damn! That's.." he started coughing. "Strong.."

Not one who usually drinks, let alone being able to fight the toxins he just willingly swallowed, he could already feel it running through his system. Feeling slightly more sluggish, but a bit more mellow, he burped. In turn for being able to fight off most illnesses, he was all the more vulnerable to alcohol. Talk about odd trade offs.

"More?" Shizune asked, practically leering at him.

"Sure."

Tenten and Shizune looked at each other and grinned. Poor blond didn't even know what hit him.

An hour later, a couple of drinks later, Naruto was down right hammered while the girls were just enjoying the buzz.

"She dun' really botherz to take any sorta.. uh.. constraint.. jusss theh oth'r day she smacked Naruto-kun through a wall and told him to pay for itz.."

Naruto was currently blabbering on the "meanyness" of Tsunade. The kunoichis laughed since him referring to himself in the third person was just adorable.

"So Naruto.." Tenten started to ask.

"Did anything.. bad.. happened to you today?" It was a tad slow since anything said to quick would put him in a fowl mood since he couldn't make it out.

"Bad?" He slurred.

"Yeah, bad." Tenten repeated as if talking to a 8 year old.

"Duhm.. Well.. Nartuuuto can't weally member' but.. Narutooo and SSSak-ur-a wuz sparin' and den' we were makin out.."

He stopped to take a sip, as if it would help him remember.

"Naruto doughtz she was likey too..but she.." As he goes on with the story, he slowly grows more sober since his emotion with rejection was like a kunai to the brain.

"Why did she look like ..that.. –hic- ..it took her what..5 –hic- minutes to figure she didn't want Naruto?"

It was obvious this single act really tore at him. To actually be pushed off and then to be looked at with shock and confusion. It wasn't enough that he didn't have many people in his life. But to be treated that way by someone he truly cared about, it's unimaginable.

Shizune understood. She had talked to Iruka, Kakashi, those who knew how he was treated. Those who knew just how terribly lonely he had felt at times…

Tenten in her ignorance, didn't understood the significance of the ordeal. She was already annoyed with Sakura to begin with.

"That's it? This whole day.."

Shizune frowned and immediately shushed her. Shizune was already a little more than inebriated. Seeing an attractive male down in the dumps, she saw no harm in trying to cheer him up.

He was standing up and she pulled him back down on the couch. She slung an arm around him and made contact with her lips to his ear.

"If you kiss me, I promise I won't push you away.." She whispered silkily.

He shuddered as she slowly went from his cheek to his lips. Naruto went to the offensive and pushed her back on the armrest and ran his tongue across her upper lip.

Tenten could do little but stare in shock and anger. Shock since, damn, its Shizune and Naruto going at it there.. Anger since it should be her underneath him..

Shizune's hands were exploring until she suddenly halted her reverie and spoke up.

"Holy.. Naruto.. Your muscles are clenching as if your getting an enema!"

Naruto didn't seem to hear since he kept on trying to get his mouth back on her lips. Shizune finally pushed him off her and she was a little out of breath. He didn't seem to be trying but he was so strong.

Tenten merely glared and took another sip of her drink. There wasn't much she could really do but conspire revenge for tomorrow.

"Naruto – calm down idiot! Listen, do you feel this?"

Shizune groped his back and various parts of his body.

"They're not supposed to be this tense." She shook her head and sighed heavily.

"So many people don't know that walking around tense like that isn't healthy for you. I guess that's just force of habit to be constantly alert like that.."

Naruto looked slightly dazed from the amount of words she said but nodded anyway. Shizune shook her head pulled out a kunai and threw it at what looked to be a closet door. Instead of finding a door with a new kunai stuck on it, it harmless bounced off and fell to the floor. After a moment, there was a click and the door opened and out sprung a table for massages.

"Take off your shirt and lay on your stomach on that – " Shizune grabbed Naruto's head and directed him to the recently laid out table – "table."

Naruto couldn't really describe what was going on his back when Shizune started to work. It was extremely pleasurable until she started on his knots.

"SON OF A – OW!" He shifted constantly annoying Shizune in the process.

"Quiet!" He kept on squirming until she just growled and stopped.

"Tenten, get me the sedatives in kitchen. It's the drawers next to the fridge. Bottom left." She said hitting Naruto with one hand while pointing with the other at the kitchen.

Tenten stopped glaring when she turned around and reluctantly went to the kitchen. She rummaged around in said drawer until she found vial with a sickly green substance inside.

"Is this it?" She asked, eying the thing suspiciously.

"Mmm.. yeah..Mm.."

"You sure?" She looked back at the vial then back at Shizune and groaned. Shizune was on top of Naruto in a type lip lock. Again.

Tenten threw the vile at the couple and Shizune caught it. She pulled herself off of his face and poured the contents down his throat. He started to choke but she put her lips against his again and he managed to swallow it down.

"Shizune! Can't he die from all the alcohol and the sedatives in his body?" She was a bit frantic, but didn't really care. Normal over the counter medicine specifically said to never take it with alcohol, but this was a sedative. It was different but it was still something to worry about.

Shizune didn't seem to care and only paused to exhale, "Not - this sedative.."

Tenten thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and anger. A twenty-two year old medic making out with a fifteen-year old Genin. On a massage table of all things. And she was sitting there drinking "Everclear", watching. She wasn't sure to be annoyed with her cowardice for not acting quickly enough, or pissed at Shizune for practically stealing her crush.

Tenten couldn't help but think what the hell?

Perhaps at that age she's tired of all the typical males she's gone out with already. Tenten never really like any of her boyfriends since they seemed so keen on the idea of getting married and proposed on a second or third date.

Perhaps it's the dangers of getting killed on virtually any mission that seems to be the distinctive difference between civilian males and male nins. Most civilian males think through their bottom head, while male nins either don't pursue females at all or want to settle down quickly.

Shizune always said dating civilians, in her words, "suck", so she always stuck with shinobi. Most of her relationships were a strain. With them on missions, and her with medical teams, they hardly ever lasted more than a month. Maybe she just wanted some fun?

But with Naruto? Tenten couldn't blame Shizune, she supposed. He is easy on the eyes. Especially since he grew out of that odd jump suit. He came to dinner with dark pants and an oddly attractive orange shirt… She had thought she hated that color.

Glaring at the couple one last time, mainly Shizune, Tenten sat down on the couch and continued drinking.

Oh yes, tomorrow, perhaps the week after, maybe even a month, but there will be hell to pay.

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Seikotune: I tried cleaning this up as much as I could, but there's only so many times I can re-read my own stuff.

Hope you enjoyed reading.