"It's always the same thing with him..." sighed Kiba, five weeks after Naruto left with Jiraiya. "He goes away and we don't hear a word from him."
"Give the poor kid a break. You know how hard he works on these missions. It's not like he has the time to. And after what happened to Sasuke and Kakashi over there you can't blame him."
Kiba shook his head, "I don't care, he still should find a few minutes to write us."
Tenten stood up and walked over to him, "That's not what's bothering you. Don't deny it either. I'm not dense like Lee. You miss him more than you're telling anyone."
Kiba snorted, "Oh please. You know i don't like him like that. He's just my best friend, no more, no less."
"Uh-huh," nodded Tenten, "Well, you keep telling yourself that, but it won't make it true. You're just pissed because he's confessed his love for that jerk Sasuke. Admit it already. I saw the look on your face when you saw them together that night he left after the finals. You're jealous"
Kiba turned around and glared, "There's nothing to be jealous of. He likes Sasuke. Big whoop. Like I said, i don't like Naruto like that. Why would I be jealous if I wouldn't date him to begin with."
"Kiba," she said seriously, "you know I figured you out a long time ago. You don't have to lie to me. Especially since last time I checked we were friends. I don't see why you told Lee but not me."
Kiba swore, "He told you?"
She grinned, "Not out right. I kind of wormed it out of him. All i asked was if you'd told him anything about Naruto that you hadn't told me. He said no and tried to change the subject. Which was a dead giveaway that he was lieing. Lee's horrible at lying, you know that. He basically confirmed my earlier suspicions."
Kiba sighed, "Howlong have you known?"
"I wasn't really sure untill a few months ago. And even then I wasn't a hundred percent sure. It really wasn't untill I actually piad attention to the way you and Naruto argue that I started to seriously wonder. No boy get that close when he argues unless something else is going on. Granted, I didn't give it much thought at first because how close you two are, but then I studied how you two train." She chuckled, "I can't believe no one's noticed it before. You two are practically groping each other."
Kiba blushed beet red, "Shit, was it that noticeable?"
"Not unless you were looking for it. And I'm not saying I was on purpose. I was watching you two train like I do with Lee and Neji."
Kiba snorted, "What, making sure he doesn't molest your man?"
Tenten giggled, "Yeah, something like that."
"Geeze Tenten, jealous of Neji much?"
She punched him playfully in the shoulder, "Look who's talking mister "I stalk Sasuke and Naruto everywhere".
Kiba grinned, "What can I say, I'm a bit of an idiot sometimes..."
"Can't disagree with that."
"Why are you my friend again?" he asked, sarcastically. Tenten just smiled.
"What do we have here?" asked Lee as he hobbled in.
"Nothing Lee, just rambling on."
Lee grinned and sat down, "Rambling about what now?"
Tenten sat down next to him, "Nothing much. Just making Kiba admit that he's madly in love with Naruto."
Lee chuckled, "Took you long enough to tell her, Kiba."
"It'd hit you Lee, but I don't want to break your other arm," laughed Kiba. Kiba's mother stuck her head in a second later, "Kiba, mail for you." Kiba blinked, "Okay." He walked over and took it. "Thanks mom."
"Dinner's in 20 minutes kids."
"Thank's Mrs. Inuzuka." said Tenten. His mother walked off.
"So, who is it from?" asked Lee.
Kiba stared at the letter, "There's no return address." He tore it open...
...And his eye's flared wide. "Oh My God! It's from Naruto! He actually wrote this time!" Tenten and Lee were on their feet and standing next to him in the blink of an eye.
"What's it say!? What's it say!?"
Kiba unfolded the page, "Wow, lot's in here." He read the first few lines..."Let's see...Hmmm...Well duh your alive, how else could you be writing...Good job frying your arms...Hell yes!" he screamed and looked up. "He's comming home next week!" Kiba didn't even bother reading the rest, instead handing it to Lee. "I've seen all I care about right now. You guys read the rest and tell me the good parts."
Tenten, eye's glued to the letter, said, "Damn Kiba, you complain about how he never writes and then when he finally does you won't even finish reading it?"
No response.
She rolled her eyes, "Boys..."
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"Can we go home yet..." whined Naruto as he waited for Jiraiya to finish his "research" at a local bar. He would have just taken off with Tsunade, but she was currently in said bar blowing the equivalent of a year's worth of Naruto's pay in the back room of the establishment. He sat with Shizune up front, drinking a soda and munching on peanuts.
Shizune sighed, "Don't worry. Tsunade will run out of money soon enough and then we can leave. She's just as likely to drag the old pervert out as you are."
Naruto yawned, "See this is why i hate training with him. He may be one of the most powerful ninja ever, but he's nothing but a lazy pervert." He put his head down, "Why? Why did I get stuck with him as a sensei?"
Tsunade staggered out of the back room and over to them, "Come on you two. We gotta get out of here."
Shizune yawned, "How much this time?"
"Too much," was the only answer as Tsunade ran to grab Jiraiya and make a hasty exit.
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"Sit down Kiba..." sighed Tenten for the tenth time in less than an hour. "He not due back for another three hours. Wearing a ditch into the ground outside Ichiraku's is not going to make the time pass any quicker."
Kiba growled, frustrated, "I can't help it. I have to do something or else I'm going to go insane."
"Go kill Sasuke..." offered Lee, jokingly.
"Don't even tempt me," sighed Kiba as he sat down.
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"For the love off!!! Do we have to stop at every bar on the way to Konoha???" yelled Naruto, throughly pissed that they were stopping a mere 10 miles from home. "Come on old man! This is ridiculous! At least let me go the rest of the way by myself!"
Jiraiya smirked, "No way kid. You're staying with us. Go watch TV or something." Naruto fought a powerful urge to smack the old pervert before stalking off to find a quiet place to vent.
Tsunade glared at him, "You get 20 minutes. No more, nor less. And no more stopping. We're going to be late already as it is."
"Awwww come on Tsunade. We can do 10 miles in less than 3 hours."
She glared at him and he shut his mouth. She walked off and Jiraiya mumbled, "Stupid know-it-all Hokage..."
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"You really shouldn't count on his being on time..." yawned Kakashi as he watched Kiba pace. He and Iruka had gone to Ichiraku's to join the welcoming party. "Jiraiya's worse than I am when it comes to punctuality. Where do you think I learned it from? Or better yet, where do you think my Sensei learned it from."
Kiba sighed and fought the urge to tear into something.
"Ya know, if you keep this up people really are going to suspect there is something between you and Naruto," he commented innocently.
Iruka glared at him, "Hush Kakashi. This isn't the time for that."
Kiba turned, "What? You two think there's something going on between us?"
Iruka shrugged, "No, but some of the other ninja have suggested it."
Kiba snorted, "Hmmmm. So no one has told you guys that he's in love with Sasuke?"
Iruka's eyes bulged, "What?!?"
Kiba nodded, "Guess not."
Kakashi was intrigued, "Hmmmm Sasuke and Naruto...Interesting pair..."
Iruka's jaw dropped, "What the hell are you talking about you pervert? How can you say that about your own students!?"
Kakashi shrugged, "What? I was just commenting is all. They would make an interesting couple..."
"Oh my god! I can't believe I'm hearing this from you!"
Lee and Tenten were trying not to laugh as they watched them argue. "This is so beyond funny..." whispered Tenten as she watched Iruka shove Kakashi off his stool. Lee nodded and tried not to explode laughing when Kiba grabbed the silver-haired Jounin by said hair and tossed him across the street. This went on for some time before they finally calmed down. Kakashi, now much quieter after getting his ass kicked by a kid and a slightly out of shape teacher, just sat there, reading his usual copy of Icha Icha, trying not to start another incident. Iruka was still fuming, a little, but he and Kiba were trading stories about stupid stuff Naruto did as a child.
"If this keeps up..." sighed Tenten, "Naruto's going to come back to Kakashi in the hospital and Kiba in jail for putting him there."
Lee grinned, "I would not doubt it. Let us just hope he arrives soon."
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"Finally..." sighed a very happy Naruto as the front gates came into view. "Can we call this mission over already so I can get to my friends?"
Jiraiya smacked him over the head, "You leave when I say you can leave. Grow up and learn some patience!"
Naruto glared at him, "Patience? What the hell are you talking about, patience!? I'm the most patient person on this planet for having to put up with you so much! At least I can go five minutes without falling head over heals for some pretty face I see on the street!"
"Why you little!" Jiraiya reached for him and Tsunade snapped, "That's enough! Both of you stop right now!"
They paused and looked at her. "Separate. Now! Naruto, go ahead and take off. You did a good job. Go see your friends."
He smiled, "Thank you!" and ran off, much to Jiraiya's chagrin.
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He ran full speed for Ichiraku's. He just barely stopped when he was tackled by someone very large and heavy. "Ahhhhh! Can't. Breathe. Get. Off. Me. Kiba!"
Kiba stood up, blushing, "Whoops. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to run into you so hard."
"That's what you always say," he coughed, "but you still do it."
Kiba grinned, "Baka."
Naruto ignored him, turning instead to the rest of the welcoming party, "Hey everyone!"
Tenten was hugging him before he even finished. Lee sat in his chair, grinning, "Glad to have you back Naruto."
Tenten let go and Iruka glomped his shoulder, "Welcome back."
Kakashi just smiled and said, "Yo" in his typical fashion.
Kiba ruffled Naruto's hair, "Anyone else ready to eat?"
Naruto's stomache growled, "Hell yeah!" and he plopped down.
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"So Naruto..." began Kakashi as they finished eating, "I hear that he taught you some mighty powerful ninjutsu while you were gone."
Naruto grinned, completely unaware that Kakashi already knew what he had been taught, "It's called the Rasengan. It's a jutsu that the Fourth Hokage came up with. Freaking incredible. And hard to learn. Took me 2 weeks just to get the first step done, and then 4 more to get the second. Third step, well, still working on perfecting it, but I can use it now."
Lee, ever curious about this stuff, spoke up, "Show us, show us!"
Naruto grinned, "Lee, how many time do I have to tell you to wait a few days before you ask for demonstrations?"
Lee blushed, "Sorry. I cannot help it." Naruto sighed, "Yeah...I know. It's just part of the homecoming ritual." He blinked, "Oh wait! I almost forgot! Lee, this woman we were after, Tsunade, is a medic. She's freaking awesome too. Saved my life while we were out there. She said she would take a look at you and fix your arm and leg!"
Lee blinked, twice, jaw on the floor. "Seriously?" he asked, quietly.
Naruto nodded, "Dead serious."
Lee's face lit up, "She can really fix me?"
Naruto nodded, grinning. Lee jumped up and was dancing around like an idiot, Tenten trying to get him to sit down. News like this was rare of late, and was just what they needed after all the horrible things that had happened over the past year.