The ninja were eating dinner at Tazuna's place. His daughter Tsunami was a little surprised by the number of guests and quickly made more food. "That was delicious." Chouji said and patted his stomach.
Tsunami smiled. "Thank you Chouji."
"So whats the new plan?" Asuma lit another cigarette.
"We train until Zabuza comes again. I'm positive he's not dead." Kakashi meet the confused gazes before continuing. "What weapons did that tracker ninja use?"
"Senbon." Tenten eyes widen. "Thats not really an effective killing tool."
Maiku lifted his head off the table. "Shit he must have hit a pressure point in the neck." He sighed and looked over to his fellow genin. "We got some intense work ahead of us."
Anko smiled. "I'm gonna run you brats into the ground."
Naruto had a look off fear in his eyes. "We're fucked. I'd rather fight Zabuza now."
"I'm hurt brat. That anyway to talk about your sensei?" Naruto just shook his head, knowing he sealed his fate for a later date. "We'll begin tomorrow. You ya little prick are going to a session with Ibiki when we get back." Naruto groaned as Maiku laughed at him, though Anko now turned on him. "Your going to."
"Damn it!" He muttered.
Everyone had went to sleep after dinner. Everyone except the four who sat at the table. "Give me three." Anko said handing over three cards and taking new ones."
"Two." Asuma said taking the new cards.
"Five." Maiku handed over all his cards and took a chug of saki. "That hits the spot. Burns all the way down."
Naruto exchanged one of his cards. "Hm how about this. Aniki and I will take the place of Gai and Kakashi, you two represent yourselves. Who ever loses takes charge of the training for tomorrow. Ok?"
The other three smirked, "I'm in." They said together and everyone revealed their cards. "Damn it I lost. Kakashi sure is going to be pissed." Maiku smiled as he walked off to bed, his pocket emptier.
Naruto smiled as he pocketed his winnings. "Good night sensei, Asuma." Naruto took a sip of saki before turning in.
"Maybe we should gamble with those two more often." Asuma scratched his chin.
"Whatever, damn brats maybe me lose half my money." Anko popped more dango into her mouth.
Kakashi finally came down the stairs, the young shinobi all glaring at him for being late for training. Maiku and Naruto didn't bother looking, to caught up in another card game. Maiku handed a card to Naruto. "22 bust; 19 I win." He smiled as Naruto handed over his money.
"I hate blackjack." Naruto sighed.
"Its just because I always win." Maiku shuffled the cards. "Anyone want in?" Silence. "Oh Kakashi, because I lost last night you have to train us now. Besides the other jounin are with Tazuna right now so not like you have much of a choice."
Kakashi lowered his book. "I hate you. I just want you to know that." Kakashi read a few more pages before closing his favorite orange book. "Lets get this over with." He reluctantly moved out the door.
"Should we follow?" Maiku asked winning another hand
"YES!" Shouting Naruto raced out of the house, desperate to save the money he won last night.
'He didn't need to shout.' Maiku thought as he followed his friend, at a more relaxed pace.
"Now that everyone is here, I'll begin." Maiku returned Kakashi's glare. If he could be late, why can't Maiku. These thoughts filled his head as he watched Kakashi walk up a tree.
"Just focus chakra to your feet, you'll be able to stick to the tree, to put it simply." Kakashi launched kunai to the genin. "Use these to mark your progress."
"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered but shouts from Ino got him doing the exercise. Sakura seemed to be a natural at it. Kakashi had taken Gai's team to practice the water walking exercise, knowing he had his students the tree climbing.
Sasuke noticed Naruto sleeping and tossed his kunai at him. Maiku caught it with practiced ease. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't assault my friend. For an Uchiha, you're pretty stupid." Sasuke charged them as Maiku shook Naruto awake. At the last second the pair ran up the tree.
"Can't get us up here can ya Sasu-gay?" Naruto laughed as he hung upside down.
"Now Naruto don't bother with him. We'll do that. Lets see if Ten-chan needs any help." Maiku turned and jumped through the trees back towards Tazuna's house where Tenten was training.
Tenten was having a difficult time. Tree climbing had been easy for her, but this was different. Now she was just standing on the shore staring at the water, angry. "Why are you all wet?" Came a familiar voice behind her.
"She puffed out her cheeks, rage building. "You know why!" She shouted at her fiancé.
"Alright calm down. It just takes time. Right Naruto? Naruto?" Maiku looked around to find Naruto and Lee sparring. "Here take my hand." Maiku led Tenten into the middle. "Just focus."
It was silent for a minute. "I think I got it." She said with a smile.
"Really?" Maiku grinned as he jumped away, to watch her fall in. He walked over to the pier and removed his shirt, sword, weapon pouch, and boots.
"Not funny!" Tenten shouted as she resurfaced.
"I thought it was hysterical." She puffed her cheeks out again as Maiku walked back over to her. "You know your cute when you do that." He kissed her on the cheek as he canceled the chakra flow to his feet and fell in. "Been awhile since I've had a swim."
Tenten watched as he made his way around her. She climbed out of the water, standing on it. She smiled widely. Maiku splashed water at her and she fell in again. "What was that for?"
"You need to stay focused and not let something as small as that distract you." He stood on the water again, pulling Tenten up and setting her down. "Now for something more serious." And so the two began a light spar. Well it was more of a swim in Tenten's case as she was in the water most of the time.
Maiku was now sitting on the pier watching Tenten as she did a kenjutsu kata on the water. He smiled, proud of her improvements. "Very good Ten-chan."
She finished quickly and took a seat next to him. "Thanks, your help was really..."
"Helpful?" He finished her sentence and the two just watched the surface of the water as it reflected the sun.
"Hey Ino, wanna play a game?" Naruto flashed the blonde a deck of cards.
"Sure." She watched as Naruto shuffled skillfully. "What did you and Maiku do today? You obviously done tree climbing before."
"Yeah, Maiku's father had us doing that our second year in the academy. We also knew all the academy jutsu and were already practicing advanced techniques." Naruto dealt out a hand.
"Impressive." She looked at the cards, nothing good, maybe? She had no idea what she was doing or what game they were playing. "What game is this?"
"Blackjack. Lets play a few rounds before aniki comes in and I end up losing all my money." Naruto had on a sad smile as he remembered emptying his toad wallet.
"Why do you call him that?" She looked at her cards, a queen and an ace of hearts. "Is this good?"
"Damn, I lost." Naruto showed his cards, two jacks. "He's older than me by a few months. And he is practically my brother, been through a lot with him, most of it fights in the village." He dealt another hand. "Guess thats how we bonded so fast, he protected me like an older brother would his younger brother."
She showed her cards and Naruto explained about how you had to get as close two twenty one as possible without going over. Ino called for another card getting a seven totaling nineteen. "Damn." She cursed as Naruto got a six to get twenty. "You win this time."
He smiled, deciding to try something. Naruto became nervous. "Hey Ino, hear me out ok? If I win this hand, will you.....gooutwithmewhenwegetbacktokonoha?" The last part was said fast and to low for her to understand.
"What?" She asked
Maiku was about to enter the house, but caught every word Naruto had said and leaned against the wall near the opened window. "Will you go out with me after the mission?" Naruto shout his eyes."
"Only if you win." Ino took her cards and quickly glanced at them. "Hit." She got another card. "I'll stay with this."
Naruto gave himself a card, then another. "Ok show." Naruto flipped his over revealing eighteen. He looked at Ino's, twenty four.
"No Ichikaru's Naruto." Naruto hung his head, there went his plan. She smiled at him. "Good night, Naruto-kun." Naruto lifted his head, eyes wide as she walked to her room. Naruto looked at her cards, something wasn't right.
He picked up the two original, leaving the one she asked for. "Blackjack, son of a bitch." Naruto had an face splitting smile.
"Wonder when you were going to ask her out." Maiku said, taking the deck and shuffling. "Good choice by the way."
"Since she's stopped making fun of me I've come to realize that she is actually a nice person." Kyuubi 'poofed' into existence in an average fox size. His nine tails curled around him.
"Loved how you went about getting a date, very subtle." Bogu said taking a seat next and asked for some cards. Maiku gave some to Kyuubi.
"Demons versus humans, game of poker, last one with money wins for their team." Maiku got nods of agreement. The game went well into the night, fifty hands and some bottles of saki Bogu and Kyuubi won. "We'll never hear the end of this."
Kakashi came down to see Maiku and Naruto playing two separate games of solitaire, talking about random things. "Hey kakashi, you know lightning jutsu right?"
"I've copied some, asking for help?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah, I'm not like that asshole Uchiha. You can help Naruto also, he has a secondary lightning." Maiku said. "You got any fire jutsu as well?" Kakashi nodded. "Good, see you for training in the morning." Maiku packed up his deck and went to his room.
"Interesting kid." Kakashi pulled out his book deciding to stay awhile.
"His grandfather made that legendary tanto of yours." Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Thats probably true, but I haven't used that in awhile. Hm I just thought of something." Naruto got up and went upstairs. "Yeah, I should do that."
another on down
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