CHAPTER TWO

Finally making it home Ren was breathless. Running up and down a mountain was a lot of work even if she did train every night. Unlocking the door she walked into the dark apartment. She walked around and turned on the lights her place much like her shop had books scattered around everywhere; but she had a specific book in mind that she wanted to read tonight.

She reached into her knapsack and couldn't find it. She rummaged some more as if she could find a secret compartment hiding her prized reading material. She finally gotten her hands on it after it sold out the first 2 days at her shop and the first few chapters had her wondering what it would be like to be with a man that way. Not that she was a virgin but it wasn't even worth mentioning it was so bad and awkward.

Hopefully she just forgot it while she got the tea. She couldn't exactly feel off put about it either. Not after seeing how a skin tight jumpsuit clung to every muscle on a very exceptional male specimen. Feeling a small discomfort about thinking in such a way especially about a man she quite literally just met she picked up an old favorite deciding that reading about an ex-cop protecting a princess was what she needed to get her mind off the subject.

She can just do her daily routine in the morning before opening the shop and pick the book up on her way to the training grounds, rather than after closing like she normally would. Which meant she'd have to wake up at basically the ass crack of dawn. Scowling out the window she set her alarm, giving herself at least 2 hours to read before bed. After settling in it didn't even take an hour before she fell asleep.

The sun was just beginning to rise when Gai reached the training ground's. A good morning workout was always uplifting and youthful! Especially when his beloved students were on separate missions and he could finally train all out. Though they were exceptionally strong and he lived to train them to the very best they could be and beyond, they weren't remotely close to the level Gai was.

Upon opening the door he heard soft breathy gasps and slapping against wood. Looking over in the direction of the source he almost fell over. The small fairy like girl he'd originally thought was just a teen. How stupid he felt now seeing her completely exposed in skin tight leggings and sports bra, she was definitely a grown woman. For as small as she was she was well endowed.

Her body was unlike so many of the other women he knew in the village. He was able to see what exactly that thin sweater was hiding last night. Her curves were sensual, she was beautifully thick and toned instead of the usual sickly thin and muscular type that was so common for a kunoichi. Sweat slid down her body giving it a light sheen, dripping from her face as she punched and kicked at a training dummy violently.

Looking closer after her he realized she was doing training exercises for kenpo. She was fantastic! The longer he watched the more he itched to see just how strong she really was. If only he could have a training session with her. Deciding for now to give her some space he began his pre-running stretches.

Ren was irritated and just a grump that morning. For one her book wasn't at the tea shop and God knows where else she could've possibly left it. Secondly she just wasn't much of a morning person, well when it came to training in the morning she wasn't. The only times she felt comfortable training was when the temperature was coldest so she could feel almost like she was home. So typically she liked to come late at night after closing her shop; if she ever had to change it up and go in the morning it would always be hours before dawn.

Thankfully the times she would train no one in their right mind would be there so she had control over the thermostat. She could never get used to the warmth of konaha even after living there for seven years, always wearing loose thin clothing as often as possible or just her weighted sports bra with mesh leggings.

Stopping her routine for a moment she sipped her water trying to remember where else she could've left her book. The only other place she had been last night was the top of the Hokage monument. She blushed deeply thinking of the only reason she had to not notice dropping her very mature novel. She really had to get his image out of her head. Was she so desperate for a man she was just projecting those pent up urges onto him?

No. As she chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully she knew he really was an attractive man. Maybe his eyebrows were a bit alarming, but other than that he wasn't the worst thing to look at in the slightest. Not that it made her feel any better. She glared at the ground knowing that he already saw her as a child and knew better than to get ahead of herself. Cursing her childlike size she whipped back to the dummy she went at it with a whole new frustration that had very little to do with her lost book.

As he finished his 200 warmup laps he couldn't help but look over at her. Her form was beautiful, though she seemed a bit wild in her movements as if she were distracted, no angry. He had seen his students train in such a state of mind and that never ended well, hopefully she wouldn't injure herself. Just as the thought struck him he heard the familiar sound of wood splitting and caught the sent of blood in the vicinity.

Thwack! The training dummy crunched inward as she punched accidentally releasing chakra as she hit. Ren winced as some thick splinters had gotten through her wraps and split her knuckles, "Damn it." She muttered under her breath, she really needed to control her temper. She chastised herself as she pulled out her earbuds and rolled them around her walkman.

As she walked to her knapsack to get some bandages she picked up on a presence behind her. Relying purely on instinct she swung herself around, her palm going for the strangers sternum. Right before she could connect the hit a strong hand clamped around her wrist. She quickly forced her shoulder to dislocate and flipped herself to shoot her heel into her assailants face.

She smirked knowing that she had hit them good and hard, smile soon transforming to a face of horror as she realized that who she just equalized was non other than Gai. He flew straight into the wall, tiles crumbling away from the force it was slammed with. All she could think is there's no way a person could live through that! He was kicked with a very heavily weighted shoe.

He groaned lifting himself from the wall. What power! If he took a direct shot he definitely would have been in serious trouble. His arm though, which he used to block at the last moment wasn't as lucky. Lifting his sleeve he saw the instantaneous bruising.

Ren sat in shock thanking the gods he was a jonin and a very exceptional fighter she shakily got up and rushed over to check him over. "I am so sorry Maito-san! You startled me, I thought I was the only one crazy enough to train this early. I'm so happy you're ok."

"Ha! This is nothing Katana-san! I could never accept the title as Konaha's Green Beast if I was put out of commission from a mere broken arm." He tried flexing it as to show her there was nothing to worry over though it wouldn't cooperate with him and just jerked shooting pain up his arm making him wince.

Sighing she sent out her chakra feeling his forearm. He looked her over, swallowing an ever growing lump in his throat as he caught her scent of sweet mint and pine. Her hair was held loosely in a bun with spiraling tendrils of hair spilling from it. It looked so much more provocative than it should have. She was so close he could see drops of her sweat sliding down into her generous cleavage.

He tried to turn away willing himself from his less than gentlemanly thoughts but she had pulled him back thoroughly examining his arm. Gently her fingers probed around and found there was at least 2 spots in his ulna that were broken. He'd have to see her aunt, it's been some time since she's had to do any medical ninjustu on someone other than herself.

"Well Green Beast-san I think we better visit the hospital and get this arm of yours fixed up." Smiling with a wink she walked over to collect her things she leaving him dumbfounded. As she bent over she was nearly hyperventilating. How could she act so carefree with the man that made her punch a training dummy into submission all because her frisky frustrations. She was such and idiot, she felt absolutely juvenile.

Gai followed staring after her in disbelief. Sure he had a poor memory but really he should know who Ren was. Any female with this kind of strength was well worth knowing and he fully intended to know everything. Especially if she's well acquainted with his rival. He looked toward her watching her calculated movements so not to irritate her dislocated shoulder.

They walked in silence while he pondered over her. She was just such an enigma and it was only their third meeting. He wanted to learn more about the petite woman. Obviously she was seasoned in combat. She didn't even hesitate to contort herself unnaturally in order to get her target. He never saw that kind of drive and determination since Lee. Distracted by his thoughts Gai didn't notice the woman charging from inside the hospital towards him fist plowing into his face.

"Didn't I just tell you to take it easy while training? It's the first thing in the morning! How ignorant could you be Gai? I just discharged you from your last training injury." Tsunade screeched over Gai's fallen form.

"But Hokage-sama how did you?"

"Why else would you wander over here if it wasn't to get a medical-nin to fix you up just so you can run off and overwork yourself all over again?!"

Ren watched as her aunt grabbed Gai by his collar shaking him violently. Such a hothead, not that she could say anything but she would never admit it. That couldn't be good for his arm. Taking matters into her own hands she clasped a hand over her aunt's shoulder.

"Hokage-sama can't you see he's in need of treatment, or have you been away from the medical field so long you forgot how to treat a patient?"

Tsunade stopped and zeroed in on his arm. "Gai how on earth did you do this to your arm? It's broken in tw- no three separate places. What kind of training could you possibly have-"

She was cut off feeling a tap on her shoulder. Turning around she saw her adorable niece grimacing up at her.

"I broke his arm Hokage-sama. He caught me off guard and I acted without a second thought." Ren looked towards the ground shamefully, knowing full well she should have shown more self restraint. Her aunt on the other hand never looked more amused.

"Ha! Of course it was you, you brute! Most would think you were my daughter and not that monk like sister of mine."

"S-sister? Hokage-sama you're-" Before he could get another word out he was dragged by the collar into a room for treatment. Tsunade sat him down green enveloping her hand as she set his bones back in place, "I trust you can take care of your own arm Ren?"

"Obviously." She said through clenched teeth as she popped the joint back into its socket. Dislocated shoulders were always a pain but nothing to worry over, "I just forgot about it because I was worried over the injury I caused Maito-san."

Humming in understanding Tsunade looked at the man whose arm was nearly finished. He was being uncharacteristically patient and quiet. Had her niece hit him in the head as well? She studied him, and he looked fascinated, like he was trying to solve a great puzzle. Oh this was too good. Her niece needed something in her life other than all those books she surrounds herself with. She needed some excitement romantically finally.

Gai watched Ren closely trying to find a resemblance between the two. He and Lee had more likeliness between them than the two women. The Hokage did indeed imply that the girl was her sister's daughter. He most definitely should have known Ren if she was related to the Hokage. At the very least he should have seen her around. Feeling like he was getting nowhere he decided to let it go for now.

Ren was relieved her aunt had everything under control. God only knows what would've happened if she tried to heal him. She really had to start practicing again. Seeing that he was alright she made to leave.

"And where do you think you're going? You can't think it's ok to injure a man and run off? Why not take him for tea as an apology?"

Turning slowly confused she tilted her head to the side in a way that one couldn't help but find endearing.

"I'm sorry, I would but I'm filthy and I don't think that's good company for tea."

"Oh I'm sure you can clean up before meeting up. Go home take a shower and I'll have Gai meet you at Sakurai."

Tsunade all but shoved the girl out the room and when she felt it was safe she rounded on Gai. "Now listen Gai I have a very important mission for you. That girl has no life. All she does is read and train."

She looked at him, he looked confused and none too motivated. She decided to take a different approach. She turned away allowing tears to form, "I'm sorry. I'm just so worried. She's my niece and I'm scared that her precious youth is being wasted away. You know that poor thing had to grow up way too fast never knowing what it was to let go and really be youthful."

She had his attention now. Barely hiding her smirk she watched his face go from shocked to pure determination. He shot up full of energy giving her his signature thumbs up and sparkling smile.

"Not to worry Lady Hokage I'll help your dear niece! If it's youthfulness she's lost you can count on me to help her!"

He vanished with a goal set promising himself if he couldn't help the girl he'd do 1000 laps around Konoha on his hands.