Chapter Thirteen: Campfire Chats and Meeting in Tanzaku
Author's Note: As always, I'd like to thank everyone who's left me a like, follow, review, and a PM.
I truly appreciate the feedback and responses.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this story.
Bold: Technique (English Translation)
Italics: Thoughts
Horizontal Line: Flashback
(Scene Change): Signals a scene change
"We'll stop here for the night," Jiraiya stated, stopping in a clearing and gazing at the setting sun.
"Thank god," Sakura thought, gulping in lungfuls of air as she bent over and rested her hands on her knees, her face dripping with sweat. Her green eyes glanced at her teammates and found that Sasuke was in better shape than her, though he was still sweating and was taking slow, deep breaths while the only signs of exertion on Naruto's part was the light sheen of sweat on his skin. Sakura felt her eyebrows twitch, "Just what kind of stamina does Naruto have?"
"You need to work on your students' endurance, Kakashi," Zabuza noted as he leaned against a tree, his arms crossed. "We were barely going at a chūnin pace," Zabuza then jerked his thumb at the blond Uzumaki who was taking off his backpack and setting up his tent, "Only the gaki there is where he should be, stamina-wise that is."
"True," Kakashi acknowledged, "I have been remiss in their endurance training," Kakashi agreed before looking at Sakura and Sasuke, "Something that I will be addressing when we return to Konoha."
Sakura shivered at her scarecrow sensei's stare while Sasuke grunted in acknowledgment before taking off his bag and setting up his tent. Meanwhile, Naruto finished setting up his tent when Jiraiya approached him.
"Hey, Naruto, think you could create some clones to gather some firewood and act as guards?" Jiraiya asked.
"Sure thing," Naruto chirped, placing his hands in a cross-shaped hand seal and summoning a dozen clones. Knowing their tasks, the clones scattered, disappearing into the forest with some leaping into the trees.
"Good," Jiraiya complimented, clapping his godson on the shoulder, "You didn't shout the technique out loud that time."
"Thanks," Naruto said, feeling a surge of pride at the praise. He then felt a familiar pair of arms embrace him from behind, followed by lips bussing his cheek. "Hmm, what was that for, Haku-chan?"
"Do I need a reason for kissing my boyfriend?" Haku hummed, resting her chin on Naruto's shoulder.
"Nope," Naruto grinned, clasping Haku's hands.
"I thought not," Haku smiled as she tightened her embrace.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm developing cavities when I look at you two," Jiraiya joked, smiling.
The couple shared a glance before looking at Jiraiya and shrugging.
"Alright, you love birds," Jiraiya snorted, rolling his eyes before he addressed his godson, "After dinner, we'll test your calligraphy so we can see where to start your fūinjutsu training."
"Sweet," Naruto chirped, an excited grin on his face before leaning back into Haku's embrace, receiving a nuzzle in return.
Sakura finished setting up her tent, brushing back a sweaty bang as she stood up and looked over at the couple. A frown grew on her face as she felt another pang of jealousy when she observed the two. "Why am I jealous of them? Is it because of Naruto?"
"No. It's because they're in a relationship, and it's clear that they love each other while you are single," Sakura's inner voice answered.
Sakura hummed, mulling the answer over in her mind, and couldn't fault the logic found there. "Alright, so I'm jealous because Naruto's in a happy relationship and I'm not. So, the simple solution is to get Sasuke-kun to go out on a date with me!" Sakura looked determined, a fire in her eyes as she searched for the Uchiha heir, finding the boy speaking with Kakashi.
"That's the spirit! Go and get our man! Cha!" Inner-Sakura cheered, pumping her fist.
Sakura grinned as she walked over to speak with her crush, "Hey, Sasuke-kun, when we return to Konoha, would you like to go out on a date with me?"
"Sakura, can't you see that I'm speaking with Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, slightly scowling, getting a sheepish giggle from the girl.
"Sorry," Sakura apologized, bonking herself on the head and winking at the boy. "I'll wait until you're done."
"Oh, there's no need," Kakashi assured, giving the two an eye smile, "We'll continue our conversation later. Now, go on, you two." Kakashi chuckled as he left to set up his tent.
Sasuke sighed, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as he watched his scarecrow of a sensei walk away. He turned to Sakura, ready to reject her out of hand because she was a fangirl, but he stopped himself. He stopped himself because he recalled that Sakura had killed someone in Nami, displaying that she at least had the mettle to be a kunoichi, something Sasuke desired in a potential bride; it wouldn't do if his future children were weak-willed to do what must be done.
"But even so," Sasuke thought as he discretely eyed Sakura up and down, noting her skinny arms and legs, "Can she give me strong children?" Sasuke decided not to dismiss Sakura; instead, he crossed his arms, leaned against a nearby tree, and asked, "What are you willing to do to go out with me?"
Sakura was momentarily stunned, expecting her crush to reject her outright, not for him to ask her what she would do to date him. The pink-haired kunoichi's surprise was swiftly replaced with elation; "Anything!"
"Anything?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow, considering the girl's earnestness, "Would you be willing to train? To get stronger?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, tilting her head, her long, pink hair shifting. "Haven't you seen me training with Kakashi-sensei?"
"I have, and you have potential," Sasuke acknowledged, seeing Sakura's green eyes brighten, only for them to dim at his next words, "But it's not enough. I want strong children, and for that, I need a strong kunoichi. Can you be that?"
"Of course I can!" Sakura exclaimed, placing her hand on her chest, "I'll be one of the strongest kunoichi in Konoha—no, the Elemental Nations!"
Sasuke smirked, seeing the determination burning in the girl's eyes. "If she's this motivated, she might just do that—Then get to a jonin level of skill, and I might take you out on a date," Sasuke stated, pushing off his tree and walking over to Kakashi, leaving the pink-haired girl in a daze.
Sakura felt like her heart would burst out of her chest as a grin grew on her face. "Sasuke-kun said he'll go out with me. Sasuke-kun said he'll. Go. Out. With. Me!" Sakura internally squealed as she jumped up and down.
"True love conquers all! Cha!" Inner-Sakura cheered, pumping her metaphysical fist.
"That's right!" Sakura agreed before her mind halted her heart by reminding her of Sasuke's requirement; she needed to be a jonin to get a date with Sasuke. The pink-haired girl felt her elation wane as she reviewed the requirements to become a jonin, comparing them to her current skills, and found herself lacking.
"Jonin are ninjas that are well rounded, skilled in the three main arts: taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, and usually possess a specialty in an area like Kakashi-sensei with ninjutsu or Zabuza-san with kenjutsu. Me? I'm good with chakra control, and that's pretty much it. Hell, Naruto's better than me in taijutsu and ninjutsu, and he was the dead last!" At that last thought, Sakura felt doubt begin to creep in as she processed the steepness of the mountain she had to climb to secure Sasuke's affection.
"Hey! That's quitter thinking!" Inner-Sakura admonished, shaking her imaginary fist, "We are the kunoichi of the year and the smartest person from our class! We can do anything that we can set our minds to!"
"You're right," Sakura agreed, "We'll become jonin, show Ino-buta that we're better than her, and then make Sasuke-kun ours!" Sakura then devolved into giggles as she imagined herself in a beautiful wedding kimono next to her beloved Sasuke as they both stood atop a defeated Ino.
The pink-haired girl's actions drew strange looks from the other occupants of the camp.
"Maybe I shouldn't have made that offer," the last loyal Uchiha thought as he glanced at the giggling girl out of the corner of his eye while the others did their best to ignore her.
Minutes later, the seven shinobi sat around the lit campfire, eating shinobi ration bars that tasted like cardboard and had the texture of pinecones. The older shinobi-Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Zabuza-ate them with blank expressions; Naruto, Haku, and Sasuke ate them with scowls; and Sakura ate hers with a shudder as she felt the highly unappetizing but highly nutritious rations slide down her gullet and land in her gut like a lead ball.
"Blech!" Sakura spat, reaching for her canteen and gulping down water to wash away the aftertaste. "Why can't they make these things taste better?"
"Suck it up, Pinky," Zabuza scoffed, "Be grateful you aren't eating spiders."
"Spiders?" Sakura asked, her face paling as she imagined a creepy, eight-eyed arachnid climbing down her throat.
"Yes, spiders," Zabuza grinned, flashing the girl his sharpened teeth, "They are good sources of protein, especially the big, hairy ones found in jungles on the smaller islands surrounding Kiri. Had to eat a huge nest of them while on a stakeout once."
Sakura shuddered, her pale face tinging green.
"Bah! That's nothing!" Jiriaya scoffed, drawing everyone's attention, "I had to survive off of slugs once, for three days during the Second War!" He mentally added, "Katsuyu-sama took a while to forgive me for that."
Sakura turned greener than a leaf as she pushed down the bile rising in her throat.
"Hmm, are we sharing?" Kakashi asked, his one eye peering over his book.
"Sure! What's the most disgusting thing you've had to eat on a mission, Kakashi?" Jiraiya asked, urging the masked shinobi on with a wave of his hand.
Kakashi shrugged. "Well, I suppose I've been blessed by not having to eat any creepy crawlies, though there was a time in Yuki no Kuni when I was holed up in a barn during a snowstorm, and I had to live off of rats."
Sakura lost her fight against nausea and promptly hurled, while Naruto, Haku, and Sasuke looked upon their ration bars with a new reverence. They all silently vowed to carry as many ration bars as they could get away with on future missions.
After a quick application of a suiton jutsu to rid the campfire of the stench of Sakura's vomit, the seven shinobi were left to their own devices. Kakashi sat at the base of a tree, reading his smut; Sasuke played a game of cat's cradle with ninja wire; Sakura went to her tent to change; Zabuza sharpened his sword; and Haku sat next to Naruto as the blond got his first introduction to calligraphy.
"Alright, brat," Jiraiya began as he reached into his vest, pulled out a scroll, tossed it to his student, and then pulled out an ink brush and ink bottle, "Let's see how good your handwriting is."
"What do you want me to write?" Naruto asked, catching the scroll, unfurling it on the ground, and finding it blank.
"We'll start with something simple; write your name," Jiraiya said, tossing the brush and ink bottle to the blond.
"Can do!" Naruto said, catching the writing tool and began writing. The blond teen took less than five seconds to finish and hand his work to his godfather.
"We're gonna spend a lot of time practicing calligraphy," Jiraiya stated after glancing at his godson's sloppy scrawl.
"Huh? What's the matter with it?" Naruto asked, standing up and walking over to squint at his signature.
"It's too sloppy," Jiraiya said as he pointed to the first character of Naruto's name, "You see this here: the curve is too sharp, which is bad. And this isn't the only problem."
"Well, what does that matter if someone can still read it?" Naruto asked, his head tilted.
"Because seals are delicate things that require precision; one squiggly dash or sharp curve can result in a seal exploding or having unintended side effects," Jiraiya explained.
"Like what?" Naruto said, wondering what could be worse than a seal exploding. "Though I want to make exploding tags, so would an exploding seal be so bad?
"Well, you could wind up making a seal that would suck you up and trap you in a subspace dimension for all of eternity," Jiraiya said, sounding matter-of-fact.
"Egh," Naruto uttered, recoiling. "Note to self: improve handwriting. Fast."
"Exactly. So, until your handwriting is at an acceptable level, you won't be learning seals," Jiraiya stated, a stern look in his eyes as he handed the scroll back to Naruto. "Now, try again."
"Understood," Naruto nodded, taking the scroll and returning to his place. "How long do you think it will take until my handwriting's better?"
"It depends," Jiraiya tapped his chin as he observed Naruto's writing. "If you're dedicated and with a copious amount of shadow clones, I could see you ready to paint your first seal within a month."
"A month?!" Naruto's eyes bulged, pausing his writing, causing ink blots to splatter against the scroll. "Why would it take that long if I'm using clones?"
"Brat, you don't appreciate how much time your clones are actually saving," Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head. "If you didn't use your clones, you'd probably take half a year to a year to get to that point–also, you're blotting ink on the paper."
"Ah, right," Naruto mumbled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he unfurled more scroll and began writing his name anew.
Naruto took his time on his next attempt, ensuring that every line and curve were as legible as possible before he showed it to Jiraiya.
"Better, but it still needs work," Jiraiya said as he pointed out some more flaws. The man then rose from his seat and began preparing for bed, yelling over his shoulder, "You and Haku have first watch; Sasuke and Sakura will relieve you in two hours."
The couple nodded, staying near the fire; Naruto continued his practice with Haku next to him as she decided to inspect her supplies while Naruto's clones served as an extra layer of security.
(Scene Change)
Elsewhere, Team Ten was sitting around their campfire, enjoying a hearty meal of shinobi ration bars to varying degrees of enjoyment.
Asuma had a blank look on his face as he mindlessly crunched on one of the bars; Shikamaru looked apathetic; Ino looked revolted; and Chōji looked delighted.
"Blegh," Ino shuddered as she finished her last bite of the ration bar. "Why can't they make these things taste better?" Ino asked, unknowing she had just mirrored her rival as she reached for her canteen and gulped down mouthfuls of water in a vain attempt to wash away the aftertaste.
"They have," Asuma stated as he finished chowing down his bar. "You should have seen how bad they tasted back when I was a genin—it was like biting into a rock slathered in mud."
Ino shivered as she felt her teeth ache at the thought. The Yamanak heiress turned her head, her blue eyes landing on her husky teammate. "How can you enjoy these things?"
"Food's food," Chōji responded, finishing his second bar and beginning on his third. "Better than going hungry."
Ino opened her mouth, a caustic retort on her lips before she registered what the Akimichi said; it was better than going hungry.
"Though they could still try and make these things taste better," Ino mentally grumbled.
"Sensei," Shikamaru began, having finished his bar, "What do you want us to do when we confront Raiga?"
"Ideally, nothing," Asuma responded as he threw his paper wrapper into the fire, "With myself, Kakashi, Zabuza, and Jiriaya-sama, I imagine that we can handle anything that Kurosuki can throw at us."
"You 'imagine?" Shikamaru asked, his eyebrow raised.
"There are no guarantees in our line of work," Asuma said, "For all we know, Raiga could be stronger than our intel suggests; his crime family might hide a few dangers, or maybe someone else has an ax to grind against the former swordsman," Asuma then addressed all of his students, his black eyes stern, "That's why I want all of you to be on your toes, understand?"
"Yes, Sensei," all three of his students nodded, taking their teacher's instructions to heart.
"Good," Asuma grinned as he reached into his flak jacket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a flare of katon chakra.
"So, just to be clear, we'll be handling overwatch with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura while you guys handle all of the fighting?" Shikamaru asked, getting a 'more or less' hand gesture from his sensei. "Great, more time to relax," Shikamaru grinned before lying back on the ground and gazing at the stars.
"Lazy bones," Ino snorted before asking, "How long until we get to Tanzaku Gai? Oh, and when are Sasuke-kun and the others supposed to get there?"
"We'll be there by next afternoon, while Jiraiya-sama's group should arrive within two days. Why?" Asuma asked, exhaling some smoke.
"Because I want to get a surprise ready for Sasuke-kun," Ino stated, sounding matter-of-fact as she thought about doing some quick shopping while they waited in the gambling town. "I'll get a dress that knocks his socks off!" Ino thought, a determined gleam in her eye.
Team Ten's three male members sighed, knowing they were in for many headaches in the near future.
"Alright," Asuma said, getting up from his seat and walking over to his tent. "Shikamaru, you've got the first watch; Ino, you'll relieve him in two hours, followed by Chōji and then myself."
"Got it," Shikamaru acknowledged with a lazy wave, not moving from his spot on the ground.
(Scene Change)
The following two days for Jiraiya's group consisted of the same routine: get up, eat breakfast, break camp, and continue their journey to Tanzaku Gai, the gambling mecca of Hi No Kuni.
"We're here," Jiraiya announced, slowing to a walk as they saw the casino town in the distance.
"Could have been here faster," Zabuza grumbled, giving a side eye to Sasuke and Sakura.
The duo in question were too tired to feel irritation at the indirect jab, trying to catch their breaths as they wrung their sweaty clothes.
"Eh, they did a decent job of keeping pace," Jiraiya said, looking over his shoulder and noting that while Sasuke and Sakura looked haggard, Naruto looked like he was still ready to go with just a light sheen of sweat on his face.
"One did," Zabuza corrected, noting that the blond knucklehead was raring to go. "Must be because of his tenant, Yagura-teme is the same way."
"We get it! We'll work on our stamina!" Sasuke snapped, glaring at Zabuza, tired of being looked down upon by the Kiri missing-nin.
"You want to scrap?" Zabuza growled, his hand inching towards his sword before he felt a familiar cold pain on the top of his head.
"Zabuza-sama, behave," Haku stated, landing on the ground and waving some excess ice off the edge of her hand.
"Hnn," Sasuke smirked, enjoying Zabuza's pain before he, too, felt a pain on the top of his head.
"You behave too, Sasuke," Kakashi said, his arm extended with his hand held in a knife hand.
"Understood," Sasuke glowered as he rubbed his head.
"Hah!" Naruto snickered, enjoying, for once, that he wasn't on the receiving end of Kakashi's ire, only for his enjoyment to be short-lived by a pounding force on his skull that drove him face-first into the ground.
"Don't laugh at Sasuke-kun! Naruto-baka!" Sakura shouted, her fist smoking as she glared at her downed, blond teammate.
Haku glared daggers at the pink-haired girl as she channeled her Hyōton chakra to her hands.
"Enough!" Jiraiya barked, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he rested his other on Haku's shoulder. "Kakashi, take Sakura and Sasuke to the inn so they can wash up and relax in the onsen, then you three do what you want; Zabuza, come with me so I can get a drink."
"And what are we supposed to do?" Naruto asked, rising as he motioned to himself and Haku.
"See the sights, go out on a date, make out—don't care what you do as long as you're safe and meet us at the inn at six," Jiraiya grinned before addressing the group, "Sound good?"
Everyone in the group nodded, quickly entering the town and going their separate ways.
(Scene Change)
Sakura pleasurably sighed as she slipped herself into the waters of the onsen. "This is just what I needed, and I even have the place to myself. The only thing that would make this better is if Sasuke-kun joined me," the kunoichi of Team Seven thought, blushing and giggling. However, her moment of revelry was short-lived by the arrival of her rival.
"Forehead, is that you?" Ino asked, walking into the onsen with a towel wrapped around her body.
Sakura said nothing as she stared up through the steam and at the sky, sourly thinking, "Why do you hate me?"
"It is you! I'd recognize the glare off your billboard brow anywhere!" Ino mocked as she went to the shower heads to wash up before soaking. "So, how are things?"
"They were great until you got here," Sakura muttered.
"Did you say something?" Ino called, sitting on a stool and lathering her arms.
"I said that things are going great," Sakura said, wearing a saccharine smile, knowing that Ino was going through the pleasantries until she got to the topic of conversation she really wanted.
"That's good," Ino nodded, finishing with her arms and starting on her legs, "So, how's Sasuke-kun? He tired of carrying yours and Naruto's deadweight, yet?"
"Naruto's not deadweight," Sakura stated, her eyes narrowing before she adopted a smug grin, "And if I recall, I was the Kunoichi of the Year, not you, meaning I'm better than you, piggy."
"As if," Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes as she started on her torso, "You got that title because of your grades; you can't fight your way out of a wet paper bag."
"Is that a challenge?" Sakura growled, standing out of the water, "I can beat your ass any day of the week!"
"Bring it!" Ino said, rising from her stool and staring down Sakura. "Once we return to Konoha, I will show you that I'm twice the kunoichi you'll ever be! Because we already know I'm twice the woman you'll ever be!" Ino smirked, her blue eyes zeroing in on Sakura's chest.
Sakura traced Ino's eyes before her face turned redder than a cherry. The pink-haired girl gasped, quickly crossing her arms around her torso and sinking into the hot spring with a splash, much to a laughing Ino's amusement.
"Pervert!" Sakura glared at the laughing Ino.
"Not a pervert," Ino smiled before getting one last dig in, "And even if I was, you've got nothing to interest me, Flatty."
"I'd rather be flat than fat like you, Piggy!" Sakura frustratedly yelled, tears beginning to prick her eyes.
"Really?" Ino asked, arching an eyebrow as she crossed her arms underneath her breasts and pushed them up.
"That's not–It's–Ugh!" Sakura threw up her hands as she quickly waded over to her towel, wrapped it around her torso, and fled the hot springs, brushing past Ino, who saw her tears.
"Maybe I was a bit too harsh," Ino mumbled, a frown on her lips, suddenly feeling a chill that had nothing to do with her nakedness as she stood alone in the hot springs.
(Scene Change)
Meanwhile, Naruto and Haku were strolling Tanzaku Gai's streets, holding hands as they passed shops, casinos, and restaurants.
"So, what do you want to do?" Naruto asked as they passed by a pachinko parlor, seeing out of the corner of his eye a blond-haired woman in a green gambler's jacket sitting at one of the machines.
"I don't know," Haku said, her eyes scanning the surrounding shops for something to do, "How about we-" Whatever the Yuki heiress was going to say was cut off by her rumbling stomach. Haku quickly blushed and giggled nervously before saying, "How about some lunch?"
"Sounds like a good plan. But where, though?" Naruto chuckled at his girlfriend's embarrassed expression, finding it cute.
Haku scanned the streets and saw a barbecue restaurant a few stores down from them. "How about there?" Haku asked, pointing to the restaurant in question.
"Sure," Naruto smiled, squeezing her hand, "Lead the way."
The couple walked to the restaurant, passing by a black-haired woman wearing a black kimono carrying a pig in her arms on their way, a pig wearing a jacket and beads around its neck.
"That was weird," Naruto commented, looking over his shoulder at the woman. "Who dresses up their pigs?"
"I don't know, maybe the pig was a summon?" Haku offered as they entered the restaurant.
"Maybe," Naruto said as they approached the hostess.
The hostess greeted them with a smile and asked them how many were in their party, getting a "Two" from Naruto before leading them to the corner booth.
The couple sat across from each other, pursuing the menu for a bit before deciding to order some beef for Naruto and some chicken for Haku, alongside some side dishes. Their choices made, the duo then waited for a waiter to take their orders, spending the time idly chatting about innocuous topics and enjoying one another's company until, finally, the hostess reappeared, leading the men of Team Ten.
"Hey, Naruto!" Chōji greeted, waving toward his blond eating buddy, stopping their group, "Nice to see you again; it's been a while. Who's your friend?"
"Hey Chōji, nice to see you–you too, Shikamaru and Asuma-oji–this is my girlfriend, Yuki Haku. Haku-chan, these are Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Sarutobi Asuma from Team Ten," Naruto introduced his girlfriend to the three men, eliciting stunned stupid expressions from Shikamaru and Chōji while Asuma chuckled.
"It's nice to meet you all," Haku smiled, inclining her head slightly towards the three, her words breaking the two genin out of their shock. "Would you like to join us? We've got plenty of room."
"It's nice to meet you as well, and I would like that as long as we aren't imposing," Asuma said, glancing between Haku and Naruto.
"I'm cool with it," Naruto chirped before adding, "Just let me get up and sit next to Haku-chan."
Naruto quickly changed seats, and the male members of Team Ten slid onto the bench opposite the couple, receiving menus from the hostess who told them that a waiter would be by to take their orders.
"So, Naruto, when did 'this' happen?" Shikamaru asked, lazily waving towards the couple as he glanced at his menu.
"During our mission in Nami no Kuni, about three weeks ago now. Right Haku-chan?" Naruto asked, looking towards his girlfriend for confirmation.
"Sounds about right," Haku nodded, smiling at her boyfriend, "Though it feels like we've been together longer."
"Yeah, I can see what you mean," Naruto said, returning her smile as he recalled everything they'd done together since their first date: falling in love, fighting Kushimaru, helping eliminate Gatō, and learning about Naruto's heritage.
"I'm sensing a story there," Shikamaru commented, placing his menu down as he focused on the couple.
"There is," Naruto nodded before telling the men of Team Ten the story of what happened in Nami no Kuni: battling the Demon Brothers, confronting Zabuza, meeting Haku in the forest, fighting Kushimaru, and freeing the island country. The blond told the story straight through, only pausing when the waiter stopped by for their orders and returned with their food, with Haku chiming in with her observations.
"Wow," Chōji said before biting into some beef. "And that was your first mission outside of the village?"
"Hehe, I guess so," Naruto said, scratching his cheek.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru shook his head as he scooped some rice into his bowl before throwing a wicked side eye at his sensei, "And when were you gonna tell us that our new recruits are former missing-nin?"
"Honestly? I was hoping you'd find out when you saw Momochi for the first time," Asuma smiled, enjoying the sour looks his genin shot at him.
"It's nice to know that our torment is a source of amusement for you," Shikamaru stated flatly.
"Yeah, real nice," Chōji agreed, his tone equally flat.
"You'll know my joy when you've got students of your own," Asuma said, sipping some tea. He then looked towards the couple, "And where is Momochi?"
"My master and Jiraiya-sama went out for some drinks," Haku answered. "Jiraiya-sama instructed us to gather at the inn at six."
"Ah, well, it looks like we'll need to be back at the inn by six, then," Asuma said before glancing at his watch, "That gives us about three hours."
"Hmm, just enough time to get in a quick nap," Shikamaru noted, drawing chuckles from the men at the table.
"Never a bad time for a nap, is it?" Naruto commented as he placed some more beef on the grill.
"You know it," Shikamaru smirked.
The conversation then turned to less serious topics as they continued their meal.
(Scene Change)
"This is a nice place, Jiraiya-sama," Zabuza noted, leaning back into his chair and holding out his hand for a skimpily dressed, black-haired 'waitress' to refill his cup. If she was made nervous by the hulking presence of Kubikiribōchō propped up against the wall next to the former Kiri-nin, it didn't show on her face.
"Isn't it? This place has some of the prettiest flowers in the Nations," Jiraiya laughed as he squeezed the shoulders of two 'waitresses' draped over him, getting squeals and giggles from them.
"Oh, Jiraiya-sama always says the sweetest things!" the brunette on his right simpered as she rubbed Jiraiya's chest.
"Doesn't he?" the blond on his left agreed, running her fingers through the elderly ninja's long white mane. "I think that deserves a reward."
"He does," the brunette nodded.
"Oho? And what kind of reward do I get?" Jiraiya asked, grinning as the blond leaned in and whispered into his ear.
Zabuza smirked as he watched the interaction, his ear twitching as he drained his cup and placed it on the bar top.
"Oh my! That's quite the reward," Jiraiya commented as the blond pulled back and sent him a salacious grin, "But I'm afraid that I'll have to take a rain check."
"Are you sure?" the brunette asked as she and her compatriot pouted.
"Fraid so. Though worry not my beautiful blossoms, the great and gallant Jiraiya-sama shall return to ensure that you're properly 'watered," Jiraiya declared, rising from his seat.
"Oh! Naughty Jiraiya-sama!" the blond scolded as she playfully batted at him.
"I aim to please," Jiraiya grinned, reaching into his vest and pulling out a roll of ryō notes. "Keep the change," Jiraiya said, throwing the roll to the brunette before motioning to Zabuza to follow him out of the bar.
Zabuza nodded, throwing money down for his drink before grabbing his blade and slinging it to his back.
The two men left the dingily lit bar and entered the bustling streets of the gambling town. The sun was beginning to set, bathing the dirt streets in a warm orange glow and causing the crowds to cast long shadows.
"So, Raiga's set up in a gold mine," Zabuza stated as the duo approached the inn.
Jiraiya nodded, glancing at the swordsmen, "Yes, but how did you-" the Toad Sage paused when he saw Zabuza tap right ear, "-right, you swordsmen and your bloody hearing. Then I see no reason for repeating what you've overheard, you nosy voyeur."
"We're shinobi; being 'nosy voyeurs' is half of what we do," Zabuza pointed out as he scanned the crowd, spotting Kakashi's broom brush gray hair sticking out amongst the throng.
"And the other half?" Jiraiya asked as they angled towards the tall Konoha jonin.
"Do you really need to ask?" Zabuza grinned, a bit of his bloodlust leaking out and sending shivers down the spines of the civilians surrounding them.
"No, I don't," Jiraiya snorted, shaking his head as they caught up to Kakashi. "Yo, enjoying the sites?" Jiraiya asked the cycloptic ninja.
"Meh," Kakashi shrugged, "Not my scene; I prefer quieter places where I can read my books."
"Never pegged you for a bookworm, Kakashi," Zabuza chuckled as the three continued toward the inn.
"Then I guess that adage is true, 'You learn something new every day," Kakashi stated, turning the corner and seeing the inn down the street, spotting Asuma standing in front of the building, smoking. "Plus, you might like my books; I'm sure Jiraiya-sama has a few copies sealed away if you're interested."
"Right, you are, oh favored reader of mine," Jiraiya announced, smiling as he reached into his vest pocket, "I've got copies of every book I've written on me. Now, Zabuza-san, let's start you out with-"
"-Pass," Zabuza scoffed, drawing a pout from the Sannin. "If I want to get off, I'll find someone, not read about it."
"Fair enough, but doesn't the whole 'shark teeth' thing put some women off?" Kakashi asked.
"You'd be surprised," Zabuza stated, picturing Hisame in his mind, wondering what the missing-nin from Amegakure was doing. The last time he had seen the brown-haired kunoichi was the night before he and Haku had set off for Nami no Kuni.
"She really enjoyed my teeth," Zabuza mentally chuckled, a swagger entering his step as they neared Asuma, "Which reminds me, I need to contact her and tell her that Haku and I have gone legit."
"Hello, Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi, it's nice to see you two again," Asuma greeted, nodding his head towards his fellows before addressing Zabuza, "And Momochi-san, I look forward to seeing how one of the Seven Swordsmen fares on a mission."
"No need for the formalities," Zabuza said, waving his hand, "Just call me 'Zabuza.' And I look forward to seeing how one of the Twelve Ninja Guardians operates."
"Ah, so you've heard of me, then?" Asuma asked, taking a final drag of his cigarette before dropping the butt and grinding it into the dirt with his foot.
"Your entry in the Bingo Book and your bounty speak for themselves," Zabuza explained.
"Ah, well, I can't take all the credit for my bounty; grudges against my father and all," Asuma demurred before reporting to Jiraiya, "All of the genin are here; they're waiting in their rooms."
"Excellent! Tell them to gather here in five, and we'll go out for dinner," Jiraiya said.
"Understood," Asuma nodded before they all entered the inn.
Five minutes later, most of the shinobi had gathered outside, barring one.
"Where's Ino?" Naruto asked, drawing sighs from the three males from Team Ten,
"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, narrowing his eyes. "She bolted to the bathroom when Asuma-sensei announced we were going to dinner. Said something about, 'A surprise for Sasuke-kun!"
The recipient of the surprise in question scowled as he crossed his arms, "I don't need a surprise."
"Now, now, my dour compatriot. You should be more appreciative of the pains those of the fairer sex go through to pretty themselves for our benefit," Jiraiya chided, placing his hand on Sasuke's head and ruffling his hair only for it to be smacked away.
"I don't care what she looks like because I know who Ino is: a worthless fangirl," Sasuke stated, not seeing the Yamanaka heiress appear behind them, though he certainly heard her gasp.
"Is that what you think of me?" Ino whimpered, tears stinging the corner of her blue eyes as she stood there, decked out to the nines in a brand new, silk purple yukata.
A single thought was shared by most of the members of the group, and that thought was, "Awkward."