by Panes of hunger awakened the teen, and he shot out of bed searching his cabinets for any traces of food. Nothing. The teen quickly cleaned up for the morning, and grabbed his familiar old jacket. Bounding out the door, Chouji began a steady jog towards the aroma that lifted his senses. Ichiraku was always good for a morning bite. Either way, he always met Naruto there, who was usually halfway through his second bowl by then. A contest had erupted once to see who could get there the quickest and finish off 5 bowls, but the little contest was abruptly halted, due to the fact that nobody wanted to wake up that early. Much to his surprise, Naruto was nowhere in sight. Taking a seat, Mr.Ichiraku appeared smiling. "Chouji Akimichi!! If it isn't one of my favorite customers! How ar- hey wait..." He paused. "You actually made it here before Naruto?" He asked, an overlydone dramatic tone to his voice. "Yeah! He must have had a late night."
As if Chouji's words had been heard by the higher ups, Naruto brushed the curtain aside, and took a seat next to Chouji. The rings under his eyes manifested that Chouji had been right on the money. "Good morning Naruto!" Naruto instantly awoke! "Ack!! Chouji!?!" The rotund shinobi grinned. "Beat ya!" Naruto's forehead rumpled. "No fair. I couldn't sleep last night." Two steaming bowls of ramen were placed before them. If Naruto wasn't awake before, he certainly was now!
- - - - - 20 minutes later - - - - -
Naruto and Chouji walked down the familiar path that led to their houses. "Man... I over-ate." Naruto whined. "There's no such thing as over-ate if you're serious about eating!" Chouji retorted. Naruto half-chuckled, and gripped his stomach again. Splitting ways, they said their goodbyes, and headed home. Turning the corner, and advancing up the stairs, Naruto headed towards his dorm. Turning the corner again, he hit something solid, and fell back on his butt. "Sorry, Sorry!!" Naruto said standing up. The teen stood up, and brushed himself off. "Oh! Naruto! I was just knocking on your door! Good to see you." The teen smiled his familiar smile. "Sai! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in 2 whole days!" Sai nodded, picking up a few brushes he dropped in the collision. "Hai, hai. I was out in the forest drawing the sounds of nature." Naruto cocked his head. "You can draw sounds?" Sai stood up, and nodded once more. "If you concentrate hard enough. But thats not what I came to talk to you about."
"eh?..."
- - -
"As you know, I've worked as a spy, and as an assassin for the ANBU root division... And more recently, I've been tracking a certain Jounin." Naruto sat down on his bed, and listened. "His name is Arashi Kayazaki." Naruto lit up. "Yeah, yeah! He's here for some kind of business with Tsunade ba-chan, -err, I think. From the Sand right?" Sai nodded, and looked out the window. "Not sure what business he's got with Hokage-sama... But he seems awfully suspicious." Shaking his head, Naruto gave the thumbs up.
"Nope. Gaara would never send someone to the Leaf that he didn't trust." Sai closed his eyes. "The Sand has been known for traitors... even Gaara might not see through something thorouly planned out..."
Naruto pondered the thought. "What could he possibly be up to then?" Sai stood up, and walked to the window. "... I doubt it could be another attack by Orochimaru. Ever since the attack, we've doubled up our defenses, and he knows it. Also, he'll probably wait until he obtains Sasuke's body." Naruto clenched his fists. "Dammit Sasuke..." He muttered angrily. "I don't know what he's up to..." Sai continued. "But I'll be tailing him. Be sure to let me know anything you hear about him." Naruto nodded. Sai left out the window, and disappeared from sight. Suddenly, Sakura appeared squatted down in the window. Naruto looked into her eyes. "Did you hear all of that?" She nodded, and stepped into the room. "We'll get him before Orochimaru does..." She sat down next to him, and placed her hand over his. "How bout' some training? I asked Kakashi-sensei, and he agreed to a small training session out in the field. Thats what I originally came to tell you anyways..." Naruto stood up, and smiled.
"We'll definately get him back!" Sakura stood up and cheered. "Thats the Spirit! Now lets go!" They disappeared out the window, and raced to the fields.
- - - - -1 hour later- - - - -
". . ."
". . ."
". . . We should have expected this."
"yeah..."
They sat by the gate watching the clouds. "That man is always late to everything. No sense of decency, I swear it." Naruto nodded, and hung his head. "Its already 6. Maybe we should just call it a-"
"Sorry to keep you waiting." A voice intterupted from above. Sitting on the fence, Kakashi put his book away. "Dammit sensei!!" Sakura screamed, throwing a punch at him. Kakashi dodged, and created a Shadow-clone. Naruto darted at the clone, and attempted a kick to the face- but he dodged. Using the momentum from the kick, Naruto launched a kunai, which the clone deflected with a kunai of it's own. Kakashi shot past Naruto, quickly followed by Sakura. The clone appeared behind Naruto, and held a kunai to his throat. "You need more training." The clone said slyly. A kunai appeared around the neck of the clone, as the pinned Naruto turned into a log. A substitution. "Either that... Or you're underestimating me." With a swift motion, the clone puffed into smoke. Naruto darted into the forest after Kakashi and Sakura...
As if Chouji's words had been heard by the higher ups, Naruto brushed the curtain aside, and took a seat next to Chouji. The rings under his eyes manifested that Chouji had been right on the money. "Good morning Naruto!" Naruto instantly awoke! "Ack!! Chouji!?!" The rotund shinobi grinned. "Beat ya!" Naruto's forehead rumpled. "No fair. I couldn't sleep last night." Two steaming bowls of ramen were placed before them. If Naruto wasn't awake before, he certainly was now!
- - - - - 20 minutes later - - - - -
Naruto and Chouji walked down the familiar path that led to their houses. "Man... I over-ate." Naruto whined. "There's no such thing as over-ate if you're serious about eating!" Chouji retorted. Naruto half-chuckled, and gripped his stomach again. Splitting ways, they said their goodbyes, and headed home. Turning the corner, and advancing up the stairs, Naruto headed towards his dorm. Turning the corner again, he hit something solid, and fell back on his butt. "Sorry, Sorry!!" Naruto said standing up. The teen stood up, and brushed himself off. "Oh! Naruto! I was just knocking on your door! Good to see you." The teen smiled his familiar smile. "Sai! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in 2 whole days!" Sai nodded, picking up a few brushes he dropped in the collision. "Hai, hai. I was out in the forest drawing the sounds of nature." Naruto cocked his head. "You can draw sounds?" Sai stood up, and nodded once more. "If you concentrate hard enough. But thats not what I came to talk to you about."
"eh?..."
- - -
"As you know, I've worked as a spy, and as an assassin for the ANBU root division... And more recently, I've been tracking a certain Jounin." Naruto sat down on his bed, and listened. "His name is Arashi Kayazaki." Naruto lit up. "Yeah, yeah! He's here for some kind of business with Tsunade ba-chan, -err, I think. From the Sand right?" Sai nodded, and looked out the window. "Not sure what business he's got with Hokage-sama... But he seems awfully suspicious." Shaking his head, Naruto gave the thumbs up.
"Nope. Gaara would never send someone to the Leaf that he didn't trust." Sai closed his eyes. "The Sand has been known for traitors... even Gaara might not see through something thorouly planned out..."
Naruto pondered the thought. "What could he possibly be up to then?" Sai stood up, and walked to the window. "... I doubt it could be another attack by Orochimaru. Ever since the attack, we've doubled up our defenses, and he knows it. Also, he'll probably wait until he obtains Sasuke's body." Naruto clenched his fists. "Dammit Sasuke..." He muttered angrily. "I don't know what he's up to..." Sai continued. "But I'll be tailing him. Be sure to let me know anything you hear about him." Naruto nodded. Sai left out the window, and disappeared from sight. Suddenly, Sakura appeared squatted down in the window. Naruto looked into her eyes. "Did you hear all of that?" She nodded, and stepped into the room. "We'll get him before Orochimaru does..." She sat down next to him, and placed her hand over his. "How bout' some training? I asked Kakashi-sensei, and he agreed to a small training session out in the field. Thats what I originally came to tell you anyways..." Naruto stood up, and smiled.
"We'll definately get him back!" Sakura stood up and cheered. "Thats the Spirit! Now lets go!" They disappeared out the window, and raced to the fields.
- - - - -1 hour later- - - - -
". . ."
". . ."
". . . We should have expected this."
"yeah..."
They sat by the gate watching the clouds. "That man is always late to everything. No sense of decency, I swear it." Naruto nodded, and hung his head. "Its already 6. Maybe we should just call it a-"
"Sorry to keep you waiting." A voice intterupted from above. Sitting on the fence, Kakashi put his book away. "Dammit sensei!!" Sakura screamed, throwing a punch at him. Kakashi dodged, and created a Shadow-clone. Naruto darted at the clone, and attempted a kick to the face- but he dodged. Using the momentum from the kick, Naruto launched a kunai, which the clone deflected with a kunai of it's own. Kakashi shot past Naruto, quickly followed by Sakura. The clone appeared behind Naruto, and held a kunai to his throat. "You need more training." The clone said slyly. A kunai appeared around the neck of the clone, as the pinned Naruto turned into a log. A substitution. "Either that... Or you're underestimating me." With a swift motion, the clone puffed into smoke. Naruto darted into the forest after Kakashi and Sakura...
