30 Chapter 29 (1/2)

The ray of sunshine was like a laser beam to my eyes when I was blissfully asleep next to Hitori. If it weren't because we had a date today, we would've slept in. Unwillingly, I woke up from my sleep and brought my hand to wipe out any possible drool that I could have had from last night's sleep. Turned my head for a bit to see that my fiancé was blissfully asleep and her whole body was glowing in her way. The room was pleasantly warm from her radiant body heat, a trait that I always admired of my Hitori. Remembering that she and Hinata worked hard last night, I stealthily made my way to the kitchen to cook her some breakfast. In the said kitchen, it was spotless as expected from my family, she and Hinata were an avid advocate of a clean workspace in the kitchen and thus I must be careful not to mess up their handiwork. Cooking wasn't my best forte but Hitori had taught me enough to get by even though she insisted that the task should fall for the woman of the house, an argument she lost for the first time since I sort of 'devoured' her during the said argument. I chuckled at the memory as I took out my trusty flat cast iron skillet. I had decided to cook us some bacon and eggs for the morning since I had planned that our date today would be comprised of a lot of eating, a savoury breakfast couldn't hurt our appetite, couldn't it? Like always, I became quite engrossed with the current task at hand.

”Your cooking is getting a lot better nowadays, I wouldn't have to worry if I left you alone at home,” Hitori said before she hugged me from behind and snuggled into my back. I jumped a bit due to being too focused on not overcooking the bacon.

”Love? Don't jump me like that, I am holding a frying pan here,” I threatened jokingly as I tossed the green vegetables that I was also pan-frying in one go. Hitori just giggled excessively at my so-called threat.

”Hurry up, will you? I'm famished mentally and physically,” she said as she gave me a few small bites on my back. My breaths hitched and I tried to wiggle out of her grasp.

”Behave yourself or I would cancel our date today. Sit down on the table and let me feed you, woman,” I scolded half heartily to which she obeyed with a puff out cheeks looking like she was pouting. I plate her portion elegantly and garnished the dish with her favourite black pepper gravy that we usually ate with mashed potatoes. After grabbing a set of cutleries for this particular type of meal, I sat in front of her who was looking bored.

”Here, this is my appreciation of your hard work and putting up with me all these years. Say 'ah',” I breathed as I looked into her eyes and feed her the food. She couldn't help but blushed a little and took a bite of the spoon. That went on until she was fully stuffed and afterwards I carried her to the bathroom to get ready for our date. For those of you who were curious, I bathed her as I strived to be as romantic as a depressed but grateful lover could be and stole a few rounds in the bathroom.

”That was the best morning gift ever! Thank you for that and I love you so damn much,” she said before giving me a peck on my lips while we hugged. She looked exquisite in her kimono. She had rocked an appearance similar to age with me and thus to me, she was the most beautiful woman in Konoha today. I risked a hard grope on her butt to which she gasped.

”Yes, luckily we didn't break the toilet due to that thing we tried,” I said and her face went beet red. ”I would want more but we do have other plans.”

”Let's go and hurry back,” she clipped as she pulled me strutting towards our familiar dango shop. People greeted us every chance they got but Hitori wouldn't throw a fit if she was holding me tightly as I am her bridge to the people of Konoha. Very few civilians knew my real job and thus I was happy to walk in bliss through the civilian district without somebody calling me Sama or Director. Before long, we reached our dango shop and immediately sat down opposing one other whilst basking in each other's face.

”How're you liking the village now?” I began. She smiled indulgently at my question before she happily replied.

”I love it, honey. The people here are the loveliest human I've seen despite some exceptions of course. Imouto and Sakura-chan had been a wonderful friend and students.”

”Ho? I'm curious, what do you teach them all these years?” I raised an eyebrow and she smiled smugly.

”A bit of Sage Jutsu and things,” she said, grinning full of mischief and I shook my head before she suddenly grabbed my hand and brushed it softly with her warm fingers. ”How are you doing?”

”Better now, honestly,” I said simply because that is not entirely true now because Akatsuki had made a move now. She, of course, was sceptical as she knew me through and through but she did not comment on it. We were interrupted by a set of a familiar face to this dango stall.

”Oh, is it Hikari-kun and Hitori-Chan?” Kurenai said as she entered the stall and rushed towards Hitori almost immediately and hugged her tightly. Hitori as always couldn't run away from that woman.

”Yo!” Asuma hollered as he entered with a cigarette lit on his mouth.

”Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei. Good morning,” I beamed before he sat next to me. We had dango together and catch up with each other until we're stuffed. Hitori and I bid them goodbye when we left for visiting the Hyuuga compound but of course, we took the scenic route around the village. By lunchtime, we had reached Ichiraku's and we entered the stall.

”Ah, welcome! My favourite lovebirds!” Old man Teuchi greeted us.

”Teuchi-san, one extra-large Miso Char Siu ramen for me!” I said as I sat inside the stall.

”Regular Shio Ramen, please,” Hitori said before she sat next to me.

”Coming up!” Teuchi hurriedly prepared the ramen as he said it. Before long, our ramen was served. We took a breath to savour its smell and it was heaven itself. Teuchi-san is the greatest Ramen master of Konoha.

”Itadakimasu!” we both yelled in unison before we dug in.

”So, any occasion of any kind that you would want an extra-large for that? Haven't seen you had that much portion in a while,” Teuchi asked as he wiped his hands with a kitchen cloth.

”Oh, You are going to love this, our favourite idiot is coming home, Teuchi-san!” I exclaimed and his faces brightened immediately. No doubt he was missing my best friend. I had found out something important about Teuchi-san purely by accident in the vault. He and his wife were Yondaime's genin teammate. It makes sense why Naruto said that Teuchi-san and his daughter, Ayame-chan was so indulgent of Naruto since he was a pint-sized kid--he was essentially their nephew of some kind. But still, Teuchi-san and his daughter are the most compassionate people in Konoha so far.

We were finishing the ramen when we noticed it, Hitori and I. The longed, bright, warm chakra signature had entered the village perimeter. The chakra signature was faint and impossible to notice unless you are experienced enough or a sage jutsu user. Hitori and I couldn't help but chuckle lowly. I took out the amount of money needed and left it on the table.

”Thanks for the meal, Teuchi-san. He's home now!” I said as I held Hitori's hand and sifted through the blinds.

”Say hi to him and tell him to come by immediately! His first day back is on the house!” he exclaimed and I could only wave at the man because I was too impatient to see that idiot. We broke out into a small run towards the chakra signature. When we reached him, he was there with my two senpais and my sensei.

”How do I look?” Sakura shyly asked Naruto. ”Do I look more like a woman now?”

”You look fine! You haven't changed at all!!” He confidently answered. I just had to intervene.

”Baka! That's not how you talk to a woman!” I shouted and his face had brightened more considerably. He immediately appeared right in front of me and held a hand up high. We yelled to each other's name as we high-fived and grabbed each other's hand in an arm wrestling way.

”Dude, you've gotten a lot faster,” I said referring to his speed.

”Me? Look at you! You're buffed!” Naruto exclaimed. Suddenly, we were both getting clunked on the head because of our loudness.

”Hitori-Neechan, that hurt!” Naruto whined. I just rubbed my head bitterly in silent.

”Urussai!” Hitori and Sakura towered over us holding a smoking fist that hit us on the head. Both of us held up our hand in defeat. Then, Sakura noticed something.

”You've... You've gotten taller than me?” she murmured and her face turned soft when she reflects somewhere.

”Naruto-niichan!” someone called from behind us. ”Orioke no Jutsu!”

A busty, vulgar black-haired woman suddenly appeared. Sakura and Hitori were disgusted immediately and the Godaime was silent. Jiraiya immediately interested in the woman as he exclaimed happily but Kakashi-sensei was too engrossed with a new book he was reading. I decided to make small talk with my sensei that never really heard my words because of the demon book. Then, I found out that it was a new edition to that vulgar book of his, it was my turn to be disgusted.

”Perverted Ninjutsu?! You idiot!!!” A loud boom was heard and a tiny explosion occurred in front of us with Sakura trusting a fist. She then proceeds to grab something in the rubble and I found out it was Naruto. She then gave the idiot her newly levelled up nagging.

”Rescue me, Hikari-kun!” He begged.

”Nuh-uh, you dug your own grave, buddy!” I replied as I wouldn't dare to cross her right now.

”Hey, hey, Sakura, calm down...” Kakashi-sensei pleaded. ”Konohamaru here's terrified.”

”Right...” Tsunade-senpai decided to end that before it got out of hand, ”the nostalgia ends here though. Kakashi.”

Sensei closed his book with a clap and faced us.

”Well... It's been a while, hasn't it?” he began. ”From now on, the three of you will come with me on team-related missions. It's different than before. It's no longer a teacher and pupil. Starting today, we're equal Shinobi of Konoha.”

Sensei then proceeded to withdrew our familiar bell and it rang as Kakashi moved it to show it to us.

”Well... first I'm a bit curious as to how you've developed teamwise. The rules are the same as I first met you three,” he explained but the confident smile had already written in our faces, ”if you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you will never succeed in getting the bells.”

”You sure you want to do this? I know that these two had progressed a lot since then,” I asked darkly and their expression seemed to be mirroring me. He then shunshin away before he got a chance to reply.

”No Sage-Jutsu kids. I'll be waiting at home, honey. Don't stay out too late,” Hitori reminded me and Sakura while she held her waist with both of her hands.

”Hai, hai,” we said in unison before all of us shunshin towards the familiar training ground.

”You have until sunrise tomorrow,” Kakashi-sensei finished.

”Well, this place, I've missed it,” Naruto said smiling and Sakura agreed with him. I immediately droned out when he said that. Back then, we were a four-man team. Heavy, dark clouds slowly crept into my mindscape as the depressing air was rising. Luckily, sensei snapped his book shut and pulled me back to sanity.

”Well then, shall we begin?” he said with no book in his hands.

”Hehe... you won't do it while reading the book this time, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto tightened his headband.

”You've already finished it?” Sakura challenged as she pulled down on her gloves.

”Just so you know, I'll try my best to hold back,” I brought my hands to form the seal of confrontation. Kakashi-sensei pulled up his headband to reveal his Sharingan.

”I get the feeling, I should take it a little serious too,” he said and with it, the tension rose to a summit. Naruto suddenly threw Shuriken at Sensei out of the blue to which the latter just duck to evade it. By then, Kakashi-sensei threw back a couple of Shuriken at Naruto and he jumped into the air to evade it himself but sensei already threw another set of Shurikens at Naruto.

”Baka, you're immobilized in the air!” I gritted but my best friend produces a shadow clone to pull him out of harm's way. By the time they reached the ground, the clone Henge into a giant shuriken and Naruto was ready to throw it. Capable hands had stopped Naruto from moving at all.

”Well... your haste hasn't changed...” Kakashi-sensei said.

”Eh, it seems those two failed to teach you common sense, Naruto,” I said in vain.

”Alright, start,” Sensei announced and with it, he disappeared. Before I could sense the man, Sakura had beaten me to the chase by punching a crater on the ground.

”Found you!” She smiled triumphantly. All three of us shivered while flashes of Sakura's fist raining on us played like a movie.