Naruto began sitting down and started opening the bento. He was curious about what was inside.
"How rude…" Tenten said as she sat across from him.
"You brought two bentos. The other one is for me, right?" Naruto asked directly.
"Eh… that's right…" Tenten answered softly.
"Alright, thanks." Naruto smiled warmly.
At first, he wanted to tease Tenten again, but he decided against it.
He opened the bento and was surprised to see the variety inside—three regular-sized onigiri, some fragrant seasoned vegetables, a few slices of watermelon, and meat.
"What kind of meat is this?" Naruto asked.
"It's pork," Tenten replied, smiling with intention.
Naruto immediately ate it. "This is chicken…"
"…"
"Aren't you worried? What if it's really pork?" Tenten asked.
"Why worry? I trust you, dummy!" Naruto replied sharply.
"Ugh… that hurts… but at least… thank you for trusting me," Tenten said with a soft gaze.
And after a while, they both laughed together.
"Hey, it's so noisy here. What happened while we were out fishing?" That voice came closer, and it turned out to be Lee, returning while carrying a bucket full of fish.
"Wow, wow, you finally woke up. Good, now it's time to eat some fresh protein we just caught!" Guy said energetically.
They immediately set up a fire, cleaned the fish scales, and skewered them onto sharp sticks. Naruto helped because he was quite skilled at this. The fish began to roast over the embers.
"So, what happened? Why were you laughing so hard earlier? Was there something interesting?" Lee asked curiously.
Tenten was about to speak, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Naruto immediately covered it with his hand. He was worried Tenten wouldn't be able to filter her words.
"It's nothing, we just had a small argument and ended up laughing," Naruto answered quickly.
"Ah, I see?" Lee didn't quite understand but nodded anyway.
Guy, who had been focused on grilling the fish, added, "Lee, you need to know one thing—they did it because of youthful passion..."
Lee was startled, his eyes shining as if he had received enlightenment. "That's right, Sensei! Youthful passion! Hahaha… Youthful passion! I don't know why, but my blood is racing! This is youth!" he shouted with excitement.
Seeing this behavior, the two people who could be considered normal could only stare in disgust. This time, they really thought it was strange.
But, never mind…
"The fish is done!" Guy yelled.
Guy handed one fish to each person.
"Take it," Guy said to Tenten.
"Sorry, Sensei, but I think I'm already full," Tenten refused.
"Then give it to me," Naruto quickly said.
"Ah, I think I'm still hungry. Thank you, Sensei," Tenten ended up taking it instead.
Naruto just remained silent. Women are strange, sometimes troublesome. He could only laugh in his heart.
They spent their break chatting casually while enjoying the grilled fish. Although Naruto had to eat more because he finished Tenten's leftovers.
After that, training resumed. The next exercise was a calmness training.
Naruto was told to sit under a waterfall with a stone on his head. He was tested to see if he could keep the stone from falling for a full hour.
After that, he did a trap evasion exercise. It was a reflex training, quite effective, although using blunt weapons, it still hurt if you got hit.
The last exercise was a two-on-one battle against Guy.
When Lee fought Guy, he was defeated badly, but this time with Naruto by his side, the result was the same.
They both took many punches and kicks from Guy. But even so, it wasn't in vain. At least Naruto could learn Guy's movements and evaluate them for future training.
Finally, the official training ended.
"Good job, everyone," Guy said encouragingly.
"Lee, Naruto, you're strong. So, hone your strength. Even though you lost to me now, never lose heart. Instead, use this as a stepping stone to reach better results."
Naruto looked at him seriously. Those words sounded very sincere and pure.
Rock Lee started crying, his tears flowing endlessly. "Guy Sensei, I will never stop pushing my limits…!"
"Rock Lee…" Guy looked at him.
"Sensei!"
They hugged each other and cried once again.
And that was how today came to an end. Though it felt tiring, it was finally over, Naruto thought as he gazed at the sky.
They returned to Konoha. Rock Lee and Guy left first.
"Well then, we'll part here. My house is across the street," Tenten said.
"Ah, alright. Be careful on the road," Naruto replied.
"Yeah, of course…"
Naruto began to walk away, but Tenten called out to him.
"Naruto!!"
Naruto turned around. "What is it?"
"You know, Naruto? Even though it's only been a day, but—"
"Hey, are you going to confess your love?" Naruto interrupted, shocked.
Tenten glared. "Of course not!"
Naruto chuckled. "Of course, not possible…"
"So, what is it?" Naruto asked.
Tenten smiled, then muttered while smirking, "Haha, stupid, Naruto is stupid, so stupid and annoying," before finally saying softly, "Nee, are you my friend?"
Naruto smiled. But this time, he felt that smile came from the deepest part of his heart.
"...Of course."
———————————————————
This is crazy, but I have to do it, that's why I wrote it even though I'm feeling a little nauseous right now.
So enjoy, Naruto's leisurely journey that I created…
———————————————————