New Sensei - 8

After visiting Sakura and listening to the astonishing tale of how she too had a haphazard bell test (but longer and more painful than theirs had been) with her sensei, and telling her that Haku says, "Hello," Naruto and Gaara temporarily parted ways.

Once again, Naruto lingered atop the stone face of the Fourth Hokage, gazing at the blazing summer sky that looked like blue fire. Shortly after he had arrived, Jiraiya also popped up, as he had expected him to.

"How often do you come here kid?" The sennin half-yawned, sitting down next to him.

"All of the time."

"Ah." Jiraiya appeared to nearly say something important, but changed his mind, "... believe me it's a good habit to get into."

Naruto grinned, "Yeah, you told me already."

"I've heard that you've kept up with your toad summoning," The sage added unobtrusively, "What do Gaara and Haku think of it?"

"They tell me all the time how jealous they are," The blonde joked, "But, I mostly just do it to annoy them, it isn't like I've been in any big fights or something like that."

"Annoy them, eh?" Jiraiya smirked, "How about you give me a demonstration of how far you've gotten? Past a tadpole I hope?"

"Shut up old man! I was just a kid!" Naruto bit back good-naturedly, and stood up, "Yeah, I've gotten better!"

In a well-practiced motion, Naruto bit his thumb, flew through the seals and called a toad. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow as the smoke cleared, and a toad not much taller than Naruto's knees appeared.

The small creature looked up at Naruto with familiarity, "Hi! Anything I can do for you, Boss?"

Jiraiya grunted, "Huh. You could've done better. Gamakichi's a little twerp. Is this as far as you have gotten, kid?"

"Nah, sorry I bothered you." Naruto said to the small toad, which departed just as quickly as he came. He then turned to Jiraiya, "I could do better if I wanted, but I call him most often if that's what you mean," He paused thoughtfully, "I'm still 'starting small and working my way up,' Ero-sensei!"

He sat back down beside his mentor and Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah, I suppose that'll do for now...there's no use rushing it."

The sennin stole a glance at Naruto, slightly upset that he was hiding his full potential. For all he knew, Naruto probably could have been summoning Gamabunta for a while now.

'I'll have to remember to ask him...' Jiraiya mentally noted for the next time he saw the toad boss.

"So...what have I missed since I've been gone?" Jiraiya then added, "Besides you and the other squirts growing a few feet taller, I mean?"

There was a quiet moment of thought before Naruto answered, grinning again, "You haven't missed that much...maybe some really awesome pranks, but that won't be much of a problem..."

The sage couldn't help himself, "Er...why?"

Naruto shrugged, "Sato's got it all on film. I can show you tomorrow if he lends me the pictures."

It was silent again, but Jiraiya was smirking.

"Rising Twin Dragons!"

Tenten leapt high into the air inside the flying double-helix her scrolls created, and launched her summoned weapons at Hyuga Neji who waited on the ground for the assault.

Nearby, ever-enthusiastic Rock Lee was busy mastering a new taijutsu technique with their equally, if not more enthusiastic sensei, Maito Gai.

As countless, razor-sharp implements of death descended back down to the earth towards her 'presumably doomed' teammate, Neji effortlessly countered with a rotation, releasing chakra from all of his tenketsu, and formed a 360 degree shield of chakra. He deflected all of her projectiles.

Haku watched all of this occur in a sheer matter of seconds from the side of the training field, unable to suppress his awe of the older, more advanced genin team. Most especially the energy that Lee possessed, fearing that if he ever tried to break a tree in half with only one kick as the latter had, he would most likely shatter his leg.

As Tenten ended her attack and drifted back down to the earth, her eyes didn't pass up the tall, dark haired boy clad in a blue gi that stood nearby. He was watching her squad train with his gentle, discerning eyes.

Once both of her feet were planted firmly back on the ground (moments before Neji ended his Kaiten) Tenten almost immediately abandoned her opponent without a word, jogging over to Haku.

There was a moment of confusion when the young Hyuga prodigy realized that his training partner was no longer training at all.

He frowned when he saw her running giddily in the opposite direction, "Tenten..."

"Haku!" Maybe she was a little too happy to see him, and she quickly calmed herself down, "What...what are you doing here?"

He smiled at her, "I came looking for you, and it seems my luck has prevailed."

Lee and Gai had also noticed the lack of battle cries from the opposite side of the training ground and were curious to investigate who or what had so easily distracted the young kunoichi of their team.

Neji had gotten there first.

Tenten paused for a moment, wondering if she should introduce him to Haku, but then recalled that it had in fact been Neji himself who had mentioned him by name two days earlier.

This registered as Neji was about to violently 'shoo' away the uninvited intruder before he saw that the 'uninvited intruder' had been none other than Haku.

"Hello Neji!" He was just as friendly as he had been when they were younger, "It's good to see you are well!"

The Hyuga prodigy merely clammed up, unable to think of any 'friendly' responses at the time. He substituted a verbal reply with a slight nod of his head, surprising Tenten. Neji did not want to be insensitive to a person who had helped save him from the Caged Bird seal.

Before Tenten could speak another word, Lee and Gai had arrived, both excited over the 'uninvited intruder.'

"Hello there youthful, young man!" Gai's teeth glinted in the sunlight and Tenten sighed to herself as the 'introduction of fiery youth' commenced, "I am Maito Gai!" His shorter, physical double then added jubilantly, "And I am Rock Lee!"

Haku's smile was plastered onto his face in semi-shock, 'I can understand Neji being Tenten's teammate, but...I have to say I'm slightly frightened now...'

"It would please us to no end if we could know the name of the youthful ninja who has befriended the fiery young flower of our team!" Gai added, posing in front of Haku.

Taking a deep breath, he managed to reply as if he were speaking to another sane person, "I am Haku."

He even managed to keep that convincing smile on. Haku always had possessed 'social nerves of steel.'

Tenten stepped in front of her overzealous sensei and teammate, "So, uh, Haku; did you want to get more practice with senbon?"

"Yes, but not right now," Haku said smoothly, "Actually, I was hoping you'd join me for some tea this afternoon if you're not busy."

"I'm not busy!" Tenten blurted it out, but hastily added, "I mean, if you can skip out on some training today, Neji?"

The Hyuga prodigy frowned. Why was she asking permission? What for? She wasn't actually going to go drink tea with that pretty boy, was she? Her work ethic was boundless and here she was pouncing on the first opportunity she could get to escape training with her team for the afternoon. Then again…

'I can't really blame her...' Neji thought to himself, seeing that half the team was bursting with so much energy it was classified borderline insanity. After putting up with the speeches of 'Fiery Passion!' and the 'Springtime of Youth!' for over a year straight, Tenten deserved a small break, that much was clear.

But only a small one.

"I'll survive." He replied blandly and she smiled.

Haku bowed politely to the rest of her team, "Forgive me for borrowing Tenten for today."

Unsummoning her weapons and wiping the sweat off of her brow, Tenten followed Haku out of the training area while asking him what sort of tea he liked, delighted to learn that they both enjoyed jasmine tea.

She had forgotten to say goodbye to her teammates.

Not that it mattered, since Lee was beginning another impassioned monologue for his remaining teammates.

A tear of joy escaped Lee's eye, "Yes! Tenten has finally accepted her youthful wishes and bloomed into a burning blossom of love! Oh! Haku certainly is the type I would expect her to take interest in!" He paused for a moment, "Gai-sensei, shall we invite Haku to return tomorrow to train with us?"

Gai placed a hand on his hard working student's shoulder, "No Lee, I'm certain he has much training that needs to be done with his own team..."

Neji snorted. He hoped what Gai had figured was true. He couldn't stand training with anyone other than Tenten on his team...for obvious reasons.

Without warning, Gai continued excitedly, "If it is what the young blossom of our team wishes, then she herself will bring young Haku along to train with us!"

And of course, Lee turned to the Hyuga prodigy, "Neji, my eternal rival! Let us train twice as hard until Tenten returns with a song in her step and love in her heart!"

Neji's eye twitched in deep irritation.

Lee was about to get a serious beating...

And it was all Haku's fault.