Chapter 19

Kurenai smiled, his observation skills seemed to already be put into use, she was rather sure he wouldn't have picked up on that before, "Just because I don't use that method, doesn't mean I don't study it in case I meet another Genjutsu user who might make use of it. I wouldn't be much of a Genjutsu Mistress if I didn't study my craft thoroughly right?" she asked rhetorically as Naruto nodded in understanding.

"How do we do that?" he asked.

Kurenai shook her head as she noticed how low the sun was, they had spent a few hours talking since she had appeared and it was getting late, "Tomorrow Naruto. For now, I think its time for dinner and then to head home." she said.

Naruto nodded and jumped down from the tree he had been training on, slightly winded but nothing he couldn't handle. He grabbed his book and looked at Kurenai as he motioned for her to lead the way. She raised an eyebrow at him in question. He waited a few moments before speaking, "Aren't we heading home?" he asked.

Kurenai opened her mouth to speak when how he had escorted her home those two nights two weeks ago passed through her mind and she smiled at his chivalrous action. "Thank you Naruto." she said as she began to walk away from the clearing and Naruto fell into step next to her as they departed.

(Scene Break)

As the, now, master and student, emerged from the training grounds area Naruto began to think about Shikamaru's books and how much they had helped him, "I should really find a way to thank him. If it wasn't for those books I would be worse off than I already am." Naruto took a sidelong glance at Kurenai, "Plus, I wouldn't have a teacher who was dedicated to helping me and I wouldn't understand her either." he blushed a bit in embarrasment at how many words he had learned just from that small piece of paper Shikamaru had added to the books he gave him.

He shook his head to rid himself of his blush and smiled slightly as he thought of how much time he had spent with Shikamaru, up to he point of making his own nickname for his closest friend his own age, calling him simply Shika, something Shikamaru had actually seemed to take to well. Naruto had been a little surprised when a lazy smile had been Shikamaru's response to his new name. He had expected him to find it 'troublesome' as the lazy Nara always called things, but Shikamaru had simply said to call him as he liked. Naruto had grinned happily as he used his new nickname.

As they got close to the merchant district, Kurenai slowed and looked around, before heading towards a shop with a teacup sign in front of it. Naruto followed, a bit enclosed in his thoughts as he walked until he heard Kurenai opening the door with the light ringing of a bell signaling her opening of the door. Naruto looked up to see Kurenai walking into the store, one which he recognized pretty vividly as they had thrown him out rathor forcibly the last time he had attempted to eat there. He frowned but plastered a big smile on his face as he spoke to Kurenai from outside the little shop, "I'm not too hungry, Kurenai. I think I am going to head home." he said as he looked at her with squinted eyes.

Kurenai's wine red eyes appeared over her shoulder as she looked at him with a questioning glance. "You just spent the entire day training and you aren't hungry?" she asked, a hint of disbelief coloring her voice. Naruto nodded emphatically as he put his hands behind his head.

"Well, I will see you tomorrow at the training ground again sensei." he said as he went to turn around and leave. As he walked away, he heard the door close to the shop behind him, the bell ringing softly again as he trekked towards his home, his shoulders slumped slightly from not being able to eat with his friend when he sensed something next to him.

"Then you will just have to escort me to my home so that we may eat there. I would welcome the company after my long mission." Kurenai said with a slight irritation in her voice at having forgotten about his condition. "That is, if you wish to stay." she stated.

Naruto looked shocked for a few moments before he smiled and whispered, "Thank you." then spoke in a louder tone that Kurenai had an easier time catching, "I know a restaurant that would love to cook for you instead of making you cook after your long mission." he offered as he looked at her with a questioning glance. This time, Kurenai waved her hand in front of them as if to sweep something out of the way, the sign of him to lead the way to his choice of dinner for the night. Naruto's steps seemed to gain length as he strode towards the clan district of Konoha.

(Scene Break)

Naruto stepped up to his favorite Akimichi restaurant and was about to walk in when Kurenai grabbed his arm, "Naruto." she said hesitantly, "Are you sure you want to eat here? I mean it is rather expensive." she questioned.

Naruto looked at her through squinted eyes, "No it's not Kurenai. Now, come on, I'm hungry!" he said forcibly, completely forgetting how he had said he didn't want to eat earlier in light of being near his favorite restaurant. He turned around and walked to the door as Kurenai followed him, a wary look in her eye.

Naruto opened the door and walked to the host's podium as Kurenai looked around at the restaurant. It had a little waiting room cut off from the rest of the restaurant. There were a myriad of chairs and padded benches sitting around the area leaving a wide path from the door straight to the host's podium. The restaurant was made of an aged oak that gave the restaurant a relatively earthen yet foresty smell. The walls were not smooth, rather made up of stacked logs that gave it a wave-like ripple as it started at the ground and went to the high cieling. The cieling itself boasted a rather impressive chandelier that hung from the middle of the roof lighting the entire room with a dim glow. The floor was a slab of concrete, unlike the rest of the room, that had exquisite rugs underneath any of the seating areas. Kurenai turned to look at the podium of the host and noticed that there was an Akimichi standing at the podium, leading her to realize that Naruto had brought her to a clan owned business.

Naruto reached the Host's podium and smiled up at the Akimichi standing behind it, "Akitoshi-san! Could I get my usual table please?" Naruto asked as he had become a regular customer since the Akimichi allowed him into their restaurants. He had frequented this restaurant so much lately, along with eating almost as much as any Akimichi, that the Akimichi family owning it had reserved a table for him every night. He had been so grateful he had started to give them the same patronage he used to give Ichiraku's.

Kurenai walked up next to Naruto as Akitoshi smiled down at the bright bundle that was Naruto, "Sure Naruto. Just let me make sure it's ready." Akitoshi responded as he turned around to check the restaurant. The sounds of the inhabitants of the restaurant finally coming to Kurenai's ears as she arrived near the opening leading to the restaurant proper.

Naruto looked up at her as Akitoshi turned back and his eyes widened at seeing Yuuhi Kurenai, the proclaimed Ice Queen of Konoha, standing next to Naruto. Naruto was oblivious to the wide eyes Akitoshi gave him as Kurenai looked at him and he seemd to get lost in her eyes. He could swear that he had never seen eyes so mesmerizingly beautiful before. A small blush came to his face as he looked at her but he didn't look away until Akitoshi spoke again, "Right this way Naruto, Yuuhi-san."

Naruto turned from Kurenai's mesmerizing eyes with a small sigh of relief at having been interrupted at staring at his friend and sensei. He didn't know why her eyes captured him so but he knew that he enjoyed it whenever she had her eyes on him, probably more than he should, but he always enjoyed people watching him. It was just never to the degree that he seemed to enjoy Kurenai's red eyes taking in his every movement. He let out a small shiver for some reason unknown to him and followed Akitoshi as he signalled for him to go to his table.

Kurenai had simply stared back at Naruto as she observed his reactions. Naruto completely missed the look in her eye as she noted his body had shivered.

Naruto walked behind Akitoshi and Kurenai followed them as they made their way through the restaurant, the few Akimichi in there looking at Naruto for a glance before returning to their food. As they settled into their table, in a corner where not much of the restaurant could see, Naruto turned to Kurenai and smiled at her as the two picked up their menus and began to look for their choice of food, neither feeling the need to speak just yet.

After a few minutes of the both of them sitting there looking at the menu, Naruto laid his menu down and observed Kurenai as she looked at her menu. He took the moment to appreciate the beauty and maturity that she exuded as she sat opposite from him. Truely, no girl of his age could compare to the presence that Kurenai carried around her, even if Naruto was only barely aware of it. He decided to train a little bit as he closed his eyes and let his mind return back to its receptive state. He smiled slightly as he felt the table and the chair under him come into his vision as a slightly lighter version of grey than anything else, seems his control was already improving, and started to stretch his mind outwards towards the restaurant, that was when he came into contact with Kurenai's chakra pool.

Naruto gasped and his eyes widened in shock as he stared at Kurenai with a blush adorning his face, though the look of... something in his eyes was not lust. This inexpilicable feeling he had felt washed over him as his sensor ability went haywire and he began to sense things from distances he hadn't reached yet, and he was sure he wouldn't reach until years of training. Kurenai's chakra pool was not as big as his own but there seemed to be a bit of difference between her own chakra and Kakashi's. He would have compared it to Sasuke or Sakura's but he hadn't really paid attention to them.

Her chakra was a light blue in color, something that he hadn't been able to make out with others was the color of their chakra, even Kakashi was just another shade of bluish-grey to him. Usually, when he would sense a chakra, it would simply move along even if he prodded it with his sensor then it would just ignore him, much like any actual person he had met. Kurenai's however, seemed to react positively to his sensor ability even without him prodding it for feeling. It had seemed to grow and encompass his sensor while sending unknown feelings back to Naruto's already overloaded brain. His breath became a bit labored and he watched as Kurenai's eyes suddenly rose to meet his. Her wine-red eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of concern gleaming in her eyes as she laid her menu down and went to speak.

Oddly enough, right before Kurenai spoke, Naruto could swear he felt his jiji's chakra somewhere nearby, but her concerned voice broke his train of thought and the feeling vanished as she asked, "Are you alright Naruto? You look a little feverish." she leaned forward slightly, concern etched onto her face.

Naruto just nodded dumbly and said, "I-I-I'm fine Kurenai." he said, cursing his stuttering. Kurenai's eyes narrowed and Naruto waved her off, "Just my sensor ability picking something up that was a bit unusual. I had never encountered it before and I don't really know what to make of it. Though, I am new to this sensor thing, so it will probably happen again." he said as he scratched his head in slight embarrassment.

Kurenai looked at him for a moment and a tense silence engulfed them until the waiter reappeared to take their orders. Kurenai's eyes did not leave Naruto's as she ordered her food and waited for Naruto to order his before speaking in a hard tone as the waiter retreated from the tense atmosphere, "Naruto, as your sensei... I would like to know if there is anything bothering you. It would be detrimental for our training if you were not to inform me if something is wrong." Naruto nodded his head, "That is as your sensei." she said before her voice softened, "As your friend," his eyes locked with her own mesmerizingly red eyes, "I would like to know the same thing in case I can help." she said softly.

Naruto looked down for a moment before sighing and rubbing his hair again, "I was just trying to train my sensor while I was waiting for you to choose what food you wanted. Normally, everything is just a shade of grey, even chakra pools are nothing more than differing shades of bluish-grey." here he looked at her, "but, when I sensed your chakra, it was a vibrant light blue that almost seemed to... to..." he trailed off as he searched for the right word to explain the feeling he had recieved, Kurenai waited with a question in her gaze, "rub? me as my sensor went haywire and your chakra almost burst into my vision."

Whatever Kurenai had been expecting, it obviously wasn't that as she sat back in her chair and her eyes seemed to unfocus from Naruto's bright blues while contemplating this new development. Naruto watched her curiously as her face remained blank during her contemplation. He didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on but, now that he had told Kurenai what had happened, minus the odd feelings he had recieved, he wanted to know her opinion. Naruto waited in silence for another 3 minutes before Kurenai's eyes refocused on him and she spoke.

"I don't know anything about it, sorry Naruto." she said as Naruto's shoulders slumped very slightly, "I have a couple of theories but the most likely is that it is something unique to the Uzumaki sensor bloodline and that you will have to figure it out on your own." she said with a frown marring her beautiful face, "But, I don't think it is anything dangerous, I did feel my own chakra spike in response to your sensor but I don't think anything is wrong. For now, let us assume that everything is fine and you are just careful next time you meditate okay Naruto?" she said. Naruto nodded and the meal was spent in quiet speech, Naruto and Kurenai speaking about anything that may come to mind whenever it came to them, until the bill arrived. Naruto put the money down for the bill and made to rise when Kurenai pulled out her own money. Naruto's eyebrow raised.

"A man should pay for the food, Jiji told me that," Naruto said as he looked at Kurenai's money.

Kurenai smiled and said, "That is, indeed, usually the case Naruto, but this meal was to commemorate you becoming my student, I will pay for it today. If we go out to eat together again, you will pay."

Naruto was about to argue that Jiji had said that the man should ALWAYS pay when a sweet glare from Kurenai made its way toward his face, something he recognized from Yoshino giving to her husband. He froze slightly and simply nodded his head as he retrieved his money and Kurenai laid down her own. The glare went away and a small giggle escaped her lips before she stood and the two left the restaurant.

Naruto walked Kurenai to her apartment building again and the two stood at the entrance for a few moments before Naruto spoke, "Arigatou for training me Kurenai. See you tomorrow Sensei." he said as he turned around after having bowed to her while smiling happily and began to walk away.

Kurenai watched him go and a hint of a smile appeared on her face before turning around and heading into her complex.