The training for the first day had been intense. The spar Gai started with his improvised ballistic genin had lasted an hour, and then Gai had them spar upside down using chakra to stick to an old log, and then he had them run around Konoha, and then he had them all spar him, never dropping that creepy, glinting smile. All of that to finally say, "I see now what we can improve. The real workout begins tomorrow!"

The three genin supported each other as they stumbled down the street dropping Sakura off first and then Sasuke. Of course, by the time they reached they reached the Uchiha district Naruto was almost completely recovered, leaving Sasuke to plot his revenge.

The next day—thirty minutes before they were officially supposed to meet, and two hours after Gai woke up Naruto for another morning run—the three genin stood before Maito Gai. "Sakura, you need to work on your aim and speed. Sasuke, you need to work on your power. Naruto, you need to work on your everything."

Sakura and Sasuke smirked at Naruto, who crossed his arms and scowled. "This week will be difficult, but don't let your youth be quenched, feel the burn. That burn is the flames of youth!"

They started with a simple warm-up… by Gai's standards. Running around Konoha three times, and one more time on their hands. By the end their arms ached and their hands would have been torn and bloody if Gai wasn't considerate enough to provide gloves.

With their warm-up complete, Gai assigned each of them a different task. He placed Sakura inside a circle of pitching machines. A machine would beep and then throw a ball at Sakura, and she was supposed to try to punch it out of the air.

Sasuke was given a set of arm and leg weights heavy enough that it was difficult for him to stand straight, and told to perform his katas a hundred times apiece.

But the worst was reserved for Naruto. "There isn't enough time to work up from the basics. But I talked to the Hokage and Kakashi and they said you could handle anything I thought up. So we will be using the fun approach: Our fists."

"Uh, yesterday we"—Naruto gesture to the other two genin—"as a group couldn't even touch you."

"Do not worry, for today I have increased my weights ten fold!" Gai tapped his arm and leg bands and Naruto could hear a dull clink. He tried to think of how much weight Gai was wearing right now. Even if yesterday he was only wearing two pounds per limb, he'd have to be carrying eighty pounds today. Naruto gulped.

Looking up at the jonin he asked, "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

Gai adopted a good guy pose with one hand on his waist, and the other arm outstretched giving a thumb's up. "Yes!"

"Right." Naruto didn't wait for a signal. He rushed forward, bent low, and tried to jab one hand into Gai's midsection.

Gai idly batted it away. "Balance is wrong," he said while sweeping Naruto off his feet. "Find your center. All movement should come from the center."

Naruto lay on the ground where he landed and looked up at the sky, so Gai performed a slow axe kick aimed for his head. Naruto rolled away in time to see the kick hit the ground sinking a couple inches before stopping.

"No lazing about on such a beautiful day, Naruto. Now fight!"

The spar was brutal. Gai blocked or dodged each attack Naruto launched. Each time he criticized Naruto and then counterattacked. The counterattacks were never enough to injure Naruto, just throw him backwards.

By the time lunch arrived Naruto could feel his bruises' bruises and had to be carried back to the meeting spot.

Naruto was ready to head to Ichiraku's for lunch, but then Gai explained that they would eat together as a team. Not just as a team, but they'd also eat a meal specially prepared by Gai himself to provide the best possible nutrition: a protein shake. It was sludge. Any other day the three genin wouldn't have been able to choke it down, but toady their workouts left them starving.

Naruto sat on a log choking his down and weeping for his lost ramen. Sasuke and Sakura sat apart, Sasuke explaining his revenge to Sakura.

The afternoon was spent in a round robin spar between the three genin, with Gai calling out advice and stopping the fight on occasion to correct or demonstrate a technique. Naruto, having recovered over lunch, participated. Under the vengeful fists of his teammates he learned to yearn for Gai's comparatively gentle instruction.

Finished for the day Naruto stumbled into Ichiraku's and ordered his first ramen bowl.

"Can't serve you," his clone said. Naruto blearily looked up at him. "Manager's orders. Your teammate, duck hair, came by last night and explained the tough training you're going through, and the need for proper nutrition this week."

Naruto looked at his clone, eyes blank and unseeing.

"So you're banned for the week," the clone repeated. "Here, Ayame made this for you. Got the recipe from Kakashi." The clone shoved a container over the counter. Naruto peeked inside: Gai's performance shake. Shuddering he took the abomination away from the most holy place and stumbled back to his apartment.

The clones had cleared out his supply of instant ramen the first night he'd made them. So in an empty, ramen-less apartment Naruto drank his protein shake and wept.

The next day was similar to the last. Sakura and Sasuke were given their exercises and Naruto fought Gai. In the afternoon, however, Gai took Sakura aside for personal instruction and set the two boys running an obstacle course.

And so the week went by. Naruto suffering through the day going out looking for ramen in the evening, but a combination of clones and two well placed teammates ensured that anyone in Konoha who had ramen wouldn't sell to him.

Finally, Tuesday, the last day of their tenure with Gai, ended. Naruto grabbed his two teammates and dragged them, literally, to Ichiraku's.

"I like him better than Kakashi," said Sakura.

"You would," muttered Naruto, "heretic."

"Would you lay off, Naruto. I'm eating the ramen. Look at me. Eating it all up. Yum yum." She slurped noisily at her bowl.

"You're eating it all wrong. It's like you never paid attention when I was explaining the proper method of ramen consumption. You have to savor it, Sakura, savor it."

Sakura looked skeptically at the pile of ramen bowls Naruto had finished. He followed her gaze and correctly guessed her thoughts. "See that," he nodded towards the empty bowls. "I can only do that because I've learned how to properly savor it."

"Right," she drawled, "well, I like him. He remembers my name."

"Pinkie is the sort of adorable nickname a teacher is supposed to give his student."

"He's on time."

"No, he's early. That's far, far worse."

"And he's not dating Ayame."

Naruto glared at her. "If you ever, and I do mean ever, suggest something like that again I will end you."

Sakura paid him no attention. "I think it was a great learning opportunity. Don't you agree, Sasuke?"

Glancing between his bowl and the guide Naruto had written for him, Sasuke mumbled, "Hmm, yes, whatever you said, Sakura."

"Not you too, bastard. This cannot stand! I'm going to—"

"Naruto," Sasuke said and looked up from his meal. "Shut up, or I'll tell Gai about how useful your shadow clones could be, and how you held back from using them during practice. I'm sure he would find it unyouthful."

Naruto noticeably paled; satisfied, Sasuke quietly returned to his ramen.

"Yo." Kakashi slumped down at the counter and waved at the three of them. They turned as one and glowered at him; he didn't seem to notice. "Beef bowl," he ordered.

"Sensei, Naruto would like to apologize," said Sakura. "Wouldn't you Naruto?"

"Um, yeah." He leaned over and whispered, "What am I apologizing for?"

"Telling us about your roommate," she whispered back.

"Right. I'm sorry for telling my teammates the thing about the thing. And I will never bring the thing up again."

Kakashi accepted his order from Ayame and nodded. "That'll do. Tomorrow we're meeting at training ground ten at seven. Don't be late and be prepared for a fight."

"A fight?" asked Sakura.

"Me and Gai still need to settle our wager." Kakashi's eye closed indicating a look of glee under his mask, and Team Seven felt a chill run down their backs.