NARUTO

Unbreakable

Stuck on You

Two weeks later…

After recovering from his injuries and coming to terms with the fact that he'd pretty much had his ass kicked in a fight with a girl that'd ended in a draw, twice, Naruto decided to free up some time for himself the following weekend to journey out into the woods and work on the trees again. In other words, the blonde made plans to take both his fists and his feet, and go about beating the hell out of the surrounding flora for a few solid hours.

The sounds of dull thuds ringing through the air, the blonde hammered away at the woodwork with his knuckles over and over again, causing splinters to fly in all directions as he administered total control over every attack he threw.

Clearly holding back so that the tree didn't snap in half, the youngster drilled into the oak's surface with murderous precision. Chain punches racked the bark up and down, along with combinations of palm strikes, parries, elbows and kicks. Eventually, when he reached the end of his session after what seemed like a few hours later, the blonde put his fist straight through the tree with a sharp crack. His knuckles sticking out the other end, Naruto kept his fist there for several moments, before yanking his arm out and checking his hand.

Flexing his fingers, Naruto murmured uneasily and turned his back on the trunk. "It's the same thing day in and day out. I need to shake things up a little more." He marched his way over to another tree with a couple of scrolls laid out at the base of it. Looking at the one that was open and taking note of the images of a person going through taijutsu motions laid out across its length, the blonde brought his fingers forward and stretched them out. "I've got the routine down pat. Now I just need to think about something new to add to it."

He'd been coming out here every day ever since his big fight to work on his close combat skills. Because the brawling style he'd come to practice for the past several years had been working out just fine for him, he figured he'd stick with it and focus on making it stronger. The way in which he used it was very military-esque and had a touch of originality to it. Not to mention looking back on all of his accomplishments and how he'd built up this superb fighting style from scratch, copying various others while at the same time making sure that it was efficient, he felt there was little he needed to learn aside from a few more techniques.

Borrowing kata scrolls from the library aided him in this very purpose. It fed well into his lessons and gave him a much better idea of how he fought compared to other shinobi. After perusing over the various articles he was able to get his hands on, he saw that the documents truly complimented the sessions he was undertaking and allowed his style to grow and diversify.

But this also got him thinking.

"Maybe I can use this time to practice a new jutsu as well," Naruto thought to himself, tilting his head to the side with a thoughtful tensing of his jaw. "Not a bad idea, given that I might be moving into some more intensive shit soon."

"You might in another year or two, but you seem to be holding up pretty well so far."

Oh. Stars above. It was her again.

Smirking, Naruto looked up toward the branch of a nearby tree, where he quickly spotted Shizuka standing there and beaming down at him.

Having come out here to apparently watch him, the blonde acknowledged the traveler's presence with a nod and turned back to the tree he'd been working on. "Worried I might out-do you in the combat department?"

The raven haired girl pushed several strands of hair out of her eyes, "Not at all. I'm more than capable of dealing with opponents who are proficient in both ninjutsu and taijutsu. Adding ninjutsu to your repertoire will only require me to adjust my strategy to accommodate for your increased range."

"Heh. You sound pretty confident."

"That's because I'm working on improving my skills just as much as you are," the kunoichi in training replied, her eyes shimmering with pride.

This inevitably drew a grunt from the boy, who went about doing some shadow sparring. Chucking punches and kicks one after the other, he maintained and held his position, watching beads of sweat fly off of his arms with every blow.

After a few brisk combinations, Naruto spoke up again, "So why aren't you practicing right now, if I may ask? Have you decided to take a break for today to come bother me or have you come out here to throw in the towel?" Throwing a right straight and hearing it cut the wind with a loud 'whoosh' sound, Naruto then brought his fist in and turned back to the girl looking down at him from above, "Personally, I'm hoping it's the former. Beating up bullies can get real old, real fast."

"Do you honestly believe that after all the things we've said to one another that I would surrender to the likes of you so readily?" Shizuka asked while giving the boy her version of an incredulous look. Receiving a cocky smirk in return, the girl sent one right back at him. "Don't delude yourself. I'll have you know that the kunoichi from my village are not as easygoing as you may believe. We face our enemies without fear or hesitation, and with the skills that we practice we make even the strongest shinobi on this continent look like neophytes."

Harsh words from a tough warrior. They actually managed to draw a laugh from Naruto, who stretched out his arms and moved further into the center of the clearing.

"For someone who isn't even a kunoichi yet, I'll bet you have some pretty strong women on your team." Placing his hands on his hips when he saw the nod the girl sent him next, the blonde then tilted his head and gave his playmate an inquisitive glance. "Hey, I'm curious. This village has a huge wall and hundreds of shinobi surrounding it. How did you manage to get in without being spotted?"

Giving this particular question a moment of thought, Shizuka shrugged and hopped down from her spot to land in front of the boy. "Kunoichi from my village are some of the best infiltrators in the world. Since it is our custom to challenge shinobi we deem worthy to single combat, sometimes it is necessary for us to enter the villages that they hail from in order to meet with these men."

"Ah. So… you were able to slip in through the front gates?"

"In a manner of speaking," Shizuka replied, a smile still on her face as she started to pace around the area with her arms crossed. "Since I'm still a civilian traveling from place to place, I have little to fear from the border guards of other nations. I simply showed them my credentials and strolled right on through. It also helps that I come from a neutral state that is not at all interested in the affairs of other countries."

"Oh," Naruto murmured, his eyes catering off for a moment before he pursed his lips in realization, "Well… that explains a lot."

The Chunin traffic wardens at the front gates had only one job to do and that was to count the number of people that came in and out of the village. While it was true that their duty was to also function as gate guards, to pull over any visitors they deemed suspicious as well as to stop and question any and all foreign shinobi and tradesmen entering their midst, there really wasn't much they could do about ordinary villagers. The best they could do was; check their identification and write them down in the report. After that they were the authority's problem.

This was simply an add-on to the butt load of security Konohagakure already had.

Counting it up, the village had dozens of squads on patrol outside the town's walls across everything that was considered hidden leaf territory. This was the first line of defense. The second were the sensors they had installed, which were able to detect the chakra signatures of any potential threats from people entering the community's perimeter. The third protocol was the face-to-face inspection routines the Chunin at the gates gave to all individuals visiting their beloved village. This also included, on occasion, civilians from Konoha. The fourth line of defense came in the form of the shinobi they had on patrol throughout the hidden leaf itself. These ones functioned as the police force.

All in all, just like every other parish, the hidden leaf had a pretty effective system going on for them and was well prepared for any and all emergencies.

Since Shizuka was a civilian and not a kunoichi, Naruto figured that the gate guards wouldn't even give her a second thought. It also helped that she was still a child.

How she was able to sneak her weapons in though, was a rather interesting question, but the blonde reasoned that his raven haired counterpart had her ways.

"What kind of jutsu are you thinking of practicing?" Shizuka asked curiously as she found a spot on the edge of the clearing to rest comfortably on.

Reacting with a considerate pout, the jinchuriki then split a grin, "I'm not really sure yet, to be honest. I was thinking of something that could cut at long distance and enhance my fighting style. You know… sort of like that wind-blasting punch you used against me a few times before." He added to this by gesturing toward the girl's hand.

"Ah." The child lifted her hand and flexed her fingers in response, "It's one of my village's signature techniques. Masters of it are capable of using it with both their hands and feet, and are also able to increase its power to an astonishing degree. It's an incredibly useful jutsu to have when the user lacks sufficient hitting power and needs to clear the area in front of them of any and all opposition."

"You can say that again," Naruto chuckled, at the same time recalling the moments she'd used that very same jutsu to fell a small section of forest in an effort to take him out. Boy… had that come as a shock. "I still need to get you back for the last few times you hit me with that thing. Seriously. I was seeing stars for four days straight."

"Hmph," Shizuka smirked at his remark, "Like I'd give you that kind of opportunity."

"Hey. As far as I know, it's fair game both ways. Anything could happen," Naruto said while holding his arms out. "If you're not careful, I might just get lucky and nail you with something really unpleasant. Unless you can find a way to execute your jutsu that doesn't involve a straight-ass jab, I'll be able to counter it again and again."

Frowning momentarily at the certainty her foe spoke with, the traveler then shook it off and quickly looked down at her hand. "I'm in the process of improving it… as well as a few other techniques I plan on adding to my inventory," Shizuka informed, a smile pulling across her lips as she then gazed across at the amused blonde. "After seeing the kind of destruction my 'jab' can bring to the area, I assume you've been inspired to learn a jutsu similar in its design?"

"I admit… the idea does have promise," Naruto answered, pulling his left fist back, stepping forward and driving it upwards in an impressive hook. The punch caused another loud 'whoosh' sound to echo out, which brought a dead silence to the area once again. When Naruto withdrew his knuckles a moment later, he sent the girl a devilish smirk, "Perhaps a quick dig through the library will help me find something suitable for my enemies." He emphasized this by eyeing the girl more intently.

The raven haired princess smirked right back at him. "There's a lot to be gained from reading the texts of your homeland. I expect it should be a most stimulating experience for you." She then flicked her hair away and folded her arms. "Make sure you choose your material wisely."

"Don't worry. I'll let you know how it goes the next time we meet," Naruto stated while cracking his fingers, his words ending in a peaceful quiet flooding through the forest.

Remaining at their stations for some time, the pair then started to wander about. While the blonde aimlessly moved over to a tree and leant up against it, the kunoichi in training paced, kicking the ground while her hands remained firmly at her sides. When she eventually went to lean against a tree that stood directly beside the one the jinchuriki had stopped at, the pair shared a glance with one another.

Several seconds later, Naruto spoke, "Since we're both out here and talking all civil like and such… why don't you tell me more about the other people you've fought with in the past."

This suggestion immediately perked the girl's interest, "Oh. Are you extricating from your routine to try and acquire some useful Intel from your adversary?"

"What do you think?" the boy asked with a slight chuckle.

"On the surface it certainly looks like it." Shizuka then threw him a glare. "Just know that I will not divulge that sort of information without a fight."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. "I just want a chance to speak with you, that's all," the jinchuriki reaffirmed, bringing his hands up and slipping them behind his head comfortably. "I mean… it's not like we spent the last time we met up with each other talking for most of that morning, now did we?"

"No. I suppose we did not," Shizuka snickered, at the same time staring across at the boy confidently. "That was a very brief and explicit conversation, if I remember correctly… one that did not end well for either side."

"Then… you wouldn't mind if we chatted for a little bit, would you?" The question was quick and sincere. "No knives or fists. Just good old-fashioned words?"

Staring back at her opponent to see him eyeing her carefully, the traveler from another village held her ground. Then, after a few moments of considering her rival's inquiry, Shizuka gave him her answer.

"Very well. I will adhere to your request."

XXX

A few days later…

After only a night of checking out the various books and scrolls in the local library he'd managed to pick up in his three day search, Naruto had come to a startling and unexpected realization.

Reading was fun, by all definitions of the word… though that all really depended on the context of the subject in question.

In his quest to redefine his image, while simultaneously trying to connect with society and work on his combat skills, the blonde had decided to delve into something a little bit outside of his comfort zone. It was all set in stone after all. If a shinobi in training, one who wasn't attached to any of the big names living inside of the village and had to rely on their own ingenuity to develop their craft was looking for a new jutsu to learn, there were a couple of options they could pick from.

One; they could ask their academy instructors and/or any registered shinobi who would be willing to help them out and were wandering about the place for advice. In Naruto's case, approaching people at this stage in his life was still a big 'if' and he didn't really feel like bothering Iruka too much outside of class time. He was also a little bit in the dark about whether the scar-faced Chunin actually knew any ninjutsu outside of the basics that would actually be of use to him, but he wasn't going to rule out surprises just yet.

He made a mental note to go visit his teacher some time later and bug him about it. You know… because he was annoying in that fun-loving kind of way.

The second option involved visiting the local library or archive for any mainstream jutsu the institutes could possibly provide.

Now, while selling techniques that were made for fighting on a store front sounded like a questionable, black market practice for towns outside of hidden villages, when you were inside of a shinobi village, one of the big five no less, surrounded by shinobi making a living as shinobi and learning the ways of the shinobi, libraries specializing in selling ninjutsu and genjutsu material was a common sight. And while the material was indeed limited to how advanced the techniques were and stored away based on the level of risk they presented to the human body, it was a guarantee that shinobi who didn't have a clan and needed to polish up their skills could look for any basic information and guidelines in a specialist building.

To Naruto, this was the most appealing choice he could possibly make right now. Looking at his current status, he was too much of a social outcast to ask for help from any of his so-called 'friends' and he was too stubborn and prideful to pester his teachers for assistance. All in all, the libraries at his academy and in his neighborhood were his best bets.

After three full days of searching and scanning the shelves, the jinchuriki had finally made a breakthrough.

On this bright, sunny day, on top of the roof of the academy and overlooking the vast expanse of infrastructure known as Konohagakure, Naruto lay across the roof reading a book. Having picked this up at a library outside of the school's grounds, the blonde was looking into a jutsu he had a feeling might contribute greatly to his skill set.

It was a small book, obviously built from the contents of a scroll, and it really only had one technique in particular that listed in detail its mechanics and manner in which it was executed.

Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Release: Gale Palm). C-Rank. Short to Mid range. No hand seals required. From that description alone, it sounded like the ideal technique for him to try and practice. All the user is required to do is clap their hands together and perform the technique by expelling the chakra from their hands or body, and focus the blast on the intended target.

This technique wasn't in any high-security storage vault because it had a low rating and all known users of this jutsu used it as a supplementary weapon. There wasn't anything special about it and it didn't have that much capacity for destruction.

Of course, from Naruto's perspective, that all depended on the strength of the user. And this got him thinking…

"Perhaps I can make something awesome out of this," the blonde thought, a smile tugging at his lips as he rolled over to the next page of the book. "If I focus all of my attention on making this jutsu powerful… even more powerful than it's supposed to be… I'll be able to use it to deflect Shizuka's long-range techniques right back at her."

Not only that, the jutsu also had potential for other uses as well, other than a means to knock a person over or to increase the cutting power of shuriken in mid-flight.

The technique could also be used to hit projectiles out of the air and perhaps even enhance his fighting style by increasing his range several times over. It could also be used as a maneuverability tool, perhaps to even help him dodge across open ground with greater range and agility. He just had to be weary of fire release techniques, otherwise that was just going to end badly for everyone… namely him.

The ideas the blonde was getting and the numerous possibilities for improving his fighting abilities were endless. The thought actually stirred something deep inside of him… a thrill that he only received in moments before stepping into a fight where the odds were stacked fifty to one against him.

By God. He could almost taste the excitement. His foot was actually tapping the roof he was lying on in an effort to compensate for the overflow of untapped energy.

However, before he could begin delving into this new wave of inspiration, the blonde was suddenly interrupted by a shadow from behind falling over him. Sun blocked out, Naruto frowned and gestured offensively.

"Hey! Hey! Asshole! Mind moving a little to the left? You're blocking the light," the blonde said in an irritated voice. When the shadow refused to move, the spiky-haired delinquent looked to see what the deal was, where he then saw the stoic face of one Sasuke Uchiha staring right back at him. "Oh. It's you."

Silence was the raven haired boy's immediate response, which dragged on for well over a minute.

Knowing he wouldn't get anything from the class genius on the first shot, the jinchuriki breathed a dreary sigh and, setting his book down, turned to him with an annoyed tick in his expression, "What's up? Something biting you?"

"In a way," Sasuke answered, looking the blonde over and narrowing his eyes, "How are things going over here?"

Huh. The coolest kid in the academy and top rookie was asking him a genuine question? That was a snap.

Balking a little in surprise at the inquiry, Naruto gave the raven haired boy a suspicious glare, "They're… okay… I guess." Passing the genius with his hands in his pockets an upward nod, the spiky haired delinquent pressed forward, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," the genius promptly replied before then stepping aside, "It just… seems like you're having a good time on this part of the building."

Okay. This conversation was getting a little bit weird. What the heck did he mean by 'having a good time?'

Confused as to what the boy was jabbing at, the blonde raised an eyebrow at him. "That all depends on what you mean by 'good time'."

Sasuke merely grunted and gestured over his shoulder, across the roof of the academy where the other students were gathered, "Well, unlike over there, it's nice and quiet over here."

Curious, Naruto peered around the boy to see what he was referring. When he did, he saw a crowd of girls gathered in one spot and looking in their direction, obviously ogling the Uchiha. But when they saw the jinchuriki stick his head into view, they immediately recoiled in shock and backed off. The entourage kept their distance, whispering to each other and asking why their beloved Uchiha was conversing with the 'Wild Beast'.

The sight had the blonde frown, "Yeah. I kind of figured that." He then looked back at Sasuke.

Looking at the jinchuriki and meeting his gaze, the genius engaged in a sort of face-off with his compatriot. When a tense silence fell over them, the Uchiha, deciding to break the ice, shrugged and gestured to the blonde, "Mind if I join you?"

Okay. Interesting development if there ever was one. Sasuke was straight up asking if he could join him on his side of the academy rooftop.

While Naruto had never spoken much with the Uchiha in the past beyond the occasional 'hello' or class spar in which they were required to cross fists, he didn't hate the guy. Not at all.

He actually respected him and gave the guy his space, the same as the Uchiha did for him.

In terms of overall combat and academic skill, both boys quietly viewed one another as sort of equal and acknowledged the other's strength. Where one had superb ninjutsu prowess and talent for learning new techniques on the fly, the other was a genius taijutsu specialist and brilliant combatant. The two of them also recognized that they shared a certain level of common ground; they were both alone and they were both parentless.

Though one had lost their clan in one of the bloodiest events Konoha had ever seen, the other one didn't have a clan at all. Hell, he'd never even met his parents or even knew what they looked like. Though the circumstances were different, the end result was still the same.

The only thing that the blonde was envious about the Uchiha was that the guy was popular and he was not. Though Naruto didn't let this show on the surface, it was still a negative he was willing to acknowledge.

This being one of the first times he remembered Sasuke actually wanting to speak with him and considering their history, Naruto gave his rival and classmate a moment of thought before shrugging, "Sure. Why not?" He then shuffled over, "Pull up a tile."

Giving a nod of thanks, Sasuke stepped over and sat down next to the delinquent. Being sure to keep a few feet of space between each other, the Uchiha then, pulling a Shikamaru, laid his back against the roof and slipped his hands behind his head. Silently, he went about sky gazing, which allowed Naruto to return to his reading.

For the next minute after that silence reigned between the two, with the occasional sound of paper rustling as the blonde turned to the next page of his book. Eventually, after several moments of nothing but hearing the wind whispering in their ears, curiosity infected the cat and the jinchuriki decided to speak on behalf of his inquisitive self.

"Using me to get away from your gaggle of fans?" Naruto asked offhandedly, figuring that Sasuke was taking advantage of the fact that a majority of the student body was afraid to get close to him for fear of getting set upon by the 'violent' street fighter.

It didn't take long for the jinchuriki to receive an answer, as the Uchiha grunted a second later, "You could say that. Problem?"

"No. Just wondering," Naruto replied, not even bothering to look over at the academy prodigy.

"Hmph," was the last sound Sasuke made before he chose to close his eyes.

As the pair went about relaxing, the children on the rooftop courtyard began taking notice of the situation and started voicing their concerns.

"Mo. Why is Sasuke-kun sitting with the 'Wild Beast'?" Ino whispered.

"Isn't he afraid of him?" Sakura asked.

"G-Get away from him, Sasuke-kun!"

"Yeah. That boy is dangerous."

"He'll beat you up if you stay too close to him!"

"No way. S-Sasuke-kun could never be beaten."

"Yes… but he can still get hurt."

And yet, all the girls' exclamations and voices of concern went on ignored by the two boys.

As the pair sat or lay there on the slanted roof side by side and the crowd behind the railing kept their distance, wondering why the two most unlikely characters were sitting next to one another as if they were old chums, Shikamaru, who was currently spending time with Choji on the nearby steps, also noticed what was going on and looked over. Hearing the commotion and the fact that everyone in that general area was looking across at the 'Wild Beast' and the Uchiha sharing the same space, the Nara stopped for a moment from his brunch-fest to consider the uproar before turning back to the rice bun he had in his hand.

"Troublesome."

Honestly. People always made a big fuss over nothing.

OOO

A month later…

After a certain amount of time had passed, the cycle of development that was Naruto's young life eventually hit a point where the blonde was starting to make more explorative decisions. Simply put, the jinchuriki was starting to feel more adventurous and outgoing than he normally did, and there was a reason why.

With his progress in the forests surrounding Konoha's training fields going steady and showing good results, the blonde decided to cut off from his usual routine to go pay a particular 'friend' a visit. Though his referencing of this person was still questionable at best, Naruto still felt he'd formed a sort of unspoken bond with this individual. Since she'd been going out of her way to drop in on him whenever she felt like it, the jinchuriki was compelled to return the favor. So, breaking away from whatever session he'd normally have on this weekend morning, he headed into the woods in search of his enemy's home.

Having learned in his regular conversations with Shizuka that the girl was staying in the woods somewhere on the edge of the training fields, Naruto had somewhat of a good idea of where to find her. Using whatever training he'd been taught at the academy by Iruka to track down a person, the blonde started off aimlessly into the forest from his most recent training spot. Cluing onto the direction the wanderer normally came from, he began weaving through the thick of the undergrowth in search of what could be used as a makeshift home.

It didn't take him long to stumble across a large tree with a wide entrance at its base and an improvised hammock hanging inside of it. The clothes dangling from a nearby tree branch were also more than enough to tell the blonde that somebody was living underneath this particular willow.

Raising an eyebrow when he saw the place was deserted, Naruto looked around, "Hello? Anyone home?" He strolled on in, being weary of any traps his rival may have set. You know, because he was paranoid like that.

After all, this girl did say she was going to kick his ass one of these days. It wouldn't surprise the blonde one bit if she suddenly decided to take that route of action.

But of course, when Naruto ventured further into the camp, he saw nothing and nobody; just the tree with the girl's stuff in it. Hell, there wasn't even a trace of a fireplace. Maybe she set it up someplace else where she wouldn't be easily spotted. That was smart thinking for a person avoiding detection. Not only was her sleeping quarters inside a tree and practically out of sight, it was also in an area that was frequented by shinobi hitting the training fields.

It was pretty much the last place anyone would look.

Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't left to dwell on his thoughts for very long. Shortly after entering the area, the jinchuriki heard a rustling of bushes and looked across to see none other than Shizuka entering his midst. Only… she wasn't exactly in uniform…

In fact, she wasn't in any sort of uniform at all. All she had was a towel, which she was currently using to dry her hair. That was it.

Both stopping dead in their tracks when they spotted one another, Naruto and Shizuka stood in silence, staring across at the other person in surprise. When the call of birds echoed across the area and the instant drew out to its final moments, the first person to regain their senses was of course the child intruding upon the scene. Face lighting up red and hair standing on end, the jinchuriki gave a startled yelp and spun away.

"Ah, crap, sorry! Sorry, Shizuka! I didn't know you were taking a bath!" Or had been. She was obviously returning from one. "I'm not looking! Not looking!"

Blinking when she saw the stammering Naruto look away, Shizuka then frowned and, bringing her towel down, marched over to her home tree. Ignoring the blonde, who kept an ear open to her movements in case she decided to throw something sharp, pointy and potentially deadly in his direction, the raven haired traveler went about the process of getting dressed.

Quickly, the girl slapped on her usual undergarments followed by her skin tight combat suit, complete with pouches and impact plates. Once she'd adjusted the components, Shizuka then turned to see Naruto with his hand still hovering over his face and gaze averted, which drew an amused smirk from the traveler.

"It's okay. You can open your eyes now."

Breathing out in relief, the delinquent removed his hand and looked back at the girl, relieved to see she was now completely covered. Nodding when he looked her from top to bottom to make sure she was all there, Naruto then scratched his cheek and glanced down shamefacedly, "I'm… really sorry about that."

"That's quite alright," Shizuka spoke, at the same time walking over to the boy to stand in front of him. "Since neither one of us knew the other was in the immediate area, I can understand that this was just an unfortunate accident; a reminder for me to be more careful in the future." Gesturing across the clearing, she then looked into the restless blonde's eyes and narrowed her own intent on him. "However, I cannot help but notice that we've suddenly found ourselves at an impasse."

"Impasse?"

"Not only were you embarrassed by this ill-fated incident, but I too have found myself a little bit discomforted by the situation … and I'd appreciate it that we resolved this issue as quickly as possible." A frown then framed Shizuka's face, "We both have to take responsibility for this. So may I?"

"Ah." Seeing her look, Naruto swallowed, steeled himself and nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright. Fair is fair." Even though it'd been a harmless mishap, since they were both ninja in training and they both had an honorable streak about them, they knew that certain dues needed to be paid.

So, sucking it up, the jinchuriki placed his hands behind his back and held his chin up high. This was all the sign Shizuka needed to know the boy was prepared to accept his punishment.

Without another word, the raven haired traveler formed a fist and smacked him across the face, cocking his head to the side. When her knuckles dug in, she watched the blonde remain standing in place for several moments. After which she then removed her fist and watched her adversary calmly shake it off, a bruise forming where she'd landed her blow.

"That should do it," Shizuka said.

"Uh-huh," Naruto murmured, reaching up and massaging his now sore jaw.

Satisfied at the outcome, the raven haired girl began moving outwards cautiously and towards the edge of the clearing. "What brings you all the way out here today, my arch nemesis?" the girl asked curiously, at the same time keeping a wary eye fixed on her rival.

Shrugging, the blonde began to pace as well, hands slipping into his pockets, "Nothing really. I was feeling bored so I decided to go for a little walk. And since you've made it a habit to come visit me every time I'm training, I figured I'd return the favor and drop by to see how you were doing. You know… just to mix things up a little."

"I see," Shizuka spoke, smiling across at the delinquent as she stopped beside a nearby tree and rested a hand against it. "So you felt compelled to come all the way out here, unannounced, to try and sneak a peek at my training regiment and learn a bit more about me? Is that it?"

"Ye-… well no. Not really," Naruto answered hesitantly.

"Oh. So you're not here to spy on me?" Shizuka inquired further. Seeing the blonde shake his head, the wanderer then tilted hers before a frown tugged at her lips once more. "Are you perhaps scouting the forests around my territory and looking for the ideal place to ambush me?" She then pointed at him accusingly. "Perhaps your intention here was to take me out while my guard was down, to stab me in the back when I wasn't looking, thereby eliminating one of your competitors-"

"If I had wanted to do that, I wouldn't have strolled out into the middle of this clearing and exposed myself to attacks from all directions," the jinchuriki said, raising his arms out and turning on the spot. "Geez… she's even more paranoid then me." Upon gesturing to the whole clearing and showing his back to his opponent for but a moment, he then fixed an amused stare onto the girl he was conversing with and nodded, "Do you seriously think I'm stupid enough to do something like that?"

"No. Of course not," the kunoichi in training replied with a smirk. "You're far too clever to pull off such a foolhardy stunt… not to mention honorable."

Naruto bowed at the compliment. Once his expression of appreciation was given and received, he then focused his attention on another area of space away from the girl, "I'm just wondering how your training is coming along." He gave his adversary a suspicious look, "I mean… after all the times you've swung by my training spot to visit me… you must be making some sort of progress over here."

"You doubt my increase in ability?" Shizuka inquired, earning a shrug from the blonde, who continued to keep his distance. Responding to this with a long drawn out pause, in which both children ended up glaring heatedly at one another, the raven haired girl decided to add proof to her defense and drew a kunai.

The sight of the knife put the jinchuriki on immediate guard. But when at first he thought she was going to use that against him, he then watched the kunoichi in training pitch it across the clearing in a random direction and strike a distant tree with a solid thud. The impact shaking a dozen leaves from the branches, Naruto then watched with a raised eyebrow as the girl drew two more handfuls of blades and sent them across the grass. This was immediately followed by a second barrage.

In a matter of seconds, the blonde watched the knives catch the falling leaves one after the other, before the knives impaled the trees behind them. Simultaneous thuds rang out until all of the leaves had been knocked out of the air. Once Shizuka lowered her arm, Naruto saw that she'd impaled every single leaf that had fallen from the oak and embedded the knives and their targets into the trunks of the others.

Whistling, the clearly impressed Naruto smiled at the traveler, "Not bad, princess." Noticing Shizuka smirk at him, he then pulled a hand out of his pocket. "Damn. I should be a lot more careful from now on. There's no telling where you could hit me from with that kind of aim."

Giving a look that showed she appreciated his remark, the kunoichi then gestured to him, "I've given a demonstration of my abilities. Now it's your turn."

A challenge was it? Very well.

"If you insist." Grinning brightly, Naruto began strolling across the flat, heading towards a large stone boulder sitting at the base of one of the surrounding trees. As he advanced on it, he continued speaking, "Though the jutsu I'm working on is still a work in progress… that doesn't mean I've neglected the other physical aspects of my training." When he arrived at the rock's side, he turned back toward Shizuka to see the girl watching him like a hawk. "It isn't just my hitting power I'm working on either."

To emphasize his point, the blonde reached out and gently rested his hand upon the rock. Though the wanderer was at first confused by his sudden gesture, the reason behind his wordless action was made clear moments later when the boy suddenly clenched his hand into a fist, dug his fingers into the surface, and shattered the entire top half of the boulder in an instant.

A loud 'bang' ringing out at the amount of pressure he was able to administer upon the stone by simply squeezing it, Naruto effectively turned the piece of bedrock from a proud solid to a cloud of powder in an instant.

The jinchuriki grinned, "Get the picture?" Bringing his hand up, he blew on his palm, showing absolutely no damage whatsoever.

"Clear as day," Shizuka replied, nodding her head and giving her foe a cocky look, "You truly are a one of a kind adversary. I'm looking forward to the day we'll finally be able to settle this score of ours."

"Same here," Naruto also added, earning a giggle from the traveler. Starting to move back into the center of the clearing, the boy then looked across at the girl's living accommodations and pointed it out. "Doesn't it get a little damp underneath there?"

Noticing the tree he was pointing at, the kunoichi in training frowned slightly. "I admit it is not the best quarter I've taken up residence in, but it certainly isn't the worst. It gets more unpleasant around night time when the mosquitoes come out to play."

Hearing the girl's words and seeing her expression change, Naruto's mind churned. "Maybe you could go find a place somewhere around town and rent out a room for a couple of months. It doesn't have to be glamorous or expensive, but at least you'll be someplace warm." He nodded towards her tree and hammock. "It'll be a hell of a lot better than sleeping out in the rain. Believe me, I know."

Yeah. In the years before he started winning his fights, the boy had spent a lot of his time unconscious and out on the streets. When he ended up cornered in an alleyway and beaten to the point of being completely unrecognizable, he would often drop where he was or several blocks away while he was struggling to get home.

He'd lost count of the number of times he'd ended up out cold and lying on the back alley roads, but Naruto still remembered the feelings he got from those moments. These experiences were what shaped him into the bloke he was today.

Knowing that it must really suck to have to sleep in a tree like Shizuka was doing, the blonde wanted to help her out however he could. Even though she was technically his rival and enemy, he was still eager to make nice.

Giving the boy an appreciative smile, Shizuka nodded, "I'll think about it. Thank you, Naruto."

"Don't mention it," Naruto said. Looking left and right as the two stood in front of one another, the blonde then grinned and thumbed to his side, "Wanna walk and talk?"

Taking his inquiry to heart, the girl only had to think for one second. Arriving at a decision, Shizuka beamed, "Sure."

His answer received, the jinchuriki began leading the girl out of the clearing. Strolling side by side, the delinquent looked across at his rival to see the raven haired princess set a marching pace and grinned at how proper she presented herself to him, even in a social context. "It's good to have some time off from work. If you're up to it, maybe we could have a little spar afterwards. I'm not sure about you, but I'm having a hard time finding a partner that can actually stand up to me for more than five minutes."

Shizuka snickered, "I think I'd like that."

Man. Even though they'd practically sworn victory over the other in the future, the two of them were really hitting it off right now. Unlike the previous times they'd met, there was very little hostility between them now.

Though they still feuded with one another competitively and were still standing at odds against one another, Naruto could feel a sudden change in the air… and he liked it.

Man. Now all he needed to do was find someone from the academy who he could spend time with like this.

XXX

A few weeks later…

Sitting outside of the Green Leaf, the tea shop many of the suburban residents often visited when they needed their fix for the day, Naruto and Sasuke sat on the bench sharing a pot. With the kettle in the center and a cup in hand, the pair sat in their most preferred positions while staring across the road towards the park, where they could see a couple of kids kicking a ball around and adults strolling the pathways.

It was a very peaceful setting, especially since they were two of only five customers within the shop's general area. But this was exactly how they wanted it; quiet and calm with as little noise as possible.

Eyes scanning a book opened up on his lap with a cup of green tea in hand, the jinchuriki narrowed his eyes on a certain paragraph and took a sip. Savoring the flavor and turning to the next page, he then felt a pair of eyes boring into him and glanced across. It didn't come as a surprise to him to see Sasuke chancing a look his way, which turned into a momentary showdown between the two once again.

"Hmph. What's the matter, Hawkeye? Am I reading too loudly for yah?" Naruto asked with a smart-alecky grin.

Grunting, the Uchiha raised his tea glass, "No."

"I mean, if you want to say something, go ahead and say it. It's not like I'm telling you to be quiet or anything," the blonde continued in amusement.

"Unlike some people you may probably know, I'm not much of a talker," Sasuke said while taking another sip from his drink.

"Yeah, I can tell. But that's never stopped you, has it?" Naruto asked, still regarding the boy with a mild sense of interest.

"Hmph," was the raven haired boy's characteristic response. "Most of the time I'm not really given that much of a choice." After speaking his part and making his point of view known he returned to his drink, allowing the two of them to finish whatever it was they were there to do.

Both Naruto and Sasuke remained in place, finishing their drinks and watching the villagers in the area go about their work. The children in the park played, the adults walked and the people working in the surrounding stores were busy hauling stuff about and looking busy. The pair almost seemed like two old guys sitting on a bench in contemplation, when it was really just two kids blowing time off and having something that was close to a 'conversation'.

Eventually it came to a point where Naruto just couldn't help but strike up talk again, prompting him to turn his attention back to the Uchiha staring off into space. "I know you want to ask me about it."

"About what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"If you're referring to the many times you've walked into Iruka's classroom looking like you've been run over by a buffalo… no, not really," Sasuke replied, trying to come off as uninterested but unable to keep his eyes from straying over to the blonde to his left.

The response had the jinchuriki leer, "Aw, come on. Aren't you even a little bit curious as to who puts me in that condition every morning?"

"Nope," the Uchiha quickly replied.

"Really? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Positive."

"Heh. Alright then," Naruto shrugged, turning away with a cocky smile and casually sipping his cup, "Your loss."

For several seconds longer the pair sat, with the raven haired boy giving the smug one several furtive glances. At first it seemed like nothing was going to happen. But after seeing that same grin continue to persist, Sasuke then gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the blonde, "Fine. Who?"

"Glad you asked," the jinchuriki replied, turning to his companion cheerfully, "Shizuka."

"Who?"

"Shizuka; this hermit girl I met out in the forests," Naruto elaborated, at the same time trying to feed his academy rival some line to tug on, "Kind of a pain in the ass, if I'm honest… but a good one."

Arching an eyebrow, the Uchiha glanced away to think. After a couple of moments he turned back, "Is she a kunoichi?"

"Yes. Well… no. Technically she's a kunoichi in training," the spiky haired youngster corrected. "She's the same age as us, isn't afraid to draw blood, and even though she's not as strong as me or as good at taijutsu as I am, she's incredibly vicious." This statement caused Naruto to reach up and rub his shoulder painfully. "No joke. Her kicks pack a wallop. I still have the bruises from our last fight to prove it."

This information had Sasuke chuckle briefly, "She must be pretty strong to put you through that kind of hell every morning." Hell, from the sounds of it, this girl was even stronger than him. It was something that had the raven haired youngster consider for a couple of seconds, before he dismissed the idea of a possible confrontation completely.

This was Naruto's mess and it was up to him to deal with it. Fighting an angry chick that could give you bruises of all shapes and sizes wasn't something the Uchiha was all too fond of.

"So how many times have you beaten this Shizuka?" Sasuke asked while taking another sip.

"None… actually…"

His answer gave the Uchiha pause. "None?"

Naruto cringed at the surprised exclamation, "It's an ongoing stalemate. We've agreed to a temporary ceasefire until both of us have gotten strong enough to go for a third round, which is why I'm stuck on the training fields for most of the day. We meet up every once in a while for the occasional spar, you know… just to shake things up a little, but even though we try to keep things civil between us, we always get a little bit carried away every now and again."

The raven haired brooder raised an eyebrow toward the blonde at the oddity of his circumstance. From what Naruto had just told him, the blonde was currently in a grudge match with some girl that was apparently training to become a kunoichi. Whether she was somebody from the academy or not the boy wasn't willing to pry, since he wasn't that interested in his classmate's personal life, and in this case that was probably a good thing. The less he knew the better. But considering what'd just been said, it sounded like Naruto had developed some kind of a friendly relationship with the very person who was out to beat him.

That was weird on a number of levels, but again Sasuke wasn't that interested. There was only so much patience he could give.

"It's just a few scratches, torn muscles and black eyes, nothing big," Naruto waved it off while finishing his tea with one last sip. "The last spar we had I managed to crack her ribs and shoulder and she gave me a wicked shiner and a nice, crescent moon scar across my chest. I couldn't walk straight for a whole day. But we're all good."

"Sounds to me like you two are very close," Sasuke commented, pulling the teapot closer as he watched his fellow classmate stand, stretch, and prepare to move out.

"Yeah… close enough to feel like I'm being stalked wherever I go. Seriously. It was bad enough when I had drop-outs following me to my doorstep every weekday evening. But when you have somebody who can kick your ass six ways from Sunday tiptoeing around the shadows… that's a completely different story," Naruto replied, pulling out several coins from his pocket and dropping it on the tray the waitress had used to bring their tea out to them. After making sure he had enough to pay for his half, the blonde rose to full height and tipped the metaphorical hat to his Uchiha companion. "Anyway… I'm cold, I'm beat and I'm going home. See you at school, Hawkeye."

"Yeah. Whatever, Wild Beast," Sasuke said, giving the blonde a half-assed wave.

Pleasantries shared, the jinchuriki turned heel and headed on home. Leaving the Green Leaf behind, he made his way through the streets at a casual pace, hands in his pockets and a look of extreme purpose on his face. Humming a cheerful tune when he stopped by his local convenience store, doing a little turn at the counter when he got all the stuff he needed, he then carried that song the rest of the way home.

He even began adding lyrics to his song (think Stand by Me) and did so while swinging his door open, bolting it shut and heading for his kitchen. Depositing his stuff on the dining table, he moved back to his corridor, where he then proceeded to remove his hooded vest, shirt, and then began working on his pants.

"Time for a nice, hot shower," Naruto sang, promptly removing his pants and boxers and tossing them aside.

Hey. This was his apartment. His home. If he wanted to go walking around with all of his equipment hanging out, then he was gonna let it all hang out.

Leaving a trail of clothing down his hallway, the blonde struck up a new tune when he stopped at his bathroom door. Quickly remembering he needed a new towel, he then did an about-face and moved toward his bedroom.

Letting himself in, his eyes quickly fell upon his wonderful, memory foam mattress he would soon be crashing on later that night-

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

-and Shizuka, who just happened to be sitting right on the edge of it.

The moment he spotted her, the blonde froze, as did his intruder, who stared right back at him with an equal sense of surprise.

A deathly silence fell upon them, in which the only sounds that could be heard were the squishing of eyelids as both of them blinked in sync. Seconds later, Shizuka's gaze strayed downwards, where they immediately rested.

"Hmm… interesting…" So that's what defined a boy.

Eyebrow twitching, Naruto took a step back and immediately dropped into a fighting stance, one which Shizuka responded to with a glare.

"Okay. Fine. If you're here to fight me, then let's do this! I don't mind kicking your ass in the buff," the blonde quickly said, holding his fists up boxing style and waving her over, "Come on. Bring it!"

Scowl deepening, the raven haired kunoichi in training looked up and stiffened, "I'm not here to fight you."

Stopping before he could get his engine revving, Naruto lowered his guard and looked up, "Really?" When he saw her nod, his gaze tightened, "Then what did you break into my apartment for? To borrow some sugar? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Shizuka-chan, but I don't have any at the moment."

"I did not travel all this way into the village for such a trivial matter," the princess stated, rising to her feet. Immediately leading off from her response, the raven haired wanderer adorned in her regular combat garb removed the bag she had on her back, set it on the ground beside her and, marching forward a couple of steps, knelt on the floor seiza style and lowered her head to the floor in a bow. It was an action that had the jinchuriki standing halfway inside his room balk in surprise.

"I have taken your suggestion to find a place to stay under advisement… and after due consideration I believe I have finally made a decision. With your permission, I would very much like to move in with you, Naruto," Shizuka said, eyes closed and voice as flat as it could possibly be.

At first appearing stunned at the girl's request, the jinchuriki quickly frowned and glared down at her, "Did you fall over and hit your head against a rock or something?"

Giving a few surprised blinks, Shizuka voiced her answer, "Not to my knowledge. No."

Naruto tapped against his temple, "Well, not to sound like a dick or anything, but you may want to go check the hardware up here, because I think you may have knocked a couple of screws loose if you think I'm going to let you into my apartment just like that." He snapped his fingers.

The raven haired girl tilted her head towards the still naked jinchuriki, who apparently didn't give a shit if he was naked or not, "Though the working portions of my brain are perfectly functional, I'm still interested to know why you're speaking such things. Are you hesitant at the idea?"

"You may not remember this, Shizuka-chan, but you and I aren't exactly the best of friends," Naruto continued, placing his hands on his hips and raising an eyebrow as his rival. "In fact, I don't think you can even call us friends. More like casual acquaintances… or enemies… or sparring partners." He then looked up when a thought came to his mind, "Come to think of it, I don't know what the hell we are."

Since he was trying to beat her and she was trying to kill him, Naruto just could not put a reference to this relationship foible of theirs. Surely there was some word out there in the history of language that could adequately describe their loose and rather complex relationship. If there wasn't and it didn't exist in their or any other tongue, then the scholars just weren't thinking hard enough…

Narrowing his eyes, the boy looked back down at his intruder. Noticing she was still staring at him in all his primetime glory, he quickly bent down and picked up his boxers, which he quickly slipped on to cover up his modesty, "In any case, unless you can give me a good reason as to why you're suddenly dropping this bombshell on top of me, I'm afraid that my answer is going to have to be no."

"I admit it is awfully impertinent of me to suddenly appear at your doorstep and ask you of this favor. But I would be most grateful to you if you could lend me this small ear to my plea," Shizuka spoke with a straight and honest face.

Naruto shrugged, "Alright… go on."

Shizuka smiled, "Since I'm new to this village and do not know or trust anyone besides myself and you, I would feel terribly discomfited moving into a place inside of town surrounded by strangers. To put it to you simply, I would feel a lot more comfortable sleeping at night if I was taking up residence in your home. Temporarily of course." She gestured around his room, before then looking down at the floor with an expression that was almost shamefaced. "And because I have very limited funds available to me and mostly hunt for my own food out in the woods, I have serious doubts about my ability to afford a place of my own for a prolonged period of time. Considering our current positions, I have reason to believe that it would be more beneficial for the both of us, socially and financially, if I was to move into this complex and share the same living space with you."

This immediately had the blonde intrigued, "What makes you think that?"

"Well…" the raven haired girl began with a smile, "Not only will I have a place to stay, I'll also be able to keep house for you in your absence and, in your off hours, fill in the empty space that is the solitude in your life. You won't have to come home to a dark apartment anymore and you won't have to live your days alone anymore."

"Yeah, but it's not like having you sleeping right next to me is going to help permanently solve what is currently my street urchin and community segregation status. At least… not for very long, anyway," Naruto said while giving the girl a suspicious stare. "In fact… I'm pretty certain that there will only be two people living in this apartment for the first three weeks before it mysteriously becomes one person some time later, if you catch my drift."

Shizuka smiled at this response, "I assure you that I have no intention of assassinating you in your sleep. That would only cheat me out of an honorable victory or defeat at your hands, and would in no way satisfy my desire to crush you in battle." She added to this by giving him her most honest and hardened stare she could muster, one that conveyed all of her feelings on the matter. "We made a vow; that we would both continue to train until we've become strong enough to meet one another in contest and settle our dispute once and for all. Surely you haven't forgotten that promise."

"Oh no. There's no way I can forget about something like that," Naruto replied, giving an amused scoff before shaking his head. "We were both lying on the ground and practically bleeding out all over the place when we made that promise. Heck, I've been living my life as a completely different person for the past month because of that promise."

Eyes sparkling at the boy's successful recollection of what he too considered the most important event in their existence to that point, the raven haired girl then bowed her head once again, "So… will you allow me to move in with you for a couple of months, at least until I find my own place to stay?" Shizuka added to this by then pulling off the most adorable puppy dog look she could execute. Even though she hadn't had much practice with it, it was still an impressive first attempt.

Feeling the sting of her gaze as it bore into him like a power drill, Naruto attempted to fight back against the overwhelming cuteness of the young wanderer's vulnerable expression. Eventually, her radiance became too much to resist and after a couple of minutes of facing off against one another, the boy relented with a groan and threw his arms into the air.

"Fine! Fine! Since you've got nowhere else to go, you can crash here for a couple of months," the jinchuriki exclaimed, shaking his head when he saw the girl cheer up. "Man, you're a persistent one, aren't yah?" Before either one of them could say anything else or leave their positions for a new one, the blonde raised a finger and jabbed it in her direction. "But just so you know; I have a couple of rules around here that you have to follow." Watching her straighten up where she was kneeling, Naruto began counting on his fingers, "One; if you're answering the door, do not accept newspaper or any other kind of subscription whatsoever, because I can't afford it. Two; change the toilet paper roll whenever it runs out and make sure to leave a couple handy in case of emergencies. Three…" He then pointed down his hallway towards the living room, "Take good care of my house plant. It's my baby. Got it?"

Shizuka answered, "Yes. Your house plant is your baby. Got it."

"Good," Naruto nodded, receiving a couple of blinks from the traveler's unnervingly cheerful face, which quickly resulted in a very awkward silence falling over them. Realizing he was still wearing boxers and nothing else, the blonde scrubbed his hair before moving across his bedroom floor and to his cupboard. When he sensed Shizuka shuffle around to watch him rummage through his stuff from her spot, he paused when he remembered something else and turned to face her again, "Also, if you've got any dirty laundry that needs washing, pop it all into a basket and we can take it to the Laundromat just down the road from here."

"Okay," the raven haired girl said with a nod.

Smirking, the jinchuriki pulled a towel down from the upper shelf as well as a new set of clothes. After throwing them over his shoulder, he then turned, faced the girl again, and after looking around his room, thumbed towards his bed. "You want to take the bed? I'd be a pretty rotten host if I let you sleep on the couch."

Considering his proposal, Shizuka looked over at his mattress, "Since you were kind enough to let me into your home, I would hate to have to deprive you of your primary sleeping area." She then stood up off of the ground, "If it's not too much trouble, I would very much like to sleep here," and added to this by gesturing to the floorboards.

"Alright. If that's what you want. For now you can take my bed. I'll go buy you a futon tomorrow," Naruto said, earning a smile from the girl for his kindness in that regard. Once he was certain everything had been covered, he then headed for his bathroom with the intent of washing up. But just before he could skedaddle, he stopped at his frame and glared back at his guest, "By the way, you owe me two minutes."

"Two minutes?" Shizuka inquired, raising an eyebrow at the blonde when he threw a dirty look her way. "For what?"

The jinchuriki pointed down at him, "I spent over two minutes standing right here buck naked in front of you. That means I get a two minute safety gap if I ever happen to walk in on you when you're naked. Okay? No throwing punches, kunai or anything at me until I've used up all one-hundred and twenty seconds, alright?"

Quickly remembering how the boy had first walked into the room, the raven haired girl nodded in understanding and bowed once again, "Very well. I will adhere to that deal."

"You'd better," Naruto shot back with a smirk. With one final huff, he marched for the bathroom, "Damn, sneaky, judgmental girl and her cute, puppy dog eyes… I swear…" A string of mutters escaped the whisker-marked boy's lips when he entered his bathroom and shut the door behind him, completely missing Shizuka moving over to his bedroom entrance to watch him storm away.

Once she saw him disappear, the raven haired girl smiled and went to go about unpacking her clothing and other assorted material.

XXX

A few days later…

It was another sunny day out at the park and Naruto Uzumaki had once again found himself in the awkward position of trying to approach some kids on the oval to ask if he could play with them. Having taken some time off of training to work on his other, less-used skills, namely his social skills, the blonde had mustered up whatever confidence he could and came out to the reserve to try his luck.

With his hood removed from his head so that he didn't scare away the three boys and girl kicking the ball around, the blonde adjusted his collar nervously before slowly beginning his approach. Just like the many times he'd made this attempt, he found himself behind the lead person, just off to the side, in which he then waited for the kids to notice him; hands in his pockets and the least threatening stare he could make in play.

In just a few moments, the kids spotted the jinchuriki and gave a series of startled gasps, with the brown haired boy standing closest to him jumping away in fright.

Grinning meekly, Naruto waved, "Hey, guys. Mind if I join in?"

The boy, whom the jinchuriki knew as Kota from the academy, nervously scratched his head and looked between his companions. Seeing them all staring anxiously back at the 'Wild Beast', the boy daringly moved over to the blonde and stammered his response. "Uhh… well… you see… we have enough players right now, N-Naruto. So… we don't really need any more. I mean… not that we don't need you or anything, but, well… you know-"

"Oh, no. It's okay. I can just stand here and watch," Naruto chuckled, pocketing his hands and grinning back at his fellow classmate. "No biggy."

"R-Right," Kota replied, giving a few nervous laughs of his own. After a couple of awkward moments had passed, the boy decided to edge away, quickly scampering back over to his friends and putting as many feet between him and the cheerfully smiling blonde watching them from his patch of grass.

Seeing the children regroup and continue on with their game at a more comfortable distance, a frown slowly appeared across Naruto's face. After several more seconds of watching, a sigh escaped his lips. "Man… why do I even bother? They're not going to let me join in." He looked down at his feet and scratched his head irritably. "Figures…"

"That was just sad."

Eye twitching at the sound of the familiar voice cutting him off, Naruto looked to his right to see Shizuka standing there with her arms folded and an amused grin in play.

Taking note of the fully armed girl staring back at him with that smug look on her face drew a low grumble from the jinchuriki, "What are you doing here?"

"I became curious as to what my most dangerous adversary did in his free time, so after I finished cleaning up the kitchen I decided to come out here and find you," the raven haired girl replied happily, before briefly acknowledging the four kids kicking ball across the playground. "If I'd known it was this bad, I would've come out here to help you much sooner."

At first glaring at his new roommate, Naruto's expression then became one of surprise as he then stared at the girl apprehensively, "Wait… you… came to help me?"

"As the kunoichi who is going to defeat you one of these days, I simply cannot allow my number one rival to be hampered in any way, shape or form that could potentially deprive me of a challenging fight in the future. That means it is my duty to ensure that he is not only kept in good health, both mentally and socially, in order to get the best out of him, but to also make certain that all of his humanistic needs are met," Shizuka declared in her most straight-forward voice.

This statement had the blonde give her a deadpanned stare, "You mean you feel it is your duty." In all honesty, he didn't need her help. Getting helped by the one girl who had it out for him just made him feel bad on a number of different levels.

Seemingly ignoring the boy's jab, Shizuka playfully brushed her hair away before stepping forward, hands on her hips and confident posture set. "Listen… if you want to start making friends, you have to be gentler with people and more considerate as to what they are doing. However, for people who are more uncertain about your nature, you have to learn to be more firm with them, as well as honest and direct. That way, you'll be able to transform an undecided mind into a decided one, while at the same time earning their respect." Holding a finger up arrogantly, she then began marching towards the kids kicking the ball around, "Observe."

Naruto then proceeded to watch with a mixture of both annoyance and curiosity when the girl advanced on Kota and his group. When she reached them, the girl stood off to the side for several moments, before then raising a hand to wave and drawing the kids' attention towards her.

"Excuse me," Shizuka began with confidence brimming at the surface, "But would you mind if I joined you four in a couple of games? I think it would be a lot more fun if you had five players instead of four sharing the grass."

At first coming off as surprised at the girl's sudden appearance, Kota and his friends glanced at one another several times before the raven haired boy standing next to the leader of the troop cleared his throat and turned to the stranger.

"Umm… who are you?"

"Me? I'm Shizuka of Nadeshiko," the kunoichi chirped proudly in response, "A traveler from the far east."

Looking her over, the only girl of the group of four then raised an eyebrow and fixed her gaze with the newcomer's, "You're funny looking."

"You look like a boy," the auburn haired child with the oversized t-shirt spoke up while pointing in the stranger's direction. "Why are you wearing a swimsuit?"

"Are you a ninja or something?"

"She can't be a ninja. She doesn't have a headband yet," Kota also added.

"What the heck is Nadeshiko?"

Her expression losing its light with every word the children spoke, Shizuka eventually ended up glaring across at the four with a twitching eyebrow. Knowing she had to remain as composed as possible in order to teach her rival a 'valuable lesson', the traveler forced a smile to her lips and continued to speak through her teeth. "S-So… will you allow me to join you guys… or not?"

Looking around at each other one last time, Kota, being the voice of wisdom and leadership for his entourage, focused on the strange-looking girl one last time and spoke. "S-Sorry but… we already have enough players and… well… I don't mean to be rude, but you look a little bit scary."

These words seemingly catching Naruto's attention, he then proceeded to watch as whatever composure Shizuka had managed to maintain crumbled away like a sandcastle on the beach. Soon enough, the once cheerful disposition the traveler once wore was replaced by impatience and, responding to the group's degrading words and inquiries, she clenched her fist tightly and brought it up.

"Listen, runts… if you don't let me join your group for a game of ball, I will chase each and every one of you down and cut you all to pieces." Her threat was then marked by the appearance of three kunai appearing between the fingers of her raised hand.

It was this action that impelled Naruto to slap a hand over his face in disbelief.

The three blades flashing into view caused the four kids standing in front of Shizuka to freak out. When they then saw the menacing glare of the kunoichi in training topped with a sinister grin bearing down on top of them, the kids quickly turned tail and ran for it. The sight of the scattering youth caused the girl to bristle and brandish her weapons after them. Furthermore, the commotion the group started quickly drew a lot of stares from the adults walking around the park, all of whom figuring it was just a game the youngsters were playing and returning to their business.

"You cowards! Get back here and play ball with me!" Shizuka shouted, only to see that Kota and his gang were now long gone. Lowering her weapons and retracting the knives, the wanderer spent the next couple of minutes calming herself down. But just as she was in the process of catching her breath, a pair of eyes drilling into the back of her head drew her gaze over her shoulder, where she quickly spotted the smug face of Naruto grinning back at her.

"That was just sad."

"SHUT UP!"

XXX

Over the following month…

Naruto found that his life had gone completely topsy-turvy. Really. So many things were just happening to him all at once that he didn't know where to start.

At the very beginning of all this Naruto thought that his life in Konoha was just fine. Sure it was dark and his social life was practically nonexistent, at least it was calm and quiet, with the occasional roughhousing experience to kill the monotony of his day. Exercise in procrastination was sublime for the Uzumaki, morning, noon and night. But then, from out of nowhere, the jinchuriki was suddenly ambushed by this girl from a land far, far away he knew nothing about and was beyond both his reach and comprehension.

From that point onwards, things started to get a little more interesting for the whisker-marked jinchuriki. Naruto was able to find a semblance of commitment in his life. He was able to craft a routine around a preexisting schedule that not only allowed him flexibility in his life, it also gave him something to do; a sense of function. Wandering around the streets was no longer a random occurrence in his days. It became a habit with purpose.

In the days following his second fight with Shizuka that led to the second and bloodiest draws in their respective duel histories, Naruto regularly found himself either going down to his favorite training spots in the woods, running laps of his block, or venturing to the library to do some fact finding.

Furthermore, and this had become the main sticking point to his new practice, Naruto finally had someone he was legitimately hanging out and communicating with on a regular basis. Granted she was an outsider and, all evidence to the contrary, she would be regarded as an enemy by others, Naruto found a sort of kindred spirit in Shizuka. Though part of her grated on the blonde to a certain degree, what with her sudden appearances and competitive nature that he would often find in a schoolyard rival, Naruto still viewed her as a trustworthy character and a great person of interest. It was this part of her that repeatedly drew the blonde into the woods to meet with this kunoichi in training and to speak with her. Considering his upbringing to this point in his life, he took it as an opportunity to expand his horizons.

Days progressed smoothly from that faithful run-in, in which the jinchuriki was able to appropriately add foundation and structure to his once meaningless existence. But then, just like before, Naruto's schedule was once again shaken up by a completely new development.

For some strange and unexplained reason, this girl he once only saw out in the wilderness was now living with him under the same roof.

Now, had this been any other person from the village that he knew, the jinchuriki wouldn't have had that much of a problem. Though he had his misgivings with a few people, namely the kids he'd beaten up and dropped in past scuffles, as well as the students at the academy who were terrified of him, Naruto had no personal grudges against any of them. At least… not anymore. However, as it stood, he still had an ongoing chip on his shoulder with the raven haired female now taking up residence at his apartment. I mean… what the hell?

It was a huge culture shock to Naruto. Once upon a time, the boy shared his bed with only himself and the various shadows that danced across his walls. But now, all of a sudden, he found himself tiptoeing around this chick crashing on the floor space next to his bed every single morning. Not only that, but this very same girl had tried to kill him before… several times he might add, and though they'd not been successful attempts, it'd still made the kid act way more cautiously than usual.

In the first week following the kunoichi's admittance into the apartment complex, Naruto and Shizuka didn't say much to each other. In the mornings and afternoons they found themselves eating across from one another at the table or sitting in the lounge room doing their things, they would spend that time staring across at the other person in awkward silence. And at night when it was time for them to go to sleep, both Naruto and Shizuka stayed awake; too tense to actually nod off and being extra certain to keep one eye on the other resident and a kunai hidden underneath their pillow at all times, in case the person next to them decided to try something unpleasant.

Eventually though, when it became apparent that neither one of them had any intention of attacking the other while their guards were down, they started to relax and open up a little bit more. Soon, regular home life started to gain meaning to the once orphan and loneness Naruto, and after a few more weeks had come and gone in which nothing serious had taken place, he once again found a semblance of balance in his day to day activities.

The only difference this time was that his chief rival, battle companion and most dangerous enemy in the world had become his roommate.

"I'm telling yah, it's completely weird, man," Naruto said as he lay atop the academy roof staring up at the clouds while Sasuke did the same exact thing a few feet to his left. Giving an exasperated sigh, the blonde threw a hand up and pulled it across the sky, "First she's trying to kill me… but the next thing I know she's living with me, cleaning my rooms and making breakfast for me every morning."

"How awful," came Sasuke's sarcastic reply, "You must feel absolutely violated."

"I mean, what the hell is up with that? Does she want something from me… or is this all just a big cover up so that she can strike me down when I'm least expecting it?" Naruto asked out loud again, glancing across at the raven haired genius while they ignored the bustling kids watching them from a safe distance away on the main portion of the roof. "She's up to something, Sasuke. I can feel it. I don't know what it is, but I know she's got something dastardly lined up for me."

Whether that meant his demise or not he had no idea.

"Yeah. A comfortable lifestyle, a clean conscience and a backrub," the Uchiha spoke, an amused smirk crossing his lips as he reveled in the blonde's distress. "You don't need a fortune cookie to tell you all that."

This answer drew a glare from the completely frazzled and exhausted looking jinchuriki, "Are you being serious… or are you just messing with me again?" He then clenched his fist, causing his knuckles to audibly pop and catch Sasuke's attention, "Because if you're screwing around with me…"

"I'm being as serious as I can be without breaking out into fits of laughter, Wild Beast," the Uchiha promptly answered, fixing his gaze back onto the clouds above and beginning to speak. "I mean, what do you want me to do about it? Go over there, beat her up and drag her out of your apartment so you can be rid of her once and for all. Even if I could do that, which I can't, I wouldn't. This is your problem and it's your job to fix it. The best I can do for you is listen and offer you advice."

"Yeah. Like you're any better at doing either of those," Naruto grumbled, eye twitching before he focused his attention on the village's rooftops across the way. "I'm just telling you how it is. I don't have any problems with this and I don't want anyone to do anything about it. Having Shizuka living with me in my apartment is absolutely fine. I just think it's a little bit strange that having someone sharing the same place as you is completely different to living alone in it."

"Hmph," Sasuke grunted, finally catching the full gist of what the boy was talking about.

"And I thought it was rough before. But ever since Shizuka jumped into my life it's been a steaming cauldron of paranoia, headaches, smiles, excitement and thrills from start to finish. On one hand I want this whole thing to end, but at the same time I don't want it to end. You get what I'm saying?"

"Well, if you want it to be the former then you'd better get strong enough fast, because if you can't beat her in the next two months, you're going to be stuck with her for a very long time," Sasuke remarked.

If the Uchiha knew anything about the 'Wild Beast' of Konoha, it was that the boy was incredibly stubborn, honorable, principled, and obsessive to a fault. He knew Naruto wouldn't simply rat this girl out to the authorities since he had a score to settle with her, and not only would it be a massive shot to his ego if he did, but it would also be petty and perhaps one of the most cop-out courses of action for someone like him to possibly take.

Not to mention the boy seemed to have grown really attachment to this girl… and if that was the case, then the raven haired genius knew that Naruto wasn't going to let this Shizuka girl just waltz out of his life so easily.

Of all the things the jinchuriki would probably do in a situation like this, Sasuke figured that he would either deal with the problem himself, or grit his teeth and plough on ahead like the thickheaded delinquent that he was.

Hey. It worked well for him in the past. Why shouldn't it work for him now?

"That's easier said than done," Naruto replied, still sounding absolutely exhausted. "Shizuka-chan is tough. It'll take more than a fist and a knife to get her out of my hair."

Glancing across at him once again to see the street fighter massage the bridge of his nose, the Uchiha stared at him for a good long while before a passing inquiry escaped his lips, "You look awfully beat. Been getting any sleep lately?"

"Sort of," Naruto groaned, shaking his head to rid himself of the pink elephant syndrome, "Since I was completely on edge about her sleeping in the same room as me for the first two weeks, I kept myself awake the entire time. Hey, it's given me plenty of practice though." A grin spread across his lips, "Ever since she busted into my place I've learned to sleep with my eyes open." He continued smiling at the Uchiha for several moments, unwavering in his position, before he then breathed out an exhausted sigh, "I'm so tired."

Hearing a stifled laugh, the blonde glanced across to see Sasuke had turned away from him and was now keeping his face from view. From his position though, Naruto could see the prodigy's cheeks had bloated, which immediately brought a scowl from the flustered delinquent.

"Hey, don't laugh at me, you bastard!"

That was pretty much how it was for Naruto.

While the first month had been all about him adjusting to the presence of having his main rival living in the same apartment as him, the next month after that was all about him carrying on with life as per the norm.

After getting used to sleeping in the same chamber as one another, things started to go smoothly for both Naruto and Shizuka after that. Every morning during the week days the two would go out and hit the forests to do their exercises. Sometimes they would do it separately and sometimes they would train together, but all in all they both managed to cover every single aspect they needed before breaking off to carry on with the rest of their days. When Naruto went to the academy to attend Iruka's lectures, Shizuka either went into the forest to scavenge or into town to browse the stores and do some food shopping. Very often though she would return to the apartment and catch up on her own studies, which she'd been instructed to by her own master before leaving her home village all those months ago.

In the afternoons, after school had finished and all the kids were allowed to leave, Naruto would get home and spend the rest of the day with Shizuka. At the beginning they would just sit quietly in the living room or go out to do their own things, but now that they'd adapted to living with the other person, they talked, watched TV and played games.

Aside from having a common interest in being ninja, Naruto saw he had a lot in common with the girl, as well as things he liked and didn't like about her. The girl was fantastically good a shogi and strategy games, and she was a great opponent to have in a game of poker and old maid. What's more, she was also terrific in conversation.

She would talk about her adventures across the seas, hopping from island to island, and all the many fights she'd gotten into before arriving here in Konoha. After sharing her bit, Naruto would also indulge her in the various conquests of his village and unlike a lot of other kids she would listen to his tales. She never shirked away from him, they shared stories and ideas with one another, and they enjoyed each other's company when they were either walking the streets or just watching the television.

Naruto remembered never having this kind of fun in a long time. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever had this much fun with another person his age ever.

"Personally, I prefer autumn to all of the other seasons. Just watching the leaves change different colors before falling away from the branches is pretty awesome," Naruto said as he and Shizuka walked side by side down one of the entertainment district's many roads. "It also helps that the temperature during that time is absolutely perfect."

"You don't like it too hot or too cold?" Shizuka asked the boy curiously while keeping in step with him.

Placing his hands behind his head, Naruto shrugged, "Yeah. I don't know about you, but I'm sort of partial to extreme desert heat or the subfreezing temperatures of winter. My body just doesn't cope too well with either of them."

"That doesn't come as a surprise," the kunoichi in training remarked while looking up towards the clouds above. "The climate on the mainland is warm and mild for most of the year. It is the perfect place to escape the chill of a snowy or icy winter, which is the least I can say for my homeland. Our island has very chilly winters."

"Really? Does it get stormy out there as well, like with hurricanes and stuff?"

"On occasion," Shizuka responded with a smile being thrown the boy's way, "But my people have learned to adapt to such circumstances. We may live on an island nation, but our country is vast and covered with forest. During the summers and springs, our weather is very much like that of the mainland, but during the winter it becomes very stormy, and thick with ice and fog."

"Heh. Sounds lovely," Naruto chuckled, glancing across at a shinobi hardware store before looking ahead of him again. "Our country gets snow during the winters, but this mostly happens around the end of the year." Shaking his head, he then brought his hands down from his head and slipped them into his pockets again, "Either way, I can't stand it sometimes."

"Maybe you're not dressing right for them," the kunoichi in training spoke, looking the boy over and taking in his short-sleeved state. Since he was wearing a hooded vest and a pair of green shorts, you could see why she would question his choice of clothing over the course of each month. "Perhaps you should think about changing your summer attire out for a more well-rounded set of clothing."

"Hmm…" Rubbing his chin, Naruto looked down at himself and pulled at the collar of his vest. After checking out his current appearance, the boy sprouted a smile, "You have a point there. I really should consider a change. But what about you?"

The kunoichi blinked in surprise, "What about me?"

"Come on. You're going to tell me that you haven't noticed that you've been wearing the exact same clothing day in and day out?" Naruto asked, looking the girl over and the black ensemble she'd been sporting since the day they'd first met. After seeing the girl examine her uniform, the blonde shook his head and stopped them in the middle of the road, taking a moment to make a couple more points. "Listen, it's alright to be wearing your favorite colors, but you may want to consider adding something more casual into the mix. Maybe adjust your style to something a little more comfortable as well."

Upon patting herself over a couple more times, the warrior princess glanced toward the blonde with a confused look in play. "Well what do you suggest?"

A smirk tugging at his lips, Naruto then directed their attention across the street towards a nearby clothing store. When they entered it, the jinchuriki got right down to business and started leading Shizuka through the various sections and shelves, allowing his guest to check out all of the articles and accessories the establishment had to offer. While the blonde had absolutely no problems with his rival's combat garb whatsoever, as the shoulder pads and gi were a very nice touch, the entire ensemble did look a little bit strange, not to mention suspicious, if she was to be seen walking around the village dressed in it twenty-four seven.

The fact that she wasn't a kunoichi of this village or even an academy student for that matter made her choice of attire even more suspicious.

Naruto resolved to correct this matter.

Allowing her free reign in the store, the boy watched on as Shizuka perused through the many items they had on sale. He also couldn't help but notice the big grin the girl wore the further into the piles she delved, one which she showed to the jinchuriki staring at her from the sidelines. It was an expression that came as somewhat of a surprise to the blonde, but didn't at all shift him from his post.

"There's a normal girl under there, after all," Naruto commented cheerfully.

Realizing she was grinning, Shizuka shook her head to rid herself of it and glared defiantly back at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Shrugging, the happy blonde turned away, "Nothing. I was just making an observation, that's all." When he saw the girl huff and continue to stare at him, Naruto gave her a couple furtive glances and then threw her a more charming grin moments later, "I'm just glad to see that you're actually enjoying yourself."

Frowning distastefully, yet feeling a little hot under the collar from that smug stare of his, Shizuka went back to looking through the racks. Before long, a smile was back on her face, and the giddy youngster from out of town soon found a desirable collection of articles to try on.

Picking out a few tank tops, a couple of jackets, jeans and shorts, Shizuka set them to the side and began checking out an embroidered coat. However, when her attention once again fell upon the patiently waiting Naruto, the raven haired kunoichi decided to address yet another issue and fixed on him a curious gaze, "Don't you have any shopping to do, Naruto?"

"Hm? Me?" the jinchuriki asked.

The young girl then broke down the question a little bit more, "I did say you could try to diversify your wardrobe a little bit as well. Why not take this opportunity to grab a few items for yourself? You are paying for my accommodations, after all. It would be completely inequitable of me if I didn't at least pay for something you would like."

"Oh. Well… since you're offering, I guess I could grab a few things for my cabinets. No harm in replacing some of my old tops and pants with something a bit more tasteful," Naruto said, deciding to get off of his tailbone and look around the store himself. Moving across the racks on the other side, the blonde passed by the pile Shizuka was making and checked what she was grabbing a little more closely, "I was going to switch out my stock eventually, but I guess now is as good a time as any."

Looking pleased, Shizuka glanced at the hooded vest that had by this stage become the delinquent's signature clothing, "Why not try out some long-sleeved items. I think your appearance would benefit from a little bit more blue or black-"

"Okay. Sorry to cut you off there, Shizuka-chan, but, Naruto Uzumaki doesn't do black," the jinchuriki chuckled, waving a hand at her before gesturing to himself and the outfit he was currently wearing. "No. As a personal bylaw, both to myself and the people who fear me, I only work in orange, tangelo, or, in some rare cases, very, very, very dark yellow."

Shizuka, giving an amused giggle at the way he gestured to his person, pushed him away from her and shook her head, "Just go and pick something out, Wild Beast."

Her action telling him that she wanted to be left to her devices, Naruto Uzumaki gave a mock bow before heading off to browse.

After breaking away from one another, the two were completely free to explore their choices, taking their stuff to the changing rooms to try on each article in turn for size sakes. Though there was a bit of back and forth for Shizuka, who wanted to add a bit more variety to her arrangement, Naruto had no problems in finding clothes his size. If there was one thing he knew better than most, it was the size, shape and condition of his body.

Not taking as long as Shizuka did in selecting his preferred items, the blonde grabbed whatever stuff he desired and dragged it over to the change rooms. He managed to snag a stall right next to Shizuka's and once the doors were closed for both cubicles, the process of elimination began.

Eventually, after what felt like two hours of shopping, Naruto and Shizuka soon left the premises, bags in hand and items bought. When they both found themselves standing out on the street side by side, they then spent that time admiring their new getups before then turning to admire their companion's.

Shizuka was now sporting a night blue singlet top with a pair of figure hugging jeans, a large brown belt and sandal boots. She also had on a pair of black arm bands to compensate for lack of gloves, which enhanced her appeal rather nicely and kept her in character. The colors accentuated the best bits about her, including her striking green eyes.

Naruto on the other hand had gone for a complete scrub down. Replacing his hooded orange vest with blue short sleeves, white shirt and green shorts, he now had on a maroon biker style jacket, orange t-shirt, and blue jeans, all of which gave him a new, delinquent-like appearance. It also gave him a bit more age, one which had been hidden by his previously bright attire.

Standing next to one another the way they were, the two of them looked like they belonged to each other. It helped that they were both exactly the same height as well.

Surveying his rival, the jinchuriki cracked a smile. "You look… great. Absolutely radiant," Naruto chirped, placing his hand on his hip while his free one held his bag of goodies firmly. His words causing the girl to uncharacteristically blush a little and nudge some strands of hair behind her ear, the jinchuriki then gave a grin, "Oh. Do my eyes deceive me? Is it possible that the great Shizuka of Nadeshiko, my chief rival and opponent, has never been complimented by a boy before?"

Her flustered expression quickly transforming into a scowl, Shizuka responded by suddenly dropping her bags to the floor and jabbing out with a right straight. The blonde easily deflected her attack before leaping away when the kunoichi threw a roundhouse kick at him. Their brief tussle causing the villagers in the street to stop and stare, the pair spent the next few seconds glaring at one another before disengaging moments later.

"You talk too much," Shizuka said with a smirk coming over her.

Naruto threw a cheeky grin right back at her, "But I'm not wrong, am I?"

Picking her gear up and holding it over her shoulder, the kunoichi in training then gave the blonde one more look over. Taking in the sight of his new jacket and slacks, she then whipped her hair around and turned heel, "You don't look so bad either. If I were you, I'd keep that style, Wild Beast. It makes you look very cool." Giving one last nod and a smile, Shizuka then started for the boy's apartment, leaving the spiky haired delinquent standing in place.

Straightening up when he saw the girl take off at a casual pace, Naruto allowed a lighthearted laugh to escape his lips and also shouldered his newly bought goods. "I think I'm starting to like her." With that said, he too started to walk as well.

All things considered, he had a feeling that the next couple of months were going to be quite interesting, for both him and Shizuka.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Well, that was a fun chapter. Next… time skip to graduation day!

This one basically covers the months Naruto and Shizuka get to know one another, and how Shizuka moves in with Naruto. It also shows the jinchuriki developing somewhat of a companionship with Sasuke, who takes advantage of his reputation to get some peace and quiet from his fan club.

And, along the way, Naruto and Shizuka prove to be incapable of socializing successfully. Lol. They both have a lot in common, despite a love for fighting.

Hope you're all looking forward to the next one.