"...Damn it." Mio grumbled as she did her best to ignore the aching feeling of her body and leave her bed.
She stumbled outside of her room and traversed the massive mansion in search for the elusive kitchen.
All she wanted was a quick bite and she was lost in this stupid place. It seriously sucked right now.
After what felt like hours but was probably no longer than ten minutes, she found the kitchen.
As well as the source of her current aches and pains.
"...Naruto." Mio said quietly, her annoyed expression seemingly becoming more sour at the sight of the blond.
Naruto immediately froze up, as if caught in the act of something very bad. He turned to face her with a slightly shaky smile.
"Well hello there sleepy-head. How are you right now?" the blond said with his best attempt at a cheery smile.
He couldn't be more suspicious if he tried.
"...What are you up to Naruto?" the red-head asked with a scowl, she really didn't want to deal with his antics right now. His antics was what caused her so much trouble earlier today damn it!
Naruto genuinely looked offended by the question. "Hey! I'll have you know that I am not always up to something dattebayo! Why can't you place more faith in me as your nii-chan!?"
That did it.
She was exhausted, aching all over, hungry, and knew that whatever Naruto was up to...she'd have to deal with it somehow.
That was simply the general trend that she discovered after a while.
Now he used the single most embarrassing thing that has happened to her in recent memory.
Her face was expressionless as she walked towards the blond with twitching eyebrows.
Then she went and pinched her psuedo-brother's cheeks.
"Whatever you're up to...you better cut it out or I swear...I'll-!"
She didn't get to finish her sentence.
Soon after she pinched the cheek of the blond in front of her, he went *POOF*.
He was a clone.
Bad.
That was really bad.
That meant that whatever Naruto was up to...he was already doing it.
If she didn't stop him soon, then her morning...no...everyone's morning would be consumed by it! She had no doubt!
To save everyone's sanity...she had to stop Naruto now!
With that in mind, she was about to leave the kitchen to search for the elusive blond...
"Wait."
Mio stopped and turned to see another Naruto waiting for her with a deadpanned expression.
That was faster than she thought.
"...I know that you're about to go searching for me out of a weird sense of responsibility for my actions...but don't. You'd never find me. But I also know that this plea wouldn't work since you're way too stubborn to stop. So how about I just show you what I'm up to and you let this drop once you find out that this isn't a prank or anything." the teenaged boy explained before extending a hand to her.
Offering to show her the way.
She glanced at the hand, trying to make sure that the hand didn't have any traps waiting for her.
Man, he must have done a real number on her during training to make her so paranoid.
"...Fine. Please do." Mio agreed, accepting the compromise.
Naruto nodded in agreement and led her outside the mansion...and back inside the forest.
Mio's eyes were wide in wonder and astonishment.
"Now do you see Mio? This isn't for pranks...this is my training."
...This was Naruto's training?
Mio was referring to the large open space, a perfect place for a small battle.
The perfect place for practically hundreds of clones to practice and train.
There were hundreds upon hundreds of Naruto clones that were training harshly under the moonlit sky.
This was...incredible. There simply was no other word for it.
So all of the information that they gather...they transfer over to the real Naruto huh...
"...Say. You're not the real Naruto right? Where's the real one?" Mio asked while glancing at the 'Naruto' next to her.
The blond clone grinned. "Boss is doing some personal training at the moment. Follow me."
The duo walked past some clones that were doing training, and the half-devil couldn't help but stare at what some of them were doing.
Some were using a single hand and concentrating heavily on doing...something to the small leaf on top of that hand.
Some were clasping their feet together and concentrating on doing...something.
She had no idea on what they were trying to accomplish exactly, yet another mystery to the blond.
Though after passing by these clones, they finally reached the real Naruto.
He was currently concentrating on something in-between his hands...
"...So pretty." Mio said with wonder, looking at the small blue ball that was in-between his palms.
The ball then dispersed into nothing as Naruto looked at Mio in surprise, seemingly having no idea that she was coming.
"Uh...heya Mio. I sorta thought that you were just gonna check that I wasn't up to no good and leave. Didn't really expect to see you here." the shinobi said sheepishly.
Oh yeah. She was hungry.
But...
"...Naruto. What you're doing here is...incredible." the red-head breathed, incredibly impressed with what she saw before.
It was like seeing a parade or fireworks for the first time...it was something truly extraordinary. Seeing all of those copies work towards some goal, all to help out the original to better himself.
But more importantly than that...was who was doing the training.
She may no act like it, but she always saw Naruto as something...higher.
Someone who didn't need to try hard, didn't need to be tough, didn't need to act strong...cause he was strong.
He was overwhelmingly strong, so strong that the concept of him needing to train at all was...strange.
Yet here he was.
It was...inspiring. Seeing someone so strong train to get stronger.
"Heh. I know right? I can be so awesome sometimes that I surprise myself at times." Naruto practically bragged while sniffing his nose.
She shook her head, he always managed to bring down people's perceptions of him accidentally, especially with his cocky attitude.
But...it was so Naruto of him to do that.
"...Hey. Do you mind if I...stay a little bit? I won't get in the way. I'd just like to watch." Mio asked with a hesitant tone.
The shinobi grinned at her question. "Sure. Why not? Just stick with me though ok? The clones could be trying more dangerous things later."
Mio gave him a happy smile at his acceptance and settled herself down to watch Naruto make another of those pretty spheres.
She may miss a late night snack...but this wasn't a bad replacement.
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