Capítulo 121: Chapter 121: Ramen
Some more time had passed, and my girls had found out rather quickly that I was pregnant, prompting an entire class discussion on my love life and how it would be changing in nine months time.
All of the girls seemed interested in my pregnancy, for one reason or another; Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Midori all asked about what I myself was feeling, what I would be feeling, and if I was worried about giving birth.
Ami, Fuki, Aki, Ika, and Kasumi were curious about what Anko was feeling, what responsibilities she was having to undertake now, and what I expected of her.
If I had to guess, these questions were based on the girls' 'gender', but either way I was just as excited as them to talk about my new future, and I had chuckled when they started throwing around names for my yet to be born child.
After that initial bombardment of questions and joy, we returned to our normal class, and I started pushing them further along in their intensity, spurring them on with both goads and compliments when need be.
Unsurprisingly, the girl with the largest improvements was Ami, her loss to Naruto giving her ample motivation to get stronger and faster, all while she remained by Tenten's side and helped the bun haired girl as best she could.
Sakura and Ino had mended their relationship back to its former state, and Sakura was gradually returning to being her best friends equal, her reluctance to train with weights vanishing after Ino displayed her toned, yet still 'flat' and supple stomach to her friend, convincing her that there was no harm in intense training.
Midori still preferred her books, but under the nagging of the curly orange haired Kasumi, the two trained side by side, chatting about Midori's newest books and Kasumi's desire to get stronger to impress somebody.
The two made a great pair, as did Ami and Tenten, but I was also curious to see if this was just 'puppy love' or actual interest, which would be truly fleshed out in a year or so; that's when I had started developing real feelings for people as well, so I was guessing it was still the same.
The others all trained hard, and I smiled when each finished our time together panting and sweating, evidence of their hard work and determination.
Our time in Taijutsu Class was also fruitful, as I had started getting them all into more complex techniques and having them practice everything amongst themselves, Iruka-Sensei and I walking around and providing help when and where we could.
It was also during this time that Iruka-Sensei gave me reports on all of the boys, telling me who needed the most work and who I could allow to truly 'run free' during this class, due to them already having a teacher outside of the Academy, like Neji and Hinata.
His praise of Naruto was incredible as well, the Chunin scratching his cheek in embarrassment as he wryly told me how much trouble the blonde boy used to be, and how he had believed, for the longest time, that he wouldn't manage to pass the Graduation due to his terrible coursework and horrendous chakra control, but...
Smiling at the man, I told him that I was also proud of the blonde brat, my mind made up that I'd take him to Ichiraku with Karin tonight in celebration of his achievement.
Most likely Hinata would tag along as well, the Hyuga Heiress having an extremely sharp sixth sense on when Naruto was with another girl, specifically Karin.
Those two still fought like cats at every opportunity...
Finishing the day, I told Naruto to come over early so I could take him over to Ichiraku, as an overdue reward for winning the tournament.
Getting home that day, Kurenai kissed me before slipping inside, my raven haired wife telling me that she was tired from grading dozens of tests today, as well as writing reports...
I certainly didn't envy her job as a Genjutsu and History teacher, that's for sure.
Grabbing Karin, I smirked a the Uzumaki girl as she blushed when Naruto showed up, his charming smile wooing her instantly as he peppered me with questions, the main one being...
"Are we going for ramen now?!"
Rolling my eyes at the boy, I finished sharpening my short sword and sheathed it, hanging it back up onto the weapon rack in the kitchen.
"Yes, yes, we're going... hah, you're making me think you came only for the ramen!"
Hearing my indignant voice, Naruto stiffened before giving me a wry smile, saying "Of course I came to see you too Aunty! It's just, I'm hungry, really I am..."
Chuckling, I shook my head as I grabbed my wallet, leading the two out of the house.
Anko and Cameia were still on a mission, so they wouldn't be home till later, and Kurenai was likely resting in the courtyard, enjoying the serenity and peace it offered.
Walking down the busy streets of Konoha, I chuckled as Hinata sprinted towards us, her white eyes narrowed as she glared at Karin, before promptly letting out a huff as she 'accidentally' bumped into the girl.
Sighing, I ignored their antics as they began to 'stealthily' fight, all while listening to Naruto as he told me about his current training.
The boy had increased his required exercises on his own, deeming the current amount 'insufficient' for his current strength, and he had also started visiting the library, researching more about seals and how to better utilize and create them.
Sitting down at Ichiraku's stall, I smiled at the old man and watched as he started to work, preparing a large vat of ramen for us; mainly Naruto, but us as well.
Karin had stopped fighting when she watched old man Teuchi work his magic, all while his daughter helped him along.
Both Uzumaki's watched the meal prep with wide eyes and grumbling stomachs, while Hinata huffed in displeasure at the lack of attention from either.
Looking over the three kids, I smiled again as I shook my head, already noticing a large improvement from each.
Naruto had grown more confident and assured, and he had no problem sticking up for himself now; whenever a passerby whispered something about him, he just smiled at them and let his chakra flare slightly, scaring them into silence.
Hinata was the most obvious with her improvement; the shy girl remained, but she had also gained a confidence not seen before, and her shell was still being broken to this day. Not only was she becoming more outgoing, she even went out of her way to initiate conversations with others, and her pining after Naruto made her even more bold.
Finally, Karin was also coming out of her shell, her darker past forgotten as she worked to protect her here and now, focusing instead on the life she was living instead of the one she lived. Her desire to protect her mother remained, and now she was adding to the list of people she wished to protect.
I was proud of each of them, and the anticipation I felt at watching their future growth even made the sting to my wallet shrink as we ate.
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Kept it short and concise again today, little tired but wanted something out.
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