The training grounds, still faintly echoing with the residual chaos of the shuriken competition, were now relatively calm. Kurenai, however, was not. She was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on Kakashi, who was, as usual, engrossed in his Icha Icha Paradise.
"Maybe we should try something less… chaotic next time," Kakashi suggested, his voice laced with amusement, after the shuriken debacle.
"Yeah," Kurenai agreed, her gaze lingering on Naruto, who was now attempting to use his shadow clones to create a giant shuriken. "Like, maybe… a double date?"
Kakashi paused, his single visible eye peeking over the top of his book. "A… double date?" he echoed, his voice laced with a hint of surprise.
"Yes," Kurenai said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You, me, Asuma… and whoever you manage to drag along."
Kakashi blinked, then returned his attention to his book. "I'm… busy," he mumbled, flipping a page.
"Busy reading about fictional romance?" Kurenai retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How… productive."
Before Kakashi could formulate a witty retort, Team 7 emerged from the training grounds, their faces flushed and their clothes slightly disheveled. As they walked out of the training ground, they were met with a wall of sheer, unadulterated "youth."
"One thousand push-ups! Two thousand sit-ups! Three thousand youthful leaps!" Guy yelled, his voice echoing through the clearing. Lee, his face glistening with sweat, mirrored Guy's movements, his voice equally enthusiastic.
"Yes, Guy-sensei! The power of youth burns within us!" Lee shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
Naruto, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and bewilderment, stared at the spectacle. "What are they doing?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
Kakashi, his face a mask of exasperation, sighed. "They're being… Guy and Lee," he muttered.
Sasuke, observing the scene with a detached amusement, simply raised an eyebrow. 'These two...' he thought, his mind recalling fragmented memories of his past life. 'They're always like this, aren't they? So loud, so… enthusiastic.'
He remembered the original timeline, the constant shouting, the endless training, and the sheer, unyielding determination. 'It's almost… admirable.'
"They're… dedicated," Kakashi commented, his eye crinkling into a smile, as he watched them. "Like a pair of over-caffeinated squirrels."
Team 7, after a brief, awkward pause, hurried past Guy and Lee, their ears still ringing with the echoes of "youthful" shouting.
"Troublesome," Sasuke muttered, echoing Shikamaru's favorite phrase, as they finally escaped the training grounds.
Sakura groaned, rubbing her temples. "My ears are still ringing."
Naruto, however, seemed strangely invigorated by the encounter. "They're so cool!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. "I wish I was that energetic!"
"Trust me," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "You have enough energy for all of us."
As they walked, the echoes of Guy and Lee's training faded into the background, replaced by the usual bustling sounds of the Hidden Leaf Village.