Naruto was sneaking out of his house, making sure not to attract the ANBU's attention. His three-month recovery was over, but the ANBU still watched him. Naruto thought that it was just something his father did while he was recovering, but he was wrong. Even a week after the day the cast was taken off, the ANBU still watched him. Naruto slowly opened his front door as he closed it behind him. Sneaking to the front gate, he quickly ran out of the Clan grounds and made his way into town. Sticking to the shadows, Naruto tried to stay in the crowds of people to make it more difficult to spot him. Rolling into an alleyway, Naruto made a very rash decision and dove into a trash can. Hiding inside the trash can for a few moments, Naruto popped his head out of the trash can with the lid still on his head. Looking around, Naruto saw that there was no one and gave a sigh of relief, "I think I lost him," Naruto whispered as he got out of the trash can. As he walked out of the alleyway, he didn't notice Kakashi leaning against the brick wall reading his book

"What's up, doc?" Kakashi asked, making Naruto jump

"AH! What the hell?!" Naruto shouted

"Language, young man," Kakashi said, putting away his book. Naruto gulped as he watched Kakashi walk toward him. Kakashi bent over as he said: "So, what are you doing dumpster-diving in random alleyways? If you're trying to hide from me, it's not gonna work all that well,"

"W-well, y-you see, I... I was going to visit my friend," Naruto said, looking away

"Again? Really?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head

"Y-yeah,"

"Well, why are you trying to hide it? It's not like I'm going to hurt them," Kakashi said, "or is that your... friend... is actually a girl?"

"WHAT?! NO!" Naruto shouted, blushing, "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!"

"Oh, trust me, I've seen it before, many times in fact. Kid lies to their guardian to visit a person of the other gender. What was that book called again? Reno and Julle?" Kakashi said out loud, "Or was it Mamboleo and Rosaline?" Kakashi continued to speak out loud. While Kakashi was still thinking of the book he read, Naruto slowly back away, back into the street. Naruto disappeared into the crowds of people as Kakashi was busy thinking about the book. Naruto slowly but surely made his way to the park, where he saw a sleeping Garou. Naruto smiled as he made his way toward him, "GAROU-SENSEI!" Naruto shouted, causing Garou to jolt awake

"Gah? Wha? *Yawn* I'm up, I'm up," Garou said as he sat up. Garou turned his head as he smirked, "Naruto! About time you came to visit, what took you so long? And... why do you smell like rotten food?" Garou asked

"Sorry, I sorta had to dive into a trash-can to get someone off my trail," Naruto replied. Garou leaned forward as he ran his hand through Naruto's hair. Naruto felt something tug on his hair as Garou pulled out an old fish skeleton, "Explains why this is in there," Garou said as he tossed it away

"Huh, that's... new," Naruto said as he watched Garou stand up

"Alright, kid, you know the drill. Off to the Forest!" Garou ordered as Naruto nodded

"Yes, sensei!"

Naruto was breathing heavily as Garou shook his head, "Urgh, it seems like that during your time recovering, you went back a few steps... looks like we're gonna have to kick your training into overdrive if we're gonna get you to where you need to be," Garou said

"H-how a-are w-we gonna d-do that?" Naruto asked in between breaths

"Simple... big weights!" Garou said as he pulled out weights from behind a tree

"H-how m-much d-do tho-se weigh?"

"Well, let's see here," Garou said as he read the tags, "about... 20 pounds,"

"20 POUNDS?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!"

"Fine, you can wear two around your ankles. Now come here, let me get these on ya," Garou said as Naruto did as he was told. Naruto sat on the ground as Garou knelt down and put the weights on him. Making sure they were attached correctly, Garou told Naruto to stand back up and see how they felt, "Well? Feel like they'll stay on?" Garou asked as Naruto hopped

"Yeah, b-but these things are heavy," Naruto replied

"That's the idea," Garou deadpanned as he stood up straight, "Now come on, we'll do our rounds in the Forest. Get your stamina back up in, hopefully, 2 maybe 2 and a half weeks,"

"O-okay, sensei,"

"Alright, follow me," Garou ordered as Naruto began to follow behind Garou. But what they were both unaware of, was Kakashi watching them from the tree-tops, "Well, well, well. I think I'm gonna have to watch and see how this goes," Kakashi said as he began to follow the duo in their warm-up exercises.

Garou sat on a tree stump as he watched Naruto drag himself across the ground. Naruto's face was red and his clothes were covered in sweat, not to mention that Naruto's legs were numb and his feet burned, "S-Sensei, w-water," Naruto gasped as Garou rolled his eyes and pointed to the nearest stream

"You want water, you gotta earn it," Garou said. Naruto turned his head as he saw the stream, about 10 feet away from him. Naruto used what strength he had left to drag his body all the way to the stream and dunked his head into the water. Garou looked at Naruto as he saw the blonde's head not come up for a few moments. Garou was about to get off his stump when Naruto's head came out of the water with a loud gasp, "*GASP* OH MY GOD!" Naruto shouted as he turned over, "I never felt this tired in my life! Who knew water would taste so good?!"

"Yeah, you never know what you have until you lose it," Garou commented as he walked over to Naruto, "can you still go on?"

"M-my legs, are they still there?" Naruto asked as Garou kicked them. Garou looked up at Naruto's face as Naruto asked: "W-what did you do?"

"I kicked your legs,"

"Oh... you did?" Naruto questioned

"*Sigh* 20-minute break. But once that is over, we're doing Kata's again,"

"H-hai," Naruto replied as Garou sat down next to the stream and started drinking the water. As Garou drank, Naruto looked at his sensei and asked: "Sensei... where did you learn to fight?"

"Hm?"

"Where did you learn to fight?" Naruto repeated as Garou looked at him. Garou stared at Naruto until Garou dipped his hand in the stream and splashed some water on his own face, "You really wanna know?" Garou asked

"P-please," Naruto replied

"Alright, when I was about your age, I went to an old man to see about becoming strong," Garou answered

"Really? Who was he?"

"His name was Bang, but most knew him as the Silver Fang,"

"That's a cool name!" Naruto commented

"Tch, he was a stupid old man,"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because... he was a hero,"

"A hero?" Naruto asked

"Yeah, a hero," Garou replied, "basically, someone who gets paid to kill monsters,"

"But isn't a hero supposed to save people?" Naruto questioned. Garou looked at his student again as he frowned, "Yeah, they're supposed to. But where I come from, a hero only cares about one thing and one thing only... money,"

"Huh, sounds like the Shinobi here in Konoha," Naruto said

"Yeah, there are a lot of ways your ninjas are similar to heroes. They pretend to save people when in reality, they only do it for self-benefit. That's why I choose a different path, and my master didn't like it,"

"What path did you choose?" Naruto asked

"To become what the world needed... a necessary evil," Garou replied, remembering how he, at one point, achieved his dream.

"But that's a story for another time," Garou said as he stood up, "don't go anywhere, I need to do something,"

"A-alright, I'm not going anywhere," Naruto said as he laid there on the ground. Garou walked away from Naruto as the ladder didn't move. After a few moments, Naruto felt a slight breeze as a shadow loomed over him, "So, that was your friend?" Kakashi asked as Naruto's eyes widened

"GAH!? WHAT MAGIC HOLE DID YOU POP OUT OF?!" Naruto screamed as Kakashi sighed

"I swear. You have a better chance of finding a needle in a hay-stack than you do of getting away from me," Kakashi said as he walked around Naruto, "so, mind telling me what you're doing training behind your parents' backs?"

"I-I-"

"I KNEW IT!!" a voice screamed as Kakashi was kicked in the back, sending him into a tree. Garou stood where Kakashi once stood as he rolled his shoulders, "I fucking knew that we were being watched!" Garou growled out

"S-sensei?!" Naruto shouted

"Don't go anywhere, Naruto. I've got a spy to whoop on," Garou said as Kakashi pulled himself out of the tree

"Is violence really the answer at this moment in time?" Kakashi asked

"No, but it will sure as hell make me feel better!" Garou screamed as he charged at Kakashi.