Pulled together (JiraiyaXOc)

No. Please.

"And where did you run off to?," Yamato gave me an accusing glare.

I smiled and shrugged, "Oh. Uhm. Here, and there. What have I missed?"

As soon as the question left my lips; commotion from the group of Naruto clones grabbed my attention. He was losing control again.

My brother jumped into action real quick and suppressed the nine tails cloak quickly. Kakashi and him started talking but I ignored them and ran to check on the unconscious Naruto.
I flipped him over and pulled him into my arms. His eyes barely fluttered open, "Misaki Sensei?"

I smiled, "You're doing great Naruto. How are you feeling?"

"Just a little tired."

I rubbed his forehead, "I have no idea what Kakashi has in store for you; but maybe you'll rest soon."

"But I don't wanna. I need to do this."

"Shhh, I know Naruto. But your body will need rest soon. So don't overdo it too much."

He nodded and relished in the head rub I was giving him. I really felt for him. He's probably never experienced this kind of attention from anyone.

I smiled, "I'll let you up in a few minutes to continue. Until then, relax okay?"

He silently nodded again and I giggled.

~the next day~

I watched Naruto silently today. Something deep inside of me felt off. I didn't know what it was and I hated it.

Naruto laid on the ground for a few minutes; until the rain started. Then he jumped up with a new motivation in him. The goofball was growing on me.

Just as quickly as he started again; one of the clones started to form the nine tails cloak.

"Brother, hurry. It's coming this way," I readied myself just in case he needed my help.

But of course he didn't. He suppressed the clone quickly and I ran over to Naruto.

"Hey, you okay?," I gave him a reassuring smile but he still seemed disappointed.

Kakashi was beside me now, "It's been one full day since we started trying to add the wind change in nature to the rasengan; and you're using 200 shadow clones now. You've just achieved what would take the average ninja 4800 hours to do. I guess that's still not enough for you."

Naruto responded, "This trainings impossible. I still can't wrap my head around the chakra control technique; and it feels like 200 shadow clones are my limit," his voice dropped, "I'm never gonna be able to master it. It takes all of my concentration to form the basic rasengan in the first place. Adding a change in nature to that; it's just too much."

I frowned and Kakashi responded, "You're unusually negative. That's not like you. You don't sound like the Naruto Uzumaki I know.

Naruto looked down, "I don't know. I have no reason to think it's gonna work this time."

"You have to do it anyways."

"Yeah well that's easy for you to say. Why don't you tell me this. Could you look to the left and to the right at the same time?"

Kakashi jumped into full teacher mode and formed a shadow clone to look in both directions.

I was clueless; I'm not going to lie.

But Naruto understood and that's all that mattered.

~*~

Needless to say; I ended up camping out with them that night.

Kakashi and I finally understood what Naruto was getting at; as we stood in front of him and two of his shadow clones.

"If I can't look left and right by myself; then I just needed to create more clones. They'll look left and right for me; and then I c an divide up the responsibility," the tone in his voice had improved thankfully.

"Well my shadow clone gave you a hint did it?," Kakashi responded.

I rolled my eyes and elbowed him, "Yeah but only Naruto could make this work."

Kakashi started to praise Naruto, "I'm not sure how to say this; but I think I'm really starting to take a liking to you kiddo."

Naruto started freaking out and I began to laugh as Kakashi chased him around the field.

Out of the corner of my eye; I saw someone appear by my brother. Something didn't feel right.

The guy disappeared and Yamato came walking towards us.

"We need to call off training and return immediately. The hokage wants to see us."

~*~

Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, and I were standing in front of Jiraiya and Tsunade now.

They both wore grim expressions that seemed to keep finding their way to me.

The feeling that was brewing within me was getting worse.

She began to speak, "We lost someone in the recent mission."

No. Please. Don't say it.

She looked at me, "Asuma Sarutobi-."

The words that followed sounded like they were being said in slow motion.

"-has died."