"Bang, bang, bang-!"
Early that morning, someone pounded on his front door loud enough to shake the house.
Hayashi took his time washing up, swept his long hair behind his head, and adjusted it a couple of times in the mirror-he had meant to find somewhere to get it cut, but never found the time.
"Coming, coming."
He opened the door.
Morning light slanted inside. Four people stood on his doorstep.
Naruto stood at the front, positively bubbling with energy. One look made it obvious who the culprit was.
The other three looked far less presentable-Sakura kept yawning, shadows hung beneath Sasuke's eyes, and Kakashi's dead-fish eyes looked even deader than usual.
At this hour, there were barely any people on Konoha's streets.
He did not need to ask to know that Naruto had woken everyone up one after another at some ungodly hour, then dragged them to his doorstep to gather.
Even the breakfast shops along the street had yet to open.
"Up this early... you really never get tired, huh?" Hayashi stepped outside with a helpless look and glanced at Naruto. "I still feel a little sleepy myself."
"Exactly," Sakura murmured beside him, yawning again. "Not getting enough sleep is a girl's worst enemy when it comes to her looks."
Naruto suddenly froze at those words.
Then he leaned closer to Hayashi and lowered his voice. "Then... do you want to go back and sleep a little longer?"
"No need-"
"Hey!" Sakura cut him off, pointing at her own nose. "I'm a girl too, you know!"
"Huh? But you don't look sleepy at all, Sakura."
"I'm obviously exhausted!"
"Oh, and I woke Kakashi-sensei up first!" Naruto added smugly. "When he opened the door, he was holding his book upside down."
"That was because it was too dark." Kakashi's