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It was a pleasant day in autumn. The kind of day where the leaves on the trees had just started to change colors, and the temperature was beginning to dip at night. If you walked through the groves of trees that lined Konoha at just the right time, you could even watch leaves rain down from the trees coating the ground in yellows, oranges, and greens.
In short, it was too youthful a day to waste!
Guy swaggered to the training field. A duffle bag jostled on his back with each heavy step, and a copper pan swung dangerously from his hip threatening to hit anyone who got too close. He had tried to convince Kakashi to join them; however, the gray haired shinobi was ‘extremely busy’ and ‘regretfully’ could not make it.
When Guy finally arrived at his destination, he took in an exaggerated breath, both nostrils flaring aggressively while he looked at his genin team. They had all brought the required camping gear like he asked, and they were sitting against tree trunks waiting for him. It would be their first overnight trip together as a freshly minted squad.
“Today!” Guy started his exposition the same way he started every sentence, with a hearty booming yell. “We will be-” he paused for dramatic effect, “-climbing that mountain!” As he said the last word his arm flung out at breakneck speed to point at the tallest peak in the vicinity.
The sudden movement scared a few birds out of the nearby trees.
Lee awed in anticipation, holding his ankles in a tight butterfly stretch, Neji had his eyes closed seemingly in irritation-although, he always looked a little irritated, so it was impossible to tell-, and Tenten grumbled in shock having the most animated response of the trio.
“But there’s no trails on Mount Takao!” she said knowingly. Tenten continued, standing up and adjusting the heavy pack on her back, “it’s a nature preserve!” she complained.
Like he had been expecting her reaction, Guy chuckled, and he brought his outstretched arm to his chin with a grin. “Tongtong-” The man’s face twisted in humor as he purposely said the wrong name, and teenage Tenten ruffled in anger. He quickly pulled a serious expression again. “Tenten! A true shinobi forges his own way!”
Lee let out another enthusiastic noise in agreement. He was one inspirational quote away from exploding in youthful energy.
“I have in my possession,” Guy continued his explanation, “a map of all dangerous areas on the mountain and our campsite!” He fished a crumpled map out of his pocket, but it was clearly hand drawn-most certainly by Guy judging on the handwriting and cartoonish drawings-, and Tenten folded her arms grumpily across her chest seeing his ‘map.’
“Guy sensei!” the girl yelled out in frustration. “That is not a real map!”
Neji still hadn’t opened his eyes, trying to savor his last few minutes of peace before being thrust into some shenanigans.
“It is genius, Guy sensei! We will practice our navigational skills!” Lee was starry eyed. “-and strengthen our bonds with a camping trip!”
The only response was a blinding grin from Guy.
“Ready!” Guy dropped down and put his hands on the ground in a sprinter’s pose.
Neji opened his eyes to see what was happening, he was shocked-but also not shocked-to see Lee following Guy’s ridiculous gesture.
The hand-drawn map had been sent flying into the air when Guy knelt down.
“Hold on!” Tenten fussed, jumping to grab the map before it floated to the ground and got lost between fallen leaves.
Guy ignored her completely. “Set!”
Both Guy and Lee bumped their hips out, ready to take off at a pin drop’s notice.
Tenten let out a frustrated sigh, stomping a foot at the fact that her other teammate hadn’t said a single thing. “Neji, do something!”
The white eyed teen looked Tenten up and down with a frown and one eyebrow cocked up. “Do what, Tenten?”
“Go!” Guy yelled, and both green shinobi took off in a flurry of crunchy leaves and dust. The cloud left behind by the pair quickly made its way to the base of the mountain.
“Neji, come on!” Tenten took off running after the pair, map in hand, and Neji followed after her.
The mountain turned out to be about as inappropriate a spot for camping as possible; unforgiving terrain, deadly flora and fauna, and the temperature kept dropping as they moved up in elevation. Guy and Lee had raced ahead, so Neji and Tenten were forced to follow the map.
The map Guy left Neji and Tenten was not accurate to scale, but the silly drawings on it did allude to real threats on the way to the campsite.
“Do you see them, Neji?” Tenten asked curiously, tilting the map in her hands looking at the cute smiling bear that was ominously close to the waterfall which they passed about five minutes ago.
Neji activated his Byakugan, but both Lee and Guy were already out of his fifty meter range. “I do not, Tenten.” Giving up, Neji came up behind Tenten and looked at the map over her shoulder. He breathed out a sigh, “you’ve got to be kidding me.” The patience that the Hyuuga had was already whittled thin after wandering aimlessly for an hour looking for their campsite.
His lips pressed together firmly and formed a thin line across his face, then Neji plucked the map straight out of Tenten’s hands. “Are you certain you are reading this correctly?” he jibed.
“Yes!” the brunette yelled back, trying to grab the map back.
“If you were reading it correctly, we would already be there,” Neji said coolly, but the rapidly setting sun in the distance was alarming.
“What do you mean reading it correctly!” Tenten immediately became flustered balling her fists at her sides and her face flushing red. “How am I supposed to read-” she continued on in the background, but it was just more of the same agitated sentiment over and over again.
Neji’s stern face threatened to break into a smile, but he doubled down on his frown. “You know Guy and Lee only tease you because you react.”
Tenten’s face only turned a blistering pink at Neji’s comment. “I do not react!” she complained. “Those two are ridiculous.” - “Give me back the map, Neji Hyuuga!” Tenten used his full name, but Neji wasn’t intimidated by his teammate.
“No,” Neji answered, a smile beginning to curve out at the corners of his lips. “I will not give you the map, Tongtong.” He tried to keep himself from laughing, but seeing Tenten’s eye twitch sent him over the edge.
“Don’t call me that!” Tenten’s frustrated grumble was only overpowered by the sound of a rapidly approaching-and extremely angry-bear that had overheard the pair’s squabble.
“Tenten, run!” Neji urged her forward with a stiff shove.
–
“I think I smell curry!” Tenten announced excitedly as they came across a clearing.
When Neji and Tenten reached the campsite, Guy clicked a stopwatch, and proudly announced their time, “next time this will be your record to beat!” - “I made dinner!”
Neither Neji or Tenten expected Guy to be a good cook, but that curry was singlehandedly the most delicious thing either of them had ever had.
“Delicious!” Lee kept calling out the same thing with each bite of curry and rice.
After dinner, Guy passed out marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers, and everything felt perfect until he opened his mouth to talk again.
“We’ll be employing a tactical sleeping technique tonight!”
The trio of genin looked up at him, Lee with fires lit in his eyes, and Neji and Tenten suspiciously. Tactical sleeping technique?
“Butt-to-butt!” Guy boomed, and Neji’s face dropped off a metaphorical cliff. “The most secure way to sleep in enemy territory,” Guy explained, grinning so brightly that the campfire reflected off his teeth. “I often use this technique with my great friend Kakashi Hatake.”
“No,” Neji scoffed, seeing Lee eyeing him expectantly. His pale eyes slid shut, and he turned his head in disgust.
Guy’s gaze turned to Neji instead, seeing that the boy didn’t want to sleep beside Lee.
“No,” Neji repeated, this time folding his arms across his chest. A small vein in his forehead started to protrude in anger, and his face was turning purple from holding his breath.
Guy clapped, “I misspoke! The technique’s name is back-to-back!” - “Neji, you bunk with Tenten!”
The genin looked at each other with soft pink tinges to their cheeks, and then Neji let out a defiant 'hmph' noise.
"If there are no other options," he conceded.