Team Gai were about training. The team finished sparring, and they were working on improving their strength.
"Alright my gifted shinobis give me a hundred laps around that cliff. If you fall in, you start over from one!" the insane teacher, Gai, directed.
"I am ready, Gai-sensei!" Gai's mini duplicate, Lee, said full of spirit.
"Why a hundred?" the Hyuuga prodigy, Neji, complained.
"Yeah, Sensei?" the mistress of weapons, Tenten, whined.
"I do not tolerate complaining children, but I do tolerate team," Gai stated. "So as a team assignment, give me 80 extra laps! Get running!"
They ran and ran. Well, Neji and Tenten did, but Lee kept falling.
"Done," Neji and Tenten said while catching their breaths.
"Amazing!" Gai exclaimed. "My complainers finished quickly and came back first. Now, where's Lee?"
"Falling off the edge," Tenten said.
"Tenten, what is the rule of taunting?" Gai asked.
"Treat all teammates with respect, dignity, justice, kindness and equality, and do that always," she sighed. "Sensei, I'm telling the truth."
"Neji, what are you looking at?" Gai questioned.
"Lee," the Hyuuga stated.
Tenten was right. From the looks of it, Lee fell in the cliff about seven times. Also it looks like he hasn't made it past 45. Gai ran up to Lee and stopped him.
"How far have you've gotten Lee?" the teacher asked.
"Gai-sensei, I make it up to eighteen and fall in, and I've done that 10 times," Lee said feeling shamed.
"You can stop now," Gai said.
"Why?"
"It adds up to 180."
Neji and Tenten were bored and walked over. They regretted walking to them.
"Alright see those tree stumps over there?" declared Gai.
"Yes," the teens answered.
"Pick a stump, and give 250 kicks with one leg and 250 with the other! Same rule apply! Get kicking!" Gai announced full of spirit.
"Yes, Sensei," the weapons mistress replied.
After 15 minutes, Neji was running back.
"Finished, Sensei," Neji said
"Wow!" Gai exclaimed. "I guess kicking isn't a thing girls are good at."
"Tenten was the first one done," Neji corrected. "She's just doing an additional hundred."
Tenten ran over and sat next to Neji.
"That was invigorating," Tenten said.
"Where's Lee this time?" the concerned teacher asked.
"Lee's starting over, for the eighth time!" she yelled.
"I'm gonna talk to that boy, but before I go, run a few laps," Gai said.
"What's the catch?" the two young shinobi asked cautiously.
"You've got to outrun my pet," Gai declared frankly.
"There's more, isn't there?" Neji questioned.
"No use of chakra," the teacher said.
"What else?" Tenten asked.
"You can't harm it in any way. Just run," Gai said.
"What's the pet?" the teens asked.
"A boar," Gai said. "A wild boar," he said correcting himself.
"What else?" Neji and Tenten interrogated.
"A wild boar that flies," Gai said with a slight, sadistic grin.
"The day I lose to a flying boar is when pigs fly," the arrogant shinobi said.
"Uh…" Tenten said, for she was lost for words.
"I mean…Whatever," Neji said in defeat.
"Get running!" Gai instructed with his springtime spirit.
Gai released the boar, and Tenten and Neji ran screaming. They were half a mile away from their starting point. Then, the boar spit out a toxin at Tenten. She stumbled then fell. The boar was just yards away from Tenten. She cried and covered her face. Neji looked back and ran toward her. Then, he snatched her of the ground and carried her away.
"Neji, you saved me! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Tenten, get over it."
"You're carrying me, too? Dreams do come true!" she exclaimed dreamily.
"I can drop you anytime now," he said bluntly.
"I'll be quiet."
They came across a hill. Neji put Tenten down when they were at the top. They leaped off the hill. Tenten looked back and gasped in surprise. Neji looked back also.
Tenten: I must be dreaming. That boar sprouted wings!
"Well, I can believe that's Gai's pet," she stated.
"How come?" she inquired.
"Look at how bushy those eyebrows are!" he pointed out.
"Yikes!" she exclaimed at the horrific sight.
"See what I mean?" Neji asked.
"I see we may be a boar's banquet," Tenten stated.
They approached the edge of a cliff. With no way to escape, they had one of three choices.
"Any ideas?" the teenage girl asked.
"Well, we fight back, become road kill, or jumped off the edge. Which do you want?"
"The one with the most dignity."
"Which is what?" the dumfounded teenage boy asked.
"Let's jump."
They jumped off the edge. Neji saw the rate of impact they were headed for. So, he covered his face and braced himself. Tenten caught on and did same. They landed in a shallow creek. Neji looked around for Tenten and sighed in relieve. She did not look too badly injured. She was just slightly unconscious.
"Are you o.k.?" he asked.
"I've had better days."
"Need help?"
"I'll be alright."
She supported herself up by pushing on her right knee. A moment later, she was standing. Neji started off. When Tenten began to follow, she collapsed to the ground. Neji discerned the fall's pressure through the water. It was not hard, but it was to the extent to feel pain.
"Are you injured?" he asked concerned of her health.
"I don't know," she rejoined.
"Did you feel anything?" he asked as if he were talking to a moron.
Tenten: I felt a shot of pain. Then, I felt nothing.
Neji: So you have paralysis?
Tenten: I guess so.
Neji: Here.
Neji pulled Tenten up onto his back. She blushed, closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder. Neji blushed. Not because he was shy, but the warmth from her breath was comforting and sent shivers throughout his body. Tenten opened her eyes and looked back.
"Ne…Ne…ji, it's back again," she panicked.
"The boar?" he asked.
"Yeah," she responded.
"Hold on," he instructed.
"I can't," she pointed out.
"Whatever…Forget it," he said.
Neji ran as fast as he could go, but the boar began to fly. They were meters away from the boar. Then, they came across a dead end.
"Neji, over there."
"An indent in a cliff? I've got an idea."
He quickly placed Tenten near the indent and moved a boulder right in front of the indent. He kicked the dent, crawled into the hole, pulled Tenten in the cave, and then sealed the opening with the stone.
"I'm scorching hot!" Neji complained
"What are you talking about? I'm freezing!" she almost snapped.
"I'm sweating. Byakugan!" he called out.
"How's that gonna help?" the weapons' mistress asked.
"Taking your temperature. You're temperature's 106 degrees F.? I'll just do this the old fashion way. Hold still."
Neji put his hand on her forehead. Then, he quickly removed it, blew on his hand, and shook it vigorously. Tenten quivered and shivered. Neji was confused. She was shivering, yet she was burning up.
"Neji, do you think my paralysis has anything to do with?"
"Yes, and the fact you have a fever."
"No! Now, I can't go to practice or train. I'm a complete wreck!!" she yelled.
"Here," the Hyuuga replied as he sighed from her dramatic reaction.
"What?"
Neji took his shirt off and put it on Tenten. She blushed a deep red. Not because of Neji's constant kindness to her, because he cares, she has done nothing to help him, and the simple fact that…
"He's topless!" she thought joyfully.
"Better?" he asked.
"Huh? Yeah," she replied snapping out of LaLa land.
A moment later, Neji pulled her onto his lap and brought her head close to his chest.
"You need rest. So, rest," Neji whispered in her ear.
"No, it wouldn't be fair," Tenten quietly said.
"Excuse me?" Neji questioned.
"You're always protecting, looking after, and caring for me. What have I done for you?" she asked.
Neji was puzzled at the question. Then, he smiled seductively. Tenten scowled and growled. She hates it when he does that.
"Well?!" she retorted.
"Tenten, I chose to help you, and I could have left you there to deal with the pig alone. Be grateful."
"Huh?"
"Besides, you made the exercise fun."
"Seriously?"
"All of our warm-ups are intense. Now, we just ran. Not use chakra control or taijutsu," he said.
"Right," she replied.
An hour or so later, they were sound asleep.
The next morning came. Neji took Tenten's temperature and she was normal. She sighed in relief. They slid the boulder over so they can see. They peeked out and saw no boar. They pushed the boulder away farther and crawled out. They were surprised to see Gai and Lee having a picnic on the top of the cliff. Neji and Tenten climbed up the cliff. When they reached the top, Tenten helped Neji to his feet.
"Thanks."
"No prob."
"What smells like pork?" Neji asked.
"Cooked pig," Tenten answered.
"I know that, but what is it?"
"Look in front of you; it's a cooked pig."
"Oh." "My goodness," he said in realization.
They ran toward Gai and Lee. The two were pigging out on a peculiarly familiar meat.
"Lee, what smells like pork?" the kunoichi questioned.
"Want some?" Lee said. "Sensei made roasted pig."
"From what?" Neji said as a disgusted look crept onto his face.
"A boar," Lee replied.
"Try some! Your taijutsu will improve," Gai encouraged.
"I'll pass," Neji answered.
"I'm on a diet," Tenten said.
"Your loss," Gai said as he shrugged his shoulders.
Neji and Tenten left.
"Was that what I thought it was?" Tenten asked.
"Yep," Neji said.