"It's going to rain tonight we should set up camp," said Naruto.
"What are you talking about you idiot there isn't a cloud in the sky," shouted Kiba.
"Well if you would take the time to smell the air you would know as well dumb ass," said Naruto.
Kiba growled again but took Naruto's advice. Kiba and Akamaru smelled the air for a bit to try and catch the sent of rain.
"We can't smell anything," said Kiba.
"But I know it's coming," said Naruto. "Let's set up camp."
"We should probably do it. I mean he was able to smell those shinobi before you could," said Sakura.
"Tch," grunted Kiba.
The group of shinobi set up their tents to sleep in as did the bridge builder. They also made sure that all the supplies were tied down and the oxen were set for the night.
"Naruto, Hinata why don't you both go get some firewood for a fire," said Kakashi.
"Hai," said Naruto and Hinata.
Naruto and Hinata headed off into the woods to find some dry wood to make a fire with.
"We better find some fast," said Naruto as he turned to the sky, "The rain is almost here."
"There is a batch over there that we can grab," said Hinata as she pointed into a thicket in front of them.
"Let's go," said Naruto as he flashed Hinata a smile and dashed off towards the thicket.
Hinata smiled and ran after Naruto.
"What was that all about?" asked Kakashi.
"I don't know," said Sakura as she shrugged and walked into the tent for team seven. I get to sleep with Sasuke tonight, thought Sakura as a grin spread across her face.
"Nothing cheeky now Sakura," said Kakashi.
"Baka," said Sakura as she stormed into the tent.
"You know that's considered harassment," said Kurenai.
"Hey you know teens just as much as I do," said Kakashi as he held up his hands.
"They just turned into teenagers don't treat them like they're eighteen," said Kurenai
"Alright, alright," said Kakashi as he headed into his own tent.
Hinata was walking through the thicket when she lost sight of Naruto.
"Naruto where did you go?" yelled Hinata, "Naruto!"
"Yes," said Naruto.
Hinata jumped and spun around to meet Naruto's face. "Naruto don't scare me like that."
"I'm just messing with you Hinata," said Naruto as he scratched the back of his head. Naruto then looked up towards the sky. Hinata did the same and noticed that the storm clouds where right over them now.
"I smell it now Naruto," said Hinata.
"We ran too far away from camp we won't make it back in time," said Naruto. As soon as he said this a heavy downpour flooded over them.
"We need to find our way back to camp," yelled Hinata over the rain.
"I can't remember which way it is," yelled Naruto.
"We won't be able to find our way back through all this rain," yelled Hinata.
"Hey Hinata I smell a cave a bit over there," yelled Naruto as he pointed to his left.
"Let's go there so we can get out of the rain," yelled Hinata.
Hinata and Naruto dashed in the direction that Naruto indicated the cave was in. A few minutes later they had found the cave and were finally out of the rain.
"How are we going to let everyone know that we're here?" asked Hinata.
"I've got that covered," said Naruto as he placed his hands together for a Jutsu. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" yelled Naruto as ten clones of Naruto appeared through plumes of smoke. "Alright guys I need you to go out and search for the campsite," said the original Naruto.
"Hai," said the clones of Naruto.
"Tell them that we're in a cave that is hopefully nearby and that we will wait out the storm here and meet up with them when it's over," said Naruto. "Oh and one more thing, don't get lost."
"We know that," said one of the clones.
"Good, now get going," said Naruto.
The clones of Naruto disappeared into the dense rain and were out of sight almost as soon as they entered it. Naruto finally noticed how cold he was and saw that Hinata was shivering as well.
"I've got some stuff with me that will warm us up," said Naruto as he dumped out the contents of his bag. A few basic essentials spilled out to the ground as well as a few scrolls.
"What's in the scrolls?" asked Hinata as she rubbed her arms to try and warm up.
"Lets see," said Naruto as he opened some of the scrolls to read them. "Nope this one contains a tent … this one has my ramen … ah here we go." Naruto then set the scroll he was currently reading onto the ground and put some chakra into it. The scroll buffeted for a second as smoke issued out of it. A second later a big blanket was lying over the scroll.
"First I'm going to get out of these soaked cloths," said Naruto as he removed his shoes. He then took of his jacket and his pants and set them aside. Hinata turned away in embarrassment.
"What's wrong, what did I do?" asked Naruto.
"Y-you're not supposed … to do that in front of girls Naruto," said Hinata.
"Why?" asked Naruto.
"Because it's indecent," said Hinata.
"Fine I'll put them back on," said Naruto as he pulled on his pants. He then put his jacket back on and his shoes.
"Can't you light a fire instead?" asked Hinata as she turned to see if Naruto was dressed.
"I think I have some emergency wood stored in a scroll somewhere," said Naruto as he searched through his wide array of scrolls, "Got it."
Naruto put some chakra into the scroll and a pile of wood appeared over the scroll. Naruto removed the scroll from the bottom of the pile and dug out two pieces of flint. He struck the pieces together a few times over the wood. The wood then caught on fire and Naruto bent down to blow air onto the fire to make it stronger. Soon the two of them were bathed in the warm glow of a fire. The cave began to warm up and their cloths began to dry. Naruto wrapped the blanket around the two of them and they waited for the storm to end.
"Not exactly what I had planned but it got us together for awhile," said Naruto.
A few seconds later Naruto felt a pressure on his shoulder. He looked over and saw that Hinata had fallen asleep and was resting her head on his shoulder.
"Soft," mumbled Hinata in her sleep.
Naruto gently kissed Hinata on her head and whispered, "Hehe good night Hinata."
The Naruto clones were having a real hard time finding the camp. A few hours had gone by with no luck. Just then one of the clones had found the camp a few miles south of the cave.
"Dang they went that far?" mumbled the clone.
He walked up to the camp site and saw that everyone was outside talking feverishly.
"Where do you think they could have gone?" asked Kurenai.
"I don't know, but he had better not have gotten Hinata hurt," growled Kiba.
"Again with the overzealous brother act?" asked the clone as he walked up to the group.
Kiba saw the clone and mistook it as the real Naruto. "Where is Hinata you bastard," said Kiba as he pinned the clone against a tree.
"Hey now be careful, if you hit me I disappear," said the clone.
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Kiba.
"That must be one of Naruto's clones from his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," said Sakura.
"Kage what?" asked Kiba.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is the art of creating images of yourself that are more than just illusions … they are solid and can fight along side a shinobi … it is a jounin rank Jutsu," said Kurenai. "How does … never mind," said Kurenai as she remembered Naruto had taken the forbidden scroll from the Hokage building.
"He must have sent it out to look for camp once it started raining," said Sakura.
"But why?" asked Shino.
"Hinata and he might have gotten lost," said Kakashi.
"We should wait for the rain to let up before we start looking for them," said Sasuke.
"But what if they were caught in the rain?" asked Sakura.
"Last time I saw them they were in a cave a few miles north of here," said the clone.
"Well at least we know that they are safe for the night," said Kakashi.
"Well I have to disappear … literally because if I don't do it soon Naruto might not wake up tomorrow," said the Clone.
"You mean he's asleep?" asked Kakashi.
"Yeah about an hour ago he fell asleep but he kept up the Jutsu," said the clone as he started to fade. "Well I guess my time is up then. Make sure you find them because I doubt Naruto will be able to move in the morning." The clone then waved goodbye and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Naruto must have a lot of chakra to be able to do that Jutsu and make it come all the way over here and have him be asleep at the time," said Sakura.
"You don't know the half of it," mumbled Kakashi.
"Alright we camp here for the night and we look for Naruto and Hinata in the morning," said Kurenai sensei as she stepped into her tent. Everyone went into their tents and went to sleep for the night.