Team Guy managed to avoid conflict with another squad, mainly due to Tenten's successful tactic of analyzing what the enemy had for a scroll. She knew they had opposing scrolls, but because the other two didn't know, they weren't in the confirmed- this is the other scroll we need, kill them at all cost- mode. From a first glance, it looked like team Guy could have easily taken them on. But Tenten's well use of resources just might have saved the team from an epic battle with still 2 days of travel they would have to make.
"Okay, now that we're seeing other groups where we are, I kind of have the feeling we might be behind." Takamitsu pointed.
"Would you be angry if I have been considering your tactic the further we've been getting into this?" Ten-
"Only if I get to say the phrase I told you so." Tak-
"Damnit Kankuro, I had you wrong this whole time. These weaklings were after the wrong scroll." Temari and her purple striped brother fell from the trees and landed mere inches from Team Guy.
"Ha I told you so!" Kankuro interjected.
"Hey, that's my line!" Takamitsu blurted.
"So, we've got someone who's just as immature as Kankuro here." Temari made a slow stretching movement for her fan. "Too bad you two could have gotten along I'd assume."
"You and your big mouth!" Tenten gritted her teeth at Takamitsu.
"Oh, it's not the boy's fault you three were led here. Now now, the last thing we need is for the entire group to start pointing fingers on who has the scroll."
"Ha, my mother has the scroll, and she's dead!" Takamitsu caused an eruption of silence to engulf the two groups. Tenten took the opportunity to gain the initiative with a barrage of kunai, but Temari deflected the blows toward Lee and Takamitsu. Both evaded, and Lee went for Kankuro.
"Slashing leaf hurricane!" Takamitsu yelled, spinning in a blur at fast pace toward Temari. Tenten came at her from the opposite with dual maces, and Temari simply blew the two back.
"Hmm, so we got the sword guy, same as the non sword guy with similar spandex, and long range fellow to make up for the other two's weaknesses." Temari sounded like she was reading a script for a kid's movie. "Kankuro! Let's leave before that green brat breaks another one of your muppets!"
"Wait another? But he hasn't even broken the-" And on cue, Lee axe kicked through a puppet to land a direct hit on the weilder. "Agh- god dangit!"
Temari blasted lee back with the same move, and the two retreated.
"Someone please tell me she wasn't holding back THAT much." Takamitsu groaned as he revealed many cosmetic scratches on his clothing.
"Yeah, wind will do that to you." Tenten sighed. "No hard feelings Takamitsu, your diversion tactic was spot on, I'd just took too long to initiate the attack."
"Oh, that wasn't intended to be staged, that kid stole my line."
"And we're still alive because of that, I believe." Tenten unravelled her Bo stick, manipulable in the middle- which could be extended to up to twice its length. "There's no doubt we're being followed by at least a few others now. We have an earth scroll, by the way, so I think our next encounter needs to be acted on."
"And if we don't?"
"Then it's my fault we didn't get the previous group."
"Bullshit. We'd have been a target if we tried getting the scrolls before the sand nin- oh, I see this is well played. Nah Tenten, our asses would have been skinned had those two stayed around."
"Wow, confidence much for us?"
"Well, if Lee didn't smash one of the puppet guy's dangly bits, I'd say it would have been a full loss for us."
"Consider him neutered!" Tenten returned with a Guy sensei flash grin and thumbs up for the pun.
"I'll acknowledge your pun this one time, because you never do when I do these." Takamitsu replied.
Team Guy was to settle for another night but they weighed caution more than comfort for a heavy storm had engulfed the forest. Giant trees here had hollowed out sections where some creatures layed, and the group confirmed that nothing current had nested in the shelter spot before moving in.
"So, How's Neji?" Takamitsu asked while switching off of his night shift.
"He's good as always. Can't ever get enough time to see him these days."
"So he's full anbu at this point? Or how's his training going?"
"Honestly, he says it's not as hard as the stuff we go through, but then again, there's a lot more mental training for their criteria, and with his smarts he blows the scoring out like it's fifth grade geometry."
"But there isn't the crazy crap of 600 one armed pushups from a handstand position with weights while juggling an-"
"Orochimaru?" Kakashi's eye shrunk as Anko broke the news to the Jonin who remained in the watch room where cameras observed key locations of the map. "But that doesn't make sense, why here? Notably around all the genin candidates. And he wouldn't be- well son of a bitch."
"Lee, Tenten, wakeup. I think I hear someone being crucified, and they're not too far out."
"Ugh, someone getting crucified. Don't you have any better descriptors of-" She paused to observe the tone of scream that echoed through the forest. "Yeah, I'd say that sounds about like a crucifixion."
but if we're going to get a shot at anything, I'd say we should investigate, and pounce on whomever remains."
"Oh shit that is blood curdling…" Tenten finally stirred an appropriate level of awake. "Alright, we've got to stay in cover. Lee, you're taking the first strike on the… Lee?"
Lee had not budged, for his first name was Rock.
"Well, dynamic duo?"
"Never say that."
"Dos Amigos?"
"Or that-"
"Two cents-"
"I'm about to make it one-"
"H2O?"
"Take the west side." Tenten ordered as the two were on opposite ends of the battle taking place between team nine and a few sound nin. It seemed the pink nin held the scroll, and as Lee told from earlier, it was in fact a heaven scroll. Takamitsu found eye contact and confirmation to take the scroll under Tenten's signal. She fired off a few Kunai and he went in to flank.