Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden. This is fan based fiction. Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden are owned by Viz Media, Shueisha, Madmen Entertainment, Shonen Jump, and Masashi Kishimoto. I encourage you to please support the official release.
On a calm, cool summer's night. Wind flows gently through the trees of the forest, and nature fills the air with its beautiful song. Traveling through the trees is a shinobi. Her rich, vibrant, red hair, long with natural curl, dances like fire against the wind. She is quickly passed by a bushy browed genin, with a great big smirk on his face.
"You'll have to be faster then that Sensei, if you want to surpass me!", the green clothed boy says.
She sighs and calls after her teammate, "Aren't you tired, Lee? Save your energy, it's not a race!" Soon another flash of green passes by. This time its large and it flies more swiftly. The swift jonin turns toward her.
"He's not talking to you", the proud man winks. "However... you should always be striving to do your best! So come one, join in our challenge to better ourselves through training!" The youthful man flashes away once again ahead of her.
"I can't believe those two", a young voice called from behind.
"Are you really surprised?", the auburn red haired woman chuckles. The young girl with the twin hair buns rolls her eyes.
"We've just finished a mission. They should be taking the journey back to recover chakra to prepare for the next one", the female genin says.
Next to the girl is their final team member. This purple eyed, timid boy next clenches his teeth. "We've been with your team nearly a year. This isn't anything new Tenten. It's all just child's play."
"Neji, be mindful of your Sensei", the woman starts. "You have been placed on this team for very special reasons you may not yet realize. Everything Guy does, he does for you three. To push you to be the best shinobi you can." Neji Hyuga darts his eyes away from the jonin addressing him. He then leaps ahead of the two and sprints away.
"Neji- wait!", Tenten yells toward her teammate. The adult kunoichi stops the younger from chasing him.
"Leave him be Tenten, Neji still has a lot to learn in time. Just leave him alone for now. Besides, this mission may have gotten to him", she smiles down at Tenten. Tenten gives a half hearted smirk back up at her, worrying for her teammate.
"Hey!", Might Guy yells at the team. "We are almost there! Lee, no holding back now!" Guy sprints past his student as the gates come to both of their sights.
"I will use your own wisdom of youth to beat you there Guy Sensei!", Lee calls as he increases his speed. Neji sprints silently, lamenting all his frustrations in his head, as the gates holding his pain come into his enhanced sight as well.
The red jonin looks down at Tenten and smirks much like Guy. "I'll race you the rest of the way. Let's go!" She starts sprinting toward the gates of the village.
"Mitsuha Sensei! Wait! Don't leave me out here alone!" Tenten starts sprinting as well.
The team of jonin and genin catch up with one another. Lee and Guy pass through the doors of the gate nearly simultaneously.
"So who won, Sensei?!", Lee asks excitedly.
Guy puts his hand on Lee's shoulder. "Lee when a challenge results as close as this, it just makes me so proud to see how your training has benefited you. The results don't matter because you're a winner in my eyes!"
"Guy Sensei won", Neji states, passing by them as he walked through the gate.
"Neji! Using your Byakugan isn't fair! But I accept the challenge!", Lee boasts disappointedly.
"I don't care. Goodnight." Neji says coldly.
"Report to me tomorrow for our report Neji, as always great work", Guy says to his student.
Tenten runs through the gates reaching Guy and Lee.
"Tenten you really showed improvement in your jutsu this mission, I'm always proud of your strides. Of all of your guys' improvements!", Guy states proudly.
Tenten looks around her. "Hey, where is she? I could've sworn she would've beaten me here." The three look back at the area outside of the village gates doors. The jonin stands looking out into the lush trees, whose leaves are shining in the moonlight. The beauty of the land she loves and protects overcomes her and she takes in the moment, not even seeing the rest of her team has already crossed the gates.
"Mitsuha!", Guy calls out to her. Her head twists around and her attention snaps back into the moment.
Guy chuckles, "Come on! It's time to go home!"
Mitsuha smiles and hurries into the gates. They are home, back in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.