The trees passed by in a blur, green leaves fading into brown bark fading into the sunlit patches of open meadow. Springy branches propelled him forward, the rustle of the breeze cooled him, and the blue river provided another obstacle to leap over.
Naruto could feel the energy coursing through him, the telltale tingle of chakra on his feet and hands, the restlessness of his muscles as he leapt and climbed and stumbled. He smiled, a grin that turned into a loud yell as he ran down the side of a rocky cliff, dodging the wayward bushes clinging to the sheer side.
A burst from behind him, a green and orange whirlwind that landed in front of him, "Too slow, Naruto-kun!"
Energetic bastard, he thought scowling before launching himself onto the sandy beach, "You haven't won yet!" he shouted, putting on the speed.
Rock Lee turned and gave him a thumb's up before forward flipping over some driftwood.
One aggravated growl later, Naruto was tearing down the shore. Bypassing the blue-green waves capped with white foam, sending clouds of grey gulls into the clear sky, crushing the opalescent shells underfoot- the beautiful scenery was entirely wasted on the two rampaging ninja.
Gotta win... gotta win... gotta win... he chanted in rhythm with his footsteps, willing himself to catch up. He was getting closer, right behind him now...
And then Lee suddenly sprang to the side, Naruto's eyes following but his feet went forward still. Lee looked over his shoulder, "Watch out!"
Frowning he glanced down, a crab?
Naruto mis-stepped, his foot coming down awkwardly to avoid the crustacean and he tripped. Face first into the sand with his heels flying over, he tumbled across the beach several times before coming to a stop.
Owww... he opened his eyes blearily, the rest of him unwilling to move just yet. He could feel sand everywhere, coarse and hot in the sun. A little red crab scuttled by. "Naruto-kun! Have you been injured?"
He sighed at Lee's face peering at him and shook his head, just my pride, "No."
"Right then," the green clad ninja continued, "One must always watch for obstacles, even those beneath one's feet. Guy-sensei always says, 'Know where to put your feet and then you will know where you are going!'"
Naruto nodded, not really paying attention.
"And one must be mindful of the environment," Lee lectured, "A delicate balance could be easily disrupted. As Guy-sensei says, "The art of nature is the art of ninja!'"
Naruto shut his eyes.
Lee pumped his fist in the air, "And finally, one must be constantly able to- hey!"
Springing up off of the ground, Naruto chuckled over his back as he sped away, "Gotcha!"
A cartwheel to show off and he was well ahead of Lee. A ninja must always be able to make the best of any situation!
The sandy shore gave way to the rockier coast, the ripple like stone mimicking the tidal pool's surface. Hop-skipping over the deceptively deep pools, Naruto managed to avoid the booby traps they had set up earlier this time. He absently rubbed his wrist, the red welt had finally disappeared.
Breathing hard, he cleared the last tangle of driftwood, jumping it like a hurdle before skidding to a stop in the small alcove. He turned, ready to lord it over Lee the second he appeared.
"Naruto-kun?" a soft voice asked from behind him.
"Shhh!" he held a finger to her lips, "Stay quiet."
Turning back to spy for Lee, Naruto didn't see Hinata blush and mutter, "Yes... of course..." but he did notice her joining him in hiding behind the driftwood, squatting down and asking in a low whisper, "Why are we hiding?"
He gave her a lopsided grin, "To surprise bushy-brows!"
She looked startled for a moment then quietly giggled, one hand coming up to cover the tiny sound.
"Hey, hey, hey!" he had a sudden and brief inspiration, "Can you use your eye-thingy to watch for him?" at her shy nod he cheered, "Alright! We're really going to get him!"
Hinata activated her prized bloodline limit, the engorged veins surrounded her eyes giving her oval face a heinous look, "He is approximately twenty meters away and closing quickly."
Nodding, Naruto couldn't help but be a bit envious, how cool would it be to have eyes like that?
"Fifteen."
"Ten."
"Five," she whispered.
And Lee came bounding over the driftwood, clearing the obstacle with ease. Naruto stood to surprise him, but misjudged once again. The shout of surprise died on his lips as his arms came up reflexively, however it was too little too late as Lee's knee collided with his head.
This is going to hurt later, he thought as the momentum of the blow sent him down. He was especially not looking forward to falling right onto the gritty rock beneath his feet. So he was especially surprised when he landed face first onto something very soft and warm. This is nice, dazed and comfortable he snuggled like he would into a pillow.
"Naruto-kun!" panicked and anxious.
"N-N-N-Naruto-kun!" panicked and anxious.
What's wrong? He glanced up to see Lee peeking from behind his fingers, his bushy caterpillar brows crawling up his forehead. And there was Hinata, her face very red and very close, her pale eyes so very wide.
Huh? He thought intelligently before lifting himself up off of Hinata's chest. Wait, he looked down and blushed. He glanced back up and then down again, he was a teenaged male.
A nervous laugh escaped his throat and he was about to apologize when he realized just exactly where his hand was lifting him from. Naruto could see Hinata's eyes unfocusing, her already red face becoming splotchy, and as he suddenly faded out of consciousness a single thought ran through his overtaxed mind, damn she has a mean right hook.
The fire crackled cheerily, the dry driftwood making perfect tinder on the overcast windy night. The aroma of dinner filled the small space, and unfurled bedrolls cushioned against the rocky ground. All in all it was a comfortable camp, save for one thing- a pouting Naruto sitting by himself.
"Naruto-kun!" Lee called from beside the fire, "Come down!"
He hmmphed and crossed his arms stubbornly, turning away from the welcoming warmth, "No."
"Um, Naruto-kun," Hinata this time, "please come down. I'm... I'm not angry or anything."
"No."
He didn't see the look the other two shinobi gave each other, or Hinata's whispered suggestion or Lee's silent cheer.
"Naruto-kun," Lee again, "You must be hungry."
"No, I'm not," he countered petulantly, ready to sulk them into shame. But, as per usual his schemes rarely played out how he wanted them to, his declaration was tagged with the unmistaken growl of his stomach.
Cheeks red, he sighed and turned around, knowing his game was up, "Fine," he muttered, walking back towards them.
"Alright! I will continue to watch our provisions. As Guy-sensei says, 'A watched pot never boils, but an unwatched one boils over."
Wondering what exactly Lee was talking about, Naruto scratched the back of his head and chalked it up to the 'springtime of youth.'"
"Your eye...I'm sorry..."
He looked back over to Hinata who was wringing her hands together and staring at the ground, "Eh?" touching his cheek gingerly, "Oh it's nothing, don't worry about it."
"I have some ointment."
"That's okay, I'll heal up real fast," he smiled, putting on his bravado to cover up his embarrassment. It was bad enough she clocked him one, he didn't need her mothering him now,especially after he nearly stole second base with her.
But she took out the small jar of ointment anyway and was about to apply it herself, but he quickly snatched it away, "I can do it," he laughed nervously, "Does bushy-brow need any help?"
"Maybe... I should go check," she said, "When you're done we should discuss the mission."
"Yeah sure," Naruto watched her walk away and relaxed. Years of reflex head slapping made him weary of females.
At least Hinata-chan knows her stuff, he thought while smearing the cool cream around his eye. He wouldn't be very intimidating to enemy ninja sporting a black eye, of course Kyuubi could take care of it too, he scowled putting the jar in a pocket and heading towards his teammates.
"Naruto-kun," Lee came bounding up to him, "I have unpacked your supplies."
"Alright," he sat down.
"And when we have finished revitalizing ourselves, our next focus should be the mission."
"Okay."
Lee saluted him and went back to the fire. Hinata was standing at the camp's perimeter, her Byakugan activated, scanning the landscape for potential threats.
Laying back, Naruto basked in the warm glow of the flames, he was glad Lee was taking care of dinner because he didn't bring anything but instant ramen. He smiled suddenly, "Hey, bushy-brow!"
Turning, Lee asked, "What is it?"
"You owe me ramen when we get back, ya know. For losing our race."
A thumbs up, "I will honor my wager in full!"
Grinning, and knowing he would be dreaming of ramen tonight, Naruto was going to let Hinata know the good news, but she had vanished. He sat up, alert and whipping his head around before spotting her climbing over the tangled driftwood, something cupped delicately in her hand, "Hinata-chan?"
She looked up, a grim determination on her features, "We will have to cut the mission short," opening her hand to reveal a small insect, "It seems Shino-kun has found him."
Disclaimer: Yeah... sure...
A/N: I know it's late, and it's not even what I wanted to originally write, but it kinda got away from me. It would also seem that my storyline is pretty much completely alternative universe now. A few notes:
Naruto's been taking a lot of punishment, but he's pretty resilient.
I'm not too sure about Lee's characterization, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
So Shino's found 'him', will Team 8 have another chance in the limelight?
As always, thanks for reading!