Team Seven's POV (Traversing Land of Fire)
X-X
Neji's POV
Neji had expected a difficult journey; his teammates could usually be aggravating, but he imagined it would be worse when they suffered from a hangover. An assumption only strengthened by the miserable scowl both seemed to have etched onto their faces. Neji and Kakashi had agreed to remain silent to avoid any arguments during the journey. However, to their surprise, both Naruto and Ino remained eerily quiet. Naruto seemed to suffer silently, wincing at every loud noise as they traveled. Neji couldn't help but find it amusing when he "accidentally" stomped on a branch too hard. Ino, on the other hand, usually would explode in anger multiple times before giving up on whatever had annoyed her. But on this journey, she was oddly subdued, focused on survival perhaps. Neji planned to ask one of them what had happened the previous night when they felt more relaxed. But for now, I trusted the two would be less than talkative.
Despite their condition, they had a good time and were close to their destination. Kakashi suggested they camp for the night and attack in the morning, which the somewhat exhausted group readily agreed to. They chose to camp on a small hill overlooking the camp—far enough to keep from being spotted easily but close enough to react to their actions.
"Wouldn't it be better to strike in the dark?" Naruto chimed in. "We do have Neji; he has night vision or whatever."
"It does seem like the shinobi thing to do," Ino added. "With Neji's eyes and some proper planning, they'd be sitting ducks."
"In this case, we should be significantly more powerful than our adversaries. And with our lovable knucklehead, we can easily outnumber them. So striking during the night merely allows them to hide or escape into the dark. But make no mistake, we aren't gonna just charge in. We'll scout them out, formulate a plan, and crush them before they realize what is happening." Kakashi lectured.
"Seems efficient enough," Neji stated simply. "Besides, Naruto and Ino could very well use the rest." The blondes nodded, seemingly in agreement now that it was pointed out to them.
X-X
Kakashi's POV
"Great job, team. Neji, please gather some firewood and start a fire. Ino, can you set up the tents? Naruto, please use your shadow clones to establish a perimeter. Let's have eight clones, one in each cardinal direction and one in between them. After that, Naruto, can you please try to catch some game for us?" Kakashi gave clear instructions with a serious tone.
"Yes, sensei!" The Genin chorused as they dispersed to begin their assigned tasks. Kakashi hummed contently, waiting until he was sure no one was watching him. Then, he swiftly created a shadow clone and sent it out to scout the surrounding area. Although he planned on having his team survey the area before they attacked, he wanted to have his own eyes on the situation. Ensure their judgment is wise and this isn't more than they can handle. After all, Minato had always taught Kakashi to ensure the odds favored him.
Kakashi refused to put any of his Genin in danger, especially not Minato's son. However, he had grown fond of his team. Despite their rough start, they had begun to come together. They were a talented and motivated group. Even Ino had recently shown improvement and seemed uncomfortable with feeling weaker than the two men.
As he quietly moved around the clearing, he set subtle traps and signaled his team to alert them to any potential danger. Although Kakashi wasn't truly worried, he played it safe. They were close to the village, and his team was strong. Neji and Naruto were advanced for Genin, and Ino was clever and a valuable team player. Kakashi himself was an elite Jounin. Honestly, it was overkill, but the Leaf preferred it these days, which led to fewer deaths.
Within the hour, the three young adults had done as he had asked just before dark. The fire was well-built and contained by several wet logs courtesy of Neji. Two tents were erected, one for the men, the other for Ino. And Naruto had somehow captured a hog. Impressively, the blonde had hauled it over his shoulder before breaking it down himself. Soon, the blonde fashions a leg a piece for them, sealing off the rest and leaving the less desirable cuts out for the local wildlife. Kakashi was impressed, and when asked, Naruto merely said clones, but Kakashi decided not to ask further.
To the surprise of the Jounin, who had prepared himself to wield his mediocre cooking skills. Neji had quickly volunteered. Even more surprising was how talented he was at it. Ino assisted, having some culinary knowledge, but for the most part, the Hyuga quickly served them roasted hog. Kakashi was pleasantly surprised again when it was much nicer than he could produce. Losing it out on missions with some green Genin wasn't as bad as he feared.
"Neji! I expected you to suck at cooking!" Naruto called in between bites, laughing at his own words. "But this wouldn't be out of place in a restaurant!"
"You always seem like a brute to me," Ino added, a slight teasing smirk on her face. "To think you'd bother learning cooking."
"Unlike you blondes, I am expected to be talented in many fields." Neji countered with a fake scowl. "Cooking is merely one of my many hobbies."
"He got you good there, Naruto!" Ino chuckled. "You are an unskilled blonde~!"
"YOU BLONDE TOO!"
"But unlike you, Blondie," Ino wagged her finger. I'm drop-dead gorgeous. People will forgive me~!"
"I wouldn't say g-" Neji stopped as a kunai flew by his head. "But I suppose beautiful wouldn't be out of order?"
X-X
Ino's POV
Ino nodded at his response with a serene smile in place. Naruto busted out laughing, which made Ino feel oddly embarassed and even panicked. Since when did Naruto evoke that reaction from her?
"By chance, Uzumaki, what do you think?" Neji asked, his tone dripping a mockery of innocence.
"Neji…" Ino warned. But the Naruto responded before she could offer her best threat.
"Think about what?" Naruto asked with actual innocence.
"Ino's looks, she's an attractive lady, right?"
"I mean, yeah, sounds weird putting it like that. But I'd call her cute, why ya asking?"
"No reason."
Ino would've strangled the bastard if she wasn't so confused and mortified. Neji was farming for compliments and embarrassing her in equal measure. Ino wasn't sure why she cared; she knew she was hot. But hearing Naruto offer such a minor compliment felt different. Like, somehow, the clueless blonde was more earnest?
It wasn't unusual for Neji to get snipes in, but he rarely drove the two as silent as he did now. Leaving Naruto obviously confused, and Ino subtly mortified. However the groups shenanigans were placed on hold as Kakashi drove the group into their night watch.
When Kakashi first mentioned them taking shifts at night to ensure nothing snuck up on them, she had felt dread. Quickly, she declared she would not be the first watch, figuring that must be the worst one. She rethought that as she first awoke for her watch. But even quicker still, she discovered she did not mind it. She could use the time for herself with her recent interactions with Naruto and Neji.
At first, having Naruto on their team didn't seem like a big deal. He had a negative reputation with older generations for unknown reasons. It didn't really bother Ino but prepared her for the worst. Although he was one of the few successful shinobi to make it without a clan in their year, his performance was mediocre compared to the rest. Ino had even assumed she was more substantial than him, but her perception changed when she saw him fight.
Even at his lowest, Ino doubted she could have done anything against him. The blonde was a juggernaut, never stopping nor surrendering, and with his army of clones and his blade, he was a threat. Considering his standing, she assumed he was a simple, obnoxious man who was too egotistic. Now she saw there was far more to that puzzle...
Since the formation of the team, she discovered depth to him she never noticed before. Naruto gave everything his all during training, spars, practice, and fights. But more than professionally, he also gave his all for his friends. His best jokes, attitude, and support. Witnessing it made her realize just how much Naruto gave. Ino wasn't sure she could ever match his endless energy. He also showed more humor and shocked her to see they had similarities. They both were serious about being shinobi but preferred having fun. Both of them struggled, unlike Neji, even for vastly different reasons. Ino before, I would've assumed she was more intelligent, and maybe she was. But Naruto was surprisingly clever in his way, making wisecracks here, using unorthodox strategies there, or even seeming to know what others were feeling at times. He decided wordlessly to break through to Neji, a known genius, just to prove a point. Ino thought it was ridiculous and that Naruto was merely risking injury for nothing. She felt that even if he somehow defeated Neji, that wouldn't change him suddenly. However, Naruto often proved her wrong, making him very interesting. The kindness and relaxed nature were lovely, but the unpredictability and emotional wisdom of the blonde had intrigued her. Just who was Naruto Uzumaki? And why was Ino so interested in finding out?
The problem was everyone knew Ino was a flirt. She often became interested in a boy for a bit before growing bored of them. Even Sasuke, in a way, was just eye candy for her. He was handsome for sure, but unlikely with how cold he was. But Naruto, for her, was an odd choice. She did find his untamed look oddly cute. It helped that he was inspiring as well. But she had to wonder if this was a passing fancy? Or was she genuinely interested?
Ino checked her pocket watch. Well, it was time for Naruto's shift. Perhaps she could test the waters a bit and see how deep her interest went. Besides, it wouldn't do to not know if the blonde was interested himself. But without being arrogant, she doubted this was an issue.
She quietly walked over to the boy's tent. Quietly lifting the entrance flap, she tapped the Uzumaki's shoulder. The two silently crept back out of the tent, settling at the fire in a comfortable silence. Ino observed Naruto yawning loudly before summoning four clones that spread out in the edging of the clearing in which they were camped. Naruto took a moment to fully wake up, unknowingly giving Ino time to arrange her thoughts.
"Arent y-" Naruto yawned again. "Aren't you going to go to sleep? I know I look out of it, but I promise I'll stay awake."
"I was hoping to ask you some questions," Ino replied. She hoped the somewhat tired Naruto wouldn't realize her intentions.
"We have plenty of time," the blonde man said, chuckling silently as he sharpened a stick by the fire. Ino felt grateful for the distraction; something about his gaze was throwing her off her game. Avoiding it would keep her sharp.
Ino considered what to ask him. She wanted information to gauge how well they fit together. That would help her decide how she felt and whether to pursue something. But what exactly that information was was alluding to her now. She decided to ask something relatively innocuous for now.
"You said before you would help Neji's clan. He's our friend now, no doubt. But it seems like a big promise. Why make it?"
"He was in pain and seemed so hopeless," Naruto explained. "I can relate to that on a personal level. There's something I struggle to change, and Kami knows how many times I have wanted to give up. I felt nobody would ever accept me, especially when I was young. Kids were kept away from me until I joined the academy. Even as comrades, they continued to keep their distance. No doubt their parents suggested it.