Happy New Year one and all! Here we are at the final chapter of… - does a double-take - Hey, you over there! Yes, you with the cookies! I see you! Don't think you can sit there eating cookies and not give me any! Come now, free up the chocolate chip!

The Shinobi's Guide to Camping
By Kaori

Ironically, the unfortunate ninja from Amegakure just happened to be named Ted and needless to say he was unequivocally embarrassed after he'd come back to himself. But that's neither here nor there as he is no longer among our little group of (un)happy campers.

"Oh how I am going to miss this place." Sobbed Lee as he took down his tent. Sakura frowned and turned to TenTen.

"Please tell me he's joking." TenTen shook her head.

"Lee seldom jokes and when he does, they're almost always really lame puns."

"I say we throw him in the hot spring." Suggested Ino.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but won't that cause the suit to shrink?" Sakura asked.

"Only one way to find out…"

Two minutes later…

"That was cruel you guys." Kiba remarked.

"He's going to be walking funny for a week." Winced Sasuke.

"Well how were we supposed to know it would ride up like that?" shrugged Ino. "If he had any sense at all he would wear non-shrink spandex."

"With any luck he won't be able to breed now." Neji deadpanned, content to watch Lee wailing in agony as Gai futilely tried to comfort him.

"Neji…" groaned the other boys.

"Oh please." A slow smirk spread across his face. "You know I only said what you were thinking."

"Hey, Lee…" Sakura ventured since it was mostly her fault the poor boy had gotten the Wedgie from Hell. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Fear not oh beauteous Sakura-chan!" squeaked Lee. "For even now your Lee is being healed by your kind words! Allow me to thank you with some poetry; although pretty words fail in comparison to you!" And with that he began to recite all 126 of Shakespeare's Sonnets in order.

"Oh Hell no, he is not reciting poetry to me that was written by a man to another man!" (more interesting literature trivia for you) Inner Sakura raged while Sakura just tried to grin and bear it. Ino, who was also aware of the nature of the poem, snickered softly in the background.

Bored with the turn of events, Neji turned his attention to Kakashi and his seemingly never-ending backpack.

Nobody had seen the jounin unpack the thing when they had arrived, but the Hyuuga was almost positive there was no way he could've gotten Icha Icha Paradise Volumes 1 through 86 in there along with his bedroll, extra clothing, canteen, and several things that are too scary to mention here; never mind carrying it all the way out here. But there he was casually chucking things into the backpack haphazardly and none of the things had fallen out and not a single item was visible. How was he doing it?

Kakashi had noticed the attention right away and was secretly amused. Neji could watch him all he wanted and he'd never figure out what was happening. Hammerspace no Jutsu is very useful…

Kurenai was packing her things the old fashioned way: folding everything up neatly and then jumping up and down on her pack to make everything fit. She'd steal glances at the other girls' perfectly packed backpacks and rued the day she ditched lessons that one day they were teaching Packing no Jutsu.

Once everyone was more or less packed, it was time to leave.

"Since Lee still cannot walk, one of you will have to carry him." Gai announced, waving expansively at the boys who grimaced.

"Like hell he can't." Shikamaru half snarled and forced Lee to follow him via Kagemane, which was probably very painful so we'll drown out he's pained screams with some singing.

"Sleeping on the ground is painful

'Cause it's littered with pinecones.

Give me soft beds and wholesome meals

There's no place like home."

"Ichiraku how I've longed for you!" cried Naruto once they were inside the gates. He wasn't the only one who was relieved but no one was more relieved than Lee since now he could get some medical attention. Gai was all too eager to carry him to the hospital on his back.

"Let's promise to never do this again." Shikamaru said solemnly. The others nodded in silent agreement and went their separate ways.

Ah keeping such a promise is going to be difficult and as my mother used to say "don't make promises you can't keep." But for the time being, they can put this little incident behind them. After all, tomorrow is the today your grandparents warned you about yesterday.