He got lost once, when he was six and was playing tag with the other kids in town. It was something far from unusual in his hometown and he had been told what to do when it happened, but it never made it less scary. Stay still and wait for a passer-by or someone he knows to get him and take him home. Don’t move. DON’T move. Because, Hinata, if you move it may take even longer to find you, so stay as still as you can.
It wasn’t something he liked thinking about, but his father’s words echoed in his mind. ‘Stay still and wait for help’ was advice that worked when you were safe, not in war. Granted, he wasn’t alone this time, but unknown territory was unknown territory still. A grimace on his face as the new orders were assigned, followed by a soft ‘I’m alright’ when his commander got in touch with their class ( he could HEAR the moogle making a fuss behind her, and considering the situation it was oddly reassuring ).
There was a nod to his words, the first acknowledgement Hinata had given to his words despite occasional glances, “Let’s do that”, one hand pressed against the ground and the other against the tree for support as he stood up. There was a tickling sensation in his legs and Hinata thought how odd it was how familiar senses still occurred on the field.
It was nothing but nerve-wracking to walk from the place they had spent hours at, keeping an eye out and reacting to every single sound in case that one where the one to strike at them. Nothing happened, but words about false security being your biggest enemy had been drilled into his head since he first stepped onto Akademeia’s ground. Instead he didn’t initiate any conversation, afraid it’d bother their concentration.
But sooner or later, even that had to come to an end.
“...Do you think we’ll find something good? A cave?”, because a house would be asking for too much, wouldn’t it?