"I expect you will continue with the same diligence and passion in your work when you are stationed there." The low, raspy voice of the Kazekage spoke, every word dripping from his mouth at a constant speed.

"Don't worry too much 'bout us over here. Focus on your work and make us proud." The tall young woman with sun kissed hair spoke in her commanding tone. She didn't mean to, she never does. It's just something that has become a part of who she is.

"And don't forget about us. You'll be back before you know it!" the dark chocolate haired boy says, as he speaks his purple paint resting on his olive skin moves up and down with each word passing through his lips, and the fleeting smile. His voice, to the naked ear sounds joyful and happy. Although to those who know this boy well, are aware it is an act.

"I'll miss you too Kanki." Kanki referring to Kankuro, Kanki, being a nickname Hisano gave him shortly after they met. The story behind it you ask? Well that story is for another time; however it managed to last throughout these recent years.

"So long." The boy says to her. With that Hisano turns away from her dear friends and began the long three-day journey to the village hidden in the leaves, also commonly referred to as the Leaf Village.


"Hisano, we've been expecting you. Ever since the threat of numerous looming wars, all four main villages feel the need for ambassadors." The Hokage began "we are happy that you've been given the duty, as many of us are well aware, children are the adults of tomorrow and that they can make great decisions. I fear that adults don't give the younger generations enough credit." The Hokage stops dead in her place. "You are aware of your job, yes?"

"Yes ma'am. I am to stay here for the citizens of the desert, for their wellbeing and temporary papers among other duties. After three years of service I am to be replaced by another." Hisano replies.

"Yes, and we are happy to have you with us. I trust this alliance will prove to be beneficial for both villages."

"I'm sure it will be." Hisano replies with a weak her smile as she walks alongside the Hokage, her sandy hair sits messily on top of her head. She was never one for fake beauty, for makeup. It wouldn't help; it wouldn't help conceal her greatest battle, her greatest fear, and her greatest insecurity.

"A youth from our village will be your guide. His name is Shikamaru" the Hokage says as she motions for the boy leaning against a nearby tree, the shade from its branches concealing a section of his face. She is quick to subtly adjust her hair pulling it over the right side of her face and re-securing her scarf in a high position; she fears people won't be able to understand. "If you have any further questions feel free to drop by any time." The Hokage motions to the high standing building, and for those familiar with this building and its round shape and orange roof, knows just how important it truly is to the village. The Hokage bows, as does Hisano. The Hokage turns around and walks away, and up the stairs to the door of the round building.

"She says that but she doesn't really mean it." The boy; Shikamaru, says as he slips his hands into his pockets lazily as he walks up to Hisano.

"Let me guess, she yells at you?" Hisano asks, her left eyebrow rising in a sarcastic manner.

"What was your first clue?" Shikamaru asks as the voice of the Hokage is heard from outside the walls.

"So three years, huh?" the boys asks.

"Yes, and I already miss the dry air and warm rays from the Sun." she smiles again. Her smile timid, yet at the same time extremely strong.

"You'll get used to it, I'm sure." The boy smiles, "Look, the gang had a meeting planned for a long time now to go to the new barbeque house in town. So if you don't mind-"

"I get it, no need to go on. I'll make myself scarce."

"That's not what I meant." But she was already gone before the words even left the lips of the dark haired boy. "Troublesome woman." The boy sighs, a small hint of a smile escaping in the corner of his mouth, shaking his head as a small chuckle leaves his body "this one is going to be difficult" and walks away.

Hisano sat by a small lake "so much water, boy these guys are lucky." She had a habit of speaking her thoughts, instead of like most who kept it to themselves. Hisano leans forward, her reflection in the calm, still water. Her sandy hair draping over her shoulder: falling at shoulder length. Her white scarf covering her mouth, something many did back home to protect themselves from the elements, her small nose made it difficult to keep the scarf in its proper position.

Her eyes were the most intriguing to anyone who glanced her way. Oh of course she has beautiful eyes, as all humans do. Hers were different, they weren't more beautiful than the next, it's the scar that hangs over her right eye that reaches from her forehead to her chin. This was her greatest physical imperfection. The scar was not a simple one, it never could be. As all scars are, whether emotional or physical, have a story, have a past. Her scar is thick, thicker in some cases in different parts. If your eyes were to settle upon this scar, from the very top, to the very bottom, you would notice it was not clean cut. It cut over her right eye, rendering that specific eye blind. Yes, her eyes were most intriguing, the most frightening. The scar, perhaps it is its presence that makes her who she is. How at the middle of the scar it turns off course and looks like a raging riverbed, the rough ridges and the smooth ones. Maybe it is the scar that signifies the way her life has become—off course.

No more. Hisano's finger touches the clean, clear water. She watches as the ripples begin small, and slowly grow. It was at this moment when she thought of Gaara. How he was once the smallest ripple, and that one idea grew to become the largest. She wonders if she'll ever be as great as he is, as he was in the earlier years, of his great knowledgeable command. Yes, it was quite obvious Hisano holds a lot of respect for the red headed boy. After all it was he who saved her in a time of great need. And unlike in stories when such an event happens, Hisano did not fall for the boy. No, her respect for him only grew. To care for a person he never knew, to care for the ones that hated him; that wanted him dead. She would never have been able to forgive as easily as he had. She wasn't capable of it. Hisano came to her feet. She looks around her. The high standing Maple and Sycamore trees, they stood in all their glory, standing tall and proud, just as Temari does.

"I miss them already. I wonder if they miss me?" she speaks again, this time a genuinely happy smile graced her face. In times like this, when one is surrounded by nature, one is silenced. She took in all that was around her. The tall trees, the greenest grass she had ever seen. The water, even the sky as the rosy shade mixes together with orange. A paradise. But no sand, no scorching heat, so it can't be home.

"Could I really get used to such a place?" she began to doubt the words of the boy with the high ponytail. "It's so different from back home. Will I really be able to get used to it?"

"You know most people don't talk out loud to themselves." A boy said as he left his hiding place from behind a tree "they'll think you're crazy." Hisano realizing who was behind her quickly covered the right side of her face again, pulling the scarf up.

"Shikamaru? I thought you went to meet with your friends." Hisano says as she quickly turns around.

"You didn't let me finish."

"Because I knew what you were going to say." She says matter-of-factly.

"No, you didn't. I was going to invite you."

"Really?" Hisano asks puzzled.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" Shikamaru says with a shrug as he leans on a nearby tree.

"Well I'm new if you haven't noticed, so I didn't know you were on the trust wagon already."

"We're not." He shakes his head "Troublesome woman." He glances to the ground; then back up to Hisano.

"What?" she asks straightening up.

"What?" Shikamaru asks clueless, unaware of what Hisano was getting at.

"You said 'troublesome woman' it doesn't give the best of welcoming let's put it that way." She replies harshly as she begins to walk away.

"Hey, wait up!" the boy; or rather man, as he is a young adult, and as many during that stage of their life prefer to not be addressed as if they were children.

"Why should I?"

"Because." He said, giving absolutely no reason to her for why she should "I can barely see your face let alone hear what you're saying!" the man exclaimed, taking a couple of large steps toward Hisano. His hand ripped the scarf off, then, which surprised her most; he brought his fingers to her face and gently moved her hair out of her eye. Her greatest insecurity now in the very sight to the boy, her whole body stiffened. People never took lightly to her scar, what will he do now? "Now isn't that much better? I'll be able to hear you now and make eye contact with you properly."

"But I can't see out of that eye, it makes no difference." She says looking down, trying to avoid his gaze. She covered the right side of her face with her coarse fingers, trying to salvage any source of protection.

"Yes it does, to me it does. You have beautiful eyes, don't hind them."

"It's not the eyes I'm trying to hide." Hisano says as she looks up, her hand still covering the side of her face.

"Then the scar?" the man says, it wasn't really a question though, not to him. He already knew why. He knew when she first did it when they met. "It's just a scar; tons of people have 'em. It's not that bad." He shrugs.

"That's what you say." Hisano says as her voice lowers and head drops again.

"Well I don't know what you've been through or whatever, but people here don't really care what your outer features are. They don't care if you've got a scar or lost a limb. 'Cause here it means you fought for your village and you sacrificed yourself for the safety of the people here. So if you cover it because you're insecure, you really shouldn't. I don't see why you'd be insecure about that kind of thing."

"Yes, but you're not a girl. Stuff like this isn't something women normally see as pleasing. I drive more people away then attract." It was silly really, why she did it, but she couldn't help it, it's what she was brought up to think like.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" She couldn't object to that. Yes, Shikamaru still stood in front of her. Not frightened by the scar, not even taken aback. He was fully aware of its presence yet he chose to stay. To continue starring at her as she processes what he has said. "So I'll ask you again. Do you want to come?" he says, breaking her concentration on his previous words.

"I…um…uh," she stutters, the words surprising to her ears, making her unsure of what to say.

"I'll take that as a yes. Follow me." Orders, orders were something she was good at.

The two walked across the town. Her scar easily visible to anyone who looked her way, Shikamaru had taken her scarf away and hadn't returned it. To have her greatest insecurity on display to the whole village frightened her. She wasn't comfortable being so vulnerable. She cursed herself for caring so much. But no matter how many times Hisano tried to ignore it, she knew that it was the one thing in her life she could have control over, yet she chose to let it take control of her.

For Shikamaru it was difficult to understand why she would be insecure about the scar. Perhaps it is because he's a man and just doesn't understand women. When he thinks of it, his father has scars on his face, and his mother stays with him. He doesn't hide it and is not insecure about it. Many shinobi women have scars; even a couple have them on their face. A life of fighting is not for women that obsess over looks and over makeup in his mind. They are here to fight, not look pretty. When he looked at Hisano he could tell she was uncomfortable. "Perhaps it's a culture thing." He thought. When he looked at her he didn't see a weak girl, he didn't see a weak personality. He saw instead, a woman who has potential, and who is beautiful in her own unique way.

The two of them arrive shortly to the new barbeque house. Hisano hovers outside the door for a moment in fear, in anticipation. Already she had been sent out of her home country and so many things have happened. One thing in particular she wasn't sure if she liked or not. Sure Shikamaru forced her to get comfortable with showing her scar, she was happy that it made it so she was in control, and not the scar. At the same time she was unhappy, because when others looked at her, her mind automatically went to covering the scar. It was confusing for her. She didn't understand what would make him do such a thing, and then invite her to spend time with others on top of it all. It just didn't make sense.

"Hurry up and go in," Shikamaru brushes past her, leaving her standing alone outside of the door. Hisano couldn't control the urge, her hair had to cover the scar; the scar was something she never wished to be judged upon. She would much rather have people see her as a strong young female shinobi rather than someone who should be pitied. Hisano holds the cloth hangings that separated the rest of the town from the barbeque house. Hisano looks to the table Shikamaru sat at, she saw his friends that surrounded him and easily sees how bonded they are, how each and every one is important to the other. Not wanting to intrude she turns around and begins to walk away. Her footsteps weigh heavy as she tries to remember, to remember back then. As time continues to pass by day by day, it gets harder to remember.


The house of an ambassador is grand, it is well kept, but above all it is empty. Empty, not in a sense of materialistic goods, but in the absence of people. The life of a traveler is naturally lonely, even though travelers tend to meet companions along the way. Ambassadors do not, they remain where they should, but never create personal ties. Creating personal ties would only mean pain in the end. The only ties made while abroad is to be those of a military alliance. That is all that she was to make. She made sure of it, although completing a task like the one she had set for herself is more difficult than she ever could have hoped for.

Hisano unlocks the wooden gate that stands tall surrounding the entirety of her new house. The cobblestone walkway leads delicately to the main entrance. With another click of the key, the door was open and for the first time Hisano stood inside the place she will call home for the next three years. All of her worldly belongings, which remained few, had already been delivered and waited for her at the door, with a spare key in the mailbox. The house already fully furnished with fresh food already set in the fridge. All that was need now was Hisano. Hisano looks about her, the tasteful wooden cabinet sitting quietly near the door. The sun shone through the window setting on the oak floors, the vast space void of any emotion or any sense of life. It's difficult for Hisano to even imagine a way to personalize this house; it seems impossible to transform a place like this into one she could truly call home.

Hisano finds a replacement scarf in one of the bags she brought, as Shikamaru had failed to give her back the one she had been wearing earlier that day; she places it on the cabinet near the door. The one good thing about this house was it allowed her to take off the mask of protection; she could be herself here. Before grabbing her bags that contained her personal goods, Hisano inspects the house, curious as to how large it truly is, and the space available for use. She takes off her shoes and proceeds to the upstairs, the downstairs can wait for later. After the short climb up the stairs Hisano discovered that the house she was essentially given is vast in size, and although it may not look like that on the outside, it truly was. The upstairs; she discovered, consisted of three bedrooms, an office, a bathroom, a lounge room which also functioned as a reading room, and a laundry room. As any other person would, Hisano took the largest of the rooms for herself. Though the rooms were generally the same in size, the added room was much appreciated for Hisano as she had always grown up in the smaller of rooms, having a couple older siblings normally resulted in Hisano receiving the leftovers.


"So where is this girl anyway?" Naruto asks.

"I don't know, she seems to have disappeared, she was right behind me when I came in. Then suddenly she was gone. Troublesome woman." Shikamaru looks to her white scarf he had taken from her, now placed on the floor next to him. This was something he didn't want to have to deal with right now, and the Hokage will give him shit if he doesn't do something about it soon. He really didn't want her wrath.

"Did she have dusty blonde hair?" Ino asks.

"Yeah…why?"

"Earlier a girl looked into this shop; she had one of her eyes covered by her hair. She then left; I think she even looked over to this table." Ino says as she takes one last bite of the food, she had eaten too much, but it was so exquisite that she felt the need to finish her portion completely.

"That's her." Shikamaru rolls his eyes. Why did she leave? Surely she must have a good reason; running away from him twice isn't something Shikamaru takes too kindly.

"What's her name anyway?" Sakura asks.

"Hisano I think." Shikamaru says as he stuffs his face with food.

"Oh, isn't that the name of that new ambassador girl from one of the other villages?!" Naruto says excitedly.

"You really don't pay attention do you?" Ino asks, "Shika was the one that told us that she was coming to our village in the first place! Idiot."

"I'm not an idiot!" Naruto says loudly.

"Should we go and look for her?" Choji asks gently.

"Nah, let her do her own thing!" Naruto reclines back.

"She has no idea where she's going Naruto, she'd get lost." Sakura stated.

"So, should we go searching or not?!" Ino asks frustrated.

"We'll go." Shikamaru says quickly, "We'll pay the bill then head out." He was a little fed up with Hisano.

Shikamaru really could not understand women. He had no idea why Hisano would run off like that, why didn't she join them? Did she have something against him, or even the village for that sake? Not only that, but her irrational fear of being judged baffled him too. She was much too troublesome to deal with. If she is going to make a habit of disappearing then his job suddenly got a whole lot more difficult. Here he was hoping that this job would be easy and laid back, he never thought that he'd have to chase down the girl.

Then again he didn't know that much about girls. After all the relationship with Temari had always been, well, complicated to say the least. His relationship with Ino, well that was just too confusing for even him to comprehend. People had always assumed that they were, to say the least, infatuated with each other. When in actual fact it couldn't have been farther from the truth. So to say the least, yes, Shikamaru had some trouble with any women in his life. Hisano was no exception to this. Yet that didn't make his situation any better.

The question was; what was he to do about it? Should he go and find her, talk to her? Or should he just leave her alone? Of all the times for her to run away, it had to be the day he was the busiest. It came to a question of priorities, was she one, or was she not? His job comes before all else. Technically she was his job, yet at the same time, his duties to the village were as well. So which took precedence? Which of his duties meant more to him, which would benefit his village most? Yet the question remained what to do? Which to go to? Would she be mad or upset if he didn't go after her? Would she be mad or upset that he did in fact go after her? All seemed like plausible reasons that could take too much time to comprehend. Yet he was the smartest in his generation, he could solve the most of complex of questions, but women are not questions. They are not problems to be solved. They are complex creatures that can never be understood. So in the end it is an unsolvable problem Shikamaru is forced to deal with. The outcome of her reaction cannot be planned, it cannot be logistically thought of, nor can it be solved in anyway. This day would have been so much easier had she not run away.

"You okay there Shika? You're kinda well you have your weird little stance thing going on." Choji asks.

"Yeah." He replies without a thought.

"How long are you going to be like this?" Choji asks slightly concerned.

"Not long." Shikamaru replies.

"Hmph, you're extremely annoying right now, you know that? What they hell is going through your brain right now?" Ino asks, placing her delicate hands on her hips.

"The girl."

"The new one?" she asks.

"Yeah. Her."

"What do you want with her?" She asks.

"Job. Duty. Ran away, go after her or not." Shikamaru says deep in thought.

"You're highly annoying when you process things, you know." Ino says, "Just go after the girl. It will either go well or not. There's not always a right answer you know." Shikamaru didn't overly like that there was no right answer. He much rather have a problem that was solvable.

Hisano on the other hand was more of a free structured spirit. Though it made little sense to her how exactly it worked. She could care less if a problem was solvable or not, just as long as it ends and it works out in her favour. It's not that she wasn't smart, and it certainly wasn't because she couldn't solve things. She would just much rather like for things to be over with. Let it run its course then float away like the petals of the rose on a calm summers day. Of course her opinion were different in the course of battle. In battle it was a different set of circumstances, in battle it is win at all cost. Put everything on the line in hopes that you succeed. That's exactly how her scars came to be. Every scar that came to be had always come at a cost that was sometimes difficult to bear, and always impossible to forget.

Shikamaru drags himself along the dirt roads of Kohana with his friends walking alongside him as they search for the house of an ambassador. It wasn't difficult to find, tucked away on the outskirts of the city, disguised as house that should fit, and yet at the same time should stand out. It was a matter of the two extremes fitting perfectly together to create a neutral zone. The group of them force their way through the wooden doors and over the cobblestone walkway. The group of them talking loudly as Shikamaru knocks on the door waiting for Hisano to answer the door. They wait for a moment. A soft murmur sounds as they stand in silence. Hisano answers the door, with no doubt her scar covered. Her eyes show her surprise to the group of teenagers standing on her doorstep. Why had they come? Why had they come to her house, didn't they have a plan to spend time together? Why would they come out, she would just be nuisance to them, to him.

"Shikamaru," her eyes crease in confusion "What are you doing here, why are you here, and who the hell are those people and why are they on my doorstep, never mind, actually no, mind, how the hell did you get in! This placed was locked!" Hisano's words escape from her mouth in a fastened state, with a speck of anger mixed in for some flavour.

"Well here's the thing," Ino says interrupting before Shikamaru has the chance to even open his mouth to reply. "This guy was promised to introduce us to you, then he let you slip away, then the idiot went and worried about the plan of action so here we are, so you better let us in." she places her hands on her hip in her classic stance that she was known for.

"I'm sorry to inform you that unfortunately I did not ask you the questions, I asked Shikamaru." Hisano straightened herself out, crossing her arms over her chest. Taking Ino by surprise and making everyone there to jump back a bit, no one ever dared to talk back to Ino, then again Hisano wasn't just anyone, "Now Shikamaru ,answer my questions."

"You truly are a troublesome woman."

"I could care less what kind of woman you think I might be, answer my questions before I close this door on your face."

"Well I had told them that I was going to be assigned to you and that I had hoped to introduce you to well, them" he says turning around and motioning to all of the people surrounding him "So once we were done our meal I contemplated over if I should search for you or not. You disappeared so I wasn't sure if you wanted to be pursued or not. As for breaking in to this place, I was given a key because I was supposed to show you here and well that didn't seem to happen." He shrugs his shoulders "That's about it."

"Need any help unpacking?" Sakura asks kindly.

"I can manage thanks." Hisano responds kindly. She was lying of course; she just didn't overly like people going through her things, knowing about her in general. A house for her was often off limits for others, anyone who had the ability to see her personal artifacts meant that she could be weakened by others, so yes, Hisano would much rather keep herself isolated. She has had through experience that mixing your personal life with your work life was not the best of choices, and in the end that also means that the people from her personal and work life were to be separated. This often meant that she was entirely alone in the large vast world and she accepted that; it was the normal way of life for her. "If you don't mind, I've had a long journey and a long day, so could you all please leave." She says kindly "oh, and Shikamaru give me that key." It wasn't a request, rather a demand. A demand that Shikamaru gladly obeyed, he lazily handed her the key. The group of them turned around and left out of the gate, with Hisano behind them, in order to lock the doors behind them. Once they had left, Hisano returned to the quiet house. She didn't especially like the way she was, she wanted to change, but it was much too difficult for her to become someone different, she was used to being how she was, any other way seemed foreign.

Hisano went back into her new house. She looked at the boxes that stay silent on the floor. She stared at them for a while, she looked at her past, and what would soon become her future. All of these things that lay before her, all of these wonderful opportunities, is she prepared for them? Is she prepared for all that is about to unfold? It troubled Hisano a bit; she wasn't sure how things were to work out properly. She was so unfamiliar to everything in this new village. Questions surged through her head constantly, over if she was worthy enough for it all. It seemed the world was resting on her shoulders, well to the very least the alliance of the villages. As she worried, she couldn't help but think back to her time back home. The people there and the confidence they had in her when she constantly doubted herself. With each new day they gave her new tasks which came with them more responsibility through the years. She had come so far since her Genin years, and then again so did many of her previous classmates and friends. She recalled her Chuunin exam here in the leaf village. The excitement that lingered in the air with all the hopeful Genin's, the sheer mass of Ninja's that were vying for their promotion. She recalled being the one that no one from the other villages saw or paid much attention to, yet when she fought all eyes turned to her. Hisano thoroughly enjoyed fighting; she took pride in what she did and never gave up. She was great at hiding her skills from others, so when it became their turn to fight her, she always had something new up her sleeve. Hisano is definitely a fighter, and a loyal one at that. The village has changed so much since then. With it so has the people. Not just from the Leaf Village, but from all of them. When there is the threat of a common war; that is when the strongest bond is formed. That is when all turn to each other for support as they defend their country, their culture, and their customs.

Her new job was proof of that. Just as she had come so had one of the Leaf Ninja's to the Sand. She wasn't informed as to who it was, as it wasn't any of her business, though it didn't stop her from being curious. She wondered if that new person felt as alone as she does here. Though she is partially to blame, and is well aware of that. Had she not turned people away, then maybe she wouldn't feel so alone. There seemed to be something inside her that compelled her to do so, she felt she had little control over it. She had a great desire to surpass her barrier between others; it has grown though, as a habit. Allow no one to be so close as to have the ability to damage your heart, or give you the ability to damage theirs. People are all too fragile in her opinion, so she would much rather keep them out of harm then in harm's way. Which is another reason Hisano was compelled to take the job of a shinobi, it is their job to protect the people from harm; to keep them safe.

Shikamaru glances back to the grand house. She hadn't asked for her scarf back. Her behaviour continued to fool Shikamaru. Yet, this same behaviour compelled him to want to know more about her. Why had she shut him out in such a manner? Why had she asked for no help when it was obvious she needed it? He had little idea why she did the things she did, it both intrigued him to know more about this cold, distancing person, and the thrill of a challenge to get past her barriers. If he is to be her guide, then he might as well make the most fun of it as possible. Though, it wasn't all for fun, the challenge was just that, a challenge. Few girls he knew had an air of mystery. They were all too easily read; it gave him no challenge. Hisano was different. Hisano was the embodiment of a mysterious beautiful woman. She is perhaps the first to compel Shikamaru to exert energy in such a form. He brings his eyes forward once more, to his group of friends that walk lazily along the dirt road. The roar of their laughter and the life they emit. He could easily picture Hisano as being a part of this wonderful group of close childhood friends; that is if she'll ever give him the time of day.

The war loomed over the both of them. It was different for each as one might assume. Hisano's job was partially dependent on the threat of war, while Shikamaru's was the reality of a gruesome battle which could possibly result in his friend's and family's death. War is not an easy reality, it brings with it fear and loss. There are times war seems all too distant, yet the reality could not be any closer than before. The villages stand silent for days when words of threats drop in. Even the average citizen feels a danger is near, preparing their children for the horrendous truth of it all. Life must continue on, and although the desire to halt it in its path grows, there is no stopping it. Everyone experiences fear in one form or another, and yet the fear of war and loss is one all can relate to. Their jobs were not exclusively to fight for their countries and for their freedom. They have their duties as any other has, yet their primary objective both personally and politically, is to keep their people as safe as possible. If it required for them to sacrifice their life, it would be a cost both would easily take.

Hisano picks up a box which is labeled 'clothing', she silently takes it up the stairs, through the hallway and into her bedroom. She carefully opens the box, grabs the top garment; a dress her older sister had forced her to buy, she'd never worn it. A waste of money in her eyes, Hisano was more of a simplistic kind of girl when it came to personal possessions. She takes the next bit of clothing out, her training uniform; she got a lot of use out of this one. She tosses it aside and grabs a couple more pieces of clothing. Her every day wear, casual clothing, and of course her clothing she used for when she slept. She neatly places them in their newly assigned drawers, closing them carefully when the box is empty and her drawers now full. One box down, around a billion more to go, Hisano really regretted turning help away now.

Hisano searched for the box which held her bed sheets, the time had passed quickly from the twilight of the evening when Shikamaru had attempted to incorporate her into his circle of friends. All she truly wanted to do was cuddle up in her blankets and drift off to sleep, and that was going to be impossible if she didn't soon find the box labeled 'bedding'. She searched through the pile of boxes, and just as she was about to give up the search, in the corner was the box labeled 'bedding'. It had taken Hisano a good fifteen minutes searching for that box. Unpacking could come later; Hisano quickly opened up the box and took the first sheets that were in sight. Now all she had to do was take the pillows out of the neighbouring box and go to sleep; sleep which was highly welcomed by Hisano.

Shikamaru had arrived home, quietly sneaking past his parent's room so they aren't woken up. As he enters his room his mind can't help but to travel to Hisano. He held her scarf in his hand, glancing at it momentarily before he hid it in the top corner of his closet. If his mother were to find it lying around there would be multiple questions that would require answering, and honestly he didn't want that to happen. Shikamaru could tell that Hisano was going to be different from the very beginning. There was nothing about her that was especially special or unique about her. There seemed to be no talent easily seen that pertained only to her. She was very ordinary in her own sense, yet she had a quality about her that made her extraordinary. Shikamaru wasn't sure as to what this quality is just yet, for now she remains to be the girl he can't get his hands on, or wrap his head around. There is one thing; however, this was definitely not going to be the last of their interactions. He planned to know her in a sense no one else does.

Shikamaru kicked his shoes to the side and bounced into bed. He could care less about changing his clothes; he could do that in the morning. He stared at the ceiling for a while, with nothing particular on his mind. He shifts his body to the left, now facing the wall. Closes his eyes and waits for sleep to overcome him. In no time whatsoever the new day will have arrived and he'll be able to have a new chance of getting Hisano to trust him.


Hisano awoke to a sunny morning, the sun shone through her bedroom window as it had the day before. She slowly rose out of bed, today was not to be wasted. Not only was she to go to work, but there was also the task of unpacking. She felt both relieved and on edge about this new day. She was aware that there had been other ambassadors who had come from the other villages. Though, from what she heard they seemed to be a great deal older than her. Hisano is afraid she will be looked down on and seen as insufficient simply because she is younger. She knows it to not be true; as does Gaara, as does the Hokage, but she cannot sway the opinion of a close-minded adult. She changed into her work attire, brushed her teeth, ate a rather small breakfast and headed into town towards her new job.

Along the way she noticed many young kids heading to school to learn how to become a shinobi. She saw mothers frantically worrying about their little child, asking them multiple questions until the child demands for their mother to leave, and that they will be just fine. She saw the old man and woman opening their shop; they struggled as they prepared for the morning rush. Every person in this village was lively, no matter what the age. They were all extremely friendly and interactive towards each other. In the Sand village it would have been much different. There would still be worrying parents, and couples opening shops, but there was always some kind of air of distance towards each other. There was no interacting unless necessary; everyone went about their lives in their own individual ways. There was nothing wrong with this, in fact Hisano had grown rather comfortable with it, it just surprised her how different people from other regions act towards each other. Hisano wasn't all too sure if she was okay with it or not.

She walks briskly down the streets, avoided eye contact and trying to keep a low profile. They last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. She arrives at her destination and wonders through the hallways before she is able to find her designated office. It's a fair size, with plenty of places to store important documents and papers. Seeing the office in front of her made the reality truly hit. The past day seemed to be a scary dream, it didn't seem real. Seeing this office, the desk and chair, the name on the door and desk, it all hit at once. It became a reality. She was here; she was trusted to make important decisions that could affect both her country and theirs. One little slip up on her part could result in poor consequences. She had been trusted with a highly important position, and it weighed down on her shoulders. Hisano is a great worker, she is a smart calculating young woman, but she often doubts her abilities. This could easily result in many poor decisions if she let it take control of her.

The morning passes by quickly, with only a couple of inquiring Sand Village citizens asking about licensing questions, their work visa; among other things. She helped them sort out all the important documents and seemed to be enjoying her job thus far. She worked well with the people, her cold personality from the night before disappearing in an instant. Her face is plastered with a slight smile for the rest of the day. Nothing could spoil her mood at this point; she was having far too much fun working. It may seem odd to others that she enjoys her job; that she finds it fun and amusing. The thing about Hisano was, she truly enjoyed and took great pride in helping others and protecting others. She did it for others; perhaps she is showing the kindness and helpfulness because her siblings never did. She was always the one to do the giving; she was always the one fetching whatever was needed and when it was needed. In a way, maybe it integrated into her personality. She either has her siblings to thank for her future in the Shinobi world, or perhaps it was always a part of her, and she is the one she should be thanking.

As Hisano is finishing up her last bit of work before she heads home, there is a knock on the door.

"Come in." She says kindly, halting all the closing work. The door creaks open to display a young man from the night before.

"You free?" he asks, lazily standing at the doorway "There is something I need to ask you."