Ino stopped abruptly as she saw lights in the distance. Hundreds and hundreds of them. She waved her arm back to the others as a signal that it was okay. There was a rustle of leaves and Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata stood next to her. They all stood on a grassy hill at the tree line so they could stay hidden in the shadows. Below them loomed huge city gates and beyond that a magnificent city with cars, buses, and most importantly a train that would take them to Tokyo. The rising sun told them they did not have long but they were not as nearly as tired as they should because of their missing ninja packs.
"Remember the plan," Sakura whispered as she pulled three small objects out of her pack and handed them to Tenten.
Tenten nodded and the girls watched as she stood and made her way to the path that lead to the city. Their entrance was all up to her.
Two guards watched the path diligently as usual. Then the saw a girl appear out of the forest path. She had brown hair pulled into a ponytail and was searching through her bag for something. Immediately they were alert and focused on her hand that was rustling through her bag. She looked up and smiled at them, and then she started to run to them her hand out of her bag to show entrance papers. The guards relaxed…until she tripped. As she did so three small containers rolled to them (she was only like five feet away).
The girl sat up and while she picked her other contents she said to them, "Sorry I was in such a rush to find my entrance papers and get them to you. Oh! Those are my lipstick, blush, and eye shadow by your feet could you please check to see if they are broken?" she pleaded innocently as she pulled herself to her feet.
The guards shrugged but they keep an eye on her as they bent down and opened the cases. Almost immediately they were knocked out by the poison that Hinata had hidden in the cans. Tenten smiled and waved her hands wildly to signal not only a crowd who gathered around the two men but to let the girls know it was okay. The crowd was so caught up in the drama of the two guards they didn't noticed a blonde girl, a pink haired girl, and a black haired girl slip away with the innocent brunette.
When far out of sight Sakura said, "Good job, Tenten."
But she just nodded, lost in her own thoughts.
Then they are heard a loud wailing. It was a siren. They looked at each other and then ran toward the great big building that read Kondo Train Station. As they passed a clock they saw it was departure time and the quickly ran past the ticket booth to a man who was collecting tickets. Sakura shoved all the tickets into his hand and ran around the corner. Then they saw it…a train. It was huge and silver with no smoke or anything else Sakura had ever read about. None of them moved as the big vehicle loomed over them. Its sleek figure was scary and yet alluring.
They stood there until a man called out, "Last call for passengers to Tokyo!"
They all hesitated and then ran to the open door. A man helped them up and then dragged their suitcase to the cargo hold. Another man quickly shooed them away from the regular seats in first class. The first class was spacey with four sections of chairs that each had a TV in front of them that was playing some sappy movie. Hinata never felt the train start but when she looked out the window she saw that the trees were only a blur.
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It was a long ride and soon only Ino was awake. The truth was she was scared of all the uncertainties that lay in wait for them only an hour away. She had worked so hard on her appearance in the ninja academy to get popular and to have others respect her and now she had a whole new group to impress. She watched her sleeping comrades…no friends…maybe even sisters after what they had and would be going through. They shared her fate and after holding their respect for so many years she was going to take them under her wing. She would lead them and protect them…just as an older sister should.
"Breakfast honeys?" a maid startled Ino as she rolled a large trolley next to their seats that was filled with food.
Sakura stirred and Ino said, "Yes, they'll wake up in a few minutes so you can just leave it on their trays."
She was right. It was not long before all the girls were wide awake eating the eggs, toast, and bacon. A silence that had been expected by them settled peacefully. Outside the sun was almost all the way free of the horizon and their tired face could be seen dimly in the light.
"Guys?" Tenten said.
The other three looked up from their food, mouths still full.
She smiled, slightly strained, and said, "We can't just be silent forever…we have to make the best of it! Just think $10,000 a week! I know I'm going to regret saying this but…THAT'S LIKE A FLIPPING SHOPPING SPREE EACH WEEK!"
Sakura and Ino started squealing and Hinata smiled in amusement as bits of egg covered Tenten.
"EWWWW!!!" she laughed as she used the TV in front of her as a shield.
Sakura swallowed and managed to say, "Tenten's right, we must vow to make the most of it, even if risks are involved, and to never regret it.
With that said she stretched her arm out into the middle space between them. Her hand was joined shortly after by Ino's hand and then Tenten's. Hinata just smiled brighter and sheepishly nodded as she added her hand.
Just then the conductor's voice came over the loud speakers, "Passengers, welcome to Tokyo!"
"Tokyo," Sakura whispered as the four girls raised their hands into the air, "Here we come!"
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I know…two chapters; one day…I'm crazy. But for this chapter's hint…keep in mind that Tenten left the poisoned makeup and that Hinata did not once speak in this chapter! Next time: Welcome to High school!
