After changing into one her new outfits, they made their way to the dry goods store. There Hinata would be able to buy flour, salt, rice, sugar, tea, coffee, and other such items. Shikamaru watched as Hinata's eyes and smile grew wider and wider. She hadn't had this reaction at the clothes store, but show the girl a barrel of flour and her face lit up like it was Christmas.
"It's almost like she's not a real girl," he whispered to Chouji. Chouji lifted an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment.
Hinata came racing back to them, with a concerned look on her face. Shikamaru was worried that she might have heard him. If so, she was probably going to start crying, which was completely unfair in Shikamaru's mind.
"A-ano, h-how m-much sh-should I g-get?" she asked earnestly.
Shikamaru had no idea how to answer this question. He had never bought the food before. As leader, it was his job to delegate, so he made sure that someone else always had this chore. He learned his lesson after delegating the task to Naruto. They ate nothing but ramen for a month.
"One barrel each of flour and rice, two sacks each of sugar and salt, five tins of coffee, six of tea, and whatever else you feel we need from here. That usually lasts us about two weeks," Chouji answered. "We have a garden, so fruit and vegetables are taken care of. Do you know anything about canning? Never mind, that can wait. After this we'll hit the herb shop, where they also sell cleaning stuff. Eggs,milk, and meat are delivered once a week."
"Wh-why not-t hav-ve ev-veryth-thing d-deliv-vered?"
"This store and the herb store don't deliver. Besides, it gives me an excuse to leave the house without being hounded by the guys about having a date."
"Y-you hav-ve a g-girlfriend?" Hinata asked, trying to imagine what girl Chouji would go for. All she could picture was Ino, with her far away smile.
"No, but they assume that the only reason to leave the house is to try and get some," Shikamaru scoffed, answering for Chouji.
"T-try and g-get s-some wh-what?" Hinata asked innocently.
"Uh..." Shikamaru answered intelligently. 'She's a princess. Of course she would never know that kind of thing.' He looked to Chouji for help, but Chouji was already out the door.
"I'm going to get a cart to carry everything home," Chouji called out. "Why don't you hurry up and pick out what you'll need." Shikamaru glared at his ex-best friend, before turning fearfully back to Hinata.
"O-okay," Hinata said smiling, seemingly having forgotten the previous conversation. Shikamaru sighed in relief. That was one conversation that he was glad that he would not have to deal with. Hinata moved through the store efficiently, but she still took time to admire the goods in the store. She carefully chose the flour that she wanted, getting both standard flour and bread flour, something that Shikamaru thought was over kill. She brought mostly brown rice, then a small bit of white rice. Shikamaru noticed that even though she was buying more items then were strictly necessary, she was sticking to the measurements that Chouji had given her.
'Is she trying to be some kind of gourmet chef?' Shikamaru wondered, slightly irritated that his food was going to be messed with. Shikamaru liked plain simple food, he didn't want something that could out class him to be on his dinner plate. However he decided to keep his mouth shut, in case he was told that he could help cook if he wasn't happy. Which is a tactic he was familiar with.
Hinata was lining up her purchases at the counter by the time Chouji returned. She smiled brightly at the young cashier, who gave her a discount. They had been loyal customers at this store for over a year, and this was the first time that they had been offered a discount. It was also the first time that the cashier had volunteered to help carry the goods home.
Hinata gave Shikamaru a questioning glance, which the cashier missed. Shikamaru shook his head. Hinata turned back to the cashier and smiled gratefully, "N-no th-thank you. B-but th-thank you f-for of-fering." Apparently the cashier was even more in love, because he blushed and nodded his understanding.
Reluctantly Shikamaru came into view of the cashier. He didn't want the glare that he knew that boy would shoot at him. He also didn't want to lose the offer of free manual labor in the future. Under the hard glare of the cashier he paid for Hinata's purchases and helped lug them out to where Chouji was waiting with a wooden cart balanced on two wheels.
After packing the days purchases, the three of them made their way to the herb shop. Chouji was giving a list of cleaning supplies that they needed. Shikamaru wondered how he knew that stuff. Shikamaru never found out about it until he looked for a paper towel only to find that the role was empty.
Hinata seemed to be taking everything he said very seriously. She listened intently and nodded to show that she was listening. Shikamaru was amazed that she even knew what Chouji was talking about, let alone that she could possibly do them.
'I hope we don't end up being tried for treason because we made the princess scrub the toilet,' Shikamaru thought, knowing that there really was no choice. She would be suspicious if we just let her stay for free.
The herb store was well lit and cheerful. Dried herbs were hung from the rafters artfully and things were displayed in cheerful little buckets. Shikamaru made eye contact with the store clerk, which he decided might have been a mistake.
Her green eyes latched onto his hungrily before she stalked her way over to the group. She flipped her pink hair artfully and batted her lashes. "Hey Shikamaru. Did you bring Sasuke?" she asked sweetly.
"He stayed home," Shikamaru answered. For a second her smiled dimmed before she went into sales mode.
"So what can I get you?"
Shikamaru drew a blank, so he turned to Hinata, who turned a questioning look at Chouji. "Just the usual, Sakura" Chouji said smiling, "And whatever else Hinata here needs."
Sakura's eyes zeroed in on Hinata. Shikamaru was glad that they had changed her clothes. He didn't want another scene because the girl was inadequately dressed. Hinata was currently wearing a modest black sweater over violet capris, with some off white tennis shoes on her feet. Suddenly Sakura's smile took on a predatory gleam.
"You boys leave this to me," she said, before swooping down on Hinata and ushering her away. Hinata gave a nervous look over her shoulder at the boys, but followed Sakura as she began showing Hinata what she would need to buy.
Hinata felt like she had been through this before. With Ino, it had been in your face and over with within seconds, but Sakura was more subtle than that. She didn't make demands and accusations, instead she prodded at Hinata's story, making her a little nervous. 'If she finds out who I am, I'll be in a lot of trouble.'
"So, Hinata, how long have you known those guys?" Sakura asked as she chose items that she assured Hinata were the regular.
"N-not v-very lo-ong," Hinata stuttered. "I-I j-just m-et most of th-them t-tod-day."
"Only most?" Sakura asked suspiciously.
"I-I'm Sh-Shino's c-cous-sin," Hinata explained, remembering the story that Shikamaru came up with.
"I didn't know that Shino had a cousin," Sakura smiled. "What was he like as a kid?"
Hinata's mind drew a blank. She was pretty sure that Shino was the one with the sunglasses. He seemed pretty polite, but she couldn't say that. No one would believe they were cousins if she gave such a weak answer...
"H-he w-was-s p-pret-ty qu-quiet," she decided, "b-but f-fun-ny," she finished. If Shino turned out to be a loud mouth, then it might not be so shocking to the pink haired girl.
"Shino has a sense of humor?" the girl asked incredulously. Maybe Hinata made a mistake. "But he always seems so serious and uptight." Hinata just shrugged, hoping the girl would drop the subject. Hinata had always hated lying, so the fact that today she had lied more then her entire life was a little draining.
She decided that the best way to minimize the lying would be to get out of town and back to the house as quickly as possible.
"I-I d-don't-t m-mean-n to rush-sh you," she stuttered out politely, "B-but I-I hav-ve t-to g-get-t h-hom-me s-soon-n a-and..."
"Oh, so it's home now?" Sakura asked, in a way that should have scared Hinata, but she was too tired, and there was a heavenly scent wafting through the shop. She hoped that it was a soap, because even though the soap she used at the house was alright, it smelled a little too masculine in her opinion.
Hinata nodded slowly, "J-just-t f-for a lit-tle w-while."
"Like long enough to get married and start a family?"
"N-no," Hinata answered. "J-just l-lon-ng en-nough t-to ear-rn s-some m-mon-ney," Hinata answered. "Th-that's why I n-need to g-get hom-me s-soon. T-to st-start d-dinner."
"Oi, Hinata," Shikamaru said, appearing between the two girls. Hinata and Sakura jumped in surprise. "You don't start work until tomorrow. We'll take care of dinner once we're done here."
"B-but-t I w-wanted to st-start r-right aw-way," Hinata tried to argue.
"You need your rest. You'll need all the energy have to clean our toxic waste dump of a house."
"B-but..."
"Enough. Sakura can you get that stuff Chouji asked for?" Shikamaru asked, putting an end to whatever protests Hinata had. Sakura looked like she was going to argue, but must have decided not to, because she turned and deliberately moved to the back of the store.
"Th-thank you," Hinata whispered breathily. Shikamaru wasn't sure if she was talking to Sakura, for doing her job and getting the stuff, or him, for rescuing her from Sakura. Sakura may have started out more subtle than Ino, but Shikamaru knew that she was just as rabidly obsessed with Sasuke as her blond counterpart.
"Which one is Sasuke and why is every convinced that I want him?" Hinata asked, turning large eyes to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru was taken aback by her question. He had never been asked that. "He's the one who yelled at you for screaming," Shikamaru shrugged, then sneered. "Don't you find him "dreamy?""
Hinata's brows furrowed as she took his question seriously. "I s-suppose if he weren't y-yelling at me he c-could be h-handsome..."
Shikamaru snorted at her answer. "Don't let Sakura hear you say that. She really likes Grumpy. She'd tear her heart out and feed it to him if she thought that would impress him."
"I-I s-suppose I c-can understand th-that f-feeling," Hinata said faintly. Pink dusting her cheeks most becomingly.
"Oh?" Shikamaru drawled out, smirking at the blushing girl, "Is there someone in particular you're thinking of?"
Hinata's face went from pink to scarlet. It wasn't until she started squeaking some explanation about someone, that Shikamaru remembered that he had just teased the royal princess of the Fire Country.
Shit! He could be tried for treason! But then again they were asking her to cook and clean for them. So, he'd probably be tried for treason anyway... Eh.
"So there is," Shikamaru smiled brightly. "What's his name?"
"I-I d-don't r-real-ly kn-now him th-that w-well," Hinata admitted, blushing softly. "W-we j-just met-t b-before I h-had t-to leav-ve."
Shikamaru nodded encouragingly. The more hints she gave them about her life in the castle, the better able they would be to determine when it was safe to return her. It sounded like this guy was not a danger, but you never know.
"H-he s-said th-that his-s n-name w-was G-gaara," she continued, with a far off look in her eyes.
'Gaara?' Shikamaru thought, the name nagging at the back of his mind.
"I got everything Chouji asked for," Sakura announced from just within earshot. The smile she sent towards them was much warmer than it had been after finding out that Sasuke wasn't with them. "Will there be anything else?"
"A-ano, wh-what is th-that sm-mell?" Hinata asked, then she must have realized how her question sounded, because she immediately added, "It-t sm-mells r-really g-good."
"You'll have to be a little more specific," Sakura laughed, "There are a lot of smells and most of them are good."
"I-t's c-coming f-from ov-ver th-there," Hinata pointed in a random direction and hoping that it was correct.
"Ah, then what you're smelling are probably the body soaps and shampoos," Sakura explained. "They're made from local ingredients and were made here at the shop. They not only smell good, but they can boost energy and help wounds heal faster. The guys already use the energy boosting one, but you probably find it a little masculine..."
Sakura was all smiles as she led the quiet princess to the display of soaps. Vaguely Hinata wondered about the changed in attitude, but didn't feel comfortable asking about it.
As if sensing her question Sakura volunteered, "Sorry about the third degree before. I'm just a little territorial when it comes to my man. If I had known that you weren't on the market I wouldn't have been so rude."
"O-oh," Hinata said, unsure of what was going on. All she wanted to do was get some soap for herself and go back to rest. Today was turning out to be more tiring than she expected. Of course she hadn't really been expecting anything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours or so either.
After Sakura's apology Hinata's shopping trip became much more comfortable. She ended up purchasing a wonderful smelling soap and shampoo set of green tea and cucumbers, a hair brush, a tooth brush, some deodorant, and a scentless lotion that was supposed to moisturize without clogging pores. Hinata also received directions that if she found that she needed anything else, or even just an escape from the boys that she was to contact Sakura immediately. Earlier Ino had given her similar instructions.
By the time they left the store Hinata was flushed from all the attention that she had received today. She hadn't been paid that much mind since her father was still alive. It felt rather nice, if a little overwhelming and embarrassing.
"So, what do you want for dinner?" Chouji asked once outside of the store grounds. Hinata shrugged. Honestly she was a little too overwhelmed at the moment to think of anything except crawling into bed and sleeping for the next year or so.
"Anything you don't like?" Shikamaru asked. Hinata thought about it for a while, then shook her head. She didn't want to be a bother.
"Alright. Ramen it is," Chouji announced.
"At least Naruto will be happy," Shikamaru replied, shaking his head slowly and smiling.
Hinata's face must have shown her confusion because Chouji leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Naruto is the hyperactive blonde one and ramen is his favorite food."
"Ah," Hinata said, "Just one more question then. What's ramen?"
