Just before they arrived in the first rogue country, they stopped at a small village close by in order to acquire some better attire. When in the rogue counties, if a shinobi was sighted, news spread like wildfire and everyone was on guard, unless it was a missing nin. So that meant that they were going to have to take on the appearance of wanted nin. According to Kiba's orders, they were to spend the night in a small inn so they would have all night to get thoroughly un-shinobi-looking.
Sakura collapsed onto the one, and only, bed. The mattress was too firm, and made her back hurt but she'd bear it. It had to be better than the floor. Thankfully, she dug in her bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She changed hurriedly and then ran back to protect the bed she'd claimed. She'd been left in charge of getting a room, and then they'd come and find her after they were done with their duties. They should have been arriving any minute now. The silence of the room was eerie, so she reached for the T.V. remote. Both of her other teammates had gone for supplies, clothes, and other things they'd need, so their company was lost to her at the moment. She flipped through the stations, looking for something interesting. There was nothing on, there hardly ever was anymore. With a sigh she turned it off, and lay back onto the bed. Almost immediately, the memory of her embarrassing actions from earlier that day renewed themselves in her mind. There was no way she was going to let that happen again. He obviously had been embarrassed. With these thoughts, the aspect of finally getting to see Kiba's face came to mind.
A grin spread across her lips.
Click.
Sakura jumped up into sitting position to see Kiba and Kei walked through the wooden door, carrying three large paper bags. She stood to offer her help, and took a bag from Kiba. She set her bag on the table along with the rest and looked to Kiba. "Sorry I had to get such a small room. This was pretty much the only inn in this town. I guess the inn keepers are worried about illegal nin boarding with them." She said, shrugging. He nodded and took a seat at the small table. "What'd you get?" She asked, curious.
He reached into the bag and pulled out a pile of odd clothing, she could see many shades of brown and blue. He threw it on the dresser behind him. Then he pulled out a few boxes, some food, and water. Sakura eyed him suspiciously. He saw her (She had her mask off, and was only wearing the cloth.) and said, "You have to get your own clothes, I have no idea what size you wear. Here." He said, forcing a wad of cash into her hand. "Spend it all, and know that we might have to use your looks to our advantage."
She nodded understandingly, although blushing. He'd just called her pretty! Although, she hoped against hope that she wouldn't have to seduce the target. Then again, that was the life of a kunoichi. "Okay." She mumbled as she silently walked out of the door. As she stepped down the stairs, she felt her stomach lurch. She'd left her bag open on the bed. Her bag, the one holding underwear, bras, and other feminine things. She froze. While she debated on whether or not she should go get it, the innkeeper stopped on the stairs below her. He looked her over and asked, "Somethin' wrong sweetie?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at him, although he could not see it. "No, I just remembered something. Sorry." She said, moving aside to let him pass her. The stairway was too narrow for two people to pass at once. She couldn't help but silently thank God that she had quick reflexes.
She decided that it would be all right. A grown man would know better than to go through a woman's bag... right? She shrugged it off. Before she stepped outside, she decided that it would be okay to remove her mask for a while, no one would see her. Both members of her team were currently inside that room. Besides, she mused, she looked totally different without her mask, and with the contacts. She pulled it off, shoved it into her pocket, and headed to a small store she'd seen when she'd first come into town. She found it without any trouble, and when inside quietly.
As she stepped inside the small building, she felt what must have been every eye in the store look her way. Although it wasn't many, it still made her nervous. She made right for the woman's clothing. However, she was intercepted by a surprisingly pretty, smiling woman.
"Hello, may I help you?" She asked pleasantly. Apparently, she worked there.
"No thank you." Sakura muttered, eyeing the clothing rack behind the woman As she walked back to the cash register, Sakura found herself digging through the clothing almost immediately. She began picking through the collection on the clothing racks.
After several minutes, she ended up throwing three shirts, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, and a jacket over her arm to take to the dressing room. First she tried on a mesh tank top. After eying herself in the mirror for several minutes, she decided she liked it. It was spaghetti strapped, mostly see through, and showed most of her stomach. That would catch the eye if needed, she thought with a smirk.
By the time she was through, she was keeping only the mesh top, a green tank top, a long sleeved mesh shirt, the pair of cargo pants, a skirt, and the jacket. As she browsed through the rest of the store, she picked out a few things to spend the remaining money on. After all, she had been ordered to spend it all.
She grabbed a few ponytail holders, a green bra to wear beneath the mesh top, for some reason she'd taken a liking to green; some black nail polish, some makeup, a few accessories, and a hair brush. That took the rest of her cash, leaving only ten dollars. She'd keep that for later.
The same woman was at the counter. She was friendly, and seemed eager to make friends. 'She must not get many people in here.' Sakura thought sadly. She would die with no one to talk to. Although, she could do without the ignorant ones..."Would you like anything else?"
"Oh, no thank you." She said with a smile.
"You're a shinobi, aren't you?"
Sakura did a double take. How'd she figure that one out? "Yes, how did you know?"
"I can just tell. I grew up around them. My dad was a shinobi... he was killed two years ago." She said, handing her the bag.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"Well, I have respect for you, I truly do. I tried to become a kunoichi myself, but I just wasn't cut out for it. My name is Tobohishi Akiko. If you ever need anywhere to stay, on your way home perhaps, I live upstairs; you and your comrades can sleep up there." She said smiling brightly.
"Thank you..." Sakura mumbled, a little taken aback at how open she was. "My name is Sa- Achika."
She ended up spending two hours there, just talking with her.
XXXXXXXXXx
When she arrived back at their room, with her mask applied, she was surprised to see Genma sitting at the table, eating. She threw her bag onto the bed and looked at him questioningly. Ignoring her surprise, he held out a cup of instant ramen for her. "Here, this is for you."
"Thanks... why'd you take off your mask?" She asked, taking it from him. He chewed the food inside of his mouth, and then looked her in the eyes.
"There's really no point to it. We're all going to have to take them off anyway. Besides, it's a damn hassle to work around it while you're eating." He said, watching her maneuver around her mask. "So call me Genma now. "
"Okay Genma." She said, swallowing her ramen quickly. He eyed her for a second, and she found herself squirming around under his gaze. He made her nervous.
"So, are you gonna let a man put a face with that hot body of yours, or are you gonna let him suffer?" He asked.
Sakura sighed. Apparently, he'd forgiven her of her 'crimes' when they'd met. "I think I'll stick to the later. What about Kiba? Did he take his off?" She asked hopefully, wondering where the said man was.
"Nah, " Genma said, throwing his empty paper cup into the trash. "But if you wanna see it that bad, he's in the shower. I'm sure if you sneak in there, you'll get a little peek." He said, laughing to himself. He knew for a fact that she wasn't going to even get to the door before he sensed her intentions, that was, if she even had the guts to try.
"That's okay, I can wait." She said, standing to throw her own trash away. As she turned to face Genma, she saw Kiba walking into the room. She glanced at him.
"Shower's open, use it now. We won't have time in the morning." He said, nodding to her. She was disappointed to see that Genma had been correct; Kiba still had his mask on.
She smiled, grabbed her bag, and walked passed Genma as slowly as possible. "Oh, and if you try anything like that with me, you'll be dead." She said, smirking evilly. She knew this man's reputation, and it was one that happened to involve many many women.
XXXXXXXX
As the water poured down her back, she found her thoughts wondering. Kiba and Genma seemed to have a friendship going. That would mean that they probably hung out outside of ANBU. Unfortunately for her, she never really paid attention to who the older shinobi spent time with, unless it was with one of her friends.
She sighed. That meant that he probably wouldn't realize who she truly was, but it also meant that she'd be constantly hit on. Oh, how it would take every ounce of self control she owned not to use the strength maneuvers she'd been taught by the Hokage. Then, she'd be caught dead in her tracks.
'Fuck.' She thought as she stepped out of the shower.
She wrapped herself in her fuzzy white towel; she dug the hairbrush out of her bag and began pulling it through her hair. She'd have to re-dye it soon; it was beginning to fade slightly. She'd use the ten dollars. Even though most would only shrug and say, 'Oh well, no one will notice.' she couldn't do that. Her natural hair color was unique to her. Not to mention that it contrasted deeply with the dyed color.
Sighing to herself, she pulled on the only other bottoms she had other than her ANBU, and her new pants. It looked like she'd be sleeping in her jeans that night.
She shuffled out of the bathroom, pulling at her mask. Genma was right, it really was annoying. Genma must have seen her doing it, for he said rather loudly, "Just take the damn thing off!"
She shook her head. As she bounced onto her bed, she replied, "I'm not taking mine off until he takes his off." She said stubbornly. Kiba only ignored her and went back to digging through his bag. "Oh yeah. I was wondering, do you think I'd have time to stop and buy some hair dye in the morning? That why, I'd have some next time, I kinda forgot while I was out. I have enough money left."
Kiba nodded, and then resumed what he'd been doing.
"You know miss... Achika..."Genma began, putting stress on her fake name. "You're going to have to take it off once we enter the country tomorrow."
"Like I said. I do, when he does."
He laughed and said, "Damn, you're just as stubborn as he is. you're a match made in heaven. Sakura hurriedly decided that there was something she needed to get out of her bag as a blush rose to cover her clothed cheeks, and rose above her mask. She pulled out the bottle of nail polish and began painting her trimmed fingernails a satisfyingly black color.
XXXXXX
A snore was heard, and she rolled her eyes. She heard footsteps, and then a weight on the side of her bed. She hoped to any god out there that it was Genma who was snoring. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah." She replied, relieved to hear Kiba's familiarly low masculine voice.
"Good. I wanted to talk." He said softly. "Would you come on a walk with me?"
Bwah. Got rid of one mask. Two more to go. Bwah. YAY! Congrats to the reviewers who guessed that Kei was Genma. YAY! to YOU! You get a cookie! high fives
Those of you who thought it was Genma, but didn't review, BOOOO!
Reviews for this chapter? Then you'll get a cookie no matter what. Or maybe a brownie... . What kind of brownie you ask? I don't know, you'll just have to find out Cough
