Chapter 7: blue eyes

They went back and changed to be ready for the festival. Ino wore a pink outfit like her purple adverage fighting one, but with a twist of color and a small shift in design it looked mor elike party wear but it was easy to move in.

"kiba where is your outfit?" she asked poking her finger at his chest.

"back off, im wearing the shirt, that should be enough." He unzipped his hood and showed her. the red fabric under made the marks on his face show more.

"I guess your ok" she shook her head turning to the others. "shika you look good." She nodded her head in approval.

He came out in a loose fitting shit and jeans. "casual enough for you?"

"not casual persay…. Here." She handed him a slick deep green tie whiched stood out strongly against the white t. "perfect she muttered."

" what are you wearing?" chouji laughed looking at shikamaru

"I don't know. " I rubbed his head " can we get this over with."

"not as quickly as you'd think the festival lasts todays. So tomarrow we do the same thing." Shino was dressed as usual. But ino made no objections to it.

"we all here now." Shika asked him seemed stressed to go to this whole festival thing.

"no, we are missing hinata."

"here she comes " chouji pointed out. " and she looks nice."

" hinata you look great." Ino said runnning up to meet her .Kiba blushed . she was wearing a loose cotton sundress it was apale yellow that offset the light lavendar in her eyes.

"th-thanks…." She blushed harder.

"yes its nice. But we shouldn't waste time, we all need to spilt up and search for more clues or anything suspicious. And if you guys see those to ninjas start talking to them see if anyone knows anything, got it." With nods all around they started off into the rows of shops and festive exibits.

" farris wheel lets go." Ino grabbed the shika and chouji dragging them to the long waiting line.

"look cotton candy." Hinata was fasinated with the fluffy sugar. She pressed her nose to the glass. And watched as it went from power to fluffy goodness almost instantly.

"one please." The cart owner handed it to kiba in exchange for some yen. "bite?"

"for….me ," she blushed as she bit into getting some fluff stuck to her lips.

"want any shino?" kiba said turning around. "my treat. You have to have a little fun."

"no thanks." He waved it off while he waited for the two to finish with the candy. But he was distracted by a jewelry stand.

He went over many pieces but saaw a small pendant he couldn't pass up. It was a silver bug on a thin chain. Not taking time much to ponder if she would really like it he bought it for korena planning it as a gift when they were re-united.

"who's it for?" it was the female ninja from before.

"no one." She still wasn't looking at him but the ground.

"someone special?" he could hear her voiced emotion rise. " you don't have to say it."

"someone I …" He took it from the jeweler paying the fee he began to walk away from the stand to continue his search. But why did he want to stay and talk with her? he turned around. " she was taken from me, you know her?"

"her?" the emotion in her voice again died. " I know many people."

"then do you know her, my , my korena that is?" he had moved closer to her without even thinking about it, he had also raised his voice.

"your korena, so she is a prize to you, some sick trophie." She turned to walk away.

"no, no, I love her, I would never call her that!" he had grabbed her arm stopping her movement. " please can you help me find her? please?"

"what are you doing?" it was the man. He seemed sturn. "Ill have no wife of mine trouncing around with others to whom I do not know."

"im sorry." Her voice was faint " I …its just that i…"

"no excuses, do you know what you could be doing?" he pulled her from shino's grip. " you stay away from him! Do you hear me." Her back was no to shino.

"answer me."

"im sorry."

"we are going now!" he began to drag her away from the stand. She turned her head looking at shino square in the eyes. Though the rest of her face was covered her eyes seemed to melt him inside.

He couldn't help but think about the womans ocean blue eyes that seemed to go on forever. As he feel asleep that night.

End chapter.