Chapter 9

A nice walk and a nice princess

Yumi sighed as she quietly floated in the water, trying to ignore the splashes and laughing near by. Naruto and Kiba were having a splashing war, Sakura joined in later on after Naruto splashed her right in the face. He can swim pretty fast when he's scared.

Suddenly Yumi found herself thinking of Shino. He must be so lonely… But Kiba says he's always like that… still he should be here playing with us… Her thoughts were diverted away when she felt someone grab her ankle and pull her under.

Yumi swam to the top for some air and looked over to a grinning Kiba. She splashed his in the face. "Don't do that! You scared me!"

"Heh, you thought it was a shark or something?" He started to hum the shark's theme song before Yumi splashed him again.

"Ha funny." Yumi said sarcastically. She swam right past him to the edge of the pool.

"Hey where are you going?" Kiba asked as he watched Yumi climb out of the pool.

"I'm going to fetch Shino. It doesn't seem fare that he's all alone and were here having fun." She said grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself.

Before Kiba could say something, Yumi was already out the door.

---

Shino frowned slightly. So that's how it is then…

He sighed and skimmed across a few more paragraphs. He turned to the next page. Bold letters caught his eyes once again. It read 'The Itabinei eye's of Nightmares.'

Shino found himself rolling his eyes at the title. It seemed a bit corny for his taste but his curiosity got the better of him and he read on.

'The Eyes of Nightmares is a jutsu that only the blood of an Itabinei can perform. It is known to be more powerful then the Sharigan and Byakugan. When used to its full power, the victim is caught in an illusion when his /her worst fear surrounds him/her. When the user inflicts injury on the victim in this user, the user's mind believes that the injury is real and will cause pain in the particular area even when the illusion is gone. It will create mind trauma and the victim would need medical treatment immediately. However this Jutsu has been banned many years ago. It is believed to only be a myth.'

Shino read the last sentence over again. Is this jutsu the same that Yumi uses? But she doesn't use it at its full strength. But then if it was banned then how did her brother learn it?

He was to busy with his own thoughts that he didn't hear his Kikaichuu bugs warn him that there was someone else in the room.

"Watcha reading?"

Shino jumped slightly and looked up from the book to see a grinning Yumi. He quickly closed the book but realized that Yumi could read the cover anyways. "Oh you're reading my family history eh? Boring stuff I say. What makes you so interested in it?"

Shino hesitated. "I am interested in history and I like to learn new things." He lied.

Yumi gave him a suspicious look. Shino shifted in his seat before standing up to met Yumi's eyes. He looked down. "You're soaking the floor."

Yumi followed his gave and noticed he was right. The water from her bathing suit was dripping all over. She looked back and found a path of water leading to the door. "Oh heh heh would you look at that."

"Why are you here?" He asked calmly.

Yumi looked back at him. "Well I thought it didn't seem fair that you were here all alone while we were having fun. Come join us." She grinned.

"No." He said flatly.

Yumi deflated. "Whyyyy?" She whined.

"Because I choose not too."

"I have a slide."

"I said no."

"I'll have a swimming contest with you."

"No."

Yumi sighed in defeat. "Fine be boring. I'll be in the pool having fun without you."

"Fine by me."

Yumi turned and stomped away, leaving a water trail behind her.

Shino watched her leave the room and he sat back down releasing a sigh. He studied the book and found that he was no longer in the mood for reading. Shino has found out all that he wanted to know and more. Maybe he will take up Yumi's offer of hanging out with them. Shino got up to his feet, and carried the book back to its shelving. Slipping the book back in its place, Shino walked towards the door avoiding the water puddles.

He opened the door only to find Yumi standing on the other side. She was looking down at her feet before she noticed Shino staring at her curiously. "Er…" Her face went completely red.

Shino raised his eyebrow in a silent question. Yumi straightened her posture. "I was just about to come back in to see if you want to come with us to a walk down the village and visit Riko… But if you would rather read then I understand."

Shino pretended to think over this invitation. "Okay. I will join you."

Yumi smiled but quickly switched it to a straight face. "Alright. Let's go get the others."

---

Naruto looked down from the slide. "Hey looks like Yumi got Shino to come after all! HA Kiba you ow me two bucks!"

Kiba grumbled. "So you're going to swim with us Shino?"

Shino shook his head.

Yumi walked to the edge of the pool. "Everyone out!"

"What? Why?" Kiba blinked.

Naruto slid down the slide and swam up to edge. "Yea why do we have to get out?"

Yumi smiled. "Because we are going down to the village and visit Riko."

Kiba quickly climbed out. "Alright! Lets go!"

Sakura and Naruto climbed out as well. Yumi looked at there dripping bodies. "First we all change. Then we go."

---

The group excited the castle grounds with some difficulty from the over protective guards. Yumi had notified that she was safe with her bodyguards that her father has hired with his money. Feeling stupid, the guards let them go.

Yumi skipped down the hill. The others looked down at the large village down below. "Wow it's huge!" Naruto exclaimed.

Yumi nodded. "Yup it is aint it?" She pointed to a tan colour roof top. "That's Riko's house. Her mother owns a bakery which Riko helps out with. She comes up and helps out her dad at the royal kitchen as well. Today she's helping out her mother."

"She's so generous." Kiba said with a smile.

Yumi looked back at him with a mischievous smile. "What?" Kiba blinked at her.

"Nothing…" Yumi said looking straight ahead again. He so likes her. She laughed in her head.

They finally made it down to the village. The others walked behind Yumi looking back and forth at the people in the village. They all pointed and gasped at the princess. "That's the princess." One whispered.

"It's rare to see her down here." Another whispered.

"The king is so strict."

"I feel so sorry for her."

Yumi ignored the whispering and continued down the road. People stepped out of her way and she smiled and nodded in thanks. A woman blocked her path. "Oh princess it's very nice to see you down here again. Here please except these flowers."

Yumi smiled sweetly at her. "Oh I couldn't accept these. They are so beautiful."

"They aren't as beautiful as the flowers in your royal garden."

Yumi and the woman continued there talk while the group of nins waited there patiently.

"She is so cute."

Shino turned his head to look at three boys staring at the princess.

"I know. Maybe I should go ask her out on a date." One boy said.

"Psh you wish! She would never go out with someone like you." His friend laughed.

"She is very cute isn't she? I'll go up and say hi." The other said.

"Alright we will all go." The first one said.

They were just about to walk up to her when they noticed a boy with dark glasses glaring at them. It sent shivers down their spines.

"Er… maybe we will see her later."

"Yea that guy is creepy."

They scurried away into the crowd. Shino felt triumph scaring those boys away.

"Shino…" Kiba sighed. Akamaru shook his head.

"I had to scare them away. I am Yumi's body guard and it's my job to keep anyone suspicious away from her." Shino said still staring towards the place where the boys left.

Kiba rolled his eyes.

Yumi finally accepted the flowers and they continued their path towards Riko's house. Until another person stopped their path. A young boy holding an orange kitten looked up at Yumi shyly.

"Um… um princess?"

Yumi smiled. "Why hello again Uka. Who is this adorable thing you're holding?" She said as she knelt down to the boy's height.

The boy smiled and held out the kitten from under its front arms. "H-her name is Yumi! I found her in my backyard! I had to beg my parents for me to keep her."

"Oh that's such a pretty name."

"Yea I know cuz it's your name silly!" The boy said giggling. "You wanna hold her?"

Yumi shook her head. "Maybe some other time Uka. I have to go visit my friend Riko." She said ruffling his hair.

He frowned. "Oh okay…"

"Hey don't be sad. Here…" She took a yellow and red flower from her bouquet. "Here take these. It's your mother's birthday today right? Give her the red one and you can keep the yellow one."

The boys face lit up. "Thank you so much princess!" He scampered off.

Yumi stood back up and looked back at the group. They all stared at her. "What?"

"Everyone loves you here don't they?" Sakura asked.

Yumi shrugged. "Well it's only because I'm the princess. Now common, Riko's house is just a few minutes away."

"Yea unless someone else stops us and gives you a present." Sakura teased.

Yumi ignored that last statement and continued her walk to Riko's house.