The group stood readily at the gate waiting to be joined by the deeply Shikamaru rubbed his neck; something about this woman confused him. He had seen her blonde hair and pale skin which reminded him of Ann immediately. The heiress thing threw him off big time.
"Shikamaru-san, something wrong?" Lee asked looking at him quizzically.
"Hmm?" turning his head blankly to look at Lee he thought about how to reply.
If he told him yes, something was wrong he'd press on about what that thing was, and if he said no Lee would probably tear up then make some speech about how they were friends and should be able to tell each other anything.
"Nothing," he could already see Lee begin preparing his speech is his mind ,"Just tired."
Straighting up Lee chuckled with a toothy smile.
"If you don't sleep early you won't be able to have energy! Once we get back why don't you come train win Gai-sensei and me; waking up at dawn, warming up with four hundred jumping jacks then go-," Lee stopped talking once he actually took notice to Shikamaru blatantly not paying attention.
Following his companions trail of sight his face faulted from smiling enthusiastically to a shocked expression.STOP IT LEE!! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SHE'S WEARING SHE'S STILL THE HEIRESS OF A CLAN YOU MUST BE RESPECTFUL! clenching his fist tightly while nodding his head harshly to himself before looking outside of the gate thinking of something else thought consuming.
-
Looking at the team that assembled the woman looked over each of took notice of Lee being rather weird. Chuckling behind her mask she knew after they camped out tonight there would see who she was so she waited patiently to hear what was going to happen today. Well maybe not camp.
-
Hinata walked happily next to the 'Mysterious Heiress' chatting away absent she never spoke this much to anyone but she knew the woman walking next to mask didn't change course they were walking close to the group while still staying out of earshot.
"So you're going to take the mask off tonight?" Hinata whispered quietly to her friend.
Nodding the woman smiled underneath the mask."Hai, I think the only person who might not be surprised is Shika-kun, of course Sai is probably just going to laugh and keep his smile like he knew it all along."
-
Laughter and muffled giggles could be heard coming from the girls as they seemed to have found something intensely funny to laugh at. Shikamaru walked with a scowl on his face at the two; this had been going on for about oh lets say the last few hours. At the least he would say was getting annoyed with them.
Not the fact that just acting like Sakura and Ino when they faked pleasantry in public pissed him off, because there was also that he didn't know what was under that mask, and Hinata seemed rather out of character from the quite, boy shy girl that he usual saw. Then again Hinata being.....'girly' wasn't that surprising seeing as she was in terms womanly. Even though it was most likely for that same reason. It was odd that Ino nor Sakura claimed to be very close to the Hyuuga Heiress he thought that all women at least hung out with each other whether the terms were good or not. Speaking of Ino...
He glanced to his right only to see the bleach blonde girl chatting animatedly to Sai who nodded blankly with that same eerie smile. It really was something to be suspicious of that smile. One other thing was missing from this equation; that Fuzzy Brows Lee. Though it wasn't hard to find the green leotard clad sidekick seeing as he jogged ahead of the group with extra weights on his back. Stupid extremist.
"Okay, I think we should find a place to set up camp, it will be dark soon," Sai announced kindly causing all eyes to rest on him.
"Agreed lets walk for a few more minutes before setting up for the ni-," Shikamaru began only to be gently interrupted by the masked Heiress.
"Well if we continue walking until nightfall there should be an Inn up ahead. That way we can all have some beds to sleep in. Oh, not to mention of course you Shinobi won't have to stay up all night taking shifts to watch over the camp....," the woman announced gently brushing aside a loose hair as she walked. Wait, was that a burn mark?
-
Lee glanced back at the silent group. Of course he had been listening in to the decisions of the two group leaders making the sudden interruption something to pay attention to. The lack of speech bothered him in a weird way. So the sight he got was not something he was particularly happy to see on an escort mission.
-
There Shikamaru was grabbing the woman by her hair with a kunai pressed firmly against her jugular. No one moved in fear of setting the shadow boy off. Not even Sai commented instead his lips tugging into a confused frown. What was the idiot doing?
_
He assessed the woman gingerly. His own frown showing obviously as his grip tightened on the womans golden blonde locks. He had no doubt in his mind that this person was an impostor; for he had scouted the girl carefully before they left Konoha. At the gate nor in the Hokage's office had she shown any scaring on her hands or legs. Now it was different in a complete sense of the word. Multiple soft scars ran over both her legs and hands. The only thing that threw him off was they hadn't stopped once, there wasn't any difference in the chakra, and this person looked almost exactly like that woman. Then again if you knew one simple technique it would be easy to copy the woman since a mask hid her facial features.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing Shikamaru?!" Ino cursed scowling at the boy.
Shikamaru flinched at her voice. God it never ceased to scare him. "This isn't the Heiress. Look at her hands, see the scaring it wasn't there before. Also her legs. Look. What do you see? More scars; this is not the woman we met in Konoha."
The other ninja looked at the areas pointed out to them from the aggressive shinobi. He was right.
Although this was true it was rather disturbing seeing as the person being held made no attempt to run off. If it was an enemy ninja they most likely would have struggled to get away from the Leaf Nin. An even more disturbing scene was Shikamaru being...hot headed.
"Hinata-sama, please come he-" the woman spoke from beneath her mask just to earn a violent tug on her hair,"Don't even try. Hinata stay where you are."
Shikamaru tugged once more as she saw the girls hands move for something."What are you doing?"
"Taking off my mask..." instantly he jumped away from her only to land in front of the rest of his companions, kunai ready for attack.
Grunting she rubbed her head once he was off of her. He had a tight grip for such a lazy man. Her hair now fell on her shoulder due to the bun being destroyed from the violent movement. She sighed her hands reaching back to the string that held the mask in place she began to undo said string. Carefully she grasped the front of the mask and began to lower it. Before even an eyebrow came into view she was gone in a flash.
"DAMN IT!" Ino swore jumping off after the woman, the others following after.
-
Panting the group entered the Inn feeling rather bitchy, even Hinata didn't seem very happy at the moment. The sun was just beginning to fall over the horizon and they were already at the Inn that...woman had mentioned. They hadn't taken their time though oh no! They sprinted, lept, and ran all the way to this building. All because of that one woman.
While they stood in a group panting and attempting to form a plan the owner approached the teens. "Excuse me, but would you happen two happen to be Hinata-san and Ino-san," the old man questioned as he fixed the glasses that perched on the bridge of his nose.
The two girls stared at him quizzically nodding in unison.
"Ahh, then these boys must be Rock Lee, Nara Shikamaru, and Sai!" he exclaimed clapping his hands together only to slip one into his pocket. Hinata suddenly began giggling along with Lee and Ino who were doubling over in laughter. No matter who you were it would be rather.....hilarious to see messily drawn versions of yourselves doodled on a paper. Though Shikamaru didn't see it to be very funny and as for Sai....well you know.
"Well you youngsters, Bella-dono has reserved your rooms already feel free to wander around for a while though! Dinner is served at nine sharp." he chuckled holding the keys in front of the ninja. Slowly he handed them out to both girls, oddly enough he ended up handing one to the ever so dull Shikamaru. Looking at the men the owner winked nodding towards the girls. "She has told me that the rooms in which you kiddies should be occupying shall hold a couple," he gestured towards the keys. That was right there were only three.
Ino leeched on to Sai immediately not even caring what that meant for poor innocent Hinata. She stared blankly at her key her face heating up in a matter of seconds. Then she was down for the score! Lee ended up holding the fainted woman awkwardly in the bridal style. Shikamaru raised a brow as the old man crept over to whisper something in his ear. "Bella-dono said she's waiting for you in your room."
-
He looked at the rest of the gang nodding somberly his eyes flashing his thoughts within moments. Act normal. Continue on like this was planned. Nodding with a convicingly fake smile at the man he hurried off to find the room that was 'assigned' to him. A curse eimitted from his lips when he saw the door. Actually he noted that he wasn't the only one displeased with the appearance of his door as he glanced at the others. Their rooms were on either side of 'theirs' and to tell the truth it was obvious that this side of the Inn was either for honeymooners or lovers. For the doors were shaped like hearts.....yes dark mahogany shaped heart doors.