Nenshō watched the rain fall from his booth at the inn his warm cup of tea steaming in his hands.
"I hope Ino and Kumo didn't get caught in the rain." Said Hinata over her bowl of Miso soup.
Nenshō chuckled, "Knowing Kumo he'd prefer to say out in the rain as opposed to a warm inn, they'll be fine."
After crossing the border they stopped at the local tavern and got their rooms and ordered food for themselves. Nenshō sighed at his hot tea wishing he could have ordered a bottle of sake but he figured it'd be poor judgment to drink when he was supposed to be expecting trouble.
"So…." He said scratching the back of his head, "Tenten say anything about me?"
He'd only seen her once after she had come back from her mission and their time alone had been rather brief considering Guy had been rigorously training him at all hours of the day keeping him exhausted. He had no idea how the girl managed to put up with his almost limitless energy.
Hinata's cheeks turned pink at the question. "I uh… can't answer that." She said picking up the bowl and drinking from it.
"Come on" he said grinning over his tea, "She never mentioned me over a little girl talk?" he teased knowing she'd never admit anything to him.
"She never said anything about me while listening to you talk about the knucklehead."
Hinata blushed deeper and looked up from her soup wondering how he would know. "Did Tenten?" she asked timidly.
"No," said Nenshō, "Kumo's speculation, he's pretty good at reading people with those eyes of his. Considering your reaction looks like he's right on the money. Good thing I didn't bet against him."
She sat across from him shoulders hunched and staring at a rippling puddle outside. Nenshō sighed he felt like he'd just kicked a puppy. He supposed that's what he got for trying to forward about her crush.
"Sorry" he said, "Didn't mean to embarrass you."
She looked at him and nodded turning back to the window. Nenshō ordered some dumplings for them both.
"Dose Naruto know how you feel?" he asked trying to sound sincere handing one of the dumpling sticks to her. She quietly shook her head as she took the stick and munching down.
"I've wanted to tell him" she said, "but I've never been able too, he's had feeling for another girl for as long as I've known him."
He drummed his fingers on the table biting off a dumpling. "So that's what's stopping you?" he asked, "She his girlfriend?" he asked putting the stick down.
She shook her head, "No she's rejected him for a long time, and she's in love with an unattainable man, she's never really appreciated his feelings."
"Sounds to me like you'd be doing him a favor if he's really chasing a hopeless cause." He finished off his tea before continuing. "He'd probably be a lot happier knowing someone likes him instead of thinking he's unwanted."
Tomi walked over to their table from the bar smiling. "I'm going to head up to my room now." He said, he Nenshō had decided to stay in the same room for security reasons and to keep a better eye on him.
"Alright" he said standing from the booth, to follow him upstairs, "Besides" he said reaching the staircase, "what guy wouldn't be happy to have earned your affections."
He ascended the stairs noticing a small smile curing Hinata's lips.
Snow crouched beneath Ino's feet as she walked up the path behind Kumo who was leading the way up the mountain pass. They rounded the path and Ino looked out to the valley below them. The ground below wasn't visible from all the rising steam in the distance; the swirling white smoke spanned from mountain to mountain filling the valley to the brim of the snowcapped mountains.
"Wow" she said leaning against a tree to rest taking it the view trying to imagine how many hot springs were in the valley to create such a dense smokescreen.
"The inn isn't too car from here." Said Kumo crossing his arms and scanning the mountains in the distance, "Just down the mountain a ways near the closes hot spring."
Ino nodded and got back on the road. The overcast skies hid the sun from view but she knew it would only be a matter of time until it set and the prospect of spending the night at a hot spring was too tempting to be ignored. Their first night in the Land of Mountains had been spent in one of the caves Kumo had marked on his map. The cold limestone had left her shivering the whole night through wishing the wind would stop blowing in snow. She would have never been able to get to sleep if Kumo hadn't given her his blanket hers had gotten soaked while traveling and had to dry. She was also hoping to get some real food to eat as opposed to being forced to eat meager trail rations.
They worked their way down the mountain pass until Kumo led her to a stone path hidden in the steam leading to a small inn.
Ino knocked on the front door and waited until it was opened by a small elderly woman.
"We don't get many visitors this time of year" she said looking at them both puzzled.
"We're traveling to the capital." Ino explained telling a half truth, "My friend here told me about your inn and I was wondering if we could spend a night or two."
A small man put a hand on the old woman's shoulder appearing at her side. "I don't see why not." He said, "It's been a slow winter for us so feel free to come in." Ino nodded and stepped over the threshold Kumo quietly following behind.
"We have a discount one bedroom for you two that will suit you two just fine." The woman said moving behind the counter, Ino felt her cheeks burn.
"Uh… we're not together" she explained, "Two beds should be fine." The woman nodded and handed them their keys.
They went up to their room and dropped off their packs the beds were separated by a sliding paper door. Once they had ridden themselves of their baggage they moved downstairs to get something to eat.
"Good call coming to this place." She complemented as her order of grilled salmon and fried rice the heavenly smell making her stomach roar with anticipation. "Thank you." He said over his bowl of roast duck.
She broke her chopsticks grinning; she hoped they'd never have to go back to sleeping in the caves.
Ino sighed contently as she lowered herself into the hot spring. The small natural pool was separated by a tall bamboo wall much to her pleasure; she had the hot spring all to herself allowing her to lay back against a bolder letting her sink in to her chin. Her long platinum hair floated around her surrounding her form. She closed her eyes and listened to the sharp beat of the Shishi-odoshi. She felt herself slowly drift when the sound of shifting water brought her attention back to reality. She turned to the direction of the sounds over the other side of the bamboo barrier.
"Is that you Kumo?" she asked swimming over to the divider. "Yes" she heard him mutter from the other side.
"So tell me" she said leaning against the barrier letting her body sink in to her chin again, "Why did you spend so much time the Land of mountains?"
She waited past the pause now used to him taking a second to respond to most of her questions.
"I traveled a lot when I was younger" he said and from the sound of his voice she could tell he was directly behind her separated by the barrier.
"Did you stay here when you were traveling?" she counted the beats of the Shishi-odoshi until he answered her."
"No… I didn't have any money for an inn or a cooked meal." He explained to her. She felt her nose go cold and opened her eyes to see a white snowflake melting on the tip of her nose; she turned her head up to see more tiny flakes drifting down to earth from the sky rippling the surface of the water and disappearing as they melted into the hot water.
"So you what?" she said, "You slept in caves and starved?"
"I slept in caves" he confirmed, "and I hunted for my food."
"Was Nenshō with you then?" she asked turning to face the barrier, she could partially see him through the gaps in the bamboo making out his back seeing various scars here and there something she would expect from an experienced shinobi. She make out the brown skull cap atop his head even in the privacy of the hot springs he wore his brass tinted goggles to hide his face.
"No… I was alone then" he answered.
"Why were you traveling alone?" she whispered leaning closer to the barrier sure he could hear her.
She waited but the answer didn't come, she waited for him to mull over a response but it never came.
"If you're so set to secrecy "she said her voice still low, "then why do you even bother answering any of my questions? I don't think you really want to be wearing that mask all the time, and you're answering my questions with vague responses when you could just stay quiet and not tell me a damn thing."
She waited a minute wondering if her words would provoke some form of response out of him.
"You know what I think?" She whispered her forehead against the bamboo wall directly behind his. "I think you like answering my questions whenever you can; I think it almost feels like taking off that mask a little, I think you secretly want to trust others. Don't you want to trust me?"
She waited but he didn't say anything, he didn't move or make a noise. She turned around and leaned back against the bamboo wall sighing in frustration and crossing her arms over her chest. She looked over to the sides of the pool where the snow was starting to pile up; she feared the short trip from the spring to the changing room she would have to trek in the cold nothing could save her from that.
"I do want to trust you." She heard him say catching her off guard. He didn't say anything else but she didn't complain a small smile curled her lips just a bit. She sunk back in and let her mind wander here and there listening to the small sounds all around her including the tiniest of noises Kumo made from behind the barrier.
"Ino" he said snapping her out of her drowsy state.
"Yeah?" she said turning to the wall.
"Get out and get dressed" he said, "We're under attack."