I showered and slipped into the sa white kimono I’d worn to the Uchiha dinner. I was going out with friends. I wanted to look nice, feel pretty.
Karin didn’t take long to return. The redhead’s grin was even sillier than mine. I shook my head. There was no need to ask if Sakura-chan accepted. Karin was braver than . Inner Sakura was terrifying.
While she got ready, I inspected my supplies. Made sure the mango-flavored pastries were there. It wouldn’t do to lure Secretary-chan away from the tower and not deliver on my promise.
Karin slipped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She left a few minutes later dressed in a beautiful black kimono — I didn’t know where she got it from.
“You look pretty,” I said.
Karin smiled. “You too.”
She helped apply makeup, and I helped her in turn. Then, ready, we left the apartnt.
We walked toward Ino’s house, with Karin still wide-eyed at anything and everything. I agreed with her. Even after living here for years, it still amazed every ti. I loved the village even if it didn’t love back.
Ino was waiting for us outside the shop. By so unspoken agreent, she was also dressed in a kimono. To no one’s surprise, purple.
She was beautiful. I said as much.
Ino looked at , my silly grin, rolled her eyes. Then, her gaze settled on the redhead.
“Karin?” she asked.
Karin nodded. Smiled. I caught the mischievous look and didn’t have ti to stop the disaster.
“So, you’re the mistress?”
I face-pald.
Ino blinked. “Mistress?”
Karin sauntered closer, gave Ino a once-over. “Hinata and I live together,” Karin said with an innocent smile. “And sleep in the sa bed.” She looked at , then at Ino, tilted her head. “Doesn’t that make you the mistress?”
I turned around; power walked away.
Damn it, Karin. Why? Oh god, why? I hadn’t taken more than two steps when I heard and felt Ino’s yell.
“Hinata-chan!”
Ino stord off, my flimsy explanations falling on deaf ears.
“Ino-chan, wait,” I called out. She ignored , kept walking.
Behind, Karin snickered. I shot her a baleful glare. She snickered harder. “Go chase her like a good puppy,” Karin teased.
I wanted to argue, but instead, I ran a few steps until I was by Ino’s side. I wasn’t sure what to say or why she got this mad.
“Ino-chan,” I started again, stopped.
Ino glanced my way, stuck her tongue at . She was grinning. She interlocked her arm with mine and pulled along toward Sakura’s house.
Was she mad or not? I was so confused.
We collected Sakura, who was wearing a pink kimono.
I looked at Karin, her red ears hidden beneath the red hair, and thought about payback. Ino was still by my side, a strange look on her face, observing Sakura and Karin talking. I gave up on escalation. I’d let Karin win this one.
Karin offered her arm to Sakura. “Shall we go?”
Sakura looked at , Ino, our locked arms. She took Karin’s.
“Where are we going?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” Karin said.
I looked at Ino. She just grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
Then we were off again, this ti toward the tower. We made a strange sight: four girls, all around the sa age, dressed in colorful kimonos, walking around the village. We attracted a fair amount of attention, but it wasn’t the bad kind.
We crossed the residential area until we got closer to the Academy and the tower. Secretary-chan was already there, wearing a pretty green kimono, hair braided and over one shoulder.
She smiled warmly at our approach. I let go of Ino’s arm, ran toward the prettiest Secretary of them all. Grabbed her in a tight hug. She hugged back.
“Are those your friends, Hinata-chan?”
I nodded. Released Secretary-chan. “The redhead is Uzumaki Karin, and her date is Haruno Sakura.” I couldn’t resist adding a bit of teasing. Karin’s face turned the exact shade of her hair. Sakura gaped, then quickly looked away, her cheeks pink.
I looked at Ino, “This is Yamanaka Ino.” Secretary-chan nodded. “Guys, this is my friend—”
“Nice to et you all,” Secretary-chan said. She turned to . “Where are we going, Hinata-chan?”
I grinned. “Surprise.”
We set off again. It was like four kids accompanied by their bigger sister. Weird, but exciting all the sa.
I led the group back toward the comrcial district and into the out-of-the-way alley. Sakura looked around like she was starting to have doubts, while Karin was still too overwheld by walking arm-in-arm with Sakura.
We reach the inconspicuous-looking door. Under their curious stares, I knocked.
A few monts later, the door opened. It was a different kunoichi this ti. She looked at , then our group. She blinked a few tis, surprised.
“A private room for five, please.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and then nodded. “Please, co in.”
We followed her inside. We crossed the bar. There were even more jonins here than the last ti. Our entrance caused an even greater reaction, but no one stopped us. We had crossed half the place toward the backroom when I recognized two chakra signatures. I stopped on my tracks.
The waitress kept going a bit longer before she realized I wasn’t following.
“Is there a problem?”
I shook my head, leaned closer to Ino. “I’ve seen soone I need to talk with. Can you lead the girls inside?”
Ino looked around, trying to find who I was talking about, but then gave up and nodded, releasing my arm.
“I’ll follow in a minute,” I said and walked off.
I heard a question behind , Karin’s voice, I think, and then Ino’s explanation. A bit later, I felt their chakra moving again. I crossed the open bar toward one of the booths. I knocked at the wall to gather the attention of the two inside.
The curtain was thrown open, and I stared into Yamato’s big, expressive eyes.
He opened his mouth. I pushed in and hugged him. Inside, I heard Kakashi’s chuckles.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said, sniffling. I had seen him before, but at the ti, he was wearing his ANBU mask. I couldn’t behave like I knew him.
Yamato placed a hand on top of my head. “Thank you, Hinata-san.”
I let go of him, waved at Kakashi-sensei.
“Mah, what’s my cute chunin doing here? And dressed all pretty.”
Yamato walked inside the booth. I followed and sat by Kakashi’s side.
“It’s girls night out,” I said.
Both looked at uncomprehendingly.
It was Yamato who spoke. “And you brought your friends here?” There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.
I nodded. “Yep.”
Kakashi chuckled, then laughed. Yamato just shook his head.
I looked at both, tilted my head. “Why? What is this place?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it, Hinata-san.”
I opened my mouth, sighed. It wasn’t worth it. I looked at Yamato, who still looked chagrined.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“For?” Yamato looked confused.
“Sai,” I started, shrugged. “The clues were all there. I just didn’t put things together.”
Kakashi and Yamato exchanged looks.
“What do you an,” Kakashi asked.
“It was how he behaved. I felt him sending his constructs at night, but I didn’t even think to find it suspicious.” I hung my head. “I should have, at the very least, told Yamato about it. Sai was acting strange, and I ignored it.”
“The failure wasn’t yours, Hinata-san,” Yamato said. “You couldn’t have known.”
But that was the problem. I could, couldn’t I? I knew Sai was a ROOT agent in the original story. This one was on .
“How’s Hayase?” I asked instead. “I didn’t have ti to visit him yet.”
Yamato smiled. “He’s sad that all the laboratory data was stolen.”
“What?”
“You’d think the injury would be his biggest concern, but no, what really upset him was losing access to Orochimaru’s code.”
I chuckled. Then I laughed. Wiped the tears with the back of my hand.
“I’m glad you are okay, Hinata-san.”
“Mah, she’s my student. You think so two-bit villain could take her down?”
My ears burned at Kakashi’s offhand self-complint. He was so cool. But it wasn’t the ti to fangirl. I still had one more question to ask.
“What happened to the hideout at Waves?”
The easy banter between both jonins died faster than the will to train after gorging on pastries. They shared a glance.
I fidgeted.
“It took so ti until we could arrange a team to check out the place,” Yamato said, voice careful. “When they got there, the place was recently abandoned. There were signs of struggle.”
I hung my head, defeated. “Did they…?” I couldn’t finish the question.
Kakashi-sensei was the one who answered. “They found no labs or tubes.”
I glanced up, nodded. If there was any clone there, it was alive and probably taken. Now I wanted to cry.
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