Most Beautiful Sight

“Anko, you came early…” Shikamaru sighed in irritation now at the front of the testing room. The test had ended sometime ago and more than half the test takers failed. He gazed back out among the crowd of who remained and oddly enough, that white haired young woman was still around. She had drawn quite a lot of attention earlier in the test… “…another troublesome girl…” Shikamaru just stared at the white lengthy haired female.
He had just dismissed several teams of three in a row; the last team he dismissed had been in her row. As the young man passed by angrily, a buckle of his caught onto her hair and she had begun muttering curse words at him detangling it. She then proceeded to rub her scalp, where the hair pulled apparently, and caressed her hair ridding it of tangles. She then shook free the knots that stuck to her fingers and they wafted in the spring breeze across the room.
“GOOD JOB!” Anko happily slapped him on the back. “Not bad for your first time Newbie!” She cheered on happily. Shikamaru just glared at her in his usual irritated way. Then Anko continued on her babble…
*~*~*
“Hinata-Chan, I brought tea….” Nanasa knocked on the door to Hinata’s room. It was quickly growing late, the sun had set hours ago and she retired to her room to meditate.
“You may set it over there.” Hinata peeked open an eye at the woman, catching the angry glare on her face as she turned to set the tray down. Ever since they left her there for the Chuunin Exams, Nanasa had been extraordinarily kind to her. “Thank you Auntie…” Hinata gave a kind smile and the woman stretched one just like it. Once the woman left Hinata stared at the cup of tea…
“Hinata… don’t trust anything Auntie gives you when I’m gone…” The words echoed in her head as she thought back to the last words the girl had left for her before heading to Chuunin Exams. At the time, Hinata thought the girl was being paranoid, but shortly after Hinata began to find she was losing him to the edges of her memory again.
Him… being her orange clad hero, source of inspiration… Her beloved. She had a name placed to him she was sure of it, but she had eaten her meal yesterday and suddenly his name escaped her. She was positive she knew his voice, but that too had begun to escape her memory. These people cared for her all this time… have they been suppressing her memory all this time?
“I should return to meditation…” She spoke aloud and closed her eyes.
*~*~*~
“You drew too much attention!” Lan pulled her pigtail that dangled beside him.
“Did I really?” She shot him a glare and pulled her braid out of his hand.
“Lan, Cut it out! She got us the answers, so be cool!” Lan just rolled his eyes at the cat eyed female and knelt beside the Shinobi they had just defeated. “It’s another Heaven Scroll…” She held it up with a heavy sigh.
“Well we now have three of them… and it’s only the first day” Ayumi groaned taking got the trees to a new clearing.
“I suggest we set up camp…” She looked around. “I will set up the precautionary traps.”
“I will set the precautionary traps. You’ve done enough…” Lan snapped as they landed a good distance away from their unconscious opponents.
“…” Ayumi just stared and watched him take off to set on that.
“What’s with you?” Liz looked at her friend.
“What do you mean?”
“Since this morning… you’ve been kind of…. Cold.” Liz brushed her hair out of the way.
“I’ve got things on my mind… and I don’t want to be here right now… but Shinobi life is hard…” She ran her fingers through her white hair shaking away the knotted strands from her fingers. Liz merely shuddered to remember…
White strands fluttered around the room, her teammates apparently being the destination. At first she hadn’t noticed the locks, white on white paper but when she did she went to brush it away, but the strands seemed to activate at her touch, and in her minds eye she could see the answers… all the answers to the test. Every single last one…
“How did you…” Liz started but stopped finding her friend was back to reading this little red book. It had no title, no picture on the cover… just a simple red book. “What’s that book about?”
“It an autobiography of sorts.” Ayumi replied, her words ending the conversation before it started.
Hours later, the trio decided to take shifts to keep watch while they rested. Not surprisingly enough, Ayumi offered first watch lowering her red book long enough to eat and join the discussion. She would keep watch and she took to a post in the trees for the first watch.
*~*~*~
“It really has been a while…” TenTen looked at the Earth scroll in her hand. Neither of her teammates replied to the wistful comment and continued to stare out in the distance.
“I think we should go for that girl’s group.” Neji finally commented aloud knowing now both pairs of eyes were on him.
“That girl from the new village?” TenTen tapped her chin. “True… I considered it as well, their kunoichi are quite pretty and perhaps into themselves more than being shinobi…” A Wind blew through the forest, kicking up leaves and dirt.
“Please don’t talk about what you know nothing about.”
“I was wondering when you’d show your face.” Neji joined his comrades who already were at attention.
“I’m not planning to show my face… although with your pretty eyes you could see me no matter what.” Her voice was soft, and nothing about her at this point in time was threatening, but experience teaches a shinobi, never to let your guard down.
“What kind of coward hides?” TenTen growled out at her.
“Coward? I suppose for now I’ll own that title.” The female continued to speak. “For now… but I’ve got bigger plans than this Chuunin exams, but my plans are a bit premature I think… I need pawns to take certain roles.” A sarcastic chuckle erupted.
"Byakugan…” He sought her out and not so far away he could see her, in the high branches of a tree sitting, completely defenseless. Searching further her teammates nowhere to be found, at least no in his range.
“Pawns?” Lee’s eyes kept moving; searching for sudden movements.
“Well, perhaps pawns is too harsh of a word. Accomplices maybe? Yes…I like accomplice.”
“So we are to be your accomplices?” TenTen reached for her weapon. “Why would we help you?”
“My sister… doesn’t belong to me. I knew that for a long time, and I pretended otherwise.” She gave another sarcastic laugh. “My sister…. Will lose her life soon. My sister is important around these parts I believe.” Neji stared at her form where she continued fidgeting with a book. “ Do any of you guys know of a “Naruto-Kun”?” The question came randomly. Silence as they contemplated where would this question come from. “I see…well, perhaps accomplice was the improper term again… confidante perhaps?” Neji watched her form retreat and there was silence.
“She’s gone.”
“What was that about?”
“ I think we should try to find some rest.”
*~*~*~*~
“As I thought…” Ayame resumed her spot to keep watch seeing her teammates resting still. “Well, then… shall we have a battle of wits… grandfather?”