[Hyuuga Hinoe]

There were few words that could summarize the sensation Hinoe felt at having sat in an academy class for the first time in so long. Ever since the unfortunate event of her father's death, and the kerfuffle that had summarily occurred which had led to the shaving of close to, if not up to, six years from her life, the young Hyuuga, though old for her class, could not help but feel on top of the world.

Many would have assumed, thanks to the fact that almost everyone in the Academy was younger than she was (even a great number of the instructors included), that Hinoe would have been unwilling to return to the Shinobi Academy and resume her studies, due to the social stigma of engaging in matters being attended to by others many years her juniors. But it was exactly the same reason she had earned her nickname within her clan. Social standing was of little relevance to Hinoe, especially when she had a task to accomplish, in this case, the task being getting her hitai-ate. And while, deep down, she did care about what others said about her, Hinoe was good at pretending as though she didn't care. Besides, her stay in the Academy was temporary. It was more motivation to be done with her studies and graduate.

Still, it was clear that she felt out of the loop after her first class. She had borne the uncomfortable stares, and the lack of comprehension of the subject matter, with the fortitude of a saint, and had almost run for the doors as soon as the school day was over. And now, having escaped the temporary torture chamber of the classroom, Hinoe was left to her own devices, and so decided to wander through the market, as a way to defuse before returning home. Chances were that she would have to face some unpleasantries when she got there. For now, though, it was best to just enjoy the moment.

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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*That's the new person…* dark grey eyes watched as Hinoe passed by.

Shun was sat on a bench at a tea house having a cup of jasmine tea and some dango. Sometimes, when she had free time, the girl liked to either watch clouds from some rooftop or have a cup of tea and watch people passing by. Some seemed happy, some sad, some anxious but on they went. Just like clouds. They didn't stop often and when they did, it was temporary. It almost felt like watching what Shun understood life to be. The girl was a bit too young and hadn't experienced enough to understand the weight of a life but she imagined an aspect of it was always moving and never standing still.

This time she had spotted someone familiar. Not that she had ever talked to the Hyuga girl but she had noticed her earlier in the day at the academy. While there were older students, it was uncommon to have someone in their late teens at the academy. However, they had also had children who graduate by age nine so age was fluent in education - apparently. It must have also been fluent in some life experience, then? *I should go say hi.* The urge to socialise with her new schoolmate was partial curiosity and she wanted to make Hinoe feel welcome. There were always kids who would say nasty things. Everyone had been talked about at one point or another and Shun didn't like people feeling anxious because someone else had nothing better to do than poke fun. Not that Shun knew how Hinoe felt - she had no idea. Best scenario, Shun would gain a friend by the end of the day.

Shun was a friendly fourteen year old. She was excitable but kept calm under pressure and was very open-minded so others her age gravitated to her. The young Nara was also as curious as a cat so she liked meeting new people and learning new things. The raven-haired girl finished her tea and wolfed down her sweet bean treat before setting off after Hinoe.

”Hey! You're Hyuga-san, right? Hyuga Hinoe-san?” she spoke out after catching up to Hinoe. Shun stood at about 5’5” and had waist-long black hair. Her skin was pale and her eyes grey. The girl wouldn't stand out in a crowd but she wore a friendly smile and a curious glint in her eye.

”My name is Nara Shun. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Shun bowed politely as expected of anyone from the noble clans when greeting someone. ”I'm a student at the academy. However, it's my last year so not for very long, haha.” Come to think of it, her graduation exam was just around the corner.

---

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Hinoe's expression as she walked seemed proud, aloof, distant. It was only a practiced expression however, a mask that she had learned to utilize in the presence of her clan members. It had grown to be used as well in just about any situation where she felt social anxiety, and there were quite a number of such situations. It also made it difficult for people to know what Hinoe was thinking, when she used her Resting Bitch Face no Jutsu. It had helped in the Academy, because human children were not particularly compassionate, and Hinoe had learned, being a member of a clan whose power revolved around observation, that the slightest sign of visible weakness spurred predators to attack, whether in the wilds, or in the classroom.

The Hyuuga was in the process of reminiscing about her first class after many years of convalescence. She'd been called an old woman, but she ignored the mockers. Focusing on them would cause her to lose sight of her major goal, which was getting promoted as soon as possible. And the best strategy to get to that promotion was to--

The sound of her name being called made the Hyuuga freeze in surprise and apprehension. Yet, when she turned to face the Nara, her expression was the mother of all resting bitch faces. One would have thought Hinoe was irritated at having been called. However, seeing Shun's smile made the side of her lip turn up, breaking the unapproachable expression and giving some degree of congeniality to Hinoe's expression. "A pleasure to meet you, Shun-chan. Please don't refer to me as 'san', it makes me seem old. I've already been called an old woman this week." Hinoe's smile broadened though, in the hopes of informing Shun that the last sentence was a jocular one.

"Judging by her face and form, she's probably at least three years younger than me, but she's already so tall," the Hyuuga thought silently, as she quickly, though unconsciously, evaluated the dark-haired girl before her. "I don't know why she's bothered to approach me, but she seems nice...." Aloud, the Hyuuga said, "Well, congratulations will soon be in order, yeah? I hope to be through with the Academy myself this year, because I'd already been enrolled years back, before... well, setbacks." She made an inconspicuous motion of looking around. "Come here often?"

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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”Oh! Hinoe then?” Shun asked, ”Or Hinoe-chan?” Shun would go with whichever the Hyuga student liked best. Afterwards, the shorter girl said something quite interesting. ”Setbacks?” Shun tilted her head curiously. The Nara didn't intend to pry but she'd be lying if she said the statement wasn't intriguing. A part of her wondered what it might have been. Countless scenarios filled her head. In some Hinoe was off in a foreign land, in some she was working secretly for the Hokage as an undercover hero. There were so many possibilities.

”Oh, yeah, I walk around a lot. Just now I was having tea over there,” she turned to point to a tea shop about a block backwards the way she came. Her tea habit was one of the reasons why a bunch of her friends said she was an old lady in a young body. One of the other reasons was that Shun could sometimes provide worldly wisdom without putting much effort into it. ”Do you like tea? I'm a huge jasmine tea fan - a lot of herbal or green teas, really.”

”So, how was your first day back? Just as you remember it? What did you have to do today?” The Nara assumed not much changed at the academy. She had been there for four years, which was the usual amount of time, and nothing had changed at all in the building or on the outside of it.

In the meantime, there appeared to be some commotion a little bit further away. Some customers at a restaurant were getting kicked out for reasons unknown. There were four men dressed in long dark coats. They would argue with the restaurant owner for a little bit and then retreat into an alley nearby.

---

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

There was a pause as Hinoe considered her preference on what to be called. Then the Hyuuga shrugged. "'Hinoe-chan' will do, I guess," she answered. Shun seemed like a curious person. That wasn't a bad trait, but Hinoe was a little bit wary. Many times, people tended to be curious, simply because they wanted material for gossip sessions, and what better subject to have tidbits to gossip about than the Problem Child of the Hyuuga? Then again, Shun did not belong to her clan, and thus was unlikely to have a vested interest in gossiping about her. "Setbacks," Hinoe repeated. "The kind that involve clan disagreements and a two-year long coma."

Shun seemed to have been having tea when she had spotted Hinoe. The Hyuuga allowed herself a slight smile when asked if she liked tea. "I see you are a woman of culture," she quipped. "My preference is oolong. My clan seems to have a lot of fancy stuff from the Hi no Kuni merchants. Perks of belonging to a prestigious clan, I suppose." Hinoe knew, despite her relatively poor rating in her clan, that she was privileged all the same, having been born as a main family Hyuuga. It left a sour taste in her mouth when she realized that a good number of her clan members couldn't probably have the fancy tea she could, because of their status. Hinoe didn't feel very much like talking about tea anymore.

That was when she noticed some unusual movement out of the corner of her eye. Four men in some suspicious(?) uniforms seemed to be having a disagreement with a restaurant owner, before they drew into a nearby alley. What was that about? Hinoe suddenly realized that Shun had asked her a question. "Hmm? My first day back? It was... weird, I suppose. I felt... displaced, for lack of a better word." Her eyes flitted again to the alley, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of the men, in case they were up to something. She could always use her Byakugan if they went out of sight, but for now she would forbear.

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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It sounded like Hinoe's life had been colourful already. ”That sounds tough - are you ok?” Shun asked genuinely. While she loved finding out things, the girl wasn't one to maliciously gossip. If she ever did gossip it was light hearted and mainly something funny that involved the people in the room with her.

”Oh, yeah, oolong is nice - we get some fancy tea, too but I think Hyuga have a bit more obvious pull with the pricey stuff. However, Akimichi get all the best spices and teas shipped to their restaurants so it helps to have clan history with them that spans centuries, hahaha” Shun explained. The Nara were one of the noble clans, same as Sarutobi, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hyuga, Uchiha, Aburame, Uzumaki and Inuzuka. Some were a bit higher or lower on the small hierarchy scale but there was pressure on clan members from all those clans to excel. All of the clans also had businesses and not just shinobi. The Nara had their own forest and deer that they kept - they would make medicine from deer antlers that was very helpful to the village. Yamanaka had flower stores and offered knowledge in plant based medicines, poisons and the like. Akimichi made edible support items for battle and had multiple restaurants that they ran. These were just examples and the clans Shun knew most of.

Meanwhile, there seemed to be another commotion in the alley and a couple of young men came running out with fear on their faces…

---

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Hinoe wasn't very used to having someone express concern for her since the death of her father, maybe except the staff in the general hospital. Still, she was grateful that Shun would care. "Thank you for your concern, Shun-chan," the Hyuuga answered. "I am well enough to continue my quest to become a ninja. The good folks at the hospital would not have otherwise written me a permit in order to resume my studies, though it took six years to get to this point. In a way, the experience does not come without its benefits, for it has taught me to wait, and to know the importance of time."

When Shun spoke of her clan's ties with the Akimichi being advantageous, Hinoe had to crack a smile. "Most certainly, the Akimichi know their way around food. Sometimes, I must admit I am guilty of envying the bonds among your clan, the Akimichi, and the Yamanaka," she confessed. It wasn't because of the food though. Looking at her clan, Hinoe wasn't sure whether the Hyuuga really had any friends among clans, much like how the Ino-Shika-Cho clan combinations worked. Many Hyuuga just seemed pleased with posturing and feeling more important than their peers born in branch families. It was offensive.

Just then, a bunch of people fled out of the alley the coated men had marched into, eliciting the raising of an eyebrow from Hinoe. "Hey, Shun-chan," she gestured with her head towards the alley, "do you think that needs investigation?" She kept her tone of voice uninterested, but deep down, she had to admit she really wanted to know what was going on over there.

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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So Hinoe-chan had been hospitalised? For six years!?!?! Shun felt kind of guilty for asking - perhaps she had brought up some hurtful memories in the process of her curiosity. Cussing on the inside, the girl let the subject go.

”Isn't Hyuuga a huge clan though? I think you must have tons of members to branch out into society, right?” Shun knew that the Uchiha, Senju and Hyuuga were old clans and thus had a certain level up in privilege over the smaller clans - not to mention all three of them had bloodline limits, which was pretty cool. The Nara girl was privy to some information but had no idea how exactly the doujutsu worked - all she knew that the special few could see things she never would be able to. Raika once mentioned that Hyuuga attack the insides so, probably, the Hyuuga ability was to see the insides to attack. Her father had vaguely confirmed it. It sounded pretty cool, actually, which is why Shun was curious about seeing it in action one day.

”Huh? Investigate?” Honestly, the Nara hadn't been paying much attention but she had caught some glimpses and heard a bit of a commotion. The raven haired girl looked behind her towards the alley. Some people were now avoiding going near it and even avoided passing the entrance by leaving a few metre distance around it. It looked like the place repelled people now. A reasonable person shouldn't go looking for trouble… but then again adventure could await around that corner. *I don't think I'll die if I go. Worst case, I'll run…* she mulled it over for a second and then looked back at her new friend: ”Let's go, Hinoe-chan!”

The girl would then approach the alley and stop at the corner. Her heart beat a bit faster and she was building up the possibilities in her head. The girl took a big breath and then stepped into the alley.

No one was there…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

I leave it to you to find a "secret" entry to a "secret" base for "thugs"

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Shun's question about the size of the Hyuuga clan elicited a sigh from the shorter girl. "True, the Hyuuga is a large clan, possibly one of the biggest in Konoha, especially if we're looking at the sheer volume of numbers," Hinoe replied. "And yet, we seem to be more interested in... trivialities. The interests of a good number of members of my clan is not interested in forging connections with others, but maintaining their foolish idea of superiority. Idiots, all of them in that sorry bunch!"

It seemed Shun had not been as attentive as Hinoe was, regarding the disturbances in the alleyway. Hinoe, for her part, decided to keep up the pretense that she was mostly uninterested in the proceedings, although deep down she was silently begging for Shun to show interest. A second of consideration, and Shun was in! "Let's gooooooo!" Hinoe mentally repeated, practically screaming in her mind, although outwardly, her expression remained passive. "Very well," she simply said, trying to sound as respectable as she could afford.

Following her new friend, Hinoe drew close to the alley's mouth, and peered in after Shun, as the Nara stepped into the alley. It was empty. "Well, that's... unexpected," the Hyuuga said quietly, stepping into the space between the two walls. She turned to look at Shun. "Give me a moment while I fish them out." Performing a single seal, Hinoe's brow furrowed in concentration, as she pumped chakra into her eyes, trying to take special care to regulate how much chakra she used for the effort. Every moment was meant to be a learning encounter. A set of noticeable veins bulged at her temples, and faint demarcations of what seemed to be the outlines of pupils appeared in her eyes, as she activated her Byakugan. The range was quite poor, but it would be enough for this endeavor.

"Hmmm...."

The Hyuuga turned to face one of the walls, against which some boards were leaning. Shifting them aside, a small, nondescript door was revealed. Hinoe carefully turned the handle, and the door opened. She turned to look at shun again, her expression still neutral, but Shun would swear she heard a tremor of excitement in the otherwise calm voice. "We should, shouldn't we?"

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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Shun's jaw dropped. What was she seeing? It looked kind of scary to see Hinoe's face change but, also, it was really cool! Shun didn't even blink - in fact, she was so mesmerised that she stared shamelessly and took a step forward to even take a closer look. This must have been the eye technique that Hyuuga were famous for *So that's the Byakugan?* she thought while looking. Shun watched the older student walk over to some boards and reveal a secret door.

”You can see through things?!?!?!?” she exclaimed suddenly and was a little surprised as well. It was a shock! ”That's so cool! Hey, do you ever use that to copy test answers? Be honest…” she grinned. The possibilities such a technique could do. No one had privacy of their own home with a Hyuuga around, then… was that why some people avoided them?

”Let's go.” Shun would walk up and open the door quietly. She slowly opened it and there was a stairwell behind it. It looked like it led to a basement. Shun looked back at Hinoe to confirm she was still on board with going down into a creepy basement of possible thugs. Then again, she had the all seeing vision so they would probably be fine.

The Nara creeped down the stairs quietly, one step at a time and while clinging to the wall. She tiptoed and tried to be as quiet as a mouse. They would come down into a lower ground floor with a hallway and some doors on each side. Some were open and there was some noise coming from the open one. It sounded like there was some commotion in there.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

we'll go whichever way you want - npc as many ppl as you want. I'm kinda going by ear hahaha

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Although Hinoe did not need to move her eyes to see that Shun was gawking, the Hyuuga slightly shifted her gaze towards Shun, yet did not bother to dissuade her from staring. It was a little bit surprising for Hinoe to see someone who had not seen the Byakugan in Konoha, but she quickly reminded herself that there was some bias in that opinion. Having been born with the bloodline of the Hyuuga, and growing up surrounded by people of the same heritage, there would be nothing new about seeing someone use the abilities of the Byakugan. Admittedly, Hinoe had never seen a Nara use their shadow techniques before.

Shun thought the ability of the Byakugan was cool. Hinoe agreed. She raised an eyebrow at her companion's question, but quickly surmised that Shun was simply being humorous. "No, but I've done worse things," she replied, a naughty smile tugging at the left side of her mouth. It was a bit refreshing to meet someone who was merely fascinated, and not freaked out, by the Byakugan. Hinoe had met her fair share of people who had, upon considering the opportunities for observation made possible by the Byakugan, been a lot less cordial.

As the Nara opened the door and turned to look at Hinoe, the Hyuuga nodded at her to confirm commitment to the 'mission'. The place looked relatively well-used, but there was no one about, so far. Unlike Shun, Hinoe did not bother staying near the walls, as she was confident that they wouldn't be sneaked on. Soon, the two kunoichi reached an underground hallway, and from an open door came the sound of argument. "There's some strong disagreement in there," Hinoe whispered, her eyes catching sight of three figures who were in the process of yelling at each other, and one who remained seated, silent. "Shun-chan, someone is heading for that door," the Hyuuga urgently whispered, pointing at one of the closed doors. Behind the door, she had seen someone who had been reclining, but suddenly got up and headed for the door. If he came out into the hallway, he would see them. But there was no other place to hide. The door opened, and a fellow who looked to be in his late twenties stepped into the hallway, an irritated look on his face, which turned into surprise as he saw the two girls.

"Ey, what's you brats doing in here?" he asked, the irritation returning to his face. "Do I look like a brat, you old fart?" Hinoe retorted, sticking out her chin and looking as defiant as she could afford. The argument in the room with the open door seemed to stop. One of the debaters was heading for the door. Unsure of how things would turn out, Hinoe kept her Byakugan active, consciously trying to conserve the chakra she was using to maintain it. While it wasn't tasking by any stretch, conserving chakra for the most basic activities was good practice for when it was time to actually use jutsu. Still, Hinoe hoped there wouldn't have to be a fight.

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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They were officially in the middle of some gang’s base. Shun could hear her heartbeat in her ears and was a bit more anxious than Hinoe - mainly because she couldn’t see like the Hyuuga could. When Hinoe-chan told her where people were coming from, Shun got a new insight into the capabilities of Byakugan. It seemed incredibly useful - no wonder the clan was in such high regard.

”Oh crap, not good!” Shun had frozen a bit when encountered by the first man and then a couple more. Of course Hinoe had to talk back and now it looked like they had pissed off some thugs. The one they had met first seemed angry: ”What makes you think you can just walk in like you own the place? Do you know who we are, huh?!” he barked and picked up what looked like a baseball bat from the inside corner of the room he was standing in. It had been next to the door on the inside.

”Maybe I should teach you a lesson?? HUH?” he tapped the bat on his shoulder before stepping out into the hall. It was unclear if he was just trying to scare the girls or actually be violent towards them but this new situation prompted Shun to do something she hadn’t done in public before at all.

The man came at the two teenage girls and, just as he was about to strike at them, he froze. Upon closer inspection you could see Shun holding the rat hand seal and the man was unable to move. Shun’s shadow had connected to his but, it wasn’t the most well lit room to begin with and the floor was a dark shade so it wasn’t certain if everyone could see the connection or not.

*I did it! It’s the first time I used this jutsu on a person and it’s working!* Shun thought and, while under some light panic about the situation they were in, she was also proud of herself.

”What? They’re shinobi! I bet they’re spies - get them!” the words activated the other men and now the other two were closing in to the girls.

”Hinoe-chan, can you fight?” Shun asked. If not, they should probably run for it or try to run through somewhere.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Actioooon! Lessgooo!

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

If Hinoe seemed quite unbothered for mouthing off a rough, she was practically having kittens by the bucket loads. Still, she managed to keep her expression defiant, as she stared down the fellow. The fellow, whom Hinoe had sassed off to, and now mentally designated 'Old Fart', grabbed a club, rendering threats and looking tough. "Well, there were no 'no trespassing' signs on your door, and I can bet my spleen that you don't own the alleyway up there," the Hyuuga answered. Old Fart seemed to have violence on his mind, as he approached, apparently more infuriated by the Hyuuga's feistiness. It was at this point she began to worry she had taken things too far. Hinoe's leg muscles were constricting in order to step back, something which would have immediately given away her façade of confidence, when Shun took action.

All Hinoe knew about the Nara was their ability to control shadows, though she was not certain how that worked, or its effects on its targets. Even though the area was a bit dark, her chakra-viewing eyes allowed her to see how Shun's shadow distended in a way it normally shouldn't have, and connected with Old Fart's stopping him in his tracks. So, that was the power of the Nara. If they weren't in a pinch, Hinoe would have expressed more excitement at seeing something that cool. Instead, she simply said, "Cool stuff, Shun-chan."

Old Fart, shocked at his predicament, called on the other fellows to get the girls, and Hinoe saw two of the three who had been arguing before rush out, but the seated one had risen up more languidly, walking unhurriedly. "That last guy's probably some kind of boss, or doesn't care about hierarchies. His word might have some weight here," the Hyuuga thought silently, as Shun asked her if she could fight. "I know a few moves, but nothing too impressive," Hinoe confessed. "Still, I'll try not to let anything happen to you. In any case, prepare to run on my signal." Her voice was low, so that no one else could hear them, but now, the Hyuuga raised her voice so as to be quite audible.

"Congratulations, genius. You've figured out our identities. But let me ask, do you know of the powers of the Byakugan? Do you really want to fight a mistress of mystical shadow manipulation? Not to mention that I have a colleague outside keeping watch, in case of anything, though he won't be needed, as we're both more than capable of dealing with you ourselves. So, you have two options: one, you could tell us what you're up to, hiding in such a place as this, or two, you could introduce yourselves to a world of pain, and a subsequent visit to the slammer, where you can cool your heels and have all the time to regret the foolishness of your actions. So, what'll it be?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Someone is playing a very dangerous game.

Nara Shun

[Nara Shun]

NARA SHUN CHRONICLES

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Shun had never heard anyone bet on their spleen. It looked like Hinoe was full of surprises. It was pretty exciting and kind of funny. Even in a tense situation, Shun couldn't help but chuckle. *Mistress of mystical shadow manipulation?* the Nara raised an eyebrow. It was a grand bluff but maybe the men would go for it. Shun feared Hinoe might be promising a bit too much there…

”Heh? Three people against the whole base? You're kidding! This is just another trick to learn our recipes by those weasels! Them hawks have no honour! Get them!” the now named 'old fart' would holler and try to overwhelm the jutsu he was in by sheer strength and Shun had to struggle to hold him much longer and she felt her grip weaken quickly.

”Recipes…? Wait, are you guys-”

BOINK! Suddenly a pot hit the side of old fart's head and would have sent the man flying down the hall if it wasn't for Shun's shadow connection. ”EH?!”

”Since when do my men fight little girls?” came a low voice with an annoyed tone. The other two men stopped and gave way to a person at the back - a middle aged man with scars on his arms and palms. He was holding a frying pan in his hand.

”You two kids wandered into our base. We are the Delicious Dolphins - a group dedicated to the pursuit of the best flavours and the rarest gastronomy.”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Actioooon! Lessgooo!

Tag: Hyuuga Hinoe
Shun: 395828

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Hinoe did not falter, maintaining eye contact with 'Old Fart', as she kept up her defiant expression, even when he didn't seem to buy her bluff. Perhaps he did not know of how easily a team of well-trained ninja could take out a crowd of untrained individuals. Of course, neither herself not Shun were what could be described as 'well-trained'; she wasn't going to lie to herself. But it wasn't herself she intended to deceive. If she could get these guys to believe her bluff, then maybe the girls could escape.

Still, even as she prepared to give as witty a retort as she could muster, the words spoken by the fellow struggling against Shun's shadow suddenly seemed to repeat themselves in the Hyuuga's mind: "...learn our recipes...." Recipes? The adamant expression faltered, replaced by a confused one. "I'm sorry-- what?"

The next thing was unexpected. A pot slammed into the struggling fellow's head with enough force to have sent him off his feet, if not for his being anchored by Shun's technique. All the other fellows seemed to suddenly become less belligerent, signifying that the older fellow with the frying pan was definitely the top dog here, a fact cemented by his words. Hinoe did not feel pleased at being called a little girl (she was an adult, for crying out loud!), and a flash of annoyance registered for a moment before it was subdued. "Thank you for your civility, Ojii-san," the Hyuuga said, with a bow. Her words were sincere, but there was perhaps a bit of an edge in calling him 'grandfather', a retaliatory quip for being called a little girl.

"So you are cooks, then? I had thought--" there was a pause, as Hinoe realized how embarrassing it might sound, "I had thought you were some sort of criminal gang, with what seemed to be going on at the restaurant outside, an erroneous view, though well persuaded by some fellow close by." A dirty look thrown at 'Old Fart'.

Nara Shun