Her Mask (Shikamaru x Oc)

Chapter Fifty-Two

A few days later Shingami found herself aimlessly wandering around the village ignoring the looks the people gave her as she walked past.

She was used to them at this point. In Yugakure and here in Konohagakure. She had no reason to make a big deal out of it but it still kind of stung sometimes, especially when she was with her team or when Naruto and she would be walking around just talking or going out to eat ramen. 

Ino had insisted that the two of them went shopping together today because of some flower festival that was going on tonight.

The girl’s magenta eyes landed on a building to her right before sighing and walking over to the door opening it just to hear an annoying little bell ring.

“Good Afternoon- Oh! Shingami I didn’t think you’d finish work so soon!”

“We didn’t have any interrogations today, so I thought that I’d drop by to see how you're doing.”

She came out from behind the counter after the woman that was there had finished paying and wrapped her arms around the poor girl.

The older woman scoffed. “Ino dear, you really should rethink hanging around with people like that.”

Ino froze at the words, Shingami didn’t really care and kept her mouth shut. 

“Excuse me?” 

“People like her corrupt people like you, you are from a noble clan, I mean no disrespect of course.”

Ino hands balled into fists as he slowly let go of Shingami.

“Get out.”

“Pardon?”

“Get out. You don’t know her. You don’t have the right to talk about her like that, now I won’t say it again. Get out.”

The woman muttered an apology to Ino but ignored Shingami save for a disgusted glance and walked out the door.

Shingami’s lips quirked up in a smirk as she took her mask off her face. “Wow, I think I really am a bad influence .”

Ino laughed and Shingami set her mask down on the counter, her smile not wavering.

“What can I say? I’ve learned from the best.” She said after her laughing fit as she turned around grabbing something out of a vase and grabbing a pair of scissors. After a moment she walked over to shingami and put a hand over her eyes and slipped something cold on the top of her ear and tangled it into her hair so it wouldn’t fall.

“What are you doing...?”

“Wait a second! Don’t touch it!” She shrieked as she smacked Shingami’s hand away lightly.

Ino dragged her over to the counter and let go of her eyes leaving Shingami confused until Ino held up a hand mirror so she could see her reflection.

In her hair, Ino had put a de-thorned white rose. Shingami froze when she saw it. Ino smiled when she realized her friend was mesmerized by it. 

“You look so beautiful.”

The annoying bell rang again as the door opened both Ino and Shingami turned around to see who walked in.

Choji and Shikamaru were taken aback by the sight of Shingami looking innocently at them without her mask and with the flower in her hair.

“I completely forgot to tell you, I invited these two to come with us! Isn’t that great? We can all get some new clothes now!”

Shingami glanced at the overly happy girl but didn’t want to ruin her mood so she just nodded and looked at the two newcomers Choji was stuffing his face with potato chips and Shikamaru was looking right at her with a slight blush on his face, she smiled at him making him blush even more. 

Choji just looked at his best friend with one thought in his head. ‘...Seriously?’

Ino just smiled knowingly while she set the mirror down on the counter.

“Let’s go now, I’ll just tell my mother to take over.” She said as she skipped out of the room.

Shingami didn’t want to ruin the flower so she just held the mask in her hands until she got the idea to put in in her kunai pouch, but her pouch was too small to fit the mask, ten kunai, and three mission scrolls, and a spare black shirt that was tightly folded into a square.

So the girl just frowned and held it in her hand. Shikamaru pulled himself together and rubbed the back of his neck and gazed at Choji when the Akimichi nudged him in a playful manner, something that did not escape Shingami’s notice. 

She opted to keep her mouth shut and not question it.

When Ino finally made her way back she had taken off the apron she had been wearing and abandoned it somewhere else and grabbed Shingami’s free hand walking towards the door dragging the poor girl along with her.

“Let’s go! I can’t wait!”

She turned and smiled a big smile at Shingami. “I’ll find another dress you’ll like and you have to wear it this time!”

“What a drag.” 

Shingami quietly sighed in agreement with Shikamaru but didn’t argue with the blonde and the two boys walked beside the two girls Shingami was between Ino and Shikamaru as they walked. The Yamanaka’s iron grip was released when she realized that the Silver-haired girl wasn’t gonna try and run away like last time.

The villagers thought that it was funny but Ino and Shingami didn’t, Shingami got really irritated at all the pink clothing that Ino was trying to force her into to, and I quote, ‘See how it’d look’ needless to say Shingami noped the fuck out of there when a bubble gum pink dress that had little pink gems littering the skirt was brought her way.

And Ino just couldn’t accept that so she ran around the village after the girl but that only lasted a full five minutes before she realized she’d been chasing after a water clone that subsequently melted into a puddle when she’d finally caught up to it.

By that time Shingami was already back in Ibiki’s office grumbling about pink dresses as she working angrily with Genma laughing every time she complained.