Murasaki's eyes widened slightly and he looked over at Shino. The others continued forward, not hearing the question that had been asked. "W-what makes you say that Shino? That was out of the blue." Murasaki faced forward again, only just catching himself from tripping on a root.

"The fact that you are tripping is proof enough. Why? Because you are not a clumsy person. Adding to this, you no longer look people in the eye, only in the general direction." Shino adjusted his glasses slightly, a brief glint shining off of them. "The only logical assumption would be that you can not truly see. In other words, Murasaki, you are blind."

The group kept walking, but the two didn't speak for a while. The princess laughed lightly at something Kiba said to Hinata, but no one turned back to look at them. "Shino, you really pay attention to comrades, don't you?"

"Of course," was the immediate reply, "if a comrade is hurt, it is best to know immediately so nobody dies."

Reaching up, Murasaki scratched the back of his head lightly. "I suppose, but I would rather not make a big deal of this... Shino, you don't suppose you could keep this a secret until we reach the palace at least?" He simply nodded in answer to Murasaki's question, causing the purple haired boy to sigh. "Thanks."

_+_

The day merged into nighttime as everyone sat around the small table in the room. Five cards were held in everyone's hand, but the boredom was clear on everyone's faces.

"Shikamaru, do you have any five cards?" Aoi looked up to whom he had addressed, only to find him asleep.

Kaori fell back, her cards falling to the table in a careless manner. "This is so boring!" The soft groan in her voice summing up the feelings of all the people in the room. "We need to do something other than play cards."

Mumbles of general agreement rang through the room, and Kodomo perked up. "Why don't we tell stories?" Ryo rose an eyebrow in interest, and Migota turned from her face down position on the floor.

"Scary ones?" The voice was slightly muffled, as Migota's cheek was still against the ground.

"Sounds more interesting than go fish," Ryo shrugged and cracked his neck lightly. Migota winced slightly at the sound, but other than that didn't react.

Kodomo stood up, grabbing a candle from the bedside and lighting it before turning out the rest of the lights in the room. "I suppose I'll start then. Let me see..."

_+_

"The floorboards creaked underfoot, but underneath that sound another could be heard. Stopping to assess the new sensation. It was more of a sliding than a shuffling, but when he stopped, so did the sound. Turning around slowly, a figure was seen behind them, and before they could even scream, darkness engulfed them. Four days later, a body was found in that house, charred to a crisp, even though nothing else was so much as scorched."

Kaori and Migota were next to each other, holding onto one another for dear life. Shikamaru's eye was cracked open and trained on Kodomo as he told the story, but he shut it once it ended, giving off the appearance that he was bored. Ryo was huddled in the corner, rocking back and forth mumbling a mantra to himself as if for protection. The odd one out was Aoi, who just sat there staring at Kodomo through the whole thing without so much as flinching.

"Alright then, I say the person that is the most scared gets to tell the next one, so it looks like Ryo is up!" Kodomo smiled lightly, and the mantra going through the room abruptly stopped when Ryo heard this.

Slowly standing, everyone was shocked when Ryo suddenly turned to face them. Migota even let out a squeak of fear. The smile on his face was wide and inviting, but somehow the candlelight made Ryo seem threatening and sadistic. "I love to tell scary stories!" The second he said this, Kodomo felt he had made an error in his choice.

_+_

"I'm so tired, I don't think I can walk another step." Kou fell to her knees, disregarding the dirt around her. The group turned to face her, some faces showing sympathy while others had irritation written on theirs.

Murasaki, who was one with irritation showing, stepped forward towards the princess. "Kou-sama, I know that it is a long walk, but you honestly only have yourself to blame. This is the fifth time you have stopped today, and it's only just past noon."

A pout came over her face as she looked up at the purple haired boy. "I don't care! We've been walking nonstop for the past two days, and my feet seriously hurt!"

Murasaki sighed, and looked about ready to yell at the princess. He took in a sharp breath, before breathing out slowly. "Look, I know that you're royalty and you don't walk for yourself, but we only have three more days to get you to the palace! As it is, we still have a good two days of walking if we want to make it there, so stand back up. I won't fa-" stopping mid sentence, Murasaki looked over at Kiba who had held out his hand.

Princess Kou was looking at the ground, and only now did Murasaki realize that tears were streaming lightly down her face as he heard a suppressed sob. He looked down, already filled with regret at his words. Kiba took a step forward, proffering a hand to the princess.

"I'm sorry about him Kou-sama, please ignore everything he said." Kou looked up, only to be met with Kiba's wide grin. She wiped at her cheeks, ridding them of tears before gently taking Kiba's outstretched hand. When she was back on her feet, a hand fell on her shoulder.

Her guard took a step forward before bending down on one knee. Even without saying anything, it was clear he was offering to carry her on his back.

"Thank you Tamotsu." Kou took a step forward as well before placing a hand on his shoulder. "But I think Murasaki does have a point. If I don't learn to stand on my own, there is no way to convince my father. I'm a princess, and I should have a stronger will than this."

He nodded, and stood from his kneeling position. Extending an arm, Kou gladly stepped into it's reach, and more natural than if they had been married for years, they fell into step. Looking at the two as they walked with Tamotsu's arm slung around Kou's shoulder, one couldn't help but smile.

"They really do seem to fit well together." Hinata said softly.

Murasaki didn't say anything for a moment before he began to walk as well. "That doesn't matter with royals."

_+_

"Please allow me to see the princess! It has been days since I last gazed upon the beauty that is my precious flower. She is like a ray of sun that lit up my once dark world, and now that she is hidden I can no longer see."

"I am very sorry, but the doctor has specific orders to not let anyone see her, and that includes you, Prince Komali." Kaori was holding the door at a cracked position, despite the efforts the prince put forth to open it. "Be assured, she is getting healthier by the hour, and will be perfectly well when it comes time for your wedding day."

Standing on his toes, the prince attempted to look over Kaori into the room, but she stood taller as well effectively blocking his view. "My darling, the worry over your health grows by the second, please allow me to at least see a glimpse of your elegant form."

Migota whispered something in Kaori's ear before scuttling back off to the corner of room the bed was in. "Princess Kou says she doesn't want to taint her image by having you see her in her current condition. She asks you to please be patient and wait until she is done recovering."

Prince Komali got tears in his eyes, which were quickly wiped away. "I see how it is, my dear. With great respect to the wishes you have told me, I will preserve the image of beauty that is in my mind. Know that my one desire at the moment is to see you well, so rest until you are once again ready to meet my gaze." So saying, the prince turned with a flourish of cloth, and strode down the hall.

Kaori slid the door shut, leaning on the wall next to it with a sigh.

"Where is Murasaki and his team? The wedding is tomorrow, and we can't keep up this ruse much longer." Migota was laying on the bed, relieved that they had staved off the prince for now.

A knock was heard on the door, and Kaori heaved herself off the wall before cracking the door open. Murasaki stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face, while Shino, Hinata, and Kiba surrounded a hooded figure. "Speak of the devil, right?"

Migota practically plowed Kaori out of the way to glare at her teammate. In a quick movement, she pulled him into the room and held him against the wall as he held his hands up in surrender. The doorway clear, everyone filed into the room and the door was shut once again. By the time anyone bothered to look over, Murasaki was turning a shade to match his hair while clawing at Migota's hand.

"Just how close did you want to cut this you jerk?" Releasing her grip, Murasaki slid to lay face down on the ground.

Hinata hovered over him, her hands fluttering as if to help though she didn't know how. An intake of breath was heard from the cloaked figure, and everyone looked over at them. Removing the hood and allowing her blue hair to spill free, it could be noted that Princess Kou was staring directly at Aoi, who was dutifully feeding Hane a strawberry.

"Who... Who is he?" Kou's hand was shaking as she pointed at Aoi, who glanced over at her question.

Shikamaru took a step forward, confused by her actions. "I assume you are Princess Kou, and it is a pleasure to meet you. To answer your question, this is Aoi, who was posing as you in your absence."

Kiba looked back and forth between the two. "Now that you're near one another, it's unnerving how similar you look." Everyone compared the duo, noticing that they did look extremely like one another.

Murasaki coughed a little and tilted his head so he seemed to be looking forward. "Anyways Kou-sama, weren't you going to go speak with your father?"

"You're right Murasaki, I guess I'll get going now..." Kou straightened her posture before walking to the doorway.

Migota managed to catch her before she entered the hall. "Before you leave, I wanted to tell you something." The princess turned, giving her full attention. "Well, Prince Komali is here, and you're actually supposed to be sick, so could you possibly sneak around as much as possible?" Nodding, Kou disappeared out the door, striding quickly and confidently toward her father's rooms.

_+_

Pots overflowing with flowers in brilliant shades of pink and blue lined the hall, the sun shining down and casting glimmers off the droplets that still hung on their leaves. Ribbons decorated the walls and a beautifully woven carpet stretched from the main door down the entire length of the hall. Benches were placed at the sides of the aisle, the people filling them dressed in lavish silks in a varying spread of colors. The room was beautiful, and the mini orchestra in the corner began to play the time worn song to introduce the coming of the bride.

Princess Kou was dressed in an eloquent dress, her bouquet practically falling from her hands. Her hair was piled on top of her head, a ringlet or two escaping to frame her face. The hall grew silent as she stepped up to stand next to her soon-to-be spouse.

Vows were said, and soon enough the words that end nearly every wedding were said. "Prince Komali, you may kiss the bride." As he leaned down to do just that, the nobles clapped graciously, smiles on their faces, knowing that the treaty was as good as signed. After sending a glance to the side, where Tamotsu stood with the rest of the guards, she smiled down at the gathering, masking the sadness held in her eyes.

_+_

"It kinda sucks that Kou couldn't marry Tamotsu, they seemed really close." Kaori was the first to comment as they walked down the path that would take them back to Konoha.

Migota looked over at her. "That's just how royals and government works. Only special occasions lead people to marry who they truly love. A bunch of rules and treaties that don't last more than a few years, that's the only reason they really marry."

Kodomo looked up at this, regarding Migota with a somewhat curious look. In the time they had been at the palace, or on the mission in general, an obvious hate for nobles was becoming more and more apparent. He wanted to ask, but it didn't seem like something she was willing to talk about.

Murasaki spoke next. "At least the mission is over. For now we don't have to deal with any more nobles."

Kiba stretched his arms above his head, Akamaru opening his mouth in a yawn. "Let's just get back to Konoha, I want to sleep in a real bed." This was met with one or two grumbles of agreement, and silence once again prevailed in the group.

It was quite a while before anything happened. The next eye catching action was Murasaki once again tripping, though this time he managed to catch himself before he fell completely. Shino looked over at the purple haired boy pointedly, but Murasaki ignored it and continued to walk like nothing had happened.

"If you don't tell them, I will, because it is importa-" Shino was cut off by Murasaki.

"Alright, alright, I get it Shino." Everyone looked over toward the chunin, wondering what he was going to say. "Well then, I guess I have something to say... When we got into that fight with those bandits, I was struck on the back of the head with that club, like I had told you all." Migota was looking at Murasaki warily, and he gulped slightly. "So you see, when I woke up there was a, um, problem that I didn't fully share..."

Migota glared at him slightly, and he backed off a pace or two. "Would you just get on with it Murasaki? What have you been hiding?"

After a slight gulp, he smiled hesitantly. "I can't really see?" He laughed slightly, like it was one big joke. Migota's face paled, but was soon enough covered in a red flush of anger.

"You're blind?" Murasaki nodded slightly. "And you didn't think to share this information?"

"Well I technically told Shino..."

"But you didn't bother to tell your teammate of three years that you are blind?" Migota had a dark aura around her, and the entire group collectively took a step away except Aoi, who Kaori grabbed by the collar and dragged with her.

Murasaki shifted a little, no longer able to hide behind anyone else, "Yes?"

Migota got a tear in her eye before reaching down to the ground and grabbing a small coin sized rock. "You dolt!" She launched the rock at him, hitting him square on the forehead. He fell back and lowered his head in what seemed like shame. "You didn't even bother to tell your best friend!" She marched up to him and crouched in front of him. "Weren't we supposed to tell each other everything? Didn't we decide it back then, all three of us?" Her voice dropped to a whisper and Murasaki placed a hand on her shoulder as a tear finally escaped her eye.

"Sorry Migota, I didn't mean to break that promise. Next time I'll tell you immediately."

The blond stood up suddenly, all traces of tears gone from her face. "Well until we get back to Konoha, I guess I'll be your eyes to make sure you don't trip again." She held out a hand, hoisting her teammate to his feet.

Aoi rubbed the side of his head lightly, a slight pain jolting when Migota mentioned three people. He disregarded the sensation, and reached into one of the pockets on his chunin vest to pull out a piece of pocky. Hane chirped from his shoulder, and Aoi split the candy handing the biscuit to the bird. The rest of the group seemed to disregard the scene as well, instead gathering back around the two and chatting amiably. Shikamaru stayed behind and walked next to Aoi.

 "What are you going to do once we return to the village, Aoi?"

Chewing dully on the pocky in his mouth, Aoi waited until he was done with the treat to answer. "Return to the academy, I am still an instructor there."

Shikamaru seemed to contemplate this, not commenting for a few seconds. "Are you still Ibiki's and Inoichi's student?"

Aoi placed another pocky in his mouth before responding. "Yes, when I left we were busy with a few of the sound shinobi we captured. I do not know what has happened since."

"I see." The conversation ended, and the two walked side by side. Shino dropped back from the main group to walk with them, but despite this the three remained silent. It wasn't awkward, but looking back at them, Kiba got a faint sweatdrop on his head.

Kodomo followed his gaze and chuckled a little. "At least they seem to get along well."

"Maybe a little too well..."

_+_

Hmm... it's alright I guess... Not the best, but not the worst kinda thing I guess. It feels like this chapter was later than the others, but I could be imagining things. Meh. I'm going to try and get another chapter posted later this week, because next week I have camp. Of course the camp is no technology, so it is impossible to upload something to the internet without access to the internet. Hard to believe, huh?

Uh... there was something else... I really can't remember though. *sigh* I guess it wasn't important if I forgot it, right? The next chapter should be a little more interesting if you ask me, but then again, knowing me I will probably change at least seven things that I already wrote out. *sigh* I wonder if sighing really turns your hair grey... Gray? There is a good question for the day!

Grey vs gray, what is the effing difference? (and  don't say anything about Fairy Tail's Grey(?) unless you spell his name Gray, which I doubt.)

Vote/comment/fan all of which only take a few movements of the mouse or finger, not a lot of effort there. I guess if you didn't like the chapter you shouldn't vote though... You could comment and let me know why though? Criticism builds character as I always say! ^.^ Well, in interest of not becoming a true slangwhanger, I'm going to say goodbye now, so see ya!

-Nicky~