Roses are Red

Someone I Used to Know

Recappy From the Last Chappy: "You're late. Krystal!" Ino scolded with hands on her hips as Krystal jogged to reach her, Hinata, Akamaru and Kiba. Krystal apologized sheepishly in front of them. "Whatever. Let's just leave already, I want'a get to Tanzaku Town as soon as possible."

"Okay then, let's go," Kiba urged. "Last one there buys everybody lunch!" In a flash, he and Akamaru were running past the gates at top speed. Krystal, Hinata and Ino all looked at each other first in confusion at what just took place and then shrugged before following.

Chapter 5: Someone I Used to Know

Hotel Kagura. The three chuunin, dog and genin looked up to it‛s grandness almost with an expression of awe. Though it was perhaps only four stories high, it seemed to reach into the sky and made the other smaller hotels and such around it seem like only simple tea houses.

"It‛s so . . . big," Hinata commented.

"I think the owner might be compensating for something," chuckled her teammate.

Krystal shook her head. "I highly doubt that," she said, having met the owner of Hotel Kagura a few instances before during her trip with Jiraiya and Naruto.

"Why?"

"Because-Never mind, I‛ll let you see for yourself."

Kiba gave her a questioning look, but dismissed the statement at the moment and allowed the girls to enter the hotel before. They were greeted at the entrance by a woman with short violet hair, blue eyes and a red lipstick that stuck out on her luminescent face. Her kimono was colored with shades of lilac and decorated with golden floral designs.

Krystal gave Kiba a look. "See?"

He simply shrugged. "Hey, ya never know, these days."

She rolled her eyes as Kagura finally arrived to a stop in front of them. "Welcome, you must be the Konoha ninja assigned to protect Maboroshi-sama, correct? We weren‛t expecting for another few hours . . . . Oh well, my name is Kagura, the owner of this hotel. Allow me to show you where you will be staying as Maboroshi-sama has informed me he wishes to extend your stay until morning." She then realized Krystal‛s presence, who smiled a fake, polite smile, and her previous cordial expression turned sour. "Oh . . . it‛s you again. Where‛s the old man and that blonde kid?"

"Oh, don‛t worry, they‛re not with me. I‛m traveling with different company today," Krystal replied

"That‛s good. You and that blonde kid nearly tore up my hotel last time you were here with all those pranks and practical jokes. Heaven forbid if you two ever come here on an April Fools‛ Day," Kagura said with a nearly mournful look on her face that stayed for a moment longer before the persona of a happy hotel owner overtook her again. "Please, follow me, and I-Oh, I didn‛t realize . . . . Sir, we can‛t let such a large dog in, I‛m afraid."

"What‛re you talking about?" Kiba asked, glancing over his shoulder at Akamaru. "He‛s not that big."

"He‛s the size of a horse! He won‛t be able to-"

"Is there a problem here, Miss Kagura?" stepped in a young woman with long and beautiful red hair. She looked at Kagura with eyes of a more forest green pigment and wore clothes that made her seem casual yet have an air of authority at the same time. They consisted of a black blouse, a navy pleated skirt, a dark red tie, and a blazer nearly matching the color of her skin and belt where her sword hung from.

"I-W-well, erm . . . . His dog," Kagura stuttered.

"And what‛s wrong with pets? This one doesn‛t believe you have a rule against them, as you let Lady Shijimi bring in her cat with her this morning. You have something against dogs?"