Ah, well it's been quite some time since I've updated this one. My apologies, though I do have a sufficient reason.

I got a job and now I need to work my way up the corporate ladder and gain seniority so I can snag a full-time position. So I'm now working two jobs to get by. Not to mention it's almost tax season. Woe is me. ;A;

To make up for things I have a large chapter for you all. It's a whopping 7,617 words! I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing some of the scenes!

Please enjoy!

• • • • • •

Kuroko was anxious.

He had never been in an Onsen before. There were a few in Konoha proper, though he never had an interest in going in once. He wasn't… confident in his body—not in the slightest. His hands moved away from the fabric and clasped together. His voice cracked as he spoke up, "Um… I'm going to get a drink first."

Chouji and Shikamaru's eyes followed Kuroko's fingers to the little drink station closer to the lobby. "Want us to wait for you Kuroko?" Chouji asked, slowing to a stop.

"Ah, n-no it's okay. I'll catch up!"

Shikamaru nudged Chouji and gestured him to follow him into the hot spring. They heard Kuroko sigh in relief, and Chouji just figured that Kuroko was being shy.

Kuroko sat down and waited a few minutes until he was sure that the two of them would be in the bath already. He absently fiddled with his clothes as he waited.

Despite it being a new one, the bottom of Kuroko's poncho was already starting to fray from his habit of tugging at the fabric when nervous. It wasn't something he was aware of either, but he was dreading what was coming next.

Entering quietly, he scanned the area. No person was in sight and he sighed, reassured that he was fine for the time being. Stripping down, Kuroko was thankful that the towels provided were large. Given Kuroko's small stature, the towel wrapped around his chest and ended mid-thigh, so it would provide good cover. Silently, he went out into the onsen to wash up beforehand and shivered as his bare feet touched the cold stone floor.

The steam of the onsen was thick as the night air was cold, dropping below ten degrees without the wind factoring in. Chouji and Shikamaru were silent as they both relaxed in the hot water, bodies protected from the cool wind that rustled the leaves on the trees that were beginning to fall.

Finding a secluded washing station, Kuroko took solace in the privacy given by the steam. The hair on his neck stood up on end when a cool gust of wind came by as he washed his body and he sneezed.

"You alright over there Kuro?" Shikamaru wondered how long he was going to take, but then again, whenever Kuroko took a bath he was in there for at least an hour.

"Y-yes!" Shikamaru's voice startled him and a loud, hollow thud was heard as he dropped the water basin on the ground. "I'm almost done!"

Chouji stretched and got into a more comfortable position, "There's no rush, it's not like the water is going to get cold."

A smirk stretched Shikamaru's lips as he had an image in his head, three… two… one. The sound of water was heard when Kuroko washed himself off by dumping the basin full of water on himself. Feeling clean and content, he padded over to the bath.

Smirking, Shikamaru counted down in his head, 3… 2… 1...

The wind bit into Kuroko's warm, wet skin, and he nearly tripped with how violently he reacted to the shock. "Ah! T-h-hat's cold!" He stumbled for a moment and regained his bearings.

Immediately afterwards there were wet footsteps quickly approaching their direction.

Chouji saw Shikamaru smirk and looked to see Kuroko hurrying over with a large towel wrapped around his torso. He wondered why Kuroko was wearing his towel like that but didn't really pay much mind to it. It wasn't like it affected him in any way. If it makes him feel more comfortable, what's wrong with it?

Shikamaru chuckled, "The wind is rather cold, isn't it Kuroko?"

"Yeah…" he shivered, body feeling prickly with the temperature, "I-I guess it's refreshing in its own way?"

It didn't come as a surprise, but Kurko had his mask on his face, the elastic cloth band covering his ears, and was as modestly covered as a hot spring would allow.

Tentatively, Kuroko stuck his toes in to test the temperature and sat at the ledge to slowly inch himself in. His skin burned and felt like pins and needles as he entered the water. It was much hotter than he thought it would be and he knew he wouldn't be able to last too long in it—but his muscles were sore and this was just what the doctor ordered.

Sinking into the water, Kuroko found that sitting flat on the bottom the water just reached his mouth while it was a little above Shikamaru's shoulders. He frowned, pouting a little. I know I'm short, but this feels unfair. He compromised by tucking his legs underneath him, now having his head fully out of the water.

Kuroko glanced at Shikamaru as he pushed his hair out of his face. Shikamaru looked much different with his hair down. It was quite long as it went past his shoulders and dipped into the water.

"Is it really comfortable for you to wear that in here?" Chouji asked, concerned. He knew it was a personal topic, and with Ino not there to pry about the topic he couldn't help but feel curious.

Shaking his head, Kuroko gave the same response as he did with Shikamaru a long while ago, "Not really… but… I need to wear it." Kuroko fidgeted nervously. He liked Chouji. He was kind and didn't judge, but he really didn't want to show any more people than he had to. It made him feel guilty somehow.

Humming in acknowledgement, Chouji went back to enjoying the silence that was offered.

Leaning against the wall of the onsen, Kuroko let his head lean back on the stone behind him and looked up to the stars. It was rather calming. The sky was clear except for a wall of clouds further in the distance, rapidly approaching, and the stars shone brightly. The steam slowly rose up before fading away into the sky while the wind carried away the moisture and brought in the cool night air.

For once… his mind was clear. No thoughts clouding his mind as if the spring adsorbed his worries.

Soon the heat started getting to him, and Kuroko got up to sit on the ledge with his legs slowly wading in the water. A chill shook him when his warm body met the cold air and his ears perked up.

"Can't handle the heat, can you, Kuroko?"

Despite picking up the sound of something behind him, Kurko nearly jumped out of his skin when Arata announced his presence. A small sound of freight accompanying his panic. The man had one of the towels provided tied deftly around his waist and another slung over his shoulder. His darker skin showed many scars from his time on the battlefield, all of them old and some deeper than others.

"N-not really. I do want to relax some more though…"

Arata chuckled and entered the water beside Kuroko, "Well that mask certainly isn't helping. Take that thing off, I've got an alternative."

"B-but…" Kuroko glanced over to Azuma who he noticed was lingering in the back and Chouji who seemed to get the message.

"I'll turn away if that's what you would like." Receiving a thankful nod from Kuroko, Chouji turned away for the moment.

Arata shot a look to Azuma and the man shrugged. With a little roll of the eyes, Azuma turned around to face the other way as well. While Arata trusted the man, that didn't necessarily mean Kuroko did.

With the coast clear, Kuroko set his mask aside and was surprised when Arata wrapped the extra towel he had around his head into a little hat. Kuroko blinked owlishly, I… should have thought of that...

"Alright, you're fine now Chouji." Arata then whispered into Kuroko's ear, "Just be wary of the tail," and gave him a pat on the head.

"T-thank you, Kuro-sensei," Kuroko smiled, and for the first time since the mission started, Kuroko was maskless. Despite it being banned in the Nara household, Kuroko had quickly grown accustomed to wearing it all the time again over the course of the mission. He could feel the breeze on his face, and the air he breathed was cool in his lungs now. It was refreshing.

It was relieving that he didn't have to show anything as he feared he would have. Chouji was kind, but Kuroko didn't know what to expect.

Chouji couldn't help but stare for a few seconds, "If you wear that because you think you're ugly, you shouldn't have to worry about it." It sounded like a joke the way it came out, but Chouji was being honest. His face was not hard to look at even with the scar on his chin, while his eyes were the most piercing blue he had seen—brighter than Naruto's.

Shikamaru took humour in that and went along with it. "Yeah, you aren't too hard on the eyes Kuroko."

Kuroko's eyes went wide and his face flushed crimson as he sputtered incoherently. Wanting to escape, he sunk into the water to hide himself from them. He wanted to relax, not get teased. Pouting, Kuroko blew bubbles in the water.

Blinking owlishly at the interactions going on, Chouji was mildly surprised. He's more expressive than I thought he would be.

A distant splash of water was heard and Sugawara entered the onsen. Their client went to the other side of the onsen. It was quite a long journey and he wanted to relax in solitary. He sighed and leaned back.

Time passed and dark clouds rolled in low in the sky. Kuroko started to overheat and brought himself back up to sit on the edge again, the cool air feeling nice on his skin. The trees rustled, and Kuroko heard the rain that was still quite far off.

"Should we go in? It's going to rain."

"Are you kidding?" Shikamaru huffed exasperatedly, "That's the best time to be in an onsen." The rain would help cool their heads and bodies so they could continue to relax.

A throaty chuckle came from Arata as he laughed, "Wait until winter when your hair freezes from the steam—now that's the best."

Azuma nodded in agreement.

Kuroko smiled and lifted his chin out of the water, "That sounds fun."

"You'd come again?" Shikamaru asked, honestly surprised at the fact. He didn't think Kuroko would be interested in a second visit to an onsen.

"O-only if there weren't any other people."

The low hiss of rain approached from far in the distance, and with a few small drops into the onsen, the downpour was upon them. Kuroko sat up a little and took a deep breath. He had been in for too long and was feeling light-headed now, but he couldn't leave just yet. He had to be the last person out. The rain certainly did help cool his head and made it more tolerable to stay in until everybody started filing out. Just a little while longer.

"How long are you guys going to sit around for? And I thought I took a long time in the bath!" Ino's voice rang out over the dividing wall. "Don't we have to get up early to get ready?"

Shikamaru sighed, and water displaced as both him and Chouji got up, "Well, that's our cue."

Kuroko waited for them to leave, but the two Jounin stayed. A small frown came upon his face and he reached for his mask and put it on. He moved to sit on the edge and took the towel off his head, opting to cool down before getting up, he felt that he might blackout otherwise.

A few seconds later, the rain picked up again and the drops cooled his skin.

It felt nice.

Arata kept an eye on Kuroko as he slowly got up. The boy's balance wasn't that stable due to the heat, but he got up without much of an issue.

"We are all staying in that large room, right?"

Arata nodded, "All the futons are set out, so you don't have to worry about setting anything up."

Azuma waited until Kuroko was out of earshot before speaking up. "What made you want to apprentice him? He's a bright kid, don't get me wrong, but he doesn't seem fit for duty if you know what I mean."

Thinking for a moment, Arata stared at the water. The rain causing ripples as it hit the surface. "I see potential in him. Everybody has their scars, and while his affect him mainly socially, it isn't detrimental to his development as a Shinobi. There are ways to work with and help those scars heal."

Clouds flashed in the distance. Seconds passed, and the sound came, a low rumble wracking through the air.

Azuma huffed, "He is a pretty crafty kid." He still felt a sense of guilt when he saw Kuroko's hands and the scars left on them from his blades.

The boy had too many already, and Azuma knew it wasn't his place to ask.

"Not the brightest with hand seals, though. But he masters what he learns and uses his knowledge creatively."

"He's a beast with those strings of his."

"What about your kids?" Arata wondered, "I imagine they're quite different than their predecessors."

Azuma barked a laugh, "Their personalities differ from their parents, but their skill sets are about the same. It makes it easier to train them to be completely honest."

The two idly shared some teaching ideas before they started to overheat in the onsen. Sugawa chose to leave at the same time which was good timing. By the time they got to the room, the kids were already sound asleep.

Arata put a hand on Azuma's shoulder, "I'll be taking first watch." Without waiting for a response, Arata left the vicinity before Azuma could complain.

"Damn."

• • • • • •

Kuroko was the first among the group to wake up. The sun just being to peak through the trees in the distance. Doing his morning routine was a bit difficult with him having to step over everyone to get to the bathroom, but he managed to be silent enough to avoid waking them.

Now all cleaned up, he wore a tight black turtleneck and loose black pants with lots of pockets. Sliding the door open, Kuroko squeaked and jumped when Chouji was waiting right in front of the door, his hair stood on end from the shock.

"Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?"

"A-ah… yes. T-the bathroom is free."

"Thanks."

With Chouji entering the washroom, Kuroko put a hand to his chest and sighed. That little scare made his heart rate jump. It was too early for such panic.

Kuroko figured that they would start getting a move on soon, so he started to organize his things in his bag. Soon everything in his bag was sprawled out in a circle around him.

"You've got quite the load there."

Kuroko looked up to see Azuma sitting cross-legged to his left. "Y-yes. I thought this would be a long term mission, so I packed all I could carry."

"This is all sealed in these little scrolls?" Ino questioned as she put her hair up in her trademark high ponytail.

Kuroko nodded, "It lightens the load." He unsealed a few kunai and shuriken out of a scroll and restocked his holster and pouches. The last few things he needed were another spool of wire and a clean poncho. With one last little poof of white smoke, a nicely folded black poncho appeared on the paper. Kuroko rolled the scroll up and put it back in his bag, making sure everything was in its rightful place.

Pulling his poncho over his head, Kuroko jumped when Arata was right in front of him. A hand was placed on his head, "Kuro-sensei?"

The man just smiled and turned away, "The client is waiting, it's time to start preparing for our second mission."

• • • • • •

Within the hotel, Arata had everyone go into the client's room. The only difference was that it had privacy seals around the premises. Kuroko noticed the tags at each entry point, the four walls and the ceiling.

"Our next objective is to entice in Ryuunosuke Inohara. There are multiple instances of models going missing after making contact with him, though there isn't enough proof for local forces to bring him in. We are to lure him in and capture him."

"Ryuunosuke is a cruel businessman." Sugawara closed his fan loudly and held it against his chin. "He has a preference for younger women and has talked to his targets during the banquet on all occasions." Opening his fan once again, he slowly fanned himself out of habit, "He is a tall man with short spiky brown hair. He usually sports some facial hair, but I haven't seen him recently."

The man seemed to trail off, losing track of the original point he was trying to get across.

Shikamaru blinked, wondering the purpose of this explanation. Trying to get things back on track, he asked, "How are we to lure him in?"

"I-Is this where the h-honeypot comes in?" Kuroko stammered out, not really liking the look in his Sensei's eyes.

A pitying look came upon their client's face, "This is indeed where the honeypot comes in Kuroko-kun." Sugawara felt a little bad for what was going to happen next. "Two of you are going to dress up as my models and play as the bait."

Ino, full well knowing that she was going to be dolled up, stifled out a snort imagining the boys crossdressing. "Ahaha! I'm looking forward to this!" She could totally see Shikamaru with his hair down in a dress.

Azuma chuckled at Shikamaru's rapidly paling skin, "Sugawara doesn't have any children's plus-sized clothing, so Chouji is not a suitable candidate."

Chouji relaxed and ended up laying down with a sigh, "Thank Kami-sama."

"It's you or me Kuro." Shikamaru's eyes steeled as held out his hand, gesturing for rock paper scissors.

Kuroko's eyes narrowed under his mask and his lips pursed as he bit the inside of his cheek. With determination, he put out his own hand. Shikamaru usually used rock paper scissors to try and switch out the chores he didn't want to do. Kuroko usually only won one out of ten rounds with Shikamaru, but he was intent on winning.

All of that was nothing in comparison to what this showdown was leading to.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

The two swung their arms down and Kuroko revealed paper while Shikamaru showed rock.

"Look over there!" Kuroko pointed down and Shikamaru ended up looking in the same direction. "Aha!"

The cycle continued with Shikamaru's loss.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

This time Kuroko lost with rock, and Shikamaru, with surprising vigour, chanted, "Look over there!" and pointing to the ceiling. Kuroko did not look the same direction, making Shikamaru's win void.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

With a draw, they both tried again by chanting, "One more time!" Another draw, "One more time!" And another, "One more time!"

The next few rounds Kuroko lost, but he always won with the reaction test of looking the opposite way Shikamaru pointed.

The spectators have never seen either of the two participating Genin so energetic. Neither of them wanted to be the loser as they did not want to dress up as a woman. Ino was shocked that Shimamaru was moving so quickly for a game of rock paper scissors.

Azuma's eyebrows rose up and his mouth was agape at the show of childishness coming from Shikamaru. He had never seen such behaviour from the lazy Nara. There was a similar, though toned down, reaction from Arata regarding Kuroko's own behaviour.

By this time the game had been going on for a full two minutes, though not too long into the second minute, Kuroko was the one to come out victorious.

Shikamaru groaned and sunk to the floor, he felt burnt out from that exchange. The feeling was similar to a long game of shogi. Dragging his palms down his face, he looked through his fingers to see Kuroko happily parading around. Shikamaru's palms hid the small smile that tugged at his lips.

"That was the most energetic that I've ever seen you Shika," Chouji commented idly.

"I do not want to dress up as a woman."

A chuckle sounded from Arata and it made Kuroko halt in his tracks. He knew that tone of chuckle and it did not bode well for him. "Sorry to rain on your little parade Kuroko… but you aren't out of the woods just yet." A wry smirk came upon him as he saw hope in Shikamaru, and despair settle into Kuroko. "We were going to choose who's going to dress up with a little test."

Arata gestured to their client, and their eyes followed to the man who looked like he was enjoying the situation, yet also seemed sheepish while he held two pairs of heels.

Kuroko paled considerably, "Oh no."

Both boys found themselves sitting on chairs opposite from each other taking off their shoes. Kuroko sat with a pout while Shikamaru wore a smug expression. Kuroko narrowed his eyes at Shikamaru, even though it couldn't be seen. He's going to be bad at it on purpose.

Sugawara knelt in front of Shikamaru and help him put on the shoes first. It was a bit of an odd experience putting heels on young boys, but it couldn't be helped. It didn't help that the Jounin explicitly said to get shoes that were more difficult to walk in to test them. Ah, I feel bad for these boys. This must be a cruel joke from that Arata fellow. Moving over to Kuroko, he found that his foot was smaller than the size he had and had to fetch a smaller pair. Even with the smaller size, the ankle strap was only tight enough at its last notch.

"It's weird to see you two in those," Ino laughed as the scathing look she received from Shikamaru. "Not to mention, even I would have difficulty walking in those. Four-inch stiletto heels? No thank you."

"We're trying to walk in these things when even experienced women have difficulty doing it? Great."

Kuroko couldn't help but laugh lightly at Shikamamu's irritability.

"Alright. Just one more thing." Arata clapped his hands together. "As your teachers, we will know if you're faking it. If we catch you failing on purpose… you will run until I say you stop. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." The boys chorused—and was that a whimper from Shikamaru Kuroko heard?

"Good," Arata nodded. "Now begin."

Standing up from their chairs in unison, Shikamaru struggled to stay standing as his balance swayed under the narrow points of contact with the ground. It took a good few seconds to regain his balance while Kuroko, on the other hand, stood up with little difficulty. He was really cursing his dexterity at the moment.

"Walk."

Kuroko took a few shaky steps before he figured out that walking heel to toe wasn't the best way to go about it. Instead, he shifted his weight around midsole for when his foot met the ground.

Shikamaru watched and was oddly impressed with how Kuroko took to it so easily while he could barely stand. He shuffled forward a step, then tried a larger one, but ended up rolling his ankle and tumbling to the ground.

Ino cackled, "You looked as graceful as a cat with tape stuck to its feet—and Kuroko! How dare you be able to walk in those better than me! This is outrageous!"

"I think we know who the winner is," Sugawara whistled. His girls had more difficulty walking in those than him.

Shikamaru looked up to Kuroko, "Sorry, Kuro."

Kuroko shook his head with a little huff, "No, your not."

A smug grin pulled on Shikamaru's cheeks, "You're right."

Kuroko's hair poofed up, "D-don't make me step on you!"

The impulsive comment made Shikamaru raise an eyebrow suggestively while Arata's eyebrows shot up into his bangs. The reactions were varied.

Catching his heel on the floor, Kuroko tumbled onto his side in front of Shikamaru. His mask shifted from the movement and it showed that Kuroko's ears were crimson with embarrassment. "I-I-I… I d-didn't mean—" his breath quickened with panic.

The group around them burst into chuckles and laughter.

Kuroko just whined pitifully and curled into a ball.

• • • • • •

Ino glanced at Kuroko as he walked around the room in circles. She was looking forward to the mission, if only because she was going to be dolled up. Not to mention it was a fashion show. She couldn't hide her excitement even if she wanted to. Kuroko could walk without issue in those shoes now, so she figured they would get called to get their clothes fitted soon.

It still irked her how well he could walk in them. The whole way he walked was different, and until he spoke one could assume Kuroko was confident. Not to mention, what it does to his legs… Shaking her head, her mind drifted to Sasuke wearing them and she almost choked on her saliva. That was a cursed image for sure and she vowed not to think of it again.

Kuroko, still pouting about the circumstances, sat down on a chair opposite of Ino. "These hurt your feet after a while." His ankles were chafed and the baby powder Ino brought really saved him.

With the event going to take place within the next few days, Kuroko had to get used to walking in heels—as such, he was stuck in the hotel room. He refused to go outside and walk around, and now that he's been walking in them for almost two days, he was confident enough that he could walk in them properly. If only his ankles weren't chafed.

Ino huffed a laugh, "Beauty is pain, or as my Okaa-san says." She paused and blew the dust off of her fingernails, "You know… I don't think you'll be able to wear that mask of yours during the mission." She looked to the side to see Kuroko tense.

The fact completely escaped him, What am I going to do about that?

"I have a solution to that, so don't worry about it." Arata looked up from the scroll he was reading. "And Kuroko, take those off for now. Your feet should recover some before the mission. You're done practising with them."

It was good timing that Kuroko could also hear footsteps from outside the room. He refused to wear them in Shikamaru's sight if he didn't have to. He would just get teased otherwise, and he did not want that.

He wanted to avoid it until the last moment if at all possible. The less teasing the better.

For the next few days, they switched shifts of guarding the client and helping prepare the venue for the event. Thankfully Arata ordered Kuroko to stop practising, so his feet recovered enough to not be sore the day of.

He couldn't look like he was stiff as a board after all. That would ruin everything.

The morning of the event, the door slid open and the client walked in. Trudging behind were Shikamaru and Chouji, both looking exhausted with Azuma looking quite entertained.

"Now, I believe that it's time to get you two all dolled up," Sugawara could immediately see the excitement in Ino's eyes, and empty acceptance in Kuroko's posture.

Ino stood up from her chair at the table, her enthusiasm positively brimming, "It's about time! Come on Kuroko!"

Kuroko sighed and resigned himself to his fate. It was for the mission after all.

It was just a massive step outside his comfort zone.

• • • • • •

They were brought next door to Sugawara's hotel room where there were already a few people bustling around. There were racks with clothes all around the room and small shelving units on wheels that carried shoes, accessories and various other things. The line of clothes Sugawara was going to present were all in the room. It was to be guarded as much as him as it was his newest and most controversial clothing line.

Nothing was to get out.

Ino let out a soft gasp as she saw a beautiful modern dress a woman was getting fitted. It hugged her torso but had the fabric bundling and flowing out from the shoulders. The dress changed to another fabric at the waist and flowed into a billowing skirt.

"Wow…"

Sugawara sat down and opened a case. He smiled, "I'm glad that you like it. There's nothing really like this line out on the market yet, so I'm taking a leap of faith here."

"These clothes look elegant, but look like they could be worn casually too…" Kuroko trailed off and stared at a woman who was hyperfocused on her task of hemming a pair of straight-legged pants. He didn't even pay attention to the woman in her undergarments getting measured. It was fascinating. He never really paid attention to fashion, and now all of this caught his interest.

Sugawara hummed, "Now, you two will have to be measured. I apologize, but you will have to undress." He looked over his shoulder, "Is Rei able to measure this young lady here?"

Ino blanched, Rei? It was a masculine name, and just to her fear a person in a suit walked over. Ino looked up to the tall person as they pulled the length of the measuring tape.

"Sure. No problem." The voice was feminine and upon close look… Ino flushed. This lady rocked the suit she wore.

"You better not look Kuroko!"

Kuroko was too adsorbed in looking around to truly hear Ino, but he instinctually hummed in response. This was something new and Kuroko was curious about everything. He didn't really care either way—the body was the body after all.

Sugawara couldn't help but smile with how Kuroko's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "I'll measure you then Kuroko-kun." He blinked when the light was suddenly snuffed out.

Kuroko bit his lips and nodded, "Um…" He looked to Arata who just tilted his head. Urging him to go on. "I… have a lot of… scarring… so something, erm… modest would be best."

Arata smiled. He could tell that doing that took a lot out of the boy, but he was proud.

Ino was fighting the urge, but her curiosity got the better of her and she looked behind her. Pity welled up when she saw Kuroko's back. A multitude of small, white lines and larger scar tissue littered his back and arms. She could only assume that it was the same on his front. It gave her a bit of insight to understand what Kuroko went through in his life.

Taking a shaky breath, she made contact with a white mask when he looked behind him.

It took a moment before Ino gathered herself and upon reflex, she put on a smile but then realized...

"Turn around!"

With Ino's shriek, Kuroko whipped his head back around.

"Getting brave are we Kuroko?" Arata grinned, attempting at breaking down the tension in the room.

Kuroko blinked and his head tilted in question, "What do you mean?"

A beat passed before Arata sighed, "Hmm." He had his suspicions about it, but Kuroko didn't seem to be interested in the opposite sex at all. Well, he is thirteen… but shouldn't he at least get embarrassed about it? Arata low key wanted to tease Kuroko about it.

Oh well.

Sugawara frowned as his eyebrows rose. He was shocked silent for a moment, "You weren't kidding." Poor kid. "Ah, well that's fine, it can't be helped." Then without missing a beat, Sugawara pulled on the measuring tape and wrapped it around Kuroko.

Sugawara chuckled when Kuroko jumped, "It all got us in the beginning kid." The cool shock on bare skin was truly a shock at first. After jotting the measurements down on a notepad. "I'll have to see your face to make a final decision on the composition of your clothes…"

Arata grinned, "That's where my little gift comes in." Reaching into his pocket, Arata took out a band of what looked to be black fabric with a stone piece on it. "This can be worn as a necklace, bracelet or anklet. As long as it is around a part of your body it will be in effect." Arata handed it to Kuroko who inspected it.

There was a circle of very small, finely written kanji surrounding a larger kanji of 'Conseal'. Wrapping it around his wrist, Kuroko could feel the drain of chakra as it took affect. Trusting his Sensei, he tentatively took off his mask. "Does… it work?"

Arata scoffed and flicked Kuroko's forehead, "Of course it works brat." He smirked as Kuroko's wide, cyan eyes narrowed at him with a pout. "I wouldn't fail you like that." Though it took a lot of fucking effort to recreate and compress it.

"I-I was just making sure…"

"It doesn't use as much chakra as your mask since you don't need to see through any solid material. I also added a part that activates and uses more chakra if you are touched. A genjutsu will remove the sensation that they felt and replace it with what they were expecting."

"T-that's amazing Sensei!" Kuroko stared at the little accessory in amazement. Seals were really cool!

Sugawara smiled at the exchange. It was sweet, but he also had no idea what they were talking about. Cracking his neck, he got up and retrieved the clothes Kuroko would wear now that he had a clear image in mind. It took a little while as he had to change the outfit to cover Kuroko's scars, but he eventually came to a decision.

The first piece to be fitted was a light lime green button-up blouse. The material was of a soft, delicate cotton. It was woven to be thin and breathable but solid enough to not show any undergarments. The only adjustment made to the shirt was to shorten the sleeves.

Next was a pair of sheer black stockings, and on top of that was a flowy, simple high waisted black skirt that ended below Kuroko's knees that gave a proper and modest look. The waist was elastic and the shirt was tucked in.

Humming, Sugawara took out an accent piece that was tied under the collar of the shirt. An accessory made of pale green cloth with a light pink rose was a pop of colour to accent the outfit. To match, the shoes were the same shade of pink. They had a small platform to them and the heel itself was three inches, with the platform it was four inches of height added on. They were closed-toe and had a strap that closed around the ankle.

Last was a turquoise faux leather, double-breasted coat that ended below the waist.

Looking over the fit, Sugawara nodded in satisfaction. "Now we just have to style that unruly curly hair of yours. Suki, it's your turn." He handed her a hair clip made of blue, green and yellow flowers.

"Aye sir!" The girl tugged Kuroko to her station. Kuroko stumbled for a second, the feeling of a skirt completely foreign to him. It felt odd, to say the least. He was sat down on a chair as the girl took out some hair products. "Don't mind me, I'm just doing as the boss says! Now to calm down those curls a bit!" Rubbing some product in her hands, she started running her hands through his hair.

Panic welled up in him when she went over his ears and he jumped in his seat. His pulse thrummed in his ears when she stopped.

"Wow, your hair's amazingly soft kid! How do you do it? I'd kill for hair like this!"

Kuroko sighed in relief, and out by Ino he saw Arata give him a thumbs up with that cunning smirk of his. Kuroko just frowned and looked away.

"I'm going to be tugging a little bit, just bear with it for a second."

Kuroko was thankful for the warning because not a moment later his hair was being tugged in a tight, high ponytail. His bangs were tugged out of the elastic and were swept across his face.

"Now hold your breath."

A spray was misted over him as Suki tamed the stray hairs. Smiling at her handiwork, she finished with the hairclip she was given. "Hmmm…." She thought for a moment before leaning over and shouting to another member of their team, "Ey, Jiro, you think he should have some earings?"

A tall man with long hair and makeup took one look at Kuroko. "We have clip-on earrings that match the hairclip."

"Fantastic! I'm sure the boss would approve. Now it's your turn. Make 'em marvellous Jiro!"

The man chuckled as Kuroko walked over, hands holding the skirt to make it easier to walk. Kuroko nodded to him, "I-I'll be in your care."

Jiro nodded in response and was quite frank when he said, "I'll have to hide those scars of yours."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be. It can't be helped."

Kuroko grabbed at the fabric of his skirt as he watched the stoic man in front of him start mixing makeup and powders together. "You're… very pretty."

Not even missing a beat, Jiro's serious expression cracked into a kind looking smile. "Thank you. I find that few people accept my way of life. It's nice to hear that you're accepting kid." He broke into a chuckle, "I suppose you would have to be to do this though."

"W-way of life?"

Jiro paused in his work. He turned to look Kuroko in the eyes. He's never seen such a colour. "You're quite sheltered despite being a shinobi, aren't you?" Seeing Kuroko get flustered, he continued, "You don't see that much nowadays. Now keep still."

Kuroko flinched at the cool paste that was put on his chin where his scar was. It was thick and with Jiro's skill it smoothed out to cover up the scar, leaving no trace of it behind.

"People have been stuck in their ways for a long time. It's hard to get them to understand something outside their comfort zone. People like me are an anomaly to them."

Kuroko's eyes lit up in recognition. He didn't know the terms associated with it, but he knew the general meaning. "But… it doesn't matter who you like, right?"

Jiro's forlorn expression had Kuroko feel a pang of sadness, and his head was tilted to the side so Jiro could work on his necks scar.

"It doesn't hurt them in any way, so why should they care?!" Kuroko was surprised at himself with how heated he was getting over the topic. With him getting distracted, Kuroko recoiled and a whimper came out when the cold cream was put on his neck.

Jiro raised an eyebrow as Kuroko's face flushed in embarrassment. Frowning and looking away, Kuroko avoided eye contact for a while.

Jiro chuckled, "It's nice to know that you care, kid."

Biting his lips, Kuroko nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

The conversation trailed off as Jiro continued to work. A powder was dusted over his scars to blend it, and then there were the eyeliner and mascara. That process itself was trauma-inducing as, first of all, his eyes could have been stabbed by a pencil at any moment, and second, Jiro had to get uncomfortably close to get it done properly.

Kuroko sighed in relief when Jiro backed away and his iron grip on his skirt lessened.

Jiro's work was finished just as he finished applying the blush and pale pink lipstick with a gloss. The man clapped, "This one is done, and he looks positively fetching."

Kuroko's gaze followed to where Jiro was looking only to see the group of people, including Ino, staring at him. He shrank away from them and he found a particularly interesting part in the grain of the wood.

He winced when he heard the hairstylist woman squeal, "I knew you would do him justice Jiro!"

Jiro cleared his throat, "As I always do Suki, dear."

"Woah, Kuroko! You cleaned up so nicely!" Ino looked him over and frowned, "I swear, it's just plain insulting when a guy ends up cuter than you."

"B-but you look v-very pretty Ino. Um… It looks…" Kuroko paused, trying to think of the right word, "mature."

A satisfied smile grew on Ino, "That's a great way to describe it too—even though you are older than me." She spun around to look herself over in a mirror.

The lavender blouse had the perfect amount of frills on it. The frills flowed from where the buttons went up and were accented around the cuffs. Frills weren't usually Ino's cup of tea, but with this shirt she quite likes it. Her skirt fit snug starting from her stomach and going to the waist before it billowed out to just above her knee. Underneath were a pair of white stockings to give some brightness to contrast the black skirt, and on her feet were a pair of purple mary jane heels.

All in all, it wasn't an outfit that Ino would pick out for herself, but she could appreciate it nonetheless. The bow themed earrings matched her neckpiece and the bow holding up her hair in a partial, high ponytail.

"You're just as tall as me with those heels on. If I weren't wearing heels myself anyway."

Sugawara took this moment to speak up, "Now that you two are finished, the other models will come in and start getting ready for this evening. You may wait in your room until it's time. We will touch up your makeup before we leave."

"Sounds good! We should go back so we aren't in their way."

Kuroko reluctantly followed Ino, but with a surge of courage, he stopped her before she opened their door.

"What's w—" Ino blinked, and she immediately knew from the look on his face, "Oh, I see." She grinned. Ino was going to open the door and push him in, but before she could it was slid open from the other side. She was met face to face with Chouji who just froze in place before his face turned crimson and he collapsed.

As soon as that door opened, Kuroko's fight or flight reaction took place and he just took off down the hall.

Ino, at a loss for words, blinked as Kuroko just vanished while Chouji was at her feet.

"Well… Not what I was expecting to happen."

Behind her, Arata, who had been holding in his laughter snorted. Ino shrieked and this time Azuma, who had seen everything from the other side burst out in laughter.

• • • • • •

Shikamaru did not enjoy how Arata was influencing his Sensei. Thanks to him, he and Chouji now had to run until Azuma said to stop as a morning training session. Chouji was so exhausted that he chose to take a nap instead of having any snacks, so Shikamaru went out to get some of the local treats to boost Chouji's morale as he noticed the boy's mood getting worse over the days.

A mochi made out of a special breed of sweet rice that was only farmed in this area seemed to be something that would sate him along with a salty treat of baked bread with salt sprinkled on top.

He was just about ready to take a nap of his own by the time he entered the hotel. Or maybe a quick dip in the onsen? As his mind wandered he did not notice anything before a girl barreled around the corner of the hallway and crashed into him.

Wincing from the impact, Shikamaru heard the girl groan as he stared at the ceiling, "Why… why me?" Shikamaru sighed and started to get up, only to notice the girl on top of him to suddenly jolt and get off of him.

Slowly the face of the girl flushed even under the blush she wore, and under Shikamaru's stare, it spread to her ears. Bewildered, it took Shikamaru a hard couple of seconds to realize.

"Ku...roko?"