It was grossly out of habit that Tenten wore her hitai-ate so openly. And certainly, there had been no thought to change out of her travel and battle gear when she had made the trip up into the mountains. It was how the kunoichi ambled around her own village most of the time. Why would a foreign village be any different? Granted, it would have likely been better for her to consider otherwise. But then, simplicity was something that came as a rarity in the kunoichi's life. No matter how hard she tried to achieve it.

Indeed, the trek into the mountains had been anything but easy. Steep drop offs and treacherous passes were only the beginning of the winding road that ended at the library. Hardly a welcoming invitation for even the most seasoned of climbers. But, truth be told, that had been part of the charm, for her. That had been part of the challenge. Through years of hard work and dedication, Team Gai had taught her to welcome such trials of endurance and strength. And if she happened to be rewarded for it, in the end, all the better for it.

Tenten had always been a seeker of knowledge. So what if it came with obstacles along the way?

She hadn't expected to find many patrons to be there, if any at all. In fact, that was another reason why she had been fond of this particular library tucked away in the mountains. And why she had braved the rocky terrain in order to reach it. So when a seemingly unassuming young man came bounding in and putting a stall to her quiet reading, the kunoichi could not help but be mildy surprised.

"Hm?... Yes?"