SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: This is set about five years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

YATSUMI AND THE GARDEN WALK

Between the entertainment rooms and his client's suite was a hall that allowed access to both the central garden, around which the estate had been built, and the vast pleasure gardens that filled the southern half of the property. Being late spring, the grounds were a riot of color that rivaled his guide's kimono.

They weren't ten strides down the main path when Yatsumi bowed to him, causing him to stop. Straightening, her brows knit. "It is not my place to apologize for Lady Reiko, but I feel obliged to express my regrets if you were made uncomfortable by her comment regarding your attire, Lord Aburame."

Although he was used to having his clothing choice questioned by clients, he was unused to talking about the social propriety of it. "I was not made uncomfortable. Why? Because it is not the first time such a comment had been made."

Her lips dipped briefly into a frown before she continued down the path. "While your patience with such personal prodding is admirable, that does not make it all right." Sensing she had more to say, he remained silent as they passed through the shade of a pair of plum trees that flanked the path. "As Lady Reiko's lady-in-waiting, it is my responsibility to see to our guests' comfort as well as that of the household overall, so there are other reasons I feel the need to raise this topic."

"Such as?"

"When Lord Akimichi was protecting us, we had no yukata or kimono his size, so we had to have them made." Although there was some indication of uncertainty in the shifting of her arms, first up to her obi then back down to her sides, there was none in her voice. "Lord Aburame, would you prefer we have hoods added to the yukata and kimono we have prepared for your stay?"

He guessed the kimono would be for the social gatherings his client had mentioned. While Ino might be used to it, he had never had an assignment that required him to wear civilian clothes. Objectively, he didn't care—a mission was a mission—but subjectively he was unsure how he felt about it. He'd worn the hood up on his clan's traditional trench-coat as soon as he'd gained the right to wear it by qualifying for the middle rank of ninja. Then again, he did not need such a signifier to feel confidence in his abilities.

"That will be unnecessary. Why? Because I have no qualms about lowering my hood or going without one, as needed."

Her expression brightened. "Truly?" In response to his nod, she tilted her hazel gaze skeptically. "Then why didn't you lower it when Lady Reiko mentioned it?"

"Because she did not ask me to lower it."

After a brief wide-eyed look, she covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed. He was unsure why she found his response so humorous, but for some reason it pleased him that she did. It wasn't often others found him amusing.

At last she caught her breath and lowered her sleeve. "Please forgive me, Lord Aburame, but do you mean to tell me if Lady Reiko had simply asked you to lower your hood you would have?"

"Yes."

Although she sobered, her smile remained. "Perhaps you are already aware, but it is common for matriarchs to rule the families of Honey. Lady Reiko has been the head of her own household since before she was widowed, so she is quite used to having her way." Drawing to a halt, she bowed to him again. Raising her head, there was an earnestness in her eyes that struck a chord within him. "Although I have no authority over you, if I were to ask you to lower your hood for the soul sake of pleasing my mistress and thus maintaining the household's serenity, would you consider it?"

Charming. His initial impression had been accurate. She was perfectly charming, and her consideration of others seemed to run deeper than mere duty. He smiled behind his collar and responded by lowering his hood. The sensation of the sun on his scalp was pleasant, but not nearly as pleasing as the elation in her eyes.

"You are most considerate, Lord Aburame, though I am certain Lady Reiko feels a hood is only unnecessary indoors." She raised a hand as though to reach out to him before drawing it back to herself. "With such a fair complexion, do you not risk burning?"

"Given the time of day and year, our latitude and altitude, and the length of this path, I am certain I shall be safe." He nodded to her. "But I thank you for your concern."

Heading down the path again, she gave him another concerned look. "I feel I must warn you that Lady Reiko will likely comment on your goggles, as well. I don't suppose those..."

He shook his head. "Concealing eye-wear is a practical and traditional requirement of my clan."

With her right hand, she made a gesture that suggested determination. "I shall do my best to dissuade Lady Reiko from pursuing that topic." Then she made a waving motion, as though to shoo aside an irritating insect. "But enough of that. As a shinobi, you must have traveled many places, met many people. Please, tell me more about yourself. My understanding is that ninja in the Land of Fire begin their careers in teams of three classmates. Is Lady Yamanaka one of your teammates?"

She gave him a curious look as he cleared his throat to hide a laugh at the thought. "Ino's family is part of a trio of clans that has worked in concert for generations." Having had an Akimichi and a Nara work at the estate, he couldn't help wondering how she didn't already know that. Then it dawned on him she might have asked for conversation's sake. It brought to mind the infiltration tactic of "playing dumb" he had learned during his academy days but had never needed to use. "That is not the case with mine. My teammates include a Hyūga and an Inuzuka."

Placing a hand against her chest as though to restrain her enthusiasm, her hazel eyes sparkled with admiration. "My! How prestigious to work with a Hyūga. Aren't they one of the noble clans of Konohagakure?"

"Yes." He debated with himself about mentioning that the Akimichis and Aburames were also great clans, but he decided it would sound conceited.

After waiting briefly for him to elaborate, she continued without him. "I have not heard of the Inuzukas. What are they like?"

This time, he didn't restrain his chuckle, and she smiled at the sound. "The Inuzukas partner with dogs they are seldom separated from, and they tend to be bold, brash and loud when not working. Although most valued for their tracking abilities, they are fierce warriors. Despite the small size of their clan, they are quite proud, as demonstrated by the red fang tattoos they carry on their cheeks."

"Goodness! They sound most intimidating." She lithely knelt beside an errant lily stalk that was drooping onto the walk and slipped the frond inside its wire support. In doing so, she nearly blended in with the bright greenery around her. Straightening, she smiled at him. "But if your teammate had a canine partner, wasn't it almost as if you has three teammates, instead of two?"

He nodded and wondered at her insight. Most people who'd never met an Inuzuka didn't think of it that way, if they thought about it at all. "Unlike other dogs, Inuzuka partners can fully understand human speech, and they can communicate with their partners in their own language. So Akamaru can convey to us all he perceives through Kiba."

"Akamaru?" She gave him a confused look. "There are red dogs in the Land of Fire?"

"No." A butterfly landed on her sleeve and attempted to find the nectar of an embroidered flower. Something about it made him feel even more at ease with this young woman who seemed so absently comfortable with the nature around her in spite of the restrictive formality of her clothes and position. "Most Inuzuka dogs look like massive wolves, but Akamaru is normally white. His name is derived from a special ability." Deciding the tale might entertain her, he held up his hands, cupping them to the appropriate size and causing her to shift her attention to them. "When we first became a team, Akamaru was this small, and as often as not, he rode on Kiba's head."

"On his head?" Her face filled with delight. "I have heard of people carrying cats around their necks, but a dog on one's head...?" She laughed, and it pleased him. "Surely that drew much attention to them?"

"They were perfectly capable of drawing attention without doing that. It is in their nature. But now..." He shifted one hand to hip height. "Akamaru is this tall at the shoulder, and their roles have reversed. Kiba rides him as one might a horse."

With a smiling yet skeptical look, she waved a hand in front of her nose. "You tease me, Lord Aburame. How can that be?"

He didn't blame her for her doubt; it was difficult to believe. "Yet that is the case. I promise Ino will corroborate my story."

"It is such a curious tale, how could I not ask Lady Yamanaka about it, too?" She gave him a nodding bow without stopping. "I hope you will share it with Lady Reiko. I'm sure she will be as amused by it as I have been." Running the fingers of one hand along her kimono's opposite inner sleeve, she seemed hesitant again. "Based on your description, it sounds as though your Inuzuka teammate is quite lively." Dropping her hands to her sides, she smiled. "I do not mean any offense, but you seem to be more of a quiet and calm person. And although it is presumptuous of me to project Lord Hyūga's tendencies onto the rest of his clan, if your Hyūga teammate was remotely like him, I would think it might be challenging to have had Lord Inuzuka as your teammate."

Another thoughtful insight. He smiled. "Your assessment is accurate, and although it was often difficult in the beginning, there has been much about communication, trust and teamwork Hinata and I have learned from Kiba and Akamaru."

She seemed gratified by his response, like a child who had tried something daring and succeeded. "And what of your clan, Lord Aburame?" It was a conveniently open-ended question that left him in control of what he chose to share.

Again, he rejected the idea of mentioning the importance of the Aburames to Konoha. "Since my clan's strengths include stealth and information gathering, we are inclined to be unobtrusive."

"So Lady Yamanaka..."

"Was not exaggerating." It was something he had grown accustomed to, being overlooked, but he had never liked it. He did not need to crow about his accomplishments like Kiba did, but he strongly preferred to have them acknowledged. Although his attitude regarding the issue conflicted somewhat with the inclinations of his clan, he also felt his clan's continued well-being required that their contributions be better appreciated.

Shaking her head, her barrette glinted in the sun. "Like Lady Reiko, I find that difficult to believe."

Normally it was not a point he was inclined to prove, so he surprised himself by impulsively suggesting, "Would you like a demonstration?" They were approaching a pair of cherry trees, so he could use the dappled shade to his advantage.

She glanced around. "Right here? In the middle of the garden?"

"Yes." He pulled his hood back on. "Close your eyes, count to three, then open them."

Obediently, she did as he asked. Having already started the process of dissipating his chakra signature, he used the seconds her eyes were shut to align himself with one of the plum trees. Although the trunk was far narrower than his girth, it wouldn't matter in full stealth mode. The sense of fading into the natural world enveloped him, and his hive vibrated in contentment.

Upon opening her eyes, Yatsumi looked left then right then spun in a full circle, her gaze slipping past him twice. Initially, her expression was one of awe, but after a few moments, worry began to knit her brow. "Lord Aburame?" Her tone was slightly plaintive, as though she felt apologetic, though he couldn't imagine why.

Just as he began to raise his hands to lift his hood, his hive's frequency altered. Since he was neither agitated nor in battle, the difference should have been inaudible, but Yatsumi seemed to react to it, turning to face him. "Lord Aburame!" Apparently amazed, she reached out, as though wanting to prove he was real by touching him, but she stopped short. "Were you there the whole time?"

"Yes."

Her hands fidgeted briefly at the knot of her obijime before dropping to her sides. "Surely it was some trick, like sleight of hand."

"No."

She gazed searchingly up at his goggles for a long moment. "How astounding that someone as noticeable as you is capable of disappearing from plain sight."

Noticeable was not a word that had ever been associated with him, and that she considered him so kindled a soothing warmth in the wounded part of his heart that had been devastated by the end of his first romance. Disinterested in having his growing admiration for her head in that direction, he started down the path without comment. That seemed to subdue her gregariousness, for she walked beside him without further attempts at conversation. Yet the silence between them did not seem awkward.

As they turned a bend that directed them back to where they'd started, he spotted an immature praying mantis on her sleeve, challenging the one depicted there. It would doubtless be unwelcome in the house.

"Yatsumi."

She smiled up at him, though the cheer that had been there before seemed to have dimmed.

"Your sleeve..."

Glancing down, she chuckled. "I think the kimono guild Lady Reiko patronizes is almost too skilled. Whenever I wear this one, I must always check for unplanned company before returning to the house!" She knelt and lifted her sleeve and, with a few taps from the back side, encouraged the insect to abandon her kimono for the adjacent bush.

"Most people would have swatted it away." He left off the "in fear and revulsion" he felt should go with it.

With a shrug, she straightened. "Most people don't appreciate the true value of all that surrounds them. Although fearsome in appearance, mantises are beneficial for gardens. They are like powerful lords whose duty is to protect others. While you might not want to anger one, you should be safe as long as you show them respect."

It occurred to him that, until then, the whole of their exchanges had been about him. Few bothered to ask him about himself, yet despite the rarity, their talk had flowed so naturally that he hadn't even noticed. As the first comments to give insight into her, he felt compelled to draw out this part of their conversation. "That is an enlightened view."

She blinked in startled surprise, as though she had been caught doing something she ought not, then glanced away. "That is kind of you to say, Lord Aburame. My father was an insect enthusiast, and although I do not share his passion, it has influenced my thinking." Running her fingers along her inner sleeve again, she asked with a hint of trepidation. "Do you think it strange?"

"Not at all. I, too, am an insect enthusiast."

She turned to him with a renewed spark in her eyes. "Truly?"

"Yes." Smiling behind his collar, he was gratified at having solved that minor mystery. "Your barrette came from him."

He had never understood what it meant when others would say they saw someone else "close himself off," but it was the only thing that would explain how her gaze could be so agonizingly haunted one moment then blandly pleasant the next. His reaction to seeing it caused his hive to shift in uncertainty, but they settled with a quick mental command.

"Yes...yes he did."

In the distance, a bell rang. Yatsumi straightened at the sound. "Goodness! That's the dining room bell." She headed down the path at a speed that was less than hasty but more than the leisurely pace of their stroll.

Naturally, he followed after her. "How can you tell?"

"Each room has a bell with a different tone. Doubtless, you will become familiar with them by the time your assignment is done." She transitioned from her outdoor clogs to her slippers with a gentle sway before kneeling to face her clogs and his outward for whomever might use them next. "I hope you're ready for lunch, Lord Aburame. Please don't hesitate to make specific requests. Our chefs like to showcase their talents."

As they proceeded down the hall, he felt a lingering sense of discomfort and belatedly realized he felt badly for having inadvertently upset her with his comment about her barrette. He was the heir of the Aburames; he did not apologize except to those superior to him. But he felt the need to express something to counter the distress he had caused her. As they reached the dining room door, he finally thought of something that might do.

"Yatsumi."

Fingers on the door handle, she paused to face him. "Yes, Lord Aburame?"

"Thank you for the walk. It was extremely pleasant." Although he might never speak with the eloquence of his teammate Hinata, there was no reason he shouldn't put effort into improving his social skills. His assignment here would be the perfect place to practice.

A blush dusted her cheeks as her gaze grew earnest once more. "You are most welcome, Lord Aburame. I couldn't agree more."