Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to Faith-Huskers, rao hyuga 18, BekotaTheMonsterHuntress, and DoItRight for all your wonderful reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this story to their favorite and alert lists - I always get super-excited when I see a new alert in my e-box!

Author's Note: I am slightly jealous of Hinata's present in this chapter. And that's all I'm going to say for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!


*~Chapter VIII~*

~Countdown: Day 5: Chouji~


The next day Hanabi, feeling much better, demanded an update from Hinata about the presents her sister had gotten while the former was sick. After showing her the scarf and keepsake box, Hinata once again bundled up in her winter gear and headed for the Akimichi estate. Another layer of frost covered the ground, crunching under her boots as she made her way along the streets. Once she got to her destination, the Akimichi matriarch told her Chouji had gone out to lunch with his teammates to their favorite barbeque restaurant.

Retracing her steps to Konoha's heart, Hinata wound her way through the marketplace until she found the place in question. Even before she stepped through the door, the smell of grilling meat tantalized her nose. Inside, the heat prickled against her chilled cheeks, slowly warming them.

The owner of the place welcomed her, then led her to the alcove where Chouji sat with Shikamaru and Ino. They all greeted her with smiles, and made room for her at the table. It had been a while since breakfast, so Hinata gratefully slid onto the empty cushion next to Chouji. The waitress brought an extra cup and another platter of meat, which Ino promptly scattered across the hot grill in the center of the table.

"How's the hunt going?" Shikamaru asked Hinata, his eyes drooping sleepily as he watched his wife expertly flip the slender pieces of meat.

"Very well." Hinata accepted a plate and pair of chopsticks from Chouji, then took a sip of her tea. "It's been a great deal of fun following Sasuke's clues all around the village. Yesterday I didn't have to go far, though - Neji and Tenten had that gift. But the clue with yesterday's present led me to Chouji today."

The referenced man smiled as he deftly swept several pieces of meat off the grill and straight into his mouth. "Did you stop by my house first?" he asked after swallowing.

"Yes. Your mother told me you'd be here." Hinata accepted a few slices of meat from Ino and picked up her chopsticks, subtly inhaling the fragrance of grilled meat. It had been a long, long time since she'd had barbeque, and she'd been hungrier for it than she'd realized.

"Even though Team 10 disbanded a while back, we all still meet for lunch," Ino said. Brushing her bangs out of her face, she took a bite of her own meat and rolled her eyes in ecstasy. "We can't really decide on one fixed day, since our schedules vary, but whenever we all have time, we meet up here."

"At least once a month," Chouji added. He spread more meat on the grill with the speed and grace of a card dealer at a gambling table.

"Team Kurenai still goes on missions a lot," Hinata admitted. "But even at that, we do the same thing - try to meet for a meal every now and then. The last time we met, it was here, but that was several months ago. Back in June, I think."

"Wow, that's been a while." Chouji stared at her with wide eyes. "How can you go that long without having barbeque?"

Hinata laughed softly and shook her head. "I'm not sure. But eating it now makes me realize how much I've been craving it lately." She took another bite, savoring the smokey flavor of the meat.

The four friends happily conversed all through the meal, updating each other on everything from family members to funny things that happened on missions. Ino told them all about the newest cultivars her clan were developing for different kinds of flowers, and Shikamaru shared a breakthrough his family had recently made in medicine.

As they sat lingering over tea enjoying the warm blanket of friendship, Chouji reached behind himself and picked up a big, awkwardly-shaped wrapped package from the floor. Setting it on the table in front of Hinata, he grinned and said, "Merry Christmas."

For a moment Hinata just stared at the present in awe, wondering what could possibly be inside the wrapping for it to be so bulky and strangely shaped. After pulling the giant red bow off the top, she unwrapped the shiny green and gold paper. Understanding swamped her as the cellophane-wrapped basket underneath it was revealed.

Peering through the clear wrapping, Hinata saw a huge selection of tins of differently-flavored teas. She could smell them even through the wrapping and over the cooking meat. Her mouth water began to water in anticipation. There were so many variaties - how in the world would she be able to decide which flavor to try first? Jasmine tea, orange and spice flavored, peppermint, cinnamon apple, green, oolong, darjeeling: Where should she begin?

"Tea Country," Chouji said, interrupting her dazzled thought process. "Sasuke picked that up on his way home from a mission - or so he told me."

So all this tea had come directly from Tea Country. Sasuke hadn't gone into various shops around Konoha and then assembled the basket. For some reason, the fact he'd gone straight to the source made the gift even more special. "I can hardly wait to start trying all these flavors," she said. A good cup of tea, the poetry book Sasuke gave her, and a warm blanket - could life get any better? Yes! a part of her whispered emphatically. If Sasuke were actually here with me to share the joy he's created for me!

Chouji looked as proud as if he'd come up with the idea himself. "I got my mother a gift basket of tea three years ago for her birthday," he said. "She's still got some left, and her basket was smaller than yours. She shared some of the tea with me, and everything I tried was delicious. This will last you a long time."

Hinata could believe it. She loved trying different kinds of teas, and she hoped Sasuke would be willing to experiment with her. "I bet every single kind is delicious." Dragging herself away from the tantalizing neat little tins of tea she could see inside, Hinata reached up to the top of the handle to untie the familiar folded slip of paper containing her next clue.

Gardening is not her best skill
Most of her flowers she kills.

Ino looked shocked for a moment, then chuckled. "That's true," she said, nodding. "I know who that's talking about, and she does kill most of the flowers she tries to grow."

Smiling down at the clue, Hinata nodded. She knew whom the clue referenced. Though she saw the woman often, she would never forget or cease to appreciate how much her mentor had helped her grow - both as a person, and as a ninja.

It provided yet another testament to Sasuke's thoughtfulness that he'd included her in the treasure hunt.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I love trying new herbal and fruity teas, so Hinata's present in this chapter is one of my personal favorites. And Chouji is such a sweetheart, I really do like writing him. It was fun writing Team 10 together, too - I love their dynamic in the manga/anime. Though Team Gai is my favorite, Team 10 is a close second. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to see you again tomorrow for Day 4 in our countdown!