Ch. 10: Mistletoe

Kakashi was only mildly repentant about the way Naruto had gone sailing through the trees after that left jab. He wouldn't have been at all, except he'd realized just after impact that Naruto had likely been feeling uneasy about the way their relationship as Senior - Junior ANBU had been rather abruptly upended. And slyly pointing out the mistletoe above them and then laying a big kiss right on his mask was probably Naruto's way of attempting to set their relations back to their normal "Serious Senpai" to "Bratty Junior" routine.

It was something Iruka would have understood immediately. He sighed.

That said, it was good that Naruto had noticed the plant growing in the upper branches of the giant oak they had stopped on. Oak mistletoe was rare, but it was a potent source of poisons and medicines. He carefully reached up, cutting off a sizable spring with his kunai.

"Itai, Kakashi. . ." Naruto reappeared on the branch, ruefully rubbing his jaw. "What's got you so cranky?"

"River. Wolf fur still all over my clothes. I smell like a wet dog . . ."

"But you love dogs!"

Kakashi's eye narrowed in irritation. "Doesn't mean I want to smell like one. . ." He tore the spring in half lengthwise, handing one half to Naruto to store away among his supplies.

"Well," Kakashi slid down to sit on the branch. "While we're waiting for Pakkun's report, I've got a couple of questions for Kyuubi. . ."

Naruto's eyes shaded to lilac and back. "Yeah?"

"First, when we were at the Exile's Rest, it sounded like you were not familiar with the geography of the Northern Range but, when you spoke to the priest—" Kakashi was mentally glossing over the fact of the priest's state of non-living "—you mentioned a particular place, as though you knew exactly what's up there. What's up with that?"

Naruto sighed, sitting next to Kakashi, eyes shifting purple. "When I was born," the dual voice started. "The world looked very different than it does now. For instance, only what is now western Fire was land at the time. Central Fire and everything east of that – Lightening, Water, all those places --were under a vast ocean. The desert of Wind was smaller, located more to the southwest. There are mountains where there were none before, plains where there were mountains, none of the rivers are the same, except maybe the one that goes through River Country, but I'm not even sure about that . . . but it looks like up here is a lot closer to the way it was. The lake wasn't in mountains, but that whole area went up all at once, so a surprising number of things stayed intact. . . Once the rock-nin told me it was a lake, I was pretty sure what I was dealing with . . ."

Kakashi nodded, trying to imagine just how great a change could have come about, but failing. "When we spoke to the priest, we already knew he'd taken some sort of explosives, but you asked about two other weapons—chemical and biological. What did you mean?"

Naruto's eyes held his for a moment. "So, people have forgotten about those? I suppose that 's a good thing. . . chemical weapons were basically airborne or waterborne poisons, usually used in amounts to take out small villages. Biological were basically. . . plagues."

"Plague? Like, when people get those black lumps?"

"Well, that's one of them, but they had far worse. They'd caught and studied diseases that would, if let loose, pretty much end your species. . . things so horrific Orochimaru would have forsaken all dreams of immortality just to see them at work. . . "

Kakashi was pensive. "I thought you said they were good people."

Kyuubi huffed through Naruto. "They were, but they were also powerful. Due to their power, they had enemies, and they knew that those enemies did not have the same restraint they did. The only way to know how to combat and protect your people against such plagues is to have them yourself, to develop vaccines and cures, and to hope that you're faster than they are. Those who don't live by the sword can still die by it."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to draw another breath, but Pakkun arrived at that moment to report. Curiosity could wait.

* * *

Iruka had taken Gaara and Sasuke out to Chouji's favorite barbecue place-- one can only have Ichiraku so many times in a week before needing break, after all. They had passed Ino on the way in, the blonde busy stringing up holly and mistletoe from the lampposts, and were given a warm – and loud-- greeting from Chouji, who was sitting at a table with some friends, inviting them to join.

In all the shuffling about that followed, Sasuke had ended up right next to the window looking out onto the street, Gaara next to him, and Iruka across. The latter two were discussing the possibility of Gaara auditioning for the orchestra after Christmas, when something caught Sasuke's eye.

"Hey, guys," he nudged Gaara. "Neji and Ten-ten."

All conversation in the diner stopped, and they were suddenly surrounded by a crowd of shinobi, pressing up to get a view.

"What?" Gaara was slightly confused. They saw Neji and Ten-ten practically everyday when they weren't on missions, what was so important about this?

"Last year," Iruka said softly. "Neji and Ten-ten were standing under that very same light. Ten-ten noticed the mistletoe, and called it to Neji's attention. It. . . didn't go well . . ."

This didn't help much. "It's just a plant." he said.

Sasuke smiled back at him. "Not during Christmas. The tradition is that if two people are standing beneath mistletoe, they kiss. It doesn't need to be a deep kiss-- a peck on the cheek will do. But it's often a way for girls to get the boy they like to kiss them. Ten-ten tried that last year. . ." he turned back out the window. "Neji not only didn't kiss her, he killed the plant with a chakra charged kunai and walked away. Poor Ten-ten was heartbroken."

"Of course," Gaara could see Sasuke's sudden grin reflected in the glass. "Naruto hadn't left to visit you, yet, so he and Lee were right here, and when they saw what happened, they both ran outside and decked Neji. He had matching black eyes for a week. . ."

Understanding, Gaara looked back at the scene. Ten-ten stood beneath the lamppost, talking with her teammate, trying to appear casual, but deliberately not looking up.

Neji looked . . . well, awkward was the best way of putting it. He was frowning as though trying say something, but this was setting Ten-ten more on edge. She was obviously head over heels for him, despite his previous treatment, but was trying to not set herself up for humiliation again.

As they all watched, Neji's normally impassive face went through several expressions visible even from their distance. The entire restaurant held its breath as his face settled on resolve. A waiter opened the door to let some sound in.

"Ten-ten." Neji interrupted the flow of words from his teammate. "I've been thinking, I'm sorry about last year. I was wrong."

"Oh, Neji, it's alright. I-- I shouldn't have been so foolish and, and forward--"

"No."

"Wha--?"

"I mean, I was wrong." He leaned forward, putting his lips on hers.

Gaara heard a squeak from behind him that sounded a bit like Hinata.

Neji pulled back. "And I'm so sorry I hurt you like that."

Ten-ten was the picture of shock. "But . . . you don't like me like that!"

His smile was smug. "Now you're wrong."

"I'm—oh! That's . . . that's good. . ." A blush suffused her face.

Neji seemed to finally notice their audience. "Ten-ten, it's cold out here. Why don't we go to the tea house and discuss this further. My treat, of course."

"Um, okay, that's a good idea. . ."

The two walked down the street, Neji glaring at the restaurant.

Everyone inside heaved a collective sigh.

"I am so glad I do not have to beat up my precious teammate this year." Lee said. "Love has triumphed again!"

People were nearly back at their seats, when Chouji spoke.

"Hey, Hinata . . . would you like the last piece of barbecue?"

Everyone froze again as Hinata blushed to the roots of her hair. Shyly, she reached forward to accept the gift Chouji was offering. "Th-thank you, Chouji."

Chouji blushed. "You know," he said, fidgeting nervously. "My mom makes a really great apple pie. You want to have some for dessert?"

Hinata blushed again, eyes going wide, and trying to hide a smile behind the barbecue she was nibbling on. "I think that w-would be w-wonderful, Chouji-kun!"

Sasuke was doubfounded. "Hinata and Chouji?" he whispered.

Gaara frowned, stood, and walked to stand next to Chouji. He leaned down, whispering in the big man's ear. Chouji paled a little, but did not shrink away. His only response was "If that happens, I think you'll have to stand in line."

Gaara nodded. "I'm glad we have an understanding. From what I can tell, you're a good man, and I really hate doing that do good people."

"Gaara!" Hinata's voice was chiding, that didn't phase Gaara.

"I will protect all my precious people," Gaara replied with a firm gaze."No matter how well they can care for themselves."

And that was that. Hinata and Chouji walked out a few minutes later, exchanging polite words about the quality of barbecue and apples.

Iruka looked across at Gaara. "Poor Neji, when he finds out you're the one who gave the big brother speech . . ."

"Hinata is my friend." Gaara stated. He turned to Sasuke. "Are we going to have mistletoe?"

Sasuke looked at him like he had just asked what color snow was. "Of course we're going to have mistletoe. Iruka, did you put any up yet?"

The teacher blushed. "I put some over the mantle. . ." he said. "And a little over the kitchen table. . . and maybe some in the bedroom. . ."

" . . . and the broom-closet . . ."