Caranril: Yay for working all weekend! That just means an earlier chapter for those who are interested.
Legolas: Thanks to Miss Mouse. We are very pleased that you like it.
Caranril: Do you hafta be so stuffy?
Legolas: I'm just being polite.
Caranril: Show some of that politeness to your author, eh?
Legolas: Not in the contract, dear one.
Caranril: Hm...drat. Well, before writing this, I was interested in finding out exactly what a Mary Sue was, for I knew those were OFCs. So I researched and came to the conclusions that I couldn't write a Mary Sue character even if I wanted to. Unless I put myself in a fic. Yeah, so no worries. In a class I took, the professor said to write what you know about. I guess I'm not doing too badly.
disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.
Chapter 11: Realizing and Reckoning
...hope that things are working out for you. It might be a while before I can send you another message, but I wanted to hear your voice. Let me know how the training is going and say hello to Naruto and Sakura for me.
Kaori fiddled with her Gelel stone earring, tempted to play the message again. Temujin sounded so tired, but so happy. There was something he wasn't telling her, and that something was probably too important to send to a Gelel stone. She'd have to wait. In another month, she'd know whether or not she was to become a Shinobi.
She sneezed. "Can we make this a quick one, Naruto? I'm not too fond of getting sick."
"Aw, you just need to warm up, is all. C'mon! Let's run!" Naruto sprinted away energetically, his scarf fluttering behind him. Kaori moaned and followed, feeling too cold and sore to complain. It wasn't right for it to be this cold and not snow. The cold air bit her lungs as her breathing deepened. Her muscles did not enjoy this run at all. And her nose would not stop streaming. And there was Naruto, who seemed to thrive on the discomfort. A thought crept into Kaori's mind that an experiment with Naruto and caffeine would be quite fun.
She had to admit she was getting better. Naruto demanded so much of her, while Iruka had indeed given her his entire focus. She could create a bunshin without trouble, and even managed to look something like Tsunade at one point. Naruto made her do lots of physical activities, particularly running through the icy streets of Konoha. She had much upper body strength to begin with, but running distances had made her very winded. She still couldn't keep up with Naruto, but she was able to complete his courses with collapsing. Definite improvement. Could it really be enough to satisfy Kakashi?
Kaori saw the Jounin occasionally, but he always had his nose stuck in a book, so he never noticed her. Which was all the same to her because he made her feel...inferior. Kind of like how Neji made her feel. Naruto had once explained some of Neji's background and his difficulty trusting people. It gave Kaori some understanding, but that didn't change that she didn't care for him much. And she had a sneaking suspicion if Tsunade sent a team back home with her, Neji would be one of the members.
Home. She'd puzzled over it for some time now, and she realized she never really had a home. Not truly. And the way things were happening in Konohagakure, she might end up calling a foreign country home. For she felt at ease and comfortable. Mostly, anyway, for all the talented ninja still made her feel nervous. But the thought of a real home made her warm inside, and gave her a little more energy to catch up with Naruto.
"Hey there," Naruto said cheerily, his own nose and eyes liquefying in the cold. Kaori couldn't manage words between her breaths, so she gave him a nod instead. They'd gone from running on the ground to leaping amongst the tree branches. Kaori had gotten turned around in the woods, but Naruto knew exactly where they were going. They left the forest and continued along buildings, which Kaori had a difficult time recognizing in the dark. Naruto slowed, then stopped and dropped to the street. Kaori plopped next to him, resting on one knee.
"Never...again," Kaori gasped. "Cold...hurts..."
"Ah, it's good for you." Naruto let her catch her breath. "We got one stop to make before we go back."
"Go back? Like running?"
"Yup."
Kaori groaned loudly. Naruto gave her a stern look and then walked through a gate into a courtyard. Kaori staggered after him, the strangest feeling in her limbs of being hot from exercise in the freezing air. Then the decorations in the courtyard distracted her from any discomforts. Bright lights were strewn around the buildings and in the trees, and a door was open across the way that revealed warm light and merry sounds. Naruto strode towards the door, which led into a huge mansion. Kaori felt intimidated, particularly because she was wearing her training clothes. She left her sandals at the door, relishing the heat wafting from within, and followed Naruto.
"What are we doing here?" she asked quietly, wary of many voices and noises getting louder.
"Do you know what today is?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.
"December...December...guess I don't know the exact day."
"Twenty-fourth. Which means it's..."
"Soon to be December twenty-fifth? I don't know!"
"Christmas Eve!" Naruto gestured into a large hall filled with many people, including Shinobi Kaori had met at Naruto's birthday party. Hinata approached the pair and bowed.
"Welcome! Care for any refreshments?"
"I'm gonna get something to eat. Have fun, Kaori!" Naruto stalked off, oblivious to the fact that Kaori was frozen in place and staring about in bewilderment. Hinata touched her arm lightly.
"Everything all right Kaori-san?"
"Eh. No. I mean, we were training, and now I'm at a party all sweaty and gross and...what's Christmas Eve?"
Hinata stared blankly for a minute. Then she flushed and tapped her forefingers together.
"Y-you never celebrated Christmas?"
"What's a Christmas?"
"It's an old custom where we gather with family and friends and exchange gifts. It was a religious holiday, but nowadays just about everyone celebrates Christmas. You don't have Christmas where you're from?"
Kaori shook her head. "If we did have Christmas, I never celebrated anyway. Winter was just a time to struggle to survive."
Hinata was silent, and Kaori felt no need to elaborate on the subject.
"Well, um, now you're here," Hinata said uncomfortably, "and if you'd like you may bathe and change clothes. I wouldn't mind lending you some of mine. You're taller than me, but about the same..."
"This is your house?" Kaori said in amazement.
"Hm? Oh yes. This is the Hyuuga residence."
"You must be rich," she surmised.
Hinata giggled. "No, but a lot of people live here. Members of the head family. Sometimes it gets crowded."
"Like now." Kaori surveyed the room, which held so many people. People dancing, talking, eating and drinking, and in the far corner was a glorious fir tree bedazzled with lights and shiny balls. People were exchanging gifts beneath the twinkling lights. From what Kaori could tell, this holiday was very pleasant. Except...
"I, uh, don't have any gifts to give people," Kaori said, heat rising to her cheeks.
"Don't worry about it," Hinata said warmly. "If you want to bathe..."
Kaori agreed, and Hinata led her away to wash up. After smelling immensely better and clad in clean albeit short pants and a jacket, Kaori ventured to join the party. She hovered shyly near the walls, hoping to see someone she knew whose name she could remember. The dog boy, Lee's sensei, that lazy ANBU guy, Neji...Kaori stiffened as he approached her. He always looked so mad. Was it because she was wearing Hinata's clothes? Or the fact that she was in his house?
"Kaori-san," he said shortly, standing stiffly with his hands clasped behind him. "Merry Christmas." He drew his hands out to reveal a small package wrapped in red. Kaori stared at it a moment before taking it gingerly.
"It's...what for? I mean, thanks." Kaori peeled away the red paper and opened the box. Inside was a pack like the one Naruto always wore on his hip. Except this one was brand new. Kaori pulled it out and gaped at the gift.
"I noticed you don't have a pack for carrying weapons or wire," Neji said matter-of-factly. "Hinata said something about you not having much of an income, so I figured...well, what else could one give a ninja rookie for Christmas?"
Kaori met his white eyes and gave him a smile. "Thank you, Neji. Thanks." She attached the belt around her waist and admired the pack on her hip. It lacked weapons, but it made her feel much more like a Shinobi. Then she looked back at him.
"I don't have any-"
"Don't worry," he interrupted. "You're a guest. It's better if you don't spend money needlessly anyway." He allowed her a small smile before lowering his head slightly and walking away. Kaori felt a warm fuzziness inside. Maybe she'd misjudged the Hyuuga man...
"Kaori!"
She turned to see a pink head bobbing towards her. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata approached her, carrying a large box with a gigantic bow on top.
"Merry Christmas, Kaori," Sakura said breathlessly. "We all figured you needed something proper for a ninja to train in, so we pooled together and got you...this!" She held out the present, which Kaori eagerly unwrapped. Her heart skipped a beat as she touched the fabric. She pulled out the suit and held it up. The legs of the jumpsuit ended at her knees and stretched to her chest, where it was attached to fishnet sleeves. The second part of the suit was separate, coloured a dark blue, that zipped all the way down the front. It was like a dress with a high collar and no sleeves. The hem was several centimeters shorter than the legs of the jumpsuit. And it looked like it would fit her perfectly.
"You guys..." Kaori said, at a loss for words. "Thank you so much."
"I knew your measurements from the time you wanted that dress," Hinata said.
"I'm sor-"
"Stop apologizing already!" Ino said, jabbing an elbow into Kaori's side. "She said not to worry about that dress! Anyway, you'll look fabulous in this, and Sakura said it wouldn't be too girly for you."
"Was I right?" Sakura asked. Kaori nodded, speechless. Then she grabbed the three other girls and gave them a huge hug.
"I'm gonna to put it on right away!" Kaori pranced to the bathroom, where she neatly folded Hinata's clothes and put on her new ones. Instead of putting her bandana back on, Kaori studied herself in the mirror for a moment. She tucked the bandana into her new pack and left her hair in its chop-sticked knot. When she returned to the trio waiting in the hall, Ino squealed and Sakura laughed and Hinata clapped as they embraced her. Kaori couldn't remember being happier.
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Shinobi and other guests came and went during the evening. Kaori didn't know half the people there, but with Sakura and Ino and occasionally Hinata (who shyly visited her other guests) around, she didn't mind the crowd at all. In fact, she didn't even notice the time until Sakura and Ino said they must leave so they could be with their families for the rest of the evening. At that point, Kaori wondered where Naruto had been all night. He wasn't too difficult to find, planting himself by the tree to watch all the presents being exchanged. He even had a substantial pile beside himself.
"Does Christmas bum you out too?"
Kaori turned to the voice, only to wrinkle her nose at the smell of sake on their breath.
"This is my first Christmas," she said simply, taking the bottle offered by the stranger. Not quite a stranger, for she knew he was one of Tsunade's assistants. He had a strip of cloth across his nose and shockingly spiky black hair. His nose crinkled in appreciation as she gulped down some of the drink.
"Then you don't know what you're missin' out on. Bein' aloooone and all that during the 'happiest time of year'." The Jounin snorted. "I only come to these things for the free sake."
"Sake?" The other assistant joined them. "I ran out."
"Here, Izumo, we'll share mine." The spiky-haired one took the bottle from Kaori and handed it to Izumo.
"Kotetsu, what would I do without a friend like you?" Izumo downed the rest of the bottle.
"Be sober?"
"The hell I will." Izumo coughed. "We need more. Who's this?"
"She's uh, she's uh...what's your name?"
"Kaori," she said in amusement.
"Come drink with us Kaori," Kotetsu offered. "See if you can hold your own."
"Only kunoichi who can is Anko, but the only bastard to beat her is Jiraiya. He's legendary all right." Izumo poured another bottle into three shot glasses.
"To the legendary drinker!" Kotetsu toasted.
"To us, the hotties!" Izumo replied.
"To sake!" Kaori stated. Kotetsu and Izumo looked at her then clinked then glasses in agreement. After that first shot, many more followed, until Izumo and Kotetsu were too drunk to stand properly. They amused themselves with a thumb war while Kaori watched the crowd. Uchiha Sasuke had just entered the hall and many girls had clung to him like he was a lifeboat.
"Bastard..." Kaori mumbled. Izumo looked at her in shock.
"Who me? What did I do?"
"You're not the only bastard around, idiot," Kotetsu slurred. "She was talking about me."
"No, the Uchiha. He really irritates me."
"Go get 'im!"
"Yeah, you can take him!" Izumo offered a shot, only to pass out and drop the glass on the floor. Kotetsu couldn't stop laughing. Kaori stood abruptly, probably too quickly as she swayed dizzily, but managed to step forward in a semi-straight manner. She dove her way into the Sasuke fanclub and grabbed a free spot on his arm.
"Care for a dance...Uchiha?" she sneered. Sasuke sneered right back.
"Not really...Akumako." He went with her anyway, much to the disappointment and fury of the girls who'd been asking the same question.
"Thanks for the rescue," Sasuke said shortly.
"I wasn't rescuing you. I just didn't want innocent bystanders to get hurt." Kaori tipsied around Sasuke, trying to goad him into a fight, only to be given a raised eyebrow.
"Drinking much lately?" He could smell it.
"Maybe a little," she said mischievously. "What did you get me for Christmas?" She sauntered closer, placing a hand on his chest. The raised brow went higher.
"Why would I buy you something for Christmas?"
"'Cause I got you something." Kaori crept closer still.
"And what's that?"
"A little...punch." And with that her fist connected with his jaw. The impact from her drunken swing was barely enough to force his head to move, but it infuriated Sasuke nonetheless. He slammed his palms into Kaori's shoulders. She flew into the wall, then wobbled to her feet, staggering forward.
"That's it! Fight! I wanna...fight...eh?"
Iruka had grabbed her arms and was holding her still. "Kaori! What has gotten into you?"
Kaori turned to look at her captor. He was wearing what he had dressed up in for her etiquette test. "Ah, Iruka-sensei. You're looking so hot again..."
Iruka blanched at her breath. "That's what's gotten into you. Great..." He heaved her behind him as he left the party.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called. "Need some help?"
Iruka shook his head. "No, but those two do. Help with a big bucket of ice water." He jerked his head towards Izumo and Kotetsu, who were both passed out on the floor. He gave Hinata his apologies and dragged Kaori out the door. She fought terrifically at first, but while he was sober and much stronger, she tired out very quickly.
"Geez, Iruka, you're such a party pooper," she said in disgust. "Why can't you...why can't you be fun sometimes?"
"Because it's my job not to," he said simply, putting his sandals on. He couldn't put Kaori's on without her kicking him in the head, and she refused to do it herself. Iruka tucked them into his belt, then hauled Kaori over his shoulder. She screamed and whined the entire way back to her apartment. It was only then that she giggled hysterically and remembered she left her clothes in Hinata's bathroom. Which meant her keys were there too. At this point Kaori had lost her energy and fell into a stupor.
"I want my bed," she complained sleepily.
"Not tonight," Iruka sighed, pulling Kaori back over his shoulder. She was now limp, mumbling randomly as he took her a few blocks to his apartment. He should have had Naruto take her to his own apartment. It would be awkward to explain everything to Kaori when she woke up in the morning, but he wouldn't leave her in the hallway. Especially not on Christmas Eve.
Somehow he managed to take her up the stairs, wishing to avoid a confrontation with another tenant on the elevator. Too many questions to answer. He barely got the door open before Kaori started snoring. She couldn't even wait for the couch. He plopped her down none to gently, quite tired from dragging her all over Konoha. She just let out a particularly unattractive snort and smacked her lips.
After procuring a blanket and a pillow with a fresh pillow case, Iruka tucked Kaori in and placed a bucket beside the couch just in case she threw up when she awoke. He paused in the kitchen, then decided to leave the light on if she woke up when it was still dark.
As he closed his bedroom door, he caught himself in the mirror hanging on the back. He looked rumpled, but otherwise just fine. But Kaori's words rang in his ears: "you're looking so hot again." He flushed, but smiled as well. Maybe he could take the extra time he had off while training Kaori to get out and meet some people. No doubt Izumo and Kotetsu would jump at the chance to take him to a party. They'd been trying to do that for years. But he always had school the next day or papers to grade during the weekends. If anything, Kaori would force him to have fun. Perhaps on Shogatsu he would go out instead of watching other parties on the television. Yes, that would do very well.