This is sort of a bonus chapter after the mini arc. The main plot point will be right at the beginning. For those of you who have read Tallman0029's work, I'm going to be bringing back a villain from Love Hinata. For those of you who are unfamiliar, or need a refresher, Hidiki Kenji and his father Asuka are found in chapters 12 & 13 of Love Hinata. I would like to thank everyone for the great reviews I have been receiving. To answer some of the questions I have been receiving: if you are curious about the lore of the Three Maidens and how they relate to Beki's family, a lot of that will be coming up soon after the crossover that will happen with Tallman0029 in the near future. It is going to happen by the way. I have special powers of Tallman0029 that bend him to my will, but he is resistant. As an additional side note, I apologize for the excessively long chapter before. I really didn't want to stretch it out to three chapters and I couldn't find a good place to break it off. So, to all of you who finished chapter 12, you receive 1600 xp, a health amulet, and the title of journeyman. Huzzah!
...
And I probably just scared off like, 50 readers. For those of you who stick around and continue to tolerate me, I love hearing from you and will get back to you ASAP if you PM me or leave reviews. See you on the other side!
The next day Beki was coming home from a training session with Ebisu, sore and sweaty, when she noticed someone lurking around Hinata's house. He was about their age with dark hair to his chin and in a top knot. He was dressed in a modern rendition of traditional garb. He was peeking around the corners and trying to see in the windows.
"Can I help you?" Beki asked defensively. It wasn't like the Hyuga to let someone loiter like this.
The boy turned with a start, glaring at her at first, but then his face shifted back to neutral.
"I'm looking for Hyuuga Hinata," He tried a soft smile with her. He reminded Beki of a badger.
"And you are?" Beki circled around him, trying to put herself between the stranger and the house.
"Kenji Hidiki," He sensed Beki's trepidation and fished in his hapi coat. He pulled out an envelope and held it out to her "I don't mean to disturb you; I just wanted to give her this, miss-?"
"Tsukimori Beki," Beki gave him a curt bow. "I'll give it to her myself."
The boy eyed her over suspiciously, as if she was the trespasser on Hyuga land. He leaned towards her as he spoke. Beki was sure he meant it as a way to be intimate, but it came off forceful and creepy.
"If you don't mind me asking, Miss Tsukimori, what business do you have in the Hyuga compound?"
"I should ask you the same thing," Beki eyed him evasively.
"I think I'll wait for Hinata to return," Hideki pocketed the letter in his hapi coat.
"Look, buddy, I'm her roommate," Beki jangled the keys. "You can't hover around here all day. I'll throw it on her desk for you."
Hidiki paused for a moment, sizing her up. After some consideration, he held out the letter.
"It concerns a very urgent personal matter. See she gets it post haste."
"Can do, general," Beki gave him a mock salute.
He frowned at her and trudged away muttering something about inbred cows. Beki brought the letter inside and set it on the table. Something wasn't right about that kid. Forgetting about her disheveled appearance she jogged around the compound until she found Neji.
"Hey, Neji?"
"Yes?" He looked up from his book and immediately frowned at her appearance. "You look like you just left a prize fight."
"Who is Kenji Hideki?" Beki asked.
Neji threw his book aside and was on his feet faster than Beki could blink.
"Was he here? Did he do this to you?" Neji asked frantically, grabbing her shoulders.
"No," She shook her head. "He was hanging around Hinata's house and asked me to give her a letter."
"Did you?!" He shook her slightly.
"No, she's not home, she's out with the boys. It's on our table-" Beki pointed toward the house, and Neji immediately started running.
"Wait, Neji, tell me what's going on," Beki stumbled after him. "Who is this kid?"
"To put it plainly he is very dangerous and a direct threat to Lady Hinata," Neji said as he barged into their kitchen. "How did he get in? We'll need to tighten security around the compound and lock this house down until we figure it out…"
Neji fished around the kitchen and took out a pair of disposable chopsticks and used them to open the letter.
"You know it's a crime to read other people's mail." Beki leaned over his shoulder to read. "What's it say?"
"He's apologizing," Neji shook his head and grimaced. "The nerve. As if one COULD apologize after what he did…And asking to see her in person...this is ridiculous."
"What did he do?!" Beki yelled, forgetting she was next to his ear.
Neji retracted painfully, shooting her a look that could pierce steel, and then sighing.
"The Kenji clan is a powerful group of landholders with access to lots of valuable natural resources. His father wanted Hidiki to marry Hinata, which was something he himself desired. They didn't like her arrangement with Naruto, so Hidiki and his father kidnapped her. She was beaten, put under mental and emotional stress-Naruto went after her..." Neji's voice trailed off as he remembered the ordeal. He shook his head and continued: "If you see him again Beki, keep your distance. His family has a very powerful and painful genjutsu. Hinata and Naruto got lucky. I've seen people that have had that technique used on them. It mangles them from the inside."
Neji tapped his skull to demonstrate. Beki grimaced.
"How does a genjutsu mangle people?"
"It sends signals through the pain network of the nervous system," He closed up the letter and carefully put it back in its envelope, never letting it touch his skin.
"So what do we do?" Beki put her hands on her hips, ready for action.
"You will do nothing. You will not tell Hinata," He tapped her on the nose. "You will pretend this never happened."
"But-" She started to speak but he cut her off:
"It was a very traumatizing experience for Hinata. The Asuka and Hidiki supposedly fled the village after the incident. Their clan remains however, and are likely to provide them with aide," Neji explained. "If they're coming back, it isn't good news. Until we know exactly what they are up to, we need to keep this under wraps. It would only distress Lady Hinata."
"Shouldn't we warn her he's lurking around though?" Beki asked. "You know, let her know to be on the lookout?"
Neji thought about it and sighed.
"If we have her supervised around the clock it shouldn't be a problem."
"So you just want me to withhold something like this from her?" Beki stared him down. Hinata was her best friend, and she was 99% sure if someone was stalking her, Hinata would let her know. That's how homies do.
"Just for the time being," Neji patted Beki on the shoulder and headed for the door. "Just until we know what's going on."
"Hey, hold a sec," Beki grabbed him by the sleeve. "You and I need to debrief."
"Oh, about the, uh," Neji looked away and flushed. "The woods. What happened in the woods."
"Yeah," Beki stared him down. "So Hinata told me bout the whole naked equals wedding thing."
Neji looked up at the ceiling and heaved a deep sigh.
"I never thought this would happen to me, but...it's only proper. You've told Hinata, but I'm assuming we haven't told Hiashi yet. He's going to have an aneurysm if he finds out another member of the family violated the old laws…"
"No, Neji, I didn't tell her shit," Beki put her hands on her hips. "She only told me that's how she and Naruto got engaged. I was just letting you know to keep your trap shut and no one will ever find out."
He considered her as if for the first time.
"So we don't have to get married?"
"No, Neji. We don't have to get married." Beki crossed her arms. She wasn't sure how to feel about the grin that broke out on his face from ear to ear at the news.
"What the hell is that smile for?" Beki scowled. "Didn't like what you saw?"
Neji turned as red as a beet and averted his eyes. He immediately began stammering:
"N-no, that, uh, that's not it at all, it's just we're so young and we hardly know each other-"
"Okay, because if you were trying to tell me these-" She squeezed her boobs. "Weren't top notch, then your standing as a straight man in Konoha is going to come into question."
Neji couldn't bring himself to face her. Beki noticed he had stopped breathing when she grabbed her chest. Poor baby, Beki thought. He's not used to women being so direct.
"No, those are…ahem, fine. Perfectly fine. It was all perfectly fine."
Beki's eyes grew wide. She couldn't let this go.
"Oh my god, have you never seen a naked woman before? You have to be kidding me! You have x-ray vision and you've never accidently caught a peek?!"
"Beki, can I go?" Neji was craning his head so far to the side she was afraid it would snap off his neck. "You're just doing this to humiliate me. You win. You were the first naked woman I have ever seen."
Beki sat there in silence for a moment, then began to slowly shake her head.
"My god...I'm beginning to understand why you people have these laws. Go. Before your head explodes."
Neji could not get out there fast enough. Beki smiled to herself. Neji put up a good big boy front but God help him when it came to girls.
…
The next day, Beki was out running errands after training when she ran into Ino.
"Hey Bitchi," Ino smiled. "I've noticed you've been avoiding me."
"It's surprisingly easy to do," Beki said, not missing a beat. "Your arrival is preceded by a fishy smell."
Ino ignored that comment and squared off with her, forcing Beki to face her.
"About the whole bet you lost…?"
Beki sighed. She HAD to go and run her big fat mouth. At the time, her plan had seemed flawless, and how was she supposed to know Ino had some broken jutsu that let her hijack bodies? In that instant, she weighed her options. She could crack Ino over the skull with her kunai bag and put her in the hospital for a week, buying her time. That would be messy and probably involve her father being called. She could face this problem, run down the street in her underwear and be done with it, but if every clan was like the Hyugas she'd have to marry half the men in Konoha. She sighed. There was one thing she could do.
"Fine," she sighed. "When and where?"
Ino blinked in surprise and gave Beki the biggest smile she had ever seen.
"Oh. My. God. Beki. I thought you were going to chicken out. You know what, I'm going to let you pick because you're following through."
Beki rolled her eyes and thought hard.
"Okay. Thursday night around 11 PM. You and Sakura stand on one end, I give you guys my coat, I run to the other end where Hinata and Tenten will be waiting with another coat."
Ino leapt with joy.
"I'll let the girls know! Being a winner is SO much fun!" She patted Beki's cheek. "You should lose more often, honey. Your pout is adorable."
"One day I'm gonna rip those bangs right out of your head," Beki glared her down. "So your hair matches your botched boob job."
"Whatevs, Bitchi. See you Thursday."
…
It was unusually chilly for a summer night in Konoha. Beki swore under her breath. Of course it was pushing 10oC the night she was supposed to run in her skivvies. A slight wind had picked up, meaning on top of the low temperature, she was going to have a nice crisp wind chill to harden her nips.
"You don't have to do this," Sakura whispered into her ear.
"Yes she does," Ino scoffed. "She lost a bet."
"It's stupid," Sakura shook her head. "She's going to catch cold!"
"Botox is right," Beki sighed. "I gave my word. Better to do it now than in broad daylight."
Sakura sighed and took ahold of one side of the coat. Ino grabbed ahold of the other. She was so excited, Beki felt her hands shaking. Was she that much of a bitch that beating her made Ino this happy? Whatever, Beki thought. It's my bed. I gotta lay in it.
She stepped out of the coat into the brisk night air. The council of girls had decided that in addition to her underthings, Beki would be allowed her shoes. It was all fun and games until someone slipped on a riverbank and ended up paralyzed for life, after all. A strange thought process had taken Beki over earlier as she prepared for this night. It was as if she was a monarch facing the chopping block; everyone had gathered to see her fall from grace, but by God she was gonna look good going down. Beki wore her prettiest matching set. The push up bra and panties were made of powder blue cotton soft as a baby's butt covered with shimmery silver lace. It made her feel like an ice queen, and that's what she needed to be if she was going to survive the emotional trauma this night would bring.
"Beki, where did you get that set?" Sakura forgot to whisper. "They don't sell anything like that in Konoha."
"Can I tell you later? Its freezing," Beki shook as a breeze tore through her skimpy coverings.
"Yeah, sorry," Sakura flushed. "Get going before you get pneumonia."
"Go girl!" Ino slapped her rump as she took off at a full gallop down the street.
It was the longest hundred yards Beki would run in her life. It was as if time itself slowed so it could relish in her humiliation and misery. Every step she took made Hinata and Tenten seem further away. Without the safety and constriction of her clothes, Beki felt every inch of herself bounce and jiggle as she ran. Her face was growing red, as much from embarrassment as cold. After what seemed like an eternity, Beki reached Tenten and Hinata. They wrapped her in the bathrobe they had brought and Beki swore it was better than the warmest hug in the world.
"Beki, I don't know what to say," Tenten shook her head. "That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen someone do, but at the same time…I'm impressed. That took some serious guts."
"A Tsukimori doesn't back down from their word," Beki felt much more confident in public in a bathrobe. It was funny how perspective could do that for you. After her nearly naked romp, that robe might have been a suit of armor.
"Let's get you home and put you in a bath," Hinata was embarrassed for Beki. If someone held Hinata at knifepoint and told her the only way to save herself was to do what Beki just did, Hinata would die. No doubt about it.
…
Beki had put on the poofiest pajama pants she owned and a pullover. Hinata had made her a cup of tea, but Beki had a bad feeling she was going to catch a cold from her little escapade.
"Feeling any better?" Hinata plopped down on the sofa beside her.
"The tea is helping," Beki sipped at it. "My pride is going to need a while longer to mend."
Hinata gently slapped Beki's foot.
"It's your own fault. You should never have made that bet and you should have never followed through on it."
"I know, Hina chan," Beki sighed. "If you ever hear me start to say something like that again, you have full permission to stuff socks in my mouth."
Hinata sighed.
"So did I win my way into the girls' circle, officially?" Beki eyed Hinata warily. "Or will it take more hazing?"
Hinata shook her head.
"I think you definitely won them over, either with your courage or your stubbornness."
Beki leaned back in the chair.
"Well that's a relief. I was beginning to worry I would have to start taking Neji shopping with me."
"Neji really isn't that bad," Hinata looked at her feet. "By the way, have any of the boys caught your interest?"
Beki laughed.
"You're kidding me right? Let's see, Kiba and me are a no-no, I don't even know what Shino looks like other than his nose, Neji might as well be a brother at this point, and then you have…Lee."
"What about Shikamaru and Chouji?" Hinata could hope someone had caught Beki's eye. Hinata really wanted to be able to talk to someone about relationships. She could help Beki through the starting out stuff, and Beki could help her with the "my boyfriend is on the other side of the world and I only hear from him once every three weeks" stuff.
"Shikamaru thinks I'm about as smart as wet paint and my father made me promise to never get with a man that eats more than me," Beki gestured to the kitchen. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I eat as much as a man already."
"I wouldn't say that," Hinata was being gracious. Beki totally at as much as a man. She had eaten Kiba under the table the other day at the barbecue shop. Lee took it as a contest and ended up with a 1000 ryo bill.
"Maybe some dashing fire lord will breeze through Konoha and sweep me off my feet in a whirlwind romance," Beki teased. "That way we can have an equally forbidden relationship as you and Naruto."
"Don't tease me," Hinata pouted. "I just want you happy, is all."
"I know, and you're sweet." Beki rolled off the couch and put her cup in the sink. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a party with MC Pillow and DJ Blankie."
Hinata waved at her as she headed up the stairs. Beki was great company, but she wasn't Naruto. In the quiet moments, like now, when the world was cold and dark, she couldn't help but feel the chill. Naruto was her sunshine in the dead of winter, as comforting and reassuring as a towel right out of the drier after a shower. His letters made her equal parts happy and sad, because she could read them and hear his voice in her head, but she was also reminded he was a world away growing up without her. She cried for the first time in weeks that night, quietly, so as not to wake up her friend. At last she gave up the fight, headed up the stairs, and put herself to bed. Tomorrow would be a better day, she told herself.