Hi everyone, here's the next chapter. I look forward to hearing what you think.
Beki awoke to an empty hotel room. It was jarring at first, adjusting to a strange environment, but as she blinked the sleep away, she remembered. Yuki had apparently left to go talk to Kakashi already, meaning Beki had to go solve her own problems by herself. That would have been daunting for Beki before, even as an ambassador. After everything Beki had been through, though, she was just looking forward to getting it over with. The sooner Beki saw Neji, the sooner she either got to have the happiest day of her life or the worst. The thing she was learning about bad days was the quicker you got through them, the better.
The clothes Miki had bought Beki were practical and comfortable. She picked out an outfit from the bag that consisted of a loose, flowy black short sleeve cotton top and a pair of structured gray leggings. They had a thick stretchy waistband to help support the still slight bulge of Beki's pregnant belly. Beki was dying for a hot cup of coffee but Miki told her she was only allowed to have decaf. Beki had always felt that the time and place for decaf coffee was never and in the trash, respectively. A quick check in the mirror confirmed that Beki looked like death warmed over. Not in her usual, pale skinned and blue veined sort of way. She was pale, yes, but she looked frail. Her muscles had atrophied somewhat during her hospital stay, rendering her once proud shoulders to almost dainty looking. It threw off Beki's entire self-perception of what she should look like. Her hair was less shiny and the bags under her eyes sang to the world that Tsukimori Haruka was a shell of what she had been. Beki had never been especially vain about her appearance, but this was sad. Ever since Beki had started wearing her father's armor, she had gotten accustomed to people being intimidated by her. She laughed bitterly at the mirror. All that face would earn her were whispers about terminal illness and pitying offers of help in the grocery store.
As she walked out of her hotel room, the one thing Beki could think to be grateful for was the silence in her head. Ever since she had awoken in Orochimaru's base, only her own conscience had been speaking to her. That sultry, commanding woman's voice was no longer ordering her, compelling her to kill. Beki was in complete control of herself; not that she would be a danger to anyone in her present state. Once outside, Beki was uncertain of where to go. She wanted to find Neji but there was no way he was following the same schedule as four years ago. Was he even still living in the Hyuga compound? Beki's heart sank as she thought of him in his own little house with some pretty wife and a couple of kids playing in the yard.
You told yourself it didn't matter, Beki thought. You can't give up without talking to him, at least.
Her stomach growled but Beki felt too nauseous to eat. Regardless, Miki had told her to force herself to. Reluctantly, Beki stepped into a tiny convenience store and picked up a fist sized apple and a bottle of white tea to soothe her stomach. She watched people pass by the window as she had her meager breakfast, hoping for a familiar face. Konoha had grown so much. Beki was at the window a full ten minutes and didn't recognize a single person. It was disheartening and subconsciously Beki put her hand on her stomach to soothe herself.
"We'll be okay," Beki said under her breath, mostly for her own reassurance.
As she walked out of the convenience store, Beki found herself discombobulated by the crowd and the changes in the landscape. She paused, a stone in a river of people, as she attempted to reorient herself. A tall man in the modern Konoha garb couldn't evade her in time and bumped into Beki.
"Sorry," Beki grumbled as she attempted to step out of the main path. The young man shook his head and muttered "No worries" as he moved out of her way. Beki looked up towards the sky until she could locate the Hokage's mansion. Beki tugged nervously at her braid as she weighed her options. She could either go by the Hyuga compound or the Hokage's mansion for answers. Then again, if Yuki was there right now it would be horrible timing to interrupt her mother's reunion with Kakashi. But how receptive would the Hyuga be to her sudden reappearance? Would any of them believe Beki when she showed up at their door?
It took Beki a full minute to realize that the shinobi who had bumped into her earlier hadn't moved. He was standing there, staring down at her with eyes as wide as saucers. Did he recognize her or was she just behaving that strangely? She took stock of his appearance. He was tall and muscular, nearly a full head above Beki's height. He had stylishly cut brown hair and a handsome, honest looking face. Beki caught herself staring at his features. She knew him.
"Nee san?" He nearly squeaked.
No, it couldn't be. Beki's eyes fell to the scarf around his neck and then back up to his charcoal irises. "Konohamaru?" Beki almost shouted in shock. A grin split his face in two as Konohamaru threw himself at her, scooping her up in his arms and hoisting her off her feet.
"Easy boy!" Beki latched on for dear life. "I'm still healing."
"Oh, sorry!" Konohamaru gingerly put her back on her feet. "Beki nee san, I can't believe it's you. How...how are you here? How did you come back?"
"Did everyone tell you about the ice, how it got launched out into oblivion?" Beki asked and he nodded. "It held up. The ice floe was found and took a while to thaw out. They gave us medical attention and sent us on our way."
Konohamaru blinked. "That...that sounds unbelievably tame."
"Well, I'm leaving out some of the juicy parts. Like how I'm never going to be able to open a jar again," He gave her a concerned look and she shrugged.
"Look at you, though," Konohamaru shook his head. "You don't look a day older than when you went off to war..."
"I'm not," Beki sighed. "I'm still just 19."
Konohamaru gave a soft laugh.
"What's so funny?" Beki cocked her head. She had been tempted to call him "tater tot" or "bud" but stopped herself.
"It's just that I just turned nineteen, nee san." Konohamaru gave her a sweet smile. "I'm the same age as you now."
Beki had to admit he had grown up well. If she hadn't known him when he was practically a baby, she would have found him unbelievably handsome. He was clearly strong yet there was a gentleness to him that was completely disarming. Beki reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. Emotion rose within her like a cup running over. That was just another thing Beki had missed, watching Konohamaru grow up. Her lips tugged down into a frown and her eyes began to well up. Konohamaru's smile faded.
"Nee san, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, Konohamaru." Beki felt herself choking up. Beki fought the tears with a hard swallow. When she spoke again, her voice cracked despite her efforts. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. I know how many people you've lost, how much you've suffered, and I added that much more to your burden."
Konohamaru gave her a small sad smile and shook his head. "That isn't true, nee san. I..." He looked down at his feet. "I bet there's a lot of people you want to see. Who have you run into already?"
"You," Beki grinned but a tear escaped her eyelashes. Beki used to wipe her occasional tears on her shoulder with a shrug. She turned her head to make the motion but her shoulder remained still. As smoothly as possible, to cover her blunder, she wiped her eye with the back of her arm. It was like a person reaching up to straighten glasses they weren't wearing. Just another habit she would have to break.
Konohamaru blinked. "You...you haven't seen anyone else yet?"
Beki shook her head. "We just got into town last night. I...I didn't really know where to start."
"We?" Konohamaru cocked his head. "Who else is with you?"
"My mom," Beki explained. "She survived, too. She's meeting with the Hokage to straighten out the obvious paperwork problems we're bound to deal with."
"Let me help you," Konohamaru offered an arm. "Things have changed a lot since the last time you were here."
"But Konohamaru, don't you have better things to do?" Beki gave him a questioning look as she suspiciously took his arm.
"Not really, not anything important," Konohamaru chuckled. "I mean, when you compare my plans to having my nee san come back from the dead, there isn't a whole lot else that could top the priority list."
"You're so cool now," Beki swatted him affectionately. "You can't be seen with me. I'll cramp your style, Mr. Jounin."
"Are you kidding? I'm running around with a legendary war hero." Konohamaru gave her a broad grin. "You're the coolest girl in town, same as always."
As they walked through the streets, Beki noticed she got an occasional odd look. Not from people recognizing her and trying to place her, but obviously because of Konohamaru. People were looking at him, then at her. He was a somebody and they were eager to know who the nobody was clinging to his arm.
"The scarf is cute," Beki tugged at the knot behind his neck. The eyes on her back were beginning to get her hackles up. Beki had no idea how her body would respond to stress, considering how hard Miki and Kabuto had worked to keep her level. In the past, fear, anger, and stress had always pushed her towards awakening one of her inner Maidens. Beki had no idea what that would mean for her baby. It was something she had never thought to ask Miki and regretted not thinking of it before. During the war, Beki had used both the Drowned and the Burned as well as becoming the Embered Maiden all while she was in the early stages of her pregnancy. Then again, she was whole then. Healthy. Beki's body was broken now, filtering out the toxins in her blood with someone else's kidneys and permanent muscle damage. If Beki awakened now, it could kill the baby or fry her non-Tsukimori kidneys. The more she thought about it, the less Beki thought she could ever risk using her Maiden powers again.
Like the legs of a spider dancing across her heart, Beki felt the darkness creeping in. The chilling fingers of despair as they swallowed her like a blanket. She was ruined. She was useless. Everything that had ever made her valuable, her Maiden powers, her status as ambassador, and her prowess with her weapons, it was all gone forever. As if sensing her dilemma, Konohamaru took her hand in his as they walked and gave it a squeeze.
"I...I really missed you, nee san." Konohamaru stared ahead as he spoke, but Beki saw the telltale flush coming into his ears. "When everyone came home from the war and told me what happened, when they told me you died a hero's death protecting Naruto and the Hyugas, I was heartbroken. It was like Uncle Asuma dying all over again, but in a way it was worse. Asuma was an adult, a seasoned shinobi. I always looked up to you as my big sis, but you weren't an adult. You were strong, kind, and brave. I thought you were invincible. I wanted to be angry about it, wanted to blame someone for your loss but I couldn't. I knew you. I knew that what you did was a choice you made. You made that same choice for me time and time again, putting your life on the line to save me." Konohamaru swallowed. "I realized I was angry because I never got to thank you. I never properly said goodbye."
Hearing Konohamaru share his pain twisted Beki's already unsettled stomach. Behind the pain, though, through the hurt, Beki could feel something like a whisper. A glimmer of hope. "You really liked your nee san that much?"
"I was a punk kid, Beki," Konohamaru still couldn't bring himself to look at her. It was probably almost like a dream for him. The heart ache and shame of sharing such intimate details wasn't real if he didn't look in her eyes. He could pretend he was talking to her ghost. "There weren't a lot of people who would deal with my nonsense. Then here comes this pretty girl from another town that not only talks to me but genuinely gives a damn. That...you have no idea how much that meant to me. I know it was just stupid kid stuff, but you were a lot of firsts for me. My first kiss, my first confession. My first date."
"That was practice!" Beki protested. "That shouldn't count!"
"I counted it," Konohamaru gave an embarrassed laugh. "I counted all of it. I even counted that as my first heart break."
It was still such an adjustment for Beki, walking next to this man who had been a boy what seemed like only moments ago. A head that had barely passed her eyes was now above her, the hand in hers bigger and stronger than her own. Beki could almost be convinced they were different people if not for the small reminders of the boy who had been. She heard it in his voice and saw it in the shuffle of his stride. Was it going to be this way for her with everyone? Or was Konohamaru just the exception because she'd left behind a pubescent boy and came back to a full grown man?
"I don't know the words to describe how happy I am you're alive. I would call it a dream come true but that's too cliché. I've lost so many people, nee san, I wouldn't have even dared to dream you would come back." Konohamaru gazed at her out of the corner of his eye, his courage building. "Can you promise me something?"
Beki gave him a mischievous smile. "I'll have to hear it before I agree. Last time you asked for a date and I don't know if I can fit one in with my schedule."
He gave a good-natured laugh. "No, nee san. I wouldn't do that to you right after you got home."
Beki was amused by the fact that he hadn't claimed he would never do just a thing, just the acknowledgement of the poor timing.
"Can you promise that you'll still make some time for me every once in a while?" Konohamaru dared to look her square in the eye, a glimmer of vulnerability in the black pools of his irises. "I know you're going to be busy and everyone is going to want to spend time with you...but...I really missed you, Beki."
"I think I can find time for my favorite little brother." Beki gave his hand a squeeze.
"I'm your only little brother," Konohamaru grumbled. "And I'm not even younger than you by more than a few months, now."
Beki gave his hand a squeeze. The burden on her soul lightened somewhat, enough that she could bring herself to observe her surroundings. There were lots of new buildings, businesses, and shops. Her eyes lit up at the sight of how many different stores there were, not to mention all the cute cafes. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and baked goods wafting out the doors almost veered her off her path. Baby on board, Beki, she reminded herself. No coffee for you. "So where are we going, Konohamaru?"
"Well, on my way to bumping into you I saw the one person who took your loss harder than I did," Konohamaru said cryptically.
"Hinata or Neji?" Beki blinked.
"Okay, one of the two people who took your loss worse than I did," Konohamaru corrected himself. "We're almost there. He was finishing a training session with Lee."
Beki's heart began to race. It was the flutter of a hummingbird's wings and not the pounding of a drum. Neji. She was finally going to see Neji. What would he look like all grown up? Would he still be long and lean with harder, sinewy muscles or would he have compacted into a barrel-chested hulk like her father? She pictured his face, soft but masculine framed by curtains of perfect silky brown-black hair. All those years of loving him without realizing it had burned his image into her memory flawlessly. With a snap of her fingers it was there in her minds eye perfectly rendered. Would he still have that gentle look to his eyes? Would his skin be soft and smooth, or covered with worry wrinkles or scars?
Konohamaru gave a soft chuckle and pulled her out of her thoughts. "You don't need to say anything for me to know what you're thinking. 'Will he still be the same? What does he look like now?'" He shook his head. "He's pretty much the same. Just older and more serious looking."
Beki's jaw had gone slack at his accuracy. She clapped her mouth shut. "Is it that obvious?"
"You've always had such animated expressions. Back when you were dating the Kazekage I watched you work through an entire argument in your head using your eyebrows and a series of frowns." Konohamaru laughed.
"You just watched?! That's so embarrassing!" Beki swatted at him.
"You were the village weirdo. We all loved you. Who else could make running around naked and borrowing clothes from strangers seem so natural?" Konohamaru grinned.
"Wait a minute," Beki frowned and furrowed her brow. "You're telling me you spied on me all those years?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, nee san, you had a fan club." Konohamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "When you, uh, had Burned Maiden accidents and stuff it was the nearest boy's job to come let the rest of us know."
Beki puffed up her cheeks. "I am ashamed for you."
He shrugged. "The only person who really got to cash out was the first one who saw you. Usually by the time the rest of us got there, one of the jounin had given you a flak jacket or Neji'd slipped you his extra shirt. The most we would get was an occasional flash of butt cheek if the vest was too short. It was the knowledge you were naked under there that kept the hope alive."
Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, what can I expect? Boys will be boys."
"You mean you aren't going to like, beat the crap out of me for peeping on you years ago?" Konohamaru blinked.
"Look, I had to run around the Fourth Shinobi World War naked starkers my armor. Any time I jumped everyone got an eyeful," Beki shrugged. "It comes at the cost of being able to melt things into oblivion. If I got all self-conscious about people seeing my body it would have gotten in the way of me kicking serious ass."
Konohamaru's eyes sparkled in admiration. "You are literally the coolest, nee san."
Beki shrugged. "Plus, I can't imagine it's all that exciting after the first couple of times someone sees me naked."
"Yeah..." Konohamaru's voice trailed off as he faced dead ahead, his ears pink. "Totally boring."
...
Neji wiped off his face with the fluffy white towel Lee had insisted he use. Tenten had been sending Lee to training with meticulously packed duffel bags stocked with water, snacks, a first aid kit, and other amenities. She was several months along in her pregnancy and the doctor had recommended she stay off her feet as much as possible. The baby was highly active and prone to kicking behind her ribs, but even when taking care of herself was the priority, Tenten kept her team in mind. It was her way of taking care of her boys from a distance. Neji knew he should go by Lee and Tenten's house for dinner more often. He tried, he honestly did, but it was the same as his relationship with Gai. No matter how much time he put in, it was never enough. For four years, Neji had been falling short of everything he tried to do. It bothered him, but not enough to really do anything about it.
As he carefully folded and replaced the towel in Lee's duffel bag, Neji glanced up at movement on the road ahead. It was a familiar looking jounin and a young woman. Probably some high paying client needing their daughter escorted somewhere. He had tied up his floor length hair for training and started to adjust the weight. It was pulling at his temples and Neji was developing a headache. He could sense the couple from before had continued their approach towards him. Neji screamed internally. Was the jounin delivering the client for Neji to escort? If this was his fate and everything was out of his control, Neji could at least decide how he would face it. He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and looked up with the most neutral expression he could muster.
Neji froze. The jounin was gone and all that remained was the girl. She was standing on the road beside the training field with her hands clutched at her chest. The sight wasn't unfamiliar. Since her death, Neji had seen Beki a million times: in his dreams, in the corners of his vision in crowds, and glimpses of her between the leaves in the trees. Beki always appeared to him as she did now: exactly as she had looked on the day she died. The clothes even looked like something she would have worn, although he had never seen her in that particular outfit. In broad daylight standing so plainly before him, Neji could only assume it was Beki's ghost. Her cadaverous appearance was all the evidence he needed. She was pale, almost translucent, with veins showing under splotchy, paper like skin. The circles under her eyes were so black and bruised that she seemed to be staring at him out of the hollows of her skull. Beki had atrophied in the grave, her muscles shriveling so she looked smaller and weaker than she had in life. Even her hair had lost its luster. He watched Beki cautiously. Although this vision of her wasn't unwelcome, ghosts usually came to people directly like this when they needed to convey a message. Sometimes they needed to deliver a warning or to act as a guide. Beki was wringing her hands and bouncing slightly on her heels, opening and closing her mouth as though she wanted to speak but couldn't. She was blinking nervously, her eyes darting from the ground at Neji's feet back up to his eyes and back down again.
"Beki?!" Lee raced past him, his arms wide. Neji watched slack jawed as Lee scooped the girl up in his arms and twirled her through the air.
Beki hugged Lee tightly but whispered something in his ear. He immediately plopped her squarely on the ground and looked over her back and sides. "Nothing opened up. You should have said something sooner!"
Beki laughed. "You were too fast for me, Lee." Lee had begun circling her, examining her for damage.
"You look...fine!" Lee looked up at her beaming. "Good as new!"
"Not quite," Beki chuckled uncomfortably. "There was some permanent damage, but nothing I can't live with."
"That's the spirit!" Lee clapped her on the back and Beki winced.
Neji hadn't moved. He watched this whole exchange as if through the lens of dream. This was Beki's ghost, but Lee was interacting with her. He could see her and talk to her; he had even been able to touch her. Had Neji hit his head? It had probably been a day or two since he had remembered to eat. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility he had collapsed and was hallucinating.
Beki's eyes were on Neji again, her brows furrowed with worry. She gave him a small, unsure smile. "Hi, Neji."
"Hi Beki," Neji uttered automatically, his mouth moving on its own.
"It's...It's been a while, huh?" Beki shuffled.
"Four years, one month, and six days." Neji corrected. Her voice was spot on. He could feel the vibration of sound through his bones, the breeze on his skin, and the smell of grass in his nostrils. All his senses were telling him this was real. She was here. But that just wasn't possible.
"I bet you guys are wondering what happened," Beki began, her tone one of forced enthusiasm. "So a friend of mine located the ice floe my mom and I were in and they transported us to a medical facility. My injuries were so bad they had to find kidney transplants for me. I guess that took them a couple of years. Once those were ready, we were thawed out, performed the surgeries, and ta daa," Beki held out her arms to her sides. The movement was stiff and instantly caught Neji's attention. Beki had always been theatrical when she told stories. Her friends had come to expect distinctive voices and facial expression impressions of the people she was talking about, broad gestures, and the like. She had mentioned being injured to Lee. Did that have something to do with it? It was safe for Neji to muse over such an odd detail, since he would wake up any second now sweating in his cold empty bed.
"But look at you two," Beki gave Lee a playful sock in the shoulder. "You look like men! Not that you looked like boys before, but Lee, those cheekbones!"
He grinned proudly. "We haven't just physically matured! We've been very busy since the war, Beki!"
"I'm sure!" She laughed. "What have you been up to?" As she spoke the question, although she was facing Lee as she said it her eyes were on Neji.
Before Neji could speak, Lee was replying. "I have been promoted to jounin and Tenten and I are married. We're expecting our son to be born in the next few months. That's why she isn't out here training with us. Gai sensei is probably training at home-" Lee gasped suddenly and looked up at Neji with an excited sparkle in his eye. "Neji, Miyu is going to be so excited to meet Beki!"
"Miyu?" Beki blinked at the name, her mind racing to try to connect it to a face. "Do I know her?"
Lee shook his head. "Unlikely. She's Neji's fiancé. She's a medical nin who works at the hospital. Miyu is a nice girl with a lot of passion for her job. I think you two will become good friends!"
All the light had gone out of Beki's eyes. It was as if a switch had been flipped and her power source turned off. Within seconds, though, she had recovered with an empty laugh. "I'm sure we will be. I have to get going. There are still a lot of people I need to go see. I'll see you guys around."
Beki gave Lee a quick hug and then walked over to Neji with her head drooped low. She wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed her face against him. It was real. She was real. Beki was alive, she was here, holding Neji so tightly he could feel her forcing the air out of his lungs. As this reality registered, he raised his arms to pull her into his embrace. Beki had let go and took off down the road at a jog. With the realization and acceptance that Beki was alive, the rest of the conversation caught up to Neji. His eyes went wide and he looked at Lee in horror. "Lee, what were you thinking!?"
"What do you mean?" Lee asked innocently.
...
Beki had spent so much time lying in that hospital bed in the Sound. She had talked herself through every possibility, every eventuality of meeting Neji again. The second she laid eyes on him, it had all gone out the window. He had aged beautifully, maturity honing his already fine features until they looked carved from marble. Every movement was graceful, his expressions serene. Her heart had started pounding so hard Beki was convinced it was going to launch itself out of her chest. It was incredible how all those feelings came flooding back, drowning her in want and longing. Beki ached to hold him in her arms, to feel his warmth against her skin and smell the clean linen of his shirt. The words she so meticulously prepared were lost, jumbled on her lips with all the things she wanted to say. He was her compass. Without him, Beki had felt utterly lost and trapped, like a ship without a sail.
The moment his eyes found hers the joy was literally ready to spill out of her. He didn't move. Neji had stared right through her. Had it been so long he forgot what she looked like? Konohamaru had said Neji took her death hard, so why did Neji look at her as if he didn't know her? Beki knew she looked sick and weak but he didn't even smile at her. The whole time Lee had talked to her, Neji barely said a word or made any attempt to approach her. Then Lee drops the bomb that Neji is engaged to another girl. Beki was so hurt she wanted to be angry but she couldn't bring herself to be. It had been four years. She should be happy that Neji was happy and that he had moved on. This girl was probably everything Beki wasn't: pretty, well mannered, classically beautiful, and gentle natured. The kind of girl Neji deserved. But then why did it hurt so bad? Why was Beki on the brink of tears because he didn't even hug her back as she was leaving? Had Beki meant so little to him?
That was the one thing Beki hadn't counted on. Even if Neji had moved on, Beki had assumed he had loved and missed her. This rejection was something Beki would never have thought of, and that made it the most painful possibility of all. All the ideas Beki had were useless. None of them would help her now. All the arguments about whether Neji would want anything to do with his baby were out the window. Neji clearly wanted nothing to do with her. Beki didn't know if it was the pregnant hormones or just all the utter despair she had been burying all this time surfacing like a dead goldfish, but the tears started coming and there was no end to them.
People stared at Beki as she stumbled through the streets with tears streaming down her face. She didn't care. None of them knew her. None of them cared. Eventually, Beki shuffled down an alley and collapsed against the wall. She sobbed freely, deep drags of breath between each childlike groan. Beki sank down to the ground and put her head between her knees as she folded her arms over her head. There was no chance with Neji. Although her mother said she would take care of her, it wouldn't be fair for Beki to pull Yuki away from her happy ending with Kakashi. Beki would have her baby and slink off with her tail between her legs back to the Land of the Moon. She could live like a hermit on the Asou family estate with her bastard until it was old enough to go to school, then maybe she could do secretary work under the table for Ishida or whoever had replaced him. Any way she looked at it, though, Beki's fate was sealed. She was going to die alone.
The awkward pregnant jog and the emotional sobbing had upset her stomach. Beki only had enough time to get on her feet before she started throwing up in the dumpster beside her. She had barely eaten, so it was mostly the tea she had an hour before. I'm getting too worked up, Beki thought. I have to get a handle on this. Once she was done upchucking, Beki spat one more time to clear her mouth and sat down. She focused on her breathing to slowly lower her heartrate.
No, she told herself. It wasn't true. There were options for her. No matter what happened, things would work out. She still had friends in Getsu and even in the Cloud village she could reach out to. Between all the people she knew, Beki would find something. If it were just Beki, she would be incredibly tempted to give into her misery. But that would mean living a miserable life in poverty and there was no way Beki would let that happen to her child. Her father had worked nonstop, traveling the world in a highly risky position to secure her future. Yuki had clawed through legions of shinobi who would do Beki harm. In that moment, in that alleyway with her own vomit splashed on the pavement beside her, Beki swore to herself she would be the same. Nothing would come between Beki and this baby, not even her own emotions.
...
Hinata ambled out into the garden, peppermint tea in one hand and a book in the other. It was nice outside and Hinata had felt incredibly stuffy stuck in the house all day. Naruto was off on a brief mission, so to top off the stifling air, the house was too darn quiet. At least on her covered swing there was birdsong and the occasional breeze to keep her sanity intact. No sooner had Hinata sat down than Neji came running up, nearly colliding with the swing and upending the side table in the process.
"Lady Hinata, I'm so sorry," Neji scrambled to steady Hinata as her footing faltered in her surprise. There was a wild, animal-like light in his eyes. It was the most alive she could remember seeing him in a long time and the idea frightened and confused her.
"It's okay Neji, but where's the fire?"
He blinked as if realizing how absurdly he was acting. "I was hoping she was here with you. Logically this would be the next place she would go but it seems I was wrong..."
"Are you talking about Miyu?" Hinata settled on the swing, setting aside her book and tea. "Do you two have a date?"
"No! Well, yes, but that's not who I'm talking about," Neji ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "I guess you haven't seen her then. Lady Hinata, it's Beki. She's alive."
"Neji..." Hinata said his name softly. Since her best friend's death, Neji had been spiraling the drain for years. He did his best to keep up appearances, working hard towards the clan's good name doing high profile missions. He never smiled or laughed and didn't leave the compound for anything other than work unless it was a social obligation. Hinata hadn't seen anything herself but had heard rumors of his bizarre behaviors, like wandering around in snowstorms or staying awake for days on end. Hinata had worried for him that something like this would happen. Something would take that final thread of sanity he clung to and snap it like a twig.
"I wasn't the only one who saw her. Lee was with me," Neji explained. "When I saw Beki, I thought I was hallucinating but Lee hugged her and talked to her." As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears and his voice cracked. "I mean, Beki? Alive? I...I just didn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. She looked bad, Hinata. Frail and sickly. I thought she was a ghost and I..." Tears poured onto his cheeks. "She hugged me and ran away. I barely spoke to her I was in such shock. I'm terrified I hurt her. I need to find her-"
Hinata had gone quiet. Halfway through Neji's explanation, Hinata had activated her Byakugan. She saw something off in the distance and her face contorted with pain. She raised a hand to her lips and her brows furrowed. "Oh my God. It...it's really her. She's alive."
"Where is she?" Neji jerked his head in the direction Hinata was looking and activated his own Byakugan.
"She's at the market, about two kilometers away," Hinata could feel her heart racing as tears streamed down her face. Her best friend was alive, there was no mistake. Hinata had watched that heartbeat so many times, no transformation jutsu could have fooled her. Hinata reached out and grabbed ahold of her cousin's sleeve. "Neji, go get her and bring her home. Please."
He took off without further comment at full speed, nearly colliding with Miyu at the gate.
"Whoa," Miyu held up her arms. "Neji, what's going on? Is Hinata okay?"
"She's fine, Miyu," Neji tried to squeeze past her but Miyu blocked his exit. "I'm really sorry but I have to go. I'll talk to you later."
"We had a date, Neji, remember? We were going to go talk to Ino about the flowers for the wedding and then go to the park and get some toasted nuts?" Miyu could see how agitated he was. Neji was never like this. He was always so mellow and lethargic. Now he was like a stallion in too small of a pen, dancing around her for the first chance of escape. It didn't bode well. She had seen patients like this, other war survivors that went through these alternating periods of depression and agitation. Miyu had never seen Neji agitated and had just thought he was working through some trauma. This manic phase, though, was incredibly concerning. It usually resulted in harm, either for the patient or some unfortunate second party. "Why don't we just skip the flowers and go to the park first?" She checked her watch. "I'm a little early. We should still make the appointment at the flower shop."
Neji tried to gently move her but Miyu held her ground. "You know what? Let's forget the flowers. We'll go in the den and I'll call them up and reschedule."
"Miyu, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to leave now." Neji's tone was dark, almost threatening.
"I'm not letting you leave like this, Neji," Miyu took ahold of his sleeve. "Not till you're calmed down."
With a frustrated sigh, Neji spun his arm and knocked Miyu's hand away. He turned and ran up the wall beside her, vaulting over the top of the gate just out of her reach. Miyu followed close behind him. She had never seen her fiancé out in the field, only heard the rumors of how talented a shinobi he was. As he raced through the streets avoiding stalls, signs, and weaving through people like a pinball while never losing speed, Miyu could see some of the abilities they talked about. He turned a corner and she nearly lost him. The streets were crowded this time of day and she eventually had to admit she wouldn't be able to keep up this way. Miyu took to the rooftops.
...
When Neji rounded the last corner, it was if his eyes were magnetically attracted to Beki. She was standing at an outdoor stall examining blankets. There was a fierce determination in her eyes that instantly brought back a sea of memories. He had seen that look any time she was reading or writing; it was her trademark show of intense concentration. Neji's heart swelled at the sight of it. He approached her slowly, still afraid that she would dissipate like vapors any moment. She sensed his approach and put down the blanket, turning to face him with a neutral expression. "Neji." There was that formality to her tone and the stiffness to her posture that she always used when she was angry with strangers. Beki had never used that tone with him. Neji knew immediately that their earlier interaction had hurt her and that knowledge pierced him like a thousand knives. The love of his life rose from the dead and the first thing Neji did was hurt her.
"Beki," It came out softly, almost like a plea. "I didn't believe it was actually you. I thought...I thought I was hallucinating or that your ghost had finally come to haunt me."
Beki opened her mouth to reply but hard, heavy footfalls caught both of their attention. Miyu came barreling up, stopping beside Neji. She doubled over and put her hands on her knees, panting from the exertion. "There...there you are," Miyu reached up and patted his arm. "I didn't think I was going to be able to keep up with you." She took another few breaths and stood at her full height, a full head shorter than Beki. Neji had looked at her, doing his best to hide his unfathomable frustration that she had interrupted his second meeting with Beki. Miyu followed his gaze as he returned to looking at Beki and gave her a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Miyu," She closed the distance between them and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you...?"
Beki took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Tsukimori Haruka of Getsugakure."
"Oh," Miyu chuckled. "Are you an old friend of Neji's? He never mentioned knowing anyone from Getsu," She looked at her fiancé. "Did you have a mission there?"
"Haruka was an ambassador for Getsu for a time," Neji explained curtly. "She was stationed here in Konoha. She worked with Tsunade."
Miyu laughed, a clear bell-like sound. "Tsunade retired after the war. Lady Tsukimori doesn't look a day older than eighteen. You're telling me a fourteen-year-old went toe to toe with Tsunade? That's impressive."
"I'm a little older than I look," Beki said, in a not unfriendly way. "So you're Neji's fiancé then?"
"Yes," Miyu nodded. "We've been engaged for six months now; the wedding is in the spring." This girl was from out of town and was apparently an old friend of Neji's. If this was why he was so riled up, that was good news. Although it was an overly strong show of emotion, it was something. Maybe it had just been bottling up this long and Neji would be explosive for a little bit. Knowing him, his emotions would level out and Miyu and his family could stop worrying about him so much. "Will you be in town? We would love to have you join us, Lady Tsukimori."
"That's generous of you," Beki said cautiously. She had never seen this girl before but she was exactly what Beki had pictured when she was told the Hyuga had replaced her. Young, sweet, and pretty without a care in the world. She probably fostered orphaned puppies in her spare time. Worst of all, the girl clearly had no idea of who Beki was, either, which meant Neji and his family had never shared that information. Either that or this girl was a genius level sadist, inviting Neji's dead ex to their wedding. "I don't know what my schedule will be like then. If I'm in the area I would be glad to join you."
Miyu beamed and gave her a polite bow. Neji was beyond mortified. It was like he had been thrown off a ship in a storm and was being tossed about in the waves. The crew had thrown him a lifesaver and just as his fingers brushed the slippery ring, someone dropped the rope overboard. Miyu reached up and looped and arm around Neji's affectionately as he quietly died on the inside. Beki gave them a quick bow and stepped off the deck of the shop. "If you two would excuse me, I've got other business to attend to-"
Neji grabbed ahold of the hem of Beki's shirt. He clutched the fabric so tightly it threatened to tear. "Please," His voice trembled. He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. "Come by the compound. Lady Hinata would really like to see you."
Beki nodded, her lips pulled tight in a bitter expression. "I will."
Neji watched helplessly as the love of his life walked away, swallowed by the crowd the way the night had swallowed her four years before. There was a strange sound from nearby, almost like wheezing. The sound made his chest feel tight and his legs wobbled under the weight of it. Neji collapsed onto his knees, right there in the street. He was laughing. It was a hysterical, unhinged sort of madman cackle. It wracked his body like sobs and made it hard for him to breathe. Miyu watched in horror as Neji threw back his head, his hands out to his sides as he had his fit.
"Neji," Miyu said gently, reaching out to touch his face. Neji violently knocked her hand away, nearly spinning her with the momentum of his strike. She clutched her hand, which stung from the impact, and watched as he curled into a ball. Neji was clutching his hair in his hands, tugging so hard it threatened to rip free from his skull. Miyu looked up after Tsukimori Haruka. She had no idea what their past was but that girl was a danger to Neji. Since Miyu had met him, Neji had been teetering on a precipice. Miyu had worked carefully to get him to slowly inch his way down off the ledge. This ambassador had come in like a gale force wind, knocking him off the cliff. But Miyu had him. She had ahold of his arm and there was no way she was going to let Neji fall into the abyss.
...
"Konohamaruuuuuuuu," Beki said as she unceremoniously slapped away the noren in front of Ichiraku. Konohamaru's head snapped around at the sound of her voice. He watched with wide eyes as she clapped down on the stool beside him. "I think I am having the worst day of my life. That's coming from a girl who watched her uncle murder her father and then burst into flames."
Konohamaru cleared his throat as Teuchi approached. Ichiraku's owner started to ask Beki what she would be having when he paused and considered her a bit more closely.
"Hi Teuchi, it's me, Seiichiro's daughter. I was frozen in ice for four years. Beef bowl, please." Beki bowed politely.
Teuchi blinked in shock but then nodded. "Glad to have you back." His voice was hesitant but this was a world of shinobi. He had seen and heard news just as strange.
"Why are you reintroducing yourself to people by talking about your dad?" Konohamaru furrowed his brow. "Is that one of the reasons you're upset?"
"Well, I'm clearly pretty forgettable," Beki growled. "I know my dad was a real intimidating type. Maybe if I make that connection it'll stick for people better."
Konohamaru squared off with her and put an arm on the counter. "Who hurt you?"
"No one hurt me but me," Beki grumbled. "Or rather, I let myself get hurt. Not happening again."
Konohamaru didn't know how to respond to that. It sounded like angry girl nonsense. Moegi talked like this when the other girls did something that made her furious but nothing could be done to fix the situation. He had learned through his teammate that the only thing he could do to help was to let them vent. "Wanna tell me about it?"
Beki slammed her fists on the counter in frustration. "So first of all, he doesn't even talk to me. Neji looked at me like he didn't even know me and then I find out he's engaged to somebody else. So I tell myself, good for him, he's happy, I bet she's great. Time for me to pack up and get the hell out of here because there's nothing left for me in Konoha. So then Neji shows up at the market with his new fiancé trailing along behind him. Apologizes and says he thought I was a ghost coming to haunt him. This Miyu- "
Konohamaru had to put a hand to his mouth to stop himself from chuckling at the absolute venom Beki used when she said the girl's name.
"Comes up and introduces herself, makes comments about how I'm too young to have been an ambassador under Tsunade, and then invites me to their wedding!" Beki seethed. Konohamaru was impressed at the low volume she was maintaining. The nee san he remembered had been a volcano when she was mad, screaming loud enough for people three buildings down to hear. She was keeping it so together right now, the only people he thought could hear her were himself and Teuchi.
"What did Neji say?" Konohamaru asked calmly.
"Clearly nothing about me to this girl," Beki scoffed. "I guess I was that unimportant to him. Doesn't even mention his last fiancé didn't make it through the war-"
"What else did he say to you?" Konohamaru asked more directly. "As you were leaving, did he say anything?"
"He told me to come by the house. Said Hinata would want to see me," Beki grumbled a more calmly, most of the steam out of her engine.
"That sounds about right," Konohamaru nodded. "The Hyuga probably didn't want Neji to tell Miyu about you. He might be trying to set up a chance to get to talk to you alone."
"Or Hinata really does want to see her dead best friend risen," Beki shrugged as Teuchi placed the bowl in front of her. "This looks amazing, thanks."
Konohamaru watched in near disgust as Beki plowed into the bowl. "Sorry," Beki panted between bites. "I have had zero appetite for weeks and I smelled the ramen and I was like, 'This is it, this is what I was craving'. Which is funny when you think about it because I have a serious sweet tooth and the idea of eating a slice of cake right now honestly is just...nauseating."
"You probably need something in it," Konohamaru shrugged. "I've heard that when you get an intense craving like that your body's missing one of the nutrients in the food you want."
"Well, that was awesome," Beki pat her belly. "Alright Teuchi, put it on the Hokage's tab for me."
Konohamaru and Teuchi both gave her a look.
"It was a joke," Beki rolled her eyes as she tossed her money on the counter.
"When you were an ambassador, people let you do that?" Konohamaru cocked an eyebrow.
Beki nodded. "Not me personally, but it happened for dad a lot. They would give him a tab at local establishments. It promoted local businesses by giving them the prestige of a visiting dignitary and dad got a free lunch."
"Konoha isn't like that though?" Konohamaru asked.
Beki laughed. "I was an ambassador during the reign of the 5th. There wasn't a lot of petty cash to throw around."
Teuchi joined Beki's laughter. "I used to make Tsunade pay up front."
"That's...embarrassing," Konohamaru gave a nervous chuckle. "Memo to me for my reign as kage, then. A free lunch goes a long way for your reputation."