A/N: Thank you all for your patience while I took a few extra weeks to rest mentally from my writing schedule. I am pretty satisfied with this chapter and my proofreader had the reactions I was hoping for as she read it, so that made me happy. Hopefully I will be back on track next month and the next chapter will be out around the end of June.
Naruto paces anxiously about the dining room on the first floor of Gaara's home, the home of the Sand Village's leaders dating back to the First Kazekage. If he remembers correctly from what Matsuri had said earlier today as she was leading him and Hinata up to their rooms, it was built a few years after the village's formation as a gift to the Kazekage. It has been renovated some over the years to install technological updates, and even had to be partially repaired after it was damaged during the chaos time after the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
As he waits for the others to come down from their rooms, Naruto runs a hand across the polished red sandstone of the dining table. Thinking about the meals he has been having lately at the large formal wooden dining table in Hinata's home, Naruto tries to imagine all of the history that has taken place in this room over the years. Family meals, negotiations with representatives from other villages, or even deals made with the other clans within the village. He wonders if Gaara and his siblings ever got to enjoy a family meal together with their father at this table, or was the circumstances of Gaara's birth a wedge right from the beginning, and all of their meals were held in tense silence.
Naruto taps his knuckles on the cold hard stone as he makes a promise to himself. If he is ever lucky enough to have a kid one day he will make sure that there will be time for family meals. Some of the other Hokage's found the time to have families and lead the village, so he will too. If they can keep this treaty between the Five Great Nations going, and hopefully expand it to the other nations, then maybe no more children will have to lose their parents to conflict and have to grow up alone.
He rubs his nose and sniffs as the painful memory of growing up eating his instant meals by himself flashes in his mind. Naruto is so distracted by this old memory that he does not hear the footsteps behind him until the person is within their arm's reach of his back. Upon hearing someone politely clear their throat Naruto turns his head to see Choji standing behind him and Shikamaru leaning up against the wall beside the room's entrance. Choji is wearing a forest green haori jacket over a burgundy kimono shirt and black hakama. Shikamaru is wearing an ivory colored kimono shirt with a black haori jacket and hakama.
Choji lets out an impressed whistle that echoes slightly about the room as he looks around in wonder. "Man, they are really serious with their stonework here in the Sand Village. I can't see a single seam anywhere in this room. It's like this place was carved out of one giant single piece of sandstone, even the table looks like it was carved in this room." He points down to where the table legs looks like they rise right up out of the stone floor and how there are no variances between their fine grain lines.
"The building was actually formed from the ground by a skilled shinobi, and as you guessed the interior was slowly shaped from that giant block of sandstone." Gaara steps into the room and looks about in appreciation at the skill used to build the home he has known all his life. He is wearing a tailored maroon collarless jacket with matching pants, along with a collarless red dress shirt. On his left hip is a small signature gourd of his sand. "I spent many hours of my youth tracing just a single striation line to see if I could find a break. I never did. The skill of the man who crafted this building to be a home for the Kazekage has never been equaled in the years since his passing." He looks about the room for a moment before adding, "Maybe that is a good thing; it grants him a little bit of immortality and gives younger generations a goal to try and achieve, possibly surpass. Having a goal to work towards in life is healthy, even if some people set their goals to the very top." He glances over at Naruto with a curios look to see if the meaning of his final comment was understood.
Naruto tugs at his jacket, it is actually the same outfit he wore to the solstice party at Hinata's home some months ago, and smiles. His life changed for the better the night he wore this outfit, so just in case it is a lucky outfit he decided to wear it again tonight. Not that he has any other outfit options for a party like this in his wardrobe. "That's right, and I'll be putting on a Kage hat one day, believe it." He turns and then bows deeply to Gaara. "Today is not that day, nor is the Kazekage position in this village the one I seek. Which is a good thing too, I'd hate to have to kick a good friend's ass." He straightens up with a smile on his face to show that he wouldn't mind a fight for fun though. "It's your village's big night Kazekage, why don't we head out and get this party started?"
Shikamaru and Choji just look at each for a moment and then shake their head. Only Uzumaki Naruto would be brazen enough to joke about kicking a Kage's ass to their face, in their own home no less, and get away with no insult being taken. It probably doesn't hurt that these two powerful shinobi share a bond that few others could ever relate to, or even have a chance of enduring. The crucible that these two endured could have destroyed them, but instead it burned away impurities leaving behind men who could empathize with the less fortunate. This empathy imbues them with the desire to help others achieve their own dreams as well. The time of peace that the First Hokage envisioned and hoped for is finally here and with those two friends working together this could be a peace that will last for generations.
As the four men exit the Kazekage's home they are met by a smiling Kankurō who is wearing a dark purple colored kimono and hakama under a black haori jacket. He falls into step beside of Naruto, a few paces behind his brother the Kazekage, and just before Choji and Shikamaru who are happy to let the others take the lead. The crowd on the street immediately parts to either side to allow their Kazekage a clear path down the road to where the main celebration is taking place. As he walks past, citizens bow in reverence to their leader and shortly after he passes they begin to cheer. The sound of the cheers slowly grow as he gets closer to the pavilion until it reaches a nearly deafening roar as he mounts the first step.
As he reaches the top of the stairs a young girl, the top ranked first year student from the academy, steps up and bows deeply to Gaara as she holds out a small bouquet of desert flowers. Kankurō leans over and whispers to the others, telling them that this is part of the yearly tradition and the flowers are known for their medicinal health properties. It is a symbol to show that the villagers wish their Kazekage good health and a long life.
Gaara takes the bouquet and bows slightly before placing a hand upon the girl's shoulder, congratulating the girl on being this year's top ranked student. The girl bows again in thanks for his recognition of her hard work before stepping off to the side as Gaara turns towards the crowd gathered outside the pavilion. He holds the bouquet up high over his head as a gesture of thanks to the villagers for their generous gift.
Naruto watches the whole thing and reflects on how after the way Gaara grew up this must still feel a little awkward at times. It has been for himself at times in the Leaf Village, for the most part he loves the attention he gets from the villagers, but sometimes he feels like he might be caught in a genjutsu and that he will wake up to find that it was all a cruel trick.
Hopefully for Gaara the time of fear and strife with the factions in his village is over and he doesn't have to worry about that anymore. With Kankurō and Temari always here to watch his back, the odds of trouble getting out of hand is virtually zero. Though with Temari and Shikamaru dating she won't always be able to put Gaara first, and if Kankurō ever finds a girl who is into creepy puppets that might mean Gaara could end up alone. He should have somebody there by his side when he needs a shoulder to lean on when times are tough. 'Kind of like how Hinata has been for me lately. I should tell Hinata about Gaara's feelings for Matsuri and see if she we can get those two together. I mean I did do a pretty good job getting Konohamaru and Hanabi hooked up together, so why not see what Hinata and I can do for the Kazekage.'
As the group enters the main entrance, Gaara is quickly approached by advisors and council members who let him know that everything is in place and that the party can get underway as soon as he is ready. Naruto and the other two Leaf Village shinobi take this as their cue to step over to the side and get out of the Kazekage's way. As they move over Shikamaru notices Temari's head sticking out from a barely opened door. She is making a few hand signs at Kankurō who quickly nods and speaks into the Kazekage's ear. Gaara nods and lets the attendants know that he will be ready to greet the guests once he has spoken with his sister about some important matter that seems like it cannot wait. Naruto and the others follow when Kankurō motions that they are invited to come along.
The room they enter seems to be some sort of small sitting room and Temari is standing in the center with Hinata and Yukata just behind her on either side. Naruto and Choji are stopped in their tracks as their girlfriends hold up a hand for them to wait for a moment.
Temari bows slightly to Gaara and when she rises up it is not hard for any of the young men to notice that one corner of her mouth is now turned up in a look of mischievous mirth. "Kazekage-sama, with such an important event upon us, along with it being the anniversary of you becoming our Kazekage, I got thinking." Her eyes dart over for a moment to Shikamaru to see if he is going to take such obvious bait, but the young man just stares back at her with a bored get to the point look on his face. "Lately during similar functions I felt like there was something missing and earlier today after watching Naruto and Hinata together it finally became obvious to me what was wrong."
Temari steps over to the side and makes a quick gesture to Yukata and Hinata to move apart in different directions. "I thought that you could use some company during tonight's celebration. Most of us…" She gives Kankurō an annoyed look. "Have someone to spend time with tonight once all of the boring procedures are done with and we hop from little group to little group socializing with all of the people who have come to the village to join in our celebration. I asked a former student of yours if she would help out and keep you company tonight." Now that the three women have fully stepped aside, Matsuri can be seen sitting in a small love seat looking down nervously at her folded hands.
Matsuri is wearing a pastel plum colored irokuji style kimono, which is accented with a cream colored obi. She stands up with her hands clasped over her nervously twitching stomach, head bowed, waiting to hear a disappointed or annoyed sigh coming from her Kazekage. How did she ever agree to go along with the other girl's plan? There is no way somebody like the Kazekage would want a weakling like her seen by his side, especially at an important event like this one. There are girls from far more prominent families in the village that should be standing here instead of a girl from a minor clan that has never distinguished themselves in the entire history of the Hidden Sand Village.
Naruto glances from the frightened young woman to an obviously stunned Kazekage and then over to Hinata who is obviously doing her best to not jump up and down in excitement. 'So it seems that Matsuri has similar feelings for Gaara. It figures that Hinata has already figured things out, and it seems as if she and the other two decided to give Gaara the same boot in the rear that I needed.' He holds out one of his hands to Hinata and she quietly comes over to him, while the other two ladies do the same with their boyfriends, leaving a visibly trembling Matsuri alone on the other side of the room. Once they reach their boyfriends the three kunoichi quietly usher the men out of the room, leaving a stunned Gaara and a terrified Matsuri to decide their fate privately.
Gaara stands there in silence trying to collect his thoughts. He had planned on seeking Matsuri out… soon, but his sister has dropped this in his lap without any chance for him to prepare what he wants to say to his former student. He holds up one hand to say something profound, but when her head looks up suddenly at the sound of movement the words drift away from his mind like dandelion fluff caught in a breeze. Her hair had been styled to perfectly draw his attention directly to her dark eyes, and now he is caught in the trap set by that stylist.
Matsuri wants to run across the room, bury her face against his chest, and confess everything in her heart. She needs to unload this burden in her chest before its weight crushes her soul, but this is her Kazekage so does she dare do something so audacious. Seeing that his hand is held out in an accepting manner she takes a few cautious steps forward and places her smaller hand inside. Warm, she remembers the time that she had brushed up against his hand once before and remarked how warm it had felt.
The sensation of her flesh coming into direct contact with his own shocks Gaara back to his senses and he runs his thumb gently across the back of her hand. "Matsuri, thank you very much for accepting my sister's offer to be my companion during tonight's celebration."
Matsuri bows, accidentally touching her forehead to the side of Gaara's hand and sending a chill through both of their bodies. "It is my honor Kazekage-sama. I just hope that you will find my company acceptable tonight." A voice screams in the back of her head asking why did she have to add the word 'tonight', she could have stopped at 'acceptable' but no she had to act like this was a one-time deal and not the possible start of their future together. 'I am so stupid. I want to find a rock, crawl under it, and just die.'
Gaara gives her a slight nod and leads her towards the door, their hands still clasped. "I am sure that you will do fine. I just hope that you will not find the tediousness of watching me greet guests and dignitaries too boring." They are alone, why isn't he saying what he wants to say? He is now regretting his harsh tone to Naruto earlier today. This is so much harder than it seems. Combat is so much easier; somebody attacks you and you kill them first. Opening your heart and making yourself completely vulnerable to someone, that's truly terrifying. Okay, he will talk to her later when things are less chaotic. And he has time to express himself without the chance of being interrupted. 'Damn, now I am sounding just like Naruto.' Out of desperation he reaches up with his other hand and gives Matsuri the bouquet that he was given not long ago.
Matsuri is simultaneously nervous and proud of the chance to be seen by the side of her beloved Kazekage by so many important people, so she straightens her posture and gives him a confident smile as she takes the bouquet. "I think that I am going to love it, Kazekage-sama." There, she said love to Gaara, maybe not in the way you would tell somebody that you love them with every fiber of your being, but at least she was able to get the word out in his presence without stammering like a fool. Next time she will add the word 'you' after saying the word 'love'. Wait did the Kazekage just smile after she said the word 'love' out loud?
As the group leaves the room the girls grab each other's hands, form a small circle and do a quick victory dance. Naruto watches the amusing display for a moment before pointing towards the room with a curious look on his face. "Does she…"
Hinata and Temari both nod their heads while Yukata just rolls her eyes that it should be completely obvious to anyone how her teammate feels about the Kazekage.
Naruto lets out a sigh of relief. "Good, he feels the same way and I was a little worried that she might not, and I didn't want him to get hurt."
Before they can share anymore of their gathered information an aide comes up and asks them to take their seats because the doors are about to be opened for the guests. Naruto and Hinata are pointed to their seats at the main table where the other representatives from the Five Great Shinobi Villages will be seated along with the Kazekage. Other ranking diplomats and family members of the Great Nations are arranged in concentric semi-circles out from the main table in order of their rank. They look over and see that the other two couples are busy talking to each other, most likely about Matsuri and the Kazekage.
Thankful to have a few semi-private moments together while the rest of the guests arrive Naruto can finally give Hinata some attention as they walk towards their assigned seats. He turns and looks at her from head to toe, causing her to feel a little self-conscious and blush. She is wearing her hair up in a similar fashion to the way she wore it during the Leaf Village's New Year's festival earlier this year. This time though the kanzashi she is wearing is made up of silver with white cactus flowers. The kimono she is wearing is a purple furisode style kimono with long sleeves that nearly reach her ankles. The pattern on the kimono is of flowering bamboo stalks, whose white flowers match the color of the ones in her kanzashi. The wide obi she is wearing is dark blue with a similar flowering bamboo pattern, while her obiage is pure white.
"What do you think Naruto-kun? Otou-sama suggested I get something special to wear for tonight and said to get whatever I want and consider it as a gift in honor of my first mission with the diplomatic division." Hinata nervously runs her hands down the obi to make sure that it is still in place and wrinkle free. When she sees Naruto start to shake his head from side to side her heart sinks thinking that maybe her outfit is too much for such an occasion.
Naruto lets out a little chuckle and brushes back a couple of strands of her hair that have worked their way loose. "I've said it before and I am sure that I will say this again many more times. Just when I think you can't look any more beautiful you go and do something to surprise me, and I know a lot about being totally unpredictable. Plus I think you know what wearing your hair up does to me and you did it tonight to torture me because I have to behave in public." He takes her hand and wishes that everybody would just leave the room right now so that the two of them could be alone. He doesn't care what it takes but somehow before the sun comes up tomorrow he is going to find a way to finally confess his feelings to Hinata.
At least he can keep one promise he has made to himself till he can find time for the other, so he reaches up into his sleeve and pulls out a small wrist corsage for Hinata to wear. "I said that I would give you a flower every day I could, so I got you this while I was walking around town today. I figured that this would be safer for me to put on you in public." Naruto and Hinata share a silent laugh as he slides the band over her wrist and they then lean closer to each other.
Before they can complete their kiss the movement of someone coming to their table forces them to look up. Darui from the Hidden Cloud Village backed up by Samui takes a seat beside Hinata. While Darui nods his head graciously towards Naruto and Hinata, Samui only gives them the briefest of nods before returning her gaze back to scanning the room.
To their left Kurosuchi from the Hidden Stone Village walks up to her reserved seat with a confident air, and before anyone can say anything she strikes a confident pose. "Grandfather sends his apologies for not coming, but his back has been acting up more frequently lately so he asked me to come in his place. I assume the Hokage is similarly busy?" The playful smirk she gives let's on that she knows the real reason and is playing along with the cover story of why the Hokage, someone who normally does not pass up a party invite, sent Naruto in her place to the festival.
Naruto lets out a loud sigh that he hopes will not seem fake to anyone watching them at the moment. "Yes, the Hokage is super busy these days and constantly complains about all the paperwork on her desk. She sends her regrets and hopes that everyone won't mind hanging out with me this year."
"It is good to see you again Uzumaki Naruto." Akatsuchi, who towers behind the smaller framed woman from his village, bows to the others before looking over the quickly growing crowd with a face filled with excitement. He always enjoys meeting new people and listening to their stories about their homelands and their exploits. By the looks of the many people coming into the room there will be no shortage of new stories for him to learn and share.
Naruto glances towards the crowd and feels nearly the same level of excitement as he leans over to Hinata. "This might sound funny, but I am really looking forward to talking to people tonight." When she looks over at him curiously he gives her a wink and a smile. "I get to introduce people to my girlfriend and tell them what a lucky guy I am." He reaches under the table and gives her hand a happy squeeze. He is about to laugh at her expected response when he notices that Chōjūrō from the Hidden Mist Village, followed by a tall black-haired woman, takes up their assigned seats.
Hinata takes the opportunity of Naruto being distracted by Chōjūrō's appearance to collect herself and tries not to blush so brightly that everyone will wonder what they are talking about. She is looking forward to being introduced as Naruto's girlfriend, but the sudden focus of attention from all the people who will want to talk with Naruto being directed at her as well is going to force her to fight against her inherent shyness all night long. Hinata lets out an almost audible gasp when she sees a familiar face in the crowd, one that she was really hoping would not be here tonight. She cannot help but bow back in response to his friendly nod of recognition. 'I wonder if otou-sama knew that he was scheduled to attend tonight's festival.' She pushes away her nervousness so that Naruto will not see it on her face or feel her increasing pulse rate when they touch hands again. She places a polite smile on her face as Naruto starts chuckling at something Chōjūrō had said and turns back to look at her grinning from ear to ear.
Their attention is immediately focused towards the main entrance as the sound of the various conversations stopping only to be replaced with a buzz of murmurs as everyone stands up. The Kazekage has entered the main room and is making his way to his seat at the table. It is obvious by the way people are talking and staring that it is Matsuri that is causing the commotion. It seems that most people had assumed that her presence beside Gaara as he greeted guests near the entrance had been as an aide to the Kazekage. Now that the two of them are making their way across the room, her hand lightly touching his offered left arm, that this young Sand Village kunoichi's status has taken a giant leap up the ladder.
Seeing the almost regal way that Gaara and Matsuri are walking together, Naruto nudges Hinata slightly with his elbow then raises his arm just a fraction. With a very Hyuga stoic look on her face she slides over her left hand and takes a firm grip on his hand, she then pulls it back to where is it discreetly hidden by the folds of their kimonos. This surprising counter by Hinata nearly causes Naruto to laugh out loud as Gaara takes his seat with Matsuri nervously doing the same on his left side. This puts Naruto directly to Gaara's right, another gesture on the strength of the relationship of not only the two men but their villages as well.
Once everyone else follows suit and takes their seats, servers come in from the wings and begin to offer drinks to each of the guests. Naruto stares down at the bubbling golden liquid in the fluted glass after it is placed in front of him before letting out a heavy sigh. He can feel Hinata give his hand a reassuring squeeze knowing what is going on in his mind. Alcohol, he had promised himself that no such liquid would pass his lips again as long as he could prevent it from happening. Now here he is at an important celebration where a toast is about to occur, and he cannot just pretend to take a drink because he is standing right beside the presenter of the toast. Even he knows that it would be considered an insult not to drink at least a little when Gaara makes his toast and takes a drink.
"Relax." Gaara whispers over at his obviously struggling friend. "I do not care for alcohol, not that I fear how it might affect me, I just do not enjoy the taste of it on my palate. The contents of our glasses, as well as others who prefer not to drink alcohol, is sparkling apple cider. My sister, knowing my distaste for alcohol, introduced it to me at my last birthday." When Gaara sees Naruto nod his head towards Hinata he nods in affirmation that her glass contains the same liquid as well.
Naruto lets out a sigh of relief as his usual smile returns to his face. "Thank you Ga… Kazekage. I appreciate this very much."
Gaara lifts his glass as a small group of attendees bring over a microphone and angle the mic to make sure that the Kazekage's voice will be heard clearly on the speakers outside the pavilion for everyone to hear. "I want to thank everyone inside the hall and to all the people on the streets outside who are listening. I am not going to make this a long speech because this celebration is for everyone in Sunagakure, and I want you to have as much time as possible to enjoy this night." He pauses to give the thunderous cheer outside a chance to reach its crescendo and begin to diminish.
"The last few years have been an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity for not just our village, but also for our allies. I count myself to be very fortunate to be your Kazekage during this time of prosperity, and it is my sincerest wish that future generations will only read in textbooks of the strife we have endured and know only peace." There is another pause as everyone in the great hall applauds Gaara's wish.
"This peace and prosperity has been earned and continues to be created by everyone's desire to work together. It was on a night just like this many years ago that several shinobi clans came together to form this village. They saw the example of how the fractious clans in the Land of Fire had put aside their differences and grievances, knowing that their strengths would compensate for others weaknesses while their own weaknesses would be compensated as well." Gaara turns and salutes the representatives of the Leaf Village and is followed by others in the room.
Naruto, Hinata, Choji and Shikamaru bow to the Kazekage and to each of the four corners of the room in thanks for the generous recognition.
"Tonight, on the anniversary of the night that the original charter was signed under the darkness of the first new moon after the spring solstice we pause in remembrance." Gaara bows his head slightly and looks down at the table. "We remember those that came before us that helped to build what has become Sunagakure, without their dedication and sacrifice to the ideal of a united village we would not be standing here tonight." There is a long pause while everyone says a silent prayer to the spirits of those who have passed beyond. The only sound in the room is the breathing of the people in attendance and the slight buzz of the electronics in the microphone.
The Kazekage lifts his glass high as he raises his head. "Let us drink a toast of thanks to our forbearers and also ask their spirits for their guidance towards and even brighter future." Gaara takes a drink from his glass, followed quickly by everyone else in the room and a loud cheer erupting from the streets outside. "Now let the celebrations formally begin." Everyone in the room gives a round of applause before people begin to move about the room and strike up conversations with the various guests in attendance.
Naruto and Hinata make their way over to Shikamara, having previously decided that initially they should represent the Leaf Village as a complete team. As Naruto and Hinata meet up with the two men and their dates someone stops in front of Choji as he reaches out to grab a few items from the tray of a passing servant.
"So, feeling any better crybaby?" Karui stops in front of Choji and strikes a victorious pose. "Thanks for the lunch Akimichi. It's been a while since I ate so well and didn't have to pay. I'm pretty sure that I won't need to eat again till lunch tomorrow." She gives her stomach a satisfied pat.
Yukata pauses in her conversation with the server who is a childhood friend and stares back and forth between her boyfriend and the wild haired woman who is standing way too close to Choji. Yukata feels an instant dislike for this Cloud Village kunoichi, and her eyes can't help but roam down the form fitting black dress, with a slit up the left side that nearly reaches to the top of the dark skinned woman's hip. Is this shameless hussy not wearing any underwear?
Choji nearly chokes on the appetizers he is chewing on as he tries to recover from the shock of seeing the girl from earlier today. He can feel Shikamaru and Naruto looking his way curiously. "Hey, you know that some of the glaze splattered on may face when I was turning the ribs on the grill." He points up to his left eye to show that it is still a little bloodshot.
Karui waves her left hand back and forth dismissively. "Sure, sure, whatever you say." She pats Choji on the side of the face. "If you ever want a rematch I'll let you try and regain your honor Akimichi, just bring plenty of cash because I get to pick the place next time." Karui gives Yukata a polite smile as she walks over to where Naruto is currently speaking with someone from the Land of Earth. "Next time, just don't try and show off your cooking skills and you won't injure yourself."
Choji watches her walk away frustrated by his loss at an eating contest. It was his fault that he lost too, he had slathered on way too much of the sauce to show that he could handle the heat. He had flipped the ribs with flourish and got a drop of the spicy sauce in his left eye. It had instantly begun to tear up, causing him to Iose the bet, technically. Most people would have given a competitor a break, but she was following the issued challenge to the letter, and by those rules he had lost by having tears running down his left cheek.
To add insult to injury, she had eaten the last of the ribs while he was trying to flush out his eye. He knows that before he leaves the Sand Village he will have to challenge her again to restore his honor. His thoughts of epic revenge is interrupted as Yukata steps in front of him, blocking his view of Karui. It takes a few blinks before he realizes that the look she is giving him is an unhappy glare.
Yukata places her balled up fists on her slender hips and glares at her boyfriend till he stops staring at the red-head woman's backside and notices her again. "Why did SHE thank you for buying her lunch?" Before Choji can utter a reply Yukata steps up closer, her face turning an odd shade of red. "So while I was busy protecting my village you were out eating lunch with that... that red headed..."
Before she can use a word not meant for polite company Choji gently places both hands on her arms. "Here name is Karui and…"
"OH! So you are already on first name basis with… her?" Yukata jerks her arms out of his grasp and takes a step back. "Don't think that I didn't notice the funny look she gave you with her weird looking yellow eyes."
Temari steps up between them and grabs one of Yukata's wrists. "You need to calm down and lower your voice." She motions slightly to the side to show Yukata that other people are beginning to notice her little spat with Choji and are starting to laugh at the public spectacle she is making.
Yukata pulls her hand from Temari's grasp and glares at Choji before tossing her head to the side and walking off into the crowd.
Choji is left standing there in total confusion. "I… I don't get it, what did I do wrong? It was just lunch." He looks over to his best friend for help. "A guy's gotta eat to keep up his strength, right."
Shikamaru places a comforting hand on the big man's shoulder and gives him a little shake. "That is what I have been saying most of my life about women. You can do everything right and still be wrong at the end of the day. Try not to let it get you down buddy. Just try to enjoy the party and you can try to figure it out tomorrow, once she has cooled down." He lets out a long sigh and shakes his head. "It would probably be a waste of your time to try and talk to her before she is calm enough to listen rationally."
"I hope for your sake that you are not insinuating that I am like that, Shikamaru." Temari says over Shikamaru's shoulder in a cold and calm voice. "He is right about one thing though. If you chase after her right now and beg for her to listen, then she will think that she owns your ass. She is the one in the wrong, so she needs to be the one to make the next move. Though, if I thought for a second that you had tried to cheat on her with Karui, we would be having some private words outside right now." She holds up a hand and makes a fist so tightly that he can hear her knuckles pop.
Choji opens his mouth to once again profess his innocence but catches sight of some people still trying to eavesdrop on the first bit of excitement of the night. It will give them something to talk about until somebody has had too much to drink and makes a spectacle of themselves in front of the whole room. Not wanting to be the topic of conversation for bored rich people and dignitaries, Choji turns around and walks off in search of a waiter with a fresh tray of something wrapped in bacon.