Butterflies

"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!

Chapter 11 – Chouji: Touching

8-8

"So, Chouji-san. You never did tell me how you like my new look?" Aya didn't. She didn't just ask me that. Okay, buddy. Easy. Breathe. This is not a drill. This is not a rehearsal. A girl just asked you how she looks; one you like!

Okay. Think. What upsets Ino the least when you say something about her looks? Well, anything that leads to: 'And what is that supposed to mean!?' Okay, vague is out. Vague means you don't know. Okay… so what about saying she looks pretty. Hmm, no. Vague. Ino just goes and asks what I find pretty, or what looks good.

I can't leave out that I think she's pretty. Ino would just assume that means I think she's ugly. Okay… so… "It suits you." Why does it suit you? "A brighter red would really brighten you up, but this…" Crap, Chouji! What are you doing!?

"… makes you look pretty and professional." Okay, she's blushing. But is that a good blush or a bad blush? Or is she just turning red because she's upset and is about to kill me? Oh! Her kodachis… if I leave those out she'll think something's weird about that too… hmm. "And your kodachis complete the look. I wouldn't mind having you watch my back in a fight." Ha! Take that Ino! Oh wait… I don't even know if Aya thinks like that.

She's looking away. The back of her neck is turning pink again. No tension in her neck, no tension in her back… that I can see. You never know if her jacket is covering the worst of it.

"That's really sweet of you to say, Chouji-kun." Sakura points out, smiling at me. Okay. So she thinks I worded that well enough to not get killed. Girls would know this kind of thing, right? How other girls would react to a guy's words? Yes, they most definitely would. I don't know how, but they would. Girls are really confusing, so I don't know how anyone makes sense of them.

Holy crap! Aya's about to pop! And it isn't because of me either. Her neck, shoulders, back, arms, everything is tense like she's about to pounce. And Sakura's REALLY uncomfortable now too.

Then, without warning, the tension eases. Nothing happened, not as far as I can tell. So… why is Aya suddenly calming down? Is it because Sakura got the message? Not that I know what that message is supposed to be, but… obviously there's some secret communication going on between them – nothing positive though, seeing as Sakura was about to wet herself.

Okay, now Aya's embarrassed. What? Okay, buddy, think. You don't have chocolate on you, so what else works on mom whenever she gets weirdly emotional for no reason. Hmm, she seems to calm down when dad rubs her lower back. Okay… thin ice, Aya doesn't like people touching her… but she did sort of admit the other day that she doesn't mind me touching her. Okay, go for broke, and pray lady luck likes me.

I gently place my hand on her lower back. I don't move my hand, just place it there. I keep an eye on her, just to make sure I would see the signs of her about to blow a fuse.

Okay, no knee-jerk reaction. Good. Good. She was already blushing, so I can't tell if she's still blushing from whatever made her blush in the first place, or if she's blushing from the contact.

Nothing bad is happening. So far, it looks like you'll walk away from this. "Hey, you okay?" I lean in and whisper into Aya's ear. I know dad does that a lot with mom too, I don't know why he does, but I know she doesn't mind him doing that.

"N-nn." Aya nods.

"Okay enough for us to keep going?" I whisper again. She nods, not noising this time. She then starts walking ahead, she grabs Ino and… she's not looking at me at all. Not that I need her to. Every time the wind blows, I catch a glimpse of her neck, and I notice she's still blushing, from the pink tinge to her usually pale skin.

I have no idea what to think. She didn't kill me, and she isn't acting like she wants to. But…

Buddy… girls never make sense to you. Just because you like her, doesn't mean Aya suddenly will make sense. Just make sure to pray to Kami-sama in thanks for helping you survive that potential minefield of female rage.

Oh, and make sure to thank dad too. Seeing him around mom is at least a good place to start.

8-8

Once back at Shikamaru's, auntie demands we all sit at the table again. She drags Naruto into the kitchen to help her make a snack. Hmm, I could eat.

Aya is still acting REALLY weird. Blushing, staring at me, and when I look in her direction she hides her face and… Girls really just make no sense.

Anyway. Auntie makes her famous popcorn chicken – weird name, but it's what she calls it. It's basically small cuts of chicken, breaded, and baked. I think it's supposed to be fried, but auntie would probably see that as 'unhealthy'.

We're each offered chopsticks, and auntie has Aya pour some tea for everyone. Hmm, why… is she pouring for me last? Is that important? I don't know. I'm not really sure I care, but Aya just doesn't seem the type to do things at random. Just because I don't understand her reasoning, doesn't mean she doesn't have one.

"So, Aya-chan. How was your day?" Auntie begins. I can't help but feel bad for Aya. She really doesn't like talking. I'm not sure why that is, but it's something that's been proven time and time again.

"It was a lot of fun. We went to the bakery, to the movies, to the Akimichi restaurant, and we did a lot of window shopping. Did you know that they made a movie based on 'Ronin'? You know that book written by Kouzuki Urabe? That Frost country author?" Wow. Didn't see that coming. Aya's really chatty right now.

"I haven't read it. Is it any good?" Auntie asks.

"It's a modern classic! The story of a samurai's fall from grace. How he loses all honour in his home country, then shamed by his wife sleeping with his brother. He loves his brother too much to kill him, so he leaves. Once he enters the 'land of wolves', he meets this peasant girl, a beggar really." She keeps going on and on about the story. I almost want to read the book –or at least watch the movie– just from how passionately she's talking about it.

What really surprises me, is the look in her eyes. I've always thought of her as reserved, distant, almost cold. But the warmth in her eyes, the way her hands dance in front of her as she talks. How her voice almost sings every word she speaks.

I really wish I understood why she doesn't like to talk. Her voice is addictive.

I shake off that last thought. Not something I need to think about with her this close to me. At all.

"Interesting. And what about calling Hinata-chan by her given name?" Auntie asks. Hmm, I wonder about that. I mean, she's been calling me by my given name too. Ino as well. But she tends to call everyone by their family name. Is there a reason for it? Of course there is… but what? Why? Namiki Aya, just who are you?

"She offered." Aya looks down and away. She's embarrassed? Only, not for herself. She's embarrassed for Hinata.

"Aya~aaaaaa…"

"I won't say, Yoshino-sensei. I'm sorry, but Hinata-san wouldn't appreciate me talking about her behind her back." Aya… she's defensive. Even towards auntie? I look to Ino, who's beaming at the brunette. I look to auntie, who's smiling warmly at her.

"That is acceptable. One shouldn't speak of a friend's private reasons." Auntie smiles a little wider when Aya denies that they're friends. Hmm. That's not too weird. I mean, even though I hang out with Naruto, I don't really consider him a friend. He's just someone I hang out with from time to time.

Not that I have anything against him. I just don't know him that well. But… well, he's Aya's teammate. Shouldn't I try to get to know him? Well, technically that would count for Sasuke too, but I doubt Aya would care if I never get to know that jerk at all. I doubt she'd care if he burst into flames right in front of her.

Naruto's not that kind of person to her, though. I can tell they care for each other. Not romantically, thank Kami-sa… way to go, Chouji. Make yourself uncomfortable.

Okay. Chouji, just follow the conversation. Stop thinking stupid thoughts abou… just stop.

"Is there something I should know? I mean, Hinata-chan seems like a wonderful person, if a bit shy. I think you two would get along." Auntie asks. Hmm, she seems to know something. I'm not sure what, but something.

Aya's acting weird again. She isn't embarrassed this time, but she isn't happy either. Something about this is bugging her. I don't know what, though. "She's great. And she's passionate about music. She really loves the theatre, and plays, and she really loves-" This is making less and less sense. Aya is talking about Hinata as if they're best friends, how they share a passion for music, theatre, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't know Aya was into to begin with. And yet she refuses to call Hinata a friend?

She's completely different now. Her words are no longer sung, her voice almost ghostly compared to what it was. Her eyes are empty as well, no emotion at all. This is the Aya I recognize from the academy: alone.

"Auntie, is this really needed?" I ask, hearing more fire in my tone than... well, ever. Why do I suddenly feel so angry? Why do I suddenly feel like shouting at auntie for doing this to her, forcing her to retreat into that shell of a person she used to be? I don't understand why Aya's acting the way she is, at all… all I know is that I hate seeing her like this.

"Aya-chan." Auntie ignores me completely. "I know something is bothering you, and I would prefer it if you didn't bottle it up. Would you rather speak to me alone?"

"… n-nn." Aya-chan nods, already moving to stand. I watch her as she walks to auntie's office. I study the slight droop in her shoulders, the sudden lead in her feet. She looks like Shikamaru when his dad's bringing him somewhere to train.

Somehow… I can't even bring myself to eat. The snack is delicious, as always. Lightly flavoured, subtle, delicate; just like I like it. All I can seem to think about is Aya. What weighs her down? What… what is bothering her? And how can I make it go away…?

8-8

A zombie. That's what Aya reminded me of. After she came back from auntie's office, she just… plopped into her seat and didn't react to anything. "Chouji." I turn to auntie, wondering what's going on.

"Give this to Asuma when you see him tomorrow." She hands me a scroll.

"Is she okay?" I ask, looking at Aya again. She… just seems so lost.

"She will be. She just needs time to recharge." She says, but I'm not sure I believe her or not. And that certainly does nothing about Aya not being okay right now! "Walk her home?"

I wonder about that. Aya really shouldn't be alone right now. "She needs time, Chouji. Too many people around her will overload her circuits. Just trust me. Aya isn't the first introvert I've had to deal with."

"But…" Just looking at Aya, I can't help but feel like she'd implode the second she's alone.

"She's stronger than you think. Just make sure she gets home. And bring Ino with you. Okay?"

8-8

I do as I'm told. I walk with Ino, Naruto and Aya. Sasuke walks part of the way with us, but I'm so focused on Aya that I don't really notice him too much. I don't know how she does it, but she seems almost normal. If I didn't keep noticing the faraway look in her eyes, the cold, stoic way she arranges her features… I'd almost believe she was okay.

I keep close to her, hoping to be close by if she needs me – for whatever reason. I see how she walks, poised, collected. But I can tell she isn't either of those things right now. She's… missing pieces of herself.

And the only reason I can tell, is because I've seen the whole puzzle. Even if only for a little glimpse, I've seen her whole. I know better.

Once we get to her apartment, Ino walks in with her. I stay in the hallway with Naruto. "She didn't even notice me today." Naruto mumbles. Huh?

"Who, Hinata?" I wonder. Yeah, I found that odd as well. Normally Hinata would only notice Naruto and almost ignore everyone else. Then again, normally Naruto would only notice Sakura, but he only seems to have noticed Hinata? I shake it off. Not something meant for me to understand. At all.

"You could always ask Aya about it. I'm sure either she or Ino would know what's up with that." I offer. I'd probably ask Ino though. That girl has a nose for these things. Not that I'm going to go and admit that right now and get the blonde upset with me. I've got enough on my plate for now.

"N-nn." Hmm? Is Naruto being all quiet? I shake my head again. Things these days are just weird. What's next? Ino saying how she doesn't like Sasuke anymore? People are being so weird these days. And really, just understanding Aya-chan is hard enough! So I'll probably just end up asking Shika about this. I mean, he seems to figure things out – if he doesn't find it too troublesome, that is.

It takes Ino fifteen minutes before she comes out of Aya's apartment. She takes one look at me, blushes, and mumbles something. I blink. "Ino?"

She closes the door behind her. Just closes it. Ah, Aya locks it. Hmm, six locks in all. That girl's paranoid, isn't she. Not that that's a bad thing!

"Come on. If I don't get home soon, mom's going to get mad at me for missing dinner."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, Aya." I say, but I'm not sure why. She probably can't hear me through the door. "See ya, Naruto."

"Yeah." Naruto seems pretty out of it himself. I don't get what's going on. I really don't. Everyone's short circuiting today.

Still, it's none of my business. Not really.

8-8

Shika, Ino and I are in training ground eight, for eight in the morning. As usual. Asuma-sensei walks into our training ground at exactly eight. And as usual the redhead is right behind him. Asami-san has been… hard on Asuma-sensei. I can't help but wonder that all clanswomen are a bit crazy when it comes to certain things. Or is that just all women in general? I don't know.

"Good morning, Asami-chan! Keeping an eye on sensei again?" Ino sounds amused. I just snort. Why ask? It's obvious she is. To think that a girl our age would end up being the Third's daughter? Still. She's nice enough, when she isn't upset about something.

"Naturally! I caught this slack-off mumbling about wanting to hang out with her instead of training you guys! And I swear to Kami-sama, if I find out you're just a shadow clone, I'm never, and I mean NEVER, going to let you forget this. You hear me, Nii-san!?" Asami's really intense. Her violet eyes narrowed, her hands balled on her hips, and doing her best to really get in Asuma-sensei's face. Even though she barely reaches his waist.

"Hey, sis. Aren't you supp-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." Asuma-sensei grumbles, but I don't think he's dumb enough to say anything now.

"Hey, sensei. Auntie Yoshino asked me to give you this scroll." I toss it to him, with an understanding smile. It's not like I'm brave enough to go against Asami-san either. I mean, she's our age, but already a chuunin! Still, I'm not quite as scared of her as I was of Aya. I've seen Asami be really sweet, especially on Asuma-sensei's nephew, who's like three years younger than her. Weird, but that's life for you. I'm not the type to try to understand how all of that worked out. I'll leave that to Ino to figure out.

"Hmm. It seems Yoshino wants to have a joint training day with her team." Sensei announces. Oh!? Really!? "Hey, Chouji. Why do you look so excited about that?"

"N-nothing." I look away. It's not that I'm that excited about spending the day with Aya-chan. It's just that I really want to make sure she's okay. I mean, she didn't look much better when I saw her this morning at auntie's.

"Hmm. Are you blushing, Chouji? Is there… some kind of connection between you and someone on that team?" Asami-san asks, her eyes smiling even though her lips aren't. I blush, refusing to answer. Being around Ino so much is bad enough. If Asami-san starts getting curious as well? "That's a yes. And to boot, Yoshino-san is someone I can actually trust to whip your team into shape! I mean, come on! You know you were training twice as hard when you were a genin!" She's on Asuma-sensei's case again. Auntie really meant it when she said Asami-san would get on sensei's case about training us.

"So anyway!" Asuma-sensei changes the subject. "We're going to meet up with Yoshino's team. And Shikamaru… don't."

I chuckle at Shikamaru's expense. Asami-san doesn't like hearing him use the word 'troublesome'.

8-8

I hear Shika grumbling quietly the whole way back to his house. He's probably complaining about having to walk all the way to our training ground, just to walk all the way back. I ignore him.

Instead, all I can think about is Aya-chan. I know she won't be in a 'people mood' today, but I can't help but hope she'll be better now. Even if only a little.

Once we enter Shika's home, Asami-san seems completely different again. She's aloof, relaxed, laid back. She walks with proper posture, of course, but she almost looks… slightly slouched?

Trying to understand girls is impossible. Stop trying, buddy.

"Ah, there you are! And Asami-chan is with you as well! That's perfect! Listen, I have an idea on how to help her build up." Auntie motions for all of us to sit down at the table, but I can't help but notice that she's mostly talking to Ino and Asami-chan. I shrug; not something I'm meant to understand.

"I see. Well, it sounds about right. And she would probably really enjoy it." Asami-san admits. Huh? What'd I miss?

"Totally! I mean, she compared playing her flute to chocolate! She'll love this idea!" Ino's really excited about this. I'm not really sure what's going on though.

"Good. Then here's what we'll do. She needs to do special stretches before she can play her flute. Chouji-kun, I'll need you to help her with that. I know it'll be rough on you, but just keep in mind that she needs to, otherwise she'll never be able to play the flute properly, okay?" I nod, narrowing my eyes. Why am I getting dragged into this?

"Asami-chan, I'm going to need your special touch with another student of mine. Uzumaki Naruto. Aya's mood depends on how happy people around her are, whether she admits it or not. So I'll need you to find something that Naruto-kun will enjoy learning. And I mean, excited, can't hardly sleep, grinning like an idiot kind of enjoying it. Think you can handle him?"

"I can handle Nii-san and daddy. I can handle one hyperactive blonde. Any suggestions what might get him that goofy-happy?" Asami-san asks, suddenly really into the conversation.

"Sealing. He doesn't know it yet, but he is really into it. Don't offer him outright. Just start working on a seal near him and let him get curious. He'll be eating out of your hands in no time." Auntie is… scary. Really, really scary. I shake it off. "Ino, I'm going to need you to hang around Aya as well. Don't ask her anything, just keep chatting away like you usually do with her. She doesn't want to talk, but she really does enjoy people being happy around her. Okay?"

"I'm on it, auntie!"

"Shika-chan. I'm going to need you monitoring Aya. You can sniff out her moods best. Make sure to let Ino and Chouji know when they need to back off a bit. If you do that for me, I won't complain about you cloud-watching all day. Deal?" Shikamaru getting his mother's permission to cloud watch all day? Without her complaining about it? She's more than scary! That's plain old bribery!

Shikamaru is smirking at the offer. "I think I can handle that."

"Alright. Asuma. Here's what I need from you. Go find Kurenai. Ask her team to join us. We're going to be holding an unofficial tournament of sorts between the genin to see where they are in their training. It'll be a good chance for them to gauge their skills."

"Heh. I don't know what you're planning, Yoshino. But I like it."

8-8

As usual, auntie sets her mind to something, she starts making moves to get that something, and the only acceptable outcome: she gets what she wants. So Ino, Shika and me are sitting with Aya on the hillside again, Shika's favoured spot.

"Do you need help with your stretches?" I offer, as I was told to. She looks at me, worried, but she nods. She shows me the stretches she needs me to help her with, pointing at this, tapping that. She isn't saying a word, though; not that I really need her to. I'm starting to understand what she means just by nonverbal means.

It's a heartbreaking three minutes. Purposely hurting her. Even if it's for the sake of her training, of helping her do something she loves; something she's passionate about. Hurting her hurts.

Still, she smiles a little smile just for me. She thanks me with her eyes, even though I see the tears welled up that she refuses to let fall. I see her retreat into her own little world, closing her eyes, shutting everything out. She takes a few deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. I~iiiiiin. O~ooooout.

She opens her eyes again, stretches the hand that was just hurting her. Her knuckles crack just from how tightly she holds her muscles. Then she nods, satisfied with her efforts. She smiles at me again, a little brighter this time.

Reaching into her left sleeve, she takes out her flute. I can't help but compare the wooden item to her. Pale, hard, cold. But if cared for, if treated with love, the most beautiful things can happen.

I blush at my own thoughts, wondering why I had to go there.

Aya brings the flute to her lips. She angles it just right, holds her fingers just right. And she blows. Her flute sings a long, high-pitched note. A song, I notice, that does things to her. Her muscles relax entirely, her face, her eyes, her lips –the tension that'd been just under the surface– everything relaxes. She's at ease.

She's really pretty when she's like that.

She doesn't really play anything specific. Just one note after the next. She keeps shifting the flute, trying to make new sounds. Her fingers dance from one note to the next; sometimes when she breathes, sometimes during one single blow just to see how that affects the note.

All the while, she's glowing. Glowing in a way I've never seen her glow. Even with her eyes closed, I see her eyes smiling.

Ino starts chatting away about something, but I don't know what. All I know is that Aya is… amazing.

Not fifteen minutes later, Hinata, Kiba and Shino show up. Auntie starts arranging things again. She sets up warm-up spars between everyone. I wonder why the three girls get left out entirely though.

I hear auntie explaining that I'll be up against Naruto. I'm fine with that. Shikamaru's against Kiba. And Shino's against Sasuke. She says how everyone has ten minutes to do whatever stretches and whatnot they want. I just keep watching Aya play her flute.

Hinata seems to think we have the right idea, so she comes over and sits next to Aya-chan. Ino's still chatting away about something.

Some silver-haired guy showing only one eye calls the first match. Huh, when did he get here? Shikamaru versus Kiba. Shikamaru forfeits immediately. Auntie doesn't even complain. So I'm up against Naruto. Oh well. Let's see where this ends up going.

"First match –that ends up actually happening– Chouji versus Naruto! Are both combatants ready!?" This guy's really hamming it up. I don't know why, seeing as we're not really going to fight. Naruto's far more interested in what Asami-san was showing him, and I'm more interested in watching Aya play her flute. Still, this is just something auntie wants done. For some reason.

I shrug. So does he. The match starts, and we charge at each other. I throw a punch to his face, he ducks and tries sweeping my feet from under me. I jump over his attack, trying to land with a fist to his midsection. He rolls away from me... and out of the ring auntie set up.

"Winner, Chouji!" Well,that was fun. We bump fists, showing there's no love lost between us. He goes back to Asami-san. I go back to Aya-chan. Hmm, Hinata's offering her a scroll. No words get exchanged, but I can see there's a whole conversation between them. Aya opens the scroll, reads a section of it, and hugs Hinata. I don't know what that's about, but I can tell both girls are happy to be together.

Aya spends five or six minutes studying the scroll. Her eyes are completely focussed. Even as I sit back down. Even as I start munching on some chips. Even after I finish the bag, fold it up and return it to my haori jacket pocket. She's just zoned into that scroll.

Once she feels she knows what she needs to, she rolls up the scroll and sets it next to her. She takes her flute again. Only this time, she starts playing specific notes in a specific order. Some longer, others shorter. Some notes vibrate for some reason, others she tries playing as crisply as possible.

I don't know what she's doing, I don't care. I'm not listening to the notes really. It's… the look on her face that I enjoy most.

The longer this goes on, the more I see excitement building within her. The notes start coming out more excitedly as well. The very air around her seems electrified with her energy.

"Heh. Twinkle, twinkle little star, but like I've never heard it before. Interesting." Shikamaru comments. Aya beams, but not at him. She beams at me. Her eyes meet mine, twinkling with delight. I grin, rubbing the back of my head. I didn't really do anything worth this, but I won't complain.

8-8

"Chouji versus Kiba!" I groan. Kiba wants to prove something. I don't know what. But something.

"If I win, you think Aya'll let me sit with her?" Kiba asks. I feel my eye twitch. "Maybe I'll even get her to play sweet music for me."

Twitch, twitch.

"Ooh. Fat boy doesn't like-"

Under normal circumstances, I'd get upset. I don't like people calling me that. However!

Seeing Aya almost literally fly at Kiba, fists swinging, landing the first punch on the back of his head, the second somewhere on his back, then three lightning fast kicks and one last bop to his skull… landing him on his knees on the ground in front of me. "Aya-chan… this was Chouji versus Kiba. Not Aya versus Kiba." The silver-haired guy seems amused, I guess.

Still. I can live with this outcome. "Hnn!" Aya noises indignantly, turning her nose up and looking away. She makes sure to glare at the other boys, warning them that she'll stick kick their faces in if they drag her into anything. Then she just walks back to the spot she was before, picks back up her flute and keeps playing.

"You know what scares me? I can't tell if she beat the snot out of him because of what he said about her, or what he said about Chouji." Asuma-sensei gets out, shaking his head at Kiba's sad state.

"You really have to clue." Kurenai-sensei smiles, mostly at me. I rub the back of my head, embarrassed. I think she thinks it's because of me, but I really don't know. Aya's kind of a mystery.

8-8

End Chapter 11

8-8

A/N: Heh, I kind of enjoy doing this now ^_^ Chouji, sweet and clueless. He's still a lot harder for me to write than Aya, but I'm better at getting between his ears than most guys I try writing. I mean, Kakashi for example? I can tell you exactly what motivates him, but put him in a situation like that interlude? No clue how to do his character justice TT_TT Guys are just weird! Things that are perfectly acceptable for female characters, are just taboo for guys...

Anyway! Enough ranting about that! Let's see what trouble will end up coming our way next? Hmm?