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 33 – Let it snow
8-8
I slide the door open, finding everyone relaxing in the back yard. Team Eight, Team Ten, and my own team. Haku is here as well, with Momochi-san and Asami. Saki's probably in the front yard having a snowball fight with Hanabi, Konohamaru and his friends.
Naru-nii takes one look at me and decides he doesn't like what he sees.
"Good. Now that we're all here, we can start with the warm ups. Let's start with Ino versus Hinata!" Captain announces. I plop down onto the porch, near Nara-san. He eyes me, but doesn't say anything. He nudges Akimichi-san, sitting on the other side of him, but he doesn't react. I keep out – whatever that nudge is supposed to mean, it has nothing to do with me.
Hina-nee uses my signature snap-genjutsu, but I'm too far away to be in her effective range. She closes in on Ino and places a kunai at her throat, scoring a win. "Winner, Hinata! Next match, Chouji versus Sasuke!"
"I would advise against that." Sasuke says honestly.
"Advice noted. Now get up here or forfeit." Captain doesn't budge. Sasuke isn't one to forfeit a match, so he body flickers into the ring –the pond, as usual, even though it's half frozen so we have to still 'water walk' to not break the thin ice– awaiting his challenger.
Akimichi-san looks unsure of himself, but he enters the ring nonetheless. "Combatants ready? Begin!"
Sasuke wastes no time pressing the attack. He's been training on that little pond every day since it froze over, so the slippery surface doesn't even bother him anymore. Akimichi-san blocks the first punch and ducks the follow-up kick meant to break his neck. He throws a punch at Sasuke's gut, trying to use his momentum to his advantage, but Sasuke sidesteps it and kicks out his legs from under him then punts him before he even has to land. Akimichi-san lands in the snow surrounding the pond, earning Sasuke the win.
"Winner, Sasuke! Aya, check if Chouji's alright." Oh, so that's your plan? I don't react, making my way over to where Akimichi's roll ended. He stands up, covered in powder snow. I scan him visually, but everyone's so covered up against the cold that I can't make out anything other than his rosy check and disappointed eyes. His eyes meet mine for a brief moment, and I see something there, something I can't quite describe. It's gone as quickly as it came.
I scan him with the diagnostic jutsu, finding almost nothing. #Just bruises.# I sign to Captain, turning on my heel and walking back to the porch.
"Next match! Aya versus Kiba!" I growl, eyeing Captain like he just lost what was left of his mind. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Sasuke. Step up or forfeit."
"What's the matter, Aya? Scared to fight a real alpha male?" He baits me. I glare at him, willing to warn him only once not to provoke me. "Check it out, Akamaru. She thinks her glare's scary."
I step into the ring, the chakra I need to not take a dunk focused on my feet. "Aya, don't break him." Sasuke intones. I can tell from the smirk that he's only making a 'helpful suggestion', which immediately gets ignored.
I take out my flute, wondering when the match is going to start. "Aya, this is taijutsu only." Captain reminds me. I shrug. I wasn't going to use nin- or genjutsu. I'm going to beat the snot out of him with a handicap. I start playing 'Sakura' again, which gets a few chuckles out of my teammates. They know I play this song when I'm feeling particularly spiteful – especially Sasuke.
"Oi, Aya! You think you can take me without using your hands?" Inuzuka-san asks, obviously upset. I loop at the end of the song, starting back at the beginning. My notes are coming out quick, agitated, and crisp. "Fine. Akamaru, go sit on the porch. I'll be right there." The pup puts his partner down, who scampers through the snow and onto the porch, as instructed.
"Combatants ready? Begin!" Inuzuka rushes me, slightly hunched forward. He dives, trying something really stupid; I don't know –or care– what. At the last second, I jump over his attack, somersault and blaze a kick into his skull, knocking him down and through the ice face first. "That was uncalled for."
I shrug, putting my flute away and pulling the pup-sickle up out of the freezing water. He coughs and sputters, but I saw it coming so I make sure he's pointing away from me. I toss him into the snow without a care, glancing at Naru-nii to tell him to deal with this.
"Come on, Kiba. You can take a nice long soak to warm up a bit." Naru-nii half picks the boy up and drags him inside.
#Hypothermia risk, concussion, wounded pride.# I sign to Captain, letting him know my diagnosis before I'm asked.
Captain sighs. "Next match,"
8-8
Kiba's out of commission. After he warms up, I'm still ordered to tend to him. All that does is confirm the concussion and the onset of a virus – likely just a cold or, worst case scenario, the flu. Yasu-nee refuses to let him out into the cold, even after I 'fix him up'. Good riddance.
Everyone's been REALLY nervous about fighting me ever since. Other than Naru-nii and Sasuke, of course. They can take me, and even when I get the upper hand, they know I won't hurt them too badly.
"Aya versus Chouji!" And then this has to happen. I don't even glance at Akimichi-san. I just make my way over to the mostly frozen pond. I step onto the surface, grateful that my boots are covering everything down there.
Akimichi-san walks up, clearly nervous and not just about the match. "Combatants ready?"
"Wait." Akimichi-san says. "Aya. I'm sorry." He says, sorrow in his eyes. I shrug. I know nothing other than that you're 'sorry', so don't expect anything from me. I get into the Muay Thai stance, waiting for the match to start.
He nods, obviously understanding he's not getting whatever he's looking for. The match starts, but I don't move. Neither does he. We just stand here, waiting for something that doesn't seem to come.
"I… wish I could make you understand." Akimichi-san murmurs, still not moving. I understand. You've been clear as crystal. You don't want 'this', 'us'.
Already tired of nothing happening, I walk away, my back to him. Once on the porch I kick the snow off my boots and open the door to go inside. "Aya. We're not done here." Captain calls to me. I don't even pause to show I hear him.
8-8
I spend the rest of the day in my office, mostly reading. I know everyone's going to be upset with me, and I can't bring my self to care.
I'm too busy practising this aural sensory jutsu – to enhance my sense of hearing. It would really help if I combine a heightened sense of smell with better vision at night and keener hearing. The only other thing I could possibly need –as far as I know– would be the ability to accurately sense chakra directly, but that's a rare gift I do not have.
"Sweetie, can I come in?" Yasu-nee asks, already sliding my office door open. Thanks for the heads up at least. She comes in and sets down some tea and two chocolate muffins on my desk near me. "The others are worried about you, you know." I shrug, not putting my scroll down. "I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine." I say, rereading a section to make sure I understand the details well enough.
"No, sweetie. You're not." She says, worry in her tone and eyes. I sigh, but don't comment. I take the one of the muffins, sniffing it –purely out of habit– and take a nibble. "If you're interested, Yoshino-san and I are making some snacks to celebrate how well you all did in that tournament thingy." She tries.
I nod, taking a sip of my tea.
8-8
Dinner time comes. Yoshino-sensei is the one to come and call me, probably because she believes she's the only one that could get me to come to the table and eat. I can't say if she's right or not.
Naturally, everyone tries to play the 'happy little helpers' and I'm seated next to Akimichi-san. I sit without comment, not looking at anyone. Haku helps Yasu-nee fix everyone a plate, and Yoshino-sensei is doing everything in her power to get me to talk. The closest she's gotten is an annoyed grunt when she asked me why I was that hard on 'Kiba'.
I look to Haku and Yasu-nee, smiling at them in thanks for the food. They smile back, but no words get exchanged. I do chorus 'Itatakimasu' with everyone though – it's rude not to.
"Hey, sis. It's starting to snow." Naru-nii comments, pointing outside. The sliding paper screens are wide open, of course. Even when it's this cold, they're always open. It's not like closing them makes any real difference in the temperature after all, so we just put more firewood in the little woodstove to drive out the cold.
"Oh? Does Wolf-chan like the snow?" Inuzuka asks. Everyone glares at him, other than me. I just don't care. He can claim he's being a prick under the influence of his concussion, and really it's not like anyone here would tell anyway. I'll still report it though. If he gets executed for his own stupidity, it's not my problem.
Once my plate is empty, I drink my tea and I bring my dishes to the kitchen and wash them. "Sweetie, you're not going back into your office." Yasu-nee demands, pointing towards the group sitting and watching the snow come down. She and Haku are already gathering the dishes, so I move to help. "Go join them." I'm ordered.
"Go on, Aya. I'll go grab you a quilt so you can keep warm." Sensei offers, smiling. I don't react to any of them. I know what they're doing, so I do this my way. I make my way into the visitors' sitting room, and I slide the paper screens open. I sit down, by myself, gazing out into the snow.
8-8
I don't know how long I'm sitting there, watching it all come down, but, "Why are you all by yourself?" Saki-chan asks sliding the door closed behind her. "Yasu-nee asked me to give you this." I turn to her, seeing her holding a folded up quilt.
I motion for her to come sit with me. Once she's comfortably sitting in my lap, I wrap the both of us in the quilt, thinking back to simpler days. "Each snowflake is unique." I quote. "Just like things that bother you. The clouds, they are just like you, bottling it all up until it becomes too much."
"Ehh?" Saki doesn't make any sense of my words, just like I didn't make sense of hers back then.
"And just like the clouds, you should let it go. Let your troubles fall away from you like the snowflakes." Mama's words haunt me, even now. "Everything that weighs you down, might just make someone else really happy if you let it go." Tears fall. Tears of pain, frustration, loneliness. All of if falls. Unlike the snowflakes, my tears bring joy to no one.
"Someone's being antisocial again, I see." Naru-nii teases, sliding the door shut behind him. He scoots up behind me, tugging me into his warmth. He wipes away my tears, looking uphappy that I'm crying without him again. I've been doing that a lot lately.
"Why are you guys sitting over here by yourselves?" Ino asks, dragging an obviously muttering Nara-san with her. I hear another's footsteps as well – I can guess who that is.
I untangle myself from between my siblings, refusing to cry with them here. "Sis, you don't have to go." Yes, I do. I'm already halfway to the door, my face held perfectly neutral.
"Naru-nii, why does Aya-nee cry so much these days?" A string of tears escapes, in full view of Team Ten. I don't wipe them away, hoping they'll just not notice.
"Because sometimes we end up giving our hearts to an idiot that doesn't know what to do with it." I slide the door closed behind me, doing my best to remain as… poised as I can, seeing that I just want to be alone right now. I know if anyone else –Yasu-nee and Yoshino-sensei especially– sees me crying right now, I won't be allowed to be alone.
Unfortunately, the stairs are near the family sitting room, and guess who I happened into on my way up to my room?
"Why are you crying?" Yoshino-sensei asks, just loud enough for someone hear it over washing the dishes. Yasu-nee opens the kitchen door, finding me trying to wriggle out of Sensei's hug. I sigh. I don't WANT to talk! Just leave me alone!
"Alright, young lady. Let's go." Yasu-nee shoos both Sensei and me up the stairs so we can have some privacy.
8-8
I'm lead into my bedroom. Yasu-nee dragging me along by the hand, Sensei sliding my door shut behind her. She even activates the seal so that this will remain a private conversation.
"Sweetie, it's time you get it off your chest." I'm told. Get what off my chest? "Don't give me that look. I know you better than this." Whatever.
"Aya." I wince. I don't know why, since her tone is gentle and sweet. I still get the feeling I'm not going to like whatever else gets said. "You might think that you are some kind of superwoman. That you can take on anything or just walk away from it… The world isn't that kind."
Yasu-nee takes me into her arms, hugging me tightly. Sensei seems to like the idea, and sandwiches me in from behind. "I know firsthand just how ruthless, how cruel, men can be." Yasu-nee really needs to shut up. "But Chouji-kun… he's not like that. He's not the kind of man. He's just a little boy that doesn't know what to do."
…
"And that's alright, sweetie. He has a lot of growing up to do. And so do you."
…
"You're just a little girl, Aya. A little girl that sometimes just needs someone to hold her so she can cry her heart out."
…
"Don't be afraid to be that little girl. And don't you ever think I won't be here to hold you when you cry. Don't you dare think that."
8-8
"Weather's getting worse." Naru-nii points out. Yeah, it is. It's so bad that we have to close the sliding paper screens to keep the wind and snow out of the house. "I don't think anyone should leave in this weather.
"Shikaku-san is coming." I murmur, knowing he'll hear me.
"I know. I'm gonna go open the gate when he gets closer. Mind warming up some sake for him?" I nod, easing up out of his lap and offering him the quilt he'd wrapped me in again. I make my way into the kitchen, seeing Sensei and Yasu-nee quietly chatting about something while… cooking? We already had di… ohhh…! Sensei must know her husband is coming.
"Shikaku-san is almost here." I murmur, reaching into the cabinet with the sake and grabbing three bottles – Sarutobi-sensei will likely want, and it's not like Momochi-san will ever say no to sake.
"I figured as much. Shouldn't you wait until after he eats to offer sake?" She wonders, her eyebrow suspiciously high. I shrug, putting the sake into some warm water and grabbing the three saucers they'll need. "Aya~aaa."
"He's walking through a snowstorm to be with his family." I say, meeting her stern gaze. "That kind of loyalty should, and will, be rewarded."
"Nn." She nods, agreeing fully with me. "Naruto-kun's going to open the gate, so you'd best get busy if you want to spoil my husband."
8-8
Shikaku-san enters the family sitting room just ahead of me. He's shivering, trying to warm himself up as best he can. He sits down to the table, trying to be as detached as he can. I roll my eyes – guys and their pride.
I set the saucer in front of him, already pouring his first drink. "Wow. Talk about service." His voice is neutral, if a bit shocked. No shiver or stutter or tremble to be seen.
After pouring enough into his saucer, I kiss him on the crown of his head and lean in to whisper into his ear. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to us."
"You know what I don't get?" Inuzuka-san is at it again. "Why is it that she's so soft and gentle with some people, and always halfway to the point of killing others?" Not 'others', mostly just you.
I roll my eyes, but offer Momochi-san and Sarutobi-sensei their sake all the same. They seem a bit shocked, but smile nonetheless. "Boy, I don't have the years it'd take to explain women to someone like you." Momochi-san says, raising his saucer to me, then to Shikaku-san and Sarutobi-sensei. They both cheer 'Kanpai!', before downing their drink – Momochi-san in one go, while the others sip.
I leave them be, heading upstairs into the linen closet for another quilt. I bring it back down, and gently drape it over Shikaku-san's shoulders – he strikes me as the type of man that prefers it this way, for some reason. He smoothes my hand, just as I'm arranging the quilt just right, looking to me with a soft smile in his eyes. I smile a little too, before pouring him another saucer. I also try to chase away the last of the snow still clearly visible in his black hair.
Seeing nothing else he needs, I go back to sit down with Naru-nii – who's leaning against the wall so he can 'keep an eye' on his surroundings. Saki-chan comes over to join us, looking blue from the cold and shivering a little. She sits in my lap again, shivering as I wrap my arms around her. Nii-san wraps both of us in our quilt, and we just huddle together against the storm.
Sensei comes in not long after with Shikaku-san's dinner. I see the look in her eyes, as she takes in her husband; the joy just below the surface, the comfort of knowing that I took care of him for her. She eyes the quilt, the sake he sets aside to make room for a warm meal. She places the plate in front of him, gently. She sets the chopsticks to the right of the plate, gently. She kisses him on the cheek, welcoming him and thanking him in one go. Just before she turns to go, she places her hand on his shoulder for a little squeeze – he kisses her hand.
Even after all the years together, I can easily see the love they have for one another.
"It smells delicious." He says, a smile in his voice and eyes.
"Eat up." She says, smiling just the same. I can tell that the 'novelty' of scenes like this is long gone – no matter how precious something is, it's easy to forget its value if you see it every day. But at the same time… I feel something deeper between them. The promise of a lifetime smiling at them even when logically every other option was easier.
I hug Saki a little tighter, snuggle into Naru-nii's embrace a little deeper. I… I wonder at the family that I happened upon. Little, broken, and made up of –at one point– total strangers. But we're a family all the same.
"Sit with me?" He asks. She looks unsure, obviously having other things to see to. "Please?"
"Alright." She caves, sitting beside him. As the minutes drip past them, she leans more and more into him, until his arm snakes around her waist and her head lies snugly in the crook of his neck. He eats, quietly enjoying and … drinking in the moment.
Is it bad that I want that too? That trust, that warmth? That yearning for someone that I couldn't not walk over a kilometre in the middle of a snowstorm just to be with them? I sigh, my eyes studying Akimichi-san briefly.
Does it matter what I want? If he doesn't want it just as badly, then it's just not meant to be.
8-8
"Listen up, everyone!" Yoshino-sensei gets everyone's attention. "No one is going out in that storm, so I've discussed it with Aya and Naruto. If you're here, you're spending the night." As usual, Sensei just isn't taking 'no' for an answer.
"The boys will be staying in one room, the girls will be staying in another. Sakiko, Hanabi and Moegi, I think it's best to have the three of you in Sakiko's room tonight. Ino, Haku, Asami, you'll bunk with Hinata. Boys, you'll all be bunking in with Naruto. Asuma, Kakashi, Zabuza, you three will bunk in together. Kurenai, Yasu-san already clearly stated that you'll be sleep in with her. She seems to think you'll, and I quote, set a bad example for her little sisters otherwise." Yuuhi-sensei and Sarutobi-sensei both try not to, but I notice just enough of a blush to mean something.
"What about you then?" Nara-san asks, his eyebrow ticking just a little high for less than a second.
Sensei blushes a little herself. "Aya refused to let Shikaku and I sleep in separate rooms. So… she's sleeping in with Hinata as well… and we're taking her room for the night."
"Just be sure to change the sheets, lovebirds." Momochi-san quips, his smirk obvious under his facial bandages. I bite my lip, trying not to smile too much – I'd told Sensei the same thing.
Sensei's cheeks flame up, and she refuses to meet anyone's gaze. I glare at Momochi-san, warning him to be on his best behaviour. "Whoa there, ease up on the death threats." He tells me, his voice flat and he's clearly being sarcastic.
"Hnn!" I turn my nose up at him, walking past without a care. I make sure to go into my room and grab some clean clothes for myself and Ino – Hina-nee already suggested that both Asami and Haku borrow something from her since they're… similarly developed?
I did make sure to give Sensei the scroll that contains all the futons we… acquired some time back. So I'm sure she'll make sure everyone has enough space the little things they'll need to get comfortable.
Hina-nee suggests that we all go wash up together, which I'm not against. It's really cold, and a nice, long, hot soak is just the thing I need. Just as we're all ready to go, Sensei knocks and asks if she can come in.
"Girls, I assume you'll need three futons for tonight?"
"Well…" Ino declares herself the spokesperson. "We were kinda hoping for five? So we could all sleep together?"
"That sounds perfect." Sensei beams at us, shooing us down the hall so we could wash up. I hear some poofs behind us – probably Sensei unsealing the things we'll need.
8-8
Waking up the next morning, I kind of feel… awkward. Mostly because Haku and Ino are… squishing me between them. I nudge them both to win back some breathing room, but that just makes them turn and wrap me in their hug attack. I can't help but feel jealous for a lo~ooooooooong moment – both of them have more boob than me.
Stupid thought.
Then an even stupider thought hits me. I'm here, lying between two gorgeous girls, their arms wrapped around me and their boobs firmly pressed against my chest. Most guys would kill for this opportunity. Not that I find anything particularly amusing or pleasant about it – I'm mostly enjoying it for the warmth and comfort. I mean, how often have I felt comfortable being this close to people? With someone other than with Naru-nii and more recently with Yoshino-sensei, Yasu-nee and Hina-nee… it never happened.
Well… there was that person too, but… it's not like that's going to ever happen again.
Either way. It doesn't matter, because here, now, in this moment, I feel… safe. Sleeping like this between two of my… of my friends… I feel like the world can wait a little while longer before I go out and conquer another part of it today.
"Gir~rrrrrrls. It's time to get u~uuuuuuup!" Sensei almost sings, gently rapping on the door. I groan, wanting to enjoy this moment just a little longer. The change is immediate. "Don't make me come in there!"
"I'm up, I'm up!" I complain.
"Aya! You only have to say it once!" She storms down the hall loudly muttering about Shikamaru having a sister she didn't know about. It's not even a minute later when I hear her shouting at Shikamaru as well.
8-8
"Alright! Let's see. I need to go into town. We're running low on blank scrolls. Naru-nii and I could use some more regular and sealing inks. Saki-chan still hasn't gotten her own flute. And I really want to deal with my custom tanto as well." I go over that list once, twice… yes. I didn't forget anything, and I'm certain that even if I did I'll remember it while we're out shopping.
"Someone's in a good mood today." Ino says, smiling coyly.
"Sleeping with a cute blonde in your arms will do that to you." I say with a teasing smile. She blushes a deep crimson, but most of the boys are ready to pass out from a nosebleed. Perverts. "Or was it having a blonde and a brunette?" I tap a finger against my chin, pretending to think about that. Haku's the one blushing this time, but she's smiling a little as well.
A low whistle draws my attention to Momochi-san. "Not bad, Namiki. Most guys can't claim to be that lucky."
"Most guys would want to do something different than sleep." I drone, glaring dully at him. He chuckles, not bothering to deny that. "Oh! I still have to officially change you guys' names too!"
"Sweetie, you don't have to." Yasu-nee tries for the millionth time. I offer a dull glare, letting her know she's still getting shot down. To deny someone a sense of family, a sense of belonging, is a punishment worse than death. I will not allow her to suffer that burden so long as I can help it. She shakes her head, smiling. "Anyway, while you're out shopping. Would you mind picking up some things for me as well?" I smile, telling her I wouldn't mind in the least, so she hands me a list with some basics – and some more personal things for her. I nod.
"Hey… that reminds me! I still needed to take you shopping for that thing!" Naru-nii remembers whatever it is that he forgot. So he invites himself to go shopping with me.
"Hnn. I'd better tag along." Sasuke says, sounding exasperated about something.
"Who invited you?" Naru-nii asks defensively.
"No one. But someone has to warn the shopkeepers you two are always like that…" He trails off, almost rolling his eyes at us.
"Always like what?" Naru-nii and I round on him in stereo.
"Like that." He drones, glaring dully.
"Whatever." We wave him off, already turning to Sasa-nee to bug her a bit. "Hey, Sasa-nee, you wanna come too?"
"That's… a little… much?" Sasa-nee looks really uncomfortable. Obviously she hasn't spent a lot of time with Naru-nii and I together.
"Don't you start!" Naru-nii and I look at each other, finally realising that we really were just talking completely in step with each other.
8-8
Instead of heading into town, we decide to bring Udon and Moegi home first. Konohamaru went with Sarutobi-sensei, so we're not worried about him.
"This brings back memories." Naru-nii says, sounding thoroughly annoyed. I nod, agreeing with him. The same orphanage where we got kicked out. Udon and Moegi didn't tell us they were orphans – but, to be fair, Konohamaru didn't actually tell me that he was the Third's grandson either, so…
"Come on, let's just go explain the situation." Asami says, not knowing how many bad memories this place calls up. Orphanages in Konoha always seem to be packed beyond capacity, so the caretakers are just always in a bad mood. Having to use the same amount of money, the same amount of food, the same amount of clothing, and make do with it? It'd test anyone's patience.
Once inside, we head straight for the matron's office. We don't even need to ask where it is – we've gotten in enough trouble to know the route by heart.
"Kami-sama! Not you two again! And together!?" The woman is in her mid forties – ten years is a long time, but she looks like she's aged twice or three times that. "Who'd you kill?"
"We didn't do anything!" We announce, sharing an annoyed look.
Matron looks even more annoyed. And not just the rolling-her-eyes annoyed, I mean the just-get-out level of annoyed. It took her years to get that far with our combined efforts – now that I look back on it, we were kind of always in trouble at the same time.
Whatever. "Look. We just came here to explain why Udon and Moegi didn't come home last night." Naru-nii says, exasperated. This woman just knows how to get under your skin, and fast.
"… Oh… you two didn't come home?" She sounds more than a little surprised. Obviously nothing's changed here. "Well. They're here now." She shrugs, unimpressed.
Twitch.
"Let me get this straight." I say a little too sweetly. "They could have fallen asleep in a snowstorm and died of hypothermia, and you wouldn't even have noticed they were missing?"
"Look, if you two little snot-nosed brats think you can take better care of them, by all means! TAKE THEM!" She rages, slamming her hands on her desk. "I have a hundred others just like them! All of them need all of my attention!"
I can't believe I use to be afraid of this woman.
"Okay." I say, shrugging. "Moegi, Udon, go pack your things. You're coming with us."
She leans a little bit too far forward, trying to get in my face. Are you sure you want to do that right now? "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? YOU CAN'T JUST TA-"
There's a muffled choking sound. Kind of expected seeing as I just grabbed the woman by her throat and pulled her right over her desk, stopping just as her toes meet the edge of it. She's kind of just… magically 'hovering', her body weight supported only by how tightly I grip her neck and that line of the desk digging into her feet.
Her eyes are show fear, her sweat shows fear, her face, her body language, everything on this woman speaks of fear. And her whole head is already turning bright red.
"You just said we should take them. We are taking you up on that." I say in far too calm a voice. "Udon. Moegi. Go pack your things."
"… We… uh… don't really have anything… worth packing." Moegi says, embarrassed.
"Yeah… it's not like we could afford it." Udon adds, feeling miserable.
"Well. That saves time then. Guess what, matron. You now have two empty beds. Good day." As I coo that last word, I drop her.
True to my old moniker, she drops nose first onto the wooden floor. I've never felt so satisfied to hear that familiar cracking-crunching sound. "Heh. Aya the nose-breaker strikes again!" Naru-nii announces.
"And they wonder why I need to tag along." Sasuke intones, already walking back outside.
"Well, it's not like you warned the woman." Asami points out.
"I was expecting them to be weird, not violent." That wasn't violent, Sasuke. She's still breathing, so that could have gone worse.
"We're talking about Namiki Aya while she's defending two people she cares about." Asami counters.
"… Point." Sasuke shrugs.
"Who cares! We finally took down the old hag! I feel like some ramen to celebrate!"
"I know, right!" Kami-sama, I've been praying about this moment for years and you finally deliver! Thank you!
8-8
End Chapter 33
8-8
A/N: The thing about people who build walls to keep others out, they don't even realise that some people just know how to get around that wall. It's almost scary sometimes; no matter how good your defence, there's also someone that knows how to get past it. In my experience at least.
There are only a few more things that need to get handled, before we move onto springtime. That means Chuunin Selection Exams, and a WHOLE lot of tense situations.