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!

Interlude 6 – Happy birthday, Aya!

8-8

February fifteenth. Most write if off as 'the day after Valentine's day', but in one household on the edge of the Shinobi District, this day is so much more! Everyone's buzzing about, chatting excitedly, trying to be as efficient as they can, but it isn't hard to tell there's excitement in the air.

Sakiko has been running up and down the house, excitedly trying to pass on every message she's given, every package she needs to deliver. Yasu has been in the kitchen all morning with Yoshino, Mariko and Remi, the four of them cooking up a feast worthy of a daimyo! Naruto's been spamming clones, trying to set up EVERYTHING just right. Hinata's mostly just trying to make sure Naruto doesn't (accidently) mess everything up. Hanabi, Udon and Moegi are in the dojo practising as much as they can while there's still time. Haku, Minori, Aomaru and Haruki are out in the village, picking up whatever little things Yasu sent them out for. Even Kakashi and Zabuza are busy helping set things up; though mostly Zabuza's trying to keep Maki from overdoing it. The house is abuzz with life.

"They didn't even put in this much effort for Yasu." Zabuza complains, but he still tapes the banner to the wall where Maki 'thinks it'll work'.

"They did more. You just didn't notice." Kakashi comments, not really caring if his 'partner' agrees.

"So where is she anyway?"

"Training with Hana, I believe." Maki says. "Kakashi, you really need to raise your side a bit."

"That girl would have a fit if she skipped training for one day." Zabuza says, smirking.

"Careful, Zabuza. People might think you respect her." Maki teases, grinning ear to ear. But the joy doesn't quite dance in her eyes until Zabuza starts grumbling about that. "Now come on! She's going to show up around lunch time! We need everything to be perfect!"

8-8

"Oi, oi! You guys got everything!?" Aomaru calls to his teammates. They'd agreed that it'd be more efficient to split up, so the two Uzumakis went into the Commercial District to buy the things they'd need, while the two Yukis went to the market in the Civilian District. As it is, it's been a hectic morning for everyone.

"Naturally!" Minori calls back, petting her little brother's hair. "Ruki-chan managed to spot everything we needed, even before I did."

"Riri-nee~eeeee!" Haruki complains, blushing. He keeps telling her how much he hates it when she treats him like a child in front of people, but Minori knows better. There's always a small smile on his face when he thinks she isn't looking.

"I think we should head back then. Yasu-san will need these things as soon as possible." Haku reminds them, getting nothing but nods. So they body flicker towards their home.

8-8

"I still can't believe she's thirteen today. That girl looks like she's eight or nine, but acts like she's in her twenties!" Yoshino complains, but there's a telltale smile in her eyes.

Mariko and Remi share a knowing look, smiling. They know that Yoshino sees the girl as so much more than 'just a student'; she'd adopt Aya in a heartbeat if given the chance. "Will Shikaku-kun be able to make it on time?" Mariko asks, trying to steer the conversation anywhere else.

"Yes. And Asuma promised he'd be here with his team as well. Honestly though, what... oh, nevermind." Yoshino deflates, almost messing up the icing on the cake she's been working on for the past hour.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Yo-chan?" Remi asks, worried for her friend.

"It's nothing." The Nara answers a little too quickly, her piping bag suddenly moving much quicker than it was before.

"Yes, I agree. Chouji is being an idiot towards her." Remi says, making sure to wait until Yoshino pauses for a second. She didn't want her friend to mess up the icing after all her effort, after all. All three women turn to Remi, obviously shocked. "I love my baby more than life itself, but I'm no one's fool. He's an idiot for not believing Aya is head over heels for him."

There's an uncomfortable silence in the room, but luckily it only lasts a minute.

"Yasu-nee! We got those things you asked for!" Minori storms into the kitchen, drops two scrolls on the table and immediately storms right back out. Four pairs of eyes blink, unsure what just happened.

"I wonder what they're planning." Yasu says, before turning her full attention back to the her little sister's favourite treat: wolf- and moon-shaped chocolate ice cream sandwiches. It takes hours to get them just right, with having to bake the chocolate wafers in the right form (top and bottom mirroring each other) then freezing the ice cream properly, cutting it into the right thickness, then shaping them so that they fit exactly between the wafers... This isn't something that Yasu has the time for every day, but... for her little sister's birthday? She'll make the time.

8-8

"That has to go over just a little more!" Hinata demands. All the clones look at her, but only the one she's pointing at obeys, making sure to move it in the right direction until there's a hand-motion to stop and drop. It's taken most of the morning, but together they'd turned the visitors' sitting room into a mini concert hall, complete with a modest stage for the show later. There aren't any chairs or benches, since Aya likes things being more informal. Instead there are sitting pillows lined up on the tatami mats, and curtains handing from the the rafters of the stage. Setting that up well enough that Hinata had deemed it 'good enough' had taken HOURS!

It isn't bothering Naruto though. Not at all, actually. Not only is he getting some 'alone time' with Hinata, but he's really getting to know a brand new side of her; the demanding perfectionist. Every nail had to be placed exactly right, every screw set exactly right, every pillow place exactly right. The music stands had to be placed exactly right on the stage, and the candles to light up the stage later have to be placed EXACTLY right. If it isn't exact, it's a disaster. Even a single candle wick bending two degrees the wrong way was enough to make Hinata annoyed; she spent almost three minutes bending and re-bending it until it pointed in exactly the same direction as the others.

"You really want this to be perfect, don't you." One of the Narutos asks, his eyes smiling.

"Of course! For months Aya's done everything she can to make sure everything around here is perfect. Can't we offer her the same for one day?" Hinata wonders, seeing a loose thread on one of the pillows that demands her immediate attention. She makes sure to cut the thread with a precision Gentle Fist strike, seeing the thread fall onto the floor before scooping it up and pocketing it so she doesn't forget is somewhere.

Naruto walks up to Hinata, his eyes showing more emotion than he would with anyone else. Soft, tender emotions that make Hinata's insides do flips and cartwheels. He wraps his arms around the slightly taller girl's waist, pulling her into his warmth. "Thank you." He whispers into her ear, his breath hot on her bare skin. She shivers from the pleasure such a simple thing gives her, blushing bright pink. She still finds a smile on her lips, even minutes after the sudden hug ends. Then she notices one of the pins that keep the cloth attached to the side of the stage is loose. She focuses on that.

8-8

"You're still here?" Asuma asks his kid sister, shock obvious in his voice. He'd expected her to be over at the Namikis' setting up.

"Yes, I'm still here. And you're pointing out that I'm in fact behind schedule when I'm already frustrated IS. SO. NOT. HELPING." Asami grinds out, annoyed. She'd been working on this project for nearly a month! It's perfect, but it's so delicate that she can't transfer it like she would any other seal. So she has to painstaking recreate a seven layered seal on a much prettier scroll, and she only has another hour to do so. "I suggest you go check on your nephew. I'd sent him to get ready over an hour ago."

Asuma winces at how she says that. That means Konohamaru did something he REALLY shouldn't have done and she blew up on him. He heads upstairs, hoping to find something other than a corpse.

8-8

Sasuke finds himself in his the Commercial District, racking his brains on what to get Aya. He's been at it all week, but he still can't seem to figure out what she'd want. He doesn't know what she likes in makeup, so he flatly refuses to even consider going down that road. She never wears perfume as far as he can tell. She doesn't wear anything decorative in her hair. She's something of a girly-girl, but it takes an act of Kami-sama for her to show that side of herself. So the only side he can say she'd ever shown him is the kunoichi; a pretty fierce kunoichi at that. So the only thing that he can think of is training scrolls, or something like that. But... she has every scroll he'd thought of. And most of her recent skills have been either in sound release, which he can't help her with, or in her family's hidden jutsus, which he doesn't even know anything about.

And really, he'd considered it all. Bells, a fancier flute, maybe an unorthodox weapon. Everything has so many flaws that they aren't worth considering. Sure, he already has something for her, a special recipe for hair and skin care products that does everything those expensive products do, but still fit for use within the Anbu ranks. It's an old Uchiha secret recipe that his mother simply loved bragging about, so he'd made copies of them for her.

But... that's a present for 'the kunoichi'. He needs a present for 'the girl' as well. There are only a handful of beings alive that can claim to have so much as SEEN 'the girl', but he suspects she'll be willing to show it to him more often if he can figure out what that side of her even likes; not that it's working.

"Maybe Asami would know something." He takes off in the direction of the Clans District, hoping to get some pointers before time runs out.

8-8

And where is Aya while all of this is going on? In the spa. Hana demanded she show up early for training, but she'd dragged the girl to get a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial scrub instead. When Aya tried arguing against it, Hana just laughed and told her that it's booked for two. Aya didn't bother fighting it again. If someone as strong, as tough, as rough around the edges as Inuzuka Hana can stand being treated like a pampered princess for the day, then Aya is willing to see why.

Right now, Hana and Aya are laying on tables right next to each other, nothing more than a towel covering their nether regions, and two ladies rubbing the most subtle oils they have into every inch of skin. All the nots in every muscle ever so slowly succumbs to the most exquisite torture the two kunoichi had ever experienced. Every once in a while the two of them would share a glance, goofy smiles on their faces and moaning loudly from the painful pleasure of rejuvenating their sore and often abused muscles.

An hour later –Hana spared no expense on Aya's birthday present– the two brunettes are side by side as two pedicurists peel off all the dead skin and tend to their feet, toes and toenails. The girls keep chatting about this and that, small things mostly. Like this man that Hana's been subtly eyeing for some time. She still isn't sure if he's the type of man she needs, but she's willing to take a chance and find out. "And he's most certainly a man, too." Hana coos, thinking about the time she saw him training without his shirt.

"Looks don't make the man." Aya counters, noticing how aroused Hana's getting by thinking about whatever she's thinking about.

"No, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a man that can turn you on." Hana points out, not caring in the least that Aya can smell her. It's something you grow used to, being raised in the Inuzuka clan. "And besides. I want the complete package. Good looks, caring, kind, good with kids and dogs, and able to fit in with my clan. If that unicorn exists."

Aya and the two pedicurists giggle at that, but they really start laughing when Hana swears she's being serious.

8-8

"Shika, Chouji, are you guys ready?" Ino asks, entering Shikamaru's house without knocking. She knows Yoshino is over at Aya's, and Shikaku should still be at the Tower, so there's only the two boys to worry about. On entering the sittingroom, she only finds Chouji, still in his standard uniform, but at least it's a clean one.

"Hey, Ino. Shika's upstairs. Says he needs to wrap his gift." Chouji explains, munching on some popcorn chicken Yoshino left on the counter for him.

"That slacker! He bought that gift almost a month ago! And he's... wait, this IS Shika we're talking about." Ino groans, annoyed with her lazy childhood friend. "So, what'd you get her?" Ino knows she has at least ten minutes to kill, so she might as well use it to her advantage.

"Not telling." Chouji says between bites.

"Aww, come on, Chouji! You know you can trust me with something like this!" She tries, giving him the puppy eyes and all. He shrugs, not budging at all.

"Not the point. It's for Aya-chan, not for you."

"You know what I don't get? Why won't you ask her out? I know you want to. I know she wants you to. So why not just do it?"

"..." Chouji doesn't meet the blonde's questioning gaze, simply refusing to talk about this.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Ino isn't pulling her punches. "People search their whole lives for someone that completes them, that loves them just as they are. You found yours at twelve, and all you're doing is messing it up."

"Ino. Drop it." Shikamaru intones, having just walked into the sittingroom. "And Chouji, like it or not, she's right. Aya's crazy about you."

Chouji swallows the last of the food in his mouth, suddenly finding that he isn't very hungry.

8-8

Walking home, Aya finds herself more than a little amused. "They have a party planned. They've been acting sneaking and secretive all week." Hana shrugs, not wanting to confirm something she can't say for sure about. No one asked her or told her anything, after all. Their training day just happened to fall on her birthday is all.

"Well, either way, I've had a blast." Hana changes the subject. "We should hang out more, you know."

"Yeah, we should." It isn't often that Aya finds herself so at ease with people, but somehow the type of people she needs to be at ease around seem to be finding her by the dozen these days. And she wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

Arriving at the gate, Aya unlocks it and invites Hana in. Aya can already smell dozens of different people having come through, and she knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that there really is going to be a party waiting on them.

Walking up to the front door, she slides it open, seeing boots of all sorts, kinds and colours neatly sorted and stacked. The worst part is, that every single owner is over so often that it really doesn't prove anything. But the second she kicks off the snow from her boots, the inner door opens and shows a smiling Naruto. A brightly smiling Naruto, who's holding something behind his back.

Aya ignores he brother for the moment, focusing on taking off her boots and slipping into her house slippers. Once she's satisfied that her boots are put away properly, she strolls over and gets her much wanted –and well deserved, in her opinion– hug. "We've got a few surprises for the birthday girl." Naruto whispers, squeezing her gently. "But you're going to have to trust me enough to wear a blindfold. Otherwise I'll never let you see it."

Aya blinks a few times, trying to figure that out. Would she trust Naruto enough to let him blindfold her? Sure, she could probably find her way around the house blindfolded and unaided, but she'd never tried fighting someone with a blindfold on. Hmm, perhaps a training for another day? She thinks so, so she stores that titbit away, for now.

"Alright." She gives in without too much of a fuss. Naruto ties the blindfold carefully, wondering about the difference in her scent. "Hana took me to a spa. Your little sister spent the morning getting pampered and spoiled."

"Good." Naruto nods, approving. "If anyone deserves to get spoiled a little, it's you." Aya snorts, not really believing him. She's already thinking of people that deserve it far more, and the dozens of reasons they deserve it too. Still, she knows no one will listen, so she doesn't bring it up. Instead, she allows herself to be lead down the hall and into the family sitting room. She's playing along, but she isn't letting her other senses be ignored. She smells a feast. Curry rice, riceballs, breaded chicken, fried rabbit, roasts duck, steamed deer steaks, devilled eggs ('surprisingly' a Mist recipe... they seem to have a thing for devils and demons), there's also an assortment of veggies and fruits, what smells like a cake complete with candles that are currently unlit. Aya decides it must have taken them all morning to get this done.

With no warning to prepare her, Aya's blindfold is carefully removed, revealing a room filled with every face she'd want to have around her on her special day. Even Hokage-dono. Everyone takes a turn to hug her and offer their best wishes for the birthday girl.

It takes them almost ten minutes to finally get everyone seated, and Sakiko decides she's the only one that's allowed to fix 'her Aya's plate of food. If Yasu hadn't helped her stabilize the mini mountain of delicious treats, everyone is sure there'd be a food avalanche. But Aya doesn't even think to complain, seeing as Sakiko really just put a little of every dish on the plate and prayed it'd all fit.

Once everyone is ready to dig in, they all chorus 'Itatakimasu', and Aya digs in with gusto. Her eyes roll partway to the back of her head and she moans, happy for her sisters willingness to spoil her a little – well, more than a little this time. Yasu and Yoshino both know Aya's every favourite dish, which is a long list to remember, but they know it. Each and every item on that list in sitting on Aya's plate, waiting for her to devour it, and she plans on doing just that.

"If you guys keep this up, I'm going to start telling you it's my birthday every day." Aya teases.

8-8

After Aya admits she can't eat anymore –and she's tried taking another bite to test this crazy theory a few times– she rubs her belly, trying to ease make a little more space anyway. Sadly, it just isn't meant to be. Sighing in defeat, she burps a little into her hand, already profusely apologizing for that.

"Jeez, sis, where did you fit all that food!?" Naruto teases. The girl had easily eaten twice what he did. Heck, even Chouji is impressed with how the girl packed it all away.

"Don't tell anyone, but Namiki's have like six stomachs." Aya says, still rubbing her aching belly. "Jeez! I feel like I'm pregnant with twins!" She complains. Everyone laughs, most roll their eyes as well. Aya has a... unique sense of humour.

"Well, anyway. This was just your first surprise, young lady." Yasu announces, teasing a smile from her little sister. "Come on, it's time for your second." Everyone pours out of the family sitting room ahead of the two elder Namikis. Aya narrows her eyes at that, wondering why everyone's in such a rush. After only the two are left, Yasu helps Aya to her feet. They link arms, smiling happily, and make their way to the visitors' sitting room together.

Once the door slides open, Aya's eyes go wide with shock. Gone is the low table and the usual décor. Instead, there's a stage set up in the corner away from the door, with deep purple curtains draped down to prevent the audience from seeing what's going on back there. The stage also has pink and violet cloth covering pretty much every inch of wood, and the floor is covered with a black carpet.

In front of the stage are dozens of sitting pillows, and front row, right in the middle, is what looks like a mini bed type pillow. It's huge, and fluffy and poofs out to let Aya know it's going to be so comfortable to lay on it. And, of course, that's where Yasu guides her. Aya's helped to sit down properly, even though she's very much tempted to just plop onto the thing.

The brunette shifts and shimmies a bit, until the poof beneath her has enough of a groove for her to be comfortable. Her eyes start to flutter, a sign her body's begging her to go sleep.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS!" And loud, booming voice steals the sleep that just tried to find her. Aomaru is suddenly on stage, the curtains opening and candles suddenly alight. "Welcome to the performance of a lifetime! Much of what you will see today is for your eyes only. Students of a hidden style, showing just how far they've come in these past months. And I assure you, they will wow you in more ways than one!" I blush deeply, already suspecting what's going to happen here.

"So, to start us off! I give you our youngest performer, Namiki... Saskiko!" Aomaru bows, moving out of the limelight. All eyes focus on the five, almost six, year old. She looks nervous, but her eyes find Aya's and the confidence and pride she finds there gives her the boost she needs.

And so, she starts to sing. It's soft, almost stilted at first, but once Aya smiles, all Sakiko can see is the effect her singing has on her sister. And that's all she could want. She calms down instantly, her voice starts coming out clear, her tone pure.

Even though she's singing a simple children's song –one Aya taught her to help stimulate her memory, which Miwako of course taught Aya first– the passion, the love for music, the way her voice dances from note to note; Sakiko obviously adopted Aya's passion for music and she's running with it.

After singing the song a second time, she switches to her bright red flute, playing the same notes she'd been singing and not missing a beat. Only now, every whole note vibrates. Her vocal chords might now longer be used, but she's still singing through the flute in her hands.

The performance couldn't have been longer than three minutes, but when Sakiko bows, everyone applauds heartily. The girl bows shyly, running off the stage and right into Aya's waiting arms. "That was perfect." Aya praises. "I'm so proud of you." Sakiko beams, her whole body warming up from the joy she can barely contain.

"Up next!" Aomaru comes out on stage once again, so everyone settles down so the show can continue. "Thank you. Up next, we have a duet! Uzumakis Udon and Haruki!"

Aomaru once again fades into the paintwork. Two boys come out. One with brown hair and glasses, the other with red hair. They bow to the audience, Haruki taking out a flute, and Udon unsealing a koto. Udon had long given up on ever learning a wind instrument – breathing normally was hard enough, so that wasn't an option. However, after talking to Hanabi, he'd decided that maybe strings were the better option for him.

So he starts playing, Haruki awaiting his cue. While Sakiko sang and played her flute skilfully, she was playing notes and singing words. Udon seems to have graduated past this already; he's playing emotions. The music, the notes, they are dripping with a calm sort of sadness. Then Haruki starts playing his flute, and the same holds true for him. Only, his notes are more joyous, playful, almost like he's a curious little cat chasing a butterfly.

The audience is spellbound, having never heard either boy play their instrument before. Aya, however, is beaming.

The strings' and the flute's notes start coming in bursts, almost as if they are chasing each other, until they both lie still. There's a moment of silence, but neither boy seems to be done so no one claps.

Suddenly, almost in a mad flurry, both boys continue playing, their notes quick, sharp, agitated. It's as if the two instruments are having a fight, both trying to drown the other out.

Then, there's one last, low notes from both. That note vibrates, resonates with each other, as if they suddenly understand one another. Then the soft, soothing playing from earlier comes back, and they finish with three hard, slow notes. Both boys bow deep, thanking their audience.

The boys walk off stage, also coming to Aya for a hug. Poor Sakiko gets squeezed, but she simply refuses to sit anywhere but by her sister.

"Though that was impressive, I assure you this is not all you will be wowed with this afternoon!" Aomaru comes again. "We have another duet This time with Uzumakis Moegi and Minori!"

The two carrot-tops come out on stage, bowing to us. Two flutes come out, one Uzumaki red, the other Uzumaki blue. I role my eyes, knowing they'd paint their flutes at one point or another.

They start playing twinkle, twinkle. Just playing the notes at first, in perfect unison. Then, just as Moegi loops back to start playing it again, Minori flips the script and starts playing a fugal counterpoint. No... not quite fugal, she's playing the same notes, but slower, vibrating each and every note and letting her notes fill the room with an almost festive joy. Moegi loops back again, playing the same song once again. Only this time in a completely different key. The simple lullaby is nowhere to be seen now, this is a song fit for a festival!

At the end of Moegi's second run, they both reach the end of the song. I half expect them to be done with it, but this time they really do go for a fugal counterpoint. Their notes start dancing around either other, teasing each other, flirting with each other. They rise and fall in perfect counterbalance – when one rises, the other falls, then they switch it around. It's a simple concept, but it's masterfully done; at least that's what Aya believes.

When they once again reach the end of the song, Moegi starts back at the beginning, but Minori stays silent for almost ten seconds. Moegi is still playing the same way she was just a moment ago, but it somehow seems stale alone.

Then Minori starts playing EXACTLY the same notes in the same way as Moegi, only with a ten second delay. Aya, hugs Sakiko a little tighter, truly enjoying the show. Her only thought, wondering how they found the time to turn a simply lullaby into a fugal piece, and then take that new piece and also turn it into a cannon piece. It's simply breathtaking to behold.

After this run through, both girls play the simple lullaby again, just as they had in the beginning. Then they lower their flutes and bow low to the crowd.

Once both girl come for their hugs, Aomaru once again finds himself on stage. "This next performance is something different. I give you Hyuuga Hanabi."

Hanabi comes out, guitar already strapped and she looks nervous, but ready to go. She starts playing quick almost angry notes, as if all she can feel is anger and frustration. Then she starts to sing with it.

She never slows down.
She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down
She won't turn around
The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain

She won't make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down.

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
Stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, whats lost can be found

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain.

The crowd is once again spellbound. No one knows if this is a song she heard on the radio, or if she wrote it herself. Either way, the piece is powerful, emotional, and really captures just how desperately she wants to believe those words herself.

8-8

The show continues for another three hours, with two breaks being planned in so everyone can stretch their legs and whatnot. All of Aya's students play at least one song, sing another, and they all take part in a short skit to show off their acting skills. Once the show's over, everyone takes turns congratulating all the performers. But said performers only truly care what Aya has to say about it – she's the one that's been teach them these skills, after all.

"Well, two surprises down, one to go." Yasu announces, and suddenly everyone files out of the room ahead of the two elder Namikis. Aya just roles her eyes, links arms with her sister once again, and they make their way back into the family sitting room. This time, there's the cake Aya smelled from earlier, smeared with chocolate icing and decorated with little puffs of pink cream. Aya can't help but smile, loving it and the thirteen candles on it.

Yoshino instructs her student to make a wish, so Aya closes her eyes and thinks... only she can't think of a single thing to wish f... her mind wanders to a certain big-boned wonder. 'I wish Akimichi Chouji would ask me on a date.' She thinks her wish clearly in her mind, blowing out the candles in one go.

Yasu hands her sister a large knife and she cuts the cake so everyone can have at least one slice. Everyone insists that Aya have the first slice, of course, so Yasu takes over and makes sure everyone gets theirs in turn.

Aya takes a bite, finding the it's a chocolate cake, with chocolate pudding smearing between layers of cake, then chocolate icing on top and strawberry flavoured cream to decorate it, and draw the 'thirteen' onto the cake's top. She moans, loving whoever made this cake for her.

Soon the cake was eaten, and everyone looks to Yasu expectantly. "Sweetie, look behind you."

Aya looks confused for a moment, before turning around and finding the other low table –the one that's usually in the visitors' sitting room– against the far wall, stacked with presents.

She hadn't even seen it. "I had it hidden under a genjutsu." Kakashi admits, a smile in his tone. He likes knowing he can still pull one over one his 'cute little students'. Naruto plops the same poofs seat Aya was in for the performance, instructing her to once again have a seat. She doesn't fight it.

Naruto takes it upon himself to bring the gifts for Aya to open, and Yasu takes the gift wrap paper and collects all of it in a large sack – to throw away later. It's quickly apparent that everyone went out of their way to get Aya the best gift they could think of. Kakashi got her a chakra conducting tanto, all pink. Yasu got her stunning pink dangly earrings and matching necklace. Yoshino got her two new kimonos, both Furisodes, one bright pink the other maroon, and both having wolves on them. Mariko got her twenty bottles of nail polish in fun colours – all bright of course. Remi got her some REALLY fancy chocolates in a heart-shaped box, teasing her that she should expect that with almost being a Valentines baby.

Chouza, as it turns out, got her Anbu styled gloves, only without the guards. They're also cotton candy pink. Aya can't help herself and asks how he managed to get anything Anbu styled in the colour pink. He just laughs and tells her that everyone has their secrets. The next gift, turns out to also be from Chouza. Three uniforms, Anbu styled, also cotton candy pink. Aya suspects someone pranked someone in Anbu with this at some point, but they're all in her size... she just doesn't know what to make of it. She can't say she doesn't love it though.

Interestingly, Shikaku had the exact same idea, only in fire engine red. So not Anbu colours. Also one pair of gloves, also three uniforms. Aya finds herself bent in half from the laughing fit that finds her. "If I ever get into Anbu, I swear I'm not wearing anything but this!"

And Hiruzen? He got her two Anbu wolf masks. One cotton candy pink, the other fire engine red. Not even Chouza and Shikaku could quite figure out how the man found out about their gifts, but Aya certain seems to be enjoying it.

Inoichi on the other hand, got her something a little more low key; by shinobi standards at least. A scroll on a kenjutsu style, requiring reverse-edged twin kodachis. The style also happens to require that the user be a earth release user. Aya simply refuses to not get up and hug the man for that kind of gift. He says it's nothing, how he'd gotten it off a Stone shinobi during the Third Shinobi War. Aya just hugs him tighter and thanks him ever more – she'd inherited her mother's hate for Stone, so that some Stone shinobi had to die for her to get this present just makes it that much nicer. Asuma presents her with five scrolls on earth release jutsu and some camouflage jutsus – also happily noting that he'd gotten them off Stone shinobi. No one seems surprised that he also gets a warm hug as thanks.

Then comes Hinata and Hanabi's gift. A HUGE, soft teddy bear in the form of a wolf. It's actually so big that Aya can cuddle in it and fall asleep. Both sisters get a teary-eyed hug for that.

Asami's gift follows. Or rather, gifts. Two large scrolls, one pretty and flimsy looking, the other a more battle-ready scroll. They bother seem to have followed the set pattern though; the battle-ready scroll is fire engine red, the flimsy one is cotton candy pink. "The pink one is more for private and personal use. It's a seal that allows you to manipulate a genjutsu to show you whatever you focus on in your mind. It's kind of like a mind reader type thing, but..." Asami explains vaguely.

"The other is a lot more practical. If you're ever in a situation where you need to transport a person incognito... that scroll has ten seals that can each hold one person in them. They can survive up to two weeks in the seal, but don't put them back inside the seal after that. Over exposure can cause psychological trauma and claustrophobia."

"Charming." Aya drones, but thinks about the possibilities nonetheless. "But this is still AWESOME!"

8-8

End Interlude 6

8-8

A/N: Sorry for those who expected the next chapter, but this is one of the set ups needed for the beginning of the Chuunin Exams. Spring begins in the next chapter. I hope you guys are ready ^_^

FYI! The song Hanabi sings is: Superchick – Stand in the rain. Not Japanese by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely something that fits both Aya and Hinata's personalities and Hanabi would know that for a fact. This is her way of tell the two music lovers, I get it, I understand what you're going through.

Another weird but interesting FYI! 'Ruki', is actually the Japanese word for 'Xinafoate' (it's a medical thing). Basically, this is Minori's way of telling her little brother that he's the reason she can still breathe when she otherwise shouldn't be able to.