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 14 – Chocolate

This Interlude is dedicated to Sparkysbro, for reviewing so faithfully ^_^ I hope you enjoy it, even if it's a bit... depressing.

8-8

Standing here, looking out at the people. I hate them, all of them. I hate them for smiling. I hate them for forgetting all that mama and papa did to keep them safe – not that I know what that is, but that's beside the point. I hate them.

They didn't bury either of them. They didn't carve their names in that funny shaped stone. Mama and papa are just… gone. Like a dream, and everyone but me woke up.

It's my birthday. I'm six. I should be happy today. I should be dancing around the family sitting room with papa. I should smell mama cooking breakfast. I should be getting sp… spoi… spooled? I should be getting spooled rotten!

There should be gifts… and cake… and warm smiles… and mama telling me not to eat so much.

All I got was 'don't you go hurting anyone today, you hear?'. No happy birthday. No cake. No presents. No nothing. Just another day. And I hate them all for it.

I hate them all.

"What are you doing?" I turn to the voice. Naru. "If we don't head back soon, matron's not gonna save us nothing to eat, 'ttebayo!"

What do I care. Stupid matron. "Come on, Aya-chan. You don't want me to go back alone do you?" He asks. I sigh. Fine.

8-8

We make it back in time to eat. But fr… fre… frumply I hate this food. The rice is dry and hard. There's no meat – something about us not needing meat to live. And the… white… thing… isn't even cooked.

The others look just as 'happy' about this. That means there's gonna be a fight. Someone's gonna say or do something stupid. And they're gonna pick on Naru, like always. And I'm gonna end up breaking another nose. Maybe I'll go for an arm this time? Yeah. Never brook an arm before!

"Hey, freakazoid!" And that's my cu… que! I turn, finding one of the big idiots shoving Naru. "What do you think you're doing, huh? Eating up all our food! It's 'cause of you they don't have the money to buy us proper food, you know!"

"Yeah, well whatta I care!" Naru stands up to him. I nod, ap… appro… liking that. A punch, right in Naru's cheek. Thanks. I don't need more.

I pounce! I kick out his knees, brings the idiot down to my height, and I wa… whale on him! Six. Ten. Fifteen pr… pra… good punches! His eyes look funny, like he can't fo… fa… frackus anymore!

The other pups are all screaming, crying for me to stop. Funny, they never cry when Naru's getting picked on. Or maybe it's me being covered in his blood? He's bleeding pretty bad. Not that I care! Stoopid idiot shouldn't pick on my Naru!

"THAT DOES IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" M-m-m-m-matron? "YOU! GO GET HOKAGE-SAMA! NOW!"

8-8

And just like that. Kicked out. Hokage-chan is nice enough to give me somewhere to live, but… "Aya-chan, I have a favour to ask." He says, sitting on the couch in my a… appa… in my sitting room. "Naruto lives right across the hall from you." I nod to show I get it. He hands me a key. "I want you to let me know when he needs something."

I nod again, taking the funny key. I have a key, too. I'd better mark the stoopid things so I know them apart… can told them apart… sigh. Stoopid words.

"Do you understand what I'm asking you to do?" I nod. "Will you do it?" I nod again. "Why won't you speak to me?" I shrug. I don't like ta talk. Everyone makes fun a me! "Very well, child." He hugs me, scoops me up into his arms. "Happy birthday, Aya-chan."

I nod. I don't feel a thing. Not happy. Not sad. Not mad. Nothing. This… this is the man that should have buried mama and papa. This is the man that should have their names put on the funny stone thing. He didn't. I don't care if he knows it's my birthday.

He sighs. He puts me down. "Just remember what I said. Come to me if either you or Naruto needs anything. Okay?" I nod, but I know I won't. He didn't bury my mama and papa. He won't care if we need anything. I'll take care of Naru on my own.

"Did you want to join the academy? Naruto will be going in October." I think about that. I nod. Better to make sure he's safe while he's there. Not that I care about what that stooped place is.

8-8

"Well, well, well… look who we have here! It's the little demon!" I hear them. I see my Naru, he looks scared. I'm not allowed to start trouble… mama'll get mad. But if he hits my Naru? No one I love will get mad.

"What's it to ya!?" Naru asks. He's trying to be brave, but I smell that he's scared. I dunno how, but I do.

"You little…!"

"Is there a problem here?" A tall fat man with funny red hair and squiggles on his cheeks walks up, a little boy that kinda smells like him on his shoulder.

"A-Akimichi-dono! N-no! N-n-n-no problem!" The three idiots go away, after saying a bunch a things that make no se… cents.

"You alright, kid?" The man asks. He's nice.

"Yeah, yeah… thanks." Naru runs off. He smells like he's crying. I'll check if he has enough to eat later. He likes to eat more ramen when he gets upset.

"And what about the little guard, then?" The man turns to me. "You were keeping an eye on him, weren't you." I walk out of the funny smelling street, out of the shadows. I nod. "That's very nice of you, but shouldn't you be getting home?" I shrug. "… You're Miwako's girl, aren't you? Aya-chan?"

I shrug again, but nod. It's nice to know that some people remember mama. "Daddy?"

"Oh, sorry, Chouji-kun. Come on, you should introduce yourself. After all, she might be one of your classmates at the academy." The fat man puts the boy down. He looks a ner… nerve… shy.

"H-hi… I'm Akimichi Chouji." He doesn't look at me. And his cheeks are all red, and not just 'cause of the squiggly things on them.

"A-Aya." I say. Probably the first word I've said since mama died.

WRRRRRR!

Stoopid tummy! I know! I'mma get you food!

He laughs a little. "It sounds like your tummy's hungry." He laughs a little again. I glare at him, warning him that I'm not in the mood. "Hold on… daddy just got me something… maybe you'll like it, too." He pats his shirt a few times, before taking out something. "I don't really like it… too bitter." He hands it to me.

I blink, looking at the thing… I remember that! I remember him!

"Ch-chouji…" I say. Yes. I remember him! If only a little. It was the day they took me to matron. I ran into him, because I was crying and didn't look where I was going. He gave me something just like this… but I was too busy crying to and by the time I remembered I had it… it was all mushy and yucky!

He smiles, still blushing. "It's chocolate. Pure chocolate. I think it tastes a little funny, but maybe you'll like it?"

I move slow. I take the thing. If he did something to it…! He's right here, so if it tastes funny I can always break his nose.

I unwrap it. I take a bite.

…

Tears.

It… it's good. So good.

"Cho…co…late?" I test the new word, wondering about it.

"Uh huh. You can have it. I think it tastes funny." He says again.

"Hnn? Looks to me like you love it." The fat man says. Love? Is this what love tastes like? I… I can almost remember something… this taste… snow… being warm… there's a fuzzy pic-a-chure in my head, but I dunno how to make cents of it.

"Th-thank you." I kiss the boy on the cheek, before I run off. There's a funny feeling in my tummy, but it's not 'cause of the cho-co-late. I don't think so…

8-8

End Interlude 14

8-8

A/N: The point of this was only to show Aya's first taste of chocolate. But honestly, if I'm going to show that, I need to show why it affects her so deeply, why this is the reason she developed a crush on Chouji so young, and who she was at the time to really give a complete picture. And just a heads up guys! 10 more reviews for more bonus content!