Feast
Sonnie
The first thing that struck Tenten was the sheer size of the place. She'd been impressed by the teahouse in Konoha but this one was in a whole other league. The wood was darker, of a richer hue, and more expensive. The room that had been reserved for them was massive; an elegant staircase was the sole entrance and exit. And despite not having any windows, it was so spacious and tastefully decorated that such a detail was barely noticeable.
I could work A-Rank missions until I was sixty and not be able to afford the tablecloth, Tenten thought. This private room was more than I was expecting. Whatever these Lightning nins are, poor isn't a part of it. I feel so out of the loop…through sheer chance I've been plunked in the middle of some diplomatic mission that I haven't been briefed in. I can tell my teammates are less than pleased…especially Neji.
I wanted to come here with a clear head, Neji took a deep breath. I don't want to have to worry about her, about something happening to her. She already took a great risk today, and lucky for her, he didn't retaliate. She's so impulsive sometimes…
I came here to get away from him, and now that he's less than ten feet away, I don't ever want him to leave, Tenten felt the tension in the room slowly suffocate her. I'm fine until I see him again. And when I'm with him, now I just feel…lost. I feel small
She's uncomfortable. Neji observed the familiar signs of his former teammate's agitation. Her posture was good and her hands were still, but the bitten lip was a dead giveaway, at least for him. I hope none of the Lightning nins notice.
I think I can see my reflection, Shikamaru frowned at his immaculate plate. Above it sat a crystal glass filled with ice-cold water. He stared hard at the tiny card where his name was embossed in shiny gold ink. It was just one more reminder that he was in a place where he had to act in a very formal way. God, I hate dressing up. I haven't bought a suit in ages and this one looks like it was fitted for someone else…Damn it, why'd I have to grow so much in five years?
What the hell is up with pineapple head? Kankurou shot a disapproving look at Shikamaru, whose squirming body and sour face were far from discreet.
I'm glad his feet are under the table, Sakura sighed, having noticed the four inches of ankles he exposed whenever he sat. At least Neji looks good…
Where did Tenten get that dress? Neji wondered, not liking the looks Asazaki was giving his former teammate every now and then. The dark-haired, blue-eyed nin had escorted Tenten to the table. When Izari said Asazaki was a womanizer, I was expecting a total sleaze…and a total idiot. But this man has some class and decency. He comes from a meager background but you certainly can't tell by looking at him or even talking to him.
Sakura and Asazaki had been trading polite comments for the past few minutes. Her admiration for him was apparent, and while he seemed to express more interest in Tenten, he gave Sakura his full attention when they spoke. This did not go unnoticed by anyone else, either.
Where is Jou-chan? Tenten thought, nervously glancing around the table. She and that doctor aren't here yet. Neither is Izari or her son…and Rikichi and his daughter…and Gaara and Mura…this was supposed to start at nine, right?
"Sorry we're late," Chiie announced, arriving on Shikami's arm, something that surprised Tenten. They seemed relatively at ease with each other, something that also seemed to bewilder Kenji. She wondered if it was coincidence that Chiie and Kenji had seats that were far apart and when she caught the dangerous look the redhead shot him, was suddenly grateful for the distance.
If looks could kill, Tenten thought with a grimace. Granted, Chiie appears as threatening as a butterfly, but that was no pretty look she just gave him.
"We're still waiting for a few people, so don't feel too badly about it," Kankurou said broadly.
"I like your dress," Sakura told Chiie kindly.
Chiie brightened. "Thank you. Pink is so pretty on you, and I just love yellow."
"It's not the most appropriate color to wear in a place like this, but it's not a bad dress."
Chiie's face flushed red at Kenji's comment.
"Hey, in his family, that's a compliment," Asazaki reassured her, giving her a small reassuring smile as she sat down. "It really is a nice dress."
Chiie didn't say anything as she picked up a menu crossly. It proved to be a rather meager affair; the menu had pretty much been decided by the chef. The only choices to make went as far as a few early courses and beverages.
"What's an intermezzo?" Tenten asked Chiie, the latter gritted her teeth audibly at Kenji's small noise of disbelief.
"It takes place before they bring out the main course," Asazaki answered, figuring that Chiie's clenched teeth weren't about to unclench any time soon. "It cleanses the palate."
Wow, a third of us are still missing and we're already getting along so well, Shikamaru thought dryly, glad Chiie was at the other end of the table. At this rate, I simply can't wait for everyone to get here.
"Izari, I'm really fine," Jou's voice filtered into the room. Her red dress was just as vivid and brilliantly-hued as Chiie's. She smiled sweetly at everyone until she made eye contact with Kenji. But instead of frowning, she smiled even wider until she sat down. While he had given everyone a rather disdainful but ultimately impassive look, when he saw Jou he looked truly displeased.
"Up and about, I see," Kenji muttered.
"Everyone else noticed this several hours ago."
"I heard the injury was severe."
"It was, but Takayori-san is very skilled."
"If Konoha had a better medical program, archaic devices such as surgical pins wouldn't be used and your injury could have been avoided completely. There's nothing like a little prevention to make all of our lives easier."
The surge of anger that flared up in Sakura was alarmingly intense. He has the nerve to criticize our medical department?! He makes it sound like it's our fault this happened.
Jou locked eyes with Kenji. "My arm was broken during a foreign shinobi invasion. Civilians aren't priority, I am aware of this. Resources were understandably scarce and I am in no way resentful of the help I received, 'inferior' as it may be. My arm was mended – that was all I could have asked for. Premier medical care isn't required for everything."
"Or everyone," Kenji corrected. "Your lack of priority is understandable, after all."
"I have a lot of respect for such a mindset," Shikami said suddenly, cutting off his brother's retort. "Jou-san, you're surprisingly grounded for someone as talented as you are."
Jou's dark eyes widened. "Um, thanks."
Shikami nodded. "You're welcome." He turned to Izari. "Izari, do you know when your brother is arriving?"
"I saw him and the Kazekage speaking in the foyer. I'm sure they'll be up shortly." It didn't go unnoticed that she didn't look at him.
"What about Rikichi and Sachi-chan?" Shikami asked.
Chiie perked up. "Ummm…it's almost nine, so…"
Asazaki grinned. "He's probably on the phone with Mihana-san. Mama's boy."
"What's this about a mama's boy?"
"How does the saying go, 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'?" Asazaki smiled as Rikichi reached the top of the stairs.
"You're far from the devil," Sachi told her dad, patting his arm.
"What took you so long?" Asazaki asked.
"I was just checking in with the missus. There was a little crisis at home."
The idea of someone only a few years older than him having a wife and three kids was still a little weird for Kankurou. It's like he's less of a shinobi for it, in a way. He's just…normal.
"Crisis?"
"Oh yeah, she couldn't find figure out why my new pants had holes in them until I told her that I put the holes in them. They look better that way. Did you know they sell pants with holes already in them? They're so expensive that way. I mean, why buy the ones with holes when you can just make the holes yourself?"
Normal…ish, Kankurou amended.
"We thought you were talking to your mother," Chiie admitted.
"Don't want to miss a check in," Asazaki added swifly. "It might be dangerous."
"And why's that?" Rikichi asked innocently.
"Your mom's a bitch," Kenji said bluntly.
"Kenji!"
"She is."
"She is not!" Rikichi looked flustered. He looked helplessly at his friends. "Is she?"
"Kenji picked the wrong word. She's more like…she's like a lion," Asazaki offered quickly, wincing when he realized what he had slipped in as a replacement. "She's uh, strong and…er, proud…"
"With sharp teeth and claws," Chiie added skeptically, giving Asazaki a look at giving her complete rubbish to work with.
"And a mane," Kenji muttered.
"The point is your mother's got plenty of great qualities…"
As Chiie attempted to talk Rikichi down, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji were all exchanging looks.
"This is one dysfunctional dinner and it hasn't even started yet," Shikamaru groaned quietly.
"It's only going to get worse," Neji predicted.
"Yeah, so suck it up, Shikamaru," Sakura hissed. "And where in the hell did you get that suit?"
" 'When' would be a more appropriate question," Neji corrected.
"I bought it for Asuma's funeral."
Sakura winced and if Neji were more expressive, she knew he would be doing the same thing. Open mouth, insert foot…
A very familiar chakra signature was closing in. Without a word, Gaara and Mura had ascended the stairs and taken their seats. Both were dressed in black, the color setting off their light, smooth complexions and brilliantly-colored hair. Takayori and Shukuchi were close behind. Tenten glanced nervously at Shukuchi, who seemed completely at ease with all of the finery and class surrounding him. He immediately picked up the wine list and perused it until Izari snatched it away wordlessly.
"I knew perfectly well what I was doing," Shukuchi told his mother contritely, making an unsuccessful grab for the list.
"It doesn't mean you're old enough to drink," she snapped.
"But Yoshida-sensei told me all about the various vintages," he began.
"Yoshida-sensei's a liar."
End of conversation, Tenten thought grimly, glad they were at the other end of the table. Still…Shukuchi-sama is a fairly nice kid. I don't know how he did it, but he found me this beautiful dress and matching shoes in less than two hours…Er, he got that poor secretary to do it, anyway. Not the typical connections one thinks of when they think of a daimyo, but not surprising given this Yoshida guy's reputation…
As Tenten picked up the menu, she was keenly aware of a glare from across the table.
"Yes?" she asked Kenji curtly, raising an eyebrow.
"Was I addressing you?" was his condescending reply.
"No, but it's fairly obvious you want to say something. Please share."
"If you insist," he said quietly. "I've always found it aggravating when I see people coveting things they can't afford."
"Since I'm the one paying for dinner, she's more than welcome to choose as she wishes," Izari said coldly. She glanced up at Tenten. "Honey, order whatever you want. I want you to be extravagant; I insist."
Tenten didn't answer but she could feel the tension in the room rise another notch. Even though they weren't on the best terms right now, Tenten longed to have Neji beside her instead of at the other end of the table. She didn't even know what the most expensive thing on the menu was, it was the only thing that sounded vaguely familiar and she was pretty sure it was something she didn't like.
"Wait, why are you paying?" Rikichi asked.
"Consider it the dinner I owe you for bagging Monomori Ayase," Izari said dismissively.
"Dude, she totally one-upped you," Rikichi told Shikami earnestly. "I think you owe me more dinners."
Shikami rolled his eyes. "Bum."
"Good evening, may I take your drink orders?" A bright voice addressed the table.
"You're the student we talked to from the conservatory," Kankurou recalled.
"Um, yes, well," Hajime said sheepishly. "I need to pay the bills like everyone else. Can I get you anything?"
He diligently collected a list of drinks and fled, a wise decision in Shikamaru's estimation. I'd get the hell out if I could, too, kid.
Tenten watched the teen descend the stairs until he was gone, eyes lingering there because she dreaded tackling her menu, which was composed of several different languages, apparently. After tearing her eyes away from the waiter, she stared at her menu, attempting to figure out what the hell half the things on the menu were.
"What's the matter?" Kenji's cold glare fixed her. "Didn't Konoha teach you how to read?"
The sound of Jou's chair scraping the floor was excruciatingly loud as she scooted closer to Tenten. With perfect inflection and pronunciation, she quietly read every course and explained what it was. When she finished, she leaned back, avoiding eye contract with Kenji.
This is new, Kankurou noted, as he'd never recalled seeing Jou quite like this before. Jumpy and skittish she was, but never outright tense and irritable.
"So, Tenten-san mentioned that you're quite fond of shougi," Shukuchi addressed Shikamaru suddenly.
"Yes, it's one of my favorite pastimes," Shikamaru admitted.
"I'd enjoy playing against you sometime, should the occasion arise," Shukuchi told him.
"You really don't want to do that," Asazaki blurted out.
Shikamaru glanced up. "Why is that?"
"No one in Lightning Country will play against him anymore," Rikichi said with a grin. "The kid's devious."
"I'm not devious, you just lack patience," Shukuchi said coolly. "And Kenji-san still plays shougi with me."
"That's because shougi's the only kind of game he's good at," Asazaki grumbled, glaring at the Kotabe. "Dude, we're never playing charades on the same team again."
Luckily (or not so luckily for Hajime), the waiter arrived with drinks and began to take orders. Tenten managed to struggle through the name of her order without any major gaffs, but immediately after, when asked about any wines, she was at a loss.
"Actually, she and I were going to share a vintage," Asazaki cut in smoothly, saving her from answering. He ordered something that sounded fancy and expensive (at least to Tenten) and gave her a brief smile.
What the hell was that? Kankurou frowned.
A muscle in Neji's cheek twitched when he saw the relief that had flooded her face when he spoke up on her behalf. He couldn't very well yell down the table and stick up for her, but wasn't so sure he wanted Asazaki to in his place.
Hajime finished taking orders and was quickly off (This guy knows what's up, Shikamaru observed wryly), leaving the group in dead silence.
"So…what did you mean when you said my mom had a mane like a lion?"
Well, beastly comes to mind, Shukuchi thought grimly, inspecting a tiny scratch on the handle of his fork.
Shit. Chiie slapped her forehead in disgust, knowing immediately where this conversation was heading.
"You meant that she had wild hair, right?" Asazaki said, giving Kenji a warning look.
"No, I meant that God spent a couple of days trying to figure out whether or not to give your mother balls or not."
Shikami had hopped up and managed to maneuver his arms around Rikichi and drag him back into his chair. Chiie was staring at the ceiling pointedly, clenching her fists so tight Tenten feared blood would soon run down her palms.
"I actually like Mihana-san," Jou said casually. "I've never found her to be anything but courteous and polite. Yoshida cared for her very much as well."
"I was always of the opinion that my uncle liked his women beautiful and refined," Kenji returned distastefully. "Neither you or Mihana-san fall into that category, so please enlighten me as to why he would choose to spend time with either of you, and by extension, what qualifies you to speak on his behalf."
Jou's mouth dropped open but instead of yelling, she laughed. "I'm sure you would love to pin the 'mistress' title on me or something equally scandalous, but you're wrong. I loved Yoshida dearly, but he wasn't always very nice. He had this…ah, list…of prerequisites and I haven't accomplished any of them. Plus, he was, like, thirty."
"There's nothing wrong with being thirty," Takayori said with quiet indignity.
"Yoshida was thirty one," Chiie corrected Jou.
"God, I miss the days where he chased Mihana-san around like a lovesick puppy," Asazaki muttered.
"Since Yoshida liked her, that means my mom isn't that masculine, is she?" Rikichi turned to Shikami.
"…Masculine is perhaps the wrong word," Shikami said tactfully. Though Mihana-san would make a great man, now that I think about it…
To everyone's surprise, Izari was the next to speak. "Kenji, you shouldn't have ordered steak and lobster. Asazaki's sitting too close; you could make him very sick."
"I'll be fine," Asazaki snapped petulantly, crossing his arms.
"See?" Kenji rolled his eyes at Izari, who took a deep breath and folded her hands on her lap. Kankurou could tell she was extremely agitated.
A long silence settled over the table; the Leaf and Sand nins were determined to observe and glean all possible information from the Lightning nins, as their emotions were running so high that whatever control they would normally possess was undermined by curiosity or antagonism.
"So Izzie…"
"Yes, Rikichi?" Izari dreaded the lilt to his voice…no doubt some type of embarrassing question or comment would emerge.
"Shikami and I need to settle some bets…can I ask you a few questions?"
"This isn't really the time for this…" Shikami began tentatively, giving Rikichi a disapproving look when he started to pull a slim black book out of his back pocket.
"I've got a very early bedtime!"
Surprisingly, no one laughed at how ridiculous this sounded, choosing instead to see where this would lead (and who would get pissed off, Shikamaru thought).
"I'll answer the questions, but not now," Izari conceded, sighing. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep any food down. Her head was beginning to throb. Her hands were shaking and all she wanted to do was stand up from her chair and scream because everyone's tension was driving her mad.
"You two make bets?" Kankurou asked Rikichi curiously.
"All the time."
"About what?"
"All kinds of stuff, man."
"Like what?"
"This isn't appropriate dinner conversation," Kenji's curt remark cut off Rikichi before he could even speak.
"This is kind of an informal dinner," Rikichi began. "They were just invited spur of the moment, you know?"
"We are at a very formal place," Kenji reminded him. "It doesn't matter how rich the family you marry into, you'll never stop being an inelegant peasant. You probably don't understand this, but most of us are here in Snow Country on actual business. I doubt the other shinobi representatives came all this way just to ski and play in a little band, and none of them want to hear about your childish bets."
The glass of water in Chiie's hand shattered, sending icy droplets of water cascading down her arm. Her quick reflexes prevented any from spilling onto her lap. She hurriedly sopped the water up in with her napkin.
"Whoops, clumsy me," Chiie said stiffly, leveling a very dark look at Kenji. "It must be due to my inelegant peasant blood."
Class conflict much? Kankurou barely suppressed the quip.
Sakura breathed an audible sigh of relief as Hajime arrived with several other waiters, placing drinks at each seat. Tenten watched Hajime effortless open the bottle of wine (He's fifteen…and he's awfully good at it, she thought, frowning) and pour a glass for her and Asazaki. She stared hard at the salad that was also placed in front of her.
I think they only put a teaspoon of dressing on here, Tenten observed dismally. And what fork am I supposed to use? Why do I have so many…?
"Just work from the outside and work your way in," Kenji told her coolly. "It shouldn't be too difficult; I do hope you can figure it out."
"Goddamn it, Kenji, what the hell's the matter with you?" Asazaki snapped, shooting his former teammate an icy glare.
Shukuchi looked as grave as always but relatively undisturbed by the behavior of the nins at the other end of the table. He merely shrugged before glancing up at Shikamaru again.
"I'm also told you're a fan of cloud watching," Shukuchi ventured.
"Did Tenten tell you that?" Sakura blurted out.
"No, my mother mentioned it," Shukuchi revealed. "She says you enjoy lying out in the sun and watching them. She told me it's a very peaceful pastime, and I'm inclined to agree."
"Oh?" This genuinely surprised Shikamaru.
God, they're actually talking about clouds, for crying out loud, Sakura groaned inwardly, hoping her face wasn't as agonized as she felt.
I know my brother's a fan of letting other people do the talking, but this is ridiculous, Kankurou thought. Both he and Mura haven't said a word all night, save for their orders.
Neji was trying to make out the conversation that was going on at the other end of the table. It appeared that Kenji and his little sister were disagreeing about something, but he wasn't sure until very suddenly he was presented with proof.
"Kenji! This is ludicrous! I refuse to eat at the same table as you!" Amaya shouted suddenly, surprising everyone. The girl hopped off her chair and stormed down the steps past a rather confused Hajime.
"Amaya-chan," Shikami called after her. When she didn't look back, he got up from the table and followed her. Rikichi was now in the middle of a heated argument with Kenji.
Two down, sixteen to go, Chiie sighed.
As the entrees were set out before the occupants, another unbearably awkward silence fell on the group. Tenten was the first to pick up her fork. She was glad Kenji's attention was on Rikichi for the moment, wondering how long it would stay there.
"Elbows off the table, Rikichi," Kenji muttered. "Were you born in a barn or something?"
"Nose out of my business, Kenji," Rikichi's tone was civil but his jaw was clenched so tight Kankurou wondered how on earth the guy could chew. "And I was born in a hospital, just like you."
Izari could barely pick up her fork; the sight of Kenji's food was nauseating. As if noticing her discomfort, he calmly picked up his knife and cut a piece from the center. Izari stiffened at the sight of the red juice that leaked from the rare steak as his knife pierced the meat. She flinched when he stabbed it on his fork.
"I normally disapprove of such behavior, but since you appear so fascinated by my steak, would you like a bite?"
Kenji held the end of the fork across the table towards her. A drop of blood fell and landed on the pristine white tablecloth. He watched in satisfaction as Izari clamped a hand over her mouth and fled down the stairs. Asazaki barely managed to grab Rikichi in time to prevent him from taking a swing at Kenji.
"All right, I think it's time we take a walk, mate," Asazaki pulled Rikichi down the stairs with him, half-dragging him away from the table. Sachi followed them both, leaving both seats aside of Amaya's empty.
God, we're dropping like flies, Chiie thought grimly. Shikami, Amaya, Izari, Sachi, Rikichi, and Asazaki…
"Does it make you happy, insulting your fellow countrymen?" Tenten asked him finally. Every person sitting at the table was suddenly very still. Tenten didn't flinch, even when she felt every pair of eyes shift to her. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when she realized that amongst them was a very familiar pair of white ones.
"Izari isn't one of us."
Everyone at the table grew very still at Kenji's answer, except for Tenten, who fired back, "And why is that?"
"She ran away from her responsibility, abandoned her comrades and family to run off and waste her time. Lightning nins die every day and what is she doing? Singing, dancing, reading? She does not deserve to sit here and consider herself a shinobi of Hidden Cloud."
"And what about Rikichi? He's as much a Lightning nin as you."
"Even if he is, he's got nothing to do with negotiations here. He doesn't have the background for it. The only reason he didn't make a total fool of himself at this table is because my brother pitied him long ago and decided to teach him how to read a menu so he didn't look like a halfwit. Rikichi doesn't have any political power in Kumo. He came here to fool around. He wasn't selected to come here, he just invited himself along. What isn't good enough for Kumo is not good enough for me. He's just like you."
"What do you mean?" Tenten's voice was hoarse.
"If Konoha thought you were worthy of the responsibility you'd be here with them," Kenji jerked his head towards where Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji were very carefully avoiding eye contact. "But they obviously don't. Oh, you're here, but in the same way someone brings a pet to the table. You're in over your head, unprepared and undeserving. You're eating food you'll never be able to afford to eat again, food you can't even pronounce without the help of your friend. You're wearing a borrowed dress, a garment finer than anything else you own. And you're sitting with shinobi that are obviously more important, better than you."
Tenten felt her throat swell up and feared she would very shortly be shedding the tears that threatened to pour in hot trails down her cheeks. He was saying everything she knew was true.
"Look at them," Kenji gaze fell casually upon the shinobi from Konoha and Suna. "One is a member of one of Konoha's greatest clans. Two helped defeat members of Akatsuki. And one is the Kazekage himself. You have nothing in common with them. You have none of their greatness. If you fit in with them you'd be here in an official capacity, but you don't, and you aren't. You don't belong at the same table as us."
"I was invited," Tenten bit out, barely managing those three words. Neji remembered hearing the same tone before, hearing the familiar note of delicate strength, strength he knew could be easily broken by someone cruel and determined enough to break it. He wondered how many times in his life this had been him, doing the exact same thing Kenji was doing now.
"You were invited because you were stupid enough to attack a shinobi that could have flattened you in a second," Kenji countered. "Shikami is not easy to provoke. You're fortunate he's so controlled and so willing to forgive; you're so very fortunate it was not me you struck instead. I would have shown you how small and insignificant you are. You certainly need convincing of that."
Kenji leaned forward, oh so slightly, to emphasize his next point. Tenten did flinch now, her strong veneer beginning to crack.
"Notice how none of your so-called friends from Konoha are coming to your defense?" Kenji's voice was soft but his words were pointed. "Sakura-san, Neji-san, and Shikamaru-san all know how insignificant you are, how unnecessary your presence is here. They're true diplomats. See, they have to save their protest for things that really matter, and your feelings and your dignity aren't one of them."
Tenten didn't dare look at Neji now, didn't dare to look at that impassive face and silent mouth. It hurt, so badly, to know that Neji couldn't, wouldn't defend her.
Across the table, Neji's fists were so tight that his hands shook. She hadn't deserved anything Kenji said to her, but he knew that even if he came to her defense, she'd ultimately feel worse. Sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself, Neji thought. Coming to your defense won't prove anything to him…and it'll just make you feel more helpless. Even if you don't realize that now, I hope you'll realize it later.
I guess Neji's got an image to uphold, after all, Tenten thought bitterly, brown eyes running over his impassive face. She sat back in her chair and took a deep breath, heart heavy and eyes red. Without another word she swiped the cloth napkin off her lap and threw it on the chair. Neji felt every hurt and angry footstep deep inside his chest as she walked down the stairs. He turned angrily to face Kenji but found that someone else had taken up his cause.
"You son of a bitch."
"Excuse me?" Despite his harsh words earlier, real emotion and offense began to drip into his words as he turned to face Jou.
"Kenji, your mother didn't teach you very good manners, did she?" Jou's voice was clipped and her shoulders tense.
Chiie froze. Oh God, Kenji's one big sore spot…
"Who do you think you are, to talk about my mother?"
"I may be 'just a peasant' to you, but even my poor, peasant mother taught me that you're not supposed to insult the people sitting at the same table as you. I mean, who in the hell do you think you are? You said it yourself; a lot of important people are here tonight. This whole political discussion is bigger than you, but all I've seen you do is make it your personal mission to upset the entire thing, to ruin everyone's hard work. Did they bring you along so you could insult everybody?"
Shikamaru noted that Shukuchi was watching this exchange with interest.
Kenji rolled his eyes. "Yet another person who doesn't deserve to sit here."
"I don't want to sit at the same table as a spoiled brat like you," Jou exclaimed. "And I don't really have any right to talk about your mother, but I will say this: You should be glad she's dead; she'd die all over again at the disgrace of having such a son."
Kenji's gray eyes narrowed dangerously. "Your careless tongue will get you killed one day."
"You should ask yourself about the consequences of having such a sharp one," Jou returned evenly. "You have no right to insult me. You have no right to insult my friends. And unlike your mother, they're still alive to be hurt by what you say. So have some respect for the people here."
"You're giving me orders?"
"I'm giving you advice," Jou corrected. "And I'll even give you some help."
Jou stood up and snatched a glass sugar jar off the table. She unscrewed the cap and poured half the contents onto Kenji's plate. His reflexes were fast; even though some pieces of lobster went flying, he managed to spare most, but not all, of the rest of his food from the sugar. The table looked on in horror, watching the white crystals dissolve slowly into the surface of his steak before dragging their eyes back up to Jou and Kenji.
"Here, this should sweeten your tongue a bit," she told him pleasantly. "Forgive me: I didn't use the whole thing. I thought I'd save some for the rest of us. Besides, a little too much isn't good for you. I doubt you're hiding an insulin syringe in that expensive jacket you're wearing. I really don't care if you can kill me with a single jutsu. At least I won't die if I eat a donut."
Jou got up from the table and pushed her chair in. "Shukuchi-sama, I'm very honored you invited me to dinner. If you'll excuse me…"
Shukuchi nodded at her and she stormed down the stairs. She passed a very agitated-looking Asazaki on the way down. The black-haired shinobi paused at the top of the stairs and leveled a very dark look at his former teammate. He looked as if he was going to speak until he glanced at Takayori. Thinking better of it, he took his seat.
"Well, Rikichi took Sachi-chan and Amaya-chan back to the hotel for the night," Asazaki informed Shukuchi. "I didn't see any sign of your mother or Shikami, either." A pause. "Where's Tenten?"
"She had a change of heart," Kenji replied coolly.
Asazaki set his jaw. "I hope for your sake you didn't say anything bad to her."
"I didn't say anything she didn't already know," Kenji returned.
Neji narrowed his eyes. He could sense the anger roiling in Sakura as she fought to retain control. Asazaki eyed Kenji warily but continued to eat. "Even after eight years you and Jou-chan still don't get along, do you?" he asked quietly after a moment.
"It's not my loss," Kenji shrugged. "Why would I care if someone like her dislikes me or not?"
" 'Someone like her'?" Sakura inquired delicately.
"Someone who clearly doesn't know her place," Kenji shrugged nonchalantly. "It's offensive."
"I can't boast any great love of Jou, but I'd say you've done your fair share of offending people tonight," Neji said quietly.
"Since you couldn't care less about Jou, I'm assuming you have a problem with how I treated the tall brunette."
Neji said nothing, didn't even flinch when Kenji's darker eyes raked over him in search of clues.
"Don't tell me she's your girlfriend," Kenji's lip curled up in disgust. "There's nothing physically wrong with her, but I can't imagine that you'd want to go mixing genes like that in with your own. What a disaster."
"You don't breed people like race horses or hunting dogs," Neji bit out.
"Don't they? Is there something wrong in taking measures to produce strong children? The Ikonji and the Zan families married to correct a genetic flaw in the latter, and while they've had highly-varied results, overall I'd say they've been successful."
Sakura saw Takayori's hand pause on his fork for a millisecond at having his ancestors' bloodlines explained in terms of an animal's.
"Wind Country bred a jinchuuriki into one of their own," Kenji continued, nodding towards Gaara. "Bloodlines and meant to be exploited to achieve power. Naturally, some control must be exercised in the process."
"And that's why your clan puts seals on your raptors, branding them?" Neji asked icily.
Kenji smirked. "Better than branding its people, wouldn't you say?"
The silence that followed this statement was seemingly endless. Neji didn't have the taste for anything on his plate anymore; he hadn't arrived at dinner with much of an appetite and now, pulse racing and blood pounding, the last thing he wanted to do was eat. He stood abruptly, but with enough control that his chair made no noise.
"Excuse me," Neji said curtly, bowing to Shukuchi (who had been nothing but polite to him) before leaving. Shukuchi nodded, resuming his conversation with Shikamaru.
"God, you're such a dick," Asazaki said bluntly after Neji had left.
"Please, don't be vulgar," Kenji said distastefully, scooting away from where Asazaki was eyeing him irritably.
"Sir, you have an urgent phone call downstairs," Hajime addressed Gaara meekly from the end of the table. "The woman gave her name as Temari."
Thank the fuck God, Kankurou sighed. You'd better let me come along…
"Your pardon, Shukuchi-sama," Gaara stood and bowed to the daimyo. His body language made it clear that he was taking this phone call alone and clearly meant for Kankurou and Mura to stay. The pair made brief, pained eye contact before dragging their attention back to the table.
"Did you do something to my food?" Asazaki turned to Kenji after a moment.
"I wouldn't touch anything of yours."
Asazaki rolled his eyes at the curt tone but went back to eating.
"I've been very curious about this, but how often does it rain in Sunagakure?" Chiie addressed Kankurou and Mura. It was clear she was putting forth earnest effort to make sincere conversation.
"You want to talk about the weather?" Kankurou raised a brow.
"Where I'm from, the weather means everything. I doubt it's any different where you're from," Chiie said with a nervous, crooked smile.
"Every four or five years we get a weather system that comes through the area and drops significant amounts of rain on the village," Mura replied quietly.
Chiie smiled. "It's hard to imagine such a dry place. In Kumogakure, it rains or snows every day in winter."
"I could have done without last winters twelve-foot snow drifts," Takayori remarked.
"Remember how happy Rikichi was, though?" Asazaki smirked. "It doesn't take a lot to please that man sometimes, I swear."
"Twelve feet of snow?" Mura repeated.
"Yeah, up north, where Rikichi is originally from, there's always snow on the ground," Chiie informed them. "I'm from the Southeastern coast. It's like a tropical paradise."
"It's unbearably hot in the summer," Asazaki muttered in a low voice. "Don't even get me started on monsoon season."
"It must be a lot different living here," Sakura spoke up.
"It's an icebox up here, but I simply love teaching," Chiie smiled. "I used to dream of leading a genin team like Izari-sensei. I grew up admiring her so much. She was always so elegant, so smart…she was very demure, almost shy. She never spoke out of turn, was perfectly polite, and always knew when silence was better than words."
Doesn't sound anything like the Izari we're familiar with, Kankurou thought wryly.
"She taught me Italian and French," Chiie continued distantly. "And she got me interested enough in German that Yoshida-sensei taught me, after she left."
"How many languages do you know?" Sakura asked.
"I'm only fluent in German and Japanese," Chiie admitted. "I can converse in French and Italian; both are necessary for the ballets I perform, but Izari knew them on a much more involved, scholarly level."
"Japanese, Italian, French, and Latin are all required learning for the noble houses," Kenji informed the group. "German, Russian, Greek, and Spanish are all fairly common too. I'm fluent in all eight."
It must be awfully handy to have someone around who's good with languages, Kankurou thought. He's probably a natural at breaking enemy codes.
"So was Izari," Chiie fired back. "Izari was the one who taught you half of them, if I remember correctly."
"She taught us so we could do things like read Don Quixote and Anna Karenina in their native languages," Kenji said flippantly. "And while there may be some merit in learning for those reasons, they're not practical."
"All you care about is practicality, Kenji," Chiie muttered quietly. While it was obvious he overheard her, he said nothing, choosing to drink a sip of water instead. He hadn't touched any food since Tenten had left; if what Jou had said was true (and Sakura was now certain it was), he wasn't going to risk eating anything possibly contaminated by sugar.
"Izari, to be honest, was kind of nerdy," Asazaki smirked. "Growing up, she was either in the lab or the library when she wasn't with us."
"Kazekage-sama told me she was in the library earlier today," Mura informed him.
Asazaki smiled. His affection for his former sensei was clear, something that Sakura found endearing. "When she got married, Shikami had a library built for her."
"Hell of a wedding present," Kankurou coughed.
"Technically he built it for the entire city of Kumo," Kenji corrected.
"It bears her name," Chiie interceded stiffly, "and her family flower is planted in the front. Plus there was the small fortune your brother spent to have those first edition French plays imported from a private collector…It was all for her, really."
"Buying such an extravagant gift for a woman who's about to be married is improper," Kenji muttered.
"You wouldn't understand the sense of belonging to a tightly-knit team like them, no wonder you don't get it," Asazaki snapped. "Those three used to be inseparable, remember?"
"A lot's changed since then," Kenji told him simply.
"They still care for each other, I'm certain," Asazaki grit his teeth.
"I don't have to listen to this," Kenji snapped.
"Then leave," Asazaki spat.
"You know, when Raikage-sama told you to 'leave the kids at home,' perhaps he should have revised his assessment of 'child,' " Shukuchi told Takayori calmly, the latter of which was rubbing his forehead tiredly as a completely oblivious Kenji and Asazaki continued to verbally attack one another. "Are you going to drink that?"
Takayori shook his head wordlessly at Shukuchi, who eagerly clasped his hands around the ceramic mug of hot coffee that his uncle pushed towards him. After breathing in the rich aroma, he downed the entire thing in one leisurely sip. He glanced up when he noticed the weird looks Sakura and Kankurou were giving him.
"What?"
"It's nine in the evening," Sakura said flatly.
"Yes, and your point would be…?"
"You're drinking coffee at nine in the evening!"
"It was originally my uncle's," Shukuchi pointed out.
"But you're eight years old. Your body's not going to take well to that much caffeine."
"Eh," Shukuchi shrugged, turning back to where Kenji and Asazaki were still heatedly arguing.
"You've been doing this since you were a kid," Kenji told Asazaki coldly. "Izari was one of the only people in the village not terrified out of their wits by Nibi. You're always standing up for people that were nice to Yugito."
At the other end of the table, Chiie clapped a hand over her mouth.
Whatever Asazaki's intended reaction was, it certainly wasn't falling to his knees clutching his throat. His breaths escaped as unnatural raspy noises that made Kankurou's skin crawl. Sakura, who instantly knew something was wrong, was by his side in an instant, Takayori instantly behind her.
"He's having an allergic reaction," Takayori said knowingly, attempting to clear Asazaki's airway. "Mura-san, go downstairs and call the hospital, if you would."
Mura was gone instantly, and Kankurou barely lamented the loss before returning his attention to the scene before him.
"What could have caused it?" Sakura asked Takayori, watching as he made a tiny incision in Asazaki's neck, mirroring a barely-noticeable scar on the other side. She'd seen this done before, didn't even flinch as he inserted the end of a drinking straw into the area. Across the table, Kankurou was turning a little green.
"He's allergic to shellfish," Shukuchi answered her question. He leaned over, and with the tip of his fork, lifted a tiny sliver of lobster meat that had fallen into and hid in Asazaki's food.
"Izari was right," Chiie said quietly. "You two shouldn't have sat near each other."
"The only reason my food got anywhere near his food was because that little black-haired ingrate poured sugar all over my plate."
"In all fairness, I think you had that coming," Shukuchi muttered, eyeing his empty coffee cup sadly. He hadn't moved from the table, choosing to peer over the edge at a particularly interesting noise Asazaki was making every once and awhile.
Kenji sighed loudly, glancing at Sakura pointedly. "Can you get him out of here? He's ruining my meal with his choking sounds."
"I'm five-foot-fucking-four!" Sakura snapped at him. "Draw me a diagram of how I'm supposed to move someone who's got at least sixty pounds on me!"
"That's surprising, as my estimate for the difference between you was far less than sixty pounds," Kenji said archly.
"I'll take him to the hospital, please sit down and enjoy the rest of your meal," Takayori told Sakura.
Sakura nodded. "I hope he'll be okay."
"We've cleared a path for the air, that's the most immediate concern," Takayori assured her. "Thank you for your assistance."
Sakura nodded.
"Goodnight, then," Takayori half-carried Asazaki down the stairs.
How can this possibly get any worse? Kankurou thought hopelessly.
"What a shame," Kenji said loudly, the wry tone of his voice at odds with his words.
"What?" Kankurou asked in disbelief. "You're actually sorry that happened?"
"Of course not," Kenji said distastefully. "I was just lamenting a lost opportunity on his part. As that man's responsible for putting Hidan away," Kenji jerked his arm towards Shikamaru, who was completely oblivious, "Asazaki would have loved to thank you for avenging his sister for him."
"Sister?"
"The two-tailed cat jinchuuriki was placed in Nii Yugito when she was very small," Kenji told them. He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you should disregard what I said about Asazaki. He shouldn't care to thank you that much. I mean, why would he? Yugito wasn't even his real sister—"
WHAM!
Before Kankurou could blink, Chiie's tiny fist had punched a neat hole through the wooden back of the chair where Kenji had just been sitting. His gray eyes were wide as he watched her warily, circling the table carefully as he waited for her next move.
He's lucky that punch didn't nail him, Shikamaru observed, noting that Kenji seemed surprised Chiie had reacted in such a way.
I can concentrate chakra like that in my fists, but I'm nowhere near as fast, Sakura thought.
Chiie calmly withdrew her fist from the chair, plucking a few random splinters from her knuckles without breaking eye contact with Kenji.
"I tried so hard to be nice today, but you made it difficult. I like Tenten. Jou is one of my best friends. Rikichi is my best friend. You've been nothing but intolerable tonight, and I have not called you on it because I promised your brother I wouldn't."
"Why would you be going and making promises to him?" Kenji asked her.
"Because I was trying to control myself!" Chiie shrieked, finger pointed at him accusingly. "I got a letter from my father telling me that he and my brothers have been evicted from your uncle's land. He's sure as hell not alive to do that, and your brother didn't do it, so there is one very obvious and very likely culprit left who did!"
"They've been evicted?" Kenji asked, his surprise was clear.
"Yeah, they have," Chiie snapped. "Like I said – not Yoshida, not Shikami, so it has to be you. Why did you do it?"
"I didn't," Kenji told her simply, voice stripped of arrogance and disdain. "I'm telling you the truth."
"Oh, you're kidding me," Chiie said, her voice bordering on hysterical. "If you didn't, then who the fuck did? You see, Yoshida's dead – it can't be him! And when Shikami tells me something, I know it's the absolute truth because he never lies and he never tries to mess with people and he wouldn't ever do anything to hurt me. But you? Fuck you. You'vee always, always been out to hurt people. And you've always, always been out to hurt me! I have every reason to disbelieve every single thing you say."
Chiie cracked her knuckles and straightened her dress, smoothing the skirt primly before she turned to Sakura. "Would you like to accompany me to the hospital? I'd like to see how Asazaki is doing."
"Um, yeah, sure," Sakura having realized long ago the dinner was not salvageable as any kind of political gathering.
Chiie gently but firmly linked arms with her and the girls disappeared down the staircase. Kankurou waited until they were gone before he scanned the table skeptically.
Gaara, phone call; Mura, phone call; Rikichi, hotel; Sachi, hotel; Amaya, hotel; Asazaki, hospital; Sakura, hospital; Chiie, hospital; Takayori, hospital; Neji, who the fuck knows; Shikami, who the fuck knows; Jou, who the fuck knows; Tenten, who the fuck knows; Izari, probably puking her guts out in some high-class bathroom…
"Fuck this." Kankurou stood up and threw his napkin down. "I'm outta here. Later, kid."
He gave a mock salute to Shukuchi, who merely raised a blond brow before resuming his conversation with Shikamaru. Kenji, also disgusted, walked out wordlessly. He passed his brother, who remarkably was on his way back up.
"I can't say I'm surprised," Shikami sighed, surveying the nearly-empty table. He frowned when he realized what the only two remaining occupants were discussing.
"To be quite honest, I'm not a fan of nimbostratus clouds," Shikamaru admitted. "There's not enough variety in them."
"Sadly, that's all you're going to find in Kumo during the time of the chuunin exams," Shukuchi informed him. "But if you go down south you'll see some really great ones, especially at sunset…"
I can't imagine what she's going to do when Izari realizes how dry and clinical her son can be sometimes, Shikami thought. Just like her, now that I think about it…
"So, what's the plan?" Shikami asked Shukuchi gravely.
Shukuchi's gray-violet eyes dragged themselves over the table and empty chairs leisurely. "I'll send out an invitation for a meeting later this week and hope they show up. Honestly, at this point it's all we can hope for."
"Why did you let Kenji say all those things?" Shikamaru asked.
"I don't like scolding my subordinates," Shukuchi told him honestly. "It undermines our hierarchy. He is an adult, after all, and I'm only eight years old. If his comments prevent this from going through, it's going to be on him, not me. And more than anything he wants to be sure you're committed. We can't have your assurances only to be later disappointed."
"So it's all a test?"
"In a sense," Shukuchi replied neutrally. "Though I'm fairly certain he despises the lot of you."
"Asazaki mentioned that he's known Jou-san for some time," Shikamaru began.
"They competed in a very elite competition as younger children," Shikami answered. "Kenji was playing the violin, Jou-san the piano."
"And she beat him?"
"Worse: it was declared a tie," Shikami revealed. "Kenji didn't like this very much, as you can imagine."
"I can't see someone like him accepting that," Shikamaru shrugged.
"It's not as if she beat him. But from what my uncle has told me, during the very rare and random occurrences when the two have seen each other, they've been at each other's throats."
"I kind of got the impression that he was at everyone's throat," Shikamaru grumbled. "At any rate, let's hope they don't catch sight of each other again."
"That's unfortunate," Shukuchi ventured. "I rather enjoyed their argument."
"I didn't," Shikamaru muttered. "After tonight, you're lucky if any of us show up at the next meeting."
"It doesn't matter what you want, it's what your Kages and daimyos want," Shukuchi returned evenly. "At any rate, I hope you enjoyed yourself this evening."
Shikamaru took Shukuchi's outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake. While he didn't like lying, he had to admit, strictly from his point of view, the night had been okay. "I had a good time, thank you."
When Shikamaru got up and left, he nodded politely to Shikami. Shikami looked like he was about to leave on that note, but before he was two feet from the table, a noise from Shukuchi had him turning back. The boy outstretched his hand.
"Brat," Shikami sighed, fishing in his pocket for his wallet. Shukuchi smiled serenely as he accepted the money, counting it briskly before tucking it away.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you," Shukuchi called after the retreating figure of Shikami, unable to keep a smile out of his voice.
-O-
Author's Notes: Well…there you have it. Every Lightning nin acts like a seven-year-old child. But seriously, emotions are running very high. One of Kumo's most powerful Lightning nins has just been murdered, they've all just found out that someone they loved is actually still alive, and the war is escalating so fast they're forced to tap previously unthought-of resources. The story is going to eventually head to Suna, then Lightning Country itself…
Neji's going to find out a lot of new things about the circumstances of the plot responsible for his father's death, and Tenten's going to be doing a lot of thinking about what she's going to do next. Neji is a person of interest to Third Party, as it turns out…