Yessss. I finished it shortly after receiving Mis-Monster-Kimono's review. Okay, so I ended up finishing it thirty minutes later, but I had to refresh myself on Rock Lee. Since he's one of my friend's favorite characters (BETH), I already knew that he couldn't use the same jutsu the other kids could; however, I kept thinking he was using genjutsu instead of taijutsu.Yeah, how stupid of me. I'm so glad I decided to double-check, because I would've felt REALLY silly if I submitted it and started getting reviews like--"Hey, it's freakin' obvious you don't know what you're talking about, dumb-shit!"
About what Chouji eats in this one--since I know what it is other than just meat, I gave it the name of what it really is in English. I used the Japanese name for it in the title for this chapter. I got this dish from the "Arisa Likes the Rooster" chapter in the manga. If that spoiled it for anyone, tough luck. The manga's already gotten to the "Akito has a terrible secret that I won't spoil for anyone like my friends spoiled for me" part, and so you should probably have all read the part with Arisa. (It's in book 9, and the terrible secret is in book 19.) And when I say terrible, I mean terrible for all the yaoi fangirls. (CRYS)
Speaking of terrible, at the very end, Shikamaru totally beats Chouji over the head. Now, that very same thing happened to me with my friend Beth (Yes, Rock Lee Beth), when we went to go show Brett around campus since he's thinking about not going to Devry anymore. And she hit me over the head with a bottle of water four times in one sitting, then once more when I said something about her being a bit large. Ooops. I'll never say, "So THAT'S how you relate to Chouji!" to her face ever again. I'm absolutely dreading going to college with her, since she'd probably hit me upside the head a few times and people would think we were both idiots or something.
But I'm rambling again, aren't I? I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I enjoyed writing it.
Oh, and before I forget, I spelled it Gai rather than Guy, because there's nothing more I hate than people spelling it like that. Sure, it may be official or something--I don't know--, but it bugs me to no end. He's Japanese. You don't spell Fai Fye, do you!? (Though I HAVE seen quite a few people spell it like that.)
His Favorite Food
Part Three -- "Tororo Soba and Jelly Buns"
They were training the next day, again. Chouji was trying his hardest, and Ino was trying out a new technique she had recently learned about from her father, and Shikamaru…Shikamaru was just giving Chouji some helpful pointers, since Asuma never expected much out of him, After all, he was already a few levels beyond them. The only reason he actually worked was when Asuma was getting them to compliment each other while fighting.
"Hey, Ino!"
A familiar voice jolted them out of training, and Asuma looked up from his cigarette at Gai's team, walking toward Gai's training ground a block down. Where Gai was, he had no clue, but there was his team, wandering off to go train.
TenTen was waving at them, smiling a little, and Neji was looking aggravated–he had better things to be doing than dawdling. Rock Lee was talking to him, looking official, and Neji was just glaring at him every once in a while and nodding. It was obvious he had no interest in what the "green beast" of Konoha was trying to teach him.
Ino stopped immediately and ran over, just as the two boys stopped, walking over a little, Shikamaru leading. "Hey, TenTen! How's training going! Are your team mates being as annoying as mine??" Ino's smile was bright, though Shikamaru could tell she was obviously going to yell at them after the other girl was gone.
TenTen smiled, holding up two fingers. "Not really. Just Neji being disgruntled and Lee being Lee." She looked over at Ino's teammates. "Hey Chouji! Oh, and hi. Shikamaru."
Shikamaru just narrowed his eyes. TenTen turned to Ino, whispered to her, though Shikamaru could hear it perfectly fine. "Is Shikamaru being lazy as always?"
Ino started to complain. "Yeah, and Chouji, too! He took a snack break ten minutes ago, and now it looks like we'll be starting another one!"
The affronted genius shot a pleasant smile his teammate's way. "The only break we're taking is yours and that's to talk to your useless friends, Ino."
TenTen turned, looking affronted this time. "Excuse me? I'm not useless, Antler-face."
He smiled. "Huh…Antler-face." His face fell, and he suddenly felt like shit. "Actually, that's a new one." He laughed. "Wow, that actually stung a little." It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, and he shot Chouji a look, as if telling him with his eyes that that was why he hated dealing with women.
TenTen shot him a victorious smirk and turned back to Ino. "Well, I'll let you whip your boys back into shape while I go deal with mine…"
Shikamaru glared, looking back at her. "You'll never get a boyfriend with an attitude like that…"
TenTen turned to him, shrugging before turning around, walking back to her teammates. As she walked way, he could hear her shout back at him, "All the better for me. Boys are too troublesome."
Ino burst out laughing and turned back to Shikamaru, intent on taking her friend's advice and getting the bastard back for that "turkey leg" comment the other day. "She really hates you, Shikamaru. All the girls have a problem with that attitude of yours, you know, and TenTen's the one who's got the biggest problem with it. She hates your laziness even more than me. She said you were boring back at school, and I think I'm starting to see what she means…"
At that moment, Asuma stood up, tossing his cigarette to the ground. "Ino, why I don't I tutor you one-on-one today? You've got a problem with Shikamaru and Chouji not working as hard as you, but they aren't working on any new techniques, so why don't we let them off…"
Ino shot him a look. "Wh-What!? But that's not fair!"
Her teacher just smiled. "I'm not the one that had a problem with them 'slacking off' like that, Ino. Now come on, you know you'll learn this technique faster without them keeping you from focusing entirely." He turned to Shikamaru and Chouji. "You boys can get going now. Have fun, Shikamaru. And Chouji, try not to eat so much today. I've actually decided to try an experiment with you. We'll see the results tomorrow."
Chouji just frowned, glancing at Shikamaru. "What does he mean by that?" Shikamaru just nodded absentmindedly, not really answering his question at all–he had more important things on his mind–, and they both walked off, towards the top of the building they used to go to as children. There had been construction on a building nearby that spot, so they stopped going when it got too loud, but the construction was definitely done by now, so now was as good a time as any to go there now.
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"I just don't get what TenTen's problem is with me. Ino's right. Out of all the girls, TenTen gives me a bad attitude more than all of them! She makes Ino look like a princess!"
Chouji shrugged, glancing over at a stand that was selling something that smelled tantalizing. He was starting to get hungry–it was almost lunch time. They were on their way to the building, and they were passing the alley they used to play near when they were all kids. "Perhaps," he said, "She's just not interested in boys much. I mean, we're only–"
"She's interested in Lee, then. All girls are interested in boys now! And it's obvious she likes Lee! They're always talking, always together–"
"They're teammates…"
"It doesn't matter! When people spend enough time around each other, it's only natural they start feeling something for them!"
Chouji hummed, feeling his tummy rumble. "Well, Lee likes Sakura, so I doubt if TenTen liked him she'd have a chance. Maybe she'll give up on him…"
Shikamaru thought about it, then froze, turning to Chouji. "Jeez! It's just like you're situation! Even down to the girl liking a guy who likes Sakura! What's up with that??"
Chouji just smiled. It wasn't like Shikamaru to get worked up over something like this. Even when all the girls crowded around Sasuke at school, Shikamaru had no problems expressing how stupid they were all being. He just had no interest in dating, but for him to get worked up over a girl like this–
Chouji turned to Shikamaru, suddenly remembering something that would probably pull Shikamaru out of his funk. "Actually, Shikamaru, when we were in school, I also overheard a bunch of the girls talking. A lot of them thought TenTen really liked you."
Shikamaru just looked at him, eyes wide. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Well, TenTen was never interested in Sasuke, so a few of the girls thought she liked someone else, like Hinata liked Naruto. They were talking about how they'd gone through all the boys in class with her. She laughed at pretty much all of their assumptions, sometimes actually gagging at their suggestions, like with Neji… So they assumed you were the only one left open. Maybe–"
"Ch-Chouji-kun!"
Chouji froze, spinning around. His stomach growled audibly, and even Shikamaru, who was getting lost in thought over his situation, couldn't help but smirk at the sound. Hinata ran up, holding another bag with a box in her hands. Chouji's smile brightened, and he walked over, meeting her half-way from her designated path.
She smiled, holding out the box for him. "I…I wanted to th-thank you for s-s-saying anyone would fall for my cooking…" He smelled the air surrounding her, detecting a hint of something sweet and starchy, like sweet potatoes, only sweeter.
"I said anyone would fall for you."
Her cheeks flared up. "O-Oh yeah… W-Well, thank you for saying that."
He grinned, his cheeks turning rosy. "It's true!"
Shikamaru cleared his throat, and the two turned around. Shikamaru looked at Hinata, then back at Chouji. "Why's she cooking you food? Is that why you've been skipping the chips lately? I thought it was because you were depressed."
Hinata gasped, almost dropping the food. "S-S-Sorry…d-did you want some? I don't think I made enough for two…"
Shikamaru laughed, waving his hands at her. "Nah, I'm not hungry. But Chouji's stomach's been growling all day. You should probably feed him before he turns his sights on…something else…" He gave a sly smirk, and Chouji shot him a dirty look.
"Shikamaru…"
"What? You are pretty hungry, Chouji. Just eat what the nice girl gave you. I need to go somewhere and think, so you can find me at our spot later. See ya." And he turned around and walked away.
Chouji turned back to Hinata, smiling. "Uh…thanks for the food again, but you didn't have to."
"Oh, b-but I wanted to… To thank you for the other day… I made grated yam noodles… And!" She handed him the box, reaching into the bag she had. "And I picked up some jelly buns on the way over…"
He could already feel himself salivating at the meal she prepared for him–though he wasn't sure if he could handle something that tasted so sweet–, and she looked through the bag fervently. "Um…I…I forgot some chopsticks…" She turned red. "I…I…I fo-forget about the chopsticks…!"
Chouji put a hand on her arm, smiling. "It's okay, Hinata-chan…"
She ripped her arm away from him, big pale eyes staring up at him, her face bright red. "Wh-What??"
"I said it was okay, Hinata…"
She paled, rubbing her arm where the strap of the bag was. "O-O-Oh…" She handed him the bag. "J-Just a second… I-I-I'll go pick up some chopsticks for you!" As she dashed off, Chouji found a secluded spot off to the side of the street and sat down, staring at the noodles. He looked at it, contemplating just eating it with his hands, but that was too rude, especially since she was going out of her way to go find some. Well, he could always start with a jelly bun! He reached into the bag, grabbing a jelly bun and looking at it hungrily.
"Hey, Chouji! Whatcha got there for lunch?"
He looked up to see Naruto walking over. The boy grinned, turning pink slightly. "Er…grated yam noodles and jelly buns."
"That's pretty…er…" Naruto turned a sickly shade of green and scrunched his nose. "You like eating yams? That's kind of gross… And jelly buns? What, did you suddenly develop a sweet tooth? …Did your mom make it for you?" Something flickered in his eyes, something Chouji couldn't begin to understand since he had a mother, and the boy shook his head.
"N-No. Hinata made it for me." His cheeks flushed scarlet, and Naruto's mood brightened considerably.
He narrowed his eyes, grinning, feisty. "Ho ho ho! Hinata brought you a boxed lunch the other day, too! I saw while I was walking by! Are you two…dating??" He gave him a lewd smile, and Chouji's cheeks darkened further when he saw Hinata behind Naruto, her face flushed and the chopsticks dropping from her hands. She'd heard him.
Behind Naruto, she nearly screamed. "N-N-Never, Naruto-kun! I would never! He's too fat!" The second those words left her mouth she gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth and looking sorrier than she ever had before.
Naruto turned and looked, his jaw dropping, almost afraid Chouji would beat the living tar out of her. But it never happened, since Chouji's face was crumpling. He stood up, forgetting to even pick up the food to take with him, and left.
Naruto winced. "Yowch! Hinata, that was mean! You didn't have to say it like that…"
Her face fell, and she couldn't bring her hands away from her mouth. She started to shake, guilty and feeling an onslaught of tears. She felt sick. Naruto had berated her, she'd called Chouji fat, she had let her words move before she could filter them, and now she had to make it up to him somehow. She didn't know how, but grated yam noodles wouldn't make something like this right. She had to think fancier.
Tears started running down her cheeks, and Naruto frowned, walking over and patting her on the back, but even that didn't make her heart flutter like it normally did. She felt too terrible to think about anything else but the look on Chouji's face and the uneaten food left on the ground.
"Come on, Hinata-chan, don't cry…"
He placed a hand on her arm, but she turned, walking away.
––––––––––––––––
He sighed, looking around. He felt like crying; most people called him a fatass and he got angry, and even though Hinata had only called him fat, he felt miserable. It was like being a little kid again, having to deal with the comments thrown at him all the time, but ten times worse.
He could probably go where Shikamaru was waiting for him, but he didn't want to cry in front of his friend. Shikamaru wouldn't know how to handle it. Would anyone know how to handle it? No one ever knew what to do with people who were crying, except for maybe Naruto. He always knew the right things to say.
He sighed, feeling tears prick at his eyelashes. His breathing hitched, and he felt himself sob without wanting to. He wasn't even all the way out in the middle of nowhere–he didn't want to cry when someone could easily walk by. His hands went to his eyes and he started to walk faster.
"Chouji?"
He walked faster, succeeding in colliding with a tree. Now he really had something to cry about. Whoever it was held back a laugh, which, considering the view from their perspective, it was probably hilarious to watch… Something about the voice was familiar. Like he'd heard it earlier in the day.
"Holy– Chouji, are you alright!?"
He looked up to see TenTen standing over him, hiding a smile. She saw his face and the smile faded, turned to worry. She cursed, something he didn't expect from her. "Are you alright, Chouji? You're crying and you look like a mess. Where's Shikamaru? Weren't you guys training together?"
He couldn't help it–he probably looked utterly stupid right now, but looking at TenTen and remembering Shikamaru just made him burst into tears. He sobbed, hiccupped, shook, and wiped at his eyes constantly, but it didn't help. He hadn't cried this much in years.
TenTen sighed, leaving. Off in the distance, he heard her shouting toward her team mates.
"Found my kunai! Gai-sensei, don't you think we need a lunch break? I'm starving."
"That sounds great! Lee, Neji, why don't we do that?"
"Gai-sensei, what about our training?? I'm still not understanding this taijutsu technique you taught me!"
"Lee, I'll explain it to you over lunch, so let's all take a break! …TenTen, aren't you coming with us??"
"Nah, I'm going to go…uh…pee. I'll catch up with you guys later."
"You shouldn't pee in the forest, TenTen. No one wants a rash down there; I know from experience!"
"Uh…thanks…for the advice, Gai-sensei…"
"I know I will take your advice to heart, Gai-sensei! You won't see a rash where the sun doesn't shine on me!"
"Good for you, Lee! Neji, you should take my advice, too!"
As their voices trailed off in the distance, he could distinctly hear Neji's disgusted response to their conversation– "Ooof…"
He heard footsteps stomping through the underbrush of the forest, making soft crunches as she walked, and soon TenTen had walked over and sat down next to him. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw his crying had practically stopped by then. "So you're done crying? You should probably go find Shikamaru. He seems to know how to give advice pretty well… I don't know why you're crying, but it can't possibly be life-altering or anything like that. I'm sure I can't give you as good advice as Shikamaru gives, but maybe I can help…"
"It's girl problems… You probably wouldn't be interested."
She smirked, stretching her back muscles idly. "You bet I'd be interested. I'm a girl; I'm sure I could come up with a solution."
He sighed, refusing to give her a hint of any kind. "There's…a girl I think is cute… And she called me fat."
TenTen burst out laughing. "Is that all? Then it doesn't really matter, does it? Besides, anyone'd be better than Ino. She's a bit of a gossip…"
He blinked, unsure he heard correctly. "Wait, do you not like Ino? Then why do you hang around us every once in a while?"
She smiled. "Because you and Shikamaru aren't half-bad. It's fun to watch you two train. It's refreshing to see something that doesn't reek of martial arts every once in a while. I mean, honestly? I get sick and tired of weapons and fist-fighting. Watching you two is refreshing, since you guys actually train like that. Shino's pretty interesting to watch, too, but everyone else here seems to practice fist-fighting and kunai-throwing too much. Also, it's nice to see Shikamaru come up with different ways of getting out of the sticky situations Asuma likes putting him into."
"But didn't you have a problem with Shikamaru? That's why you're always fighting with him, right?"
She laughed. "Of course not! I've got nothing against him! It's the girls I've got a problem with. Just because I didn't like Sasuke, they assumed I liked Shikamaru. I really don't see the appeal in guys who have no interest in girls. Everyone flocked around Sasuke, but it was obvious he didn't give any of them a second glance. I'm just not interested in guys like that."
Chouji blinked again, unsure if he was begging to be yelled at. "So…are you…more interested in guys like Lee?"
She burst out laughing and stood up, already starting to walk away. "Really? He's a bit goofy, isn't he? See you later, Chouji. You should probably go talk to Shikamaru about this whole girl thing. I doubt he'd be able to say anything helpful, but at least your friend would know something was up, and that's the most important thing."
–––––––––––
Shikamaru could hear him walking up the steps to the top of the building by the time he opened his eyes and sat up. He turned, noticing Chouji's walk was even more slow and bumbly than usual. He frowned, expecting the worse. So, he did the only thing he could do–he patted the seat next to him and scooted over.
Chouji took a spot next to him, looking up at the clouds. "I ran into TenTen…"
Shikamaru just gave a low groan, letting him know he heard him, but other than that, he said nothing. Chouji turned to him. "Hinata called me fat."
For a few moments, neither of them said anything, and Shikamaru's eyes were wide as he stared at his friend. Then, he broke into laughter. "Pfffffwahahahaha!! She what? Ha ha ha! She called you f-f-fffat?? That can't possibly be the whole story!"
"Well, Naruto thought we were dating, and she happened to walk up when he asked if we were…" He looked down at his gut, feeling miserable all over again. "And then…she said she'd never do anything like that because I was too fat…"
Shikamaru wiped a tear from his eye and gave Chouji a long look, contemplating this. Then, he cleared his throat, composing himself again. "Chouji, even a girl like Hinata would blurt something like that out when the guy she likes asks if she's dating someone else. Girls do anything to make the guy they like think they're still single. I'm sure if Hinata was more outspoken, she'd probably flirt with him, but she's not, so she feels like she has to wait for Naruto to come to her."
Chouji blinked, suddenly realizing that was more help than he expected. "Wow, Shikamaru. For someone who doesn't really care about girls, you sure do know a lot about them…"
Shikamaru just shrugged, giving Chouji a smug smile. "What can I say? I'm good at reading people."
"Hmmm…and after Tenten said you wouldn't come up with something useful to tell me…"
"She what??"
Shikamaru smacked him over the head, and Chouji started laughing. And like that, things seemed to be okay for them. It was only a matter of time before they forgot all about their girl troubles…