A/N
Hello dear readers, I'm back!
Yes, this time with a historical AU. Not an easy task, indeed, but very rewarding.
This story was created during the pandemic in collaboration with a very dear friend of mine. We discussed this story a lot, and we draw lots of fanart about it, but I was always afraid to take the challenge of writing it. Well, I made it my personal writing resolution of the year to stop overthinking and give it a try. We need more of this paring on the internet!
Are you up for an exciting new journey with me?
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"…998, 999, 1000…."
There was a knock on the door.
"Hey, Lee!" A man with messy brown hair, sharp black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils, and red fang markings on his cheeks peeked through the door. He was dressed in a tuxedo and holding a black walking stick under his arm. "Why are you still lifting weights? If you don't start dressing up, we're running late for the soirée at the Moulin."
"Oh, I lost track of time!" Promptly Lee put his two dumbbells under the bed and ran to the bathroom. "I am just going to tidy myself up quickly. Give me five minutes!"
Kiba sighed and turned around.
"I don't know how he doesn't collapse with the amount of training he puts himself through. Are all chinese men like that?"
"He is just a very hardworking person." Said a man with black sunglasses. "You can't say the same about yourself."
A vein popped up in Kiba's forehead.
"At least I work for a living!" He clicked his tongue. "You stay home philosophizing over stuff and feeding your weird bug collection." Kiba folded his arms over his chest and huffed.
Shino stood up from the chair he was reading a small book and frowned.
"You know very well I'm working on my thesis hypothesis. Plus, I also give piano lessons to Mlle Marie's children." He closed the book and put it on the writing desk. "You, on the other hand, paint criminals."
"It's called tattooing!" Kiba corrected. "I can't be picky with my customers if I want to make money. I can't allow myself that luxury."
"Cut it out, you two!" A man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes stepped in. "Can't you just get along?"
Kiba huffed, and Shino looked away.
"I'll wait for you outside." Kiba picked up his top hat and went out the door while cursing.
Suddenly Lee popped up from the bathroom while wiping his face with a towel.
"What happened?"
"Same old bickering," Naruto replied, fixing his white bowtie in front of the mirror. He glanced at Lee through the surface reflection. "Bushy-brows, you're still not dressed?"
Lee vanished inside his room.
"Just one second." He pulled out his tuxedo and started dressing his pants. Soon he was buttoning up his white low-cut vest on top of his plain white front wingtip collar dress shirt and dressing his tailcoat. "How did the speech at the protest go?" Lee asked loud enough for Naruto to hear.
"It went well. We're trying to organize a general strike to force the government to back down and negotiate." Naruto leaned against Lee's doorway. "However, many people still seek revenge for the defeat in the war."
Lee put on his white gloves and top hat.
"People may think I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
"Naruto, my friend," Lee began. "The man who fights for his ideals and pursues peace is remarkable!" He declared, wrapping his arm around Naruto's shoulders.
"Yeah, I'll show them!" The blonde man punched the air.
"Are you coming or not?" An annoyed Kiba ranted from the front door.
Shino put on his top hat and exited. Naruto and Lee followed.
They lived in a building's attic on the top of Montmartre, a small hill in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, located on the right bank of the River Seine. The bohemian village appealed much to artists; many lived, worked, or had studios in or around it, where the rents were low and the atmosphere pleasant.
The last years colored Paris, the City of Light, with particular shades. After the economic depression, Napoleon's wars, and poor class life, the Parisians were experiencing another renaissance; it was like waking from a bad dream. Despite the country's poor state, their time brought new freedom, eccentric artistic influences, extravagance, and authenticity to the European capital of style and fashion. It was years of French euphoria and desire for expressionism, literary and creative liberation, and the mixing of beauty, pleasure, and entertainment. In this new luxurious world, the Bohemian Quarter Montmartre became the centre of all events and a place where, together, rich and poor, old and young, Parisians, workers, elegant ladies, influential people, and gamblers enjoyed the pleasure of the nightlife.
Going down the circular staircase, the group arrived at the ground floor. Outside they could see the prominent Sacré Cœur basilica, which sat atop the hill, a masterpiece of grace and grandeur, an essential place of worship in the capital that could be seen from all parts of Paris.
It had been two years since Lee started living there with his friends. As a chinese immigrant who arrived in Paris in 1894 to study Philosophy, his first home was the basement of a Chinese restaurant where he washed the dishes to make a living. It was when he met Shino at the university that he found a better place to sleep. The attic where Naruto, Kiba, and Shino lived was no royal palace; on the contrary, it was relatively small, dusty, and old but having its own bed beat, sleeping on a mattress on the cold floor.
Walking down the streets, soon they were on Boulevard de Clichy. The appearance of the Moulin Rouge was instantly recognizable amidst the other buildings in the neighbourhood. A windmill with large rotating vanes painted entirely red was decorated with the figures of a miller and his wife, who appeared to exchange knowing glances.
The entrance was already full of all kinds of people from all social classes dressed in grandeur. The Moulin Rouge, a soul of the can-can seductive dance, a nightclub with its expressionist style and the influence of stunning Japanism, had become one of the symbols of Paris. Lee could see lots of influential people – painters, writers, sculptors, poets, etc. – ready to enjoy a pleasurable nighttime at the cabaret and find some inspiration for their artworks and creations.
"Let's go inside." said Kiba.
The interior was decorated with huge mirrors-walls and luxurious crystalline chandeliers lighted from the ceiling. Curtains and carpets of gentle sarongs and nightshades, golden, glittering, glamorous. The garden was intended for enjoying the afternoon sun, and in the middle of the garden, there was a giant elephant sculpture, a part of the great exhibition from 1889.
Everyone was excited about the perfect combination of art, provocative fun, and the game the cabaret brought. The customers sat in groups on tables around the dance hall, absinthe was poured, and smoke from pipe tobacco filled the air. Four women performed high kicks in unison that exposed both their petticoats and legs while men applauded and cheered them, delighted by the view.
Lee, Naruto, Shino, and Kiba sat at one of the last few tables near the bar.
"I told you we were running late." The man with red marks on his cheeks was visibly mourning the loss of the best spots for admiring the dancers in the cabaret.
"I am so sorry Kiba!" Lee said, scratching his head.
"Pay no heed to him." Shino interrupted. "He is grumpy because today Ino is singing, and he won't be able to see her up close."
"For how many months have you been trying to court her?" Naruto teased, squinting his eyes.
"Shut up!" Kiba clenched his chin, annoyed. "Want me to talk about the last time Sakura rejected you and Lee?"
Naruto's lips protruded in a sulky pout. He was about to protest when someone announced:
"And now our newest addition: The China Doll!" The man with long white hair pointed toward the dance hall, where a mysterious dancer stood in an elegant, beautiful pose.
Her face was covered with a golden mask decorated with jewellery, her chocolate hair was in half up-do buns, and she wore a Tang dynasty loose hanfu dress of soft peach colour. Behind her, three musicians played the guzheng, the erhu, and drums.
It was not Lee's first time watching exotic oriental dances aboard, but he had never crossed paths with a true chinese dancer in Paris before.
Chinese immigration to France began at the turn of the century. Since the opening of the chinese port at Wenzhou in 1876, a small number of merchants arrived in Paris. They posed no problems to French society and were dispersed throughout several districts in Paris. This tiny chinese population mainly consisted of students, journalists, intellectuals, and merchants.
Dumbfounded, Lee gazed in awe at the slim feminine figure dancing with graceful slow movements to the sound of music. Strong links and mutual relations characterized the Chinese community in Paris. Usually, they kept their traditions to themselves, so he was surprised when he was met with such familiar sounds and gestures. It was like he was back in China again.
The dancer moved around the space in a quick and smooth movement that made it seem like she was floating on a cloud. Then, she spun with one leg high above her head in a trice. Afterwards, she twisted her body backwards gracefully, tilting her head down.
Suddenly the dancer picked up a sword from the ground and started dancing with it. A red tassel attached to the end of the sword swayed, adding a mesmerizing quality to the dance. She slid her finger along the blade. Soon the rhythm accelerated, and the dance became more aggressive. The brunette swung the sword around and above her head in circles with energetic movement.
The audience applauded enthusiastically when the dance was over and begged her to reveal her face.
"Wow!" Lee clapped with sparkling eyes. He couldn't deny he was also curious about the girl's appearance.
The dancer gracefully bowed several times at the cabaret public, soaking up the warm welcome of cheers, but she never took off her mask. The French impresario and co-founder of the Moulin, Jiraya, teased that they needed to come back next week for the reveal if they wanted to see her face. Several displeasure expressions filled the room, but they soon died once he announced the next performance.
The Chinese dancer had already left the stage when she was intercepted by a rosy-cheeked customer, visibly affected by the consumption of alcohol. He grabbed her wrist and sat her on his lap, touching her body inappropriately.
"Such pale skin…." The man slurred his words and tried to kiss her neck, but the girl was quick to step on his foot, making him lose control of her momentarily. The brunette took the opportunity to escape, but the man ran after her.
She was about to use decorative pottery to knock him down when she saw a hand cut through the air and strike the man's neck. He was stunned and fell to the floor.
"Are you alright, mademoiselle? I mean, xiǎojiě?"
A Chinese man with a bowl haircut and bushy brows was standing in front of her. His dark round eyes seemed to stare at her, worried. There was something quite familiar about him, but she couldn't figure out what. Either way, she felt a sting in her pride as she considered herself a woman capable of defending her own life.
The brunette looked down at the unconscious drunk man and then focused on her saviour.
"Thank you," she bowed her head. "But I could have handled it myself." She didn't try to hide her injured pride.
"Oh, I-" Lee began, but she walked away in the direction of the backstage and left him gesticulating alone.
Had he done something wrong? Although he had good intentions, they didn't reach her.
"Hey, bushy-brows!" Naruto's hand landed on his shoulder. "That was amazing! I mean, the way you knocked him out with just one strike! Jesus, you must teach me some of this Chinese boxing!"
Lee rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.
"Ahaha, thank you, Naruto." He glanced towards the backstage again, but the dancer had already disappeared.
Lee and Naruto returned to their table when the next performance started.
They observed how Kiba glued his eyes on the blond girl with sapphire-like eyes climbing down the stairs while singing a ballad. She moved elegantly, and her mellow voice wrapped everyone in a dreamy and pleasant ambience. Her charms, well known in the cabaret, moved the audience as she interacted with them during her singing. She was the most famous singer at the Moulin Rouge and received admires letters daily. However, no one seemed to pick up her interest.
There were rumours that she had an affair with the duke of Monroth, but there was no evidence to support it. She liked to keep her origins a mystery, so no one knew where she came from and how she became a performer in the most famous cabaret in Paris. One thing everyone was sure of was that she was one of the most beautiful women in town.
"Isn't she so alluring?" Kiba was supporting his head on his hand and looked at the singer with an infatuated stare.
"You don't even know her well." Shino pointed out coldly. "Isn't it silly how crazy you are about her?"
"Hey, I'm not crazy about her. You know I like to be a free agent." He cleared his throat and adjusted his posture. "I want to know her better. It would be pretty amusing seeing the famous Ino Yamanaka fall heads over heels for me, don't you think so?"
"I think you are in denial," Shino said, drinking from his cup.
"Shut up, Shino!"
Throughout the night, the four friends enjoyed the exciting cabaret shows, the tasty food, and the compelling discussions about politics and art. Finally, they arrived at their house past midnight, exhausted but with a smile on their faces. Well, expect Shino, but he rarely smiled at all.
~xxx~
It was early in the morning, and Rock Lee was standing in front of a shop with a sign that read "TianTian" in prominent red Chinese characters. He had just received a letter from his master, Maito Gai, informing him about his niece's business in Paris. She had arrived two months ago and was living in the Asian Quarter of the town. She had also opened a shop of Chinese antiques and was selling tea, porcelain, textiles, jewellery, furniture, paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, and even clothing.
Lee had only seen his master's niece, Tenten when he was young. She was also one of Gai's disciples and trained hard alongside him once. He remembered she could be pretty fierce at times, but she was kind and caring toward others, comforting her friends when they were going through a hard time.
When her parents discovered her uncle had been teaching her secretly the arts of war, they pulled her from his house and severed ties with him. After that, he never saw her again. Sometimes Lee wondered what had become of her and of her dream of fighting for women's rights so she could be free from the cage of Chinese traditions and rules and fight the patriarchy.
Well, let us find out. So he said to himself and turned the doorknob.
The bell chimes rang as the shop door opened, and he was suddenly overrun with the smell of musty furniture and clothing, as well as old paper scrolls and mothballs. Lee looked around, inspecting his surroundings. There were antique wood cabinets filled with dainty figurines, buddha statues, other Chinese deities, collectable plates, snuff bottles, China cups, feng shui compasses and pendants, calligraphy brushes as well as old scroll paintings hanging on the walls displaying dragons, tigers, and birds.
To his right, there was a pile of Chinese jewellery boxes with jade pendants, old wood craving panels, Chinese pipes, and hand fans. Looking up, there were colourful Chinese paper lanterns and a paper parasol with birds on a cherry tree.
Despite the cash register, receipt pads, and countless old tea boxes, Lee was surprised to find the counter empty.
"Hello! Is anyone here?"
"Yes," replied a high-pitched voice. "Just one minute, please."
He turned quickly in the direction of the voice and bumped into a wooden ladder - that he hadn't noticed before - right behind him.
"Woah!" the voice screamed.
He looked up and found a person at the top of the ladder who had lost her balance with his nudge. Lee caught her when she fell.
"Got you!"
He now had a brunette girl in his arms, wearing her hair in two Chinese-style buns on her head with short fringe bangs framing her face. She was dressed in a pink qizhuang dress with a blue collar and blue flower branches embroidered along its length.
Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. An instant connection and a remembrance feeling were hanging in the air. Suddenly the girl's eyes bulged as she was flooded with the memories of the previous night, where the gentleman now holding her had struck the drunk man harassing her at the cabaret. He hadn't realized it, but it wasn't surprising since she had been wearing a mask the whole time.
Instantaneously she jumped off his arms and walked backwards.
"You should be more careful!"
"I am sorry, mademoiselle. Please accept my apologies." Lee did a fist and palm salute and bowed slightly.
She slapped her mouth. Damm it, Tenten! It would be best if you kept your temper in check. He is a customer, after all. Remember, don't quarrel with them.
"It's alright. Anyways, how can I help you?"
"Are you Tenten gūniang?"
"How do you know my name?" She squinted her eyes.
Lee smiled.
"Do you not remember me?" Then, when her brows frowned, he added. "Master Gai's disciple, Rock Lee."
Her mouth fell open, and her head jerked back.
In a trice, her mind flashed back to the past, to the little boy with his long hair fastened in a braid, training hard every day to become an influential martial artist. She remembered his crazy training with her uncle and the times she had tended to his wounds. At 13 years old, he could perform several complex external techniques and was a master of the hard style. Despite not being able to perform internal martial arts, his focus on cultivating physical strength and agility had uncle Gai calling him a "genius of hard work".
"It is a pretty shop you have here." He looked around, mesmerized. "It is kind of nostalgic seeing all these items around."
Oh, so this is why he felt so familiar. So she thought, taking a closer look at him. He was dressing dark green pants and a white shirt with brown suspenders and classic man shoes. He has perfectly adapted to the western style of clothing. No wonder she took her time remembering him.
"Tell me more about you, Tenten. Why did you decide to come to Europe? Adventure? Love?"
Tenten picked up a steaming pot of tea and poured him a cup.
"I'm running away from an arranged marriage." Lee stopped the cup before it touched his lips and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "And as I always refused to get feet binding, it is harder to find a "respectable husband" who is not into tradition. So finally, my parents found someone who agreed and gave me an ultimatum. But, of course, it was something I couldn't refuse, so I ran away. I can take care of myself and do what I like by opening a European business, away from all those old-fashioned rules and codes. Fortunately, I was always lucky enough to have uncle Gai supporting my decisions."
Wait, why am I telling him all of this? It's not like we are that close.
"A great man, is he not? I owe him a lot as well." Lee drank the tea from his cup. "I agree with you. Some traditions must change." Tenten's eyes widened. It was the first time a man told her that - Of course, expect her uncle. - "Look at me! Instead of marrying an honourable Chinese woman, I will share my life with a beautiful French girl!" He laughed, amused.
"Really?" Her jaw had dropped. "Have you proposed already?"
His giddiness turned into a sudden embarrassment.
"I still have not asked her." He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "But I am in the process of courting her."
"Courting?"
"I can teach you a thing or two about European customs. And you will find a nice French man who doesn't care about traditions either!" And suddenly, he made her uncle's signature nice guy pose.
The next few days, Lee kept visiting her at the shop with a tiresome frequency, as he seemed to have made it his duty to take care of her. She suspected that her uncle had something to do with it, but she never spoke about it. He seemed to buy the most random stuff anytime he went there. Tenten felt acutely annoyed as she thought he doubted her seller skills. Lee also took the time to bring her the french newspaper as he thought it was a good idea for her to start learning the language.
"Hey, Lee." She said one afternoon. "I will be at the Moulin Rouge tonight. So let's meet there."
Lee gasped.
"Wow, really, Tenten?" He seemed excited. "Do you go there too?"
She smirked.
"Well, I have a very close connection with the cabaret."
She laughed inwardly, imagining his face when he discovered she was the dancer he had helped last week.
"Amazing! Two months and you already know the best places to have fun!" Lee gave her a thumbs up.
"Oh. I do know how to have fun."
To be continued…
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A/N
Well, this is how it starts.
What did you think? Was it enjoyable? Please, review. I would be really happy to hear your thoughts on it. :)