Porkchop;

An Akimichi Chouji Mini-Series

My hands were stuck hard inside the pockets of my jacket. And I kept wondering, "When is the sunshine going to come out?" But it never did that day. In fact, it got so much darker. Did I even remember the last time it had been so dark for an entire day? No, I didn't. That was the only time I can ever remember the sky becoming so gray and dull and dark.

I kicked a rock to the side of the road, then searched for another small pebble to occupy myself. Sadly, the entirety of the road was covered in snow so finding another rock would be near impossible.

Finding myself thinking about Choji became a habit for me. He was so kind, and he gave so much, that I couldn't help but keep turning my mind back to him. That day, it seemed that he was the only thing on my mind. It had been but four days since I had seen him last, and that was the first time in a long while that I had seen him. Choji was starting to become my better half, and I didn't even notice it before the change had been completed.

A shiver ran down my spine; it was so black in the air and so cold and frozen that small goosebumps made their ways up and down my arms. I cursed winter with every fiber in my being and I really wanted to be anywhere but Konoha at that moment. Maybe Sunagakure. At least it would be warmer and better than here.

I sighed. Perhaps I'd go over to see Choji. He'd probably help me pass the time in the darkness better than I could on my own.

When I realized that, once I had arrived in the Akimichi residence, that Choji had food poisoning, I could have gone down to that Nakimaru Steakhouse and set it on fire.

"Oh, I see," I told Choji's father. "Um, nevermind-- would you mind having him let me know when he's better? I'll just come over then."

I turned around, and just when I was about to leave, I heard Choza call, "Why don't you stay?"

Stopping, my head flipped around. "Ah, um, don't you think it would be best for Choji to get better by himself?" I took a few unsure steps towards Choza.

"Nonsense!" he laughed, slapping me on the back twice. "I always say that love is the best medicine!"

". . . .You always say that?"

He threw back his head and laughed, then slapped my back a third time. "Nah, I was just pulling your chain. Still, though; if you'd like to stay, you're more than welcome."

There was hardly any pondering done before I made up my mind. "Well, all right, then. I guess I could stay for a little while." And I stepped in to the home with one large step. The door slammed shut only a moment later, soon followed by Choza walking around me and in to the kitchen.

"Come on," he told me. "What was your name again?"

"Hanazono."

He grinned, and I followed him in to the large eating area. "Cute name."

"Thank you, Choza-san," I told him politely. "Is there anything you want me to do while I'm here?"

"Well, sure," he said. "I guess you could go check on Cho, see how he's doing. Why don't you go do that for me?"

I nodded, but when I went to walk towards where I assumed Choji's room to be, I could have sworn I saw Choza smirking at me. Not only a moment later, he called, "First door on the right of the hallway."

Opening the door, I found Choji laying on his bed so pale and limp. He groaned, and my heart leaped nearly a foot. He pulled his covers around himself tighter and sighed loudly. My eyes watched his facial features carefully, making sure he was calm before I dared speak a word.

"Choji?"

His eyes flashed open, surprised, and stared up at me for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights. Then, once he finally realized the situation, he calmed.

"Hanazono?" he questioned.

I laughed nervously. "Um, yeah. Hi."

After a moment, he shrugged himself in to a position that helped him to sit up better. "What are you doing here?"

Shrugging, I said, "I dunno. Nothing better to do, I suppose."

"Oh," he said, almost a bit downcast.

"But when I got here," I continued, "your dad told me you got food poisoning. That's terrible, I think. I haven't had it before, but I'm sure it feels really horrible."

He smiled tiredly. "I think I'm doing pretty good, actually. I've only gotten nausea, abdominal pain, and a fever. Technically, it could be worse."

"Why don't you just get some medicine to take care of it? I'm sure someone could come and take care of it in a few minutes. You want me to make a trip and get Sakura to come help you, or something?"

He sighed. "No thanks-- after having foodborne illness four times before, I've learned that it's best just to wait it out rather than taking any medicine. Well, besides painkillers. Those are all right."

I sat down on the edge of Choji's bed and thought for a minute. "Well, do you think I could make you something? Soup, a sandwich?"

"You don't have to make me anything, Hana."

I cocked my head to the side. "Are you sure? I mean, I've gotten pretty good at cooking after fifteen years of practice."

He was silent, but soon his indifferent face upturned in to a smile. A nice, even, truly happy smile. And it was one of those smiles that you just have to reflect, otherwise you've got a stick up your ass.

"Okay, Hana," he agreed. "Will you make me some soup?"

I grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "You got it, Cho."

"Where'd you get 'Cho' from?" he asked quietly before I left the room.

"Your dad called you it," I said. "It kind of seems to fit you."

--

As I prepared the chicken noodle soup for Choji, I thought about the last time I had seen him before we were sorted in to our teams. No one really talked to each other outside of our teams that first year, but once the rules began to bend when we got older, it seemed more appropriate to associate with other ninja in our age group.

The last time I could really remember talking to him was when we passed the exams. He met me outside the academy, and congratulated me on becoming a fully fledged ninja. We gave each other high fives and grinned from ear to ear. We were so happy that day.

The sun's rays were intense that day, when we all became genin. Everything was so alive and green, that warm summer day. There was nothing that could put a damper on my mood. Not one thing.

I remember, however faintly the memory was, that one small blue butterfly flew by my cheek and gave me one indescribable butterfly kiss. I chased that butterfly, so strangely amused by it and why it could have possibly landed on me. Of all people, that is.

And then, I heard a loud voice yelling at someone else from the academy. My eyes stayed on that one butterfly for only a moment longer before I turned my head at the source of all the commotion.

I suddenly stopped making that chicken noodle soup. It was like I was having a sudden revelation; something that I hadn't noticed before was coming back to me. It had been so long since that day, I hadn't even tried remembering it until that moment in the kitchen, while I made chicken noodle soup.

I wiped my eyes; they were becoming itchy and tingly and I didn't like it one bit. So I finished making the chicken noodle soup, and I put it in a bowl, and I carried it in two hot pads towards Choji's room. I opened up the door and closed it behind me, and then I handed the bowl off to Choji.

"Thank you, Hana," he said, slurping up the noodles and chicken. "It's very good."

But I knew it wasn't all that good, because it was straight out of the can they had laying in the backs of their cupboards. Though I supposed it was just the type of person Choji was, being kind to people who really didn't even deserve it.

"You're welcome," I said, even though I knew he was just fibbing.

While he slurped his soup, I thought through the remains of the memory as fast as I possibly could.

After I had turned around from watching that butterfly, I noticed that Choji was the one yelling at another boy in our graduating class. It was so unlike Choji that I dismissed it. Oh, had I dismissed it for so long.

The words that I caught from the conversation were only the ones of greatest importance. "Not fat", "big-boned", and "don't call her that" were rolling off the tip of Choji's tongue like rapid fire. And I didn't even notice until now what had actually taken place.

I sat on the floor of Choji's room and hugged my knees up to my chest. I heard Choji ask me what was wrong, but I merely shook my head and told him nothing-- I was just tired. But that was about as far from the truth as was possible.

And once I had remembered that one act of kindness in our childhood, another one came at me just as quick. I hardly even had time to react before my mind forced it on me and crushed me like a ton of bricks.

When everyone else had called me "Porkchop" as kids, he was the only one that had ever called me by my real name. By the name my parents had given me, and the one that didn't make me feel bigger than anyone else my age. He had called me Hana when no one else had, and it hurt me so much to realize that so late. I felt so embarrassed and lightheaded.

Since weight had been such a big issue for me my entire life, I had never realized how much it hurt now, realizing that all of my friends had been poking fun at me the entire time. Everyone except for Choji.

I rubbed my eyes again.

"Thanks Hana," he said with a big grin. "It really did taste good. I didn't think I could eat anything today because of my stomach, but I guess you proved me wrong!"

Smiling, I said, "Guess I did."

After a moment of silence, Choji spoke again. "Hey, are you all right? You seem kind of sad."

"I'm not sad," I told him, rubbing my eyes again. "Don't worry. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," he said with a small smile. "Your soup really cleared up my headache."

And I wouldn't be the one to point out that it probably wasn't even my soup-- it was most likely the medication Choji had taken kicking in to rid him of his headache.

"That's good to hear," I said. "You know what, Choji? You're too nice."

He raised his eyebrows and scooted over on his bed. "What do you mean?"

I sighed deeply, taking a seat next to him on his bed after he made room for me. "You're just too nice of a person. Did you know that I just realized how long you've been sticking up for me?"

He was silent for a minute. "I haven't been sticking up for you, Hanazono."

Choji's eyes were so serious and truthful that I almost felt like he really didn't think that what he was doing was sticking up for me. "You see? That's what I mean."

"I don't understand what you mean," he said, "but that's okay."

Standing up from his bed seemed to take a lot of energy. I felt kind of dizzy, but I tried not to let it show through. "I don't think I'm feeling so good, Choji. I think I'm going to go home, is that okay?"

"Yes, of course," he told me. "I'm really sorry you aren't feeling good. You know that if I wasn't sick right now, I'd come over to your house and make you some soup, right?"

"I think I kind of did know that," I said, a slow smile spreading on to my lips. "Thanks, Choji. You should be better in a day or two. Maybe I'll come in and check on you tomorrow, if you want me to."

"Sure," he agreed. "That would be really nice of you."

I bent down to his level and embraced him in a big hug. He returned it almost confusedly, and almost slowly, but he returned it nonetheless. I breathed in, then breathed out. My mind was even dizzier than it had been before.

"Thank you, Choji," I said.

". . . .You're welcome."

And when we broke away, I planted a small peck right in the center of the swirl on Choji's left cheek. I watched as his face turned almost as red as his forehead protector.

I waved to him sheepishly, and walked out of his room.

--

Needless to say, only one day after Choji had gotten over his illness, I received my first dosage of food poisoning.

And you can just about guess who came over to help take care of me.