Chapter Twenty Five.
Chōjūrō, Hinata, Pakkun and Akamaru entered the home and following a hasty Akamaru into the dining room, saw everyone chatting over tea and cake. Akamaru went over to Kiba, his tail wagging and Kiba looked amazed.
"What? It went that well, boy? Nice one. Pakkun, how was your girl?"
"A gentleman never discusses the progress of his dates…" He replied but then winked
"He he!" Kiba laughed, gently drumming his hands on the table as a fanfare. Joleen turned her head to the two canines and arched her eyebrows.
"Males…" She muttered, smiling and stirring her coffee with a spoon.
"Sorry Joleen… I'm just happy for them. They deserve to feel as happy as I do with you…" He then turned maroon and the two dogs wheezingly laughed at him.
"Please don't be hard on him," Pakkun asked her. "He's a fool but an honest one."
She laughed at that and talking two biscuits from a plate, leaned towards the dogs and handed them one each. Kiba crossed his arms and was shocked when he received a kiss on the forehead.
"You're no-one's fool, baby. Only mine." She hugged him quickly before Yamato dropped his cup, eyes wide and mouth a jar whilst Suigetsu and Jūgo glared kunai straight at him. The only ones not to react were Shino and Nina, who seemed deeply engrossed in talking. Hinata and Chōjūrō smiled at him, with the light blue haired boy putting up a thumb, winking and a small dazzling light coming from his white, jagged teeth.
However bizarre the atmosphere, he loved the contact, the way she smelt and what she had said. He hugged her back and helped pour her some more coffee. The ANBU and two former missing-nin merely shared a look – a look of 'if he so much as spills the coffee, will cut him up'. They then decided to go and play cards with a bottle of whisky in Jūgo's hand.
"Does anyone know were Mei-Sama is?" Chōjūrō asked and everyone apart from Hinata shook their heads.
"Byakugan." She said gently, removing her glasses and Chōjūrō looked amazed. The veins around her eyes had bulged and darkened… he'd never seen anything like this before. She looked around and then smiling, answered his question. "She's upstairs." She spoke quietly and both of them blushed.
Chōjūrō looked relieved and not wanting too seem like a pervert, strained his mind to think of anexcuse to go. He was as easy to read as a book and Hinata motioned her head towards upstairs whilst she told him her plans.
"I'm going to the library to read for a bit." She had brought with her the copy of Icha Icha and was bursting to read it. "I'll see you all tomorrow." Akamaru and Pakkun followed her out of the room and along the corridor, leaving Joleen and Kiba joking with each other whilst Nina and Shino continued their in-depth conversation. Kiba then picked Nina up bridal style and rushed her away from the dining table and out of the room, Joleen laughing whilst gently slapping him on the head, protesting through her giggles.
The room was now only filled with Shino and Nina's words.
Nina was looking to Shino deeply. She knew things between them were developing quickly and the fact her aunt left them alone together showed she trusted both her and him. A relationship between them would have very deep consequences for both of their countries. Shino also had a clan to care for and although she was the intended future Mizukage, how could she put him second in priorities when her love for him made him a 1st priority?
"I am confident she will say yes, Shino." She said, giving a smile that made a guy felt he'd won something special." But there is is only one way for this to happen and that is for me to go to Konoha with you."
Shino's happy feeling died away. He knew she loved him but how could he make up giver her future, her country and her aunt?
"I cannot do that to you."
"It is my choice to make and I choose us."
"If you do that, your people would feel rejected. My family and country would be more understanding and I know member of my Clan who I'd be happy to make the new leader. Hinata and Kiba would see us very often and I honestly think that given time, your people will accept me."
Nina had some doubts about just how accepting her people would be on her choice of future husband. It was only recently that they'd stopped trying to kill her aunt and her, though admittedly this was probably because they gave up trying as Mei was an incredible opponent. Making her aunt Mizukage by the Village Elder had certainly helped Kirigakure have accepted those with special abilities… but Kirigakure still needed a deeper change of heart.
"If they see a gentleman from the Leaf village marry the future heir, they will be afraid you may usurp that position to help Konoha gain power. Especially when Yagura-Sama was in charge here during the time of the 'Bloody Mist' and later was found to have been manipulated by a former Leaf ninja. They do not want history to repeat itself."
"then that makes our solution easier." He affirmed, making Nina slightly confused. She then had an idea what he might have thought about doing and immediately shook her head, though she smiled at him.
"You really are as amazing as I hoped you'd been all those years ago. But no, Konoha is a part of you."
"You're right," He said, nodding. "And no-one will ever take that away from me. However, what's wrong in changing my nationality if it means I could be with you. The Village then would have gained a skill and we strengthen the alliance between Konoha and Kirigakure with our marriage." They both blushed at the word marriage and held hands were they sat.
"I should be the one coming to you, Shino." Nina said and Shino kissed her hand. He shook his head again.
"Nina… no. I think myself a man very who has been very lucky with his situation. I have a loving family, wonderful friends and a good home. I do not have any other wants apart from wanting to be with you. As I cannot lose the things I have already said, my only danger is losing you. I cannot risk that, Nina. You are so special… I won't work without you."
He got down then onto one knee and spoke again. "You are clever, beautiful, skilled, diplomatic and somehow able to accept me for what I am when others only see a type of monster. I want to build my life and dreams around you… around perhaps, our family?" He looked at how slightly shocked at his confession and looked timidly into her beautiful light green eyes. He removed his glasses so she could them for the 1st time and was shocked when she gazed into them, no change across her face, only adoration.
"Nina…please let me love you the best way I can – by being with you always and making you happy every day to the best of my ability. I love you. Tomorrow, will you help me ask Mei-Sama for permission to both court and marry you?"
Nina glowed at the statement and scene, nodding with a big smile. She realised then that Shino could not see her nod and using her free hand, placed a finger under his chin and raised his head so he could see her face.
"Yes."Shino still looked slightly afraid, she could see it in his eyes. "What's wrong, my darling."Chills overloaded his body and he went giddy as she purred the last two words from her mouth so seductively.
"Why do you, the most beautiful woman I've ever known, waste time on a fool like me when you can have anyone you want?" He truly did not know or understand. She said she knew of him and his family, to an extent confessed she admired them and had always seen him in such a good light. This was almost certainly not the case when he had met new people. Even people he'd known most his life ignored him or didn't realise he was present when he saw them.
She smiled. "My aunt and I have had an awful start in life. We both endured many terrible things, our family nearly being wiped out, us constantly being chased and the people of our land wanting our execution. It was only together we survived and when the Village Elder stood up to the discrimination of our land and helped them through that bloody time, he also gave us the chance to prove having a double gengei kenkei was not a thing to hate. My aunt saved this land and I love her way. Do you know how we survived?"
He shook his head.
"When I was six, my aunt found me after I had gone missing from home. Some men had found me and kidnapped me. I still remember them tying me up, carrying me over one of the men's shoulders but stupidly forgetting to gag me… I almost felt sorry for them. I waited until we had stopped and they put me down onto the ground. It was then I performed my 2nd ever lava attack – none of them survived. My aunt found me crying as the lava formed a moat around me and she evaporated into the air, condensed beside me and together we summoned clouds to us and floated in the sky for a while. I still cried. Asking if I was bad. She told me I wasn't...
"Why am I such a freak?" I demanded of her and she shook her.
"We are not. We are just different to some people, that is all."
"Why do they want to kill us? Why did they kill our family?" I sobbed angrily.
"They are afraid and rather than thinking for themselves, letting others guide their opinions."
"Sheep!" I yelled and she looked at me compassionately.
"There are others like us, you know." Mei said, raising an eyebrow and gave a grin.
"Are you going to tell me about the Land of Fire again?" My face must have been a picture because my aunt laughed gently, held me and placing me on her lap, she began my favourite story.
"In the Land of Fire, there are some Shinobi who not only possess a gengei kinkei, but they willingly opt for it. Some of the clans of the Village Hidden in Leaves are said to possess some special people who through time, have naturally become one with the creatures around them. Of the four Noble Clans of Konoha, one tribe stands out for this unique relationship with nature – The Aburame. Each generation that is born is given the chance for special insects to come and live within them and in exchange, they share each other's talents and gifts. Perfect synergism or co-existence…"
Shino was stuck in time. In the time and space of the world she created with her words. His family had been a story tale for her since she was a child?
"You father and you became legends as time went. Your father's actions during the war, how you fought to save and protect your village and friends, the bond you have with your team mates, how your father saved you when you fought the Sand's puppet master…" She blushed brightly. It was getting too much for her and Shino then realised how much luckier he had become just now in knowing her.
"Can I kiss you?" He said begging. She helped turn down his jacket and he removed his forehead protector so she could see his face completely. He was so handsome. His hair that had seemed spiky now came down slightly and she nodded, licking her lips. He gently came towards her and their lips touched. It was sweet and caring and as she brought her hands to the sides of his smoothly shaven face, she deepened the kiss into a more passionate one. His arms went gently around her waist and she felt a tear fall from his right eye and feet a tear fall onto the fingers of her left hand. She gently broke the kiss and looked into her his kaleidoscope eyes, seeing hundreds or mirror-images of her.
"Are you okay?" She asked in a sweet whisper that captured his heart.
"I have never been so happy as I am now. Please don't be a dream." He asked brokenly.
"I guess I'll have to prove to you I am not." She grinned and then they resumed the kiss.
Kiba rushed Joleen into the living room and with a soft sofa safely behind her, placed her down onto it.
"You really are a funny guy, Kiba." Joleen said. Kiba Inuzuka was probably the complete reverse of her own personality. He warm, friendly, outgoing and a bit o a kid at heart whilst she was quite cool, calm, kept herself mostly to herself and usually was on red-alert most of the time in case of trouble. BUT he was like a breath of new life to her.
When she met him that time when she saved that child from falling, she saw the way he reacted by doing what he could to save the child too. She appreciated anyone with good instincts for danger and he certainly had that. His appearance interested her. - not the typical prince charming type, not a cutie-boy but a very attractive rough-and-ready kind of guy. That to her is a very attractive feature. His fangs made him look His fangs made him look quite sexy and much to her embarrassment she had an amazing fantasy based around them that made her eyes gleam as she thought it.
When she thought about her brief fling with Itachi in the past, she realised that though he was an rather than a cold-hearted creature, a caring man in nature, just how unlikely a match they would have been in a different time and place.
At the time, he was a part of Akatsuki and was about to battle his brother. She was only sixteen but a very mature sixteen year old. She'd been raised and brought up ANBU rules and regulations – love was not an option for her. Who knew that the Uchiha sensing the end of his life and the soft smile of the konoichi sent to kill him could make feel something again? She certainly hadn't and when she saw him drop his kunai holder, take off his cloak, lay it on the floor and sat on it. Joleen was suspicious and almost said aloud a 'Huh?' as he patted to a patch of the cloak beside him for her to sit onto.
After a few tense moments, Joleen took herself out of an attack posture and still keeping herself alert, found herself joining him. She had no idea why she was doing this, but went with it. If she died, she died. Sitting beside him, he gently leant in and kissed her tenderly. He had never kissed a woman before and the only woman to have kissed him would have been his mother. Joleen held tightly onto the kunai but knew she was okay with what was happening. This was a big risk … but that seemed as good a description of life and love as any too. She kissed him back and he groaned. That noise is one she'd never forget. He then parted from her and affectionately kissed her nose.
"Some things in life can save your soul. Thank you for saving mine," Itachi said, before slowly rising and helping her up from the floor. "I am going to die very soon in a very just way. Your goal will be achieved through the hands of my brother. I now have no regrets. Keep safe, young lady." He kissed her hand, picked up his cloak and then left without glancing back. Later on, Itachi had as he said died by his younger brother's hands. She never regretted what had happened and felt sad he had gone.
"Joleen, are you okay?" He gently stroked her hair and she closed her eyes, smiling at the sensation. This man was the one for her. He was warm, more intimate, more passionate and it made her feel whole. For a long time, she felt a part of her missing and she realised now it was Kiba-shaped. He was naughty, cheeky, adorable yet sexy. Loyal, kind and a loud mouth. They complemented each other perfectly.
"Keep doing that and I'll be more than okay." She said with a wolfish grin coming onto her face, her eyes still closed. She then felt a pair of warm lips on hers and she gave into it, like the warm water of the ocean coming in with the tide over a golden beach. The warmth swept her and all the while he stroked her hair caressingly.
"Stay with me?" She asked, frightened he may pull away but he didn't. He didn't even break the kiss to answer. His free hand took her left hand and held it, squeezing it gently and then locking his fingers with hers. That night they stayed in that room, kissing, caressing and then falling asleep head-to-toe on the sofa there, Kiba's jacket neatly tucked in around Joleen.
The three man banged the door of the games room, talking loudly as Yamato went to get some glasses and Suigetsu and Jūgo went to the table, where they still found Ao sitting.
"Ao, are you still moping?" Suigetsu slurred, Jūgo sniggering at his comrade's voice.
"I'm ashamed." Ao said angrily. A glass then was slammed in front of him and Ao shot up to see Yamato looking at him, confused.
"Drink with us." He said. Ao shook his head and Jūgo tutted.
"It will honestly make things better." Jūgo said, trying to sound slightly less drunk than he was but failing miserably.
"How?" He demanded from the three men who now pulled chairs at the card table he sat at, watching them down a shot of whisky and refilling their glasses. Yamato then filled the glass in front of Ao and made a suggestion.
"Everyone here is Shinobi, Ao-Sama. You were following your orders. The younger ones are different to men like us. We follow the rules and put aside our preferences as kids. "
"Younger ones." Snorted Suigetsu, Jūgo nodding at his friend's statement.
"I hate him but I agree with Suigetsu." Jūgo added, downing the contents of his glass again and Yamato handed him the bottle.
"You both are … exceptions to the rule." Yamato tactfully said. The two then grinned.
"I'll drink to that." Suigetsu said, laughing and drank his glass empty.
"I appreciate the gesture…"
"No…" Jūgo said shaking his head and now filled glass, spilling half the contents on the table and ignoring it. "You're thinking too much. Forget everything before. Just act now."
Yamato picked Ao's glass and placed it within his right hand. He then took his glass, waited for Suigetsu to refill his and made a toast.
"To the future."
"Future." They murmured and Ao joined in drinking the glass, before coughing its lungs up.
"Ha! You need practice." Jūgo snorted.
"Shut it and refill the glass." Ao said threateningly and Yamato instantly refilled the glass and Suigetsu picked up a pack of cards from the middle of the table and started shuffling.
Hinata at last was sitting comfortably in a large armchair. She had a glass od red wine and was about to read when a small pug asked her a question.
"What are you reading, Hinata-Sama?" Pakkun asked.
She went nearly purple. Oh Kami, what do I say? I can't tell him and Akamaru the truth. She took a moment and thought up an answer, smiling.
"A fairy tale." She said.
Smiling, Pakkun grinned at her. It's the same cover as the book Kakashi has and refuses to read aloud to me.. so he's been reading fairy tales then? At least it's not filthy then. He and Akamaru then lay on a thick white rug in front of her, their heads lying on the ground.
"Can you read it out to us please, Hinata-Sama?"Oh Kami! She thought and running out of ideas, read it out aloud from where she had left of before.
"'… Oh my! What big hands you have.' Said the older woman opposite the wolf-like man in front of her as she lay in her bed…'"
Chōjūrō quietly opened Mei's bedroom door to find her sleeping peacefully. He looked at her as she lay in a blue silk pyjamas, the covers having fallen off. Walking in, he put the red rose on her dresser and picking the covers from the floor, placed them gently around her.
She even smiles in her sleep. He watched the beautiful smile on her face and kissing her forehead gently, went to leave.
"Chōjūrō…" She moaned quietly and he turned his face back to hers - she was still asleep.
"I love you, my darling Mei." He whispered back and not wanting to disturb her, picked the rose from the dresser and put it in a small vase he noticed she had on her bedside table the other night, that incredible night…
He then looked at her once more before leaving, closing the door and only then removing the sword from his back, sat outside her room on a chair, his sword in his hand. I will guard your beautiful smile, my beautiful Mei… always.
"I love you too." Mei whispered with one eye open, before closing it again and dreaming of them both together again.
Ao watched the two young men who were now sleeping peacefully upon the table they were sitting at. Yamato and he were now talking and the conversation was starting to get very strange.
"And just what are you going to do to stop me, lab rat?" Ao asked, rather amused at the man's refusal to accept his future plans.
"Everything. If you do this, you'll be both unsuccessful and dead." Yamato started at the middle aged man. He only a few hours ago was crying his heart out and now he was talking of revenge?
"I don't think so." Ao said smiling. "You all think you can change things with pretty words and empty actions can change the world, don't you? The will of fire is put out here. It is not everyone's way.. She shamed me, Yamato. Tried to break me. No-one can break me…. Not again."
Yamato wondered to bring up that for the last year that Ao had been at the mercy of a doctor who had been drugging him to manipulate him. He decided to wait before bringing that up.
"You're taking your anger out on the wrong person." He commented. "Threatening a young woman is so low…"
"She is not the innocent flower you all seem to think she is." Ao interjected. He felt tired of all the fakeness some of the Leaf ninja had. "I have felt her anger, her cool, nasty streak… " The more he had seen of Hinata, the more similar he realised they were, deep down. "She knows it too. When she first saw me, the air around her was icy and it felt like a tracker had come and found me. She knew freeing the chakra would cause me some degree of pain and she did with happily. It freed that bitch within me and now I am constantly made to relive every moment of pain she had felt. Every night." His voice was tired and strained, but he was adamant in what he wanted.
"Yamato, I demand a way to be able to look in the mirror again and not feel a failure or weak. She took my dignity by what she did and she must face the consequences."
Yamato realised then that no words would reach him. He was deluded and even now it was hard to tell of he was just lying or actually felt what he said. Maybe he was drunk a little but Yamato saw from his disposition he was actually sober. "Then you must ask your Mizukage and her tomorrow, before she is due to leave If you kill her, I'll kill you. You'll be remembered forever in shame and hatred."
So be it. He thought, smiling and drinking another small glass of whiskey.