Oink, oink
"Hm.."
Oink, oink
Shizune patted the small, pink pig in her lap as it rolled around to find a comfortable position. "The recent Miss Nara has been a bit odd…"
Oink, squeal, oink
"Usually, she only eats light foods. But recently, her tastes have become heavier." She hoisted the startled hog up to her eye level. "She's been eating richly-flavored foods a lot these days. Can you believe that, Tonton? The girl who could only ever stomach porridge is requesting lotus leaf-wrapped chicken!"
"Oink, oink, oink!" I'm glad it's not pork!
"It's strange, right?! And before, she seemed to be a bit emotionless. But lately, she's become a lot more talkative and a little silly... I even heard her laughing to herself the other day!"
"Oink?"
"Oh and her movements have seemed to regress a bit as well… When she walks, she's no longer graceful. As soon as I look away, she will even jump around." She set the pig down, much to its relief. "No, no… the biggest difference is Miss Nara's attitude toward Lord Sai…"
Miss Nara used to send so many poems to Lord Sai. To get closer to him, she gathered as much information on him as she could. She even stalked him…
The maid rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Something's not right. Even though Lord Sai is staying in her very own home, Miss Tenten hasn't taken any kind of action." Shizune suddenly let out a sharp gasp, squeezing the exasperated animal in her arms.
"Tonton, I wonder… Could it be because of the boy by his side, Neji?" She placed a hand on her warming cheek, flushed from excitement at her wild thoughts. "No, no, no. I mustn't let my thoughts wander."
Knock, knock
"Shizune? May I come in?"
The maid mentally added another point to her list of the girl's strange behaviors. This is your house, you don't have to ask that…
"Yes, Miss. It's open."
The girl skipped into the room holding a large, blank scroll.
"Where are my past assignments stored?"
Huff, huff
Shizune took one final step to reach the top of the small ladder currently holding her up. All of Tenten's previous homework was stored on the highest shelf of the room's large wooden cabinet.
She sifted through the rolls of paperwork, looking for the right ones. "Here they a- Ack!"
"Is something wrong?" Tenten called from below.
The startled maid was suddenly face to face with the close-eyed, placid smile of Shimura Sai. Why did I put her drawings of Lord Sai here! ! !
Portrait after portrait of the young painter was stacked one on top of the other. There were side profile drawings, front view drawings, and even an imagined retelling of the boy and her young miss as a certain pair of celestial lovers.
Shizune felt her cheeks flare red. Let's just cover these up for now… She shuffled a few of the more innocent scrolls around, trying to angle them in just the right way that the drawings were obscured.
The maid turned back to Tenten with a stiff smile. "Ah.. Shizune will put your homework on the desk, why don't you head there first?"
"Okay…" Tenten eyed the way she scrambled about the shelf before following the woman's instructions. "Shizune, please wait outside. I'll call for you if I need anything."
"Yes, yes!" The maid exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically. She quickly bowed, pig tucked under her arm, and all but bolted out of the room.
Upon hearing the door slide shut, Tenten pumped a determined fist high in the air. "Alright! Time to get to work! ! !"
She scooted her seat in as far as it could go, straightened her posture, and unfurled the first scroll Shizune had placed before her.
I might not be good at calligraphy, but it shouldn't be difficult to copy her handwriting!
Tenten gripped her brush loosely through her index finger and thumb, remembering how her peers at school had done earlier that day. She moved to begin coating the tool. After only a shallow dip in the inkstone, its tip had quickly absorbed the dark fluid.
Then, in short, purposeful strokes, she drew out each line of the first character, occasionally referencing the other scroll to make sure she was closely following the original.
Calm down, I must keep in mind all of the details.
She ignored the sweat racing down her temple and stilled her breathing, trying to achieve maximum concentration. Just think of this as practicing a new technique.
The brush glided up and down, left and right- each stroke smoother and cleaner than the last. One line would lead to another, and then another, until they all danced together like some weaving of ink. She quickened her pace, feeling herself get into the flow of the motions, faster and faster until-
"Done!"
Her brush hit the desk with a small thump as she sat back to examine her hard work. Her mouth twitched with the beginnings of a proud smile. The young girl's eyes ran over the characters she had produced, taking in the rhythm, consistency, and symmetry of each. This is…
"SO UGLY! ! !"
A demoralized groan left her throat as she slammed her head into the table, utterly defeated. However, this violent start seemed to have awakened a dormant memory in the back of her mind.
Right! She shot back up.
Tenten thought back to Madam Nara's words from that morning.
'Usually, your elder brother could have helped you…'
She jumped from her seat and slid the door open so quickly that the maid behind it let out a shrill shriek.
My 'elder brother!' I can ask for my elder brother's help!
"Shizune, let's go find my brother!"
The maids' already exasperated face contorted even further in worry. "But… the young master is in the east wing…"
"Got it!" The former martial artist marched on in the direction.
"Miss, we shouldn't go…" The maid sighed. In the end, Miss Nara still can't give up on Lord Sai…
"Why not?"
"It's just… Lord Sai and the others are there so it might not be suitable to…"
"Don't worry, don't worry," Tenten assured the maid with a wave of her hand. "It's not like I'll go inside. I'll just send a servant in to call Elder Brother. It'll be fine!"
"Ah, how unfortunate. You beat me again." Sai smiled, his face portrayed not a drop of the sorrow from his words. He leaned back from the small gridded board before him. "How did you get so good at this game?"
Shikamaru yawned, fiddling with one of his leftover pieces. "Dunno… I guess since I've been playing it for a long time..." His voice trailed off as he heeded how low the sun seemed to be in the sky. "Uh, to get back to what we were talking about-"
Knock, knock, knock
He was cut off by a short rapping on the door.
"Young Master…"
"Hm?" The Nara boy lazily turned to the bowed servant who had just entered their small room.
"The young miss has come saying she needs your help urgently."
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome woman…" he muttered before rising to his feet and excusing himself from his guests.
He didn't notice the short look exchanged by the pair he had left behind.
"Tenten…" Shikamaru's attention was immediately drawn to the pile of scrolls in his sister's arms. "Are you asking me to do your homework for you again?"
"What! No, I just need some help with this part…"
His expression remained blank. "Yeah, right. How many times have I written them for you?" He took a scroll from the pile and began examining its contents.
Ugh… The original Miss Nara is making me look like a freeloader… Tenten grumbled inwardly. ...Oh well. As long as he's offering!
"Where do I begin this time?"
She gave him a timid smile. "...From the sixth verse to the twelfth, everything must be copied."
He tiredly exhaled. Their mother's shrill nagging from the first (and last) time he had refused his sister's request for help rang through his mind. He felt a migraine coming in. "What a pain… Well then you get back to your room. I'll have the servants deliver it to you before school tomorrow. Right now I have matters to discuss with our guests."
Before she could reply, a servant entered the small garden they occupied.
"Young Master, Lord Sai had asked his servant to tell you that it is quite late now. As for the martial arts meet, there is no need to rush. You can talk about it tomorrow."
Tenten swore she felt her heart stop.
What did he just say?
The beating that seemed to have ceased just a moment ago was suddenly back and faster than ever.
Martial arts meet?!
