Update 23.02.2023: There are additions, of course. I would say most changed could be find in the last part.
Chapter 5: 'You won't be forgotten'
He read the instructions for attending the rituals one more time. Of course, he had memorised them after the first time he saw them, but still, he wanted to be absolutely sure. There was no doubt he would follow every written step. What he needed was for the others to see him doing it — reading it over. He was aware his brain worked differently and, to people who didn't know him well, it was incomprehensible.
Tomorrow they were going to reach Suna and hold the very first ritual for this event, so after they finished with dinner and decided on the ones who would take the night shifts, the time for planning came. Shikamaru gathered the shinobi and the kunoichis around the fire and started to explain what they were supposed to do when they arrived in the village.
"According to the instructions in the scrolls, we are to divide into two groups with different functions. The first one's purpose is to illustrate the losses each of us endured during the war — this group will be going around the altar in slow circles. The altar should be prepared by the village itself. The second group will be bringing offerings." He rubbed his temples and mumbled, "Why should everything be so troublesome?"
Temari's lips formed a slight smile. Yes, everything was troublesome for him, including her. He had said it more than once.
He lifted his head and explained the details so he could be sure nothing would be missed. He was going to repeat everything tomorrow, of course. It was up to him to ensure the smooth running of the official part, and he intended to do his job flawlessly — at least whatever was up to him.
"We have seven kunoichis in our group." His eyes travelled around and found each of them as if he were counting. "Each of you will be 'escorted' during the ritual by one of us, the males. We will be using the marked sticks again to avoid an eventual disagreement. The formed pairs will be walking in slow circles around the altar, as we already stated, keeping complete silence. That, also, had been underlined with a thick black line in each scroll." Shikamaru looked at the scroll for a few seconds. "I am sorry to add that the pairs should be holding hands.
"Again, according to the scroll, this is to emphasise the fact that many of us have lost family members, and some have lost loved ones," he said in the most even voice he could muster. The shinobi started to shift uncomfortably in their spots. "I recognise that such behaviour is unusual and... uncomfortable for many of us."
Shikamaru paused for a moment as he watched his surrounding comrades carefully. Once he saw signs of acceptance on their faces, he spoke again. "The five of us left out of pairs will have to place offerings down on the altar. They include bandanas with each of the hidden village's signs, flowers, food, sake, incense, and ritual kunai," he recited, his lips forming a straight line for a brief moment. "We will use the marked sticks yet again, so there will be no unnecessary tension or disagreements."
Temari let another slight smile blossom on her face; Shikamaru hated inconveniences. He was doing everything in his power to avoid uncomfortable circumstances.
"Tomorrow, before we enter Sunagakure, we should prepare — dress in ritual clothing and place the masks on our faces. There are a few other details concerning the clothing and required behaviour, though we will go through them while the preparations are underway. When the ritual ends, we are requested to leave still in complete silence, and not take off our masks. Later on, we will have to put on"— he looked at the scroll yet again as if he weren't entirely sure of the instructions, even though he was —"formal wear and participate in an official dinner. The next morning we should leave for Iwagakure. It is stressed that we should not wear the ritual clothing when we leave the village borders." He sighed and glanced at their faces. "This is it, for the most part. Is there anything left unclear?"
"Does that mean we, the kunoichis, do not have the right to bring offerings at all?" Ameno asked quietly.
"I don't see this as a case of 'having or not having a right,' but in this case it is determined by the men-to-women ratio in our group. If the number of women was eleven and the number of men was eight, the pairs would have been seven again. Though the second group that takes responsibility for the offerings would include just one man." He answered slowly, and Ameno nodded.
"So, in short," Kankuro interjected, "we put on the ritual wear and masks before we enter the village. Then we go in, keeping the same order we started in, of course in complete silence. We do what the marked sticks have told us to do, and then we leave, yet again keeping silent. After, we dress formally, attend the official dinner, and depart for Iwagakure in the morning. Is that so?"
"It sounds a lot simpler when you summarise it like that," Amai said under his breath.
"Well, that's the basics," Shikamaru confirmed. "The rest are details and specifications."
"But the devil is in the details, no?" Shee murmured and crossed his arms over his chest. His voice was slightly tense, though his face remained calm.
"That's correct." Shikamaru turned to him and gave him the slightest smile.
Ino cleared her throat, attracting some attention. "Maybe this isn't so important... But no one actually told us about those official dinners and formal wear." She looked at Lee and Tenten. "I didn't prepare such a thing for myself."
A wave of little "me toos" flooded the whole group. Shikamaru sighed, his formal attire at best consisted of Konoha's shinobi uniform.
"Ok, hold on…" He raised his hands to calm the group, and when everybody was silent, he spoke once again, turning towards Temari and Kankuro: "As these are the kages' requirements, do you think we can ask Gaara for assistance for this little problem?"
The siblings looked at each other for a few seconds as they were in a speechless conversation. He nodded, and she turned towards Shikamaru, saying, "I will speak with Gaara. I'm sure that he will provide us with the formal clothing we need." She hesitated for a moment. "In this regard, isn't it more reasonable to hurry forward and speak with him before your arrival?" she asked.
"We are moving together." Shikamaru rejected the suggestion, shrugging. "It's even written down in the scrolls to stay together."
"There is a patrol half a day from here," Kankuro said thoughtfully. "We can ask them for assistance. I know where their post is."
"This is a good idea," Temari agreed, slightly frowning. She had already thought of this option, but the possibility to get back earlier, to take a bath, to see Gaara, and to be far away from Shikamaru's intense gaze sounded nice. However, obviously, that wasn't going to happen.
Ruka surprisingly raised her hand, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. When Shikamaru nodded encouragingly at her, she still stumbled, then said quietly, "When we actually pull the marked sticks, there is no guarantee each of us will be paired with one of you." She smiled shyly but forced herself to continue: "Ino and I could get the same marks, for example. Does that mean we will be walking together?"
The shinobi looked at her in confusion, then all their eyes turned to Shikamaru. He sighed quietly and nodded at her to show he understood her question.
"Alright, I really wanted to explain this tomorrow while we prepare for the ritual. We may do it now, though." Shikamaru glanced at Ruka before he said, "The marked sticks for the following purpose carry the numbers from one to seven. You all will get a number, and there will be no repetitions. Also, the number will determine your spot in line when you walk to the altar." He deliberately spoke slowly, pausing for a few seconds after each sentence. "The other half of the numbered sticks will be put together with the rest of the marked sticks, indicating the shinobi who will be taking care of the offerings. When the second round of sticks are pulled out, the respective males will take their places beside you, kunoichis." Ruka nodded sharply while holding her hands constrainedly in front of her body. "One more thing. We should suppress our chakras even before we get to the marked sticks."
"Why?" Sagan asked.
"To not be recognised by the local shinobi during the ritual." Kankuro answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"And how would they know it's us and not someone that pretends to be us?" he asked even quieter.
"There will be guards that will check our identities before we start to prepare, for safety reasons," Shee elaborated and turned to Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow. "Is my guess correct?"
"Yes," Shikamaru confirmed.
The fire was quite big this evening; the purpose was not only to throw some light but to spread some warmth as well. The desert nights were windy and strikingly cold. The shinobi were going to sleep out in the open with no cover from trees to shelter them from wind or rain. It wasn't like the rain was something common in the desert... In theory, they could have supplied an earth wall to protect themselves from the wind, though the visibility was going to be highly impaired, and that was dangerous.
Ino had snuggled in with Tenten, while Lee and Chouji were warming them on both of their flanks. They were longtime teammates, and these types of circumstances often arose. Tenten's arms were already frigid even though she had covered herself well with the blanket and was freely using the warmth of her teammate's radiating body heat. It was just not enough to feel cosy...
Temari laid next to her brother and Ameno. The Suna shinobi were also laying down with their bodies touching, seemingly unconcerned about whether or not it was appropriate. They lived here, in these desert lands. They were well aware that staying warm was more important than worrying about someone being inappropriate.
With some similarity, the rest of the shinobi were laying down close, though they kept some distance between each other.
Shikamaru and Ittetsu had the first night shift, and at the moment they were sitting close to the fire, facing away from each other so they could cover a larger perimeter.
Soon after it became quiet and most of the shinobi had fallen asleep, Karui got up. Wrapped tightly in her blanket, she tried to get as close to the fire's warmth as possible. She was especially thin, with no extra fat, so the cold was something she was struggling to beat when she wasn't in motion, generating body heat on her own.
Ino heard the quiet steps and cracked an eye open. She wasn't worried because there were guards; she was just curious. As she noticed Karui, she sat up.
"Karui," she said quietly, drawing her gaze in.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking around for a suitable spot near the fire.
It didn't take much for Ino to realise why Karui was roaming around the place.
"Karui," Ino insisted. When the other woman turned, Ino stretched out her hand in an inviting gesture.
She was hesitant for a moment, turning away to look at her teammates, who were already soundly sleeping at least a foot away from each other. Then she gazed back at Ino and received an encouraging smile. Karui sighed and surrendered; she was cold and she wanted some warmth. While she approached, Ino nudged Chouji in the ribs. The man hummed unhappily and opened an eye to see what was going on. He was perceptive enough, so when he spotted Karui mere feet away, he moved away just a bit so there was a space between him and Ino. Karui laid down stiffly at first. Ino closed her eyes and snuggled with Tenten, seemingly calm and confident. Karui felt her skin prickle from the cold, and she couldn't stop the shiver that shook her body. Chouji moved slightly closer, offering protection from the wind and pure warmth radiating from his big body — it was indeed very pleasant. She thought with some mockery that having extra fat may have its benefits on certain occasions after all. Anyway, she was grateful right now... While she was drifting away, she unwillingly pressed her back against the man beside her, seeking the valuable heat. Chouji's eyes flinched open, and he blushed. He didn't dare to move...
Ino sighed, snuggling and hugging Tenten in her sleep-like state. The second shift had been assigned to her, and technically, she didn't have much time left for proper sleep. Because of the unusual circumstances, she was unable to fully relax and fell deeply asleep. It had been some time since her last big mission. After the war, she took her father's place and her work remained within the village borders for the last year. When the time for her shift approached, she didn't have any issues sensing Shikamaru's gaze. Opening her eyes, she sat up carefully. She got up slowly and headed to him.
The moment one of Karui's sides turned cold with the absence of Ino, she unwillingly snuggled even more within Chouji's body, never even getting close to waking up. Her instincts were sharp and she would jump directly into battle, but she never felt any danger. Plus, she knew the guards would wake them immediately if needed.
"You've got about half an hour more," Shikamaru mumbled quietly, but she shook her head and sat down, tightly pressing her side against his as she did so. She rested her head on his shoulder. He grunted unhappily but made no effort to push her away. No matter how quiet his protest had been, it had made a pair of teal eyes open and look in his direction — that was the only clue available that Temari had awakened.
Ino and Shikamaru were silent for a couple of minutes. He was thoughtfully rubbing the outside of his right pointer with the left one. She let out a quiet sigh.
"Relax. There's no reason to be fidgeting." He clasped his hands together, cutting out the subconscious motion.
"I am not so sure." His eyes drifted away in the distance while he laid his elbows loosely over his knees.
"What worries you?" Ino asked, and he returned his gaze to her. She was frequently perceived as foppish or even superficial, but Shikamaru knew her better — she was actually rather intelligent, emotional, compassionate, and intuitive.
Temari had already closed her eyes and never saw the slight tilt of his chin in her direction.
Ino placed her hand under his arm and looked at the woman's sleeping form for a brief moment, then her eyes moved to look into the eyes of one of her dearest friends; he returned her look.
"How do you make the deer come to you?" She asked abruptly, a beautiful smile on her lips. "You sit down calmly, giving out your hand; when the deer is ready, it comes to you."
He chuckled and closed his eyes for a few seconds.
"The deer are curious creatures," he admitted.
Ino turned her head so her chin rested on his shoulder. Her face was serious, and her eyes glowed softly with concern.
"So are we," she said, kissing his cheek lightly. "Wake Kurotsuchi up and go to sleep," she kindly ordered, giving him a shoulder push. "I think Karui can use some more body heat." She smiled.
Shikamaru's lips pressed into a line for a brief moment at Ino's suggestion. He didn't like to be touched even by familiar people, and to cuddle with someone he didn't know wasn't anything he wished for. He rose to his feet while assessing the best route to reach Kurotsuchi. His look wandered until it settled on his leaf teammates. Surprise crept over his features as he turned back to Ino: "Are you sure that's a good idea? He may not feel comfortable."
Ino turned her head to take a look, then she just shrugged. "She was cold, and you know there is no better heater than Chouji in every aspect of the word. Also," she leaned forward conspiratorially, "it is about time for him to start communicating with females apart from me."
Shikamaru pressed his lips together disapprovingly and headed to Kurotsuchi, who was sound asleep near Ittan. He lightly touched her shoulder; her eyes opened immediately, and her body tensed, ready to bring her into defence.
"It is time for your shift," he whispered, pulling back.
Kurotsuchi blinked at him and nodded. She smoothly got up on her feet and went straight to the fire to take over instead of Sagan.
Shikamaru waved at Ino and headed to where his other teammates were piled up. He seated himself between Tenten and Karui, carefully lying down. Soon after, he let himself be carried away by sleep.
As Kankuro predicted, they found the patrol and successfully sent a message to Gaara concerning the formal wear none of them possessed.
The evening was quite ahead of them when they approached the village, though there was still about an hour until sunset. They stopped and patiently waited for their identity to be confirmed, then they were allowed to start preparing.
Every village's team leader took out the ritual clothing from their respective scrolls. The shinobi picked them up and looked around uncomfortably — they were in the desert, there was no shelter, and they had to completely undress in front of each other. If there was any urgency, their nakedness would not be a problem, but that was not the case, and in these conditions, it seemed utterly disrespectful. Kurotsuchi and Ittan exchanged glances, silently agreeing on something with a nod. They stood back to back and smoothly did a few particular signs with their hands, then their palms hit the sand — a few earth walls rose from the ground.
Karui raised an eyebrow and scoffed: "That one would have been quite useful last night... At least there wouldn't be any wind."
Omoi interjected, looking as bored as ever: "But there wouldn't have been any visibility either, exposing us to potential danger."
"No more than a common wooden shelter." She disagreed.
He looked at her and kept silent for a bit while moving his lollipop into his other cheek. She knew he was running through strange, tragic scenarios in his head, and she was relieved he didn't spill them out loud as usual. Samui's warning obviously worked miracles...
"You may be right," he started slowly, "but the wooden shelter has windows, which an earth wall doesn't."
Karui's face frowned with annoyance and she let out a huff as she turned to the other side. She wouldn't admit it, of course, but there was some sense in her teammate's words, and that kind of upset her. Omoi was a smart guy in general, especially if he held his negativity at bay, as he did now.
The walls ensured sufficient privacy, so the shinobi started to change into their ritual wear. The clothing picked out for the kunoichis were simple A-shaped white dresses, reaching down to their ankles. The sleeves were also long, simple, and tight. The necklines were shallow and didn't reveal much. The sign of the United Shinobi Army was engraved on a soft white belt which each kunoichi tied on at their waist.
The clothing for all the males included cotton black pants and regular long-sleeved black tops. The only difference from their usual uniform was that it didn't cover their necks. The United Shinobi Army sign could be easily seen attached to the right sleeve, almost on the shoulder.
The next requirement in the list was their hair; it was meant to be gathered well enough as to not stick out from under the earth-coloured wig. Their masks were nested into place, and they looked at each other as if they were looking in a demented mirror; visible shivers rippled down the spine of some of the shinobi. Shaking hands ran over the entails of their attire cautiously; sharp intakes of breath could be heard accompanied by strangled sobs. They weren't expecting to be so immensely hard to look like the same person, for their identity to be so lost. It felt painful in so many indescribable ways.
The kunoichis pulled out their numbered sticks and silently — like in a trance — lined themselves up in a column accordingly. Soon after, one shinobi in black stood beside each of them. They nodded to each other and walked down towards the village barefoot on the sand — ghosts and shadows from the past, coming to remind people of the fear and grief the war brought, and then take everyone with them into the grey afterlife.
Tenten bit her lip and took a slow, deep breath. Their steps were light and quiet, but the barely audible crunch of the sand echoed in her head like the ring of a giant bell, causing her body to shake with every step. Her very soul winced in pain as memories entered uninvited into her mind. Flashing images of fallen comrades and piles of corpses forced her to shake her head, trying mechanically to get them out. The man walking next to her turned his mask as if he were asking her, "Are you alright?" Tenten nodded curtly, reassuringly.
When they reached the gate, each shinobi searched for the hand of the person beside them, and then they entered the village. Almost immediately, a quick look around showed a lot of people were out on the streets, standing on both sides of the main road. Gaara himself was waiting for the shinobi group to reach him and greeted them with a bow when they stood in front of him. Then, without a word, he turned around and led them forward.
Temari was first in the column, though no one else could tell for sure. She didn't know whose hand she was holding, but she was trying not to think about it because, frankly, it wasn't important. However, her curiosity picked up on the fact that the man was relatively short, which meant he was most probably one of the younger group members.
Ino was well aware she was walking beside Shikamaru — he would always pull away from her friendly hand-holding; she had still succeeded in holding his hand a few times, which was enough for her to recognise his grip.
Tenten's hand was resting comfortably in a massive palm. She was certain it was Chouji's hand; he was the largest of them all, and for some reason she felt calm around him. He would always look at her with genuine compassion, never with pity. His eyes were always warm. Despite occupying a significant amount of physical space, his presence was manageable; it was not... intrusive.
Ruka's small hand was placed in the palm of a large, calloused hand. She couldn't really guess who was walking beside her, not that it mattered. Her thumb, completely out of habit and without really asking her brain for permission, slid over the top of the hand, discovering a rough scar in the process. She was a medic, and finding wounds — even really old ones — was something like second nature. Her thumb's pad slowly started to examine the damaged skin's surface while she inwardly focused on its size, shape, and texture. The man's hand suddenly tensed and squeezed hers tightly, snapping her out of her trance-like state. It was clear that whoever the shinobi was, he wanted her to stop what she was doing immediately. Only then she realised that her actions might be taken as highly inappropriate and blushed hard under the mask, happy that no one could see her. Her heart hammered inside her chest and she felt hot all of a sudden. Her hand started to tremble and Ruka invested all of her residue of calmness to stop the involuntary motion. She gently squeezed back, apologising silently and promising that this would not happen again. His hand relaxed and wrapped comfortably around hers.
Kurotsuchi walked forward, feeling completely calm with her hand in someone else's. She had decided that playing around was highly improper for the occasion, so no matter who was beside her, she didn't give him any reason to feel uncomfortable.
Karui recognised Omoi's dark skin right away and pinched him. He returned the gesture right away, but before things got out of control, Ameno, who was standing behind them, placed her hands over theirs. They stopped right away.
Ameno stepped back and let the male shinobi, dressed in black, take her hand; he nodded.
Their figures smoothly moved toward the altar. When the shinobi walked by, everyone quieted down. Something heavy filled the air, something that couldn't be touched or seen. Nonetheless, it was there, hanging like a black cloud, even though the sky was clear as a tear.
Gaara led the group to the other end of the village and started to climb up the carved stone stairs; they followed. At the top of the stairs, the Kazekage moved aside and gestured for them to go ahead. Temari and her companion continued forward until they reached a grey stone plate — the altar. She rounded it and led the column in a broad circle. Her steps were slow, and the confidence she usually radiated was gone. The movements were careful and soft, lacking firmness. The five shinobi, carrying offerings, approached the memorial one by one, bowed low, and placed whatever they'd brought.
Tenten looked at the inscription over the stone, which said: "To all of our fallen comrades, friends, and family: you will not be forgotten." In the very next moment, the air was not enough to fill her lungs. Her breathing laboured, and she started to desperately count her inhales and exhales, hoping she would be able to stabilise the oxygen flow. She absolutely couldn't let herself faint right now. Her hands went cold and started to sweat. Then the trembling came… Chouji's hand squeezed hers as if he were trying to remind her that she was not alone, as if he were telling her that he was there and he wouldn't leave her on her own.
When the last offering took place near the altar, everyone turned to face it, although Tenten's eyes dropped to the ground. Chouji went a bit ahead, grabbing Ino's hand. Tenten's left hand was grabbed by someone, who squeezed tightly when he felt her condition. She sensed a slight warmth flooding her hand via her palm — there was a subtle blue light radiating from the man's hand. Her entire arm warmed, and that soothed her. She could finally take a breath again. Tenten needed to remind herself that there were people she could count on. Her hands were held by familiar and unfamiliar shinobi, both aiming to help her.
Her gaze was finally drawn to the grey stone, and she raised it up. In her head, she saw Neji's soft smile and the tender flame of his pale eyes, just the way they looked while he confessed his feelings to her. She realised he wasn't scared of dying... He was scared he would die without saying anything to her. Tenten sighed and closed her eyes.
She turned her attention to their surroundings — it was so quiet — even the wind was at rest. The hands on both her sides slightly tugged down at her and she opened her eyes again… and bowed low.
Gaara had tried not only to ensure formal attire but also people who could consult the shinobi about it. The male part of the group entered a small hall in the Kazakage's home, where they were consulted about their wardrobe. All of them turned out to wear a variety of foreign suits, though their trousers differed from black, being mainly shades of blue, grey, and beige. Their clothes were well picked, so their body shapes were on modest display. The shirts were in light colours; it was a common thing that all shinobi declined the classically foreign shirt that needed a tie.
Ino was at a loss for words when they entered a big room with hangers all along the walls, all of them filled with dresses. Gaara had ensured a great choice of foreign fashion along with the classic local wear. When Kurotsuchi saw the variety of selections, she regretfully stated that in Iwagakure her grandfather would insist on kimonos.
The women stood near the door until Ino felt bold enough to step forward and start to browse through the dresses. Ameno followed her with a smile. Temari shrugged and went straight to the elegant woman who was just getting in from the terrace. Tenten and Karui chose to sit down on a softly covered bench, while Ruka remained near the door, squeezing her hands with constraint in front of her thighs.
Kurotsuchi hastily glanced at the hangers and confidently picked out a long carmine bare-backed dress with thin straps.
"I am ready to go." She grinned and started to undress in order to get dressed. She chose not only the right shape and size dress for her body type, but also the correct shade of red for her skin tone, as it turned out. She refused any attempts to have her hair changed, but she asked for help picking shoes. Kurotsuchi disagreed with the consultant's suggestion that she get an accessory — a purse — because, due to her insistent stance, she was a shinobi and needed her hands free.
Ino also handled the task quickly — she got a light blue dress with moderate length, a covered back, and a rather modest neckline. She tied up her hair and picked out shoes on her own. Then, together with the consultant, she tried to pick something out for Tenten and Karui, who stubbornly continued to sit on the bench with a cup of tea each. They seemed as though they didn't want to have anything to do with all of this.
Ameno chose a modest cream dress for herself and turned to Ruka with a smile, suggesting she try out a relatively short light green dress.
"You are short, so it would look better if your dress was above the knee... as long as you feel comfortable in it," Ameno said quietly as she handed over the dress.
"I really have no idea if I am going to feel comfortable. I have never actually worn something like that," she explained.
"Well then, this would be something new for you. Try it on, walk around, and you will just feel if you are ok with it for the evening."
Ruka nodded and followed the other woman's advice.
Ino had already picked out an A-shaped peach-coloured dress for Tenten, its length reaching about the middle of her calves. The upper part hugged the body tightly, and the neckline boldly descended almost to the bottom of the sternum. That was definitely not a problem for Tenten — her breasts were small, and the dress did not show anything that would make her feel uncomfortable. In the end, she just thanked Ino and refused to try anything else. She put the dress on and didn't even peek in the mirror — she didn't care how she looked.
Ino turned her full attention to Karui after that, advising her to choose yellow — that colour made her amber eyes look magically pretty. She was like an apparition from another world.
The kunoichis prepared themselves quicker than expected and headed to the hall where the official dinner was going to be held. They talked with each other, keeping their voices down. The kunoichis seemed tense, unused to such formal events, excluding Temari and Kurotsuchi. The two women were part of their respective villages' kage families and were used to these types of events. They smoothly blended with the whole environment, like ornaments that knew their rightful spots.
Temari didn't overdo it with her attire — she was dressed in a simple black dress, but it showed her curves perfectly and delicately emphasised her femininity. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun on the nape with a single, simple decoration on the side. She clearly knew where the line between minimalism and excess was, and she was clinging to the minimalism side.
A man appeared from one small corridor on the right; he was tall, and his shoulders were broad, beautifully contrasting with his narrow hips. His face was handsome, with high cheekbones, a wide jaw, a satisfactorily pronounced chin, and eye-pleasing lips. His hair was nicely dishevelled and had the colour of bark. He was walking with his hands in his pockets and shamelessly whistled when his eyes focused on Temari. Most of the women frowned, but she halted with a smile gracing her painted pink lips. She didn't appear annoyed or blush in the least.
"Temari, you look dazzling tonight," he said, placing a hand above his heart.
Ino added narrowed eyes to her even deeper frown; his voice was familiar, but she could swear she had never seen him before.
"Thank you! You're not too bad yourself," she replied, reaching out to button up the third button of his shirt. Then she slid her hands over his shoulders, clearly not for sensual reasons — her intention was to smooth the cloth. "No more than two," Temari ordered.
He frowned in annoyance but sighed in resignation shortly after. "So be it," he agreed and offered his arm. Temari accepted it without a sign of hesitation.
Before they continued down the corridors, he turned to the other women and smiled charmingly, saying, "Girls, you look wonderful as well." Then he bowed.
Temari playfully hit his shoulder with her fist, turned him ahead, and walked in the correct direction.
"Who should that be, I wonder?" Ino mumbled. Her heart had paced up, now hammering in her rib cage, and her stomach was clenching in an unpleasant ball. If that man meant something... important to Temari, Shikamaru was going to be devastated.
"It doesn't really matter." Tenten shrugged. "Whoever he is, he is obviously close to Temari, which means he most likely lives in Suna." She gave Ino a glare. "That means you're unlikely to see him after tonight."
Ameno chuckled behind them, and they both turned their heads to look at her. She replied to them with a smile, looking amused.
"Do you know who that is?" Ino asked, her curiosity fully awake. She was worried and slowly sank into the swamp of the unknown, doubtful thoughts, and groundless fears. Ameno appeared like a lifeline when she nodded. "Is he her... boyfriend?" The blond probed and got a negative response as the other woman shook her head. "Fiance?" Ameno laughed out loud but didn't actually say 'no'.
"Why are you so determined to discover who he is, Ino?" Tenten asked and halted for a brief moment, letting Ameno and Ruka go ahead. Her lips were pressed together in a straight line. "It is not like you don't have a boyfriend back home."
"No, it's not that. There's something... suspicious about him." She was genuine.
Tenten shrugged and walked towards the hall. Ino followed, tormenting herself inwardly, until they closed to the hall's doors. Temari was leading the group. Since she and her companion had reached the doors, she let go of the man's arm and nodded. Lifting on her tiptoes, she placed a tender, peck-like kiss on the man's cheek and went inside. He remained standing at the hall's entrance, greeting each woman passing by him with a nod. The man patiently pointed over to where they should go. In the end, only Ameno, Ino, and Tenten were left outside in the hallway. When the sand kunoichi stopped in front of him, she bowed with a smile.
"Kankuro-sama," she said as she bowed.
"Ameno," he replied, returning the bow.
Ino barely held herself from screaming out loud in surprise and relief. She admitted to herself that she had tried to imagine Kankuro looking normal — meaning without his specific clothes, hood, and face paint. It was kind of possible to perceive his body shape because she had seen him in a standard uniform during the war like everyone else, and it wasn't so baggy. The problem was the face. The ever-changing purple lines emphasised a different trait, so it was hard to imagine his actual face. She already had an image — it just wasn't the correct one. Anyway, the man standing in front of her greatly exceeded her imagination. She stiffly nodded at him and followed Ameno to their tables.
Tenten was last, and after Kankuro nodded as a greeting to her, he offered his elbow in a silent invitation. She smiled with a silent huff, but accepted. The leaf kunoichi was also stunned by his appearance, though she never let on — she knew her face was calm all the time. This was the first time she realised he shared common facial traces with both Gaara and Temari. Truth be told, she never thought about him or cared how he looked, for that matter.
He chuckled quietly.
"What?" she asked, glancing at him.
"You look much better in a dress than you do in Konoha's uniform," he replied, being a real reincarnation of politeness itself.
"Hm..." she laughed. A playful note sneaked into her voice when she started talking, so quietly that only he could hear. "I really would love to tell you the same."
His eyebrow curled up as he shot her a glance. "But?"
"But you have never worn Konoha's uniform," she finished.
He snorted. "The very truth…"
"Honestly, Kankuro, you look much better with the paint all over your face." She sounded as if she were sharing a secret with him; her tone was deliberately serious.
Kankuro laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, thank you," he mumbled, the wide smile still on his lips. "I didn't realise there are women who would like me to be uglier."
Tenten shrugged. "You are more than welcome."
Kankuro burst into laughter, gathering a lot of curious glances on the way to their tables.
When the kunoichis came closer to the two tables, where all of the shinobi from the ritual were, Ittan got up and bowed in a sign of deep respect. The rest of the men looked at each other and silently followed his example. Kurotsuchi's proud expression radiated around her like a giant halo — that was her teammate. His actions were very resourceful.
The chairs for the two tables were ten each, and every one of them had a small name-note on it. The women started to search for their names, reading the notes of every vacant one.
Tenten ended up at a table with Temari, Ruka, and Karui. Kankuro had accompanied her to her place between Chouji and Amai. She was taken aback when Kankuro pulled her chair out for her with a wide smile, then he saw himself off discreetly. Tenten looked around at the people who would be her company for the evening, which included Shikamaru, to her delight, and Gaara, to her surprise.
The dinner began peacefully with mainly noncommittal conversations. Tenten quickly found out that Amai was very pleasant company. He was kind, and most importantly, he knew really well when to stop talking and give her some time. She decided she liked him.
Laughter could be heard from the nearby table, and her curiosity made her turn. Lee was laughing out loud, Ino was giggling uncontrollably, and Ameno was hiding her face in her hands as her shoulders shook. Kankuro was sitting next to her and patted her back, probably asking her if she were alright. He said something more, which Tenten couldn't hear because the table wasn't close enough. But whatever it was, it seemed really funny because a new wave of laughter started to spread. She turned back to face her own table with a frown. Her gaze fell on Gaara; he was watching his brother with an expression she could determine as 'amused.'
Karui also looked at the next table with a curious expression.
"I wonder what they're talking about," she pondered aloud. She had already halved a glass of wine, and her mood was up to scratch. In short, she was a bit too merry.
"If my experience is correct, he's telling jokes on our behalf," Temari mumbled, rolling her eyes.
Chouji picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and looked at it thoughtfully, as if he were assessing it. Karui leaned back in her chair and also looked at the piece, wondering what was interesting about it.
"Is something wrong with it?" she asked, making Chouji flinch as if he were pulled out of deep thought.
"No, nothing's wrong," he replied, giving her a distracted smile.
"Then why are you looking at it as if it is guilty of something?" It was the wine's fault — it was making her chatty and curious.
"I would've added some horseradish to the sauce." He shrugged. "It is tasty indeed, but if you add some horseradish to it, it will gain a subtly spicy note, which will change the course completely," he explained while looking at her.
Karui's eyebrows shot up. "Horseradish?" She asked, breathing out.
"Yeah." He confirmed and put the little piece in his mouth.
"And you know that because?" She leaned in closer to him, her amber eyes flickering with playful flames.
Chouji stopped chewing and looked at Shikamaru for help. He didn't want to speak with a full mouth. It was rude and extremely unpleasant, as the possibility of spitting on someone was real.
"He cooks," Shikamaru elaborated, and that made Karui shift her gaze back to Chouji.
The smile didn't fall from her lips. "We all do," she said.
"He doesn't cook the same way we do." Shikamaru shook his head. "He loves it, it's his hobby. He knows very well the spices and the proportions, and he can prepare deliciously complicated dishes."
Karui took a sip from her wine while her amber eyes didn't drop from Chouji's flushed face. She placed her elbow on the table, resting her head on her hand.
"Can you prepare fish?" she inquired after a brief pause.
Chouji's face twisted in desperate embarrassment, and he swallowed. "What kind of fi—" He was about to ask what kind of fish she was talking about when something unexpected happened: one of the side doors opened. For a brief moment, the conversations came to a halt. From the entrance emerged a group of women, dressed in traditional kimonos holding stage fans. Their faces were painted white, their lips red, and a distinctive black line was applied around their eyes. Their hair was tied up in a traditional way as well.
The women flooded the centre of the room, and all of the other guests went back to their places. One of the dancers headed straight to the table where Gaara was seated. She stopped a few feet away and bowed respectfully. The Kazekage got up and bowed in reply. She turned to Temari and bowed to her as well, just before speaking:
"Temari-sama, please join us for this dance."
Temari looked at her brother, hoping to see if he had any idea what was going to happen. All she got was an almost invisible shrug. She directed her teal eyes toward the dancer, placing a polite smile on her lips.
"I don't think it is a good idea," she admitted.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. A person who knew him well would see with no difficulty that he was amused and enjoying the situation. Temari sensed his intense look and the silent challenge he imposed on her. She was not a person to back down... She couldn't in these circumstances — the dancers had invited her to dance with them, and that was a great honour.
"Alright," Temari said. She took off her shoes before getting up. The dancer offered her a little decorative fan, which Temari accepted with a smile. Right after, she breathed out and walked barefoot to the middle of the hall.
Shikamaru's eyes followed her every movement — she could tell because the little hairs on her nape stood up and a heat wave rose from within her chest.
Temari took the free space that was left for her and waited for the music to play. Her face straightened, and her posture changed, becoming exactly like the other women. Her teal eyes looked down and she fell slowly to her knees, together with the rest.
Soon the dance began, and the guests' attention was completely drawn to the performers. Their movements were soft and smooth, and the halts they did every other second emphasised the movements, making them absolutely pleasing to watch. The women moved like one, and Temari fit in perfectly. She didn't make a single mistake during the whole time, keeping in sync with the others as if she'd trained with them every single day. Her hands followed the fan graciously, and her feet glided smoothly on the floor.
Temari focused on her body, the music, and the other women, deliberately avoiding a certain shinobi's eyes. The problem was that she could sense his gaze, distinguishing him from all the other pairs of eyes looking at her. It was distracting and… disturbing. It made her heart pick up the pace, pumping more blood to her face — she was blushing, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Fortunately, the dance ended in a few minutes, and all the fans were slowly brought down. That was the moment Temari finally relaxed and dared to focus her eyes on the group of shinobi she came with. She received a nod from everyone she looked at until she reached the source of her greatest consternation. Shikamaru caught her gaze, which set off a chain of involuntary reactions: goosebumps covered her skin, her cheeks and even her ears felt hot, and her knees felt weak for a brief moment. As if he felt all of that, he let his lips tug in a small smirk. She pulled herself together, clenching her fists and straightening her back proudly.
Temari headed back to the table after thanking the dancers for the honour. While walking, she glanced at Shikamaru and, she might be wrong, but his face expressed admiration in a single curve of his mouth. Reaching her chair, she sat down to put her shoes back on.
The women exited the hall while the guests cheerfully applauded.
The music became unmistakably foreign. While the shinobi wondered about the unknown melody, Gaara stood up and stretched his arm, inviting his sister for a dance. Temari was tempted to refuse, but she couldn't do that to her little brother. So, hand in hand, they headed towards the dancefloor — him, composed as usual, and her, smiling and radiant as ever. When they reached the middle of the hall, they turned, and Gaara's hand laid on her shoulder blade while the other was lifted to the side. Temari nodded, and their steps aligned into a waltz — this was a classical foreign dance. It was rather rare to see one perform it in the shinobi's lands, though it was taught to the royal family members and some of the other families as well. Temari and Gaara's feet glided with ease in perfect sync and presented a real pleasure to the eyes.
Kankuro sighed and rolled his eyes with emphasis on his boredom. Leaning back and crossing his hands, he let out a huff.
"I couldn't bother myself with this," he murmured, tilting his chin toward his siblings.
Kurotsuchi turned to him and raised her eyebrows in obvious disbelief.
"Me too," Ino added. "I didn't learn as well. Although Shikamaru attempted to teach me... not enthusiastically, of course."
Kankuro snorted. "Of course." Right away, he coughed as if he had just realised what Ino had said. "Wait, Shikamaru can dance?" He laughed.
"His mother forced him to learn to dance years ago." She shrugged. "She'd said he would need it for his position as the future hokage's advisor."
"Ha! His mother guessed that!" Kankuro seemed genuinely intrigued.
"She never had any doubts about it." Ino grinned. "His mother is... the over-possessing type. He used to do whatever she pushed him into." She placed her elbows on the table. "But he has gathered some will to resist her in the last few years."
Kurotsuchi smiled playfully, shooting Shikamaru a glance. "Shikamaru Nara can dance..." She repeated the words slowly. Standing up, she finished her glass of wine in one gulp and walked straight to him.
When she stopped behind Shikamaru's back, she tapped his shoulder and smiled widely as he turned.
"Should we?" Kurotsuchi extended her hand to him.
He glared at her, then his eyes dropped to her hand. Shikamaru shook his head and declined to leave his chair. He didn't feel like dancing at all, especially when his body was still hyped by the sight of Temari dancing graciously.
"You're not going to refuse, are you?" Kurotsuchi teased.
He looked at her narrowed eyes and turned special attention to the mischievous flicker in the depths of her pink eyes. Sighing, he already knew the battle was lost. Shikamaru glanced at Ino for an answer and got an apologetic smile out of her. He grunted, pushing his chair backward, with visible annoyance all over his face as he shot a killer glance at his blond teammate. Kurotsuchi took his hand and headed to the dancefloor, where they smoothly joined the still-dancing siblings. She was Oonoki's granddaughter, and she had learned a lot of dances over time. She knew them well enough to feel comfortable dancing with any partner.
Temari's eyes were drawn to Shikamaru and widened at the sight of his precise movements, done with unsuspected grace.
Gaara smiled at her expression. "You look surprised?" he noted.
"I really am," she admitted.
"He is a hokage's advisor and goes to official events all the time." Gaara tilted his head. "I would be surprised if he can't dance."
Temari mused over her brother's words. He was right, of course. Nara was a clan that was often present at formal events. It was expected that their heads, and not only them, would be able to perform in the common pleasantries like social drinking, common games, and dancing.
She nodded. "It makes sense."
Gaara gave her a small smile, and his eyes drifted to the other couple. He remembered a little remark that Kankuro had made after the last kage meeting. He had said something about Nara being so lazy that he needed an especially pushy woman to exist successfully. The remark seemed to be meant as a joke, but Gaara remembered a serious flicker in his brother's dark eyes. He was still the most socially awkward of all three and wasn't entirely sure if Kankuro had implied something more at the time. His eyes fell on Kurotsuchi's agile figure and her smooth movements. It was no secret to him that she was going to take her grandfather's position once he retired. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to dance with her as well — it was socially accepted, after all.
During one of the spins, Gaara gave a sign to the other man to change partners. Shikamaru complied almost right away with a sense of relief.
When Temari stood before him, she couldn't react properly; actually, she couldn't come up with any reaction. She just went along with what Gaara had decided, letting the leaf shinobi place his hand on her upper back and lead her away on the dancefloor.
Shikamaru looked at her face and discovered that her cheeks had flushed; her beautiful eyes shyly averted aside, which made his heart flutter. And when she gathered the courage to look back at him, his cheeks started to feel hot. The tips of his lips trembled, slightly curling up. Her lips, covered with shiny pink lipstick, pulled up in one of the most amazing smiles he had even seen.
Thank you, girls :))