Chapter 32: Out in Konoha

The grey clouds were hanging low above the ground, preventing the rays of the sun from lighting up the dark scenery. Despite the stormy-looking sky, the air was so still that no leaf was trembling over the branches.

The ID check and preparations for the ritual took place in the early morning. All of the shinobi were quietly walking towards the appointed starting line. There they were going to get into their formation, relishing in the embrace of semi-anonymity. After the last draw was completed, the pieces of paper and the small wooden sticks were burned. The smell of smoke was permeating the air, hanging like a thick curtain around the group.

Seven white figures stood out in a perfect line over the grieving background of the starting day. Seven dark silhouettes, as if they were just faceless shadows, stopped beside each white one. Five more shinobi dressed in black prepared themselves to carry offerings to the memorial plate for what would be the final time.

Ruka's hand was trembling slightly as tears pressed to overflow and roll down her face. It was the last time she was going to do this — be a part of the symbol that the white and black faceless shinobi were.

She couldn't help harbouring a tiny hope that she might, for the last time in her life, hold the hand that made her crack her shy envelope. The sensations, so strong and new, that a single hand could cause in her were the reason she acted. Bravely, she stepped out of her comfort zone and reached out to the person beside her.

That person, whoever he might be, didn't push her away. He had the patience to let her explore him, for which she was infinitely grateful. Although, she longed to receive that feeling of acceptance from another teammate - one who kept refusing to give it to her. "Trust issues" was Shee's justification..

The sense of serenity that came over her when her teammate stopped beside her meant that the man was not who she had been hoping for him to be. The posture, the height, the line of the shoulders... No, it was not him. But it might have been better this way. Closing a chapter of her life without going through turmoil wasn't that bad. Leastwise, she was going to try and convince herself of that.

The man brushed her hand, asking silently for permission to hold it. She gave her consent, taking his hand instead. He turned his covered face towards her and lightly squeezed. Ruka smiled under her mask because she realised who he was: Amai. Suddenly, she relaxed — really relaxed. He was one of the few men in whose company Ruka felt calm and safe.

The signal for starting the ritual had been given, and she straightened up, squaring her shoulders and lifting up her chin. She followed the woman walking in front of her, using the same length of step and the same foot as she did. They moved as one… Just faceless figures, dressed in white and black, under the grey sky. They were the symbols — ghosts from the war — that were carrying across their shoulders both the grief of the past and the hope for a better future.

Ruka dared to take a look at the people standing around the path they were walking. The silence was so deafening that if one didn't look, one might never realise what a huge crowd had gathered. Their faces were like a gallery of emotions, from serenity to sobbing grief to anger. And all of that tension they radiated was so heavy, it felt so crushing that she caught herself flexing her back muscles even further to be able to stand upright.

Amai's hand squeezed again, just so lightly. But it had been just right to show her that she was not alone — a reminder that the whole group was in this together. She cast a grateful look at him through the eye holes of her mask. An almost imperceptible nod indicated that he had understood, and it was enough for Ruka to imagine his comforting smile.

The shinobi followed the Hokage through the snaking path that had been left for their passage. At the back of the line walked a group of local guards, ready to jump and act if they must. And behind them, the crowd closed like a sea wave.

The group reached the graveyard and the monument that was placed there. The surface was white and polished, and had there been any rays of sun, it would have shone.

The rounding circle the shinobi had to perform started smoothly. But when they stopped and faced the monument, Ruka flinched. The sight of so many names listed there, carved into the stone, made her swallow, then again as she tried to blink away her pressing tears. She couldn't — the wet drops rolled down her cheeks. It was hard to fully stifle the slight trembling of her chest as sobs were trying to escape her.

With a deep breath, Ruka succeeded in partially regaining her composure and focusing on the hokage's words. They rolled off his tongue like a tragic melody, expressing the common desire for agreement between the nations and, finally… peace.

Despite the lack of air flow and the heat approaching as the day grew older, the kunoichi felt chills flood her veins. Her body instinctively tensed, trying to save what warmth it could.

In the next moment, a light tingling vibrated in the skin of her left hand. Her attention was drawn to the person causing it — the man on her left. She couldn't fully turn and give him a look; it would be highly disrespectful. But she could focus on the sensation. Truth be told, deep inside of her, she knew to whom this hand belonged. And the mere thought of him touching her, even if strictly obligatory, made her heart hammer in her chest, her blood pumping faster through her body. She sensed his fingers tightening their hold as her hand turned clammy and was about to slide off his. From the corner of her eye, she caught the subtle, soft gleam emitting from his palm. Shee was sending chakra over her nerves to get her to relax, aid her body in handling the stress, and warm her. And it was working — her intercostal muscles finally let her take a deep breath. Ruka was able to refocus her attention on the hokage, who was just finishing his speech.

"Let's bow our heads and honour our brothers and sisters who we will miss until we join them once our time comes," Kakashi said, facing the memorial. He sank down on his knees, setting an example for the other people.

The bow moved like a tender wave, spreading outwards from the shinobi in black and white to the periphery consisting mainly of civilians.

Tears flowed between the bottom rim of the mask and the chin of one of the kunoichi in white. The wet trail ran down her neck and soaked in the front of the dress, forming a growing, watery spot. She stifled a sob, although her shoulders wobbled before she managed to straighten them. The trembling of her arms alarmed both of her teammates who were at her sides. They sensed her threatening-to-shatter state and squeezed her hands firmly. 'You're not alone' was the message they conveyed. The kunoichi's teeth bit on her lower lip, which was curling into a smile of madness.

Neither of the men holding her hands provided her with the calm of a gleaming chakra. Still, she felt an instant urge to hug both of them and thank them for just being there for her.

The kunoichi gripped their hands back in a gesture of gratitude. And because it was forbidden to speak or look around, she lifted her chin forward, filling her lungs with air. She was fully aware they wouldn't be able to read anything on her lips, but Tenten still mouthed, "Thank you."


Once the ritual was done, the whole group changed back into their civilian clothes. They gathered in the lobby of the inn in order to make the scheduled visit to the tailor shop. The quiet buzz from the conversations filled the room, making the air vibrate.

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets with a sigh. A nod at Ino was enough to get her to leap from her spot with a grin.

"Alright!" She happily clapped her hands. "Let's decide on how we will proceed. I suggest we all head towards the market street together. There, we can split into small groups and take turns at the tailor shop. The rest can have tea or simply walk around. How does that sound?"

"Oh, I really want to buy some roasted sweet chestnuts," Temari said. Her voice hinted at longing.

"And I still feel a tad peckish for chocolate," Karui intervened, chancing a glance over at Choji. "Maybe there is a place I can get some on that market street?"

"There is! I'll show you!" Ino looked overly enthusiastic, and for the first time since the mission started, she couldn't take a hint. "Come on!"

Karui looked at Chouji. He only managed to shrug, unable to deal with his childhood friend being temporarily dense. He did the only thing he could think of — he looked at Shikamaru with pleading eyes. The latter rolled his eyes and lifted his hand in a subtle gesture, meaning 'hold on, she will come around.'

"Let's go. Just… Follow the Ino and don't get lost," Shikamaru instructed on his way to take a stand by the door.

He waited for his teammates to get out on the street before turning to the only one that remained in the lobby.

"Now what?" Temari asked.

"Now, we will roll with the plan for the day, including the formal dinner."

"I didn't ask that and you know it. It was about after dinner and tomorrow and the day after that." She smiled knowingly, the challenge ever-present in her eyes.

He couldn't help it — his lips curled up in that specific way he kept for her only. "Well, I plan on taking you on a proper date."

"That sounds... good." She shot him a playful smile. Hooking a hand around his arm, she pulled him outside before their teammates had gained too much distance. "Where are you going to take me?"

He huffed. "Home."

"I thought you didn't want to—"

"Of course I want to," he scolded softly. "But I plan on making you dinner. We can watch a movie together. Maybe cuddle on the sofa?"

She hummed in contentment.

"Then I'll see you off to your inn, and we will sleep in different beds."

"So romantic," she said, the sarcasm dripping into her tone.

"I am the embodiment of romance itself," he firmly stated. The edge of his mouth trembled just so slightly.

Temari laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"Then, I'll get the right moment to ask your brother for permission to have your hand," he added matter-of-factly.

She hummed. "My brother already gave you his blessing."

"Your kazekage brother," Shikamaru clarified.

"Make sure you don't express yourself this way. Gaara is literal. You may have to explain to him why you want only my hand, but not the other parts of me," she teased, squeezing his arm.

He glanced at her, chuckling. "I'm aware talking with him will most probably be a drag."

"Take Kankuro with you to translate. He speaks flawless Gaaran language."

They burst out laughing and sped up to get close to their teammates.


Ino ushered five of the girls to enter the tailor shop, while Lee took over the rest of the group and offered to take them on a tour and tell them about Konoha history. Almost all of them agreed to go, except for the Konoha shinobi and Karui.

Lee waved goodbye to his local comrades and loudly called to gather the group around himself.

"Ok! To the sweets shop," Ino announced. Ponting in the air in an unknown direction. "Let's go."

Shikamaru gripped her elbow. "Hold your horses."

"Why? What's the problem?" She looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You were the one suggesting Chouji take Karui out; now you act dumb about it," he hissed beside her ear.

"Oh." Ino jerked back. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Her face turned red in an instant.

"Ino! Shikamaru! Chouji!"

The voice made Shikamaru shiver before he even managed to turn.

Once he did, though, his lips twisted into a small smile. "Well, hello, mother," he said.

"Good morning, auntie," Ino tagged along, grinning.

"Hello, dear." Yoshino returned the grin. Shikamaru couldn't help but think about how his mother never grinned at him...

Ino's mother Hiki appeared from behind Yoshino's back, carrying a bunch of flowers. She stopped in her tracks, just now noticing her own kid. "Honey!" she exclaimed with a smile. "You are back from your mission? That's just perfect!"

"Hi mom." Ino rushed to hug her mother, ignoring the subtle implication that Hiki would probably ask for her help. "How have you been?"

"Shizune hired Yamanaka flowers to make the table decorations for the dinner event," Hiki confided. "There is a lot to do, and I wouldn't turn down any help, kids." She shot a glance at her daughter, then pierced Shikamaru and Chouji with more insistent looks.

Shikamaru stuck his hands into his pockets. "Sadly, we have also been given some tasks regarding the event. I don't think we will be able to aid you this time, auntie."

Hiki frowned briefly but quickly refocused on the person she didn't know yet. She grinned at Karui, who was standing at the back beside Chouji and observing the scene with moderate curiosity. "Hello there. I'm Ino's mother, Hiki Yamanaka. This is Yoshino Nara, Shikamaru's mother."

"I'm Karui, kunoichi from Kumogakure," she presented herself with a careful smile.

"Oh, are you here for the ritual?"

"Yes." She smiled a bit more. "I came with one of the Kumo groups."

"Ah, I see. Welcome to Konoha, dear," Hiki said, readjusting the flowers in her hands.

"Shikamaru, I haven't seen you in a month," Yoshino started. "It's not a bad idea to come home for a visit. I know you're an adult now, but you're still my child, and I want to catch up with you."

"I will come over, mom. But we still have some work to do today."

She crossed her arms; her loose black hair with slivers of grey moved with her. "You just said you have work regarding the evening. So it looks like you are trying to sneak out." She huffed. "I'm expecting you for lunch." She turned to Ino and Chouji with a much kinder expression. "You kids are also welcome for lunch. Karui, please feel free to join us."

"Auntie, we need to attend to some other comrades, too." Ino tried to excuse them.

"What comrades?" Hiki asked, her curiosity peaking.

"You remember the siblings of the kazekage?" Chouji tagged in.

"Oh, of course!" Yoshino exclaimed. "The boy with the face paint?"

He nodded.

"Very kind and polite boy. And the girl? Temari was it, yes? Isn't she the one you've been working with for a few years?" She turned to her son.

"Yes, mother, Temari. Her brother's name is Kankuro."

"Bring them too, then. I'm sure they will appreciate a homemade meal."

Ino chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Look at that! Is this an engagement ring?" Yoshino asked, her eyes wide, but a grin tugged at her mouth.

"Oh… Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't have the opportunity to tell you," she said, placing both of her palms on her cheeks. Ino turned to her mother, ready to apologise. "But you... don't look surprised at all?"

"Honey... Your father is not with us anymore, so Sai came to me first. I helped him pick the ring." Hiki was glowing.

Ino's eyes welled up with tears, and her lips quivered before she gripped the woman and squeezed her in a tight hug. It was hard to dodge the flowers in Hiki's arms, but she still did it. "Thanks, mom."

"I approve of your choice," she said. Their eyes met, and the older woman leaned in to kiss Ino's forehead. "I think he's good for you."

"I love you," Ino whispered, her words catching in her throat.

Yoshino wiped her own eyes before looking at her son. "Half past twelve. Don't be late," she commanded in a nagging voice.

He sighed. "Okay, okay. Don't be a drag."

Gritting her teeth, she turned to Karui. "And that's the difference between having a son and having a daughter. A daughter will tell you that she loves you, while a son will call you a drag." She took a deep breath, her exasperation evident. Her eyes sparkled when she continued, "I wish you to have a daughter, dear."

Instead of words, Karui offered a helpless smile and a shrug in return to her wish. She hadn't thought so far in the future to have preferences about her eventual child or children's genders. She didn't mind either option. What she wanted first was a boyfriend.


Right beside one of the working tables in the tailor shop, there was a pile of bags. Each one was labelled with a teammate's name. The workers explained that every bag would contain the shinobi's reserved clothes and shoes. So the first group picked up their respective ones and headed to the makeshift fittings rooms.

When Ruka stuck her hand in the bag, she felt a really soft and tender fabric. When she pulled it out, she froze. The blood flooded out of her face; her breath caught in her chest. Her hold simply gave out as if the clothing had scorched her fingers — the item dropped to the floor. She stood unmoving while her pulse accelerated and her breathing shallowed. She stared down at the dull-shaded red dress piled in front of her toes. Out of every colour existing, red would always be her last choice. Always. Red was screaming for attention she didn't want. But, alas, no one had asked her for her preferences and comfort zone; no one had given her a choice.

It would be fine if she had to play a role. Pretend. Be someone else who's bold and seductive. She had been playing such a woman a few times. But Ruka herself wasn't any of that.

She swallowed and lifted up the dress from the floor. It had thick straps that covered only the most prominent part of her shoulders. The neckline looked high, but it still would have left her collarbones on display. It was good that she would keep her very small breasts well hidden under the fabric. The length was moderate, though there was a slit too, maybe somewhere up her mid-right thigh. After a deep breath to suppress her initial panic, Ruka gathered her resolve, deciding she could live with the dress if she tried very hard to imagine it in a different colour.

Starting to relax, she turned the dress around and almost dropped it again. The sight of the missing back struck her hard. The straps that wrapped over her shoulders continued on the back and were the only thing that supposedly held the dress steady on her body.

Ruka squeezed her eyes. The thought of requesting another dress — any dress — passed through her mind. But she realised that there had been someone who spent time cutting out and sewing this dress for her. And if she tossed aside her own personality and preferences, the piece of cloth was really gorgeous. She sighed and started to undress. An open mind was what she needed. It was only one evening, after all.

"Deep green definitely looks good on you," Ameno said, helping Temari adjust the few spaghetti straps on her back.

"Yeah, I like the shade. Actually, I've never tried that particular one. Must say I like it."

Ruka took a few deep breaths before slipping the black high-heeled sandals on. They were at least three inches, but truth be told, that was her smallest problem; it was fine walking on them. She separated the curtains just enough to peer outside. The only thing she saw was Kurotsuchi sitting on a chair with an utterly bored expression on her face. Her golden dress was hiked high to her hip, leaving both of her crossed, toned legs bare.

"Good morning," an unfamiliar voice greeted. "If you are all ready, I would like to start on the adjustments. Here are my colleagues, so we will work with all of you at the same time."

Ruka finally braved sliding the curtain to the side in the most inconspicuous way and stepped out. All pairs of eyes bored into her, causing her face to quickly change into the same colour as her dress.

"Oh, my…" Kurotsuchi grinned so wide that it made Ruka wince. "Now, that's something else."

Temari stood beside the pink-eyed kunoichi, nodding. "I absolutely agree."

"You look stunning." Ameno clapped her hands in excitement. "Please come out. Turn around, let us see!"

Ruka pressed down her anxiety, and, despite her intense blush, she still did as asked.

Kurotsuchi actually got up on her feet and headed to Ruka. She placed both hands over her shoulders and leaned in. "Whoever you pick tonight will be yours. You are a pretty thing, but you hide it well. With this dress, you can't. So take advantage of it." She smirked, her whole face radiating mischief. "You can bring anyone to his knees."

"I don't want to bring anyone to his knees," Ruka protested, the blush intensifying.

"Even if you don't do anything intentionally, I can still see a few fallen soldiers in your wake. In the immediate future." Temari chuckled. "What do you think, Ameno?"

"Hmm…" The woman crossed her hands. "I think that if you have set your eyes on anyone in particular, tonight would be a good time to act." She winked.

Ruka's face became even more red; she felt like fainting any second now.

Tenten entered, holding the skirt of her yellow dress up to not step on it. Before she even looked up, she said, "Ok, let's just do this and be done with it." She stopped briefly and quickly observed the other women; a slight smirk pulled at her lips. "Well, well. Aren't we a jewellery collection?"

"That we are," Kurotsuchi agreed.

"Ok, here are the cutouts for the dresses," the woman, who looked like the owner or the head tailor, said. She gave each of the other women a folder. "Adjust the sizes. Please make no major changes. Chop chop! We have a lot of work today, so don't just hang out." The loud clapping of her hands made the squad move.

A short, plump, middle-aged woman approached Ruka after looking into the folder.

"Hello," she greeted with a wide smile. "Please come here in front of this mirror." The woman started to fuss around, stretching her measuring tape around Ruka's body. "Ok, now I will apply some pins around here…" She held a folded fabric around the kunoichi's breasts with one hand and the hem at the dip over her back with the other one. "I will have to take in some fabric here as well."

"Yes, I can see it looks better when you hold it," Ruka admitted.

The tailor nodded and started to pin the dress, moulding it on the kunoichi's body.

Once done with the alterations, the tailors took the dresses, and the kunoichi were free to go on with their day.

When they exited the shop, emerald-green eyes met Tenten's, followed by a smile and a squeal. Sakura rushed ahead to squeeze her friend into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so happy to see you," she confided.

"Likewise," Tenten admitted, returning a pat on the other woman's back.

"You disappeared for quite some time. Where have you been?"

"I was... on a mission," she said, and stepped to the side to present her fellow kunoichi. "You know Kurotsuchi and Temari." Sakura nodded at them with a smile. "I guess you know—"

"Ameno!" Her face lit up even more as she went ahead to hug her. "I didn't know you were in the village. I'm so happy to see you."

Ameno laughed, gently pulling away. "I'm glad to see you too. I arrived this morning."

"Oh! You came along with the kazekage's escort?"

"Exactly," Temari intervened. "We all arrived with Gaara."

Sakura nodded. "I see." Her gaze fell on the last member of the little group. She extended her hand to the Kiri kunoichi. "I am Sakura Haruno."

"Nice to make your acquaintance," she responded, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "I'm Ruka Shimizu. I arrived with Chojuro-san from Kirigakure."

"Nice to meet you, Ruka." Sakuro flashed her a grin.

Tenten flinched at the idea that passed through her head. A real chance to sneak away was presented here. The question was: should she grab it? Yes, she should. "Sakura, I am supposed to take the girls for a late breakfast. But I just remembered I have something to attend to." Tenten used her puppy eyes and a pleading smile. "Would you…?"

"Of course! It'll be nice to catch up with them. It's been a while." Sakura grinned. "I will take them to the tea house on Second Leaf Street."

"I will be there in an hour. Is that alright with you?"

"No problem. I have to attend a meeting at the hokage's office in the early afternoon, but until then I'm free."

"Thank you, Sakura." Tenten squeezed her forearm and strode down the street, quickly hiding out of sight amongst the other people that were out on their own business.

"Do they serve sake in this tea house?" Kurotsuchi asked.

Sakura gave her a knowing grin. "Of course they do."


The next group in the tailor shop consisted of the InoShikaCho team, Karui, and Omoi, who joined them on their way in.

Ino had proved her taste in dressing yet again, because all the men's jaws dropped at the sight of Karui in her light green dress and Ino's own dark blue.

The male shinobi's clothes allowed them to move freely and look elegant at the same time. Whoever wanted something flashy, there were some options. But Ino predicted that none of her current teammates would use those options anyway. The chosen colours slightly varied depending on for whom they were designed. And all of them had those.

When they were done, Ino made sure to keep Omoi occupied while Chouji and Karui sneaked out. But not before making sure she had their word to be back at the Nara's house for lunch.

Shikamaru sighed, trying to suppress the mixed feelings consisting of dread and excitement. What he had to do was notify the two sand siblings about his mother's demand and hope Temari was going to agree. So he waited for the group that Lee was leading around the streets and pulled Kankuro to the side. It was easy to get a yes from him because the offer was for homemade food, and the man liked that.

It turned out that Lee had picked up the group of kunoichi from the tea house. So Shikamaru just needed to figure out how to sneak Temari away from them. Kankuro nudged him in the ribs before diving into the tailoring shop.

"What's up?"

"Your sister is troublesome," Shikamaru informed him with a huff.

"Yeah, I know that."

"Can I use you as an excuse…?" he slowly asked as an idea went off in his head.

Kankuro bored his eyes into him as if he were trying to read the real question behind the half-request. "To snatch her away?"

"Literally, yes."

He shrugged. "Sure. Just don't make a habit out of it."

Shikamaru's smile was somewhat crooked. "You can have my word on it."

"Now you know what I am willing to do for a nice meal." Kankuro laughed. "You possess weaponized knowledge over me now. Use it wisely," he added, patting his shoulder, and while shaking his head, he slipped into the tailoring shop with the next group.

Lee gladly took on gathering the group and escorting them to wherever they wanted afterwards. It looked like he really liked to serve the role of a local guide.

After everything else was settled, the only thing left for Shikamaru to do was wait for Kankuro to be done, then head to his mother's home to meet with both Chouji and Ino. The more people available for his mother to dabble into the personal matters of, the less of her focus was left for him. If he could, he would bring the whole mission team, except she wasn't supposed to know they were on a mission together.

"Are you sweating already?" Temari asked, barely holding her smirk from blooming in full force.

He groaned. "I wonder how you're not."

"Older women love me, Shikamaru." She leaned in. "I'm adorable."

"So you don't even have the tiny doubt that my mother may not like you?"

She bored her teal gaze into his. "Your mother will be so relieved that someone else will be kicking your ass in the right direction that she will wrap you in gift paper and send you to me right away."

Shikamaru burst into a laughing fit. Actually, he didn't have a problem imagining Temari's words to be true. One of his mother's biggest concerns was that he would be left alone, without a partner. This would be enough to make her like Temari. But there was more: Yoshino Nara had the ability to judge one's personality very accurately. She was already well informed about the Suna kunoichi's character because he had been complaining about her for the last couple of years. And... Yoshino would see the love in Temari's eyes with no mistake. At least that's what Shikamaru hoped for

"I hope you won't tell your mother you wanna marry me before you tell Gaara," she hissed beside his ear.

He shook his head. "I won't have to tell my mother anything. Most likely, she will figure it out the moment you step through the door."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"Dammit…"

"Fully agreed."

"Ok, I am done." Kankuro's voice came from a few feet away. "Shall we go? I'm hungry."

Temari rubbed her face, but she couldn't hide her chuckle.