Chapter 33: Meetings

Karui's eyes were so bright, and her smile was melting his heart. She had been to similar places before, but only around the Land of Lightning and never somewhere else.

"Ok, the candies are on the first floor," Chouji informed her. "The chocolate is on the second one."

Her head snapped. "There is a second floor?"

"Yes. The stairs are over there." He pointed at the back, where a narrow staircase led upstairs.

"A whole floor of chocolate... I'm going," Karui said, practically drooling.

"Sure. I'll be right with you. I just want to fill up my stash and get something for auntie Yoshino."

She nodded and headed to the back with an extra spring in her gait. "Alright."

The woman bounded upstairs. She couldn't wait to see what this shop would offer her.

When she reached it, she froze, her eyes wide and sparkling happily. The variety on the shelves... Her gaze moved from one sign to another, reading each and every description. The more she read, the more confused she became, unable to decide what sounded more appealing.

Karui felt someone was gazing at her and carefully turned to check who that was. Her intuition was never wrong — there was a kind-looking middle-aged man who smiled at her. He was quite big in body size, with red hair of his own. And even if she was almost certain she hadn't seen him before, he still looked somehow familiar.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable." He smiled again, the tattoos over his cheeks emphasised.

She let out a chuckle. "No, no… It's just... Look at all of this." She spun with her hands lifted to the sides. "I haven't seen so much chocolate in one place until now. So many kinds of it."

"Ah." He grinned. "The ever-existing problem with the choice?"

"Exactly. I can't possibly take every flavour."

"You are a tourist then," he concluded, taking a step closer to her, but still he remained at a respectful distance.

"Yes, kinda..."

"Right. Hope it's not too bold to offer my knowledge if it could help you pick?"

Karui looked at his open face and soft expression, making up her mind. "I'd love some help."

The man nodded and pointed to the left. "I'll try not to pour too much information on you, but still, I'll start with the basics. You have a few main flavours: dark, bittersweet, milk, white, and ruby. These are the plain kinds. Here, you have the same flavours, but with added dried fruits."

"Ah, got it. Here are the same ones with nuts. And here are mixes of both."

A delight appeared all over his full face. "Yes. You got this."

"So how would you suggest I proceed with all of this?" She leaned a bit closer, not wanting to miss any of the secrets this new stranger was willing to share.

"Well, let me present to you some of the other basic kinds, and then you may be able to decide?" She nodded, and he lit up even more. "There are some different kinds of chocolate creams. Inside, you can find a symphony of tastes: strawberry, orange, and coconut mouse." He turned an inch and pointed again. "Over there are various chocolate-covered treats like fruit jelly, caramels, toffees, biscuits, marshmallows, pre—"

"Dad?!"

Both the man and Karui turned towards the stairs.

"Chouji!" he exclaimed.

"Chouji?" she gasped. She had, for a moment, forgotten his existence while her brain was preoccupied with all the flavours and smells of the chocolate.

"Hi, dad," he said, walking forward straight to him and opening his arms for a hug.

The man complied and gripped him with his giant hands. "I didn't know you were back," the man said, letting Chouji go.

"I…" His eyes treacherously drifted to Karui.

"Oh! I see," the man whispered, a grin pulled at his lips. "No, it's ok. You don't have to explain anything to me. Just say the word, and I've never been here nor seen you." He chuckled. "Especially in case your mother asks."

Chouoji laughed nervously. "It's a bit late for that."

"It is?"

"Aunt Yoshino and auntie Hiki ambushed us on the street."

"Oh…" The man's face changed into pure empathy.

"And summoned us to lunch…"

"Oh… I'm sorry, son." He patted his back. "It would have happened at some point, so better be done with it now." With a small tilt to his head, he asked, "May I have the pleasure of being introduced to the young lady who seems to like chocolate no less than I?"

She didn't wait for Chouji to react and took the matter into her own hands, extending one of them. "Karui. From Kumo."

"Chouza, Chouji's father." He shook her limb enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you, Karui."

"Likewise."

He released her hand. "Ok, then. I'll be leaving and letting you two" - He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, but the sly grin was firmly plastered on his face. — "well, to whatever you're planning to do."

"Dad, please…" Chouji's face was so red that his tattoos were almost invisible.

"Alright, alright." He laughed loudly. "But first, try this." Chouza offered Karui a paper bag. She took a chocolate bar and sank her teeth into it with a curious expression. "What do you think?"

She had her eyes closed in contentment. "I like salted caramel. Never tried it coated with milk chocolate. I don't think I've tasted anything better. I love it," she concluded.

Chouza nodded happily and opened another paper bag for her. "Now this one."

Without any kind of shame or hesitation, she picked up a white chocolate sphere. Before biting into it, she turned it carefully. After a sniff, she tried it. "Oh… I retract my statement. This is the tastiest thing I've ever had."

Chouji covered his face with a palm as his father burst into a laughing fit.

Karui looked between them in confusion. "What?"

"Hope to see you around, Karui." Chouza waved and, with uncharacteristic swiftness for such a heavy-looking man, disappeared down the stairs.

Once Chouji's father was gone, Karui turned to the still-red-faced young man. "Why was he laughing?"

"This one," he said, nodding at the piece of candy in her hand, "is his favourite treat."

"Ah…"

"And the first one… was my favourite."

"Oh…" Karui grinned. "So I liked your dad's favourite treat, eh?"

"You did."

She glanced at the stairs and lowered her voice. "I think he liked me."

Chouji stepped closer to her and leaned in to gently peck her cheek in a moment of boldness. She smiled as a light blush coloured her face. "I think so too." He bit his bottom lip and chewed on it for a bit. "You know… You don't have to come with me to that lunch. Because if you come..." He left the sentence hanging.

"I know what it means." Karui turned to have a look at the wall of shelves filled with chocolates and remained silent.

As she didn't give him anything more as an answer, Chouji cleared his throat. "I mean… You really don't have to push yours—"

"Chouji," she interrupted him, giving him a narrow-eyed glance over her shoulder. "What do you think? Do you want to have me for lunch?"

"I… I realise that... this is too new to say it would work at all," he said with a sigh and scratched his nape. "And I don't want to put you in a situation you would hate and... end it before it has even started properly." His words, gentle and considerate, echoed into her hard-shelled soul.

In a flash, she knew exactly what she wanted. "Let me tell you how I see the situation, then." Karui spun around and faced him. "I see a nice man that likes me with all the flaws he has witnessed until now, including me insulting him in his face," she said, placing her hand on his chest.

He flinched at the sudden contact but didn't pull away. Karui stared at her hand and how small she looked on his massive body.

"I see a kind man that was ready to give me a chance to right myself when he could have put a foot on the ground and hated me." She grinned. "I'm ready to go to that lunch and face all the old hens there. The question is: Are you ready to do that too? And do it with me on such a beginner's stage while fully aware that this might not work?"

Chouji huffed. "Actually, I am," he said without a trace of hesitation.

"Then… Let's forget about the stakes and just have fun." She winked at him.

His heart skipped a beat. Oh, yeah… He had no idea what the future would bring him. But he felt inclined to mount the moment and ride it until it was eventually gone.

He offered her a hand, and she took it.


"I thought I'd find you here," said a very quiet and melodic voice behind her.

Tenten breathed in. She didn't open her eyes; there was no need to. "Hinata."

Soft steps approached and stopped right beside her. "I hoped I'd find you here. I wanted to see you."

"I... appreciate that you're looking out for me. Right now, I really want to be left alone." She turned to give the other woman a look.

The newcomer nodded; her sad smile made Tenten gasp.

"Alright… I hope to see you later." Hinata clutched her hands tightly together as she attempted to turn and move away.

"Wait," Tenten called with a sigh. She shifted in her spot and turned to face her friend. "Why did you look for me?"

"I… We finally opened big brother's room and went through his things." She started to fiddle with the hem of her top. Her voice sounded apologetic, as if she had done something that Tenten wouldn't approve of. "It's been a year. We had to."

Tenten gave her a curt nod. She understood.

"I... found something that I'm sure big brother Neji would want you to have," Hinata said, reaching into her pocket to take out a small necklace. It was a simple silver piece of jewellery with an oval moonstone in the middle. "It was his mother's. And… there were a few drafts of letters to you… I guess he never had the nerve to send them... given his situation…" She offered the necklace with a shy smile, but Tenten didn't even attempt to take it.

The way the last word sounded irked Tenten, making her frown. Before she could get a hold of herself, she heard her own voice asking, "What situation? What letter drafts? Why wouldn't he have given them to me?"

Hinata's mouth formed an "o." She quickly shook her head, realising that her friend really didn't have a clue. "Actually, if Neji didn't tell you, you have no other way to know…."

Tenten bored her narrowed eyes into the pale lavender in front of her. The air between them grew thick and heavy.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Would you be so kind as to tell me?"

Hinata offered her the jewellery again. With trembling fingers, Tenten accepted it and traced its outline, trying to stifle the quickly rising sob.

"Neji," the young Hyuga started, "had fallen in love with you before he turned sixteen."

Tenten's head snapped up, her eyes impossibly wide. Hinata's cheeks turned rosy, beautifully contrasting the overall grey tone of the place and the day itself. She still couldn't bear the intensity solely directed at her. Wincing with discomfort, she licked her lips before continuing. "I know… because we talked about it years later and he told me," she hurried to add.

"So long ago? I thought he…" Tenten's voice hitched in her throat, and she dropped the attempts to speak. Instead, she gestured to her friend to continue.

"He was considering asking you out and, with your consent, making you his official girlfriend, later fiancee, and later... wife." Hinata dropped to the ground, grabbing the other woman's hand and laying it on her lap. "But to have a girlfriend, he had to receive permission from my father and the clan council." The tiny wet trail that ran down her face reflected the dull sunlight. "They said no."

A silence fell around the two women, kneeling amidst stone plates and memorial-filled fields, grey like their faces.

"The council, with my father's approval, had the liberty to promise each of us for an arranged marriage. My cousin had been betrothed to a distant relative since a very young age. One that was considered suitable for his genes…" Hinata's every word came out stammering until her voice faltered.

Tenten's hearing was impaired by the loud thuds of her heart, so much that she didn't notice her friend had stopped talking. The burn of tears in her eyes and anger inside her chest made her deaf and blind for a moment. Then that moment passed...

"He had been engaged when he told me that he… loved me? When he taught me how to dance? When—" she cut herself off.

Hinata swallowed. Her small hand reached out and softly laid on her friend's shoulder. "He taught you to dance before the formal dinner he brought you to, right? The family one?"

"Yes…"

"He… was still engaged at that point, that's correct," confirmed Hinata. "But I'm sure he didn't make any advances on you. Neji was painfully proper, and he would never—"

"No, he didn't do anything. But… When I look back…" Tenten closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly. She could recall the tenderness his eyes radiated every time his hand laid on her waist. He never tried to touch her in a provocative way or kiss her… But he had been engaged, and even if it hadn't been his desire, it felt like treachery — like cheating. Tenten quickly realised how absurd this thought was, but she couldn't help the feeling of betrayal.

"Neji begged my father... and convinced him to at least consider you," Hinata said, but her pale lips pressed together right after that. "I don't think my father ever seriously accepted the idea. His brilliant nephew and any other woman besides the one he has chosen?" She shook her head, bitterness dripping in her tone. "He was just exploiting Neji's naive, hopeful side."

"You are telling me that… I was invited to this dinner so your father could 'evaluate' me?" Tenten's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes."

"And since Neji never said a thing afterwards, I presume Lord Hiashi's evaluation was a… no."

"That's right," Hinata whispered. "But Neji wasn't ready to give up. Before the war, my dad asked Neji to protect me and… He promised to Neji that he will step back and give him permission to get married to you if we both return alive."

It had been clear manipulation. Tenten was amazed at how Neji — sharp and perceptive by nature — hadn't seen through it right away. Had he been so blindly in love, or was he just desperately seeking a thread of hope to hold on to?

"We never had a chance, did we?" Tenten breathed out. "Your dad would have found another reason not to let us be, right?"

Hinata remained quiet, and her silence was a louder answer than any other she could have given. Still, she choked out, "I think so too."

"He was not egoistic," Tenten uttered to herself; Kankuro's cruel words from not too long ago still stung her in her chest. "He was anguished and wished to share a dream with me before reality fell on his head and shattered him." She shook her head, almost mouthing, "Was any of it true?"

The other woman frowned. "I wouldn't have told you anything if I wasn't sure it was true, Tenten."

Tenten stared at his gravestone over her shoulder. "Do you too think he was egoistic?"

Hinata pursed her lips. She could have spared her opinion, surely. But something at the back of her head insisted on honesty. With this resolve in mind, she cleared her throat. "I think that he should have waited… Or maybe run away with you." She looked down, her cheeks flushed.

The lack of any remarks from Tenten's side prompted her to continue. "I don't think he ever considered running."

"I doubt he did."

"On the other hand, he was rebellious… I don't know why he never thought of that and suggested it…" The pale eyes hesitantly drifted to Tenten's face. "He didn't, right?"

Her jaw clenched. "No… The first mention of him having any feelings for me was the night before he died."

Was it so simple? To suggest they run away together and leave Konoha for good? Their friends and families? Maybe even stop being shinobi in order to hide? Could she have done it if he had asked her to? Tenten shook her head. Konoha was her home. His home… Both of them would have been left without roots, away from the world they knew and to which they belonged. Always running, always longing for what they wouldn't be able to take back. What kind of life would that have been?

"I wouldn't be able to do it," Tenten uttered.

Hinata drew a few soothing circles over the top of her friend's hand. "Do what?"

"Leave."

"I don't think he would have left as well if it really had come to that…" She sighed. "It's complicated, but… Neji was… too proud in a very loyal way. He didn't like what the Elders were doing… or the way my father ruled the clan. But he still took on his imposed responsibilities. If he couldn't be with you, he would have fought not to get married at all as a last resort."

Tenten laughed bitterly. "As if anyone would have asked him what he wanted. They needed him as a bodyguard and breeding material, Hinata. You know it."

Hinata nodded slowly and let her pale eyes drift into the distance.

"Had he refused to go along with the council orders, they would have found a way to force him into having children. One way or another…"

"He… had a plan if it came to that."

Tenten winced; a very disturbing image appeared showing her one possible way of how Neji could have prevented such an interference. Still, she asked in a small voice, "What plan?"

"He was going to—" Hinata swallowed. Her lips trembled as if refusing to pronounce the words, but she still forced them out. "If he… didn't have the physiological ability to have children, then there would be no reason for him to marry into the clan."

Tenten took a deep breath. Her first guess turned out to be the correct one. She couldn't stop the tears from overflowing and rolling down her cheeks. So he would have gone that far? Tenten fiercely wiped her eyes.

"He loved you," whispered Hinata, squeezing her hand. "There is no doubt about that. And…" She waited for her friend to look at her. "He would want all the best for you. If you really want to honour his life, take care of yourself and find a way to be happy again." She moved and threw her hands around Tenten, pulling her in for a tight hug. "We, all of us, love you too. Please stay with us... You are needed here." Her arms squeezed even more. "And... if you ever want to, you can even let yourself fall in love again."

Tenten didn't return the hug but huffed. Her hands hung loose on her flanks. She knew, deep inside, that she would get over it and return to being a normal person. Because Tenten had finally been able to let her tears fall and scream the grief out of her system. But right now, she neither wanted nor needed more heartfelt confessions or deep insights — it was going home and making tea that would bring her a sense of normality.

She failed to understand why Hinata had to go so far to mention romantic love again. As if it were even an option after Neji. Tenten didn't have to fall in love to be a self-sufficient person and be happy.

She pushed her elbows to the side, forcing Hinata's arms to release her. "I need to go," she said. "I still have mission-related matters to take care of."

"Will you be attending the formal dinner?"

Tenten nodded.

"Do you need any help? Do you have a dress to wear?"

"Yes, I have a dress. Don't look at me like that; I can't elaborate further. I'm sorry."

Hinata's lips tugged at a smile while Tenten got up on her feet. It was time to go; she was almost late anyway.

"I guess I'll see you tonight, then?"

"You will see me tonight," she confirmed, slowly brushing the letters of Neji's name on the tombstone. "Take care, Hinata."

"Goodbye, Tenten."

Hinata remained kneeling in the dirt, her hand placed gently over the stone. Her eyes turned downcast, and a single tear fell on the ground.

Tenten headed towards the graveyard's entrance, not turning back. The storm swirling in her soul was too overwhelming to let her attention slip away for even a second.


Shikamaru couldn't comprehend what was happening around him. He was seated at the big table in his mother's guest room, along with the matriarch herself, Ino and Chouji's mothers, his teammates, and their… halves. And here he was, the future head of the Nara clan, left in peace to eat, with Temari on his right and Kankuro on his left.

The older women gushed and cooed over Ino's engagement, while poor Sai didn't dare to lift his eyes from his plate. Shikamaru felt genuine sympathy for the man.

When the mothers squad was done with Ino, which happened just before the dessert, they shifted their attention to Karui. They did that in a much more gentle and polite manner, keeping a proper level of decency. Shikamaru could understand it, though. Considering Chouji's low self-esteem about his looks and gentle nature, he hadn't really gone on many dates. He had, of course, been carefully pushed by his not-blood-related siblings, but it had never been anything worth mentioning. And he had never brought a female into any of their homes, be it even just a temporary teammate.

Karui was a little strained in the beginning, but Ino's easy-going demeanour and the mothers' nonchalant behaviours helped her relax and be herself.

Temari looked like she was having a really good time, joining the conversations to tease or throw a joke. She was relaxed and calm. But what freaked Shikamaru out was that his mother actually laughed at Temari's jokes when he had expected Yoshino to look at the Suna princess with more of a critical eye. Every mother, according to the young Nara's expectations and his observations, should somehow guard her son's honour. But when his secret future bride insulted him in the face by calling him lazy, Yoshino raised her glass. He could just smell in the air two overbearing, strong-minded, and strong-willed women that would boss him around. Instantly, he knew that he had to put more effort into his job and get a position that would spare him the nagging. Inwardly, he sighed.

In the end, Kankuro managed such heartwarming thanks that all three women literally melted.

Shikamaru was stunned at the sight of his mother smiling almost shyly. It looked... wrong.

On their way out, Temari nudged him in the ribs. "He is good, my brother, ain't he?"

"Better than I could've imagined," Shikamaru admitted with both reluctance and admiration.


Tenten saw the overwhelmed Lee from afar. He was literally twitching from bursting energy. And even though she didn't feel like dealing with teammates, she still swallowed hard and strode towards him. Plastering a fake smile on her face, Tenten greeted the group and even chuckled at the relief on her fellow leaf shinobi's face. As enthusiastic as Lee was, his desire to tickle everyone's wants and wishes had caught up with him.

As if they had an arranged meeting, the rest of the Konoha core appeared from the other end of the street. A few minutes later, the whole group had gathered and could rearrange accordingly. All of the locals took responsibility for the escorting duty.

Even though Kankuro was used to heat, he couldn't help but focus on it. The sun had finally peered between the clouds, instantly bringing summer to full force. Sweat droplets traced his body underneath the black fabric of his clothes. It might have been stormy in the morning, but it was definitely just hot at the moment. The smell of cooked food flooding the street didn't help; it was practically still lunchtime, and most of the tourists were going to eat. His nose perceived the scents, but his brain really wanted to just shut them out. That was not all — some vendors called out, letting the passengers know what they were selling, pushing his sensitive hearing almost to the corner of his tolerance.

He briefly closed his eyes and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"You alright?"

His eyes flew open, and he focused them on the person who spoke. "A bit overwhelmed, but alright. Thanks."

"You seem like you need to go have a rest."

"I feel that way." Kankuro smiled. "Alas, I'm stuck with all of you here."

She laughed. "I'm sorry."

"You don't really care, Kurotsuchi," he countered.

"You are correct. Still, since our teammates entered that shop over there, I can suggest we just pick a bench and wait here. Preferably in the shadows." She shrugged. "I don't feel like shopping."

"I like the way you think." Kankuro grinned. He dragged his feet towards the closest bench and half-sat, half-slumped on it. "You—" he shut himself up immediately, his gaze falling on the kunoichi's figure.

He picked up on the shift in her in an instant. Kurotsuchi had frozen, not daring to move. She looked very tense and very skittish — like a wild horse. Her eyes were wide, and she was staring at something on the other end of the street.

He followed her gaze. There was a group of people, and he wasn't sure who she was watching. But soon the mystery had resolved itself, as a young man in his mid-twenties spotted her. Kankuro almost flinched back at the way that man lit up. His face shone with joy, and a wide grin pulled at his lips. Right after that, his features turned gloomy, and he started to look around with caution.

The kunoichi cast a glance at her teammate. He couldn't remember seeing her be so... fearful, almost pale, unsure... She was a sight worthy of his pity… or sympathy, depending on the context.

"Go," he said, leaning backward. "I saw nothing."

Kurotsuchi gave Kankuro a nod and headed to the other man.

He stood there, completely absorbed and hypnotised by her presence. His eyes were shining with softness and longing, visible even from that distance. When Kurotsuchi reached him, the man attempted to caress her face, but she grabbed his hand and pulled it away. However, Kankuro noticed that she never let it go. And the man didn't howl in pain, meaning she was everything but tough with him.

The kunoichi tugged him to the side, and he followed without resisting. Then they slank into the closest dark intersection. After that, Kankuro lost sight of them.

The man's fingers reached for Kurotsuchi's face again, and this time she didn't stop him. The opposite, actually — she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes, trusting. Her body trembled like a leaf in the wind. A shaky breath pressed out of her lips, and a shiver shook her body until she let out a strangled growl. On their own accord, her arms wound around his shoulders, fingers burying in his hair.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly. "Did you come with your father?"

She shook her head onto his chest, scared to speak, for she knew her voice was going to break.

"It doesn't matter," the man whispered in her hair. "I'm just happy to see you... to hug you. Even if it is just for a bit." He tightened his hold on her.

"I missed you, Youta," she uttered in his shirt, breathing in his scent. Her hands clenched involuntarily, pulling him closer.

"I miss you every single day. My time is dragging slower, and... it's… emptier." His soft hand — one that did not belong to a shinobi — stroked her hair lovingly.

Kurotsuchi inhaled his scent again — he always smelled clean, but the woman could sense the subtle hints of mint and camphor oil... even if they were present only in her imagination. And they were so calming, but at the same time, they made her heart ache to the extent of bringing tears to her eyes.

"Oh, no… Please don't cry. Please, Kurotsuchi…" Youta lifted her chin and gently kissed her cheeks, right on the wet trails. "I'm sorry… What do you want me to do?" Desperation grated heavily in his voice. "Do you want me to go?"

"No…" She squeezed him harder, her fingers digging into his nape and back. "I'm happy to see you again. I really am."

Youta's shoulders dropped, and he buried his face in her hair.

They remained still and silent. There was no point in vocalising again the horrors that happened to both of them; no point in repeating the vows that they once had given to each other; no point in remembering the pain and anger of being robbed of their love and its fruits because he was announced unworthy. But he was the one treating her in the most humane way and treasuring her like the woman she had always been told she was.

"Where are you staying? Give me the address." She sounded demanding, but he had known her for a long time; Youta could hear the pledge in her voice.

"If you are caught, you will get punished. I can't bear seeing you suffer," he warned.

"I know... Even just lying beside you and talking out what's heavy on my heart is enough to take the risk."

Youta took in a sharp breath through his nose, moving his hands up and down her back. They both knew that he couldn't deny her. With a sigh of resignation, he let her go and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his backpack. Quickly, Youta scribed a few rows. He folded it with slow, hesitant movements before giving it to her. "Please be careful."

"I will be," she assured him. Kurotsuchi stepped to him on her tiptoe to kiss his forehead with melting tenderness. "Leave your window open."

"I will."

"See you tonight." She smiled barely, walking backwards to the end of the intersection. Then she turned sharply and headed back as nonchalantly as she could.

Youta was going to stay for a few minutes before he left after her. Just in case... He didn't want to get her into more trouble than he already had.

"Don't say anything," she said, sitting beside Kankuro.

He interweaved his fingers over his stomach. "I can hardly have any comments on something I never saw," he replied. Kankuro looked at her face from the corner of his eye and couldn't miss the fading signs of tears.

She closed her eyes, leaning onto the backrest. "Thank you."

He sighed. Movement near the exit of the shop drew his attention. Their teammates were about to join them soon. "You wanna talk about something else?"

"Like?"

"Your grandfather's health?" he suggested with a shrug.

She chuckled, opening her eyes — her usual, rebellious self blazing in their pink depths. "That old bastard..." she started.