Kaori Hatake

Chapter Thirty - Eight

Kaori's Point Of View:

"When did you get so good with them?" Asuma Sensei asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. It's like second nature. Instinct, if you will."

"It's impressive," Inoichi told me. "No one has ever made Ino feel better about herself than you did earlier. Let alone that fast."

"What I told her was true. If someone doesn't like you looking disheveled after working your tail off, then they're not worth being around. They'll only bring you grief."

"She's growing up," Dad sighed. "Right before my very eyes."

"So, Kaori, how's your boyfriend?" Ino teased. I turned back to my table. We were sitting at two different tables, and I sat back to back with the adults table. Ino had a sly smirk on her lips, and I cocked my head, unamused. Her and Choji were back to back with the royal family. Looking at our tables, it would be (from left to right), the jounins' table, our table, then the royal table.

"Why do you ask?" I wondered. I leaned forward on my forearms. "Got a crush I should know about?" She just laughed it off, and I chuckled. Shikamaru sighed.

"What a drag," he grumbled. Choji moaned at the taste of his food. Shika opened some chopsticks, digging in as more food was brought out. Ino held my gaze steadily. I smiled with a raised brow before shaking my head in disbelief.

"He's still powerful, that's for sure," I answered.

"You two should really have kids," she sighed dramatically. I choked on my water, and Dad turned around at the sound. He sat with Asuma and Shikaku while Guy, Choza, and Inoichi sat across from them. Shikamaru began scolding Ino as Dad's arm reached over the seat, patting my back gently. Ino was laughing her ass off, but Choji looked at me in worry.

"Ino. I love you, but I literally hate how blunt you are," I muttered. It just added fuel to her laughing fit. Dad rested his arm over the back of the seat, watching me carefully. Choji turned to side-glance at Ino with a shy smile that was faint.

I watched it for a moment but then he turned away, looking almost heartbroken when Ino spoke these next few words, "I wonder what Sasuke is doing. He's probably hiding from Sakura, praying I return home soon and safely." She began gushing over Sasuke.

Choji on the other hand scowled, excusing himself to the restroom, and I immediately nudged Shikamaru. He nodded following after Choji. The adults and I followed their steps. It was slight, but it was there. Choji had a crush on Ino. There was no doubt about it, but Ino was so blinded by her obsession over Sasuke to realize.

"Poor Choji," I mumbled quietly.

"I wonder if he got sick again," Ino said sadly. "He always gets sick if he eats too much. I hope it's nothing bad."

You don't even know half of it, Ino, I thought in my head. I looked back to her with a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure he'll be all right. It is hot outside, and we're all tired. We should head back to the hotel soon and get some rest."

"Good idea, Kaori," Asuma Sensei agreed. Choji came back, but he decided to sit beside me, and Shikamaru sat beside Ino. I could see the rejected look on his face. I rubbed his shoulder gently, and I could tell he knew that I understood what he had just hinted at.

My peers weren't great at expressing their emotions out loud...well....excluding Ino. I picked up on certain expressions and certain mood swings to counter that silence we shared. I think only Shikamaru could equal me in that field. We finished up, and we left with the four royals.

"Are you okay, Cho?" I asked him quietly. He was walking in silence next to his dad. He simply nodded, not leaving his state of silence. I frowned slightly in worry. Choza smiled down at me.

"Thank you for watching over him," he thanked me. I wasn't expecting that, and neither was Choji. We both looked up at him. I closed my eyes, returning the kind gesture.

"It's nothing really. It's my job as his teammate. In reality we all watch out for each other." Shikamaru glanced back at me with pleading eyes. He was carrying a passed out Ino, and he wanted to give her up already. I chuckled, heading over to him. He breathed in relief, finally getting rid of the extra weight. I, the opposite of Shikamaru, didn't mind handling a little weight. Ino was small enough to carry since I was pretty small, myself.

"Almost there, Shikamaru," Shikaku chuckled quietly. His dad placed a hand on his head. I never realized how close everyone was with their dads. It almost amazed me at times.

818 words.