Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ After a Midnight Meeting ❯ Chouji and Ino talk ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Clear skies and a bright sun lit up the day in Konoha. Somewhere atop one of the buildings two genin waited for their sensei.
The first, a young girl, was very thin. She wore a short purple dress and her torso was covered in bandages (though she did not appear injured in any way). The second, a large male, wearing a green coat and trunk shorts. Both of them bore the traditional headband of Konoha Shinobi, the headband bearing the seal of the leaf.
Things were quiet, not much dialogue between the two was exchanged. One spoke to break the awkward silence.
“First Sakura with Sasuke…and now Hinata with Naruto…I don’t know, I think all of the good men in this village might be taken already” the girl said. Her name was Ino Yamanaka. The fat boy, Chouji Akimichi, perked up to listen.
“are you talking to me?” said Chouji
“of course I am, there’s no one else here…” Ino answered.
Chouji put a chip back in the bag “keep talking then”
“well, I always figured I was better at things then Sakura was…but seeing Naruto and Hinata fight Neji that day…if Naruto was doing that well, then Sakura must be just as good, I mean, she’s better than Naruto, right?” Ino seemed to be babbling, but Chouji was carefully listening.
“I don’t know what I should do, maybe I’m destined to be man-less” Ino whined.
“Ino…” Chouji said “don’t say that. You have no idea who has eyes for you and who doesn’t…it may be someone you least expect. Besides, I can tell you have something that makes you just as good as Sakura, you just haven’t mastered it yet”
Ino looked at Chouji quizzically. Chouji got up, it was getting late and their sensei hadn’t even bothered to arrive.
“what? What do I have?” Ino said. Chouji turned and pointed at her chest.

That night, Ino walked home and had dinner with her family. She kept thinking about what Chouji had said. That night she talked to her father.
“dad…my teammate Chouji said something to me that was weird…” Ino said.
“what’s that?” asked her father.
“well, he said that I was talking about Sakura when he said that I’ll never know who has eyes for me…and then he said I have something that I never mastered, but when I asked him what it was…he just pointed at me…” Ino answered.
Ino’s father laughed. “well, when I was on a team with Chouji’s father, he said odd things too, but they always seemed to make sense later on. Don’t worry hunny, Chouji has a big belly, Just like his father.”
(Note: In eastern culture it is said that the belly is the center of emotion, they would say expressions like “big belly” or “black belly” in the same way that a European or American says one has a “big heart” or “black heart” )
Ino smiled and looked at her father. He must have absorbed the wisdom of the Akimichi.
“thanks dad” she said.

Ino and Chouji met again alone…their sensei had once again neglected to arrive. Chouji sat closer to Ino.
“I’m sorry for dumping all of my dumb girl drama on you yesterday Chouji…being a girl can be hard sometimes” Ino looked at Chouji, who sighed.
“You know, it doesn’t have to be…” Chouji said.
“what do you mean?” asked Ino.
“sometimes we think that one thing is better than something else because it simply looks better. But once we have that thing, we realize it may not be what we wanted”
Ino couldn’t speak.
“Ino…You’ve been a good friend to me, Sakura could never imitate that” Chouji said.
“oh! Chouji!” Ino threw herself on Chouji, knocking him back onto the padded bench. Chouji was taken a little by surprise, but he put his arms around Ino all the same.
Ino was surprised, she used to find Chouji’s bulk to be ugly. But up close she found that it was very warm and cuddly, like a large stuffed animal! She wiggled to get closer to Chouji.
Chouji blushed and smiled. Laying his head back and closing his eyes.
Ino laid her head on Chouji’s chest and heard the lub-dub of his heart.
That was it! That was what Chouji was talking about! Ino hadn’t mastered her heart yet! She never actually loved Sasuke, she was simply motivated by his looks. Where being near Sasuke made her heart feel distant and alone, Chouji’s heart made her’s feel warm and loved, something she could never have from Sasuke.
She looked up “oh Chouji…I love you” she whispered.
Chouji smiled “I know…I love you to Ino”
Ino reached up to Chouji to take his head into her hands and pull it down into a soft kiss. Chouji tightened his arms a little around Ino. Her tiny body was wrapped in loving warmth. Chouji stroked her long beautiful hair, combing her ponytail with his fingers.
It seemed to be the summer of romance in Konoha.

Darn…I feel lonely now T_T