House moving

Terumi Mei VOP

I returned from the mission in the Land of Rice tired and in a bad mood, as the new chunin addition assigned to my squad had died. Although I had my doubts about his character when I first met him, I accepted the village's arrangements in silence, and the mission ended successfully, so we decided to take a day off before heading back. It was pleasant compared to the humid and dark climate of Kirigakure; the sun warmed the skin, the air lacked the salty smell of the sea, and the rice fields delighted the eyes with their swaying in the wind.

When the team gathered the next day, we noticed his absence, and after investigating the surroundings, we found him in a discreet alley, dead with a happy expression and lipstick marks all over. As the squad leader, it was my duty to investigate what had happened, and the results were quite disappointing. It turns out that while we relaxed and toured the area, the chunin went out drinking, and after several hours of being drunk, he ended up walking into the red-light district. When we inquired about the woman he had been with, we learned that she had disappeared without a trace, so we were only able to determine how he died but not who killed him.

I don't care about the death of the forty-year-old chunin, as it was clear that he had given up on improving himself a long time ago, and there was no potential left for him to go any further. He also violated ninja taboos, so even if he hadn't died, after learning of his behavior, I would have expelled him from the squad and requested a replacement. People like him are a danger to others in this profession. But his embarrassing death will stain my almost perfect record, so I thought of going shopping to relax with the money I earned from the B-rank mission. After finishing my shopping, I still felt a bit unsatisfied, so I thought of visiting someone to chat and catch up, which always cheers me up.

However, after moving around a few times, I discovered that most of my acquaintances were on missions, which made sense as it was close to rent payment time, and having some extra money on hand was always better. I was about to head home when I heard about Ringo's return to the village and made my way to her house, not thinking too much about the man they said she brought with her. Probably a prisoner who would be sent to the interrogation division for information extraction through torture; it wouldn't be the first time she brought one, and it wouldn't be the last.

Ringo lived in a somewhat isolated area, but it wasn't difficult to get there when you knew the way and followed the traces of destruction she never bothered to fix after training. I leaped between the tree branches, and just as I was about to descend, I saw something that left me so shocked I almost fell. Ringo was kissing a man! I immediately felt uncomfortable all over, not only because of the lovey-dovey atmosphere I was witnessing but also due to the sudden revelation that Ringo had managed to get a man before me! It's not that I'm saying my friend isn't attractive; it's just that she has never been too concerned about dressing up and looking more appealing to the opposite sex, as evidenced by her daily attire. I found it quite annoying. She doesn't even know how to use makeup!

Every time I tried to set up a girls' day, the look she gave me... But there she was, seemingly enjoying the best moment of her life with a smile as pure as I had ever seen. I'm feeling so envious! But I'm also genuinely happy for her. I was so lost in my own thoughts that before I knew it, I lost my balance and landed on the ground a few meters away from the couple. Now the situation had become awkward.

Third Person POV

"Oh, it's just Terumi," Ameyuri said upon recognizing one of the few people she was close to. "Are you jealous?"

She surprised herself by not feeling embarrassed about catching them in the moment. Instead, she felt unexpectedly at ease and regained her confidence.

"I never expected you to take the lead," Terumi sighed as she looked at Enel, noticing that he wasn't even wearing a shirt. "Will you introduce me to your boyfriend?"

Terumi wanted to make a good impression on her friend's partner after her accidental interruption.

"This is Enel, my fiancé," Ameyuri corrected, putting on a proud expression to show off to her friend.

"Eh?" Terumi felt her shock multiply by ten when she processed the words. "Aren't you moving a bit too fast?" she blurted out, unable to contain herself.

The couple exchanged glances for a moment before responding with a simultaneous smile.

"No!"

Terumi could only accept that love, which had always eluded her friend, had suddenly hit her with great force.

"Never mind, should I come back later, or...?" Terumi wasn't sure what course of action to take next.

"In fact, you've arrived at the perfect time," Ameyuri reluctantly pulled away from Enel's warmth and approached Terumi. "I came to pick up my things to move. Would you mind giving me a hand since you're here?"

"Aren't you going to live in your house?" Terumi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Ringo's house was simple, but it was built for a family to live in, and there was enough space for the two of them to live comfortably.

"Although I have many memories in this house, I prefer the one Enel has; it's much more spacious and comfortable," Ameyuri commented.

And she was telling the truth; the difference between her small house and Sky Island was enormous.

Terumi misinterpreted her friend's words, thinking that she was recalling what happened to her father and wanting to leave that part of her life behind.

"Alright, I'll help you pack everything," Terumi took her friend's hands and nodded, feeling that she had to support her in this new phase of her life.

The three entered the house and began packing everything Ameyuri wanted to take in boxes, which they then stacked and stored in a sealing scroll for convenient transportation.

"By the way, I've never seen the garter on your leg," Terumi asked once she noticed it. "Which village were you from before joining Kirigakure?"

Enel and Ameyuri exchanged glances for a moment. It seemed that Terumi had misunderstood and thought something like Enel was the traitor from a village who fell in love with Ameyuri and decided to follow her to Kirigakure to be with her, a real love story. How could she have expected that it was actually the other way around?