Naruto: Chosen

In order to improve the quality of the story, from now on I'll be posting three times a week: on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I hope I can count on the collaboration of all of you who have followed me so far!

- Were you going to sing a boring song in Finnish? - Ino asked, laughing, while Mei blushed with anger.

- I don't speak Finnish! - she replied, visibly annoyed.

- What about Ukrainian? - I asked, laughing too.

Mei Terumi was fluent in English, French, Russian, German and, of course, Japanese. Being a Caste Five educated in the arts, she sang beautifully in all these languages. Both Ino and I knew this. Mei had spent the whole day bragging about her abilities, and had even sung a little French for us. She was an excellent singer, but that didn't stop us from making fun of her - especially after we discovered how red and upset, she got.

Mei stormed off and walked over to Hinata's table, who was standing next to us, crossing her arms with an indignant expression. I raised my cup towards Ino, who did the same. We toasted with a "tin-tin" and smiled.

- We're terrible people," I said, laughing.

- The worst! - replied my best friend, bringing her cup of tea to her lips.

It was then that the reporters approached us.

- Miss Yamanaka, what do you think of the competition so far? - asked a reporter, as the camera focused on her face.

- We're very different women, all of us, but it would be nice to find a competitor to match me! - I replied, laughing evilly.

I couldn't help but shake my head, disapproving of my own answer, but enjoying every second of it.

- And you, Miss Haruno, what do you miss most about the Tea Village?

I could have said I missed my family and sounded repetitive, or I could have said I missed our famous teas, advertising for the mayor, or I could have talked about Sasuke and burst into tears. But I opted for something different.

- I miss the horses and the start of winter, when everyone dresses up in their cold clothes and has winter parties.

I sounded almost inspirational, but in fact it was just the truth. The beginning of winter was the best part of the year, when we were finishing the harvest. The Twos and Threes would splurge on the biggest and best parties, with food, music and hope. And, of course, my family together in our pink cottage, with the fire burning and a thousand stories to tell.

But before anyone could be moved by my response, something happened. In a move so fast that I would barely have been able to see if I hadn't been facing the scene, Fuu - our Caste Six, who worked in a mechanic's shop - leaned forward and slapped Karui across the face.

Almost everyone, including me, let out an exclamation of astonishment. Those who hadn't seen it quickly turned to the two tables, trying to understand what had happened. Mei was one of them, and her sweet voice echoed through the silence in the room.

- Oh, no, Fuu, what have you done?! - wailed Terumi, and I knew she was speaking from the heart.

In an instant, Fuu began to understand what she had caused. She would be sent away. We couldn't physically assault another girl. Mei ran up to Fuu, tears in her eyes. The two were from the Village of Wings and had become friends in record time.

Fuu had always had an explosive nature, but I knew that hitting someone wasn't something she would do. I remember seeing her during the rebel attack, on her knees, praying fervently. There was no doubt: she had been provoked.

I got up and went to Fuu, who was being comforted by Mei, who was crying inconsolably. Karui was still sitting, her cheeks red, seemingly oblivious to what was going on.

- Are you all, right? - I asked Fuu, but she didn't answer, lost in her thoughts, wondering what could have been different.

- What about her? She's fine, I'm the one who got slapped! - said Karui, indignantly. I stood up and faced her firmly.

- What did you do? Why did she hit you? What was the reason? - I asked, advancing towards Karui, making her take two steps back.

- SAKURA! - shouted Ino, trying to prevent a second elimination.

- The reason? The reason is that she's a Six, a low caste! Go back to your workshop today, I bet she misses the grease. - Karui left, but returned before dinner. Fuu, however, left, back home.

***

The flashes stopped after another photo of Naruto and Tenten, both with beaming smiles.

- Tenten, lower your chin a little. That's it. - The photographer took another picture, illuminating the room with an intense glow.

- I think that's enough. Who's next? - he asked.

Hinata approached, as flushed as a bell pepper. A group of maids stood next to her, adjusting her clothes and hair. The redness on her cheeks had subsided, but not for long. When Naruto touched her waist, I almost asked someone to hold her, for fear that she would faint from embarrassment.

The photos were just to distract the audience, to take the focus off Fuu's elimination a few days earlier and give them something to smile and dream about. Someone had written an editorial about the look of a princess. I didn't get to read the article, but Mei read it to all of us in the ladies' lounge. According to the article, Naruto should find someone of noble appearance who would look good in the photos next to him, someone worthy of shining on a royal seal.

So, there we were, lined up, all wearing a cream dress with spots and a low waist, and a red scarf over our shoulders, taking photos with Naruto. They would all appear in the same magazine, and the editing team would choose their favorites. Karui had already secured her place on the podium, after all, the owner of the magazine was none other than Kouza Uzumaki, her father.

I let out a sigh of discontent. Some girls circulated, chewing gum, while others were surrounded by their maids. The clothes were standard, but they all made a point of leaving their mark. I, however, remained sitting there, distracted, playing with the stitching on my dress and looking at my red heels. I could have put on my riding boots, that was my signature, but I chose not to. I wanted to stay silent, maybe write another letter to Fuu, maybe she would reply this time.

When Hinata had finished, Karui approached Naruto with a twinkle in her eye. As soon as she stopped beside him, she whispered something in his ear. Whatever it was, Naruto leaned back, laughing so hard that he shook his head in approval, as if he was totally satisfied with the secrets shared.