Chapter Text
A/N: Hello, people!
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Tea Leaves & Time
The strangest name one would select for their business. Orochimaru considered the building for what it was, wondering how things could manage to change so quickly.
The Third Shinobi World War was in full swing and just a month ago, he had come to this very location to have his preferred tea at a small, family-owned business that had been there for three decades. Throughout the war, people didn't have money to come for tea as often as they used to, and the family had to close their business down.
Luckily for them, it appeared that a foreigner from beyond the Elemental Nations had decided to come to Konoha and lay their roots. This foreigner bought the building for full price without hesitation and set up their own business. They then hired the people from the family who formerly owned the business to work there.
Now it was a full shop that offered many services, not just tea.
And what he'd heard along the grapevine was that despite offering so many different things, the tea selection was still more varied than what the former business had offered. They had other drinks too, such as coffees and juices. There was a whole section of the building that apparently let people mix ingredients themselves to test out.
It also doubled as a bookshop as it was surrounded at every angle by large bookcases full of books about things from outside the Elemental Nations. Anyone could take a book and read while they sat, and if they absolutely wanted it, they could buy it and take it home.
Outside the shop was a large shelf with carefully bagged goods. Sweets and pastries that did not completely sell the day before were lined up in brown paper bags that listed off all ingredients for the sake of allergies. Right beside the shelf was a large water jug, like the kind that would be found in the Jonin Standby Station, with cone-shaped cups and little homemade tea bags and honey for people to use.
A sign above the shelf said, 'FREE'.
Orochimaru had been sitting across the street from this new business for the past hour, watching and waiting, and had witnessed several incredibly poor villagers from the Hana District stop by already. It was fascinating to see that, despite the fact that there was no sign telling them that there could only be one per person, nobody ever took more than what they thought they needed. Some even left behind things like shiny rocks or flowers that could better be described as glorified weeds.
Another fascinating thing was that the people who were obviously well off and did not need free food, had no problem walking into the business to buy what they wanted. Nobody with the means to provide for themselves without issue, was taking things meant for those who needed a little extra assistance.
An interesting look into the human condition, most certainly. Perhaps it could serve as proof that sometimes, people only needed a little bit of mercy and grace. That on the whole, humans weren't as selfish as he had originally assumed.
No shop in Konaha had ever done this before. It made him wonder if this was an approach that shops outside of the Elemental Nations would take. Or if this new owner was just unique in that way.
He watched as the bags disappeared and the offered water dwindled to the dregs by lunch, but then something amazing happened right as the clock by the shop struck noon.
An unfamiliar short woman stepped outside carrying a large wicker basket full of paper bags. Within moments, the shelf of free food was completely refilled with not even a sliver of empty space left. She had taken the rocks and flowers left behind and returned to the shop with a smile.
After a minute, a very tall young man followed her outside. He held a large water jug in his arms and waited patiently for her to remove the empty one before putting it down. Orochimaru could hear the strange machine it was connected to come to life. He'd assume that the red button made the water hot and the blue button made it cold when it came out.
It took only a few minutes, but the entire display was returned to what it had been before Orochimaru arrived. And he had to wonder if this much food was really leftover from the day before, or if the new owner was making more deliberately and then just putting it out for those who needed it.
One thing was for certain. In order to have a business such as this, they would need certification, and experts would have had to come in and verify that the food being made was safe for public consumption and was allowed to be sold. Being able to leave free food out for people to take was also something that required special permissions from the higher-ups, at least in Konoha.
It was wartime, and they had to crack down on things for the sake of the entire village. Good of the many and all that self-righteous shit.
He had yet to go inside the business himself. They still sold what the former business was making, but there was just a lot more available now. And all of his fellow Shinobi, who had chosen to patronize this establishment, had positive things to say about it. Some of them especially admired all of the books on display, and he'd heard a long and excited ramble about agricultural habits outside of the Elemental Nations.
Something especially fascinating was that, apparently, the new owner liked to 'read people's tea leaves'.
It was a practice that Orochimaru was aware of, but mostly because many summoning beasts and their enclaves did such things. His snakes did not because they had no arms or hands with which to care about such things, but others placed great importance on it. Like the toads, monkeys, and owls.
It was considered a sacred art, but not many outside those specific enclaves would be aware of. Orochimaru would have been perfectly willing to just treat it as hearsay or dramatics for the sake of obtaining and then retaining customers… but then Hatake Sakumo of all people had to have an experience worth taking seriously.
"I didn't really know what was happening. All I remember is there's a sign by the till which tells you that if you want your fortune read through your tea leaves, turn your cup upside down when you finish your tea and leave it like that for a minute. Then the owner will come by and read your fortune."
Orochimaru, being one of the people that were still willing to associate with Sakumo – because he wasn't an idiot who chose to blame the start of the war on one man in order to absolve himself of having a hand in what actually caused it – got a whole story.
"I remembered that little sign so when it was over and I saw the little bits at the end of my teacup, I just turned it upside down and waited. The owner came by with a bright smile and took the teacup in hand, turned it around a few times, and then told me that I had a wolf in the upper half, which is a sign of protection.
"At first I thought it would have something to do with my clan, but then he went on to say that in the near future, if I was given the chance to choose between a protection mission and a transport mission, I should take the protection mission, and it will be a significant boon to my family. Days later, I had the opportunity to protect the Daimyo himself during an event and I took it. And now I apparently have his favor and his vote of confidence when it comes time to select the Yondaime."
Orochimaru was not a being who believed in coincidences, even if he did place faith in mysticism and the sacred arts. There were too many details in that story that stood out to him, and he could not help but want to see for himself what this new owner would say for somebody like him.
Feeling like he had gleaned sufficient information over the past couple of hours, Orochimaru decided to make his way inside the building for the first time in months.
It was certainly very different on the inside and appeared much bigger than the outside of the shop suggested to be in fact. He was quite certain that the dimensions between the outside and the inside did not match, which meant some kind of Fuin had to be involved.
There were all kinds of signs everywhere saying that the shop was pet friendly. There was a small nursery for young children off to the side with all manner of toys to keep them entertained. The bookcases were just as they had been described, only they felt larger than life considering how tall and deep they were.
All sorts of patrons of varying ages were spotted here and there around the room. Every single person had a book or two on their table with them. A soothing tune played quietly in the background in a style that he was not familiar with.
He stepped up to the counter and watched as the young woman from before came to take his order. "You're a new face. I'm Hari and I am the owner. What can I get for you, lovely?"
Hari had a very serene aura about her. Her accented words rolled over the tongue with obvious, yet still accented ease. Her smile was calming, and her eyes were a shade of green he could easily say he'd never seen on a human before.
And she called him, 'lovely'.
"I must confess that I have heard nothing but glowing recommendations of this place in the past for the past few weeks and found myself curious."
"Were you a patron of the Kurosaki family?" she asked. "If you're worried about missing out on their delectable blends, that entire wall of goods over there is still produced by their family," she said, gesturing to the far wall with special labels from the now branded Kurosaki items.
That was a bit of a relief.
"While I am thrilled to see their family traditions still thriving, I am curious about what new things you may have to offer."
"It all depends on what you feel you're gravitating toward today. Do you want something sweet or something savory? We have things that are sour and things that are spicy. And the types of spices can range between things that will burn your taste buds and things that are just mixes of very complex flavors."
"How about something sweet and then something savory that are from outside the elemental nations? New experiences can broaden our horizons after all."
"Would you prefer them both to be snacks or one of them to be a drink?" she asked as her eyes trailed over the menu from top to bottom.
"Both edible treats if you please, though I am curious about what other drinks you have to offer."
"We have tea, milk, milk tea, boba, fruit juice, vegetable juice, water, tonic water, milkshakes, and smoothies. We also have a drink station over there," she pointed to the left, "where people can sample each of our drink options and choose what they'd like."
"...I am very curious."
She smiled and huffed a laugh. "How about you go over and check things out. I'll compile a menu dedicated to your current interests and will have options when you come back. Do you have any allergies?"
"None."
"More options to choose from then!"
And that was how he found himself at the drink bar, staring down at the different options. There were small paper cups available on the side and all he had to do was tap a button for the drink of choice to come out. The longer the button was held, the more would come out.
The most interesting options to him were the fruit juice and the vegetable juice. Mostly because he had never thought about juicing vegetables before. A lot of the fruit options were things he had never seen, but each section did have a paper explaining what each thing was, a 'fun fact' about it, a nutrition label, and even its chemical compound.
The 'pineapple' was fascinating. The 'fun fact' was that it naturally released an enzyme to try and protect itself against predators. The enzyme was attempting to digest you while you ate it, which was why the fresh fruit and juice stung the mouth.
It ended up being a bit too much for his senses to handle, but it was a worthwhile and fascinating experience anyway.
He sampled many of the other fruits that he'd never encountered before. Starfruit, pomelo, jujube, and something called dragon fruit.
Orochimaru found that mixing 'almond milk' and dragon fruit juice was very nice. He could not explain why, but it was wonderful. Especially with a spoonful of clover honey added in.
He ended up with the biggest possible cup there and brought it back to the counter. "I have chosen."
"What unique blend did you discover?" Hari-san asked pleasantly as she pushed his curated menu across the counter.
"Almond milk, dragon fruit juice, and clover honey."
Hari-san hummed, though it was clear by her expression that she was baffled by his choice. "Would you like to get anything else?"
"The first three things on each side of this list you've given me, a simple cup of black tea, and then ten ounces of my choice tea from Kurosaki's wall."
She nodded and handed him a bag specifically sized for the tea blend he wanted. "It'll be 2,800 Ryo as the standard price. For an additional 100 Ryo you can assist in providing for the Konoha orphanage," she said, holding up a purple box with the pertinent information printed on it. "As times are difficult, the orphanage has taken a massive hit in funding but have found their space overflowing with new orphans and need all the support they can get."
Because he was feeling a lot better than he had in the morning, Orochimaru put 1,000 Ryo in the box because he could.
This had been a unique experience for him. He had initially been concerned at the loss of one of his favorite shops, but he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the family was not in dire straits, and that they were being supported, and that he could still access their wonderful tea blends. Even better was that he got to try new things and simply take time for himself.
No violence or murder or bloodshed was necessary. It was all just a common day. Probably something akin to what a civilian would live with every day. Being in his line of business, Orochimaru could not remember the last time he had had a day where nobody expected anything of him, and he could just exist as a person.
He'd been able to walk into this shop and not have to deal with anybody sending him distrustful looks. Nobody had even looked in his direction and the new owner was a ball of positivity.
Orochimaru was escorted to a table nudged in a little nook in a far corner. A place where he had a view of the entire shop at all times and could both relax while also be on the lookout for potential dangers.
Moments later, a platter full of the different pastries he's ordered was placed on the round table in front of him. Hari-san returned with a cup of tea in a foreign style of cup. It was white with intricately painted blue flowers along the base and around the handle. It came with a matching little plate that reminded him of a sakazuki.
Hari-san left the small menu on the table for him to look over.
He compared the pastries themselves to the photos and descriptions and wondered how exactly such odd shapes were made with simple dough.
Cooking was not one of his preferred pursuits after all. He could do basic things but anything more taxing was often deemed unnecessary, a waste of time, and usually a luxury he did not need. And if he truly wanted something like that, he could save himself the trouble and buy it from a reliable source, thereby contributing to the village's economy.
The first pastry he'd been given was layered over fifty times and was the shape of a clam shell. There was a form of powdered sugar sprinkled over it, and between every layer was a thin line of almond-flavored paste that was incredibly smooth on the tongue and went very well with the mixed drink he'd discovered for himself.
None of the flavors were overpowering. Everything just went well together.
Hari-san returned with a smile and asked, "Would you like your fortune read when you finish your cup of tea?"
He took another moment to savor a bit of his pastry, before wiping his mouth on a napkin and clearing his throat. "I have heard tell of that. How accurate would you say your readings are?"
"Completely," the woman admitted with a grin. "However, it also depends on the person and what they are aiming for." She looked over at the next nearest guest, who had turned their cup upside down to show that they were interested in a reading. "Listen closely as I divine their fortune."
She sashayed on over to the other patron, greeting them with warmth and asking if they were ready for a tea reading. The patron responded with an eager nod.
Hari-san took their cup in hand so that her right index finger was hooked over the cup's handle. She let out a low hum and she carefully turned it in a full, clockwise circle. "There are two shapes in your cup and one of them has two interpretations that benefit you."
She turned the cup around so the patron could look at it evenly. "From this angle you have an outstretched hand." She then tilted the cup, so the bottom half protruded a bit more. "From this angle it is a deer head. Being in the upper half of your cup signifies good omens and a success on your eventual proposal to your Nara lover. However, the sun being in the lower half of your cup serves as a warning to not wait lest the sun will set prematurely on your relationship. A proposal begets a wedding and being wedded as soon as possible affords them paid time off and will allow them to avoid danger in the coming months."
It was quite an ominous fortune in Orochimaru's opinion. She had essentially told her customer that they were going to propose to their lover and get a positive response. However, she had also warned them that if they waited too long, they would possibly lose the love of their life on the battlefield before they could propose. But, if they proposed posthaste, then their lover would be allowed paid leave, and would avoid an incredibly dangerous encounter.
The woman at the table gaped. "I've never been here before. How did you know I'm dating a Nara, Potta-san?"
Hari-san winked. "The tea leaves don't lie, Akane-san. Thank you for your patronage and I do hope we'll see you again soon. Let me know where your wedding venue will be, and I'll send a gift over with my well wishes."
She returned to Orochimaru's side with an extra pep in her step. "And that is how it is done. Would you like a reading now?" she asked, gesturing to his own cup which was turned over.
"If it is no trouble."
"Hm… Fascinating." She turned the cup around so that he could see it. From his perspective, it was simply a ring. The tea leaves had gathered together in a thin circle at the very bottom of the cup.
"There are two possible interpretations for this. The first is that it is a circlet, which can stand for things like a crown, or a weapon, or something you'd use to propose to your loved one. Where I'm from, there is a proverb which states, 'a circle has no beginning', which is supposed to tell us that whatever is, is, and whatever will be, will be. That life is a cycle that repeats itself over and over without end. In essence, it is something eternal."
Hari-san then turned the cup around, so the handle was on the left side. "However, it is easier to see from this angle that there is a slight bump in the center of the circle, and it reminds me of Orouborus. Legend tells of an ancient snake that is curled in a circle and is constantly eating its own tail so that there is no beginning or ending and it extends infinitely."
"Another cycle," Orochimaru noted with curiosity.
"Orouborus is believed to be a symbol of transcendence and rebirth. To those who lack understanding, they may attribute this symbol to immortality and the search for eternal life. And perhaps, to an extent, there is a form of immortality and eternity in the never changing and unending cycle of life and death as the only constant in the universe. However, I've often found that people who take this kind of view fall to their own hubris within time."
Orochimaru leaned forward, feeling as if an incredibly valuable lesson was being shared and that he should take every word to heart. "And how would you say this applies to me, Hari-san?"
Her abnormal green eyes flashed for a moment before she said, in the most emotionless voice he'd heard thus far, "If you are meant to be immortal, then it will gladly greet you as an old friend, but only when you least expect it."
For some reason, he didn't feel nervous about her potentially knowing about his search for eternal life. After everything he'd witnessed today, after the monotony his life had become, Orochimaru was far too invested now to think about staying away.
The next time he had a free day to go to the shop was three weeks later. He'd run out of the tea blend he'd purchased three days prior, but he'd been on a supply mission and couldn't restock until now.
When he stepped into the shop, intent upon acquiring a new type of drink, ten more ounces of tea, and testing out half a dozen new pastries, he found himself frozen in place for a moment. The person behind the counter… looked like Hari-san… if she had a twin brother.
There were two of them?
Was this one just as charming?
Hari-san's hair was black as pitch and fell to her waist in a mess of curls and fly-aways. No hope for order to be found. This young man's hair reached only his shoulders but was equally messy and standing every which way. Both had the same eyes, not only in the almond shape but in the vibrancy of how green they were. Both shared the same pale complexion.
Truly, it seemed as if Hari-san had a twin she ran her business with.
The man behind the counter looked up and beamed fetchingly, just like Hari-san. "You're back! I was wondering when you'd return, Shinobi-san!"
Orochimaru blinked at the familiarity despite the fact that they'd never met before.
The young man frowned then, looking him over. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt on your mission? Is that why you couldn't come back until now?"
Shaking off his surprise, Orochimaru approached the counter. "Apologies… I do not believe we've become acquainted as of yet?"
A moment of awkward silence and staring between them passed before the young man gasped, then let out a sharp cackle, and then shook his head. "Sorry! I forget myself sometimes! My Kekkei Genkai lets me change my body at will."
...What?
Instantly, the young man's hair grew out, and the sharpness of his jaw softened a little, until Hari-san stood before him, grinning sheepishly. "The basics of my Kekkei Genkai is that I was born with undetermined features because apparently they kept shifting around with my emotions until they finally settled into an almost replica of my father around my first birthday. I lived like that for seventeen years or so. That's the face you saw when you just came in. When I realized that I could do much more than just regrow my shaved hair instantly, I began to experiment a bit."
And then Hari-san's face stretched outward until it looked like the yellowed bill of a duck. From the crown of her head sprouted furry ears that wiggled back and forth. All seemed to melt back into her form as she began to shift in shape, becoming thicker and thicker until she resembled an Akimichi, and then returning to her average thinness.
"I can technically change my skin to be any color I want, or any tone I desire, but there are certain implications that go along with something like that that I am not comfortable in associating myself with. So, I will not be changing my skin if it's not an outlandish color like pink or green or striped or polka-dotted," she explained, showing both bright pink and bright green, and then blue with white dots and red with purple stripes for example.
The mere existence of such a Kekkei Genkai left him practically salivating.
"How far can such a transformation actually go?" he asked, thinking about all the uses for missions such a Kekkei Genkai would have.
"Well, after studying human anatomy a lot better so I can understand the human form for when I'm messing around, I can honestly tell you that I could have anything at any time. Altogether or nothing at all even."
If her words meant what he thought they meant, then that was especially fascinating. Orochimaru had spent a lot of time researching and studying everything he could get his hands on. He had learned at a very young age that his body was very different compared to other people's bodies. Most bodies tended to be aligned toward one of the binaries but his had bits and bobs from both. And all of his clan had had such biology as well. Asexual Dimorphism, as it was scientifically called.
It had come with many benefits for the life of Shinobi, but also many detriments because it put other people off.
"I did get trapped in the whole binary thing a little," Hari-san said with a laugh. "When I first realized I could do this after so long of not being able to do it, I kept attributing things like shorter hair to boys and longer hair to girls, and I can't have longer hair if I'm intending to look more traditionally masculine or whatever. I think it took like a year before I remembered that I know plenty of girls with very short hair who are still feminine and plenty of men with very long hair who still look pretty masculine."
She fiddled with a piece of paper that had the menu on it and asked, "Do you want me to pick six new treats for you to try out?"
"Please," he murmured. "I am going to experiment with your drink bar again."
"And then return for another ten ounces of tea and a cup on the side?"
"Exactly. Same as last time please."
"Gotcha!"
As he tested out various combinations of liquids to make a unique beverage, Orochimaru focused on Hari-san's words.
The implications had been that she'd learn about this ability later on in life and finally gained a certain level of control over it. And in the middle of her experimentation, she realized that in order to fully utilize such an advantageous ability, she would have to do away with all preconceived notions she'd formed of gender by that point. It was much like how he'd approached life these days as well, as he too was androgynous.
After all, if one was born with the natural ability to shift around their outsides and insides, they don't really fall into either side of the binary. Not if she was capable of giving her body both types of sexual reproductive organs at the same time, or possibly having none at all, and her body still functioned normally.
Kekkei Genkai were truly a fascinating piece of evolution. He was practically salivating over all the potential the future could bring.
Getting to know Hari was already looking better and better.
A/N: The first is done!
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