Naruto: Mei Terumi's Tubby Troubles Part 1

Mei Terumi, the fifth and current Mizukage of Kirigakure, stared at her reflection in her office mirror. She wasn't happy with what she saw. She couldn't believe just how out of shape she had gotten recently.

Her thin, beautiful face had puffed out with fuller cheeks and a hint of a double-chin. Her breasts were slightly larger than before, sagging just a little. She had a muffin-top and a pudgy belly that were quite visible underneath her tight outfit. It was the same for her thighs and bum, as well. Mei sighed; it was so mortifying. She had let her appetite get out of hand, and she never even realized it until it was too late. She must have put on over 20 pounds or more since the war against the fake Madara had ended. She had misused her privileges as the Mizukage, that was for sure. It wouldn't look good in the eyes of others if the leader of an entire nation had become a lazy fatty, either. She would become the butt of many jokes.

'Even worse...how will I ever find someone to marry me now?' she thought to herself, sinking ever deeper into her budding despair.

Suddenly, there was a knock behind her. Mei peered at the door from over her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Mizukage, ma'am, I have come to pick up the documents, if you've finished with signing them." It was Ao.

"Ah, yes! I have them on my desk; you may come inside."

The door creaked open, and the man who was one of Mei's closest advisers and guardians stepped inside. The talismans he wore as makeshift earrings swayed gently as he walked towards the desk. Mei stood by in quiet observation as Ao attempted to wrap his arms around the tall stack of papers. There was alot more than he had expected; it was only simple paperwork, but the Mizukage had really gone all out this time. He looked over at her.

"This is everything, right? There isn't any more...right?" He was hoping there wasn't. He wasn't sure how much his back could handle.

Mei shook her head. "There's nothing else. I'm all done for the day, Ao."

Ao stared at her a little longer. It didn't take an elite ninja like himself to tell that she was obviously upset about something. The way her eyes seemed to avoid making contact, how she kept her arms crossed so tightly over her chest, and the distance she seemed intent on keeping. All of these awkward manners resonated with a sense of loneliness, a need for companionship. Ao wondered if he should say something. He knew that she had been going through some personal problems lately. However, she wasn't someone who would go and openly admit these problems aloud. She needed someone to coax them out of her.

"...Is something the matter, ma'am?"

After a few seconds of tense silence, the Mizukage replied, "Ao, can I ask you a question?"
"Yes?"

"Do you think that I've gained weight lately?"

"I wouldn't say that you have...why do you ask?" Ao casually replied. He had noticed Mei's gain a long time ago, of course. He had never intended on telling her. He wasn't stupid enough to do something that dangerously risky. In the past, there were several times where she had misheard his words, and she threatened him with death because of it. If he told her out-right that she had gained weight, then Ao would essentially be committing assisted suicide.

Mei shook her head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. I think I'm going to go out for a while! Maybe...get a drink or something," Mei started for the door at a quick pace. She winced as she felt her entire body wobble and jiggle with each step. She really needed to get outside, quickly. It felt like she had suddenly been trapped inside a small, tight space, and she could hardly breathe. Ao felt discouragement at the fact that he couldn't get Mei to talk more, but he let it slide for now.

"Alright, if there's anything else we need from you, I'll send one of my men to deliver the message." Ao called out to her, watching her exit the room. He sighed. He could only hope that she would get out of this slump soon. Not only was it going to keep affecting her, but it will lower the morale of the men as well. He wished he could do more for her, somehow.

'Ah, geez, I really shouldn't be worrying so much about this...I'm a Hunter-Nin, not some kind of psychologist! But still...'

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One of the establishments in the village that Mei most frequented was a small bar just a few blocks from the office, a place where single people were known to frequent regularly due to the cheap, but tasteful liquor. Mei, who had been around longer than she would like to admit, was a personal witness to several relationships being formed between certain patrons of this particular bar, between both opposite and same sexes. Unfortunately, she herself had never had the fortune to experience such a thing. She kept going with a tiny sliver of hope in her heart that 'tonight would be the night'. Although she tried not to let it get to her, it was still difficult to accept. Not a single man ever asked her out. And, she thought solemnly as she poked at her doughy midsection, they were even less likely to do so now.

Mei glided into the bar with her usual gracefulness, her long reddish-brown hair waving close behind her. It was a small, well-kept place, dimly lit with a pool table that sat unused in the northern right-hand corner of the room. There was a counter with stools, and several booths along with a table. There were about ten other people already drinking. At the instant that the Mizukage stepped inside, all conversation and sound in general temporarily ceased, so many eyes gazing upon her. The chatter gradually picked back up again as Mei sat down at her usual stool; she had made sure to reserve it especially for her use. She didn't even have to pay for her beer.

"The usual, please."

The bartender gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

The frothing drink was placed down in front of her within a matter of seconds. Mei heaved a sigh, and brought the rim of the glass to her lips. It tickled her throat every time she took a sip. She liked to take her drinks slowly; couldn't handle much more than two or three glasses. Even if she didn't have a husband and she was losing her figure, she was at least thankful that she hadn't become an alcoholic like Tsunade. The lonely, chubby woman continued to stare off into the distance, her attention lost into a dream-like state, when someone took the seat next to her.

"Hey there. Uh, I hope you don't mind me asking you this, but what would you suggest is the best drink here? It's my first time here."

It was a man's voice that was addressing her. Mei wasn't much in the mood for idle chatter with just anyone, and she turned to tell him to bug off. Her jaw dropped. He was incredibly handsome.

He had dirty-blonde hair that hung down to his shoulders. His eyes were clear and serene, a turquoise color. He had a youthful face, but a light stubble on his chin made him appear slightly older. For him, the mixture of young and old complimented his overall looks nicely. He wore a black suit and tie; it wasn't very natural for anyone dressed in such fine clothing to be visiting a low-key bar like this, but here he was. A small ninja headband was wrapped tightly about halfway up his left arm; it had the symbol of Kirigakure on it. He was smiling at her, and, to Mei's relief, all of his teeth were white and perfectly straight.

"W-Well, I couldn't say for sure," Mei replied as smoothly as she could, "It really depends on your personal preferences."

"Hmm, I see, ha ha. I guess I should have expected that. Thanks anyway."

"It's no problem. So you say you're new here, right? Judging from your headband, you're a ninja of Kirigakure, though? You certainly don't dress like one."

The man let out a short burst of laughter, but then his eyes fell. "Yes, well, I'm not really a ninja. This headband I'm wearing on my arm, well, it's actually a memento of a very close friend of mine. I just got it today, so I'm keeping it on my arm to remember him by. He had died in his recent mission. I was...I was just returning from his funeral."

"Oh, I see...I'm so sorry." Mei's heart fell. It was probably a mission she had approved that had gotten this man's friend killed in the first place.

"It's fine, it's fine! He wouldn't want me to mope very long, any way! I had to get a drink after all that, though, which led me here despite me not even being familiar with the place. It's funny how some things like this just happen."

"Yes, I suppose so, if you want to think of it that way," Mei smiled warmly at him.

For the next few hours, the two of them continued to talk; it was probably the longest that Mei had gotten to speak with a man (outside of her coworkers and the ninja who served underneath her) in quite some time. His name was Yamaru Keaton, and he had lived in a smaller town on the outskirts of Kirigakure up until moving to the main village just recently. He didn't know much about the layout of the village, so he was still struggling with getting used to living in such a big place. He had an interest in artwork, planning on making a living through his creations. He was kind, thoughtful, expressive, and he didn't even seem to mind Mei's pudginess. Every word that came out of his mouth  It may have just been her desperation for love talking, but she was dying to get to know even more about this man who had suddenly appeared into her life.

By this point, she had, without realizing it, drank almost four glasses of alcohol, and her chubby belly was starting to pooch out further onto her lap. It formed into a perfect sphere of flesh. Mei was completely unaware of her stomach's bloated state. Every now and then Yamaru would chance a quick glance at it.

"Are you feeling alright, Mei?"

"Of course I am! What makes you ask that? I feel fine!" she replied, a slight slur in her words. She wasn't too drunk, but still just enough to not be fully aware of her surroundings anymore. She was just so happy. She was already imagining the two of them being married underneath a flower-covered altar. It was foolish of her to do so, but her inner desires were taking the reigns of her mind. Yamaru chuckled.

"You know, how about we go out somewhere? Get something to eat? I saw this buffet place on the way here; it's probably still open." he suggested. There was something hidden behind the gentle look in his eyes, but Mei was too taken by the alcohol in her system to notice it.

Mei sat up straight, and nodded her head, exclaiming, "Oh that sounds great! We should go! If...if you don't mind..." she didn't want to seem TOO excited. It would just make her look easy. She didn't even know what to think anymore. She could only feel something akin to joy inside of her. And a little bit of hunger.

"Perfect! You can eat as much as you like!"

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"So...this is them, huh?"

Ao, Chojuro and two other ninjas stood over the corpses of the five guards. They had been found outside by the village's northern gate, all of them face-down in puddles of their own blood. They had all been killed from cuts to the neck and chest. Ao sighed; it was painful to look at. He had only just spoken to these men earlier that same day, and now they were all gone. He shook his head and spoke out to the cloaked ANBU standing beside him.

"Do you have any idea who did it?"

"Intruders, most likely."

"Intruders? How can you say that? They would have set off the sensors, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, usually, but they might have had a ninja on their side with a jutsu that could allow them to sneak through the barrier without detection. Or maybe they did trip the sensors, but they were able to hide themselves completely and weren't seen. Either way, I doubt this is something that has happened from inside the barrier."

"Ao..." Chojuro mumbled as he cast a concerned glance in his superior's direction.

Ao's jaw tightened. He didn't like the sound of this. Five of their best guards weren't even able to kill a single one of these 'intruders', whoever they were.

'This means, that right now, they're already inside of the village!'