The Prince and the Serpent

ChoCho the Merchant's Daughter

The girl's name was ChoCho and learning more about her proved to be easy. It was soon evident that she loved to speak of little else. In a very short time, they learned that she was the only daughter of Choji and Karui Akimichi. Her father was from Boruto's kingdom but her mother was born in in the northern kingdom. They were traveling to the capitol after a long stay in her mother's kingdom.

Those were the important things Boruto could gather from her near constant jabbering. He didn't bother to hide his pouting as he listened to ChoCho go on and on. Mostly, it was her droning about what a burden it was to be so beautiful and the great number of hopeful suitors she had at all times.

ChoCho wasn't ugly but she wasn't as gorgeous as she made herself out to be. Even the goddess of beauty would have trouble living up to ChoCho's hype. It was obvious that she had never seen a day of actual work i her life. Her skin was smooth and well pampered, carefully rubbed with perfumed oils. Several times a day, evidently. The pungent floral scent tickled his nose, even at this distance.

Boruto was certain she had plenty of suitors but it wasn't for her beauty. He recognized the name Akimichi. They were probably the wealthiest silk merchants in all the kingdoms. Choji and Boruto's father weren't particularly close but they were friendly enough. Choji's wife, Karui, had designed many dresses for his mother. He had heard, in passing, that Choji had a daughter but this was the first time they'd met. That was something he was grateful for.

He had no doubt that if he had stayed at home like a good boy, ChoCho would have been on the list of his possible suitors. Life had a cruel sense of irony, he thought as he watched one of his would-be suitors constantly hitting on the love of his life. Every look she gave Mitsuki made him feel like vomiting and each touch of her fingers made him want to punching something.

He sat beside Mitsuki, watching the disaster unfold before his eyes. Mitsuki's free arm was wrapped around his waist and was squeezing his hip reassuringly while his other repeatedly slithered out of ChoCho's amorous grasp. Boruto couldn't believe the hussy hadn't noticed. She still hadn't noticed Mitsuki's irritated looks or the way his arm kept slipping out of her grasp, as if it were a snake shedding its skin. It seemed she was well accustomed to seeing and hearing only what she wanted. Finally, Boruto'd had enough.

"Yes, yes, fascinating." Boruto said formally but still making his sarcasm known, "Anyway ChoCho, I would like to meet with your father. I-" ChoCho cut him off before he could go any further.

"Yes, I am certain you would like to meet with my father, Prince Boruto." ChoCho said, her tone icy. Boruto knew he should be less surprised by the sound of his title. He had long accepted that no one had trouble recognizing him but he was still startled none the less. He met her eyes and he was even more surprised to see the angry glare marring her carefully painted features.

"I am sorry to disappoint you but I am never going back." She turned starry eyes back to Mitsuki and Boruto scowled deeply. "Father would never accept our love!" She cried dramatically as she made to throw her arms around Mitsuki. The basilisk tactfully avoided her arms and Boruto clenched his teeth so hard, he thought he heard a tooth crack. "It's the classic tail of the handsome beast and the beautiful maiden!" ChoCho continued, completely undeterred by the apparent disinterest of her "love".

Boruto rolled his eyes, hard. He looked away, renewing his pout and ignoring ChoCho as she continued on with her tragic story with herself as the heroine. Did they need supplies this badly? Honestly, he would rather die of thirst in the desolate grasslands than continue to tolerate this woman's hands all over his beloved. Mitsuki, in response to his thoughts, gently squeezed his hip in another attempt to comfort him.

He glanced back at Mitsuki but refused to let go of his attitude. He didn't care that this was a means to an end. If they couldn't convince her to bring them to the merchant caravan, then there was no point to any of this.