Work Text:
PROLOGUE:
Yui was the daughter of the chief of the Iwagakure village. She was assigned to marry the village’s top shinobi; Gabimaru the Hollow. Well- after a week of being married, she learnt he was anything but ‘hollow’. But there was one thing she needed to do.
She needed to make him smile.
1.
Yui had noticed that ‘The Hollow’ acted quite like a cat. He hated water, jumpy most of the time. And it was quite endearing. So taking that into account, how could she make him smile? Headpats? Did he even like those? Sure he was cat-like, but was he really cat-like? There was only one way to find out.
Yui found him outside, sitting on the front porch and seemingly watching the sun set below the horizon. She saw how he found it beautiful. The way the reds and oranges bled into the purples and blues. What a lovely view. And it seemed that someone seemingly as hollow as Gabimaru found it beautiful too.
But besides the sunset, Yui walked out of the house and stood beside her husband.
“Enjoying the sunset I see.”
Gabimaru said nothing in response. Yui frowned, she was just trying to start a conversation, why’d he just have to brush her off in response, huh?
“Y’know, you should at least acknowledge my statement. Please?”
She asked, sitting down next to the shinobi. Yet again, he didn’t respond.
Yui raised her hand to run her fingers through his fluffy white hair. Causing Gabimaru to jump away from her, just shifting to the side a little. Looking at Yui with wide golden eyes he finally spoke up.
“Why did you do that?”
A simple question. How could she give an excuse without giving away her plan? Yui looked into his eyes, yet she couldn’t put her finger on the emotion she saw.
“I just couldn’t help myself.”
Gabimaru turned his gaze back to the sky. Seeing it had turned darker, he stood up. Hesitating slightly as he gingerly offered his hand to Yui, causing her to smile softly. Yui took his hand, then was pulled to her feet.
She had later realised that emotion was embarrassment.
2.
It was early morning. Yui had woken up a while ago, and Gabimaru had yet to rise from his sleep. It was a matter of time before she could test out her new idea.
The sun peeked through the thin curtains of the modest room, casting delicate rays of light that danced across Yui’s face.
As much as Gabimaru was a creature of habit (that creature being a cat), she thought perhaps it was time to nudge him out of that comfort zone—especially when it came to their marriage.
Yui watched as Gabimaru walked into the room, tired and on edge. She slowly walked forward to greet him, the taller (Yui, which I find extremely funny) wrapping her arms around the shinobi.
Gabimaru’s reaction was immediate. He jolted awake, pulling away slightly and looking at her wide-eyed.
“What—why did you do that?” His voice was thick with confusion.
Yui couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, a melodic sound that filled the air between them.
“Oh come on. Is it wrong for a wife to be affectionate with her husband?”
She studied his expression, noticing how the corners of his mouth twitched between surprise and discomfort.
“W-Well, no. But—” Gabimaru struggled to find his words as Yui playfully pressed a finger to his lips.
“Just—shush. And enjoy this, okay?” she replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
She held him for a moment longer, savoring the warmth they shared, but as she finally released him, she caught sight of his face—a shade of red, a new colour to his dull palette.
Yui couldn’t help but giggle at the sight, and Gabimaru couldn’t bear to meet her gaze. With an embarrassed huff and a muttered “I’ll be in the other room,” he turned on his heel and left, leaving Yui smiling to herself.
2.5
Later that day, after the morning’s warm exchange began to fade into a mere memory, Gabimaru found himself wandering through their small space.
Then, he spotted her. Yui was at the small table, her head resting on folded arms, her soft features serene in slumber.
He approached her, silent as a shadow, momentarily forgetting the emotional distance he usually maintained. And without conscious thought, Gabimaru reached out, his hand hesitating a few moments before running through her hair. It was smooth and soft against his roughened fingers.
“What am I doing?” He muttered under his breath. Hadn’t he always kept others at arm’s length?
Just as swiftly as the moment had begun, he withdrew his hand, his resolve crumbling under this unfamiliar vulnerability. Stepping back, he turned away.
3.
Being supportive was the last thing she could think of doing. Gabimaru was raised in a shinobi village, praise and respect were a foreign concept to him.
Yui saw Gabimaru sitting in their home, seemingly staring into space as always. She entered the room as quietly as a whisper. Yui had become accustomed to Gabimaru's intense detachment.
"You’ve been doing a lot of jobs lately," she began, her voice gentle.
Gabimaru turned to face her, an eyebrow arching slightly in surprise. This, at least, was an improvement—he was paying attention. Yui saw this as a sign to continue.
"When was the last time you took a break?"
He shrugged. “The village chief wouldn’t allow a ‘break’. It’s just the life of a shinobi.”
"Y’know, you can always talk to me if you have any problems. As your wife, it’s my responsibility to help you."
“Yeah, I know. But I don’t need help.”
“Well, aren’t you stubborn? I was just saying if you need—”
“I don’t need help now, or ever. It’s fine,” he cut her off sharply, Gabimaru’s words ricocheting in the small space between them. The sadness in Yui's eyes was like a shadow creeping into their home, a stark contrast to the light outside.
“Alright, Mr. Independent,” she remarked, her voice a shade darker as she turned to leave.
Gabimaru watched her walk away, a knot in his stomach forming and tightening. Was this what they called guilt? He had always known the weight of regret as a shinobi—but this felt different. One part of him insisted he ignore it, to push the feeling aside as he so often did, but another urged him to talk to her.
Decision made, he stood and sought Yui out, his resolve steadying with each stride. He found her in the kitchen, the flicker of fire and simmering pots a familiar comfort.
Gabimaru stood there for a moment. Struggling to find the words.
“Sorry,” he managed, his voice barely a whisper.
Yui blinked in surprise, her hands pausing mid-action. Had he just uttered that single, powerful word?
“It’s okay?” she responded carefully.
The confusion on Gabimaru’s face deepened, looking at her as if she were a riddle he couldn’t solve.
“You’re not mad?”
Yui replied with a shrug.
“It’s not a big deal.”
+1.
After three attempts, none succeeded. Seriously, was it impossible for him to smile? Yui was out of ideas. Her last one was to give up, and it was the best idea she had. The scarred woman huffed.
Yui sat in their home, Gabimaru to another side of the room. Maybe it was best just to stop trying. Give him some more time to warm up. It had only been at least two weeks since they had married. She just assumed that Gabimaru wasn’t as comfortable with her yet.
But oh, what to do? What to do? Yui honestly wanted to see him smile even a little! But there was no chance. Yui had finally given up. She began to walk outside to their porch and looked up into the sky. It was the afternoon, yet the sky had not begun to turn red—just a quiet balance in the sky.
There was a calming breeze too. It was light, but strong enough to make her hair flow into the wind. Yui looked into the clouds with a clear view, meaning she had no hair covering her face. Oh well. No one would see her scarred face anyway.
While Yui gazes into the clouds, she begins to feel a gaze watching her from behind. But the only one who could—She turns around. The only one who could watch her from behind was Gabimaru. But something is odd; he is smiling.
A surprised look makes its way onto Yui’s face as she watches Gabimaru turn to face away from her. It seemed ‘The Hollow’ was embarrassed. How funny! Yui fully turns around to walk back inside their home, walking towards the white-haired man.
Yui stands in front of Gabimaru. She had a teasing smile on her face. It was golden, seeing a ‘hollow’ shinobi blushing like crazy because he was embarrassed.
“Well. Was that your smile I just saw?” Yui asked, tilting her head slightly. Gabimaru shook his head in disagreement. Obviously very embarrassed.
“No it wasn’t.”
“Yes it was.”
They went back and forth between that multiple time before Gabimaru gave up and sighed. “Yes it was. I couldn’t help it y’know!” Yui chucked at his quick defense, finding it quite adorable.
“Y’know? Y’know, I’ve been trying to make you smile for the past few days?” Yui told him, making Gabimaru turn his head back, to face her.
“What?”
“Yeah it’s true. And I was just about to give up on this, until you decided to give me the victory.”
“So that’s why you’ve been overly sweet these past few days huh?”
“Correct.”
Gabimaru blink in surprise a few times before looking down. Yui looked at him in surprise. Why was he seeming to be sad? It was- strange. Almost scary.
“Are you- upset? With me?” Yui asked nervously. Gabimaru quickly raised his head again. “What? No. No im not.”
The scarred woman looked at him in confusion. “Then why did you bow your head?” The shinobi blinked a few times before answering with, “No reason! There’s no reason.” Yui shrugged after hearing that and walked off, thinking to herself;
‘I do not believe he’s truly hollow. There’s no way. He’s not hollow, and he never will be.’
End <3
Not actually the end.
…
EPILOGUE:
Gabimaru stood still, his gaze fixed on the spot where Yui had just disappeared from view. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant sounds of nature faded into the background as he began to reflect on her words, replaying them in his mind like they were now a cherished memory.
“Y’know? Y’know, I’ve been trying to make you smile for the past few days?”
Had she been doing that to see just a faint hint of happiness on his face? He truly did not deserve that woman. But somehow fate landed them together. Gabimaru couldn’t help but smile again thinking about that, a genuine expression.
Yui was far too kind and compassionate for someone like him. Gabimaru believed he was not deserving or worthy of someone’s love. Yui thought otherwise. The shinobi gazed into space again, lost in his thoughts about what he had heard again. She had been trying to make him smile, huh? She was truly too sweet.
With each moment spent lost in thought, Gabimaru began to understand that perhaps allowing himself to be loved wasn’t such a foreign concept after all.
Maybe learning that made his life slightly more beautiful.