Title Her Ninja Way
Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The Hyugi protect Konoha by sacrificing the self for the good of the people. To insure peace between the Sand and the Leaf, Hinata is promised to Gaara. Though she is waiting for Naruto to return, she agrees because to give herself up for Konoha is her ninja way.
Chapter One
Previous Chapters None

Her Ninja Way

Chapter One:

"Perhaps, but if it is how to keep the peace between the Village of the Sand and the Village of the Leaf, I will do it. I'm going to be Kazekage after all, and I have to protect our people."

They Hyuga family is one of the most power families in all of Konoha. They are well known for their connections and the power and affluence they have brought to what once was a very small and desolate Village of the Leaf. Brokering treaties and halting probable wars are essential skills the Hyuga must know by a very young age. The Hyuga are barterers and martyrs spanning generations of keeping Konoha from destruction, though in the present time, the fear of the instant destruction of Konoha is a very distant memory. After the invasion of the Sound during the Chunin exams, the Village of the Sand and the Village of the Leaf searched for a way to insure that their villages would not go to war. The Village of the Sound, disguised as ninja of the Sand proved a treaty necessary to promise the peace between both countries.

Each Hyuga is instilled with their destiny and a strong sense of responsibility. They know that Konoha is their city to protect and defend. They are to rise to the challenge to keep the peace and safety of the people. Their kekki genkai of Byakugen is their mark and their promise of their duties and destinies. Each generation faces their own trials and own tests to their promise. When the Sand and the Leaf began treaty negotiations, all Hyuga paid attention to the transaction.

Hyuga Neiji watched the closest of all, with the exception of the lead Hyuga. He was the oldest of the younger generation and of the second house, making him most likely picked for whatever was needed. The second house took most of the missions since they were lower ranked and not as important as the first house. He was the first to see the messenger coming towards the large Hyuga complex. Neiji's haunting translucent eyes fixed on the Genin as the boy ran up to him, panting.

"Is Hyuga Hinata here?" the boy who came up to the middle of Neiji's chest looked up at the Chunin with a mix of fear and hope.

Neiji didn't show his surprise. He thought that the messenger would be delivering the result of the peace negotiations and would be looking for someone of his house. "She's inside. I'll get her." Neiji turned and walked into the large Hyuga mansion of the main family. He walked down the hall of the first floor when he watched his target come around the corner down a few yards away.

Hyuga Hinata looked up at Neiji, about to ask something when he spoke. "Someone is here to see you."

Hinata's heart jumped. No one ever came to see her. Her heart hoped for Naruto, but he had been away for just over a year on a special training mission with Jiraiya-sama. She nodded. "Thank you." Then she walked past her cousin and out into the front yard. It was odd having Neiji be rather nice to her. During the Chunin exams, Neiji had nearly succeeded in killing her, but after the exams when everything was over, Neiji was very different and less hostile.

"Are you Hyuga Hinata?" a boy of about eight or nine asked hastily.

"Yes," Hinata answered, offering a disarming smile. The boy looked intimidated.

"This is for you." The boy handed her a folded paper with the Hokage's symbol stamped on it. "It's a summons to see the Fifth."

Hinata stared at him and nervously took the paper, studying the seal a moment before opening it. The boy stood nervously in front of her, unsure if he was supposed to leave yet or not. Hinata read the paper, her hands shaking. The boy shifted his weight, watching her. She didn't seem to be paying attention to him, but the Hyuga Clan was the most powerful clan in all of Konoha, so he decided to wait to be dismissed.

Hinata refolded the paper and spoke in a shaky, quiet voice. "Is there anything else?"

"No."

"You can go," Hinata stated, watching the boy walk quickly away. Looking down at the summons, she pursed her lips and whispered quietly, "Naruto…"

~*~

"It's barbaric, don't you think?" Kankuro looked over at his younger brother. The older teenager had his special ninja clothes on and his face was painted in an archaic pattern.

"It hasn't been done in centuries," Gaara acknowledged. "The last time it was between the Sound and the Mist."

"I know that you won't become the Kazekage for five months, but…" Kankuro sighed. "I don't know. It just seems weird, like something out of a fable."

"Perhaps, but if it is how to keep the peace between the Village of the Sand and the Village of the Leaf, I will do it. I'm going to be Kazekage after all, and I have to protect our people." The fourteen-year-old met the eighteen-year-old's eyes. "That is my first duty."

Kankuro held his gaze. Only last year, he wouldn't imagine that Gaara would become the Kazekage, let alone be talking about his duty to protect their village. It had to be because of that Genin from Konoha, the Chunin thought. Gaara had been steadily changing since their fight over a year ago. When the door opened, Kankuro looked away and to their visitor.

"They have secured her," the messenger reported. "She is speaking with the Godaime at the moment."

"Who is she?" Kankuro asked.

"I haven't seen her," the messenger replied, shaking his head. "Shall I relay anything back to the Godaime?"

Gaara shook his head. The messenger nodded and then closed the door after he left.

~*~

The girl was cute. She was too cute and too innocent to have this done to her. Tsunade, the fifth Hokage of Konoha leaned back in her seat as she surveyed the girl in front of her. Judging by her looks, Tsunade estimated her to be roughly fourteen or fifteen. She finally leaned forward in her seat, shirt hanging dangerously low. Speaking in a calm voice, she asked, "So you agree to this?"

The girl in the baggy clothing nodded. "Yes." She was trembling again but tried to straighten herself and look braver. "I do."

"You will have to speak with the next Kazekage then," the current Kazekage stated. "He must approve of you before I will accept your agreement."

Hinata nodded, watching as one of the Kazekage's attendants stepped forward. "This way, Hyuga-sama."

Hinata fell in step with him and looked down at her feet, watching her steps as she followed him. Her heart pounded in her chest and ears. She tried to imagine what the junior Kazekage looked like but she was too nervous. She almost walked into the attendant when he stopped outside a door. "The junior Kazekage is inside with his guard." He knocked on the door quietly.

"Come in."

The attendant opened the door and spoke in a formal tone. "Will you see her now?"

"Yes."

The attendant stepped back and looked at Hinata, his face expressionless. "He will see you now, Hyuga-sama."

Hinata stepped past him and through the door, forcing herself to look up from her feet. When she did, her translucent eyes widened. Seated before her were two of the Sound ninja, Gaara and Kankuro. Kankuro seemed to openly recognize her, but if Gaara did, he didn't' show it. "Hyuga Hinata reporting," Hinata said in as loud a voice she could manage, bowing before the upper level ninja.

"Stand up," Kankuro said after glancing at Gaara to see if he would say anything.

"Kankuro, leave us," Gaara instructed, catching Kankuro slightly off guard.

The taller brother blinked and then rose from his chair. "I'll be outside if you need anything." He nodded to Hinata as he passed, then exited the room, closing the door quietly.

Once Kankuro left, Gaara indicated his seat. "Sit down. We need to discuss this."

Hinata sat down in the offered seat beside him and folded her hands in her lap so she wouldn't play with her fingers. She could feel Gaara's eyes on her and she knew that she should look at him, but she couldn't. After she woke up, she heard all about Gaara from the others, although Naruto didn't seem as terrified when he talked to her. She felt her heart jump. She had to stop thinking about Naruto, she couldn't think about him like that any longer.

"In my country, one is an adult at fifteen," Gaara said, "but here, you are an adult at eighteen." He paused as though checking to see if Hinata would look at him, after a moment, he continued, "In January, I'll be fifteen and will become the Kazekage of Suna. To keep the peace with Konoha, we will be married." He paused again.

Hinata saw his hand come towards her chin and she slid back slightly, evading him. "Don't - "

"Then look at me. I don't know if you're even listening," Gaara interrupted.

Hinata summoned all of her strength and turned her eyes up to his. She tried to hold his gaze, but faltered, yet kept her head up so that he might not tilt it up himself. "I'm listening."

Gaara surveyed her and then he asked, "When do you turn fifteen?"

"December twenty-seventh," she answered, trying not to look down at her hands.

Gaara nodded. "We will not marry right away. Since in Konoha, you're an adult at eighteen, we will wait until you are eighteen." He watched her shift her weight in her chair as she fought to keep her head from bending downward. "What are the customs in Konoha?"

"Customs…?" Hinata blinked. "There are several."

When she didn't elaborate, Gaara spoke. "In Suna, when someone marries a foreigner, the foreigner comes to live in Suna during the year before the wedding. They learn the way of our people and live as one of them so that they understand the family they will enter. When the wedding comes, it follows the tradition of the foreigner's country. What are your traditions?"

"In Konoha, there are many different traditions, there isn't any one tradition everyone shares," Hinata explained quietly. She cleared her throat and forced herself to speak louder and avert her eyes from her hands to him. "In our clan, the wedding takes place outside in the front lawn of the main house. The bride wears a white kimono with a flower embroidered on it and the groom wears a kimono displaying the colors of his clan." She took a deep breath. "They kneel before the Hokage who officiates the ceremony and drink from the same cup, which the bride offers to the groom. It's very complex and very simple."

Gaara remained silent and then nodded. "We will have to meet together several times before you come to stay at Suna. Until I am Kazekage, I will come here, but after I am Kazekage, you will have to come to me except on special occasions when I have to come to Konoha."

Hinata nodded. She couldn't think of anything better to do. She knew she should say something or do something. She forced her eyes away from her hands and asked, "How long are you staying?"

"Not for too much longer. I will tell you before I come back."

"Thank you," Hinata commented. It was the only thing she could think of to say.

Before Gaara could respond, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Gaara instructed.

A different attendant appeared. "The Kazekage is ready to leave."

Gaara nodded, standing. Looking down at Hinata, he said, "I will see you soon." Then he left through the door.

To be continued…

Title Her Ninja Way
Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The Hyugi protect Konoha by sacrificing the self for the good of the people. To insure peace between the Sand and the Leaf, Hinata is promised to Gaara. Though she is waiting for Naruto to return, she agrees because to give herself up for Konoha is her ninja way.
Chapter Two

Her Ninja Way

Chapter Two: “There are many things you must learn about Suna before you can walk amongst our people.”



It was early in the Konoha morning. The sun was coming up and the dew dripped off of the various plants inside the guarded city. Nara Shikamaru trudged down the shopping district, venders just setting up. As he passed some waved, but most were in the sleepy lull of setting up for the day’s customers. The Fifth seemed to enjoy getting him up at the crack of dawn to welcome the visitors from Suna whenever they came. The message arrived at three that he was to come to the entrance at four-thirty. He had been awake before the birds, and he hated that.

He saw the guardsmen flanking the gates, both more alert than Shikamaru felt. That wasn’t to say that Shikamaru wasn’t alert to his surroundings, he just was tired and grumpy. Stopping at the gate, one of the guards greeted him. “Nara, coming to escort the representative again?” There was a rather annoying smirk on his face.

“The Godaime sent me,” Shikamaru replied irritably.

“Uh huh,” said the other guard. Then he perked when the signal went up that the one of the doors was about to open.

A young woman of about seventeen appeared, her blonde hair sticking out in four bushy pigtails, her bangs parted in the center. Her dark eyes scanned the three young men before her. Finally, they rested on Shikamaru, her lips curling into a very slight smirk. “You again?”

“Yeah,” Shikamaru responded, glancing at the two guards who seemed to have identical bemused expressions. He looked back over at her and turned towards the village, indicating that they should leave. “Where are you going?”

“The Hyuga main house,” Temari replied. “I have to pick up Hyuga Hinata.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. “What does the Sand want with Hinata?”

“I thought that Konoha knew,” Temari replied. “She’s going to marry Gaara.”

Shikamaru grew quiet as they started down the market street, vendors glancing their way, some of the older women smiling amongst themselves. “I forgot. It doesn’t seem like something that would be going on.”

“I know,” Temari commented. “Everyone was shocked. There’s no need for it, but if it’s part of the treaty and will keep us from war, Gaara will do it.”

Shikamaru simply nodded. Having been the exclusive escort for the Sand, he had been watching the change develop. It still didn’t make sense, but he could accept it to a degree. They turned down a residential street, and finally after going down a few more, they arrived at the center of the city where the Hyuga main house stood. “This is it.”

“Will you wait?” Temari looked over at him before going towards the house.

“I have nothing else to do.” Shikamaru met her eyes and then she nodded before leaving him to go up to the front door.

~*~

Hinata had been up before the birds preparing for when the representative of the Sand would come to collect her. She had on a large white long-sleeved shirt, long shorts, and sandals. She was prepared for the hot climate of Suna, but self-consciously hid her body. She watched out the window for the representative to arrive. She finally saw Temari and Shikamaru appear and stop in front of her house. They were talking about something and they were smiling. Well, Temari was smirking and Shikamaru looked bored, but in her mind they were smiling.

An image of Naruto flashed before her eyes. She had wanted to see him off when he left, but she didn’t have the courage. Even Neiji had asked if she was going to go say goodbye to him. However, Hinata was going to visit Gaara in the Village of the Sand because it was her duty to Konoha. She closed her eyes and put Naruto’s image away as she watched Temari walk up towards the front door.

Hinata opened the door before Temari could knock. “Good morning,” Hinata greeted the taller teenager.

Temari looked her over as though judging to see if Hinata’s clothing would be appropriate for the climate. “Do you have everything you need?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then.” Temari and Hinata walked over to Shikamaru who watched them.

“Back to the gate?” he asked Temari. When she nodded, he sighed and started back down the path he had gone down three times already that morning. The trio walked in silence and finally reached the gate. Shikamaru glanced at the bemused looks he was receiving from the guards.

“We’ll come back late tonight,” Temari turned to him as the guards gave the signal that the gate was about to open. “Are you going to be here?”

“Probably,” Shikamaru mumbled a reply.

Temari nodded and then gave a small wave. “See you then.” Then she and Hinata disappeared beyond the gates.

~*~

“So Temari went to get Hyuga?” Kankuro asked, looking over at Gaara.

“Yes, she left early this morning,” Gaara answered. The pair stood in a balcony overlooking one of the main streets of Suna. The number of people was growing as the sun climbed lower. Suna came close to shutting down between eleven in the morning and one in the afternoon when the sun was at its highest, but now that it was one-thirty, the streets were filling up again. “They should be here soon.”

Kankuro nodded as he surveyed the people bellow them. No one bothered to look up at them or even their way. His eyes searched the growing crowd and then he nodded in a direction. “I see them.”

Gaara’s green eyes glanced in the direction Kankuro indicated. Then he nodded and disappeared into the room.

~*~

Hinata’s eyes watched the people as they immerged from their houses and into the streets. Venders had finished setting their shops back up and everyone looked as though they were just waking up and starting the day.

“In our village,” Temari explained, “it’s too hot to do anything outside in the middle of the day so everyone goes home and rests. It’s too dangerous to be outside during that time of day unless you have water, but since water is very expensive, Suna shuts down between eleven and one.”

Hinata nodded as she politely declined to look at some wares a man offered out to her. “It’s a lot like Konoha,” she noted quietly. She wanted to speak more in this meeting and try to be braver. She was representing Konoha and wanted to cast it in a very respectful and polite light.

“First you will meet with the Kazekage and then you can see Gaara,” Temari told her as they walked past the balcony Kankuro and Gaara had been standing on minutes before.

Hinata nodded obediently. They finally came to the center of the village and entered an elaborate building. Temari led her through the first floor and then up to the third floor finally stopping outside a guarded door. “Temari bringing Hyuga Hinata to see the Kazekage.”

The stone faced guard nodded and then knocked on the door. After hearing a mumbled word, the guard spoke. “Hyuga Hinata requesting an audience.”

Another word came from behind the door and the guard turned to Hinata. “The Kazekage will see you now, Hyuga-sama.”

Hinata walked through the door and heard it shut quietly behind her. She looked over at the Kazekage behind his desk and watched him motion her to take a seat. “Welcome to Suna, Hyuga-sama.”

“Thank you, sir,” Hinata returned. “It’s a very nice place.”

“Yes, very different from Konoha, however,” the Kazekage commented, “I will tell you why you are meeting with me before you are meeting with Gaara.” He paused to make sure she was listening and was pleased to see that she wasn’t looking at her hands. He had asked Gaara how their first meeting had went and he expected Hinata to be much shyer, although Gaara was a much more intimidating person. “There are many things you must learn about Suna before you can walk amongst our people.”

After her nod, he continued, “First, always wear light clothing, that doesn’t mean the color has to be white, just don’t wear thick clothing. Second,” he met her eyes, “always remember to bring something with you if you go into the desert when traveling. Water is expensive, but for a long journey through the deserts outside of Suna, it is necessary. Third and final,” he said, “try to avoid the sun at all costs. Most wear hats or protective salves.” He studied her skin tone. “Talk with Temari about finding protection from the sun. You’re very pale and most likely will burn easily.”

Hinata nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“Is there anything you wish to ask before I dismiss you?” the Kazekage inquired.

“Nothing right now.”

“Alright. You maybe leave now then.” He indicated the door.

Hinata rose from her chair and bowed before leaving through the door. Temari was waiting across the hall, she seemed to be brooding. When the older girl heard the door open, she walked over to Hinata.

“The Kazekage said that I need to get sun protection,” Hinata informed her. “The Kazekage said that you would know the most about it.”

Temari nodded. “We can pick up a hat and salve from one of our venders on the way to our home. You’re very pale so we’ll go to see Miyuzaki-san, he has the highest-level salve in Suna.” The girls started off down the hall in silence. Soon they were back outside and back under the canopies that shielded the venders from the sun’s glare. Temari walked towards the outside of the venders so that she was more in the sun than Hinata. Five vendors down, Temari stopped and greeted a man who was in his early fifties. “Good afternoon, Miyuzaki-san.”

“Temari,” he returned, smiling, then he turned his kind eyes on Hinata. “Who’s this?”

“This is Hyuga Hinata,” Temari answered. “She needs sun protection. I was thinking maybe level five?”

Miyuzaki scrutinized Hinata. “Have you ever tanned before, Hyuga-san?”

“No.” Hinata shook her head. She wore her bulky coat often and when she wasn’t, she always had on long sleeves. Today was one of the very few days she had ever worn shorts in her life, even if they were rather long.

“Then you will need level six,” Miyuzaki decided, consulting the vials before him. “You are already looking rather pink as it is. It would be best to stay under the awnings as much as possible.” He handed her a dark brown vial and then turned to Temari. “Shall I put this on the tab?”

Temari nodded. In Suna, there was a bartering system and most put their expenses on tabs and paid for them after their received their paychecks. She looked over at Hinata as the petite girl put the vial in her pocket. “Let’s visit Takahashi-san and get you a hat before we go home.”

Hinata followed Temari down the marketplace, keeping in the shade as much as possible. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem,” Temari replied and then stopped. “Here we are.” She stopped before a cart with several hats piled up on the counter and hanging from the poles. A thin man wearing a large brimmed sombrero glanced at the girls. “Ah, Temari, what can I do for you today?” he inquired.

“I’m looking for a hat, preferably with a wide brim,” she replied with a slight curt tone.

“Finally losing your pigtails I see? It is about time,” the man murmured. “Your mother was very pretty with her hair that – “

“It’s not for me,” Temari interrupted.

“Oh,” Takahashi remarked, then he looked over at Hinata. “So, you are the person who is getting the hat?”

“Y – Yes,” Hinata replied quietly.

Hey looked her over and then nodded. “Wide-brim is a good choice.” He rifled through the hats on the poles and then brought down a pale hat with a wide bill and fabric hanging down the back. “Try this one.”

Hinata took the hat from Takashi and placed it on her head. It slid down over the tips of her ears and the bill’s width had a comical appearance. She took it off and handed it to Takashi, who placed it back on the pole before looking through another one. “I have several of those from Haruka-san. She made several and said that they would be the height of women’s fashion.” His voice dripped with annoyance. “I haven’t sold a one and the old bag won’t even wear one!” He sighed and then took down a wide-brimmed wheat-colored hat. It looked almost like a straw hat, but was very smooth. “Try this one.”

Hianta slipped the hat on her head, tucking the leather loop behind her ears as the hoop of it rested against her chest. It shaded her face, but wasn’t amazingly large like Takashi’s sombrero.

“Perfect!” Takashi announced then looked at Temari. “Does she have a tab?”

Hinata worriedly played with the leather loop as Temari answered. “She is using our tab.”

Takashi nodded and then said, “Tell that brother of yours that he still owes me for his masks.”

“I’ll tell him.” Temari nodded, then she looked over at Hinata as they left the hat stand. “You can put on the salve downstairs in the guest room before you go to see Gaara.”

Hinata nodded, still playing with the loop of her hat. Glancing at her, Temari wondered if a hat with a strap had been the best choice, but it was much better than the hat with the fabric in the back.

~*~

Gaara heard the door open downstairs and Temari’s voice. He was sitting at a round table, his chin resting on the back of his hand. Kankuro glanced down at the ladder leading down to the first floor from where he was leaning against the wall, arms folded. They heard footsteps and then Temari appeared through the ladder hole.

“She’s downstairs putting on salve,” Temari explained as she hoisted herself up and onto the floor. Standing, she brushed off her skirt.

“How was the trip?” Kankuro asked.

“Uneventful. We stopped by Miyuzaki-san’s and Takahashi-san’s,” she paused. “Takahashi-san said that you owe him money for your masks, Kankuro.”

“I already paid him,” the oldest in the room muttered under his breath.

“Temari…?” a voice called from downstairs.

“We’re up here,” Temari called down the stairs. Soon Hinata appeared, her hat off her head and hanging down her back, her skin rather pink.

“When did you take her for the hat and salve?” Kankuro asked.

“After she met with Kazekage,” Temari answered. “Takashi-san and Miyuzaki-san weren’t open when we went by earlier.”

Kankuro nodded, but before he could speak, Gaara said, “Leave us.”

Temari and Kankuro exchanged looks and then they stood up and left down the ladder. Gaara stayed silent until he was certain they were gone. He watched Hina play with the brown loop of her hat as she studied it. He sighed inwardly. Temari had simply given Hinata a plaything to keep her from looking at him. “Can you not do that?” he growled slightly. He was going to work at asking her things instead of telling her. He had been watching various couples, trying to figure out how they could survive the arrangement. From what he had gathered, asking first was better than telling.

Hinata looked up at him cautiously. She couldn’t avoid his face forever if they were going to be married. She forced her hands into her lap. She didn’t know what to say. He made her nervous and her eyes soon averted to her fingers that were fidgeting.

They sat there in silence, then Gaara stood up. “Put your hat up, I’m going to show you something.”

Hinata blinked and then followed him out onto the balcony, her face in the shadows of her brim. He looked down at the crowded street bellow, the three o’clock sun bringing the people out of their homes. Gaara gripped the balcony’s railing and looked out across the sea of roofs before looking over at Hinata. “It’s easier to go across town over the roofs.”

“Okay.” She looked over at him and then she followed him as he jumped to the roof across the street, both of them making it across Suna within forty-five minutes. Gaara looked out at the city walls and then down at the alleyway bellow. Hinata stood a bit behind, taking in a few breaths. Gaara’s legs were longer and it hadn’t been too hard to keep up with him, but he was a better ninja than she was.

“Look over there,” Gaara said pointing off in a direction.

Hinata followed his finger and then she blinked. “That’s Konoha…right?”

“Yes, that tiny mountain in the distance is Konoha,” Gaara confirmed.

Hinata stared at it and then looked off in another direction. She didn’t want to think about Konoha right now. She didn’t know why Gaara had showed her this anyway. She turned away from the mountains and tugged at the loop of her hat. She still had two hours until she would be escorted back to Konoha. She could bare get through an hour of his presence. She couldn’t begin to imagine what living with him would be like.

Gaara watched her over his shoulder and then looked back out at Konoha. He had been looking at the mountains for years; it was the only thing that interrupted the desert which stretched as far as he could see from any point in Suna. “Let’s walk back through the city.” Gaara jumped down onto the street bellow.

Hinata turned back towards the east, then jumped down as well, landing beside him. Brushing off her shorts, she followed him into the city. They turned down another alley and then walked onto a main street. As they immerged, Hinata instantly felt eyes on her. She slid the brim of her hat down lower and kept her eyes on Gaara who was a pace ahead. They wove through the streets attracting a variety of expressions from people passing by. The sun began to sink as they neared his home.

Standing outside of it, he looked over at her and then spoke quietly. “Temari will you back to Konoha.” As if on cue, Temari appeared from within the shadows of a nearby alleyway. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Hinata returned and forced herself to meet his eyes, but as hers came up, Gaara was almost to his door.

To be continued…

Title Her Ninja Way
Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The Hyugi protect Konoha by sacrificing the self for the good of the people. To insure peace between the Sand and the Leaf, Hinata is promised to Gaara. Though she is waiting for Naruto to return, she agrees because to give herself up for Konoha is her ninja way.
Chapter Four

Her Ninja Way

Chapter Four: "You're doing better than I would."



Hinata walked down the street, clutching the zipper of her jacket as she walked. Her eyes were on the ground and she was thinking deeply. Everything seemed to be falling apart. First her father actually told her how proud he was of her, and now Gaara had given her an ultimatum. She could have avoided all of this two months ago simply by saying no. She scuffed her sandal and tugged at her zipper absently. No one told her that she could say no, and if she had, who would have had to marry Gaara?

None of the girls she knew were married yet. Most didn’t even have a clear boyfriend, or at least were admitting to having one. Her eyes still watching the sidewalk, Hinata started to try to pair Gaara up with the other girls. There was Sakura. She was studying to be a medical ninja under the Godaime. Hinata tried to imagine Sakura resigning herself to being pulled away from her studying for this. Hinata shook her head, besides; she didn’t want to see Lee get mad at Gaara over anything. There was Ino, who had gone into teaching like Kiba had. She was still finishing the training to so, but she could be uprooted…

Hinata mentally shook herself. The idea of putting Ino with Gaara was not quite right. Ino liked to be able to control things and if Ino wound up in that situation, she would find that she couldn’t control anything at all. Hinata thought of Ten Ten and dismissed that as well. Ten Ten was working towards the next rank and to ask her to stop to live far away would be cruel. Hinata wasn’t sure what direction she was going in anymore. In the middle of deciding, the Godaime’s letter came and she decided to fulfill her duty to Konoha and marry the Kazekage. For almost three months, she had begun working towards that goal and now it could be taken away.

She wouldn’t have anything to do though. Her sensei had a new team to lead, her teammates had all moved on in their own paths. She also didn’t have a clear idea on what path she wanted. Hinata looked down the street, through the people rather than at them. She wondered if she had agreed to marry Gaara more out of finally finding a path rather than out of acknowledgement that it was her duty to Konoha. Frowning, Hinata’s heart stung. It was too much too fast and now that she had the opportunity to break it off, she wondered if she even could.

Finally she found herself in front of the main house. She stared at it from a distance, trying to imagine how much longer she could live there. She wasn’t eighteen yet, but most of her peers were moving in a direction that at eighteen they could support themselves amazingly well. Hinata didn’t have a job or income, and she couldn’t see herself moving out at eighteen to live somewhere else in Konoha, successfully at least. Just as Neiji would say when they were growing up, she wasn’t going to amount to anything and was too docile and nice to be a ninja.

Sighing, she went up the walk and entered the house, sitting in her room. Looking out the window, she saw Gaara was training. She stared at him a moment and then shut the curtains with a swish.

~*~

Kankuro noticed the curtains shut rather violently from the house as he walked over to Gaara. He was slightly agitated as he approached, calling out Gaara’s name before he got too close. The swishing curtains hadn’t done anything to ease his demeanor.

Gaara opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. He knew Kankuro was there, he didn’t need to look over his shoulder to confirm it. “What is it?”

“There’s a situation at Suna.” Kankuro spoke quietly so that his voice didn’t carry. “Five people are dead and they say more might be next. No one knows what’s calling it.”

The sentences hung in the air and Gaara turned around, looking at Kankuro. “When do we leave?”

“The word just arrived and the Kazekage is set to leave immediately once you join him at the front gates.” Kankuro met his eyes.

Gaara held his gaze and then he said quietly, “We should tell our escort that we are going.” He decided to ignore Kankuro’s glance and headed back into the Hyuga household. He entered the East end with Kankuro following. He wasn’t sure which room was hers, but he would find it.

Kankuro looked at the doors to choose from and remembered the curtain. “I think it’s this one.”

Gaara paused at the door and then knocked on it.

“Just a moment,” Hinata’s voice said from across the room and then they heard her footsteps before she opened the door. Her eyes widened as she looked up at them. “Wh – “

“We have to go back to Suna,” Gaara stated. “Something’s come up and we must go now.”

Hinata retreated back into her room and slipped her sandals back on, Gaara watching her the entire time as Kankuro looked behind them. He had a suspicion that if Hyuga found them outside his daughter’s bedroom door, things could get rather bad rather fast.

Hinata brushed off her pants and then said, “Let’s go.” She led them down the hall and out the front door. She glanced over at Gaara as they hurried in silence. He wasn’t looking at her, simply staring straight ahead, brooding. She knew better than to ask what had just happened in Suna. She was about to turn down towards the Hokage’s complex when Kankuro told her that they were to meet the Kazekage at the gates. Hinata turned back to the main road and they continued in silence. She again stole a glance at Gaara as they walked. The silence felt deafening and she wanted to break it, but she had nothing to say.

Finally they reached the main gates where the Kazekage stood with his entourage.

“You came quickly,” the Kazekage noted as the two Sand ninja joined the group. “Good. We must leave at once.”

Hinata watched them a moment and then her eyes widened. She had until Gaara left to tell him what she had decided, but he was leaving now. She had to say it now!

“Gaara!”

The redhead turned to look at her.

“I’m still willing to try, if you are!”

He met her eyes and then nodded before disappearing with the others in a cloud of sand.

~*~

Hinata was born during the coldest time of the year in Konoha. Sometimes on her birthday it snows, but today it was cloudy and cold, but not cold enough to snow. She sat on her bed and stared out her window. Today Gaara was coming but without the entourage. Since the day she had promised to keep trying, she had been to Suna twice and Gaara had come to Konoha once. Today, however, would be the first time he had come to Konoha without having to conduct business with the Hokage.

Hinata twirled one of the tie strings on her jacket, watching the knot twist around in her fingers. It was getting easier little by little. She still didn’t know what to say to Gaara most of the time, but it wasn’t so hard to look at him anymore. She looked out at her backyard and sighed. In just three weeks, she would report to Suna to participate in the festivities surrounding Gaara becoming Kazekage. She would be gone from Konoha for one week, the longest she had ever been away from her home in all her life.

She heard footsteps approaching her room and she stood up, straightening her clothes as she heard a knock. Opening the door, she saw her little sister Hanabi looking up at her. The girl was in the top of her class at the ninja academy and she was almost as tall as Hinata even though she was only five years younger.

“They’re here,” Hanabi told her and motioned her head in the direction of the main room.

Hinata thanked her and smoothed out her kimono. In Konoha her birthday was a widely-celebrated event since she was a heir to the Hyuga clan. However, since she agreed to marry Gaara, Hanabi had become the heir, but some people still sent wishes and gifts nonetheless. Hinata passed a table with them on it, and entered the main room, bowing to her guests.

Gaara and a ninja of the Sand Hinata had never met before were seated in front of Hyuga. When she entered, Hyuga looked to the Sand ninja and indicated that they leave. The ninja looked to Gaara who nodded, and the taller ninja left the main room.

Hinata slowly crossed it and then sat down in front of Gaara. His skin showed he was cold but the expression on his face and his body language masked it well. “Thank you for coming.”

He nodded, meeting her eyes. Hinata didn’t look away. “Happy birthday,” he said after a time and handed her a wrapped box. He didn’t offer an explanation or anything else. For a faint moment, Hinata roughly remembered one time when Naruto gave her something in the year before he left. He had gone on and on about how hard it was and everything about the process of getting her the gift. Yet, as soon as Naruto entered her mind, he exited. It was becoming easier to push him away from her thoughts.

“Thank you.” She gave him a small smile and took the gift. “Can I open it?”

He nodded.

Hinata carefully slipped a slim finger under one of the folds of the paper. It was simple paper and was rough and thick like a grocery bag. Carefully she broke the tape and then slowly removed the box from its wrappings. It was the size of a shoe box and made of a similar material. Suna wasn’t an extremely poor country but it was far bellow the stature of Konoha. That had been part of the source of their feuding over centuries. Opening it, Hinata parted the packing paper and then took out a decorated fan. Slipping it out, she felt the smooth stone ends and then flipped it open. The seven-inch fan spread out into a painted landscape with a sun overhead lighting the area. She closed it and carefully put it back in its box. “Thank you.”

Gaara nodded and they fell into silence. His green eyes looked around the room as Hinata looked down at the box still in her lap. Standing, she said in her quiet manner, “I should put this somewhere.” She headed to the door and looked over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

She walked down the hallway carrying the box carefully. She glanced briefly at Gaara’s guard as she passed him. He seemed to be watching her with caution as though she could possibly be an enemy. Turning away, Hinata entered the east end of the house and opened the door to her room. She walked over to her bureau and placed the box carefully on top of it and put the wrapping paper in the trash. Pausing, she took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she exhaled. It was so odd how much easier this was getting. The thought of that put her more on edge than Gaara ever had.

Dusting off her kimono, she sighed. They couldn’t stay in the main room for all the time he was there. The weather was cold and he didn’t have an adequate coat either. Folding her arms, Hinata looked around her room and then she sighed. She was taking too long. Walking back towards the main room, she looked outside. Konoha was preparing for Shogatsu and decorations were already up. The village-wide holiday lasted from the first until the third of January. It was only the twenty-seventh of December now though. Some countries didn’t celebrate Shogatsu. She wasn’t sure if Suna did or not.

She sat down in front of him again, the pair enveloped in silence. Even it felt more natural, conversation couldn’t come. He was too quiet and she was never sure what to say. Finally she asked, “Are you cold?”

“No.”

Hinata eyed him and fell silent again. She wanted to say something – anything, but nothing was coming. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She would not resort to talking about the weather. The last time she was in Suna she had talked about the weather. That had been too disjointed. Sighing inwardly, she said, “Thank you for coming.”

“You said that,” Gaara pointed out as he looked away from the window.

“I know,” Hinata murmured. “I just can’t think of anything to say or do.”

Gaara didn’t say anything. He continued looking out the window. The weather was becoming too tempting a subject. Finally, he said, “What day are you coming to Suna?”

“The eleventh,” Hinata responded, picking at her kimono. “I know it’s a day early, but I thought that I could come more quietly that way.”

Gaara nodded. This was going nowhere. He stood up, Hinata’s eyes following him questioningly. “Let’s go outside.”

Hinata stood up and brushed off her kimono before asking, “Do you want a coat? I’m sure that you could borrow – “

“I’m fine.” He put his hands in his pockets and started towards the front door, Hinata following out into the blustery Konoha afternoon. Putting her hands in the opposite sleeves, she fell in step with him.

They headed off towards the residential district, most people flocking towards the market district to prepare for the upcoming holiday. Hinata watched people heading in the opposite direction. Gaara watched them too as though waiting to glare. No one seemed to give either a nasty glance, some didn’t look at them, but some did smile, at least at Hinata.

“Hinata! Gaara!”

Gaara’s eyes instantly locked on the people coming towards them and Hinata’s soon followed before she returned their smiles. “Lee, Sakura, how are you?”

Sakura hooked a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was growing out again and hung down almost to her collar bone. “Good. We just met up around the corner on our way down to the market. Are you getting ready for Shogatsu?”

“Not yet,” Hinata replied.

As the girls began conversing about Shogatsu, Lee turned to Gaara. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah,” Gaara returned.

“How’s everything?” Lee asked as Sakura started talking about kimonos with Hinata.

“It’s okay,” Gaara replied, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets.

“Cold?”

“No.”

Sakura leaned over, glancing at the boys before whispering, “So how are you doing?”

“Fine,” Hinata sighed.

Sakura looked over at Gaara. “You’re doing better than I would.” She looked back at Hinata. She debated saying something, but kept quiet. “How long is he staying?”

“Only today.” Hinata shifted her weight. She was cold and she wasn’t sure what she was really supposed to tell Sakura. She looked over at Gaara. He seemed to be turning blue, but kept up the façade that he wasn’t cold. She looked back over at Sakura. “We should be going.”

“We should be going too,” Sakura agreed as she walked back over to Lee.

The group exchanged waves and farewells and then they left in opposite directions. Gaara and Hinata walked down the sidewalk, color slowly returning to their cheeks with their brisk pace. “It was nice to see them,” Hinata said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah.”

They fell back into silence. Hinata looked around at the bare trees and cloudy sky. Then she looked over at Gaara. “Does Suna celebrate Shogatsu?”

“We celebrate something like it.” Gaara quickened the pace slightly to keep warm. “We have a Winter Festival to celebrate the coldest part of the year since it’s the best weather we have all year long.”

Hinata looked over at him. “What do you do?”

“There are costumes and dances,” Gaara explained. “Businesses close on the fourth day of celebration, but they stay open in shifts for the other days. The Kazekage can’t participate until the last day. He hides from the village for six days and then on the seventh day, he appears and we welcome the coming of spring.”

After a moment of silence, Hinata said, “That sounds interesting. Will you have to go into hiding for six days also?”

“No, it’s the last time I will be able to go out into the festival for a very long time.” They walked a bit longer and then he said, “You will tell me about it after we’re married,” he paused, remembering that he had to work on asking her things rather than telling, “won’t you?”

Hinata almost paused at the question and then she spoke. “Yes, I’ll tell you.”

“We should go back, I have to leave soon.” Gaara slowed his pace slightly.

“Alright.”

To be continued…

Title Her Ninja Way
Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The Hyugi protect Konoha by sacrificing the self for the good of the people. To insure peace between the Sand and the Leaf, Hinata is promised to Gaara. Though she is waiting for Naruto to return, she agrees because to give herself up for Konoha is her ninja way.
Chapter Five

Her Ninja Way

Chapter Five: The Junior Kazekage has made no such requests. If he had, I would have known.



The streets were crowded. Hinata’s pale eyes scanned the many people in front of her as she stayed very close to Kankuro. It was almost five in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. Several young children ran past them, two of the taller boys playing keep away from a very small girl. Hinata almost grabbed the ball as they went by, but then thought better and decided to stay out of things.

Hinata blinked as they turned down a side alley and she looked to the older ninja, “Aren’t we going that way?”

“No, Gaara stays in the Kazekage’s tower now,” Kankuro replied. “You will still be staying with us in that house though.” His dark eyes glanced over at the building over their shoulder.

Hinata nodded and stepped a bit away from him as they entered the less crowded side street. “It hasn’t even started yet and the streets are extra crowded,” she observed, looking over at the main street as they passed another entrance to the one they were on now.

“People are getting what they need before the vendors close,” Kankuro said as they neared the residence of the Kazekage. “They know that the importers aren’t going to be open until next week, so they’re getting those things now. As you can see,” he pointed, “Shizo-san’s line extends at least twenty people.”

Hinata looked over at the fish vendor and nodded. His line stretched almost the longest of all. They started up the steps to the tower and she took in a deep breath. This was the longest she had ever stayed at Suna. This would be a true test, and show her how she would survive a year there later on. They entered the complex, finding it dimly lit and cooler than the outside. Suna’s buildings were built to combat the heat and sand of their desert climate. They started up the circular stairway, cut out windows greeting them at each landing, offering meager light. The torches wouldn’t be lit until the sun was down and the temperature dropped dramatically.

They finally reached the fifth floor after much twisting and turning. Hinata straightened her pants and took a deep breath. They walked up to a guard who exchanged a look with Kankuro before knocking on the door he was guarding. There was a muffled reply Hinata couldn’t make out. “Hyuga Hinata is here, sir.” There was another muffled reply and the guard turned to her, speaking in his gruff voice. “The Junior Kazekage will see you now.”

Hinata thanked the guard when he opened the door and then she entered the rather large room. The table, desk, and other objects that could remain stationary were carved out of the rock, the other objects were woven and sturdy much like the straw hat that hung around Hinata’s neck. Gaara sat at the desk, a stack of papers in front of him. He turned to look over at her when the door shut rather loudly.

“Hi,” Hinata offered quietly, feeling awkward standing in the large room. She didn’t know where she was supposed to sit if at all.

“Hi,” Gaara returned, then waved a hand. “Sit somewhere.” He read the last line of the papers he was consulting and watched her take a seat nearby at one of the chairs around the table.

Hinata watched him a moment. He was wearing the same clothing he wore that marked him as the junior Kazekage. They were a deep wine color that clashed with his red hair and green eyes. He had his sand gourd strapped on with a brown vest and what used to be a white sash draped over his right side was now black; marking the time for his change to the Kazekage was soon.

“Who brought you?”

“Kankuro.”

Gaara nodded. “Did you get here well?” He was trying to be polite. He had been watching people lately. He wasn’t going to live miserably the rest of his life, but it took a lot of concentration and thinking to know what to say and to remember to ask things rather than simply order her about.

“Yes,” Hinata replied, smiling slightly. “It wasn’t too bad. We ran into a bit of trouble though on the border, but we got through it.”

Gaara sat up. There was trouble on Suna’s border and no one had told him yet. “What kind of trouble?”

“Two ninja,” Hinata said slowly, thinking about her description. “They were both taller than we are, but I couldn’t tell much about what they looked like. They had large brimmed hats that covered their faces and large ponchos that covered their body shape as well. They didn’t say anything, so I’m not sure about any details.” She watched him brood a moment before continuing, “They didn’t stick around after we challenged them. The other people who came with Kankuro left to report to the Kazekage when we arrived.”

Gaara frowned and then sighed. He would hear more of it, he was sure. He looked up and over at her. “Where are you staying?”

“With Temari and Kankuro.” Hinata played with the loop of her hat subconsciously, more for something to do rather than out of intimidation. She stopped when she saw his eyes watching her hand. Folding her hands in her lap, she looked over at the papers on his desk.

Gaara followed her eyes. “You can’t look at that.” He stood up, stacking the papers together and stuffed them into a drawer. Shutting it, he sat back down, feeling her eyes following him. They sat in silence a moment, and then he stood up, motioning for her to stand as well. “I want to show you something.”

Curiously, Hinata stood. She was rather weary – the last time he said that, he had showed her Konoha, and he hadn’t shown her anything since. She followed him over to the window and hung back with him when he didn’t go all the way up to it. There was a white sheet draped over it so light could come into the room but no one could see into it.

“Go on, I can’t be seen.” He motioned to the window.

Hinata approached the sheet and then pulled it back enough that she could see out just a bit. The sky was turning a murky blue and there was a line of orange and yellow highlighting the western horizon. She looked out at Suna and saw the torches around the streets, several coming on, the lights working their way towards the walls of the city. Her eyes took in everything as she watched, finally the last light coming on.

Gaara watched her and then looked away. He was becoming used to her, but doing what he knew he had to do to keep her was hard for him.

“So many people are still out,” Hinata told him. “The light in the west is fading though, but all of the torches are lit.” She didn’t know why she was telling him, she was sure he knew what was happening since he had lived there all his life. She looked over her shoulder at him and moved away from the window before someone could look up and see her peeking from it.

Gaara nodded and then looked at the curtain, judging something. Finally he spoke. “You probably should leave now. Kankuro will see you to where you’ll stay. Tell him I want to see him afterwards though.”

“Alright.” Hinata looked over at him and then hesitated a moment. “I won’t see you for a week, right?”

Gaara met her eyes. “You can see me whenever you want. I should be in here or at least somewhere in this building.”

Hinata nodded. “I’ll be back tomorrow then.”

“All right.”

~*~

Hinata surveyed herself in the mirror in the room she occupied. She still had her hat on and her lighter clothes. Standing up, she pulled on a jacket and slip on pants. Putting her feet back into her sandals, she looked over at her hat on her bed. It was dark outside, and she didn’t need it. Zipping up her jacket, Hinata slipped out the door.

Now that she knew her way around Suna and the security ninja knew who she was, she no longer needed someone to escort her places except for when she was coming in and out of the city.

Stepping out into the night, she exchanged greetings with Miyuzaki and then she made her way down the less crowded streets to the Kazekage’s complex. She could feel the ninja watching her and following here. It wasn’t so much for her sake as it was for Gaara’s. She was still a ninja of another country even if she had given up pursuing that life to honor the treaty. She suspected she would always be under surveillance lest she be a spy for the rest of her life.

Walking up the spiraling staircase, Hinata kept one hand on the wall. As she climbed, she felt the rock changing temperatures, the chilling night air blowing into the tower and taking away the day’s mild heat. She finally reached the fifth floor. Smoothing out her baggy jacket and slim pants, she walked up to the intimidating guard outside Gaara’s room.

“No one is allowed to see the Junior Kazekage until the nineteenth,” the guard stated as she walked over to him.

Hinata stopped, puzzled. Gaara had said that she could see him whenever she wanted. She pursed her lips and surveyed the guard, judging if he would buy the truth. She remembered one time years ago when Shino had been sick and she and Kiba had come to see how he was doing. Shino’s mother turned them away at the door, saying they should know better and that she wouldn’t have them getting what Shino had. Being twelve, the pair naturally decided to contact their friend in some form. They tied a note to a rock and sent it through his open window. Eyeing the guard, Hinata knew that she couldn’t simply turn away and then throw a rock up into Gaara’s window with a simple note.

She spoke without hesitance and summoned her practiced authority from when her father worked at making her into the next head of the clan. She purposefully met the guard’s eyes and stated strongly, “The Junior Kazekage requested my presence.”

It was a lie to a degree. The guard eyed her. “The Junior Kazekage has made no such requests. If he had, I would have known.”

That was a very good point. Hinata did her best not to waiver or look like she was going to back off. If she left now, she would probably not get a chance to see Gaara until he was announced as the new Kazekage. Not only that, but she would eventually be living here for the rest of her life, most likely under his protection, so as much as she wanted to at least divert her gaze, she knew she couldn’t.

“He requested that I come and see him at this time every night,” she could hear footsteps on the stairs and recognized them. “He said that I should come after Izuki comes and collects his dinner dishes.”

“I am not aware of this arrangement. I know simply that he is not to see anyone until the nineteenth.” The guard dared her to say anything more as one of the servants, a woman in her forties, appeared at the top of the steps. She bowed to the guard.

“I have come to collect the dishes.”

The guard surveyed her. “Stand up and spread your arms out.”

The woman responded by straightening her slumping posture and extending her arms out on either side of her. She obeyed the guards command to turn around and then he scrutinized her. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded and knocked on the door. “Izuki is here to collect your dishes, sir.”

There was a pause and then the door opened slightly, Gaara’s hand slipping out, dishes stacked up on top of one another. The crack was big enough for the dishes to come through and for him to hide behind the door as was procedure. As soon as Izuki had the dishes, the door snapped shut. Hinata stared at it, her mind trying to find a solution to her problem.

The guard watched her, half with amusement and half with resignation. Without any form of proof, Hinata knew that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with this man. She didn’t know how to get proof though and simply sighed inwardly. The guard spoke. “You can come back on the nineteenth at midnight, but you won’t get in before then.”

Hinata nodded and then went back down the stairs, mind racing. It was only the twelfth and she had promised to tell Gaara about what was happening in Suna, although she hadn’t said exactly when she would. Frowning, she tried to think of a way to get around the guard without actually doing anything to jeopardize her stay. If she never came to see him, she wondered what Gaara would think and if this would set them back. They were making progress, and she didn’t want to take several steps back now.

Exiting the building, she looked up at the curtained room and brought her fingers to her palm as though holding a stone. If she had one, she was sure that she could throw it up at the window and make it through, but she knew better. She was being watched after all and after looking at the area around her, there were no stones to tempt her with either. Besides, she reasoned that without paper or something to write with, she couldn’t exactly tell him why there was a stone flying through his window. It was best not to cause trouble and simply enjoy the night before going back to where she was staying.

~*~

The night festivals began on the fourth day of the festivities. Kankuro had offered to show her around the festival tonight, but he had been called away early that morning on a long mission. Temari had duties as well and now it was just Hinata in the house with the constant presence of ninja around her. Temari and Kankuro told her when she arrived about these festivals and how they worked. They said it would be like the Winter Festival, only it would be larger. Neither had seen the week long ushering of a new Kazekage, so they weren’t exactly sure how everything would be, but they knew from what they had heard from older people in the village.

Hinata tried to place the most crowded night of Shogatsu into the streets of Suna. If that many people were out and about for these four nights, it would be insanely crowded, most likely spilling into the desolated routes she took to go places. Setting her features, Hinata finished dressing and made sure that she had everything she needed. She stepped outside and shut the door. There were no locks on doors since windows had no glass. The community accepted this and crime was low, but when someone did rob someone else the punishment was sever and most likely from centuries ago.

Stepping out into the night, Hinata clutched the draw-strings of her purse and melted into the crowd. There were vendors selling items other than what they sold in the marketplace. Takahashi was selling fans with fortunes written on them and she could see the fish seller Shizo giving children a chance to win kites and lanterns that looked like brightly colored fish.

Wandering down the streets, she simply looked, deciding to explore tonight and return on the other nights to stop at various places along the way. She knew that the town would look uninhabited during the day tomorrow. That morning when she woke, she hadn’t seen anyone outside, and slowly people appeared but the majority of them appeared tonight enjoying the cold weather and lack of sunshine. She walked down one of the streets that ran alongside the market street and observed the various vendors there. The market street had been transformed into the street filled with games and other fun things, while this street was dedicated to food. Several of Suna’s best known foods and cultural treats were scattered about, just as many people clogging up this street as were clogging up the market street. As she passed, Hinata heard snippets of conversations and questions about if the purchase would go on the family credit or if they would pay for it right now.

Hinata side stepped happy ninja students that had just come around the corner and watched them disappear into the crowd. They looked like they were about eight or nine, full of excitement and mischief. She could remember being little and the boys in her class and above it would do the same thing, usually with a leader and a motive. She turned to walk towards a side street that few were on to take a short cut to the next crowded street when she stopped. A tall ninja who stayed outside of the light of a nearby torch surveyed her as she did him. Putting her guard up, Hinata surveyed him, waiting for him to speak or attack. She was the foreigner and couldn’t assume anything, he had to act first.

“The Junior Kazekage requests your presence.”

Hinata blinked and then stared. Right now? It was nearing midnight, although the people of Suna showed no indication of going home yet. It would make sense that Gaara was still awake, but in a way it seemed odd that he would want her to visit him now.

“He wants to see you tomorrow after Izuki takes the supper dishes,” the ninja continued in a deadpan, monotone voice. “That is what he said.”

Hinata felt his shrouded eyes on her. She nodded in acknowledgement of the information. “Tell him I’ll be there.” She gave a small bow. “Thank you.” When she looked up, the ninja was gone, most likely before she thanked him.

~*~

She was dressed for the second night of the festival which made it difficult to climb the winding stairs. The skirt of her kimono bound her legs making the steep steps hard to navigate and her sleeves flowed long enough that sometimes they caught on the tiny cracks in the walls. As she made it to the third floor, she scooted over slightly as Izuki passed. She glanced at the woman who was concentrating on navigating the winding staircase with dishes. Hinata averted her eyes and then tried to go up the stairs faster, but she still was at a hindered pace.

Finally she reached the top. The guard surveyed her as she walked over to him. He then turned and knocked on Gaara’s door. “Hyuga Hinata to see you, sir.”

There was a pause and then a muffled reply. The guard turned to Hinata and then bowed his head. “He will see you now.” The guard pulled the door back and looked away from it as Hinata slipped through the small opening, hearing the door close behind her the instant her sleeves were away from the edge. She looked into the room and her eyes fixed on Gaara. He had just closed one of the drawers to his desk, no papers on the top of it.

“You came,” he murmured, his eyes alighting to her.

“Yes,” Hinata responded as strong as she could. She thought she detected disbelief in his statement. She thought about telling him that she had tried a few nights ago, but decided against it.

He looked her over and then asked, “Did you go to the festival last night?” He sat down at his desk and indicated she take the closest chair at the table.

She could feel his eyes follow her as she sat down, smoothing out her kimono and placing the purse in her lap. “I did.” She reached into her purse and loosened its strings, fishing around. She knew his eyes did not leave her and that he was most likely trying to figure out what she was doing without demanding to know. Finally her slim fingers pulled out a small smooth rod with holes in it. “I brought you this. I didn’t know what you wanted, but I got two of these and so here.”

Gaara took the small whistle from her. It was as long as his palm and had six small holes on it. He studied the wooden whistle and then twisted around to set it on the desk behind him. He tried to say thank you but the words caught and he just couldn’t say it yet. Turning back around, he met her eyes and thought about saying it again, but kept quiet still.

Hinata fought for something to say. Remembering her promise, she tried to decide how to begin describing what she had seen last night. Finally, she spoke. “Last night was the most crowded I’ve ever seen Suna.” She paused and noting she had his attention, she continued, “The market street is set up with games and other things that have nothing to do with food. That’s where I got the whistles.” She set her bag on the table since she was clutching it too tight. “There are a lot of food vendors on the narrow streets.”

Gaara nodded. “How crowded is it?”

Hinata searched for a way to put it that he could relate to. She wanted to liken it to Konoha, but he had never been there during Shogatsu, so he wouldn’t understand that analogy. Finally, she scooted her chair forward so that her legs almost touched his. “Everyone is this close to everyone else and constantly moving.” She watched their knees as she continued, “You have to be careful if you want to stop somewhere since there’s a lot of pushing going on too.”

Gaara’s eyes were on their knees as well. It was the closest they had been, even if it was only their calves and feet. The ends of her feet were by the ends of his and if he moved his feet just slightly, the toe of his sandal could touch the bridge of her sandal. He reflexively went to scoot his chair back, but it was pushed against the edge of the desk already.

Hinata noticed the movement and paused, looking up at him. Then she hurriedly scooted back from him. “Sorry about that,” she said as she pushed herself back where the chair normally sat. Her pale eyes averted from him and she looked at the edge of the table. Gaara wasn’t looking at her either. Her heart was racing, and she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. She stood up and pushed her chair back in, watching her movements rather than looking at him. She reached to grab her purse when his hand fell over hers.

He didn’t know what he was doing. He had noticed her stand up and he wanted to stop her. She wasn’t moving and neither was he. His brain was trying to comprehend what he was doing, but he couldn’t figure out an answer. This was the closest he had ever stood by her. Normally, he kept a set distance between himself and other people, but right now he could felt her hand under his and her shoulder by his bicep and her ear by his mouth. He forced his hand away and said quietly, “You’ll come tomorrow, right?”

Hinata felt him step away and after a moment nodded. “Yes,” she said in a very faint voice. “I’ll tell you about tonight.” She clutched her bag and stepped around the table.

Gaara moved his gaze from the floor to her and watched as she neared the door. As she was about to push it open, he spoke. “Hinata?”

Hinata froze and then looked over her shoulder. He rarely used her name. “Yes,” she added after a pause, “Gaara?”

He opened his mouth. He was going to say it, but it didn’t want to come out. He tried again and then he shook his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She nodded and said, “Bye,” before slipping through the door and closing it gently behind her.

~*~

Hinata rolled out of bed and onto the floor, her hand slipping into a pile of clothes nearby as she pulled a kunai out from the pile. She slowly rose and cautiously walked over to the door. She could hear someone inside the house. She knew that it could be Kankuro or Temari, but she wasn’t sure and she had been taught to always be cautious in such situations. It was mid-afternoon and the village was asleep, preparing for the next to last night of festivities. Silently, she opened the door and then sighed.

“Did I wake you?” Kankuro looked over from where he had his cowl off, his brown hair sticking out at odd angles.

Hinata shook her head and put her kunai down before entering the main area of lower level. She still had her pajamas on, but they weren’t revealing at all. “Can I make you anything?” She paused in route to the kitchen. She knew that she wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep.

“It’s okay, I’m about to crash anyway,” Kankuro replied as he walked over towards his room. Stopping at the door, he asked, “Have you seen Gaara?”

“Yes.” Hinata nodded.

“Is he doing okay?”

“Yeah,” Hinata answered.

Kankuro nodded in thanks and then disappeared into his room. Hinata watched the door closed and then continued her way into the kitchen to fix herself something for breakfast.

~*~

Hinata slowly climbed up the twisting staircase. Her heart fluttered and she tried to shake it off. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She reached the top and saw the guard glance at her.

“Izukii hasn’t come yet,” the guard told her.

Hinata held his gaze, remembering that she couldn’t be a pushover in this guard’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said and then stood across from the guard, waiting for Izuki to appear. She didn’t lean against the rough surface to keep her kimono from catching on it as she watched the area. She shifted her weight and her eyes looked out the window a distance away. She fidgeted with the drawstrings of her purse until she heard the familiar footsteps of Izuki coming nearer. Glancing in the direction of the stairs, Hinata watched Izuki immerge, the woman checking the window before looking at the guard. “I came early. The lights are only starting to be lit.”

The guard regarded her a moment then nodded. The three of them stood there, Izuki watching the torches light around the city until finally they were all lit. “It’s time.”

The guard nodded and then turned to the door, knocking before announcing Izuki. The door opened wide enough for the plates to be exchanged. Hinata heard him mumble something before shutting the door. As Izuki started along her way, the guard turned to the fifteen-year-old. “The Junior Kazekage will see you now.” He opened the door a crack and watched Hinata squeeze through before shutting the door behind her.

Gaara was over by the window when she entered. He wasn’t looking at her. She carefully approached the table and then set her purse on it, speaking hesitantly. “Hi.”

“Hey.” He turned around and looked at her. “How was the festival last night?”

“It was good,” Hinata replied. “It wasn’t that much different from last night except that there were different things here and there.”

Gaara nodded and indicated that she could sit down at the table as he took the seat she usually sat in. Hinata sat across from him and put her purse by her feet on the floor. They fell back into silence, neither looking at the other, both trying to think of something to say or do.

“I want to bring you something back tomorrow,” she stated. “What would you like?”

Gaara looked over at her and met her eyes. “I don’t need anything.”

“But – “ Hinata began and then she sighed inwardly. She should have known that would be his reaction. She wanted to give him a gift the day before his birthday so that he could open it here before he had no time to himself and was shown around Suna as their new Kazekage. She would figure something out though, she had until tomorrow night. “Kankuro is back.”

“I know.” Gaara’s eyes fell to her hands that were resting on the table. He took a deep breath and then looked back up at her. “The day after tomorrow I become the Kazekage and our engagement will be announced officially to Suna.”

Hinata nodded reticently. No one had told her about announcing their engagement before now.

“So,” he slowly reached out and put a hand over hers. He had been thinking about this and he remembered that asking was the key to not being miserable for the rest of his life. “We’ve tried for the treaty and we have been working at this for months, but,” he leaned forward, “do you want to marry me?”

Hinata looked down at his hand over hers. She couldn’t say no, but it sounded almost as though he was giving her the option to do so. She kept her hand from trembling like they would have only a few years ago. “Yes,” she stated in almost a whisper. Then her eyes met his as she repeated her answer in a stronger voice, “Yes, I do want to marry you.”

The stayed like that for the longest time. His hand was over hers gently and he was leaning forward slightly. The air was thick and the noise of the people flooding into the streets of Suna seemed to get louder and almost to a deafening point before leveling off into a thick syrupy silence. Muscles twitched as their owners tried to coax themselves away from one another but they stayed frozen in their position.

Hinata held his gaze and fought the urge to look away, half wondering if her eyes would let her. She felt strange and part of her wanted to make up an excuse to leave but she couldn’t even think of the words to use. She felt Gaara’s fingers move slightly against her hand as though they had thought about pulling back but didn’t.

Then his fingers slipped down her hand and across her fingers until he leaned back in his chair, clearing his throat as he spoke. “You should probably be going.”

Hinata blinked and then stood up, nodding. “Yes, you’re right.” She reached down and came back up with her purse. Studying him a moment, she clutched the purse with both hands in front of her. They were on opposite sides of the table. She met his gaze and then made up her mind. Walking quickly, she gave him a quick hug before hurrying over to the door. “See you tomorrow.”

Then she was gone, Gaara staring at the door, wondering exactly what just happened.

~*~

Hinata walked down the market street looking at everything. She wanted to get something, but didn’t know what. She passed by many different carts, each dedicated to something else, mostly things to win for children or a boyfriend to win a girlfriend. Turning a corner, she walked down one of the other streets, simply to clear her mind and think of something. She had no idea what to get him or what he would want. She couldn’t simply wait for the daytime and visit the typical vendors since only a handful would be open and they were the ones that carried necessities.

Playing with her bag, Hinata’s clear eyes looked around at everything, trying to pick out someone their age. She thought maybe seeing someone or even a couple could help her. She saw a few people her age here and there, but no one really gave her an answer. She turned back down the market street and decided to stop at the first cart that had open space and win him something.

She saw a slight break in the crowd and slipped through them, looking at the stand in front of her. It was a simple one designed for skill at throwing. Looking at the wall behind the counter, she looked at the prizes she could win. They ranged from simple whistles to stuffed animals. She sighed. Nothing struck her as something to give Gaara, but he hadn’t given her any hints and her resources were limited. Stepping up to the counter, Hinata caught the attention of the man running the cart.

“Good evening.” The man smiled amicably. “Are you with someone?”

Hinata shook her head. The man must think she was with someone who would win her something. “No, I want to try.”

He smiled and nodded. “All right then.” He handed her a weighted cloth ball. “Throw this at those. The closer you get to the center, the better the prize you get.”

Hinata nodded and then checked the prizes again. She had good reflexes and aim. She could hit any of the targets she wanted and get whatever prize she thought most appropriate. She looked at all of them and sighed. Nothing seemed quite right. She looked over at the others and then she set her features. She didn’t have to think too hard. With a snap of the wrist, she easily hit the center stack of tin cups swiftly.

The man blinked and then smiled slightly. “What would you like?”

Hinata looked up at the top row of prizes. They were all stuffed animals. It was ridiculous to think of giving one to Gaara, but she had to pick something. After some thought, she pointed. “That one, the bear.”

The man turned around and then took a simple brown bear off the top row of prizes and handed it to her. “Enjoy the rest of the night.”

“Thank you.” Hinata took the bear and then joined the crowd, keeping the bear close so it wouldn’t be ruined in the moving mass. If Gaara didn’t want it, she could always give it to Hanabi.

~*~

“…and that’s the situation.”

Gaara held Kankuro’s gaze and then slowly leaned back in his chair, legs cross, a look of concentration over his features. The Junior Kazekage was allowed five visitors during his period of isolation. Finally, the teenager leaned forward in his seat and asked, “Is it really that bad?”

“I went there myself, it’s bordering.” Kankuro watched his younger brother. “It was purely reconnaissance; no one spoke with anyone from Kasumi.”

“So you think that war is soon?” Gaara eyed the almost seventeen-year-old. “Or is it just something that can be stopped?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Kankuro sighed. “The Kazekage is reviewing the report. I thought it would be good to tell you too.”

Gaara nodded and frowned. He would be announced the Kazekage in just over thirty hours and already there was an international situation. “How are the relations with the other countries?”

“As far as I know, Kasumi is the most dangerous right now,” Kankuro replied. “We haven’t checked on Hakka for a while. We can talk more in detail after you are named, however. There is only so much I can tell you right now.”

“I know,” Gaara growled slightly.

Hearing a knock on the door, a muffled, “Izuki is here to collect your dishes, sir.”

“I’ll take them out. Hinata’s probably here anyway,” Kankuro stated as he picked up the pile of dishes. He walked over to the door and then carefully eased it open. “I’m coming out, don’t worry, you can’t see him from where you are.” He handed the dishes over to Izuki and then glanced over at Hinata who was standing on the other side of the hallway, something behind her. Raising a brown eyebrow, Kankuro followed Izuki over to the stairs, looking over his shoulder to see a simple stuffed bear behind her back.

~*~

Hinata watched Roshi carefully as he took the bear, turning it this way and that, looking it over, running his large fingers along the seams. Finally, he gave it back, knocking on the door and announcing that Hinata was here. Quickly she tried to get through the door without putting the bear in front of her and somehow made it without scrapping the bear’s head against the door frame. Hearing it close, she stumbled slightly, her arms at an odd angle and then she recovered, looking into the room. Seeing Gaara, she gave a hesitant smile, unsure of how he would react to the bear. She nervously crossed the room and then she held the bear out to him. “Happy early birthday.”

Gaara stared a second and then took the bear, his eyes watching it. He ran a slim finger down the fur and then slowly placed it on the desk behind him, staring at it a moment. He flexed his fingers, trying to summon his voice. He was going to thank her, or at least try. Yet the words still wouldn’t come and he couldn’t force them out either. So him simply nodded and then looked over at her, deciding not to say anything.

It looked like he was going to keep it. Hinata felt her lips turn into a smile. She hadn’t expected a thank you, just either a “I don’t want it” or some sort of positive reaction. She resisted babbling on about winning it or about how he didn’t have to keep it if he didn’t want to. Sometimes, silence was the best option. After a while she took a step back and put a hand nonchalantly on the chair to her left. They had been standing close again. It made her nervous. Looking down at her hand, she swung her purse slightly in her other hand. ‘Now what?’ wandering through her head.

Gaara watched her and then turned to the drawn shade. He closed his eyes and then whispered something. Hinata looked at him questioningly. Shaking his head, Gaara spoke louder. “When are you coming tomorrow?”

“I was thinking of coming when I have been,” she said slowly.

He nodded and then said, “At midnight tomorrow I will become the Kazekage and be announced to Suna at that time and walk through the crowds.” He paused and ran a finger along the rim of a chair. “Where will you be?”

“I’m not sure…” Hinata’s eyes averted to look at him. He wasn’t looking at her.

Gaara nodded and then said, “You probably should go and enjoy the festival.”

Hinata raised an eyebrow and then nodded, leaving Gaara to his room alone.

~*~

He straightened the buckle of his vest and frowned. It was almost time. In only a few minutes he would be let out of this room. Gaara inspected his new clothes and then looked at the door. Shukaku whispered as she had many times over the course of the week. She was at her strongest now, urging him to feel anxious and like a caged beast. She was coaxing him to fall asleep and she would get him out of there. He would only have to close his eyes…

Gaara gritted his teeth and tried to block Shukaku away. He couldn’t afford to go crazy in this place, especially right now. He stared at the door and frowned. The longer he had to wait, the more often Shukaku tried to speak to him, tried to overtake him. Gaara forced his eyes to stay open and forced his body to stay tense. Finally the knock came and Roshi’s voice sounded from behind the door. “Your presence is requested by the public of Suna, Kagekage-sama.”

Gaara took a deep breath and chased the remnants of Shukaku away as he approached the door that swung back and stepped out into the hallway before proceeding down the stairs and out into the crowded streets to be welcomed by his people.

~*~

It was instantaneous and almost like a large ripple. People’s heads turned in the same direction, Hinata’s with them. She tried to see what they were all looking at but she was too short and she had promised herself not to use the Byakugan in Suna unless it was absolutely necessary. She thought about pushing through the crowd to get to where she could leap up onto a roof to see better, but everyone was packed too tightly. Then the crowd began to part and she frowned using the backwards movement to snake her way over to a nearby overhang. With a controlled leap, she landed up on top of a house and looked down at the center of attention. ‘Gaara…’ Her alabaster eyes fixed on him as he came down the street, people pressing to either side to let him pass, applauding and cheering.

She smiled slightly at his face. It wasn’t a big and triumphant grin like Naruto’s would be if he ever became Hokage, but there was a slight look of disbelief and a very small hint of a smile on his features. He was grinning on the inside.

~*~

Hinata paused at the open door and took a deep breath. She adjusted her hat strap and then looked over her shoulder at Kankuro. “I’ll be in and out, I’m sure he’s busy.”

Kankuro nodded. It was the twentieth and time for Hinata to go back to Konoha. He watched her disappear into the Kazekage’s office and looked out the window. Temari would normally have been asked to take her back to Konoha, but she had arrived back from her mission earlier that morning and so he had been assigned. He suspected that Gaara assigned them.

~*~

Gaara scanned the reports from the two groups who had come back to Suna that morning from recognizance much like Kankuro’s team had been doing, but in other countries. Tenka was quiet and posed no threat that the mission leader could surmise. Rein was looking about as dangerous and mysterious as Kasumi and most likely there was an alliance between the two countries. He wondered if the climate change had occurred before or after the alliance between Konoha and Suna. Hearing a small knock, he looked up from the reports he was comparing between Rein and Kasumi’s situations and then set the papers down.

“I’m going back to Konoha.” Hinata stayed close to the door as per their agreement. She was a foreigner and matters of state were things she couldn’t see, even after becoming a permanent citizen. She played with the loop of her hat, but looked at him. She was getting used to looking at him that it was almost natural, but not quite yet.

“I know,” he stepped out from behind the desk and over to her so that she wouldn’t come too close to the papers he had been reading. “I don’t know when we’ll see each other. Maybe the next time I have to go to Konoha. I’ll send word; most likely you’ll come here.”

Hinata nodded in understanding. He was Kazekage now after all. She shifted her weight and then took a few steps forward, glancing over her shoulder, checking to see if she could see Kankuro any longer. If she could see him, he could see her. Now that she couldn’t see the face painted Jônin, she looked over at Gaara nervously. He eyed her as though trying to figure out what she was up to, and then she walked the rest of the distance and hugged him. “Bye.” She purposefully willed herself to keep from breaking away instantly. They would never survive marriage if she hugged him for a split second always.

He froze up for a second, unsure of what to do. Slowly he hugged her back, his heart pounding in his ears. Finally, she eased away and then headed towards the door, turning to give him a wave and a final salutation before disappearing through the door.

To be continued…

Title Her Ninja Way
Author Uozumi
Genre Drama/Romance
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The Hyugi protect Konoha by sacrificing the self for the good of the people. To insure peace between the Sand and the Leaf, Hinata is promised to Gaara. Though she is waiting for Naruto to return, she agrees because to give herself up for Konoha is her ninja way.
Final NoteThank you to everyone who has reviewed this fanfiction. I am glad you enjoyed it and I’m sorry that it had to end this way but I thought it was better to end it in a slightly AU fashion rather than a completely AU fashion. I wanted to add something to the warning above, but it would have given away pretty much the only true spoiler in the chapter, so if you’ve been keeping up with Naruto, I’m sure that you know what the spoiler and warning I speak of is. To those unaware I was about to spoil you, I’m sorry. It was callous of me not to put the warning up from the beginning, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to take this route or not. I am very glad that all of you gave me your time and feel honored with each review, favorite, alert, and all else that goes into being told that a fanfiction is worthy. Thank you. I appreciate everything. I do plan to write more Naruto fanfiction, but I’m not sure if there will be other Gaara/Hinata fics yet.
Chapter Six
WARNING There are now MANGA SPOILERS for the manga chapters after the time warp. It’s also a gone slightly AU, but not by much.
Notes Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this fanfiction. I am glad you enjoyed it and I’m sorry that it had to end this way but I thought it was better to end it in a slightly AU fashion rather than a completely AU fashion. I wanted to add something to the warning above, but it would have given away pretty much the only true spoiler in the chapter, so if you’ve been keeping up with Naruto, I’m sure that you know what the spoiler and warning I speak of is. To those unaware I was about to spoil you, I’m sorry. It was callous of me not to put the warning up from the beginning, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to take this route or not. I am very glad that all of you gave me your time and feel honored with each review, favorite, alert, and all else that goes into being told that a fanfiction is worthy. Thank you. I appreciate everything. I do plan to write more Naruto fanfiction, but I’m not sure if there will be other Gaara/Hinata fics yet.

Her Ninja Way

Chapter Six:



Ino almost dropped the flower pot in her hands. The fifteen-year-old’s eyes widened slightly and then she set the pot down quickly. Choji followed her gaze, and then his eyes widened a bit as well before he made his way to the door of the Yamanaka’s flower shop, sticking his head out and looking down the street.

“Is it Naruto?” Ino asked from where she was watching the large teenager.

“Yeah,” Choji replied. “I didn’t think he was coming back so soon.”

~*~

The news spread around the group of Chûnin and Jônin from Naruto’s year that were in Konoha quickly. Especially after Sakura, Shikamaru, and Temari ran into him in the market district.

Hinata was training when she paused, blinking slightly as Neiji entered the compound. He was almost twice her size now and wore his hair down. He was friendlier with the main family now, but when he appeared unexpectedly and seemed intent on walking over to her, she was always momentarily scared. Flashes of their fight at the first Chûnin exam they had participated in always flashed before her eyes before she reminded herself that he wasn’t about to kill her anymore.

“Neiji…” she stared at him, “what…?” She was never exactly sure how to talk to him. Finding her voice, she asked stronger, “What are you doing here?”

Neiji observed her a moment and then spoke in his deliberate tone. “Naruto is back in Konoha.”

Hinata’s eyes widened. She hadn’t thought of Naruto for a while now, except on occasion, but it was always a fleeting thought, much like if she thought of a simple friend. She looked away from Neiji, her heart hurting slightly. She felt somewhat guilty, but over what, she wasn’t sure. “Where is he?” She figured she could at least see him, there wasn’t anything wrong in that.

“Last he was seen, he was in the market district. He’s probably with Sakura somewhere,” Neiji replied. He watched her a moment and then he said, ‘You should go see him, he’s a friend.”

Hinata nodded and then said a very quiet thank you.

~*~

“I can’t believe Gaara is Kazekage,” Naruto remarked as he picked out the pork in his ramen, eating it before the noodles. He was grinning but Sakura could detect the very slightest hint of envy in the Genin’s voice. “I was thinking he might be here when I saw Temari.” The grin gained a mischievous glint at that remark as though his mind had thought of something, but whatever it was, Sakura could only begin to imagine. Gone were the days when Naruto would bless the world with whatever strange thing his brain had just happened upon it seemed.

Sakura ate some of her noodles and thought about what else to tell him. It was hard to think of everything that had happened in the past three years. She watched the people go by behind them and then pursed her lips when she caught a glimpse of short dark hair. ‘Hinata…’ Sakura wasn’t sure who should tell Naruto. It seemed Hinata’s place, but at the same time, she wondered if the quiet girl could do that. She wondered if Hinata even knew Naruto was back. After thinking on it, she knew the older girl had to know. There was no way anyone in their class couldn’t know that Naruto was back in Konoha.

“You should see everyone,” Sakura suggested. “I’m sure they’re all looking for you by now.”

Naruto poked at one of the pork pieces for a split second and Sakura couldn’t read the fleeting expression. Then he grinned and it seemed more sincere than the one from earlier. “Okay, let’s do that after lunch!”

~*~

“Hinata!”

The pale girl turned and then saw Lee coming up to her, his green Chûnin vest situated on his tall frame. “Have you seen Naruto around?”

He wasn’t the first person to ask her that today. She shook her head. “No, not yet. I was looking for him.”

“Here I am!” a loud voice proclaimed and the teenagers turned to see Naruto standing before him. He was still slightly shorter than Lee, but was considerably taller than Hinata.

Hinata felt her face flush. Her heart stung slightly like it had before, but not as strongly. Naruto’s presence was large and demanded one’s attention when the blonde decided that he wanted to be noticed by everyone. Lee was first to speak. “How was your training?”

“It was good,” Naruto replied as people moved around them, giving them glowers the four of them since they were standing in the middle of the road. “It’s good to be back though.”

“Have you come to take the Chûnin exam?” Lee asked as Sakura glanced at Hinata, trying to read her. This had to be hard.

“No, I didn’t even know that it was going on until just a bit ago.” Naruto laughed uneasily, slightly embarrassed. He was the only Genin from their class since he had been away during the exams all this time. He looked past Lee at Hinata. “How are you?”

Hinata froze slightly. Trust Naruto to pointedly ask her something when it was too late. She looked away shyly. “I’m fine…” She wasn’t sure exactly what to say to him. She wanted to say she was glad to see him back, but she wasn’t sure how to phrase it. She was glad to see him back, but she wasn’t sure how to handle it at all.

He accepted that as if the reply didn’t surprise him in the least. Sakura gave her a sympathetic smile as Naruto looked around. “Where is everyone?”

“Kiba teaches at the academy,” Lee replied, “so he won’t be around until about three. Shino is away on a mission right now, Ino’s at the flower shop, and that’s about all I know.”

Naruto nodded, filing the information away and then blinked before waving. The group turned and watched Choji and Ino join them. “We saw you when you first came by but I had to finish up my shift,” Ino explained as they approached the group.

Naruto glanced between the two of them, his eyes moving into familiar silts to show confusion. Then they opened again and he asked, “Are you two…dating?”

Sakura glanced at him. “Is that your question for everyone?!” He had already asked Temari and Shikamaru that before he and Sakura went to lunch.

Choji and Ino exchanged looks, but the moment to answer passed as Sakura clocked Naruto. The usual questions of how had training gone and others went around the group as they tried to think of anything important Naruto should know.

Finally, Naruto said, “Well, I’m going to go catch Kiba. I’ll see you guys around.” Giving a small wave, he and Sakura disappeared into the crowd. After they had gone, Ino looked over at Hinata a moment and then shook her head inwardly. It was her place to ask or say anything. She was sure Sakura would help the girl.

~*~

Hinata lay on her bed and stared up at her ceiling a moment before closing her eyes. She was confused. It made sense, but it didn’t at the same time, and what was the most unsettling was that she liked Gaara more. She didn’t know why that felt odd. He was her fiancé and she couldn’t chase after Naruto any longer, but at the same time, the idea of picking Gaara over Naruto was odd.

Hearing something, she sat up hurriedly and listened. There were voices in the foyer, her father and someone that sounded familiar. She crept over to the cracked door and opened it.

“…I see,” her father stated in a concerned and grave tone. “Who is going to tell her?”

Hinata’s breath caught. Which her? It could be Hanabi or her…most likely her, although that did sound extremely selfish.

“Someone has volunteered, but they’ve gone to Suna to help out. They want to wait until the situation has been taken care of,” the voice stated plainly.

Her father said something she couldn’t hear as Hinata closed the door quietly behind her. Suna…Something had happened in Suna that someone wanted to tell her, but have it not be the messenger or her father. Sinking down onto her bed, Hinata frowned. She wanted to help, but she knew that being one of the weaker Chûnin, she’d only get in the way.

~*~

Hinata bowed to the representatives of Rein. They had a group entered in the Chûnin exams that would start the next day, and she would escort them around Konoha. From what she understood, the messenger appeared at her house a day after the situation began – whatever that was – and the group who had gone to help Suna had been gone for three days. She spoke greetings and motioned for them to follow her to where they would be staying for the exams. Like all Genin groups, there were two boys and one girl, and they looked to be about thirteen or fourteen.

As she walked, she answered some questions thrown at her by the Genin’s instructor. She told them where the basic necessities were and what they could get in the market district. She left them at their residence and then walked towards the Hokage’s complex. She had to meet Shikamaru there since she had taken Ten-Ten’s position to help with the Chûnin exam. Meeting him at the entrance she gave a small wave. “We’re almost done, right?”

“I don’t know, the Godaime’s been picky about a few things and who knows what this Suna thing will do.” Shikamaru made a face as they started towards where they would meet with the others involved with the exam and make sure everything was in order.

Hinata frowned and then she asked slowly, “Shikamaru…” she paused wondering if she should really ask it or not, but it had been three days and she wanted to know, “what is going on in Suna?”

Shikamaru blinked and looked over at her. His face was unreadable. Finally, he said after a moment, “I don’t know.”

Hinata wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. Sometimes Shikamaru would say the truth and other times, he would lie if he thought that was what was right. She couldn’t tell by the look on his face if this was a lie or the truth. “Thanks anyway.” She sighed slightly and then they joined the group of people in charge of the exam.

~*~

They hadn’t run into Sasuke, but had battled members of the Atatsuki. The group returning to Konoha was in a semblance of “one piece” but they were weary and some were being carried. It was the last day of the Chûnin exams so the streets were empty, the only people they had run into being the guards. The group began organizing who needed to go to the hospital, who had to inform the Fifth Hokage of the events in Suna, and other post-mission musts.

Sakura ran a hand through her pointy hair and then said tiredly, “Someone has to tell Hinata.”

“Tell Hinata…?” Naruto looked over at Sakura questioningly. Why would they have to tell Hinata about everything?

Sakura waved a hand in the air. She was too worn out to explain everything to Naruto and she had to gather herself to talk to Hinata. This couldn’t wait. “I’ll meet you guys at the hospital. I need to – “

“You should go to the hospital, I’ll tell her.”

Sakura turned slightly so she could look at the very tall Hyuga. “Neiji…?”

“You need to go to the hospital and get your wounds looked at. I don’t need to go,” Neiji stated in his authoritative voice. “I’ll tell her.” He met her eyes, daring her to challenge his decision. When she looked away, he nodded and left the group.

~*~

Hinata watched from the overlook with Shikamaru as the last battle raged onward. She watched the two boys carefully and then straightened slightly, looking away to glance over her shoulder. Someone was approaching. Shikamaru followed her gaze and then his narrowed slightly as Neiji appeared behind them. Whatever he was about to report couldn’t be good.

“Hinata, I have to tell you something.” Neiji’s eyes didn’t move to Shikamaru. At her expression, he added, “I have news from Suna. We need to talk alone.”

Hinata hesitated and then gathered herself. Neiji wasn’t going to kill her. If he was going to, he would have tried it well before now. She nodded. “I’ll be back in a bit,” she said to Shikamaru and then followed Neiji away from the others.

They walked out of the building and started down the main street that led up to the arena. Hinata adjusted her Chûnin vest and then looked over at Neiji. “Neiji – “

“I guess I can tell you here,” Neiji murmured scanning the area. They were out of view of everyone when people would start leaving the arena. He gave one last scan and then finally turned to Hinata. “Did anyone tell you why we went to Suna?”

Hinata shook her head. “No, they said someone else was going to tell me,” she replied before adding hesitantly, “I overheard.”

Neiji nodded, figuring it must have been Sakura. “We went to Suna because the Kazekage had been kidnapped.” He watched her reaction.

Hinata tried to fight the urge to tremble. Her training lately had consisted more of steeling herself. She was going to marry a head of a state, so she knew that she had to be stronger. She merely swallowed slightly and forced herself to keep Neiji’s gaze. “And…?” Her stomach felt strange, but she pressed forth. She had to be stronger.

“We pursued the kidnappers, members of the Atatsuki.” His voice stayed the same, calm and level. “They fled into the oasis between here and Suna, hiding with him a cave.” He paused, thinking of how to continue. The best way would be simply to say it straight out he decided. “Gaara died there. They pulled Shukaku out of him.”

Hinata felt a stab and then she found herself trembling slightly. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She looked away and spoke in almost a whisper, “I need to go back to…” her voice trailed and she straightened slightly, “to the exams.” She felt his eyes on her and she added, “I’m alright…It will sink in later. I can’t let it sink in now.” She shook her head and added even quieter, “Thank you,” before leaving Neiji to return and decide if any of the participants were worthy of the rank of Chûnin.

~*~

Alone she trembled and tried to cry, but tears wouldn’t come. She now stood with others, the wind blowing sand around them. The previous Kazekage had been reappointed and there were no celebrations or festivals, because that was the way of the Sunanese. The treaty was still intact and arcane way of sealing it had been dismissed. The entire village was gathered around them including foreign dignitaries and some shinobi of the Leaf. Hinata stared straight ahead, passing up the chance to say something when the option was given to those gathered. Anyone could say whatever they wanted about Gaara from the lowest of the villagers to the highest ranking officials.

After the Spirit Catcher spoke, giving thanks for knowing Gaara and saying things that could only be described as customary and formal, the Kazekage spoke. He was a man of medium height, his face and brown hair hidden by the white robes he wore. He too said things that sounded nice but had a hollow meaning occasionally. The option for the villagers to speak came next. Some spoke and apologized to the casket for what they did before and apologized. Some seemed desperate to do so as though they were repenting and others truly meant what they said. A small child spoke and said nice things that were sincere. He couldn’t remember a time in which Gaara was a feared monster. He only knew him as the junior Kazekage who was to be respected. The various officials were asked to speak next and then it went down ninja rank from there. The various heads of state said things that again ranged from sincere to simply going through the motions. It went down ninja rank after that. Temari said some things, her voice steady though quiet. Kankuro said a few words and then passed the floor on to another Jônin. Finally, Naruto, the only Genin there, got to speak. He chose his words carefully and kept a mask on his face, his true feelings towards Suna impossible to read.

Then the guards who had been protecting the village appeared and took up the rods of the casket. The guards who had set it on the podium in the center of the village were gone, presumably having traded positions with the pallbearers. They looked at each other and with word lifted the casket in unison and began the procession outside of the city. They walked for a few miles until they came to the mountainous region still inside Suna’s borders. The group gathered in a semi circle, the hierarchy of the gathering dictated by how close one was to the opening in the rock.

The Spirit Catcher began chanting as the pallbearers entered the dug out area. After a few minutes, the pallbearers returned and then they walked to the very back of the semi circle as the Jônin of Suna began to close the hole in the rock, chanting with the Spirit Catcher in a ceremony dating back centuries. Finally, the tomb was sealed off and the Jônin returned to their places. The Spirit Catcher raised his staff to the sky, finishing in a language that only few in the group could understand.

Then it felt quiet and after a while, people began to leave. There was no more order, no more ceremony. Naruto nodded his head to the Konoha delegation, he received nods in return. They stood in a line of no hierarchy and each went down the line and said a verbal farewell to Gaara. Finally, the time for Hinata to speak came. She took in a deep breath and tried to make her voice strong and steady. It faltered to a degree, but was stronger than most would suspect. “Gaara…thank you for making me stronger. I wish that we could have spent…our lives together.” Then the floor was passed to Lee as Hinata bowed her head, willing herself not to cry.

The End