I'll Follow the Sun

by Mrs Scorpius Malfoy

Hinata's freedom looks a lot like an old car, a long road trip, and that blond boy she picked up in the middle of nowhere.

I'll Follow the Sun

(Or: Hinata's freedom looks a lot like an old car, a long road trip, and that blond boy she picked up in the middle of nowhere)

Part I

She's had enough, Hinata thinks.

The large duffle bag sits on top of her lavender bed covers. It is gradually getting stuffed with enough clothes for the indefinite amount of time she needs. She adds piles of pants, shorts, dresses, shirts, underwear, sweaters, whatever her hands touch. A single tear begins to travel down her pale cheek, and her long dark fringes obscure her eyes while she continues preparing.

She's had enough, Hinata repeats.

She's had enough of this life. She's had enough of tradition, of being told that her opinion does not matter when they have to decide her own future. She's had enough of her father, grandfather, and every other elder who think they are entitled to know what's the best for her. Of marriage proposals, etiquette classes, and snobby classmates who keep their distance because of her last name.

Hinata does not even know what's best herself. That's why she cannot choose a path in spite of constantly being told that it is her destiny as the eldest daughter to marry off and continue with the family status. Hanabi is lucky. She's not the firstborn, she's the favourite daughter, and she has developed a strong character while Hinata withers away with every second she spends in this cage called home.

Her bedroom door creaks open and she quickly wipes the tear away.

"Are you sure about this?" It's Hanabi. Her equally pale eyes look at Hinata with concern. In spite of the competition their elders have attempted to establish between them, Hinata loves her little sister more than anything in the world.

That's why she and her cousin Neji are the only ones who know of this plan. It will anger father, certainly, but Hinata cannot live thinking that even her breathing is constricted within the walls of their house and her every step is controlled by the ears on the same walls.

"Come here," Hinata finds strength in her voice. Since the death of their mother all those years ago, she's ensured that Hanabi never sees her weak and vulnerable when they are alone.

She opens her arms and her sister, five years younger, settles between them. Hanabi hugs her back, with more weight on her shoulders than any fourteen year old should carry.

"I love you, big sister," Hanabi mutters. "And don't worry about father and the others. They don't know what's best for you."

She is too young to be giving Hinata this sort of advice. But no one, other than their cousin Neji, knows what it's like living with their family in the Hyūga estate.

"I'll tell you what I'm up to all the time," Hinata promises.

She doesn't know if she will live up to those words. Truthfully, this entire plan is to find that abstract thing Hinata has always yearned for; to forget about the rest of their family and status. She needs to be her own person, and unless she follows through with this, she will never get to see what the world has to offer.

It is almost dawn, and Hinata has to leave before her father wakes up and realizes that she is gone. Hanabi walks her to the garage, where her old and battered sedan is parked beside the evidently wealthier cars that her relatives choose to drive. It doesn't matter, she thinks, she bought that piece of junk with her hard earned money behind her father's back and she is proud to call it her key to freedom.

(Yet she will never find the right amount of courage to voice those words to father.)

"Go before the sun rises. I'll make sure father doesn't send a bunch of ninjas to hunt you down."

Hinata gives her younger sister one last squeeze before getting in her car and starting the rumbling engine. It may be an old car, but Neji ensured that it was well maintained before her departure. He even kept it a secret in his personal garage until this day.

She feels a pang of guilt at not saying farewell to her closest cousin. He's chosen the path set by their elders, to stay with the company, and though he respects Hinata's wishes he is just another soldier stuck in the trenches.

The garage door opens. This is it, she thinks. Her running engine leads her down the long trail that leaves to the gates of their estate. Hinata shoots one last look at the extensive, intrinsically decorated gardens that accompany the mansion before she exits. Her hands are shaking while holding the steering wheel, but her heart is set on determination.

She may feel like this was a bad idea in an hour, or even in ten minutes. For now, Hinata has to drive away as far as she can from the Hyūga estate, far away from the life she's lived in her short nineteen years. Yes, she is disappointing father, but she always has. She never satisfies him with her calm composure, with her lack of interest in tradition, with her soft heart towards things deemed useless by the rest of their family.

Yes, all of her kindness is taken for weakness. But now Hinata is about to do what the elders never expected from the weakest link in the Hyūga family. She is about to become a rebel, to run away, to create her own destiny. She may never say the words aloud, but damn her noble ancestors. Damn her family's old money, which has kept her within the bubble of private schools, elaborate tea parties, and constricting dressing codes.

Damn her family for preventing her friendships to kids who were deemed less important than her. Damn them for limiting her social circle to those they see fit for future marriage. This isn't the past century, Hanabi once said, Hinata should not be used as the ink and paper to sign a marriage contract in which she has no say because it is all for the future of their family's sake.

Now she is nineteen, out of school, on the path to becoming the woman she wants to be. Her car is her escape, the roads her guide. She saved enough money last summer while working at a ramen shop, enough to buy a car and set up her own savings account. And if she didn't take this path now, she would never do it in the future.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightens as the street takes her to downtown Konoha. One last drive before she is off to different lands. Before she is en route to the West, to where the forest meets the sand.

Hinata finally feels like she has enough strength in her hands to take control of her life.

Part II

This is the first time in her life that she listens to loud music. Her windows are rolled down, her long hair dancing with the wind, the highway with no sign of life.

And Hinata lives. She can finally live.

If she were a different person, she would scream at the top of her lungs while going twice over the speed limit. But the last thing she needs is for a police officer to show up out of nowhere, give her a speeding ticket, and report her to her family.

She was never comfortable with the sort of status the Hyūga held. And still hold, even if the days of nobility have passed and all that is left is old money and an old name.

The rock song playing on the radio travels through her veins, sending her chills with its guitar strings and booming drum beats. She wishes she knew the lyrics to the song, for she was not exposed to this type of music until she started working at the ramen shop. Hinata thinks about her old co-workers, some of the girls who were her age and invited her along to their parties. She always had to refuse, knowing her situation all too well.

But now. Now she wishes she could have gone to those parties. She wishes she could have been a friend to them, just to gain a little bit of freedom before throwing herself into this big unknown world. A world that is starting to frighten her, where Hanabi and Neji are not close in proximity and they cannot watch one another.

She releases her foot on the gas pedal, her car gradually slowing down while her heart begins to pound on her chest. Hinata has her eyes glued on the long and winding road, uninhabited except for herself and the dense trees that border its sides. Her hands are shaking on the steering wheel while her mind is whirling back to that dark place.

What if this is a bad decision? There is no guarantee that she will come back safe and in one piece. The questions she has been looking for may not be out there in the unknown. And why choose to go West, to Suna? It is dry, extremely hot, and the complete opposite of the familiarity she knows among Konoha's endless forests. Sure, she is only familiar with the ones that surround her home and her old school, but their green is a lot more appealing than the arid sand.

This is a bad idea. Father may still forgive her for leaving like this. He may still want to welcome her back in their home and family, and leave this impromptu-failed attempt at escaping in the past. Yes, he can be forgiving if one persuades him correctly. Hinata can promise that she will follow every instruction given to her for the rest of her life if father lets this go. She will even marry if it means that her elders will not disown her.

Yes, that's a good idea.

It's best to turn around and go back to Konoha. Go back to comfort and to suppressing the feeling of living inside a bird cage.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Eep!"

Hinata's heart skips one beat. She was too immersed in her thoughts to realize that her car had stopped in the middle of the road, and that somebody was knocking on her passenger window.

Yes, that's where the sound comes from. Knock, knock, knock! She turns her eyes to the right side, and they soon widen at the thing -or rather, the person- who is dissipating the clouding thoughts polluting her mind and confidence.

The person -or rather, young man who looks to be her age- makes a motion for Hinata to lower her window. She takes a moment to process the request, and then does a little jump on her seat before reaching out to the passenger door and rolling down her window. At first she only sees a torso covered in a bright orange t-shirt, which then lowers to welcome a pair of strong shoulders, and finally a head of blond hair.

"Hey, you seem to be lost," he says and sends her the most sincere smile Hinata has ever seen.

His cheekbones are decorated with three lines on each, and he has the bluest eyes, so blue that she could confuse them with the sky. It's as if he was beaming, another ray of sunshine that hits the forest and gives it life.

And now, this ray of sunshine has stumbled upon her.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

Hinata, he is asking if you are alright. Are you?

"Uh, I- yes, yes I am. Thank you," the words stumble out of her mouth and every lesson in etiquette she's suffered through is out of her mind.

"Okay, great. Sorry, it must be really weird if this strange guy comes outta nowhere to knock on your car window. But I got worried when I saw that you stopped your car without pulling on the side and just sat there."

My, how long did she sit in her car while her thoughts tormented her? He must have been staring and thinking of how strange she was.

And now, based on the confused expression the man is sporting, she is doing it again.

"I just... I'm sorry. I was thinking and I guess I got sidetracked."

He chuckles and it's the most beautiful sound. "Better watch out for those cops then. Which, based on this route, you won't see for long. In fact, there isn't much civilization 'round here."

Hinata is about to say something but the words never reach her mouth. She just sits on her car, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Then, she opens her passenger compartment to take out the map that Neji had bought her. She places it on her lap and opens it, finding the rough estimate of the place she is currently in and then trailing the road until the distance between her point and the next town is the size of her hand. All the while, her cheeks are turning scarlet red because she knows he is watching her every move.

"Y-You're right," she stutters. Awkward. "There isn't another town until the tip of my finger, and right now we are at the base of my palm."

He chuckles, again, and Hinata is happy that she isn't standing because her legs would give out. "You're funny. I'm Naruto, by the way."

He brings his right hand into the car through the window, offering it to her. Hinata stares at it, then at his face, then back at it while blinking rapidly. It takes her another moment to register the motion and hold out her own right hand.

It's like electricity runs from the tip of her fingers to the rest of her body.

"Hinata."

She leaves out the last name. The less she reminds herself of it the better.

"Pretty name." Oh, she is going to melt and it isn't even hot outside.

"T-Thank you." Now she is shrinking in her seat, wishing that her bangs were long enough to cover her scarlet face.

"So, Hinata," Naruto begins, "where are you heading?"

She is entranced with the way her name sounds when he says it. It appears that she is also unable to speak now, so she turns back to her map and points at the end of her trip. A black dot in the middle of beige.

"To Suna? Awesome, I'm going there too!"

Is this fate? No, it is too perfect.

"Well, I was until my last ride ditched me a few miles back and I got stranded," Naruto scratches the back of his head.

No, this is not fate. This is going to be the death of her.

"That's really unfortunate," she finally finds her voice.

"I know."

He stays there, with his elbows propped on her opened window, looking straight at her, making her feel immensely self-conscious. It's almost like fate or the gods are calling to her. Like they sent her this golden boy out of the blue to aid in her road to clarity.

"I can take you there if you'd like."

And her heart races when she realizes it. When she realizes that she has seen that blond hair before, that same pair of blue eyes and lines.

"Seriously?" he does not give her time to change her mind. "That'd be the raddest thing anyone's ever done for me. Hinata, you are my knight in shining armour!"

Naruto was one of the regular customers at the ramen shop last summer. And, during that time, she had developed a huge crush on him.

Part III

Her hands feel clammy. Sticky. But not in the way they do when she is nervous in front of her father and elders. No, this time, her hands are clammy because she is holding on to her steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turn purple. And the clear skies give way for the sun to hit her dashboard, heating up her hands. And that the boy her eyes followed around last summer is sitting mere inches away from her, trying to make conversation.

"So... how old are you?"

Hinata remembers his order so well.

"Uh... Nineteen."

Ichiraku's special Miso Ramen with char siu. Sometimes he would ask for a mild, and sometimes he'd get extra spicy sauce on the side.

"No way! Me too. Wait, what school did you go to? I don't remember seeing you at Konoha High and that's about the only school in downtown."

"I went to a private school."

"You mean Konoha Academy? Man, that's where the rich people go."

She is saying too much. Hinata, calm down your heartbeat. Remember all those lessons in etiquette where a lady is not supposed to show too much emotion in her face. And when the chance comes, wipe those clammy hands with a towel because they are starting to soak up the steering wheel.

"Oh, it's not in Konoha," she finally answers, brushing it off with her hand. "It's in, uh, the East coast of the country."

It's best if she steers away from this conversation. Luckily, Naruto does not seem to notice her discomfort with the topic. Instead, he turns his head towards her and stares. Hinata feels his eyes burning into her, her skin turning scarlet once again.

Just focus on driving, Hinata. The next town is only four hours away.

"Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere?"

Four hours sitting beside a personified sun proves to be difficult when he is heating up every fiber of her skin.

Remember, etiquette lessons.

"Maybe we saw each other in the street," she shrugs her shoulders as casually as she can.

She can feel the back of her hair sticking to her neck.

"What brings you to Suna?" This is the first question Hinata asks.

"I'm going to a festival with my friends. They went ahead since my friend's brother is performing, and the ride that was supposed to bring me there kind of ditched me in the middle of the road."

It's Naruto's turn to shrug his shoulders. "And you?" he asks back.

It means her pathway to freedom, if only temporary. She does not know what she will do in Suna or who she will contact, but the plan is to find a place to sleep that isn't her car, explore the city and its surrounding desert, and attempt to find what she has been looking for her whole life. If it does not work out in Suna, she guesses that she will try in a different city. She has enough gas money for that.

"Just to sight see. I don't know for how long."

"Ah, I see. It's a long trip from Konoha to Suna," Naruto comments. "Five days by driving. Wow, you must be really cool if you are doing all this by yourself."

Yes, he is going to be the death of her.

Part IV

The town they reach is so small that they do not even bother to look at the name, but it has a gas station and Hinata needs to fill up her tank. She is thankful that her car, although being old, does not spend a ridiculous amount of gas. That and the fact that Naruto offered to pay for half of it as a way of showing gratitude. After all, it's not like everyone stops and picks up a stranger on the road. Much less if said stranger is that absolutely handsome boy who filled her dreams last summer while she hid behind the steam coming out of boiling noodles.

"I'll do it. You just sit here and wait, okay?" Naruto gets out of the car before Hinata has a chance of opening her mouth. "And I'll buy snacks too. Cup noodles are cool for you, yeah?"

He doesn't wait for her answer for that, either.

So now here she is. Sitting inside her car while he fills up her tank. A blush creeps up on her neck at that thought and how it can apply to, uh, other situations.

"Eep!"

Hinata is glad that no one can hear her or see her hide her face in front of her steering wheel. She quickly dismisses the imaginary scenario playing out in her head, internally punishing herself for even thinking about doing that with a stranger out of all people. Only that Naruto is not a complete stranger, even if he does not recognize her at all.

She hears Naruto pull out the valve from her car and place it back on the register. He gives her car two pats to let her know that he is going in the convenience store to pay for the gas. From the rear view mirror, Hinata can spot his broad back go in the store.

And she begins to think.

Yes, Naruto is going to be the death of her. He does not notice how much his presence affects her though she has not seen him in about a year. He does not recognize or know who she truly is. If he did, he would not be so comfortable around her; Hinata is partially embarrassed by the weight of her last name. Everyone in Konoha knows it, for it is present in many of its buildings.

She is lucky that her photograph isn't featured in the newspapers that often. Father has always been reserved in exposing his daughters and nephew to the media.

Nonetheless, if Naruto finds out who she is, he may contact someone to bring her back to father and face consequences she is not ready to even imagine.

"Eep!" What if there is a sort of bounty placed on her head!?

No, Naruto wouldn't do that. He seems so oblivious that he probably does not even know what her last name entails. Hyūga family members have a distinct eye colour, and he has not asked about hers yet. Which leads her to think that she is safe from him finding out about her true self before arriving in Suna.

But then again he may be pretending to not know which family she belongs to. Maybe he was set up by her elders to be picked up by her on the road and find out about her plans. What sort of festival is he even attending in Suna? It may all be a lie, and he may lead her to a secret place in Suna where a relative -or even worse, her father- is waiting for her, ready to burn her beloved car and force her back to Konoha.

That would be too much thinking on their part, Hinata reasons.

However, if she comes up with a theory like that, it could very well be real.

As much as it hurts her heart, it's best to leave Naruto stranded in this gas station. He will find a ride to wherever he really needs to go with someone else, and Hinata will not go through the risk of encountering angry Hyūga members in the near future.

Yes, that is the best decision she has.

Her hand is on her key, ready to ignite her engine and drive off all of her own.

"I'm ready," she says aloud.

That is, until her passenger door opens and her seat gets filled in with the handsome blond boy holding a plastic bag in his hand.

"Ready for what?" Naruto asks. "For these?" He opens the plastic bag, showing her the snacks he got from the convenience store. "You better fucking be! Nothing better than dry cup noodles on a road trip!"

Part V

Naruto feels bad.

Really, he does. He is taking advantage of this girl's car in order to get to Suna. Paying for gas is a lot cheaper than paying for a train or a plane ticket.

Not to mention that what he is running away from may catch up and bite him in the ass. Asking a stranger to drive him to Suna is the best way to go under the radar. He only hopes that Hinata is not caught up in the middle of that. She is too nice and pretty to get involved with people like him. He really should not have done that favour for Jiraiya, but he is the godfather who raised him and has been the only parental influence in his life.

Yes, aside from his involvement with illegal activities, Jiraiya is the closest thing Naruto has had to a father. Hence why he listened when his godfather told him that he must go to Suna to find the sun he's been looking for. It makes Naruto's stomach churn to think about it, to know that he can no longer go back to Konoha without fearing for his life.

It's a fucked up situation. He hopes to figure it out by the time he has to face it.

Naruto practically got expelled from his hometown by being driven to the middle of nowhere. That is where he found Hinata, innocently sitting behind the wheel, her big clear eyes looking at everything like it was her first time seeing the world.

He feels bad. He is lying to her. Well, not fully lying to her. The part of him attending the festival in Suna is real, as it was all instructed by Jiraiya before he was unexpectedly thrown out of Konoha's streets. But after that, if he goes with his intentions, Hinata would be driving him to many more unknown places.

She is really pretty, he notes. And quiet. Like she is used to being alone and keeps to herself, whereas he cannot find a way to zip his mouth. She is also calm, a contrast to his hyperactive attitude that prevented him from having a good school record. In all honesty, Naruto never knew that people like Hinata lived in Konoha.

Still, her light coloured eyes and dark hair seem pretty familiar. A part of him is sure that he has seen her somewhere before, but he cannot pinpoint where. She must spend most of her time outside of the city, because he would have definitely done more than one double-take if she were to walk down the street. Hinata did not attend Konoha High and that is the only place where Naruto has encountered decent-looking girls (though he cannot compare them with Hinata, she's like on another level).

His lifestyle does not come with much luxury or pretty sights, after all. Gang members aren't the best looking people out there either.

Jiraiya could not raise him in a different environment, unfortunately. He has been stuck in the same hole for years, and if Naruto had followed the instructions step-by-step, his godfather would have been freed from that toxic lifestyle. But he had to go and mess it up, like everything else. School was never an option; his marks were terrible and none of his teachers encouraged him to improve. He was only good at persuading people, and at fucking up in life-threatening situations.

Naruto just hopes he finds what Jiraiya mentioned. His godfather said that there may be something waiting for him in Suna. Some help, Naruto muses, to get them out of that shit hole. Money, hopefully. The festival he is attending with Sasuke is supposed to be his starting point. Sasuke is the only constant thing in his life in spite of his current absence while touring with his brother and Sakura.

At least his best friend is getting somewhere with his life. Naruto still feels like he is stuck in one place and it is slowly killing him.

"If you want you can open the window," Hinata offers. "I think I will," she adds as an afterthought and begins to roll down her side.

The wind makes her hair run wild. She looks like the definition of something that Naruto cannot yet pinpoint, but he wants to continue observing until he finds the right words to say.

The world is killing him slowly. But until then, his only path to freedom is this old car, the winding road, and the beautiful girl who picked him up all those miles ago.

Part VI

Hinata's hands still tremble whenever he asks a question. She thinks that it is more from the surrealism of her current situation than from the fear that Naruto will recognize her last name. After driving for hours with only one person to talk to, she can confess that she is gradually building her trust. There is something about Naruto, maybe the way he pays attention to her like no one else has in her life before, that makes Hinata feel more comfortable with herself and her surroundings.

And, along with that trust, her hands also begin to tremble out of guilt. In a strange way, she feels guilty for not being honest with him from the get-go. Aside from this impromptu escapade from her family, Hinata has never lied in her life (aside from her job at the ramen shop). Twisting the truth was not part of her etiquette training, though that does not include concealing individual thoughts that may be unacceptable in an elite social setting.

Her gas tank is still half full, and the sun sets in the distance. The combination of purples and oranges in the sky contrast with the changing scenery. The thick forests that are so well known in her country are getting replaced with dry soil and shrubs.

"Look," Naruto points at a large sign on the side of the road and reads it aloud, "'Welcome to the Land of Rivers. Capital: Tanigakure. Home of the endless valleys.' Cool, we made it past the border."

"I've been driving all day," Hinata adds as an afterthought, more to herself than to Naruto.

However, he picks up on it and checks the map. "There should be an inn coming up soon. You need some sleep before you pass out behind the wheel and get us killed."

"W-what?"

He chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, it's just a joke. I'm tired too."

The car's high beams are the only lights guiding them in the highway. Soon enough, they find the only inn -and only sign of civilization- and pull over.

That is when Hinata's heart begins to boom in her chest. Because going to an inn with a stranger (who is not really a stranger at this point) is something that she would not have imagined in her lifetime. Much less if said stranger is the Naruto. And that-

"Sorry, we only have one bed available, sir."

-that their only option is to sleep in the same room.

Yes, she mentally confessed that she trusts her tag-along hitchhiker. Yes, they have spent the past eight hours in the same car, casually getting to know one another in a social setting that is unknown in her world. Yes, he is the nicest, sweetest, funniest person she's met in her short nineteen years of life.

But does that mean that she is ready to, you know, share a bed with him?

"That's alright," Naruto replies and she stops breathing. "You take the room and I'll sleep in the car."

The concierge looks back and forth between the two, as if finally understanding that they are not a couple. Hinata regains air in her lungs before she faints, nods quickly, and takes the key to her room without uttering a single word.

Naruto follows suit to ensure which room she will be staying it. "I know it's not top class and that they don't have complimentary breakfast, but hopefully the bed doesn't have bugs."

"Bugs?"

He playfully smacks her arm. "I'm kidding. Anyway, you keep the car keys because, knowing my luck, I might lose them. See you tomorrow morning."

And he's gone before she can wish him good night. Hinata enters her room and turns on the lamp light. It comes with all the basics: a night stand, lamp light, double bed with white bed sheets and comforter, an old TV and a wired telephone. The curtains are closed, and she'd rather not see the endless pit of darkness from the other side of the window if she is sleeping alone.

So here it is, the end of her first day of freedom. Her first day of proving to the world that she can make her own decisions. And though she has travelled for a total of twelve hours today, she still feels like she is not making any progress.

The mattress creaks when she sits on the bed. She is far away from home and from turning around. This is her decision, her life. There is no way that father or any of the elders can contact her. Hinata feels a rock drop in her stomach when she realizes that in spite of their extensive resources, the Hyūga have not made an effort of looking for her.

Is she really that unimportant to them? Do they expect her to come back home and marry?

She hugs her upper body, fully vulnerable in front of a blank wall. Tomorrow they will drive until Takumi Village, which is on the border with the Land of Wind, and the next day they will reach the Land of Wind. After that, Hinata does not know what else will happen. But she is grateful to have someone like Naruto encouraging her to continue with her path, even if he does not realize the impact he is having on her.

Hinata bites her lip as she picks up the land line phone. She types in the number and hears it ring.

In less than a second, Hanabi picks up on the other side. "Sister?"

"Hanabi." Her voice comforts Hinata. The tension on her shoulders dissolves immediately. "I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. I just got a room in an inn."

"It's not like I wasn't waiting for your call," Hanabi brushes it off, but Hinata knows that it's a lie. "How's it going with you? Anything interesting happened so far?"

She wants to say that yes, she picked up a hitchhiker along the road and he turns out to be the boy she crushed on last summer. That yes, he is really nice and trustworthy. That her car works great and she wants to send her thanks to Neji for looking after it before her departure. That she's had several panic attacks all day trying to conceal her last name and because of the second thoughts that pollute her mind.

Instead, though, she says, "Nothing really. Just a lot of driving."

"But you're going somewhere," her little sister comments with the naivete that comes with her age. If only she knew. "You must be in the Land of Rivers now."

"Yeah. I didn't get to see much of it today, though." There is a pregnant pause where Hinata can hear Hanabi's breathing on the other side of the line. It is as if she is expecting the following question. "How are things?"

"Well, if you excuse me, shit has hit the fan."

"Hanabi!"

"It really has, sister. Father was not pleased when he saw that you weren't home in the morning. He is dealing with the elders right now, but his work hasn't let him take time off to hunt you down. The elders aren't happy at all," she adds. "The rumour is that they have already disowned you. But that's just what the maids say, so I wouldn't take it too seriously."

"And Neji?"

"He's," another paused, "he's working. Like always. I don't have anyone to hang out with now."

There's something about Hanabi's tone that sets her off, but Hinata does not mention it.

"So father is not sending anyone to look for me?"

"Not for now. I think he wants to deal with the elders first. Sister, I know things aren't looking great over here, but don't let that discourage you."

It doesn't stop that rock in her stomach to hit even lower. "I know."

"You'll find what you're looking for," Hanabi encourages her. "Anyway, I better go now. I'm hiding in the guest closet and someone may catch me."

Hinata smiles sadly, wishing to be able to pat her younger sister in her head. "Send my love to Neji, will you?"

"I will. Don't do something I wouldn't do!"

I can't promise that, she wants to say, thinking that picking up a hitchhiker along the road isn't something Hanabi would do. "I love you."

"Me too. Bye, sister."

Hinata does not bother changing into her pajamas or going under the covers. She lies on the bed staring off into the blank wall, then the blank ceiling, thinking of how she still holds back what she wants to say all the time. This is the end of day one, and tomorrow, with the new sunrise, she will get in her car and continue her road trip to discovery.

She still has a long way to go.

Part VII

The next day, Hinata is not in the best mood. She refuses Naruto's offer to eat left over snacks for breakfast, choosing to stay on an empty stomach because she isn't hungry. Her lack of hunger associates with the tightening in her chest, as well as the way her eyes remain glued to the road. She does not feel like talking, but is too polite to tell Naruto that she wishes to be in silence.

It's all because of last night's conversation with Hanabi. Hinata was briefly brought back to the reality she left behind, and after much pondering and little sleep she realizes how selfish her actions are. Hanabi is exposed to the elders, without her protection. Neji is overworked, though her sister did not comment much on it. Father must be going through a hard time too because of her rash decisions.

And all because she cannot stick to their status quo. Is it all worth it? To throw away her opportunity of having a secure life for this? The money isn't her problem; Hinata has enough saved up to last her for a while.

She is just... still apprehensive. Still worried for Hanabi's well-being. She is only fourteen, and at that age girls are vulnerable to what people tell them. She does not want Hanabi to compromise her dreams. Neji isn't around enough to look out for the younger Hyūga either and that exposes her to the elders.

"You sure you don't wanna eat?" Naruto interrupts her thoughts. "We've been on the road for three hours."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Silence. The only thing she can hear is Naruto fiddling on his seat. The sun is shining bright above them. It's only after more silence that Hinata decides to break the ice. If she wants to be fine, then she should start by pretending.

"Did you sleep well?"

He massages his shoulder. "Yeah, your backseat is really comfortable." Yet his actions say otherwise.

It seems that Hinata isn't the only one concealing her thoughts out of politeness.

"You can take the room next time if you want. I want to sleep in my car too," she offers.

"Hinata, don't worry-"

"No, I really want to. I mean, it should be fair."

She can feel his eyes burn the side of her cheek. "Okay. Then I should drive too, if you trust me. It's not fair that you're doing all the driving."

Of course I trust you, she wants to say. "Sure."

More silence.

That is, until Naruto starts to play around with the radio. He moves the wheel, changing stations until he finds one that is clear enough to listen. The song currently playing has some rock undertones, but the volume is too quiet for Hinata to listen to it.

At least it is adding background noise to their endless driving. It also gives her mind a chance to delve back into those thoughts of Konoha. Of how she can help her sister and cousin out while being so far away. She could reach Suna, stay there for a few days, and then come back to Konoha and pretend like running away never happened. Or she could simply call father, apologize, and promise to return as soon as possible.

Or she could-

Her thoughts are interrupted when Naruto sets the volume louder. The rock undertones now turn into guitar strings, a deep drumming beat, and a male voice singing an unfamiliar chorus.

And Naruto begins to sing along. "It's getting better all the time. Better, better, better."

Half of her attention is focused on the road, while the other is in the blond boy sitting on her passenger seat. He is bobbing his head along to the beat of the song, singing away, a bit louder with every word, and completely out of tune.

Naruto catches her taking a peek at him and sends her a mischievous smile. He interrupts his singing to ask her, "Do you know this song?"

He continues humming when she replies. "Unfortunately no."

"It's a classic, man! Here, try singing the chorus," he clears his voice. "I have to admit it's getting better. A little better, all the time."

Hinata focuses on the lyrics, trying to catch on and sing along. She only gets to sing the last line of the entire song, mildly embarrassed by her lack of popular culture knowledge. Konoha Academy only encouraged classical music, as antiquated as it sounds. She trained in piano from the age of three until last year, and knows pieces by Mozart and Chopin like the back of her hand. But she was never exposed to what other kids listened to.

And it makes her feel discouraged. Her only experience with pop songs was when she worked at the ramen shop. She would occasionally hum some of the songs, always too afraid of getting caught at home listening to them.

"Let's try this one, then," Naruto encourages her when the next song starts to play.

It starts with percussion, and then the voice of a woman comes on. Hinata's spirits lift.

"Oh, I know this one," she says. "Sometimes I feel like putting my hands up in the air. 'Cuz I know I can count on you."

"Sometimes I feel like saying lord I just don't care," Naruto sings without hitting the right notes.

He does not have the greatest voice, yet he does not feel discouraged when Hinata finds enough courage to continue singing the song. She eventually gets louder, and even taps her index fingers on the steering wheel while moving her shoulders.

Hinata does not notice when she fully immerses in the lyrics, letting every word out of her lips with meaning. Her voice cannot compare to the singer's, but she is able to keep in tune and even add her extra notes. It is as if the weight on her shoulders lifts with the song, every breath she takes releasing her stress. Her clouding thoughts are pushed to the back of her mind and soon enough, she is dancing while driving.

Naruto claps along, singing the chorus when it comes on, encouraging her to continue.

Then she is smiling, breathless, after belting out the last note. She has never sung like that before, without warming up and looking at the sheet music. Hinata runs a hand through her hair, having messed it up while dancing. She feels how everything is letting loose, and even laughs to herself for that brief moment of spontaneity.

This time, Hinata catches him taking a peek at her. There is a sort of glint in his eyes that remind her of how happy she was before father began to impose family rules on her. She has to look away almost immediately, gluing her eyes back on the road before she begins to fantasize on what that peek may mean.

Yet the ghost of a smile does not leave her face.

"So snacks?"

Because Naruto made her feel better, and her stomach is asking for food, and he does not even realize how much he is doing for her.

"Sure."

Part IIX

It would be a lie if Hinata said that she didn't feel hungry after all that driving and singing along. Her spirits are definitely on a higher note, and another day of travelling is nearing its last leg. They stop by a diner just outside of Takumi, expecting to fill up their stomachs. The only food Hinata consumed all day had been dry cup noodles and lukewarm water. A nice meal will add a nice end to this day.

When they come in the diner, Hinata is surprised at how busy it is. Most of its customers are around her age; young twenty-somethings and late teenagers, all seeming to be looking for the same path of life as her. She stands there for a couple of moments, realizing how she is not the only lost human being in this planet and that anyone could potentially carry baggage like hers.

The door bell rings once again when Naruto walks in, and she watches as he lights up the room with his mere presence. Maybe it's just the angle, or the way that his hair shines with the artificial lights, but it is as if Naruto was literally a walking sun. Always beaming, always positive. Maybe it's just her and the fantasizing side of her mind.

Either way, Hinata notices how most heads turn when they see Naruto. She is not the only one caught in his magnetic field of sunshine, it seems. And though she should not feel anything because Naruto is just hitching a ride from her to Suna, she feels, well, discouraged. Because these heads belong to other more attractive young women, and after checking him out, they gather in groups to murmur words that go along the line of 'hot'.

"Let's get a seat."

Hinata has yet to learn how unpredictable Naruto can be, because he puts his hand on her back and guides her to an empty booth. Almost as if they were more than just acquaintances. And she has to repress the blush creeping in her cheeks by hiding her face behind the menu. The list of ingredients for the house specialty suddenly seem really interesting to read. At least much more interesting than the bustling young voices and the attractive guy sitting right in front of her.

"Uh, what are you getting?" she asks after a moment of silence.

Though they have spent almost all of the last forty eight hours together, Hinata still stutters in situations like these. Situations where she realizes that Naruto has no other choice but give her his full attention because there is no one else to talk to.

Yet he seems to ignore all the attention he gets. In fact, he takes the menu from her hands to look at it, completely unaware that more than one set of eyes is on him while his are immersed in what to get for dinner.

"The house special sounds good," Naruto says, his face hiding behind the menu like Hinata's was not too long ago. "You want one too?" She nods. "I'll go get it."

He gets up from his seat to go and place their order. Hinata's hands start to fidget; it's in this type of situation that she wishes she had a book or a phone to play with. Unfortunately, neither of those things are available since she left all of her valuables in the Hyūga estate.

And so, she people watches. Her eyes travel to the tables in sight and their occupants. There is a large group of about ten people, all around her age, sitting in the longest table, while other smaller parties are scattered around. Everyone is talking loudly, waiters handing out plates, the bell from the kitchen ringing often as freshly made dishes find their way to their recipients.

She tries to find calm in the bustling sounds. Tries hard not to panic because she is left alone in this diner while Naruto places their order. She is finding it difficult. What if he finds another group of people to hitch a ride from? What if his friends are actually here and he goes with them instead? Or if a pretty girl talks to him at the counter and offers her car?

No, he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't ditch her that easily. His possessions are in her car and she has the keys. But if he were to leave her before reaching Suna, would it be appropriate to feel this upset and hurt?

Hinata can feel her insecurities crawling in her skin at this point. And if Naruto does not come back in five minutes, she will-

"You look lonely."

-huh?

"I said that you look lonely, pretty girl."

Hinata finds a young man wearing a baseball cap sitting in front of her. He places his elbow on the table and leans in closer, his eyes determined on watching her every move. He looks about her age, and carries a vibe that she does not particularly like.

"Excuse me?"

He seems slightly bothered by her question, having to repeat himself for a third time. "You are too pretty to be sitting alone, darling."

I'm not here alone, she wants to say. However, only unintelligible sounds come out of her mouth.

"I, uh-"

"How about I stay here with you?" Is she... "I can keep you company and I'll even buy you dinner." ... getting hit on?

This has never happened before. Her confined walls have never exposed her, or even prepared her, for a situation like this! The man sitting in front of her takes her silence as permission to continue talking about himself. However, Hinata's ears are tuned out while her blood freezes in every vein. She feels frozen, trapped, thinking that if she gets up at any time, the man will catch her and force her to stay on her seat.

No, she does not like the vibe he is sending. And what's worse, she does not know how to turn away people like him!

"So what's your name? Mine is-"

"Sorry I took so long." Out of the blue, Hinata feels an arm wrap around her shoulders and a pair of lips touch her cheek. "The lineup's insane to order food here. Shoulda chosen another place, eh?"

That is when she takes in the sun-kissed skin tone of the arm on her shoulders. She turns her head to the side and finds Naruto really, really close to her face.

The man in front of her is wiped out of her peripheral vision until he speaks again. "Shoulda said that you were with someone, sweetheart."

And he's accusing her for not responding to any of the questions she did not even want to be asked. It somehow makes a solid rock hit the bottom of her stomach, taking away all of her appetite.

"Why would she?" Naruto asks innocently. "She's my girlfriend and doesn't need to talk to assholes like you."

"Eep!"

Girlfriend?

"Whatever, man. She still needs you to defend her."

Defend her!?

"And you need to grow a new pair."

"Fuck you."

The stranger slams his hands on the table, gets up, and stomps out of the diner. Some of the customers remain silent until he is out of sight and then continue with their conversations, and Hinata feels like all eyes are on her now.

"You okay?"

Naruto gives her shoulders a squeeze before letting go and switching to the seat in front of her. Hinata feels a lot more vulnerable now without him by her side, afraid that another jerk wearing a baseball cap will come and sit beside her.

"Y-yeah, I think I am."

"Okay."

Their food arrives and Hinata has a hard time indulging with a lost appetite.

"I just... I went to an all-girls school all my life and I've never been approached by guys before," she mutters so quietly that she thinks Naruto will hear it over slurping his noodles.

He does. "Really?" He still misses a spot on the corner of his mouth after wiping it with a napkin. "I'm surprised -I mean, that guy was a dickhead and it's not the type of attention you'd want or deserve."

"I don't know how to keep them away," Hinata confesses.

The only male interaction she's had outside of her family is from the ramen shop. And even then, not many customers paid much attention to her because she was always in the kitchen preparing the noodles. Her panic was already on the rise with Naruto's absence, and baseball-cap-guy had made her feel more uncomfortable than ever.

"I can teach you some self-defense moves if you want."

"That...," she hesitates at first, thinking what father might say about his eldest daughter learning how to fight, "that would be great."

"Cool! We'll start tomorrow."

Naruto continues slurping his noodles with gusto. He is still fully unaware of all the eyes set on him and of the pretty girls walking by their booth checking him out. The only time he takes his attention away from his food is when Hinata speaks.

"Uh, Naruto," that is the first time she says his name aloud. "Thank you."

When he wipes away his mouth with the same napkin, he misses the same spot as last time.

"Anytime, Hinata."

And she likes how her name sounds when he says it.

Part IX

Naruto tells her that the festival he is attending isn't happening for another four days. And so, he suggests the idea of taking some detours before getting to Suna, seeing that Hinata does not appear to be in a rush to get there either. She accepts the idea with excitement, though it is largely underplayed compared to his.

Naruto has noticed how subtle and gentle she is with her emotions. While he speaks before he thinks, acts before he can stop his body, Hinata keeps her back and shoulders in a straight line and slightly changes her facial expression to show what she is feeling. It is almost as if she came out of a classic movie, the kind where the woman always looks beautiful and has manners.

Yes, Hinata has manners. She is beautiful and humble, too. Yet Naruto can tell that she is hiding something like him, and he respects her decision to conceal her reasons for leaving Konoha. The last thing he needs is for her to open up and then have the urge to tell her about how fucked up he really is. It's best to leave Hinata out of it, though he is starting to wish that she does not go that far away without him.

Maybe it's because they have spent the last days together and she has no other option but to give him full attention. Naruto actually enjoys that, even if he were the only one to have his full focus on her while she does not notice him. Aside from Jiraiya, Sakura, and Sasuke, he's never had anyone acknowledge him so much in his life. It's not like he craves attention. Those days are long gone, but Hinata is like a blessing in disguise, personified as a beautiful girl, and driving him.

"There are lakes around this area. We should check them out." He looks at how far the closest lake is and points to the right. "There should be an exit on this side coming up soon."

The landscape around them has already completely changed. Long gone are the forests of the Land of Fire and the running streams of the Land of Rivers. At this time of the day, right at noon, Hinata and Naruto find themselves in the middle of endless sand and heat. The desert that the Land of Wind is well-known for its mountain ranges bordering on both sides of the highway and almost zero vegetation.

"Lakes in the desert?" Hinata asks. "I'd like to see that."

This is day four, having spent day three in Takumi to take a break from all the driving. Hinata's old car needs to rest too, he reasoned, and they enjoyed a day walking around the small village. Naruto is surprised at himself; he is usually nice to strangers, but he never thought he would find so much comfort in a person he's known for less than a week. Hinata's calm demeanour relaxes him when reminders of what he left in Konoha agitate him.

She does not even know how much she is helping him. He finds it easier to talk to her about anything, her silence more comfortable than awkward. He wants to keep up with his offer too, at least as a pay back for picking him up in the middle of nowhere four days ago.

"We'll stop by there and I'll teach you some moves. Cool?"

The shortcut that takes them to the lake is unpaved and Hinata prays that she does not get a flat tire. They reach the end of the path, finding themselves far away from the highway and any sign of civilization. There are two identical ponds -not the lake she was expecting, but whatever-, and she parks her car in between them. When she gets off the car, Hinata can finally appreciate the beauty of the place she'd chosen to escape to.

The Wind desert may be hot, dry, and windy to the point that it is not recommended to stay exposed for a lengthened time. Right now, she can feel the sun burning her skin, the dryness in her throat, and the way her hair flails around with the rapid gusts of wind. Yet she has never seen something so beautiful, so raw and pure in nature. Even though she is not the first nor the last person to visit these ponds, Hinata feels like she has stepped into untouched territory.

And that she can hold the world in her hand if she wants.

Naruto gets out of the car. "Okay, let's start. I want you to punch me."

His request suddenly interrupts her state of zen. Hinata is brought back to reality, and judging by Naruto's nod reassuring her that she should punch him, she must look really confused.

"Are you sure?" she hesitates.

"Yeah. Punch me in the gut, right here." Naruto points at his stomach and Hinata thinks that she will damage her hand before she gets to hurt him. "Come on."

She bites her bottom lip, taking a few steps until she is close enough to extend her arm and land her closed fist on his rock hard abdomen. She was right; he is going to be the death of her and she will break her hand before landing a proper hit.

"Did I hurt you?"

He chuckles, taking her fist into his hand. "Not really, but nice try. You gotta hit with the knuckles, otherwise your fingers will crack and it won't be pretty." He rearranges her digits until they are curled in a tighter grip. "Now find the strength from all your body. If you're gonna punch somebody, you need to gather strength from your feet to your shoulders and then deliver it with your hand. Put one foot in front of the other. Yeah, just like that. Punch me again."

She gathers more confidence with this second attempt. When she lands her closed fist in his stomach, Naruto has to bend forward, wrapping his arms around his torso.

"Did it hurt?" she asks again, with hope.

How masochist of her.

"Whoa, good jab. Let's keep working on it."

He teaches her how to twist her forearm when she delivers a punch; how she can do it from different angles, aiming at different parts of the body; how she can defend herself when someone tries to attack her. The hours pass, and they continue with this impromptu lesson without keeping track of time or how much sweat gathers in their brows.

Hinata can now claim that she can hurt people. She cannot wait until she tells Hanabi. If father hears about this, he will be very disappointed. However, she finds that she is starting to not care much for what he or the elders say. She has lived in a cage for too long, and is finally set free.

Naruto's chest rises and falls much like hers, both sweaty and tired from the self-defense training. She has a hard time looking at him like this, especially after knowing how fit he is and how she needs to get back to exercising. He scratches the back of his hair, uncomfortable with the sweat that has gathered in his neck and scalp. They stocked up in water and food before leaving Takumi, but they have to ration their portions if they do not reach another town very soon.

"Hey, Hinata. Wanna swim?"

They still have time before the sun sets, giving them the opportunity to freshen up.

"I don't have a swimming suit."

But he didn't think about that. So he does what he knows what to do best: act before thinking about his actions.

"Doesn't matter," he states before he takes off his shoes and unbuckles his pants.

Naruto catches Hinata looking at him with wide eyes and his body feels hot for different reasons. "Is that a good idea?"

His pants and t-shirt are already off when he answers. "You don't know 'til you try it, right?"

Naruto does not wait for her reply and jumps into one of the ponds only with his boxers on. The cold water hits him like a a pool of ice, contrasting with the desert heat. His body quickly adjusts to the water temperature, and he finds it easier to breathe now that he is all freshened up. He shakes his head to clear his eyes from the water, looking up to the clear blue sky.

He wants to say something, but is interrupted by another splash behind him. He turns around, his arms and legs keeping him afloat, and sees Hinata's long dark hair appear from the water as if she was a creature from another world. She flicks her soaked up fringe to the back of her head, revealing her forehead, and opens her eyes.

"I think it's a good idea," she admits, her chest rising and sinking in the water.

He can see her purple bra straps and has to restrain that feeling, reminding that the cold water should be keeping everything from peeking out too much on his part. She looks so peaceful, so pure, swimming back and forth while freshening up in the water. Naruto may be thickheaded, but he knows a beauty when he sees one.

And Hinata is much more than that.

So he splashes water at her face.

Then, they start a water fight. Hinata's laughter is so loud when she splashes back at Naruto that she cannot even recognize it herself. She has never laughed that hard before, being caught off-guard by a game she had only played with Hanabi and Neji when no one watched over them. Now there are only sand, mountains, and a blue sky as witnesses to her dismissing every rule of modesty learned at Konoha Academy.

She is in her underwear, having a water fight with Naruto, and the handcuffs that have mentally kept her locked in one place begin to slowly disappear. She sinks her head and opens her eyes underwater, appreciates how clear everything looks from every angle even if she still has an unknown road ahead.

But this is freedom. This is her, being herself, learning about the world and her identity, not caring that somebody will catch her acting inappropriately. Thoughts of father's words and the elders' judgement and marriage proposals are long gone. Now there's only her, this pond, and a beaming Naruto.

After all, this journey is about taking risks. Of acting before thinking, because her mind is her worst enemy.

Amid all the splashing water, Hinata finds herself behind Naruto and decides to follow her new way of life. Acting without thinking, she climbs onto his shoulders and sends them both backwards, creating small waves in the pond. She feels so happy, so free, that she does not even realize how Naruto turns around, their chests touch, and her arms end up linked around his neck.

Or how his face is so close to hers that she can see how blue his eyes really are. How his hands somehow end up on her waist, their legs keeping them afloat although Hinata thinks that she will sink in any moment. She forgets how see through her bra might be at this point and how every inch of her skin is covered in goosebumps. Drips of water from his hair fall on her face, entrancing her to stay in this position for a longer time.

She does not want to let go, and the way Naruto squeezes her skin is a sign that he does not want to either. She remembers those brief seconds at the diner in which he pretended to be her boyfriend, kissed her cheek and how this is how it must feel like to be with someone like him.

That is, until he looks away from her eyes and his facial expression changes. "Ah, shit. We have a flat tire."

Part X

And it's like that moment never happened.

Hinata silently changes inside the car while Naruto replaces the flat tire with the spare one she keeps in her trunk. Her heartbeat is so strong that it is the only thing she hears, completely ignoring the gusts of winds that hit against her car from outside. She feels self-conscious, but not the same way she did at the diner in front of baseball-cap-guy. He made her feel unsafe and vulnerable. Now she still feels vulnerable but she wants to explore it past her comfort zone.

Her skin goes between goosebumps to sweat and shivers as she replays the fourth day of their road trip. She no longer even refers to it as her road trip. No, now that she has spent ninety six hours with Naruto, it's become their road trip. Their adventure. Their way of getting to know a stranger. Hinata finds that she needs to keep her fantasies and emotions in line; they don't have much time left together.

They will reach Suna soon and go separate ways. She does not have an e-mail or a phone number to give him to keep in contact. She doesn't even know his last name, so finding him when she is back in Konoha will be nearly impossible.

By the time that Naruto is finished changing the tire, the sky is dark and their only source of light is a full moon. Hinata is still sitting in her backseat, organizing her clothes between clean and dirty in her duffle bag. The front passenger door opens and Naruto climbs in the seat, lets out a long sigh, and stretches his arms out.

"Man, it feels good going commando."

She can't help but giggle at that proclamation, currently knowing all too well how it feels like not having to wear any underwear. This is the first time she has gone commando, as her whole life was restricted to perfect and modest physical appearance. However, now that she is wearing a loose top and a pair of cotton pants, she feels a lot more comfortable in her skin and with her insecurities.

Naruto adjusts her rear view mirror until his eyes can find her in the back seat. "You up for driving?"

Hinata shakes her head. "No. We'll just sleep in here tonight if that's fine with you."

"Sure. Your car's pretty comfy," he says even though Hinata knows that he had a back ache the last time he slept in it.

She takes out the two blankets she packed in her car, knowing that they would be useful at some point during her trip. Naruto takes one of them and reclines the car seat until it is at its lowest and covers himself up with the blanket, one arm resting behind his head acting as a pillow. Hinata lays down in the backseat and places one of her sweaters behind her head. She still shocks herself at how comfortable it is to be around Naruto, not feeling threatened by sharing and even sleeping in her car next to him.

(Because sleeping with him sounds like something else in her mind and oh, no, she is starting to blush again).

Hinata cannot close her eyes in spite of how exhausted she feels. She is not used to all of this physical activity, noticing how driving for a lengthened amount of time does in fact take a toll in her young body. Her improvised self-defense training and swimming make her want to sleep for endless hours. However, she finds it nearly impossible to do it.

"Naruto?"

This is the first time she and Naruto spend a night together. As in sleeping within the same space.

"Hm?"

"I'd like to learn how to change a tire."

She hears him chuckling. "I'll teach you tomorrow mornin'."

"And to change the oil too."

"Okay."

"And how to do a handstand underwater."

There is some shuffling in the front seat. Hinata watches Naruto as he readjusts his position until he is resting on his stomach and has his eyes directed at her.

"You don't seem to go out on your own that often."

She shrugs her shoulders, dismissing the comment. "You're never too old to learn."

Yet you're always too young to make your own decisions, she thinks that father would counter argue. That is when she notices that she hasn't thought about her family in the past couple of hours, her mind plagued with living in the moment. It feels good to be this free.

"That's true. So, Hinata. What can you teach me?" Naruto asks.

"Huh?" She feels her cheeks turn scarlet.

"You know," Naruto tries to elaborate with hand gestures. "You're asking me to teach you all these things and I'm just curious as to what your talents are. I already know that you can sing but there's no way that you'll be able to teach me that."

Compared to her old schoolmates, Hinata never excelled at any extracurricular activity. She was always too embarrassed of her body to do sports or to take dancing lessons. Her homework and hidden corners of Konoha Academy were her best friends, choosing to stay away from the other girls who she knew she would not understand. She knows how to play piano, but it isn't something that drives her.

Naruto seems to know all of the practical things in the world, unlike her. She only has a brain that does not even learn like the others; the elders were half disappointed and half expecting her not to finish with excellent grades at school. Most of her schoolmates did not know who she was until someone pointed out her last name and made her want to blend in with the wall.

She is just... useless.

"Don't say you're useless, Hinata." It seems that she was thinking out loud. "If you can't find something you're good at then it's okay. You're never too old to learn, right?"

"R-right."

"It's not like I'm the right person to give you that advice. And I really don't want to intrude because you're awesome, but are you running away from something?"

Yes.

She is running as far away as she can until she is forced to pull back into her family's lifestyle.

"More like I'm looking for something," she decides that that sounds like a safer choice of words.

Did he just call me... awesome?

"Me too. I hope we both find what we're looking for."

Hinata wants to ask him what it is, but restrains her questions. She wants to keep her privacy, and Naruto may want to do the same. It is only fair to know that both of them are going away from Konoha in search of something, and that they somehow stumbled upon one another in the path of life.

Will they ever cross paths again?

Part XI

Hinata and Naruto spend the following days sightseeing the Wind desert. They stop by the main tourist attractions; an oasis, death valleys, animal sightings, all the while he teaches her practical things that she never learned at Konoha Academy. While her eyes appreciate the beauty of the desert, her hands get dirty with oil and changing tires. Her muscles get sore too, after learning how to kick and punch.

She feels like a new person is rising out of the ashes of the old self she left in Konoha. Hinata feels like she is finally getting somewhere, both mentally and physically. She finds it easier to talk to Naruto, to sing along, to blurt out random ideas for their next pit stop.

And, by what appears to be too soon, they find themselves in front of the gates that lead to Suna's downtown.

"'Welcome to Sunagakure, your home in the sand,'" Naruto reads the sign. "That's kinda poetic, don't you think?"

It may not sound like the haiku she learned at school, but it does have a nice ring to it.

Naruto fiddles in his seat like a hyperactive child. In the past week, she has learned that her companion cannot stay still for too long. He has too much energy and gets bored quite easily. It's almost like taking care of a little boy, she muses. But she doesn't mind. She is infinitely patient with Naruto, and appreciates it when he tries to calm himself down when they are on the road.

"Man, this place is hot."

"Do you want to grab a drink?" she suggests. "We've run out of water and I feel like I will faint of dehydration."

They find a convenience store and drink their water bottles without stopping until they are empty. Hinata can already feel refreshed, her insides cooling down. However, at the same time, she feels how her heart is beginning to fall from her chest to the pit of her stomach. Because this is it. This is Suna. She and Naruto have made it this far, and now is the time to say goodbye.

She doesn't want to. Not just yet.

He's become that ray of sunshine she needs to stay positive.

"Who woulda thought that we'd make it this far?"

They are sitting on the hood of her car, enjoying the fresh air while watching people pass by in downtown Suna. It's a lot different from Konoha. Most buildings have the same colour as the sand, and the streets are a bit smaller. The people appear to be a lot more tanned than in her hometown, and mainly young adults.

"Are you excited for this festival?" She reminds herself that, when she wants to feel better, she has to start by pretending that she isn't emotionally affected.

"I really am! You should see the lineup. It's nuts this year."

Silence.

Great job, Hinata. You're back at being awkward around him.

"That's good..."

"So I was thinkin'," Naruto starts. "You doing anything special here in Suna?" She shakes her head, unaware of what he is about to ask. "Why don't you come with me to the festival?"

Part XII

Hinata has never seen so many people gathered -no, more like squeezed- together in an event before. The festival goers remind her of the people she saw at that diner; young adults who leave their worries behind when they walk through the entrance gate and make their way to the stage. She looks around with fascination, having never attended a music festival where the norm was to wear as little as possible.

She suddenly feels overdressed in her knee length white summer dress, even though she thought it was too risque this morning when she caught Naruto stealing glances at her body. The other girls around here mostly wear short shorts and bikini tops, exposing as much skin to the sun for a tan. She'd later find out that they don't wear much because of the body heat and sweat that everyone emits when they are huddled together.

"Hinata, take my hand."

Her cheeks turn scarlet. "Ah, wh—"

"So that we don't get lost. Get ready, cuz we're going right through that herd of animals."

Naruto points at a large crowd gathering around the main stage. He takes her hand without waiting for a reply, and pulls her along with him. His fingers are long, his skin a few shades darker than hers, and he guides her along the gaps between people until they make their way to the front. Hinata may be getting squished here and there, every part of her body has bumped into another person's, but she feels like she is floating in the air.

It's strange, really, because once Naruto lets go of her hand she finds that her feet hit the ground and that she is suddenly missing that sensation. She laces her fingers, trying to reminisce that tingling that runs through her digits. Naruto has already touched more than just her hand back when they were swimming, and though that memory sends a warm wave below her stomach, her heart leaps higher when their hands connect.

"Alright, we made it in one piece," he says. "Just stay here for a sec. I'm gonna ask my buddy for an extra bracelet for you. Perks of bein' friends with an artist, ya know."

He disappears for a bit and Hinata can finally assess her surroundings. Being up on a cloud prevented her from realizing where Naruto had taken her. She notices that they had passed the entire crowd, made their way upstage from the side stairs, and she is now standing in the backstage where the producers and performers prepare to deliver the show. She feels extremely self conscious, though nobody seems to notice her for they are too busy with last minute details.

Hinata feels the sudden urge to explore everything in the backstage. Though she may not be familiar with any of the artists performing, she wants to see where they stay and what sort of service they get. Maybe Naruto is rubbing off on her after spending so much time with him this past week.

She's about to take her first step into the new adventure when Naruto comes back, followed by two people. He waves at her, catching her attention, and then motions her to join them. Once again, Hinata laces her fingers in front of her, feeling conscious of being introduced to complete strangers. They may be Naruto's friends, but that does not mean that she will be comfortable around them from the get-go.

On Naruto's right side stands a taller, dark haired young man of their age. He looks unimpressed by his friend's beaming personality, and has his arm wrapped around a girl's waist. Hinata's eyes move towards this girl, and she feels that she may faint.

A pair of green eyes stare right back at her with the same expression of disbelief. Her boyfriend (or at least that is what Hinata thinks they are) catches her reaction and slightly shoves his shoulder on hers to break her out of it. Hinata, on the other hand, finds that her instincts are about to go on fight or flight mode.

That is, until Naruto speaks. "Guys, this is Hinata. She's my knight in shining armour and she drove me here! Hinata, these are my best friends. Sasuke and Sakura."

Sasuke extends his right hand as a greeting, and she, remembering her lessons on social etiquette, extends hers as well. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Otherwise she may say something and ruin everything.

Sakura is staring at her with her mouth slightly open, and if it wasn't because Naruto waved his hand in front to snap her out of it, she would have kept looking at Hinata. They both extend their right hands and shake, a tight smile on Hinata's lips because she knows that she is this close to getting discovered.

"This is your bracelet," Sakura hands her a lime green band that matches hers. "And thanks for driving my friend here. He would've never made it, the idiot he is."

"Hey!"

"And now, I need to pee. Hey, Hinata. Wanna join me?"

The only one who does not notice Sakura's strange behaviour is, much to Hinata's luck, Naruto. The pink haired girl grabs her hand and waves back to her boyfriend and friend before going deeper into the backstage. So deep that Sakura and Hinata go past the bathroom stall and find themselves in a hidden corner, somewhere between the sound system and the lighting control room.

And out of nowhere, Sakura throws her arms around Hinata's shoulders and starts jumping.

"Holy shit! This is fucking amazing!"

"Uh, Sakura—"

"Like, what are the odds? I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Sakura—"

"I still remember your situation from last summer. That's why I didn't wanna make a scene in front of Sasuke and Naruto. I got your back, girl."

"I'm getting dizzy," Hinata says, because Sakura is still jumping up and down like a spring and hugging her at the same time.

"Oh, sorry," she quickly stops, releasing the Hyūga girl from her tight hold. "I'm just so excited to see you after all this time. I never thought something like this could happen."

"Me neither, trust me," Hinata adds, brushing her messy hair with her fingers.

"So what brings you here? There's so much to catch up on."

"I," this would be the first time that Hinata talks about it with someone other than Hanabi or Neji. Preparing herself, she takes a deep breath and is silently thankful that Sakura is still the good listener she met last year while working at the ramen shop. "I ran away. I know it sounds really out of the blue, but with the money I earned last year at Ichiraku's I was able to buy a car and save up for this."

"Aw, Hinata." Sakura laces their arms. Hinata remembers how often she did that last summer. Every time that Sakura invited her for one of her friends' parties, she would decline because of her curfew, saying that keeping her job a secret is already difficult enough.

Maybe, Hinata ponders, if she had attended one of those parties she would have met Naruto back then. She sort of regrets declining all those invitations now that she sees the connection between her old coworker and her driving companion.

"I picked him up in the middle of the road," she continues with her story. "He said he was stranded and I offered to drive him to Suna."

She does not give too much attention to the unusual silence that comes from Sakura after she finishes her sentence. Her old coworker soon recovers and is once again back to her cheerful self, skipping little jumps out of excitement.

"This is so awesome! Don't tell Sasuke, but seeing you here is probably the best thing that's happened all summer."

Hinata cannot help but genuinely laugh at that proclamation. She has spent all her life without true friends, and though her acquaintance with Sakura had been short and mostly based on how to cook noodles and clean the kitchen, she has forgotten how much she enjoyed being around her old coworker. Sometimes, when things at home became too unbearable and her work was her only escape, Sakura would find ways to cheer her up.

"So Sasuke," she comments, because she's never really had a friend to talk to about boys. "How did you meet? How long have you been together? I remember that you talked about him last summer."

Talk is an understatement; there were days when Sakura related everything back to her current boyfriend.

"Officially, for we've been together for about six months now," Sakura blushes. "But unofficially, I'd say for almost my whole life. We lost touch for a bit when he left Konoha, but we started talking when he returned and spent all his time with Naruto."

"I'm happy for you," Hinata smiles, and she is ready to go back to the main backstage until she feels Sakura's elbow rest on her shoulder.

"So Naruto, huh?" Sakura asks lifts a suggestive eyebrow. "Have you told him about your secret crush on him yet?"

It feels like the heat of Suna went up another ten degrees. "I don't k-know what—"

"Come on, Hinata. Every time Naruto visited me at Ichiraku's last summer you'd hide behind the counter and stare at him in secret. It was really cute, though," Sakura adds when she notices that Hinata's about to speak. "I've known him and Sasuke my whole life. He's as thick as pudding and," she pauses and shakes her head, changing her words. "But he's a great guy. He hasn't noticed who you are yet, has he?"

"No. I haven't told him my last name and he doesn't seem to recognize my unusual eye colour, so I'm fine for now."

"And your family?"

Hinata shrugs her shoulders. "I'd rather not think about that right now."

They remain quiet for a bit before Sakura lets out one last squeal and gives her another hug, breaking the uncomfortable sensation that had fallen on Hinata's shoulders. "I'm so excited! We got VIP tickets too. Sasuke's brother is Itachi, and he's headlining tonight."

"I'm not really familiar with any of the performers," she confesses, embarrassed. "I wasn't allowed to listen to this type of music growing up."

"Don't worry. Big sister Sakura will guide you through the woes of musical talent along with her brooding boyfriend and with the man you want to marry."

"Sakura!"

"Do you know where you're staying?"

"Uh, not really."

"You're staying with us at Gaara's house, then." Sakura takes her hand and begins to guide them back to where the boys are supposed to be. "By the way, Hinata. That dress," she connects her free thumb and index fingers, "it's a killer."

Part XIII

Naruto and Sakura (along with Sasuke, who never leaves his girlfriend's side) introduce her to more people than she can count. There's Kiba and Shino, who immediately take a liking to the girl in spite of knowing her for less than a day. Then she meets Ino and her boyfriend Sai, Chouji and his girlfriend Karui, Shikamaru and his girlfriend Temari, and her brothers Kankurou and Gaara. Most of them attended Konoha High back home, and they are all really nice to her.

Hinata slowly becomes more and more comfortable with this group of strangers, who have known one another for many years. Her only connection to them is through Sakura and Naruto, who never fail to include her in their conversations. While sitting on a large picnic blanket, sharing food and drinks, Hinata can analyze the differences between this sort of reunion and the social events she is used to attending.

Growing up, the younger generations were supposed to mingle among themselves and talk about age appropriate topics with a leveled volume. There was no touching involved between boys and girls, for social etiquette is the number one rule among the high class. Eating involves different sets of cutlery. Women aren't meant to express their opinions unless asked to. Even when that happens, they must refrain from claiming individual beliefs.

Yet here they talk in loud tones, one person almost shouting at another sitting on the opposite end of the picnic blanket. All the couples express public displays of affection; there is a lot of kissing and hugging involved and Hinata feels her cheeks heat up because she's never witnessed it before. They snack on their food with their fingers, drink beer out of plastic cups and share water bottles. She notices that Temari and Karui are the loudest in saying what they think, while Ino and Sakura support their opinions with whistles and swear words.

"Fuck patriarchy!"

"This hot weather can suck my balls!"

"Hear, hear!"

"Fuck, these troublesome women..."

In fact, there are a lot of swear words involved in this setting. Hinata almost wants to cover her ears, thinking that the elders may go into a coma after hearing such atrocities and Hanabi may start picking up new vocabulary.

"Hey," Naruto nudges her shoulder with his, holding on to a plastic cup in his right hand. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah, it's just... I've never been in anything like this before."

Naruto wraps his arm around her shoulders and gives her a squeeze before letting go. Hinata can spot Sakura, who sits on the opposite side of the blanket with Sasuke, winking at her.

"You're never too old to learn," Naruto chimes, a reminder of the conversation they had a few nights ago. "Want some?"

He extends his plastic cup towards her. Hinata can smell the bitter scent coming from the yellow liquid. She's never had beer before. Wine, yes. Father always gave her a glass of wine at dinner to ensure that she did not fall under the influence of alcohol that easily. Hinata takes the cup from Naruto's hand with curiosity, and takes one last sniff before bringing it close to her lips and swallowing the bitter liquid.

She has to restrain her face from distorting with the awful flavour, but she finds that she cannot restrain her words. "That tastes like shit."

Naruto shuffles in surprise and looks at her with widened eyes and an opened mouth. Hinata realizes the words she'd just said and covers her mouth with her hand in shock. She imagines getting her tongue washed with soap –at least that is what father might do.

"Oh my god, did you just swear?"

Naruto lets out a laugh so loud that it catches everyone's attention, and starts rolling on the picnic blanket, his hands covering his face to prevent tears from escaping while his friends wonder what type of drug he's on at the moment. Hinata remains seated cross legged, with the plastic cup in her hand.

"Was that the first time you've ever said a dirty word?" He asks when his back is on the ground and he takes her silence as a confirmation. "Can you do it again? That was the best shit I've ever heard."

Hinata finds herself giggling at his request, because the sudden outburst had taken her by surprise too. She takes one last sip of his beer before handing it back to him, thinking that with time she may get used to the taste.

"That does taste like shit, though," she adds as an afterthought.

"Probably because it's the cheapest one we could get," Sakura says, standing behind the two. "Come on, Hinata. Tsunade is about to go on stage and she's my favourite."

Hinata gets up from her place, noticing how her white dress now has bread crumbs and peanut butter stains all over. She can also see a small beer spill near her chest, but doesn't worry at all about it. She smiles at Naruto, who tells her to go ahead and join the rest of the girls.

"We'll come later!" he shouts when Hinata is far away, her arms linked between Ino and Karui as all the girls make their way towards the main crowd.

Soon enough Hinata finds herself in the middle of the growing crowd. She's holding on to Sakura's hand, who had so bravely guided all the girls between sweaty bodies and moving limbs, and they are both jumping as high as they can while Tsunade takes the stage.

Though she has never heard this type of music before, a combination of pop and electronic, she can feel it travel through her veins and send vibrations to the ends of her hair. It doesn't matter that she cannot follow along with the lyrics; it's easy to learn the chorus and follow the beat with her hips. The dancing crowd pushes them forward, until they are close to the front. More than real dancing, Hinata feels like she is getting pushed and shoved around from one side to the other. And she realizes that she doesn't care. She's just made a bunch of friends for the first time in her life; she is finally free; and the bruises that will come along after bumping into so many bodies will be a nice souvenir from this experience.

To hell with her white dress, she thinks as she jumps higher and higher with the following songs. Once Tsuande's set is done, she bows and thanks the fans for their support. Hinata thinks she will go deaf with the amount if screaming happening around her.

"I LOVE YOU TSUNADE!" Sakura yells at the top of her lungs.

They finally have time to catch their breath while the next artist prepares to go on stage. However, Hinata finds that she will not be able to breathe fresh air until she gets out of this crowd.

And she is fine with that.

The crowd starts clapping for the next band, a married duo called Asuma and Kurenai, and once they get on stage the audience erupts. The duo makes Hinata and everyone around her dance and jump with their upbeat music, a combination of deep bass and electronic piano keys.

Stomping feet and flailing arms dance to the new tunes, and Hinata lets the music into her veins. She closes her eyes at times, immersing herself with sounds that were forbidden to her ears for so many years. Her hair sticks to the back of her neck with all the sweat. The other girls are in a similar situation, except for Ino and Temari, who are smart enough to wear their hair up.

Hinata wants to scream like the rest of the crowd. She is ready to do so when Asuma and Kurenai finish their set. However, when she opens her mouth and is about to make a sound, her effort is overshadowed by the woes of a deeper voice.

"Told ya we were comin' later," Naruto shows up at her side, a bottle of beer in hand. "Wanna have more?"

She takes the bottle and chugs its contents without thinking and gives it back to Naruto. His surprised expression quickly turns into a large grin. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and gives her a squeeze.

"So proud of you!"

Hinata does not say anything; if she tries to open her mouth, all of her stomach's contents will spill out into her and Naruto's clothing.

"It's Itachi's turn," Sasuke comments. That is when she notices that all of the boys had joined them, pairing up with their respective partners.

Naruto's arm does not leave her shoulders. Hinata's cheeks blush, this time due to the beer she had just drank (or so she thinks).

She tries to catch a glimpse of the stage, but finds her height at a disadvantage. Hinata goes on the tip of her toes, maneuvers her head one way and the other, yet she cannot get a good view. Naruto notices her struggle, separates his arm from her shoulders, and learns forward.

"Want a piggy back ride?" he offers.

"Are you sure?" she asks, concerned that the people behind her won't be able to see the stage.

"You weight like a feather. C'mon. My treat!"

He nods once, encouraging her to get on his back. Hinata climbs onto it, wrapping her arms around his neck without restraining his air passage. Naruto secures his arms around her legs until they are both comfortable.

She has no memory of getting a piggy back ride from anyone before. Not even from Neji. When they were younger, their caretakers made sure that playtime did not involve much physical activity between the cousins, as it would encourage misbehaviour.

The crowd grows larger and louder when a man in his late twenties takes the stage. She assumes that this must be Itachi, since he looks so much like Sasuke. It's only him, a bar stool, and an acoustic guitar, its simplicity luring in all the females in the audience.

"I can see him, Naruto!" She exclaims with excitement.

"Isn't he dreamy?" Sakura asks from the ground leaning into her boyfriend's chest. Sasuke scoffs. "Dreamy for being my boyfriend's brother, of course."

Part XIV

When the night comes and the festival draws to a close, the group finds itself at Gaara's place. Though him and his siblings are rather quiet, Naruto explains, they were nice enough to offer their house to all of them.

And now, Hinata is sitting in a living room that is almost as large as hers, surrounded by all the people she has met today. The girls offer her drinks, ask her about the clothes she wears, about her life. She tries to answer their questions without uncovering too much, and Sakura helps her when the topic gets too personal.

There is always a glass in her hand. Whether it is beer, something else, or water, Hinata is continuously drinking out of it. This is totally new to her, and she is enjoying every second of it.

Her dress is more brown than white now, and she has yet to take a shower. Hinata does not even want to untangle her hair, aware that all the moving and sweating had turned it into a huge mess. But right now, her instinct tells her that it is a good idea to go and explore. She walks around the large house, appreciating the loud noises that come from having so many young people under one roof. It reminds her of the Hyūga estate, which is so large that outsiders can easily get lost in its many hallways and floors.

She finds a balcony, and standing over the edge looking at the Suna skyline, is Naruto. He turns around when he feels her coming, and his face brights up in a smile that sends butterflies down to her stomach.

"How are you feeling?"

Hinata takes a place beside him, leaning into the rail and playing with the glass in her hand. "I'm finally glad that my father gave me a glass of wine with every dinner I've had since I was younger. How do you feel?"

"On top of the world. Look at how high we are here!" Indeed they are. Gaara's house is at the top of a hill, much like Hinata's is back in Konoha.

There's no drink in his hand, she notes, and offers hers. Naruto takes a sip from it, nudging his shoulder on hers.

They look at each other for what feels like a century. Even though it's nighttime and their only source of light is from the city, Hinata can still get lost in his blue eyes. They have a different spark when the sky is dark, she's noticed.

She wants to smile and giggle freely, to stay in Suna and look at Naruto's face until she's tired of it –though she knows that will never happen.

"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru calls him from inside.

Hinata breaks out of her trance, and takes a step back to put some distance between her and Naruto. They turn around, and Shikamaru rolls his eyes before he brings his index and middle fingers to his mouth. Naruto nods, the silent exchange between the two is enough to pass on a message that she does not initially understand.

"Where are you going?" She asks when he gives her back her drink.

He scratches the back of his head and avoids looking at her eyes. His lips twist into an uncomfortable expression.

"We're gonna smoke."

"Oh."

Awkward silence. He does not leave yet, seeing how Hinata is starting to feel out of place.

"Weed," he adds, thinking that being honest is better than hiding what he is about to do.

"Weed?"

Damn, she looks fucking cute when she tilts her head like that.

He feels a drop of sweat fall on the side of his forehead, dreading this moment. Hinata is so great. She is the best person he's met in his life, and he does not want to ruin her view of him by something like this. It's strange, really. This is the first time he's cared so much about what someone else thinks of him.

But he should be more honest with her, right?

"Like... marijuana."

"Oh."

She looks dangerously cute when she says that.

"Yeah..." He's about to turn around and head back inside, but he's surprised when she speaks.

"Uh, can I –can I try it too?"

She's like a box full of surprises. Hinata is looking at him with innocent eyes, her voice filled with curiosity. His theory is that she's been kept in a tower all her life and that she is finally free to do whatever she wants, and that's why she asks him to teach her so many things.

If only he knew he's not that far from the truth.

"You sure?" Naruto finds that he's been asking her that question a lot lately.

Hinata tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, looking down at the floor and then up at him. She looks too angelic, too pure when she does that. She's even dressed in all white!

She nods, and that is enough confirmation to take her hand and guide her back inside the house. Naruto has been here before, and he knows his way to the rooftop like the back of his hand. They climb the stairs without saying a word to one another, him feeling too nervous around her.

On the rooftop, Naruto finds Shikamaru with a pipe on one hand and a lighter on another. The smell of burned marijuana is already in the air, and he can bet that his friend's eyes are bloodshot red.

"You want some?" Shikamaru asks Hinata.

"I wanna try." Damn, this girl isn't even afraid of saying that she's never smoked up before.

"Here," Shikamaru lights up the pipe and inhales from it, passing it on to Naruto.

He breathes in, the smoke coming into his lung with the first inhale. He holds his breath for a bit and then exhales, passing it on to Hinata, who is attentively watching him. She holds the pipe, wondering what to do with it.

It's adorable, really.

"You don't have to try it if you don't want to," he says. "Don't feel pressured."

He remembers how paranoid he was the first time he smoked weed with people he didn't know too well.

"I want to."

But Hinata's not like that. She's probably one of the bravest –bestest— people he's ever met.

"Okay," he places the pipe between her lips. "I'm gonna light it up and then you take a puff." Naruto mimics how to inhale. "Then hold in your breath for a bit before letting it out."

He lights up the pipe and Hinata follows his instructions. Her first time is like everyone's; she does not inhale enough to feel the effects. The pipe goes around once again, from Shikamaru to Naruto and then back to her. When she takes a second puff, she hold her breath for much longer and exhales a long trail of smoke.

Her shoulders are not so rigid anymore. She finally relaxes from her proper posture, slouching forward as the drug takes its effect in her system. Naruto knows that Shikamaru has been up in the clouds for a while, the pot-head, but he still feels sober enough to watch over Hinata.

She coughs on her third puff, her lungs not being able to hold in more of the smoke. Her throat feels dry at this point, and she has to take a few breaths before being able to speak.

"Naruto," she takes a sip from her drink, "I think I'm high."

He chuckles. "I think so too."

Hinata looks at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know?"

They look at each other and burst out laughing.

Hinata feels... strange. Liberated, with heightened senses, but with no short-term memory. She can still walk around the rooftop without tripping, sit down and stand up, and hold a conversation. Although, if someone were to ask her what she and Naruto talk about, she would not be able to say.

Her eyes become heavy after a while. The night is getting cooler, and her dress is not enough to keep her warm outside. She shivers and rubs her arms with her hands. Another pair of arms wrap around hers, and she realizes that Naruto is standing in front of her.

"You're pretty cold, y'know."

"And sleepy," she adds. "I don't think I'll be able to climb down."

It's only the two of them on the rooftop now. They did not even notice when Shikamaru went downstairs or how he did it.

"That's alright," Naruto says.

With his arms still wrapped around her frame, he takes a seat on the roof tiles, bringing her down with him. Hinata feels like she is actually floating now, embraced by his warmth. The feeling from earlier, when he held her hand and guided her through the audience, is nothing compared to now.

She leans into his shoulder, finding that perfect spot for her head. Her arms gradually find themselves holding him too, sharing their body warmth while the sky turns from dark blue to orange. They have spent most of the night up here, smoking, talking and giggling.

Hinata would not have it any other way. She thought she would get scared by trying it out, but Naruto's presence gave her comfort. She's grown to trust him more than most of her relatives.

He looks beautiful with the orange hues that come from the sunrise. It's like he belongs in this time of the day, where the night meets the day and he personifies all the light brought into the world. His hair changes colour with the new day. His tanned skin contrasts against her pale one.

She likes how they compliment one another. She likes being up here. She likes being with him.

Naruto stares back at her, their faces extremely close. In the comfort of his arms, he brings her closer. The tip of their noses touch. "Hinata, I..."

She does not know where her courage comes from. It could have been from the beer, the mix of drinks, or the weed. It could have been from all those unwanted fantasies that have plagued her mind since her seasonal job at the ramen shop. Or his magnetic personality, his protective yet interactive way of being around her.

Hinata just does not know how she does it, but she plants her lips on Naruto's, interrupting what he was about to say. She pulls back, that chaste kiss meant to be her selfish theft from him. Yes, she is being selfish and she is trying out new things. One of them being Naruto.

His mouth is partly open, dumbfounded by her bold move. "I'm glad you finally did that," he confesses.

Before she gets to ask him why, he connects their mouths once again. It's his time to be selfish, to steal some of that adorable, pure curiosity that drives him crazy. He massages her lips with his, quite aware that she's just as surprised of his actions.

He cups her cheeks and deepens the kiss. His tongue travels into her mouth, playing with hers. She's shy and inexperienced, he can tell, but he's more than willing to teach her.

Neither of them regret staying up all night, the two too immersed into one another to notice that a new day begins.

Part XV

He's already spent four days in Suna. Three days at the festival, and one day recovering. And now it's time to get the package he's been requested to deliver back to Konoha. He's supposed to find the sun, whatever that means. He guesses that this 'sun' is hidden in the package.

Naruto knows the drill. Meet up at a specific place, get his hands on the package (usually wrapped in brown paper), and then walk in the opposite direction, acting as if no transaction had been processed. He learned how to do it at twelve, when he and Sasuke got sucked into the whirlwind of their caretakers' lives. Sasuke's been out since opposed Orochimaru two years ago, and he's been free from this lifestyle every since. After this exchange, Naruto hopes to be out too.

His steps lead him down the main boulevard in Suna. It's a promenade, no cars around, with street vendors selling food and handcraft gifts to tourists. Naruto makes a mental note to take Hinata here tonight when he is free. This is the first day that he's not with her; since she picked him up on the road, they have been stuck to one another from sunrise to sunset for almost two weeks.

He never thought that she would have kissed him three nights ago. Or that they would sneak in a hand squeeze, a peck when no one is looking, an exchange of looks that only the two of them would understand. The last three days have been incredible, something that he would have never imagined. He never thought he could feel so much peace, happiness and excitement around someone like her.

Hinata... he knows he is attracted to her. That he likes her. It's hard not to, with her personality and compassion. She's bold at certain times, when he least expects it, and he likes it. And he knows she's attracted to him too, but he's aware of the gray gap that separates them. Naruto doesn't know where she comes from, what she's running away from, or anything about her other that she has a younger sister she secretly calls. She's a riddle he has yet to solve.

But she doesn't know about him either, and maybe that is what restrains his natural curiosity. If he starts asking her questions, she will do the same, and that can compromise their situation. She doesn't need to know that he needs to save his godfather from the mess he got into, that his teenage years have been plagued with illegal activities, barely any school time, and more scars than the physical ones.

Yes, she doesn't need to know those things about him. And maybe he doesn't need to know about some of her own issues either.

Now here he is, at the meeting place. Naruto walks until the end of the promenade, where the alleyways become smaller and darker. There are no more food stands, no tourists, and the buildings look gloomier and older. The air even feels a bit cooler around this area.

His feet take him to the entrance of one of the dark buildings. Ha. Typical of Orochimaru. There is a banner that reads "Kyūbi" on top of the door. He opens it and hears a bell ring.

There isn't much light inside the place, but he can make out the bar outlined along the left side and a couple of booths on the right side. Naruto tucks his hands in his jacket, inspecting every corner of the empty pub before taking a seat in one of the worn out blue velvet booths. It's just like all the dingy places that Orochimaru enjoys to visit; the old man doesn't like light very much. Naruto mentally chuckles, as he remembers his and Sasuke's theory that his old caretaker is part snake because his skin is so pale and cold.

A waitress –who seems to be the only person working in the empty pub— gets him a beer while he waits.

Naruto normally does not get nervous when he's in a situation like this. He's used to it: meet up, get merch, leave. But there is something in the air, in the setting, that throws him off and he feels a lot more vulnerable. It's like when he first started doing these small favors for Orochimaru to get Jiraiya out of trouble. He doesn't feel familiar with the surroundings, and there's something in his gut that tells him to stay alert.

The bell rings again and he hears another set of footsteps coming in. Without turning around, Naruto knows that the new visitor is headed his way. He takes a sip of his ice cold beer, trying to calm down this ill feeling.

Somebody sits in front of him, and Naruto finally looks up to meet the person who joined him.

He sees a man. A man with blond hair like his, blue eyes like his, and a tear stained face.

The man's lower lip trembles. "Naruto..."

He gets up from his seat, completely forgetting about his unfinished beer and the package he was supposed to take, and runs out of the pub.

Naruto runs and runs until his legs take him to the outskirts of Suna. The sand dunes surround the city, and he climbs up one of them up to the point that his lungs can no longer inhale air and his knees give up.

He wants to scream, and cry, and pull his hair. But everything that comes out of him is one three letter word.

"Dad."

---

Hi! I just wanted to publish something for NaruHina month because 1) I have never participated in anything like it before and 2) this has been sitting in my laptop for about 5 months and I like it. It will be 30 parts long, and the second half will come once I have it all finished (which, I don't know how long that's gonna take). It's the same format as Something in Common if you've read that one before.

For now, enjoy the 15 first parts! Thank you for your support and inspiration. It's been a crazy life, and I am always drawn back to writing for you peeps.

Sincerely,

MSM