Another random cut from Reluctant...I just thought it would have been fun to have Hinata ride a motorcyle, for once. Just something she picked up on her five year journey. Scrapped because it felt out of place in the story. She does have another talent, but it's shown later on. But ahh, just imagine the fun of cross country traveling on a motorcycle, nothing but you and the open road...that was what I was thinking as I imagined Narumi's bike-something like the HondaCB750 to be precise...concept of Naruto world and motorcycle not impractical actually. The pilot one shot had Naruto riding one, and that's why his initial design had goggles- a remnant of his start.

Something Unexpected

It hadn't always been so dark. No…for a long while, it had been soul aching bright and free. After Tenten had gone and marked her own mission as finished, Hinata had gone on. That first step out of the city and into the wild unkempt path had been bliss. That first mile of travel had been freedom. That first breath of air had been indescribable. She felt so small and light, as if she were travelling on the tips of her toes, feet barely grazing the tall grass and the sky had been so, so blue. And so she had stretched her tiny hand towards the clouds, slim fingers itching to touch what she felt she could. That had been the wonderful joy of being an ambassador.

Oh she was still tied to her beloved Konoha; the emblem around her neck and woven into her vest never ceased to remind her of that. But it was a pleasant type of bond, not so constricting, not so suffocating. It felt more now like a light tap on the head, a soft reminder of someone she fondly remembered, someone she thought she knew so well, that she could speak on their behalf.

The ability to explore, to see and fine different facets of the world and herself was something she treasured. She traveled through the countries, completing assignments, weaving pretty words and sincere promises that she knew Konoha would wholeheartedly support. And little by little, the ache she had felt as she left, the raw hole where the absence of her precious people had ripped through, stopped hurting so much. Eventually it became a dull throbbing sensation, always present, but bearable.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked questioningly as she circled the strange bike looking thing. Her eyes seemed to shine at the sight of the flawless black paint and she reverently traced the bulky lines with soft fingers. She bit her lip in indecision, and Naruto stifled a groan at the sight. He was beginning to be jealous of an inanimate object.

She hummed a quiet reply, not quite all there. And his breath hitched as she suddenly turned towards him, a bright smile on her face and an underlying assuredness in herself shining through.

"Do you want to go for a ride, Naruto-kun?"

He gulped, unsure as to whether he trusted the strange contraption or the even stranger girl in front of him.

"Is it safe?" He whispered, and she laughed heartily.

Hinata eyed the contraption warily, twirling a strand of inky straight her nervously. She tugged at her green jacket, making sure that her pockets held some form of identification, just in case.

"I-Is it safe?" She asked hesitantly and the girl simply laughed and handed her the white helmet.

Hinata grasped it in her trembling hands and caressed the smooth surface. She frowned when she noticed there was no protection in the front.

"Will I not get things caught in my face at such high speeds?"

Narumi fluffed her auburn hair, green eyes glinting mischievously. "You worry too much Hinata-chan."

Then out from the pocket of her brown leather jacket, she pulled a pair of gaudy goggles. For a second Hinata's heart leapt, because at the sight of the silly little things, she remembered a boy with sunshine hair and goggles adorning his head. She remembered a lonely boy whose wonderfully silly goggles were just a placeholder for his bigger dreams, and yet it was nostalgic. It was a reminder of innocence and time past and a love so constant, that even now she still felt its white-hot grip grasping at her chest.

She felt the tears sting her eyes and quickly blinked them away, holding out a trembling hand for the lenses.

"Are you alright Hinata-chan?" Narumi asked worriedly, her brow creased.

Hinata nodded quickly, her hair flying to and fro in an attempt to hide her emotion. "I'm fine!"

Narumi gave her one last disbelieving look before beginning instruction. "Okaay then…let's start."

Hinata nodded, looking warily at the motorcycle. It was a cute little thing, with bulky lines and a single oversized headlight taking up most of the front. The seat was cushiony and the motor and pipes were polished to shining silver. The rest of the body was painted a sea green, Narumi's favorite color.

Narumi's quiet instruction hummed through Hinata's head pleasantly, and she found herself lulled into calm by the soft tempo of her friend's droning and the gentle breeze dancing through the grass.

"Hinata-chan? Did you get all that?" Narumi asked.