Hinata raced through the trees feeling a little nostalgic wearing her old jounin vest. Smiling at the fact it fit along with all her other old clothes, even after giving birth to five healthy boys.
A mission was just what she needed, a little breather in regards to much more important and pressing matters concerning the clan.
Not enough partners were giving birth to daughters, the clan was overridden by sons, and that was something Hinata did not know how to remedy.
Her mind drifted over all the possible candidates and how she might rearrange them to pair herself up with the man who has fathered at least one female child.
Soon the trees were gone, the land had smoothed out into soft golden sand, Hinata breathed in the earthly smell which was creating small sand tornadoes every time her toes met the ground.
She increased her pace, racing herself.
Get to Suna before the sun is out.
Sprinting as fast as she could let her body give way, she felt like liquid reaching farther and deeper into the desert.
Sweat was blurring her vision; the running along with the more intense sun was taking a toll on her. She slowed only a bit so she could turn her head down into her vests collar and wipe it away.
A light stench filled her nostrils and brought her back to that day, four years ago: Smeared with blood, soaking in her every fiber, watching her father be obliterated with sand.
Hinata unconsciously blinked multiple times,
You can never wash these things properly. She flicked the goose down vest collar, which invoked her memory.
Suna made way into her sight; the large town was bustling now, as dusk was setting behind the farthest homes.
Hinata was needed to stay in Konoha and since that incredible day has not left the village. She noted that Suna had grown considerably in those four short years as opposed to her own village which only kept its head above water.
She entered the city gates and carelessly dropped her mission papers on the guards desk which was dusty with sand. On return her papers had smudgy dirt thumb prints on it, she rolled her eyes discretely. Suna may have expanded its territory, but they certainly didn't take into consideration anything else, like the quality of living.
Each step she took in the village, more people stopped to stare, or whisper about how she has the Hyuuga eyes. Many grown men giggled at rude comments, like "I thought we took them all out," while sipping on pints of ale.
Hinata was hardened; she paid no mind to the gossip.
Neji who has been on many missions, filled her in on the rude and sometimes brutal jabs at the Hyuuga clan that he has experienced. She sat there and listened with a face of stone during his recall, Hinata was not interested. She couldn't care less of the public's view of her or her clan, all she cared about was the well being of the clan members themselves.
All she needed was to find the employer and she could start her way back home before dawn.
She glanced at her mission papers and searched for the home, not being able to ask any of the snooty dirt covered people of the town, she wandered keeping a keen eye on her surroundings.
"YOOOO HOOO!!" a feminine but male voice called out to her. She looked at his lithe figure dangling out of the front door of his large home.
Hinata walked somberly and cautiously toward the man.
"You're my little Hyuuga honey for the day right?!" He questioned to her gesturing his hands. She was not amused, looking towards her papers,
"Are you Iruma-san?"
He giggled friendly and nodded flamboyantly,
"Come, come, come with me!" He stepped out from his lavishly decorated house and out on the dirt streets.
"May I hold your hand?!" He exclaimed a moment before grabbing it. Hinata allowed it,
"If you must." She breathed out softly, he is the employer, we need the money, thoughts running through her head.
He led her around the town grinning at the onlookers, all of who gossiped even more and looking scathingly over to them.
"I believe you have a package that needs guarding to Konoha?" She didn't want to prolong this torment of being shown off like a dog anymore than necessary.
"Oh yes, I do!" The man practically squealed out and was hurrying back in the direction they came from. Hinata had nothing to do but follow, especially since his sweaty palm was still grasping hers tightly.
"Iruma." A dark sullen voice stabbed with a single name.
Hinata felt the man drop her hand immediately and began bowing to where the voice had come from. She took a long glance at Iruma before returning her eyes forward, in her way was the face of a man with dark red hair and startlingly bright blue eyes.
"Bow." The voice commanded. And she did, not because he was forcing, but because she knew him, and was still carrying out his wishes for her not to marry.
"Kazakage-sama!" Irumas feminine voice was toned down now, "To what do I owe this pleasure." Gaara didnt even spare a glance at the kneeling man to the side of him; his eyes were focused on Hinata, who stared right back at him now finished with her bow.
He turned abruptly and started stalking quickly away from them. Iruma's head popped up, "He didn't dismiss us! Come come!"
He grabbed her hand again looser this time and began sprinting with her in toe to the Kazekage, who was just stepping beyond the threshold of Iruma's house.
Inside were large rooms that where gaudily decorated with gold trinkets and pink accents. Hinata turned her eyes down, not wanting to look at the hideously distasteful house which was giving her a headache with all its embellishments.
"Leave us." Gaara's voice was a nice alternative to Iruma's girly one.
Hinata stepped back, thinking she was the one to leave, but a warm presence kept one of her ankles in place.
"Not you." Hinata looked up, and found herself standing looking at the seated Kazekage in what seemed like a formal living room area, but she couldn't be sure because of all the rugs and lamps it could have been a bedroom.
Gaara withdrew the sand which had tangled itself against her ankle gently.
Iruma had left the room a second ago, almost at the same time he had entered it.
Hinata looked thoughtfully at Gaara, he probably wants to check up, or possibly change his request. She was not scared in anyway, but almost anxious to hear what he had to say.
"Take off your vest."
Hinata smiled softly, and undid the snaps at her neck before dragging the zipper down. She thought she could expect this from him, he after all did show some interest in her this way four years ago. Under her vest she wore a long sleeved black mock collared shirt, which clung to her shape in a comfortable manner.
Hinata watched his eyes as he looked over her body, she could imagine he liked what he saw. She dared not say anything and disrupt his view; she calmly stood waiting for him to advance. However, he didn't show the slightest sign of moving.
"How are your children?" His voice was blunt and sharp.
Hinata's eyes widened, he knew. She tried to come up with ways of how he could have been watching her from Suna.
"Fine" Her voice trailed off, reminding her of her childhood self, that's what happens when she gets caught off guard, thankfully it happens much less often now.
"Sit down." He gestured demandingly at the seat across from him, "You don't seem pleased. Talk." Hinata looked at his cold ridged face, which had only changed slightly since four years before.
She knew she must, she did owe him a lot more than she would have admitted, not only for providing the death of her father but for the vow to never marry. It saved her from being forced into submission by a husband, therefore allowing her to rule her clan first and foremost as their leader.
"I have five strong boys."
Gaara nodded, it seemed as if he had already been privy to their existence.
"That's the problem. I need a daughter." Hinata sighed out, relaxing her arms against the table.
"Why." Gaara ground out.
"Women carry on the Byakugan, with all these sons and not enough daughters, our bloodline will diminish even further."
It seemed this statement sparked Gaara's interest; he leaned forward in his chair resting his arms across from Hinata's.
"If the women carry the trait, then why do the branch family men have the cursed seal?" His voice was less harsh this time but still demanding.
Hinata felt a jittery anxious feeling; she was able to release some of her tension by spilling some of the Hyuuga privileged clan secrets.
The Hyuuga men can't produce a Byakugan user child without a Byakugan mother. But their Byakugan abilities have to be sealed because if they were to die on a mission without having the jutsu sealed, a passerby could pluck out their eyes and have a shot at understanding the Byakugan power. Just how Kakashi is able to use the Sharingan eye of Uchiha Obito.
Gaara took this information for a second and put his back once again against the back of his chair. He nodded slowly in understanding.
Hinata had felt that since she had exposed a secret, Gaara should reveal something about himself, so before contemplating the consequences, she blurted out her question.
"Why do you want me to remain single?" her voice was soft but had a peppy anticipation intoned within it.
Gaara's eyes locked onto hers, moments passed the electricity of their stares was memorizing. Her initial thought was that he wouldn't respond to her, but she was wrong.
Gaara stood up, his ominous stature and his tanned glow frightened her slightly but also drew her in. "You and I," He gestured casually, "we are similar." He stepped to the side of the table inched closer to her.
"I saw it that day we invaded Konoha. You didnt have it before."
Hinata's mind reeled, images of how the enemy ninja fell easily at her nimble hands plagued her inner eye.
"The taste of death." She mumbled.
"Yes." He hissed darkly, in complete understanding. His hand reached out and held her face with her chin in his palm. The grab was gentle however the pressure was tight.
Hinata was staring at his icy eyes, no longer frightened. Her mind was clear again for the first time in four years, since the last time she killed.
"You are naturally good, but you have the inclination to loose yourself in the opposite. Whereas I am a monster." He paused, as if rethinking what he was trying to say. In this moment his grip on her chin lightened, Hinata took this time to stand up and close the gap between them.
Her cheek smashed against his sash feeling his pulse through his neck with her forehead. Her arms were loosely clasped to his sides, not encircling him.
"We are similar." Hinata whispered into the material of his shirt.
Soon Hinata felt his arms against her shoulder blades; they stood in this embrace till she raised her head to get a look at his face.
He looked back down at her; each was questioning the other silently.
"I've never been with anyone outside of my responsibility." She explained to his closed lips.
He just nodded at her and bent his head so that their cheeks were against one another.
"I've never pursued a woman."
Hinata smiled softly against his ear lobe, emotional virgins.
Hinata's vow to him was sealed that day, laid down on top of a gay mans dining table.
Although it seemed rash and incredibly despicable, both of them had thought on it many times over the past four years.
Hinata found that Gaara's ways of pleasure allowed her to experience true ecstasy and let her guard down. She found her mind wandering back to those few times with Neji, the man who took her virginity, the man she didn't love at all. What was good was that Neji didnt love her either; they were both comfortable in the fact that they were only administering their responsibility by copulating.
Each of her sexual encounters before this day were masterminded and necessary for her clan. Her eyes whelmed with tears at the thought that she now had someone who wanted her in the way she had once wanted Naruto.
Gaara's mind was lost in Hinata's eyes, he saw her power and felt comfortable giving in to her. He lost his hardened facade and stared deep into her as they shared the most intimate embrace. He had never let himself give in to a woman's mystery before; he never fantasized about anyone other than Hinata. All of his other encounters were from petty fan girls who were begging him to love them back, that was the time he would use them to get off and then completely ignore them.
This time was different, so much so for the both of them. It was a long time before either of them was going to let up, but when it happened Hinata was silently crying. The tears running down her cheeks as Gaara finished right after her.
She watched his flushed face as he stared back down at her. His body still on top of her, Gaara softly kissed away her tears and rubbed his silky cheek against hers to dry it further.
Gaara didn't need ask why she was crying, he understood completely and subconsciously thought he would have cried at what they had if he had any tears to weep.
They laid against one another for a brief moment before each started to sit up and retrieve lost clothes. As Hinata slowly zipped and snapped her vest back on with her eyes cast downward, reeling in the emotion that she just partook, Gaara placed his hand on her shoulder and dropped his cheek to hers. A silent good bye was shared between them, warm breath on each of their ears. Both understood about the others responsibilities, it would remain a secret what they had together, emotional escape from the outside world of constant conscientiousness.
In a daze, Hinata was again walking with Iruma through the Suna streets, Gaara long gone.
"Wow, honey! Kazekage-sama rarely has private audiences!" Irumas voice seemed far off and toned down through Hinata's ears. Her mind focused and inwardly smiling at finally becoming a woman under her own conditions.
"If I were rude, I would say that you two had a little something going on behind closed doors, ya know what I mean?" Iruma winked and tried to egg her on. It was a blessing she wasn't listening to a word he said, if she were, she might have the displeasure to blush at his comments.
Vaguely the sun was beginning to droop, the air was getting thick with cold, Iruma placed a very ornately wrapped package in her thin precise fingers.
"Sweetie, it was a pleasure!," before letting the package go he leaned in towards her ear,
"Once you get back to your village, open the box, dear." He grinned at her and plucked kisses on both her cheeks before shooing her out the door.