Me: Finals are over. I am free. (flies off majestically into sunset)


Dull gloom again greets Hinata when she opens her eyes, but when she opens the door she finds that bright yellow daylight is streaming through the portholes, and the barracks are mostly empty.

Mostly, meaning everyone but Shikamaru.

To be fair, he is awake, sitting cross-legged on his sleeping mat, hunched over what looks like a map of the Eastern Continent. Hinata approaches and he glances up. "Morning," he says.

"Good morning," Hinata replies, voice still scratchy from sleep. She sits down gingerly across from him. "What are you looking at?"

Shikamaru points to a spot on the map a few miles inland. "This is the encampment we're going to. The Tani clan and their affiliates; they're the ones who requested our help. They claim that the central power in the Land of Canyons is oppressing them."

Hinata had been briefed on this, but in general, vague terms. "Who exactly is the central power?"

"The ruling clan, the Kubochi. A group of military officials have more or less taken control of the country. Among other things, they have sealed off the capital city to anyone who can't prove they're kin."

"What are the Kubochi saying?"

"They say the Tani attacked them first. But that's not our concern. We're only here to assess the situation, see if we're even capable of lending help. To either side."

Hinata sees the merit of this, but frowns anyway. How many lives will be lost while they wait?

She looks around, notices that Sasuke's sleeping mat, a few feet away, is slightly askew. And empty. "Where's Sasuke?" she wonders aloud.

"He went to go find us some breakfast. The crew ate a while ago," Shikamaru says absently.

"Oh. What time is it?" It's hard to tell, but the angle at which the light is coming in leads her to believe it's midmorning.

Shikamaru shrugs. "Noon. I dunno."

A roll of bread suddenly drops into Shikamaru's lap. Sasuke sits down beside Hinata, carrying two other rolls. "Nine."

Not looking up, Shikamaru waves his hand. "Yeah. What he said."

Hinata reminds herself that shrinking away will not be productive to their team bonding. Instead, she stays very still. Sasuke offers her a roll, and she takes it, proud of herself for not flinching when their hands brush.

"What are the numbers?" Sasuke asks, apparently picking up a previous conversation.

"They only have a rough estimate. They keep getting more every day. At the time they contacted us, it was about two hundred. Including women and children."

"Not a battalion, then." Sasuke tears off a piece of bread. "A refugee camp."

"For the most part. They have a small outfitted force, but it's for defense, not offensive attacks."

"Are they asking for protection or additional forces?" Hinata asks.

"Protection, for now."

"Well…can't we at least offer them that indefinitely?"

Shikamaru is shaking his head. "No, that would be getting involved. Which we have instructions not to do. We're just there to observe. If the need arises, we'll help protect the camp, but we can't make a long-term commitment."

Hinata bites her lip. She doesn't like the idea of watching from the sidelines. But orders are orders. And if it's best for Konoha…she can't really complain.

Shikamaru finally looks up, looking her in the eye. "Hey. I know it seems kinda cruel, going there just to watch the action, but we don't even know if the Tani are the victims in this situation. Maybe they did attack first. The Kubochi may have just sealed off the city for their protection. We have to hang back for now, okay?"

Hinata nods. "H-Hai."

Sasuke reaches for the Shikamaru's backpack, rummaging around in it. He pulls out a scroll, begins reading it. It's the one from the Tani, asking for help. Hinata glances over, but can't see the writing from this angle.

Shikamaru returns to the map. "In any case we should be ready for anything. By the time we get there, they could have gathered enough troops to mobilize. In which case we'll stay and protect the camp. Hinata, you have training in medical ninjutsu?"

She nods in what she hopes is a confident manner. "A little. It's very basic, though…"

"Good. They mentioned they're short on doctors. If you can, you should try and lend a hand in the med tents."

Okay. Useful, she can be useful. She nods again.

"We're going to have to do a thorough sweep of the place, see just how deep in they are. We'll talk to whoever's in charge…"

"The clan head's name is Tojinbo," Sasuke supplies.

"Right. We'll talk to him, get his perspective. We should maybe even travel to the capital city to verify that we're helping the right people."

Sasuke is still reading the scroll. "The right people," he repeats. His tone is objective. "Financially or morally?"

Shikamaru takes a moment to answer. "Morally," he says finally, but there is a crease in his forehead. "We have to be sure that we're helping the oppressed and not the oppressors." He gazes down at the map, sounding assured but not quite looking it. "Money isn't everything," he mutters.

Hinata watches him, concerned.

Sasuke tears off a piece of his roll.


After dinner that night, the crew member next to her hands her a pack of Hanafuda cards(1). "You need them more than I do," he shrugs. Hinata thanks him profusely, glad for any entertainment. The novelty of sea travel had worn off quickly, and she had resigned herself to boredom for the remainder of the trip. These cards, however, promise some form of amusement, and she shares them excitedly with Sasuke and Shikamaru.

The dinner table has been taken up by a rowdy game of Chō Han(2), so the three of them retreat to the barracks. A few crew members are settling in for the night and have extinguished the lamps, so they retreat further to Hinata's room and set themselves up on the bed – Sasuke and Shikamaru at the head and foot, and Hinata against the wall facing the door. The space is so cramped that they have to actively avoid looking at each others' hands, but cheating isn't much of an option with their limited lighting. The one lamp barely gives off enough to see their own cards.

They play a few rounds, and when Shikamaru is revealed to be the overall winner, Hinata sets the cards aside. They sit in silence for a moment before Hinata ventures a question.

"What's the Land of Canyons like?" She asks, unsure if either of them has anything to say about it. Maybe neither of them have been there.

Sasuke answers her first. "What it sounds like. Hot, dry. Windy."

Shikamaru automatically jumps in with his historical knowledge. "The place has never been politically stable. They've mostly relied on the clan system, which has obviously not worked out for them. The Tani fish near the western coast and the Kubochi raise livestock in the east, and they each have sub-clans that are loyal to them. The rest of the country is uninhabited."

"What's wrong with it?" Hinata asks.

"The interior is a barren wasteland." Sasuke rolls his neck. "The rock formations are good cover, though."

Shikamaru looks at him. "You been there?"

"Once. Orochimaru was recruiting." Sasuke sounds unsympathetic – clearly he thought the assignment was beneath him.

"Did you find anyone?" Hinata can't help but ask.

Sasuke glances at her. "No one special."

There is silence for a time. "Well," Shikamaru says, "they're not known for their shinobi. They probably only have one or two chakra-using clans."

"One. If you can call it that. Ten or so members with just enough chakra to conjure a substitution."

Shikamaru and Hinata stare at him. "I was thorough," Sasuke says simply.

"What about the other lands?" Hinata persists.

Sasuke again answers her, with less patience. "The Land of Glaciers is cold. The Land of Gold is wealthy. The Land of Sake is known for sake. The Land of Otters is…full of otters."

Shikamaru glances over at her. His overdramatically dull face mocks Sasuke, and despite herself Hinata almost laughs aloud.

"The Unclaimed Lands are haunted."

Hinata's smile fades, and Shikamaru squints. "What?"

Sasuke is still speaking in the same tone, as if this is no more interesting than the Land of Otters. "They're home to yūrei. Spirits who have yet to move on."

"I've never heard that," Shikamaru protests. "I thought the Unclaimed Lands were just useless. Bad soil, no water. No one wants them."

"No one wants them because they're cursed. The plants don't grow there, the rivers have dried up. There's no weather, either. No rain or snow or sunshine."

Shikamaru's silence leads Hinata to believe that these claims are true. She leans forward, consumed by curiosity. "Have you ever talked to one?"

Sasuke looks at her, and she is almost too eager to be embarrassed. "A spirit," she clarifies.

"Most screamed or wailed. They weren't interested in talking." He pauses for a moment. "There was one that chanted in a foreign language," he amends.

Hinata sneaks a peek at Shikamaru, and he is frowning thoughtfully, perhaps contemplating the potential dangers of a land of angry spirits. Or possible solutions to the problem. With an IQ of 200, the inner workings of Shikamaru's mind are a mystery to her.

Sasuke's knee brushes hers as he shifts position, and she makes the mistake of looking up at him. Their eyes meet. Hers automatically flick away, then back. The longer she holds his gaze, the more it unnerves her, and finally she glances down at her hands.

Sasuke seems older, somehow, or taller. The fact that he has been to other exotic continents, and seen things she had only imagined were in legends, is humbling to say the least. In comparison to Sasuke's experience and Shikamaru's knowledge, she is pale and small. Her previous self-pep talks of equal worth seem silly now. "I think I'll go to bed now," she says quietly, "i-if you don't mind?"

Shikamaru blinks back to the present, and smiles. "Sure, of course," he says, getting off of the bed. He jerks his head at Sasuke, who raises one eyebrow in a 'did-you-really-just-nonverbally-command-me?' expression, but stands anyway.

"See you tomorrow, Hinata," Shikamaru says, and Sasuke glances back at her for an unenthusiastic "Goodnight."

Hinata smiles weakly at the both of them, but thinks she understands something about Sasuke now. Maybe he's so disinterested in everything because he's seen it all before. Nothing surprises him because nothing is surprising anymore.

The door is shut behind them, and Hinata sits there for a moment before making to lie down. As she is about to put her head on the pillow, she realizes belatedly that Sasuke was there just a short time ago. And Shikamaru, at the foot of the bed. They were sitting here, where she sleeps. She sits back up, embarrassed that this is embarrassing her.

In a small measure of desperation, she begins a metal list of her good qualities, but against her will it soon dissolves into her weaknesses. This list circles her mind until she is thoroughly demoralized, but exhausted enough to sleep.


Sasuke is twelve and increasingly conflicted when Naruto shakes him awake in the middle of the night during a mission.

He's tired. It's been a long day, and he just got back from watch duty. He considers resisting for a moment, ignoring Naruto, but rationalizes that whatever Naruto wants, he'll just keep bothering him until he pays attention. "What," he grunts.

Naruto is quiet for a moment, and Sasuke thinks briefly that maybe he was just shifting around anxiously in his sleep – which he's done before. But then the blonde speaks. "Do you…" Naruto starts. "Do you ever think about it?"

Sasuke pushes the heels of his hands into his eyes. "About what," he mutters, exhausted and irritated.

Naruto's voice is smaller than usual, and sounds further away than it actually is. "You know." He lowers his voice further. "Sex."

Automatically, Sasuke glances to his left, checking for Kakashi; but their sensei is outside, on his watch shift. Sakura has opted to bring her own tent – she's still not comfortable sharing with three males. Kakashi understands, and doesn't push the issue.

So it's just him and Naruto. As usual.

Normally Sasuke would mutter an insult and go back to sleep, disregard Naruto's stupid attempts at conversation. But this, he senses, is different. Naruto sounds earnest. This is a Moment, Sasuke realizes. A bonding experience. Naruto wants to talk to him about a shared concern. And while Sasuke would never admit it, he feels a prickle of friendship for Naruto in times like these. The conversation topic, though, is awkward. He's not uncomfortable, but he's definitely not comfortable, either. He's not quite sure why he says it, but eventually he says, "Yeah."

Naruto shifts around again. "Not Sakura, right?" He asks after a moment.

"No," Sasuke says.

But this is a lie. He has thought about Sakura like that, more than once. She's attractive, after all. But he wouldn't tell that to Naruto. Maybe out of respect or something.

"What about Ino?" Naruto asks.

"Ino tries too hard," Sasuke says automatically. It's actually the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of Ino; too aggressive, too intrusive. Too eager. Especially when it comes to her looks. She's on a permanent diet, and makes sure everyone knows it. She's not attractive so much as aggravating. Well, unless you factor out the bossy, petty parts of her personality. And confidence is supposedly sexy. "She's okay," he concedes.

"Tenten?" Naruto asks next. Sasuke doesn't have to think very hard. "Decent." Not good, not bad. Average body, slightly above average face.

Naruto falls silent, and Sasuke doesn't blame him. Sakura, Ino and Tenten are the only girls their age they know well. They don't often interact with civilians, and Team 8 keeps mostly to themselves. Although…

As if following his thought pattern, Naruto suddenly speaks up. "What about Hinata?"

Hinata. Of the Hyuga clan. He knows her name, and not much else. He's definitely never considered her attractive before. He conjures a mental image, and frowns. There's not much to work with. Her baggy clothing hides whatever figure she has. Her face is…pleasant, but not overtly pretty. "Kinda plain," he says simply.

"What about…" Naruto searches. "Gaara's sister. Temari."

The tall blonde girl? Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He's really scrounging here. Naruto pipes up quickly. "I mean…she was hot. She had nice…" he trails off, and Sasuke can hear him moving slightly, making some sort of hand motions.

"It's pitch black. Whatever you're doing, I can't see you," Sasuke says flatly.

"Oh. Right." Naruto hesitates. "Uh…breasts. She had nice breasts."

Yes, Sasuke reluctantly admits to himself, she did. But he stays silent.

Naruto doesn't speak for a time and Sasuke assumes he fell asleep. Sasuke wouldn't blame him – he didn't give Naruto much to work with, conversation-wise. But what was Naruto expecting? "Decent" and "okay" were the best he was going to get out of Sasuke. This is him expressing himself. He considers the conversation not a complete failure, and prepares to fall in unconsciousness.

He's nearly there a few minutes later, but then Naruto is shaking him again. "I really like Sakura," he murmurs. He sounds barely conscious.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, shrugs off Naruto's hand. "Yeah. I know."

"But she likes you," Naruto insists sleepily.

"I don't like her, dobe," Sasuke says, patiently.

"Oh. Un'kay." Naruto yawns loudly, and then rolls over. "Night, Sasuke."

Sasuke just closes his eyes. But for some reason, sleep doesn't come to him. He lies there for a few minutes, wondering what it is. Maybe it's that weird respect thing again. Maybe he's guilty about lying to Naruto. Sure, he's thought about Sakura once or twice, but like he said, he doesn't like her. Not the way Naruto does.

So maybe Naruto and he are friends. He can admit that much. And maybe he doesn't really like the thought of losing that friendship. But he's not going to play nice just because they talked about girls – he still has goals far beyond being the blonde's best friend. The one thing he can do, however, is let Naruto have Sakura. He decides it, on a mission in the middle of the night when he is twelve years old and increasingly conflicted: if he can't be nice to Naruto, if they have to be rivals, he'll at least stay away from the object of Naruto's affections.

But this, too, is a lie.


Hinata emerges from her room in the morning, hair mussed and eyes sleepy. She greets them politely, and her eyes flicker to Sasuke; finding him watching her, she flushes and turns away, running her tongue across dry lips.

She is not the prettiest girl he has ever seen. But he still appreciates the way her eyelashes draw shadows on her cheeks in the sunlight.

Sasuke wonders what she would do if he licked her lips for her.

He bets she would let him.


(1)= literally, "flower cards"; used to play a variety of Japanese card games

(2)= traditional Japanese gambling game using dice; seen in many gangster/yakuza movies

Me: Whoa, did I actually finish the next chapter? Weird.

It's actually not funny how often I lose work because my computer is like "okay you have to restart now" and I'm like "nah I'll just click 'postpone for one hour'" and then I ignore the repeated warnings until someone calls me away for five minutes and my computer is like "oh shit she left the room time to restart right now and screw with all her shit".

But progress has been made. We're on our way to the Land of Water.

Oh, and happy holidays. : )