Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media
Warnings: Well, no warnings just a little fluff and a little drama.
Thanks to my beta Taioxnay!
To Change the Hyuuga
Chapter Thirteen: Charm & Good Looks
Gaara came to her just a few minutes before dawn. He arrived on the roof of the embassy and immediately found a small tag that looked like an explosive tag. He discovered that it was a simple trigger that Hinata had left for him. It was a style Gaara was unfamiliar with, but probably a common Konoha shinobi tool. He activated it. A few minutes later, Hinata arrived on the roof with tousled hair and still wearing her sleeping yakuta.
Without a word, she walked up to Gaara and kissed him lightly. Gaara sat down and pulled her onto his lap, his tall frame shielding her from the wind. He was tired from working all night. The repairs were slow and they had to be painstaking careful or risk creating more structural damage. Fortunately the repairs were now complete and no one was hurt in the process. It was stressful for Gaara to worry about others. He took his responsibilities very seriously.
Hinata nuzzled into his shoulder. Sitting with Gaara on the roof, looking towards the sunrise was the perfect way to start the morning. He looked tired, so she kept silent and offered a few kisses and a cuddle to comfort him.
Hinata shifted to lean back against Gaara's chest and they watched the sunrise in the Village Hidden in the Sand.
They watched the first stirrings of life as people woke up and began to leave for work.
They heard the sounds of children fighting over breakfast.
They felt the air warm by degrees as the sun rose into the sky.
They sensed the ANBU guards monitoring their Kazekage on the buildings around them.
…So rooftopsex was out of the question.
Gaara stood and pulled Hinata to her feet as they heard the sound of the others in the embassy getting ready.
Hinata reached up and placed her hand on his cheek and stood on her tiptoes as Gaara took the hint and leaned down for the kiss.
Hinata slid her hand from his face to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into a more intimate embrace. Gaara pushed her long hair off her shoulders and out of his way as he gently licked and kissed her neck. Gaara stopped a moment later and looked into her face. His normally cold blue eyes were warm. It must have been a trick of the light, but it seemed like his eyes were twinkling.
She hugged Gaara possessively and an irrational feeling of happiness swept her.
"Good Morning Gaara." She whispered.
"Good Morning Hinata." He replied.
A moment later, Gaara was gone in a whirl of sand.
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"The merchant guild by-laws are quite clear on this issue." The stern man spoke with great conviction. His hands were placed in front of him in a clear sign of defiance. He expected arguments from these Konoha people.
Hyuuga Nana smiled her most charming smile. "Of course Guild Master, we must respect the by-laws of your organization." She waited a moment for the man to relax at her words. "Perhaps together, we can think of other creative ways in which the Hyuuga could invest in Sunagakure."
"Invest?" the Guild Master queried.
Baki almost snorted in amusement at the scene before him. The village merchant guild was so backwards they didn't even understand the concept of working with others or allowing outsiders to invest in businesses. It was always a sore point for the Sunagakure Council; it was preferred that the merchant guild was distrustful when it came to outsiders. There was less risk of bribery and betrayal. On the other hand, the Council knew the whole village suffered economically. Their closed economy was stagnant and just barely able to sustain itself.
It would take a minor miracle for the Hyuuga to make any headway with the Sunagakure Merchant Guild.
Still…Baki was impressed. The Hyuuga Heiress four-man cell was deployed very effectively. With a few gracious words, Hinata had managed to get the Guild Master to offer a tour of the merchant district with introductions to various others.
Hyuuga Nana and Hyuuga Hinata stayed with the Guild Master for the more important discussions.
The Guild Master's almost pretty daughter was sent with the boys, Hyuuga Kosuke and Hyuuga Shinji.
Baki guessed that by the end of the day, the handsome Hyuuga Shinji would have learned anything he wanted to from the girl. The genin, Kosuke was a good chaperone, diffusing any appearance of impropriety.
Meanwhile, Hyuuga Hinata had spent the morning asking innocent questions and quietly flattering the Guild Master. The more experienced Hyuuga Nana stayed relatively quiet. She listened and observed the man. Baki noted that she clearly remembered her experience as a shinobi. Nana had been planning her attack to take down the Guild Master from the moment they met.
Baki was startled out of his musings when he observed the beginnings of a minor miracle.
"Well when you put it like that Hyyuga-san, I'm sure the guild could consider amending the by-laws," concluded the Guild Master. "In fact, I'm sure that on my recommendation an amendment would pass." He stated confidently.
Baki wanted to slap his forehead. Instead he suppressed a disgusted grimace. 'That man is an idiot.'
Hyuuga Nana noted Baki's grimace as she continued to encourage the Guild Master that this good idea was all his.
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For the umpteenth time today, Baki suppressed an exasperated sigh. Temari had taken a team and been sent on a mission to investigate rumors about Wind country border breaches. Kankuro was late. Again.
Not that Baki could blame him.
Dinner with members of the Sunagakure council was never fun. It would be accurate to say that an A-class mission to…well anywhere…would be preferable.
The formal welcome greetings were completed and everyone, except Kankuro, had been seated and served with tea as dinner was readied. Kankuro had just returned from a mission, and was probably going to use that as an excuse for skipping dinner.
Hinata allowed the warm tea to calm her nerves. The slightly bitter tea was strong and hot, but she liked it. The taste was pure and her mouth felt clean and free from the sandy grit of the day.
She blew on her tea as the dinner service began. She noted that the servers were all shinobi. Probably high-level Chunin and perhaps one jonin. She suppressed a giggle as she imaged Gai or Kakashi taking on this kind of assignment.
Hinata looked up. A council member was making a scene at the other end of the room. She smiled as she saw Kankuro. The puppet master just arrived with a blowzy blond. Even from across the room, Hinata could tell the woman was attractive. She was dressed in shimmering folds of cherry and green. The perfect curls in her hair had probably taken quite a bit of effort.
Hinata stood up and approached the small arguing group.
"Kankuro-sama, I'm afraid I must repeat myself. She is not invited." The Counsel member muttered with contempt.
"Don't be so stuffy Elder Kou. Aomi-chan is my good friend." Kankuro replied bluntly. His eyes brighten as he saw Hinata approach. She was a beautiful sight wrapped formally in an elegant kimono and with her hair pulled into a simple design. He vaguely wondered how many senbon were stashed in it. "Hina-hime, you can help settle our dispute." He said as she joined them.
Hinata blushed at the familiar nickname. "Kankuro-kun, it is good to see you." She stepped up closely to the puppeteer, casually invading his personal space. She smiled sweetly and shyly. "And who is your good friend?" She asked quietly, looking at the woman who was showing more skin then all the other women in the room combined.
That was not saying much since everyone else was covered from their necks to their toes. Still, Aomi's cleavage was enough to draw any man's attention and the small flash of her bare leg was enticing.
"Hina-hime, this is my good friend Aomi." Kankuro said as he gestured toward his girlfriend. "I just returned from a mission and Aomi planned a little welcome home party for me. But when I found out about this welcome party for you Hina-Hime. I knew you wouldn't mind if I brought Aomi."
"Of course Kankuro-kun, any friend of yours, is welcome." Hinata replied graciously. "Aomi-san."
Aomi looked over Hinata with both curiosity and jealousy. This was the woman who was going to marry the Kazekage? She couldn't believe it. The cold Kazekage had never even looked at her. And Aomi had given him several opportunities. Like the time when Kankuro first introduced her and she bowed in such a way to give him a peak. Or when she served tea to the two brothers and made sure to get close enough to Gaara so could smell her alluring perfume. How could this shy little thing have swayed him?
"Aomi-chan, this is Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the most powerful shinobi clan in Konoha." Kankuro completed the introduction. "And my comrade from several missions." He added simply.
'Ah, politics! That's how she snagged the Kazekage. This Hyuuga girl really doesn't look like much. Did she really go on missions with Kankuro? That must be politics too.' Aomi thought.
"Thank you for allowing me to attend dinner. Hinata-chan. After all, any comrade of Kankuro-kun is as a friend of mine." Aomi replied as graciously as she could. She tried not to let her jealousy show.
Hinata blinked at the familiarity in her tone. 'I bet that's true. Any paying customer is probably a friend of hers.'
"Kankuro-san! Aomi-san! Stay if you must, but you will address Hyuuga-sama with the proper respect." The ignored council member scolded.
"Tch!" Kankuro snorted. "Hina-hime and I go way back. Mind your own business." Kankuro led Aomi to sit down for dinner.
The rest of the dinner was uneventful. Despite the formality of the simple welcome dinner, Hinata found herself more at ease then she had been all day. Saying the right things, not saying anything at all, listening, and observing over a formal meal; these were thing she could do in her sleep. As a Hyuuga, these skills were the first things learned.
And Gaara was here. She was more at ease now that she was in the same room with him. To her keen eyes, he seemed tired. She knew he had not slept at all last night, but she didn't think it would have bothered him that much. She would ask him later. They didn't greet or acknowledge each other as lovers in public. They acted formally as Kazekage and Heiress.
No need for others to know that their attachment had grown. That would only invite trouble.
But for Hinata, it was enough that they were together in the same room. And she knew they would have some private time later.
As the evening drew to a close, the most senior council member finally asked, "Hyuuga-sama, we would be most grateful for a demonstration of your families skills."
Hinata and Nana had discussed and expected this.
"It is a reasonable request. Of course, I would like to limit the audience to the Suna Counsel and the Kazekage's family. It is not common practice for Jonin to demonstrate their techniques." She replied.
The Counsel members nodded in agreement.
"While Shiji would be more then capable to fulfill this duty, I believe the council would like to see my skills specifically." Hinata continued coolly. There was no need to force them to ask. They wanted to see the best the Hyuuga clan had to offer.
Again there was a general level of agreement from the Suna counsel members.
"And of course once this demonstration is complete, I assume the Sunagakure Council will have no further objections to the proposal agreed upon by the Kazekage, the Hokage, the Konohagakure Council and the Hyuuga clan." Hinata looked directly at the most senior council member. "If fact, I would prefer to have the agreement signed immediately afterwards."
A brief tense silence blanketed the room. Hinata had effectively locked the council into a hard deadline to commit to the Hyuuga Proposal. If they declined now, they would appear weak and indecisive.
A younger council member spoke up, "As you say, Hyuuga-sama. Immediately after your demonstration would be a good time to finalize the agreement." The reaction of the other members ranged from shock, to anger to relief. The decision would be argued about behind closed doors. But Hinata was confident that it would stand.
"Excellent. Who am I to demonstrate with? Who will be my sparing partner?" Hinata asked.
"A master puppeteer. A Suna ANBU operative, she is returning from a two year assignment later this week. Her name is Chikamatsu Maaya. She is the granddaughter of Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the inventor of the art of puppetry, creator of the Puppet Technique and the very first puppet master. " answered the younger council member.
The sound of something breaking echoed in the dining room.
Gaara looked down to see that he had crushed the teacup he was holding into a hundred pieces.
Hyuuga Nana and Hyuuga Shinji noted that the Sunagakure Council members studiously ignored the incident.
Baki and Kankuro turned worried looks at their Kazekage.
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Hinata left Nana to handle the dinner group as they took their leave. Hinata made her way to Gaara. The chunin disguised as servants cleared away the shattered cup. His hand was bleeding slightly where the shards had cut him.
Hinata took Gaara's hand in hers. Using a small clean cloth, she cleaned the cuts and placed her other hand over it. She used a small amount of chakra to heal it.
"What was that about?" She asked quietly, still holding his healed hand.
Gaara responded slowly. He was thinking of something else. "This fight…" He began.
A sand shinobi burst into the room. "Excuse me! Kazekage-sama, there is an urgent message from the Daimyo. I was told to inform you immediately!"
Gaara narrowed his eyes in displeasure. The Daimyo of the Land of Wind had been increasingly demanding of his time and attention. Gaara guessed this was something small that could wait. But he didn't have a choice.
Gaara turned to Hinata. She really did look lovely. More noble and delicate than the shinobi bred for combat that he knew her to be.
Gaara also knew that the small and calloused hands that were holding his hand could cripple or destroy the chakra system of any man. Or woman.
Gaara squeezed Hinata's hand to reassure her and indicated to the messenger to wait.
"Hinata, the woman you are going to fight…." Gaara stopped again. He wasn't sure what he wanted to tell her. Or ask her.
"Yes…I'm sure Chikamatsu Maaya is very capable. B-but I'm a jonin as well. It should at least be a good fight." Hinata said with as much confidence as she could. ANBU operatives were the elite. Hinata had less than one-year experience as a Jonin.
"That's not it." Gaara responded blankly. He guessed it would be a good match. Perhaps not an even match, but it should be a good fight.
"Then what is it?" She inquired. It wasn't as though she had to win the fight. She just had to survive it and demonstrate a few of the more powerful Hyuuga techniques.
"Chikamatsu Maaya," Gaara paused. He was not quite sure what to say. He settled on the simple truth. "She is an old friend. She was one of my first friends."
"O-oh." Hinata replied in a small voice.
" Maaya was my first lover." Gaara stated simply.
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Author's notes: PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know what works and what doesn't.
Two more OC's. No more after this. This second half of the story is set up and ready to roll.
Acknowledgements: The character of Aomi is borrowed with permission from Kaotic312 from her story Marry My father Please? It is a very good story. Don't believe me? Go read and review it!
Chikamatsu Maaya is named after the Voice actor for Matsuri (Maaya Sakamoto) and after the Naruto canon character Chikamatsu Monzaemon.
And for a laugh, here is a deleted scene from Chapter 14
"Wow, a chick fight. Cool." Kankuro whistled.
"Great, my fiancée and my ex are going to kill each other." Gaara sighed and put his head down on the table.
"Don't worry, little brother. It won't be that bad."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, for starters, we could rig the sparing ring to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries."
Gaara looked up with interest. "Go on."
"For example, if we flood the area with some of our precious water, the mud will significantly slow down their movements. It would also slow down Hinata's gentle fist taijutsu. The slick ground and walls will force Maaya to move in closely and reduce the long-range effectiveness of her techniques. The mud will also slow down the puppets themselves."
"Mud?" Gaara said slowly. "You think that would work?"
Kankuro nodded excitedly. "I can picture it in my mind now!"
Gaara blinked and found his older brother unconscious on the floor. "Temari, when did you get back?"
End deleted scene from the Chapter 14PS: if you don't get the omake, don't sweat it. It means you're not a hentai like Kankuro or me.