Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Special Thanks: goes out to rao hyuga 18, McKazekage, ssspooky, Eleoopy, CenturysRuin, Melodi Moon, QueenP19, darknessunbidden, and xforeverherex for your kind, amazing, encouraging reviews! I appreciate each and every one of you so much and treasure the reviews you give me. Thank you all so very much. Also thanks to those who have added this story to their favorite and alert lists - I appreciate your attention and encouragement as well!
Author's Note: I'm so excited for these next few chapters. I can finally promise you all some answers to the questions being asked, as well as a lot more development in the Gaara/Hinata relationship department, as well as the appearance of more familiar faces. For now, though, I'll let you all get on with reading chapter seven. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
*~Chapter VII~*
~Greetings~
"It's not like this is goodbye forever," Tenten said as she and Hinata embraced. "We'll come back to Suna, I promise. And who knows, maybe you'll come visit us in Konoha even before then!"
"That would be nice," Hinata replied wistfully. Despite what Gaara told her the night before, she wasn't entirely sure she'd be seeing her home village any time soon - if ever. But she was confident Neji and Tenten, at least, would come to Suna for a visit. Maybe they'd be able to bring some of her other friends, too. But, even if not, just knowing they'd be back helped make their parting a little easier to bear.
Tenten finally stepped back, and Neji came forward to hug her. "I know it takes a while for messages to get back and forth, but if you need us, don't hesitate to send for us," he told her as he hugged her goodbye. "We'll be here as soon as we can be if you need us."
She smiled and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, b-big b-brother Neji."
With a forced smile, Neji patted the top of her head and moved away so Ino could have her turn. "And I thought those in Konoha had it rough saying goodbye," she sniffled. "Gosh, Hinata, I'm going to miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too. You're the b-best lady's maid and friend I've ever had," Hinata said, swallowing back her own threatening tears.
Leaning back, Ino offered her a watery smile. "Up till yesterday, I'm the only lady's maid you've ever had," she said. Somehow she managed to add a teasing note to her tone, but Hinata wasn't sure what it must have cost her to do so. She certainly couldn't have managed it herself, had their positions been reversed.
Finally, it was Shikamaru's turn. He hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something, but finally bowed deeply and offered her a slight smile. "Goodbye, milady."
Wondering what he'd wanted to say, Hinata returned his smile and bow. "G-Goodbye, Shikamaru. Thank you so much for all you've d-done for me."
Out in the courtyard, the four from Konoha mounted their horses. The rest of the servants who had come with them had already returned to the village, their jobs having been completed by delivering Hinata's belongings. Neji, Tenten, Ino, and Shikamaru would be traveling back alone, and Hinata sent up a prayer for them to have a quick and safe trip. The thought of them running into bandits - or worse - sent a shiver up her spine, and she quickly tried to banish the image.
Hinata had wanted to see them off at the exit of the village, but the others had begged her to remain within the safety of the palace walls. To ease their minds, she'd given in, but watching them ride through the gates of the estate without her was one of the hardest things she'd ever done.
"It's hard, being away from the ones we love. Even if it's only temporary."
A startled gasp escaped Hinata as she whirled toward the unexpected voice. As the massive double doors into the house closed behind her, Itachi appeared from the shadows across the entryway. "My apologies for startling you, Lady Hinata," he said with a brief smile. "It was not my intention."
Her hands lifted of their own accord so she could tap the tips of her index fingers together. She had never had a chance to converse with her fellow former Konoha resident, and now, when she actually did have the opportunity dropped into the palm of her hand like a gift from above, she wasn't quite sure what to say to him. So she wound up settling for a rather lame, "Yes, it is."
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Itachi approached her and tilted his head slightly. "Might you walk with me a few minutes, milady, so we can converse?"
Pushing away her misgivings and anxiety, Hinata hesitantly nodded and fell into step with his deliberately ambling pace. "Was there something in p-particular you wanted to d-discuss?"
Itachi hesitated for a moment, the corner of his mouth twisted thoughtfully as if he were considering his words. "I'd be lying if I said no," he finally admitted. "So I suppose I'll get right to the heart of the matter. Temari told me you're somewhat acquainted with my little brother. Is he doing all right?"
Unable to stop herself, Hinata lifted her eyebrows at him inquisitively. "Lady Temari told me she would p-pass on what I'd told her," she said. "Has she n-not?"
"She did," Itachi replied quickly. "And it's not that I don't believe her. I would just like to hear the assurance from you."
Hinata was surprised at the vulnerability in Itachi's face and voice. Without her realizing it, the impression of her fellow villagers had rubbed off on her. She'd expected Itachi to be the very image of a coldblooded killer, even though she knew logically he'd been proven innocent. This quiet, almost gentle man seemed at complete odds to what she'd first thought. "I feel I should tell you I d-don't know him well. I've only seen him a handful of times."
"Temari told me that, too." Itachi rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking anxious. "You don't have to tell me anything too specific. Just your general impression."
"All right, then." Hinata thought for a moment, pulling up her somewhat fuzzy memories of the younger Uchiha brother. "He's well enough, I suppose. He's g-got a reputation in the village as a loner, but some of my friends are trying to p-pull him out of it. He's always b-been very p-polite to me the few times we've spoken, very g-gentlemanly. He's quiet, almost sullen, but on the whole, he strikes me as a n-nice young man." She wished she could tell him more, but she'd not seen Sasuke for at least a month, if not longer, before she left.
However, Itachi seemed satisfied with her answer. Nodding slowly, he shot her a slight smile and said, "Thank you for telling me that."
Nervously, Hinata glanced up at him from the corner of her eye. Maybe it was because her family and friends had just left and he was the last immediate link she had to her village, or maybe it was because her own curiosity was finally getting the best of her, but she had to ask him the question burning at the back of her mind. "May I ask why you left K-Konoha?"
At first she wasn't sure Itachi had heard her whispered question. He continued walking at the same pace, not looking toward her, not faltering, not even blinking. She was just wondering if she should ask again, or retract the question entirely, when he finally answered. "Several reasons," he said at last.
"I'm s-sorry," Hinata whispered, ashamed. "It was unforgivably rude of me to ask."
Itachi glanced at her and shook his head quickly. "No," he said. "I don't think it was. You're curious, and I can't blame you for that." He smiled again, but this time it was sarcastic and pained. "It's probably the question on the mind of every person in the village, am I right?"
"P-Probably," she agreed reluctantly. "B-But I've tried n-not to let what they think c-color my own p-perceptions about you. Also about G-Gaara, and Suna in g-general."
"I appreciate it, but it can't have been easy to do," Itachi replied. "As to your question..." He pushed a lock of ink-black hair off his forehead before tucking his hand in his pocket again. "I don't think it was one particular reason, to be honest. It was more of a combination of things, all of which led me to realize I couldn't conceivably stay in the village." His dark eyes softened slightly, offering him a completely different look. "But I guess, if I had to pin it down to a main reason, I would say I left for Sasuke."
Hinata heard the caring in his voice. It was both a surprise and a relief to hear he still thought about his little brother so much. But, at the same time... "He didn't want to come with you?"
She regretted asking immediately, since the corners of Itachi's mouth and eyes tightened and his jaw twitched reflexively. "No." The one word implied he very much desired to drop the subject.
After his reaction, Hinata was only too happy to oblige. "Is Lady Temari okay? I d-didn't see her at b-breakfast." The meal had been a very tense affair, with everyone mainly sitting in silence staring at their plates. Kankuro was still gone on business, and had said farewell before he'd left. Gaara said his goodbyes before leaving to attend to his duties for the day, and Itachi had done the same. Hinata assumed he was going his own way, but apparently he'd decided to follow her instead. She appreciated his unexpected, but kind, gesture very much.
For a brief moment Itachi looked worried, but the expression was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "She woke up with a headache and didn't feel like coming down. I offered to stay with her, but she insisted I come down anyway." He sighed, gaze moving up toward the ceiling. "I must admit, I do agree with her. I wanted to be here after the others left, to make sure you're okay." A thin smile twitched at his lips. "After all, even though we both live in Suna now, deep down a part of Konoha does still live inside us."
It was a relief to know Itachi felt the same way. Even though she still didn't understand why he'd left, or much else about the man for that matter, at least they did have that one thing in common. "You d-don't n-need to feel like you have to entertain me," Hinata said softly. "G-Go to your wife."
Itachi smiled again, this one warm and sincere. "I don't feel obligated to entertain you," he said. "But thank you, Lady Hinata." He bowed his head, then turned and headed back in the direction from which he'd come.
For the first time since coming to Suna, Hinata was now left to her own devices. Temari was in bed sick, Kankuro was out of the village, and Gaara was busy with his duties. She didn't want to go back to her room, but she didn't feel comfortable wandering around the palace on her own.
She bit her lower lip. Already the keen sense of loss was beginning to set in, making her miss Neji, Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru, and especially Hanabi, more than ever. They were all so far away, and would be for a long time.
Time to learn how to entertain yourself, Hinata. Shaking her head at her own timidness, she turned her steps toward the library. She was alone now, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She could work it to her advantage.
It was time to do some reading up on her new home and family.
"Gaara? Might I have a minute?"
Scowling at the distraction, Gaara looked up from the papers strewn across his desk to meet his brother-in-law's worried eyes. Upon realizing it was Itachi who had come to disturb him, he reluctantly set down his pen and motioned for the other man to enter the office fully.
Itachi accepted the invitation silently, moving to prop his hands against the desk before he finally spoke. "Do you plan to take Lady Hinata back to Konoha any time soon?"
The question surprised him. Leaning back in his chair, Gaara steepled his hands and studied Itachi curiously. "Perhaps not any time soon, but eventually, yes. It would be unfair not to do so. Why?"
Suddenly Itachi looked annoyed. "I'm not sure." He shook his head as he pushed away from the desk, moving to pace across the room restlessly. "I know I'm out of touch with Konoha and how things are going there now, but I just have a bad feeling."
Gaara sighed. "You do know the whole reason for all of this, right?"
His brother-in-law froze midstep. "By 'all of this' do you mean your and Hinata's arranged marriage in general, or the marriage happening now?"
"Why it's happening now." So many times in the past few days, the glint of the ring on his own hand had caught his eye when he was going about his usual business. Gaara had not expected to wear it for another two-and-a-half years, and seeing it there now only served to prove how serious the situation had gotten.
That, and the way Hyuuga Hiashi had honored the agreement. Apparently the man considered Gaara the lesser of two evils. How completely ironic.
Having had a few moments to think on the subject, Itachi finally replied as he started pacing again. "I know it wasn't supposed to happen for another couple of years or so and had noticed it had been moved up radically. I assumed something had changed, but no, I don't know the specific reasons."
Gaara sighed. "Perhaps it's just as well you don't. Some of the things I heard from Hyuuga Neji and Tenten while they were here made me reconsider what I was planning to tell Hinata." He frowned, remembering the scene in his bedroom last night. He'd come so close to losing control, and while Hinata hadn't seemed to mind, he knew the time was not yet right. He couldn't stand the thought of allowing his own hormones to ruin the fragile understanding beginning to grow between them. He only hoped his harsh dismissal hadn't done the very damage he'd been working to avoid. "Everything is making me reconsider what I was planning to tell Hinata. I'd been planning on having more time before all this happened."
"I hate having things moved up," Itachi muttered, as if to himself.
"Hn." Gaara sometimes didn't see eye-to-eye with his brother-in-law, but on this point, they both agreed wholeheartedly. "What does Temari have to say about all this?"
"Without the profanity? She's perfectly happy leaving Hinata in the dark. Then again, we both know how she feels about Konoha in general, and her villagers in particular." This time it was Itachi's turn to frown, a hint of worry creeping into his eyes. "Temari will need to go with you whenever you and Hinata visit Konoha."
"She's not going to be happy," Gaara predicted darkly.
Itachi shrugged. "She's already not happy. She mentioned it herself earlier. In fact, she's the one who brought up the subject and got me thinking in the first place." Stopping in front of Gaara's desk, his dark eyes focused on the Suna symbol engraved on the front as if it were the most interesting thing in the room. "I told her I wouldn't be coming along."
Understanding Itachi's reasons perfectly, Gaara didn't bother to ask. "I figured. I intended to leave you and Kankuro in charge while we're gone. But since that's probably in the distant future, I don't think it really merits discussing right now." Picking up his pen again, Gaara reluctantly answered the annoyed calling of the paperwork on his desk. He needed to make some sort of dent in it before his meeting with the council at midday, only two hours away now. "Was there anything else you needed?"
The silence from across the desk was telling. Gaara speared Itachi with a narrow-eyed, expectant look, and the Uchiha raised his hands in surrender.
"There was one more thing," he admitted. "You know I'm not exactly an expert on relationships, but..."
I know where this is heading. Please don't say any more. Gaara closed his eyes, feeling another headache beginning to pulse in his left temple. He would have to learn to hide his pain better to prevent another scene like last night's from happening again tonight. He wasn't sure he or Hinata could stand it if it did.
"Well, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But Hinata's family is gone back to Konoha now, and I could see how lonely she is. I think it's best if she and Temari stay away from each other for now, and though I'm trying to do all I can to help, to be honest I think she's a little scared of me." Itachi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't think I can be much help."
"She's just as scared of me, if not more." Gaara thrust his pen back into its holder, knowing trying to get any more work done was pointless. He had too much else on his mind. "But thank you for your observation." He tried to keep the sarcasm from his tone, but wasn't sure if he succeeded. He was being unfair to Itachi, who was only trying to help, but his brother-in-law's point was only serving to make him feel even more like a failure.
He didn't appreciate feeling like a failure.
Itachi seemed to sense his overstepping the line and headed for the door. "I'm going to go check on Temari. Good luck with the council." He left quickly.
Gaara shoved his chair back and stood, his mind made up. If he wasn't going to be any good in his office, he could do some good elsewhere.
It was time he had that talk with Hinata. He only hoped she would be receptive to what he had to say.
Hinata clung to the edge of the sliding ladder a little tighter, stretching until her figertips brushed the book she wanted. She'd misjudged her distance when she positioned it, but she didn't want to climb down and readjust it. Surely she could get it from here...
The door to the library unexpectedly opened behind her.
Startled, Hinata let out a squeak as she jumped, banging both her head and her knee on one of the ladder rungs. Immediately she realized her mistake as she felt her foot slip and her fingers lose their grip as her precarious position on the ladder overbalanced her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the impact with the floor wouldn't be too painful...
Two strong hands secured her waist, giving her the time she needed to grasp the edge of the ladder tightly and recapture her equilibrium. Embarrassed, she peeked over her shoulder to see who had saved her from her almost-disastrous fall.
Gaara stared up at her with wide eyes, looking disconcerted. "Hinata?" he asked softly.
Swallowing hard, she clung to the ladder with both hands, now weak-kneed for an entirely different reason. "Yes, G-Gaara?" she rasped, feeling sheepish. As if things weren't already bad enough, her voice wasn't just hoarse. It was, of course, breathy as well.
"Please get down from there before you hurt yourself." He didn't sound angry or even condemning - a good sign, as far as she could tell.
"Yes, G-Gaara." Leaving the infuriating book she wanted right where it was, Hinata carefully descended the ladder. Gaara's hands remained firmly clasped around her waist, as if he didn't trust her to get safely to the ground by herself. In this case, she didn't blame him. In fact, she appreciated his steadying hands, though she was pretty sure it was his touch causing the shakiness in her limbs in the first place.
Once her feet were firmly on the ground again, Hinata allowed herself to slump back against Gaara. The enormity of her near-miss was finally sinking in, and she realized if she'd slipped and he hadn't been there, she could have lain there for hours before someone finally found her. The part of the palace housing the library wasn't usually very busy, and it terrified her to think how long it could have been before someone found her. She probably wouldn't be climbing ladders again any time soon - at least not without someone with her to catch her if she fell.
The same thing must have occurred to Gaara, because his hands tightened slightly against her waist. His warm breath stirred the hair by her ear, and she felt gooseflesh ripple along her neck, then travel rapidly south over her shoulder and down her arm. Her fingertips tingled, itching to reach up and tangle into his soft hair. He's so close. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming against her shoulder; the strong muscles of his chest pressing against her shoulderblades; the smell of him was filling her nostrils and drowning her senses...
He stepped back, letting go of her so quickly she nearly stumbled. Suddenly feeling cold and lonely, Hinata pressed her hand against her roiling stomach and turned to smile shyly up at him, though she couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes. "Thank you f-for saving me."
Gaara nodded in silent reply. They stared awkwardly at each other for a moment before he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently moved her aside. Then he scrambled lithely up the ladder, reached over with his much longer arm, and easily snagged the book she'd been wanting. When his feet were on the floor again, he held the book out towards her with a smile.
"Thank you," Hinata said again, accepting it. Hugging it against her chest, she shot a quick glance across the room to the clock mounted above the door. It was too early for the afternoon meal, so his presence in the library could only mean bad things. "Is s-something wrong?" she asked anxiously.
"No. What makes you think...?" He trailed off, his gaze following hers to the clock. "Oh. It's a little early for me to be done with work, isn't it?" Stepping back from the ladder, Gaara went to the center of the room, motioning to the cushions Hinata and Tenten had been seated on only the day before. "I need to talk to you. Sit with me?"
Stomach cramping nervously, Hinata hesitantly moved to sit on the indicated cushion as Gaara took the one across from hers. Settling her book in her lap, she anxiously ran her hand across the leather cover, tracing the title, etched in faded gold-leaf letters, with her fingertips. "Have I d-done something wrong?" She wondered if this was about what had happened last night. While she felt it did need to be discussed, she was still far too anxious about it to do so now. Didn't he realize that?
"Hinata, I-" Gaara stopped, his hands clenching into fists on his lap. Shaking his red head, he glared down at his hands and cleared his throat before starting again. "I know this is hard for you. You've lived in Konoha all your life, and suddenly your father just dumped all this on you. Then you had to move to Suna, and marry me the very next day..." He trailed off, finally lifting his eyes back to hers. "I'm sorry, Hinata. This - this was supposed to happen, but not for a couple more years. Your father was supposed to tell you about our arranged marriage on your next birthday, and then you and I weren't actually supposed to get married until you were twenty-one. I was planning to come visit you in Konoha starting about a year before that. But then everything changed, and things had to be moved up, and..." He shrugged helplessly, looking like he wasn't sure what else to say.
Honestly, Hinata wasn't sure if this new information made her feel better or worse. She'd spent all this time thinking this match was as new to Gaara as it was to her, but now she found out he'd known about it all along. Why didn't her father tell her? Did he not think she was old enough to handle the news?
Something else Gaara said clicked into place in her mind, and Hinata lifted her head to stare at Gaara. "You said something changed, c-causing all this to b-be moved up. What, exactly changed?"
Her husband hesitated, looking like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell her or not. For a moment he just studied her with his disconcerting green eyes, staring straight through her as he debated with himself. She wondered if he was trying to figure out if she was ready to hear things or not, just as her father had undoubtedly been.
At last, Gaara sighed. "I got a letter from your father a little over two weeks ago, telling me he was sending you to me and we had to get married immediately after you got here. He went on to explain the original terms which had negotiated almost thirteen years ago needed to be changed, because-"
A quick, impatient rap on the door interrupted. Scowling, Gaara motioned for her to stay where she was as he got up and went to answer it.
One of the servants stood on the other side, looking anxious. Bowing quickly at the sight of his master, he said, "I know you left word not to be disturbed, Lord Gaara, but your guests have arrived. Lady Tsunade is demanding to speak with you immediately."
Hinata's breath caught in her throat at the familiar name. Lady Tsunade! What is the leader of Konoha doing here, and only mere hours after Neji and the others left?
Gaara swore under his breath. "They're early." Turning slightly, he shot a quick glance in her direction. "I'm sorry, Hinata, we're going to have to talk about this later. But would you like to come with me to greet the leader of your village?" He held out his hand toward her invitingly.
After a brief and wild few moments of considering locking the door and not unlocking it until Gaara told her everything, Hinata gave in and went to take Gaara's hand. The sooner they met with Lady Tsunade, the sooner she'd get her desired explanation.
The servant bowed to them both, then turned to lead Gaara and Hinata through the halls to the front doors, which were closed in an attempt to hold the late-morning heat at bay. The massive entryway was filled with activity, with several servants bustling around the five people standing calmly in the middle of the maelstrom.
Hinata's gaze skipped from face to face, finding the people she recognized and those she didn't. Lady Tsunade, as expected, stood front and center, pointing to various pieces of luggage as she identified its owner. Behind her and to the right stood a slender, dark-haired woman Hinata recognized but could not name.
The next person she recognized was Haruno Sakura, visible even before she stepped alongside Konoha's leader thanks to her bubblegum-pink hair. She stood with her hands on her hips in a stance she undoubtedly learned from Lady Tsunade. Next to her stood an unfamiliar man with tousled silver hair and a black mask hiding the lower half of his face.
"Oi, Hinata!" A widely waving arm, clad in bright orange, quickly drew her attention away from the others.
The air in the room suddenly felt heavy and stifling. Hinata followed the arm down to the spiky blond hair and whiskered, grinning face of Uzumaki Naruto. He looked so happy and cheerful and normal, the very image of what she'd been longing for these past few days.
Part of her yearned to run across the room and throw herself into his arms. The rest of her demanded she remain loyal to her husband, the man whom she married, and remain by his side instead of giving the affection he deserved to another man. The conflicting urges kept her glued in place, frozen as she continued to stare at the group from Konoha.
Lady Tsunade finally spied Gaara and Hinata. Her amber eyes flicked quickly over Hinata, as if making sure she was all right, before shifting to Gaara. The two village leaders sized each other up quickly, with practiced eyes, before Hinata's husband offered a perfunctory bow. "Welcome to Suna, Lady Tsunade. We have much to discuss."
Tsunade advanced across the entryway until she and Gaara stood almost nose to nose. "That we do." She stared at the redhead for another long moment before finally bowing in return.
Gaara started to respond, but before he could, Naruto took a step forward and shouted, "What is he doing here?" His pointing finger indicated a place somewhere beyond Gaara's left shoulder.
Confused, Hinata turned and saw Itachi hovering in the doorway, Temari standing next to him. He glanced at Lady Tsunade, then Naruto, then briefly bowed his head, whirled, and vanished.
Temari's narrow turquoise eyes, hard and flinty, darted from face to face of those from Konoha, her hatred obvious. "Look what you've done, brat," she snarled, then whirled and took off after her husband.
Hinata was shaking so hard the sleeves of her robe visibly trembled. She felt like the encounter had lasted for hours, though only a few seconds had passed. She glanced at Naruto, who was still glaring after Itachi and Temari, then at Gaara, who was wearing his usual inscrutable expression.
Lady Tsunade seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing. Looking Gaara right in the eyes, she arched one eyebrow and said, quite obviously amused, "Yes, Lord Gaara, it seems we have a great deal to talk about."
*~To Be Continued~*
Author's Ending Notes: Not too much exciting happening in this chapter, I'm afraid, but it was all necessary to set up things coming in the next few chapters. I really hope I didn't disappoint anyone... I am happy, however, to be able to introduce Lady Tsunade, Shizune, and Kakashi into the story at last! Thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you next week!