Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to rao hyuga 18, QueenP19, ssspooky, McKazekage, princess p, Eleoopy, xforeverherex, Sixteen1234, sailorangelmoon1, SinShu, and pheecat for all the wonderful, encouraging reviews! You all have very nearly blown my mind with the amount of feedback you're giving me for this story. I love you all! Also thanks to those of you who have added this story to their faves and alert lists, you all are amazing as well!

Author's Note: A fairly quiet chapter, a breath of calm before the storm, as it were. I enjoyed writing this chapter immensely, exploring Hinata's bonds with certain people, so I hope it's as enjoyable to read. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

*~Chapter VIII~*

~Friends~

After the scene in the entryway, Gaara and Lady Tsunade quickly departed to the tower with the dark-haired woman and masked man trailing along behind. Sakura and Naruto then descended upon Hinata, showering her with rapid-fire questions about Suna and her time there.

Hinata, still reeling from her eventful morning, held up a forestalling hand. "P-Please," she begged, "One question at a time! I c-can't k-keep track of all these things at once."

"Sorry," Naruto apologized, grinning sheepishly. "I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"

"What else is new?" Sakura's smile softened her words before she turned back to Hinata. "Most important question: how are you doing?" Her apple-green eyes indicated a depth to the question into which the former Hyuuga heiress wasn't quite sure she wanted to dive.

Instead of spilling out the entire story, like part of her wanted to do, Hinata kept it simple. "Well," she replied, "Suna is hot and very dry, b-but I'm starting to g-get used to it. The food is n-not so different from what we have in K-Konoha - they even have fresh fruit and vegetables - though the market is quite a b-bit different."

A knowing expression briefly crossed Sakura's face, but she let the subject go. "We passed Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Ino on our way here," she said. "Tenten said we'd probably find you in the library."

"Ordinarily, yes." Hinata lowered her voice, allowing her gaze to drift from Sakura to Naruto as she angled her head slightly toward the door through which she and Gaara had come a few minutes earlier. "I know you just g-got here, b-but if you d-don't mind meeting me in the library after one of the servants shows you to your rooms and you have a chance to freshen up, we c-can talk more there. Just ask the servant to show you the way."

Her friends immediately heard what she wasn't saying and agreed. It wasn't long after Hinata had gotten to the library and started organizing her many stacks of reference materials that a knock on one of the massive double doors preceded the entry of her friends. For a moment, Sakura and Naruto gaped at the sheer enormity of the shelves and their contents, eyes wide, mouths hanging slightly open. Hinata nodded her thanks to the servant during their distraction, then received a nod in return before she closed the door and turned to join her friends.

"This makes Lady Tsunade's library seem tiny in comparison," Sakura whispered in awe. "I wonder if this one has any medical texts...?" She took a slow step forward, as if in a trance.

Naruto followed instantly, as if to catch her, but Sakura accidentally stumbled over one of the stacks of books Hinata had just organized and pulled up sharply. "Sorry," she murmured, kneeling to put the pile to rights.

Hinata and Naruto knelt to help her. As they were straightening the mess, Naruto reached out and picked up a scroll, turning it this way and that until he finally made sense of it. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "This is the Sabaku family tree."

Sakura's head came up as Hinata placed the last book atop the slightly off-kilter pile. "Let me see that," the pink-haired girl demanded, snatching the scroll from Naruto's grip and turning it torward herself. "Hmm," she said, eyes narrow. "This is interesting."

"Really?" Sarcasm dripped from Naruto's tone as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I wouldn't know."

Looking up from the scroll just long enough to give Naruto a withering glare, she turned back to it as she said, "According to this, Lord Gaara's lineage goes all the way back to the birth of the village."

"His ancestors founded the v-village," Hinata said quietly. "I've d-discovered that much in my research, b-but I d-didn't have a chance to g-get much further."

Naruto frowned at her. "Why not? Are they trying to stop you?" He moved as if to jump to his feet, scowling as he glared toward the door. "I'm going to give them a piece of my mind, those secretive-!"

"N-No, N-Naruto," Hinata cut him off hurriedly, catching his arm before he could do anything too hasty. "G-Gaara just c-came in to talk to me, and then you arrived. I d-didn't have a chance to d-do any research while Neji and everyone else was still here, so I'm just n-now g-getting started."

Sakura shifted from her seat on the floor to one of the cushions, the family tree scroll spread across her lap as she reached for another book. "We'll help since we're here now," she volunteered. "What exactly are you looking for?"

Hinata bit her lower lip, hating to admit she wasn't sure herself. "G-Gaara and the others aren't really that forthcoming, so anything having to d-do with them and their past would b-be helpful," she said. "And I'm interested to know more about the history of the v-village, since it's my n-new home."

Flopping down on the cushion between Sakura's and Hinata's, Naruto stared at the stacks of books Hinata had pulled. He was still frowning, but at least he didn't look as murderous as he had a few moments before. As he picked up a particularly heavy, leather-bound tome off the tallest stack, he casually asked, "So, is Lord Gaara anything like the rumors?"

"Naruto! That's rude!" Sakura reached out and punched him in the arm - hard - and rolled her eyes as Naruto protested his treatment and defended his question.

Smoothing her hand over the book in her own lap, Hinata shook her head. "I d-don't think so," she said. "I've seen absolutely n-nothing to support anything we've heard in K-Konoha. He's n-not v-very talkative, b-but he's b-been d-doing things to try to make my life easier here." More than his sister, anyway. As soon as the words flashed through her mind, she was ashamed for the uncharitable thought. I'm not being fair to her. I just need to be patient and give her some more time to get to know me. After all, I did marry her little brother. I'm sure she's cautious, and unsure if I'm right for him. Even Hinata wasn't sure if she was right for Gaara, so she couldn't blame Temari for having the same thoughts.

Peering over the top of her book, Sakura sent Naruto a triumphant smirk. "See? I told you. You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"I'll believe it when I see it," he muttered in reply.

Hinata felt the tension which had been building inside her all morning ease away on a long, soft sigh. "I missed you b-both so much," she whispered.

Both Sakura and Naruto looked up at her words, offering her sympathetic smiles. "We missed you, too," Naruto said. "Konoha definitely hasn't been the same without you, believe it."

A sharp, hot yearning stabbed Hinata in the chest. Gulping back the tears threatening in her prickling eyes, she awkwardly lurched across the book in her lap, and those in her friends', to grab them both in a tight hug. "Thank you," she breathed shakily.

As they wrapped their arms around her, Hinata felt closer to home than she had since she left. Unfortunately, it also served to make her feel more lonely than ever.

Hinata spent the entire afternoon in the library with her friends. When a servant finally came to announce it was almost dinnertime, the three had to hurry off to their respective rooms to rush and get ready for the meal.

Matsuri, thankfully, had everything ready to help Hinata when she got back to her suite. "This way, milady," she said, pulling pins out of Hinata's hair even as the two women advanced across the sitting room toward the bedroom. "I have already gotten your kimono and jewelry ready."

It took fewer than ten minutes for Matsuri, who by now was well-practiced, to finish helping Hinata into the complicated kimono. Then the two women moved over to the dressing table to finish getting the new mistress of the house ready.

"One of the other servants mentioned more people from Konoha are here." Matsuri picked up Hinata's silver-handled brush and began smoothing it through her mistress's long midnight hair before she continued. "Is it true, milady?"

Resisting the urge to nod, Hinata held her head carefully still so as not to disturb Matsuri's work. "Yes," she replied. "It is Lady Tsunade, the leader of K-Konoha, as well as two friends of mine, N-Naruto and Sakura." She didn't mention the other silver-haired male and dark-haired female, even though Naruto and Sakura had answered her questions about them earlier.

Putting down the brush, Matsuri skillfully arranged Hinata's hair into a beautiful twist at the back of her head. "I'm almost done, milady," she said. Holding the twist with one hand, she reached out and plucked pins out of a small wooden box on the table before anchoring Hinata's hair with them.

"Thank you, Matsuri." Hinata watched her maid's quick work in the mirror, smiling at how quickly she worked. No wonder Lady Temari had praised Matsuri's service at breakfast the day before. "You work so quickly, yet everything you d-do c-comes out perfect. I wish I had a skill like that."

A small, shy smile appeared on Matsuri's face, and Hinata was relieved to see it. "Thank you, milady," the brown-haired girl said, securing the final pin. "But please don't be so hard on yourself, mistress. I enjoy dressing hair, and had the benefit of practicing on Lady Temari's for several years. As for you, I am sure you have strengths and gifts of your own." Her eyes dropped, and she stepped back. "Apologies if I have spoken out of line, milady."

Standing, Hinata spun and pulled the other girl into an impulsive hug. "N-Not at all," she replied. When she pulled back and saw the startled look on Matsuri's face, she smiled again and said, "I appreciate your feeling c-comfortable enough with me to speak your mind. It is n-nice to know we c-can speak our minds to each other, that I will have a friend here who will n-not have to g-go b-back to K-Konoha and leave me here." Hinata's smile wavered slightly despite her firm mental orders to the contrary.

Matsuri smiled in return. When she did, she looked almost as confident as Ino used to when she and Hinata conversed. "Thank you, milady. I-I look forward to being your friend."

When Hinata left her room a minute later, she felt better in general. But as she descended the staircase and turned her steps toward the dining hall, her earlier anxiety began to crawl back into her chest. After what had happened earlier with Naruto, Itachi, and Temari, she wondered if the Uchiha and his wife would be at the dinner table. There was no doubt in her mind those from Konoha would be there, and she dreaded the thought of another scene over the meal. Would Itachi leave again to keep the peace, if he even showed up in the first place?

As soon as she entered the dining hall, Hinata scanned the faces of gathered. She was surprised to notice Kankuro was back from his business, standing in the corner of the room conversing with Naruto. The two men were sharing a laugh over something, and it helped ease her anxiety a little to know the two got along so well.

Next to the table, Sakura, Lady Tsunade, her dark-haired assistant, Shizune, Temari, and Itachi stood conversing in low tones. Hatake Kakashi, Lady Tsunade's masked bodyguard, stood against the back wall, his open, unscarred dark eye focused intently on the group around his charge. As far as Hinata could tell, the only one of the group missing now was Gaara.

"You look lovely."

Hinata jumped, halfway wondering if thinking about Gaara had somehow made the man materialize right behind her. Turning even as she fought down her blush, Hinata smiled shyly at her husband. "You look handsome," she said truthfully. He wore the same ceremonial robes he'd had on at their wedding, making him look noble and strong and commanding. Now that she knew him better, though, Hinata saw the tension around his eyes and the corners of his mouth as he crooked his elbow towards her. "Shall we go in?" he asked.

Sliding her hand around his arm, Hinata managed a smile and a nod. "Thank you."

Conversation died as everyone took note of the Suna leader's appearance. Hinata saw Naruto's wide-eyed look of either shock or awe (it was hard to tell) when he spotted her and Gaara walking in. The blond, for his part, was dressed in an eye-popping orange haori with dark blue hakama which made him stand out quite clearly against the dull colors of his surroundings.

The tension in the room became quite obvious in the silence as everyone found and took their seats. Hinata felt slightly disheartened to see those from Suna once more sat on one side of the table, and the people from Konoha on the other. She was relieved, however, to note Naruto sat across from her, instead of across from Itachi or Temari. He very carefully did not look in either Uchiha's direction, instead keeping his focus on Hinata and the others from his village.

After the food had been served, Hinata glanced at Temari out of the corner of her eye. "Is your headache b-better?" she asked softly.

The blonde's turquoise eyes rolled up very briefly to look toward Naruto, then turned back to her plate. "Mostly," she said shortly. "Thank you for asking."

For a while, silence settled over the room. Everyone seemed more interested in their food than in conversation, which suited Hinata just fine. Things were going much better than she'd expected, and if its continuation hinged on silence at the table, she would accept it.

However, about halfway through the meal, Kankuro looked up from his plate and said without warning, "Anyone interested in puppets?"

Hinata remembered the first meal she'd shared with the Sabaku, in which Kankuro had mentioned puppets, and wondered if it would be wise to mention she found them rather creepy.

"What kind of puppets?" Naruto asked. He set down his chopsticks and reached for his teacup without looking away from Kankuro.

"Big ones," Hinata's brother-in-law replied with relish.

"As in life size," Temari added, unimpressed. "They're creepy, Kankuro. Why are you talking about them?"

Interesting. Hinata quickly put a piece of meat into her mouth so she could use chewing to keep herself from smiling. At least Temari and I see eye-to-eye on some things. Maybe there's hope for us getting along eventually, after all.

"I'm just curious," Kankuro said defensively. Turning back to Naruto, he leaned forward slightly, warming to his own subject. "I make them all by hand. I have a workshop in the basement where I build and paint them."

"And then he names them." Temari shuddered delicately and reached for her teacup. "Like they're real people," she stressed before sipping.

"It's a tradition in Suna," Kankuro continued, ignoring his sister's sarcasm. "I learned from some of the master puppeteers when I was really young. We have quarterly gatherings where we show off our new puppets and do little skits, then one big event at the founder's festival where we put on a huge show for the village itself. It's amazing." His dark eyes slid from Naruto, to Sakura, to Lady Tsunade, then back around. "The festival's in a couple months. Any hope you all can come see the show?"

"Sure, sounds interesting," Naruto said. Leaning around Sakura, who sat between him and Lady Tsunade, he said, "What do you say, Granny? Can I come?"

Lady Tsunade - who was not Naruto's actual grandmother, but who had unofficially adopted him years before - rolled her amber eyes. "We'll see," she said.

"That means yes," Naruto stage-whispered across the table. Tsunade rolled her eyes again.

Hinata had to swallow back an actual giggle this time. Oh, how she'd missed Naruto - and her other friends, too, of course. But there was just something about Naruto...

Shaking herself out of what was rapidly becoming forbidden territory, Hinata decided to take a chance and try to start a conversation with her sister-in-law. "What else happens at the founder's festival?" she asked. At least that much of Kankuro's speech had caught her attention.

Temari lifted one hand to her mouth as she finished chewing, then quickly dabbed her lips after swallowing before she replied. "It goes on as a long weekend, Thursday through Sunday. There's a big event every evening to kick start the night. On Thursday, for the opening ceremony, there's a horse race. Only those from Suna can enter. Then on Friday is the puppet show Kankuro mentioned. On Saturday, there's jousting and a martial arts demonstration. For the closing ceremonies on Sunday, fireworks light up the sky."

"It's all very impressive," Itachi remarked. He leaned forward slightly to see around his wife as he addressed Hinata. "I've been to three founder's festivals, and after the big events starting off the evenings, the booths stay open all night long. Things wind down only around an hour before sunrise."

"It's somewhat similar to the festival the villagers held right after your and Gaara's wedding," Temari remarked. "You'll see a lot of the same vendors around." Taking another drink of her tea, she glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. "I'm particularly looking forward to the horse race this year. Itachi won the race last year, but Sanraizu and I are looking to best him and Mayonaka this year."

Hinata nearly dropped her chopsticks. "You ride in the race?" she squeaked.

Temari turned to Hinata with raised eyebrows. "Why not?" she asked. "Women can ride just as well as men. I'm really the only woman who rides each year, but there've been others, too. All of us have been doing it since we were young." She hesitated, then nodded at Itachi. "Except for my husband, of course."

"I couldn't enter the first one, not long after I moved to Suna," Itachi said. Shaking his head, he smiled wryly. "But, thankfully, I was able to ride last year."

"And he more than made up for missing it before, too." Kankuro, evidentally having lost interest in discussing puppets, joined the conversation. "I've won twice, but it was when I was younger."

Hinata looked toward Gaara, who was listening to their conversation quietly. "D-Do you race, too?" she asked.

"Yes." Setting down his chopsticks, Gaara motioned for a servant to refill his cup. "I've been entering each race since I was eight. I've won five times, the most recent of which was three years ago. I've missed only one race, the year I became the leader of Suna." Nodding his thanks to the retreating servant, he took a swallow of his fresh tea.

"In his defense," Temari said, "that year he was so busy with his duties he didn't have a chance to condition for it. He had to do more officiating duties that year since it was his first as leader, too, so he couldn't have done both." She picked up her rice bowl and grinned at her brother, a challenge shining in her eyes. "If I recall correctly, I won that year. Even though you're running this year, I'm confident I'll still beat you. What do you think about that, little brother?"

Gaara sat back in his seat and regarded his wife carefully, studiously ignoring his sister's bait. Hinata got the feeling a lot of teasing and challenges went on among the siblings, both before she came and when she wasn't around. "I imagine people will want you to officiate this year, Hinata," he said. "Since you're my wife, and this is your first founder's festival, it makes sense."

Rearing back in her chair, Hinata quickly shook her head, earlier amusement quickly forgotten. "I-I c-can't," she whispered. "P-Please d-d-don't make me d-d-d..." She trailed off miserably, panic strangling any further words.

Looking alarmed, Gaara leaned forward and touched her arm lightly. "It's all right," he reassured her. "If something is said to me about it, I'll tell them you're not interested." Dropping his voice slightly, he whispered for her ears only, "You don't have to do anything here you don't want to do, Hinata. I promise, no one will force you." The sudden flare of emotion in his eyes promised untold things to those who might try.

She wasn't sure if his spoken - and unspoken - promise made her feel better or worse. "Thank you," she whispered. Realizing she had a strangling grip on the napkin her lap, Hinata slowly relaxed her fingers and managed a small smile in her husband's direction.

Before anything further could be said, a servant entered the room with quick strides. He paused next to Gaara's chair only long enough to hold a quick, whispered conversation before he moved to stand by Lady Tsunade. "This just arrived for you, milady. It's arrived by messenger bird from Konoha. It's marked urgent." He bowed and presented her with a bright red scroll.

Tsunade shared a quick, unreadable look with Gaara before she accepted it. "Please excuse me," she said while accepting the scroll. Without waiting for a response, she stood, bowed, then slipped out the same door through which the servant had entered.

Those left at the table shared confused looks, but eventually returned to their meals. However, silence once more reclaimed the room's occupants as they waited for Lady Tsunade to return to their midst.

Hinata recognized the color of the scroll Tsunade had received. As a little girl, the various colors of the scrolls entering and leaving her father's office - and home - fascinated her, and she asked her tutor about them one day. Iruka-sensei had told her the colors indicated the importance of the message, with blue being the least, green moderate, yellow high, and red urgent.

A strange sort of cold fear coiled deep in Hinata's stomach. Realizing her hand was shaking, she set down her chopsticks quickly and clasped her hands together in her lap. What if Konoha was attacked while Lady Tsunade was on her way here? she fretted. Are my family and my other friends all right? She bit her lower lip.

Gaara must have noticed her movements, because he caught her attention and smiled slightly. "I'm sure everything is fine," he said. Despite his comforting words, however, his tight expression told a different story.

"It's probably one of the medics at the hospital wanting to consult her on a case," Sakura said, drawing Hinata's attention in her direction. "Though Lady Tsuande doesn't work at the hospital regularly any more, she does still accept some of the more difficult cases that come in."

"Sakura and I handle the rest," Shizune added with a smile. "Though I find myself going there less and less frequently now, myself. Sakura is doing so well, I'm sure she'll be taking over completely within the next couple of years."

Sakura's cheeks colored to match her hair, and she dropped her gaze demurely to her lap as she murmured a soft, "Thank you."

Lady Tsunade reappeared in the doorway. Her eyes, several shades darker than when she'd left, settled on Hinata. Though her expression was unreadable, her face was unnaturally pale. "Hinata?" she said softly. "Will you join me in the hallway a moment, please?"

The world tilted unsteadily around her. At first Hinata thought she was going to faint, but before she could, Gaara was there, his arm sliding around her shoulders. "Come on," he whispered in her ear. His voice was gentler than she'd ever heard it, helping to soothe her fears, albeit only slightly.

Hinata's body obeyed of its own accord. She stood as Gaara pulled back her seat, then followed his gently prompting hand at the small of her back as he guided her out into the hallway. The only thing she could think was a frantic mantra of oh no oh no oh no which kept time with their steps. Her gaze anxiously darted to Lady Tsunade's face, begging for the news, but the blonde shook her head and motioned down the hall.

The trio moved farther away from the entrance into the dining room so there was no chance of being overheard. Moving to stand directly in front of Hinata, Lady Tsunade gently rested one hand on the former Hyuuga's shoulder. The other still held the scroll, sloppily re-rolled, loosely at her side. "I don't think there's any way to make this easier for you, and I apologize for that," she said softly.

A deep, forboding trembling began deep in Hinata's core and radiated out from there, making her suddenly unsteady on her feet. Despite the fact she knew she didn't want to hear what Lady Tsunade had to say, she slowly nodded.

Drawing in a deep breath, Tsunade briefly closed her eyes as if praying for strength before she opened them again and pierced Hinata with her steady, honest but sympathetic gaze. "I'm so sorry, Hinata. Your father is dead."

The ringing in her ears rose to a frantic pitch as the ground dropped out from beneath Hinata's feet. She felt two strong, steady arms catch her as she slumped backwards against Gaara's strong chest, and was dimly grateful for his not letting her fall to the floor.

At last surrendering to the darkness which had been whispering at the back of her mind since Tsunade had accepted the scroll, Hinata had only enough time for one last, grief-stricken thought:

Why?

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: Some really intense things are coming up in the next three or so chapters, and it all starts right here at the end of chapter 8. I can also promise you're really close to getting some answers about Gaara and Hinata's past! Thanks for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to see you again next week!