Chapter 6: The Muse
"You are my fantasy on a cold dark night, my muse during the light of day and the one wish my soul would make." ― Grace Willows
Hinata (In Route to Suna)
Heat prickles at every part of her exposed skin.
Sweat dots along her forehead, sliding down her back making her squirm.
Traveling to Suna at this time of year is treacherous and part of her feels foolish that she and Naruto are even making this trip when no shinobi or regular civilian would dare do it unless for a mission or to see family.
'I don't want people to see those photos, there are too many that show Naruto and I in explicit positions.'
On top of that there is Hanabi, she can't be idle knowing she's been entangling in some type of trouble too.
The reminders makes her cheeks burn, sighing.
Before they had left Konoha they had spoken with Genzō, the main photographer who takes the pictures of each graduate from the Academy.
"We should've thought to ask him before." Hinata considers as they approach his store.
Naruto huffs, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Ehh, I hardly think he'll be of help Hinata! He always has that grumpy expression on his face like he wishes he was doing anything else, you know! Plus, I think he still believes I can't take a serious photo after I used war paint for my original Academy picture."
Hinata stifles a laugh, poking his arm to stop mocking Genzō's apparent perpetual scowl as they approach his store.
"Don't be rude Naruto and that picture was from years ago! We just need to ask him if he's seen anybody weird or suspicious looking that popped up in his photos in the past few months." She whispers.
"I'm closed for the day." He grunts out, dark eyes not looking up from his stack of pictures until he realizes they're not leaving.
He nearly does a double take in seeing Naruto here before him, faint smile crossing his lips before his trademark frown returns.
"What brings you by Naruto? If you need a new teacher ID badge for the Academy I can take your photo first thing in the morning. I'm all out of film for today." He mentions, adjusting his glasses as he looks back down at his photos.
Naruto shakes his head, pointing to said pictures.
"Hinata and I just had quick question over all the pictures you've been developing recently. I kind of started using Pervy-Sage's old timey camera to take pictures of us while we were traveling about the nations and wondered if you had caught anybody strange in the corners or backgrounds of the pictures you've taken." He blurts out, words nearly running over each other.
Genzō blinks, scratching at the last remnants of his silver-white hair.
"Contrary to what you may think Naruto, I'm a professional and been in the photography business for years! I would notice if any creepy looking fellas or galls were trying to sneak into a photo or watching the said people in the picture about to be taken." He snorts.
"Not even ones of us by any chance? You never saw any strange guy or group following us or maybe my sister for the photos you took of us volunteering at the Academy or at any of the festivals here in Konoha?" Hinata adds in.
Genzō shakes his head, impatience growing eager to get back to his work and finish out the day. "Those were months ago! My subjects are mostly just the Academy Graduates and on rare occasions other special events like the festivals and maybe a wedding."
He waves them off then at seeing the sun fading against the skyline, orange-violet rays highlighting the cedarwood of his work bench.
Naruto's brow twitches as they leave his store, squeezing Hinata's hand guiding them along.
"Told ya that old geezer wasn't going to be of any help!"
Sunlight has barely peeked it's way over the mountains, sky decorated with streaks of orange, pinks, and reds splashed against thin band of clouds. Despite it still being early in the day already her skin feels set aflame, the loss of the cool dense forestry that surrounds Konoha not helping the further they go along.
She wonders briefly if he is following them through these high temperatures, if his pristine snow white skin is blistering into a mottled purple-red from this unrelenting heat.
'If it's him, then how did he obtain those photos? What does he want?' The questions swirl back to the front of her mind. They have nothing to go off of regarding his identity, where he came from, how long he's been watching her and Naruto's relationship...
"Need a break?" Naruto questions taking her out of her thoughts and Hinata nods.
A grin etches his lips, passing her canteen into her hands and it's then she realizes as her lips brush at the cold metal that he's drank from hers.
"Sorry, I got thirsty earlier and I wasn't paying attention to whose was who's!" Naruto laughs at seeing her expression, watching her lick her lips at the salty tang from the remnants of ramen.
"You balanced it out by pouring some of yours into mine so it's okay. Honestly though, how can you drink soup with how hot it is?" Hinata chuckles, shifting to rest her head upon his shoulder.
Sandstorms blow up in the distance, swirls of tannish-gray that seem to pop up at random. Even this rock they've perched upon feels like it could crumble at a moment's notice from their pressure.
Naruto shrugs, hugging her close. "Ramen doesn't have an off season! It can be eaten in the scorching heat of the summer or the freezing cold of the winter!"
They should be into Suna by late evening/early nightfall hopefully if they keep up the pace, it's possible someone there knows about white-haired man or his clan.
At the very least they'll hopefully get an idea of the people who came and went from Suna's luxurious Kaze Park Hotel where they had stayed.
"We're coming up on the entrance gate!" Naruto cheers, squeezing at her hand.
The wind gets stronger the closer they approach, sky darkening to a plum-gray as night sets in.
Hinata marvels as the twinkling yellow-white lights of Suna's buildings as they come into view, stone and sandy colored structures towering up towards the sky. Goosebumps chill her skin, a reminder that she's forgotten how fast temperatures drop in Suna as soon as the sun falls.
"Cold?" Naruto questions, Hinata about to shake her head only for Naruto wrap her into his jacket.
Heat burns her face at being abruptly pressed so close to him, in public no less! Faintly she hears the giggles and wolf-whistles of Suna's civilian and shinobi that easily recognize them from the war, people who wonder what she and Naruto are doing here at this time of year.
"Better?" Naruto teases by her ear and Hinata shakes her head, lips construing into the best frown she can manage.
"We should be trying to keep a low-profile!" She huffs.
Naruto's laugh is warm and hearty against her neck only making her flush worsen. "It's hard to be secretive and low-key with you Hinata. Especially when that route hasn't seemed to do us any favors."
They meander around the city before heading for the hotel, like Konoha, Suna has grown since the end of the war with new shops featuring wares and clothes from the other nations to expansions of the greenhouse and aviary.
"Any one of these buildings could've been used to take the photos of us, even one from far away!" Naruto whisper-yells after they leave the store Suna Images. According to the shopkeeper Fuchigami (when he at least stayed on topic), Suna has vantage points that can give you a near perfect view in all directions, not just from the hotel. Great for their messenger hawks to safely land no matter where they're coming from and for seeing if an enemy is approaching.
"I have to say, we don't get many honeymooners to Suna of all places! Our summers usually scare away even our own citizens east to the Land of Rivers or into Konoha. Why, my daughter got so tired of the heat here she went north all the way to Iwa; can you believe that?! Now she and her husband have to deal with those supposed 'rock rain' they get, like that's any better than a sandstorm!" Fuchigami chuckles.
Naruto laughs weakly along, somehow they went from talking about the highest locations shinobi use as watching posts to discussing his family now scattered about since the end of the war.
"Anyways, back to what you were saying about pictures you took from overhead-" Naruto attempts only to be cut off again.
"You know, I can't believe they would want to set up a photo shop in Iwa of all places! What's so exciting about the stone formations there anyways?! I know it's good for business to expand, but an old man like me can't trek over all those mountains like I could when I was in my 20's!" He grunts.
Naruto turns towards Hinata perusing the aisles, signaling with a 'help me!' look to get him out of this conversation.
We should visit with Gaara tomorrow, maybe in a roundabout way tell him our issue?" Hinata suggests.
Naruto nods, rubbing at his forehead. They learned more about Fuchigami and his daughter Noriko than anything actually involving any strange visitors to his store or high profile guest that have stayed at the hotel.
It will be a comfort to get some sleep, Naruto moving ahead to check them in.
'Everything is still the same here.' Hinata smiles, taking in the décor of scarlet curtains stitched with Suna's emblem to finely polished tan granite tiles. Her gaze turns to see if the same sand sculptures made by Suna's academy students line the hallway leading to the first floor rooms only to see a woman studying her closely, snow-white eyes piercing into her like ice.
'Like the byakugan?' Hinata frowns.
"What brings two Konoha shinobi here?" She asks as she steps forward, just loud enough to hear over the commotion of passing businessmen, families, and couples just like her and Naruto.
Hinata blinks, straightening herself. "Vacationing. Naruto knows the Kazekage after all and-"
"I know who you both are; everybody does." She interrupts her with a scoff, brushing her ivory colored hair out of her eyes.
Her stare turns to Naruto approaching with two room cards in hand and she sighs, glare hardening when she looks back to Hinata.
"Whatever you two's reasoning for being here in Suna is, you should make it fast. Not everybody here will bow or squeal at your presence." She hisses.
"Who was that?" Naruto frowns as the woman stalks off.
Hinata shakes her head, equally unsure.
'She has features similar to him.'
And it causes a tightening in her chest that perhaps she is connected with the man who got too close to Hanabi the other night, an uncomfortable ache she is becoming all too familiar with.
Naruto (Kaze Park Hotel-Nightfall)
'I can't sleep.'
Naruto groans lightly, shifting himself out of the blankets to try and get comfortable again to no avail. His exhaustion from the journey here should've made him already be out like a light, not tossing and fidgeting buried under a rampant storm of thoughts.
Hinata makes it look too easy, snuggled into his chest, breathing even and quiet in the darkness of their room.
She turns over in her sleep giving him nearly a full view of her breasts as her shirt rides up, memories igniting that he took photos just like these, of her posing just like this...
"The point of these photo's themes are supposed to be 'Look, but don't touch' Naruto." Hinata laughs when Naruto's fingers pause at the curve of her hips, frozen in mid-air.
For once Suna's heat lingers into the night, humid air sweeping across the bedroom from the open window.
"Change of plans then! After all, we're in one of the hottest regions, so that means 'less clothes, more skin' should be the main theme!" He snickers in her ear, eliciting a moan when his fingers reach up thumbing at a nipple.
Hinata curls a leg up into the air, wrapping it around his leg as she sits up, fingers moving to rid him of his shirt and pants.
"You first then." She breathes out.
"Thinking about Hinata like that isn't going to help you get any sleep." Kurama cuts in with a low laugh.
"Yes, thank you for the advice!" Naruto snips back.
His breath hitches, rolling over to prevent her from feeling his rising erection. He rubs at at his head, clenching his teeth until the memory slowly fades. If it weren't for their hormones and feelings, this situation wouldn't have happened. Part of him wonders then if Hinata regrets this, regrets him along with all the stress and trouble he has brought into her life that's now bled into her little sister's.
Hinata lets out a soft whine beside him, rolling back into him missing his warmth.
"Get some rest Naruto." She murmurs out drowsily and he squeezes at her hand as her eyes briefly open.
"Just going to get a midnight snack, I'll be right back." He promises.
He presses a light kiss to her forehead, enough for him to feel the heat of her blush warm her face with a small grin.
The bar is still crowded despite it being near 2:00 am, the bartender juggling concoctions of neon green drinks to smoky electric blue and red-orange cocktails, other guests mingle about on the garden's patio taking in the breeze or passing rolling dust storms in the distance.
Amid the sea of black to brown hair though is the pale white of the woman from earlier, the one who seemed to be hassling Hinata earlier making him scowl.
'What I briefly saw of her I didn't see as the type to drink.' He considers.
Her gaze is focused not on the rowdiness of the bar's patrons or the upbeat music, stare on a set of photos he zeroes in on.
He keeps to behind the pillars hopefully out of sight of her and any guests that may recognize him (though most seem too drunk to properly notice him), the woman's attention remains on the pictures tightly wound within her hands paying no mind to the distractions surroundings her.
And once he sees the first picture at the top, a spark of rage blooms up.
It's of Hinata.
"He has those other guys going after them and they've been useless so far. Why didn't he just ask someone from the main family for help?" She clicks her tongue, sighing before flipping to the next photo.
For a moment her gaze turns to her empty glass, clinking at the cubes of ice making them shimmer under the chandelier's lights.
A waiter walks by offering a refill and she shrugs before holding up said glass, allowing an amber liquid to be poured in. She takes a long gulp before turning her gaze back on the pictures, eyes dancing between them and the melting blue wax of the candle before her.
"Don't create a scene Naruto, you need to get more information." Kurama warns.
Though his words do little to ease anger that makes his fingers crack at the pillar, heart thrumming with the rush to attack.
She clearly thinks lowly of Hinata, is probably connected with the other blackmailers.
He takes one step closer, getting a better view that lets him see these photos aren't the ones.
Not the private ones of he and Hinata.
Though they're of Hinata out and about around Konoha, some with him in them nearly cut off on the corner or just her alone at the Hyuga compound. All seem to have been taken from far away, blurry ones popping up from the stack of ones where Hinata is only a tiny speck on the edge the faster she flips through them.
Naruto watches her for a minute before she abruptly moves to stand, nails tearing into the images before crumpling them up, lifting each one to the table's candle to burn until they are only burnt clumps of ash.
Naruto & Hinata (Kazekage's Office)
"Naruto. Hinata. It's good to see you both again. I assume this trip you've made all the way here is one for pleasure and not business, correct? We recently added a new sand bath location not to far to the west that many passing tourists liked." Gaara begins as they head into the office.
Everything's been remodeled within the office since the war's end, walls freshly painted in shades of beige matching the stucco designs and monuments that lead up to main door.
Naruto laughs weakly, rubbing a hand behind his head as Gaara gestures for them to sit. "You could say it's a bit of both really."
Temari arches a brow while Kankuro whistles lowly with a smirk, pouring their teas out in a slower fashion.
"What exactly do you mean by that? And here I thought you were just as oblivious as Gaara when it came to the affections of the opposite sex!" Kankuro muses.
But then based on what he's heard around the market from Suna's civilian's last night and into this morning since Naruto and Hinata's arrival, any cluelessness Naruto had before is already long gone.
Temari nudges him not so gently to shut up at their reddening looks. Honestly, Kankuro is one to talk when he himself isn't currently seeing anyone exclusively.
"I'm only saying what we've been hearing around the city sis! I mean, I figured you would prefer all the civilian talking about foreigners visiting the village like Naruto and Hinata rather than talking about you and the nature of your relationship with Shikamaru-" Kankuro considers, Temari stomping on his foot before he can say any more.
"This topic doesn't involve me!" She snaps, cheeks gaining a pink hue at Kankuro's continued grin.
Gaara frowns at them, gesturing for the pair to give them some privacy.
And once he's sure his siblings have walked far enough away not to eavesdrop but still come in should anything happen he stands up, expression turning wary.
"Are you two in danger; is everything fine in Konoha?" He asks straight to the point.
Briefly his eyes linger on Naruto, a silent asking if this involves Sasuke or another high ranking shinobi by any chance that could pose an international threat. While he hasn't heard of any talks of frustration or creating an uprising over this new peace within Suna, he can't say the same for the other nations.
Naruto grins with a slight shake of his head and his posture relaxes somewhat.
'So what's going on then?' He wonders.
Quickly, Hinata pipes up to clear up Gaara's confusion.
"Ah, there's nothing of immediate concern to Konoha or any of the citizens or shinobi at this time! It's just, well someone is blackmailing us..." Her voice softens, trailing off.
Verdant orbs darken then, clouding with concern. "Who would want to do such a thing to you two?"
Naruto shrugs, but Gaara can tell the subject bothers him just having to bring it up. "Wish we could say. It's part of why we came to Suna, just to make sure our nations have continued peace as well as see if we can find any information on who's doing this to us and why."
Gaara opens a drawer from his desk, pulling out a blank notepad. "What exactly are they blackmailing you two with? Have you seen their faces; any unique identifiers that would make him or her stick out in a crowd?"
If these were perhaps missing-nin or mercenaries hired by a rogue group or person, then Suna needed to be on alert as well.
"We don't have names or anything like that yet, but it was this guy in like all white robes with white hair too you know! He might come from a specific clan, but we can't say for sure." Naruto describes.
Gaara nods, writing down the details.
"And what about this blackmail that he has? It must be highly classified information on Konoha or is it secret sealed data regarding your clans?" He questions, looking between them both.
Naruto reddens, shaking his head.
"No, it's just err these private photos of Hinata and I." He explains in a rush.
A look of puzzlement crosses Gaara's face once more, peering to Hinata to hopefully better explain though her face burns pink silently looking down at the tiles.
"Forgive me, I don't really understand Naruto. What is so embarrassing about taking pictures together? You two have taken pictures of the desert and buildings here on many past excursions that nobody had an issue with." Gaara points out.
Naruto clicks his tongue, wondering how to exactly word this. "It's different this time though, we took the photography hobby to an um different level of interest that was supposed to be private between just Hinata and I."
Gaara cocks his head in confusion, crossing his arms in thought as he takes in Naruto's explanation before nodding.
"It's like my interest of raising the cacti in the greenhouse or here at the office, right? I've recently started trying to grow garnet and barrel cacti that are known to bloom bright orange to pink glowers at their sides and tops to add some color to the advisory room like it's done for the living room back at home. Granted, no one has ever tried to blackmail me over this hobby like they have with your photographing. I think I understand your concerns if someone took these photos you two were in the process of developing for personal use." He relates.
'No, you're way off!' Naruto and Hinata think in unison at glancing to each other.
Though Hinata smiles as Naruto switches gears to discuss if they could raise cacti in Konoha's environment.
"Cacti tend to grow best in dryer climates and it can get quite rainy in Konoha in the spring and summers. Though I'm sure Temari would like maybe one or two around the house whenever Shikamaru chooses to propose." Gaara considers.
"I think Temari would be happy with any Suna themed décor and I don't think she and Shikamaru plan to get married anytime soon." Hinata mentions, at least that's her assumption going by her reaction to Shikamaru's name being brought up earlier.
Gaara hums his agreement, though seeing Naruto and Hinata together may now stir up talks again in the elders for he and Kankuro to properly start dating and settle down now that there is no excuse of war to use.
He smiles, gesturing for Naruto and Hinata to follow him to the balcony. Much has changed about Suna and Konoha too he imagines over these last few years as they take in children and couples of young and old mingling below in different symbols and attire of their homelands. One of the biggest changes has to be the ease in immigration and travel policies for shinobi and citizens alike, it surprises him that a few Iwa and Kumo citizens have popped up in Suna's registry wanting to call the desert village home.
"You make a good point involving my sister, the first people to get married would most likely be you two. I'll continue to keep an eye out for this individual or group threatening your photography hobby." Gaara assumes and promises when he looks back to Naruto and Hinata.
It isn't until they leave the Kazekage's building does Hinata get the prickly sensation of being watched, Naruto following her gaze to the rooftops to the north.
Naruto's eyes narrow, grip on her waist tightening.
"She's there." He growls.
Naruto & Hinata (Suna's rooftops)
'Toneri must've had another one of his visions.' Kanako scowls.
It had to be the reason behind his increased erratic behavior as of late, his hiring of those men who only took those photos of the girl and left behind threats that have hardly made a difference in her opinion.
Words alone are nothing, action has to be taken.
A knot of envy creeps up her chest reminded of the way Toneri looks at her; Hinata Hyuga.
The supposed Byakugan Princess.
As the last member of the clan's moon branch she had assumed he was finally going to assimilate into the main branch and join them in their planetary goals, but this woman has distracted him for months now, somehow grabbed his attention in a way she has never been able to do.
"You are a child of great blessings my dear, use your strength and knowledge to continue our clan's power for centuries onward."
Elder Miyu's words sound meaningless to her ears now, none of these supposed 'great blessings' she was born with have brought her satisfaction in the way she hoped.
She can't be sure what drives Toneri's interest in Hinata or even her sister when all they possess is just the base level of the byakugan as far as she can tell from her brief observations.
'Perhaps in one of his visions of her he saw her family; her future.' Kanako abruptly considers.
The thought takes root, it makes sense after all. Toneri, the last member of the branch family alone on the moon with only puppets who obey his every whim for company.
And then seeing Hinata's future life with children, children with her violet hair and her blond lover's blue eyes must've pushed him to take darker measures to finally get her attention.
'Well they're coming.' Kanako thinks, stepping back into the shadows of a stone pillar just as shuriken whizzes by.
"Why are you following us?" Hinata questions, byakugan sharpened right on her.
Kanako scoffs, tightening her fists.
"I don't know what he sees in you." She sneers, activating her own byakugan before rushing forward.
-x-
Well, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I've been having a lot of fun writing A Single Effect that I kind of put this story on the back burner. Hopefully I can try and do monthly updates as long as life doesn't get in the way. I don't think there's been any mention of any female Otsutsuki besides Kaguya, so I created Kanako for that role. Had a lot of fun writing Gaara's clear misunderstanding of Naruto and Hinata's issue, romance isn't his forte lol. Let me know your thoughts!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!