Chapter 1

Through the dense trees that crowded the dirt path, beams of light managed to find their way between the branches that showcased their vibrant, green leaves. The sun was high in the sky, signaling it had to be around noon on what would be the third and final day of their trek to the Land of Earth. Yua Ito, a princess who has taken on the task of traveling to each land, was being escorted by none other than the Seventh Hokage's wife, Hinata Uzumaki. Hinata was thankful that Yua was a quiet person, one that chose to keep to herself, as it allowed her to think about things. Hinata thought back to the look on her husband's face when she asked for a mission. How his eyes went from that of shock to solemn within moments. The hesitation in his movements of handing her the B-Rank mission scroll. She had been surprised when he handed her a mission that was above C-Rank, but was thankful he trusted her to take on something bigger to start out. She had arranged for Hiashi Hyuga, her own father, to assist in taking care of both Boruto and Himawari Uzumaki during this time.

As Hinata passed through one of many beams of light, she thought about how Naruto was a beam of light to the entire village. A soft smile graced her lips as she acknowledged the pride she had in Naruto Uzumaki managing to make his dreams come true. However, as time went on, Hinata began to feel alone, even with Himawari at home, assisting her with household chores. While Yua was pleasant company, they both found that small talk was something neither could really maintain for any length of time. Sighing, she continued on her trek, not realizing that her sigh was heard by Yua, who had looked to her left with a quizzical look.

"Is everything okay?" Yua asked, her voice was soft, but Hinata was able to hear her easily enough.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to bother you, Ito-san. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." Hinata offered a small smile in return. "It's nothing, really."

"I understand." Yua stated, returning Hinata's smile with one of her own.

Yua's long, brown hair cascaded behind her, which showcased a white bow on the top of her head. Amber colored eyes seemed to almost match with her tan skin. She had perfect teeth and her features seemed almost too perfect. Her attire wasn't something Hinata thought a princess would wear, but was a better fit for her journey around the 5 Nations. She wore a white tube top with a black, mesh shirt over it. White pants and black shoes. Very simple, but would benefit anyone who needed a quick getaway or to engage in a battle of any kind. Her petite figure made her seem like an easy target, but Hinata had done her homework. She knew that Yua was someone that would not be taken down easily if a rogue ninja attempted to take her on. While their walk was slow, Hinata appreciated the time she had to think things through. Her home life, marriage, and even friends that she felt she had managed to distance herself from. Hours passed and it took a moment for Hinata to realize that the sun was beginning to set.

"Oh! Ito-san, it would be best if we go ahead and set up camp for the night." Hinata said, already venturing off the path and traveling several feet into the woods, managing to find a small clearing that would allow for them to set up camp and not feel cramped.

Less than an hour later, they had their tents set up, Yua having found several branches while Hinata began starting a fire for their meal. Hinata pulled out her now thawed out fish, setting them on sticks to cook for the two of them. Yua managed to find a topic that they could easily discuss, which astounded Hinata that it took them this long to do just that. Hinata found herself smiling at many points of Yua's story, laughing at others. Yua was showcasing her animated side, hands moving with every word as if they were painting a picture. Hinata held onto each word as Yua gave her a story of her teen years as a princess and how she wanted to journey to meet new people and not be secluded in a mansion that made her feel more alone than ever. Hinata's smile slightly faltered as she realized how she and Yua both felt trapped and secluded. They both had families of high rank that made their lives dangerous outside their very homes.

"I was surprised my father didn't put up a fight when I asked him to allow me to travel. I believe he realizes it's my dream to do just that and I'd like to before I take the throne." Yua said, her eyes focused on the fire, the flames reflected in them as Hinata eyed her.

"It's hard when someone fears for the safety of their loved ones, but sometimes we need to be able to fend for ourselves." Hinata responded, realizing she was talking for both of them rather than just Yua.

"Thank you for listening, Hinata-san. I think I've needed to vent about it for a very long time." Yua gave a giggle, which Hinata returned.

What felt like a few hours with more conversation than in the past several days, Yua made her way to her own tent, leaving Hinata to stare at the fire as she kept it going. She sighed, finding that her mind was drifting to the week that led up to her leaving. The arguments, the frustration, feeling as though she didn't matter. Hinata didn't realize she was glaring until her mind drifted back to the flames before her. Relaxing her features, Hinata set her cheek against a fist, using her hand to hold her head up as she continued to stare at the flames. Her mind wandering again, pictures Naruto's face when he saw her and Yua off, his blue eyes never leaving hers. She could see every emotion and thought through them. Yelling at her to stay, promising to be around more, promising to give her forever. Hinata had given him a small frown in response before saying her goodbyes and turning, feeling those same blue eyes burning into her back until she was no longer within his sight. She thought about what led to that moment and felt a tear fall down her cheek.

"Hinata, I promise to make more time for you and the kids. I swear." Naruto pleaded, not knowing in a week he'd be watching his wife walk away from him.

"Naruto, you always promise this. I have always supported your dream and am so happy that you achieved what you always wanted. I just… I just need space to consider myself. I see how upset Boruto is that his father is never around. The disappointment in Himawari's eyes when you don't show up for weeks at a time. You don't see what I see, Naruto. You're not here to see what your absence does to your family." Hinata responded, her eyes flooding with tears as she tried desperately to hold them back."Hinata, the entire village is my family. I have to do what needs to be done in order to protect them." Naruto said, his voice slightly raising with words she's heard a million times."They come before us, Naruto?" Hinata said, realizing that she has dropped the honorific in their names, but not finding it in herself to care.

Naruto opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, looking at her with saddened eyes. Hinata knew the answer was one that would make things worse. It answered her question that while they may not come before, they are

as important as the rest of the village. Sighing, she left the room, making her way into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Leaning against it, she felt the tears finally fall, gritting her teeth and trying to mask the pain so she wouldn't wake up their kids. They didn't need to see their parents like this, fighting and upset. She could hear Naruto shuffling in their room, felt him pause on the other side of the door as if to consider bringing her out, before he walked off and out their door. Hinata slid down the door, knowing he was, once again, going to be staying at the Hokage Tower. And, she knew she was right as the next time she saw him, she requested a mission before him and Shikamaru Nara.

BOOM!

Hinata was startled, realizing she had dozed off and the fire was now small flames. She stood up instantly, looking for where the sound came from. Another loud noise was heard a good distance to where she was facing, meaning it was further from the path. Yua, also hearing the noise, came running out of her tent, eyes wide as she looked in the same direction as Hinata. Both women looked at each other, gave a small nod, and took off toward the sound instantly. Once a clearing could be seen in the distance, the moon illuminated the clearing so they could see what was going on. As they neared the trees that were the closest to the clearing, both women hid behind one, peering out to watch what was unfolding.

Two men, one wielding a sword and the other making various hand signals were battling. When a ninjutsu didn't work, they'd watch shuriken fly in the direction of the sword wielder, both women in awe of how they easily dodged each one with a sword or swift move of their body. Hinata almost had a hard time watching them, when she realized she had activated her Byakugan at some point, and yet she still had a hard time watching them both. They were a good distance away and she was trying to find a way to see who they were. She locked onto the one who was making rapid hand signals and realizing she didn't know who he was. Definitely a man, possibly late 20's by what guestimate she would make. Then she managed to lock onto the sword wielder. A gasp found its way from between her lips. She instantly saw two eyes that reflected the light of the moon that only belonged to one person. The one on the right was red, an intricate design of black etched into it. The other could be seen when hair was moved in a certain way - purple.

"Do you know either of them, Hinata?" Yua asked, dropping the honorific in her shock.

"Th-the one with the sword, yes. It's someone I went to school with and is best friends with the Hokage. Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata whispered, her eyes wide as she continued to watch the battle.

Both watched the battle as much as they could as both were very quick, even to Hinata. She looked around and saw the area of trees that looked to have been snapped in half, which would explain the large explosion they heard moments before. Hinata knew that they were several miles north of Kusagakure, the princess opting to sleep under the stars during her journey. It seemed to have worked out as now they were engrossed in a battle that half the party Hinata knew. She continued to use her Byakugan in order to see if she could tell who the other person was, but whoever it was definitely wasn't someone she knew of.

She watched as both men stopped, breathing hard as it seemed the rogue shinobi opposite Sasuke was saying something to him, then she noticed he pulled out something from his jacked. Just as she saw Sasuke's eyes light up, she started to make a run in their direction, knowing what was coming. Before Sasuke could move, a large explosion sounded across the field, the shock wave hitting Hinata, who managed to stay on her feet and keep running. She could see the ground beneath Sasuke's feet give way and just as she neared where he stood. She leaped, sliding on her front toward the opening of the hole, her arm outstretched. Just a second later, she felt Sasuke's hand clasp onto hers just as she felt Yua's hand grab Hinata's ankles, keeping her in place. Yua pulled Hinata away from the hole as she kept a firm grasp of Sasuke's hand. He climbed out as Hinata rolled over onto her back, trying to catch her breath as she heard Sasuke mutter something under his breath.

Then she realized that her Byakugan was no longer activated. Something felt off and she suddenly attempted to activate it. When she realized she couldn't, her eyes widened and she sat up quickly to see Yua looking over herself, looking uncertain and worried about what was going on.

"The explosive he used temporarily cuts off your chakra supply. It will return momentarily." A deep voice came from her left. Sasuke was eyeing her with a solid, black eye before looking over at Yua, a look of skepticism evident on his face. "Who are you?"

"Yua Ito. Hinata-san is escorting me to Iwagakure." Yua plainly stated, though Hinata could see the look of appreciation for Sasuke's handsome features on her face.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, looking bored once again. "We need to go ahead and depart. That shinobi was from Iwagakure and may have accomplices. However, I have something to look at first now that I can feel my chakra has returned."

Sasuke immediately jumped down into the hole and seemed to disappear into its dark depths, yet Hinata could immediately see his eyes light up, giving him the ability to see without any light. She was curious what he was looking for, but could only assume this was part of his mission. Yua looked over the edge, curious as to what he was doing, as well. Hinata could sense Yua's attraction to him, which meant when she found out he was married, she'd be devastated. Hinata's face fell at the idea of marriage, knowing her own was in jeopardy and how her time back to Konoha would mean time to reflect on her own life and what she wanted to do going forward. Before she could continue to think things through, Sasuke leapt out of the hole, his Sharingan deactivating and pushing something into his pocket.

"Let's go."

He led the way back to their camp without another word, both Hinata and Yua followed. Hinata frowned, but having heard stories from Naruto, she realized that Sasuke wasn't one to focus on what he considered unimportant information until the mission was settled. She was curious if he even questioned why it was Hinata that was on an escort mission rather than a more trained shinobi. He didn't seem bothered by her presence, nor did he seem to care why she was there to begin with. Yua stuck close to her, but would make the occasional glance towards Sasuke as if trying to determine how to handle him. Hinata chuckled to herself, knowing that Yua would probably find his demeanor to take away from his handsome face.

A day prior.

A sheath that held a well used sword was dropped onto the bed of yet another hotel room, a cape following shortly after. The room was much bigger than was anticipated, including separate rooms for relaxing, bedroom, and a nicely sized bathroom that he felt was bigger than the one he had at home. Looking around, he took in the colors of gold and red, which felt appropriate for the area he was in. He realized the floor under his feet were plush, which indicated that those of great wealth would be staying in rooms such as these, which meant that Gaara intended to make sure he felt the gratitude of his hard work, causing Sasuke a small smile in appreciation.

Gaara had insisted he stay somewhere that wasn't a tree once Sasuke had met up with him to discuss the current mission. He placed the scroll on his hawk, watching it as it flew to Konoha to deliver the message to Naruto, before turning to lay on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling lazily. Even after the fight with Momoshiki Otsutsuki, there were continuous rogue shinobi and bandits who insisted on creating a new war, the era of peace creating its own issues within the ninja community. Sighing, he figured he should place everything back on and head out into the streets.

A few moments later, he was walking the streets of Suna, paying no mind to those around him that didn't give him a reason for a second look. Many vendors trying to snag the attention of those nearby to purchase, crowds of people could be seen for miles as they walked the same streets, some were visitors taking in new sights and others repeating their day from yesterday. Sasuke felt many pairs of eyes on him, some uncertain and others taking in his appearance in an appreciative way. Internally rolling his eyes, he kept his same emotionless, unapproachable demanor as he continued on.

He took in the sights of the canyon walls that encircled Suna, as if to keep the bad out, which he knew would never be the case. His one visible eye scanned the area, unable to contain itself in finding negative people around that would need to be dealt with swiftly. The sun above was showing to be after noon, leaving Sasuke annoyed as he would have preferred to continue on traveling, but Gaara had insisted, not taking no for an answer. Sighing, he continued on until he saw what would be the farmer's market filled with fresh produce. He caught the sight of some of the most red tomatoes he had ever laid his eyes on. While he always felt in control of his emotions, he had no doubt his eyes gave away his desire to bite into a perfectly ripe tomato. Sure enough, the older gentleman took notice and held one out, a warm smile gracing his wrinkled face.

"Sasuke Uchiha, a face any of us would recognize, please take this as a thank you for your assistance in winning the war!" He stated.

Sasuke felt no ill intent coming from the man and took it, quickly placing money into the man's palm before giving his own smirk, "I'd prefer to pay for this, thank you."

The older gentleman nodded, placing the money in his pouch and watching as Sasuke walked off. He doubted the Uchiha realized that during a small moment in the war, his act had saved his life. Akio Sato knew the moment he felt the change being placed into his palm that Sasuke had changed from his time as a missing nin. He could feel it in his aura and feel that even with the unwelcoming feeling he gave off, that time was able to change any man. Even one that at one point scared and challenged those around him. Akio smiled and went on about selling tomatoes to passersby, feeling as though his thank you was taken with just as warmth as Akio felt he gave to the Uchiha.

Sasuke found a nearby bench, eyeing the tomato in his palm before moving it toward his mouth to take a bite, his mouth already salivating at the expectant taste. Just before his teeth made contact and broke the skin, he felt someone take a seat beside him, which caused him to pause his action and look over. A man who had to be a few years younger than him had taken the seat next to him, staring forward. Sasuke immediately set the tomato into his pocket, planning to savor it for later, as he felt something about this man was off.

"You're Sasuke Uchiha." The man stated simply, continuing to look forward.

Sasuke raised a brow, choosing not to answer as the man didn't ask, but rather stated it. He tensed, feeling as though something was about to happen, but curious as to why the man was choosing to pick a time when the streets were busy and with someone he wouldn't be able to beat in any battle. The man finally turned to him, his brown eyes clashing with one black one, both men sizing each other up as though to prepare for something bigger.

"I need to give you something. This comes from Gaara. New information came in and he said that the Hokage will be getting with you shortly." The man handed Sasuke a scroll before walking away and disappearing into the crowd.

Sasuke decided to make his way back to his room to have privacy to read the contents of the scroll. He could only assume his findings he stated moments ago would be tied to what was written in this scroll. He entered his room and immediately took to reading, his Sharingan activated to memorize the information given to him. With a click of his tongue, he rolled the scroll back up and made his way back to Gaara's office, his face still as impassive as ever. Opening the door, Sasuke knew his presence was expected, and Gaara answered that question immediately.

"Ah, Sasuke, I assumed you'd make another visit to me once you received the scroll, so let me answer a few questions right away. We believe this particular shinobi is part of a group calling themselves Homare. It seems that they are attempting to test a bomb that will block chakra from anyone within a 1 mile radius for a small amount of time. We believe they are testing this in an attempt to see how they can make this permanent. And we believe their targets are high ranking officials and shinobi such as yourself." Gaara stated, his eyes as impassive as the Uchiha he was talking to.

"Do you know where they plan to test this?" Sasuke asked, standing behind a chair that faced the Kazekage's desk.

"We believe they are from Iwagakure. However, the Tsuchikage has been unable to track their whereabouts. Our entail is that they plan to come here to test it within our own borders, so as to not give away their hideout location."

Sasuke raised a brow, "so, that means if they succeed, they would then test it in other villages to determine how to make this permanently effective."

Gaara nodded, then stood, walking around to the back of his chair to face out to his own village, his eyes scanning the crowd. Sasuke followed his lead to stand beside him, surveying the area. If he was to be too late to meet up with this shinobi, he'd need to survey the area to know the best approach to take him out if necessary. He felt Gaara shift at his side and turned to see Gaara eyeing him before turning back to the window.

"Naruto is worried as his wife is on an escort mission." Gaara stated plainly. "We don't believe the bombs affect people, but it does affect the earth according to our knowledge. It creates a shockwave and a small earthquake. We are unsure if this means something is planted down into the earth, which is our main concern. All five Kage are aware of what is going on, so any of us are able to assist you in researching this information out. And Naruto is worried that the shinobi may target his wife, who is on her way to Iwagakure."

Sasuke nodded, turning on his heel and leaving, having grabbed everything from his room prior, he made his way to the entrance of Suna before he flitted off. As he ran as fast as he could, he couldn't stop himself from wondering why Naruto allowed his wife to venture out on a mission. She had not been active since Boruto was born, which meant she would be rusty with her training. While a part of him was oddly curious, he decided this wasn't something he needed to consider and continued to run until night fell. He was close to Iwagakure, but saw no sign of the shinobi. He settled himself on a branch, making sure to keep an ear out for any noise before taking a small nap.

"Sasuke, when are you coming back? I thought your mission was complete." Sakura frowned, standing right alongside the gates to Konoha, Sarada at her side.

"I need to make sure we have no reason to believe we have further threats. It shouldn't take long. I'll return soon." Sasuke stated, ignoring the hurt in her eyes."Papa, you promise to come back to us?" Sarada asked, her eyes mimicking that of her mother's.

Sasuke leaned down in front of her, reaching forward with both index and middle finger, giving her forehead a poke with a smile. "I promise."

He stood, eyeing Sakura one more time. She looked lost, not meeting his eyes, which surprised him a bit. She usually leaned forward to get a kiss from him, yet this time, she refused to meet his eye. Sasuke felt a tug, but ignored it, giving Sarada one last glance before taking off. Her initial reaction he had expected, but after talking to Sarada, he had not expected his wife to ignore him. His mind wandered to several possibilities, while also determining that he couldn't blame her if she did. A tear ran down his face, Sharingan activated as he made his way towards Suna to take care of a few bandits who could possibly be linked to a potential group that wanted to create a war in the middle of peace. Just like always.

Sasuke woke up with a start, reaching up with his right hand to remove the tear he could feel falling down his cheek. And sure enough, he saw movement before he heard it. Standing, realizing that his Sharingan was already activated, he took off after the shinobi, who realized soon after he was being tailed and began running faster. Sasuke was slightly surprised by his speed, but was still catching up to him. The shinobi was definitely on his way to Suna and Sasuke planned to stop him quickly. They reached a clearing and the man stopped and turned to face Sasuke. He had a wild look in his eyes, hands at the ready to begin signing. Sasuke immediately pulled out his sword, feeling the wind lightly move his hair to expose his Rinnegan.

"Sasuke Uchiha, what a pleasure it is to meet you." The shinobi stated, before closing his eyes with a chuckle. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Haru Suzuki and I kindly ask that you allow me to finish my own mission."

Sasuke kept his stance, eyes bright in the moonlight. He didn't respond, but knew that it said volumes to his response to the man's ridiculous question. Haru seemed to get the idea and nodded, his eyes flashing before he raised his hands and pulled out several kunai, tossing them towards Sasuke. Sasuke leapt to the side, all kunai missing him and a moment later, heard them impale a tree in the distance. He ran toward Haru, sword at the ready, swinging it only to hear it slam against another kunai, both men attempting to put pressure behind their weapons to gain dominance. When neither were able to, both jumped to gain a few feet between them. Haru made quick work of signing and two other versions of him spawned, both running at Sasuke, both holding a kunai. One jumped up in the air and the other ran toward him at high speed. Sasuke was then hit with a kunai, Haru feeling joy until Sasuke turned into a log, kunai impaled into it.

"Substitution Jutsu! I should have known!" He snarled before feeling Sasuke's presence behind him and reaching his kunai to meet with the sword that was coming at him. Another fight for dominance before both men jumped back to gain more ground. Haru made more hand signs and yelled "EXPLOSION RELEASE". Sasuke managed to get out of the way in time and several trees, including the ones with the kunai, were torn in half, a large explosion he knew was heard for miles. He saw Haru's arm aimed towards him, kunai coming his way quickly.

Sasuke managed to dodge more kunai before Haru took to grabbing shuriken and throwing them in his opponents direction. Sasuke smirked and dodged them with ease, then saw another clone coming at him, mere inches from his chest before he opened his left eye a bit more and then stood in Haru's place. He turned to see Haru's clone pop into smoke, a kunai in his chest, though it didn't look like it would have hit any organs. Haru snarled, watching as Sasuke also seemed to be catching his breath.

Sasuke then realized there were two others nearby, but before he could examine them, Haru began to speak. "You'll pay for this Uchiha. I'm going to kill us both right here."

Haru pushed a button, and a beeping sound could be heard. Before Sasuke had enough time to get out of the way, it exploded, Haru being absorbed into the explosion and Sasuke feeling almost all of his chakra deplete. Enough to keep him alive, but not enough to be able to use any of his ninjutsu. He felt the earth beneath him shake and begin to crack in a perfect circle. He realized he couldn't move as before the earth gave way, he saw black lines attached to his ankles. As the ground beneath him disappeared, he felt himself falling. He looked up to see a hand and immediately grabbed it, looking beyond that hand to see familiar white eyes and dark hair. Someone else was behind her and began pulling them both up. He was pulled up enough to pull himself out, watching as Hinata rolled over on her back, having run from the tree line he now faced. He noticed that she seemed concerned and was concentrating, thus explaining to her that her chakra had been depleted.

After a moment when he could feel his chakra had returned, he jumped back into the hole, examining it as he realized something was planted into it. He saw a small, silver disc that had four prongs on what would be the sides. He examined it and found the back was charred, which meant that this was used for the explosion under the ground. Now he needed to figure out how it got down here before the ground. Examining it, he noticed a slight indentation on one of the sides, which showed that it had been placed underground, but he couldn't determine how at the moment. He leapt back out of the hole, leading the way back to their camp, the disc secured in his pocket. Sasuke realized that Yua seemed to be gawking at him, which caused an internal eye roll. She was just like every other woman, which he knew he could easily ignore and get her to eventually back off. Hinata on the other hand seemed lost in her own thoughts, even lacking to notice the glance he gave her way over his shoulder.

A part of him wanted to ask why she was on a mission and why Naruto had allowed it, but he stopped himself from considering that. He felt like that was something Ino would do and that made his frown deepen. He decided to ignore his desire to ask and knew ignoring the situation would be best as they reached the camp. He helped them with a few things, then led them the rest of the way to Iwagakure, traveling at a speed that he felt he utilized when he was 13 and felt annoyed. However, it was obvious his new traveling partners were not on the same level as him and Naruto. He had wanted to use his Rinnegan, but Yua had insisted on traveling by foot, which had annoyed him further.

As they neared the town in record time, both women behind him gasping for breath while he felt as if he took a nice stroll through the park, his mind continued to wander into territory it shouldn't have. A large part of him wanted to ask her why she was on such a mission and it was winning out any part of him that felt it wasn't information he needed. Sasuke told himself that because it concerned his best friend and rival, he needed to know in case something bigger was going on. Was Hinata needed as more shinobi were venturing out elsewhere and Naruto had not divulged that information to him? Or was there something more personal going on in the Uzumaki household? That last thought made him think of his own and frowned even more, then decided to dwell on such nonsense when he had more information regarding his mission at hand. In any case, he knew Hinata would be his new traveling partner now that there was a rogue group of shinobi were focusing their sights on shinobi for their testing and eventual removal of chakra to those they feel are a threat to their desire for war.

Author's Note: Yes, I'm posting a non-canon ship, but I have a love for this one. I'm quite new to writing and new to general fanfiction writing in general, so please be kind! If there seems to be anything I've missed or got wrong, let me know! If you don't like the pairing, please don't read it! This is for those who enjoy it. If I wanted canon, I'd watch the anime (currently catching up on Boruto!). Thank you everyone!