Chapter 3
As dusk descends on Yugakure, the quintet discreetly checks in to a secluded inn outside of the bustling, tourist section of town.
Boruto scowls when he enters the moderately sized guest room which he will be sharing with Mitsuki and his master. He was looking forward to spending his weekend in a modern hotel with a pool and an all you can eat buffet. Sleeping in a cramped room on a tatami mat is far from his ideal vacation.
"We have to sleep on the floor?" Boruto huffs as he drops his knapsack onto a wooden chair.
Neither Sasuke nor Mitsuki chime in, as both are simply content to have found safe and clean accommodations. Boruto continues his little fit, "Mitsuki, why would Orochimaru-san recommend this crappy, old inn? This is a place that my old man and mom would visit. What fun is there for us here?" Plopping down on the floor, he huffs, "This is going to be a long, boring trip."
"This inn sits on the edge of the Shinano river. Upstream, we will find the specimens I am looking for," Mitsuki explains, though Boruto is barely listening to him as he hastily unpacks his belongings.
After the teens have unpacked and changed out of their travelling gear, Boruto pauses at the door, "Are you joining us for dinner, Sasuke-san?"
"No." Comes the quick response from the adult as he retreats to the adjoining washroom.
"Good evening!" Hinata greets the young group of teens. They all smile in acknowledgement.
The owner of the inn, a middle-aged man, serves his guests a simple meal of rice, steamed vegetables, and miso soup.
Frowning, Boruto pushes around the vegetable with his chopsticks. "Urgg. Is this seriously all they have at this lousy, inn?"
"Boruto, shhh!" Hinata and Sarada silence him in unison, hoping that his dissatisfaction doesn't reach the ears of the inn's owner.
Resting his face on his palm, Boruto avoids his mother's glare as he looks off into the distance with a pout.
Seeing the sour look on her son's face, Hinata tries to appease the teen. "I saw a few burger restaurants on our way here." Boruto immediately perks up at the mention of his favourite food. "I think there is one not too far from the inn. Maybe you'll find something better to eat there."
Boruto springs to his feet and is ready to dart out the door.
"Boruto-kun," Hinata's voice stops his speedy exit. "Shouldn't you ask your teammates if they want to join you?"
Boruto reddens, embarrassed at having forgotten about his teammates. "Sorry. Do you guys want to come?"
Mitsuki nods and gracefully joins Boruto at the exit of the dining hall. Sarada falters behind. "Hurry up, Sarada," Boruto whines, shuffling from one foot to the other.
As she pushes her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, Sarada offers, "I'll keep Hinata-san company while you two go."
Hinata appreciates the young lady's courtesy but doesn't want to dampen her excitement. "It's okay, Sarada-chan. You go have fun with your teammates. I'm tired, so I'll be in bed soon."
Having been released from her adult-babysitting, Sarada quickly joins the other teens.
After dinner and a quick shower, Hinata wanders the amenities of the inn until she reaches an onsen. The distinct scent of sulphur together with the mist rising from the outdoor pool entices her. Stripping out of the starch-stiffened provided yukata, she allows the heat to soothe her body as she sinks deeper into the water.
Her mind begins to drift to the past and memories of her honeymoon emerge. Sighing, she realizes that it has been years since she and Naruto have gone on a vacation together.
Not wanting to dwell on the problems of her marriage, she decides to instead explore the view the onsen has to offer. She paddles over to the far edge of the pool.
Breathing in deeply, she relishes the cool, clean mountain air. The river roars beneath her. The sound of water beating against rock without the sense of sight may be terrifying for most, but it soothes Hinata's restless mind and beckons her forward.
Quickly inspecting her surroundings to confirm she is still alone, Hinata carefully maneuvers down the edge of the pool and around large slippery rocks. Dipping her toes into the brook, she shivers at the contrast from hot to cool. Breathing in deeply, she dives in.
"Who do you think will make chunin this year?" Sarada asks while sipping on a carbonated beverage through a brown, paper straw.
"We are all going to be chunin. Trust me," Boruto proudly exclaims. "I can't wait to show my stupid old man that I can finally beat him."
Fatigued and annoyed by the incessant chatter of his daughter and her teammates, Sasuke hastily exits the bedroom with a blanket tucked under his cloak. He had hoped to at least get a bit of peace and quiet after the long journey, but the rambunctious teens had returned in less than an hour from their dining excursion.
"Sasuke-san, where are you going? We brought back a burger for you -" Boruto calls out. The door slams shut as the only adult occupant leaves the room. "- with fries."
He contemplated requesting a private room, but knowing he wouldn't hear the end of it from Sakura as he was assigned chaperone duties, he decides to venture outdoors. Having lived a nomadic lifestyle for the majority of his adult life, he misses the spontaneity of resting and musing under the stars.
As he nears one of the inn's onsens, the sound of the river grows louder. He quickly deduces he should be able to find an exit route through this section of the facility.
Before hopping down from the edge of the onsen that borders the riverbank, Sasuke notices a pink Yukata. For a brief second, he wonders why a female is using the men's onsen but doesn't bother to think too much of it as it's not his concern.
Focused on finding a dry resting area preferably under a tree, Sasuke only notices the unclothed female standing a few feet away when she moves closer towards the river.
Somewhat transfixed by the unanticipated intrusion, Sasuke believes he has encountered a woodland nymph. The ethereal female before him appears to be headless, as her raven locks blend into the dark expanse of the woods. Her ghostly, pale body glows under the moonlight. Sasuke's eyes travel from her slender shoulders to her concaved waist. His gaze is about to creep lower but is halted as she flicks her hair away from her face and he catches a glimpse of familiar, opalescent eyes.
Dragged out of his reverie, he calls out to her when he realizes her intentions, "Stop!"
Having visited this river in his younger years with Orochimaru, Sasuke is familiar with the danger it poses. The seemingly calm expanse of water is deceptively deep and riddled with sharp rocks and debris.
His warning goes unheeded as she is already under the water. Sasuke begins to fear the worst as several seconds pass and she is yet to resurface.
"Fuck!" Quickly freeing himself from his clothing, he dives in after her. His body is temporarily paralyzed by the shock of the cold water, but he expertly calms his racing heart as he draws chakra to his core.
He resurfaces empty-handed.
Frantically he looks around, but she is nowhere to be found. Travelling downstream, he finally sees something floating up ahead.
Grabbing onto Hinata's torso, Sasuke attempts to drag her to shore, but she fights back.
Startled, Hinata flutters in the water and tries to pry free of the fingers around her exposed stomach. "Sasuke-san? What are you doing?"
"You're conscious?" Sasuke asks as relief washes over him. He tries to examine her body for obvious signs of injuries.
"What do you mean? I just came out for a swim." Bewildered, Hinata stares at him. Realizing her compromising state of dress, she dips her under the water.
Peeking out from the water, Hinata comes face to face with a single, smoldering black eye. "Do you have any idea how deadly this river is?" Sasuke chastises.
"I'm fine, the current was a little strong but nothing I couldn't handle." Having a natural affinity to water, Hinata has never feared any body of water. Being fully encapsulated by water imparts a sense of tranquility and belongingness that she has yet to achieve on dry land.
"Foolish woman," Sasuke mutters before swimming upstream to recover his clothing. She follows closely behind, ashamed for inadvertently inconveniencing him.
Pulling on his warm clothing over his chilled, drenched body, Sasuke tries to ignore the female who is still hiding under the cover of the cool, dark water.
"Umm, Sasuke-san… I left my towel at the onsen. Can you retre-" Sasuke marches over to Hinata. He grabs her forearm and forcefully pulls her out of the water. Her hands reflexively come to her chest in an attempt to hide her modesty.
Before shoving his cloak into her shivering arms, he informs her, "There is no point in hiding, I've seen everything."
Sasuke knows he shouldn't be callous to Naruto's wife, who has in no way willingly wronged him, but fatigue and cold have erased the nearly translucent filter covering his uncouth mouth.
Upon reaching the small edge of the onsen, the clinking of glasses and chatter drifts toward them. Hinata begins to fall back noticing that only male voices are audible.
With a smirk on his face, Sasuke asks, "Are you only now noticing that you were in the men's onsen?" Not waiting for her response, he hoists her above the ledge.
Hinata tries to go unnoticed under the cover of Sasuke's broad back, but the catcalls and whistles tell her that these attempts are futile.
"Going for a skinny dip?" one gentleman with a round belly quizzes.
"Ahh, to be young and in love," another states while dreamily admiring the assumed couple.
Sasuke's glare silence the men and prompts one to quickly but meekly hand over her belongings.
Without a word exchanged, Sasuke escorts Hinata back to her room. She enters the room and he follows closely behind. She turns around to face him, with a questioning and frightened look on her face.
"My cloak," he demands.
Solely focused on not further angering the Uchiha, Hinata quickly obeys by slipping off the slightly damped material.
Without the protection of Sasuke's cloak, the cool wind wafting through the door sends shivers along Hinata's bare back, an instantaneous reminder of the absence of fabric over her body. Opal eyes widen as she frantically darts for her travel bag. Before she can unzip the bag, she hears the door thump shut.
Alone in the room, Hinata replays the mortifying events that transpired.
"How do I face him tomorrow?" she laments.
Thanks for the reviews and feedback. I must say I am having a lot of fun including the kids in this plot. I have big plans for Boruto and Sarada!
The next chapter will be a bit longer and mostly focused on Sasuke and Hinata. Take care!