Another chapter here. I don't have as much time as I had while writing previous chapters that's why it might take up to 3/4 days for me to write a chapter and post it. As always I'm so grateful for your reviews. Some things in this story might be different than in the canon version, for example Sasuke has both his arms attached, and Hinata has water affiliation (I don't even know what her canon affiliation is). I might change a few things because of the way I want this story to go. I hope you can understand it.
It's been a month since they first set a camp in one of the unnamed nations and they moved a few times still there was no city to be found. They suspected they were located further away from the borders with the five great nations but they both didn't really want to go that far from the world they knew. It was a love hate relationship they had with the world they grew up in. It caused both of them hurt but there were also great memories they didn't want to leave behind. Since that night their relationship took off like a firework. There've been days they haven't got out of the tent for anything but the food and it's been hard to focus on anything else. They've still been training tirelessly but most of the time they have been absorbing closeness of the other. It was as if they were only now able to breathe in the fresh air. Both of them've been deprived of this kind of emotions for a long time so when the opportunity occurred they held onto this as if they lives depended on it.
When it came to her training sessions she's become more accurate in her aim and learned how to control her chakra enough not to cause total destruction when using Hyūga style with senbons. She also felt much more natural holding them while attacking. They felt like the extension of her fingers and it was something that gave her a lot of comfort, she could change her style and make it hers own. She's become faster and stronger and it was building her confidence in herself. There was still a lot to develop but she's never made this much improvement in so short time. He was proud of her and watching her grow made him happy. She no longer seemed hesitant when she was about to spar with him.
This land was a place they both would remember forever. This was where they became closer than ever, this was the place of her growth. But they also felt estranged in this land and wanted to leave it behind them as fas as possible. Being this far away from people made her much more confident and yet she craved the business of the crowded streets. He felt at peace without being judged but there was no way of proving himself to the people. It was simply not their place to be. So they went on towards Suna.
Land of Wind was dry. This was their first impression of the place. But they soon got to know that it also had a lot of oases and every one of them brought joy to Hinata eyes. Most of them were small but there were ones that might be home to whole villages. But they didn't stop for long in any of them. Village Hidden by Sand was their destination. Suna, one of the villages most often visited by Konohas shinobis. They wanted to see this place and move on to different country but they felt the weight of the probability of meeting someone there on their shoulders. They also knew that they had to face their pasts one day and together they felt ready for it.
„This land could be inspiration for a lot of philosophers" she said when they went past one of the oases. „The way these people chose to live in the oases, and how they adapt them to their needs" she's used to question this environment as suitable for people but now she understood why and how these people made it their home. It was harsh outside of their villages and she could never live here but she got how it could be suitable for some.
After some time in the desert they finally stood in front of the cleft leading to the village. It was still the only way into the city. When they reached the end of this path they were welcomed by two shinobis taking the names of the arrivals. The same as in Konoha. The guards instantly recognized Sasuke and there was constipation forming on their faces. They also recognized Hinata which was strange. She was well known in some circles but for a regular shinobi she was just another Hyūga form Konoha. Once their names were written down they entered the village and were met by the loudness of the city.
What they didn't know was that every shinobi taking a guard duty was familiarized with both of their faces. His was on the list at the request of Kazekage himself, hers because of Hokage. And once they were out of sight of the shinobis by the gate these men sent out a message to the Kazekage's office about the arrivals.
The first thing they did was finding a hotel for them to stay in. It was a big building, the same as every one on the street. All of the buildings were made out of clay and looked strong. If they had to guess how it felt inside one of these buiding they would say - hot, but when they were in the reception of the hotel they were surprised by the cool temperate inside.
Since both of them were tired after the long journey they went out only to eat at the restaurant and came back to their room for rest. But in the village there was a person who was still up and had been writing a letter. Kazekage, Gaara was in a weird position. He had to inform Hokage about the recent arrival of two of his shinobis in his village. Not only that. He was informed about their absence in Konoha but there was no indication that they would be traveling together. Gaara knew both of them. He had a lot of mixed feelings when it came to Sasuke, who was once on the most wanted list even in Suna. He's helped them during the war and who was Gaara to judge people by their past. Yet Suna was his village and he had to be cautious so he sent out two Anbu to have an eye on him. Hinata was known to him only by sight and some stories but it was definitely strange for her to be here with Sasuke. He didn't know how much disturbance his letter to the Hokage would cause but he had to send it. And he attached the letter to the bird and let it go. He stood for some time on the balcony of his office and watched as the bird disappeared in the night sky.
The next day they were out in the village and they visited a lot of the places both of them never had the time to go to. First they visited the Suna museum which was not as interesting as the one they've visited in the Land of Snow but still it gave them a lot of perspective when it came to the land itself. They got to know the origin of the Suna and its founding families. They also got to learn about strange and powerful techniques some of shinobis of this country possessed. They went to the museum of the puppets. A technique unique to some of Suna shinobis. They both knew brother of the Kazekage, Kankurō. He was probably one of the best puppet master living. But in the museum there were a lot of puppets formerly belonging to other powerful wielders. Puppet Mastery was something out of their fighting styled but it definitely had a lot of advantages and both respected the art of it.
When they decided to stop for something to eat they chose one of few ramen stands in the city and ordered their soups. The stand was located on a busy street and they watched people passing by.
„Two, right?" She asked him when she saw his eyes looking in the direction she was watchful of as well. He nodded his head. He knew they were Anbus and that the've been following him since they left the hotel. „Why did Gaara send them?" He looked at her and smirked. She was really forgetting about his past and what it meant. Or she was just that naive sometimes. But it was cute and made him feel better. There was at least one person in this world that didn't feel the need for him to be watched.
„He's Kazekage and I'm unpredictable" he said simply and she sighed.
„There's another problem" she said and she ate some of the noodles. He rised his eyebrow in question. „Shikamaru is coming our way" she said. Neither of them were close friends with Shikamaru but he still was a figure from their past so he didn't know how she would act. But to his surprise she sat there and ate in silence.
Shikamaru was in town because of the upcoming chunin exams. He and Temari were the main organizers of these exams this year. They were together but she still lived here and he in Konoha. It was tiresome, one of the things he hated. This was the reason that he knew this city so well now. He's been there a lot in the last year. And she was often in Konoha. But it had to change in the near future because this was no way of living for a shinobi. He needed to be in his village. The business of the street he was on almost caused him to miss on a hint of chakra he knew. Actually there were two chakras he knew when he focused. He reached the ramen stand this signatures were located and when he saw Sasuke Uchiha he was suddenly tired. He was even more tired when he saw who he was sitting with.
„Hello" he said. He knew that there would be a lot of questions when he went back home. „What are you two doing here?" He was one of the few people in Konoha who didn't have anything against Sasuke staying there and even fewer who didn't overreact when Hinata left.
„Visiting" it was Sasuke that answered him.
„Together?"
„Yes" This was something worth of a gossip Shikamaru thought. They both were the topic of many conversations between his friends back home but never together. Naruto would make a scene has he seen these two here. He looked at them trying to determine what he should be seeing.
„How is everything back in Konoha?" It was Hinata asking and he raised his eyebrows. He knew about the letter she sent to Kiba and Shino. Mixed feelings on their side.
„Everything's good. Everything is almost rebuilt and life came back to normal" he reported but this wasn't what she was asking about. „Shino is teaching in the academy, Kiba is training the dogs" she smiled hearing about her friends „They miss you, you know?"
„I know" her voice was a little sad but he knew she wasn't coming back yet.
„Naruto is training and studying to become new Hokage. Kakashi wants it to happen soon."
„I bet he hates it" Sasuke laughed remembering how late his former sensei has always been.
„Sakura is a head of the hospital now… and she still asks about you every few weeks in the tower" Sasuke looked at Hinata checking her reaction but there was none. She knew that there would be people who would oppose their relationship but it was theirs to decide upon and that was that. They could use Shikamaru to go and tell them about it before they come back. It might make things easier for them.
„You can tell her we'll be back but we don't know when yet" she said and Sasuke almost laughed at Shikamarus reaction. His face was one big question.
„Sure, I'll tell her that" he said. He was never the one to be assuming things about peoples lives but these two were a riddle right now. They were so different. But who he was to judge when he was with a completely different woman to him as well. „I should be going" he said after few seconds of silence. They both said goodbye and he left.
Now there were two messengers on their way to Konoha with the news considering Sasuke and Hinata. The first was slowly approaching Hokages tower this evening, second would be there in four days.
