The next set of meetings started to break off into groups of topics. People began to move as they needed to speak to who they needed. She stood by her father until he signaled with a subtle flick of his wrist behind his back for her to go. She whispered for her sister to stay and learn from their father. She moved around to play her part as the easy-to-approach Hyuga. People took the bait. When they spoke to her, they dropped little hints and comments that showed their true nature. She smiled and acted her part. She turned away from one and came face to face with bright purple face paint.
"I'm so sorry." She took a step back to focus her eyes on the Suna male.
"Hyuga, right?" He asked. She blinked, realizing the reason she almost ran into him was that he was about to get her attention.
"Yes, Hinata Hyuga." She bowed her head, respectfully.
"Your clan is important to the decisions made by the Konoha?" He asked. He looked uncomfortable, like he didn't want to ask. He was trying to hide it with a stiff demeanor, but it only made him look more uncomfortable to her.
"Yes, our clan is considered in most decisions made by the village." She chose her words carefully, always. He seemed to be digging for something.
"I'm Kankuro." He pointed to the Kazekage, who was currently sitting next to the Hokage. He looked like he might flip the table in frustration, or maybe it would catch fire from his glare. Yet, Naruto was talking at him with the biggest smile. "Adviser to my brother Gaara, the current Kage of Suna." Gaara. She recognized that name. Naruto thought highly of him, but she couldn't place any details other than that.
"Pleased to meet you." She bowed her head again. She bit down on her tongue and took a small risk. "He doesn't look very happy today, does he?"
Kankuro's face twitched, and he made an uncomfortable face. "No, he never really is." Red flag, was his brother scared of him? Had they fought? The little Kage didn't seem like someone you would want to fight with. He looked like a man who would make a strong point and not care to listen to yours.
"Will you be handling relations with the clan then?" She asked, understanding why he had approached her so awkwardly.
"That's the idea, important year for peace and all." He moved his wary look from his brother and focused his eyes on her. She smiled, offering for them to sit. She sat a little straighter. Kankuro was taller than her by two heads, at least.
"Are Hyuga women all so beautiful?" He asked as he took a seat beside her giving her a crooked grin.
She froze for a moment taking in what he said, and then blushed. That had been a complete change of mood. "That's a matter of opinion, Kankuro-sama." She tried to will away the redness, but the grin he gave her didn't help. She had had men make comments all morning. Honestly, this was the first comment to be charming. She was sick of hearing men twice her age make passing comments on her purity and fertility.
They spoke about how the Hyuga influenced the village. How and why their decisions mattered. He kept an upbeat, cheery demeanor but took glances at his brother warily. She took those opportunities to ask about him. He usually dodged by giving her another compliment or asking about her.
"Hinata-chan?" Hanabi whispered over her shoulder. She looked up to see her sister standing behind her. "Can I sit with you for a while?" She asked.
Hinata nodded, motioning to the chair beside her. Hanabi was starting to look worn.
"This is Kankuro-sama, Kazekage's advisor and elder brother." She motioned to him, and he gave a grin. "Kankuro-sama, this is my younger sister Hanabi-chan." She introduced them. Hanabi bowed her head, like a lady. Good.
"See what I said, Hyuga's are beautiful." He commented.
Hanabi didn't even flinch. She merely thanked him with a proud smile. Hinata wished she had her sister's confidence. She instead tried to will away another blush.
"The Kazekage doesn't look like he wants to be here at all." Hanabi started, she got a tap of Hinata's finger on her leg, telling her, no, but it was too late.
"No. Not really, but he looks like that all the time when he's working. If it weren't for that blond moron, he probably would have just sent us." Kankuro gave another look to his brother. He didn't seem worried about him but rather what his brother might do.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked despite knowing who people usually meant when they said 'blond moron.' He nodded.
"Why?" Hanabi pressed.
Kankuro's eyebrows came down in confusion. "You haven't heard about him?"
The two Hyuga girls shook their heads. Hinata hadn't asked, and no one had said anything.
Kankuro sat a little straighter and shifted his eyes, unsure of how to word himself. "My brother is not known for good things. He houses the one tails and has been known as the monster of Suna. He has so far been a decent leader, but he can be ruthless, harsh and has found no remorse in killing his enemies. All that has cut him a harsh reputation that he lives up to. He tends to be fine when in a calm social setting, but he still can be fierce when he's working. Unfortunately, he can be a workaholic."
Hinata's heart broke. She thought of Naruto. She looked over to him, sitting next to his adoptive mother-figure, grinning like all was good in the world. He spoke loudly to the Kazekage, who glared at him with only a mild distaste for the loudness.
The two were vastly different tailed demon carriers. "It must be hard on him, to be considered that way. It's so cruel. It's not his fault that the last generation decided a child should take on a demon."
She turned her sad gaze from him to Kankuro, who looked like he had been slapped. Her face twisted in confusion at his shock. "I'm sorry?" She asked, wondering what she missed while she was in her thoughts. Was what she said out of line? She looked down at Hanabi, who looked just as confused as she did.
He shook his head and looked distracted and in thought, all at once. "Can you excuse me for a moment?" She nodded, wondering what it was she said that had caused such a reaction. He ungracefully weaved through the room to the other Suna-nin. He hastily pulled his sister from her conversation with Shikamaru. When had he come in?
She looked irritated at first, but with a few whispers, she glanced over at her. Her face slowly twisted into the same thoughtful shock as Kankuro had.
What had she said, had she been rude? Had she said something wrong in Suna? She looked at her sister, who still looked just as lost. They both approached, and her sister stood.
"I think they are going to want to talk to you alone." She whispered. Hinata nodded. She felt that too, but she wasn't sure why. Hanabi squeezed her hand before returning to her father.
"Temari, this is Hinata Hyuga. Hinata, this my sister Temari." The woman looked like everything Hinata wasn't, tall, tan, strong, and confident.
Hinata bowed her head, trying to hide her confusion. "Pleased to meet you."
"Hinata, have you met the Kazekage yet?" Temari asked, sitting. Throwing one leg over the other as she did. Hinata sat a little straighter tucking her crossed ankles under the chair more.
"No, but Naruto-kun tells me great things." She looked over at the two tailed-beast holders again. Another pain hit her heart as she looked at the scowl he looked at the world with. Why were they treated like monsters?
Turning back to the Kazekage siblings, she realized they were now both giving her the odd look. She wanted to ask what it was, but that might be too bold and rude.
"Do you know the village well, Hinata?" Temari asked, breaking the silence between the three.
"Yes." She answered.
"If you're not busy after the meeting, could you take my brothers on a tour? Naruto was going to take them, but he will be caught in paperwork for the Hokage." Temari looked back over to Shikamaru, who seemed nearly asleep against the wall he was leaning on.
Kankuro leaned forward. "She wants to take off with the bum." He promptly had an elbow in his ribcage for the comment, which he rubbed viciously. "Hey!" He grumbled.
"I'm not sure if I'm the best to do so, but I can do my best." She agreed.
Temari lit up. "Perfect."
Hinata fiddled with her fingers as she waited by the door. She was feeling much more nervous about this now. Now she knew her father had spoken to Kankuro before she had. Of course, he had mentioned bluntly about her eligibility. She hadn't thought of Kankuro as a possible suitor, but the tour his sister proposed made a lot more sense now.
Her father warned her not to offend them and to be the perfect guide. He didn't need an 'or else.' If she wasn't self-conscious taking the two most eligible males in Suna on a tour alone before, she was now.
A set of footsteps approached, and she looked up to the exact two Suna males she had been thinking of. She straightened her back and smiled. She deliberately placed her hands behind her back to stop fidgeting. "Ready to start?"
The Kazekage simply stared her down as if she should already know the answer. Kankuro nodded, returning her smile. She was very aware of the Kazekage's distaste. Was it for her? It was likely because Naruto wasn't the one taking them. She led them out the door and down the steps. She kept her hands firmly clasped behind her. She kept a speed that would be comfortable for their long legs. She sacrificed the usual casual pace she preferred, especially in the heeled shoes she was wearing. She kept her shoulders straight and her head tall. She was probably failing. She probably looked like a walking chicken or worse.
"Was there something you wanted to see first?" She asked, turning her head behind her. She was not used to being followed. She always stayed a step behind her father, Neji, and Shino. It felt uncomfortable to be leading two males.
"Gaara has been taken to see the Hokage mountainside, but I haven't," Kankuro answered. Gaara said nothing, so she assumed Kankuro was getting the say of where they went. Gaara glared at her when their eyes met. She took the hint and faced forward, turning in the direction of her favorite place to view the mountain.
Kankuro took to walking beside her, which she was grateful for. He asked about landmarks on the way, which she answered to the best of her ability. Gaara was silent most of the trip, which prompted her to continuously check if he was still there. They had nearly made it to their destination when he spoke up. "We've gone the wrong way."
She turned to him in confusion. "What do you mean?" She hadn't made any odd turns and had taken the shortest way. He didn't even know the village that well.
"This isn't where Naruto took me." He explained as he crossed his arms. He didn't seem to like explaining himself. He also didn't seem to like the idea that she might be taking him somewhere else.
"Oh! Well, that's because I like the view from up here better. Few people come up this way, Naruto likes to stand right in front of it… or on it." She mumbled the last part.
His crossed arm seemed to tighten. She wasn't sure what to do. Should she show him her spot or do things Naruto's way from this point on.
"We can always see it from upfront. I want to see what you got." Kankuro said, passing her. He didn't seem too sure of himself. Like he was testing his brother's limits for the day.
Gaara's shoulders seemed to stiffen more for a moment. He then gave an audible heavy breath out, following his brother up past her. Hinata closed her eyes to collect herself for just a moment. Letting out a silent sigh of relief, she followed them, glad to be in the back of their small group.
Kankuro climbed the hill. She had led them most of the way up and stopped at the top. "Awesome." Gaara soon joined his side, looking out over the village toward the mountainside.
"It's not the detail you will see from standing in front of it. But it looks more like spirits are coming from the mountain from here." She looked out over the mountain with them. She thought it looked like they were pressing their faces through the mountain. When she was younger used to have dreams of the full person coming out and walking over the village. "We can still go right up to see it if you like." She offered, seeing how Gaara's mood hasn't improved.
"Maybe later. I like this one." Kankuro answered, not realizing she wasn't asking him.
"Kazekage-sama?" She asked to be more specific. He turned only his eyes to the side to look at her, then returned them to the mountain.
"This is adequate." He replied.
Hinata shrunk inside. She hoped he would at least like the new point of view. "Whenever you're ready, I can take you through the town. I can go the way Naruto-kun likes." She didn't want to take any chances of offending the Kage. He already didn't seem to like her for merely not being Naruto.
"Sure." Kankuro turned to go back down the hill. Gaara followed him, arms still crossed shoulders still tense. This was going to be a long day.