Naruto awakens to his body shivering uncontrollably from the bone chilling morning air. He looks about the tent and can tell that sunrise will not be too long from now. Next to him is the reason that he woke up cold, again. After their night together in the ryokan he and Hinata have been sharing their sleeping bags at night. Naruto's is unfolded and used as the base while Hinata's is used as the cover for the both of them, well sort of. This way they could sleep close to each other every night and continue enjoying the others close proximity as they fall asleep. Of course this had gotten them an eye roll from Shikamaru and a big grin from Choji on the first night when they all had slept in the big tent together. After the little trick Ino and the others had pulled he and Hinata had been a little leery of staying at another ryokan, unsure what other surprises might be waiting for them at their next stop.
As he looks down at the peaceful face sticking out of the bedroll Naruto thinks, not for the first time on this trip, how she looks like a caterpillar wrapped up in a cocoon with its cute little face sticking out. Soon she will awaken and emerge like a butterfly bringing peace and beauty into his life. Honestly though, he would never have thought Hinata would turn out to be the cover hog type when she gets cold. Unfortunately, the temperature had dropped in last few days and had only gotten colder at night once they reached the desert.
Naruto doesn't really mind that she has stolen the covers again, because he knows that she will do like she has done for the last few mornings. She will blush and apologize, but once he tells her it is okay she will unravel the blanket and invite him to come inside to get warm. How could he complain, or get angry when he knows such a pleasant reward awaits him for being so understanding. Instead he lets himself enjoy something that until recently he was too dense to notice or appreciate. He studies Hinata's face, which is now at ease with none of the concerns that always seemed to be there when they were younger, and let's his eyes feast on her beauty.
Hinata's slipping into consciousness is marked by a sharp intake of breath followed by her eyes blinking a few times to bring the world into focus. Once that smile, meant only for him touches not only her features but her eyes as well, Naruto forgets how cold he is and leans in for his first kiss of the day.
Hinata enjoys her good morning kiss, trying not to think about the fact that there are others in the tent, until she notices how cold Naruto's nose feels when it touches her skin. She pulls back and looks down to see that once again Naruto is without any cover and she is wrapped up nice and warm. She can feel her hands start to fidget nervously together as she looks up into Naruto's eyes apologetically. "I did it again, I am so sorry. You are going to get really mad at me one of these days, and I'll deserve it too."
She told herself as she fell asleep last night that she was not going to do that to Naruto again, because he might start to second guess sleeping with someone who is going to steal his blankets every night, and instead go back to separate bedrolls. Hinata wants to be a source of comfort to Naruto at night. She does not want them to be a couple that shares a bed, but still sleeps apart. Falling asleep wrapped up in his arms and pressed up against his body has become like an addiction to her now. It is something that she now looks forward to all day, and she does not want to think about falling asleep alone ever again.
Naruto shakes his head and leans in and gives Hinata another kiss. "I can't imagine that ever happening." Once she wiggles around and opens the blankets he climbs inside, letting out a contented sigh as her warmth banishes the morning chill from his body. "If I got mad, then you wouldn't invite me inside to get warm and that would be really stupid of me tenshi." He lets out another contented sigh as she wraps an arm around him and draws his body closer to her own.
Hinata rubs her cheek against Naruto's as their bodies slowly press closer and closer together. "Hmmm, you are being exceptionally nice for somebody who woke up cold and without his blanket a couple of mornings straight. If I did not know what a big sleepy head you are in the mornings, I might have accused you of waking up early and slipping out so that you could guilt me into cuddling with you." She gives him a shrug that such antics would not be required to get a morning cuddle.
Naruto's scrunches his nose as he thinks about what Hinata had just said. "Hey, that is a great idea. I might have to save that for later." He begins to slide the fingers of his left hand lightly up from Hinata's waist towards a particularly sensitive spot on her ribs.
Outside the tent, near the slowly reawakening small campfire, Shikamaru rolls his eyes and lets out a little sigh of exasperation when he hears a burst of giggling erupt from inside. He knew this mission was going to be annoying as soon as the Hokage had told him, but even he had not thought about how bad it was going to get before they reached the Hidden Sand Village. Hopefully, there will not be any problems and they will reach their destination sometime today, if they hurry that is.
He had counted on Naruto being playful with his girlfriend, that annoyance was expected. The trick played by Ino and the others was not, and the awkwardness that resulted afterwards has made the last few days barely tolerable. He knew the moment Choji had wanted to go to the ryokan that something was up and that their mission was about to take an unexpected turn.
FLASHBACK
Choji, his hands now clasped behind his head in victory after getting everyone to agree to go to the ryokan, turns and heads down the road whistling a happy tune. When he looks over and sees the skeptical look on Shikamaru's face he glances over his shoulder to see how close the others are before looking back at his friend. "What, am I wrong about you being happy to not have to set up camp? You always talked about what a drag it was to have to set up a tent and get a fire going when we were genin."
Shikamaru lets out a bored sigh and shakes his head. "That is not the problem and you know it Choji. Do I even want to know why you suddenly want to go back to the ryokan that every time it gets brought up in a conversation you complain about the food? Now you want to not only go there, but pay for everybody's room and meal." The moment Choji's smile softens to a nervous smirk he knows exactly why they are going to this ryokan and who put Choji up to this whole thing. "Ino." It is not a question, it is statement of fact that there are only two people who can make Choji smirk nervously like that and his mom would not being trying to get the group to be staying at an expensive ryokan.
"For the record, I said that the food is good except that the portions are too small for the price." Choji reaches into his jacket and pulls out a slip of paper and hands it over to Shikamaru. "Ino told me to give this to you when you figured things out."
When unfolded the few words on the paper make everything very clear.
Do it, or else.
END FLASHBACK
Ino had everything planned out, and Choji was her pawn to make sure that everything went according to her plan. They both found out exactly what she had planned after Naruto walked up to Choji with a particularly annoyed look on his face and asked if he knew about the trick.
Choji had held up his hands and said that Ino had told him that she wanted to treat them to a nice meal as a gift to Hinata for her new promotion. He had no knowledge of any trick, or he would have said something to both of them and accepted Ino's wrath. After Naruto explained that it had been a honeymoon suite Shikamaru was not sure who was apologizing more, Choji or the owners of the Ryokan for their part in a prank.
Hinata to her credit had taken charge of the situation and absolved both parties from any guilt and refused the offered refund from the owner, saying that their stay had been pleasant and they deserved the money that had been paid for the room and meal by Ino. The owner and his wife counter offered by saying that Naruto and Hinata were welcome to stay for free the next time they came by, in any room they desired. Naruto had quickly agreed to the offer and gave Hinata a strange smirk that had stopped any opposition to his acceptance of the deal.
After they left the ryokan some more information was shared and Shikamaru learned that Ino was only one of a group of nosey women to have arranged things. They had ensured Choji's loyalty with a mixture of threats and money for his dinner tab at the ryokan. Which explained why, after all of his previous complaining about their prices, that Choji had ate himself into a near meat coma with grilled short ribs that night.
Speaking of grilled meats, the scent of thick cut bacon grilling over coals in the corner of the fire pit is making Shikamaru's stomach begin to growl. Choji, who had joined him outside when Naruto's chattering teeth had woke them both up, is slowly turning the skewers with a gleam of anticipation. While he himself is not a big meat eater on a daily basis, Shikamaru has to admit that Choji's cooking is something to look forward too on a mission. Especially when he breaks out some of the thick cut smoked bacon that has been cured with the Akamichi Clan's secret blend of wood and seasonings.
Choji's cheeks are almost aching from the smile on his face as he watches the edges of the bacon begin to curl and turn brown. His mom had given him a couple extra slabs to take along; one was to be given to Yukata's family as a gift. The other she had told him to take along to keep his strength up for his big date. He is not sure if she meant it the way he interpreted, but he is sure that he doesn't want to know if she was hinting about him getting intimate with Yukata. Heck, he knows his mom is looking forward to being a grandma, and soon by the way she has been hinting lately, but he and Yukata have only been on a few dates and exchanged several letters. They are not Kiba and Ino, he is happy right now taking things slow and savoring every step of their relationship.
As Naruto and Hinata exit the tent Choji can't help but feel another pang of guilt for his part in what happen on the first night of their mission. Ino had said that she was wanting to give Naruto and Hinata a present for their first diplomatic mission together and treat them to an expensive kaiseki at the ryokan. He told them that she had not asked him for any other favors, but it seems everyone silently agreed to avoid another mishap and camp out the rest of their way to the Hidden Sand Village, that and step up their pace a little.
Choji gestures down at the fire as Naruto and Hinata wave in his direction. "Breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes, I just got to get the water heated up for some tea."
Naruto nods and points that they are going to head over to a nearby outcropping of rocks. He has decided that this is his last chance to talk to Hinata privately before they reach the Hidden Sand Village. Not that he has had much luck the last few days when he thought the moment was perfect to tell her his feelings.
After the incident at the ryokan he just couldn't get his mind to focus on talking to Hinata about something so personal when all he wanted to do was go back and yell at those women for that trick. Honestly, it had been a magical first night, one that he and Hinata probably would not have thought of themselves, but that all feels tainted since it was a setup. Kurama told him that he was just being an idiot and that Ino and the others were probably as frustrated with how long something so simple was taking to reach its obvious conclusion. Besides aren't they sleeping together now thanks to their night together in the ryokan.
The following few days have not fared any better. They reached the Land of Waterfalls the next day and after they had finished setting up camp he and Hinata had set down beside a nearby waterfall to eat their dinner. For some reason her cheeks had been flushed as they sat beside the waterfall watching the feeble light of the waning moon shimmer off of the spray. Everything seemed perfect, the location, the lighting, and of course the company. He had put his hand on top of hers, which began to tremble as he opened his mouth to speak. The moment was not even broken when his plate slipped out of his free hand and fell onto the ground. What did wreck the moment was the attack by a wild troop of monkeys which leapt out of the nearby trees to steal the food on the plate that he had just dropped and from Hinata's as well. It must have been a large troop because they heard Choji's angry shouts coming from the camp as well. Trying to drive off the little pests without just slaughtering the whole bunch took a while and they did not sleep much that night because of all of the noise the monkey's kept making from the trees overhead. Thankfully the monkeys did move on sometime before dawn and they were able to get some rest, but he was just too tired to put together a coherent sentence and Hinata looked exhausted as well.
Their first day in the desert had been uneventful at least right up to the moment where he was going to try again. It was fairly dark when he had asked Hinata to go for a walk. The waning moon was almost gone, so he didn't notice the cactus till after he had sat down. So any thoughts of that being the perfect moment was banished when he let out a pain filled scream as a dozen or more sharp needles pierced right through his pants and into his buttocks. He couldn't really blame Hinata for laughing after the initial shock had worn off, but Choji falling over and laughing so hard that he started passing gas was something that still makes Naruto's face redden with shame. Especially, when he started snickering again when Naruto's shadow clones started pulling out the spines and Naruto would visibly shake with pain while trying not to scream out like a baby for Hinata to hear. She had thankfully gone and waited inside the tent while Naruto pulled down his pants near the fire so that the guys and his clones could assess the damage. Yeah that had been Shikamaru's little joke, 'assess', which caused Choji to start laughing all over again.
So here he is, the pain mostly gone thanks to the Hyuga clan healing salve from Hinata's pack and his own rapid healing, walking with Hinata in the morning light looking for a nice soft dune to sit on and talk. The sun is starting to rise and is painting the desert landscape in an amazing number of different hues of red and orange. The color scheme seems ironically poignant and maybe this was why everything else has gone wrong and this is their destined 'perfect moment' for him to finally say 'I love you' to Hinata and so much more.
Hinata lets out a contented sigh as the sun slowly rises and banishes the desert's morning chill from her body. She knows that this is only going to be a temporary relief, and soon that welcoming warmth will change into near lung searing levels that will make them all wish for the morning chill to return. It doesn't matter, she is with Naruto and even with all of the strange things that have been occurring ever since they left the Leaf Village she will not complain. That is as long as nothing happens to tear them apart from each other, then she will do a lot more than complain. Hinata banishes those negative thoughts from her mind and snuggles closer to Naruto. One thing is sad in a way, now that they are spending their nights sleeping right next to each other she has grown used to his scent, even when she presses her head close to his body. It takes a few hours of walking in the open air till her sense of smell can reset, which makes the first few minutes together in bed at night oh so sweet.
Naruto clears his throat to make sure that his voice doesn't crack before looking over at Hinata. "Hey, before we go back…"
"Yes, what is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata turns her body slightly to get a better look at Naruto's face, and she notices that he is smiling at her strangely. 'He wants to make out in front of this beautiful sunrise before we go back. That is so romantic.' Without any hesitation she leans forward and kisses Naruto on his chin and then another one firmly on his lips.
Naruto, surprised by this unexpected turn of events only hesitates for a moment before he reaches over and places a hand on Hinata's waist to deepen their kiss. Slowly, not caring that they will be shaking sand out of all sorts of uncomfortable places for the rest of the day they lay down upon the slope of the dune to continue making out in a more comfortable position.
Hinata slides a hand over and rubs it firmly against Naruto's chest and enjoys the thrill running through her body as she feels the hard muscles underneath. She thinks back to that morning she walked into his room and saw him standing there shirtless. With that image firmly in mind she closes her eyes and merges that with the sensation her hand is feeling. She would have let out a little moan if her mouth was not already occupied.
As her lips part Naruto does not pass up the chance to let his tongue dart in and rubs it against Hinata's. As her body shudders in response her head shifts a little, allowing him to slip his tongue to the area underneath her own. He had done this by accident the first time, and now it is one of his favorite things to do when they kiss like they are now. There is something about the soft, warm, and oh so slippery sensation that drives him crazy. Fortunately, Hinata doesn't seem to mind.
Hinata rolls her tongue around a little to increase the sensation of the rough side of Naruto's tongue against the sensitive underside of her own. While she does enjoy that feeling and her boyfriend's excitement when she lets him do it, the slight gagging sensation of her own tongue being pushed to the back of her throat when Naruto's enthusiasm get a little too much and sticks his tongue too far does bother her sometimes. Once they part to catch their breath she turns her head to the side and lets him take out his enthusiasm on her neck. At least her outfit has a high collar if his enthusiasm becomes too passionate. The happy growl he makes as his lips dance along her throat causes her to respond with a purr of her own.
Naruto ignores the fine grit powdering Hinata's flesh and instead focuses on what seems to elicit the best response from his girlfriend. There is this little groove of soft flesh between her esophagus and her neck muscles that he likes to give some extra attention. When he kisses the left neck muscle, followed by a few seconds of licking in the soft area, her body tenses and then shivers in an amazing way. His left hand seeks out her right and their fingers dance together tenderly as if working jointly to weave a jutsu to enhance the moment even more.
Hinata, her eyes half-closed in euphoria, looks out across the desert. In the distance she can see that the red and orange colors from just a few minutes ago have already begun to fade into an almost bleak looking dirty yellow color. Her free hand slides up Naruto's back, dislodging any sand that might be stuck to his neck, and brushes her fingertips through his now short cropped hair. She sometimes misses the sensation of the unruly mess of hair that she used to play with, but she has to admit he does look more handsome with his hair styled as it is now.
Hinata's body tenses as she catches a slight movement underneath the sand and whatever it is seems to be moving in their direction. "Naruto stop. Something is coming in our direction."
His first thought was to ignore Hinata, knowing that Choji and Shikamaru have enough sense to walk away when they would see that he and Hinata are busy. When he realizes that she did not add the honorific to his name he knows that she means something serious and raises up to look in the same direction as Hinata. He doesn't see anything, but he knows better than to discount anything that she says so he begins to gather natural chakra.
Hinata takes the hint and activates her byakugan to see what is trying to sneak up on them during their private moment. To her surprise she sees a huge serpentine shape slithering its way underneath the sand heading straight for her and Naruto. She moves along the sand, careful not to disturb Naruto, all the time looking more carefully at the giant snake. Just as it breeches the surface and rears back, sending sand in every direction, Hinata realizes why this snake's chakra network looks so odd and why there are four different signatures inside the serpent.
The huge wooden head of the serpent undulates back and forth above them as its wickedly spiked tail rises up out of the sand several meters away. As its mouth opens to let out a raspy hiss its neck collapses to form the shape of a massive cobra. All that the two can really focus on are the pair of massive fangs hanging downward like spears from its open mouth and the glistening wetness at their tips.
Naruto, who is about to step protectively in front of Hinata glances over at the deadly looking beauty beside him, instead he stands by her side with a rasengan glowing in his right hand. Naruto pauses when he notices the familiar chakra of Kankurō inside the serpent along with three other younger people. Naruto smiles as he holds out his rasengan and changes it to a rasenshuriken. "Nice toy Kankurō, are you here to put it through a real test?" His smile broadens as Hinata takes a slight step forward, ready to deflect any darts the puppet may send forth and allow him to attack safely from a distance. Their time practicing together has put them in perfect sync tactically so that now without a word each can fight using their strengths without getting in the way of the other.
A panel opens up at the base of the serpent's hood and the familiar face of Kankurō appears. He gives them a wave just before he steps out onto the panel door and poses triumphantly. "I just got this baby built, so there is no way I want to push its durability to the limits on its maiden voyage. I'll take you up on that offer the next time you come to the Land of Air. I bet my genin would love the chance to test themselves against a pair of shinobi of your calibers." With that three more panels open up along the giant puppet and a shinobi steps up out of each.
"I would be more than happy to take you all on for a friendly match." Naruto points his thumb over his shoulder just as Choji and Shikamaru can be heard reaching the top of the dune. "Actually, I think it would be more fun to watch Choji go all giant mode and wrestle that big snake of yours. What do you say, the loser buys lunch?"
Kankurō's reply is to hold up his hands in surrender and laugh. As Naruto and the others come closer he jumps down to formally greet everyone. When he and Naruto bumps fists Kankurō leans in to speak more privately. "Sorry about the interruption." He then nods his head towards Hinata and touches the side of his neck with his free hand.
Naruto blushes a little when he sees what Kankurō is trying to point out. On the side of Hinata's neck, highlighted by a dusting of congealed sand is a pair of lip prints, his lips prints to be exact. So while Kankurō is busy shaking hands with the others Naruto leans over and tells Hinata about the evidence on her neck.
To keep it from looking obvious that she is trying to dislodge any evidence Hinata rubs her neck against her collar when she bows her greeting to Kankurō. Once her greeting is complete she looks over at a smirking Naruto and shakes her head a little in disbelief. Even the desert seems to be conspiring to keep them from safely sharing a private moment.
Kankurō apologizes for sneaking up on everyone unannounced, but he had been sent by the Kazekage to intercept them as quickly as possible. He and his team are racing against a storm system that is heading directly across Naruto's expected path. "Temari said that she was sure Shikamaru would be coming through this section of the desert." He gives Shikamaru a roguish wink, which elicits a chuckle from Naruto and Choji.
Shikamaru ignores the chuckling and suppressed giggle from his teammates and presses Kankurō for more information. "I assume that this storm is expected to be dangerous. So how bad of a storm are you talking about?"
Kankurō points towards the south where dark clouds can be seen and even more ominous is the brown clouds where the sky and ground meet on the horizon. "It's a big storm cell coming up from the coast, so squads have been sent to intercept all known parties heading towards the Sand Village that have not yet arrived. This is one of those rare storms that is expected to dump rain and a lot of it in a short time. People who are not familiar with the area could end up in a flash flood zone and drown. I decided to use my new puppet, just in case we cannot reach shelter before the storm reaches us. That and I wanted a chance to show off."
Naruto points excitedly towards the giant serpent. "Wait, you mean you got extra space inside?"
Kankurō studiously avoids Naruto's sidelong gaze towards Choji and instead gives a shrug. "Yes, this thing was built to also transport extra supplies for long-range desert missions, or an extra squad for quick assault missions. A few of the compartments are a little small so I hope you don't mind sitting really close together." He clears his throat to silence the snickering coming from his genin who are all looking in Naruto and Hinata's direction.
Naruto's excitement at riding inside the giant puppet faded pretty quickly when it became apparent that if you were not part of the driving team that there really wasn't much to do or see. The curved, ever undulating walls moved in an almost hypnotic pattern, which along with the dim light and warmth of several bodies in a confined space, almost put Naruto to sleep.
Even with the giant puppet sliding under the surface the power of the storm could still be heard and felt. One time they had found an area where the storm had carved a deep channel and the puppet had breached through and onto the surface, exposing it briefly to the full power of the storm. Naruto, who had been sitting with the others of his team right behind where Kankurō was seated, had to loan Kankurō some of Kurama's chakra to help him strengthen his control of the huge puppet. After that near disaster, Kankurō had drove the giant puppet into the lee of a rocky outcropping and waited till the storm had subsided somewhat before continuing their journey to the Hidden Sand Village.
Late in the morning of the next day the puppet comes to a stop near the entrance to the Hidden Sand Village. Once his passengers disembark, Kankurō waves goodbye telling them that he will see them tonight at the celebration.
After checking in with the guards at the entrance, Naruto and the others make their way down the narrow canyon towards the village. The imposing walls on either side makes them feel a little claustrophobic, as if at any moment the two halves will slam together crushing them into a decorative stain on the walls. As the light at the end slowly grows so does the buzzing sound of people going about their daily lives.
When they step out of the dimly lit canyon and back into the sunlight they see a familiar face amongst the small cluster of people gathered to greet their group. The others wonder if Shikamaru's sigh is one of relief at seeing his girlfriend, or if he is preparing himself for the teasing banter that he will be subjected to very soon.
Hinata notices that the kunoichi standing beside Temari is staring at Naruto in a strange manner. It takes Hinata a moment to remember that the Sand Village kunoichi's name is Matsuri. They had taken the chunin exam together some years ago; it had been the one where her whole team had gotten their promotion to chunin. The girl's eyes seem to roam up and down Naruto with a shy smile on her face. Most people would say that the girl's shy smile is very pretty, one that would make you want to smile back, but at this moment all the smile does for Hinata is make the back of her neck feel itchy in concern.
Hinata remembers how Matsuri had verbally praised Naruto's skills while he was fighting on the battlefield during the war. A complement that she had agreed with all those years ago, but now for some reason that memory combined with the strange smile on the young woman's face is making Hinata feel uneasy. 'Is she going to turn out to be another one of Naruto's fangirls? Is this something that I will have to watch him endure every time we go someplace that knows him and they have not heard that we are dating?' Hinata resists the urge to make a public spectacle of herself by displaying her affection for everyone to see, like kissing Naruto on the cheek. Instead she takes a half step closer to Naruto so that their shoulders are almost touching. When Matsuri's eyes look over in her direction Hinata does her best to pointedly ignore the girl and instead focus her attention back onto Temari.
Temari bows and greets Naruto and the others formally, along with the small group of Sand Villagers that are with her, before placing her hands on her hips cockily. "It is good to see that you made it safely. The Kazekage was concerned when the weather report showed a large storm coming through about the same time you were scheduled to arrive." Her eyes look over and focus on Shikamaru as if to assess his condition. "It seems as though you traveled through the worst part of the storm, and you are the last of the expected guests to arrive." Seeing that everything is okay her face breaks into a teasing smile as if to accuse Shikamaru of just being too lazy to get here with time to spare.
Naruto does not miss the look Temari is giving, or the harrumph that comes from Shikamaru in response. He waves his hand in the air apologetically and then bows slightly in contrition. "I am the one to blame for us getting here with no time to spare. I was enjoying opportunity to spend some uninterrupted time walking with Hinata, and I guess that I was walking too slowly." He smirks when he feels Hinata grab ahold of his arm out of embarrassment for being made the center of attention all of a sudden. "Shikamaru did his best to nag us into hurrying up so that we could get here much sooooonerrrr." Naruto lets his voice trail off at the end so that everyone will think that Shikamaru's reason for wanting to get here so quickly might have been for personal reasons.
Shikamaru's brows furrow in annoyance and he turns slightly away from the crowd, deciding to not give Temari or Naruto the satisfaction of a protest. Temari seems to take great pleasure in forcing him into talking when he would prefer to just sit quietly and think. Not that conversations with Temari are boring, on the contrary she is well read and thinks about what she is going to say before she opens her mouth to speak, unlike some people he knows.
Choji stifles his laughter with a fake bout of coughing as Hinata slaps Naruto's arm reproachfully for doing the same thing to Shikamaru that the rest of their friends have been doing to them ever since they started dating. Naruto just shrugs and whispers into her ear. "If what I did was so wrong, then why are you smiling?"
Temari, seeing that Shikamaru is weighing his options to find the best tactical way to get himself out of this mess, decides to take control of the situation. She steps up and hooks one of her arms around his and pats it almost condescendingly. "Let me take you to where you will be staying while you are visiting the Hidden Sand Village." She turns her head and looks over at Choji, who is trying his best to not look like he is scanning the crowd. "Yukata drew the short straw this morning and is currently out on patrol with Mikoshi, but don't worry she will be back before the festival." She gives him a little wink before turning her attention back on Shikamaru. "So, you were trying to get here quickly. Well, that is good to know. Why don't you tell me all about your trip, and please do not leave out any details. You know how much I love hearing you talk about the details."
Shikamaru takes in a long slow breath to calm his thoughts, hoping that where they will be staying is close. Part of him wants to tell her about the trick Ino and the others played on Naruto and Hinata on their first night out, but he is not a petty person and would not do that to a friend out of spite. Besides, that would just lead into more nosey questions from Temari.
Matsuri bows and gestures for the others to follow Temari, she then takes up the rear guard position.
When Temari comes to a stop a little while later Shikamaru just looks at her in confusion. "I thought you were going to show us to where we are staying? Why are we here instead, does the Kazekage want to talk with us first?" He gestures towards the large multi-level tan building, that has been the home of the Kazekages all the way back to the village's founding.
Temari just shakes her head. "Actually, the four of you are going to be the guests of the Kazekage for the duration of your visit." She gestures towards the guard standing out front who bows before opening the door for them to enter. Once everyone is inside and the door is closed Temari waves her free hand slowly to draw everyone's attention to the large entry hall and its decorations. While not sparse the room is not cluttered either. All of the wall hangings and artwork seem to have been chosen to give the room a sense of purpose and calm, not unlike the current Kazakage himself. The center of the room is dominated by a large crystal chandelier that sends out little beams of light in every direction.
"You see, after Kankurō and I moved out the Kazekage has lived in this big house on his own. He has someone coming by a couple of times a week to tidy up, but otherwise he lives like a bachelor. Kankurō says that the Kazekage is a pretty good cook, and seems to enjoy preparing his own meals when he has the time." Temari shakes her head sadly as if to say that the Kazekage spending his time alone cooking only for himself seems like such a waste.
Naruto, who had been looking about the room in open mouth awe, finally speaks up. "Wait, I don't want to be a bother to Gaa… I mean the Kazekage. He doesn't need to put himself out." He steps over beside Hinata who is busily checking out the desert flower arrangement on the table directly underneath the large chandelier.
Temari waves her hand back and forth a few times to tell Naruto not to worry. "I think it will do him some good to have some guests in his place. Though there were some whispers of protest in the council when word got out that you were to be his guest. I mean, you did nearly kill him the last time you were in the village."
The whole room goes suddenly quiet. Hinata covers her mouth in disbelief that Temari would bring up that topic so casually, while Naruto just hangs his head in shame. Choji puckers his lips and lets out a silent whistle while taking a sudden interest in the pattern of a nearby vase.
When she looks over to see Shikamaru staring at her cautiously Temari just shrugs as if what she just said was no big deal. "Well, Gaara just told the whole council that they were not to bring up that particular subject ever again. That, and the fact that he is the Kazekage so he can offer such an honor to whoever he wants." What she does not say is that the dissent from the council was not just a mild protest but a full on tirade from a few of the more hawkish members of the council. Things had quickly gone quiet when Gaara had stood up and stared intently at the offending council members.
Shikamaru smirks at how Temari had not only dealt with the obvious issue of Naruto's last visit and squashed any further objections that they might have about being the guests of the Kazekage in one quick statement. Naruto now knows that his training incident will not be a topic of conversation unless he brings it up, and that Gaara is not holding any sort of grudge. Very well played he must admit.
Temari, after seeing the knowing smirk on her boyfriend's face, points towards the staircase. "Shikamaru, you and Choji will be staying in the bedrooms on the second floor." She then points over to Naruto and Hinata before gesturing towards Matsuri to show them the way. "You two will be staying on the third floor, Matsuri will show you which rooms will be yours during your stay in the village."
Matsuri leads Naruto and Hinata up to the third floor, along the way she points out the location of pertinent rooms they might find interesting or need during the stay. One of the rooms is a library that Gaara uses to read and relax at the end of the day. Another has a small indoor garden to grow rare herbs for culinary and sometimes medicinal uses. Halfway down the hall on the third floor she stops and gestures to a door on the right and bows to Naruto. "Uzumaki-san this room has been made ready for your use, it and Hyuga-san's room have their own small bathroom." Once Naruto nods in acknowledgement, Matsuri gestures with her left arm towards the room a couple of meters down the hall and on the left. "Hyuga-san that room is for you, and if there is anything that you either of you need please let Temari-san or the Kazekage-sama know and I will do my best to fulfill that request."
Naruto and Hinata stare at each other for a moment. They knew that this was going to happen as soon as they reached the Sand Village, but that knowledge does not change the fact that they are both now feeling very lonely at the thought of sleeping without the other tonight. Hinata is the first one to find their voice, and she turns and bows appreciatively to Matsuri. "Thank you very much Matsuri-san, please tell the Kazekage-sama that we appreciate his hospitality and are honored that he is letting us stay in his home."
Naruto crosses his arms behind his head as his looks about. "Yeah, he didn't have to go to some much trouble. I have not even been inside the Hokage's residence, so this is kind of neat. Everything is so organized and… clean." Naruto elbows Hinata and smiles at his own self-deprecating joke. He even teased her once, along their way to the Sand Village, about how his place was unfortunately going to look just like he left it when he gets home. This of course elicited a very cute blush from his girlfriend, about how she has been slipping into his place to clean when he is gone.
Matsuri smiles as she watches them interact and hates to interrupt what is obviously a private joke between Naruto and Hinata. "Uzumaki-san, the Kazekage felt that you would like to stay somewhere that would be fairly private and away from unwanted interruptions. Especially since the village is very full with visitors from all over that have come for the festival." She glances away for a moment respectfully so as to not insult the Kazekage's guest with the real reason for such a generous offer. It is obvious that Gaara knows of Naruto's problems with pushy fangirls, who may not know of Naruto's new relationship status, and he is providing a place of refuge for his friend during his stay. Ironically this may also be protecting the health and welfare of the fangirls as well, if they were not able to take a hint.
"The Kazekage also asked to speak with you privately up on the wall once you have gotten settled in and freshened up." She bows apologetically when Naruto glances over at Hinata. "He did want to meet with you at the gate, but there was a schedule conflict at the time." Matsuri, not willing to let her Kazekage down, becomes a little more insistent. "He did not say what it is that he needs to discuss, but I could tell by the way he spoke that he wants to discuss something with you that is very important."
It does not take a byakugan for Hinata to see that Naruto wants to spend some quality time with her, and she feels exactly the same way, but she knows that it is time to put aside their personal desires and focus completely on the mission. "Go on Naruto-kun, it would be rude to keep the Kazekage waiting, or to refuse after he has opened up his home." She reaches out and squeezes his hand affectionately. "Besides I need to unpack to get my things out and organized for tonight. You know that it takes us women extra time to make sure that everything is perfect before we go out. It would not do for Uzumaki Naruto's diplomatic attaché to look like she is… unworthy of her posting." When he begins to make his inevitable protest of who is going to look like they do not belong in a room full of rich and influential people, Hinata places one finger on his lips and shakes her head.
After she turns and walks into her room all Naruto can do is let out a little sigh at how empty he suddenly feels without her right beside him now. He turns to look over at Matsuri to see that she is politely studying the wall. He chuckles at what a mess he must look right now and then clears his throat. "Please tell the Kazekage that I will meet him up on the wall after I wash off some of the sand I collected while being tossed around inside Kankurō's new puppet, let's say in about 30 minutes. I assume he wants to meet at the same place we talked the last time I was here in the Sand Village." After a nod of affirmation from Matsuri he heads into his own room.
Hinata, completely alone for the first time in almost a week, pulls of her stocking and lays down on the bed to relax for a little while before beginning the process of getting ready for tonight's party. She looks down at her feet and wiggles her toes in elation. Her boots, while very fashionable, we're designed for walking on firm surfaces not the ever shifting sands of a desert. So you would have thought the ride in the giant snake to have been a relief, but the cramped quarters had left everyone no room to stretch without invading someone else's space. She had sat nearly motionless, pressed up against Naruto for about a day, her feet and butt slowly going numb. Unfortunately, the shoes she had brought to wear tonight promise to continue the torture of her feet for several more hours today. She laughs dryly at the irony of all of the torment that women go through all in the name of fashion, and to be a little taller.
Maybe she can ask Naruto for a foot rub after the party. The way he touched her feet in the changing room recently had felt so wonderful, so a full foot massage would probably be amazing after wearing those shoes. Hinata lets out a long sigh because this means she needs to do yet another thing to get ready tonight. She will need to shave her legs just in case, even though she will be wearing a full length kimono tonight.
Kurenai-sensei had reminded her about that the night she had changed at her sensei's house for Hanabi's surprise birthday party. With all of the music, dancing, and people all around partying; it can be infectious so she should be prepared for something romantic happening after the party. Nothing ruins the mood like wondering if your legs feel like a porcupine, or if you stink. The guy will say it is okay if asked, but they still notice. Kurenai said that most times men are so caught up in the moment that they don't even think about such stuff until the passion has cooled off, by that time a bad impression may have already been made. Not that she believes Naruto would hold it against her, but she will know and will obsess about it every time they are together afterwards.
Hinata's eyes begin to grow heavy as the softness of the bed drains the tension from her body. Her brain keeps telling her to get up, but her flesh is whispering for just a few more minutes of relaxation. Her whole body jerks when a soft knocking at her door snaps her back into consciousness. "Yes, who is it?" She glances about nervously looking for a clock, hoping that she has not fallen asleep and it is Naruto coming to pick her up for the party.
After a momentary pause Matsuri speaks in an apologetic tone. "I am sorry if I woke you Hyuga-san. I can come back later."
Hinata sits up and swings her feet over the side of the bed. "No, it's okay. I need to get up and unpack, so please come in Matsuri-san." When the door opens Hinata sees that Matsuri is carrying a tray with a pitcher and a couple of glasses.
Matsuri puts the tray on the side table and offers to pour Hinata a glass of cold-water flavored lightly with slices of sweet cactus fruit. The two girls both drink as an awkward silence begins to build in the room. Matsuri fidgets with the glass and sips nervously at its contents till she is able to build up enough confidence to speak. "How?"
Hinata looks at the girl with concern and confusion. Matsuri is so visibly nervous and hunched up that her chin is nearly tucked under the hitai-ate around her neck. "What do mean, how?" The strange way Matsuri was looking at Naruto earlier immediately comes to mind and Hinata begins to feel a little uneasy.
Matsuri puts down the glass with trembling hands and nearly spills its remaining contents. "How did you do it Hyuga-san? I know from what Temari-sama has said that you have been in love with Naruto from afar for a very long time. She said that it was obvious during her first chunin exam how you felt about Naruto. Especially how hard you kept fighting during the third round, even when it was obvious that you were outmatched by Neji. She said that you seem to keep going just because Naruto was there watching and cheering you on." She smiles apologetically for what she is about to say next. "She also said that it was obvious that he was the only one oblivious to how you really felt."
Hinata laughs at the undeniable truth. For the longest time she thought that she had kept her crush on Naruto a secret from everyone, but the only person who was being fooled was Naruto.
Matsuri's hands overlap over her heart as a teary-eyed smile graces her face. "When Temari-sama came back from the Leaf Village's New Year's Festival and brought back word that you and Uzumaki-san are now dating it was such good news. I have never seen Gaara so happy before in my life." She reaches up and wipes away a tear from her cheek at the sight of the Kazekage actually smiling. Not a crooked smirk of amusement, but a real teeth showing smile followed a deep sigh of relief.
Hinata immediately notices how Matsuri's voice changed when she said 'Gaara', and she didn't add sama or even call him Kazekage either. Hinata is beginning to understand what Matsuri meant by, 'How?' and what she might want with that information.
Matsuri coughs to clear away the lump in her throat and takes a quick sip of water before continuing. "I saw Naruto the last time he was here, he looked so sad and lonely even while completely surrounded by people who wanted to meet and talk with him. It was Gaara that was the first to notice and it was he who offered a sparring match between him and Naruto. From what Temari-sama said later, he and Naruto-san had bonded the last time they fought and it was during the fight that Naruto opened Gaara's heart to a better path." It was obvious that Gaara wanted to get Naruto to open up about what had been bothering him lately and hopefully help his friend heal like it had been done for him by Naruto.
Matsuri covers her mouth with a trembling hand as she looks down at her feet. "It didn't… didn't go well and…"
Hinata steps up and wraps her arms around Matsuri. She easily recognizes the same heartbreak of feeling so helpless when the one she loves is in pain. The two kunoichi just stand there with the sides of their heads gently pressing against each other till Matsuri can find her voice again. "Gaara blames himself for what happened and not coming up with a better way to reach Uzumaki-san. He stood there beside Naruto-san's bed every free moment he had, and when his duties took him away he assigned me to keep watch. I was to send the Kazakage word as soon as Naruto showed the first sign of waking up."
Matsuri hugs Hinata tightly and sniffs loudly. "I was nearly brought to tears of joy when I saw the two of you walk into the village hand-in-hand. His face filled with the happiness that everyone always talked about, but I never noticed till today." Matsuri leans back and looks deeply into Hinata's eyes. "How did you do it, how did you go from standing in the shadows to standing by his side so quick and easy? How did you heal his broken heart, and in the process finally win his heart for your own?"
Hinata leads Matsuri over to the bed and the two sit down side-by-side. Hinata takes a deep breath and looks up towards the ceiling as she lets it out slowly. "I'm sorry, it just sounds odd being asked how I went from being the girl who could barely even be called his friend to being his girlfriend in the context of quick and easy."
Hinata takes one of Matsuri's hands between her own and smiles at her gently. "Would the heart of a certain Kazekage be the reason for your question?" When Matsuri looks away blushing and then nods Hinata gives her hand a loving squeeze. "I am so happy for the both of you and I know Naruto-kun will be overjoyed when he finds out as well."
Matsuri gives her a sad smile. "I don't think Gaara feels the same way about me, Hyuga-san."
Hinata shakes her head at Matsuri's comment. "Please just call me Hinata. I have a feeling that you and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the future when the Kazekage and Hokage meet with each other. I think a friendship between the two of us would be beneficial as well." She smiles when Matsuri seems to straighten up with more confidence. "So, tell me why you are concerned about his feelings. It seems to me that he holds you in high regard if you were assigned to keep an eye on my Naruto while he was unconscious."
Matsuri nods at Hinata's positive assessment, but as she talks her shoulders slowly begin to sag. "I am afraid that all he sees me as is his student and nothing more. Now that I am a chunin I have tried to get postings to be closer to him, but he keeps giving me assignments that while they seem important and keep me busy they also keep me away from being directly by his side like I want." She reaches up with her free hand and brushes another tear from her cheek. "It's almost like he senses that I want more and is trying to push me away. So that is why I have come to you for help, I keep hoping and praying, but…"
Hinata nods as she watches Matsuri say the exact same words that she has spoken so many times. "Naruto and Gaara are really similar in many ways. Their young lives were so devoid of any real affection without anyone explaining to them why they were treated so cruelly, and when it did happen it was not expressed gently. Love in many ways was just a word, a foreign concept emotionally. Sak…" The name catches in her throat as she remembers some advice Sakura had given her not too long before everything went to hell.
Hinata takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly knowing that while she is still angry with the source, the advice was very sound and meant to help her get closer to Naruto. "Haruna Sakura once told me that Naruto saw the word love in general terms, that he pretty much saw his love of ramen in the same concept as he felt for his old sensei Umino Iruka, or Master Jiraiya. He just didn't have the same emotional experience that we all take for granted."
"Sounds like she knows him pretty well. I guess that is to be expected from a teammate." Matsuri immediately regrets her words when she sees Hinata's expression change, and remembers that it was a fight between the two of them that broke Naruto's spirit so badly.
Hinata holds up a hand to stop Matsuri from apologizing. "Using this information I did something completely against my nature and finally took action. I put aside modern convention and instead of waiting for him to recognize me as more than just a friend I took a chance. I asked him to come to my home for my clan's Winter Solstice party, and then later I got him to agree to go out for dinner on my birthday. My heart still flutters when I think about how nervous I was when I asked, or the look on his face when I was the one to kiss him on the lips first." Hinata nods proudly as Matsuri stares at her in amazement. "I didn't want to wait any longer, so right there without asking permission I kissed Uzumaki Naruto on the lips. I could not have asked for a more wonderful birthday present than having my first kiss with him right there on my father's doorstep."
Matsuri covers her mouth and blushes brightly as she imagines doing the same to Gaara. "I could… I could never do that to the Kazakage. It is not proper for someone to touch the leader of our village without permission." She can't help but think the same thoughts that have crossed her mind when she has stared at the Kazekage when nobody else was paying any attention. Are his lips soft and warm, or are they dry and a little gritty from the sand that protects him all of the time?
Hinata leans over and grabs her stockings and pulls them up quickly, not caring if there are any wrinkles as she pulls on her boots. "That settles it, you are coming with me right now."
Matsuri can only stare in terrified confusion as the Hyuga heiress grabs her hand and leads her out of the room.