Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Once she had made a brief stop at the bank she cleared out her account, it held a reasonable sum of money, usually if she needed something she would use a credit card, but considering what she was doing that wasn't exactly a good idea she didn't want to be traced.

Though the money she had with her would run out fairly soon making it a necessity for her to get a job, she wasn't totally penniless her mother had left her a sizable inheritance. If push came to shove she would have to fall back upon that.

Truthfully she didn't know where she was headed and that pretty frightening, she had never been on her own and now she had to forge a whole new life, a different identify all the while staying hidden from her husband.

Hinata knew she couldn't hide forever, she didn't intend to, it was just until Sasuke realized that she had done this for the best and moved on. Then she would contact him and finalize their divorce. After the meddling hand that their families had played in compelling her to leave she was sure they would be happy to cooperate and help her escape his grasp.

When she arrived at the train station, she looked at the schedule and became indecisive, what should she do from here. It was tempting to just close her eyes and randomly pick a place, but she couldn't be foolish she had limited resources and no experience living on her own so it was best to choose somewhere she was at least familiar with. Scanning the list she immediately identified Kirigakure, the place where it was always raining and had one of the most magnificent lakes in Japan. She had visited there when she was a teenager for a family engagement.

It would take almost two days by train to arrive at her destination. As expected when she got there it was overcast and the rain seemed ready to pour at a moment's notice. She knew she had some time before he became aware of her disappearance, but she didn't want to take any chances so forgoing comfort she checked in to a rather questionable motel, they just took her cash and didn't ask for any identification.

That was a next problem she was going to have to create a whole new identity for herself, her last names were a dead giveaway. Looking around she noted her depressing surroundings, the squeaky bed, the stains on the carpet, the peeling wall paper.

She hadn't had a proper night's rest since Sasuke had left, she was always on edge ready to flee at the drop of a hat and eating was out of the question her stomach was perpetually tied up in knots. At very least the sheets appeared clean and smelled fresh so succumbing to her body's exhaustion she closed her eyes intending on taking a cat nap.

The sound of rain pelting upon the earth greeted her as she awoke; glancing at her watch she realized she had slept for almost three hours. She didn't feel the least bit rested, still groggy and irritable from lack of sleep.

Stepping into the shoebox they deemed a bathroom she could detect the overwhelming odour of disinfectant and though there were obvious signs of mildew and mold she cast a blind eye and showered hastily. Once she was properly dressed and had nibbled on a sandwich she sat in the middle of the bed with a notebook and a pen in her hand and tried to figure out what she should do next.

First off she needed a new identity. That wasn't as difficult as it sounded, while she didn't have that many friends she still kept in contact with a few high school friends who had always been there when she needed them. This time she needed to call upon Aburame Shino who was now a lawyer and would also be able to recommend a good divorce attorney.

She couldn't help it at the thought of arranging her own divorce made her burst out laughing and long after it ceased to be the least bit funny she was still laughing. At that point she knew that could she either continue laughing or cry and if she went with the latter she was afraid she would lose her nerve and go running back to him pretending as though she hadn't tried to leave him.

A new name, a few false official documents and credentials would get her started on rebuilding a new life for herself.

Well then she needed to find somewhere to settle down and start all over. God had she really thought this through? Could she possibly do this? Groaning Hinata flopped back on the bed staring at her ceiling as though it held the answers to her prayers.

It didn't matter anyway she had made her bed and whether she liked it or not she was going to have to lie in it.

XXX

Four months later

Dropping her keys on the counter she shrugged off her jacket before plopping down on her futon exhausted. Work had been really hectic more so than usual, the orders had come flocking in like crazy and she and the rest of the staff could hardly keep up working double time.

That's right she now worked at a diner, with her "limited" education and her insistence on keeping a low profile she took the only job that would have her. It wasn't so bad she supposed, the people she worked it were really quite nice and they didn't ask too many questions about her past.

Though she tried to keep her distance they all seemed insistent on getting her to open up telling her she was part of their family now. Ino, a pretty blond with an eye for fashion was always trying to get her out of her "frumpy" clothes and into something stylish she also provided a running commentary on the lives of well known celebrities. Then there was Kurenai who owned the diner and was a bit of a mother hen, she was always insisting that Hinata eat more declaring that a strong wind would probably knock her down.

Hinata also had a fondness for the cook, Chouji, while he could certainly eat a more than his fair share he was a culinary expert and she enjoyed cooking with him in the kitchen. When she wasn't waiting on customers you could usually find her experimenting with him in the kitchen.

Truthfully the new friends she had made had made the last few months somewhat more bearable, that wasn't to say she hadn't cried herself to sleep for the first few weeks when she had just arrived in Suna. She had chosen it not only because it was quite far from Konoha, but due to the lack of dealings Sasuke's company had with the city.

While the climate was much different from anything she had ever experienced, the distinct lack of greenery and the overwhelming presence of sand, it had its own peculiar beauty. Life here moved at a slower pace, the people were more relaxed as opposed to Konoha where they always seemed to be in a hurry, in a race against time. It hardly ever rained and there were the unexpected sandstorms, but she was quickly becoming adjusted.

She had leased a small apartment; the residents living in the building were mostly seniors and a few small families. It was a good neighbourhood granted a bit rundown, but the people were considerate and generally left her to her own devices.

Everyone here knew her as Nakamura Arata, while her chosen surname was one of the most commonplace in Japan, her first name was specially picked because it meant new and that word basically summed up all that her life was about now. It had taken a bit of getting used to hearing herself called by another name but she wasn't Uchiha-Hyuuga Hinata anymore and she couldn't allow herself to be weighed down by memories of the past if she was going to succeed.

Being extra cautious she had even gone so far as to change her appearance cutting off her long hair until it just brushed her shoulders and letting her bangs grown out, she considered dying it but with her colouring she didn't think she could pull it off too well. To disguise her most distinguishing feature she had bought herself contacts while she would have preferred to have gone with a generic colour like brown it didn't appear very believable so she picked a light blue.

Contrary to believe she didn't stand out that much except for her unusually pale skin, Suna hosted a diverse mixture of races and cultures who all melded together seamlessly, the mark of each individual group was recognized by their influence on the local cuisine and every week there was some festival or the other being celebrated. It was definitely a culture shock and she always seemed to be learning something new about this city, though there were times when she felt an acute longing for the place she had once called home.

When the time arrived when she knew Sasuke was due to return she had been walking on eggshells waiting for the other shoe to drop. She knew the rage he must be in, while she had never been afraid of her husband he could be downright terrifying when he lost his cool and she knew when he found her letter he would be beyond pissed. She prayed he wouldn't find her, that he would give up quickly yet there was that undeniable desperate part that hoped he would come for her that despite her efforts he would get to her and take her into his arms. It was stupid and selfish to want such a thing after the lengths she had gone to escape him, but she was still utterly in love with him and feelings like that didn't go away that easily. It was a real fear that she would never be able to love someone else while still pining after the man she had left behind, that she would never experience that kind of happiness.

Days eventually turned into weeks then surprisingly into months without a sign of Sasuke. She had ritually scanned the newspapers and the internet for any mention about her or their marriage, but she found nothing of interest. Those articles that did mention Sasuke noted that while he had been strangely absent from the business scene for a while he eventually returned not a couple weeks later as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and just like that it appeared it life had gone back to normal and he had brushed off her departure as easily as a snake sheds it skin.

Hurt didn't begin to describe how depressed and miserable she felt, this was what she wanted after all, he had gotten on with his life so why did she feel like someone had sucked all the colour out of her world. She had just expected something else…..something more as though there was some sign that he had bothered to look for her, that he cared, that what they had, had really meant something to him. That he was just as devastated and unhappy as she was without him.

Dammit she was being pathetic, she couldn't go on thinking this way else she would drive herself nuts, what's done was done and she had no one to blame, but herself she was the one who left in the first place. Yet a thought that was continually niggling at the back of her mind was how long could she have settled for her one-sided love. Sure she had been incredibly happy with him, but would it have lasted? Eventually she would have wanted, expected more from him, something she didn't even know if he was capable of giving to her.

There had just been so many unresolved issues in their relationship, things that she often let slide, that got swept under the rug because she didn't want to let all her worries and insecurities intrude on their perfect little bubble of happiness.

She guessed looking at it now their relationship was bound to fizzle out, how long could their amazing sexual connection compensate for their lack of communication and their obvious incompatibility. It looks like she had fooling herself for a long time, but god how she had wanted to be happy with him.

For a short time she got to see a part of him that no one else did, the man who could be caring and attentive in his gruff sort of way and his wicked sense of humour. There had even been times when he had looked at her so tenderly, like she was precious and fragile and she could feel her heart swell with love for him convincing herself that one day he would love her back.

Groaning in frustration she pushed herself of the couch and headed towards the bathroom, stripping off her clothes along the way. One thing she really didn't like about her new home was the desperate need to conserve on water which was a given considering the dry, arid climate, but sometimes she just wanted to stand under the shower head and let the hot water soothe her tired muscles and clear her mind, but it was a luxury she couldn't afford.

Once she was finished and dressed in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts Hinata settled down in her bed with a novel. Her pity party was over, she would never get any sleep tonight if she allowed her mind to obsess over Uchiha, after all he didn't seem to spare her much of a thought.

XXX

Yesterday had been a Friday and that was usually the busiest day of the week for the diner, but they did pretty good business throughout the rest of the days. Things usually slow up during the weekends in particular Sunday, but they opened later till around 2 sometimes 3 in the morning because those who spent late nights partying liked to come in and sober up drinking a cup of coffee or if they could handle it a slice of Chouji's infamous peach crumble.

There was visitor in particular Hinata was looking forward to seeing, her favourite customer. Ever since she had started she could always remember him sitting down at the same table around 10-11 on weekends drinking coffee staying until they were just about to close. Not once had he ever brought a visitor or made conversation beyond ordering his usual dose of caffeine and always leaving a rather generous tip.

Since it was her section where his designated table was situated and she automatically became was his waitress.

It probably didn't make sense why she would find a guy who hardly spoke more than a handful of words and always kept to himself would be the slightest bit interesting, but he was. As cliché a statement as this is he had this "mysterious, brooding aura" about him, the more she watched him the more fascinated she became. Hinata wanted to know what made him tick, what exactly went on in his head. Alright so she was beginning to sound like some sort of stalker, and apparently she had a thing for stoic type.

Well it also did help to mention that he was gorgeous in an exotic way. His hair wasn't just red, it was the colour of freshly spilt blood, rich and vibrant reaching just below his ear and disheveled in a way that just made her want to smooth it down. And his eyes were green, but so light they seemed to glow and they were surrounded by dark circles that indicated a case of chronic insomnia and if anything they enhanced his brilliant orbs.

He also possessed very delicate features and smooth pale unblemished skin, but he had a strong clean jawline that dismissed any thought of his face being considered effeminate. Her stranger was taller than her, but that wasn't saying much and he had a wiry build that hinted at muscles underneath his layered clothing.

Ok so maybe she was obsessed, no one would be able to give that many descriptive details about a guy if she hadn't been staring at him like a schoolgirl with a crush.

Admittedly she was transferring all her brooding from her estranged husband to this man. She was quite fed up with the number of times she caught herself thinking about the Uchiha and decided why not direct her thoughts at a complete stranger, there wasn't much harm in that she supposed. It's not like the guy was likely to strike up conversation anytime soon. Hell she didn't even know his name.

Yet she really wanted to get some reaction out of him, a conversation was too much to possibly hope for, but any kind of response besides his silent, contemplative disposition. So she concocted a plan knowing that there was a high probably it would backfire horribly and she might just drive him away and make a complete fool of herself in the process, but she was feeling restless and impatient so what the hell. The monotony of her life and her lingering fear of being discovered was making her a bit loopy it wasn't an easy thing to put most of your life into a box and forget about it.

Like clockwork he showed up at nearing eleven and seated himself at his usual table, her stomach was twisting ever which way, her palms were clammy and her mouth felt dry. The sight of him did away with whatever reckless courage she had built up and she felt scared and anxious, but without even realizing what she was doing she brought his customary cup of coffee and something extra.

Standing at his table, he hadn't even bothered to look up as she shakily put down the cup almost causing the black liquid to slosh onto the table top and hastily put down a plate right next to it. Hinata had brought him a slice of apple pie, she figured it would be a good ice-breaker she didn't know anyone who didn't like pie and Choji's pies were downright sensational.

The next few moments passed excruciatingly slow, she watched him glance at the pie and for a second she was afraid he would just blatantly ignore it and just go sipping his coffee, but luck was on her side…..sort of. Slowly he raised his eyes to look directly at her and she felt her heart freeze, forgetting to breathe as the full focus of his gaze was aimed at her. The only real thought she had was that this man was positively beautiful.

Of course the spell was broken when he spoke, his voice smooth and warm as brandy, "I did not order this."

Hinata became mentally paralyzed and it was an effort to speak when her tongue suddenly felt too big for her mouth.

Reverting to childhood tendency to stutter she answered, "I-I know. It's j-j-ju-just because-"

Oh crap she didn't know what to tell him, dammit it hadn't gone over like this in her head. She couldn't exactly blurt out the truth, but she couldn't just stand there like a dunderhead either. Giving herself a mental pep talk she prompted herself, 'Come one Hinata you were married to a bloody Uchiha. No one's glare could compete with that. So suck it up and answer him.'

Straightening her back she strengthened her voice, "Because not once have I ever seen you order anything besides coffee so I sincerely doubt you have ever tried Chouji's pie which is a shame since its are probably the best you will ever have. I know it's pretty presumptuous of me, but give it a taste and I promise I'll leave you alone."

The redhead didn't break his stare, though his eyes narrowed a bit, but she didn't back down either. She had gone out on a limb and it had taken a lot of guts, she wasn't going to back down now. It seemed her determination won out because letting out a sigh he picked up the fork and broke off piece of the pie before eating it. Hinata gazed intently at his face eagerly awaiting his reaction, but her luck seemed to run out because his expression didn't change, there wasn't even a twitch or a noise. Nothing.

Who the hell was the guy, she had never met anyone who hadn't liked Chouji's pie even the most picky customers couldn't find complaint with this tasty treat.

Well at least she had tried, maybe he wasn't worth her obsessing especially if pie this heavenly couldn't get a response from him.

Shrugging slightly she reached out her hand to pick up the plate to carry it back when his fingers touched her wrist causing her gaze to snap to his face.

"Leave it", he said before retracting his hand.

Biting her lip so she wouldn't let the giddy smile that was threatening to expose her she nodded sharply before turning around and heading back to the kitchen.

Only then did she notice that the rest of the staff who had been lingering around doing nothing due to the lack of customers had relieved their boredom by watching the interaction between them, they had all followed her behind the swinging door before firing their questions at her.

Smiling she held up a hand, "No one should ever come here this long without trying a slice of pie and guess what…..he liked it."

Ino giggled and Chouji did a fist pump in the air. Though he didn't order anything else besides coffee she considered the fact that the pie was gone by the time she returned for the plate and to refill his coffee progress.

And so it continued for almost a month, during that time she dutifully brought a new dessert for him to try like red velvet cupcakes which she got a kick out of since he was a redhead eating equally red cake and lemon meringue, she even specially baked stuff off the menu like tiramisu and strawberry basil sorbet. It was quite intriguing to find out what he liked and what he didn't and if he didn't take more than a few bites or left the plate clean she knew whether or not he had enjoyed the dish. During that entire time they didn't have one conversation though she did try to be more friendly and approachable in case he ever decided he wanted to talk.

To be honest she was attracted to him you would have to be blind not to think he was incredibly good-looking, but that didn't mean she wanted to date him, she had enough baggage to deal with as it was. It's just that he piqued her interest, there was something about him that just captivated her and sometimes she just felt like he needed a friend especially when she occasionally glimpsed a rather hopeless look in his eye.

XXX

Literally dropping unto her bed fully clothed she struggled to keep her eyes from closing, she was dead tired and just wanted to fall asleep. The past week had been brutal, a few of the other waitresses had caught the flu going around and had called in sick. As a result she had to pick up the slack, running herself ragged, but she knew how stressed Kurenai and everyone else had been working so hard making her feel a bit guilt for her mental ranting.

In the end the need to wash off the grime from that day overcame the urge to sleep and she half-heartedly dragged herself to the bathroom. By the time she was finished she was fully awoken and as exhausted as she felt she wasn't sleepy anymore.

Deciding to kill some time and hoping it would eventually put her to sleep she switched on the television. A recap of that day's news was showing and they had arrived at the entertainment segment of the newscast. She hadn't been paying much attention until she heard the announcer mention the name "Uchiha Sasuke" immediately her notice flew to the tv screen and she turned up the volume frantically.

"Earlier this evening the president of the illustrious Uchiha Cooperation, Uchiha Sasuke was spotted attending a charity gala escorted by none other than the stunning supermodel, Murakami Fumiko who has recently ended a two year relationship with singer, Nakano Ryota."

This scope was accompanied by various pictures of the couple photographed at the event showing a tall, elegant willowy woman next to the man she loved. There were pohtos of her staring adoringly at him, his arm around her waist, Fumiko whispering into his ear.

The remote control in her hand clattered on the floor as she sat there her eyes transfixed on the images on the television screen, her heart was hammering so loudly she could hear ever thump and just as suddenly her body began to quiver and her arms wrapped around her frame suddenly feeling cold, all the warmth and life had suddenly abandoned her.

This could't be true, that wasn't her Sasuke. Never. Never!

It had only been a few months, a few bloody months. He wasn't supposed to move on that quickly, he wasn't supposed to forget her that fast. Didn't she matter? Wasn't she worth looking for?

She pressed her land to her mouth trying to muffle her sobs, shaking her head in denial as though willing the knowledge to flee from her mind. Closing her eyes she slid off the couch and unto the floor her knees drawn up to her chest as she tried to make her body as small as she felt in that moment. She wondered how she could still be living when her heart had just gone through the shredder and there was only bitterness and sorrow to keep her company.

XXX

Walking into the diner around at half ten he sat at his table awaiting the mischievous waitress who was always too cheery for her own good, but it might be he found her so troublesome since she actually made him want to crack a smile in return which wasn't something he didn't often and the fact that his thoughts ran over her too often for his liking.

He waited for around ten minutes before finally someone came to attend to him longer than he ever had to wait, but when he looked up expecting to see those happy blue eyes teasing him he saw one of the other waitresses holding his order of coffee.

Frowning slightly he inquired, "Where is the waitress who usually serves?"

"Oh you mean Arata um sorry I mean Nakamura-san. She didn't show up for work today, I guess she wasn't feeling well we are short-staffed this week. Is there anything else you'd like me to get for you?" the blond girl asked.

"No."

Once she left he sat staring at the cup of coffee, before sighing and drinking it without quite tasting the strong bitter flavor or inhaling it pleasant aroma. Once his cup was empty he stood up leaving behind the money for his beverage before walking out.

This sudden deviation from his routine didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the workers in the diner.

XXX

A/N: Well this chapter turned out longer than expected, I guess when I figured out what I was going to write about it the words just came pouring out usually I just wing it and write whatever comes to my head.

So she left Sasuke and is now living in Suna under a whole new identity and now I have introduced a new major character into the story, yep he has a big part to play. I would hope by now you figured out who he is, if not its Gaara.

Just to reiterate in case you start panicking this is going to be a SasuHina story when everything is said and done, so no worries.

Tell me what you think please. You all leave such fabulous reviews I really enjoyed reading your comments and reactions.

Sincerely,

CharmGirl24.