Second chapter took a long time to complete, but I seriously had no idea what to write! I had to think it over again, because I frequently start stories I can't complete, and I don't what this to be one of them!

Anyway…See for yourselves if it's going on well on not!

Having our dreams devoured

Another sunset she was admiring with her daughter.

Kumina really loved watching the scarlet colours of the clouds as the sun seeked to touch the mountains for one more time. Red mix with yellow, gold melts along with silver, and slowly, moment by lonely moment, the whole sky turns dark, partially painted with vivid scarlet and darker tones of blue.

That's when the first stars appear in the sky. Kumina loved to see the stars shine upon her head, and she used to reach her hand out to touch them, only to pout because they were too far away for her to reach! Hinata would laugh with her efforts, but she would always explain to little Kumina that stars are meant to primp the sky, like jewels primp human.

It was one of these sunsets…

"They must have stopped for the night already…" Hinata sighed and evened the light blanket covering Kumina. "I wonder if he ate something."

But then she shocks her head and chuckled.'Knowing Naruto, he must have packed ramen even in his pockets!' she thought. It wasn't the last time she was worried over him; but she knew he was also worried about her and their child.'I just wish he could have waited until Kumina was three months old…I wanted her to spend more time with him.'

Not that Naruto was a bad father. On the contrary, he adored Kumina and loved to do things with her, such as playing with her, entertain her, feed her…

'It's just that he needs three days or even more to enter the country of Wind, one more day to find the Hidden Village of Sand and at least one more week to assist Gaara-San…And about the same time to come back…'

She didn't want Kumina to forget her father. She had seen it happen before to little babies.

"At least we have each other, right Kumina?" she whispered to her daughter. But when she looked at her, worried that she wasn't even moving, she saw that she had fallen asleep. "All right…time to go to bed, little lady!" Hinata said and carefully took Kumina in her arms and entered the small house. Waving the baby in her arms too loll her, she laid her in her cot. The small body shivered at a sadden breeze that brought the aroma of night flower in the bedroom.

"Sweet dreams…" Hinata wished upon her baby and covered her with the blanket. Standing up, she glared outside the window. The gleaming stars was a sight she had always cherished…with Naruto. She sighed again and sat on the mattress.

"I need some sleep, really." She whispered and leaned against the bed frame. A million thoughts crossed her mind, not all of them happy. Naruto, Kumina, herself… If something occurred, would she be able to stand up to it; to meet everyone's expectations and protect her family? She had to be strong for her child…But if…If…

…

When she woke up, it was past midnight. The light breeze she felt earlier had grown stronger, and the smell wasn't that of the night flower anymore. Its was brining back memories, and a feeling of danger. It smelled like blood, and sand…

Sand…

'Gaara-san?' she thought and her head snapped.'But no, he can't be here now.'

Just to be sure, she activated her Byakugan and saw through the wooden walls of her house; passed the academy…Her eye sight reached the main entrance of Konoha. She felt a familiar flow of chakra and when she pushed a little more, she could tell a mop of red hair shining under the stars' light.

"Gaara…san?" she whispered and let go of her Byakugan. "Or maybe it's a clone? But a clone wouldn't have such an accurate flow of chakra. And he knew I could detect it if it were."

'I've got to find out what's going on, no matter what.' She decided and glared warily at her child. She didn't want to leave her alone, but she had to know why Gaara of the Desert had gone into so much trouble as to travel two weeks in a row…while Naruto was travelling too to meet with him.

"Bushin no Jutsu" Hinata whispered and a replication of herself appeared next to her. Once it appeared, Hinata could see, feel and think what it thought. Her clone would find Gaara, for she would never leave Kumina's side.

…

Gaara blinked twice as Hinata's clone appeared if frond of him in the darkness.'A clone?' he thought and his brows arched. "What is the matter, Hinata-san?" he asked and crossed his arms in his usual manner.

"Sabaku no Gaara" she acclaimed "what brings you here this late hour? Especially when Naruto, alongside Lee-San and Neji-San are crossing two countries to find you?"

'What was that?' Was it some kind of prank? For he remembered very clearly that no notice requesting aid had been send from him, the Kazekage of the Hidden village of Sand, towards the Hokage.

"Hinata-san, I only came here wanting to wish your daughter well. Naruto had sent me a letter informing me about you safely delivering the child." He bowed a little in frond of her, and the clone stiffened.

"I don't understand…" she muttered to herself. "Gaara-san, let us talk in my place. Please follow me." The clone invited and flash-stepped away, with Gaara quickly following her.

Hinata heard her replication entering the house and let her jutsu free. The clone disappeared in a white cloud with a low"puff", and Gaara fixed his eyes on her.

"How come" she whispered "how come you are here while three of our best shinoby are travelling to see you, Gaara-San? Should I think it is all a trap?"

Gaara's eyes silted. "I would never do such a think to the person who saved my life." He declared.

But if it's not you, then it's somebody else who either wanted to lure them out of Konoha or…" she left the sentence incomplete and stared at her daughter, sleeping soundlessly, with her messy blond hair sprawled on her pillow.

"Or?" asked Gaara, and his sand formed angry circles around his hands.

"Or they wanted to lure you out of the Hidden village of Sand. Either way it's devastating for both countries." She smiled a small, sad smile and caressed Kumina's cheek. "Whoever did this, they knew very well the bond between Konoha and the Sand."

"I still don't get it. I never send a letter asking for help."

"And Naruto never received a letter foretelling you coming here."

They both stayed silent as Kumina yawned and opened a pair of lavender eyes with a blue tint in them. She first moved her head to look at her mother, right next to her, she then look curiously at the stranger in frond of her. Her brows frowned and her nose twitched lightly.'He smells of sand.' The little girl thought and decided that such a smell held no danger to her mother. "Gaa !" Kumina said and stretched her arms toward the red haired stranger man.

Gaara gaped at the baby. He was so overtaken by little Kunima's charm that even his sand had stopped running in circles. "So, that's the baby…" he finally said.

"Her name is Kumina."

Gaara stepped closer and bowed over the baby's cot. His clothes grazed Kuminas hands, and she opened her small palms to feel that strange, harsh material, so different that her mother's clothing.

"She has your eyes." Gaara commented and pulled a step way from the cot. Kumina, sad that she didn't have the change to observe this man closer, left a small cry and tried to push herself up to see him better.

"I think she wants you to hold her, Gaara-san." Hinata smiled proudly at her daughter and how brave she was.

Gaara's eyes widen. "W-who, me?" he stuttered.

'It's the first time I've seen him like this…' Hinata thought and smiled encouragingly at him. "Come closer so I can leave her n your arms." she instructed and, smiling at the hesitant Gaara, she placed the little girl in his stretched hands. "Now, close your arms around her and bring her closer to your chest." She told Gaara, who seemed to be in discomfort.

"Ok…" Gaara muttered and gulped. That creature in his arms was so small! Kumina even felt soft and fragile, as if the lightest careless move would break her. But it seemed there was no need to worry, for she was brightly smiling in his embrace. "Now what?" Gaara asked and turned to Hinata for help.

"Now wait like this until I get back." Her cool was gone and her voice was giving away her stress. She moved to the door and her hands formed a seal. "Byakugan" she said, and the pupils of her eyes became visible as her vision became almost ten times stronger than the normal one. "Please" she pleaded without looking at Garra, who, still standing amazed at the center of the room, was looking at her while holding Kumina in his arms "take care of my daughter, Gaara-san."

And she left.

A speechless Gaara stared at the little girl nuzzling against his chest. Her eyes half closed, she had that content expression upon her baby face that Garra almost smiled. Almost, that is, for he remembered that he, Gaara of the Sand, had to babysit until Hinata was back. Finding the thought too embarrassing to bear, Garra hissed in annoyance and clenched his teeth. A pale crimson colour crept up his chicks.

Kumina laughed a little before sleep took the best of her. That cute red colour perfectly matched the stranger's crimson hair…

…

Sakura was preparing her son for sleep. It was already too late, and the boy, eager like his father, wanted to wake up early and train all day long. He had even inherited that annoying habit Lee had, to make bets with his sole self.

While brushing her son's straight dark hair – so similar to his father's – she heard a knock on the door.

"Who can it be so late at night…?" Kazeko, her son, muttered and glared at his mother. "Shall I check, mother?" he asked. Sakura smiled and sat up, nodding that, no, she would go.

'I have a very bad feeling for this…' and she opened the door. The bad feeling she had became even stronger when she met with a pair of lavender, hazy eyes. A panting Hinata stood on her doorsteps, leaning heavily on the doorframe.

"Hinata-San?" she whispered and an iron fist graped her heart.'For her to be here, like this…'

"Gaara…" Hinata gasped. "Gaara is here."

'But they left to meet him…' Still in a daze, Sakura turned to make sure that Kazeko wasn't paying attention to the women.

"We should tell the Hokage immediately." She suggested, trying to act calm.

"I thought you should now." Hinata said and took a glare inside the house. "What will you do?"

"I'm coming with you, of course. Just a moment.."

"We should tell Tenten, too."

"I know…" Sakura gnashed. "Kazeko…" she smiled calmly to her son. "I have to see the Hohage-Sama, dear, but I'll be back soon. You think you can manage without me for a while?"

The boy took a pained expression and made a low sound in his chest. "I can take care of myself, mother! Just like father!" Kazeko said. His mother grinned, or rather tried to maintain the fake smile on her face for a little longer.

"That's my boy…"

When the door closed behind her back, the fake smile slipped off of her face like water. Hands moving quickly, she formed a seal."Bushin no jutsu". A replication formed beside her. "Stay here."Sakura ordered without looking at the clone. "If anything happens, let me know." She then turned to Hinata.

"Let's go."

…

"Ne, Okaa-San!" the young boy with the pale lavender eyes hung from his mother's arm. "When dad get's back, you thing he will want to train with me?" he asked.

Tenten sighed. "Nemori, you're so persistent! I already told you he promised to train with you!"

Nemori pouted. "Then why didn't I hear him promise?"

"That's because you wer-"

A knock on the door.'Thank Kami…' Tenten now mentally sighed as she opened the door with a huge smile on her face.

A smile that disappeared when she saw the two women standing before her.

"Sakura-Chan…Hinata-San! What a surprise!"

"Tenten…" Sakura frowned. "Gaara is here."

"Gaara…?"

"Mum! Why didn't you tell me that Untie Hinata and Untie Sakura would come?" Nemori appeared between her legs.

"Get inside." Tenten said and pushed Nemori's head with her leg while shuting the door.

"Why is he here?" she turned to the other two with her arms crossed.

"He said he had informed Naruto…he wanted to see Kumina…" Hinata muttered and desperately gazed Tented, "Maybe the letter got lost on the way?"

"Seems impossible to me." Tenten turned to Sakura. "Now what?"

"We have to inform the Hokage. If this won't turn out well it might also mean great harm to Konoha."

"I don't care about Konoha right now…" muttered Hinata and rubbed her temples, deactivating her Byakugan. "Let's go."

Just like Hinata and Sakura had done, Tenten created a replication and left it behind to guard her son.

Soon, three shadows were moving fast to the Hokage's quarters, either running on the streets of Konoha or jumping from roof to roof, and back to the ground. They made no sound, and no one could see them.

No one apart from another shadow, standing close to the window, with a baby in his hands, engulfed in his own worry while watching those three shadows passing by.

…

"You have to let us go, Hokage-Sama!" Sakura argued for the umpteenth time in a short time. "Who else can be more suitable that us?"

Tsunade glared at her with her chin gently placed on her entwined fingertips. "Someone less motivated. More careful, that is."

"Hokage-Sama…" Hinata begged for she was too worried to argue over it. Tenten only supervised the others two struggling, knowing that nothing would come out of it.

It was Tsunade-Sama, after all….

"What makes you think that I would sacrifice the three of you in the name of your worry? You knew the danger when you choose to marry shinobi from Konoha!" she yelled and stood up, her heels almost digging to the floor as she did so. "And now you come here telling me-"

"We're telling you that three of the best shinoby of Konoha might be in danger." Tenten cut in. "Gaara-San is here, it might also be a trap set up to assassinate them. Or…" she dramatically stopped "the target might also be Gaara-San or you, Hokage-Sama."

Tsunade arched a well defined brow and sat back in her chair. "You really believe I'm afraid of my life?" She mocked. "There's no way you are going." She declared and averted her eyes from the trio.

"Then we'll have to go without your permission." Hinata said coldly and stared at the Hokage who had frozen in the middle of what was supposed to be avery dramatic pose. "I can't stay here while Naruto is in danger."

"The same goes for me." Sakura said.

"Same here." Tenten smiled in a manner that vividly reminded Sakura of Sai.

Looking at them, Tsunade sighed and her head fell back in exasperation.'I can't just let six of the Jonins roam free if Konoha is to be in danger!' she thought. But when she met the determined eyes of the three…. She chuckled.'Damn…It's so hard to act like a Hokage sometimes.'

She knew how it felt like to lose somebody. And damn if she didn't want to protect those women from facing the same pain she had to endure so many decays back.

Though she would never actually count those decays…

"I don't care about my life." She finally said, staring sternly into Tenten's eyes. "As the Hokage I'm destined to put my life on the line for everyone in this village. What I care about is you."

The three women smirked for they knew that they had already won.

…

About half an hour had passed since they entered the room. When the three women exited the Hokage's quarters, they were assigned to the mission.

The moon was already high in the sky, and the stars seemed paler than before.

Or so Hinata thought. Maybe for the word around her was now painted in brighter colours due to her excitement. But, while a part of her longed to head out searching for Naruto, the other part of her wanted to stay in Konoha and take care of that little child in need…

'Kumina…' she thought 'Forgive me…'

Similar thoughts were passing through Sakura and Tenten's minds. They felt rather hesitant to leave their sons behind and rush out in search of their husbands.

"They could've at least spent more time thinking it over…" Sakura sighed. Tented chuckled.

"You know they wouldn't have. Naruto gets so easily carried away that he subconsciously overpowers their will to think logically."

"Sheesh..." Sakura smiled "Kazeko will want to come along, I'm sure! He so resembles his father..."

"Nemori won't stay on the'want' side...I will have to tie him up on the bed to stop him" Tenten huffed. "Man...He's just like me. I wish he had inherited some of his father cool!"

The two exchanged a glance and then turned their eyes on Hinata. She hadn't said a word yet.

'Just when everything were going smoothly for once…I was hoping I could spent some days with Kumina and maybe train a little before Naruto gets back."She smiled lightly as memories came rushing in her mind'He hates it when I train and leave Kumina alone, but she loves it! She also loves watching me train, but it's a pain when I have Naruto instructing me about how I shouldn't play with shuriken around the baby…' Hinata sighed and looked up at Sakura.

"I'll leave Kumina to Gaara." She declared and run off as quickly as she could, leaving the two women behind her frozen. It was rare to see Tenten grow roots and Sakura's eyes grow the size of saucers, really.

"Where did this came from…?" Tenten finally managed, looking at the direction Hinata had left.

"I…I don't have the slightest idea…" Sakura whispered.

…

"All I know is I'm having my dreams devoured…" Hinata whispered, for her baby was fast asleep in Gaara's arms. "And I can't let Naruto get hurt, for the sake of this little girl who needs him."

"She needs you, too…." Gaara said, underlining the words with the taping of his fingers against the bed frame.

"Gaara-San, please…." With her back turned to him and her dark violet hair glowing in the dim moonlight, she sat straight on the bed. Playing nervously with her blouse, toying again and again the kunai in her bag, touching her lower lip, her restless fingers seemed like a blur. Only her eyes were fixed outside the window, casting the way she knew she would be following soon.

"Please take of her for a little longer…" she begged and stood up. "I have to go. Now." Sparing another glance over Kumina's sleeping form; she tightly closed her eyes and activated her Byakugan.

"Don't you need to say goodbye to her?" Gaara coldly asked, stopping her right before she exited. She stomped on the fist step outside the door.

"No." she said and disappeared.

'If…if I stop now…' the moonlight was way to strong for her eyes. She could barely see where she was going.

'If only I stop now…' something pushed all the way in her heart and slipped off from her back, leaving a hole in its place.

'I will never have the strength to leave!' The light breeze grasped some of the tears spilling from her eyes and spread them behind her, those shimmering crystals of her eyes.

Her promised was so harshly ravished, shattered even. Kami was laughing at her, and she didn't have the power to slap him hard enough to fix this. He was having fan with her feelings, but them again, it was Kami…He could have anything and everything, whilst her….

"Whilst I'm obliged to run, and run some more to make sure my dreams can survive!" She hissed.

She averted her eyes from the ground and pierced the clouds with her Byakugan, searching. It was like someone from above enjoyed this a lot, and she had no right to undo it.

The last tear, that shimmering piece of her shattered promise, landed smoothly on a dark blue viola flower, shining under the moonlight.

"But, God, it's so unfair…."

Still too short….*sighs* hopefully the next one is going to be a little longer :). But I had fan writing about Kumina! She is rather...sweet. Yeah (Even though I don't love babies...:p )

My boyfriend kind of "invented" this chapter's title. It was funny, 'cause I was like 'Oh, I need a title' and he came up with it without even knowing I needed one!

Anyway…Till my next chapter

xxx