Yay! Another chapter!
Conversations of Old and New
The black belt around her waist was snug enough to dig into her skin. A fraction of an inch smaller and it might have been uncomfortable. As it was, it bound Hinata into a stiff posture, preventing her from bending her spine and slouching. Her kin taught her to always sit straight and stand upright; to ever lean on something was unthinkable. Her least favourite council member, Hideyoshi,enjoyed smacking Hinata on the back of her head every time she did so. "Shoulders back, you lazy girl", the elderly woman would say, her lips disappearing into a thin, displeased line. A bag attached to the wide belt hugged her back. It held bandages, ointments, spices, herbs and other small items she may need on her mission. She was unabashedly proud of the accessory. Ten-Ten saw her wear it once a few years back when Hinata was returning home from a mission. After asking where her teammate's cousin purchased such an item, Ten-Ten added it into her nin uniform as well. It was the first time Hinata had ever influenced another human being in any way.
Hinata strapped her kunai pouch to her right thigh, at a height perfect for quick weapon retrieval with her dominant hand. Next, her bare arms slipped through the loops of a khaki backpack. It rested over the belt-bag, bouncing against her annoyingly whenever she moved too swiftly until she tightened the straps. A little cumbersome but easy to get used to.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and analysed the reflection looking dejectedlyback at her. The floor length mirror offered honesty a little too cruel for Hinata's liking. If only her skin tone were a little darker, then her milky lavender eyes would stand out instead of blend together. If only her hair retained the same vibrant blue shine of her youth instead of the purple/black it was now. If only her cheeks weren't so full, then she wouldn't look like a squirrel snaking on an acorn whenever she smiled. If only she purchased the expensive clothing councilwoman Hideyoshi suggested;
"Your peculiar personality already makes it difficult to match you with a suitable husband. Do not neglect your appearance as well. There is honour in presentation."
Maybe she should start adding more colour into her outfits. Her knack for finding clothing in ever shade of grey and beige was admirable. Too bad it left her looking like one large drab smudge. When she was younger, she was allowed to ignore that part of herself. Now Hinata thought about it a lot more than she would have liked. She tugged at the high collar of her vest, already feeling sweat accumulate on the back of her neck. She was Indecisive. Vanity or practicality? Vanity or practicality?
Hinata quickly looked at the clock sitting on her bedside table. In five minutes, 'on time' would crawl into 'a little late'. Enough procrastinating. Practicality wins. Just like it always did. She didn't know how to make herself look attractive anyway. Beauty was too abstract an idea for her to really understand it. Frequently, she was informed that Sakura was classified as 'pretty' and Ino as 'sexy'. No one had the courtesy to explain what category she fell into. Though she has heardHideyoshi refer to her as 'rather plain' when talking to Father.
Yanking on her boots while standing almost made her fall onto her rear. So much for the grace of Hyuga.
Pushing her hair behind her ears again, Hinata did a final check of all her belongings. She would not be returning to this room again. Thankfully. The room was just as clean and 'hotel-like' as when she first arrived. Bed made. Trash disposed of. Surfaces sparkling. She would not embarrass her family by acting a slob. A light sleeping bag secured onto her backpack, she was ready to leave. So she did. Before her cowardly mind found another reason to hold off the inevitable.
Goodbyes to those who wanted them were made yesterday. There was no one to see her off.
Sasuke was exiting the Raikage building the same moment Hinata reached the ground floor. A rucksack covered the height of his back. It was the kind of black that swallowed all surrounding light, blending into his clothing. It was made to hide itself as well as its tenants amongst the shadows. A very Uchiha item. From this angle and distance, the rucksack transformed into grotesque hump. If not for his hair and chakra signature, Hinata might have mistaken him for someone else.
Hinata quickened her speed. Her hand caught the glass door of the main entrance just before it clicked close behind him. "Good morning, Uchiha-san. I hope you slept well", Hinata called softly. He continued on without speaking.
Too early for heat to creep in, the sky over Kumo was one solid block of dark cloud. A strong wind blew in from the north-west, bringing with it an amalgamationof food-like scents from a nearby restaurant. The smell was not exactly pleasant. A woman in her late thirties walked towards Hinata. Her white high heels did nothing to compensate for her short stature. She wore a Champaign coloured dress with a burgundy belt draped around her slim hips. The dress was skin tight while still being conservatively cut. Vanity and practicality. The woman was too busy gulping down coffee from a paper cup to notice the young Hyuga in her path. Hinata quickly shifted to the side to prevent a collision and muttered an automatic "Sorry". The woman carried on without glancing at Hinata, entering the Raikage building Hinata just left.
Hinata bowed to the woman and jogged off to catch up with Sasuke's back. He had not waited for her. Had not even slowed down. Should she wish him a 'good morning' again? There was no doubt that he heard her beforehand. With senses as acute as his, Sasuke was most likely aware of her the instant she woke up two hours ago.
The streets of Kumo were relatively empty. Its citizens were committed to the preparation stage of the day. Shops were opening up, restaurants were cooking breakfast and parents were dragging their children from their comfy beds to send them off to school. The lack of people made Kumo look almost derelict. Hinata quickened her step. As fascinating as visiting the Village was, she was perfectly alright with leaving it. Even if it meant being stuck alone with someone like Uchiha Sasuke for an indefinite period of time.
The Raikage and Hokage stood waiting for them at Kumogakure's Southern Gate. They stood tall like two imposing pillars rooted side by side. Sasuke sailed right past them. Tsunade huffed through her nose and closed her eyes. She kept them closed until Hinata approached them. The younger stopped and gave two deep bows, one for each leader, "Hokage-sama, Raikage-sama. Good morning. I hope… I hope your seeing us off does not take you away from anything vital".
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively and said, "Don't worry about it, Hinata. Unfortunately, this was the only time to speak with you before your departure. I see your partnership is already going well". Her smile was sardonic.
"Here is the dossier of your target", A said, handing Hinata a plastic folder, "It should have everything you need, including all the evidence we have collected so far". Hinata held the folder to her chest and thanked him.
"Remember", A continued, "although you represent a joint task force between Kumogakure and Konohagakure, under no circumstances are you to engage with Kirigakure shinobi or officials. If you do so, we will have to inform the 5th Mizukage of our alliance". The male pillar leaned towards her. Above her. He left no doubt of how unappealing he found the scenario to be.
"Who will then leak the information to the other Kages. They will throw around wild conjectures like candy and accuse the alliance as a first step to another war", Tsunade said.
"And we most definitely do not want this to happen", A finished. His arms were crossed over his chest. His biceps bulged every time he took in a breath. The man knew just how to exploit his considerable size. Tsunade had her hand on her hip and feet braced apart, blonde hair blowing happily with the wind. The pair oozed raw strength. The kind that took years and years of discipline and tenacity. Together, it would take them an hour tops to demolish an entire Village.
Hinata kept her face down, flushing under the pressure of their stares. She understood now why they didn't bother discussing this with Sasuke. Being told to be a good boy and stay below the radar would have insulted him. Not to say he couldn't. Hinata has heard the rumours of the kind of solo-missions the Hokage sent him on. But lecturing him would have boiled his Uchiha blood and practically dared him to make a ruckus. They were not a clan who felt they needed to hide their particular brand of power. Which meant the responsibility of their anonymity rested on Hinata's shoulders. If they were to be noticed by Kiri, it would be entirely her fault.
Tsunade's voice softened, "Don't worry, Hinata. You've done missions like this since you were 11 years old. It'll be a piece of cake". The Hokage has always been especially kind to Hinata, not that she could figure out why. It appeared to her, Tsunade was short and blunt to almost everyone else. Especially Naruto. He could rile her up into a storm.
"I suggest you depart before you lose the Uchiha", A said. Hinata looked in the direction he indicated with the tilt of his head. The shrinking size of Sasuke's back was worrisome. He was a good distance down the slope. Soon he would reach the Lift (a big basket like device attached to pulleys Kumo utilised as their core mode of transporting people up and down the mountain) and there was no guarantee that he would wait for her before descending. "Kumogakure no sato thanks you for your cooperation, Hyuga-san", A said with a slow nod.
Hinata gave her last two bows, feeling glad for the dismissal. "Hokage-sama, Raikage-sama, the Hyuga clan thanks you for your aid. It is a debt that will not go unpaid. Uchiha-san and I shall not f-f-fail you".
Tsunade waved her goodbye, "And don't let that little punk bully you! You hear that, Uchiha?! You better be nice!" she bellowed. The wind was strong enough it might have carried her booming voice to her target.
Conversations of Old and New
Sasuke didn't ask her what the Kages said so she didn't tell him. It had been some time since they'd journeyed down the Lift, a mode of transportation Hinata would be glad never to experience again. The basket was filled to the brim with people. She spent what felt like an hour pressed against strangers who were obviously unprepared for summer from the way their body odour draped over them. The basket croaked and groaned its displeasure the whole way down. Hinata passed the time imagining the rope holding them suspended suddenly snapping, letting the hundred odd people plummet to the ground.
The rest of the morning was spent in silence. By mid-day, heat crawled in. The sun blazed above them, uncaring of the perspiration gathering on the back of Hinata's neck, armpits and below the chest. What she wouldn't give to dunk herself in a cool lake. Clothes and all.
When she wasn't christening the dirt with her sweat, Hinata took stealthy glances at Sasuke's broad back. Was it her job to create and sustain a conversation? One would have to be deluded to think their silence as companionable. She was too used to at least one member of her team maintaining a she supposed to be the one to start talking? What could she possibly say? How did normal people begin conversations?
By six o'clock (according to the obstinate sun) Sasuke and Hinata had come across almost no one. A Kumo team of three genin and their sensei passed them by on their way home from a mission. The 12 and 13 year olds were very interested in Sasuke's dark, mysterious attitude and Hinata's 'weird eyes'. They seemed to think she was blind and went to great pains to accommodate her. One of them spoke ridiculously slow and loud, as if being blind also made her deaf. Hinata didn't bother correcting them, already used to the treatment from others outside of Konoha. Their sensei laughed and apologised, striking up a little small talk. Surprisingly, Hinata found it very pleasant. She told herself to remember what he said for future reference. As the tired team waved goodbye -one student loudly narrating what they were doing for "Oba-chan's" benefit- she found herself smiling again.
"We'll camp here", Sasuke said. Hinata barely managed to stop herself from jumping out of her skin. They were standing by a small stream enclosed by lush trees and bushes. A spot impossible to find unless you were looking for it directly. It took them 45 minutes of off-road walking to find it. There was enough greenery to make seeing her own shoes very difficult. It smelled strongly of a blend of mud, vegetation and wet stone. A perfect outdoorsy scent. Trickling water comforted her ears, reminding her how very tired she was. How Sasuke knew of its location was unknown.
Sasuke dropped his sleeping bag with a soft thud. Summer discarded the need for tents so the stars would have to be their roof for the night. A good thing for travellers who wish to go unnoticed. They would have to buy a couple of disposable tents on their way to Kiri though as the season brought more rain, not less.
"Yes Uchiha-san. Uhm… Would you like me to start a fire and cook us something to eat?" Hinata asked. Strictlyspeaking, their positions were equal within their team. But Hinata got the feeling her partner would prefer it if they could ignore that little titbit. She was more than happy to play along to appease him. Her Father would be furious with her allowing an Uchiha to take lead but what he didn't know couldn't hurt her.
Sasuke made a noncommittal noise and stalked away. The man was incredibly confusing. On the roof, he kept talking regardless of her not wanting him to. Now he acted as if every word to leave his lips would be a great toll upon his person. As if every grunt was worth a bag of gold she should treasure for all eternity.
Hinata placed her sleeping bag on the ground, a polite distance away from Sasuke's. The grass was plush. Mother Nature's bed just begging her to lie down and sleep. It took her a moment to convince herself otherwise. Almost twelve hours of walking broken up into only three 20 minute breaks. On top of that, Hinata had to activate her Byakugan in short, sporadic bursts. This way, no one was able to sneak up on them. And Hinata didn't have to waste too much of her finite chakra.
She retreated away from the stream and Sasuke to collect some dry sticks and grass. With every step she felt a little bit more at ease. Foraging was a mundane task, to be true. Fortunately for Hinata, she found mundane tasks to be incredibly therapeutic. A time to contemplate. A time to let her mind go completely blank. Luckily, a bush of wild berries popped into her meandering path. It bore fruit ready to be plucked. The berries weren't white, yellow or green. A good sign right off the bat. Hinata plucked one and gave it a good sniff. It didn't smell bitter nor was it covered in spines or milky sap. Kurenai-sensei made differentiating between safe and deadly foods one of her first lessons. Hinata virtually became an expert on berries by the time she was 12. Just in case (because she would be offering them to Sasuke) she crushed it between her fingers and rubbed it on her forearm and lips to see if there was any irritation. The berry pleased her by being perfectly benign. Though now her lips had a purplish, tint.
With the berries in her pouch and dry sticks and grass cradled in her arms, Hinata carried her treasures back to camp. Sasuke had returned before her, holding a wild rabbit. Its fur was a reddish brown. Its stunted ears twitched while he skinned it. She prayed it was from his jerky movement and not a sign of life. She quickly looked away. Throughout her career, Hinata has hunted, cooked and eaten numerous animals. It was either that or starve to death. Yet for the life of her, Hinata could not even look at an animal being skinned, let alone do the action herself. It seemed barbaric and cruel. The sound of flesh being cut, cut cut, torn, torn, torn made her oesophagus expand and contract as if to regurgitate.
She stole a glance. Sasuke was methodical with his movements. There was no hesitation. No slice that wasn't precise. It gave Hinata a vision of what he could do to people who displeased him. She imagined herself beneath his knife. Slicing into her with the same blank face he wore now.
Cut, cut, cut. Teeeaaarrr.
"You just going to stand there?" Sasuke asked. From her peripherals, Hinata watched him go to the stream and rinse his hands of blood. Thank God. He's finished.
Pile of sticks on the ground between the sleeping bags, Hinata lit them up with a matchstick from her pack. They originated from oak trees so there was no need to worry too much about smoke. She threw in some sage leaves. They did a good job of banishing mosquitos from the area.
Ten minutes later, the rabbit was clean and hanging over the fire on a basic spit Hinata made from the leftover wood. A sprinkling of parsley, rosemary and bay leaf over the crisping animal, Hinata was sure their meal would be enjoyable. Sasuke was sharpening his kunai against a whetstone. His tense muscles and erratic movements belayed his bad mood, though Hinata didn't know what she had done recently to aggravate him besides quietly cook. Perhaps her mere presence was a slight on his person.
"Tomorrow we stay off the roads", Sasuke said, keeping his eyes on the sharpening kunai in his hand.
"Yes, Uchiha-san".
"We will put on our disguises before entering the port".
"Yes, Uchiha-san", Hinata said again.
Sasuke looked up at her, "And buy more supplies".
"Yes- ", Hinata began.
"Are you incapable of original thought, or do you have a thing for doing everything I say? If I told you to stop breathing, would you say 'yes, Uchiha-san' before asphyxiating?"
Oh no. she had only managed to further rile him up. But Otou-sama always seemed less angry when I agree with him. Hinata opened her mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again, "Would you- would you prefer I be disagreeable?"
"I would prefer it if they didn't saddle me with a partner who couldn't even think for themselves. You have to ask Daddy if you can wipe your ass every time you take a shit?"
Hinata made a small squeak in the back of her throat. Never before had someone talked to her in such a way, and she has been talked down to for most of her life. For the first time in a long time, Hinata blushed not from embarrassment or shame, but from anger. She wanted to shout a comeback which would make Sasuke think she was witty and strong, capable of thinking for herself. Then her Father's voice, which had a bigger estate in her head than her own, said, 'No. Do not stoop to his level. Allow the Uchiha to roll in the filth if he must. Hyuga are not so pathetic'.
She frowned. She stayed quiet. Her eyes remained on the rabbit she was turning. Sasuke snorted in disgust. Hinata had only managed to prove him right.
When the rabbit was ready, Hinata cut off a generous piece, put it on a small napkin and carefully handed it to her partner, as if scared he would bite her hand like an untamed animal. She did not start eating until he did. He wasn't throwing it back in her face. An excellent sign. In fact, he went for more, eating until there was hardly any flesh left on the small bones.
Before they turned in, Hinata decided to try one more time to get on his good side. Over and over, she argued in her own mind whether or not to take the chance. It was daunting but she didn't want to end their first day in such a way. It would set a bad tone for the rest of the mission. She held out her treasure of berries between her cupped hands. A fresh napkin acting as their pillow. Arms stretched out and head bowed, she felt like she was making an offering to an altar. "I-I found these b-berries while I was gathering firewood. Don't worry. They're perfectly safe. Just a little on the b-bitter side". She attempted a reassuring smile but was sure a wince would be a better name for her expression.
He eyed her. Face blank. Muscles completely relaxed. He still managed to look greatly put upon. Like he was wondering if humouring her would be the fastest way to shut her up. Sasuke snatched one from her hand. Too fast for Hinata to register it until he was already chewing on it. Sasuke waited a beat then grabbed the rest, shoving them into his mouth. A little bit of juice dribbled down his mouth and dripped from his chin. He acted like a child who believed he would never eat again, reminding Hinata a lot of her little sister, Hanabi. She bit her lip.
"Something amuse you?" Sasuke asked. Taking the napkin Hinata held up to wipe his face with more dignity than she would ever accomplish.
"Of course not, Uchiha-san. Nothing amusing at all".
Conversations of Old and New
"Put in your contacts", Sasuke said,
They were standing on a hill a kilometre away from a small town. Amongst the trees, they could see the town curved around a very large dock. Most of its profits came from boating people to the islands dotted within Water Country. As long as Sasuke and Hinata did nothing out of the norm, the two could easily blend into the omnipresent crowd of foreigners.
Hinata reached blindly behind her back and extracted two small plastic containers from her belt pouch. Sasuke slipped on a thin rain jacket. He'd kept it rolled up in his backpack but it wasn't too wrinkled. Dark teal, it looked foreign on the body of an Uchiha. He put the hood up to cover most of his hair to lessen the impact of its colour.
He turned to see the contact lenses Hinata chose for the mission. Amethyst eyes blinked back at him. They must have been the most irritating thing ever created. She could feel them suck the moisture out of her eyeballs. She couldn't stop blinking. Hinata tried keeping her eyelids spread wide and stared at one spot but that didn't help. Not at all.
"Stop. You're making it obvious. Haven't you worn contacts before?" Sasuke asked, zipping up jacket.
"Not for a while", Hinata said, closing her eyes to let them adjust, "Father dislikes them". Father dislikes anything that hides his greatest pride. She passed him his pair.
"Of course he does", Sasuke grumbled as he pulled his eyelids apart with his thumb and pointer finger and put in his contact lenses. They didn't seem to bother him nearly as much as they did her. "Where did you buy these?" he asked.
"Well, they were made by my clan. Designed to work well with our Kekkei Genkai so they shouldn't hinder your Sharingan either", she answered. Because of this feature, the lenses weren't set at specific colours. Rather, they darkened or lightened the wearer's usualeye colour depending on the person. Hence Hinata's amethyst and Sasuke's chocolate eyes. Their now visible pupils were the best disguises a Hyuga and Uchiha could have.
Sasuke started walking towards the town. She watched him as she arranged her hair into a long side-braid. It hung over her left shoulder and extended below her chest. The aim for now, was to pass off as a civilian. A person who had not lived the life of a ninja. She had already refrained from wearing fishnets, bandages and her forehead protector since they screamed, 'I'm a shinobi! Look at me!'. She wore knee high black socks and her boots were close-toed. A feature Konoha shinobi would not have been caught dead in as they made jumping from tree branch to tree branch needlessly difficult. Their grip on the bark was simply subpar.
When they reached the town, Hinata stayed close to Sasuke so as not to lose him in the heaving crowd. There were people everywhere. Instead of taking one minute to walk from point A to point B, it took them five. Moving bodies were constantly stepping into and stopping in their path. She knew it would be busy, just not to this extent. Some civilians graced Sasuke and Hinata with lingering glances then went on their way. So far their disguises were working.
The closer to the dock they went, the harder it was to move. Everyone was traveling by ferry today. At the ticket office, the pair stood in line for over half an hour. Most of the time they spent listening to a woman yelling at the staff because she prepaid for five tickets and 'these incompetent people lost her place'. Hinata smiled sympathetically when it was their turn. Unfortunately, the next available ferry wasn't for another two and a half hours. They should have booked like the very angry lady.
They decided to part ways while they waited. 'They' being Sasuke. He thought Hinata's time was best spent shopping for supplies while he skulked along the harbour. He wanted to secure their passage while observing those who were also travelling to the islands.
A while later, Hinata found herself in a shop, blessedly not as busy as the others along Main Street. It specialised in outdoor activities such as sports and camping gear. There was an aisle dedicated solely to tents, varying from cheap and disposable to expensive and gluttonous. She needed two that fit closer in the former range. They would most likely toss theirs on the return trip home. They only needed the tents to blend in and stay out of the rain while they slept.
She saw a black one hanging from a rack. One of those that began as a large circular disk and then popped-up into a one-person tent. No self-respecting camper would ever buy one as they were hardly water-resistant. Luckily for Hinata, she wasn't feeling overly picky. She has slept in worse.
Her hand collided with another as she reached for said tent. The hand was much larger than her own, most likely belonging to a male. Dirt was ingrained into their nails and cuticles.
"Oh, I'm s-sorry!" Hinata said, whipping round to the man beside her. He was tall. Really tall. He had at least three inches on Sasuke, who himself was a tall individual. The young man's hair was a dusky caramel, shaved on both sides with the top long enough to fall around his thick eyebrows. His eyes were the darkest shade of blue she had ever seen on a human. A proud, slightly crooked nose hung over thin, smiling lips. He was wearing a thin burgundy flannel shirt over a white wife beater, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Finally, his loose faded jeans and tan boots were spotted with grass stains and dried mud.
Hinata bowed so he wouldn't see her blush, "I hope I didn't scratch you".
"No, no. See?" the man waved his hand in front of her, "No harm done". Certainly, there was no wound which is unsurprising considering she hardly grazed him. He grinned at her blush, pushing his cheeks up and into his eyes, "The name's Saito Taiki", he gave his own bow, "May I ask for yours?"
"Takahashi Hinata. It is a p-pleasure to meet you, S-Saito-san". The surname she gave was one agreed upon by her and Sasuke before entering the town. It was a common name they could easily remember and if someone were to do a background check on them, it would take a long time to disprove their identity.
"The pleasure's all mine, Takahashi-chan", his teeth sparkled, "Allow me", Taiki reached for the tent they both wanted and presented to Hinata.
"Thank you very much", she said as she was about to bow a goodbye so she could continue her shopping. But then he said, "Are you attendin' the festival too?"
"I'm sorry?" Hinata asked.
"The Summer Solstice Festival? In Kiri?" Well that explained the staggering number of people. She has heard of the festival celebrating the longest day of the year. It was the biggest one to specialise in flowers during mid-summer. The hot, wet climate allowed for an array of beautiful and tropical plants. Attracting thousands from distant countries. It was a wonder she had forgotten about it.
"Oh, yes, of course. S-sorry, I'm a little s-scattered today"
"You must love campin'; I don't think I could stand all the rain", Taiki commented.
"It was my brother's idea actually. He only agreed to come on this trip so I wouldn't be alone", she smiled the same smile she wore when she spoke about Neji. The best lies are those born from truth; if she ever had the mind to cross countries for any reason, Neji would have someone escort her whether she liked it or not.
"Good t' know. I worry 'bout the safety of future voters. I'm competin' in some of the festival's competitions", his smile was proud yet not arrogant.
"I shall make sure to look out for your entry then".
"I'll hold you t' that. Until next time, Takahashi-chan", Taiki said, putting his hand over his heart and bowing with great flamboyance. It earned him the muffled giggle he was fishing for. "Until n-n-next time", Hinata promised from behind her hand. It looked like he would holder her to that too.
Sorry for making you lovelies wait so long. I'll try to upload the next chapter faster. Thank you so much for your reviews.
In case I've confused any of you, Hinata and Sasuke is the end game of the story. I'll answer any of your questions in the next chapter where more exciting things will happen.
Until next time!