Temari was suddenly fond of her. Maybe to start their relationship off on a good note. Hinata didn't have any qualities for her to want to be close otherwise. It would be nice having an elder sister rather than being the elder sister for once. It took off some of the weight of the world, knowing there was someone who was more experienced. She hoped that's how she made Hanabi feel.
Hinata wrote her signature beside Gaara's on the scroll to his council, informing them of their engagement. She sat quietly while the two Kages and Temari spoke about the marriage's politics. Hinata played with the hem of her old housework shirt. She really should have changed. She felt underdressed compared to the other two women in the room.
Hinata drifted from the conversation when she caught sight of her ring. She was growing more attached to it the more she thought about it. It may be the most thoughtful gift she had ever received, even if he didn't understand. Somehow, knowing he was oblivious made her heart melt even more. The innocence of it made it all the more special. She would have to make up for it somehow.
Hinata didn't know what he expected out of his wife. He probably didn't even know. Certainly not arm candy or status. He had taken her to the Hokage's office dressed in her chore clothes.
Hinata knew how to behave as a Hyuga bride or Konoha wife, but how did Suna men expect the wives to act? How was the Kage spouse supposed to act? She couldn't even remember the last Kage to have a spouse in Konoha. Was it Naruto's father?
All the voices in the room stopped suddenly, prompting Hinata to look up and realize everyone was looking at her. Her face flushed as she realized someone had addressed her, and she wasn't paying attention. "I'm sorry?"
Tsunade smiled warmly at her, amused by her. "Did you want a wedding here, Hinata?"
Hinata tried to think of how the three had gotten to that point in the conversation while she drifted. Gaara looked annoyed like he was scolded. She could tell where he got the ring idea now.
"I don't mind. Either way, I don't need a big Konoha wedding as much as it might disappoint Ino-chan and the Hyuga." Hinata didn't know how Suna did weddings, so she couldn't speak for it.
Temari picked up on her distinction, and her face lit up. "Would you want a Suna wedding, then?"
Hinata didn't want to crush her excitement. "I don't know about Suna wedding customs," Hinata admitted. "If that's expected of me because of Gaara-sama's position, I don't mind."
Temari leaned forward from her chair, uncrossing her legs. "I can help!"
Tsunade chuckled at Temari's sudden change in priority.
Gaara let his sister take over the conversation. Temari gave a short rundown on the difference in customs. Gaara only wrinkled his nose when certain to show his distaste for certain customs. Hinata kept in mind what he didn't like for later, so maybe she could get those areas toned down.
"You know, you can talk about this outside my office." Tsunade inserted into Temari's wedding rambling. Promptly tossing them out.
Temari led them outside as she continued. Hinata tried to soak up the mass as much of it as she could, but she couldn't retain it all. It all had backstories she didn't understand. At least Temari was excited. Gaara fell in step beside her once more as they followed his sister. Temari took them to a restaurant. Hinata couldn't ignore that it was Shikamaru's team's favorite, but she would keep that to herself.
Hinata found herself actually enjoying the idea of a real wedding. Suna weddings sounded interesting and full of tradition. The attire even sounded more to her comfort. In Konoha, wedding dresses replaced the traditional kimono, even in some Hyuga weddings. She disliked the idea of looking like a cupcake, and her hips were large enough without help.
Would the people of Suna reject a foreign bride of the Kage? That's when a question struck her.
"Temari-san?" Hinata interrupted as soon as Temari stopped to take a breath. "I was wondering if there are responsibilities I must take on as a Gaara-sama wife."
Temari processed the change of subject. "Well, we haven't had a spouse standing beside the Kazekage for a while, so next relatives usually fill in. I took that place, so you take on most of my responsibilities." Temari looked over to Gaara for confirmation. He simply nodded.
"Okay." At least she would be given something to do. Hinata was worried about becoming more of a doll for a political council to dress up and show off. She wasn't sure if that was out of the water yet, but at least she could serve the country he cared for.
"I'll explain all that when we get to Suna, and you're settled. You know it will be nice to have another woman around."
Hanabi decided to sleep in Hinata's room until she left, sneaking in every night like a child with nightmares, carrying an extra blanket. Hinata spent the night telling her stories of when she was younger or what she remembered of their mother.
Hinata worried about her. Hanabi had unwavering physical strength and a hard exterior, but growing up without a mother's guidance made her attached despite a father who made them compete. They were only rivals only in the title anymore. The vulnerability Hanabi only showed her sister made Hinata have the confidence to stand up to the council and deny them.
That was why she was getting married in the first place, wasn't it? So Hanabi could decide her path.
"That Suna woman isn't going to replace me, right?" Hanabi asked from her place, curled up with her head on Hinata's lap.
Hinata stopped playing with her sister's hair. "What do you mean?"
Hanabi shrank into her blanket. "Will she replace me as your sister?"
Hinata smiled warmly down at her, hoping it gave strength to her moment of insecurity. "Of course not. She'll be my sister-in-law, but she's not you, and she can't replace you, Hanabi-chan."
Hinata felt her heartbreak looking down at her sister's show of human weakness, something Hyuga wasn't supposed to have. Her own greatest weakness. It was a cold reality that she was still young and childish, as she should be, of course, but that was a weakness in the eyes of the Hyuga. They were truly their mother's daughters.
Hinata hoped she found a moment to talk to Neji about this before she left. Any spare time she had after the meetings were usually packed with Hanabi or Gaara. Every time she saw him, Neji gave her the 'we need to talk' glare. She just hadn't had the time. Everything was going by far too fast.
"Hinata! Get out here!"
Hinata shot up in her bed, spooking her sister awake as well. She rubbed her eyes before squinting from the sun out her window to the edge of the compound.
In horror, Hinata realized she had forgotten something important in the mix of confusion the last couple of days. She flew out of bed, throwing on clothing, barely brushing her hair, before running past confused branch members preparing breakfast.
Hinata ran out of the compound, feeling dizzy from how quickly she got up. She leaned over to take a breath while she was approached.
"It's not true, is it?" Hinata flinched at the unmasked hurt in his voice. "You're not getting married to the Kazekage?"
Hinata stood looking down at her feet. "Yes, I am Kiba-kun."
"Why did I have to hear this through my sister's gossip mill?" Kiba growled at her.
"I've been very busy with the meetings, and all my spare time has been spent getting to know my fiancé and getting ready to leave." It wasn't an excuse. There was no excuse for forgetting to tell her best friends about her engagement. She would have to find Shino to tell him, though as mad as Kiba was, he already knew.
Kiba glared at her fidgeting hands. "You didn't even consider me, did you?"
Hinata looked down at her ring, rubbing it back and forth on her finger nervously. "I didn't ask what anyone thought, he asked, and I said yes. We didn't even tell my father until after."
"That's not what I meant, Hinata." Then what had he meant?
"I didn't even think about the fact I would be leaving the team at the time, either." Hinata felt tears start in her eyes. His disappointment hurt worse than her father's.
"No, Hinata, I don't mean you not being part of the team anymore." Couldn't he just directly yell at her? It would be less painful.
"She doesn't know what you mean. Stop making her feel worse." Hinata turned as Shino dropped to his feet and approached them. Both males were stiff, and the air was uncomfortable.
"I told you to stay out of this!" Kiba barked.
"I didn't agree," Shino stopped beside her. "I'm letting you ask her. That's bad enough."
"I'm sorry, I seem to not understand what's going on," Hinata interjected, breaking their deadly eye contact.
"Why wasn't I an option, Hinata?" Kiba's anger heightened at her confused face.
Hinata looked up at Shino for help. "He would have married you, Hinata."
Hinata's chest deflated. Kiba was right. She hadn't considered it, but not for the reason he probably thought. The Hyuga didn't like the Inuzuka. They weren't an option in Hyuga's book, so he couldn't be in hers. "The Hyuga…"
Kiba stepped forward, making her lips snap shut. "No, you never even thought to talk about it. Don't hide behind them!"
Shino took a step in front of her. "It's not her fault you didn't say anything all these years." Years? "She didn't know because you never said anything. That is your fault, not hers. Hinata didn't go around asking every male she knew if they ever thought of marrying her. After she told us she had to, it wasn't brought up again." Hinata hadn't considered Shino either. Hopefully, his feelings weren't hurt like Kiba's were.
Hinata tried peering around Shino. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun, I wasn't aware you wanted to be considered that way."
Her apology only infuriated him further. "You're not even considering it now!"
"I'm engaged already." Hinata reasoned.
"You don't even think breaking it is an option, do you!?" Kiba came closer now, yelling in her face.
Now Hinata was annoyed with being cornered. "No, it is not an option! We have already told both our councils of the engagement. Above all, it would be highly unfair of Gaara-sama, who ASKED me to marry him!" Kiba flinched back, looking wounded. Hinata regretted her wording. "I didn't mean it like that. He didn't need to ask. My father already offered me. He could have just gone to my father."
"And do you think that was that emotionally stunted bastard's idea?" Kiba crossed his arms.
Hinata understood he was upset, but there was no need to attack Gaara in this. "No, I don't, but I think it's sweet that he decided to take the time to get me a ring even though it's not his custom. He was even worried the ring wasn't good enough. He's not cold. You're misunderstanding him."
Shino plucked her hand from her other fidgeting one. "It's sand," Shino rolled her hand over.
"Yeah, from the gourd he wears." Hinata felt her cheeks redden. Kiba stiffen. Now was not the time to blush over her ring.
"He can't love you the way you loved Naruto." Kiba accused her coldly.
Hinata flinched, but to her horror, Shino's hand left hers, balled into a fist, and connected with Kiba's face. "Shino-kun, stop!" Hinata pulled him back by his coat, throwing him behind her, preventing further damage as Kiba fell back.
Shino let himself be easily pushed away, showing he was done. "That was not necessary!" He jabbed a finger at Kiba.
Kiba lowered his head, glaring at the ground. "No, it wasn't. Sorry."
Hinata dropped to her knees beside him, pulling his hand away to look at the developing bruise.
"Leave it. I deserve it." Kiba whimpered. "I shouldn't have even thought about it."
Hinata lifted her hand to his cheek, healing the bruise before it formed. "I'm sorry that I didn't consider your feelings."
Kiba flinched in pain as the cheek healed under her hand. "I never made them known. I'll get over it."
"I think you would like him, Kiba-kun." Hinata tried.
"I know I won't, but I'll take your word for it." Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck. Kiba laid a hand on her back, putting his head on her shoulder.