Hinata's Journey

Hinata had managed, after some careful study, to activate the Byakugan in one eye and the Sharingan in the other. For a week, Baki had been her merciless sensei and Gaara had been her sparring partner. As Hinata picked herself up out of the sand for what may have been the hundredth time today she mentally thanked god she had cut her hair. The heat had been almost unbearable lately.

The swoop bangs suited her round face well. The bangs served the dual purpose of shielding her Sharingan eye from view, when it activated, and allowing her to hide her face when she was embarrassed. The hair in front of the eye did not lower her visibility at all. Gaara did not like the bangs because they hid her face from his view.

For this reason, Gaara took perverse joy in tossing her around like a rag doll. This inevitably would make her hair fly up and gave away her secret. Hinata took to wearing her hidate as a headband just behind where her bangs started to keep her hair from flying up like that. She managed to avoid most of his attacks now but he still would occasionally succeed. As such, she had developed her own style of long-range attack to counter his. She had not used it yet but she did not doubt her ability to defeat him if necessary.

“Hinata may I talk to you for a moment?” Baki asked as she and Gaara were about to exit the training grounds. Gaara gave a curt nod of dismissal and Hinata went back to Baki.

“Yes, Baki- sama?” Hinata queried.

“The message of your arrival has made it to Konoha.” Baki waited for Hinata response.

“I will leave tonight then.” Hinata replied swiftly her heart hurting slightly. “I would not want to put you in a difficult situation.”

“The Kazekage cares for you greatly.” Baki started to say.

“He knows I have to leave.” Hinata overrode Baki. “He would understand better than anyone what is at stake. If nothing else, he must accept my decision to pursue this. If I can’t find this essence then the world could be at stake.”

“Will you tell him you are leaving?” Baki asked finally.

“He would stop me.” Hinata replied faintly once again ignoring how her heart beat oddly. “He would hurt me to keep me safe from my journey and I can’t allow that to happen.”

“Gaara would never…” Baki stopped realizing the truth. “Be strong Hinata you may be our only hope.”

Hinata bowed to Baki before she spoke. “Thank you for all you have done. Teaching me and most importantly believing in me.”

“Don’t insult me. This is Suna. We recognize great things because very little here would survive otherwise.” Baki snorted turning to take his leave. “If it comes down to it though remember that Gaara is still learning to be human and as such will not fully understand his feelings for you. Don’t hurt him more than necessary.” Baki left the quietly smiling Hinata to her own devices.

Hinata began to meander down the streets of Suna watching the sunset and absorbing the waking nightlife. Suna was one of the few places she had ever been to where everyone came out at night. The day often proved too perilous for most. Only ninja and children seemed to be truly active during the day. As she walked, she concluded that if circumstances were different she would love to stay here. Shaking her head, she went back to the mansion and packed a small bag.

She knew in her heart where her next journey would take her. She hoped she survived the experience because the Hidden Village of the Mist was not a place to be unsure of anything. Sitting on her bed, she looked at the door where Gaara stood.

“Going somewhere?” He asked lifting a non-existent eyebrow.

“No.” Hinata responded lying on her bed and putting her hands behind her head.

“I can tell when you lie to me.” Gaara told her coming to sit in his armchair.

“Do you realize that every time you come in here you sit in that armchair?” Hinata returned neatly. “I’m not lying. I am not going anywhere now.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Gaara asked patiently.

“It is in your nature to be distrustful of people?” Hinata replied her eyes on the ceiling.

“Look at me.” Gaara commanded.

“I am looking at you.” Hinata told him, her eyes seemingly still trained on the ceiling were actually studying him. “Or did you already forget?”

“I didn’t forget anything little one.” Gaara purred as he leaned forward in the chair.

Hinata shivered before she could stop herself. “You are not that big and strapping yourself, so who are you calling little?”

“True, I do come across as non-threatening to some.” Gaara told her playfully eyeing her. “Then they see me naked and well…”

“I am saving myself for marriage.” Hinata firmly stated, not sure, if she was saying that to confirm it to herself or to Gaara. “Furthermore the only people who find you non-threatening are the ones who are already dead and don’t know any better.”

“Marriage it is then.” Gaara stated firmly.

“You can do better than that I am sure.” Hinata blushed as she said it. “What a story to tell your children. He proposed in an armchair while I was on the bed.”

“Don’t count it as the proposal until I think of something else then.” Gaara grumbled slightly miffed at her for denying him.

“I knew you were just after one thing.” Hinata laughed as she noticed Gaara slight deepening of color.

“Get some rest.” Gaara stated firmly before he left her alone.

Hinata napped lightly until she felt it was time for her to go. Activating Byakugan, she checked everyone’s location to make sure she could make a clean get away. Quickly she made her escape out of one of the windows. She had left notes but she did not want to risk the emotions of goodbyes. Hinata failed to recognize the slight traces of chakra in the sand that Gaara had meticulously placed in every conceivable exit from her room. He felt it when she left.

She weaved her way through the bustling and jovial nightlife enjoying the stimulus of feeling so alive, for what could be the last time. Reaching the desert, she began to sprint through it. Trapped in the desert when the sun was up could be fatal to even the most seasoned shinobi. She had just reached the border of the Wind Country when a wall of sand came up in front of her.

“Byakugan.” Hinata thought hard as she activated her bloodline, landing in fighting stance.

“I thought you said you weren’t going anywhere?” Gaara purred as he appeared in a whirlwind of sand between Hinata and the border.

“At the time I wasn’t.” Hinata reply noting by the full moon’s light how bright his eyes looked and how dangerous.

“Consider yourself a hostage then.” Gaara told her evenly crossing his arms and narrowing his turquoise eyes.

“Gaara don’t make me fight you to leave.” Hinata said softly her eyes pleading with him not to make her hurt him.

“You want your freedom from here then like any hostage you are going to have to fight for it.” Gaara taunted uncorking his sand. “If I have to hurt you to make you see reason then so be it.”

Hinata nodded her acceptance and the two faced off. Gaara’s attacks were brutal and unyielding. Hinata managed to avoid most of the serious attacks but could not keep up their dance. When Gaara moved to capture her with the sand under her feet, she had already substituted into his gourd. Gaara did not know what hit him when she hit the pressure points in his neck and he fell unconscious.

“Well done.” Baki called appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

“Thank you.” Hinata looked down at the body of someone she called a friend. “I’m sorry Gaara. If I survive I will come back and fight fairly.” Hinata gave Gaara a quick peck on the cheek and stood. “Take care of him Baki.”

“I will make sure he gets home and I will keep him from tracking you as long as I am able.” Baki spoke calmly, flipping Gaara over his shoulder. “Death is not an option for you.”
Hinata bowed one last time and continued her journey, her heart heavy. Crossing the border into Rain country, she lifted the hood of the uniform she now wore. Baki had given it to her when he first began training her.

The black hooded jacket served as a good camouflage for her body as well as her weapons. Under it she wore a black mesh shirt that showed her lilac tank top underneath. She wore a pair of black skintight pants, such as the ANBU wore, that went into her shinobi sandals neatly. The pants seemed to have no actual pockets. Hinata, to her surprise, found that they were stitched deceptively to hide many objects without the extra bulk.

The rain began to fall in earnest just as the sun began to rise but Hinata pushed onward, doggedly. Traveling through the day, she managed to make it to the border between Rain country and fire country when she felt the feeling of someone watching her. Settling down just inside the Fire country borders, she closed her eyes and had a look around.

“Lee?” She called quietly.

“Hinata!” Lee ran to her and sweeping her into a bone crushing hug. Hinata, taken aback by his appearance, did not immediately know what to say. Gone was the bright green spandex body suit and orange leggings. In there place were a pair of dark green pants and long sleeved green shirt. His Jounin vest was over the entire ensemble and he carried a small pouch. The most shocking difference was his hair. It was not in its normal bowl cut and gelled to perfection state. It was tousled and stood up at different angles. The style was oddly becoming on him and Hinata briefly thought he looked attractive.

“What are you doing here Lee?” Hinata asked uneasily as he sat her on her feet again.

“I am on a journey to regain my Springtime of Youth in some place outside of Fire country and as far away from your cousin as I can get.” Lee told her striking a pose before continuing in a more serious note. “You, however, should be heading back to Konoha.”

“No thank you.” Hinata responded pleasantly sitting down under a tree.

“Hinata, you are on the verge of being considered a missing nin.” Lee told her gravely.

“Lee if I have to be a missing nin to save my family and friends then that is fine with me.” Hinata responded fiercely.

“You have noble intentions.” Lee studied her briefly. “I am joining your quest then.” Lee flopped down beside her.

“What?” Hinata exclaimed slightly taken aback.

“I hate vacations but if I can do something useful and work hard then it is bearable.” Lee retorted. “Now tell me the whole story.”

“How do you know there is a story to tell?” Hinata sighed resting her head back against the tree trunk.

“You managed to get out of your house when it was full of your relatives, most of whom are Jounin and the village without anyone seeing you.” Lee pointed out mildly, stretching as he sat down across from her.

Hinata gave Lee the condensed version of the events that had led up to now. Lee blinked at her slowly before telling her to tell him the long version. Hinata retold the story adding in all the bits she missed and when Lee nodded in satisfaction Hinata felt the need to ask a question.

“Lee, why exactly did you join, ANBU?” Hinata inquired.

“There are some jobs that those that use chakra are incapable of doing.” Lee explained. “For now we will leave it at that. Why did you not tell anyone what you were doing?”

“There was no one else who could do this.” Hinata yawned settling down. “For now, that is all you need to know. May I ask one last question?”

“Yes.” Lee responded his eyes closing.

“Neji and you are what exactly?”

“That question is worth a lot of money and too much thought.” Lee responded. “For now let’s just say he tends to enjoy himself a lot at my expense and I weary of his attentions.”

“You are weary of a lot of things.” Hinata commented. “You haven’t said anything cheesy or unnecessarily cheerful since you arrived.”

“Hence, my journey to reclaim my springtime of youth, apparently I was unnerving a lot of people.” Lee drolly reminded her.

Hinata chuckled. “What happened?”

“Aren’t you just inquisitive?” Lee told her before he spoke calmly. “Every day for months without fail I would show up to ANBU training with a sparkling smile and I can do better personality. Finally, a mission hit a little too close to home. For one day, I neglected my training when I returned. The next day I did not smile at all. It unnerved Ibiki so badly that I got told not to come back until I was smiling again.”

“What did you do?” Hinata asked engrossed in his tale.

“I faked it.” Lee shrugged sheepishly at the memory. “Ibiki made me go talk to Tsunade. She told me if it continued I would be taken off active duty for a while. Then I actually went ordered a shot of whiskey, took it to a back table in a club and drank it. Neji saw me and demanded to know why I was being so stupid. I flirted shamelessly and the next thing I knew I was in a back alley…well you get the idea.”

Hinata blushed, “Then how did you get put on leave?”

“I continued to occasionally play the back alley with Neji.” Lee sighed unhappily. “It wasn’t going anywhere and I couldn’t stop myself. It made me happy at the time and made me feel like crap afterwards.”

“I can kill him for you.” Hinata offered.

“Iruka called first dibs.” Lee replied smiling faintly. “He found me after I had a partial break down over how your cousin treated me. Iruka told me to stand up to Neji. I did, he still won in the end and I took the next suicide mission I could get my hands on and survived. My partner saw all the reckless stunts I pulled and when we made it back I got put on leave.”

“Lee, the reason you are joining me is because you were going to go missing too.” Hinata guessed going with her instincts.

“It had crossed my mind.” Lee confirmed frowning. “I want to get my zest for life back. Also the prospect of having to meet with Ibiki to chat, on a regular basis, about my mental state is enough to put anyone off.”

“I can imagine.” Hinata shivered delicately.

“No you can’t and you don’t want to.” Lee responded wrinkling his brows. “You know Gai sensei doesn’t even know I am gone.”

“Yep you have definitely lost some of your sparkle.” Hinata confirmed shocked at his confession. “Gai doesn’t know where you are and I thought you two were attached at the hip.”

“Not at all, how else do you think he gets his hands on Kakashi sensei?” Lee asked, chuckling as Hinata blushed, “I know it shocked me too. The challenge was apparently to see who could make the other cum faster.” Lee shuddered at the memory. “I will never be able to look at nun chucks the same way again.”

Hinata groaned. “Lee we have to rest. We have three days to get to shore and catch a boat to Water Country.”

“I can run in my sleep.” Lee boasted closing his eyes.

“That could be useful.” Hinata mumbled as she closed her eyes and rested.