HI! I know I don't make announcements very often but I know a few of you will be happy to know I caved and entered this story into the Wattys. Also. On another, in my opinion, more important note, THIS STORY IS #1 IN #NARUHINA! THE LITERAL FUCK! HOW! This is literally a story I started because the pain medication I was on made me think it was a good idea to stop writing Wife of the Six Paths and start a new story. I literally wrote the first ten chapters of this story while on pain medication that made everything wonky. So, thank you guys so much! I love all of you! Thank you for all the comments! All honesty, the comments mean more to me than the votes do! Love y'all and enjoy the chapter!
Hinata scouted around. No one was around.
"We either have to wait till morning and get a boat, or we could walk across the sea. But it's a ways out. What do you want to do?"
Naruto wrapped his arms around Hinata's waist and stared across the water. "I'm fine with waiting till morning. It's still early enough we could get an inn room. Or would it be easier to just camp out?"
"Let's just camp out. We've got the hammock and all our stuff from the other night right on top of our packs so let's just stay out here."
Naruto kissed her cheek. "Sounds good to me. Keep an eye out while I set up." She nodded as a slight blush crept up her cheeks.
She peered through the fog that had rolled across the bay up to the tree line where they were. The water was still. No chakra signatures to worry about. All civilians and all but a few were fast asleep. They would be fine until morning if they put a simple barrier up.
She watched Naruto out of the corner of her eye. She knew he was still struggling to come to terms with what they had done. They had in all matters of the fact, abandoned Konoha. Yes, they planned to return, they planned to protect the village, but they had still left. They had never done that before. Even when Naruto had left with Jiraiya it was a sanctioned leave with a promise to return made to the Hokage.
They had just left. Their intentions weren't going to be taken into consideration. When they returned they would be subjected to public discrimination. Naruto for being the jinjuriki returned, and her the failed and fled Hyuga princess. Even if they returned by the time their friends would be twelve, they wouldn't have that connection with each other. Naruto, having met most of the others at least briefly, might be a dim flicker in their minds. But her?
Hinata had rarely left the compound and had never socialized due to her shy tendencies before they jumped back. The only one of the Konoha 12 who would remember them would be Neji and maybe his team mates would have an idea about her if her cousin talked about her. Neji. She would send a letter for him as well. So many things to be done. But they all deserved this. They all deserved to live their lives to the fullest. No war, no sacrifice, no death.
Naruto was done setting up their hammock and had a very small fire going. She noted the seal marks placed on the surrounding trees and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek before digging out some food and setting to work. A simple field meal. But it was hot and fresh so it was a welcome after two days of cold food. Naruto gave her a giant smile as he dug in. A comfortable silence filling the air between them.
She liked this. Not the situation, but the fact that they could just exist in each others company with out need to do something. How, even after what was probably the hardest choice Naruto had to make in many years, he was still worried about her first. She could see it. He was still tearing himself up inside over the supposed hardships he was putting her through.
That idiot. My idiot.
She finished her food and seeing that Naruto had been done for a few minutes already she stood up and pulled him towards the hammock they shared. They fell into the hammock, got snuggled in, and fell asleep wrapped in each others arms. The unspoken message between them being,
It is going to be alright.
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Dawn came and Hinata rose with the sun. It was no easy feat to wiggle her way out of her husband's arms and to get out of the hammock without waking the softly snoring blonde. Naruto had snored really badly before they had gotten married but once they started spending the nights together his snoring had died down. She didn't know why and he had no clue but it was a nice to not have snoring right in her ear all night long.
Hinata activated her byakugan and scanned the woods around them. Only animals. The village was just waking up. They had about an hour before they could get a boat ride out to the Land of Waves.
At this point in time Tazuna wouldn't ahve even begun construction on the bridge. From all the stories Naruto had told her about his experiences in the land she knew a lot of what she could expect on this little trip. Inari would be a baby still, Kaiza would be alive, and the village wouldn't be in such rough shape yet.
With Naruto's clones and Hinata's skills for surveillance, the bridge could be completely swiftly and in just under a years time. It had taken Tazuna almost two years to complete the bridge previously. The only reason it would still take so long was because the cement would need time to cure and dry at each stage. And nothing could rush that unless they wanted the bridge to become less sturdy and durable. So if Naruto just helped Tazuna while Hinata guarded, they could avoid any direct conflict with Gato until the bridge neared completion.
Based on what she gathered on Gato's personality, he would dismiss the threat of the bridge until it became prevalent and had a high possibility of success. The difficulties of building a bridge across eleven miles of open sea was near impossible. But they would succeed.
(FWI. I am bluffing on almost all the distances and the time it takes for travel. I look up what I can but a lot of it just isn't there. I may be way off or spot on. IDK.)
She grinned in determination as she waved the bowl of hot oatmeal in front of Naruto's face. Her hands had been busy as her mind had wandered and thought. it was a useful skill to have.
Naruto's eyes cracked open and he gazed up at her. She smirked and gave him a good morning kiss. He almost pulled her back down into the hammock but she managed to get away and not spill the bowls of oatmeal.
"Not gonna happen Naruto. It's time to get up. We can get a boat in about a half-hour now."
Unintelligible grumbles and moans came from the hammock behind her. It wasn't distinct but she was sure she heard something with the words, "Vixen, temptress, food, sleep," thrown in. She chuckled softly as Naruto made his way out of the hammock and too her side by the fire. he leaned against her for a minute or two before he stood back up, gave her a peck on the cheek, and wandered off a bit to take care of his early morning hygiene.
She smiled softly. Crazy though it may be, she was actually enjoying this. Getting Naruto all to herself was wonderful. The soft, quiet, more domestic side of the loud mouthed ninja she loved was something she cherished.
If only these simple times could last.