Disclaimer: I wish I could claim Naruto as my own. I can't. Aren't you happy?

Hinata was terrified.

It was one thing to accidentally run into a human settlement, as she'd done once before. It was another thing entirely to intentionally walk right into one. Humans had never been kind to her people, and though she'd never personally been hurt by them, there were others, others that she'd been very close to indeed…

"Hinata."

She jerked her head upright and looked back at Gaara. He appeared to be both tired and irritated, though she couldn't be certain. Despite the wound he had received and the effort he had to have been exerting to keep that gourd afloat, his facial expression and his voice didn't even waver. It was an enviable talent, but one that Hinata didn't want. Skills like that took practice, and they usually meant that the person who employed them had gone through something terrible, a secret they had to protect. Secrets like that weren't ones she had any desire to possess. After all, she'd seen what they'd done to her brother.

Despite the fact that she couldn't read what he was feeling, Gaara was doing a very good job of making her feel as though she'd done something naughty. "W-what?" she stammered, surprised that she could even speak at this stage.

"If you continue to stop, we will never get there." Gaara's voice and tone was perfectly bland, but the meaning was clear. One look at his injured arm brought Hinata to her senses, and she flushed with embarrassment.

There were other reasons, besides the arm, that the sand spirit couldn't leave her. He had no idea where he was in this world, much like she was lost in the desert. He couldn't leave her then because he needed her out; he couldn't leave her now because he had no idea where he was and no idea how to get home. It was a reversal of roles that, in other circumstances, may have been enough to bring a smile to her face. "Sorry," she whispered.

Gaara simply stared at her with stony eyes until her face reddened further and she turned away. Clenching her hands into fists so tightly that her fingernails scratched her skin, she forced herself to step closer to the village.

It was difficult. Every part of her mind screamed protests, and her body seemed to be numb. By the time she'd reached the point where she could actually see people guarding the village, she couldn't even feel the wounds she knew her fingernails were inflicting on her palms. Nevertheless, she continued, still thinking of the rebuke she'd received from Gaara.

"You there, halt!"

Hinata wanted to shut her eyes in a futile effort to avoid them. It took considerable effort to keep them open. Something warm trickled down her right fingers, and she recognized the liquid for what it was, blood. "K-k-kurenai s-s-s-sent u-us," she stuttered, voice strained. Her stutter was considerably worse than normal, something that, in the presence of humans, was something she could not suppress. If Gaara wondered about it, he said nothing.

The two guards looked at each other. "Think Sarutobi'll mind?"

The other shrugged. "Asuma said to let anyone from Kurenai in."

"Asuma's not Hokage."

"He's as good as."

"Kurenai told us to ask for Asuma," Gaara cut in smoothly. Hinata flicked his gaze over to him for a moment. If his wound pained him – and it certainly had to; the bandage she'd applied was already soaked with blood – he gave no sign of it.

"Hm." One of the guards appraised them. "That arm of yours looks bad," he said eventually.

"I think we can let you in. Shizune'll probably want to see you," the second decided. "Follow us."

They turned and walked towards the village, obviously expecting the two to follow. Hinata, still hesitant, was slower than Gaara, who had gotten ahead of her. He stayed relatively close to her, though whether it was an accident or intentional, she couldn't say. To keep herself from completely panicking, Hinata turned her head to look out at the river. The water, just as it always did, soothed her, though it would have been much more effective were she submerged in it. Although her attention was on the water, not the opposing bank, she caught a glimpse of something odd on the other side. Her curiosity roused, she lifted her head to get a better view, and stared at what she saw.

Two people stood on the opposite bank, pressed up against a thick-trunked tree. One of them was, from what she could see, a human. The other was a being of a race that she had never seen before. There was something strange about him, something that she sensed, rather than felt, which in itself was odd. She did not have heightened spiritual senses. The other odd thing about him was the shock of silver hair atop his head. The two were definitely involved in a relationship that was much more than platonic, if their kissing was of any indication. Hinata flushed red against her alabaster skin and turned her head away so that she stared straight ahead into the small of Gaara's back.

"Something wrong?" one of the guards asked, casting her a look over his shoulder. Mutely she shook her head. With a shrug, he turned back to face the village. It was much bigger up close. One of the guards ran ahead, presumably to inform somebody of their presence, while the second guard led them through the village. Humans watched silently as two strangers were led through their home, and Hinata felt their stares and shivered.

It was bigger than she had thought it was. The village seemed to have over a hundred citizens, much larger than the small tribe of naiads she lived in. Culture shock was the least of her worries, but she couldn't help to be awed when the largest building came into view. The guard led them up to it and motioned for them to enter. "Don't worry. The Hokage doesn't bite."

Hinata eyed the doorway apprehensively. Gaara looked back at her. "Go on," he said, and moved out of the way.

"I…" She shook her head minutely. How could she explain that the only reason she wasn't running for her life right now was because of his presence? Kurenai's reassurances had completely flown from her mind, and she didn't know if she could stand being here for much longer. The gourd of sand, lifted by Gaara's power alone, quivered slightly as Gaara stepped back to stand behind Hinata.

"Go," was all he said. Hinata swallowed, bit her lip, and, shaking, walked into the building. Behind her came Gaara, and behind him the gourd drifted through. The door shut behind them and a figure came down the stairs. Old and withered, he was swathed in loose, layered, white robes and a wide-brimmed straw hat. Upon seeing them he smiled and beckoned for them to come. "So, you'll be the spirits sent by my son's wife?"

A/N: That chapter was not worth an almost three month wait. I'm very, very soory you had to wait so long for such a short chapter, but hopefully updates will be fuller and longer now. This was supposed to go on for much longer, but I thought that this would be a good place to end it. Upcoming chapters... There'll probably be one more short-ish one and then they'll start getting long, so you've something to look forward to, at least. I'll try to update again in roughly a week, hopefully sooner. Vote of the Update: How well am I writing Hinata?