I already know what you're going to ask, so here's your answer: Because the chapter would have been way too long.

Also, you trust in my plot building, don't you? If so, check out that InuHime fic I got going on. 2019! New ship experiences!

Enjoy!

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Black and Purple Don't Mix #34

"Well, Hokage," the Wind daimyō said, "I'm sorry, but your time is up."

The Leaf shinobi stood around the table where the plump man sat. He had sent word last night that they were to meet him bright and early the next day, and it was no mystery what the topic would be.

Their week and a half was over, and they were no more knowledgeable about where Sasuke was than when they had first arrived.

"With all due respect," Tsunade said patiently, "as I said in the beginning, this is not enough time to conduct a thorough search. We haven't even searched half the country."

"But you knew he was here," the daimyō said. "I even put you in the exact location he was last spotted. If he was so careless as to allow his picture to be taken, then he must not be hiding that well, wouldn't you agree?" He smiled sympathetically, his pointed mustache making a 'V.' "But rest assured, we will carry out the search from here on out."

"I see," Tsunade said. "And is it fair to say there is nothing to persuade you to extend our time here?"

"I'm afraid your presences are beginning to cause unrest in the country, Hokage. People are beginning to wonder why Leaf shinobi are canvassing local villages." He sighed pleasantly. "But this little excursion should have sparked a new flame in all of you. Perhaps Sasuke Uchiha has retreated back to Fire Country and is hiding out there. I'd say it'd be well worth it to continue your search in familiar territory."

"I see," Tsunade said.

"I am so glad you do. Now, I'd hate to rush this, but you will understand that you all need to leave immediately. Ah, and if we happen on any information, we'll be sure to contact you swiftly."

Tsunade bowed. "Thank you."

o0o0o

"Officious fuck," Tsunade muttered again as they approached the inn. She had been in a highly agitated mood since last night, and the meeting just now only worsened it. "Everyone gather your things and meet outside in fifteen minutes," she commanded.

Everyone went to their separate rooms to pack. When Hinata and Naruto reached their room, both were quiet and had an air of gloom about them.

Hinata couldn't believe they were actually leaving. She thought for sure they would stay as long as it took. She thought they would have found something to point them in the right direction. The insect she had brought along was constantly being bounced back between her and Naruto for the simple fact that she was putting all her energy into uncovering something. How could her efforts have amounted to nothing?

"I'm going to be outside," Hinata said as she flung her travel sack over her shoulder.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up, his eyes dazed. "Oh. Yeah. Okay. You want the bug?"

Hinata took the insect and placed it near her neck before leaving. When she left the inn, she was met with cool desert air. She leaned against the clay building of inn and took to staring at the scarce amount of people who were starting their day. Shops were setting up, people were walking about, and the animals were beginning to awaken.

What was she missing?

Sasuke was spotted here and he wasn't wearing a disguise, so was he just that bold? For three months he was being watched—here—in Wind Country, so why would he be here in the first place? Why would he be walking around without a disguise and allow himself to be followed? Was he hoping to be spotted? Was it really him in the photograph? Or . . .

Who exactly spotted Sasuke in the first place? Tsunade could not have been the one to personally follow him because for the past three months she had been in the village. What if that person had given them the wrong location for one reason or the other?

Hinata shook her head. She shouldn't doubt her fellow ninja like that. It was just as possible that Sasuke had moved some place else in the time it took for them to reach Wind Country. She shouldn't question her own village.

She looked up and down the street again, feeling hopeful, but did not see anything that stood out.

There was absolutely nothing.

o0o0o

Five minutes later, the group began their journey home. The adults expressed their displeasure at some point or the other, but ultimately they had to come up with some other plan to find Sasuke.

They had reached the next country when the group stopped. Along with disappointment and aggravation, they were hungry. Since they were not given the chance to replenish their food or water, they thought it best to stop for a while to do just that.

They stopped in a forest surrounding the closest village. Since they were going to leave their things here while they shopped, Hinata decided she'd stay by them.

"Will you be alright on your own?" Chōza asked skeptically.

"I'll be fine," Hinata said from her position under a tree. "I need to rest a bit anyway."

Chōza gave her one final worried look before the group traveled into the village.

Hinata audibly sighed when they left. She went slump against the tree and allowed her head to hang to one side. She didn't know how much longer she could wait. She began to realize that if Sasuke really wanted her to find him, he would have left behind some kind of clue only she could understand. As persistent as he had been in the beginning, she thought there would be little to nothing that could change that now. So maybe she had to give up. She couldn't keep chasing after every lead for the rest of her life, could she? Surely if he wanted to see her again, he'd come for her. At least he knew where she was.

She closed her eyes and tried to convince herself the aching she felt was just hunger pains.

"Hey."

Hinata's eyes snapped open, her posture straightening. Naruto stared back at her, his expression going from concerned to relieved.

"Didn't mean to wake you. I thought you'd been knocked out or something." He took a seat next to her. "Just came to wait, is all."

"You didn't want to get anything?"

"I told Kakashi-sensei to get me something. It's just . . . ya know."

Hinata waited before saying, "No."

Naruto laughed awkwardly. "It's just . . . Not to sound paranoid or overbearing, but it didn't make a lotta since leaving you here by yourself. You could still be a target."

She huffed unenthusiastically. "No one is coming for me, Naruto." And as soon as she said it, her throat felt tight and her eyes stung. Why did she feel so alone all of a sudden?

"You never know," he said, taking no notice of Hinata's rapid blinking. "I mean, I don't know about Orochimaru, but you do have eyes he seems to be interested in." Naruto stopped, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously. "Er . . . I've been meaning to ask . . . Uh . . . Well, I mean, n-never mind."

Her head tilted of its own accord. "What is it?"

"Uh, it's kind of personal."

"It's okay." But she was only saying this because her curiosity was thoroughly piqued. "Ask me."

"Well . . . that scar . . . on your stomach."

Hinata reddened, her hand immediately clutching her abdomen. "You know about that?"

"I saw it by accident," Naruto gushed. "Sometimes they had to change your clothes when me and Sho were helping you—"

Hinata scooted away from him, clutching herself tighter. "Y-You saw me-"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Naruto was frantic, waving his arms wildly as he talked. "I always left the room when they did that, honest! It's just, in the beginning, I was real concerned, and I guess you could say impatient, so when the nurse said to come back in twenty minutes, I came back in twenty minutes, and, well, uh . . ." He bowed his head, clasping his hands together. "I only saw your stomach, I swear. After that, I waited until they said I could come in the room again, honest, Hinata. Ask anyone."

Hinata frowned at him, face red, her hand still clutching her stomach. After a few conflicting seconds, she pursed her lips, inflated her cheeks, and exhaled. "It's . . . okay, Naruto."

He peeked at her. "You don't sound like it's okay."

"I . . . can't do anything about that. You stayed by my side often, so I'm sure you saw worse things than my stomach." She hummed to herself. "But, yes, I do have a scar. I never got around to asking the nurses what surgery they needed to do, but I'm guessing it's permanent." She ran her fingers along the scar through her shirt. It was about six inches wide and always surprised her when she saw it.

Naruto stared at her, eyes slightly wide. "Hinata," he said carefully, "do you really not—"

"Excuse me!"

Both Hinata and Naruto turned to find a girl running their way. She looked to be about their age and a had shiny brunette hair cut into a bob with asymmetrical bangs. She had a basket full of cleaning supplies along with some cloths and rags. She stopped in front of them, her face bright with intrigue and excitement. This girl was a civilian, both Hinata and Naruto noted, and each thought the other must have known her for this girl to run up to them so comfortably.

"Hi," she said once she could speak. "I'm sorry, but . . . you're her bodyguard, right?" she said to Naruto.

Naruto looked around. He expected to see Shino or Neji, but they were nowhere to be seen. He looked back at the girl, who was eagerly awaiting his answer. "Uh . . . I wouldn't say that."

"But, like, you're protecting her, aren't you?"

"Er," he glanced at Hinata desperately, "you could say that. Why?"

The girl laughed, delighted. "And you," she turned to Hinata, "you're a princess?"

"Heiress," she said pointedly, impulsively.

"I knew it! Well, I kind of knew it. I was close."

Naruto and Hinata stared at her.

"Oh!" The girl turned red, bowing. "I'm so sorry. I know this must seem weird. I've just been working on my observation skills, and . . . Ha . . ." She coughed, straightening her posture. "Pardon me. I must be going. You take good care of her, okay?" She winked at Naruto knowingly before walking on her way.

"That was strange," Naruto said as he watched the girl leave. "I wonder if that's what we really look like to people." He looked at Hinata, who was still watching the girl leave. "You okay?"

Hinata looked at him, her brows scrunched. "She had cleaning supplies."

"Oh," Naruto looked in the retreating girl's direction once more, "yeah, I guess she did."

"Why would she have cleaning supplies if she's going into a forest?"

"Maybe she lives out there and came into town to buy some for her home."

"But we came from that direction and didn't see anything."

"Maybe she lives more east. We didn't go through the whole forest."

"I suppose . . ." Hinata stood, stretching. She placed her hand on her neck and searched until she found the Aburame's insect. "Can you fuel him up while I go use the restroom?"

"Yeah, sure."

o0o0o

"Alright, let's get going." Tsunade and the others stopped near Naruto, who was letting the Aburame's insect crawl back and forth between his fingers. "Where's Hinata?"

Naruto looked up. "She went to the restroom."

"How long ago?"

"Mm . . ." Naruto tucked the insect into his shirt before standing. "I'd say ten minutes ago."

Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Are we ready?" Hinata approached the group.

Tsunade looked back at her, sighing internally. "Yes, we are. If no one needs anything else, let's go."

Sasuke sat behind the hut, leaned against the wood with his eyes closed. It was bright and warm, and the sun felt comforting on his skin. It didn't dawn on him until this morning that most of his time was spent in the hut, and that was most likely making him feel more suffocated than he would have been. What happened to the days when he was restless and longed for his freedom? Since when did he allow himself to be in one enclosed spot for so long?

He exhaled slowly, clearing his mind.

He wanted his sword back. Everything he owned was left at Orochimaru's hideout, and if Konoha had been able to dig through all the rubble then he owned nothing expect what he had now.

Which was basically nothing.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke's head rolled to the side, his eyelids peeling open. Aiya stood at the corner of the house, her fists on her hips, and her face flushed. She was wearing dark capri pants and a light shirt over which an apron was tied around her along with a light bandana covering her hair.

"You look like a cleaning lady," Sasuke said.

"Ha!" Aiya crossed her arms and walked over to him. "I wonder why. It couldn't possibly be because you're living in filth and it's about time one of us fixed it up."

"You can't clean dirt."

"Are you implying this house is dirt?"

"It's worse. And it's not a house."

"Not in this state, no. But with a little work, this hut can be a comfortable home."

"Cleaning won't help."

Aiya sighed and squatted. "Look, Sasuke, I don't know if you intend to live here forever, but why not fix it up as much as you can? I'm surprised you're not chronically sick from all the mold and mildew you're breathing in."

Sasuke stared at her dully.

Aiya rolled her eyes and sat next to him. She closed her eyes and breathed calmly before looking at the vast amount of forest in front of them. "Okay, imagine this: Instead of living in a glorified rotting coffin, the wood is all fresh and polished. There's carpet or maybe even a regal rug in the living room." She paused. "Slash bedroom, slash dining area, slash everything else. Whatever. Now imagine the bathroom is actually clean with tile floors with a bathtub and shower that functions and you feel clean after being in there and not just less filthy than before."

"Aiya—"

"No, no, no, let me finish!" She cleared her throat. "Crisp, colorful curtains for the window and a lock on both doors. Imagine getting the doors fitted properly so having locks would make sense. And a few years down the road, you expand on the house to have a kitchen and maybe a few other rooms." She looked at Sasuke, her face bright. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Where is all this money coming from?"

She groaned, slumping against the hut. "You're a real downer sometimes."

He smirked at that. "You've thought a lot about my life."

"Well," she leaned forward, stretching casually, "that's because I'm hoping it'll be . . . our life some day."

"Our life." He laughed. "Right." She had gotten more vocal about her fixation on him, he noted. If it made him feel anything, it was confusion. While he knew girls—most girls—had an uncanny tendency to be attracted to him, it surprised him how taken in by him they would become in such a short amount of time.

Girls like Aiya are why he thought it would have been so easy to . . .

Sasuke stood, stretching himself.

Aiya looked up at him worriedly. "Sasuke?"

"If you wanna clean, let's go."

She breathed in sharply. "You're going to help me?"

He shrugged. "Not for long."

o0o0o

After the first hour and a half, Sasuke took a nap.

They had moved the furniture around to clean and attempt to polish the floors, but the floors were splintered and dry and the task proved pointless. The next task was to polish the dresser, tables, chairs, and bed frame, but Sasuke did not see a great change in anything.

When he awoke hours later, the sun had gone down and he could see an orange hue when he looked outside the window. The hut smelled of cleaning products and water, which was an improvement from before despite his nose tingling. He sat up and looked around the room.

Two large candles were lit on the table. Now that he was looking at the room again, he could see a bit of a change. The floors were cleaner and there were no spiderwebs in the corners. The table and dresser looked refreshed, and overall the room looked . . . even more barren. Clean but barren.

Aiya was in the bathroom vigorously scrubbing the inside of the bathtub. The lights in the bathroom appeared brighter, so she must have added the missing light bulbs. It crossed his mind to inspect all she had been able to clean, but he would see soon enough.

"Okay," Aiya sighed. She turned the shower on and let it run. She looked over at Sasuke and saw he was awake. "I'd say that's enough cleaning for today. What do you think?"

He shrugged. "It's something."

"That's better than nothing." She began collecting all her cleaning supplies and put them back in the basket she brought. "Hey, do you mind if I shower?"

"Do what you want." Sasuke rolled himself up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed.

"You don't have to leave. I'll just close the door."

He waved his hand arbitrarily. "I need fresh air." He got up and left.

Aiya watched Sasuke go with a sense of numbness.

She sighed as she set her basket on the floor and went to check if the bathtub was clean from all the cleaning products.

Maybe she shouldn't have confessed her feelings to him those days ago, but now that she had, it wasn't as if she could act like she didn't. She wasn't sure how Sasuke took her confession, but that didn't shock her. Sasuke Uchiha, she was beginning to realize, just was not an expressive person. In the beginning, she figured he was just dealing with shock and trauma. How could he not be? From what she heard of Sasuke as a criminal from around her village, he was being controlled by Orochimaru. That man was a manifestation of why ninjas were dangerous, and his manipulation and abuse on children were the most heinous that she ever heard. Sasuke was an orphan, and cases like him were why Aiya hated Orochimaru the most, as far as ninja's go. She never gave much thought into who Sasuke was as a person before she met him, but it twisted her nerves to know an orphan from a massacred clan had to be targeted so shamelessly.

And from a man who came from the very same village he was supposed to call home.

When she first met Sasuke—when she first remembered meeting Sasuke—it was in this hut. It was as if she was waking up from a deep sleep only to find this young man seated before her on a pile of rags stuffed under a sheet. He had been muscular then, with scars and burn marks that looked ill cared for. She remembered thinking he looked haunting. His eyes were dark and depthless. The air around him was potent and . . . empty.

.

"Who are you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"The . . . The criminal?"

"Aa."

.

She ran from him that day, but he didn't follow her. She shook with fear the rest of that day, but for two days he did not hunt her down. It confused her, and that's why she went back.

It's why she stayed.

Sasuke was confusing and enticing. She knew he was dangerous, but he didn't act that way.

And over a year later, she found herself falling for him.

Why? She didn't think she had a good reason. He made her an only child, sure, but the only reason she confessed that was so he wouldn't think she was as frail as civilians are viewed to be. She never seriously entertained being with a ninja, let alone an S-ranked criminal, but Sasuke was . . . different. He was different because he didn't feel as unreachable as all the other ninjas did. Sure, for the past year he's been in hiding and completely dependent on her, but that had to be a choice. Sasuke was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but he was choosing to let her provide for him.

And now they were building a home together.

Aiya smiled to herself, her face feeling warm, and undressed.

No matter what, she had to give it her all. Even if Sasuke was unsure about how he felt about her, he didn't reject her.

She still had a chance.

That Night

"We might be home sooner than expected," Tsunade said.

The group had just gotten through setting up camp for the night. Spirits were higher with home being so close, but the search for Sasuke was not yet at an end. For everyone present, this was starting to become a taxing topic.

"Listen," Tsunade said, "just try to take it easy tonight. We have the rest of our lives to beat ourselves up over this, but let's start again in the morning."

"I couldn't agree more," Shikaku said. He and the rest of the Ino-Shika-Cho group were gathered around the campfire with Kakashi.

"Tonight, we feast!" Chōza said, pulling out the packaged foods they had bought that day.

"Naruto," Kakashi said to the boy, who was drooling over the prospect of eating, "why don't you go wake Hinata up. I don't think she's eaten today, so she needs this."

"Uh," Naruto gazed at the abundance of chips, buns, sandwiches, and juice, "right, okay." He went into Hinata's tent. She was curled in her sleeping bag. "Hey, Hinata, we're going to eat."

She pulled the flap of her sleeping bag closer to her face, retreating into herself more. "No . . . I'm okay."

"Aw, c'mon." He moved next to her and turned on the lantern near her head. "You have to- Hey, Hinata? You don't look so good."

Her eyes were open, but her eyelids were sagging and she had dark circles underneath her eyes. He now saw that she was shaking and her breathing was shallow.

"I'm . . . fine. I just need to rest." Her voice was hardly audible.

Naruto looked at the entrance of the tent then back to her. "You . . . You just need the bug, right?" Naruto dug around in his shirt and pulled out the insect. "Look, see? You just need some energy. Here."

"Naruto, wai-!"

He placed the insect on her. No sooner had he done so, she poofed in a cloud of smoke. He stared at the emptiness before him, eyes wide, hand still posed over the spot where her cheek had been. "Hinata?" He lifted the sleeping bag, expecting to find a log or some kind of substitute, but he didn't find anything. "Hinata?" He looked around the hut. "Uh . . ."

Hinata gasped, nearly falling out of a tree.

She shook her head as knowledge snapped into her, and her heart beat even more than it had been. She was being reckless, dangerously reckless. By now, Tsunade would know that she was gone, and this fact terrified her. With any luck, they'd continue on to Konoha before retracing their steps, which seemed likely considering they were already in Fire Country. The Land of Rivers was a small country, after all. So small, in fact, that even she would not have considered to look here.

She focused on the hut. It was small and rotted, but she had to admit it suited him.

But there was one problem.

The door to the hut opened.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You're asking now?" Sasuke looked down at Aiya, who was looking up at him. She was wearing his clothes, so he kind of needed her to come back since he didn't own many pairs of clothing to begin with. He should have known she would take his clothes after her shower. It's not like she kept any spare clothes in the hut.

"Do you want me to?" Aiya pressed.

Sasuke stared at her. He knew exactly what she was doing. Yes, he wanted her to come back, but he needed his clothes and food. He was sure she didn't completely grasp the fact that a rogue ninja with nothing to his name couldn't just walk around freely. He had to get fit again if he ever hoped of doing that.

But he had to admit she looked . . . interesting gazing up at him, stubborn yet pleading with her eyes.

"Yeah, come back," he said.

Aiya grinned and hugged him tightly. Sasuke went rigid, but she soon pulled away, clearly red in the face.

"Ah . . . Er . . . S-See you tomorrow then!" She rushed off.

Sasuke watched her go. He frowned because he was sure she was gone for the night, and she hadn't brought any food today. He sighed and closed the door.

He was prepared to settle for bed when there was a knock on the door. He got up a little too eagerly because Aiya surely realized her blunder. When he opened the door, he froze, eyes feeling as though they were bulging out of his head.

His voice sounded alarmingly foreign when he said, "Hinata?"