Our Sanctuary

slowly, but surely

Hinata was very tired. They haven't been traveling long and yet all she wanted to do was rest. It was frustrating and made her a bit sour. She must've not been hiding it well because everyone in the group was quiet. Which she later felt guilty for. They were all tired and she was the only one acting out on it.

When they finally stopped for the night she was close to collapsing. But of course, they had to set up camp and formulate a plan. After an hour of throwing around ideas, they decided to call it a night.

They kept watch in shifts and Hinata was grateful she was assigned the last shift. If she had to go first she couldn't guarantee she would be able to stay up.

When she did wake up she felt sleepy, but much more energized than before. The sun was peeking out from the horizon and the stars were barely visible.

She stretched her arms and gave Sakura a lopsided smile. Sakura returned the expression and quietly went to her sleeping bag. After moving around a little Sakura fell asleep.

Hinata yawned and tried to think back on the plan from last night. In all honesty, she was only half-listening when the group was discussing it. Hinata figured they would review the plan after everyone woke up, so she didn't worry too much about it.

The girl had always liked the early mornings, birds chirping, fresh air, and the unexpected boost of energy. This was likely the reason she always preferred training in the mornings.

When she had the time and cash left over from her missions; she would walk through the village. Everyone would be setting up their shops and getting ready for the day. Kiba and Shino often joined her, and on rare occasions, Kurenai as well.

She took a moment to appreciate how far they'd come. When the three were first put together they had such differing personalities and philosophies. At the time, she had no idea how they would become a reliable team.

Kiba, while hardworking and optimistic, was hot-headed and obnoxious. Shino was intelligent and talented, but arrogant and detached. Hinata herself had no self-confidence and was a complete pushover. During training and missions, the two boys often disagreed on one thing or another. This would lead to Kiba yelling, Shino giving snarky comments back, and Hinata at least five feet away from the two. A complete mess of a team.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for their sensei. A freshly made jounin, saddled with three prepubescent teenagers who could not work together to save their lives. However, through trial and error, as well as a lot of time spent together, they eventually became a real team. She wouldn't change a single thing. They were her first real friends and will always have a special place in her heart.

After reminiscing old memories a while longer she got up from her spot and began waking the others up. Making sure to be careful not to startle them, lest she gets a kunai to her throat. She had made that mistake once while on a mission with three other shinobi, one being a participant in the Third shinobi war.

When everyone was done and briefed on the plan they set out toward their destination. It was silent as they traveled, but not uncomfortably so.

____________

Sakura was a little concerned for her fellow medic friend. Hinata had been acting a little off ever since the start of the mission. Not to mention she had vanished the night before.

At first, she had thought it had to do with her clan, but now she wasn't so sure. Messy and vicious as clan politics were, they'd never bothered the girl this deeply. She, of course, had heard rumors about her Hyuga friends' clan, horrible ones that rivaled the Uchiha clans.

The reminder of the almost extinct clan, made her think of her missing teammate and left it bitter taste in her mouth. She prompted not to think about him.