The sound of ruffling in the room woke her up some hours later. Hinata blinked and rolled over, her body sore from the uncomfortable position she forced herself to sleep in. Throwing an arm over her face, she closed her eyes again; and for a moment, her exhaustion took over until she felt something move at her side again. Muttering incoherent words under her breath, she turned to her side to come face to face with a sleeping Sasuke.
Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as she sat up straight and took in her surroundings. It wasn't that she was scared at what she saw, she just forgot that she had given him permission to sleep on the same futon as her. Hinata was glad that she didn't do anything weird in her sleep, otherwise she would be embarrassed.
Untangling herself from the sheets that wrapped themselves around her legs, she tucked it under him carefully so as to not wake him up. With careful steps, Hinata slipped on her shoes and grabbed her haori before stealthily leaving the room. Once she was standing outside, she sighed and allowed her shoulders to relax.
Much like when they arrived earlier in the morning, the village still seemed to be extremely vacant as she stood on the engawa and observed the other houses around her. Did they enter the wrong village?
"Ah! Lady Hinata, good morning." Yuriko waved to her as she closed the door to the room she was staying in.
"Good morning, Yuriko. How long have you been awake?" Hinata walked over to her, her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the blinding light bouncing off of the snow.
"An hour or two, what's wrong?"
"Have you seen anyone around here?"
Yuriko looked around, checking her surroundings before leaning forward to whisper to Hinata. "Well, I thought it was weird too, but our guide from yesterday said that this is very normal. The Ōtsutsuki usually keep to themselves, especially when other officials — like the Prince or the Emperor — are in town. I guess it has to do with politics." She shared before smiling. "That's all I know, and it makes me a little bit uneasy but that's probably because I'm a long way away from home."
"I see...I didn't think their relationship between the Royal Family was compromised in any way since we're staying here. I suppose this is why Lord Uchiha sent Sasuke here in hopes of settling some things."
"That sure is a crazy wedding gift." Yuriko muttered.
"Wedding gift?"
"Is that not why you're here as well? He could have sent his son alone to handle the problem, but he sent you as well. Not only that, but you're stuck here for a whole month. I must say; being in a Winter Wonderland, surrounded by people who might not like you, sure is unsettling, isn't it?" Yuriko visibly shivered.
"I'm sure there's more to this than either of us know. Just because we're here for a month doesn't necessarily mean that this is a gift. I assumed that he wanted me to get accustomed to these sorts of matters so I can provide Sasuke some form of support if need be."
"That's probably it, maybe I'm reading too much into this little adventure of yours. Besides that, I was about to look for the kitchen so that I can prepare you and the Prince something to eat." Yuriko crossed her arms and pouted, "I can't find anyone to ask."
"Would you like my help?" Hinata offered, she could easily locate a lot of the places they would need to use with her Byakūgan. There was no need to knock on every single door in hopes of getting some support.
"No, that's alright. I think I got this. How about you get yourself ready for the day? Unless you need my help?" Yuriko gave Hinata's outfit a quick look, already assessing that the younger woman had just woken up. "I can't have the Princess Consort walking around in her nightwear."
YOU ARE READING
日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide
Fanfiction« She's gotten used to it; she craved it from time to time. Never would she have thought that she would get to the point where Sasuke's proximity did not cause annoyance or anger to arise. How far have they come that warmth and affection bubbled in...
