"We don't have the numbers to take on the whole fortress," I said between branch-hopping. Karin was on one side, Ino on the other. Tenten was a few feet ahead of the pack.
"With time to prepare, we could do it." I twirled an exploding kunai between my fingers. "But that would risk the people we want to save."
I hadn't ever considered going against an army, but it should be doable, if we didn't care for collateral damage.
"But the main issue," I said, hopping to the next branch, "is that we're unprepared to help the civilians after we rescue them."
I didn't elaborate, but I knew they'd understand. We didn't have enough supplies to feed and care for a town's worth of people. We didn't even know if popping them out of the matrix was safe.
Ino's eyes narrowed. "You're thinking Suna?"
"Suna?" Tenten asked from her spot at the front.
"River is allied with Wind," I said, then jumped again. "We find a patrol, pass the intel up the chain. With luck, it'll reach Gaara."
Gaara hadn't become Kazekage yet, but he was all that but in name, if the intel I got back at home was correct. With no other S-class shinobi in their village, leadership defaulted to the jinchuriki and son of the previous kage.
I was putting my hopes in half-remembered details from the original story. It was strange. My memories of the start of the series were clearer than what happened after the timeskip. Maybe it made more of an impact? I shook my head; now wasn't the time to think about such things. In the original story, Gaara becomes a decent guy after being affected by Naruto's talk-no-jutsu. I was hoping the same would still apply here.
Hopefully, passing up the information would be enough to get them to help us. If not with fighting the fortress, at least caring for the civilians afterward, and preventing a diplomatic mess in the middle of a war.
It wasn't the best plan. I could admit that, but it might be the best alternative.
Interfering with other villages could spark a diplomatic war, which could give the council codgers ammunition to bother me with. The two had left me alone since the hearing. I didn't want to give them more reasons to start badgering me again. This way, we had a plausible reason to be involved. Maybe even earn a few brownie points with Suna.
I turned to Karin. "Enemy?"
Karin shook her head. "Outside my range."
That was good. An enemy approaching where we had been hiding spooked me a bit, but maybe it was a coincidence. I held the urge to slap myself for raising a flag and tempting Fate-kun.
We kept moving at ninja speed until I spotted a good place to make camp. I signaled the team to shift course. Below us, the river had carved a narrow path through the rocks, and near the top, a small alcove, deep enough to conceal us, offered a clear view of the surrounding terrain without exposing us.
"No house today?" Tenten asked, looking at the alcove.
I shook my head. "Not enough chakra. I don't want to drain my reserves in case we need to fight."
I took part of our sealed supplies from my pouches: sleep bags, food, and water.
Once that was done, I turned to Karin. "Can you take the first watch?" Karin's sensing range should be enough to make sure no one was sneaking on us. "I'll take second—"
"Let's do a double watch." Ino interrupted me. "I'll pair with you again."
"That's better," I said, nodding. No point taking unnecessary risks.
There wasn't much to say after that. We ate a cold dinner, then settled to rest.
Sleep didn't come easily. There was a lot on my mind. The implications that fillers were real in this world worried me greatly. Would Road to Ninja happen as well? The idea of meeting meek Ino left me feeling very conflicted.
I might have dreamed that night about adorable, shy, purple-dressed girls. Don't judge me.
———————
"Hinata-chan, wake up."
It had been the best part of a dream already slipping from my mind when Karin shook me awake. I resented her meddling for long, painful breaths, then remembered where we were the previous night.
Sleep fled quickly after that. I jumped from my sleeping bag. "Enemies?"
Karin shook her head. I noticed she was still clutching the ferret in her arms. She yawned, then pushed me away from the bag. "Nothing happened, it's your turn." She shoved a blanket at me, then slid into my sleeping bag.
Nearby, I heard Tenten's waking up Ino.
I looked at Karin, now rolled like a burrito, then at the blanket in my hands. A humid, chilly night breeze blew near me. I shivered.
Without saying anything else, I draped the fabric over me, walked towards where Karin and Tenten had taken the first watch. Ino joined me not long after.
Her hair was messy, sleep lines still creasing her pretty face. She had a blanket too, but she draped it over me instead of wearing it, then snuggled in by my side, resting her head on my shoulder. Her hand found mine.
I put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
No one spoke for a long while. Ino's breath was slow and rhythmic. At some point, I thought she'd fallen asleep again, but a quick look at her face told me otherwise. Her eyes were open and focused on the terrain around us.
The first part of the watch wasn't that quiet. From behind us came Nerugui's soft cries. I shook my head and wished the pet luck. Karin was a terrible sleeping companion. Somehow, I imagined her meeting Madam Shijimi and swapping pet-care tips.
A giggle almost escaped me.
The quiet night watch gave me too much time to think. I knew why my clones were always harassing Ino at every opportunity. I didn't want to admit it, but I wanted to snog her so badly. I still didn't understand why I hadn't. I was pretty sure that Ino was, if not willing, then at least interested.
But deep down, I knew the truth: I was afraid.
Yep. Big damn coward.
A whole lineup of justifications was ready to parade out and give me an easy out: It's not the right time, I might not even be alive in a year, why push for a relationship that could leave Ino hurting?
Or my personal favorite: What's the point when there are still so many horrors lurking in the future?
They all sounded so reasonable, but they weren't the real reason.
The truth was, I was terrified she might reject me. And right now? I don't think I could survive that. Maybe if I were in a better headspace.
Ino interrupted my internal spiral by lifting her head from my shoulder. Without a word, she turned me until I was facing her.
The faint moonlight barely illuminated her face, but her pretty blue eyes stared into mine.
God, she was so pretty.
We held each other's gaze for a long, silent moment. I had no idea what was going through her head.
Ino's breath quickened. Her eyes flicked to my lips.
Agonizingly slow, she leaned in.