"Put your glasses back on. We are going back to the hotel."
Hinata picked up her glasses from the snow. Her hands were trembling. "I-I am sorry, Sasuke-kun," she said softly.
Sasuke did not want her to get lost again. He reached out, but he did not grab her hand.
Instead, he held the sleeve of her coat. He began to lead her through the dark streets toward the "Frozen Crane."
They walked in silence. Hinata followed him closely, her heart beating very fast. Sasuke kept his eyes on the road, but he did not let go of her sleeve until they reached the hotel door.
The wind howled through the Iron streets, blowing snow against their faces. Sasuke continued to lead Hinata through the shadows, his fingers firmly gripping the sleeve of her coat.
Hinata kept her eyes low, her heart still fluttering from the moment at the wall. To break the heavy silence, she whispered, "Sasuke-kun... you mentioned a 'hotel' earlier. Did you... did you manage to find a place for us to stay?"
"Yeah," Sasuke replied shortly. He didn't look back, but his pace remained steady so she wouldn't trip.
"It's a traditional inn called the Frozen Crane. I secured the Grand Pavilion on the top floor. It's a massive room with cedar floors and a view of the mountains. It's safe, and more importantly, it's private."
Hinata felt a small sense of relief. "That sounds... very nice. Thank you for finding it."
"Sasuke-kun!"
A sharp voice rang out from a nearby alley. Sasuke stopped, but notably, he did not let go of Hinata's sleeve.
Sakura stepped out from the mist, clutching a shopping bag, with Ino, Karin and Tenten trailing behind her.
Sakura's eyes immediately dropped to Sasuke's hand, which was still holding onto Hinata.
Hinata felt a surge of panic. 'He's going to let go now..' her body tensing.
'He won't want Sakura-chan to see him like this.'
But Sasuke didn't move his hand. He remained perfectly normal, his expression turning into a cold scold.
"Where the hell were you all?" he demanded. "We've been searching the city for twenty minutes."
Sakura stood frozen for a second, her green eyes fixed on Sasuke's hand. Her heart felt a strange, heavy tug. She forced a smile onto her face, but her mind was spinning with questions she didn't want to ask out loud.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun! We are so sorry! The bathhouse was just so crowded, and the steam made it impossible to see. We were just about to head back to the point where we all left from to find you all!"
But simultaneously she thought, 'Why is he holding her like that? Did something happen while they were alone?'
'Maybe Hinata got scared of the evening light and asked him to lead her... but Sasuke-kun isn't the type to just agree to that unless he wanted to. Is there something going on between them that I don't know about?'
Sasuke didn't look back at Sakura. His gaze stayed fixed on the path ahead, his expression cold.
"That doesn't explain why you left her. She was standing alone in the mist. In this town, that's an invitation for trouble."
Sakura did not remain quiet but she spoke.
"You're right, Sasuke-kun. It was a mistake. We should have stayed closer together. It won't happen again, I promise!"
'He sounds so protective... He's usually so indifferent to everyone. Did she trip and he caught her? Is that why her face is so red?'
"I need to find a way to get her away from him so I can ask what's going on." she muttered to herself while Ino caught the gaze of Sakura.
Sakura hurried her steps to catch up with them, her eyes still glued to the way Sasuke's hand was bunched in the fabric of Hinata's sleeve. She couldn't take it anymore. She reached out a hand, ready to step between them.
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura started, her voice sounding a bit strained. "Now that we're all here, you don't have to worry about her anymore. You can leave Hinata to us; we can make her walk just wit—"
But before she could even finish the word 'with us' Sasuke was already on the move. He didn't even acknowledge her suggestion.
He simply tightened his grip on the purple sleeve and pulled Hinata forward, moving with a sudden burst of speed that left Sakura standing in the snow.
"Keep up," Sasuke called back over his shoulder, his voice as sharp as the winter air.
"We've wasted enough time."
Hinata could only follow, her face buried in her scarf to hide her blush, while Sakura stood there with her hand still reached out toward nothing but the falling snow.
The cold wind finally stopped as the group walked into the lobby of the 'Frozen Crane.' Sasuke led them straight up to the Grand Pavilion. As they entered the massive room, the boys were already there, waiting in the dim evening light.
The heavy doors of the Grand Pavilion swung shut, and the warmth of the room finally hit the group. Sasuke stood in the center of the large room, his expression cold as he finally let go of Hinata's sleeve.
Naruto was sitting on the floor by the boxes of food, but he jumped up the second he saw the door open. He didn't see Sasuke and Hinata alone in the mist; he only saw the whole group of girls walking in behind Sasuke.
"Ohhh! Look at you, Teme!" Naruto yelled with a big, goofy grin.
"Walking in with all the girls like you're some kind of big shot! I bet you think you're real cool leading everyone around!"
Sasuke didn't even let him finish. He stepped forward and hit Naruto right on the face. Naruto tumbled back onto the floor, yelping in surprise.
The reaction from the girls was instant. Sakura, Ino and Karin, all froze, their eyes wide and sparkling. They were completely mesmerized by how fast and cool Sasuke looked in the evening light.
Even though he was just hitting Naruto, his sharp movements and calm face made their hearts race.
The peace of the luxury room was quickly replaced by noise.
Neji stood by the wall, looking down at Tenten with a very serious face. "Tenten! You are supposed to be a responsible girl. How could you lose track of the group? We are in a dangerous place, and you were acting like you were on a vacation!"
Lee began doing fast squats near the balcony.
"Sasuke-kun! My youthful spirit was worried! Where did you go? Me and Neji searched everywhere but only found angry crows!"
Mini-Sasuke was the most tired of all. He was slumped against a wall, his face pale and his legs shaking.
Naruto had dragged him through every snowy street in the city to 'find' the girls.
Sasuke rushed over to the little boy. "Are you okay?"
Mini-Sasuke looked up at his older self with a look of pure disgust. He pointed a weak finger at Naruto.
"Usuratonkachi..." the boy whispered.
"He made me walk... for hours. He is a total moron. I hate him."
Sasuke sighed, looking at Naruto with dark eyes. "I really should have hit you harder."
The group eventually sat down near the pile of nine futons. The moon was high now, shining into the beautiful pavilion as they prepared to eat.
The Grand Pavilion was a massive, elegant space designed for comfort and privacy, far away from the prying eyes of Tetsu no Kuni samurai.
As the group settled in, the sheer size of the room allowed everyone to find their own corner to recover from the freezing evening.
The room was built with polished wood and featured traditional elements that made it feel like a palace.
In the upper-left corner of the pavilion, a large stack of ten futons sat on the floor, waiting to be unrolled for the night.
Along the very top wall of the room, a long closet area provided plenty of space for the girls to store their many bags and extra gear.
On the right side of the room, a large balcony looked out over the city, letting in the cool night air.
The room was split into two sections by two large, purple-tinted walls in the middle. These walls created a small passage in the center which separated the entrance from the private sleeping area.
After the boys left for the hot spring, the five girls turned their attention to the large stack of ten futons piled in the corner of the room.
Since the Grand Pavilion was one massive space, they had to work together to transform the polished cedar floor into a sleeping area.
The girls moved through the quiet room, their footsteps echoing softly as they began to unroll the heavy bedding.
They started placing the futons in the wide-open space between the closet and the inner walls.
Following the shape of the room, they lined the futons up side-by-side, creating a long row that stretched toward the balcony side.
Some futons were placed near the left wall where Neji had been sitting, while others were spread out toward the lower-right corner near the entrance to the balcony.
They left a small path open through the area in the middle so people could still walk to the door without stepping on the bedding.
As they worked, the room began to look like a giant communal bed. Sakura smoothed out a blanket, her movements slow and distracted. She kept looking at the empty spots on the floor, wondering how everyone would eventually arrange themselves once the boys returned.
Hinata helped by pulling the corners of the sheets tight, still keeping her movements quiet and humble. Ino and Karin argued over how much space each person should get, while Tenten made sure none of the futons were blocking the exit in case of an emergency.
The beds were all ready, but no one had claimed a spot yet. The ten futons lay waiting in the moonlight, a silent map of where the night's drama might unfold.
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SNEAK PEAK LINES💬
"Finally! I thought my toes were going to fall off in that snow!"
'How could I be this stupid?
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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