From far away Sunagakure looked like an anthill— but a pretty one.
The village was baked into a deep circular canyon. Sandstone cliffs rose in three layers above the village, their dusty faces too exposed for any shinobi to infiltrate. The buildings were made from a similar substance to the cliffs, just one shade darker. Suna's mud architecture was known to be as hard as iron once it hardened. It was just late enough for the village's lights to be on.
Some kind of event must have been happening. Instead of just the windows of buildings, the streets themselves were alight tonight. It was late afternoon, and the citizens were emerging from their houses, ready to put the evening to good use.
"Everything stops here in the middle of the day," Naruto said for Hinata's benefit. "They get up early and stay up late. Better to dodge the heat that way."
"I see," Hinata said.
She was staring at the view while their group followed a winding path along the cliffs, switchbaking down to the front gate. She'd probably never seen a city this big other than Konoha. It's not easy to travel when you have an unsealed Byakugan in your head.
"You two picked a good time to visit," Temari said. "It's the last night of the Festival of Fortitude. That's Sunagakure's biggest holiday."
"What does it celebrate?" Hinata asked.
"Survival." Like a sudden gust, something sharper cut through the personality Temari had shown so far. "Suna isn't like the other villages. In the desert, living another year can never be taken for granted. So we celebrate for a week straight, to remind ourselves that we're still going."
Hinata was silent, staring at the village.
"Well, I can see why an outsider wouldn't understand—"
"No. I get it," Hinata said. "Making it through a year seems like plenty to celebrate."
There was no trouble passing the front gate with the Kazekage and his children in the delegation. The kage's residence wasn't far from there. It was made from the same mud as the other buildings, just bigger. Suna didn't waste time with idle luxuries. They couldn't afford to.
The streets were going to be crowded that night. They were already starting to fill, and people were still streaming from their homes. Naruto saw garb that didn't match with Suna's traditional drab colors. Teenagers appeared from an alley and ran the opposite way wrapped in blue, purple, and golden kimonos.
"Please," Rasa said, "make yourselves at home. Rooms have been prepared. Gaara, why don't you show them the way?"
Gaara put a hand to his chest and bowed his head.
The entourage broke apart. Rasa and the Jounin headed to the center of the village, no doubt to put his affairs back in order. A kage leaving for multiple days was bound to cause a paperwork backup. Gaara guided Naruto and Hinata through the building with Temari following a bit behind.
"This is where Naruto will be staying," Gaara announced.
One thing about Suna: doors were rare. Wood was a precious commodity that couldn't be wasted, and most metal that they got ahold of went to crafting weapons. Unless it was a place as important as the Kazekage's office, rooms tended to be separated by open arches.
"Hey, you're next door to me!" Temari said. Naruto could see a glimpse of her room's interior— utilitarian yet lived-in with a lavender color scheme.
"And I am in the next room over," Gaara said. "If you need anything during your stay, do not hesitate to call me."
"You're the man, Gaara!" Naruto said.
Hinata's room was slightly further away, across the hall from Gaara's. It wasn't like either of them had possessions they'd brought with them, so there was nothing to unpack. The sand siblings went into their rooms (Gaara when Naruto told him to, and Temari of her own volition). Naruto and Hinata were left alone. Hinata's neck bent forward slightly under an unseen weight, unable to look at him.
"Let's go check out my room!"
Naruto pulled Hinata in by hand. He ran around the room poking anything that might seem interesting, which… wasn't much. The bed was a mud block with a mattress on top of it. There were shelves for storage, all empty and likely to stay that way. The most interesting part was the window looking out on the street, where they could watch the festivities beginning. After looking out for a while, Naruto turned to face Hinata.
She was sitting on the corner of his bed, her hands grouped in her lap.
"So what made you run?" Naruto asked.
Hinata flinched. Since they were left alone she had been unable to look at him, but surprise overcame her bashfulness now.
"Too abrupt? Sorry. If it's recent, it's gotta feel pretty fresh. But still, that's no good Hinata."
"N-No good?"
"You chose to run," Naruto said. "Do you wish you didn't leave?"
She thought it over.
"...No."
Naruto grinned. "Then own it! Don't feel bad for a second. The villages treat people terribly, and as soon as someone has enough they suddenly become the bad guy. Don't let them make you into the villain here— be proud! The world's at your feet!"
His words made Hinata's lips twitch. It looked like she was going to smile, but eventually a frown came out instead.
"I'm not as strong as you," she said. "I d-don't think… that I can live like you do."
"No problem!" Naruto said. "You've gotta find how you wanna live. Copying somebody else never gets you that far. At least, that's what it seems like to me."
"I'll keep that in mind." Hinata bowed. "And thank you, for saving me and helping me as much as you did. I will not forget it."
Naruto blinked. "You don't want to stick around?"
"I will not impose," Hinata said. "After tonight, I'll go my own way. You do not need to worry about me."
"You don't have to…" Naruto said. She seemed pretty set on this, though. Her stutter had disappeared.
Something orange appeared in the doorway— a kimono, swishing around the body of Temari.
Her hair still hung down like it had on the mission. She'd applied an extra layer of makeup, bringing out the best of her sharp looks.
"My brothers and I plan to attend the festival," she said. "Would you be interested in joining us?"
"I'm in!" Naruto said. "Sounds fun!"
Hinata nodded somewhat timidly.
Temari smiled. "I'll let the others know. Gaara will bring clothes, so feel free to change."
Fifteen minutes later, Naruto and Hinata met the sand siblings at the front door of the residence. Hinata was wearing a mellow cream kimono, while Naruto was in an orange yukata slightly darker than what Temari was wearing. Gaara was stubbornly sticking to his butler's outfit. Temari was dressed the same as she had been upstairs. The last of the Kazekage's children had joined them, a brunette boy with purple facepaint on. Naruto had met Kankuro before and remembered that he usually wore black. Tonight was no different. Kankuro's kimono was made of dark silk.
It was hard to see the family resemblance between any of them. Temari was blond with a slender face, Kankuro had a broad face and brown hair, and Gaara's face was somewhere between the two with his shaggy red hair.
"Let's go!" Temari said.
She grabbed Naruto below the elbow and pulled him outside. Naruto noticed an uncomfortable look on Kankuro's face, staring at his sister like a stranger had crawled into her skin.
It wasn't that long since they had entered the residence, but the world outside had completely come alive.
Invisible from afar, windmills were fixed onto nearly every building. The shape of Suna's streets channeled the gusts that the country was known for, blowing the hair of the crowd— and spinning the blades of the windmills.
The power was harnessed and, at least for tonight, channeled into the multitude of orange lights illuminating the festival. It matched Temari's kimono, Naruto noticed.
"Are you hungry?" Temari asked. "Come on! We know all the stalls with the best food."
Temari pulled Naruto in front, Hinata and Kankuro walking behind them, while Gaara brought up the rear. Temari steered the group, leading them down the streets until they found a place where stalls lined the road. The air was boisterous; they'd found the bulk of the crowd. Apparently, Suna didn't have any taboos about jostling when things got crowded. Temari fought her way through the people and none of them complained, they just muscled other people around them in return. It was a lot for Hinata, who quickly discovered that standing behind Temari and Naruto was the best way to slip through unnoticed.
They hit three food stalls back-to-back-to-back. Temari wouldn't let them eat until all the parts were gathered. Digging in, she bit some kind of fried bread and groaned with pleasure. Naruto noticed that her smile had changed slightly. With their hands full, she couldn't hold onto his arm any longer.
"Go on! Try it!" Temari said.
Hinata looked at what they'd picked up from the last stall. It was a goat dish, the staple meat of Suna, cooked in a curry sauce. Gaara leaned closer to her to be heard over the surrounding noise.
"You should be warned," he said. "Others typically find Suna's food to be very—"
Temari and Kankuro both covered his mouth, crossing their hands over his lips.
"Don't listen to this killjoy!" Temari said.
"That's right. Try it," Kankuro said.
Hinata lifted the food to her lips, holding it in the cloth it came wrapped in. She bit into the meat.
"Mff!"
In a completely un-Hyuuga-like display, Hinata spat out half of the bite she'd taken.
"You don't like it?" Temari asked. Kankuro was laughing.
"The flavor i-is not bad…" Hinata said. "Or rather, I don't know if it's b-bad. I can't really… taste it…"
"Too spicy, huh?" Kankuro said.
"That is the warning I was trying to give," Gaara said.
"You would've been a total killjoy about it, though!" Temari said. "The way you were going to say it, she never would have tried it!"
Kankuro was still laughing. "And then we wouldn't have gotten a free show!"
Temari winded up her foot as if to boot him in the shin, but stopped suddenly. She glanced in Naruto's direction. Temari planted her foot without doing anything.
"We're supposed to be hosts!" she said. "Don't use guests like they're cheap entertainment!"
"There was no harm done Sis," Kankuro said. "A little bit of spice never actually hurt anybody."
"Yeah! Not everyone can handle spicy food!" Naruto said.
The group looked at him. It was hard not to, the way he had his hands on his hips and was jutting his chest forward; the stance basically begged them to look. The empty wrapper of his goat dish was balled in his hand.
"Wow. You ate it all?" Temari asked. "You really will fit in here."
"Tch. That's no fun," Kankuro said.
"That's right," Naruto boasted. "I've never felt spice in my life!"
His eye twitched as he tried to keep from shedding a tear. On the inside, this thoughts were going a little something like this—
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!
Shut up! roared Kyu. If you're going to suffer just to look cool, do it quietly!
"Here, try this next!"
Temari dug into the food she'd collected. She pulled out the body of a skewered lizard with the unsavory parts trimmed away, cooked in a thick layer of spices and herbs. She held it out to Naruto.
"This is the best," she said. "It's usually too spicy to give to guests, but I'm sure you can handle it."
For the first time since they met, the smile she was giving him didn't feel fake. Because of that, Naruto couldn't bring himself to turn her down.
Weakling, Kyu said. You brought this on yourself. Don't you dare scream, even inside your head.
Naruto ate the whole lizard in one bite. Hinata looked mildly horrified. Kankuro was watching carefully, hoping he'd make a fool of himself. Naruto managed not to yell, orally or mentally.
"It's… good…" he whispered.
"I knew you'd appreciate it!" Temari said. "But food is only one of the parts of the festival. We still have to enjoy the rest."
"What else is there?" Hinata asked.
"Entertainment. Games. And shopping," Temari said. "We get merchants from over fifteen countries every year. You can buy things tonight that you didn't even know existed."
Temari wasn't exaggerating. Naruto had traveled enough to recognize most of the things they saw as they wandered, but even he found novelties. A merchant from the Land of Vegetables was selling tomatoes that were each as big as Naruto's head. He bought one and wolfed it down to soothe his burning tongue.
One merchant from the Land of Bamboo was selling clothes and samurai armor made of bamboo shoots that were as flexible as cloth. Someone from the Land of Bears had pelts of the animals that gave the country its name. There were multiple merchants from the Land of Fire. Hinata kept her distance so they wouldn't notice her. Hyuuga features did not blend in easily. Naruto caught her staring at a light jacket hanging from one of the stalls.
The color was similar to the long-sleeved shirt Hinata had run from Konoha in. That shirt had been cut and smeared with mud during her escape. Hinata turned her head and moved on, but Naruto gestured Gaara closer. He whispered to his fellow Jinchuriki. Gaara nodded. Naruto followed the group while Gaara lagged behind.
They had been exploring the festival for over an hour, long enough for the stars to come out above their heads, when they found themselves in front of an unusual stall. Most merchants had been selling trinkets and baubles to civilians, but this stall was geared toward ninja. They were selling swords.
"Nice ones, too," Naruto mumbled, picking up a blade and feeling its weight.
"Do you like that?"
A woman old enough to have gray hair leaned over the stall table, tilting her head.
Naruto set the sword down.
"It's well made," Naruto said. "But I don't use swords."
"A shame." The woman picked the blade up, stroking it thrice before putting it in its original place. "Is it the same for the rest of you?"
Temari, Kankuro, and Hinata all nodded.
"Move along then," the woman said. "Maken more room for the customers."
"You're from Kiri, aren't you?" Temari asked. "I recognize that iron. It's a different caliber."
The woman's lips curved up.
"You know weapons well," she said. "You're correct. Mizu no Kuni is our homeland."
There were two other men operating the stall talking with other customers. Their group bid the woman goodbye and kept moving.
Gaara caught up with them before long, a bag draped over his arm. "You bought something for yourself?" Kankuro asked.
Gaara just looked blankly at him, not answering. Kankuro gave up easily.
Temari grabbed Naruto's arm again. She'd been giving him more space recently, but that changed in an instant.
"I need a new dress! You'll help me pick it out, won't you Naruto?"
She didn't give him a chance to say yes or no, beginning to pull him. It was a bold strategy, but Naruto didn't fight it.
"We'll see you guys later!" Temari said. "Meet back at the kage's residence!" She lowered her voice. "I've got a stall in mind. It's not far."
Naruto watched her fight her way through the crowd with the same belligerence as earlier. The streets were starting to clear slightly. Many of the younger children that had been running around playing were gone, retreated to their beds.
Temari wasn't lying about the stall being close by. They only had to make three turns to reach it. It was one of the biggest booths they'd seen all night, with hundreds of outfits for both men and women sitting on angled racks.
"This is where we got your yukata. And my dress, too," Temari said. She ran her hand along the silk garments on the rack, peering at each one that flitted past. "You look great in it."
"Yours isn't too bad either," Naruto said.
"I'm honored to hear that," Temari said. Conspiratorially, she added, "Orange is my favorite color."
She picked at the expensive-looking outfits one at a time, occasionally asking for Naruto's input. He gave his thoughts, but got bored with this game. His eyes started to roam.
They were in another area that was predominantly food stalls. He saw another less impressive clothing stall nearby. Only the merchant across the street got his attention.
For some reason, they were selling masks.
Not the ugly, visceral, frightening kind that Suna shinobi sometimes used. Their masks were made of wood and were sleek, with polished surfaces. Most had slit eyes that offered just enough room to see out of. Two people were manning the stall. One was an adult, with black hair and premature wrinkles on his face. The other was much younger, with long black hair and soft features. Everyone walked past their stall without looking twice. Not a popular item, apparently.
"You're not even looking!"
Temari was pouting, a dress held up to her body. "You have to tell me what you think!"
"It doesn't suit you at all," Naruto said.
"Sorry?" Temari sounded slightly annoyed, even though he knew she had orders not to take that tone with him. "I—"
"I don't mean the dress," Naruto said. "I mean… this."
He waved his hands generally at the situation. At Temari's dolled-up appearance, the clothing stall she'd dragged him to, and the festival she was using a pretense to cozy up to him.
"I'm pretty sure you don't want to be doing this anymore than I do," Naruto said. "So let's stop. I mean, it's not going to work anyway, so let's mix things up."
"What are you saying?" Temari's eyes were sharp.
Naruto took a deep breath and cleared his throat. Loud enough that it echoed over the whole street, he announced, "Temari, let's fight!"