The closer they traveled toward the Land of Wind, the more barren the landscape became. The lush greenery of the Land of Fire gradually gave way to dry earth and sand, the temperature rising with each step.
Hinata kept her Byakugan active throughout the journey. Powered by the Ten-Tails' chakra, the energy drain was negligible. Her vision stretched for kilometers, scanning for any sign of the missing ferret.
After a while, she stopped atop a dune and turned to her teammates. "We'll split into two groups," she instructed. "I'll search the west. You two cover the east. Whether you find anything or not, return here in two hours."
She drew a cross in the sand with her kunai to mark their rendezvous point.
Naruto and Sakura nodded in understanding.
Hinata hesitated briefly. Then she untied the small scroll from her leg, unrolled it, and handed each of them a pouch containing one hundred explosive tags.
Sakura's eyes nearly popped out. "E-Explosive tags?! This many?!"
Hinata nodded lightly. "Just in case. Use them wisely. Don't get careless."
Then she turned and disappeared across the dunes.
Sakura stared at the bundle in her hands. "Do you have any idea how much this is worth?" she whispered.
Naruto blinked. "Uh… a lot?"
"A single explosive tag can cost anywhere from five hundred to five thousand Ryō depending on quality! This stack… easily fifty thousand Ryō!"
Naruto froze, eyes widening. "Fifty thousand Ryō?! That's… that's like… eight hundred bowls of Ichiraku ramen!"
Sakura sighed dramatically. "At least."
Neither of them came from wealthy backgrounds—Sakura from an ordinary household, Naruto an orphan surviving on small stipends. Even Kakashi's Jonin salary couldn't compare to the luxury Hinata seemed used to.
Sakura looked at the direction Hinata had gone, her eyes gleaming. "She's beautiful, gentle, strong… and rich. That's unfair."
Naruto nodded solemnly. "Totally unfair."
…
Unaware of their conversation, Hinata moved swiftly across the desert terrain. Once she was far enough away, she activated the Ten-Tails Chakra Mode, golden energy swirling around her. Her speed surged as she covered ground in seconds, her Byakugan scanning every inch of the landscape.
After circling the area several times, she still hadn't found the ferret—but she sensed something else.
Three familiar chakra signatures approached from the opposite direction.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
The Sand siblings…
Before she could call out, an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted in the distance. Even from far away, she could feel the raw, unstable energy of the One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku, roaring inside its host.
Temari and Kankuro immediately sensed it too.
"Gaara!" Temari shouted.
But before she could reach him, a massive sand hand erupted from the ground, sweeping across the area like a tidal wave. The earth trembled under its weight.
"Run!" Kankuro grabbed his sister, pulling her back just in time as the sand crashed down. "He's lost control! He can't tell friend from foe!"
The siblings fled desperately, calling out to their brother as Gaara's monstrous chakra raged unchecked behind them.
"Hurry Up!" Gaara's voice was low but strained, his pupils narrowing as half of his body began morphing into Shukaku's monstrous form. The closer Hinata moved toward him, the more violently the One-Tail's chakra surged in agitation.
Sensing the cause, Hinata immediately withdrew from her Ten-Tails Chakra Mode. The cloak of chakra faded, her aura dissipating as the markings across her body vanished into her skin. With the Ten-Tails' power gone, Shukaku's feral thrashing gradually subsided.
Gaara fell to his knees, panting heavily. The strain wasn't physical—it was mental. Resisting Shukaku's influence took immense willpower.
"It's you…" Temari breathed, her eyes narrowing in recognition. She could never forget the confident Hyuga girl who had humiliated her brother years ago during the Chunin Exams, shaking his pride to its core.
Seeing Gaara calm down, Temari and Kankuro rushed to his side, standing protectively between him and Hinata.
"Why are you here? What's your purpose?" Kankuro demanded, his voice cautious.
"Mission," Hinata replied simply.
Temari frowned. "And what does that have to do with us?"
Hinata shook her head. "Nothing."
"Then we'll be on our way," Temari said curtly, not wishing to continue the conversation.
Although Sunagakure and Konoha were allies, each village handled its own missions independently, only sharing information in special circumstances. Even comrades from the same village kept their tasks confidential—let alone those from another.
Temari worried that lingering might cause her to reveal something she shouldn't, so she motioned for Kankuro to help her lift Gaara. The two prepared to leave.
But before they could, Gaara turned his head slightly and asked quietly, "How is he?"
Hinata blinked, momentarily puzzled. "Who?"
Then Gaara spoke again, and she understood. "Naruto," he said.
Hinata's expression softened. "He's doing very well. Still cheerful and full of energy."
Gaara nodded slowly. "Please give him my regards."
Hinata tilted her head. "Are you… friends with Naruto?"
She recalled the rumors following Orochimaru's invasion—the reports of Naruto's fierce battle with Gaara outside the village. That encounter had been classified information, sealed to all but those directly involved. Even the Hyuga clan hadn't been privy to the details.
"Friends?" Gaara repeated quietly. "If he doesn't object… probably."
With that, the three Sand siblings turned and departed, their silhouettes fading into the vast desert horizon.
Hinata stood silently, thoughtful.
…
When the appointed time arrived, Hinata returned to the rendezvous point. Naruto and Sakura were already waiting, empty-handed like her. After exchanging information, Hinata briefly mentioned her encounter with Gaara.
"Friends?" Naruto repeated, stunned. His feelings were conflicted. Having grown up alone, every person who accepted him felt precious. And Gaara—like him—was a Jinchuriki.
"Where is he now?" Naruto asked, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Can we find him?"
Hinata smiled faintly. "You want to see him?"
Naruto nodded earnestly. "Of course! If he thinks of me as a friend, I can't just pretend I don't know him. I have to see him, even just to say hello."
Hinata pondered for a moment, then said softly, "I left a chakra mark on them. I can sense their general direction. Once we finish the mission and deliver the ferret, we can pay them a visit."
Unbeknownst to the Sand siblings, a small piece of paper inscribed with faint chakra signatures had attached itself to the bottom of their shoes. Only someone with chakra perception as sharp as Hinata's could detect it.
Naruto's spirits instantly lifted. Renewed with motivation, he surged forward with boundless energy, while Sakura sighed, half amused and half exasperated.
…
As they continued their search, Hinata turned to Sakura. "Sakura, are you afraid of heights?"
"Eh? No, not really," Sakura replied uncertainly.
Hinata nodded, then unsealed a scroll. A large quantity of chakra-infused paper flew out, swirling in the air before folding and shifting under her control. In moments, the paper transformed into a functional jet-like aircraft, powered by her wireless puppet technique.
"Sit here," Hinata instructed, helping Sakura onto the seat. "Fasten the belt and hold the handles."
Sakura obeyed, a little nervous. Once she was secure, Hinata lifted the paper plane off the ground, maintaining a low altitude at first—just five meters—to let Sakura adjust.
Then, gradually, the altitude rose.