The carriage was very quiet.
Moonlight squeezed in through the gap in the curtain, casting a thin silver line across the cabin. It landed right on the bedding laid out on the floor.
Teizawa did not pay attention to Hinata, who had curled up in the corner.
He removed his outer robe on his own and draped it over the carriage wall, then lay down on the mat.
With both hands behind his head, he stared up at the roof of the carriage.
His movements were smooth and practiced, as if he were lying down in his own home.
"Come here."
His voice was soft, but it carried an authority that left no room for refusal.
Hinata trembled all over.
Her cheeks flushed at once.
The blush spread from her face to the tips of her ears, then down to her neck.
She lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingers. Her heart beat so fast it sounded like a drum, and her mind was in complete disorder.
Even so, her body still moved.
With great difficulty, she took one step, then another, then a third, until she reached the mat.
She crouched down, then slowly lay down beside him.
The past few nights had all been like this.
On the first night, she had been restless and terrified. Her body had been drawn tight like a fully pulled bowstring, afraid he would do something to her.
She had stared wide-eyed at the roof of the carriage, even keeping her breathing as light as possible.
But he had only kept an arm around her and closed his eyes.
Soon, he fell asleep.
She had spent the entire night frightened and tense.
Only near dawn had she finally drifted off in a daze.
When she woke, she found her clothes intact and nothing unusual had happened. Only then did she relax a little.
On the second night, she was still nervous.
But she was no longer as afraid.
She lay beside him and listened to his steady, powerful heartbeat.
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
She felt as though she could begin to accept this reality, at least a little.
She could not resist anyway.
He had not harmed her anyway.
Neji-nii-san would not be beaten again anyway.
That was how she comforted herself.
And now...
Teizawa reached out, kept her near him, and settled back into place.
Hinata's body stiffened slightly.
Then, little by little, she relaxed.
She lowered her face, breathing in the faint, indescribable scent around him, and drowsiness washed over her like a tide.
His heartbeat was steady.
One beat after another, like a drum, like a metronome.
Like some ancient lullaby.
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and her consciousness gradually blurred.
Soon, she fell into a deep sleep.
Teizawa did not sleep.
His eyes remained open as he stared at the roof of the carriage.
All kinds of thoughts churned through his mind.
He already had a rough plan for Sunagakure's development.
Vigorously develop the economy and attract merchants from every country to trade in Sunagakure.
Build up the Land of Wind's infrastructure and improve the living conditions of its people.
Reform the ninja forces and push forward the construction of aerial units and puppet units. Mecha technology would also need to be advanced further.
All of that required money, and he had plenty of money.
Twenty-three billion, plus another fourteen billion. Four hundred and four thousand ryō worth of gold.
That was enough for him to turn Sunagakure into the most prosperous village in the ninja world.
But money was not everything.
What he needed to solve most right now was the introduction of high-level combat power.
Sasori and Deidara, two Kage-level fighters, sounded very tempting.
In reality, however, neither of those two had much loyalty to him.
He had merely happened to catch each of them by their weak point.
Sasori pursued eternal art, so Teizawa used the Satetsu puppet to keep him hooked.
Deidara pursued the art of explosions, so Teizawa used information about Itachi to keep him hooked.
Loyalty maintained through benefit alone could collapse at any moment.
He needed more high-level combat power.
Powerful people who truly belonged to him, who were loyal to him, and who would risk their lives for him.
That was also the reason he had taken this detour to the Land of Rice Fields.
Orochimaru.
That mad scientist exiled by Konoha.
In his hands were forbidden techniques that even the Five Great Nations coveted.
Teizawa intended to make a deal with Orochimaru.
If it succeeded, Sunagakure would gain a group of high-level fighters that could not be underestimated.
As he was thinking, a faint, steady breathing sound came from beside him.
Teizawa lowered his head.
Moonlight squeezed in through the gap in the curtain, just enough to fall across Hinata's face.
Her face was fair and delicate, with long lashes that curved slightly upward like butterfly wings.
Her nose was small and refined, and her lips were soft and faintly pink.
Her brows had relaxed, and the corner of her mouth was slightly raised.
It looked as if she were having a pleasant dream.
Obedient and gentle, as delicate as a porcelain doll.
Teizawa's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds.
Then he looked away and stared back up at the roof of the carriage.
He did nothing else. He simply lay there quietly, listening to her breathing.
With other ninja, he could threaten, tempt, and force the matter forward before worrying about appearances afterward.
But with this girl...
Teizawa had to admit that he did feel somewhat partial toward her.
Inside the carriage, their breathing intertwined.
Steady and long.
One slept deeply.
The other lay awake, staring at the roof, thinking about matters far, far away.
...
When Hinata woke, the space beside her was already empty.
The warmth still lingered on the mat.
But the man who had stayed beside her through the night was gone.
She lay there blankly, staring up at the roof of the carriage.
Her fingers unconsciously clenched around the corner of her clothes.
A vague, indescribable panic suddenly rose in her heart.
She had actually slept so soundly beside a man she barely knew.
That left her at a loss.
She forced herself to calm down.
Then she sat up, straightened her kimono, and tucked her loose hair behind her ear.
The carriage was moving.
The dull, rhythmic sound of wheels rolling over gravel came from outside.
She took a deep breath and lifted the curtain.
Sunlight poured in from outside, making her narrow her eyes slightly.
Sunagakure's group was moving slowly along the main road.
The ANBU were lined up at the front, silent and orderly.
At the head of the group, that dark-gold figure was speaking with a Suna ninja beside him.
His profile looked especially clear in the morning light.
He was smiling. The smile was faint, but it carried a calm certainty that somehow made people feel safe.
Hinata leaned against the carriage window, staring at his back.
A strange feeling suddenly rose in her heart.
She could not explain what it was.
It was not fear. It was not nervousness.
It was something more like confusion.
What kind of person are you, really?
She asked the question silently in her heart, but only the wind answered her.
"Lord Kazekage, our destination is up ahead."
A Suna ninja rode closer and reported in a low voice.
Teizawa nodded, his gaze turning toward the faint cluster of buildings in the distance.
"Understood. Keep moving."
His voice was soft, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
Orochimaru's Otogakure had arrived.
Teizawa narrowed his eyes.
He looked at the village built within the valley, while countless thoughts churned through his mind.
That mad scientist should still be in Otogakure, shouldn't he?
According to the original timeline, Sasuke should still be behaving himself at this point and had not betrayed Orochimaru yet.
In other words, Orochimaru was still alive.
And he should still be in his Otogakure, driven half-mad by the fact that he could no longer use his hands.
Hopefully, nothing had changed.
Otherwise, this trip would have been for nothing.
(End of Chapter)
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