Time Travel Lovers **BEING REWRITTEN/EDITED WITH MAJOR CHANGES**

Chapter 43: First Meeting

When Hinata started to wake up she first checked if there was anyone else in the room, no, only Naruto. She turned to face him and smiled. He smiled back.

"Did you have a nice nap?"

She hummed and stretched a little, she noticed the slight pinch by her hand and noticed the needle attached to an IV. 

"It was very nice. Though chakra point induced sleeps always leave you a little sore." She narrowed her eyes at him slightly. It had been his idea to bypass any resistance at the gate by having her be unconscious. She hated having to knock herself out. A tight pinch and chakra pressure on a key chakra point and she was down for the count. Allowing her to pass as a dehydrated girl who fainted. Nothing worth notice.

He grinned at her sheepishly. She took a chance to look him over and took note that he had erased his cheek marks after she had fallen unconscious.

"Did my transformation hold?"

Naruto nodded. "You may want to fix your eyes though. They thankfully didn't check them when you were unconscious."

She nodded and shifted her transformation. Giving herself pale blue eyes instead of her trademark pupiless lavender. She looked back at Naruto and he grinned. 

"Anything else I should know?"

Naruto rubbed his chin and shook his head. "Nothing major. I handled the paperwork and visas, they sent a messenger bird to the Wave asking for conformation about us, it should get directed to Tazuna or Kaiza since they are the village leaders so we're covered there. Otherwise I've just been sitting her waiting for you."

She nodded and moved to sit up, watching how she moved the hand with the IV. 

"I'll go get a nurse to remove the IV. Even if you were faking unconsciousness you actually were a little dehydrated." Naruto gave her a quick kiss before he walked out into the hallway. 

Hinata sank back onto her pillows and smiled softly to herself. They had done it. They were in the Hidden Sand village and could now reach out to Gaara. The next part of their plan had officially begun.

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When Hinata had been discharged the couple began their house hunting. It took a few days, during which they stayed in one of the very few hotels in the village. But they eventually set up in an apartment towards the edge of the village, the building was mostly empty, only five other tenants throughout the building, and it would definitely meet all their needs for the unknown future.

After settling in and Naruto warding it appropriately, they began to search for Gaara. But they couldn't find him. The streets buzzed with rumors and hushed horror at stories of where the boy had been and what he'd done. The threats he'd uttered, the mutterings to no one, the complaints from vendors how he swept by in a silent storm of rage, grabbing whatever he saw fit, and no one to stop him.

They listened in, tense with worry and anxiety. The rumors flew fast, but never fast enough for the couple to catch him. By the time they reached Gaara's old position he had moved on. Hinata thought she had spotted him once, a brief flash of red hair, but he was gone by the time she looked again, if he had ever been there. 

The days trickled into a week. A week into two. And then two into three. But then, then they collided.

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Move. Too close.

He didn't even question it. The sand came with a single thought and he was whisked away. Dropping onto another random roof in the village. Mother wasn't happy. There was something in the village. Something Mother didn't like. It had arrived many nights ago, the days and sleepless nights blurring together in agony.

The first time Mother had made him move he had questioned. Why run? Just kill.

But Mother never explained. So he just moved. Staying in different parts of the village everyday, some days not staying in the village at all, never stopping, always moving. His irritation grew with each day but he never fought Mother. Mother knew what was best.

He sat on the roof. The sun bearing down from the sky. He stayed here for a time that had no meaningful length. Then he was moved again. This time to the edge of a street. The immediate hush fell on those around him and the crowd parted around him. None daring to get close. He remained impassive. He had no care for what these people thought.

Forward. Steps forward until he found himself in front of a stall. It was food and he was hungry. So he took it. He didn't know what it was called or what it would taste like. It was food so he took it and ate it as he walked away. He walked, only moving forward not watching and not caring, all things moved from his path. Until they didn't.

He came to a halt a mere few inches from whatever stood in his way. As he focused back to the world around him and not on Mother, he found it was a who, not a what. He gazed at the person in front of him. A woman. Taller than him. Long black hair. She turned to face him and her face turned to one of shock. Before a threat could even form in his throat, Mother began to scream at him.

Run! Move! Leave! Do not let it catch us! He hunts us. He is stronger than us. 

The woman extended a hand towards him and he found himself flinching backwards, something he had not done in years. Mother continued to yell. Screaming about running, fleeing, to get away from him, but there was no him. Only the woman in front of him and he was so confused. Mother screamed and the woman didn't fear! 

His knee's grew weak as the sand swept him away, far away. 

Hinata just stood there. In the middle of a once crowded street. Hand still outreached. But he was gone. Gone on sand mixed with blood from victims past. He had fled, fled from her. The innocent boy whose mind was plagued by a demon, had left without harming her. 

His name was a silent whisper on her lips. "Gaara."

I'm so sorry! I had a snow day thurs and fri and it tgrough my whole calender off focus! Better late than never though! I hope Gaara's thought process came out the way I intended it too! Gaara's scattered thoughts and unquestioning nature will change as he begins to grow and flourish later on. Now question, how did you guys all find my book? Just searching? Through your feed? Or something else? See you next Friday!