Naruto 1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't know what I was thinking, but I'm doing it.

...why do I always, _always, _start my chapters with author's notes?

**Prologue:**

It was strange. Yashamaru, his caretaker, the one person who _actually _cared about him…had died. And he…he was the one who killed him. So why didn't he feel sadness? Regret?

Maybe what his father said was true. He was nothing like a human being. He had no emotion, no feeling. As cold and indifferent as snow.

He was a monster.

Gaara stepped out onto the street. It had been two days since his death. He hadn't bothered to see his father. His father didn't care. He was probably angrier at the fact that Gaara was still alive.

"_Love is the spirit of caring and devoting yourself to someone."_

"_You're a very important person to me, Gaara-sama."_

Words of love he would never hear…ever again.

He bit his lip as his eyes alighted on the playground. The dusty ball was still there, looking so forlorn. He was being stupid again. A ball couldn't look forlorn. It had no emotion. Nothing.

He made his way to the swing, wanting to rest. To forget everything that had happened in his pathetic excuse for a life.

"Your father asked me to kill you," 

Gaara stopped. The voice echoed everywhere, like _he _was there. But…that was impossible. He was dead.

"Deep in my heart, I've always hated you," 

Gaara covered his ears. He didn't want to hear this again, but the memories wouldn't go away.

"No…" he whimpered, "Stop…please…"

The crackling sound filled his ears. All the exploding tags attached to him…they were going to be set off.

"Yashamaru," he yelled, "no! Please!"

"_This is it…"_

Why? What was so wrong with him? Why did he have to hurt those around him?

"_Please die."_

The explosion filled his head again, and he fell to his knees, screaming over and over again as he clutched his head. His fingers found the tattoo he had engraved on his forehead, the night Yashamaru died.

Love.

He quieted down, the pain too much, and he finally dropped unconscious.

* * *

**The 1st Chapter**

"Hurry up, Hinata. You know your mom doesn't want us to stay too long here."

"Uh-huh. 'Coz if we take too long, my baby sister will be born without us knowing!"

"It could be a baby _brother_."

"I'd rather have a sister."

Hyuuga Hiashi laughed as he fondly ruffled his daughter's purplish-black hair. Hyuuga Hinata giggled and smiled up at her father. She loved these small outings, with her dad as her only companion.

Hiashi took out a slightly rumpled piece of paper and consulted it. Then, he tucked it back into his robes.

"Okay, Hinata. I need to talk to the Kazekage-sama," he said, the smile whisked away from his face, "there should be a playground over there. Why don't you wait there, and I'll fetch you later, okay?"

Hinata nodded, and Hiashi immediately let go of her hand. With a small wave, Hinata dashed off. She hoped no one would be playing there. She couldn't stand meeting new people.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it. There was absolutely no one at all. With a giggle, she ran faster until she finally reached it.

Her eyes alighted upon a dusty, yellow ball leaning on the wall. Whoever owned that ball was pretty irresponsible.

She bit her lip. She loved ball games, but the ball didn't belong to her. Whoever owned it would probably get mad.

Childish want for amusement overrode morality, and in seconds, she was tossing the ball against the wall, giggling as she hit it harder and harder. This was excellent training for her speed. Her dad would probably be happy.

Suddenly, she watched the ball fly past her outstretched hands and flew to a small bundle near the swings. It looked like a pile of rags or something. Whatever it was, it had stopped the ball.

Hinata ran over, wanting to get back to her game.

She stopped short as the bundle of rags moved. She nearly screamed, but she was too shocked to let out a sound.

She found a pair of teal eyes, heavily lined, looking up at her. Above the left eye, a tattoo of the character 'love' was set onto a mask-like face. Bushy red hair was set on top.

It was a boy, no older than she probably was. His hand was clutched on the ball.

Hinata backed away slowly. He looked ready to kill. Perhaps that was his ball, and he was angry that she had taken in without permission.

His eyes widened as he saw her protective gesture. Every movement of her body indicated that she wanted to run away.

"Why are you scared?" he said softly, his voice was slightly raspy.

"I…I…" Hinata couldn't speak. He was scaring her.

"Am I really that monstrous?" he whispered.

Suddenly, Hinata felt something grimy wrap around her. She looked down, horrified and shocked to find sand creeping up her body.

His mask-like face was contorted and scrunched up in anger. Tears were streaming down his eyes.

"WHY?" he screamed, "Why won't anybody accept me? Why was I born a monster?? Why?"

Hinata wanted to cry, but then she caught hold of his gaze.

Hyuuga's were given this amazing vision, or so she was told. She didn't know the extent of it, but somehow she could tell that it could interpret emotions polling in people's eyes.

Hopelessness…sadness…despair…desperation…his eyes were screaming for love…for help…

She closed her eyes. She never answered situations with violence. This boy needed understanding.

"I'm not scared of you," she finally choked out.

The boy froze, as did the sand. She slid out of the sand bind and landed on the ground in front of him.

"You're lying," he hissed, "because you want to save your own life."

Hinata shook her head. "When I first saw you, I thought you were a pile of rags. That's why I seemed so shocked. Wouldn't you be scared if you suddenly saw a pile of rags moving?"

The boy was silent for a moment. Then, from his mouth, came a soft choke of laughter.

Hinata giggled as well. "I don't know about you, but I was scared silly!"

"You're right," the boy said happily, a smile lighting up his features, "thinking of me as a pile of rags…that _is _silly!"

Hinata laughed, glad that the whole ordeal was over.

"You know," the boy said, smiling happily as well, "my older brother's a puppeteer. He used to control stuffed animals to test his ability. It was fun and scary to watch."

"Oh, you have siblings?" Hinata asked.

"Two. An older brother and sister. You?"

"My younger sibling's still in my mum's tummy."

"You'll be the eldest, then."

Hinata nodded. "Oh," she said suddenly, "may I know your name?"

He seemed hesitant. "Gaara," he finally said, "just Gaara."

"I'm Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Gaara."

"I never saw you here before," Gaara said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"I'm from Konohagakure," Hinata said, "I just came with my dad. He's here on business."

Gaara's face fell. Here, he had thought he found a true person who could befriend him. Accept him. Why was fate so cruel? Why did it have to snatch away every single bit of happiness from him?

"Tell you what, Gaara-kun," Hinata said, grabbing his hand again, "since I only have a day here, what do you say to spending the whole day together? You could show me the parts of Suna that you know."

Hinata was surprised at herself. She had never been so bold before. But, there was something about this boy that was calling out to her.

She wanted to spend time with him.

Gaara looked at her hopeful face, then smiled. "Okay, Hinata-chan," he said playfully tugging at her arm, "follow me!"

The two ran off, giggling happily.

* * *

"Gaara-kun," Hinata said nervously, "why do I have to wear this blindfold?"

"I want to show you something, and I want it to be a surprise." Gaara explained, squeezing his friends' hand, hoping to reassure her.

"You won't let me get hurt, will you?"

"I will never let that happen. Trust me."

Hinata nodded, and was silent for the rest of the trip. Then…

"Okay, you can take off your blindfold."

Hinata took it off, and let loose a gasp of surprise and pleasure.

She was looking down at the rooftops of Suna, bathed in the glow of the setting sun as it bled on the horizon.

"Gaara-kun," she breathed, "this is…amazing!" She looked to see where they were standing, and nearly squealed in fright to find that they were on the very edge of a roof. Without thinking, she jumped behind Gaara, holding him tightly.

"I…I'm scared of heights," she explained, her voice slightly muffled by Gaara's clothes.

Gaara patted her hand. "Come on, Hinata," he said soothingly, "don't concentrate on how high up you are. Concentrate on the view."

Hinata peeked out behind him, then, shaking slightly, she approached the edge.

"See?" Gaara said.

"You…you're right!" she said excitedly, "I don't feel sacred anymore!"

Gaara smiled happily, and the two looked out. It really was breathtaking.

"Hinata!"

"Oh no," Hinata said, "my father's looking for me! Oh, I hope he's not angry."

"Let's hurry, then," Gaara said. He did _not _want his friend to get in trouble. "I'll take you back to the Kazekae's tower." He grabbed her hand, and then looked down.

"Um…Hinata-chan? You're going to have to trust me."

"Huh?"

"The quickest way down is by sand."

"What?"

"I control sand, you see," Gaara explained, sand starting to stir around him, "and I often use it to float around town whenever I'm feeling lazy." He finished sheepishly.

"We're…going to float down?" Hinata said, feeling slightly queasy now, "On sand?"

"Uh-huh."

Hinata closed her eyes. "Okay, but I'm keeping my eyes shut."

Gaara smiled, then carefully positioned her next to him. "Hold on tight," he whispered, "you might fall."

"I won't," Hinata said, opening her milky eyes to look at him, "you said that you'd never let me get hurt. I trust you."

Gaara nearly froze. To hear those words, so full of trust and faith…

_Thank you, _he thought as the sand carried them both down, _I never thought people like you existed. I wish this day didn't have to end, but hearing those words…it's enough to make me let you go. _

Tears dripped out of his eyes, but he brushed them away.

"Come on," he said, trying to make his voice cheerful, "the Kazekge's tower is just over there."

Suddenly, screams cut through the air. The two friends froze, trying to find the source of the screams.

"Oh no," a girl screeched, "he's got another one."

Gaara immediately knew what she meant, and his heart dropped. The sand was still around the two of them, and he could guess what it looked like to other people.

"Someone get her," a boy's voice said hurriedly, "before he hurts her!"

"What?" Hinata looked around wildly, "Gaara-kun, why are they saying those things?"

"Hinata…" he tried to explain. Suddenly, he felt hands clamp on his shoulders. A split second later, Hinata was pulled away.

"Forgive me, Hyuuga-sama," his fathers voice sounded high above him, "my son has always had a strange lust for killing. Bloodlust, if I may be so bold. I do hope you'll forgive him if he hurt your little girl."

"She looks alright, Kazekage-sama…"

"Hurt me?" Hinata said, interrupting her father, "Gaara-kun didn't! He promised he wouldn't and I trust him! Daddy, let go! He's my friend!"

"You're friend?" The Kazekage said incredulously, "really now?"

"Yes, he is!" Hinata said firmly, feeling angrier than she had ever felt in her life.

"I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama," Hiashi said apologetically, "My daughter has never acted this rude before. Come along, Hinata. I'm very ashamed of you."

"Please, daddy," Hinata begged, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, "I didn't even get to saw good-bye properly to Gaara-kun!"

"I don't think you need to say good-bye," the Kazekage said firmly, "after all, I doubt you'll want to remember this day at all."

"Of course I do," Hinata said defiantly, ignoring the whispers of the townspeople around her, "Gaara-kun and I had a wonderful time playing together!"

"I see," the Kazekage said softly, "I guess you had a wonderful time playing with a murderer, huh?"

A/N:...

This author's note is useless.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: One of these days, I'm going to start a chapter without an Author's Note…

The 2nd Chapter

Hinata woke up with a start as the alarm beeped. She glanced at the calendar, where the day was circled in red.

'Chuunin Exam: Preliminary Rounds' it said in tiny handwriting.

Hinata let out a deep sigh. She really didn't want to go through this. She had just signed up because the matched had to be in groups of three, and Kiba and Shino really wanted to join. She didn't want to stop them from doing what they wanted, so here she was, dreading the day without a clue to what she was going to do.

"Hinata, are you awake yet? We have to be there early," her father's voice came from outside her door, "Neji's already ready and waiting."

Hinata groaned. That was another thing that made her nervous. Neji was joining. If she would have to fight against him…

She shook her head. She didn't feel like thinking about it.

"I'm…just getting ready," she called, scurrying out of her covers and grabbing her jacket. She strapped her pouch around her waist, filled it with kunai, then ran out the door.

"I'm ready." She said breathlessly.

Without another word, her father walked away. She followed him, knowing this day was _not _going to be the least bit memorable.

* * *

"Gaara, next time we leave for something as important as this, would mind telling us if you're planning to zone out on the rooftop?" Temari said, looking at her little brother in the eye, "We were worried."

"Actually, she was more worried about you. I was just worried about making it to the stadium on time," Kankurou, her other brother, said, hands laced behind his head.

Temari rolled her eyes. Gaara looked away, and the three siblings just kept on walking. They were siblings, alright, but they were _nothing _alike. Temari, the eldest, used wind as her choice of weapon. Kankurou, the middle child, preferred to use a puppet he had christened 'Karasu'. Gaara, true to his roots, controlled sand.

They only thing they had in common was their ability to stay quiet. For hours on end.

Gaara turned his head this way and that. They had been in Konohagakure for a long time, but he really hadn't seen much of it.

As they walked past a huge compound, his eyes fell on the nameplate.

_Hyuuga._

He frowned. There was something familiar about that name.

Too familiar.

He shook it off. Probably heard it from his father. As Kazekage, his father had a lot of ties to powerful and respected clans. Just by looking at the compound of this 'Hyuuga' clan, you could tell just how respected they were.

* * *

Hinata closed her eyes as she watched Kiba hit the ground, face forward. That particular match had been too brutal.

His challenger, Uzumaki Naruto, grinned, and immediately, Hinata could feel her cheeks reddening. She had always liked him, and she was glad that he had won, but she couldn't help but feel guilty. He _did _beat _her _teammate, after all.

Naruto ran up the steps.

"Easy! Easy!" he chanted happily, as Sakura, one of his teammates, ran over to congratulate him.

Hinata gulped as she extracted a small, black box from her pocket. She hoped he would appreciate it.

Naruto walked past her, her back to him, still chuckling happily.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she gasped out, her eyes shut tight.

She heard him stop.

"Eh?"

Hinata turned to face him. Her thumbs played around the small surface, and she smiled nervously as she searched for words to say. She could feel her cheeks reddening.

_Just hurry up and say it, _she mentally scolded herself.

"Uh…um…h-here!" she said, bowing her head as she held it out to him. She tried to prepare herself for what he'd probably say.

"What is it?" he asked, his face up close to the object clutched in her hands.

"It's ointment," Kurenai explained from behind, smiling a bit at her stuttering, speechless charge.

Naruto hesitated, then took it. "Thanks, Hinata," he said happily, as he skipped away to Kakashi sensei's side.

* * *

"Excuse me," Hinata said softly. The medic nins holding the stretcher where Kiba resided in looked up.

"Um…this…this is ointment," Hinata said, showing them a similar black box, like the one she had given Naruto, "please use it on him. It will help heal his wounds."

"Jeez," a voice from the stretcher spoke up, "you're always so worried about others, but you're never worried about yourself."

"K-kiba-kun," she started, momentarily shocked.

"Listen to me," Kiba said, one eye still closed, as if trying to bear the pain, "the preliminary matches are almost up. That means that they're bound to call you sooner or later. Hinata," his face turned serious, "if you get paired up against Neji, forfeit. And if you get paired up against Gaara, forfeit as well."

"G-gaara?" Something about the name was familiar. "Who's that?"

"The guy up there. The one who controls sand. He's from Suna, and I've seen him fight. He's too powerful, even for you."

Hinata's pale eyes widened. That name struck something in her. Voices suddenly echoed in her head.

"_My name's Gaara. Just Gaara."_

"_I want to show you something,"…a playful tone of voice…_

"…_and I want it to be a surprise!"_

"_I would never let that happen. Trust me."_

She looked up at the board, announcing the names of the next competitors.

Rock Lee vs. Gaara.

She turned her gaze to where she knew the Suna Genin were staying.

There he was. The familiar teal gaze, the bushy red hair, the mask-like face.

The tattoo was still there.

Love.

Their eyes met, and in an instant, she could tell.

He remembered her too.

"Excuse me," the commentator said, "you're in the way for the next match."

Hinata mumbled an apology, still numb from the shock. How long had it been? Six years?

She walked up the steps slowly, feeling every eye on her. The looks on their faces clearly asked the very same question; What was that all about?

She said nothing. Gripping the railing, she looked down to watch her childhood friend enter the stadium. And from the look of shock on his face, he was no doubt affected as much as she was.

* * *

_It can't be her, _Gaara thought wildly, as he only half-concentrated on the match. The sand was doing its usual job of protecting him, so he didn't need to worry.

Fate was never kind to him. Surely fate would never allow him to meet his childhood friend. She meant…_had _meant…so much to him. It was just too unnaturally merciful for him to meet her again.

_Perhaps…that's her sister that she said was still being born, _he thought, remembering her words.

"_My younger sibling's still in my mum's tummy."_

Of course. That had to be it. She was related to Hinata, looked like Hinata, but wasn't Hinata.

Suddenly, he felt immense pain in his gut section. Looking around wildly, he realized that he was in midair.

_How the heck did I get up here?_

Suddenly, he saw a green blur moving toward him at incredible speed. The sand couldn't keep up.

He gritted his teeth. He wasn't focusing at all.

His opponent, Rock Lee, punched him with the force of an elephant. With a groan, he felt the cracks appearing on his face as he plummeted downward.

"Not yet!" Lee screamed. His hand was wrapped around the piece of white cloth Gaara always kept wrapped over his shoulder and around his waist. He cursed inwardly and made a mental note to burn the stupid thing later.

Lee's fist was drawing ever closer. For some reason, although Gaara was aware that he was moving at incredible speed, the whole thing seemed to be in slow motion.

Then, he felt it. The rushing blow to his stomach as Lee's fist made contact. With a shuddering intake of breath, he fell, limp, the floor yawning closer.

The gourd at his back started to snake, becoming sand with every foot he fell. With a soft thump, the sand completely cushioned his fall. He groaned inwardly, hoping that he would survive this match with only a couple of bruised bones.

He looked over. Rock Lee was down as well. He looked completely exhausted, like he had pushed himself to the utmost limit.

_No harm in finishing this match, _Gaara thought, raising his hand. Even just _that _took enormous strength. He felt completely wiped out.

The sand crept toward Lee. Lee saw this, and he attempted to get on his feet. Gaara's suspicions were confirmed. Lee was at the edge of his limit. He cried out in pain as he attempted to crawl away, and each move seemed to cause him extreme pain.

The sand reached him , and snaked up his left arm and foot. He panted, pulling at it. The sand wouldn't let go. Not unless Gaara told it to.

He let loose a cry of determination as he made one final attempt to pull away.

"_Sabaku Kyu_," Gaara whispered, closing his fist shut.

The scream he heard was traumatizing, yet he didn't care. He had never cared his whole life. Why should he care now?

He watched the blood appear. He still wasn't satisfied.

_Might as well end it._

The sand reared up. It looked like giant snakes preparing to strike.

_Alright…strike._

It rushed toward Lee's already-unconscious body. This was actually an act of mercy on his part. If Lee survived the _Sabaku Kyu, _he'd live his whole life in serious pain. It was like mercy killing, only slightly different.

Suddenly, he saw the sand dispel.

_What in the-?_

It cleared, and he found himself looking at Gai-sensei. An older version of Lee, it had to be said. Their resemblance of each other was scary.

"This match is over," Gai-sensei said, his steel eyes angry and determined.

* * *

Hinata bit so hard on her knuckles, she was sure they were bleeding.

_That…that can't be him! _She thought wildly. _The Gaara I knew wasn't so…brutal! _

"_You won't let me get hurt, will you?"_ her words came rushing back, so nervous and worried.

"_I would never let that happen. Trust me."_

_It's not him, _she shook her head, _it just can't be!_

_But then…what do I know? I barely even remember that day. _

"Why did you save him?" the familiar rasp was in that voice.

A slight pause. Hinata peeked past the railings. Gai-sensei looked so worried, and why shouldn't he? She knew how close the two of them were.

"It's because he…he is an important subordinate I love." Gai said, his voice cracking a bit.

Hinata saw Gaara's eyes widen, and that stirred something in her memory.

"_A…murderer?" Hinata stopped struggling, looking at him with a most curious expression._

"_Yes, a murderer," he hissed, "it's no secret in this town. He murdered his caretaker, Yashamru. Quite brutally, it must be said."_

"_It was an accident!" Gaara burst out, sounding panicked now, "he had attached exploding tags to his body! I couldn't save him!"_

"_But you could save yourself," his dad said, slightly smirking. _

"_It was the sand!" Gaara nearly screamed, trying to ignore the words of distaste now issuing from the villagers' mouths, "You know it won't let me get hurt! It's like that!"_

"_I see. And…may I ask why Yashamaru decided to commit suicide?"_

"_You ordered him to kill me!" Gaara yelled, stopping the whispers. Everything fell silent. "You told him to kill me, coz you don't want me! You didn't _love _me! You never loved me!"_

_Of course, _Hinata thought, _Gaara can't understand those words._

Gaara said nothing. He just walked away. Away from it all.

Naruto jumped down. As he ran past, he and Gaara met each other's eyes. For a brief moment, something flickered between the two of them. Then, it broke, and Naruto hurried toward Lee.

What happened next was a blur to Hinata. She could hear Naruto screaming, but it was mixed with screams in her own head.

"_How come he failed to kill you, then? You did something that made him resort to that! Admit it, Gaara. Admit it!"_

"Gai? You're in the way for the next match."

Hinata snapped up at Kakashi-sensei's words. Of course. She had nearly forgotten al about the matches.

Not unexpectedly, the first name to flash was hers. She bit her lip. Who was left?

Choji.

She took in a deep breath. Choji was…rather large. His size was an advantage, but his speed left much to be desired. Still, Hinata was worried. She wasn't sure what to do. If she won, she'd advance into the main matches, but then, the probability of her fighting against Neji was increased. But then…if she lost, her Dad would be so ashamed.

She sighed, then turned and faced Choji. Choji looked determined, like he wanted this match over quickly.

Up in the stands, she could hear his two teammates, Shikamaru and Ino shouting.

"Yeah, go get 'er!" Ino yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Do your best…fatty." Shikamaru said, a smirk on his face.

Choji growled and glared at them, heat emanating from him.

"I'm gonna finish this, then you guys are gonna get it!" he yelled back up at them.

Hinata bit her lip. It seemed like Choji was confident that he was going to win.

_Why? _She thought nervously, _does he have a secret technique of sorts? Or maybe…he has a plan all figured out. This just makes me even more susceptible to failure. I've hardly practiced!_

She closed her eyes.

"Okay. 10th match." The Jounin called out. "Begin."

Immediately, Choji brought his hands together.

"_Ninpou,_" he yelled, "_Baiku no jutsu!_"

His body bloated to balloon-like proportions. With a grunt, his arms, legs, and head tucked into his body, so that his resemblance to a balloon was increased.

"Meat Tank!" he yelled, starting to roll rapidly towards Hinata.

"Yeah!" Ino yelled from the sidelines, "Crush her!"

Hinata looked at the huge, green ball rolling toward her. It was traveling at a fairly slow speed. In a split second, she jumped away just before he could hit her.

_I can't keep dodging forever, _she thought, thinking of how useless she was right now. She wasn't as good at the _Jyuken _style as Neji was. Also, she was feeling apprehensive about approaching that 'meat tank'. One small, uncontrolled hit at it, and she was toast. _Crushed _toast. And his body was spinning too rapidly for her to clearly see the _tenketsu. _

She kept jumping away, trying to bargain for time to think this out. There was an option, but the chances of it working were very slim.

_Oh well._

She jumped again, this time making sure her back was to the wall.

Choji's voice rang out. "You're trapped now!"

He accelerated, coming to her hard and fast.

_One chance, Hinata, _she told herself, _you screw this up and it's all over._

He was this close when, at the last moment, Hinata jumped away. The stadium vibrated as he collided with the wall. Instantly, he was stopped. His legs were barely visible beneath all the body fat.

With him immobile, Hinata activated her _byakugan _and saw at least a dozen _tenketsu _that she could hit without seriously injuring him.

In a flash, it was over. Choji lay at her feet, limp. Hinata was strongly reminded of a deflated balloon.

"Um…Choji-san? I…I'm sorry if I…I h-hurt you."

"Barbeque…" he moaned, "I want to eat barbeque."

Hinata didn't know whether she should be relieved to find that he was still talking, or to be disgusted by the fact that all he could think about was eating.

Up in the stands, she could hear his teammates laughing fondly.

"That's just like him, isn't it?" Ino said, in between chuckles.

"He lost," Asuma-sensei said fondly, "but still, all he can think about is eating barbeque."

"Winner; Hyuuga Hinata," the Jounin called out, "that concludes the Chuunin exams; preliminary matches. Thank you for your participation. Will the victors please stay behind?"

All the winners assembled. Hinata looked down the line.

Naruto…Neji…Dosu…Sasuke should be here…then, Shikamaru 

She gulped as her eyes rested on the three siblings from Suna.

Temari…Kankurou…she closed her eyes, then opened them. There was no denying it. That was Gaara. 

She opened her eyes to find him looking at her. She nearly gasped, but she kept it in.

Gaara's eyes were asking the same question she had been dying to ask as well.

Is it really you? 

"Okay," a rather stocky Jounin glanced at all of them, hands on hips, "congratulations on getting in. You are now contestants for the main matches."

"The main matches are an important event." The Sandaime cut in. "It will be shown in front of everyone, so please do your best, as your country's representative. The main matches will be a month from now, so…"

"What?" Naruto cut in, looking surprised, "we're not going to do it right here, right now?"

The Sandaime shook his head, "The month will be a time for you to contemplate and meditate on what may be one of _the _most important battles you will undergo in your life."

"I still don't understand." Kankurou interrupted rudely. "Explain."

He sighed. "We are going to announce to the feudal lords and head ninja of each country that the preliminaries are over. They, of course, are expected to attend. It will take time to gather these people. Use the month to know you and your opponent better. You have gathered data on each of your opponents, haven't you? Use it."

Hinata nearly drifted off. She didn't mean to be rude, but the Sandaime had a way of droning on and on.

"-judged not only on victory, of course." Hinata came back to reality. "You will be judged on other factors, all determining whether or not you will be suitable for Chuunin level."

"So," Shikamaru spoke up, "there's a possibility that all of us will be accepted."

"That may be true," he said, "but there's also the possibility that _none _of you will be accepted."

Anko stepped forward. "Okay, I want all of you to pick a piece of paper from this box. Just one. Quickly."

Each of them took out pieces of paper. Hinata took a deep breath and pulled one out, unfolding it a split second later.

2

Hinata frowned. What on earth did that mean?

"Alright," Anko said, "from right to left, announce your numbers."

"3," Naruto called.

"8," Dosu said.

"2," Hinata whispered.

"9," Shikamaru muttered.

"1," Neji said, his tone perfectly emotionless.

"4," Kankurou said in a flat-out voice.

"7, Temari said.

"5," Gaara murmured.

"He must be number 6, then," the Jounin muttered. Hinata was sure they were talking about Sasuke.

"Take a look at this," another Jounin stepped forward, "it's the match-ups."

They all crowded around the sheaf of paper he was holding up.

Hinata nearly fainted right then and there. Under the heading; first matchwas the very thing she had been dreading ever since she had signed up:

Hyuuga Neji vs. Hyuuga Hinata.

A/N: …and one of these days, I'm gonna end a chapter without an Author's Note, too.


	3. Chapter 3

**The 3rd Chapter**

Gaara sighed as he leaned against a tree. He wasn't sure if this was the smartest of plans, but he really wanted to know.

He sneaked a glance at the sign hanging proudly over the door.

Hyuuga.

"_I'm Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata." _

The playful whisper rang through his head again. Her voice, if he could remember correctly, was about as soft as a whisper.

_I must be insane, _he thought.

Suddenly, he heard voices.

"That was pretty good, Hinata-chan!"

"I have to admit, you had the right idea. Who will be your opponent in the main matches?"

They were coming closer. It was now or never.

Gaara stepped out of the shadows, his teal gaze fixing on them. The three of them froze almost immediately.

Hinata stood in the middle of two boys, who were obviously her teammates. One had a small dog on his head, and the other had his face almost hidden by the collar of his shirt. He recognized them, though.

_The guy with the dog, _he thought, _wasn't he Uzumaki Naruto's opponent in the preliminaries? Kiba…something. And the guy with glasses…Shino, I think…Hyuuga Neji battled him._

"What are you doing here?" Kiba said, his face angry, but his tone fearful.

Almost like it as instinct, he and Shino moved forward, their arms held outward, as if they were trying to protect Hinata.

Either they felt something for her, or they were deeply aware at how weak she was fabled to be.

"I'm here to speak to _her,_" he gestured towards Hinata, but then realized that gesture was stupid. She was the only _her _around. He wasn't thinking.

"Why?" Kiba asked suspiciously.

Gaara turned his eyes towards him. They conveyed one message: _Stop asking if you know what's good for you._

"K-kiba-kun," Hinata said, her voice shaking, "Sh-shino-k-kun…it's all right. I…I'll be fine. Go ahead. I…I'll see you tomorrow."

Despite the quiver in her voice, Gaara felt enlightened somehow. Agreeing to talk to him meant she still trusted him, despite what she had seen…

He groaned inwardly. Who knew what she thought of him now?

"Hinata-chan…are you sure?" Kiba asked, looking strangely at her. "We can stay, you know…"

"Go!" Hinata said forcefully. She bit her lip, and her eyes dropped. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I…just…want to be responsible for my own well-being for a change."

Kiba looked taken back, then he nodded. "Uh…okay…?"

"I'll…see you tomorrow, all right?"

Kiba and Shino walked away, still shooting glances at her.

Gaara looked at her, now unsure of what to say.

Hinata pushed her fingers together, her face heavily shadowed. Gaara bowed his head as well.

_That's it. The whole idea was stupid. I'll just…walk away. I may never see her again, but…_

"I can't believe you're here," Hinata whispered, her head bowed, "I…I m-mean…I th-thought I wouldn't s-see you again. Here, of all places."

Gaara didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. It had been so long…and things had changed. He…he was no longer the kid she remembered. It had all changed after _that _happened.

"You've…changed…but, then again…so h-have I, I guess." She took a deep breath, "I…I really…_was_ really…I-I-I mean, I d-didn't think…"

"Look," he interrupted softly, "I…can see it's painful for you to keep talking. I'm…sorry. I…just wanted to see you one more time, but…it's obvious that the memories are too painful, and I don't want you to get hurt…" he trailed away.

"I heard that…before. Somewhere." She spoke up.

"_You won't let me get hurt, will you?"_

"_I would never let that happen. Trust me."_

"Even now…" she whispered.

Gaara looked up at her, "I promised, didn't I?"

Suddenly, he felt something rush into him, nearly knocking him off balance.

Hinata had flung her arms around him, apparently overcome with emotion.

"I…I really missed you," she murmured.

Gaara was at a complete loss at what to say. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't shudder under his touch. If anything, she seemed to be crying softly.

"I…" Gaara took a deep breath, a smile tugging at his mouth, relief feeling his heart, "I missed you, too."

* * *

A little voice inside Hinata's head told her that she was coming on too strong. It wasn't like her to just fling herself in the arms of someone. But she couldn't help it.

She pulled away, tears streaming down her eyes, a happy smile lighting up her face. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I…couldn't help it. I…I…"

Gaara gave a short laugh.

"You still talk the same way," he said, "like you're whispering."

"And you still have that rasp in your voice," Hinata said excitedly, "like a frog is caught there."

Gaara smiled as she giggled.

"I still can't believe you're here, in Konoha!" Hinata said, wiping away her tears, "I thought I really wouldn't see you again!"

"Same here," Gaara said, the laughter still evident on his face, "I thought the probability of you coming back was…highly impossible. In time, I completely forgot about it."

"Me…too…"Hinata admitted.

They fell silent.

"I guess it was a defense mechanism for me," Gaara said softly, "I thought…if I forgot about you…it wouldn't hurt anymore."

Hinata gave him a confused look.

"You were the first one who…didn't shun me," he continued, "the only one I actually enjoyed being with. When you left…"

He shook his head.

"Never mind," he said, trying-and failing-to smile.

"Gaara-kun," she said softly.

"Uh…listen," he said, "I showed you around Suna before." He tried to smile again, this time actually succeeding. "You owe me."

Hinata smiled. "All right, I g-guess. I could show you around." She hesitated for a moment, then grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "This way!"

"_Okay, Hinata-chan," _his voice resounded in her head, _"follow me!"_

She smiled.

It was just like before.

* * *

"Shino," Kiba said from the treetops, his mouth hanging open, "tell me I'm dreaming. Or that I need my eyes checked, because I have just witnessed the most shocking thing I have ever seen."

Shino shook his head. "Sorry. Your eyesight's fine, and you're awake."

"How…on earth? This is the first time I saw Gaara laugh! And Hinata's not even stuttering so much! And she actually cracked a joke! And…and…"

"And I think you're overreacting," Shino said, turning away, "it's obvious. They're old friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

* * *

Naruto could scarcely believe his ears.

"And…they _laughed_? As in, Gaara _laughed_? Good-naturedly?"

Kiba nodded. "I couldn't believe it either, when I saw it. Hinata even hugged him, straightaway. And she _didn't _faint!"

Naruto pushed his bowl of ramen away. Whenever he saw Hinata, she was always keeping her arms closed, like she was folding in. Like she wanted to hide something. To think that she would actually hug that…that…

_What's the term to describe a person who brutally crushes someone's arm and leg without so much as a second thought?_ He thought, propping his chin on his hand.

Flashbacks of Lee's match against Gaara hit him. He closed his eyes. Everything was in detail. The power emanating from Lee's body, the force of his strikes, the sand closing in, Lee's screams, the look in Gaara's eyes…

_His eyes, _he thought, a shiver running through him, _it was so…intense. Evil. Like he really wanted to kill Lee, just for the heck of it. _

Those familiar teal orbs flashed through his mind again. They gave of a message so clear and strong.

_Kill._

_With a gaze like that, _Naruto thought, opening his eyes and peering glumly into his ramen bowl, _can you really trust him, Hinata-chan?_

"Kiba," Naruto said suddenly, "I think we should…uh…keep a close eye on them. I mean, not in a very obvious manner, obviously, but, you know, from a distance…in secret…without them knowing…uh…you get the picture, right?"

"Spy on them?"

Naruto winced. "Please don't use that term. It's like we're prying just because we don't trust him."

"We don't."

"Yeah, but," Naruto pulled his bowl bag and picked up his chopsticks, "no harm in hiding that fact, right?"

* * *

Hinata clutched her sides, feeling ready to burst. She hadn't laughed this much in a long time.

"I don't get it," Hinata said, trying to calm herself, "what is it about you that makes me laugh so much? Aren't you considered serious and emotionless?"

"Aren't you considered shy and silent?" He shot back, the smile still on his face.

Hinata giggled again. She felt so comfortable around him.

_Why?_

"I like the view," he said, gesturing to the horizon stretched in front of them. Sunset. The same time he had shown her his special spot, back in Suna.

Hinata nodded, thinking hard. They had lost six years of contact…who knew how much he had changed.

And back then, when he they had admitted to forgetting about each other, he had been on the verge of explaining something, then stopped. It was obvious he was hiding something. And that, alone, made her insides drop.

_He doesn't trust me so much. _She thought glumly, gazing at the blood red crimson spattered on the bleeding dark-orange glow of the sinking sun.

"Thank you," his voice brought her back to reality. She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts, then she turned and smiled at him.

"The height isn't as impressive as yours, but I think the view makes up for it, doesn't it?" she said lightly.

It was true. They were seated on a small hill. Near their feet were steps leading down to the riverbank, where the crystal waters shimmered their best at sunset. Hinata often came here after a rather disastrous training session against Neji.

Gaara chuckled, and then fell silent.

Hinata closed her eyes. It was so…peaceful.

"_How come he failed to kill you, then? You did something that made him resort to that. Admit it, Gaara. Admit it!"_

"_What else could I do?" Gaara nearly screamed, eyes welling up with tears, but narrowed in anger. "He tried to kill me, and I did what I had to! I didn't kill him! I injured him, but I would never…never…" his voice gave way to sobs, and he collapsed at his father's feet._

_The whole village became extremely quiet. Hinata felt drained. Utterly tired. And the shock was like a slap across her face. _

_She felt her dads arm on her shoulder, and she immediately clutched his robe. It was instinct. A natural gesture that begged for protection._

_Gaara finally calmed down. He turned to his father. "Yashamaru never loved me. You never loved me. That's the way it is, isn't it? No one can ever love me. Only I…can love myself. You…you've taken away everything from me. Now…you've taken _her _away as well. Why? Why am I the only one who has to live in this hell?!"_

_He pushed away and plunged blindly into the crowd._

"_Gaara-kun, wait!" Hinata broke free as well, trying to reach him. The Kazekage and her father both held her back, and she could only gaze helplessly as his silhouette disappeared into the darkening sky._

"Hinata?"

Hinata opened her eyes, breathing hard.

Gaara was looking at her, his eyes full of worry.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. "You were…moaning."

"I…I…" Hinata was still breathing hard, like she had just finished a full day of training. "I guess…it was just a dream." She wrapped her arms around herself, telling herself to calm down.

"We should get going," Gaara's voice cut into her thoughts, "it's starting to rain."

She nodded numbly, unable to talk. Gaara looked at her strangely.

The two made their way back to the village, the rain softly hitting the ground.

_I still can't trust her, _Gaara thought, his face emotionless. He was aware that she was completely silent, but who cared? He didn't.

_It's something I've learned through all those years, _he looked down, _trust comes at a terrible price. Pain._

"Hinata," he said suddenly.

She looked up.

"I'm…going home now. It's…in a different direction, so…" he trailed off, then turned away from her.

"Bye."

He didn't hear an answer.

"_Love only yourself, and fight only for yourself."_

"_I'm not bleeding, but it always hurts here."_

"Here…" he whispered, his hand clutching at his chest.

It was still there. The dull ache. A constant reminder at the fact that he could never receive love. The wound would never heal.

Never.

A/N: If you guys want to read a couple of spoilers on this story, or see some quotes some characters will be saying in this story, you guys can check my profile.

If you don't want to, I understand. R&R please. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

The 4th Chapter:

The whole house was quiet. Only a small candle left on the table illuminated the whole dining room. Gaara slid the door closed behind him. He felt completely drained.

He wandered over to the table and sat down. He didn't feel like going up and answering Temari's questions or hearing Kankurou's snide comments. He just wanted to be alone. Like before.

He glanced at the candle. The light emanating from it was annoying. Without another thought, he extinguished it, plunging the room into darkness.

"_How does pain feel? I've never been hurt before so…I was wondering what it felt like."_

Gaara could hear his voice echoing again and again in his head. He tightened his fist, annoyed.

_Thanks to my father, I've experienced the worst kind of pain. _He thought, feeling the familiar anger welling up inside.

_Loneliness. The pain of solitude. The agony of being alone…_

"Stop." He whispered. In the silence that surrounded him, his whisper echoed, growing louder.

"Gaara? Is that you?"

Temari appeared, carrying a candle. She had apparently woken up. The light pierced the darkness, and Gaara shaded his eyes from the light.

"Thank goodness. I was getting worried." She said, standing still at the doorway.

"Why were you worried?" he asked. "If I come home frequently, I'd just be tempted to rest. If I rest, I'd just be tempted to sleep. You know how dangerous that is."

Temari winced slightly, then straightened up.

"Fine."

She turned and walked away, bringing the light with her. The room once again plunged into darkness. Gaara stared at the spot she had one been.

In the darkness, he could see a younger him. He was speaking.

"I won't believe in anyone," his voice was younger, but it still held the same despair. The same hopelessness, "I won't love anyone. I am alone."

Gaara stared at the younger him, before the darkness completely obliterated the image.

"I know," he said in the darkness, "I know."

* * *

"You're late."

Hinata looked up. Hyuuga Hiashi was looking at her, arms folded. At his side, Hanabi was panting slightly, holding her ankle.

"I…I'm sorry," she whispered, "I…lost track of time."

"You'd better not act like that, if you plan to win in the main matches."

"You-" Hinata looked taken aback, "You know?"

"Neji told me," he said shortly.

_Oh, great, _she groaned inwardly. If he told him that she made it in, he'd have certainly told him…

"And…do you know…my opponent?" She whispered, half hoping that he didn't yet.

He nodded.

"Oh."

"Which is why," Hiashi said, stepping away from her, "I've decided to let Neji train against you."

Her head snapped up, pale eyes wide.

"W-what? Why?!" she stammered, scared out of her wits. Training sessions against her father, or even her sister, were okay. But…_Neji_? He couldn't be serious!

"You'll need to know you're opponent better, Hinata." He said with finality, "Neji. Come on in. Hinata, get ready."

Hinata sighed. She was in for a whole night of pain. She just knew it.

She took off her jacket just as Neji walked in. It wasn't her usual training garments, but it would do.

Hiashi looked at them, then nodded.

With an overwhelming feeling of regret, Hinata dashed forward.

* * *

Naruto peeked out from behind the alley wall. Gaara was stepping out of his house and making his way down the dusty, moonlit streets.

_Doesn't the guy sleep? _Naruto thought, rubbing his eyes as he prepared to follow the silhouetted figure. So far, he hadn't done anything to Hinata, but that didn't lessen Naruto's distrust.

Stepping out of the shadows, he ran quietly after Gaara. Gaara, for his part, didn't seem to notice that he was being followed. He stopped outside a modest, dust-colored building. Without a sound, sand wrapped around his body, and he immediately vanished.

Naruto panicked for a moment, then looked up. He was on the roof, seated comfortably on a small ledge.

Curious, Naruto quietly ran up the wall, managing to hide behind a large pile of bricks left there. Gaara still hadn't noticed him.

All was quiet. Several minutes passed, and Naruto could feel himself nodding off to sleep. He considered giving up the whole watch, considering the fact that Gaara wasn't anywhere near Hinata in the first place.

"I though I might find you here." A harsh voice jerked him out of his lazy stupor. All sense alert now, he peeked behind the bricks.

Standing on the ledge, illuminated by the moonlight, Dosu was standing there, looking at Gaara with a gleam in his eyes.

Gaara didn't say anything. He looked at him, his head slightly bent to the side.

"I thought I might eliminate you right away," Dosu's voice rang out, "so my chances of fighting against Sasuke are increased."

Naruto fought the urge to jump out and help. He wasn't supposed to let Gaara know he was tailing him.

Without another word, Dosu jumped up and prepared to fight.

What happened next would be etched in Naruto's mind forever.

His cerulean eyes wide in shock, he watched as the sand swelled up, whirled around, and swayed in every direction. Like…it was alive somehow.

His gaze was fixed on Gaara, though.

_Is…is that…still him? _He thought wildly, watching as the sand mercilessly trapped Dosu in its bind.

Almost as soon as it had started, it stopped. The sand rushed back into the gourd, and Gaara walked away, becoming a silhouette, and soon blending in with the night sky around him.

Naruto remained rooted to the spot, still trying to comprehend what he had seen. He couldn't remember all the details, but he could remember only one thing.

His eyes. His eyes that begged for blood. That begged for violence.

The eyes of a true monster.

* * *

Hinata groaned as she hugged her knees to her chest. Last night's training session had been brutal. Neji had immobilized her in a matter of seconds, and her father had simply looked at her with those eyes.

She hated those eyes.

_If that had been the main matches, _she thought glumly, _I'd be the laughing stock of the whole village._

The cool, morning mist touched her face, and almost at once, she forgot all her problems. She sighed in contentment, stretching out her legs. She watched as the first rays of the rising sun touched the water, the sky-blue color spreading through the water.

"You look happy."

Hinata gasped and looked around. Gaara was looking at her, his face mask-like and emotionless. His mouth was set in a grim, straight line.

"G-gaara-kun," she said, a little startled, "You're awake already?" She didn't know anyone else who usually woke up before the dawn.

"I don't sleep." He said shortly.

Hinata shrugged. She didn't understand, but she didn't feel like knowing either.

Hesitatingly, Gaara sat down next to her, his face still set in that slight scowl.

"You know," Hinata said all of a sudden, "you're lucky."

He didn't bother to ask why. She'd explain sooner or later.

She didn't though. She just kept staring into the water, watching the ripples branch out.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"You…have the sand to protect you," she said softly, glancing at him, "you never get wounds, you never experience bruises, you never have broken bones. You never bleed."

You looked at her. She just didn't know.

"_Maybe I'm injured, like everyone else. It…it really hurts here."_

_The small hand reached up to clutch his chest._

"_I'm not bleeding, but my chest really hurts."_

"What's wrong?" he asked flatly. It was obvious something was bothering her.

She sighed. "I just had a…mortifying training session against Neji-nii-san. He knocked me out in just a matter of minutes. Thanks to him, it hurts everywhere now. A-and…I saw the look in my dad's eyes. It was the usual…disappointment. Disgust." She looked away. "Rejection."

Silence passed for a few minutes. The only sound was the water slightly lapping on the edges of the lake.

"So…everything I heard was the truth." It wasn't a question. "I mean…on one of my rare trips outside, I'd hear stories circulating about the weak Hyuuga heiress. Of course, I never knew they meant you. I thought they might have been referring to your sister."

Hinata gave a short laugh. "My _sister _is the one my dad's really proud of. She's five years my junior, and yet, she's a lot stronger than me. Or so my dad says."

"How'd you know?"

"I heard him talking to Kurenai-sensei, the day I became a Genin and became part of a three-man team under her care. She had to ask permission from my dad. My dad just brushed off her warnings that Genin could die on missions."

"_Do with her as you wish."_

"He didn't care." She said, starting to feel the tears welling up, "He just said…I was weak, and I wasn't needed in the clan."

"_She is a disappointment. A person who is weaker than even Hanabi, someone five yeas her junior…A weakling like her is not needed in this clan."_

"And you won't even prove him wrong?" Gaara asked, looking her straight in the eye. "You're just going to take that crap from your father lying down? You're just going to mope about how you're a disappointment?"

"I-"

"Because if you are," he continued, "then I'd have to say that you really are weak."

"I've been…practicing." She said defensively, "and I…I guess I have gotten better, b-but…"

"The words of weaklings," he said, a smirk on his face, "they're the ones who are never sure."

"I-I just can't tell if I have improved, okay?" she said, starting to get angry, "I-I m-mean…you c-can never be sure when it comes to changing y-yourself…_stop smirking, dammit!_" She finally yelled, not realizing that she was standing up. "I've been trying to change myself for weeks! I wanted them to notice me…to see that I'm not the same girl I was before! But they never did! And now…now you're putting me down, too? You think that, just because you're so strong, you can start judging people?! You haven't even seen the extent of my ability, you…you…" she stopped, realizing that he was laughing.

"That was great," he said, smirking, but in a good-natured way.

Hinata looked confused. "Huh?"

"If you can tell me that," he said, standing up as well, "why can't you tell your dad?"

She blushed, realizing that he had just been manipulating her.

"I-it's different with you," she muttered, turning as red as a tomato.

"If you really want them to notice you," he said, turning serious, "then keep trying. For a ninja, there is no end to training. You can never stop getting better."

She didn't know what to say. She just stood there, mute. But she could hear, and understand, everything he was saying.

"Hinata," he said, even softer, "I don't believe that there is such a thing as a weak ninja. The only difference between the lowest ninja and the greatest…is the determination."

"With enough determination," he said, walking away, "you could even defeat me."

Hinata gasped and looked up.

He was smiling at her.

"I'll look forward to that day."

A/N: Yeah…I'm back with the author's notes. Oh well…

Gaara's really out of character here, isn't he?

Thanks guys…


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This computer hates me…

The 5th Chapter

Hinata glanced at him, watching his body movements. His left foot was going to the left, but his right foot remained firmly on the ground, making it obvious that he was feinting.

She decided to play his game. She jumped left, and as expected, Neji turned to the right.

His eyes widened, and Hinata cursed. He had obviously seen the exploding tag she had left. He was still to sharp for her.

He jumped away, just in time to shield his face from the explosion.

Hinata waited for the smoke to clear, looking around.

Suddenly, she felt something sharp grab her by the legs. She winced, and then fell to the floor, unable to move.

The smoke finally cleared, and, looking up, she could see Neji looking at her, a smirk on his face.

Hinata felt her legs. He had obviously attacked the tenketsu there, leaving her immobilized for a few minutes.

Hiashi strode into the middle. "Well done, Neji," he said, not looking at him. His harsh gaze was focused on his eldest daughter. "Take a break. I need to speak with Hinata."

_Here it comes, _Hinata thought, watching as Neji nodded and strode out the back door without a word.

He glanced at her, not speaking for a while. Words weren't needed. She could see everything she needed to see through his eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" he finally asked, his tone low and deadly.

Hinata bowed her head in shame, not knowing how to respond.

"I'm serious," he said, his voice climbing higher. "_You _are in the head family, _not _Neji. Yet, _Neji _mastered the byakugan earlier than _you_. Do you have any idea what a disgrace you are? Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is? Everyday, I can hear the branch members whispering. That maybe, just maybe, the head isn't as good as everyone thinks it is. The whole head family has to pay for your _weakness_!" he spat out the last word.

She could feel the tears coming. Already, they were running down her cheeks.

"I keep hoping that, somehow, you'll actually live up to the honor of being in the head family. I keep thinking that, maybe someday, you'll surpass him. My hopes are in vain. I see that now. I don't know how you got into the main matches, but if it was by pure luck, then you have no hope of lasting five minutes into the battle."

Hinata couldn't take it. A sob escaped her throat as her father's hateful words cut deeper into her heart.

"And you sit there, crying, like a pathetic child. You truly are a disgrace; the weakest in this clan. Someone like you is not needed. Not here. Not anywhere."

He turned his back to her and strode out the door.

Hinata collapsed on the floor, her arms folded. She buried her face into the bare flesh of her skin, crying her heart out. Her whole body shook with each sob, and the tears kept spilling, with no intention of stopping any time soon.

"That was pretty harsh."

A gasp replaced the sobs, and she looked up to find herself staring into the cerulean blue orbs she knew so well.

"N-naruto-kun!" she choked out, her eyes wide.

"I was just…walking around, and I thought I'd come to check in on you," he explained sheepishly, a small smile on his face.

Hinata pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"W-well…a-as you can see, I'm…p-perfectly fine," she said softly, feeling her cheeks redden. Naruto couldn't have come at a worst time. It was so embarrassing for him to see her…like this.

"Come on,"

She looked up to find herself staring at his hand.

"I find that a long walk by the river always makes me feel better after a lousy day." He said, smiling.

She could feel her cheeks burn. She smiled up at him.

"I…uh…o-okay!" she smiled happily as she took his hand. With small effort, he pulled her up. She dusted herself off, and then the two of them walked out the door.

* * *

Gaara felt like he was ready to burst. His stomach felt full of…not butterfly's. Moths. Huge ones. That were reproducing every second.

He closed his eyes, telling himself to calm down.

"Gaara? Are you listening?" Temari asked impatiently "Sensei's waiting for us at the forest. He wants to go over the plan one more time."

Of course. How could he have forgotten? The plan had been discussed for over two months now. That was partly the reason why he and his siblings were here in Konoha. When he had first heard about it, he couldn't have cared less. After all, it was only by killing that his existence was defined. His reason was to kill. To destroy.

_But…how would _she _feel? _He thought, not looking at Temari. He would be destroying her village. Her home.

"Gaara," Kankurou sounded bored and impatient, "come on. Let's go. This is no time to sleep on your feet."

He glared at him. "It's not like I could, even if I wanted to."

Kankurou waved his hand. "Whatever. Let's go."

"No."

Temari and Kankurou were on the point of walking, when they stopped.

"What?"

"No."

"What 'no'?"

"I…I don't feel like going. I already know the plan. Why do I still need to be reminded of it?"

"You-"

"I'm not going." he repeated, more firmly this time, "I don't feel like it. I have other things to do."

Temari looked like she might argue, but Kankurou beat her to the punch.

"Drop it. It's not that important anyway."

Temari sighed. "Fine. Whatever."

Gaara watched the two of them walk away. He felt like screaming, yelling, breaking something…anything to let loose all the emotions fighting for center stage.

_I can't do it, _he thought, clenching his hands. He pressed his forehead against them, his teeth gritted, _I just can't. I never knew…never remembered that this…the village I was supposed to destroy…was the village of the one…the one…_

He looked up. He couldn't finish the train of thought. It was all so confusing. He allowed the sands to engulf him and, in seconds, he was whisked away.

* * *

"I never knew…you favored this place, too."

"Well…let's just say a lot of my days were spent here, when I was younger."

Hinata smiled as she breathed in the fresh air. Why did air seem so much cleaner when it was near water?

She plopped on the grass, hugging her knees. "It's so…strange, isn't it?"

"What is?" Naruto asked, sitting down next to her.

Hinata could feel her cheeks redden.

_He…he's so…so…c-cl-close to me! I…have…t-to…calm down. I-I sh-shouldn't st-st-stutter…_

"W-well, I-it's j-j-just that…and th-the au-author's usually s-say…b-but it doesn't s-seem to a-apply in r-real l-life, so…"

She trailed off. Naruto was looking at her with a confused expression on his face.

"Um, Hinata? Could you stop stuttering so much? It's hard to understand you , you know." He said bluntly.

Hinata blushed even deeper. Her cheeks were burning.

"I…I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he grinned at her, "it's kind of cute. I like it."

Her eyes widened.

"Come on," he smiled, "what's so strange?"

"W-well…I've been reading a lot of books the past f-few days, and…well…in most scenes where the main characters are by a body of water, l-like a lake or th-the ocean, it's sunset. Writers say that it's b-because w-water seems so beautiful at sunset, when the s-sun hits the surface. But…no matter how you look at it, the body of water still looks beautiful no matter how you look at it, right?"

Silence greeted her words. She closed her eyes and turned away.

_Oh, great, _she groaned inwardly, _Naruto-kun must think I'm such a fool._

"You know," he said, "I think I agree with you."

She turned to look at him, shocked.

He was gazing out on the river, a small smile on his face. "I mean, right now, it's just a bit before noon, so the sun is at no special place in the sky. It's just…there. Hanging in the sky. And yet, the river…seems so beautiful. I can go here at anytime-an hour before noon, noon, five hours before sunset, day break-and I bet I would still think it beautiful."

He smiled at her. The wind was picking up.

"Or maybe, it's beautiful because of the person I'm with."

Hinata felt faint. Her cheeks were flushed red.

_N-naruto-kun…complimented me._

* * *

Gaara looked out on the river, leaning on the ledge. He was on the rooftop of who-cared-who's house, and he felt better. Whenever he had problems, he just had to go to some place windy, and…he felt calmer.

It was like his problems were lost in the wind. It blew away the ashes of worry in his mind.

He sighed. Now he could think clearly.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He looked down, and he paled considerably. His hands trembled, and he felt…something stirring. It was unpleasant. Chaotic.

He could feel a sharp shoot of pain in his chest. He reached up and clutched that spot, breathing hard.

Then, rage took over. The familiar feeling of anger.

He straightened up.

_It was a good thing I came here after all, _he thought, clenching his hands.

_I now know what to do. _

He turned away, letting the sand engulf him.

He reappeared a second later, right beside his siblings. They didn't look that surprised. They were used to it.

"Gaara," their sensei looked pleased, "I take it the plan will go on, then?"

"Yes," Gaara said, eyes narrowed. His mind was still carved with the image of _her _and that…that…other _juunishi. _The one with the _kyuubi _in him.

Uzumaki Naruto.

"Yes, it will."

A/N: …..ouch…..

And there I go again with the dot, dot, dot's…

Never mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: BEFORE you read this chapter, may I just point out some facts:...**

**1) Hinata and Naruto did NOT kiss, to all those who may be wondering. They were just...there. Talking. About the setting in stories...yeah...**

**2) Gaara will not flare up at her, because he, too, is confused about his feelings. You'll find out what he thinks in this chapter, anyway...**

**3) I haven't decided on who'll end up winning Hinata, so there's still hope. (yeah. I'm stupid. he he...)**

**So, yeah...I don't know what I was thinking.**

**These periodical exams are getting to me...**

The 6th Chapter

Naruto sighed and looked away. As usual, Sakura was trying to win Sasuke's attention.

"Sasuke-kun, are you sure you don't want something to eat? I mean, that was such a tough training session…"

"I'm sure. Thanks, anyway, but I was planning to eat an early lunch at the ramen place."

"What a coincidence! I'd like some ramen, too! Why don't we eat together?"

"I guess…"

The pair started to walk away.

"Naruto, don't you want to come?" Sasuke called, stopping to look at him.

_Heh. Sakura-chan didn't even think of inviting me. Typical. I'm sure she wouldn't want some annoying loud-mouth to ruin their _date.

"No thanks," he said, "you guys go on. I'm going to train a bit more."

Sasuke looked at him, bewildered. "You're serious?"

"Yep."

"Come on, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, sounding slightly impatient, "we'll see you later, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged. The familiar ache was in his chest.

"_There will always be others out there…who may actually like you. For who you are."_

Naruto smiled. Hinata had given him great advice yesterday. He owed her...a lot.

"Sure." He grinned.

"_When you find that person…maybe…you could learn to love her back."_

They walked away, leaving him to reminisce about yesterday.

"_But you have to let go first. If you can't let go…then…you'll just end up hurt. And you'll be forcing your one-sided feelings on the person, so you'll also hurt them."_

The ache in his chest was gone. He stood up and stretched. He felt better than he had been all morning. He glanced at the targets around him.

It was time to train.

* * *

Gaara flung his left arm, the sand following it. He clenched his hand into a fist. A mere second later, he flung his right arm as well, repeating everything that he had done. 

Right, left, right, left…

He stopped abruptly, breathing hard. He looked around.

Trees, rocks…anything the sand had reached…lay in ruins. Crushed into pieces. He was still dissatisfied. His anger had not been fully released. If anything, it was building up even more.

A sharp pain shot into his head. He let loose a gasp and clutched his head.

Not here…not again… 

"That was…amazing!"

He turned around. Hinata was standing there, looking awe-struck.

Almost instinctively, the sand rushed forward. It was, of course, following his thought. He had wanted to crush her the moment he saw her, but…

_Not now, _he thought firmly. The sand stopped.

"What are you doing here?" he asked roughly.

Hinata nearly winced at the sharpness of his voice.

"Gaara-kun, is s-something wrong?"

_You bet there's something wrong, _he thought angrily, as he continued to glare at her, _I didn't…wait. _

He eyes widened as another thought completely struck him.

Why am I so angry, just because I saw them together? 

It didn't make any sense. She was perfectly capable of staying near whom she pleased. But then…when he saw them together…why did it seem so…painful?

Why was he angry?

"Gaara-kun?"

He shook his head, as if in an attempt to clear his thoughts

"I…I'm sorry. I…just don't feel so well."

"Oh."

Silence passed between them. He studied her face carefully. She seemed to be bursting to say something.

"Did you want something?" he asked bluntly. He was in no mood to play guessing games.

"I…yes." she fixed her silver eyes on him, and all gentleness was lost. Gaara could see clear determination in her eyes.

"I'd like you to help me train."

Silence.

"Train?" he repeated slowly, still no emotion on his face, "Why would you want that?"

"Well…you see…I'd l-like to…that is, in the main matches, I don't want to seem w-weak again. And, since you're so strong, I-I thought, maybe…"

"I could help you."

"Yes!" she said, smiling. Then, the smile dropped off. "But, um, I understand it would be troublesome, so…"

"I…suppose I could." He said guardedly.

"Really?" her face brightened, "That would be great! Thank you so much!"

"Well, first of all, what do you specialize in?"

"What?"

Gaara sighed. This was going to be harder than he expected.

"What's your main weapon?" he rephrased. "I mean, like…I only use sand. Do you use speed, or…what?"

"I…never thought of that," she said softly, "I mean, I guess it's speed."

"You _guess_?" Gaara shook his head, "You have to know what you specialize in."

"Well…that's just it," she said lamely, "I haven't developed my own style. I…just follow the normal Hyuuga attacks. You know…gentle fist style."

"That's the _Hyuuga _style, not your own. Think. What would you feel comfortable with?"

She fell silent, thinking hard. Then, she looked up.

"Water."

"Water?" Gaara repeated. "Why?"

Hinata bit her lip, "I don't think I should tell…"

"I'm asking."

"Well, I was j-just th-th-thinking of wh-what you said the day b-before y-yesterday. Wh-when you said that s-someday…maybe I could d-defeat you, so…"

"I get it," he said bluntly, "water washes away sand."

Hinata winced. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I-I-I j-just…"

"It's okay," he smiled, "you deserve to train with what you want to."

Hinata looked relieved. "Thank you so much, Gaara-kun!" she smiled, "I don't know why, but you always make me feel like I can be myself around you. You make me feel…like I have nothing to be afraid of."

She turned her back, "Well, let's go to the river. I should be training where water is, neh?"

She was on the verge of walking away, when she realized he wasn't following her. She turned back around.

"Gaara-kun? Aren't you coming?"

_It's actually the other way around, Hinata, _he thought, smiling a calm, serene smile, _you make me feel comfortable. It has nothing to do with me. _

"Yeah, I'm coming."

* * *

Kiba felt like bursting. Just when he had to tell Naruto the most important piece of news he had ever overheard about, Naruto had to go missing. 

_Think, _he told himself, running down the street, _where can usually find that loudmouthed freak of a-_

_Hold that thought. _He stopped in front of the ramen place; _I think I just answered myself. _

He dashed inside, nearly upsetting the chairs.

"Sasuke! Sakura!" he gasped out, breathing hard, "h-have you…seen Naruto?"

"He didn't want to join us," Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow, "so we left him to train in the woods."

"Thanks."

In a flash, he was gone. He didn't care that he was practically killing his lungs. Naruto had to know about this, and fast.

He reached the edge of the woods.

Akamaru jumped off his head and sniffed around.

"Well, Akamaru?" Kiba asked impatiently, "can't you find his scent?"

Akamaru looked up and sadly shook his head.

"Darn it!" Kiba cursed. "Where the hell are you, Naruto?"

_If I don't find him soon, _he thought, running deeper into the forest, _then…Hinata-chan just might be in more danger than she realizes!  
_

A/N: Yeah...it wasn't that exciting, was it? BUT the next chapter will take place during the Main Matches, so...so...so...so...so...so

I HATE LEPRECHAUNS!!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: By the way, I decided to do a time skip, coz, well…I didn't want to write a month worth of happenings, so…this chapter starts with the day before the main matches, kay?

Get it? Got it. Good.

**The 7th Chapter**

"What the heck do you think you're doing?"

Gaara merely looked at him, his teal eyes cold. Indifferent.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Answer me, darn you!" He yelled. "What were you trying to do to bushy brows??"

Gaara decided to answer. He cocked his head and stared him straight in the eyes.

"I wanted to kill him."

"What the hell-?" Naruto glanced at Shikamaru. He looked just as shocked as Naruto did right now.

Naruto had been admitted to the hospital, due to some…_disastrous_ results of training with Ero-Senin. He had bumped into Shikamaru, who had just come from visiting Chouji, who had been admitted due to overeating. When they both came in to see how Lee was doing, they found Gaara at his bedside.

And he wasn't holding flowers.

_How the hell can he be so calm? _Shikamaru thought, feeling his knees weaken. _He should be paralyzed be my shadow possession, but…_

"And why would you want to kill him?" Shikamaru asked, trying to act calm. "You won your match against him. Do you have a personal vendetta or something?"

"No," Gaara said slowly, his voice a harsh whisper, "nothing like that."

A small smirk crept to his lips. "I want to kill him, because…I just want to."

"Do you even know what the heck you're saying?!" Naruto exploded. "Do you?!"

"You really weren't raised right, were you?" Shikamaru put in, feeling sick to his stomach, "you're so self-centered!"

_Actually, he's really creepy…! _He thought to himself. _If he decides to go for it, he may be too much for Naruto and me to handle alone. Jeez…what the hell do we do now?_

"If you try to interfere," Gaara warned, his face still mask-like. Emotionless. "…I'll kill you too."

"What?!" Naruto raised his fists angrily. "Just you try it…!"

"Hey!" Shikamaru yelled. "Quit it, Naruto!"

_Let's see if I can pull a fast one over him…_Shikamaru took a deep breath. The only way to avoid an all-out battle in the hospital was to try and lie their way out of it.

"I've seen you fight," he said, "and I know you're strong. But you see…" he allowed a smirk to creep on his face, to add to the 'not-creeped-out' factor, "Naruto and I are both pretty capable fighters as well. We both have moves in reserve that nobody's seen yet! Plus, it'll be two against one. You'll be at a disadvantage. But…if you swear to leave Lee alone, we'll let you leave. No harm done."

"I'll say this once more," Gaara repeated, "if you keep interfering, I'll kill you."

_This guy…!_

"You can't kill me!!" Naruto yelled.

"I told you to quit it!" Shikamaru snapped, holding him back. "Don't forget…this guy has monster-like strength!"

"But I've got a real live monster inside of me!" Naruto said, a grin spreading across his face. "I won't lose to somebody like him!"

Gaara nearly drew back in surprise, had he not been under the shadow possession.

"You idiot!" Shikamaru exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing, egging him on like that?"

"A monster, eh?" Gaara softly interrupted, bringing their focus back to him. "Actually, I've got one of those, too."

He looked up, slightly amused at the expressions they were giving him.

"Just like you said, 'I wasn't raised right'."

Very slowly, he could see his past happening, as if it were replaying right before his eyes.

A small, whimpering infant, crawling pathetically across the sand. His hands grasped the air, as though trying to grasp something that wasn't there.

"In the process of my birth, I stole the life of the woman I was supposed to call 'mother'."

The sand was wrapping tighter around the infant. Why couldn't they see it? Why couldn't they help the infant?

"In order to create the world's strongest Shinobi, my father used ninjutsu to implant an incarnation of sand within my body."

He looked up, teal eyes flashing.

"I was born a monster!"

Naruto gaped wordlessly, unable to even believe it.

…_an incarnation of sand…?! _Shikamaru's expression matched Naruto's.

"Known as Shukaku, it was the spirit of a former Sunagakure elder…"

A black teakettle, moving slightly, as though something was inside, begging to be free.

"…that had been sealed inside a teakettle."

"A…type of possession art that causes the fetus to be forcible possessed…?" Shikamaru didn't know whether to laugh or run away screaming in terror. "To go that far…that's crazy."

Naruto could only stare at those teal eyes, seeing the emotion he, too, had seen himself whenever he looked in the mirror.

_He's got…**something**…inside him, too…_

"Heh," Shikamaru chuckled nervously, "what kind of parent does a thing like that? What twisted love."

The images disappeared. Gaara was brought back to reality with an unpleasant bump. "Love?"

He clenched his fists. "Don't judge me by your standards."

"Family…" he glared at them "…let me tell you what that word means to me."

His teal eyes widened.

"Mere hulls of flesh…connected by hatred and murderous intent."

Naruto and Shikamaru reeled back, their eyes wide.

"My mother's life was sacrificed, so that I could be brought to life as the villages greatest masterpiece…and as Kazekage's son."

He closed his eyes, and the images came back in a haze. There was no longer an infant. It was a small boy now, holding a stuffed animal. All around him lay broken toys. Discarded. Forgotten. Shattered.

The sand was still there…dancing around the boy protectively.

"My father taught me secret Shinobi skills, one after another. I was raised in isolation, spoiled and overprotected. At fist I thought _that _was love…"

His eyes suddenly opened. Cold. Emotionless.

"…until that incident."

"What incident?" Shikamaru asked, half-wishing that he didn't have to ask.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded.

Gaara stared at him, then his lips opened, but no sound came out.

"…so what the heck happened?" Naruto asked again.

A smile broke out on his face.

Naruto nearly winced in surprise.

It wasn't a smile. It was a sneer. Evil. Twisted. Demented. His pupils contracted, allowing the veins to clearly be seen.

"For the past six years, ever since I turned six…my father has been trying to assassinate me. I've lost count of how many attempts he's made."

Shikamaru's jaw dropped, but no sound came out.

"Huh?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"I…I thought you just said your father spoiled you!" Shikamaru said, finding his voice. "So what do you mean??"

"A presence that is too powerful…"

The blood was everywhere…Yashamaru's cold, lifeless body...no. Not lifeless. Near the brink of death.

It was all the boy's fault.

"…becomes a presence that is feared. Having been born through jutsu…my mind is unstable. It seems the fools of the village finally realized I had emotional issues."

The image was hazy, slowly disappearing in the mist of his mind. It was replaced by another…the boy was holding the stuffed bear again. The sand…the sand was always there. Always.

In the background, a foreboding figure stood, wearing the Kazekage's robes. His father.

"To my father, in his role was Kazekage, I was the village's most powerful weapon. But at the same time, I was a fearsome and dangerous object. So apparently, when I turned six, they determined that I was too great a liability. Prior to that, I had merely been handled with care…like any other hazardous instrument."

"To them," he continued, "I am now a relic of the past that they wish to erase and forget."

"So…" the sneer slid back on his face, "for what purpose do I exist? Why am I alive? At first, when I asked myself that, I had no answer."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked.

"But, while I continue to live, I need a **reason. **Otherwise…I might as well be dead."

…_I think…I…_Naruto felt weak. Like he had just been punched in the stomach…_I get it…_

_This guy…he's just like…like me…_

"So this is what I came up with." He closed his eyes. "I exist to kill all humans other than myself'. Living in constant fear, knowing I might be assassinated at any moment, I finally found inner peace. By killing those who sought to kill me," he opened his eyes, a smirk tugging his lips, "I was able to discern a reason for living and justifying my existence."

"I would fight only for myself and love only myself. If all other people exist to magnify that love, then there is no more splendid world than this one. They allow me to experience the joy of living…for as long as there are people out there for me to kill, I will not cease to exist."

_What the f-! _Shikamaru could feel himself shaking. _This is scary…_

Naruto stared back at those eyes, looking at the all-too familiar emotions trapped underneath. _…I used to be like that, too. All alone…not knowing why I was alive…in pain…but then…Iruka-sensei finally noticed me…acknowledged my existence…and for the first time, I experienced warmth. Love. _

_B-but…this guy…_

Gaara was still smirking, his eyes blank.

…_he's still living alone…only able to assert his existence by killing others…_

_I never knew people like him existed. The world he lives in…it's too different from our. There's just no way…we can win against him…_

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, surprised to see him trembling. "What's the matter, Naruto?"

Suddenly, the sand reared up from behind Gaara.

"Now…" Gaara had a wild look in his eyes, "…help me feel alive…!"

The sand rushed towards them.

"Enough!"

Everything stopped abruptly. All three of them turned to face the door.

Gai stood at the doorway. "The finals start tomorrow," he pointed out, "don't be in such a hurry. Unless you're eager to become an inpatient today?"

With a gasp, Gaara grasped his head, as though a cutting pain seared through it. He wobbled slightly as he made his way to the door.

"I will kill you all…" he whispered. "…just you wait."

* * *

Hinata sighed as she wrapped the blankets around her frail body. It wasn't cold, but she didn't feel so good.

_Maybe I'm coming down with something, _she thought. A few seconds later, she gave a short laugh. It resounded in the confines of her room.

_The only thing I've got, _she thought dryly, _is a bad case of nervousness. _

_Still…it's a good thing I've been training with Gaara-kun, _she thought, smiling blissfully. Thanks to his help, she had actually managed to come up with her own technique.

She glanced out the window. It was a full moon, and the moon's rays washed over the whole courtyard, giving it a sort of peaceful, unearthly glow. She sighed.

_I wonder how Naruto-kun is…_she ran her finger across the wooden windowpane. _Knowing him, he probably trained to the point of exhaustion!_

Suddenly, an image of him sitting in the ramen shop, stuffing his face, flashed through her mind.

_Yeah, he's probably there right now, _she thought, chuckling a bit to herself.

Her cheerfulness died down. All the way across the Hyuuga compound, Neji was probably still training. She was familiar with his determination, and she knew he really wanted to win. Ever since her uncle, his dad, had died, Neji had developed a certain grudge against the Main.

She sighed again and lay down, closing her silver orbs, hoping that she could somehow get some sleep.

* * *

"It's tomorrow," Temari said softly, polishing her huge fan.

Kankurou merely nodded, cleaning out Karasu's joints. He needed his puppet to be in tiptop shape for tomorrow.

"Have you seen Gaara anywhere?" Temari asked worriedly, glancing out the window.

"You worry too much," Kankurou said, checking to see if Karasu needed a few more additions, "you know how he is: here one day, gone the next."

"I know, but still…"

Kankurou let loose a short laugh, "You know, if the other Genins only knew how 'tough-as-nails Temari' acts when her widdle baby bwother is involved, they probably wouldn't have given you the nickname in the first place."

Temari gave him a good whack with her fan.

* * *

The annoying, incessant beeping of the alarm brought him back to reality.

His eyes opened slowly, reluctant to open at all. He didn't feel so good.

Naruto sighed, staring pointlessly at the ceiling. It was today. The main matches. It was no longer a distant dream, or an unseen goal that he had spent days training for. It was reality. It was here. Now.

_I guess this is it, _he thought, finally sitting up, _I shouldn't worry so much, I guess. I mean, I learned a lot of things from Ero-Senin, and from the looks of it, that Kankurou guy won't be so tough to beat, but…_

He sighed and swung his legs over the bed. Outside, he could hear the excited voices floating around the air. Obviously, the whole town was looking forward to the main matches.

He sighed again. That was the problem. The _whole _town was going to watch. It would be so embarrassing if he lost, seeing as he had often stated that he would be the future Hokage.

_Darn it, _he thought, slapping his forehead, _looking back now, I really do have a big mouth, don't I?_

He shut the window and drew the curtains over it. For some reason, he just wanted this day to be over already. He had a feeling it was going to be a real pain in the ass.

* * *

Hinata breathed in the cool, crisp air, trying to calm down. She had woken up quite early, and had decided to hang out around the training spot situated at the middle of the 'hidden' road. She had given the road that nickname since it seemed only few people chose to travel on it.

She glanced at the huge, wooden posts around her, great in both height and circumference. It was here that she had often released her frustrations, by repeatedly hitting the dull surfaces of the posts until she nearly collapsed in exhaustion.

She glanced at the clear, blue stretch of the morning sky. This was it. No turning back.

* * *

Naruto walked down the dusty road, lost in his own fleeting thoughts. His face was trained to the ground, and he didn't give a damn if he ended up smacking into anyone.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He looked up.

Hinata was there, her back to him. She was gazing at some of the wooden posts, as thought lost in her own thoughts as well.

"H-hinata-chan!"

She gave a squeal and leapt behind one of the posts. Shyly, she peeked out, her face red as a cherry.

"N-naruto-kun," she stuttered, "you…you're…what a-are you…doing here?"

"I just felt like going here before the matches started," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "this _is _where I became a Genin."

"R-really…wow…" she blushed deeply.

Silence passed between the two of them.

"Listen, Hinata…" Naruto walked a little closer, "I never had the chance to thank you…for the advice you gave me a few weeks ago. I used to feel so jealous…watching her attempts to make Sasuke notice her…but, after remembering what you said, I guess…the hurt just stopped." He looked up and grinned. "So…thanks. A lot."

"You…you're welcome," she said softly. She looked down at the ground, the familiar feeling of panic rising in her chest.

"It must be hard, huh?"

She looked up. Naruto was looking at her, concerned.

"Neji was last year's top rookie, and he's your cousin to boot." He folded his arms behind his head. "I've seen how strong he is, and I can tell…you're going to have a hard time beating him."

She sighed and grasped the wood tighter, her fingernails digging in deep.

"But, you know, Hinata…" he was smiling already, "I watched one of your training sessions against him, and I can tell that you've really improved. Despite what your dad says, I think you just might have the slightest chance of beating him."

Her heart thumped madly, as she took in all that he said.

"Hey, if you don't mind," he gestured over his shoulders, "want to go to the arena together?"

She smiled and nodded.

* * *

They took a deep breath as they entered stadium. Some of the finalists were there already.

Hinata looked towards the end of the line. Neji was already there, staring up at the crowd. Shikamaru noticed them and waved them over.

"Hey," Naruto said, taking his place next to him, "where's Sasuke?" He glanced around. "Shouldn't he have been here by now?"

"They guy whoa was supposed to fight me, Dosu something, isn't here either." Shikamaru replied, glancing around as well.

"Hey, you two," the commentator said, looking at them over his shoulder, "stop fidgeting and show your faces to the crowd."

Naruto only realized then that there was a whole crowd watching them. He gulped and looked up, his face turning serious.

At the other end of the line, Hinata took a deep breath. She sneaked a peek at the end of the line again. Neji was simply staring at the crowd, as though he didn't notice her. Next to him, Gaara was staring at the crowd as well.

Hinata half-hoped he would turn to her and perhaps give her a smile of encouragement, but…

_Forget about it, Hinata, _she told herself; _he has his own problems to deal with. He'll be going up against Sasuke, probably the most skilled ninja this year. You shouldn't think that he's only thinking of you._

Suddenly, she realized that he was staring up at the Hokage's place, his gaze intense.

She followed his gaze and looked up. The Kazekage had just arrived.

"…_I do hope you'll forgive him if he hurt your little girl…"_

"_Hurt me? He promised he wouldn't and I trust him. Daddy, let go! Gaara-kun's my friend!"_

"_I see. So you had a wonderful time playing with a murderer."_

_Now wonder he looks so angry, _she thought, looking down, _if my father was like that, I'd probably be feeling the same things he's feeling right now._

Hinata nearly jumped as the Sandaime's booming voice echoed throughout the stadium

"Ladies and Gentlemen…esteemed guests…welcome and heartfelt thanks for gathering here in Konohagakure for the Chuunin selection examination! We will now begin the matches of the final round between the eight candidates who advanced in the preliminaries. Please sit back, and enjoy!"

"Before we begin," the Jounin guy turned around to face the group, "I have a few announcements. Look here." he drew a sheaf of paper from one of his pockets.

Hinata glanced at the paper. _That's weird, _she thought, glancing at the spot for the first battle, _didn't that Nara Shikamaru have an extra match? Did Dosu withdraw?_

Naruto glanced at it, trying not to think or remember what he had seen that night on the roof. Then, he snapped out of it.

"Hey! Hey!!" he raised his hand.

"What?" the commentator asked.

"Sasuke's not here yet, so…what's going to happen?"

"If he doesn't arrive by the start of his own match, he'll lose by default."

_This is weird, _Naruto thought, glancing at the huge entrance doors, as thought hoping Sasuke would come bursting through any second. _Knowing Sasuke, he'd be here even if he had to drag himself along._

"Listen up, all of you." The commentator turned to face all of them. "This is the last exam. The landscape is different, but just as with the preliminaries, there are no rules. You fight until one of you dies or admits defeat, unless I determine that a clear winner has already been decided, in which case I'll stop the match before anyone's killed. Understand?"

The finalists simply stared at him, there faces intense.

"All right then…match one: Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji."

Neji turned to face her, glaring. Hinata gulped, trying to clam down.

"You two, stay down here. The rest of you, proceed to the waiting room outside the arena."

* * *

At the top, Kiba and Shino walked over to two empty seats.

"Looks like were just in time," Shino said, "Her match is about to start."

"Yep," Kiba said, plopping down, "glad to see she's made it this far."

"No use hiding it, Kiba," Shino said, turning to him, "she was lucky. Her opponent wasn't skilled, and he was obviously distracted by his hunger. She got this far because of luck."

Kiba felt like belting him in the mouth. He had respect for Shino, but sometimes he could be unbearably frank.

"That's not…"

"I know you care a lot about her," he said, "but you have to admit…you and I went against Naruto and Neji. Compared to the two if them, does Chouji even seem like a threat? If you fought against him, you know you'd be down there as well."

Kiba sighed. "I guess…"

"I guess this will show us," Shino turned his attention to the finalists, "if she has truly improved."

Kiba looked away, trying to hide his grin.

_You'll be surprised, Shino, _he glanced sideways at him, a smirk still present on his face, _if you had been watching her this past month, you'd definitely know that she's truly changed. _

Akamaru whined.

"Eh? What is it?" Kiba asked, raising an eyebrow.

Akamaru barked excitedly.

"What? Where?" Kiba turned around.

_Over there! _He located him. _Why the heck are the black ops agents here? Is something going to happen?_

* * *

Hinata could swear that her heart was beating faster than usual, and she was already sweating, although the match hadn't started yet and it was a relatively cool day.

"You look like you have something to say," Neji was smirking at her, "Hinata-sama."

Hinata took one look at that self-righteous smirk on his face, and she could feel something burn up within her.

"Know this," she said firmly, feeling braver than she had all month, "I don't care if you're considered to be a genius or the number one rookie or whatever." She clenched her fists. "I've trained hard, in my hopes to change myself. This match will tell me if I really am as hopeless as you or Oto-sama say I am."

She raised her right hand, palm flat open. The standard fighting stance.

"I'm going to give my all," she whispered, "even if I have to die to prove I've changed."

Silence met her words. Then, Neji smirked again.

"Amusing, but dramatic. I commend your efforts, Hinata-sama." He mimicked her position, his veins popping out clearly. He had activated his byakugan.

Hinata closed her eyes. Before, she had needed to perform hand seals to activate it. But over the month, she had worked hard to activate it at will.

When she opened her eyes, her byakugan had been activated as well.

"You've been practicing," Neji said, his voice sarcastic.

Hinata glared at him. She had no idea why, but she could feel anger burning up within her. She didn't know what she was thinking, but something told her…

…she was ready.

"First match," the Jounin glanced at them, and then brought down his arm. "Begin!"

A/N: Yey! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Itachi-niisan came back from college over the Christmas break, and I feel sooooooo happy!!

Oh, and if you guys are wondering what I mean by leprechauns, just visit search for 'GaaHina and NaruHina: Scars' by darkwater-reflection, and you'll see the drawing I made, "dedicated" to my unbelievably short classmate.

I think the comment will explain why I hate him.

Bye-bye!


	8. Chapter 8

**The 8th Chapter**

Hinata waited. She had learned from her father to _never _make the first move. According to him, impatience was a dangerous thing.

Neji smirked. "You can't fool me, Hinata-sama. These eyes tell me more than you'll ever know. You seem so confident now, but there's still doubt."

Hinata struggled not to gasp. She should have expected this. The byakugan was capable of seeing the emotions within people's eyes, and the eyes were the windows to the soul.

She returned his cocky gaze with a stern one. He was _not _going to break her. Not here. Not now.

"You want to know whether or not you've changed, right?" He cocked his head. "Then come, if you wish, and we'll see if you can last for even ten minutes in this fight."

Kiba looked closely. Hinata seemed determined, but…then again…

_Neji can see and understand things no normal ninja can, _he thought, _if he sees Hinata's weakness or uncertainty, than it's all over for you, Hinata._

Kiba looked at Shino. Although his face was nearly hidden, Kiba knew he was feeling some hostility towards Neji.

"_Don't bother getting up," Neji said, standing over Shino's crumpled body, "I've hit all sixty-four tenketsu in your body. You can no longer move."_

_Shino tried to get up, but…_

_Neji smirked. "Useless bug-user," he said, turning his back, "don't always depend on your companions. That was your first mistake."_

Kiba sighed.

_If it was anybody else, _he thought, _I would suggest avoiding close combat. But…Hinata's attacks are like his, so there should be no problem._

"You do know, don't you," Neji took a step closer to her, "that you have no chance of winning at all. Hard work…determination…perseverance…those are just meaningless words. People say that your strength does not count, but rather, your determination. That's a load of bullshit."

"_The only difference between the lowest ninja and the greatest," Gaara said softly, "is the determination."_

"_With enough determination," he walked away, "you could even defeat me."_

_Hinata gasped and looked up._

_He was smiling at her. _

"_I'll look forward to that day."_

"No," she whispered, "no, no, no. You're wrong."

He smirked again. "Am I?"

"You're wrong." She said louder. "Look all around you. No one us perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. But…the people…who have the guts to get back up…and keep fighting…those are the strong ones." She glared at him. "I-I…used to give up easily. Wh-when people would knock me down, I'd believe their words…believe I was useless. I decided…it was safer to _not _get back up, so that…it wouldn't hurt anymore. I…I believe I've changed, Neji-niisan." She straightened up. "That's all that matters now."

The smirk slid from Neji's face, and anger immediately replaced it. "So…you've become a little more confident, haven't you?"

Hinata glared at him.

"Come," she smirked, mocking his words, "if you wish."

In a flash, he was in front of her. He tried to hit her shoulder, but she blocked it. Each jab, each strike, she managed to block it.

Hinata blocked his last attempt, then jumped away, flinging a kunai at him. He caught it and flung it back. She hit it with another one.

"You _have _improved." Neji said, glaring at her.

She didn't say anything.

"Fine," he moved forward, "then I guess this means I shouldn't hold back."

He ran forward.

_I know he's better than me, _Hinata thought, successfully blocking his attacks, _but…I still believe in what Gaara-kun said. I should never…I will never…back down. _

She drew her arm back, and then swung it forward, aiming for the chest.

An explosion rang out in the arena.

Hinata gasped in disbelief, as she felt his hand make contact in the point just above her chest. His other hand had jabbed her in the arm.

She coughed out blood, and some landed on his hand. Breathing hard, she returned his glare. It would take more than that to bring her down.

With his other hand, Neji pushed back the sleeve of her jacket, only to reel back in shock.

Among the red spots that indicated where he had hit her, dozens of angry red scars could be seen. They looked like slashed, done with a kunai.

"What the hell is that?" Naruto exclaimed from the viewing room. "Who in the world would mutilate her arm?"

Gaara frowned as he bent over the railing. Something told him that those scars were self-inflicted.

_But…why?_

Neji's pale silver eyes widened as he took it all in.

"Hinata-sama," he said softly, "what-?"

"Those scars are there to remind me," she gently touched them, "that…I'm a disappointment. A failure. I…it's a habit, I suppose. Every time I…disappoint oto-sama, I make a slash across my arm. Only…only when I make him proud, will I allow the scars to fully heal."

Neji couldn't say anything. He could only stare at her in…disbelief.

She drew the sleeve back down, covering her arm. Then, she took her stance again.

Neji shook his head, and then rushed forward.

* * *

"This match could go on forever," Ino breathed, shooting a sideways glance at Sakura, "seeing as they're both so evenly matched."

"No they're not."

Sakura whipped to her left, to see who had spoken.

TenTen shook her head, a small smile on her face. "It may seem that way, but trust me; Neji is way ahead of her."

"How can you tell?" Sakura asked, turning to look at the dueling cousins.

"I'm Neji's teammate," she said matter-of-factly, "and I've seen him in true action. He's pulling his punches." She turned to look at Hinata, a smirk on her face. "She doesn't stand a chance against him. She's probably giving 90 per cent of her full potential, and-by the looks of it-Neji's only giving ten."

"How can you say that?" Sakura said, frowning slightly.

"Isn't that too harsh?" Ino asked, leaning forward. "If you ask me, Neji looks like he's having a hard time as well."

TenTen shrugged, and said no more. But she knew better.

_The Hyuuga blood flows thicker through his veins than any other clan member, _she thought, watching the match carefully, _Hyuuga Hinata doesn't stand a chance._

* * *

Right…left…right…left…down…

Hinata could feel her arms tiring. The match had been going on for about 15 minutes now.

_Perhaps if I keep my distance from him, _she thought. Taking a deep breath, she blocked his attempt to strike her left arm, and then jumped back.

Neji looked taken aback by her sudden show of retreat. Then, he smirked.

"Getting tired?"

Hinata shook her head. She made the 'ram' seal, and two doppelgangers appeared behind her.

"Plain old 'art of the doppelganger'?" Neji cocked his head, looking bored. "This isn't an academy exam. You can't defeat me with classic textbook moves. Grow up already."

_Go! _Hinata thought, praying that her plan would work.

The two doppelgangers ran forward, their hands forming the seal of the 'ram'. With a 'poof', they created doppelgangers of themselves as well. A total of four clones running forward.

_That's my limit, _she thought, remembering the academy exams. She had watched jealously as she saw Sakura produce six with no hesitation at all. She had hoped to match her, but she had only managed to produce four.

"_That's your limit, Hinata," _Iruka said, patting her on the shoulder, _"but don't feel disheartened. You need to successfully make only three in order to pass. You did fine."_

"_Th-thank you," _she had said, _"sensei…may I ask…um…how did Naruto-kun do?"_

Iruka shook his head. _"I'm afraid I had to fail him. He made only two, and they were…lifeless. They couldn't even stand on their own."_

_But look at him now, _she thought determinedly as she glanced at the viewing room, _he can create so many now. _

_Naruto-kun…please watch me!_

The doppelgangers attacked. With much ease and grace, Neji dodged all their attacks.

_Perfect! _She thought, watching him jump over two of them. _When I say go…_

Now!

She could see him perfectly. He was in mid-land, his body unprotected. In a flash, her doppelganger took out their kunai and jumped up to surround him. He was trapped.

Hinata waited for him at the bottom. He couldn't do anything now.

Suddenly, he started to twirl in midair. Her eyes widened, and she leapt back.

_Don't tell me he mastered it…! _She could only watch.

Sure enough, he spun faster and faster, until he became a swirling mass of bright, blue chakra.

She cursed inwardly. _The Hakkeshou Kaiten!_

She could only wait for it to die down. She couldn't afford to get closer.

Die down it did. He slowed to a stop, and landed gracefully.

He looked up, to see her charging full-speed toward him.

She aimed a kick for his head. He clenched his fist, and then leapt up. Hinata had to smile. It was all going perfectly.

I had my doubts, but now… 

She took her place just a few feet from him, and then, as he was about to land, she flung her arms out.

"_Shugguhakke Rokujyuyon Shou!" _She yelled, her arms flailing all around her.

As she heard each of the chakra rays hit their target, she could only close her eyes. She wanted to prove she had gotten stronger…but…

* * *

"_That was pretty fast," Gaara commented softly, folding his arms._

_Hinata stared at the waterfall, then at him. He seemed deep in thought. _

"_Why don't you try scooping up some water in your hands?" he said. "Then, do what you did a while ago."_

_She did, watching as the water left behind trails in the air. When she stopped, it was like the water hung around her body for a brief second, like a shield. It lasted only for a second, and then splashed onto her. _

_She gave a squeal as the cold water hit her. _

_Gaara laughed. "That was a nice result."_

_She blushed. "You have a point," she said softly, "but…maybe if I substituted the water for something else…it would be good defense."_

_Gaara looked at her, a small smile on his face. She knew he was thinking what she was thinking as well. _

"_Chakra."_

* * *

"Oto-sama, what attack is nee-san doing?" Hanabi asked, leaning forward, her eyes wide. "I never saw that attack before."

Hiashi could only shake his head in disbelief. He had never seen that attack before. One thing was clear: it was effective.

"Those scars are there to remind me…that I'm a disappointment…" 

"_Every time I disappoint Oto-sama, I make a slash across my arm…"_

"_Only when I make him proud, will I allow the scars to fully heal."_

He clenched his fists as he watched his eldest daughter wind down, panting hard as Neji's body dropped limply.

* * *

Hinata gazed at his bleeding body.

_Is that it? _She thought. _Is it over?_

Suddenly, she felt her chest constrict painfully. She gasped and grabbed her chest, coughing up blood.

_What irony, _she thought; _does this mean that neither wins?_

"It's…going to take more…than that."

She looked up. Neji was on his feet, bleeding, but otherwise looking fine.

"I don't care much for external bleeding. It's internal that's more fatal. Wouldn't you agree, Hinata-sama?"

She coughed again.

"I told you," he said softly, "it's your strength that counts. You cannot do anything about that. The weakest will always lose. It's fate. You cannot do anything about it."

"…I…I don't b-believe in fate." Hinata spat out, trying to get up.

"That's your problem," he said, "because fate is unchangeable. Destiny is pre-written. It is clear your fate is to lose. Your destiny was sealed the moment you became my opponent. It's like the very system that runs within our clan."

She pushed herself to her feet.

"Wh-what are you t-talking about?" She demanded, still clutching her chest.

Neji looked surprised, then smiled slightly and reached up, untying his forehead protector.

"That one." Hinata whispered, closing her eyes. Why did he have to bring that up? Why now?

A green x-mark etched on his forehead, two lines branching out at the sides.

The cursed mark.

"It's destiny, after all," he whispered, "all born into the branch family of the Hyuuga clan will have this cursed mark etched on their forehead. It is their fate."

"What the hell is that?" Naruto said aloud, leaning across the railing to get a better view.

"This seal," Neji stole a sot at Naruto to show he had heard him, "is the very thing that separates the main from the branch. This cursed seal represents a 'caged bird'. This seal signifies that the branch lives to serve the main. The branch cannot go against the main, either. This is a sufficient system to protect the Hyuuga's bloodline limit, _Byakugan_, forever."

Hinata sighed. "Neji-nii-san, please…you still hold that grudge?"

"Perhaps it was destiny…" he whispered, more to himself than for the sake of Hinata, "perhaps it's fated, that the main will always outlive the branch…"

"I don't care about that!" Hinata yelled, clearly fed up. "I don't care who's in what house! I don't care who's more important, who lives to serve whom, and who will die in this match! If you ask me, you're overreacting." She clenched her fists. "Ask anyone," she said, a little softer this time, "and they'll tell you who's stronger among the two of us. Obviously, it's you! But you're not a main family member, are you? To be honest, I'm sure a lot of people know I'm going to lose in this match. You know what? I don't care anymore! I don't base people because of a stupid seal!"

Suddenly, Neji was right in front of her, his eyes blazing.

"_Hakku Rokujyunyon Shou: _64 strikes!"

She could only scream as she felt each and every strike hit their mark.

_And there we go, _she thought, feeling herself hit the ground, _they all expected this, I'm sure. _

"Don't…don't ever say things like that again." Neji glared at her, shaking with fury. "To carry a seal that can never be removed…you cannot possible understand the pain it brings!"

It felt like her whole body was on fire. She gasped and struggled to bring herself to her feet.

"Don't bother getting up," Neji said, "after all, I hit all 64 _tenketsu_. You can't move."

Hinata felt her whole body shake in anger. And frustration. After all her hard work…

_I guess…this is all I can do. _She thought sadly.

Neji clutched his arm, feeling the sting of the open wounds. He gritted his teeth.

"I told you," he said softly, "your fate was decided, when I became your opponent."

Hinata didn't say anything. She could feel the tears welling up. A single drop slid down her cheek and plopped onto the dry ground.

"You can't fool me, Hinata-sama." He repeated. "You're not crying from the pain of my attack. You're crying out of your own frustration. From the humiliation of losing this badly, in front of the whole village. That's what I can see, with these eyes. "

"Y-you know…wh-what these eyes t-tell me?" She asked, glaring up at him. "These eyes a-are te-telling me…th-that you…you're nothing…b-but a coward."

Neji clenched his fists and opened his mouth angrily.

"A coward," she said quickly, before he could say anything, "th-that blames every….everything o-on fate and other _crap_!"

"What are you-?!"

"You keep saying th-that destiny is be-behind everything," she pushed herself up to a kneeling position, still coughing violently, "everything…that happens to us. You believe that fate is unchangeable. You believe th-that we can do n-nothing to change it."

She smirked slightly, as she pushed herself up. Her strength was still there. She could still move.

"The destiny of the branch is to protect and serve the head," she said, repeating what he had said mere minutes ago, "B-but I c-can see it…in your eyes. You _want _to kill me."

The whole arena was silent. Shocked.

"You want to fight against destiny too."

Neji's eyes snapped widened. She could see it too. His rage. His anger.

His fear.

He dashed forward, his arms ablaze with chakra.

Hinata saw him coming, and quickly grabbed his fist in her hand. She winced as the chakra cut through her skin.

"Why shouldn't I kill you?" Neji hissed, pushing against her. "Why shouldn't I avenge the death of my father?"

Hinata pushed him and, at the same time, jumped away.

"It's all the main family's fault!" He yelled. "A few minutes difference…a matter of who came after…was enough to change an entire family's destiny! Just because your father came first, my father ended up in the branch family. My dad died to save your dad!"

He was breathing hard, pointing at her, quivering. Shaking,

Hinata closed her eyes.

"You're dad died. Fact. Past. Forget. Erase. Move on." She shook her head. "You've been thinking that ever since. That was your mistake. You shouldn't have kept it inside."

Neji sneered. "Don't give me advice, Hinata. We're still in a match, remember? And take my word for it," he crouched, palm open, "I will kill you if I have the chance."

He rushed forward.

Hinata couldn't do anything.

_He's too fast, _she realized, _and I can't block it. My hands already toasted. I can't move it. _

He was aiming for her heart. She could tell.

_I'm sorry, _she thought, looking up at her dad, _this is all I can do. _

She stole a glance at the viewing room. Everyone looked worried. Naruto…Shikamaru…

…Gaara…

Gaara was looking at her, his teal eyes narrowed. He caught her eye, and he shook his head.

Somehow, she knew what he meant.

_You can still fight. _

She couldn't. Not anymore. She could do only one thing, and pray that it was enough.

He was closer now. Just a few feet away. She held up her arm, palm open…

In an instant that lasted an eternity, everyone could barely believe it.

He slammed his palm against her chest, and, at the same time, her palm hit his.

A draw.

Slowly, both of them fell forward, and hit the ground.

Motionless.

A/N: Was that too dragging? Too boring?

Oh, I don't know anymore, darn it.

If you're wondering where I got Hinata's 'slashing-arm-habit', well…that's actually mine. I'm a disappointment, like her, so…

Yeah. I do that too. My arm's mutilated.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: My mind is corrupted….

**The 9th Chapter**

"You know, TenTen," Ino remarked dryly, "that really looks like they're equally matched to me. I mean, if Neji was stronger, don't you think he'd still be standing."

TenTen didn't reply. Her hand was clamped over her mouth, green eyes wide-open in shock. After a few moments though, she turned to Ino, a smirk on her face.

"Well, Ino," she said, "If Neji and Hinata were on the same level, don't you think Hinata would be getting up as well?"

"What?"

Ino turned to look at the arena. Sure enough, Neji was getting to his feet, shaking all over.

"What about-?"

Sakura shook her head and pointed.

Hinata was still on the ground, as still and motionless as ever.

The Jounin walked over and lifted Hinata's hand, placing his middle and index finger on her wrist. After a few seconds, he gestured to the medic nins waiting close by. On cue, they hurried forward, bringing a stretcher with them.

"Match one," he said, straightening up, "winner: Hyuuga Neji."

Suddenly, Naruto jumped over the railings and into the arena. He ran over, his eyes blazing with fury.

The Jounin knew what Naruto was going to do. Quickly, he restrained him.

"Cool off." He said half-jokingly. "Your match doesn't start until later."

"What kind of uncaring, unfeeling bastard are you?!" Naruto screamed at Neji.

Neji didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes.

"What kind of person would do that to their own cousin?" He couldn't stop. Something inside him was going wild. It was almost like something was trying to break free. "I understand that you have some sort of hatred against the Main family, but why the hell would you take it that far?! It wasn't her fault that your dad had to be born last. There wasn't anything she could have done about it. It's not her fault that your dad decided to sacrifice his life for hers!"

"Naruto!" Asuma was beside him. Kurenai was on the other side, looking worriedly at Hinata. Asuma placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "I think you should calm down now."

"If you ask me, Hinata's stronger than you!" Naruto was screaming at the top of his lungs. "True strength comes from inside'…if that's true, than she's the strongest person I've ever met. She never stopped trying…she…she…didn't even use that cursed mark against you, just so she could win! She could have used it on you, just for trying to kill her, but she didn't!" He pointed at Neji. "You owe her your life, Neji. You know that."

Silence reigned in the arena.

Suddenly, Asuma clamped his hand over Naruto's mouth.

"I'm really sorry about that." Asuma said to Neji. "I think he's just got a lot of pent up energy."

"N-naruto-kun…"

Simultaneously, all heads turned to look at Hinata. Her eyes were slightly open.

"Hinata!" Naruto shook himself free and ran over to the other side of the stretcher. "What's wrong? What is it?"

"D-did I…l-lose…?" Her voice was so soft, Naruto had to bend to hear it.

Naruto took a deep breath, then nodded. "But, you were really great, Hinata." He said, trying to look cheerful. "That attack was amazing!"

"You shouldn't be trying to smile at the side of a dying person."

Naruto looked up, and nearly reeled back in shock.

Gaara was kneeling beside him, his gaze focused on Hinata.

Hinata didn't say anything. Slowly, her hand reached for her pocket. Carefully, she drew out a kunai.

"Hinata…?" Naruto looked confused.

Gaara looked at the kunai. "You really shouldn't do that?"

"Huh?" Naruto looked at him, and then back Hinata. "Do what??"

Hinata smiled slightly. "I w-want t-to."

With a flick, she sliced it across her arm. The blood stood out among the other deep-red scars.

With a smile, Hinata closed her eyes. Her hand fell limply, and the kunai fell on the ground.

Gaara sighed. The sand then whisked him away. He reappeared a second later, next to his siblings in the viewing room.

Naruto looked at the kunai still on the ground. Traces of her blood could still be seen at the edges.

He bent over and picked it up. Then, he turned to Neji, eyes flashing. Without a word, he held it out.

"Take it." Naruto said, his voice low. Hesitatingly, Neji took it.

"You owe her your life." He repeated as he walked away.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun still isn't here." Sakura said worriedly.

"Who knows what could have happened…" Ino said, looking at the entrance doors, as though she was half-expecting Sasuke to burst in any moment.

"Kakashi-sensei isn't here either." Sakura said, glancing around her. "I thought for sure he'd be here…but…well, he is always late."

"Hey, Naruto." Shikamaru looked around. "Shouldn't Sasuke be here by now?"

"He will be." Naruto said, with more confidence than he felt.

Near them, Temari whispered something in Kankurou's ear. Kankurou seemed worried, but he nodded.

"I'm forfeiting my match!" He said suddenly, causing everyone to look at him.

"What??" Naruto exclaimed. "Hey! What are you thinking, forfeiting like that?" He yelled, pointing at him, clearly furious. "I spent half the night worrying about it! I won't stand for this you-!"

Shikamaru clamped his hand over his mouth. "Pipe down, idiot!" He hissed. "You can't do anything if he wants forfeit."

Whispers and murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"Darn it!" Naruto hissed, trying to calm down. "What rotten luck!"

"More of good luck." Shikamaru said. "I'd rather be in your place."

"What?" Naruto turned to look at him. "You don't wanna be a Chuunin?"

"Too troublesome." He said, shaking his head. "Besides, I couldn't care less anyway. What I'm more worried about is the fact that-"

"It's my turn now." Temari said, taking out her fan. With a flick, she opened it up. Then, she waved it, creating a huge gust of wind. Instinctively, everyone raised their arms to shield their face.

Temari rode on her fan, gliding down into the arena.

Safely on the ground, she turned to look at Shikamaru.

"You coming down, or what?"

* * *

"You should rest here a bit." The medic nin told Neji, indicating the bed nearest Hinata's. "A blow to the heart isn't exactly healthy. Half an hour should be enough."

Neji didn't say anything. He just sat on the bed, gazing off into space.

He had won. He managed to defeat a member of the family he hated so much.

Why did he feel so empty?

The medic nins left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

"_She didn't even use that cursed mark against you…she could have used it on you, just for trying to kill her, but she didn't!"_

"…_I…I don't believe…in fate!"_

"_Perhaps it's destiny…perhaps it's fated that the main will always outlive the branch."_

"_I don't care about that? I don't care who's in what house! I don't care who's more important, who will live to serve whom, and who will die in this match!"_

He looked at his cousin's unconscious body. "How can you not care?" He asked her softly. "The branch and the main…it means everything in our clan? How can you not care?"

"_Y-you know…wh-what these eyes are t-telling me? They're telling me that you're nothing…but a coward. A coward who blames everything on fate and other crap!"_

"_I can see it in your eyes. You _want _to kill me."_

"_You want to fight destiny too."_

Suddenly, he heard a soft voice that startled him out of his thoughts.

"N-Neji-niisan?"

He turned to look at her. Hinata was trying to get up, trembling violently.

"I…I w-wanted t-to apologize," she said softly, "b-back then…I…I sh-shouldn't have…"

Suddenly, the door opened. Hyuuga Hiashi stepped in, his face emotionless as usual.

"O-otosama…" Hinata whispered.

Hiashi either didn't hear her or was ignoring her. He focused his gaze on Neji instead.

"Neji, I…I see you still hold that grudge against the main."

"Why wouldn't I?" Neji asked, fixing his eyes on the floor. "They murdered my dad."

"Neji, that's not-"

"Not what?" He asked angrily, raising his voice, glaring at Hiashi with his hate-filled eyes. "Not true? If it's not, then explain why I don't have a dad right now. If it's not, than explain why you're the one alive! The main family allowed the murder of my dad. You allowed the murder of your own brother!"

Hiashi didn't say anything. Neji just kept his glare, breathing hard.

Without a word, Hiashi reached into the depths of his robe and took out a scroll.

"Here." He said softly. "Maybe…if you read this…you'd understand."

"I don't want to." Neji said, looking away. "All it'll contain are excuses…reasons why the main family was right in offering my dad in your place."

"It's not from the main family." Hiashi said, placing it next to him. "It's from your father."

Neji glanced at it. Sure enough, 'To Neji' was painted on the front. With trembling hands, he picked it up and opened it.

'_Neji,_

_I know you probably hate me now, for leaving you in this world all alone. But…at least let me try to explain what happened the day they decided to offer me in the place of Hiashi._

* * *

"_Hiashi." The Hyuuga elder's face was serious, his pale eyes looking troubled. "As you may know, the Country of Lightning is looking for a replacement for their head nin you killed last week. It's obvious they're after our bloodline limit."_

_Hiashi nodded. "Extremely obvious." He said, his face grim. "However, there's nothing more we can do."_

"_Actually," the elder said, casting a quick glance behind him, "there may be a solution to this problem."_

_Hiashi frowned. _

"_We have decided to send Hizashi in your place." The elder explained. "He is, after all, your twin. They won't notice the difference."_

"_Wh-what?" Hiashi took a step forward. "I can't let you do that!"_

"_The 'byakugan' must be protected!" The elder said. "When they attempt to achieve the byakugan from Hizashi, the cursed mark will block his ability, thus keeping our bloodline limit safe."_

"_But-!"_

"_You can't do anything." Hizashi spoke up. "I've already agreed."_

"_Hizashi!" Hiashi said, taking a step forward. "You can't-!"_

_He was cut off. Hizashi had slammed his palm into his gut. There was a collective gasp around the room. _

"_H-Hizashi…" Hiashi moaned, trying to look at him. _

"_I'm not doing this because the main wants me to." He said softly. "I'm doing this on my own free will."_

"_Hiashi…" he took a deep breath, then looked up. "I have always hated the main family. To be honest, I still hate it. But you…you're my brother. In doing this, I will be able to protect you."_

"_Hizashi…don't…" Hiashi tried to get up. _

"_There's a difference between being forced to walk to the guillotine and walking proudly towards it. The result may be the same…but the cause is completely different."_

"_I'm doing this of my own free will." He said, walking out the door. "In doing so, I'm defying the wishes of the main family."_

_He smiled slightly as he closed the door. "I'm defying destiny."_

_Defy destiny Neji. It cannot control you. Only you have the power to change your destiny. Fly free. Don't let the cursed mark weigh you down. You'll be someone who matters in the Hyuuga clan someday._

_You will _never _be a caged bird. Never. _

_Dad_

Neji looked up from the scroll. Hiashi was on his knees, his head bowed low in respect.

"That's the truth, Neji." He said. "I…tried to stop him. I'm sorry…I couldn't do anything."

"Please…" Neji whispered. "There's no need to bow your head. I…I…"

He turned to Hinata. She looked confused.

"_You want to fight destiny too."_

_You were right, Hinata-sama. _He thought, smiling slightly. _I…just couldn't see it myself. _

He got down from the bed and walked over. Wordlessly, he gave her the scroll.

She read it, her pale eyes widening as she read each light. Finally, she looked up.

"Neji-nii-san…"

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I…should have listened to you. You know me better than I know myself. I…I guess it's because you don't see with these eyes. You see…with your heart."

She smiled. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him.

"We'll fight destiny together, Neji-nii-san." She whispered. "I promise."

He seemed taken aback. And then, he smiled slightly and returned her hug.

"Thank you." He whispered.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed.

_Honestly, that woman is tough…but dense. _

He stole a glance at her. She didn't even notice that she was around seven feet from the shadows of the trees.

_She's probably planning to send out a clone in order to confuse me. _

He clasped his hands together and watched his shadow travel the circumference of the arena. As long as the shadow stayed within the shadows of the trees, he didn't need to worry too much.

Finally, he felt a twinge. He had to smirk. Contact.

A few second later, he heard a gasp from behind the fan.

"Wanna know why you can't move?" He asked loudly. "I'll be kind and show you." he turned his head, as though he was looking at something behind his back.

"Yeah." He said, although she didn't say anything. "I let my shadow travel around the arena. Now…"

He took a step forward. She did the same.

_This is kind of fun, _he thought, looking at her green eyes. _Jeez…if looks could kill, she'd be the winner. _

They were face-to-face. She was glaring at him, trembling from head-to-foot.

_She's tough, _he thought, _she's really trying to fight it. I'm having trouble controlling her. _

He raised his hand. She copied it as well.

The whole arena hung in suspense. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"I resign."

Temari, who had been closing her eyes tightly, opened them in surprise.

Shikamaru dropped the shadow possession, along with his arm.

"You heard me." He called to the Jounin. "I resign."

"Why would you do that?" Temari asked, glaring at him. "It was obvious that you'd win. Why-?"

"I came up with 200 ways to finish this match," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but it was just too troublesome to try them all."

"Oy! Shikamaru!"

He turned to look. Naruto was running toward him, his face furious.

"Oh." Shikamaru said. "It's you."

"What the heck is up with forfeiting?" He yelled, pointing his finger right in Shikamaru's face. A few more centimeters, and it would have been up his nostrils already. "You _so _had her! It's obvious that you would have-!"

"Shut up." Shikamaru said, bending backward, stretching his limbs. "I don't feel like explaining now, okay? Now, just prepare for the next match."

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused.

"The next match." Shikamaru said, grinning slightly. "Have you forgotten that Sasuke still hasn't competed yet?"

* * *

Neji wandered toward the window. Hinata was busy re-reading the letter, and Hiashi had already left for the Hyuuga compound.

He couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic on Hinata's part. Hiashi had barely even spoken to her, and that just seemed to convince her that he was angry with her. He never knew she was that ashamed with herself…to actually slice her arms like that…

He sighed.

_Oto-sama…I guess I was so caught up with my own twisted thoughts of vengeance…I failed to see what was really going on around me_.

_I'll…strive more, Oto-sama. I'll make you proud. _

He listened. Outside, the birds seemed to be singing just a bit more cheerfully than before.

Slowly…slowly…he could almost hear words. Like a lullaby, perhaps. One he had heard before, when he was young…

_The caged bird sings_

_With a fearful trill_

_Of things unknown _

_But longed for still_

_And this tune is heard_

_On the distant hill_

_For the caged bird_

_Sings of freedom…_

Outside, in the arena, the whole crowd was awe-struck. Or shell-shocked. Take your pick.

In the very middle of a small twister of leaves, Kakashi and Sasuke were standing back-to-back. Kakashi turned to the Jounin and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry were late. We…lost track of time."

Gaara stared down at Sasuke. Sasuke caught him looking and returned his glare, his fire-red eyes taking hold of Gaara's sea green ones.

Without another thought, Gaara allowed the sand to bring him down into the arena.

With bated breath, the whole crowd watched as the Jounin walked between the two of them.

Three…two…one…

"Begin."

A/N: Yeah…expect cliffies when reading my stories.

Oh, the 'lullaby' for Neji is actually a real poem by Maya Angelou.

Oh…and I stopped slicing my arm. I…cheered up a bit. But the scars are still there.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Yeah. Before I begin, let me clear up a few things…

Hinata still can't completely change him. He acts nice around her, but he can't afford to act different around the others. It would destroy his "image".

I forgot that Gaara knew that Naruto was a jinchuuriki like him. (I'm stoopid.)

Naruto will be showing off his prowess. Soon. Just hold tight.

Sorry bout that.

**Chapter 10**

Gaara stared at him, his teal eyes taking in every feature of his body.

_It's important for the predator to know his prey. _He thought, licking his lips. Slowly, the sand reared up, preparing to strike.

Sasuke grinned, then suddenly, he disappeared.

Gaara's eyes widened in shock. _Where'd he go? _He thought, glancing around wildly.

Suddenly, he felt a rush of wind at his right. He turned to look.

Big mistake.

Sasuke's fist slammed against his face, sending him back a few feet. The sand caught him before he could completely hit the ground, steadying him to his feet.

He glared at Sasuke. Something about his fighting style seemed…familiar somehow. Fast. So fast.

…who had he fought before…with similar speed?

Sasuke smirked, mocking him. His jet-black eyes taunted him, pulling him in.

Gaara shook his head, and then allowed the sand to strike. Left, right, left, right…the sand kept missing by a few inches. Sasuke was too fast.

Suddenly, his fist slammed against Gaara's face. With a grunt of pain, Gaara flew back and hit the ground painfully.

Sasuke smirked, and then disappeared.

Gaara struggled to his feet. Sasuke could be anywhere by now.

_I can't see him, _he thought, scanning his surroundings wildly, _and, if that's the case, this could end badly. _

Sasuke started to move in for the kill. Gaara stared at him, then let the sand form around him, donut-like. Sasuke ran around and around him, speeding up. Suddenly, he stopped short. Gaara glanced around.

_Where the hell is he??_

He felt a jab to his throught. A gasp for air, sailing backward, then a thud as he hit the ground.

_No more...no more..._

The sand knew what to do. He could feel himself slipping away. He had no choice but to let instict take over.

He allowed the sand to build around him, forming a sort of barrier. A shield.

"…_because I'm afraid of getting hurt…"_

_Gaara looked at her. Her head was bowed, purplish-black hair swinging forward to hide her face. _

"_I…guess you could say…I build a shell around me." She continued softly. "I…just don't want people t-to see my real weakness. I…I don't want people to hurt me. B-because…no matter how bad physical pain is…emotional pain's a hundred times worse."_

_Almost instinctively, Gaara reached up and clutched his chest. It had been so long ago…when he had still concentrated on whatever pain he felt. He had been so naïve. So weak. So foolish. _

_Ever since the day Hinata left Suna, he had learned to ignore the pain. The sharp twinges in his heart…the feeling of his heart ripping apart…he had learned to regard those as things that held no consequence. Whatever happened, he felt nothing. No guilt. No sorrow. No laughter. Just cold, clear, rage. _

'_But…I shouldn't blame her for that,' he thought, glancing at her, 'she's more emotional than I am. It can't be helped if she can't control her tears.'_

"_Yeah," he softly agreed, "it is, isn't it?"_

* * *

Sasuke ran forward, thinking that perhaps a strong enough strike would be enough to break down the sand barrier.

Gaara smirked at his naivety. His defense wasn't _that _easy to break down.

Contact.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched the sand spikes miss his face by inches.

_Every time something hit the sand dome, these spikes come out, _Sasuke thought, cursing under his breath. _It's like an extra defense. Damn. _

He leapt back and focused on the hole in the dome. It was pretty dark in there. His eyes narrowed. Something was moving inside it. It looked like an eye of sorts. But no _human _eye could possibly be that big.

He bit his lip. There was no way to break through that barrier.

Well…there was one, but he wasn't sure it was time to use it.

_That's right, Uchiha Sasuke, _Gaara thought, licking his lips. _Keep fighting. It makes it so much more enjoyable, so keep fighting._

_Keep…fighting…_

"_Why do you keep fighting?" Neji asked flatly. "It's pointless, isn't it? You can't win."_

_Gaara watched the scene play from within the shadows, resisting the urge to strangle Neji. Talk about unfeeling. _

_But then again…he was one to talk. _

"_I…t-to tell the truth, I-I-I don't kn-know why I do," she whispered, trying to get to her feet. _

"_Then why do you still choose to get up?" he asked again._

"_All I really want," she said, "is t-t-to m-make o-oto-sama pr-proud. Th-that's the o-only reason I'm t-trying so hard."_

_Neji fell silent. He watched as she tried to push herself up again. As she tried to steady herself…_

…_it was quite pathetic, really._

"_Stop."_

_Hinata looked up at him in surprise. He seemed angry. _

"_Stop. This training session is over."_

"_N-neji-niisan-"_

"_It's over." He said with a firm sort of finality. _

* * *

Gaara was brought back to reality when he realized the whole crowd had quieted down. He looked through the hole.

Sasuke was on the wall, and he seemed to be doing several seals. He grasped his wrist and held it down. Suddenly, lightning-blue chakra started to gather at his palm.

Gaara frowned. The sound was deafening. Like a dozen-no…thousands of birds all chirping at once.

_I should strengthen the shield, _Gaara thought to himself. He clasped his hands together and willed the sand to cover the whole.

He heard the sound become louder, like he was drawing closer and closer.

_There! _He thought in satisfaction. The hole was covered up. Now he was safe in here.

Safe…

Suddenly, he heard a loud explosion. All around him, the sand dome trembled violently.

Suddenly, he felt something sharp. A small jolt. A miniscule twinge of…of…

"What does pain feel like? I've never been hurt before, so I was wondering…" 

…pain.

Gaara looked down. Blood spurted from the gash in his skin.

Uchiha Sasuke…had…managed to wound him.

His last thought was: _So this is what pain feel's like…_

…before the humane part of him slipped away…

…and the monster within was released.

* * *

Sakura glanced around in panic. The whole arena was in an uproar.

She covered her ears to try and block out that horrible sound. From the sand dome, a scream like that of a wounded animal could be heard.

_What on earth is wrong with him? _She thought, cringing.

Suddenly, she felt something…unusual in the atmosphere. She looked up.

Some people seemed to be drowsy.

_Some sort of sleep technique…a genjutsu, I'd say. _She clasped her hands together.

"Dispel!" She said.

She opened her eyes to look around. Almost everyone had collapsed. Then, she realized that Gaara was no longer screaming. She focused her attention on the sand dome. It had given way, and Gaara could clearly be seen. He seemed to be on the verge of passing out.

Next to him were Temari and Kankurou. Before anyone could say anything, they picked him up and disappeared.

What on earth is going on? She thought wildly.

* * *

Don't tell me the matches are over! Hinata thought, running down the hallway leading to the viewing room. It was so silent, except for the occasional screeching of birds. She reached the viewing room and pushes the door open. What she saw was totally unexpected. All the people in the arena seemed to be sleeping. Suddenly, movement caught her eye. She turned to look. Sakura seemed to be talking to Naruto. I need to know what's going on! She thought. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned around and made her way to the seats. She ducked behind a pillar close to them and managed to hear Kakashi's words.

"…so you can find out what their planning. And take him with you." Kakashi gestured to the dog next to his feet.

Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and the dog took off through a huge hole in the wall.

_I have to follow them! _She thought. Carefully, she tried to walk closer to the hole. Kakashi seemed to be preoccupied, so she might have the slightest chance to slip out.

"Are you sure you want to follow them, Hinata?" Kakashi suddenly said, turning to look at her.

Hinata nearly jumped back in surprise, but she regained her composure.

"I…I…yes. I…I w-want to help…"

"What if you just end up being a burden?" Kakashi asked, his eyes boring into hers. She could feel her knees weakening. "Always the helped, never the helper. Am I right?"

Hinata closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from squeezing out. Even Kakashi-sensei thought…no. _Knew _her weakness. Was this all she was reduced to? Damn.

"I…I d-don't c-care…" she whispered. "I…don't care anymore!"

She looked up, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I _will _help this time. I will not become the burden. I've changed, Kakashi-sensei. I know I have."

Kakashi was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he chuckled.

"Good answer." He said. "Okay. You can come."

Hinata bowed her head, feeling her face redden. He had just been testing her, and she had answered with so much disrespect.

"Hinata."

She looked up. Kakashi stared at her for a minute, then leaned closer.

"Don't make me regret letting you go." He whispered.

Hinata looked into his steel-gray eyes. He didn't doubt her. She could see that.

"I won't." She said firmly. With a final thank you nod, she leapt out the hole.

* * *

"_Please…please let me see him!" _

"_I'm sorry, Hinata-sama," his father said with a sharp edge in his voice, "but I'm afraid Gaara is confined in his room for the moment."_

_Hinata stood in the doorway of his house. From his hiding place beneath the table, Gaara could see the look on her face, and it told him so clearly that she truly cared about him. _

"_I…I really don't care, Kazekage-sama!" Hinata exclaimed, trying to push past him. "I…I-I'm re-really sorry if this is v-very rude of me, but…but I want to say goodbye one last time! Please, Kazekage-sama!"_

"_Don't you understand, Hinata-sama," the Kazekage asked softly, "he doesn't feel like seeing you right now. Why don't you go back to your father? I'm sure he's getting worried."_

"_Th-that's a lie!" Hinata exclaimed. "Gaara-kun…I want to see him! Please!"_

_Gaara couldn't take it anymore. He ran out of his shadowed hiding place and tried to push past his dad. _

"_Hinata-chan!"_

"_Gaara-kun!" She exclaimed happily. _

_Suddenly, his dad steeped in between them. He glared at Gaara. _

"_Go back in." He said, his voice low and dangerous. _

"_H-hinata-chan!" Gaara exclaimed. "When you first saw Suna at it's highest…I'll see you there in ten minutes!"_

_Hinata nodded, her pale lavender eyes wide and panicked._

"_Promise?" She asked, just as the door closed shut. _

_Gaara stared at the door, touching it softly. _

"_I promise." He whispered._

"_What makes you think I'll let you see her later?" His dad challenged him, his eyes shooting daggers. _

_Gaara didn't answer. He just stared numbly at the door, as though he could still see her behind it. _

"_Answer me, you worthless pile of crap!" His father roared._

_Suddenly, Gaara turned around. His teal eyes pierced his fathers soul. His hands trembled violently. _

"_I will see her later. I promised." He whispered. "And if you try to stop me…I…I'll kill you!!" Sand suddenly rushed forward, engulfing the Kazekage and knocking him off balance._

"_Don't stop me. Don't ever…ever again…I've had it with you." He growled. _

_His father couldn't say anything. With a final glance, Gaara allowed the sand to engulf him. _

* * *

Gaara felt…lightheaded. Like he was in mid-air. Suddenly, an unpleasant bump brought him back. Then, the floating sensation again.

_Where am I? _He thought. He tried to look left and right, but he could barely move. Something…someone was holding him up. Supporting him.

_Sasuke…_

_Uchiha Sasuke…_

The name flashed in his mind like poison.

The one who had actually managed to break through his impenetrable defense. The strength was mind-bending. These past twelve years, no one had ever been able to do that.

_Which is why I have to destroy him, _he thought, closing his eyes again, _for killing those who wish to kill me…_

…_is the only thing that makes me complete._

A/N: Yes! I finished chap. 10! (cough-finally-cough) sorry if it took me so long, guys! B.K meetings are swamping me, along with projects.


End file.

Naruto, Angst, Romance