A/N- Hi guys! How are you? ^^
I haven't been writing in so long (Yes, I suck, I know) because I've had a HUGE writers' block (life-long, may I add) but hopefully I will make it up to you now! This is a Naruto fic, with GaaraXHinata pairing!
Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto (I don't get why people need to include this, but whatever. Shouldn't you know already? 'Course none of us own Naruto… Right?)

The bench felt hard underneath me as I watched the glowing pink light of dawn creep over the bold outline of the faraway hills, seeming to set the trees around the grounds on fire. The dull clanging of metal, a few stray barks and the buzzing of a few bugs brought me with a jolt back to reality and I decided to turn around and watch the fight. I was actually fighting too, until my teammates and sensei accused me of spacing out and I was sentenced to the bench. All in all, it wasn't actually bad sitting on the time-out bench; the scenery was more than capable of taking your breath away and if you got bored there was the fight to watch. But to be honest, I had been a bit distracted lately…

With someone. When my 'crush' on Naruto ended I realized I liked someone else. It was probably because I didn't do anything… Maybe if I did something he would've liked me back…

But I don't think he even knows my name… After all, he is high-ranking. Maybe it would be a big waste of time to pursue him. But maybe, just maybe… After a while, of course… Could he like me back?

Then suddenly, a loud voice brought me with a bump back into reality. Again. I was getting quite sick of it, actually, but maybe she couldn't help it, maybe I was just mean… People always say I'm timid and shy and that I should be braver. Maybe I should. Maybe, always maybe.

I snapped around with wide eyes as my sensei sat next to me.

"Distracted, Hinata?" She suggested in an amused tone, her pretty garnet eyes twinkling with humor.

"K-Kurenai-sensei! N-No, I'm not, I-I was just… t-thinking." I stammered as her eyes pierced into me.

"Could you possibly be thinking about someone?" She sneakily commented, so casually I nearly blurted everything out. On the verge of saying all my secrets, a little part of me tugged, and I bit my lip, angry with myself for being about to say something I shouldn't have.

Looking slightly disappointed, she said to me, "Well, Hinata, I know that look very well. I had that look once too."

I looked at her in shock.

"You, Kurenai-sensei?" I said in surprise, amazed that I didn't stutter. "With who?"
At the time I didn't realize that I had let something very dangerous loose. I had practically just admitted to have been thinking of someone.

"Who? Asuma, of course!" She laughed. "What about you?"

"G… T-That's personal!" I stammered back to her, wishing I was anywhere but the place I was.
Unfortunately for me, my sensei was smart, and she soon realized that there was only one person in my age group whose name started with G.

"Ah, I see." She nodded approvingly. "You have good taste, Hinata. But be careful; he'll disappear soon if you are too slow."

I didn't say anything. Disappear? What did she mean? How could I say I liked him if he didn't even know who I was? I sighed. It was the exact same with Naruto.

"He is like a rose, Hinata. Beautiful they may be, but you need to take good care of them or they'll wilt and die. If you don't let it know you care by helping it grow it will never bloom. But if you give it love… It will become most beautiful." Kurenai said softly, the wind blowing through her thick, black wavy hair.

"But… W-What if the r-rose… What i-if it doesn't k-know?"

Kurenai smiled at me.

"Then you need to tell it."

And with that, she left, leaving me to ponder over her words. Her words echoed in my head. I sniffed the deep fragrances of spring and let the wind blow through my hair. I hardly even realized the falling color of night, as if a giant had wrapped up the world in a blanket of dark velvet, lit up by little holes of light.

My teammates came the next day with my sensei and found me sitting there. They exclaimed in surprise, all except my sensei. She just smiled a secret little smile and after sending the boys off to fight sat down next to me again.

"So, have you thought about it?" She asked me curiously.

"…Y-Yes. I h-have decided." I answered with a torrent of butterflies raging a war in my stomach.

"Hmm… So what have you decided?"

"I'll l-let it. I-I'll make that r-rose bloom."

"So you decided to let it bloom. But Hinata, it won't be easy." She warned me after getting up to help the boys. "We'll talk again tomorrow."

And so that was that. Unable to practice again, I sat on the bench. Could I really do it? I was so small, so timid, so insecure. How could I make that rose bloom?

I barely noticed anything as I dragged myself to my home. Of course, no one even noticed my absence. The dust mites were regarded of a higher level than I was. I flopped onto my bed, thinking even more. I sighed and turned over. I'd think about it tomorrow. A few minutes more and I realized that an attempt at sleeping or not thinking was impossible. I just couldn't get him out of my head.

I arrived at the training grounds the next day looking like a zombie. As the boys (mainly Kiba) scolded me, Kurenai-sensei just shot me a little clucking noise. It sounded like something along the lines of- Poor thing; must be worse than I thought.

As the usual routine followed, I found myself sitting next to her again.

"You didn't get much sleep, I see." She commented.

"N-No. I w-was thinking…" I replied tiredly.

She looked at me thoughtfully and seemed to be thinking. We sat in silence for a while, the only noises being the sounds of battle.

"A-Actually…" I began, uncomfortable at the look of surprise on her face when I spoke first, "I w-was thinking… M-Maybe I s-should… Start s-soon."

"Yes, you should." She agreed quickly.

And once again, she abandoned me for training. I was so annoyed I nearly started screaming. How? I felt like shouting, How can I tell him!

And then it suddenly came to me. It was so simple, so very obvious I was surprised I didn't think of it before.

"E-Easy. I j-just have to m-make h-him fall i-in love with m-me." I muttered to myself.

I just needed to find some ways to show him…

Then I sighed. Easier said than done.

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