So yeah….. this is my first fan fic….. ever. :D This fic is mostly Hinata/Gaara but has a little bit of Kakashi/Iruka, Kiba/Shino, Tenten/Neji, Lee/Sakura, Choji/Ino, and Temari/Shikamaru if you look hard enough. All the characters with the exception of Kakashi and Iruka are around the age of 20. Give or take a few years. Some of these characters come pretty late into the story so be patient. Hinata is slightly OC but I hope it isn't too bad.

This story starts in the modern world of America and eventually switches to Naruto Verse. You'll see what I mean later. This is actually the first chaptie to a story I'm writing…although all the characters have been converted and the story line was tweaked.

Warnings: Contains yaoi….

Rating: K+ for now for guy/guy relationships and maybe some mild language later. Maybe…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Stanford University sigh but the story line (and the bits of songs I put in) are, and always will be, mine. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Here it is….. :D

The Ruby in the Ring

Chapter 1

Usually on their first day of college people were either apprehensive, tense, hopeful, or scared. Hinata Hyuuga knew this and wondered why it was not like that for her. She had never been truly headstrong and she was not one to be particularly cheerful. She was just, plain, impassive. Well, at least that was what she was feeling when she had woken up this morning. Now Hinata was in the middle of an inner turmoil, but it was definitely not one of the emotions that she had always thought the average freshman at Stanford University should have.

Hinata gazed up at the looming walls of her new school and sighed. She had always pictured her first day of college differently. She thought she would have known her place in life by now or at least what her profession would be, but she had no idea at all.

Sure, she was majoring in writing and linguistics but that didn't solve anything for her. She knew that she would have to figure it out soon or else she was never going to. She would rather die than give her father a reason to think that he was right about her and she really didn't care about any one thing. This bitter thought made Hinata's mind wander to think about her father.

In her childhood all she heard from Mr. Hyuuga was study this, work on that, with absolutely no words of encouragement to back up the sharp ones. Hinata had never really shared a bond with her dad and all he cared about were her grades anyway, but she still felt as if her new University and home was just another sign of her failure. Her failure, of course, to impress her father. Yes, she had wanted this but that was mostly because she used to believe that going to such a prestigious school would at least get his attention. She knew know that everything she had done was in vain. Mr. Hyuuga would never notice her. She had probably known this all along anyway but had successfully suppressed the depressing thought for many years. Hinata longed to be blind to the fact once more but she was more than certain that she would never be.

Contradicting of her fathers thoughts Hinata actually was a brilliant girl. She had skipped a grade and was still able to pass the exams to get into Stanford with flying colors; making her a freshman at the age of eighteen (A/n is that right?). She had even withdrew herself a little in school because she was afraid to show everyone what she really could do, even if it would help her gain the acknowledgement of her father.

She had always looked mysterious with her long black hair usually covering one of her misty grey eyes. The contrast between these two colors was amazingly beautiful and her pale skin just added to the effect. She loved the color black and if she wore any color with it at all she always wore red causing most people to think she was a Goth. Even though she wasn't she liked the effect her appearance had on everyone. They avoided her and kept to themselves most of the time and Hinata appreciated being left alone to her thoughts.

She had inherited both her looks and fashion sense from her Japanese mom although she didn't live with her anymore. Her parents were divorced and her seventeen year-old sister's mom, Jan, lived with them now. Technically Jan was her step-mom but Hinata just called her by her first name. Jan hated Hinata for no reason making it impossible for her to call her mom. Besides, she already had one, and she was the best mother in the world in Hinata's opinion. Before Hinata went off to college she would spend every weekend and holiday at her mother's house. If anyone had asked her where she lived she would have pointed them to her mom's place because, in her mind, that really was the only place she actually lived.

The most unusual thing about Hinata was the choker that she always wore. No one had ever seen her without it. Well, her parents had but that was when she was very young, even before they got divorced. The funny thing was, they didn't buy it for her and had absolutely no idea were it was from. When they had asked her she had quietly said "I-I found it" with her eyes cast down and with her pointer fingers touching together. She never would say anything else about it. No matter how many times her parents asked they would always get the same answer.

It was a black clasp-less, cloth necklace; the most prominent feature on it being a large, glistening ruby in the middle of the cloth. If a person were to look into the ruby in a dark place they would swear that it shined with its own light.

Hinata reached up to her neck to feel the cold, comforting jewel and relaxed a little at the familiar feeling of the ruby pressing lightly against her flesh.

Just then Hinata felt a shiver go down her spine and she knew that today would not be a normal day. She didn't know how she knew this but she did know that she had a feeling that something was going to happen here at this school. It was going to be something major, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with her classes. She wasn't sure if she liked this feeling or not but she didn't trust it to be either. When she got gut feelings like this they usually came true in one form or another.

'Ok…let's do this.'

Hinata sighed a second time and looked at her watch.

"I need to be at my class in sixteen minuets," she whispered under her breath, "and I may not feel like going to my class but I need to look like I do to everyone else."

Hinata was a master at hiding her emotions. She could make someone think that she was feeling one thing when, in fact, she was feeling the exact opposite. Both she and her much younger sister had this talent although they used it in two completely different ways. Hinata always acted shy when was actually completely bold and her sister always acted tough when she was actually melting down inside.

Hinata pictured the mask she would wear in her mind. She chose her normal one and quickly traded it for the unreadable one she had worn before. Along with her expression, her whole posture and mannerism changed into her character. It was actually a very common character change for her. She had used it for most of her life, even (well, especially) around her father, and almost could do it subconsciously now. It had gotten her through many tough situations before and she trusted it again now.

To anyone that happened to be passing by they would see a young, Japanese woman with no fashion sense looking awkwardly shy and lost. It would make almost anyone want to come help her with her books and make sure she got off to the right class. Hinata was counting on this look to get her out of trouble from the bullies that liked to pick on young, first year students with high hopes and confidence levels. She knew that some of those bullies went for the more defenseless looking ones but she could show cowardly, low down people like that a lesson or two. She had mastered almost every type of martial arts and tanjutsu there was and had picked up a few street fighting moves from walking around the back alleys of her mom's neighborhood. Of course her dad either didn't know about this or just didn't care. Hinata was almost completely sure it was the latter because he had often walked in on her while she was training.

Hinata started into the school, being careful to make her pace and mannerisms match her face. She had memorized her schedule the night before and had the entire campus already mapped out in her head, so she started off to her first class without even pausing to get her bearings. The walkways were pretty crowded and many of the older students either didn't see her or purposely walked into her, so she was bumped onto many times.

Each time someone jostled her she would whisper a lame, "S-sorry" to the ground and keep on walking even though in her head she was thinking, 'Watch where you're going, idiot!'

By the time Hinata got to her class she was bruised in about ten different places but was still managing to keep up her charade. She closed the door timidly behind her and scanned the classroom. It was a small enough class but not so small as Hinata could know everyone personally. Hinata had always liked classes like this because she could melt away into the background when she wanted to while also making a few friends.

Her eyes stopped on a blond haired boy in the front row who was sitting next to a sullen looking raven-haired kid. They looked as if they were perfectly comfortable around each other and had probably been friends for a long time. They were facing each other and talking loudly, well at least the blond was. The other was just listening silently. Hinata watched as a smirk spread across the boys face at one of the things his companion had just said. The boy with light hair had on an orange short-sleeved shirt with a large red swirl on it and baggy black shorts to counter the obnoxiously bright color the top was sporting. The boy next to him wore a tight blue shirt with an oddly shaped black marking on it and black shorts that matched his companion's only longer. Around his neck he wore a red and blue fan-like symbol on a long silver chain, while his friend wore one with an Usumaki (A/n sp???) on it. Hinata only knew what it was because she loved Ramen. No, no wait… she LOVED ramen. And not just the American packagey type either. She had gone to Japan twice before with her mother and both times she practically lived on an all-ramen diet. They were the best vacation she had even had.

Focusing her attention back from her dreams to the students, Hinata noticed two interesting looking boys sitting on the fourth row up. This pair was much quieter than the other. This was seemingly because they had gotten into a fight. Hinata knew this from the way their backs were turned towards each other and by their expressions. The smaller of the two had his brows furrowed and his sharp, canine-like teeth bared. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his slitted eyes were narrowed. Hinata looked at him in interest. He had a wild look to him with his tattooed face in the shapes of two red triangles and messy brown hair flying out in gravity defying directions. She wondered how an obvious party type like him had gotten into this school.

Ignoring that thought she continued to examine the boy. Around his neck he wore what looked like an over large dog collar whose color matched that of his tattoos. Hinata could just see a little bit of his jeans from her view point but she imagined that they were more than slightly ripped at the knees and hem. His brown T-shirt had the phrase 'I ♥ dogs ♥ me' plastered on it. Underneath the words there was a small picture of a white dog that he had clearly put on himself.

'It's probably his dog.', thought Hinata, inwardly smiling.

The other boy's face betrayed no signs of emotion. Well, it would have looked like that to anyone else. Hinata's eyes narrowed as she automatically honed in on the small details of the boy's face. She even checked his posture for signs on his thoughts. After thoroughly scrutinizing the male Hinata determined that he was just as pissed as his companion; he was just not showing it. He was wearing darkly shaded glasses and baggy tan shorts covered with pockets. His shirt was a very high turtle neck sweater that looked about four sizes to big. Instead of this making him look small and fragile like the usual affect this strangely made the boy look tall and strong. Hinata almost shook her head at the thought. There was no way that that would work on her.

Next to them was some friends of her roommate that she already learned were named Choji and Shikamaru (although Ino told her to call him Shika, just because it ticked him off.). They were sitting in a comfortable silence with Shika leaning back in his chair with his arms cradling his head and Choji sneaking a few more bites of food before the professor came. They looked almost comical together. Shika was so skinny compared to Choji's bulk. Hinata's eyes fell on one of Shika's hoop earrings and remembered the story Ino had told her about all three of them getting their ears pierced together back in high school. Their high school was apparently so good that each year about five applicants from the school get into Stanford. Their year was especially brilliant and seven of them got in.

Next to them was a boy that Hinata recognized as her cousin, Neji. She and her cousin had been rivals a while back but now they were as close as cousins could possible be. She actually had reason now to call him brother. She had been so exited that they were going to the same school. Hinata inwardly believed that Neji had actually chosen this school to be closer to her. She knew that Neji could have gone anywhere he wanted. He was that brilliant. He was considered a genius by anyone who had ever talked with him.

Hinata had thought that her cousin would have called out to her as soon as she walked in but he didn't. That was because Neji was looking at a brown haired girl who was sitting beside him. Hinata smirked to herself. She knew that Neji would eventually have to give in and find love. He and the girl would look at each other only when the other wasn't looking. It was funny to Hinata how easy it was to tell their crushes. They were probably the only ones in this entire class who didn't know their feelings for each other were mutual.

Neji, as usual, had his long, dark hair tied back into a pony tail that hung to about his mid back and swished back and forth when ever he moved. His top was a simple white T-shirt that fit tighter than Hinata usually saw him in for an obvious reason (A/n Ten-ten if you didn't know). The shirt had a green marking on the left shoulder that Hinata had definitely seen before. Neji had it on most of his clothing. It was kind of like his defining symbol. Hinata didn't know how two curved lines leading up to a large X in between defined Neji but she guessed it did somehow. Hinata looked at his brown shorts and unsurprisingly found an identical marking on his right pocket.

The girl beside him was wearing a decorative pink shirt and loose blue jeans that had obviously been worn many times before. Her hair was pulled back into two messy buns low down on her head.

Next to the pair on their left side was a boy with an extremely weird bowl cut and bushy eyebrows clad in all green. Hinata recognized him as Neji's best friend and sometimes rival, Lee.

The rest of the people weren't nearly as interesting so Hinata didn't even glance over them.

Hinata quickly found an empty seat next to a quiet blond girl and took a glance at the clock at the head of the room. Hinata was relieved to see that she had gotten there six minuets before class started.

She turned to take a look at the girl next to her and realized on a second glance that she was her dorm room partner, Ino. She was pretty sure that Ino already considered her a friend and she more or less felt the same and was glad that she had some of the same classes as her. Ino had once tried in vain to start up a conversation about friends once, trying to pull more personal information out of Hinata. Hinata played innocent and pretended that she didn't pick up that she was trying to get her to speak so Ino failed miserably. This, of course, was where Hinata had learned about the earring thing. Thus, Hinata new much more about Ino then Ino did about her.

No one really knew Hinata. Maybe, perhaps, her mother but not even she knew her that well. Sure, Hinata had had friends before, good ones too, but she never let anyone in. Not really. Hinata actually did feel like the world was a stage, in a sense, because all she ever did was act. For example, she could make even her closest friends believe that she was pouring her heart out to them when she was only saying a few truths surrounded by many well-thought–out lies.

It wasn't like Hinata had a whole lot to hide, she hadn't committed a murder or anything, but her soul was a lot different than the average person's.

The way Hinata was different was hard to describe and even Hinata herself couldn't explain the feelings she gets. But she did know one thing for certain. She knew the point in her life that everything really started.

By the time Hinata was about six years old she already knew she was better than the people she called her friends. They were silly and easily deceived whereas Hinata was already mature and able to see through anything. They where stupid in simple matters such as how to get a glass off the shelf they couldn't quite reach, whereas Hinata knew even before she reached that she would need a chair. Also, if a teacher taught something in class Hinata would get it the first time as opposed to having to hear it spoken multiple times like her classmates. But the biggest difference of all was their eyes. All the people she knew, even her parents and teachers, had dull eyes. They where not dull on color or dull of stupidity, they're eyes were dim with the lack of pure understanding. Their lack of understanding in loss, in weakness, in hope, in strength, in hate, and in love.

Hinata's eyes were bright. Despite their dull grey color they seemed to glow with knowledge. She could see it all, feel it all, and know it all.

Back then Hinata was lonely; she was lonely because no one could really understand the way she felt. No one could see the way her eyes shown. It was like everyone else was blind to it. Even if she tried to explain it they couldn't comprehend or realize.

She had tried once, when she was five. She had asked her mom why her own eyes were so alive when her own mother's were almost dead.

Her mother looked at her, confused, and said, "Hinata, your eyes look exactly like mine, same color and everything. Where did you come up with something like that?"

Hinata then explained, in a vocabulary no normal six year old should have, exactly how she felt and waited patiently for her mom to respond. Her mom looked at her daughter with an even more confused look. Hinata could practically hear the thoughts going through her mother's head. After a moment or two of silence her mom smiled in realization.

"Oh, Hinata." She said triumphantly "You've been reading the poem book that I got you. I knew you would like it." And immediately went back to making lunch.

Hinata knew then that it was useless so she put on a fake, shy smile and started playing the role of withdrawn, clueless, little Hinata once more. She never asked anyone about her eyes again.

One day when Hinata was six, she decided to take the long road home from school just because she loved to be outside at sunset. She was singing a tune softly as she looked up to the sky.

"Life fading into the darkness

Suffocating it with black

If you only shine a light through

You can bring it back"

It was already getting dark when Hinata heard a sobbing sound.

She stopped singing and looked towards the cause of the noise. She saw a dark alleyway a few paces ahead and determined that the sound was coming from there. She softly set down her school bag and turned the corner to the alleyway.

There she saw a small boy, probably about her age, sitting with his back to a wall. His head was on his knees and his arms were wrapped around them as if they provided a shield protecting him from the world. His hair was a vivid red, not orange-red, but red, and he had ghostly pale skin. From the little bit of his forehead that Hinata saw she knew that he had some sort of blood red tattoo upon it, though she could not make out what it was. He was wearing a tattered black shirt and baggy brown pants which looked like they hadn't fit him in a while. On the ground beside him was a pathetic looking teddy bear. The stuffing was coming out from the seams and one of the eyes was gone. It looked like it was in just as bad shape as its owner and, all in all, he looked like a miserable mess.

"Go away." The boy sobbed without even looking up. Hinata's tender heart almost broke when she heard his voice; it was so filled with despair and pain.

She walked closer to the boy and put a tiny hand onto one of his shaking shoulders. Even through she had just met this boy she felt like she had known him all her life. She wouldn't leave him alone like this for the world.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?" The boy spat bitterly. His tone was now angry and demanding, as if Hinata was the cause of all his misery.

Hinata shivered at the coldness of his voice but answered his question anyway.

"For your sadness and angriness and for all the hurt you have gone through." Her tone soothing and quiet. Almost like a mother's.

Hinata felt the boy shift under her feeble grip on his shoulder. For the fist time she noticed that he had something in his hands. Two different somethings, that is. One of them Hinata could only tell was there because of the way the boy clutched it and because she could see a soft red glow coming from between two of his fingers. The other hand held what looked like a larger item. He appeared not to be able to hold all of it in his tiny fist for Hinata could just see the edge of what looked like a piece of black fabric. Hinata was curious but pushed her questions aside and focused back on the boy. His crying had stopped by now but his head was still resting on his knees.

"How do you know?" he asked her. His voice cracking and wavering even though Hinata knew he was trying to control it.

"Why else would you be so miserable on such a beautiful night. Besides, something inside me tells me that you have suffered much more than anyone I have ever known."

For the first time the boy looked up at her. Both Hinata and the boy gasped.

This boy had bright eyes. He had her eyes. Even though his were a vivid, black ringed blue verses her soulless, sharp grey Hinata knew he was like her.

"Helloooo, earth to Hinata." A voice summoned her from her flashback. "I asked if I could borrow one of your pens for my notes."

"O-oh, s-sure." Hinata handed Ino one of her black pens and looked at the clock. She realized that had zoned out for a full six minuets. She looked toward the front of the room. Thankfully it looked as if the teacher was not here yet. Just as she thought how lucky she was that she had not been completely out of it when the teacher came in the teacher actually did come in.

He was not at all what she was expecting a University teacher to be like. He was tall and lean with a shocking head of silver hair. He wore a black head band around his forehead which made him look as if he had just come back from a jog. It was drooping a little over his left eye; even covering it. His attire was extremely casual and Hinata could just see the tip of what looked like a small orange book in one of his many pockets. He was wearing a scarf over his mouth although it wasn't cold. He must have been one of the most unusual looking men that Hinata had ever seen. Not him, per say, but his attire. He also looked relatively young, despite the color of his hair, mid-thirties even. He walked to the white board and wrote down his name.

He then came to the front of the classroom and cleared his throat to make sure that everyone was paying attention. The small amount of noise there was immediately dissipated.

"Hello class, as you see on the board I am Mr. Kakashi. You can just call me Kakashi if you like." he said. "I have seen most of you at the orientation though I do not know most of your names. Don't expect that of me anytime soon."

'That's right,' thought Hinata, 'I remember seeing him at the orientation. He was with that brown-haired guy who I think is my creative writing teacher. Mr. Iruka was it?'

"

I have reviewed some of your report cards for the Japanese language in your last schools and it looks like I have a particularly good group this year. All this means is that we will be working harder. There will be no slacking off in my class and I expect each one of you to know that." While he was talking he looked around the classroom and made sure that he caught almost everyone's eyes. Miza caught herself nodding without consciously giving the ok to do so. She found herself liking this teacher. Very few people could make her even slightly break her mask.

Hinata was back in her dorm room studying. She looked up from her work to sneak a look at Ino. Her back was turned towards her so she couldn't see her face but by the bent position she was in Hinata pictured her with her brows knitted in confusion and her pencil poised over her paper.

Hinata sighed and quickly finished what she had left to do. She had always been this way. She would be able to finish her homework very quickly but also very well.

She turned her head to look out the window and gazed at the manicured landscape.

'It's a perfect day,' Hinata thought, 'I'm going to do something.'

What that something was? She wasn't sure. Hinata decided a walk was needed to clear her thoughts so she got up and left her room. She wandered down the halls dragging her left hand against the cold walls as to saver the feeling of being free to go out when ever she felt the urge. She opened the doors and took a step over the threshold. Then just stopped and admired her new school.

It truly was breath taking: seeing the beautiful campus spread out before her. Hinata smiled and closed the door behind her. 'It was a good idea to take a walk.' She decided. She started walking aimlessly, just taking in the view. She inhaled the fresh air and studied the colorful petals of the various flowers that she passed. Hinata didn't usually like public places like this but she didn't mind walking around the campus at all. The soft beauty of the grounds almost hurt. Hinata had always loved to be outside but she usually only went out when it was dark so there was not as many people. She liked the feeling of being solitary and had always loved the illusions that dark shadows cast. It was just the way she was.

After a while of just going wherever her feet led her she realized that she had walked into a sort of wooded area. It wasn't too deep but it somehow got darker as soon as she entered. To some people woods are creepy but Hinata knew that that was because they were afraid of what they didn't know. Hinata always looked at mysterious places like this as an escape from reality and sometimes she just wasn't a huge fan of real life. Hinata looked around at her surroundings. To her the dense, wild trees sheltering her were even more beautiful than the patches of manicured flowers nearer to her dorm. She looked past the closer trees towards the direction of the walkway she had just come from. She could barely see it through the branches but it was there. She looked the other way to find the end of the wooded area and found another walkway a little further away than the other. Hinata guessed that all in all this area was twenty-five feet wide, maybe less, from where she was standing.

Hinata's stomach twisted into to a knot and she knew that this is what she had been waiting for since she first felt it this morning. It would happen right here, right now.

Hinata leaned against a tree and clutched at her stomach. After a little while the pain started lessening and instead of the throbbing coming from her stomach she felt the tingling at the back of her neck, signifying that someone was watching her. She let her hands drop to her sides and took a more casual, relaxed position against the truck of the tree.

"Come out," Hinata said, her voice sounding loud and alien over the relative silence of her surroundings. "I know you're there so stop trying to hide."

"Hn" A gruff, male voice was heard in response; followed by the shuffling of leaves and the snapping of twigs. A figure came out from behind a tree located just behind the one that Hinata was currently leaning against. Hinata didn't even turn her head to see who it was; her mask showing her as being cool and confident. Inside she was itching to turn her head but she didn't want to give the person the impression that she needed to see him to know where he was. It would give the person an advantage that she didn't want him to have. So instead she waited until he was standing slightly beside and in front of her to look.

Hinata covered her mouth to stifle a yell. After a few moments of silence Hinata dropped her act. She new if would not work, not with him.

"Gaara?" She whispered.

The young man in front of her nodded slowly but kept his stoic disposition.

'It can't be.' she thought, 'I haven't seen him in over ten years. I haven't seen him since… since that day.'

Hinata could practically feel his cold hand as he reach out to place the glistening ruby necklace in her tiny palm. It had been in that alleyway where Hinata found him huddled crying that she had met Gaara for the first and, she had thought, for the last time. But yet here he was, standing right in front of her.

They were no longer children any more, of course. Gaara had grown a good head taller than Hinata and was almost at the point where he was looking down on her. He was wearing a tight navy blue shirt with baggy black pants in contrast to Hinata's all black attire of a black shirt and black jeans. If Hinata had been one to blush, well, she was, but that was only pretence and she wouldn't fake it around Gaara, she would have. Since she had last seen him he had become really handsome, more so than any other boy she had ever known. His messy red hair almost reached his shoulders now and his narrowed sky blue eyes gave him a very sharp, bad boy look. The old glint of knowledge was still there but it was even brighter this time. Hinata could see his muscles defined clearly behind his almost skin tight long-sleeved top. His eyes had a small amount of eyeliner around them and he had a small silver stud in his left ear. His eyebrows were pencil thin but Hinata knew that it wasn't because he plucked them. They had been like that from the start. Hinata's eyes traveled down to Gaara's right hand and she wasn't surprised to find a large ruby ring on his index finger. Hinata saw the kanji tattoo on his forehead which she now knew meant love and almost smiled at the familiarity of it. His arms were crossed and his mouth was set in a small frown.

Other than that his features were unreadable. This sudden realization stung Hinata.

'Why can't I see his emotions?' she thought, 'I can't figure out what he is thinking in the least. What ever happened to that quiet boy that I found weeping all by himself? He was falling apart then, but look at him now. He's just standing there, looking at me as if he could see right through my soul and beyond. He seems so defiant, like no matter what happens he is prepared. His stare is so cold and uninviting. Didn't he miss me?'

After a long while of silence Hinata finally decided it was about time that someone spoke. She struggled with what to say. What do you say to someone you haven't seen in ten years? Finally she smiled a bitter-sweet smile a said, "Long time, no see, huh?"

Sorry for the slow moving-ness of this chapter. It will speed up for the next one. I promise. :D

Since it is a story can you please give me some specific examples of what to change? You will be my bestest friend if you do.

Flames accepted (and maybe a little expected). Ohhh that rhymes…I'm a poet and I don't know it. Hehe….

Do you think I should going on this….. Please review:D