Title: my boyfriend, the demon

Authoress: cherry blossom rain

My Boyfriend, The Demon

Hinata sat staring into the fire. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her head was leaning back against the fireplace. Neji watched from the next room.

"She's been like that for days" Neji said, sounding worried. "She won't talk to anyone. I tried bringing in Ino and Sakura, but she just called them twits" Tenten stifled a giggle. "And told them to leave and-"

"I can handle it. Really." Tenten hoped that she sounded more confident than she actually was. This wasn't her kind of thing. She walked over, motioned for Neji to leave, and, sat down next to Hinata. The girl didn't move.

"Hinata, we're all really worried about you. Tell me what's wrong" Tenten said.

"Ok." A pause. "But you have to let go of your feelings."

"Feelings? What do you mean?"

"For Lee"

"Oh. Ok, I'll let that go. Why?" Hinata said nothing. Tenten was about to give up, when…

"I want what I cannot have." Ok, Tenten thought, at least now we're getting somewhere.

"Who?" Tenten prompted. She was almost getting curious. What could possibly send Hinata, of all people, into this kind of spin?

Hinata put her head down onto her knees and sighed. "He's…untamable. Some people call him a monster, but …I don't really understand that. He's definitely a little …unusual, but…it's not like it's his fault… or anything like that…"

Tenten saw where this was going, or thought she did at any rate, and said with a laugh, "oh, Naruto! That's what this is about! Just because he likes Sakura doesn't mean he's totally lost to you. Give it time. It's nothing to get all sad about! Really, you-"

Hinata cut in with a brittle laugh, like ribs cracking or glass breaking. "Naruto? I don't care about him. Sakura can have him!"

"Then who…?"

"Think about it." Hinata answered, staring back into the fire." you can figure it out." Tenten thought hard, then harder, and came up blank.

"Give me a clue."

"Think about my first request."

Her first request? That was… to let go of my feelings for Lee. What did that have to do with anything? Tenten thought. Then her mind flicked involuntarily back to the chunin exams. "No…it can't be!" Hinata looked up at Tenten's words. "He's a… he's so…oh my god, it is, isn't it?" Hinata's eyes flickered up and she looked straight at Tenten. She smiled sadly. "Gaara!?!?! You like…Gaara!"

Hinata nodded slowly. "Now you see my problem."

"Yeah. I'll see what I can do." Tenten got up and walked to the door.

"Thanks Tenten."

When she looked back, Hinata was staring into the fire.

--

The next day

--

"Hey, Hinata!" Temari came and sat down next to Hinata. Neji had persuaded her to sit out on the porch, but she wasn't very happy about it. "We have a plan," Temari said bluntly. She was not one to waste her breath on pleasantries.

"What?" Hinata was confused.

"Tenten told me about your…problem. We have a plan."

"Oh, ok…what is it?"

Temari gave a quick look around and began, "our two villages are trying to make an alliance, right."

"Yeah, I guess…" Hinata was really confused.

"What's the strongest form of alliance?" Now Hinata was really REALLY confused. She looked at Temari. "A marriage! Don't you see? You two can be our alliance! Assuming they all agree…we'll ask for you guys though. They can't argue with that logic!"

--

Later, at the kazekage's house

--

"No!" and the door was slammed in Tenten's face. She sighed and went to meet Temari.

--

Meanwhile, at the Hyuga household

--

"Absolutely NOT!" and the door was slammed in Temari's face.

"I guess they can argue with that logic," she said to no one in particular.

--

Later

--

Hinata was feeling much better. She was walking around her garden, smelling the flowers, just feeling generally great and at peace with the world. Tenten and Temari ran up to her, panting and out of breath.

"Hi guys. What's up? Did it work?" Hinata seemed so happy that the two girls felt bad for what they had to say next.

"No, but we've got bigger problems!" Tenten said, out of breath.

"What?" Hinata looked shocked. Temari, still panting hard, answered.

"The demon… Shukako…possessed Gaara…and nobody can…stop him. He's practically rampaging!" Hinata blanched and looked as if she was about to faint.

"Take me there." She said. Tenten grinned bitterly.

"That's why we're here."

--

Seventeen leaf village ninja had finally managed to corner the demon Gaara in an alley downtown. The had formed a loose semi-circle around him, from wall to wall of the alley. They were stumped about what to do next, or would have been if he had given them time to think about it. He was keeping them pretty busy.

"Move over! Out of the way!" said the voice of a pushy blond sand girl. She and a brunette in a pink vest shoved a few of them out of the way in order to push a small girl forward. It took only a moment for them to realize that the girl between them and the demon Gaara was Hinata Hyuga. She would be devoured! Their leader tried frantically to get her back behind their lines, but to no end. She simply looked back and gave one of her usual sweet smiles before turning and walking forward.

"H-hello, Gaara- sama." The demon turned. "Y-you should calm down, Gaara-sama, really. This c-can't possibly be helping the treaty b-between the villages." The demon stepped forward. It raised its arm. It looked as if the demon Gaara was about to make a swipe at poor Hinata. And then it happened.

The demon's arm fell off, revealing Gaara's human arm and left side. Hinata kept talking.

"P-please don't hurt me, Gaara-sama. I-I'm only trying to help." The sand crackled and dropped off Gaara's legs. Now only his head and right arm remained covered, plus the tail. The leaf ninja looked at each other, confused. What was going on?!? Hinata continued.

"Gaara-sama, it-it really s-scares everyone when you do this." The tail fell off with a loud chunk! The demon growled loudly and began to advance again. It briefly crossed the ninja leader's mind that he should be helping the Hyuga girl, and that her father would have his head if she was hurt, but he was too confused to really even know what to do.

"P-please, Gaara-sama! Don't! y-you're going to hurt someone! Gaara-sama, stop!" the rest of the sand dropped off and swooshed into the gourd as a now fully human Gaara turned away. He seemed to be collecting himself.

"G-Gaara-sama? Are y-you alright?" There was an almost audible mental snap, and Gaara turned to face Hinata.

"Good god, woman, we have been dating for three weeks now! Will you quit calling me Gaara-sama!" The ring of leaf ninja all stood in stunned silence. You could have heard a grain of sand drop. In fact, a few did.

"Oh." Hinata looked down and blushed a pretty shade of pink. "Is that what you were mad about? Sorry…"

"That's ok. Lunch?"

Hinata nodded. "Can we get mochi ice cream after?"

"sure." Both smiled, and they walked away through the circle of stunned leaf ninja, holding hands.