Hinata faced a dilemma: Should she ask Lady Tsunade for permission to be removed from the mission, or should she risk going with Naruto to the Village of the Sand? The mission requires the shinobi team to protect the Kazekage of the village. There had been signs of disturbance and attempts have been made to murder him. Tsunade-sama had the vague feeling that these events were possibly related to Orochimaru. As soon as Naruto heard "Orochimaru" while eavesdropping on Tsunade, he burst into the room demanding to be on the team that would take the mission.
Unfortunately, there was currently a shortage for shinobi in the village after Orochimaru and the Sound ninja wreaked havoc in Konoha. Normally, only the top Jounin were selected, but everyone was out in missions. So that just left Naruto, Shino, Hinata, and her protector, Neji.
The four of them set out the next day, heading for the Village of the Sand. Halfway there, Hinata collapsed from the heat. It took an hour to revive her, and delayed the team for about a day and a half. When the finally reached village, they all gasped in horror. Everyone in the village lay dead…except Gaara.
That was two years ago, yet the memory was still clear in her mind.
"Hinata!" said Sakura, calling the quiet girl out of her state of confusion. "Hinata, did you hear the news? Naruto's back! I'm on my way to see him. Want to come?"
"Um…I'm a bit busy, but thanks for the offer, Sakura." said Hinata. She quickly rushed back to the Hyuuga household, and, of all the luck, ran into her father, Hiashi Hyuuga. "Good morning, father," said Hinata humbly.
"Hinata," said her father sternly "shouldn't you be training for the Jounin Exams? You've become a Chuunin, but both Hanabi and Neji are Jounin by now." The sad thing was, Hiashi Hyuuga is right. Hanabi, her sister and a ninja 5 years her junior could easily defeat her in combat. Both Neji and Hanabi have surpassed her. While for a few years Hiashi treated Hinata unfairly the in hopes of stimulating a response to make her try harder, but has finally come to accept his seemingly spineless daughter as, what he would consider, a failure. Hiashi still cared for his daughter very much, but he finds it hard to show that emotion through his disappointment.
Hanabi, on the other hand, wasted no time in being sympathetic towards Hinata. She never missed a chance to tease her. Hanabi had so many creative names that she used for Hinata, some of which included "Miss Oblivious", "She-Who-Will-Not-Speak" [What can I say? Hanabi read Harry Potter books and her favorite "Flaky Freak". Hanabi, like her father, loved Hinata as much as she could, but was also sometimes embarrassed to admit they were even related.
Then there was Neji. He had always been kind to Hinata. No matter what she did, he would never reprimand her or mock her. Hinata only felt safe, comfortable, and happy when she's near him. He was more than her protector…he was her friend. But as close as friends get, Hinata never mentioned to him that her sparkling admiration for Naruto was more intimate than he believed. And that's when Hinata ran headfirst into Neji on the way to her room. She was temporarily unbalanced, but Neji grabbed her just in time to stabilize her. Hinata quickly thanked Neji and rushed off, cheeks crimson red from embarrassment.
As she entered the room, Hinata quickly removed her coat, shirt and pants. It wasn't until she put on her kimono that she realized someone else was in the room.
"Hello, Hinata," said Gaara.
"H-H-Hello," Hinata stuttered. "I didn't know that you'd be back so soon, Gaara-san."
"What's with the surprised look? I thought you'd be happy to see me, " said Gaara.
"I-I am Gaara-kun, but it's always a surprise to see you in such unexpected places," replied Hinata.
Gaara smiled slightly. "Don't be afraid, Hinata. I won't harm you."
"Wh-what made you return to Konoha?" Hinata asked shyly.
"To see you," replied Gaara.