Trials

Gaarazlilmiss

NOTICE!!-For all of you that have never seen the story "Ai?" please go back and find it because it is the first story, and this one will end up making no sense if you haven't read that one first!!

'Zup everybody? Glad you decided to take a read out of the second part to my Fanfic. I was pleased that my VERY first fanfic ever, and I mean it, did so well. Of course I've written before, but I've never based my stories off of anyone else's creation. Glad you all liked it. Um…well, before I actually start the real story, I thought it would be good to do sort of a prologue thing. I think this'll clarify what's going on presently with our two main character's lives. Well here we go.

Hinata : Glad you all want to read this story! Hope it appeals to you like Ai? did!

Gaara : …not again…and this one's suppose to be longer?

Gaarazlilmiss : Oh yeah, forgot to say, this story will be longer, much longer than Ai? , so I hope that's cool with you all!

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Konoha was bustling like it usually was on hot days like this. Most of the ninja were out training this time of day. Ichiraku Ramen shop was full up with what was the rookie nine…now the elite nine, however. Every single one of them, even Sasuke, had become much more than just Genin. All of them were at least Chuunin, majority even higher. Naruto sat beside Sakura and Sasuke eating his ramen, splashing the hot soup everywhere, while Sakura tried her hardest to bond with Sasuke again after their long time apart. Sasuke, on the other hand, sipped on his ramen slowly, trying to ignore the noodles and soup flying everywhere from Naruto's messy eating.

Chouji sat in a seat beside Shikamaru eating two different types of ramen, taking a large bite out of each to switch between each flavor, while Shikamaru looked at him with his lazy, and what-a-pig expression. Ino stood, not bothering to eat any at all to keep up her figure, and glaring at Sakura, who was talking to a less than enthused Sasuke.

Shino stood back a little to avoid the flying noodles and had his arms crossed, not bothering to move a bit, while Kiba shared his with Akamaru, and Hinata watched with a smile on her face.

Kiba's legs had long since healed and so did his arms, but Chakra flow was limited because of the extensive damage he sustained during his reckless fight three years ago. Now, he relied mostly upon his own strength, which was no where near a loss. He didn't use his Gatsuga that often anymore, and he didn't use food pills. Nothing but brute strength and taijutsu. Lee had helped him out in the circumstances showing him the proper ways to hone such skills. Kiba was almost embarrassed to take study under Lee, but he found out that it was definitely not in vain, and that Lee's teaching was actually something he couldn't be a ninja without. Of course, he still held a strong grudge against Gaara, that would never fade, and he sneered and scoffed every time the mention of the new Kazekage came about. Hinata constantly talked about him, unable to rid the thought of him out of her head. Kiba had grown much more envious. Even with the demon of the desert gone, he still held a large fraction of Hinata's heart. She didn't even know what he looked like anymore, but she didn't care. She said it was what he did that made her like him. Everyone knew about Hinata's hopeless love for the boy, but they didn't bother to disagree with her judgment of him. It would all end up in vain.

Naruto finally slammed his bowl down on the Ichiraku counter. He sighed deeply, sucking in cool air, and tracing his mouth with his tongue, trying to gather the taste of his ramen until the very end. "That was great! Whatcha all think? Best ramen in the world or what?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke slowly looked at him. "I would have been able to enjoy it more if it weren't for you spitting noodles everywhere…" he replied.

Naruto growled. "Well! You don't enjoy anything! Let alone ramen! So my actions definitely don't have anything to do with you not enjoying that ramen!" said Naruto, always up to argue with Sasuke no matter what happened.

Sakura finally got fed up, and slammed her fist into Naruto's head. "PIPE DOWN!! I couldn't enjoy it either! I didn't even finish! I think about a million of your noodles landed in MY soup!" Sakura screamed.

Naruto cringed. "O-oh…but that's different." he said.

"Your damn right that's different! Make sure you eat your ramen next time instead of flinging it back at us!" Sakura said as she left the money on the counter.

Sasuke sighed. He'd only been back for two years, and what did he come back to? The same old Naruto, the same old Sakura…it was pointless to him. If it weren't for them prying him away from Orochimaru, he'd have never returned. Things were a little wacky with the snow white psycho, but much more peaceful…in a different sort of way…who was he kidding? Either way, he was screwed. The point in leaving: Null and void. "Why don't both of you do me a favor, and spare my ears the racket?" he said as he stood up.

"Oh! Sorry Sasuke! I didn't mean to make your ears hurt! I-I'll be much quieter, and I'll make sure Naruto does too!" said Sakura with a grin.

Ino stomped over. "Oh yeah!? Maybe he'd be better off with you nowhere in sight!" she said.

The two immediately started arguing, colorful words flying off their lips. Naruto backed away, like a kid backing away from a rabid dog. "Uh…I think I'll leave now…got to visit Granny Tsunade before it gets too late." said Naruto as he slammed money down on the table and left.

Shikamaru rubbed his ears. "Will you stop arguing Ino? Haven't you realized by now that Sasuke doesn't like either of you?" Shikamaru said.

Ino and Sakura stared at Shikamaru with shocked faces. "No…" said Ino, truly shocked.

"Oh yeah. Took you about four or five years to figure that out." said Shikamaru.

"No idiot! I mean, no as in that's not true…well, except about Sakura…that's obvious…" Ino said.

The arguing resumed.

"Alright…I'm out of here." said Sasuke as he jumped off. Neither Sakura nor Ino realized he was gone.

Hinata smiled. She was so use to this it wasn't abnormal to see it any longer. Kiba looked at Hinata "So Hinata…what are you going to do now?" he asked.

Hinata smiled shyly. "I'm going to go…to my place, and then I have to meet up with Tsunade-sama about something. She seemed really eager about it. Something about the Hyuuga clan." said Hinata.

Kiba nodded. He didn't ever let Hinata know, but he knew when Hinata said "My place", she meant that scraggly tree on the outskirts of Konoha, and what was so special about it, he had yet to find out. He'd tried numerous times to pry it out of her, but every time he tried, he'd only get a blush, and the statement, "Just a little farewell…" he didn't know if that meant Gaara, or something else. He'd liked to hope it was something else. "Alright. I guess I'll see you later then." said Kiba.

Hinata stood, and looked at Shino, "Training later?" she asked.

Shino's eyebrows rose in protest, but he sighed and nodded. "Sure thing." he said. Hinata was no kidder now. She was very good with her gentle fist, and pure strength for that matter. Her fighting abilities were very good, and that's what made her a jounin. She was an expert with her moves now, to the point where Neji admired her greatly. No one doubted him, but sometimes people got a funny feeling about his type of admiration….

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Gaara had just finished another round of paperwork. He lazily wrote on a sheet his permission to extend water in gallons per each family on a sheet of paper, written in a slightly sloppy kanji. Once that was finished, he tossed it over to the side with the others. Gaara knew being the Kazekage was a huge responsibility, but he never realized how irritating it could get sometimes. He found himself zoning out sometimes, and when he was in meetings with other council members and elders, he found himself either only halfway listening to their arguing, or looking at the clock on the opposite wall. It was really boring. He did have to say he was happy that all of Suna now looked up to him as their Kazekage, a leader, a HUMAN, but what did he have to do to obtain that respect? Paperwork…and more paperwork.

Just when Gaara was about to take a break, Temari came in the room with a sneaky little grin on her face.

Gaara knew when he saw that, something wasn't quite normal. He inclined his head slightly, and gave Temari a questioning look.

"Alright…I did it." she said to him. Even though Gaara was the Kazekage now, she still couldn't help but treat him like the sibling he was.

"Did what?" Gaara asked with hardly, if any, enthusiasm in his voice.

"I let you off easy. Some guy was coming up the stairs with I know must have been boxes and boxes of paperwork, but I told him you were out with the council for the moment." she said.

Gaara looked slightly relived. Although Temari was the oldest, she still had a few childish ways about her, including pulling fast ones like that. Gaara wasn't complaining though. He wanted to stand on the roof and get some fresh air. Without saying a word to Temari, he stood, and began to exit the room.

"What!? No thank you or anything? Jeez Gaara! Just cause you're the Kazekage doesn't mean you have to be so unthankful!" she said.

Gaara didn't turn around, but a small smirk danced across his face. One thing Gaara was thankful of, the shukaku could no longer bother him. He had a necklace around his neck, it was in the shape of a gourd, which held the essence of the Shukaku. Instead of the horrendous beast being able to taunt him, and provoke him to the point of insane, he could draw the power out when he needed it. A strange red aura emitted from the necklace, the power of the shukaku.

Finally, he made it to the rooftop, the breeze blew his unruly scarlet hair in the wind, and brushed past his kazekage robes, moving the elegant material in small wisps. Just when he though he would get a break, a messenger appeared. "Kazekage-sama…you've been requested." said the messenger as he handed Gaara a small slip of paper. It was a message from the former Kazekage. He needed to speak with Gaara about something. If there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was visit that old kook. Gaara nearly killed him three years ago for his attempted assassination of him, but sadly, as Kazekage, he had to deal with him throughout his life, until the geezer decided to kill over and die. Gaara didn't move right away. He tried to savor his last moments alone, alone to think about her…

If it was one thing he couldn't really find out, it was why he spent so much time thinking of her. He wondered how she was now, what she was doing. It had been far too long since he'd seen her, and he desperately wanted to, but he knew that was a hopeless dream that should be cast aside. It would be impossible to see her again, and that was the harsh truth. What he didn't understand was why it bothered him. Sure, he'd been with other girls by now, many as a matter of fact, but they were just there to satisfy him, to keep him sane. It wasn't like he really cared about any of them. He had girls chasing him everywhere, to the point it grew annoying, but that was it, nothing more. None of them had even gotten close to being like Hinata…

Finally snapping out of his thoughts, he made his way towards where the former Kazekage stayed, so he could meet with him about this matter that was so important…whatever it was, Gaara hoped it would be over with soon.

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Hinata stood by the tree and gazed up at the sky. The sun was hidden partially by the leaves on the trees, and it allowed Hinata to see the cotton-like clouds in the sky, accompanied by the aqua color it portrayed. It reminded her of his eyes. The leaves danced around on the white-barked tree. She jumped up, and sat on that very same branch…the branch where they parted.

"Gaara…What are you doing now? Do you even still remember me?" she asked aloud.

"So…that is it…" said a male voice.

Hinata turned around and looked at the person who spoke. Kiba stood with his arms crossed as he looked at her.

"KIBA!" Hinata said in a shocked and chocked up voice.

Kiba shook his head. "Why do you still hold attachments to that maniac?" he asked.

Hinata breathed out deeply. "Why are you following me? I thought it was agreed that this was my area, and mine alone when I came. " she said pointing to herself. "I told everyone when I came here, please don't bother me, and here you are!" Hinata said.

Kiba had grown use to seeing Hinata get angry like this. It seemed when Gaara left, he also left a portion of him with her. She was bolder, and stuttered ten times less. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and it was a good thing she wasn't, she had brought wonderful things to the village when her opinions were voiced. Kiba loved this new side of her, but didn't like it that it was Gaara who had made that change.

"I just wanted to be left alone." she said. A blush crept onto her face. She was slightly embarrassed that someone had heard her, especially Kiba. Of all the people, even Naruto would have been better than Kiba hearing it.

Kiba shook his head. "I don't understand Hinata…that was a crush you had when we were only like 14 or 15. You're still hanging on to that? Come on, brink of the teenage period, we're almost fully grown. Relationships formed that early in life NEVER last." said Kiba with a sure smirk on his face.

"Kiba-kun." said Hinata. "It isn't that I don't understand what you're trying to say, but this is different. When you're sure about something, you don't start doubting it any time soon. I'm sure that it would still hold." said Hinata.

"So you're saying you won't be with anyone at all? You're just going to wait for that…that creature to come back, when you know he isn't? You don't even like Naruto anymore? You…don't even like me…?" he asked, the last part quietly.

Hinata shook her head. "I'm sorry. I wish you'd only understand Kiba. It's impossible though. I see it in your eyes when I talk about Gaara-kun. You hate it, so I started refraining from talking about him so often. But that's not enough for you, is it? I don't know what else I can do." she said.

"Love me." Kiba said simply.

Hinata was taken by surprise, and stared at Kiba, her eyes growing wider each second. "W-what?" she asked.

"Love me. Love me like you did him. I don't know if I can be like him, whatever he had done to make you like him so much, but I'll try. I want you Hinata, and you know it. If I have to pry you from him, I will. If I have to kill him…I will. I'm not like I was before. Even though I've lost my genjutsu and ninjutsu pretty much, I'm more powerful than I was before, or so I think." he said. "And that bastard does what now? Sits on his ass and does paperwork. Dosen't budge probably. That chair in front of his desk is probably his home." said Kiba making a "tch" sound at the end.

Hinata only watched him. She couldn't belive what Kiba was saying.

"Kiba…that's impossible…" she said.

"OH I SEE!!! So it's impossible because I'm Kiba…not Gaara. Not that thing you fell for! It's impossible for you to stop mooning over a childish relationship three years ago, when we're much older, and can be more serious! It's impossible for you to understand that it's impossible for you and him to even see each other, let alone be together! And to top the cake, he probably doesn't even remember you!!" Kiba yelled infuriated.

Hinata looked at him stunned. She didn't cry like before, anger rose, she cracked her knuckles, and clenched her fists so tight, her palms bled.

"Kiba-kun…" she whispered.

Kiba looked at her. "H-hinata…I'm sorry. It's just I can't help but get mad when you keep bringing him up. When you won't realize that a love you can have forever is standing right in front of you. You just keep thinking of him. And you and I, heck, all of us, we were all so young… Why do you still take it so seriously? Why do you even trust someone like that?" asked Kiba.

"He…he is highly trustworthy. 'said Hinata. "But you…I thought you'd get over it. If this relationship was so childish, then why are you still worried about it?" she asked and then walked off very quickly, her hair, which was now very long about to her mid-back, brushing against Kiba's bare shoulders.

Kiba stood there, frozen. He would never make things better between them. It was hopeless, and what's more, when would she realize he was there for her, open arms, waiting for her to accept him, and leave that dark relationship she supposedly had with him behind?

Hinata hurried away from Kiba. She couldn't stomach the sight of him much longer, and if she saw him again, she might just scream. The indentions in her palms from clenching them started to throb with pain. She hadn't noticed it earlier, she was so angry. She would hide them from Tsunade, so she wouldn't get worried. "Alright Tsunade-sama…I'm coming." she said.

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This is the prologue. I hope you all liked it, it was the intro pretty much, and next chapter Hinata and Gaara find out something they thought was impossible! Hope you all will read Chapter 1 : impossible

Hinata : Kiba and me always argue in every encounter we have…

Gaarazlilmiss : It makes the drama part good. I think it's the intense part of the prologue if you ask me!

Gaara : That stupid Kiba. If I would have heard that, I promise this time, he'd be dead. Dead as his dog that Chouji's eating right now,

Kiba :WHAT!!! AKAMARU!!

Gaarazlilmiss : J.K….anyway, C ya.