A/N: This was my first Naruto fic so hopefully my writing has gotten better with my others. I want to warn you from now that it is on hold. I'm not sure that I even want to continue but I would appreciate it if you read and commented on it. I know it sounds like a HinataxGaara fic but it's not supposed to be. I didn't plan it that way anyway - it just came out like that. Anyway PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'd love some input on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 1

Hyuuga Hinata sat at her desk, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her now long purple hair as she stared at her crush, Uzumaki Naruto. He was talking animatedly about something to one of her best friends, Inuzuka Kiba. Kiba's dog Akamaru who, for reasons unknown to her, was allowed in school, was lying at his master's feet.

She sighed quietly to herself as she looked around the class at all of the other students having lively conversations. She suddenly wished that her other best friend, Aburame Shino was at school but he was out sick that day.

She sighed again, feeling lonelier than ever. "I guess I'll just have to wait until Kiba's done talking to Naruto-kun."

A part of her really wanted to go over there and join in their conversation but she was way too shy to. Even if she made it over there, she was sure to just stand there and say nothing. "That's me - the wallflower," Hinata said to herself dejectedly.

Suddenly what her cousin Neji's and her only female friend, Tenten had said to her the other day came back to her, "You're a great girl Hinata-chan. I'm sure Naruto would notice you - you just need to be a little more assertive!"

"Yes! That's what I've gotta do!," Hinata thought. So spurred on by the memory of Tenten's reassuring words, Hinata steeled herself to go over and talk to her long-time crush.

However just as she was about to get up, the classroom door swung open and a boy walked in. He had unkempt, red hair and cold, jade eyes rimmed with black eyeliner. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with long red and black sleeves and black pants. But the most interesting thing about his appearance was the tattoo on his forehead - it was of the Japanese character for love and was blood red, the same red as his hair. The boy, who Hinata had never seen before, walked right in and sat in an empty seat at the back of the class. He neither looked nor talked to anyone and looked as though he wasn't about to anytime soon.

Hinata then realized that everyone had stopped their conversations to stop and watch this new boy. Then she realized that the seat that he had chosen was Shino's seat. "Oh no! Should i say something? I know I should but that boy looks so angry. I don't want to upset him even more."

However it turned out that Hinata needn't have worried, or perhaps, she should have worried about something else as Kiba had no qualms about pointing out the boy's mistake. "Hey new kid! That seat's taken. That's where my friend Shino sits."

The boy looked over at Kiba with an unconcerned expression, "Am I supposed to care?"

Hinata's eyes opened wide as she saw the expression on Kiba's face. "Oh no! Kiba's mad! I just know something bad's gonna happen." But thankfully before Kiba could reply, the door opened again and their sensei Hatake Kakashi walked in. Hinata sighed in relief - thank goodness he wasn't late today. As Kakashi walked in, everyone got into their seats. Kiba's seat was right next to Hinata's and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him still glaring at the new kid. Akamaru was growling. The new kid wasn't paying any attention to Kiba but was looking straight ahead - although he still showed no interest in what was going on.

"All right students. We've got a new student with us as you can see. He and his siblings have just transferred here from the Sand village. Come and introduce yourself."

The boy looked up at Kakashi - sensei before coolly stating, "I'd rather not."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow - he was certainly taken aback but decided not to press the issue. Although it did give him more to do. "Alright...well his name is Sabaku no Gaara, class. Please try to make him feel welcome."

However judging from the apprehensive way that the majority of the class was staring at him, that wasn't likely. "Boy,' Kakashi thought to himself, 'this kid certainly knows how to make enemies."

Hinata, however, was one of the few who wasn't already against Gaara. As she stared at him, he suddenly turned his cool gaze on her and she froze. She had never seen someone's eyes look like that - at first glance, they were so cold but underneath that, she could see a lot of pain and resentment. But the thing that startled her the most was that in his eyes, she saw something familiar. Something that she had previously only seen in her own.

His jade eyes held her pearly ones for a few seconds before he looked away again. On meeting her eyes, he had felt something akin to shock but after years of schooling his features, neither his face nor his eyes betrayed anything. Strangely enough, he found himself drawn to this girl - the one with the eyes so translucent that they were almost white. He didn't know what it was he had seen in her eyes that he had recognized but he felt something stir in him that he had not felt in a long time. It was terribly faint and something so alien to him that he didn't even recognize it - it was hope.