Angel: Hello all, and welcome to my first Naruto fanfic!
Ni: Eh...
Angel: What's wrong?
Ni: Well, first: I don't really like Mpreg stories, and second: this is also your first try at angst.
Angel: Oh yeah, that too. I'm sorry that you don't like Mpreg, but I do!
Ni: Well, it's your story...but I don't wanna read it...
Angel: Oh...Um, okaaay...Well, see you in my other story, then?
Ni: Yeah...-leaves-
Angel: I think I'm going to cry....-tears up- I do not own Naruto, but I do own the plot and the ooc.
Begin Chapter 1
"Neji-niisan…Neji-niisan, won't you…won't you see her?" Bright silvery lilac eyes glanced down nervously at the wrapped bundle, then back up to the shadowy figure huddled on the large canopy bed. The curtains were closed, but Hyuuga Hinata could see the silent figure shift further into the shadows.
"Neji-niisan…"
"Leave me be, Hinata-sama." The voice that responded was broken and hoarse, making the Hyuuga heir wince.
"But-!" Hinata moved to sweep aside the curtains hiding her cousin, but froze when the bundle in her arms shifted. When it settled, the short-haired girl sighed in relief, then looked up, fiercely determined to get Neji out of hiding. "She's your daughter, Neji-niisan!"
"No…"
"Neji-niisan!"
"I refuse! That…That never happened!" A loud thump resounded throughout the room. "I…I…" There came a strangled sob.
"Neji-niisan…" Hinata bit her lip, looking down at the baby girl that had been born just a week ago. "I-I understand that you are hurt, b-but she needs you. You're her mother!"
"No!" Neji screamed, striking the wall again. The wall cracked loudly under the abuse. Suddenly, the baby let out a cry. Hinata gasped, cradling the bundle tenderly.
"Get out…" Neji whispered, staring at the cracked wall, his pale eyes wide and unfocused. "Get out!"
The timid Hyuuga heir winced, turning to shield the baby from the genius' wrath. She stood there trembling, staring down at the crying baby. Then her shoulders straightened and she turned to give her cousin a very un-Hinata like glare, not caring if he saw it or not.
"I don't care if this child was forced upon you by that Sound-nin. She is still your child!" Hinata said over the baby's wails, her tone fierce and unrelenting. "Just because that man raped you does not mean your daughter has to pay for it!"
Neji caved in on himself with every word Hinata shot at him. When the door slammed behind the Hyuuga heir, silencing the cries of the baby, he collapsed onto the bed, silent sobs wracking his body.
Outside, Hinata cradled the precious bundle in her arms, cooing to it quietly. As the baby quieted, she let out a sigh, a single tear rolling down her porcelain pale cheek to splash onto the equally pale cheek of the little girl. The baby twitched her arms in her sleep. Hinata smiled softly down at her, smoothing the child's red-brown hair.
"Hinata." The Hyuuga heir stiffened at the sound of her name, glancing up warily at the person standing before her.
"Father." Hiashi, the head of the Hyuuga clan, inclined his head as regally as any king. His eyes, pale like all other Hyuugas, were sharp, taking in every detail of his daughter.
"I assume your cousin has refused to see the child." Hiashi stated, his face expressionless as he looked at the bundle in the short-haired girl's arms.
"Y-yes…" Hinata whispered. Her father was silent for a while.
"You know what we must do." He said finally. His daughter stared at him in horror. He frowned. "If a mother does not take care of her child, it becomes a burden."
"B-but Father-!"
"If we cannot find someone to raise that child, we must."
Hinata stared at her father, then at the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms. Then, for the second time that day, she did an un-Hinata like act. She raised her head and gave Hiashi a glare. The fierce look on his usually gentle daughter's face made the Hyuuga leader step back in alarm and surprise.
"I will not let you do that. This baby has done nothing to deserve it!" Hinata took a deep breath, holding the bundle closer to herself. "I will care for her until I can bring Neji-niisan around."
"You may never be able to bring him around." Her father's face was once again unreadable.
"Then so be it." Hinata replied, straightening her shoulders and giving him a determined look. Silence spread between them as Hiashi stared down at her. Her stance did not falter, nor did her determination, under that unnerving stare. Finally, Hiashi gave a small smile and turned to walk away.
"You have changed." The head of the Hyuuga clan informed. "For the best."
----------In Suna----------
"Gaara-sama! Please listen to me, Gaara-sama! The Hokage-sama sent me here to advice you, not to be ignored! Please-Wait! Gaara-sama!"
Gaara continued walking, ignoring the Leaf-nin. Tsunade-sama had not sent the ninja to advice him. It seemed more like she had sent him just to get the ninja out of her hair. Now the redhead wanted him out of his hair! With an inner sigh, Gaara created a sand clone and jutsued off, determined to complete his work without the Konoha ambassador leaning over his shoulder and telling him he was doing everything wrong. He entered his office to find his siblings Temari and Kankuro waiting for him. Temari took one look at his pale face, and sighed.
"Gaara," She began slowly, as if speaking to a child. "I understand you are still not comfortable around people, but your duty as Kazekage comes first!" The blonde woman scolded him, her blue eyes meeting his aqua-green ones for a moment before glancing away. "The Hokage-sama might not appreciate you ignoring her ambassador."
"I'm not ignoring him." Gaara replied, moving across the room to sit at his desk. He glanced at his brother, but the brunette puppet master was busy repairing one of his puppets. "I simply do not need his advice."
"Advice?" Temari looked startled as she leaned on his desk, handing him a scroll.
"He insists on advising me on how to be the Kazekage. He constantly tells me that what I'm doing is wrong and I should do as he says, because the Godaime sent him to advise me. I've given up on telling him that he is simply a representative and a pain in my ass."
Kankuro snorted and put down his puppet, giving his little brother an approving look while Temari slapped her forehead. In a forcibly calm voice, she asked, "You didn't tell him he's a pain, did you?"
Gaara shrugged and opened the scroll she had handed him. "No, but I did tell him that though I appreciate his advice, he has no right to give it." He glanced up at his sister. "I have learned something these nine months."
"I know, I know. But sometimes you slip up…" His sister replied, sighing.
"So where is the ambassador now?" Kankuro asked, inspecting a squeaky joint in his puppet's arm.
"Chasing a clone-"
The door suddenly burst open, causing all three Sand-nins to grab their nearest weapon. Gaara let his sand shield fall as he recognized the Konoha ambassador, who pointed an accusing finger at the redhead, his face red and his breaths coming in gasps.
"Gaara-sama, I am tired of the disrespect I am receiving. It is outrageous and unbefitting a man of my rank and status!"
Gaara simply stared at the man, his black rimmed eyes unblinking. It was Temari, who still held her fan in a defensive position, who asked the ninja to state his business. The man straightened arrogantly.
"I am returning to Konoha and reporting your actions to the Hokage-sama."
With a sigh, Gaara rubbed the kanji for love on his forehead and looked back down at the scroll on his desk. "While you're there, give Uzumaki Naruto my regards. Oh, and," He opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a scroll and tossed it to the Leaf-nin. "give this to Tsunade-sama for me."
The man caught the scroll and made an exasperated noise. He then slammed out of the room without giving the Kazekage a bow.
"You should kill him." Kankuro stated into the silence that followed the Leaf-nin's departure. Temari made a protestant sound, closing her fan with a snap. Gaara simply continued his work.
"If I did that, the Hokage-sama wouldn't get my message." The redhead sighed wistfully, wishing he hadn't given up on his killing sprees. "Maybe later."
"Not now, not later, not ever!" Temari deadpanned. "We do not need people thinking you're unstable again! Not after all the hard work we did to convince them to trust you."
"I know, I know." Gaara sighed again, his shoulders slumping. "Can I at least make the new ambassador fear me?"
Temari sighed in exasperation. "I give up! You two are so bloodthirsty. I don't know where you get it from…" She gave her little brother a bow before exiting the room. Gaara and Kankuro looked at each other, grinning, before quietly counting down from five.
"Five…four…three…two…one…"
"WHAT THE HELL?! WHO PUT THIS HERE?!" A scream echoed back to the two grinning brothers. "JUST WAIT TIL I FIND YOU! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR INTESTINES AND HANG YOU WITH THEM!!!!"
"She'll never find out." Gaara said, sighing happily. He may not be able to kill anyone, but he could pull pranks on them.
"And she calls us bloodthirsty." Kankuro sighed, shaking his head. "But when someone puts red paint all over her bedroom, leaves dead rats in her bed, and steals her eyeliner, she threatens to kill them in the most bloody ways possible."
"I didn't steal her eyeliner…Did you?" Gaara glanced at him curiously.
"What, you didn't notice?" The puppet master pulled back his hood. "My face markings are black."
Their laughter was cut short as Temari came storming back into the room. She scowled at them, looking Gaara over slowly, then Kankuro. She let out an exasperated sigh, having found no evidence that they were behind the prank, and left again. The two brothers resumed their snickering.
----------In Konoha, a week later----------
"I see." Tsunade stated simply, turning the scroll from the Kazekage over in her hands as she stared at the ninja before her. "It's a shame it didn't work out. For now, take a break. I'll have your next job ready for you in a week."
The man smirked as he gave her a bow, thinking the look on her face was for the Kazekage. As soon as the door closed behind him, Tsunade placed her head in her hands and sighed as the Jounin in the room laughed. Her assistant, Shizune, also sighed, her head hanging.
"Tsunade-sama, I told you not to make that bet!" The black haired woman moaned, her shoulders slumping.
"Mah, it's not her fault." One of the Jounin said, straightening out of his slouched position and putting his infamous orange book away. He gave them his trade mark smile, his eye turning into an upside down u. "Most of us would have bet that the Kazekage would have sent him back, dead or alive, if we didn't already know that his sister is very strict when it comes to these diplomatic things."
"Hatake…" Tsunade said, a warning in her voice.
"Hai, hai." Kakashi held his hands up in a defensive position. The blonde Hokage stared at the ninjas around her, silently willing them away. And, as if they had read her mind, they all gave her a bow, most still laughing, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. With a sigh, Tsunade opened the scroll and read Gaara's message.
Tsunade-sama,
Though I am immensely grateful to you for sending such a helpful representative of Konoha, I'm afraid I might have to send him back in a body bag. But since my personal advisor has informed me that that would cause a war, I have settled to allowing him to stay alive. For now.
If he is to return alive and unharmed, may I suggest sending him to advise a feudal lord, perhaps? There, his advice might be appreciated. Here, it is not. Someone needs to inform him that though some of his advice is good, it is not wise to tell someone who was once homicidal that he is doing his job wrong. I hope that the next ambassador you send is smarter than the current one. Perhaps you should send someone who not only possesses a sense of humor (for Kankuro's sake, I have no humor whatsoever), but also knows when to keep quiet. I can understand that you just wanted the current ambassador out of your way, but he needs to be out of my way before I decide to go back to my killing sprees.
I sincerely hope you get your ambassador back in one piece, but I cannot make any promises. Please know that I do not hold this against you, and I hope the peace between our villages continues to grow.
Sincerely,
Subaku no Gaara
"Brat." Tsunade growled, throwing the scroll to the side. Shizune, the only one who remained, caught it and began to read it. The assistant's eyes grew wide, and she turned to stare at the Hokage.
"Are we sure this boy is stable?" She asked, rolling up the scroll with shaking hands.
"Hm?" Tsunade asked, looking down at the scroll in front of her where she had begun her reply. "Oh, yes. Temari has reassured us that he is fine. The threats are simply a way to vent his feelings."
Shizune gulped and set the scroll down on the desk. "So, who are we going to send?"
"Hmmm…" The medical-nin sighed, glancing out the window, tapping her pen against her bottom lip as she thought. "Why don't we let him come and choose. I don't want any of my ninjas coming home mutilated."
"I thought you said-" Shizune started, her face pale.
"Relax!" Tsunade said, turning to her with a fake grin on her face. "I was joking!"
Shizune was silent, though she regarded the Sannin with suspicion. Tsunade signed her message, then tossed it to the raven haired assistant. "Have that sent to the Kazekage-sama."
----------Back in Suna, three days later----------
"WHERE THE HELL IS MY EYELINER?!" Gaara snickered as his sister came bursting out of her room. When she turned her glare onto him, he put on a blank face and stared her down, doing an inward happy dance when she glanced away first. Kankuro, his face equally expressionless, came walking down the hall, a scroll in his hand. The redhead smirked at him when he saw that his brother's face markings were once again black.
"Gaara, this just arrived for you from Konoha." The brunette said, his tone flat and emotionless.
"Thank you. I will read it in my office." Gaara replied, taking the offered scroll, his tone the same.
"YOU TWO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS, DON'T YOU?!" Temari screeched, pointing at her demonic brothers. Kankuro looked at her, feigning surprise.
"We have something to do with what?" Gaara heard his brother ask. He let an evil smile grow on his face as he opened the door to his office. He closed it behind him, cutting off whatever reply the blonde woman made. Humming happily, he hurried to his desk and sat down, opening the scroll and grinning at it's contents.
Brat,
It's a shame your mother didn't drown you when you were born. If you had just sent him back, I would have won that bet, but NO! You had to listen to your sister for once. And really, it wouldn't have hurt anyone if you had killed him. Don't tell Temari I said that, you got it?!
Anyways, as a sign of apology (Not really), I am inviting you to come to Konoha to pick out someone who you think you will get along with. But-! I will only let you choose from the Rookie 9. Because I need everyone else. Okay, so I need them too, but you would get along better with them, than with anyone else. And you owe me some sake!
Sannin Tsunade
"Heh."
"Gaara, are you laughing?" Temari asked, startling her little brother, though he didn't show it.
"No." Gaara rolled the scroll up and stood. "We have been invited to Konoha. Pack your things."
"Oh." Temari blinked, then glared at the empty space to the left of him. "I better not find a dead rat in my bags…"
Gaara raised a non-existing eyebrow at her. "Are you saying I had anything to do with that?"
"N-no, of course not!" Temari shook her head and gave him a bow. "I'll inform Kankuro."
Gaara sat back down. He glanced at the door, then at the bottom drawer of his desk. With a sigh, he opened it and pulled out a picture. He looked at it, sighing again at the long, raven locks and porcelain skin of the person in the photo. He smiled, a genuine one, filled with longing.
The smile turned evil as he heard his sister shriek.
"WHO THE FUCK PUT DEAD SQUIRRELS IN MY BAGS?! OH, EW, THAT ONE'S STILL ALIVE!"
The door opened and Gaara quickly shoved the picture back into the drawer and had his sand close it silently as he regarded his brother, his face a picture of innocence.
"Squirrels?" Kankuro asked, grinning.
Gaara shrugged. "Well, she said she didn't want to find dead rats."
"You are evil, little brother." The brunette said, shaking his head. "The good kind of evil, yes, but still evil."
"There's a good kind of evil?" Gaara asked, tilting his head.
"I think so…"
End Chapter 1
Yukane: Unfortunatly, Angel is currently crying and cannot be here to talk to you all. But she sincerely hopes you like it.
Saiya: Yeah, poor girl. Her own editor doesn't want to read her story...
Yukane: Who are you?
Saiya: I'm from another one of Angel's stories.
Yukane: Oh. It is sad that Ni doesn't want to read it, because now it hasn't been edited and may have some mistakes...
Saiya: Yeah...
Both: -sigh- Please review! Make Angel stop crying!