I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

So first I got really, really sick. Then my family hosted a Japanese exchange student for a week, and she just left on Wednesday. I didn't even touch my computer while she was here, and that kinda sucked. Then yesterday the Hunger Games totally took precedence over everything else. I went to the midnight release and so wasn't home most of the day. Then I spent today sleeping. So, yeah, I'm giving you a bunch of bullshit excuses.

This chapter is sort of "eh", in my opinion, much like the third novel in the Hunger Games series. I kept stopping and starting and that screwed up my writing mojo. ALSO ALSO Gaara does act a little funny in this chapter, but I'm chalking it up to maturity and to what he learned during the war about love. AND THERE IS ACTUAL GAAHINA IN THIS CHAPTER. WHHHEEEEEE.

I also don't write speeches. I hate giving them. So Gaara's speech thingy is something I just pulled outta my ass. Sorry if it sucks.

And now thank you to the AWESOME, AWESOME people who reviewed: XpurpegurlX, KabeHinata-lover2, sumo is, deshy07, CartoonistGirl6, el H.H, ValentineSin13, harley944, blackirishawk, BK-Black Knight (who, by the way, has reviewed like every fic I've ever wrote and deserves much love), Eleoopy (who has also reviewed an f-load of fics), iKyoheii, littlepinkcandy, evilsugarnazioverlord, Veraozao, Shippooliver, AnimeRose93, Alexa, Jay-Boogie, Rileyyy, and Warrior of Sangre.

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

And finally, would anyone like to read any of my original work? I'm working on a novel right now (fantasy), and if anyone is interested I'll post the first chapter on my livejournal page.

WAIT ONE MORE THING: I'm going to update tomorrow. I promise. I really do. And it'll actually have plot.


Crying


"Picking up the pieces of a life you've broken
Stitching it together with the seams wide open
You keep crying, crying, crying
Till you cannot see at all
You keep crying, crying, crying
Till you cannot breathe at all."

- Sugarcult


True to her word, Hinata is downstairs only five minutes later. The shower was short, but refreshing. She's tucked her damp hair up into a bun and changed out of her dirty clothes into a pair of loose dark blue pants and a plain purple t-shirt. She feels much better now about eating with the Kazekage.

Gaara is stirring something over the stove, so he doesn't see her immediately. "What are we having, Gaara?"

He turns slightly toward her and lifts up a spoon full of whatever is in the pot. "Soki soba. Although the dish shares the same name as the soba of Konoha, it is very different. The noodles are made of wheat instead of buckwheat flour, and then is served with broth and a number of toppings including pork, green onions, red ginger, and fish cake."

She snickers slightly under her breath. He's memorized an awful lot about Suna cuisine. He sounds like a cooking show host.

His face turns just a tad red and she realizes he heard her. "No one in my family cooks. I have learned a lot about the different meals served throughout Suna restaurants."

Oh, Kami help her. "A-ano, I was not laughing at you, Gaara. I-it….it was cute." She finishes lamely, not sure what else to say.

Apparently cute was the wrong word, because his face turns even redder and he quickly turns back to the stove.

Hinata isn't sure what else to say.

Then, "Tea?"

Her head shoots up. "Um, yes, please." She mumbles, trying to get the words out.

"Was everything acceptable to your needs?" He asks while he pours their tea into two pale green ceramic cups.

"Oh…yes, thank you. Everything is where you said it'd be."

A moment later he places a cup in front of her and then goes back to the stove for a brief second. He comes back with a two bowls full of what looks a lot like ramen.

"Please, enjoy."

Kankuro comes back minutes later from the hospital without a broken leg, and Temari arrives right after dinner, panting and demanding to know when Hinata arrived and where she was staying. The blonde fan-wielding kunochi is ecstatic to learn that her quiet friend is staying just down the hall for the time being.

Over the next few days, Hinata doesn't talk with the Kazekage much as Temari takes up almost all of her attention. She sees him at breakfast a few times, and several times he takes her to the orphanage again to see the children. Even then, the energetic Kiyomi requires most of her attention. The blonde completely idolizes Hinata and she sort of reminds her of Hanabi. During the rest of the week Temari fills up her schedule with tours of the village and all of its amenities. They spend one full day exploring Suna's famous hot springs and day spa, the Desert Oasis. Temari takes her shopping to find more desert appropriate attire. At night, Hinata writes lesson plans for the upcoming week. The days quickly fly by, and then it's her first day of class.

Hinata wakes up anxious.

She takes a quick, cold shower and dresses for the day. Temari has taught her how to dress in layers in order to adapt to the desert climate. The first layer is a mesh body suit, like she's always worn. The second layer is a pale lavender kimono-esque dress that just barely brushes against her knees. There is a slit up the left side that stops mid-thigh. When she slips it on she thinks of Kurenai and smiles. Her pseudo-mother is always telling her to wear something more flattering, and she thinks this might fit the bill. A black sash is wrapped around her waist, and finally she slips on her new black ninja boots. The boots go up to the middle of her shin and the small heel adds an inch to her height. She finally ties her hair up into a bun, using two senbon to keep it secure. There's no reason a hair style can't be functional, she reasons to herself.

All three of the Sabaku siblings are waiting for her downstairs. Temari has managed to cook something that resembles eggs, bacon, and toast, though throughout the meal they all tease the blonde for the slightly burnt toast. Kankuro and Temari leave almost immediately after breakfast, both profusely apologizing for the fact that they have a mission and won't be home that evening. In fact, they won't be home for most of the week. Hinata doesn't miss the dirty looks the two send their youngest brother, but Gaara simply sips his jasmine tea (his favorite, she's quickly realized. He almost drinks more of the fragrant stuff than Neji) and waves them on.

When they're both gone, he sets down his cup and leans back in his chair just a little. "How are you feeling, Hinata-san?"

"Nervous," She admits. Gaara isn't terribly perceptive when it comes to the feelings of others, but she feels like being honest with the Kazekage. He's not a very judgmental man and it's very refreshing after the criticizing stares of her fellow clan members. "I'm worried I won't do a good job."

Gaara snorts and then leans forward, his hands folded together. She can imagine him in the same position at his desk in the Kazekage tower.

"Hinata-san, I have only known you for a week, but you strike me as an extremely capable person. I think these children are privileged to have a sensei as caring as you."

The Kazekage's words leave her speechless. "G-gaara…"

Then he flushes slightly and drop his gaze to the table. "As Temari and Kankuro will be absent this evening, would you like to eat out for dinner?"

For a brief moment, Hinata thinks he might mean a date, but that's preposterous. He's the Kazekage, and she's just some Konoha castoff who works for him. He's just being polite.

"That…that would be nice, Gaara." She smiles timidly.

He gives one nod of his head and stands up, collecting his dishes. "I was thinking we might try a different restaurant tonight other than Rokuro's BBQ. Do you have any preferences?"

"Oh! Ano, I…" She starts fiddling with the ends of her sleeves. Hinata hates making decisions like this – it feels like she's imposing too much. What if she suggests something he hates and he eats it anyway to keep her happy? The Kazekage has been much too kind to her for that sort of thing. She tries to remember what he's mentioned about himself. She dimly recalls him saying something about not liking seafood. Well, what does he like then?

"What is your favorite food, Gaara?" She blurts out before she can think the question through. When the words leave her mouth, she blushes furiously. That was probably too forward.

"….BBQ." He says after a few moments. "Gizzard, specifically."

Oh. Well then.

"We could…go to a different BBQ restaurant?" She offers.

The red-haired man places his dishes in the sink and then gives her a faint smile. "Hinata-san, I asked what you wanted, not what I wanted. What is your favorite dish?"

"E-eh?" Is he trying to fluster her?" "Um…I like cinnamon buns…."

"There's a decent bakery near the school, and there's a ramen stand next to it that Naruto likes to frequent when he's here. Is that acceptable?"

Hinata doesn't hear the rest of his words, because her body tenses up and her blood turns to ice at the mention of the blue-eyed Hero of Konoha.

"Not ramen."

The Kazekage looks a bit surprised, and Hinata wonders if her tone was a little too harsh. Well, that's alright. She came to Suna to forget about Naruto, not to be reminded of him at every turn.

"Well," He begins slowly. "There is also a dumpling stand near the bakery that Kankuro likes."

"That would be perfect."

They don't move for several moments. The silence settles over them like the morning fog on a spring morning in Konoha, and she worries she's ruined the fragile almost-friendship she has with Gaara.

"You dislike being reminded of Naruto." It's not a question.

The only response she gives him is a brief nod.

"I was told you loved him."

She squeezes her eyes shut. She doesn't want to talk about this, she doesn't want to talk about how she offered her heart and got stabbed in the back instead. She thinks about the conversation she had with Shikamaru about the same issue on the way to Suna. He doesn't know the whole story, no one does. And that's probably for the best.

"Not...not anymore." Because she can't. Because she won't.

Her eyes are still shut, which explains why she doesn't notice when Gaara moves from the sink to her side. He's so quiet that she has no warning when he slides one hand under her chin to tilt her face up.

Her eyes shoot open upon his touch and his gaze feels like what a Chidori to the heart must feel like.

"I don't know what he did to lose your affection," He murmurs, his voice husky and low. "Perhaps it is what drove you here; I do not care. But do not let his memories ruin your life. I almost let my past ruin me. I will not allow that to happen to you."

She's sobbing in his arms before she can even recognize that tears are streaming down her face, and his arms feel rock solid and real around her waist. It feels as if she can't breathe, as if she's drowning in her tears and the memories of what Naruto did to her. But Gaara doesn't say anything as she buries her face in his robes. He just strokes her back and holds her as she tries to forget the hands of another on her body.

"I don't love him," She whispers, almost too quietly for him to hear. "I won't. I can't."

When she's done crying, she pushes back from him and wipes at her face with the back of her hands.

"I'm sorry, Gaara, I –"

"Do not apologize." He says, interrupting her smoothly. "Naruto is very important to me, Hinata, but I respect you. Whatever he has done to you to make you hurt in such a way is clearly unacceptable."

"You are very kind." She reaches to use her sleeve to wipe the rest of the tears off of her face, but he stops her with one hand and reaches up with the other, a napkin in hand. He's incredibly gentle with her, as if he is afraid she might break.

Then he laughs, but it is a morose, dark laugh. "You are among a minority who think so, Hinata." His arm drops to his side.

She likes that he isn't using a suffix for her name anymore. She's not quite sure why, but it makes her happy.

He glances to the clock hanging on the wall to their left, and then slings his gourd over his shoulder. "I will walk you to the Academy."

The walk is relatively silent, but it's nice. The sun is just now starting to rise over the village, and it bathes the village in an attractive soft yellow light.

"If you need anything," Gaara says, cutting off the peaceful silence. "Do not hesitate to let me know."

For some reason, she thinks he's not just talking about the Academy. "I will."

They reach the Academy moments later, and inside Hinata places her bag on the desk in the front of the room.

"The students should start arriving soon," She begins taking out her folders and papers and organizes them on a neat pile on her desk. "Are you ready for your speech?"

"Yes." As per custom, Gaara is going to give a welcoming speech to the new class of students and their parents. "I've given it several times before."

She can hear the "but" hanging off of his lips. "But…"

"But this is the first class that has so many orphans in it. It feels…" He seems to be searching for the right words. "It feels like I've failed them."

She doesn't have time to tell him that those kind of thoughts are stupid and that he's certainly not a failure (she knows what failure looks like and it's not him), because at that moment the door opens.

Hinata takes a deep breath.

It's time.


Gaara hates giving speeches.

He's not much of a talker to begin with, and on top of that he hates being stared at. Giving speeches is a terrible combination of both. Right now his throat feels dry and his heart feels incredibly heavy in his chest. There are so many children in front of him, and over the years, he's going to have to send many of them out to their deaths.

Sometimes, he really hates his job.

"It's been about two years since the Fourth Shinobi War ended," He begins slowly. "And it has been two years since the Academy has been operational. Today, that changes."

"The path of a shinobi is not a happy one. I will not lie to you about that. It is hard, painful work and it is possible that many of you will not graduate. Out of those who graduate, some will die in the battlefield. Some will watch friends die. Some might not be able to handle it and retire, and that is fine."

"To be a shinobi is to be a sacrifice. You live to protect others, to throw yourself in the line of fire to save the ones you love. And that is why so many choose this path. Though some die, it is so others can live. And we live honoring the memories of those that have fallen for us."

Gaara glances to the side and he catches sight of Hinata. She looks like she might be about to cry, but she's beaming at him so he takes a deep breath.

"Many of the students starting today understand this sacrifice on a personal level. There are not a few students here whose parents made the ultimate sacrifice during the war. And yet here they are, ready to follow in their parents footsteps. This is a kind of sacrifice I do not take lightly."

"As such, I have ensured that your children will be under the tutelage of one of the finest kunochi in the world. She is a newcomer to Suna, but I can assure you that your children could not have possibly hoped for a better sensei. Please welcome Hyuuga Hinata."

They had agreed earlier to use her old clan name in order not to confuse everyone. The audience wouldn't recognize the name Yuuhi.

As he had hoped, the crowd begins to whisper as Hinata steps from the shadows to the front of the room. She looks strong and beautiful and so, so far out of his league.

"Welcome, students." Her voice is soft and sweet, but an underlying note of steel keeps her from sounding fragile. "My name, as Kazekage-sama said, is Hyuuga Hinata, but you will call me Hinata-sensei. And as Kazekage-sama also mentioned, I am not from Suna, but Konoha. On top of this, I am both a new teacher and may seem very young to some of you. However, I am a kunochi. My age means nothing. Please do not doubt that I will do everything in my power to make sure that when your children reach the battlefield, they are prepared to fight."

Suddenly, one of the students calls out: "Is it true that you fought Pein?"

Hinata's eyes flash to gray and Gaara watches as some of the light fades from her face. "Yes."

The whispers begin again.

Uh-oh. Time to do some damage control.

"Please do not ask your sensei such questions," He says quickly. "The war is something we want to move on from. We want to learn from it, but it is not necessary to bring up such painful memories."

The parents and students fall silent.

"At this time, I ask that parents say their goodbyes and that students get their consent forms out. Remember, if you do not have a consent form, you will not be able to stay in class." He finishes sort of lamely, but that's alright. It's time to get this over with.

It takes a good twenty minutes, but finally all the parents are gone, the paperwork has been dealt with, and it's time for him to return to his office.

The students are currently talking amongst themselves, so Gaara takes this opportunity to say goodbye to Hinata. "I will meet you outside at six."

"Ok." She nods for a moment. "And Gaara…"

"Hmm?" He is about to head out the door, but he stops for a moment to listen to what she has to say.

"No matter what you may think, you never failed them."


fin.


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- dreameratheart