Saisho No Kōkei Wo Mi Te
'At First Sight'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
A/N: Hello everybody! Thanks so much for the reviews and the grammatical catches that you made. I started this right after I published the last and once again, I am aware that it was really boring, cause I personally was bored but I tried to get something published. I wrote the last chap. in maybe…an hour. I have about a month left of school so hopefully things will turn out better with writing and updating. Once again, I'm still writing blind here till a new and decent plot line develops in my head. Also, there are a few Japanese words in this chapter and I'm more comfortable writing from more of Hinata's perspective than Gaara's though when necessary, I will write in other's perspectives. Here it is!
Recap: The Hyuuga took a full step, without her crutch. And then another. Though she wobbled a bit on her feet, she was walking on her injured leg. After maybe four steps, the Hyuuga stopped and smiled to herself, an action that Gaara almost mimicked. 'Never giving up, an admirable quality. Hyuuga Hinata, you'll make a great Suna ninja.'
Chapter 4: Ghost of a Smile
In the shade of a stray wall a young girl with opalescent eyes sought shelter from the early morning rays. A small area of packed dirt and sand spread out in front of her as she attempted to catch her breath. The desert sun beat down on her, sparing no living thing of its heat. Sweat glistened and fell from her temple as she heard a voice call her a while off.
"Hinata!" the voice called, mixed with worry and excitement.
The girl stood, fixing her eyes down the road where Temari emerged with a fan strapped to he back.
"Hinata!" The blonde smiled when she spotted the young kunoichi ahead. The said girl let a timid smile loose as well.
"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Temari said as she let out a goofy laugh and stopped I front of the girl.
"G-gomen! I was just…uh-sitting? What w-was it that you needed Temari-sa-" but Hinata stopped at the warning glare she received. "Temari?" She tried, earning an approving nod from the 4-ponytailed girl.
"Well, you weren't in your room or the library so I got worried. You're not supposed to be walking around much so I figured someone kidnapped you and-" As Temari continued rambling on, Hinata couldn't suppress a smile (A/N: I know, more smiling!) at her friend's antics. " -And like, what if someone demanded ransom, or wanted to steal you or-wait. Sitting?"
"Huh?" Hinata said rather un-ladylike at the sudden topic change.
"Sitting. You said you were sitting. Were you studying? What were-oh gosh you're all sweaty! Are you okay? Is it heatstroke, were you attacked? Where are they? When I find them I'm gunna-" Hinata sighed and was silently grateful at her friends protectiveness and that she was able to avoid the first question.
"No, really Temari-san- uh, Temari. I'm all r-right, just a little…heat? Y-yeah, it's the heat." Hinata stuttered, trying to find an excuse but from the look on Temari's face, it was clear that she didn't believe the girl.
"That's quite the lie if I ever heard one." A deep voice called out and both girls turned their heads to a teen with fiery red hair.
"K-Kazekage-sa-" Hinata whispered but was interrupted by his voice.
"Your stutter is evidence enough." Then, the most unexpected thing happened.
"Gaara!" Temari screamed as a cable of sand rushed at Hinata.
Then, the second most unexpected thing happened. Hinata jumped back, twisting her body but before she met the ground she pushed off with her hands and landed out of range of the attack, supporting most of her weight on her good leg.
Gaara scoffed as the sand retreated back into his gourd. "Not so handicapped anymore, eh Hyuuga? You heal quickly." Hinata's eyes went wide at this. 'He was trying to see if I was better. He knew. Wait-what will Temari think!' Her eyes switched to Temari who was in a state of shock. She was frozen; her eyes wide and her breaths were shallow and quick.
"Your genin exam will be supervised by Temari this afternoon. She will decide when you take your chunin exam as well. She and Kankuro are your senseis now, they will train you till I say other wise." He looked at Temari apologetically and turned to disappear in a whirl of sand. Though before he vanished, he whispered a gentle 'good luck, Hyuuga'. An encouragement that only Hinata could hear.
Hinata smiled before realizing the awkward silence he left them in. Hinata shifted lightly from leg to leg, quietly testing if she strained her ankle.
"Your ankle good?" Temari whispered.
"Uh…mhm," Hinata nodded in confirmation.
"Good, cause next time you pull a stunt like that, you are so dead, little Hyuuga." Hinata looked at her friend in surprise before smiling in understanding.
"Kay, enough smiling. Better hope your secret training paid off cause your genin exam starts now!" Temari removed her fan from her back and swept it through the air, sending a warm wind current in Hinata's direction. Hinata jumped over the low breaching attack, landing in front of her friend before swiping at her feet. Temari dodged and flipped back to retreat a bit. Temari opened her fan wider, exposing another moon and gave it a deep swing.
Hinata stood in her spot but was blown back. She caught herself quickly and stayed low to the ground to endure the blast of desert wind.
"Nice move," Hinata complemented before running forward. Temari swung again but Hinata leaped over Temari's head, then turned, swinging a charka enhanced leg at Temari's head. Instead of her head, Hinata made contact with her fan but succeeded in sending Temari back a few meters along with the end of her fan.
Temari growled at her broken weapon but Hinata did not hesitate to give Temari a chance to get away. Pushing off with her right leg, Hinata ducked under the sand ninja's now functioning bat and aimed for her stomach. Temari leaped back just in time as she saw visable wisp of blue charka where she had once stood.
Temari turned to meet the Hyuuga girl only to meet several strikes in the neck and arms. Losing the strength in her arms, Temari dropped her broken fan and dodged the quickly advancing Konoha ninja.
'So she can disable a person's ability to effectively use their muscles and not just stop charka flow. Impresive,' Temari thought. Hinata's strikes then became faster and more precise and undoubtedly would have met their mark had she not been fighting the Kazekage's sister.
However, Temari was not about to be pushed around. Temari ducked under a glowing palm and grabbed Hinata's wrist. Hinata let out a gasp as Temari threw the girl across the ground. Hinata sat up with a gash on her cheek. Even with Temari's arms partially disabled, she could really throw a person.
When Hinata stood she was met with the wide grin of Temari. "Congrats!" Hinata looked at her friend puzzled. "You passed the first part of the exam." Hinata's mouth formed an 'o' before she giggled.
"Kay Hina-chan! Hm…got it! The next task is very traditional and probably what I shoulda used but I'm gunna make sure you deserve to be a Suna ninja!" Temari scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Uh, shadow clone and transformation!"(A/N: Sorry, I couldn't find the names cause my Internet is out so this is what you get!)
Hinata nodded and performed the proper hand signs for a shadow clone. When Temari looked pleased with the low level jutsu, Hinata performed another set of hand signs before being enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared a woman stood where Hinata once had. The woman was probably a head taller than the original Hinata but her hair was the same color, though down to her waist. She was clad in a traditional kunoichi outfit but donned a sand ninja cloak (A/N: like the one Temaria nd Gaara wore when the made their way to the kage council in Konoha. Around the end of Chap 453 I think.)
Temari smirked which Hinata took as a signal to release the transformation. "You're a Sunagakure genin! I know Gaara said that you're a ninja and all but now you've passed the test! Soon you'll be able to take the chunin exam!" Temari thought for a moment before adding, "Though it would have to be a private exam cause you missed that exams already and you might meet some Konoha ninja-"
Hinata smiled so brightly and hugged her best friend. Though previously this action would have embarrassed her, Hinata couldn't help her excitement of being a genin all over again.
Hinata stood at her balcony. She was proud of her success earlier in the day and excited about her progress. She looked up at the sky as she admired the stars in the desert that had been so hard to see in Konoha. Smiling, Hinata jumped on her balcony railing and scaled the kage mansion. On the roof, she grinned as she could see the moon clear as day. Though when she gazed around the rooftop, she found she was not alone.
Sitting not too far away, sat the Kazekage, donned in his robes and gourd with his hat sitting beside him. However, the young leader took no notice of the Hyuuga. Slowly turning around, Hinata attempted to get away before his voice caught her.
"If you think I wouldn't sense you, you underestimate my abilities." His deep voice flowed through the night.
Hinata looked at him, a blush adorned her cheeks as she bowed, "Gom-gomen K-Kazekage-sama. I-I was no-not aware that you were h-here." She whispered, silently cursing her stutter.
"Why?" This question grabbed Hinata's attention. "Why do you stutter around myself and not my sister? Are you afraid of me? You say her name so carelessly and yet you cannot speak mine without a nervous breakdown?"
When she did not answer, Gaara turned away from her and continued to look at the sky. However, she did not leave but propped herself right beside him, giving him enough space for his comfort as well as hers. He looked at her in complete surprise but it eased when she gave him a soft smile.
"I-I stutter Kazekage-sama because it is my nature. I am t-trying to stop and if it annoys you so much I will n-not speak unless I am a-able to do s-so clearly." She looked at Gaara, though he did not give any sound. "Okay, I-I-" She took a deep breath before starting again. "I won't stutter."
"Gomen, if my actions offend you Kazekage-sama. I was raised as an heiress and I am trying to break the habit of being so formal. You may c-call-" Hinata seemed to hit herself in her head for stuttering. "-me Hinata. If…if you'd like." She sighed at her courage that had come and gone quickly after she said spoke.
"Hinata," Gaara whispered, testing out the name. Hinata smiled encouragingly. And Gaara did the same. He smiled, though the briefest thing in the world, the Shukaku container was human after all. "And…you will call me Gaara?" He asked.
"Ah?" Hinata gasped. "But, you're the Kazekage! I must show some respect, even if…" She stopped at Gaara's downcast look.
"I understand. Also, Temari told me that you passed the genin exam. She and Kankuro will train you for your chunin exam that will take place in three days." Gaara stood and began to walk away.
"Gaara-sama!" Hinata called out, causing him to stop. "Gaara-sama, will that suffix suffice till I feel more comfortable with our…uh, familiarity?"
"Hn," Gaara said, letting a smirk slip before he caught himself. His attention was directed to her cheek where some dried blood was smeared but there was no cut to speak of.
Noticing his questioning gaze, Hinata grinned. "I used some medical salves I made. Temari showed me some of the herbs here in Suna so I tried some out and they're wonderful. My cut healed really quickly."
A thought popped in Gaara's head before he nodded and turned away.
"Gaara-sama!" Hinata called. He turned at the edge of the mansion. "Sweat dreams?" She said awkwardly.
"Hai, good night…Hinata." And with that, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, the so-called monster, disappeared in a whirlwind of sand.
A/N: Yay, finished, and I wrote it in less than a day! Though I wouldn't expect such quick updates anymore, this was a miracle! And I hope that this was better than last chapter! Yes, Temari was hyper and the loving, doting older sister but I like her like this. I hope no one minded. Definitely not my best fight scene but you can get the general idea. And yes, there will be some upcoming fluff though fluff does sometimes tend to bring people out of character but oh well! Please review and be honest but keep flames to a minimum. I love reviews (hint-hint), if you haven't guessed yet. Hinata will continue her training in the next chapter. Till next time!
Tsukari Kugatsu