The plan I have made for chapter 6 should fit for chapter 7 now… good reading.
Don't cry
Chapter 7
As soon as Gaara had walked away from the clearing, Kiba, Shino and Hinata hurried up and left, jumping from trees to trees. Kiba led the way but none of them knew where they were going, just as long as they didn't meet any of the sand ninjas.
Then finally, Shino landed on the ground, followed by Hinata. Kiba soon joined them, having realised that they were no longer behind him. He looked at his two team mates back and forth in search for an answer but they could only pant and gaze at each other. The boy collapsed. ''Man…''
Some sense kicked into Shino. He stayed silent for a while until he felt able to talk. ''Let's go to the tower. We'll be safer there.''
For once, Kiba did not complain. Before, he would've just bugged Shino and Hinata to death until they let him beat the crap out of the teams that they would cross along the way. Now, it was a whole different matter. Some people out here are really too dangerous to play with. Good thing we didn't meet them first or we would be the ones dead.
They agreed and using Hinata's ability, they found the building after a few hours. They looked a little bit around, only to realise that they were alone. ''No one's here.'' Hinata said, checking around.
Kiba laughed, his old self emerging once again. ''We're the first!'' Shino wasn't too cheerful though. In fact, he sounded worried. ''No. I'm sure that I sensed someone here a little while ago.''
Hinata leaned down to the little dog that was still inside Kiba's shirt and stroke its fur gently. ''More importantly, is Akamaru okay? The poor little guy has been so scared for so long'' After all, he was the one who sensed the danger but being a dog, he couldn't really tell them about it, even though Kiba could understand him from time to time.
''Come to think of it, what did Akamaru say before?'' Shino asked his friend. ''Well, I guess he must've been saying that that bigger ninja was in trouble because that little pipsqueak was gonna kill him.''
Suddenly they tensed, hearing of someone's voice they believed they would never hear again. ''Just like I thought. There's no other place to go!'' What was he doing here? And if he's there, then that meant…
''We already waited half a day, how much longer are they gonna make us wait?'' A blond kunoichi coming from the hall crossed the door along with two other boys. The two who just talked had an annoyed look on their face, but that quickly changed when they noticed that they weren't alone. Kankuro turned his head with a small ''hum?'' that said long about what he thought about the three ninjas standing near the wall. They just smiled somewhat evilly to them and kept walking forward.
Gaara glanced in their direction and Kiba gulped but the dog-boy wasn't really the one he was interested with. He forced himself to keep a straight face to maintain the atmosphere of fear that he had created just by entering the room. He wished that she would stop staring at him, he felt like she was stripping him, removing every barrier he created to find the truth within him. What truth was there to be found? He was a troubled, cruel child with no desire whatsoever to become human. (1) Any feelings he ever had for her had been buried deep down in a place people called heart.
She couldn't break away from his body, though a voice in the back of her head screamed at her to do so. When they finally disappeared behind a wall, she sighed in ease and her body relaxed. Kiba squeezed her shoulder, smiling. He mistook her sigh with the fear she had been holding inside. ''He's gone, you can breathe.'' I don't know what that sand village squirm is, but whatever he is, he is way too dangerous to mess with. He's bad news.
His touch really annoyed her and she stepped away from him, before running away in the opposite direction of Gaara. Kiba went to stop her, but Kiba placed himself in front of him, blocking him. ''What are you doing? Get out of my away, nerd!''
Shino ignored the insult. ''She was shaken by all this. Let her some time alone, this exam's hard on her.''
Unwillingly, Kiba nodded but couldn't help but want to go find her. What if she fell on the young red haired ninja? Would she be alright?
As soon as they exited the room, a small growl brought Temari and Kankuro to halt. They watched their little brother grimace before racing outside without them. ''What's up with him?'' Kankuro asked to his sister though he already knew that she couldn't answer that.
''Beats me…'' Gaara, what are you up to?
The sand ninja turned at every intersection and ran until he found the exit. Once outside, he allowed himself to take a deep breath to recuperate from his sudden escape. Because that's what it was; escaping. Escaping from her, escaping from his feelings. However, no matter how far he would go, he might not see her physically, but surely her image would haunt him day and night.
He moved away from the tower but stayed in the surroundings, not afraid of any attacks from enemies. The rays of the setting sun played on him, adding a golden tone to his aquamarine eyes, making his skin look healthier. Something was off though, something dark inside of him.
''Hinata…'' Just pronouncing her name brought a million of thoughts in his head, all linked to her in some way or another, like the mission. When they first arrived here, the fact that the Kazekage planned on using Shukaku to wreck the Village hidden in the Leaves bothered him but he applied to his father's orders without a word. He didn't care for this place or for the people living there and the tournament was a great occasion to fight someone stronger. All fell into his advantage.
But then, when it'll be over, they would go back in Sunagakure and he would be so far away from here that he would never see Hinata again. That's what he was trying to accomplish, wasn't he? Put an obstacle between them, convince her that she shouldn't frequent a guy like him. And with time, she would forget him and it'll be all for the best.
But… would it be? Did he really want to be forgotten just like everybody else did, by her of all people? Gaara clutched his fists together, knocking the tree next to him. Why, why didn't he want that to happen? Wasn't it what he truly wanted after all?
At such a moment, he remembered a rare moment he spent with his sister without causing all a fuss about it. It was an old memory that he haven't thought about it ever since, but nevertheless, it stayed in his mind. It happened many years ago, when Temari was 8 years old and he was only 5, just a year before his father first attempted to get rid of him. He always thought that she felt obligated to spend some time with him because they were siblings.
They were at the playgrounds, Temari on the swings and him near a sandbox with others children. She kept an eye on him as he tried to play with some of them, but they all ran away when the sand around him grabbed a plastic shovel. Only one of them remained still, a little girl who seemed to be of his age and she smiled at him. He was near to tears when he noticed her and slowly, his face turned into a deep shade of red. Then she handed him the shovel and he brought his hand forward to take it, but someone called out her name and she let it go. What he remembered the most was the kiss on his cheeks when she told him good bye before she left to see her mother.
Temari came to him, laughing to no end. Looking up to her, he could see her grin like mad. ''What?'' he asked?
''Oh, that was priceless! You're blushing! Look who's in love…''
His head leaned a little on the side as he wondered if his big sister had lost her mind. ''In love?'' She kneeled down so that she could talk to him face to face. ''What's love, Temari?'' he asked with a small, pleading voice.
''Love is… um, I think love is when you care about someone a lot and you always want to be with this person. It looks like friendship but it's something much deeper than that. And you, Gaara, are clearly in love!''
''Love… is when you care about someone…''
He stared at the ground, amazed at how things were so clear once again. ''…and you always want to be with this person.'' How could it be so simple when he has racked his brain to find what he was feeling all along?
He was in love with Hyuga Hinata. Yet something was out of place. How could he, Gaara of the Desert, the boy who had the one tailed Shukaku sealed inside him, be in love with her? That couldn't be. ''I'm in love with Hinata… what's that supposed to mean! I can't! I've never…'' He shook his head, still confused. The answer was right in front of him but he refused to take it as the truth.
And what if… ''What if I am? Then what?'' He spoke aloud to help him clarify his thoughts. ''I'm a monster ever since I was born… would, would she…'' He hesitated, afraid to say it. Closing his eyes, he kept going. ''Would she return my feelings?'' Would anyone ever love him?
He remembered all of a sudden their bet. Fine. Try to show me what love is but I assure you that you won't be successful. He wished that he hadn't taken that kiss so lightly back then. ''Would you still let me kiss me you, if I told you my secret? Would you kiss me back?'' From now on, his tattoo would become unnecessary because he finally loved someone else than him.
He turned around to head back to the tower, frustrated by the new dilemma. Then two soft hands stroke lightly his cheeks and he gasped.
Hinata vanished from the room, running as fast as she could. Her annoyance had grown to a point where she couldn't stay with her two friends anymore. Mostly, she was angry against herself for being scared by Gaara. She knew she had every reason to be afraid of him. He killed three participants cold heartily in front of her and had the intention, or so she assumed, to blow her up. However, after all of this, she still felt attached to him.
This is completely insane, she thought as she flew out of the tower and jumped from trees to trees until she was too tired to continue. She took time to take her breath, listening closely to any suspect noises, but there was nothing.
Gaara, Gaara… all I can think about is him. She was scared of him but as the same time, not. It was difficult to explain. He was never loved so with time, maybe it was only normal that he felt nothing when he killed people. His mind was a twisted maze that she had to figure out and the more she walked into it, the more she wanted to go further and understand him. And yet… she had never seen such violence in him before.
She decided that it would be best if she stopped musing about him and took a deep breath to clear out her head. But then the sound of someone talking broke the silence and she got up on her feet quickly, dissimulating herself into the foliage.
G-Gaara! He appeared just under her, mysterious as ever. Through the leaves, she peaked to see him and noticed how he seemed preoccupied with something. For a while, he just stood next to the tree she was in silence. She stayed alert but it looked like there was nothing to be worried about.
Then she heard her name pronounced and realized that it came from him. Just a few seconds after, he threw a punch at the tree, making her gasp. She put her hands on her mouth, nervous. What was he thinking about? He calmed down again, but she held on to tree, in case that he would hit it again.
In the sunrays, he looked like a statue of gold and Hinata gazed intensely at him, seized by his beauty. His face was a representation of suffering and she wondered what he could think that hurt him so much. Then it lightened, his eyes grew bigger at sudden realisation. ''Love is when you care about someone…''
She drew nearer to hear what he was saying. Is he… talking about love? W-why did he mention her earlier? She was unsure about what to think. No, that wasn't it. She didn't dare to think that he might... ''…and you always want to be with this person.'' He continued. ''I'm in love with Hinata… what's that supposed to mean! I can't! I've never…'' He sounded distressed, and she looked at him with new eyes. He loves me…? He really does?
''What if I am? Then what?'' She brought her hands to her chin, just as she did when she got shy. Do I love him too?
''I'm a monster ever since I was born… would, would she?''
Would I?
''Would she return my feelings?''
I…
''Would you still let me kiss you, if I told you my secret? Would you kiss me back?''
Your secret? Gaara… I… I don't care for any secret.
Impulsively, she left her hiding place just as he turned around to leave. Hanging upside down, their face were only apart of only a few inches and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Hinata brought her hands to his face despite the gasp that she heard clearly. His skin was as smooth and warm as the sand on a beach and she stroke gently his cheeks before her hands slipped behind his neck and brought his head closer, closing the gap between them.
Unlike his, her kiss wasn't rushed or obscene. It could've been only a small brush of her lips against his that he would've ask for more and more of those of them, exhilarating him to no end. Shyly, her mouth pressed against his and his hands rose to her head, feeling her silky hair through his finger as they kissed. He couldn't think of anything else except of how much he wanted this to happen. I love her so much…
Gaara took a step back, just enough so that their lips weren't touching anymore. Swiftly, she jumped on the ground and regained her composure, waiting for him to say something.
''Hinata, I… I-I love you. Don't say anything yet.'' He added, seeing her about to reply. Obediently, she listened to him and stayed silent. ''You heard everything, didn't you?'' A nod came from her. ''Then you know. I had kept a secret from you, an important one. I… I want to stay with you, but I don't know if you'll still love me after you learn what my secret is.''
''I-I don't care about your secret, Gaara. I love you the way you are.'' Hinata hastily said, unable to hold back any longer her feelings. ''D-don't worry about it.''
He gave her such a serious look that she felt bad for interrupting him but she didn't understand what the big deal was. ''Hinata, I don't want you to commit yourself to me until I reveal you my secret.''
''Why?'' she asked, pleading. ''Show me then, show me what you've been hiding from me.''
Gaara shook his head, sighing. ''I can't do that. Not right now. But the time will come soon so don't be so eager. And Hinata?''
He smiled when he saw the disappointment in her eyes and her pouting face. ''Y-yes?''
''Please be careful during the exam. If you die, it'll be by my hands, nobody else's, alright?'' She blinked twice, making a question face and agreed with a small smile on her lips. ''Okay.''
He run along Hinata's arms until he found her hands and held them, gazing at her almost painfully. ''Until then, we should spend our remaining time together.''
Temari and Kankuro had wandered off on their own but soon, their little brother's absence worried them. He had left alone numerous times and they never cared about where he went or what he was doing but this time was different.
Now they were searching for him everywhere inside the tower but just as they thought, he was nowhere to be seen. Plus, night had fallen and it was more difficult to see anything.
''Temari, look. I found him…'' She glanced in Kankuro's direction and joined him, annoyed. ''He better be there or I'll bit your head off for making such a bad joke on me.''
''Would you just shut up? Look closely, he's with that girl we crossed earlier.'' Kankuro said, dumbfounded.
''Wha….?'' He was right. Gaara was sitting next to a girl with short indigo hair. She remembered her; she was the one that was with the boy with the dog and the other one with that horrible afro. She herself was weird; she wore a baggy coat that hid her forms and she had no pupils. Both of them bathed in the moonlight and their lips moved from time to time, but she couldn't hear them.
They both spied on them until Kankuro turned around, serious. ''You think that Gaara is keeping her hostage? If that's the case, I don't wanna be the one who tells him to let her go.'' After their last fight, he was still afraid that Gaara would kill his own brother out of pure wickedness.
Temari couldn't bring herself to tear away from the two young teenagers. ''No…''
''Huh?'' he said, surprised. She continued for him. ''It seems like she's with him willingly. It's almost as if… they're dating.''
Kankuro stared at her, scandalized. ''Are you out of your mind? Gaara doesn't love anyone, not even his own family!''
''Yeah well looks like someone broke his shell.'' Temari simply said, ignoring her brother's stupefied look. ''I'm happy for him'' Kankuro grunted, only adding ''I hope that she knows what she's getting herself into.''
He couldn't take it anymore. Waiting wasn't his thing at all and she knew it so why wasn't she coming back? ''That's it, I'm going after her!'' Kiba exclaimed, jumping on his feet. They stayed in the same room for a few hours, Kiba soothing his little dog and Shino just sitting on the floor, doing whatever he was doing when he was silent and still.
Shino hadn't moved a muscle since he talked Kiba into letting Hinata go on her own but quickly, he gripped Kiba's arms, preventing the impatient boy to run off on his own. ''Kiba, wait.''
Kiba freed himself from the other boy, shouting. ''Wait? That's all I've been doing. It's been too long, she should've come back by now!''
''Let's look together then. We shouldn't be divided right now.'' Shino got up, expecting an answer from him. ''Yeah… let's go.'' Kiba agreed reluctantly. They began looking in the main rooms but it was obvious that she must've gone somewhere more private, a place she could meditate. Kiba's frustrated sighs got on Shino's nerves but he said nothing about it. Then they reached the exit door and they stared at each other.
''Do you think… she went outside?'' Kiba asked, unsure. If she was, then she could have been attacked by some desperate ninjas lurking around the tower to get their hands on the teams that possessed both scrolls.
''Likely. Remember, she likes green spaces. However, I am sure that she didn't go too far. The enemies are everywhere.'' He walked outside and Kiba followed him, his heart aching. They stayed on the balcony that surrounded the building, only the sounds of their feet telling their presence. The moon was full and bright, fading on the objects outside. And then he saw them.
''H-hinata!''
Shino blocked his path with his left arm. ''Don't go. She looks fine.''
''She's with that brat that killed the three men and you're telling me that she's fine! He might hold her captive and kill her, we gotta save her! Get out of my-''
''Kiba!'' Shino said his name with a low tone in his voice. ''Look at her. Look!''
He applied, groaning and his eyes fixed on the scene. Her frail form was cuddled against the young murderer and his arms protectively surrounded her. They were at the top of a rock near the forest and staring at the sky. Sometimes, he saw her telling something and the other boy replied shortly. What was more sickening is when she would press her head further on the boy's chest.
He said nothing for a while, only observing the two of them, but inside he was boiling slowly. Akamaru sensed his master's feelings and ducked his head in the coat, scared. ''How can she be with him, after what he had done? It's disgusting.'' The last word almost spitted out of his mouth, obviously angry.
Shino turned around and headed back where they came from. ''In this forest, it's eat or get eaten. There are no rules regarding killing. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care if she likes him, as long as he doesn't hurt her.''
Kiba tightened his fists together, gritting his teeth but he abandoned. ''If he does… I'll kill him with my bare hands.''
Gaara shrugged off the intense gazing of his siblings and Hinata's team mates and only concentrated of the small ball of warmth against him. Hinata was so comfortable and content like this that she didn't notice anyone. What could make her so happy right now? Then again, he was also happy in this position for no reason.
He wished that he would never have to leave her, but the village would be totally destructed after and their country would be in conflict, maybe even in war. One thing though he was sure of; he would protect her through the attack. He didn't care that she was a ninja of Konoha, he would make sure that she would make it through.
''Gaara?'' Her sweet voice reached his ear. She was talking so low that they were the only ones to hear what she was saying and he liked it that way. He gave no response but she continued anyway.
''W-when is your birthday?''
She kept asking silly questions ever since they kissed and he didn't know why they all mattered to her but he still replied her. ''January 19th. Yours?'' Might as well know her birthday too. ''I was b-born on December 27. I-I'm older than you.''
He could see her lips curving into a smile. Such trivial things that she wanted know, but he still bore with it. Everything for her. ''My turn.'' He thought for a moment and came up with something. ''Who would you kill among the people you know?''
She tensed a little in his arms but soon came back to normal. ''Y-you like sc-scaring me, don't you?'' Will he smile again?
Her heart skipped a beat as he grinned for a short while, busted. ''Yeah, I do.'' She thought about back in the forest, when they encountered him and his siblings. ''S-so you scared me on p-purpose earlier?''
''Yeah, I did. Don't avoid my question.'' Busted. Uneasy, she tried to find another way out of this but she knew that he wouldn't let go of it He was quite sadistic… ''I-I guess t-that I would kill…'' Who got on her nerves? She never had a desire to kill anyone, even her Father. Yet… ''My dad…''
This time, he gave a full smile to her. ''And how?''
''What? I have to t-tell you how I would k-kill him?'' he nodded. ''I… I'd damage his lungs a-and block all his chakra. A-and…''
He pressed her further, wanting to hear more. ''And?''
''I'd use th-that damn family sword a-and jabbed him until he dies.''
He hugged tighter, kissing her forehead. ''You're becoming meaner. I like that from a woman.''
''You know a lot about woman?''
He wasn't prepared for that question at all. Sure he did, he saw some torrid things in secret. Hell, kissing with his tongue didn't come out of nowhere but she didn't really need to know the details. ''I- um, no. Just enough to make you go crazy with my mouth.''
''Gaara!'' She was blushing madly, plunging her head in his chest. Maybe he could use that to his advantage, after all.
(1) It sounds like Inuyasha, don't you think?
Well, I'm beat. From now on, I'd say that there are only one or two chapters left. Don't cry (oh that's my title, haha…), every good thing comes to an end. Plus, I began writing a few lines for two other Naruto fics, one involving Hinata, and another fic about Twilight, a great book that I read three times. I like how this chapter turned out, mostly the end. I really wanted to add a moment between the two of them, just like normal people.
PS: I had a hard time downloading my chapter on fanfiction, andI had to transfer it from a Word format to Wordpad. I don't understand why, I always use Word to write and I never had a problem but now it says that it won't work. Weird.