Echoes in the Rain
Temari: Now, I have a very important lesson that I must teach all of you. That includes you, Kankuro!
Kankuro: Yes ma'am! ((gives salute))
Temari: ((rolls eyes)) Anyways, Lightbender + sugar damage does not equal Gaara + sugar damage. Do not give Gaara sugar, a simple rule. An idiot could follow it.
Kankuro: ((looks guilty)) Temari, I'm sorry, but….
Temari: Sorry doesn't cut it. Look at Gaara!
Kankuro: ((turns to look at Gaara. Gaara is sitting in a corner, laughing maliciously as he plays in a sandbox. Mirabelle456 is talking quietly to him. Kankuro gulps and looks back at Temari))
Mirabelle456: Temari, he's not snapping out of it! And I've tried everything!
Temari: How are we supposed to fix this mess before LightBender finds out?
LightBender: ((appears)) Gaara! Time to kill Hyuga.
Gaara: ((snaps out of it and runs over)) Finally!
Kankuro: ((gasps))
Temari and Mirabelle456: How did you do that?
LightBender: Do the disclaimer and I'll explain.
Temari: LightBender doesn't own Naruto, because if she did, Shikamaru and I would be together. How?
LightBender: Magic. On with the story and my poorly written fight scene! Oh, if you want to be in the commentary, like Mirabelle456, just tell me and I'll put you in.
After a few more antagonizing moments, Gaara made the first move. Gaara just wanted the fight over quick. He was going to just use Sand Coffin, but remembered that he was in Konoha. People cared about such mundane matters, like killing your opponent in a non-regulated match. It would save paperwork if he just knocked Hyuga unconscious.
Gaara summoned Suna Shigure (Sand Drizzle). The sand from his gourd snaked out and started flying at Neji in compacted pebbles that were at least two, solid inches of sand. Blood soaked sand.
Neji activated his Byakugan and dodged the pebbles. He couldn't do that completely though. Gaara wasn't exerting much chakra and could easily go on at this pace. Neji stopped and formed some hand signs quickly. He got hit several times, but was able to do Hakkesho Kaiten (Eight Trigram Palms Heavenly Spin). This jutsu used up quite a lot of Neji's chakra, but it allowed him to dodge the pebbles and get close to Gaara.
Neji smirked. He was nowhere as fast as Lee, but he was fast enough. Neji ran straight at Gaara, dodging as he went, but not leaving his course. Once he was several feet in front of Gaara, he jumped up into the air. Gaara watched, unconcerned. Neji landed behind Gaara and loaded his palm with chakra. Moving quickly, he only had a few seconds before the sand caught up, he hit the back of Gaara's head.
Gaara's head snapped forward painfully. Sand dripped off of the back of his head. Neji watched in shock. He'd forgotten about the sand armor. Neji jumped back several feet as Gaara turned around. Gaara had crossed his arms and sand formed a half circle around him.
"Can I ask why precisely we are fighting?" Gaara asked lightly.
"You're one to ask. You started the fight."
"Incorrect. When you came, you had killing intent in your eyes. That's something my eyes can see."
Neji was silent for a few moments. "I am here on behalf of my younger cousin, Lady Hinata."
Gaara hid it well, but his interest had been piqued. Anything with that cursed girl caught his attention nowadays. "Continue."
"I do not like how much time you are spending with her. I have noticed changes in her behavior. You should not have so much control over someone so innocent."
"Hinata is seventeen years old, perfectly able to make her own decisions—" Gaara began.
"She is young and does not know the ways of the world. I am bound to watch out for her, since I am her cousin. The side branch is bound to serve the main branch." Neji was having trouble restraining his anger, but managed to cool down.
"Might your feelings be more than just cousinly?" Gaara smirked as he said this. He loved baiting people.
Neji lost his temper then. "You are accusing incest! I would never fall in love with my cousin! It is forbidden above all."
"That hasn't stopped people in the past."
Neji threw himself back into the fight. Gaara summoned a sand clone and prepared to fight. This was an interesting start to the day.
0o0oo0ooo0oo0o0
Hinata woke up on the ground, surrounded by papers. She had spent a late night looking new techniques to learn. To get her mind off of Gaara. It had worked. At least, until she fell asleep. Her dreams were haunted by the red haired demon.
Hinata snuck quietly out of the house. It was early and she wanted to be alone. Once outside, she decided she'd got over to the training grounds and train. She wanted to perfect this new technique she'd read up on.
As she drew closer to the training grounds, she heard the sounds of a fight. Hinata knew she probably shouldn't go on, but something drew her to battle. Hinata ended up compromising and used her Byakugan to see the participants in the fight.
Her eyes widen as she saw Gaara and her cousin fighting. Not thinking of the consequences, she ran to them. Just as she reached them, Neji was thrown back. A hand went to Hinata's mouth as she saw him fall to the ground and groggily get up again.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gaara raise one of his hands to shoulder level. It looked like he was going to form a fist. The Sand Coffin. She couldn't let Gaara kill her cousin, no matter the feelings she felt for him. The only logical she could think of to do was to physically try and stop Gaara.
Gaara hadn't actually been going to do Sand Coffin. He had developed a move that would pick up the opponent on a platform of sand. It involved lifting the hand and rolling it into a fist. So, many opponents didn't know if they were going to be picked up or killed when he preformed either of the moves.
Hinata launched herself at Gaara and attempted to pull his arm down. Well, the arm she was trying to get to was on his other side, so Hinata ended up grabbing Gaara's shirt. Gaara wasn't expecting anything to come at him from the side and was knocked off balance. Hinata lost her balance also, so they both ended up in the mud.
Neji stared in shock as he saw his cousin lying on top of Gaara. Once Hinata had realized that they were both on the ground and that she was on top of Gaara, she blushed and got up quickly, apologizing. Gaara sat up in the mud, looking bewildered. As Gaara put things together, he blushed lightly and stood up. He then reassured Hinata that everything was fine, which made Hinata blush even more. She didn't stutter once through out the whole thing.
As Neji watched them, he saw how grown up Hinata had become. She could watch over herself, just not when Gaara was around. He would rather become a Gai clone like Lee than see a demon with his cousin.
"Lady Hinata, we must return home," Neji said rigidly, grabbing her arm.
"But—" Hinata started to protest.
"No excuses," Neji said curtly. " Good day, Kazekage."
Gaara nodded stiffly in return to Neji. Hinata said quietly, "Good-bye, Gaara-sama."
"Until our next meeting," Gaara said as he turned to walk in the opposite direction. Hinata wasn't sure, but she thought she had heard a note of warmness. She couldn't be sure though.
LightBender: I told you I'm bad at writing fight scenes!
Gaara: Yeah, I was a little too subdued.
LightBender: ((stares)) That's all? No yelling? No killing sprees?
Gaara: No.
LightBender: Why?
Gaara: I'm taking anger management classes.
LightBender: ((blinks))
Gaara: I was joking. I'll kill you if you don't start writing more.
LightBender: ((smiles)) That's better! Review!
