Ai (love)?

Gaarazlilmiss

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in Naruto, only this story and everything said in it.

Gaarazlilmiss : Well, here it is, chapter nine! I'm not going to spoil anything, so your gonna have to read the story this time!

Gaara : So what's so special about this chapter? ((asks blandly))

Gaarazilmiss : well, for one, it's my longest chapter ever, and two, well, like I said, no spoilers!

Hinata : I curious as to what happens

Gaara : Don't encourage her!

Gaarazlilmiss : To bad Gaara, it's not only Hinata, but all the people reviewing! So ha! Take that!

Gaara : ((Groans))

Chapter nine : Kiba's death??

Hinata focused all the chakra into her fingertips. "Forgive me you two…" Hinata said quietly. She rushed towards Kiba, and gently tapped him on the back of his neck, making him fall unconscious. Gaara was surprised by her reaction, and hardly saw her when she did the same to him.

(later on)

Gaara awoke with a throbbing head, and a sore neck. "Nani?" he asked hoarsely.

"Gaara-kun…" said Hinata. Her soft voice was unmistakable.

Gaara slowly sat up and looked over at Hinata. "Where am I?" asked Gaara.

"The hospital." Hinata said simply. In her hands she held a small flower.

Gaara just looked at her. He didn't want to be in this place. "What happened?" he asked. Then he remembered. His mind went back to when he was about to fight Kiba. Hinata had done something to him. How did she get around his sand? It took great speed to complete such a feat. "I must kill him." Gaara said. He was acting like his old self again.

"No. You can't." said Hinata.

Gaara shifted slightly and winced in pain a little. "What did you do to me!?" he yelled.

"It will wear away shortly. Don't worry. I had to do that. You two wouldn't listen to me." HInata said quietly.

Gaara frowned. He jumped up anyway, despite the pain in his neck. "And Kiba…where is he?" he asked.

Hinata didn't speak.

"Where?" he asked again. His eyes slowly started to shift into a glare.

Hinata was wise enough to know she had to answer him, or it would be her that suffered the consequences. Just as she was about to speak, Gaara stopped her.

"Hinata…" he said.

Hinata looked at him, the slightest bit of fear shone in her eyes.

Gaara saw that, and shook his head. "Gomen-nassai." he said.

Hinata looked at him a bit confused.

"But I have to fight him." said Gaara. Not only was it for hinata, but it was also because the shukaku was in a rage for not having any blood for so long. He couldn't let that be Hinata.

Hinata didn't understand. "But…" she said, but when she looked up at him, he was gone

Hinata panicked slightly. "Oh no…" she thought.

(With Gaara)

Gaara didn't know if Kiba was in the hospital too, or if he was somewhere else. By now, everyone should know that Gaara was here. It made him frustrated again.

Great…

He thought.

He didn't want his little visit to be known.

Naruto was leaning up against the wall, and it seemed like he knew Gaara would be out soon. He just stared at him; his eyes squinted so much they appeared closed.

"Hey Gaara." Naruto said in a slightly loud voice.

Gaara didn't stop walking, so Naruto walked up with him.

Gaara glared at Naruto. "Leave me alone Uzumaki." Gaara said bluntly.

"No. I mean, you are in our village, so why are you here?" Naruto asked. "It's everyone's buissness, because you've never been one to show up like this." Naruto finished. He was slightly worried.

Gaara stopped. Slowly, his eyes rolled over into a position in which he could see Naruto. "You are clueless Naruto. Just like everyone else." said gaara. After he said that, he began to walk again.

"About what!? Why do you have to be so damn vague?" Naruto asked as he ran up.

"Haven't you noticed how Hinata feels? And how she felt about you?" asked Gaara.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"My points exactly, take a closer look." Gaara said, and then disappeared so Naruto wouldn't follow him anymore.

Naruto looked confused, and then decided to go and find Hinata to ask her what Gaara was talking about.

(With Kiba)

Kiba sat up, bandages on his neck, and around his exposed stomach. He had just came back into consciousness and noticed he was in a hospital room. "Gaara…" Kiba said with a frown. Akamaru sat on kiba's bed, wagging his tail at notice that kiba had awakened. "So you're here too?" Kiba asked rubbing him slightly. "I wonder…where is Hinata?" he asked.

"Not in here." said someone.

Kiba looked around, and finally spotted the small particles of sand swirling around, until Gaara was visible.

"Argh! What do you want!?" Kiba asked taking an offensive position.

"To warn you." Gaara said cooly.

Heh! Warn huh? This kid won't take a warning, kill him now and we can get this little squabble over with quickly!

The shukaku said.

Gaara was highly tempted to do what the shukaku said, but he remembered Hinata, and thought better of it. "If you harm Hinata, and that means physically or mentally, I'll kill you." Gaara said simply.

Kiba sneered. "Look who's talking! Same to you! Stay away from her. She is of konoha, and you're not getting in my way." Kiba said.

Gaara's face slowly twisted into a smirk. "I could kill you right now. You weak in the first place, and now you're lying here. I wouldn't speak so much as another word if I were you." he said. "And so you know…" Gaara began as he started to walk out, "I don't think Hinata will be a problem for you." he said, and then left.

Kiba's eye twitched out of anger, and it took all his strength not to run after, and attack Gaara.

I never in all my life thought I'd have any problems directly with this psyco…

Kiba thought.

He unraveled his bandages and looked at himself. He had pushed himself so hard by using all that extra strength, he had damaged himself. He had a large black bruise stretching across both arms, and one on his stomach. His neck still felt sore, but he couldn't remember where that had come from.

Oh yes. That was Hinata…

He thought. She had stopped him, and as much as Kiba loathed admitting it, she might have saved his life.

(Naruto and Hinata)

"Hinata-chan…" Naruto began as he walked into Gaara's previous room and sat beside her.

Hinata looked up at Naruto. "Yes?" she asked.

"Gaara…I talked to him." he said.

Hinata stood up. "Where did he go? I have to find him before he-"

"Hinata-chan…how have you felt?" Naruto asked. He seemed so calm about this and for once, serious.

Hinata looked at Naruto, surprised by his question. "I…" she began.

Naruto waited calmly.

"…Alone, pitied, sad, weak, unwanted, and sometimes, I even feel despised…" Hinata answered.

Naruto's face was twisted into shock at all those negative things that Hinata had been feeling.

"But…I mean, why didn't you tell me?" Naruto asked.

"Because, I didn't want you…I didn't want you to see me as some miserable girl that needed all your attention…" Hinata said. "I wanted to gain your attention in other ways. Not because I wanted you to feel sorry for me." Hinata said. "Sakura, Ino, Tenten, everyone else actually, no one ever seemed to have such a hard time gaining that." she said. "And I wanted you, I wanted you to see me as Hyuuga Hinata…someone…someone you loved." Hinata said.

"Someone I…loved?" he asked.

Haven't you noticed how she feels? And how she's felt about you?

Naruto couldn't belive it. Did Hinata actually like him? He hadn't ever noticed. He hadn't noticed how sad Hinata really was. Gaara was right. Everyone was oblivious to this. No one knew how she felt, and that is why she ran away, and that is also why she was with Gaara. Because he was so much like her that he could understand her perfectly, and Hinata appreciated that. Naruto felt rotten.

"Hinata-chan…" Naruto began.

Hinata looked over at him.

"I didn't know…" he said.

"Naruto-kun, it is okay. You don't have to worry about it anymore." she said.

"Now, I must find Gaara-kun." said Hinata, and she stood up to leave. "Today, I'm leaving Konoha for good." she finished

Naruto grabbed her hand. "Is there anything that I can do to make that up to you?" he asked.

Hinata smiled warmly at Naruto. "You already have Naruto-kun." Hinata said and walked out.

Naruto only looked after her.

Hinata ran off down the hallways and outside. Gaara was nowhere around here. "Byakugan!" Hinata said. She didn't see a thing still.

"Is there really any use for that?" asked a familiar voice.

Hinata turned around and saw Gaara. He had a sort of half smile on his face. "Gaara-kun." said Hinata walking over to him. "How come I didn't see…" Hinata began.

"So…are you still going to come with me to Sunagakure?" he asked.

Hinata smiled. "Yes. I thought I wouldn't be able to see you for a long time." Hinata said. She really thought it was over. "There is nothing left for me here. I'm no longer a Hyuuga." she said.

Gaara looked at her, a little worry showing in his eyes. "You're okay?" he asked.

Hinata shook her head. "It was bound to happen. I couldn't have stopped it even if I wanted to." Hinata said. Her father, she had realized, would look down upon her no matter what she did, even if she became stronger, he would tell her that she had become stronger AFTER her sister who was younger, and her sister would still ridicule her about it.

Gaara nodded. "With that weight lifted from your shoulders, you will be able to focus more on your training, despite what your father says, you will become what you aimed for. Don't do things just to please someone else. It doesn't work." said Gaara, remembering all the things he had done to please someone else and it all was in vain.

"…Gaara…what do you aim for?" asked Hinata suddenly.

Gaara thought about his answer. "What I aim for…" he said.

The shukaku couldn't help but tease him on.

Everyone's complete destruction. Come on, no one cared for you. That should be your aim in life.

The shukaku said.

Someone does care about me.

Gaara thought.

This girl doesn't care about you if that's what you were about to say…

The shukaku said.

Then…why is she still here? Why did she show me what ai actually was?

Gaara riddled.

Stupid boy.

Was all the shukaku could say.

Gaara smiled at his loss for words.

"I aim…to be the kazekage." he said.

Hinata gasped. "Just like…" Hinata said.

I'm gonna be the hokage! Then everyone will stop picking on me and start treating me like I'm somebody!

"Naruto-kun…" said Hinata.

Gaara stared at her for a second.

Don't make me laugh! You want to be like your fool of a father!?

The shukaku said.

Gaara nodded. "Yes." he said.

And no, I don't want to be like my father...I want to be better than him.

Gaara said answering the shukaku.

Hinata smiled as she walked with him.

He's very interesting…

She thought.

Suddenly, Hinata heard someone calling her name.

"HINATA!!! You've got to come back! It's kiba!!" said TenTen running after her.

Hinata stopped, and both Gaara and herself turned around to face Tenten. She panted when she caught up. "Kiba! He's at the Hyuuga mansion, and…" she said.

"What? But Tenten, I can't go back in there!" said Hinata.

"But it's…" said Tenten.

Hinata followed her, Gaara not too far behind.

"What's going on Tenten?" Hinata asked.

"Kiba heard about your father exiling you. And after that, Naruto told him you were leaving! He figured that your father banishing you was another reason why you were leaving and actually went into the hyuuga mansion asking Hyuuga Hiashi why he did it, and it's gotten bad…" said Tenten.

Hinata's face went pale. She didn't want to take another step into the Hyuuga mansion, but Kiba…

Kiba…why are you going to such lengths just for me? It's getting you and I both hurt…

She said.

When the three arrived at the Hyuuga mansion, there was dust everywhere, and townspeople surrounding it, wondering what was going on.

"The boy must be a fool going into the hyuuga mansion like that. He's so rash." said a woman.

"Yeah, but you remember he's an inuzuka…" said another. "What a wild child." said another.

Hinata rushed past the people and Gaara wasn't too far behind. Tenten stayed where she was, looking on curiously.

"This guy…he's such a troublemaker…" Gaara said distastefully.

Hinata sighed. "KIBA!!!" she called. Hiashi was standing in front of a tired kiba, his face scratched up, and Akamaru lying on his side, like he was all tired out. Had Kiba fought Hiashi?

"HINATA!" Hiashi said in a booming voice.

"Hiashi-sama…" Hinata said bowing.

Gaara noticed her weakness around her father. Her knees shook, her face was pale, and her voice was weak and cowering.

"What is this?" he asked and moved one hand towards Kiba.

"I…I don't…" Hinata stuttered.

"But why did you banish her? She did nothing wrong! The person you should be attacking is that guy!" Kiba said looking at Gaara with eyes that could kill.

Gaara glared. "That's it, your dead!" said Gaara. He didn't use his sand this time, but instead rushed towards kiba.

"Do you not understand what your doing to this place!?" hiashi said. They were trespassing on Hyuuga ground.

Hinata fell back, unable to believe what she was seeing.

There is no way around it…I cannot stop it…

She said. The only way that this would ever be solved, was if they fought, and that was her final conclusion.

Fist met skin, and the loud punching could be heard. Kiba punched Gaara square in the chest sending him flying backward and hitting the ground.

"That's not it!" Kiba growled running towards him.

Gaara's eyes widened. "Sabaku kyuu!!" he yelled.

This time, Kiba was caught as he was unable to stop in time.

Gaara jumped up. He began to make the sand squeeze in on Kiba, slowly constricting him and prolonging kiba's pain.

"Hinata…this is who you were with…" Hiashi said, looking at Gaara in slight worry. He knew this was the one that had caused the uproar about a year ago.

Hinata nodded. "Yes." she said numbly. All Hinata could think about was what she was seeing.

"I warned you, did I not?" Gaara said. "You didn't think I met what I said?!" he yelled, finally pulling the sand in on Kiba tighter until Kiba yelled out in pain.

Kiba looked between everyone. He saw Hinata, whose face was stuck in horror and in shock, he saw Hiashi, who was furious, he saw Gaara, who was glaring coldly at him. And then he realized…

I've been acting so fast…I haven't even stopped to consider how Hinata feels about any of this…what if…what if I'm the only one who feels this way?

He thought. He hadn't even stopped to consider that.

She was with him…in that alleyway. She kissed him. Not me… I never even told her how I felt, now, I think it's too late…

Thought Kiba.

Hinata stood. Everything was so fast happening. She wasn't sure what Gaara was thinking right now, but it couldn't be good.

Do it. Kill him, and then turn around and do the same to that girl and her father!!

The shukaku said. He was happy about Gaara's bloodlust at the moment. He finally wanted to kill.

Gaara squeezed Kiba tighter until kiba couldn't even yell out in pain.

Naruto ran in. "Kiba!!!" he yelled. "Gaara!! Stop this!" said Naruto.

"He didn't listen to me!" Gaara said in his cool tone "He will die for that mistake!" he said.

"Sabaku Sousou!!" Gaara yelled.

"GAARA!!!" yelled Hinata.

Gaara : Why'd you stop the chapter there!?

Gaarazlilmiss : Admit it Gaara, you're starting to enjoy this story!

Gaara : No ( liar!!)

Gaarazlilmiss : Whatever.

Hinata : This is a stressful chapter Gaara-kun

Gaara : It's…it's alright.

Gaarazlimiss : Hope you enjoyed it, read the next chapter soon, Chapter 10!! Did Kiba die...or did he live?