I think I've somehow died and gone to heaven, because you guys are amazing and have gotten me to 118 reviews in 9 chapters. I actually don't think I can thank you enough, you're so wonderful! Thank you!

CAR – thank you so much for reviewing both chapters, and everything will be resolved, even what happened with Naruto. Just a little further down the track :)
WitchyBitch – All in good time aha. Thank you for your review!
Nyanyan – Aww, you're too sweet! I didn't know that 'Nise' is a brand of cigarettes in Japan, but I'm really glad you're looking things up for more information. That's a great theory, and thank you so much for your review!
Dotchi13
Kibachow
Hikari To Seimei
Guest – The tension is only getting started! Thank you for reviewing :)
Coco – I can't divulge the reason yet, but believe me there is a reason. The song relates to what she'd like to do to Hinata and the Hyuuga, and please don't apologise for asking questions. Keep them coming! Thank you for your review :)
KiunoNamu
Tamani

.:{~}:.

Chapter 10

.:{~}:.

Kankuro always forgot to take his shoes off whenever he walked into Hinata's little house. He'd trail dust, dirt, and sand down the hallway until Hinata would present him with a broom to sweep it all back out onto the street. After that he would remove his shoes.

On the third day, Hinata had started to keep a broom right by the front door, and would wordlessly hold it out behind her for him to take it.

Apart from the shoes, Kankuro was a welcome face in her home. He reminded her a little of Naruto, if Naruto were intelligent. He was incredibly funny, and always eager to help out.

It was four days after the incident at the Temple. Despite the warm presence that Kankuro exuded, she still felt numb. Her routine, which had seemed so normal earlier, became her focal point. She poured herself into her work. Two more people had failed the last test, and Hinata promised herself that she wouldn't let another person bum out of an exam.

The third month would be dedicated to learning more difficult poisons and viruses, and using chakra to heal. It was a delicate task, one that Hinata knew would take days for her students to figure out, let alone master. She had learnt, like Sakura and Ino, to revive a fish with her chakra. Somehow, she didn't feel that finding a live fish in the desert for nine people would be a possible task. She would need to think of an alternate animal.

She came home late that Tuesday afternoon, after having decided to spar for a while with Kankuro. With Hinari becoming an ever more dangerous threat, Hinata knew that she would need to retain her strength if it came to blows. She refused to be caught by surprise as she had that night Hinari had come to her house.

She was exhausted; sweat and dust clung to her skin like mould. She barely had the energy to make herself dinner, and was grateful when Kankuro pushed her aside to take over the menial task of cooking. She took it upon herself to collapse (rather ungracefully) onto her little sofa.

Within moments, however, a knock sounded at her door, and Hinata had to physically force herself to answer it.

She really shouldn't have been surprised that it was Gaara who stood on the other side, his posture tense but his face bored. But somehow she always felt something akin to electricity run down her spine whenever she'd come face to face with him.

Shock, she called it. It was shock.

"A reply from your father has come," he said before she could query, and walked inside at her assumed invitation.

"That was quick," she quipped, closing the door behind him. "I was expecting a two week wait at least."

She saw him roll his eyes as he removed his shoes, then walked into her kitchen, where Kankuro was happily stirring some rice, humming some little ditty under his breath and wearing Hinata's lavender apron.

"Heya Gaara, what's up?" he said in way of greeting, shooting his younger brother a giant grin.

"Hinari business," Gaara replied wearily, sitting down at Hinata's table. "This letter's for you," he continued, and handed the paper to Hinata, who immediately sat opposite him and opened it up.

Hinata,

In light of recent events, I have decided to send Hyuuga Ko to guard you for the rest of your stay in Sunagakure. As soon as your mission is over you are to return home, and should Ko deem the situation too dangerous, you will come back to Konoha immediately. I will not have you risk your life unnecessarily.

Your father, Hiashi.

Hinata felt a twinge of excitement erupt in her breast at the idea of seeing Ko again. He had been her caretaker as a young child, and had continued to be her guard as she had grown up. He was a lifelong friend, one she had begun to miss while away.

"He's going to send a member of my family to guard me," Hinata said to Gaara's questioning gaze. "His name's Ko. I guess he'll be here tomorrow, some time. Messenger hawks usually take two days to travel and it takes three to go on foot. Did my father send anything to you?"

Gaara nodded wordlessly, before pulling a sheet of paper out from his robes, his name written in the neat kanji script of her father. "He said that he'll be sending a small team of elite tracking ninja to Suna to help with the investigation."

"Sounds fun," Kankuro chimed in from where he was dishing up bowls. "You don't have a bowl, little bro. I didn't know you were coming so I didn't make you any. Hope you're not hungry!" He set a steaming bowl of rice and vegetable soup down in front of Hinata before taking the remaining chair, shovelling mouthfuls of food in faster than he could swallow. "So wha' sa pwan?" he asked between breaths, actively trying to keep his food in his mouth.

Hinata blanched a little, trying to decipher exactly what it was he'd said. Gaara beat her to it, evidently use to his brother's food talk.

"Wait for the team from Konoha to arrive, and give them time to investigate the Temple. After that, I'll announce to Suna that an accident happened at the Temple and it is no longer open to the public until further notice. That's all I think I can do, given the circumstances."

"Have your ninja found anything regarding Hinari?" Hinata asked more delicately between mouthfuls. Kankuro grunted beside her.

"Nothing. Nothing except that note she left you. Temari's taken it to the lab to see if we can find anything, but so far all we've found is piles of ash and body parts."

Hinata couldn't help the shudder that ran down her spine, and pushed the images back. She had seen plenty of war and death in her time; loved ones die right before her eyes. But somehow the bodies of the Monks haunted her where the others did not.

"How are your students coming along?" Gaara asked suddenly, turning his teal eyes on Hinata. She blinked in response for a moment, the sudden change of topic catching her off guard, before she was able to gather herself and reply.

"They're going well. There's only nine of them left now, but they all seem very promising."

Gaara nodded almost imperceptibly. "And the staff, they're treating you well?"

Hinata smiled a little. "They've all been very kind to me."

Gaara seemed to stew on her words for a moment, before he spoke again. "The hospital is old. It hasn't been renovated since the early days of my father being Kazekage. I want to put money into the hospital. You've been there a little over two months. What needs fixing?"

Hinata thought for a moment, a few things coming to mind immediately. "It needs more space. The staff are cramped. My office is tiny, and I share it with another woman. I know that I'm training more students, but it's desperately understaffed. Ren is at the reception, but he's a medic and should be helping patients, not receiving them. Opening up more programs like the one I'm in charge of would really help with that, and getting in proper receptionists so that the medics can do their job." She fell silent, a blush staining her cheeks, worried that she might have offended him somehow. When she looked at his face she was relieved to see that he looked thoughtful instead of insulted.

"I'll try and get Temari in charge of that. She enjoys construction and bettering the city."

From the kitchen, Hinata's clock chimed eleven, and Hinata chose that opportune moment to let out a yawn, pushing her empty bowl to the side.

"It's late," Gaara observed, standing up. "I need to make my rounds of the city. Good night." With that, he turned on his heel and left, giving a nod to both Hinata and Kankuro in farewell.

Hinata picked up hers and Kankuro's bowl and took them to the sink to be washed. Kankuro joined her side with a towel and started drying the utensils.

"He likes you, you know," Kankuro said bluntly, not taking his eyes away from the bowl in his hand.

Hinata jumped and flushed. "That's ridiculous," she said quietly, feeling alarmed. Gaara? Like her? How stupid.

"It's true," Kankuro insisted, dropping the spoon in his hand and turning to face her. "You should see the way he looks at you. It's like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. I've never seen Gaara look at anyone the way he looks at you."

Hinata felt her stomach plunge through the floor, not sure whether she felt flattered or stunned by his revelation. Probably a mixture of both.

"That's silly," she argued between a yawn. "I doubt very much that Gaara-san would like someone like me."

Kankuro shot her an amused look. "Now that's stupid. Pretty sure you've got just about every bachelor in Suna looking your way. I know I would, but you're not really my type. That blonde friend of yours however… what's her name?"

Hinata rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to jab him in the ribs. "Ino, and she has a boyfriend."

Kankuro chuckled. "Shame, real shame. Well, you've got my approval at any rate. Just be careful. Gaara's a bit… constipated when it comes to this stuff. I doubt that he even knows he likes you. So be gentle with him."

Hinata, now finished with the dishes, turned to him with a frown on her face and a hand on her hip. "What makes you think that I'm interested in Gaara?"

Kankuro smirked, a proud, irritating smirk. "I see the way you look at him, too. Night Hinata, sleep tight."

And with that he marched himself to the couch, leaving Hinata to stand there stunned for a moment, before she shook herself and went to her room.

Kankuro's words kept her awake most of the night, and she refused to believe that there was anything kindling in the depths of her gut for the Kazekage as well.

Hinata shouldn't have expected Ko to arrive in any other fashion. But then, if he had, she would have suspected them of not being Ko.

It was mid-afternoon, and Hinata was busy outlining some of the more dangerous poisons to her class, describing their effects, how to recognise them and their antidotes. Her classroom was quiet, apart from her voice, and the occasional scratch of chalk on the board behind her.

And all of a sudden a dark haired man in his mid-twenties stumbled through the door. "Hinata-sama!" he puffed as loudly as he could, having evidently run straight from the gates to her room. "Are you hurt? Are you alright? Where is your guard?" He flew to her side and immediately started probing her, activating his Byakugan so as to more clearly find any problems. "You look tired, Hinata-sama. You haven't been sleeping well. You must have essence of lavender right away, I'm sure I packed some. What are you doing teaching these brats when you are in danger? You should be under constant guard! The Kazekage will hear about this, I can -"

"Ko, that is enough," Hinata said, kind but stern. "It's good to see you," she continued and gave him a hug. "This is my class, and I promise I don't need sleep." She was bemused to say the least. Ko had always been a whirlwind of anxiety regarding her safety, mostly because of the consequences he would face were she to come to any harm. When the Cloud Nin had tried to kidnap her as a child, her father had nearly had him flayed for his lapse in attention.

She could see that he was about to continue speaking, and so raced to stop him. "The hospital is well guarded, Ko. You don't need to worry about that, the Kazekage has spared no expense. Now I need you to stop making such a fuss, you're disrupting my class. There's a spare desk in the back. You can sit there if you'd like?"

Ko nodded and was about to retreat to his assigned chair when Kankuro bustled into the room, looking just as flustered as Ko had only moments prior. "I'm sorry… Hinata-chan," he huffed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Tried to… stop him… wouldn't… listen… pain in the… ass…"

Hinata had to supress the giggles that threatened to burst from her. "It's okay, Kankuro, thank you for your help, I've handled it." She indicated to where Ko had forlornly flopped himself into a seat and was staring out the window, his face sour.

Kankuro gave her a miniature salute before leaving, his posture sagging from exertion. Hinata turned back to her class, trying to settle them back down from the unexpected interruption. She stared dejectedly at Nise when everyone continued to talk, and the girl greatly surprised her.

"Hey nut-fucks!" she shouted, and everyone turned to stare at her. "Shut up would you? This'll be in the test."

Hinata smiled and nodded gratefully at the girl. Thank you, she mouthed, then continued.

After she had sent everyone home for the day, she sat at her desk with her head held in her hands.

"It was exhausting watching you," said Ko who had sidled up beside her. "No wonder you look tired, Hinata-sama. How long do you work?"

"Twelve hours a day, six days a week."

Ko blanched at that, shocked. "That much? Why?"

"The content is supposed to be stretched out over eighteen months, I think," Hinata said, reciting something she'd seen scribbled on a note somewhere. "It's been compressed into a six month course because they need medics desperately."

Wary, but accepting of the reasons, Ko stood back next to her. "What are they paying you?"

Hinata chuckled at that. "Not enough. Come on, Ko," she said, standing. "Let's go home. It's good to see you again."

The walk home was quiet. Hinata was feeling too exhausted to talk and Ko was too tight strung at being out in the open and vulnerable to make proper conversation. Hinata's mind was far from Hinari – the only welcome sight would be her bed, which she probably wouldn't be able to sleep in again as Kankuro's words would probably continue to haunt her.

I see the way you look at him, too. Now that was one of the most stupid sentences Hinata had ever heard. She didn't look at Gaara any different to how she looked at anyone else. Just because she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spend more time with him, didn't mean that she looked at him differently. Just because she thought his eyes were bottomless and mysterious and his kanji scar was beautiful and sad and his arms were soft and strong… it didn't mean she looked at him any different to how she looked at anyone else!

They finally made it to the safety of her home and Ko placed his small bag of belongings on her couch. He started unpacking while Hinata began preparing dinner.

"Hinata-sama," Ko protested, seeing her pulling out food. "It is unnecessary for the future head of the Hyuuga Clan to do basic labours like cooking. Please, I'll -"

"Ko, I like cooking," Hinata interceded in a tone suggesting that he dare not protest. She may have been sweet and docile as a child, but she certainly knew how to get her way if she wanted it.

"At least let me help," he offered, and she nodded her acceptance.

"Thank you," she said, and made room for him next to her. He began preparing vegetables while Hinata chopped some chicken. "How has Konoha been?"

Ko shrugged. "Your father wasn't happy that you'd taken such a long mission at such short notice. You have responsibilities that you need to start learning and you can't do that here."

Hinata gave a half, almost sad smile. "I needed to get away. I just… I couldn't stay. I had to leave."

Ko nodded and didn't enquire. He had known Hinata since she was a child, and knew that if she wanted to tell him then she would. "Kakashi-sama is fitting into being Hokage nicely. Naruto has started his own Hokage training -" if he saw her wince at Naruto's name then he didn't show it "- and overall, Konoha is going well. The Uchiha brat has gone off travelling again. It's irritating everyone, and many in the Hyuuga are getting suspicious. He's unreliable, that one. I don't know why Naruto and Kakashi-sama trust him so much. Oh, Naruto and Hanabi are dating, did you know?"

Hinata froze, closing her eyes. "I do," she forced out, trying to sound normal.

"Yes, they've been together since you left, I believe. Your father approves. Hanabi isn't in the main branch, so of course she is allowed to be with whomever she chooses. And Uzumaki Naruto, the saviour of the village, he's as good a match as any."

Hinata forced herself to act normal. "D-does he seem happy?" she asked. She couldn't help herself. She had to know.

Ko nodded. "He does. And Hanabi's happier that anyone has ever seen her. They're good together."

Hinata fell silent after that, and listened as Ko continued to inform her of Konoha's latest news. Shikamaru and Temari were in regular contact, it seemed, and Ino and Sai had become much more public about their relationship. Overall, everything seemed to be going well, and Hinata was glad for it. She was happy for Naruto. She wanted him to be happy. And if Hanabi could give that to him, even if it was a lie, then she couldn't take that away from him. She would just need to move on with her life so as to do it.

Hopefully, she thought to herself, the knowledge that Naruto was happy without her would be the push she needed to move on from him once and for all.

Just a little heads up, the next chapter might be late next week. It's my birthday and I'll be running around to see family and everything, so if I do update late please don't think it has anything to do with you, I just might not have access to a computer/internet.

Thank you so much for reading, and if you can I'd love you forever if you could leave a review :)

- Sapphire xoxo