Chapter 36

Hinata sat down on the hospital bed, her eyes trained on the door. It had been some time since she was stuck in the hospital and she was going anxious. Everybody had gone to visit her; everyone except Gaara that is.

She had asked whether or not he was okay, and they all said he was fine. When she asked why he hadn't gone to see her yet, all of them grew quiet. They hadn't given her a clear answer but Hinata knew he probably didn't want to see her.

She closed her eyes and she could see him. She could see his eyes hurt and filled with guilt. She wanted to assure him and tell him she was okay. That it wasn't his fault.

The door opened and Neji comes in. He placed the tray he was holding on her bedside table and she glanced at it briefly before turning away.

"I'm not hungry." She says. Neji frowned as he sat down on the bed wither, grasping her arm and squeezing it gently.

"Please Hinata. You have to eat… everyone is worried about you."

Hinata doesn't speak but Neji knew she was thinking about Gaara again. He sighs as he stood up.

"I'll go out for awhile to get you a change of clothes, but please eat some food…" he pleaded to her. Hinata turns to him and gave him a sad smile.

"I'll try…" she says. Neji smiled back softly at her before leaving through the door.

He hadn't managed to leave the building yet when his phone started to ring. He quickly fished it out of his pocket and picked it up, only to pull it away from his ear when he heard his uncle yell at him.

"Neji! What is this? Why is Hinata in the hospital?" Neji sighed. He knew hiding that fact from his uncle would be hard. Hyuuga Hiashi had acquaintances from all over the world. Someone was bound to notice Hinata.

Neji sighed, "There were some complications…" he said.

The phone call lasted for awhile. Hiashi was yelling at him and Neji has never heard him this angry before. A part of him was actually very happy despite all the harsh words thrown at him since it showed Hiashi at least cared for his eldest daughter.

"Hinata would move immediately."

This caught Neji's attention and he nearly yelled at his uncle, "What?" he exclaimed, "Why?"

Hiashi's voice came quietly through the speaker, "I trusted you to keep her safe Neji. I can't let her get hurt again."

"You just can't pull her away from school! What about the friends she managed to make here?"

"Hinata's been moving from school to school ever since she was little. She would easily adjust in America."

"America?"

Neji couldn't believe it. His uncle was making Hinata leave and move to America of all things?

"I want you to tell her this immediately. Once the doctor gives her the okay to leave, she will pack her bags at once and head to the airport. Do not worry about the ticket, I have friends there who would gladly help out."

Hiashi hung up and Neji could do nothing but stare at the phone in his hands. With a sigh, he dropped his arms to the side, defeated. Now that he thought about it, wasn't this the perfect chance to protect Hinata? When she first got there, he was overprotective of her and had been calling his uncle a lot of disrespectful names because of his decision. Sending Hinata to an all boys school was a mistake. He knew that the very first time she entered the classroom and being pulled in a chair by this crazy blond idiot.

He supposed it was best for her. It was what he wanted as well, right?

Then why was it that he felt the other way around.

He looked up at the building. His eyes scanning every window knowing that in one of them, his cousin was looking out with this sad forlorn look in her eyes.

He knew why he was having second thoughts. He knew exactly why his opinion of her staying changed these past few weeks.

It was because for the first time in a long time, Hinata was happy.

Neji knew exactly how Hinata felt when she moved form school to school. She sent him letters, telling him that she had no one to talk to and people just avoided her. It couldn't be helped. She was always the new girl no matter where she goes and that made it harder for her to get any friends. Never mind the fact that she was incredibly shy to approach someone on her own.

But when she moved there in Renzan High; in his school, Neji thought it would be a lot harder for her. But she blended in immediately, making friends that Neji would have never thought she'd get acquainted with. She even found someone special to her and who found her special in return. And although Neji was still against that relationship, he was just glad that his cousin was finally happy.

He frowned as he finally made it to the dorms. He knocked on the door and Kiba came in and answered it. He was the only one there, with a little puppy which was against the rules. Normally, Neji would have kicked him and the dog out if it weren't for the fact he was in deep thought.

Kiba watched as Neji entered the room, seemingly looking like a robot as he just headed for Hinata's dresser and stuffing things inside.

"Neji? Oi, Neji! Are you alright, man?" he asked, shaking the older boy on the shoulders. Neji snapped out of his reverie and stared at Kiba. He didn't know why he said it, but he did and he pulled someone with him to join him in this cloudy judgement they were supposed to make. Not that they had any say on the matter anyway.

"Hinata's leaving."

oOoOoOoOo

"WHAT?" Naruto yelled in the courtyard when Kiba had gone to tell him after Neji had gone. Fortunately, everyone else was also there to save him the trouble of finding them. Everyone except Gaara that is.

"You can't be serious! Hinata can't be leaving!"

Naruto's face looked like a cross between anger and despair.

"I just got to know her…" he whimpered pathetically as he slid down on the ground. Everyone else was silent. For some reason, they expected this. They knew Hinata staying there was too good to be true. If not now, then maybe in a week, or in a few months, reason after reason would pop up making Hinata leave the school.

Kiba sat on the ground with him.

"Neji told me her father had already called and said that when she's ready to leave the hospital, she'd have to pack her bags and head to the airport immediately. She'll be moving to America."

Naruto sat on pathetically on the ground, "She can't leave…" he kept on mumbling, "She can't…"

The blond accepted the fact that Gaara and Hinata were together. He knew that Gaara could protect her better than he can, but that didn't mean that changed his feelings about her. He liked her. He really, really liked her, and he told himself that is ever Gaara hurt her, he'd be there for her.

She just can't leave.

oOoOoOoOo

The door opened slightly and Hinata turned her head to look. Her heart started speeding up as she hoped it was Gaara. She missed him terribly and all she wanted was to see him, talk to him.

Be with him before she leaves.

Her heart dropped when she saw Naruto enter the room. Nevertheless, she put on a smile for him.

"Hey." The blond says as he sits on the chair besides the bed.

"Hi…" Hinata greeted back.

An awkward silence enveloped them and Naruto scratched the back of his head before looking out the window where the city lights were just being turned on. Hinata followed his example and let her eyes travel over the different buildings that were reaching for the sky.

"Did Neji tell you already..?" Naruto asked uncertainly. Hinata nodded. "He told me right after he came back with my clothes…"

Naruto broke his gaze from the window and focused it on Hinata, "I'm going to miss you…" he says. Hinata turns to look at him before a small sincere smile reached her face. She took his hand and squeezed it gently, "I'm going to miss you too…" she whispers.

Naruto squeezed her hand back. He looked at her and saw the sadness she felt underlying the surface of her eyes. His heart ached and he looked away.

"Have you heard from Gaara yet..?" he asks. He felt Hinata squeeze tighter.

"No…" she chokes out, "I miss him…"

Naruto looked at her and before he knew it, he stood up and hugged her, pulling her to him. Hinata, completely surprised, felt a sudden warmth envelope her and she started to cry, her hands balling into fists as she clutched unto Naruto's shirt.

"I miss him…" shje cried again and Naruto just let her cry as he held unto her tightly.

"I'll find him for you Hinata…" he says, his voice starting to crack, her hold on her tightening as Hinata continued, "For you… I'll do it for you…"

End of Chapter

I am not satisfied with how the ending turned out, but I did like everything else. I found it hard to look for where to end and well, I suppose this was most appropriate. Hope you guys liked this chapter! I am trying to get everything else ready since I want this story to end before the New Year comes. I thank you guys for everything!