A quickie update! Just to make it up for the past week that I failed to update…thank you for being patient guys!

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Chapter Thirteen: Words and Actions

Hinata's white eyes stared at the kunai that has embedded itself on the lock. Eyes still wide, she looked at Sasuke who was observing her intently. His eyes serious and she felt like he going to make her melt into a puddle any second now.

This is bad…

She managed to avoid him for days with the help of her Byakugan, keeping as much distance between them every time she saw his location. It has been very effective but Hinata was tired because of the barrier lessons with the sand siblings, and she was too drained to use her kekkei genkei—and it looks like Sasuke took this moment of weakness in his advantage.

"W-what do you want?" Hinata asked, posture tense and on guard. Mentally, she was calculating how much chakra she will need in order to make palm techniques in case the Uchiha would try something bad. It pains her to think that the man who promised her protection and care was the same man she was afraid of right now. "Get out of my room Uchiha-san."

Sasuke said nothing but straightened himself. Eyes still glued at the Hyuuga, he took a step towards her.

Hinata bolted to the window.

Sasuke caught her and pinned her to the sand wall. "No use using the window. It's locked." He told her. For a split second, Hinata's eyes swiped a look on the said window and noticed a glinting kunai there, holding the lock in place.

Good heavens…Sasuke have planned this entrapment real good.

"Let me go…" she struggled against his much superior strength. "Please Sasuke…" she almost pleaded; heart pounding like it was going to burst. "Don't you have enough fun doing the things you did back to me in Konoha?...p-please…just stop."

"Hinata…" His voice was husky, as if there was something stuck in his throat. "Hinata…don't struggle…you're hurting yourself."

"As if you care." She hissed, trying to pound his chest with her fist.

Holding her wrist together, Sasuke brought down his face in order to see her pearl eyes. "I do." He stared intently at her eyes to let her know that what he was saying was true to the core. Slowly, he placed his forehead against hers, making the tip of their noses touch. "You hear me? I do."

Hinata stopped struggling and her face registered confusion and disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?" Was he toying with her? How could he say such things when she personally saw him doing things with Karin that only couples do? How could he say that when he has thrown her away? "Just let me go Sasuke…I am not bothering you so please…j-just leave me alone."

Then the waterworks began.

Hinata stopped struggling and she turned limp like her knees where made of nothing but butter. She leaned on the sand wall like it was the only thing that could keep her upright. Instinctively, Sasuke's arms wrapped around her and he cursed when he saw her tears falling one by one down to her chin. "What did I do to you to deserve such torture Sasuke?" She has enough of this…she was too drained already.

All she wanted now was for everything to stop. She was too tired…

"Shit." Sasuke cursed again as he shook his head in frustration. Doesn't Hinata know that she was not the only one that was being tortured here? Hell…he was bleeding from the inside too. "Shit."

"Please let me—"

"No." His jaw clenched. "I won't let you go until you hear what I have to say."

"I hate you…" Hinata almost whispered. "I hate you…I hate you…"

That made Sasuke blink and he stared at the Hyuuga with a sudden blank expression. It was like hearing something unbelievable…Hinata hated him? Well, he was actually expecting it. But he never thought hearing if from her personally was such a huge impact.

Hate…a word that has been thrown at him for years. People hated him…sure, but when Hinata said it, it was different.

"Hn…" Sasuke wiped her tears with one hand, and then he slowly let her go.

Even in her state, Hinata was surprised at Sasuke's sudden withdrawal. She leaned her back on the wall and stared at his retreating form. Knowing him, when he has planned something, he would not easily draw back. The Uchiha removed the kunai that was embedded on the lock and opened the window with a single brush of his hand.

Hinata let out a breath of relief yet it was mingled with dismay.

Sasuke turned towards her, dark obsidian eyes glinting because of the light. "I love you."

The he was gone.

-o-

Naruto threw his hands up in frustration. "All you have to do is explain! You hear me? For heaven's sake teme… it was the right time to tell her that. Now Hinata-chan will think that you're really crazy than you usually are!"

Sasuke leaned on the bed post, Hinata's whispered words about hating him was still ringing in his ears. "She hates me Naruto."

"Well that did not stop you before!" The Uzumaki was pissed. Shaking his head, he stopped walking back and forth inside the medium-sized room and opened the window with an angry push to let the air come inside and ease the gloomy aura.

The Uchiha looked grim and his jaw tight. "Explaining won't do…If you only saw how angry and hurt she was… she cried Naruto….I have never seen Hinata so depressed before." Sasuke let his fingers run on his hair. "And I realized something."

"Oh yeah? What was that?"

"Words are not enough…"

-o-

With swollen eyes, Hinata forced herself to get up from the bed and fixed herself so at least she would look decent. She has some reports to give to the kage and looking like a rag doll that has lost half of its stuffing won't do. Sighing, she brushed her long tresses unceremoniously.

She can't sleep last night. Looking back at the bed, she noticed how wet her pillow was. Hinata dropped the brush on the sand floor without interest and splashed her face with some cold water to erase the tear stains there. Her head aches and she was feeling worse than before.

Last night, she has to bury her face on the mattress just to prevent her from crying out loud. She was shaking miserably on her own helplessness that she wished she would just passed out and forget her pain even just for a night.

But no…she has to stay awake and take it all in.

I love you…

Hinata's face contorted as Sasuke's last words echoed inside her mind.

After changing her clothes into fresh ones, Hinata grabbed her written files on the desk and walked towards the door, only to stop when she realized that Sasuke's kunai was still embedded on the lock. Holding the hilt, she tried to pull it out.

It would not budge.

Too tired to even care, Hinata stoically walked towards the window and opened it wide, planning to use it as a substitute exit.

She jumped, only to be wrapped by an unearthly hand that was made of sand midway on her fall and was brought to the sandy ground gently. Standing up and dusting herself, she saw Gaara a few meters away, his hand controlling the molded sand and returned it inside the large clay jar attached behind his back.

"I saw you jump." He told her.

Hinata bowed in greeting. "The door's jammed." She tried to give him a smile but failed. "Ohayo…I was about to come to your office Gaara-san." She showed him the reports.

But Gaara was not interested in her reports, for he frowned and studied her eyes. "Your eyes…" He pointed out. "You have been crying."

"The sand…" she lied. "I forgot to cover them yesterday…"

-o-

Sasuke leaned behind the wall, chakra in check and his stealth mode on the highest level. He was observing Hinata and Gaara's interaction a few meters away. He was alone, for Naruto has volunteered to come help Temari with some kind of a c-class job that has something to do with cultivating plants that can grow in sandy grounds.

Hinata's eyes were swollen and something tugged at the Uchiha's heart. Hinata's eyes have lost its spark, and Sasuke realized that she was taking it the hardest. The way she moved, it was like she was a puppet controlled by strings—she has no life.

He saw Gaara hovered protectively over the heiress, concern etched on his usually composed and stoic face. Sasuke watched with a grim face. Looking down, he saw a small pebble the size of his thumb and took it in his hand.

-o-

"You better let the medics check on your eyes again."

The heiress politely declined. "It's alright Gaara-san… I don't want to be a bother."

The kazekage took her face in between his palms, tilting her head to the side as he studied her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"H-hai…" The girl answered weakly. "I just need to be more careful, that's all."

Thunk!

Gaara blinked as he let go of the Hyuuga's face and touched the back of his head. Looking around, he frowned as he felt the sting of whatever object that hit him on the head. He looked at his hand and saw that it was tinted with a small stain of blood.

Hinata saw it too. "Y-your head." She saw the dark stain on his hair. "Gaara-san…"

"Someone threw something at me." The kage looked surprised, and then it turned into amusement. Looking around, he saw no one but a few villagers doing their early routine. No one was paying any attention to them, except for a few passing smiles and polite nods.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I am." The kazekage gave a nod of reassurance. "Come, I'll check your report and you can join me for breakfast."

Hinata nodded. "Hai…Uhm, and let me check on that head wound when we get there Gaara-san."

"I think that would be best."

-o-o-o-

Please review; Let me know what you think!

Oh…and just to let you know, this Gaara/Hina/Sasu is my last arc for the story. I really wanted to finish this so I could work on my next fanfic.

Love lots!

-crazygurl12