A/N: AH HAH! Back for another strange confusing episode?!??!?! I KNEW IT!!!! YOU'RE ALL INSANE!!! ... join the club.... Oh yeah, and I'm listening to sad songs, so don't blame me... -.-

Gaara watched Hinata from the corner of his eyes. The wind blew from his left, west. They headed north. The wind blew his red hair into his eyes, but he didn't care.

As nightfall approached it crept onto them like fog in London. It snaked around their ankles, loose until it reached their chests. It tightened around them, squeezing them.

They set camp, the forest different again. It seemed to be always changing... forever morphing.

Not risking a fire, they simply ate the leftovers, and slept. Temari and Hinata shared one, Kankuro had his own, and Gaara his own. Gaara didn't sleep, but it simply wasn't safe.

Laying down on the soft blanket, Hinata rested her head on her arms, looking up at the fold of the tent.

'Will I see the stars when I die? Or will it be in the day...' Hinata wondered, sighing. She was exhausted, but felt strangely energetic. Her right foot sat on top of her left, her legs straight. Temari was sleeping soundly.

Slowly drawing a breath, Hinata matched hers with Temari's. Maybe she should train. A surge of excitement burst in her at the thought, but she might wake up Kankuro or Temari, or attract the attention of some searchers. She couldn't do that...

But she needed to release her pent up energy. Standing up slowly, she crept out of the tent. Looking up, she could see the countless stars, staring down at her.

Mesmerized, Hinata slowly walked around in circles, her head bent up, her mouth slightly open. After a few seconds, she had to crack her neck. So she laid down on the soft, long grass, and watched the stars. She could find a few pictures, but not many.

Hinata stared thoughtfully. 'Those astrologers must have had a very creative imagination...' Hinata smiled and the stars seemed to smile back.

The wind whistled softly though the branches, scooping low to brush the grass and wrap it cool fingers around her. sitting up, Hinata felt a slight jerk in her chest, making her wide awake.

Was someone there?

Quietly evoking her Byakugan, Hinata searched the trees for any movement, her heart thumping loudly in her chest like a newly captured lion in a cage.

Swallowing hard, she forgot that Gaara didn't sleep, and slowly moved towards her pocket, which carried her shuriken and kunai. Slowly drawing out a kunai, she concealed it in her hand in case she was being watched.

A chill ran down Hinata's back, making her stand straighter, looking a little more frantically at the woods.

"Who is there?" She whispered.

No answer.

"Who is there?" Hinata asked, a little louder, fear crawling up and down her arms and legs.

"Just me," Someone whispered.

Someone familiar... Hinata gulped a little, frowning.

"Please come out," She said quietly.

Itachi watched as Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, blinking as he gathered his surroundings.

"Good evening, Ke-chan," Itachi said, holding out the soup he'd continually warmed by the fire.

Frowning, Sasuke asked, "What day is it?"

"Yesterday was the day you went to sleep. It's 10:42 right now," Itachi said.

Taking the soup, Sasuke slowly drank/ate it. {A/N: Whatever... no making fun of me! TT}

Itachi picked up his book, and froze as jolting pain stabbed his head. It felt like someone had stuck a needle through his head. Clutching his head, he groaned and fell down, hissing.

Sasuke watched, carefully watching. What was happening?

On his knees, Itachi shuddered and fell back, blacking out.

The last thing he heard was someone laughing...

Sasuke stood up, a little shakily. He swayed, a little.

Itachi sat up immediately, and stared.

Swallowing unsurely, Sasuke backed up against the wall.

"Ah, Sasuke." Itachi's voice was different.

And Sasuke knew exactly who it was.

"You." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. It wasn't 'chi-chan' who had killed them. It was him.

Itachi laughed, standing up slowly, as if drunk.

"I've been wanting to kill you," Sasuke said coldly.

"Oh, really?" Itachi stared, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Yes." Gathering his chakra, Sasuke let out a shout.

Smirking, Itachi bid him forward.

Gaara lay awake, sighing softly as he stared up at the fold in his tent. Loneliness...

As the unbidden thoughts that came with that single word rushed forth into him, Gaara felt the familiar constricting in his heart. Grabbing his chest, he swallowed hard.

The darkness... it kept him company... but in return, he felt so vulnerable.

Curling into a ball, Gaara turned to his left side.

Hinata stared at the woods, shaking.

"It's only me."

"Who?" Hinata asked, fearing the answer.

"..." The person sighed, and walked into the moonlight.

Shino.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hinata walked up to her former teammate.

"How did you find me?" Hinata asked shyly.

Shino simply extracted a small insect from Hinata's forehead protector that resided against her neck.

Blinking, Hinata remembered the other times during missions that Shino had placed a female bug on all of them so Shino knew exactly where everyone was. Hinata could use her Byakugan and Kiba had Akamaru who knew their scents.

Hinata sighed slightly, fairly relieved.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know, you're a missing-nin now," Shino said calmly, his hands in his pockets casually.

"Eh?" Hinata blinked, stepping back slightly.

"You should come back." Shino said simply.

"...I don't think so," Hinata whispered, shaking her head.

Gaara sat up, listening.

"Why not?" Shino asked, frowning.

Playing with her fingers, Hinata shook her head nervously.

Gaara felt a slight twinge in his chest. There was nothing left for her here...

She should go, he thought.

"There can only be one solution," Gaara whispered softly to himself.

His dark thoughts swirled and spiraled down to one decision.

Standing up, Gaara exited his tent and said quietly, "Go with him."

Looking back, Hinata looked confused, feeling slightly betrayed.

Gaara looked at his feet, hoping he looked angry.

"Go." It took everything inside him to not look at the torn face of the only person who had really ever cared about him...

Out, before the darkness in my heart consumes you, Gaara thought, watching his feet with interest. It will come... and eat at you... until you're just a shell.... Like me.... run...

"Gaara," Hinata said, hurt constricting her words.

"Now. Or I'll kill you." He whispered, afraid of his own harsh voice. Don't look back, please don't look back.

Gaara could feel his heart bursting inside him, begging him to run after her and tell her he was sorry... and take back the words that hurt her so badly...

Hinata swallowed, trembling.

"I've been pretending," Gaara forced out. Why wouldn't she just go? It was making him hurt too....

"Gaara..." Hinata broke into a hurt sob.

And he knew she would go. He would watch her exit the dark tunnel, and leave him behind.

The light was still there for her. She could make it in time.

It was too late for him.

He had to save her.

Go, he thought, pleading. Just go... make a new life... with Shino or whoever... I'm bound...

I'm trapped here, and you have to go... you can't ever come back...

Hinata sobbed, and Gaara trembled as he desperately pulled out three shuriken. With a warning shout, he threw them at her, hoping she would run.

Shino pushed her out of the way, his bugs halting the shuriken.

Gaara said softly, "Take her and go. Don't come back, or I'll kill you." The reluctant note in his voice was missed, and Shino picked Hinata up.

"No... Gaara.... Onegai..." She whispered, the tears blocking her vision. Her thoughts flew in random directions, and she held her head, trying to ward off the headache.

Gaara collected his sand and fused his feet to the ground.

"We are in different worlds, Hyuuga Hinata," Gaara you. said, swallowing. I can't go with you... I can only go back... you have to go forward... even if that means I have to push you.

Even if that means I have to hurt you.

"Get out of here." Gaara said, his voice not shaking. Inwardly, he screamed and pounded himself.

A part of him wanted to shout and bring her back...

But another told him to let her go.

You cannot keep her here in this prison of hatred. It's not fair for her.

Shino leapt into the night air, despite Hinata's protests.

"No, please, Shino... I can't..." Hinata reached her hand out, as if she could grab onto Gaara, and hold on forever.

Gaara wished he could reach out...

But he couldn't .

Let her live her life... she doesn't deserve to live with you in your hell.... This nightmare....

It's never ending.

She... she can still go... the door hasn't closed for her ... she has to go now....

Now...

Gaara swallowed hard. Shino was still in the air, and Hinata's cries were fading...

Now is your last chance.

No.

Gaara forced himself to turn his back on them.

The long tunnel was closing.... He was at the very bottom, and she was heading back up.

Hinata was gone....

And somewhere inside him, he knew the light was gone. She was so close to being trapped, but she still left.

Forever....

Don't come back, he thought, shaking his head. Tears ran down his face.

Don't look back, ever...

Please...

Have a nice life....

One without the darkness...

One without the loneliness...

"No regrets," he whispered to himself, as he sank down and cried.

Now, it was just him... in his cage of vengeance...

He hoped he wouldn't have to see her again. It would hurt too much.

Please forget me, he thought.

Never forgive me.

"I miss you," he whispered into the empty night sky.

Itachi formed his hard practiced hand seals.

How foolish... he thought as Sasuke raced forward, forming his own hand seals.

Flicking out four kunai, Sasuke tipped them with his glowing chakra. Throwing three swiftly, he thought of plans to do this...

How long he'd been waiting...

Itachi waited, his Sharingan waking.

Sasuke smirked, his eyes opening wide.

Three dots in all four destructive eyes. {A/N: Yeah, I know, I know, Sasuke only has two... yeah, yeah, yeah...}

Sasuke threw two of them, knowing Itachi had seen him tip the fourth. Bringing it behind him, he smirked.

Making a replica of himself, he transformed the bunshin into a kunai. Throwing both with the illusion of one, he quickly began another. It wouldn't hold him off for long.

The kunai swished through the air and stopped in the wall, his replica behind him. Pulling out a kunai swiftly, the replica stabbed it into Itachi.

But the form melted into a puddle of water. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu, Sasuke knew, and he turned around, feeling Itachi behind him. Throwing a kunai that he had hidden into his chest, Sasuke prepared to face the real one.

But there wasn't one.

Turning back, Sasuke watched Itachi crumple to the floor.

'It can't have been that easy.... Killed by just a kunai...? It's not possible!'

But Itachi whispered, "Why? Ke-chan....?" Sasuke's eyes widened.

Was this how...?

Itachi's mouth twitched slightly and his eyes were still open.

Shaking, Sasuke shook his head.

"Not... possible...."

He sat down, staring at the only family he had left.

He fell back, staring at the roof. Memories flooded back to him.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke shouted, his little legs running after his older brother.

Turning around coldly, Itachi watched as Sasuke smiled cheerfully.

"Can you play with me today nii-san?" Sasuke asked, his hopeful little eyes staring at Itachi.

Pulling his hair into a low ponytail, Itachi said, "No. I'm too busy today."

Sasuke was disappointed, and he looked down at his shoes.

"Forgive me, Sasuke." He said, after tapping his forehead, Itachi walked out.

Sighing, Sasuke boredly drew circles in the dirt.

"Maybe he won't be busy someday..." Sasuke said quietly. But it was doubtful.

Sasuke swallowed, shuddering. Itachi had never played with him...

But now, laying on the floor, staring at Itachi's dead body, Sasuke wondered if it could have been different.

"Maybe... maybe if you had loved me..." Sasuke said quietly, his head to the side.

"Maybe we could have been best friends... and maybe they wouldn't be dead..." Sasuke closed his eyes.

"But now what do I do?" he whispered, as if telling a secret.

"I can't... I can't live like this... there is no purpose... I feel no drive to keep on going..."

And he knew what to do.

Slowly taking the kunai out of Itachi's chest, Sasuke smiled bitterly.

"Hmph." Wiping Itachi's blood off, Sasuke held it to his chest.

"Sayonara," He said softly, chuckling.

Gaara sat on the ground, breathing shallowly.

"Alone.... In the cage...." He whimpered and closed his eyes tightly.

A/N: I know, a little shorter than usual... TT where did all the reviews go??? .... Grr.... Fine.