Gaara didn't return to the training ground for several hours, but when he did, it was obvious that Hinata hadn't left. The skin around her eyes was tight and sore from her unwavering focus, her palms were a bloody mess, and she bit down a visible wince with every step, indicating blisters on her feet from constantly dancing around the grounds. But this time, she wasn't alone. He drew back inside the corridor that led onto the field, observing from out of sight.
"Faster!" the older Shinobi ordered, pacing around the girl like an animal trainer scolding his beasts. "Cleaner! Touch the ground only with your toes, and move without ceasing!" He broke off, shaking his head in disgust. "Hinata-sama, your technique is flawed!"
Gaara narrowed his eyes, hiding in the shadows.
The long-haired boy stepped forward, facing up to Hinata. Gaara couldn't see his face from his place of concealment, but guessed rightly that this, too, was a Hyuuga from his knowledge of the open-handed style. He raised his arms in that style now. "Let's try again. Block my tenketsu!"
Gaara blinked. Interfering with Chakra flow through taijutsu? How interesting. But it wouldn't affect Shukaku, and he wondered whether the open-handed style was really as effective as he had hoped.
The pair danced toward each other, their hands flying out in strikes designed to maim. No Chakra wrapped around those hands, however, and they were easy for both combatants to block or dodge. After a few minutes of this the boy stepped back, nodding.
"Better, at least. This time, I will aim for your vital points. Block me, Hinata-sama. I would dearly love to hurt you and your family, but my father would not be proud."
Hinata nodded miserably, accepting the fact. She knew she couldn't expect any more than that from her cousin. Her hands flicked through the seals without thinking, and her face hardened. "Byakugan!"
Her opponent's hands moved in identical motions, quicker and more precise than her own. "Byakugan!"
Both Hyuuga stared at each other, no more than a meter apart. Hinata tensed, but the other stepped back immediately, turning directly to face the surprised Gaara.
"I know you're there. I can see you," he said calmly. "Who are you? You're not a Hyuuga. Why are you in the head family's mansion?"
Gaara walked into the open without a word, gazing steadily at the boy. Hinata stood downcast, tapping her fingers together nervously; her gift of Byakugan hadn't been strong enough to notice Gaara in hiding from the corner of her eye.
"Who are you?" the Hyuuga repeated, his enhanced stare incredibly intense.
"I am... Gaara of the Sand," Gaara replied at last, satisfied with his assessment of this one's character. "Who are you?"
"I am Hyuuga Neji, of the branch family," the older Hyuuga answered, bowing slightly. Gaara didn't miss the tension in his shoulders as he explained his lineage, and several things fell into place at that moment. His lips twitched upward in ironic amusement.
"You look like Hiashi. Is he your father?" He didn't know the entire story of the tragedy that was the Hyuuga clan feud, but he could think of no better way to provoke Neji than this. Sure enough, his gaze dropped and Byakugan fell away, Neji's emotions interfering with his ability to focus.
"A-ano... Hiashi-san is my father," Hinata said tremulously. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata..."
"Gaara-kun, beware your words," Neji interrupted, regaining his composure and towering arrogance.
"Beware your own, Hyuuga," Gaara interrupted the interruption acidly. Nothing annoyed him quite as much as people using titles on his name. "My name is Gaara. If you call me anything else, I will kill you."
Neji sniffed disdainfully and turned away, offering no farewell as he left the training grounds with his back pointedly to Gaara.
Hinata stared after him. "A-ano, Gaara-ku... Gaara," she corrected, "Neji-sama is a powerful Genin. He was last year's top graduate, and everyone calls him a genius..."
Gaara didn't reply, just turned his gaze onto the Hyuuga heir. After a moment of silence, she spoke again just as hesitantly, as if expecting him to interrupt.
"I saw you at the greeting ceremony. Gaara, you are... very brave."
The Sand-nin almost chuckled at that thought. "Bravery has nothing to do with it. Shinobi attack me, Shinobi die."
"Die?" Hinata gasped.
"I challenge the most powerful Shinobi I can find. My life is too empty for you to understand." He had already decided that Hinata was too far below his abilities to waste his time destroying, but carried on the conversation anyway, still curious about the Byakugan.
"E... empty?"
"What is the Byakugan?" Gaara asked, changing the subject abruptly. "What power does Hyuuga Neji hold?"
Hinata's face scrunched up, visibly uncomfortable talking about her cousin. Gaara felt a tiny twinge in his chest—was she empathizing for the proud Shinobi? Her arrogant relation who had openly declared his desire to hurt her?
"Neji-sama's mastery of the Byakugan is nearly total," she said, her voice barely audible. "It gives him abilities I don't understand. My... my father says I cannot learn the skills Neji barely has to think about using." Her eyes dropped in shame. Above even her own desire to prove herself, Hinata wanted to make her stern father proud.
"You are weak," Gaara remarked indifferently. Hinata didn't respond. "So Hyuuga Neji is powerful?" Hinata nodded. "Good. Will he kill his opponent?"
Hinata didn't hesitate. "Yes." A moment passed. "What rank are you?" she asked timidly.
"I am a Genin. I will become a Chuunin at the coming exam," Gaara said, anxious now to leave after finding out everything he wanted to know.
"Then Neji will beat you," Hinata blurted out. She gave a little gasp and covered her hand with her mouth, surprised at her own reaction. Gaara's shadowed eyes narrowed.
"I will fight him. I hope he can defeat me. Otherwise, I will kill him."
"You want to... lose, Gaara-kun?" Hinata asked, her voice quavering irritatingly again.
"Lose?" Gaara balked, not even noticing the title she added to his name. "No, I don't want to lose." His eyes grew even more intense. "I want to die. I battle powerful Shinobi because I want to find someone strong enough to kill me. If I die, then I will be happy. But I won't lose. I can only win, no matter which of us dies." His eyes gazed into empty space. "As long as someone dies," he repeated, as if to himself.
Hinata was staring at him. "Gaara-kun... you are..."
Gaara turned his awful glare on her, and she stuttered, and fell silent.
"I am what I am," he told her with iron control. "And I am the angel of death. My own, or my opponent's. There is no compromise."
With that, he turned and left, striding away quickly from the training ground and leaving Hinata standing there alone.
The next day, Gaara went for another walk alone.
A/N: Man, I'm really unsure about that chapter. I think it was better before my multiple revisions of it... however, I needed to have Gaara and Hinata share a relatively peaceful talk. The idea was that Gaara was too curious about Neji to bother attacking Hinata, but I don't think I emphasised it enough. I'll have the next chapter up on Monday. As always, let me know, and thanks to everyone for the reviews, especially the encouraging ones, and a special thanks to Astly-Hinata-Chan who's reviewed every chapter and who can't wait to see Hinata and Gaara together :P You guys rock. Sorry about the short chapters, they'll lengthen again soon.
Next, Chapter 7- Falling Leaves. Gaara meets some of Hinata's friends briefly... very briefly...