Note: Sorry for making you all wait for this long! ; Really, I've been busy in the whole month of December and…yeah. Hah hah, anyways, we last left off with Hinata wanting to go with Gaara and it's been assumed that he had agreed for her to go. But what danger waits for the two as they venture into the darkest depths of betrayal, lies and deceit?

Chapter 12 - Choices

In many ways, it was hard to take a detour to another path, because no matter how hard he tried to get away from the darkness, it was always going to be waiting for him…with its arms wide open for him to run to. But then again there were still many ways to escape the fate that he has trapped himself into. Like for example... Gaara turned slightly to his right where Hinata was walking right beside him. She looked back, feeling him watching her and blinked curiously.

"I would rather that you had stayed back in Konoha…" Gaara turned away and continued walking down the rocky path back towards Sand Village.

Hinata shook her head, just trudging a little bit behind him. "I said I will go with you and I'll stick by your side no matter what."

"…..it will be a long way to Sand Village. You think you can handle the long journey there?"

Hinata walked faster so that she was finally walking beside him, quite annoyed now with Gaara's repetitive words. "Look, do I have to say this again!? I-!" She was cut off by Gaara suddenly pausing, lifting up his hand to stop her from talking.

"No, you don't need to say it again." He looked up into the sky. "It looks like it's about to rain. We need to find a place to shelter ourselves from the cold." Gaara looked around in front of them and noticed something in the distance. It was a small looking cabin with smoke coming out of the fireplace.

Then, Hinata felt small drops of rain falling slowly on top of their heads. At first, there was only a little bit, followed by heavy pouring from the sky. Suddenly, the clouds began to darken. Hinata noticed a large hand looking around for hers. Without thinking, she reached out for that hand and felt its warmth around her own.

"We can stay in that cabin over there," Gaara whispered, squeezing her hand gently. He led her down the path towards the cabin while Hinata followed along, without a word. But just holding his hand made it feel better. She felt she was no longer alone. And this moment reminded her that he was still here…that he will always remain in her heart forever.

Shortly after, they arrived at the front entrance of the cabin. The sound of the rain clattering on the roof and from what they could see there was a little bit of light emitting through the window, indicating that indeed someone was there. Gaara let go of Hinata's hand and knocked on the door.

It took a moment for her to realize that while standing there, she was shivering from the cold. Gaara noticed this and knocked the second time, before the door opened. A middle aged woman, with long dark hair stood there. She didn't look shocked at all to see them standing there, staring at the shivering young lady waiting to be invited in. She smiled at the young woman and turned her attention towards the young man. "Hello Gaara," she said.

Gaara blinked, but kept a straight face, even though she knew he was quite curious on how she knew his name. The woman smiled again and opened the door wider for them. "You two may come in. I will bring some extra clothes for the both of you. Please, sit down and have some warm soup with me." She pointed to three bowls sitting on the table in the small kitchen and left to fetch clothes for the two of them.

Feeling uneasy about the woman and about the place, Hinata, still shivering, kept close by Gaara. She looked around and noticed those three bowls, feeling her heart beat faster. "Gaara…"

The red haired young man said nothing.

"I do hope these clothes will fit the pretty young lady." The woman came seconds later, holding up a beautiful lace tank top and a light brown skirt. She handed the items to Hinata and smiled again. "You can change in my room my dear."

Hinata took the clothes hesitantly and glanced up at Gaara. Gaara stared at the old woman suspiciously and looked at Hinata. "Go ahead."

With a nod, she turned and left to go to the room the old woman provided for her. Gaara watched her leave and when he was sure she was gone, he turned his attention back to the old woman. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" He looked back at the three bowls set up for them. "And how did you know we were coming?"

The woman nodded and walked over to her rocking chair in front of the fireplace and sat down on it. "There are many mysterious things happening in the world lately and one of them is…you."

"Me?"

She nodded and stood up once more, walking over to the dining table and grabbed one bowl and began pouring some soup into the bowl. "Yes. You wonder why you were born in the first place and why suddenly, a pretty young woman like her appears into your life and suddenly, you're infatuated with each other." She turned and offered him a bowl. "Soup?" she asked, adjusting her black shawl with one hand on her arm.

He shook his head. "And you know the answer to that?"

She smiled and looked pass him. "Ah, how did it go? Did it fit well for you?"

Gaara turned and saw Hinata wearing that white laced tank top and the light brown skirt, showing off her legs. She must have noticed the way he was looking because she suddenly blushed and turned away, feeling embarrassed.

"What about you young lady? Would you like some soup?" The middle aged woman approached her and handed her a bowl filled with chicken soup. "I am sure after a long travel, you would be hungry."

Hinata nodded and shyly took the bowl from the woman. "Thank you," she said softly; glancing at Gaara, whom she noticed didn't have his own soup. "Aren't you hungry?"

The dark haired woman smiled again. "I do not think he is hungry with soup," she replied. "I believe he hungers for something else…am I right?"

Gaara stared at her.

"The truth…that is- of what you want to know. The real answer to why you were born in the first place…" She glanced at Hinata. "You cannot deny the truth that you two met even before this whole thing occurred. You've met when you were children…but you are both denying it because you don't want to believe that you were meant for a life together." She sat back down on her rocking chair and waited until Hinata and Gaara were finished staring at each other. "Life works in mysterious ways." She glanced up at them, smiling again. "My name is Kaya Asuko. I worked with your father, Gaara…as his strategist during war in the middle ages. I am a seer…I foresee things before and even after they occur. I see the future and the past. And the future you two have…is bleak."

Gaara turned away. "Why do I care what my future will be like?"

"Because you've already made your choice. Your future depends on the choices you make. What matters now is if you think your choice was the best choice for you. Are you willing to keep that choice you've made or are you willing to change it?" She shrugged. "Either way, NO ONE is happy." Kaya turned to look at Hinata. "And you young lady…is this really what you want?"

Hinata glanced up at Gaara, whose back was towards her. "Yes."

Kaya looked up at Gaara as well, noticing his shoulders tensing up. "That decision is yours alone and whatever future you will have; it is what you will get." She stood up and made her way back to the kitchen. "Are you sure you are not hungry, Gaara?"

Gaara didn't answer.

"Very well, I will leave the soup here for you to eat later." She turned to look back at them again. "Everything has come to place and are you both willing to cross this path given to you?"

Night had fallen.

The words from the woman still echoed in his ears. The rain hadn't subsided yet even after a few hours their decisions were made to stay in the cabin.

Gaara glanced down at the shirt and the pants the woman had given him. He had come down to the level of a normal human being, even dressed into one. Is this what the woman meant? That this was going to be his future?

"Gaara?"

He looked up and noticed Hinata standing by the door. "You should be sleeping."

"I had a bad dream, so I couldn't sleep." She took a step forward. After being with him for a while, she dared to step into his own private world. She was no longer scared of him, no longer able to turn away from this young man who was thought to be a very dangerous killer. She didn't need to tell him that he should do the same, because Gaara wasn't used to sleeping for sixteen long years.

He jerked his head at her from the window. "What do you expect me to do? Hug you, whisper sweet nothings into your ear and make you feel better?"

Hinata smiled. "That would be nice."

Gaara turned away from her, back to stare out the window. "Whatever you might think, I am still not what you think I am."

"You mean…human?" She took a few more steps and dared to reach out her hand to him. "Because you are human, Gaara."

He turned quickly and grabbed her wrist. "Tell me one thing…why did you make this choice? Why are you with me?" Gaara slowly let go of her wrist.

Hinata put her hand back down and frowned. "I thought we've already talked about this?" When he just frowned back at her, she sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. "I'm with you because I want to help you. I want to be with you and whatever the woman said, that our future is bleak, at least it's OUR future and not mine or yours alone." She lifted up her hands to her heart and smiled up at him. "I know it will be a rough path for us, but at least we know that we're not alone. We have each other."

He looked down at her. "You know, you're risking your life just to be with me."

"And that's the decision I've made." She stood up and reached out to touch his cheek. "Gaara…when are you going to accept that you're no monster to me?"

"Now…" And he cut off the gap between them with a kiss.

She felt a warm hand playing around with her long dark hair. She in return, traced her finger along the lines of his large palms, finding comfort in each other's arms. This feeling, it was amazing. She wanted to stay in his strong arms forever, but she knew it would never last long.

Hinata knew that once they leave this place, they will have to face one more chapter in their lives. And it would mean either together or apart from each other. Their final decision was going to be made once they've reached Sand Village.

Gaara watched her as she laid there. He marveled at her beauty, at her flawless skin and the way her dark hair flowed like silk around his fingers. He wanted her so bad and now, he had her, but how long would this moment last?

One night wasn't enough…

He wanted her for the rest of his life…

Screw this damn love, he thought.

She felt him move around. Hinata turned to face Gaara and found him putting his shirt back on, followed by the pants the woman provided for him. Hinata sat up and watched him sit back down, with his back towards her as he began putting his socks on one by one. "Are we going now?"

Gaara looked at her from over his shoulder, ready to jump back in bed with her again, but he couldn't. He had a mission to finish, a race to win. Just the way she looked at him, with those innocent white eyes and her luscious lips, made him want her more. "Yes, we're going now." He picked up her clothes from the floor and handed them to her. "Get dressed…"

Hinata immediately nodded and got dressed quickly.

They arrived in Sand Village sooner than expected. Night had fallen for the second day and Gaara led the way into the inner sanctum of the palace. Hinata marveled at the designs surrounding the place. Beautiful sand statues molded into men and women dressed in traditional garments adorned the hallway, left and right. She glanced at Gaara walking these halls and noticed how the way he walked. He walked like a proud Prince, ready to take on the throne. It was a sight Hinata has never seen before in Gaara.

Then, they heard loud voices. One of a woman and the other of a man. Gaara glanced to his left to the voices, his eyes furrowed in curiosity. Without turning to look at Hinata to follow him, he walked directly to the source of the voice towards the door at the very end of the hallway. Hinata followed right away and stopped just behind Gaara to listen in at the door as well.

"How could you do this!?" The door was slightly open so Gaara and Hinata could see a little bit of the figures inside. A sound of footsteps could be heard. "How could you do this to my own brother!?"

Gaara looked closely and noticed that the woman speaking was indeed, Temari and the man she was talking to was Ribu. At the sight of him, he clenched his fists, turning his knuckles white. Hinata looked down at his hand and placed her own hand around it. The red haired young man turned to look at her, which calmed him a little bit.

"I had no choice, Temari," Ribu replied in a calm manner. "It was the only way to keep him from ruining the chance that we have." He reached out to grab her hand.

"What chance!?" She pulled her hand away from him. "NO! I didn't ask you to kill him just like that! I know I don't act like it, but he's my brother! I care for him a lot! Maybe we should just forget this….I don't even know you anymore…" She turned away from him.

Ribu's eyes turned into thin slits. He lifted up his hand and struck her across the face, sending Temari to tumble backwards against the wall, hitting her head and making her fall unconscious. "Don't you DARE turn away from me! Do you have any idea how much I've DONE for you and this is how you repay me!?" He looked down at Temari's unconscious body and he was interrupted when the door suddenly flew open. Startled, Ribu turned to see Gaara charging at him.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!!!!!"

Ribu dodged his assault. He watched as Gaara ran to his sister's side, trying to slap her out of unconsciousness and when she didn't respond, he turned to glare at Ribu. "What did you do to her!?"

Ribu smirked and fixed his shirt for a moment before he straightened up and clapped his hands as loud as he could. Gaara stared at him curiously for a moment, unaware that someone had appeared through the wall. Suddenly, his hands were twisted behind his back and were pulled roughly away by someone so familiar in strength. The long haired man titled his head to one side and lifted an eyebrow. "This is a surprise," he said with a rough voice. "I never expected Gaara Subaku would actually come to the only home he abandoned and betray his people." He slowly took a few steps and stopped until he was nose to nose with the younger man. "But what surprised me the most is the fact that you no longer have the gourd that you are known for…the gourd that makes you powerful. What changed Gaara? Is there some kind of mystical power holding you back?"

"Gaara!" Hinata took a step forward away from the door, her eyes wide in fear as Gaara was held back with a familiar figure she KNEW was injured really badly.

Ribu took a quick glance at her before turning to look at Gaara with an evil smile. "I see….So SHE is the reason why you've gotten weaker, lowering yourself into a pathetic fool in love!" He slowly turned and strolled towards Hinata.

'No! Hinata! Run!'

Hinata quickly took a few steps back and put his hands together to summon her Byakugan, but Ribu suddenly had her arms pinned above her head and his weight on her as she was trapped on the floor. "What if I mess her up right here, right now Gaara? Will you have the power now? Will it drive you crazy enough to retrieve the power that you need so I get the challenge that I need to fight?"

Gaara's eyes widened. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Ribu smiled, spreading her legs apart with one hand and began unbuttoning her shirt starting from the top and all the way at the bottom. Hinata struggled to get away, but he was far too strong for her. She screamed, kicked and punched even to escape, but it was to no avail. Her heart was pounding really fast and the more she screamed and struggled, the more he wouldn't let go.

Gaara could only watch in horror as Hinata screamed helplessly, trying to get away. "No……."

What's it going to be, Gaara? Are you going to let him win!?

"No…."

Then listen to me! Surrender everything to me and I will rip his head off for you!

She called for his name…she screamed over and over again as her clothes were torn away from her body.

"No…"

Come on Gaara! What are you waiting for!?

She laid there sweating, her strength finally leaving her. He went on top of her again, first kissing her cheeks, and started licking down to the base of her neck. She shivered, but Gaara watched, feeling his knuckles clenched into tight fists.

"NO!!!!!!"

Without a warning, Gaara hit his head against the nose of the man holding him back, startling his captor and punched him bloody until he no longer moved. He ran towards the two bodies lying on the floor and grabbed Ribu by the neck of his shirt and pinned him against the wall with one gory looking right hand. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER AND VIOLATE HER LIKE THAT!?" He quickly glanced at Hinata, who wasn't moving all that much, but was shivering like crazy. "ARRGGH!!!!" Gaara smacked Ribu against the wall.

But Ribu just laughed…

Like a madman.

"Yes….that's the monster your whole family was afraid of seeing! You know, your mother killed herself at the first chance she gave birth to you. She hated you…very much because you were born as a monster in the first place! You were cursed with a demon inside you! Your father created you as nothing more than a pawn in battle so he could win against his enemies!"

Gaara screamed, ready to strike him dead, when something got in his way. He glanced down and noticed a knife going through Ribu's heart. Ribu's eyes widened in surprise at this, his face staring straight pass Gaara. Gaara noticed a hand holding the knife and he turned to look at Temari. "Neesan…" He let go of Ribu and he fell on the ground with a loud 'thud!'

Temari pulled her hand away from the knife and fell back. "Run, Gaara. Take Hinata and run away from this place."

"Neesan…"

"GO!"

"You can't get rid of me that easily…Temari….chan…" Ribu pulled the knife away from his heart and stood up slowly. Blood poured at the side of his face and spewed all over the floor from the large wound.

Temari glared at him. "GO Gaara! Let me take care of this!"

"…………" Quickly, he turned and ran over to Hinata where he found her shivering on the floor with only her tank top on and her blue Capri pants. "Hinata?"

She looked up, her eyes filled with non-stop tears. She couldn't seem to stop shivering and even as Gaara tries to approach her, Hinata would back away, scared. Had he failed her since she wouldn't let him touch her anymore? "Hinata…" He frowned. "I'm sorry."

Hinata shook her head and wept. "Gaara…" She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Please…please don't leave me alone."

Gaara wrapped his arm around her slowly and gently picked her up in his arms. "It's all right. I promise I won't leave you alone. I'll take you home now, okay?"

The dark haired girl slowly nodded and closed her eyes as soon as Gaara held her tightly in his arms and slowly began to walk out of the room.

"Gaara…"

Gaara stopped and turned to look at his sister.

Temari smiled. "I never thought of you as a monster…not in a least bit."

Gaara knew this wasn't true, but maybe there's a chance in their relationship to renew. After all, there was a thing called 'forgiveness.'

Running away was easy but he hated the fact that he had to run away so soon. He was so ready to confront Ribu, ready to tear him to pieces after what he did to Hinata. He was ready to ask the questions he dreaded of ever asking to the father he thought he knew. Gaara pulled Hinata along with him, but she seemed to be lagging behind and then he felt her stop. He too, stopped and turned to look at her. "We don't have time to stop…We have to go on."

Hinata looked up, her face soaked with tears, but she seemed to have stopped shaking. "He touched me…everywhere. I…I felt him. I…I'm dirty! Disgusting! How can you love me now?" She wept and fell to her knees.

Gaara frowned and walked up to her with a straight face. "You are a hypocrite…"

The girl stopped crying for a while and looked up, shocked at his words. "?"

"How can you say such things in front of me? Weren't you the one who chose to be with me despite the faults I have done? Do you think so lowly of me that I would turn away from you and call you disgusting and dirty?" Gaara kneeled down and embraced her. "The one who should be called dirty and disgusting is the man who did this to you!"

How DARE you! How dare you touch her with…with love!? I raised you! I watched over you like a parent would over a child! And THIS is how you repay me!? YOU should be the one called dirty and disgusting!

Gaara closed his eyes and smirked. 'I've made my choice. Now get out of my life FOREVER!'

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A noise…he heard it coming from Temari's room. Kankurou ran as fast as he could to her chambers and stopped just in front of her door. By time he reached it, the KazeKage was seen standing over Temari who was kneeling on the ground with blood in her hands. A dagger was on the floor with blood around it as well and the body of Ribu Serizawa on the ground. There was another body on the other side of the wall and he recognized the uniform belonging to none other than Satoshi Watanabe. He too, lay dead.

"Temari?" Kankurou called. What had happened here? Her room was completely wrecked; the plaster on the walls falling apart and everything in her room was destroyed.

The blond girl looked at Kankurou and smiled, then glanced back up at her father. "Yes, father I admit I had done this act," Temari said with an apologetic tone. "I don't care…he has done ME wrong."

KazeKage-sama looked down at her, turned and walked off without a word to her. "Kankurou, clean this mess up," he said as he walked pass his son. "Take your sister to the infirmary."

Kankurou nodded. "Yes KazeKage-sama."

"Father!" Temari called, but the KazeKage was already leaving the hallway.

"I have to face him…Please take care of her." Gaara looked up at Naruto and Neji. "Will you do that for me?" He glanced down at the unconscious Hinata. After much thought, he knew he had to face his father sooner or later. He didn't need Hinata to be with him. He didn't want her to see what he would do to his father.

Neji frowned. "What happened?"

"I had to keep her from going with me," Gaara replied, handing Hinata to Naruto, because Neji couldn't carry her with his broken arm. "I need to face my father alone."

"EEEEHHHHHHH!!!!!!!???? You're going to your father alone!? You're kidding right!?" Naruto spazzed, adjusting Hinata in his arms.

Gaara just stared at him with a straight face.

"Ahahahaha! I guess not!" Naruto added, with sweat pouring at the sides of his face. "You can count on me and Neji to take care of her!" He grinned impishly.

Neji nodded. "You don't have to ask me twice to watch over her. I was born to protect her from the very beginning."

Gaara nodded as well, glanced at Hinata's unconscious form before turning around and walking back to the Sand Village to face the final chapter to HIS life. Only fate will tell whether he was meant to live and to be with Hinata or to die without her.

GoodGurl: Kyahahahah and you thought it was the end! XD I was kidding! Okay well not really. I was hoping to end it there and then add an epilogue, but it turns out at least two more chapters are needed! Stay tuned!