Taking care of her patients, the young nurse was making her rounds from room to room. Her feet ached, her head hurt, and she knew she felt a cold coming on. Assuring herself the shift would be over soon, she kept going, helping, and staying out of others' ways.
Hyuga Hinata had blossomed into a young woman of eighteen. Her childish hair style from when she was younger had grown out, long enough to pull back into a hair tie; wandering bangs strayed upon her pale and fragile skin. She wore common nurse's scrubs; a light blue baggy top, a light blue pair of baggy pants, and a pair of tennis shoes.
Hinata had always been a kind, shy young soul. No one in Konoha(1) could imagine her years of hard work, learning tricky jutsus(2) and advanced martial arts, being used to hurt others, even if they were the enemies. No, instead, she vowed to use it for good, for healing.
"Hello, can I help you? I'm Hinata." Her quiet voice was barely audible in the little examining room. She was carrying someone's manila folder full of their past health records. A little boy, no older than nine, was sitting and crying in a chair in the corner of the room.
"I-I wa-was climbing a t-tree and I fell ou-out of it." The little boy stammered, still hiccupping from his sobbing. He looked at his bruised and limp arm, his good arm cradling it.
"Well, I think we should get an X-ray to make sure it isn't broken. Let me see your arm real quick. The doctor should be in soon."
(Later that Night)
Exhausted from her day's work, Hinata practically collapsed on her neat and made bed. She didn't even go through her normal routine of taking a shower, brushing her teeth, etc.
She dozed off in no time, falling into a deep sleep and started to dream.
"What are you doing in my home, I have not invited you here," Hinata said with a stern tone in her voice. She wondered to herself how she could be standing up to this man, who was obviously stronger than she and not to mention almost pure evil, without stuttering even once.
The man only smiled a wicked grin. His hair was very unique and different, like the color of grinded brick. His eyes were the color of ice; his stare just as hard and blank as his eyes.
"I need no ones' permission to go where I please." His eyes were scanning the skinny, pale woman.
This intimidated Hinata… her skin started to moisten with sweat and fear, but she still held her head high and didn't back down for the first time that she could remember.
"You are to leave now…" Her voice trailed off showing the fear that was bottled up inside. She thought to herself, this isn't good.
"I am here for you."
"W-What?" Now Hinata was confused and scared… but she still had the confidence in herself to stay strong.
"Do you not remember me, Hyuga Hinata? Do you not recognize my voice? Do you not recognize what your instincts are telling you at this moment?"
She thought, I do, but I can't remember who you are… wait a minute; this all makes sense… the secrecy, the act, the tone of his voice…
"G-Gaara?" Hinata blushed as usual, embarrassed she had not known his voice from the start.
He only smiled and looked down, closing his eyes and crossing his arms against his broad chest.
"I thought y-you…"
"No, if I had really failed my mission(3), had really died, would I be standing in front of you now?" Of course as usual, Gaara had somewhat of a sarcastic tone in his voice, but his smile had faded.
He started to walk over the Hinata's bed. She had gotten up before (in case she had to defend herself against the stranger) but when she realized it was Gaara, she had went back to it and sat in the middle, crossing her legs.
When Gaara got over to her and the bed, he laid down his large beige gourd and lay down beside her; Hinata had also lain down. Next thing she knew, his muscular arm embraced her around her stomach, holding and protecting her from nothing. She blushed again. Butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach; she had not felt this way since when she had the school-girl-crush on Uzumaki Naruto years before.
The irony of this was that the purest soul anyone could ever have the pleasure of knowing, was in the same bed as the infamous, corrupt and unstable demon nin from the Sand Village, was that she was enjoying every second..
(Next Morning, 6 AM)
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Hinata yawned, still trying to wake up from her night's slumber.
She was startled to find a man waiting in her window sill.
It was the man from her dream; it was Gaara.
He sat crouching before her, his eyes just as icy and cold as they were in her dream. His face was emotionless and his skin was pale (but still not as pale as the woman's before him). His hair was messy, sand was scattered through out his dirty locks. For the first time, Hinata saw blood dripping from Gaara's brow.
It must have been some heck of a fight if someone injured him… everyone knows that he is practically untouchable.
"I need you to heal me, Hinata. I know that we have not spoken for a couple years, but I have never been injured like this before. I don't want to go to the hospital; I want you to do it." Gaara's face didn't change emotion; it was still as blank and unreadable as a white sheet of paper.
"Alright then, G-Gaara. I'll do it for y-you." She fiddled with her fingers just like she always does when she's nervous or anxious. What else could I say? I'm not going to risk my well being and say no.
She preformed several jutsus, one mending three broken ribs, another to heal the cut on his forehead, and the last to heal his broken hand. Something had obviously crushed it, she thought silently to herself.
After she finished, Hinata didn't really want him to go. She rarely had visitors, even from close friends. The kids she grew up with were on important missions most of the time. Most were assigned to important A and B ranked missions and a few away on ANBU(4) missions.
Gaara, being one of the top ranked shinobi within all of the villages, was very frequently sent on missions. He wasn't afraid to wound, to sever, to kill…
Sometimes, Hinata thought that the man liked to kill, nay loved(5) to… that is just who he is, she supposed.
Even though Gaara has grown into a muscular, well proportioned twenty one year old, he hasn't changed a bit since Hinata and he were younger.
While Hinata's lingering mind distracted her, he had already left, leaving no trace he was there but a single drop of blood on her rug.
Goodbye, Gaara… I do not blame you for leaving, I should have treated you as a guest, offering you something to eat, drink, or rest until you recover.
Somehow, Hinata always had a way of twisting misfortunes around and making them her fault. It wasn't her fault though; Gaara had left on his own.
(Gaara's Point of View, Just Left Hinata's Place)
Gaara went to a back ally not too far from the nurse's house. His body felt as though he had never even engaged in that fight…
He wanted to think and to be alone for a couple minutes. The rest of his team, Temari and Kankuro, were back at the training grounds(6), just as he told them.
Her eyes, I've never experienced anything like them before. Those milky-white(7) eyes cut trough my soul, I could feel it.
Gaara doesn't usually get upset about anything. This was surprising to him that this nurse, who meant nothing to him, could upset him this much.
The more he thought about it, the more he recognized that he wasn't upset with her, but unpleasantly surprised.
Now that he was thinking about it, Gaara could remember how they first met. It was at the chuunin exam(8) years ago. Though they never engaged in conversation, the seemingly saint and the apparent demon were drawn to each other; she was as pure as the morning dew that graces the grass every morning; he is as demonic and wicked as any mortal can be without turning into a devil himself.
He had to stop thinking about her. Hinata was clouding his mind, trying to dismiss his better judgment, so to speak.
I have to see her again, I cannot help myself. I have never felt like this before about anything, anyone… I do not want this feeling to go away... I need Hinata!
And at that, he vanished into the dark and unlit roads of the village. He made his way past the hospital, passed the training grounds, and into the dense thicket. He needed some time to be completely alone, with no distractions. Gaara hardly ever sat time aside for himself.
Gaara's demented and perverted mind raced through countless thoughts... he was imagining a scene in a bedroom of some sort, he and Hinata together on the bed, passionately making love and smothering each other with kisses...
His other two team members would just have to wait until he collected himself and cleared his mind, once more becoming the emotionless demon.
(Next Day's Shift, Hospital 8 AM)
Hinata was fumbling this morning, dropping sterile shots, scattering files, bumping in to people, or something along those lines. Even though she was physically in the hospital, her mind was elsewhere.
"Hey, Hinata. Can I talk to you for a sec?" It was Dr. Mashimoto, the head doctor of this wing of the hospital.
"Y-Yes, Doctor, what do you n-need?" Her checks flushed a little. No one really talked to her during working hours besides the patients.
"Are you feeling alright this morning? You seem a little… off today." The portly man raised a single brow and looked at the girl in a good-hearted manner.
"Oh, yes sir. I'm f-fine." Her eyes shifted to her fingers that were playing with each other.
"Well, Miss Hyuga, I think you should take the rest if your shift off today. Maybe catch up on some sleep. What do you say? And don't worry; your pay won't be docked."
"Dr. M-Mashimoto, I would like that v-very much. I-I really appreciate it."
She went to go to the staff's eating quarters to grab her jacket and other belongings she brought to work that day.
Maybe I do need a break… I should catch up on some sleep. That way, I'll be better prepared for tomorrow.
She couldn't help but to think in the back of her mind that she hoped Gaara would come back soon, but quickly pushed that thought out.
Hinata looked down at her feet as she walked towards the exit and out the building. Since her apartment was only several blocks away, there was no need to drive.
As she was walking down the sidewalk of the busy village roads, she could feel someone staring at her the whole time. Watching. Waiting. Someone, or something, was following her.
Hinata didn't notice a figure behind a large bush a couple hundred feet away from her. His hand was up to his closed left eye. It was Gaara; he was using one of his signature jutsus, Daisan no Me(9). He was watching her, unnoticed by every man, woman, and child that passed him.
Hinata felt so uncomfortable at this point that she activated her Bayakugan(10) subconsciously… and there he was, the man she was thinking about only moments before. Gaara was only still for a second, though. His Third Eye had seen her use the jutsu and he tried to get away before he was discovered. His efforts were meaningless, though; her Bayakugan saw him, sitting there, watching. She blushed uncomfortably, still a little wary of her surroundings.
Why was he watching me? If I didn't know any better, I would think he was stalking me… but, I guess that's silly. After all, he is Gaara. He likes and loves no one…
(Gaara's Point of View)
She saw me… I forgot she had that stupid technique, how could I have been so foolish? She is a Hyuga.
Gaara rushed from his hiding place from behind the bush and to the back of an old building. He looked from side to side, and repeated again.
How can I get close to her without blowing my cover…?
He pondered that question for quite sometime. The best he came up with was to just wait for her until the next morning, until she had to go to work. Maybe, he would even approach her…
No, I can't talk to her like that. I can't just go up to her and say, 'Hey, Hinata. I was in the area and stopped by to say hi'. Geez, I'm such a bastard. What can I do to get her attention, to get her to notice me…?
Gaara thought of an idea, one that may work, no, will work. He smiled to himself, his eyes turning into thin, dark slits. He decided to put his plan into action right now while it was still fresh in his mind. But in order for it to work, he has to move fast and get to Hinata's apartment before she does. His insomnia(11) had finally gotten the best of him.
(Hinata's Apartment, Just Got Home)
Hinata still couldn't answer herself about why Gaara had been following her. Why would someone like him want anything to do with her, anyways?
I'm not pretty, interesting, strong, or anything. I'm just useless, quiet, and weak. I am different…
But it was really the opposite. Hinata was gorgeous, not even beautiful; she surpassed that by a landslide. She was strong, much more than she thought. Between her Bayakugan and Gentle Fist Technique(12), there were many ninjas stronger than her that she could beat, she just doesn't realize it.
All those years of being put down put her father had really took a toll on the young woman; not being good or strong enough, not being like her cousin Neji or her sister Hanabi, not being male… essentially, she was the heir of the Hyuga clan. Her father was going to be proud the day he passed the clan torch onto his young… until she was born and she wasn't a guy. That was the day her father stopped believing in her, all because she was female. Soon enough, he would disown her and leave her in full care of her sensei.
But, that was then and this is now.
Hinata started to get undressed from her nurse's uniform and changed into her pajamas; a white mid-drift tank top and loose, baggy sweatpants that hung low off her hips. She slipped a jacket over her bare shoulders, shivering from the sudden draft in the room…
She looked in her vanity mirror, seeing a tired woman staring back…
Something ran passed behind her in the mirror, a beige blur with something sticking off its back.
It ran into her room.
She got up and activated her Bayakugan once again. A slender and muscular figure stood near her bed with his arms crossed, his eyes closed. His hair was still messy and still had traces of sand in it.
Why is he here, again? I see no scratches, bruises, blood, anything… He does not need to be healed again…
She walked towards the door, which was shut, and turned the gold knob slowly. The door creaked open…
"I wondered how it would be before I got to see you again. I guess I answered my own question." The young man opened his eyes and smirked at the young woman. He looked a little chaotic.
"G-Gaara, how did y-you get in here? W-Why are you h-here?" asked Hinata shyly. Her voice was a little shaky; just standing in front of the Desert shinobi was unnerving to her.
"You see, Hinata, you have put a spell on me. I can't stop thinking about you." Gaara's voice was pretty frightful; slow, bitter, and somewhat aggressive. He smiled a chaotic smile and furrowed his brow, his dark and lifeless eyes curving in amusement at Hinata's obvious fear. Any sane doctor would have put Gaara in a psychiatric hospital right then and there, after seeing that disgustingly horrific grin.
"You and I are going to have some fun tonight, my love." Gaara was getting more and more insane with each second that passed.
"G-Gaara, p-please!" Hinata cried out in fear. She thought to herself, how could I have ever had feelings for this… monster!
Surely, she thought, tonight would be her last night on earth; she would be dead before dawn.
By now, the young nurse was breaking down in tears; her whole body was shaking profusely.
Without saying another word to her, Gaara grabbed Hinata by both shoulders and threw her down on her queen-sized bed. Hinata was so shaken up that she couldn't talk, couldn't defend herself.
She tried kicking Gaara, punching, hitting, and doing what ever she could to stop him. She tried using her Gentle Fist Technique, but was no avail. He was just too strong.
Gaara started by forcing off her tank top; she was braless. Then he pulled off her sweatpants, leg by leg. She was left with only her panties on. He jumped on the bed, his hands pushing down on her shoulders and her hips and legs between his; he looked like a dog on top of his prey.
He looked at her with the same chaotic smile he had since he arrived. His face was only a couple inches from hers. Hinata was trembling with fear. She was absolutely horrified of this man.
Gaara stuck out his tongue and licked her bare flesh, from the top of her navel to in-between her soft round breasts. Hinata cringed as she felt his fleshy and wet tongue taste her salty skin. Even on her dangerous missions with Kiba and Shino, she had never been as petrified with fear as she is now.
"Having fun, pet?" Hinata didn't even look at Gaara. By this time, she closed her eyes, trying to get the taunting image of black-rimmed aquamarine eyes out of her mind.
He pulled her last piece of clothing off her body. He then took off the large gourd on his back, took off his black shirt and pants, and his black open-toed sandals.
"P-Please, G-Gaara… don't d-do t-this…" Hinata was stuttering really bad now, her voice even more timid and quiet than usual. Her eyes and cheeks were stained with tears.
Gaara didn't care about her pain, her anguish, her desires. But then again, he didn't care about anyone, not even his own siblings and teammates Temari and Kankuro. He was his only love, only true desire.
He forced himself into her, moaning at the pain of his member. His smile hadn't faded yet.
Hinata wailed in pain, at the sheer force of entry into her. The pain was so great, she could hardly bear it. She screamed a glass-shattering shriek; the mirror on her dresser shattered.
Hinata couldn't stand the pain and suffering any longer. Her body passed out, not remembering anything after those first horrible moments that seemed like hours.
(Hours Later)
Hinata awoke in her bed, under the covers. The clock on her night stand read 6:33 PM. Gaara was no where to be found.
Hinata broke down once more, crying an ocean of tears and pain. She was very sore and her sheets her a mess. She got up and put on some more pajamas. This time, she put on an over-sized t-shirt and long shorts. She started to strip her bed and put the new sheets on. Hinata put the soiled sheets in a black trash bag and put it by her door so they could be disposed of.
She went to her bed once more, and laid her head and body down on the new clean sheets. Hinata cried herself to sleep that night. She was grateful that Gaara spared her life, but she knew that she would never be the same Hinata again.
(Next Morning)
Hinata was startled by the sound of her phone ringing. Her clock now read 10:16 AM. She was tempted not to answer it because she was afraid it might be Gaara. She looked at the called ID and it read Hidden Leaf Hospital. It turned out to be Mr. Mashimoto.
"H-Hello?" She answered, fumbling over her words. Her voice was still shaky and unstable from last night's ordeal.
"May I please speak with Hyuga Hinata, please? This is Dr. Mashimoto from Hidden Leaf Hospital."
"Hello, Dr. Mashimoto. T-This is she."
"Hello, Hinata. The other nurses checked to see if you called in sick, but you hadn't. I was just calling to make sure you were okay."
Hinata wanted so badly to tell the doctor she trusted about everything, about Gaara, the rape, her uncertainties if she was going to be okay… but she didn't. Instead, she was silent.
"Hinata?"
"Oh, y-yes sir, I'm f-fine. But I w-was wondering if I-I could take the rest of the w-week off, please?" Her tone she used was stagnant and unchanging.
"Hinata, if something is wrong, you know that you can always come to me to confide in, right?"
"Y-Yes doctor, I am a-aware. I am sorry, but I m-must go now." The nervous girl hung up the phone and walked back to her bed and lay down again. She curled up into a ball and brought her comforter up to her chin. As she closed her eyes, a single tear dropped down her cheek.
(Three Weeks Later)
Blue. It was blue.
Hinata tried doing the test over and over again, trying to make sure it wasn't true, trying to erase reality.
Blue again. And again. And again. And again.
It was positive, the test said so; Hinata was going to have Gaara's baby.
It's going to be the product not of love, but lust, hatred, and demonry. This baby will be my own, but also his…
This news devastated the Hyuga woman. Every girl has thought about having a baby and what they were going to name him. Every girl has thought about the perfect love and marriage they were going to have when they grew up. Every girl has thought about their family having more babies, passing their own traits and personalities onto their grandchildren and their children's children, and so on.
Before that horrible night, before Gaara had invaded her, she fantasized about it almost everyday… what her loved one would say when he proposed. What her wedding vows would be on the day of her wedding. How she would raise her children…
She wondered what this baby was going to be like. She hoped his/her dominate genes would be just like hers and not the man who is his/her biological father.
I guess it doesn't matter who the baby is like, a long as they don't know and/or act like their father. I will raise them as a Hyuga—
Something suddenly occurred to Hinata…
My bloodline and his advanced techniques… My Bayakugan… Gaara's sand techniques and the Shukahu(13) that infests his body… what will become of my baby?
Hinata had heard rumors of mixing two advanced bloodlines—which was considered unruly through out all of the villages—of babies having two different bloodlines and not being bothered, mixing bloodlines to form a new kind, and others simply dying because their bodies couldn't handle the combination of complex DNA.
I will have to wait and pray to Him and ask for the baby to be alright, to be healthy… to not possess anything similar to his father…
Then her mind lingered to the upcoming holidays that drew nearer and nearer with each day that passed. She thought of Christmas, which is around the time that the baby is due, and how the whole Hyuga clan would gather to enjoy the festivities and company of their families and friends. It was the one time of year when the whole clan came together…
Hinata hadn't told her family that she was pregnant, let alone raped. She was most intimidated to tell her father. All her life, he had put her down, expected more, and never appreciated anything she accomplished not matter how hard she tried.
That was why she went to live on her own two years ago, then applied for the nursing job she has now.
Hinata wasn't sure how she was going to tell her father about the baby, about Gaara. She thought…
It probably won't matter that this child was forced upon me by Gaara, he will probably think I'm lying about everything just to keep myself from getting into trouble… What am I going to do…?
(Between Then and About Eight Months Later, Before Baby)
Gaara has been watching Hinata all along.
She thinks that it was just a one night thing… She was wrong.
Over the last months, Gaara had been watching Hinata without her or anyone else noticing. His obsession with her is without a doubt unhealthy. He can only think about her, no matter what he's doing; training, on missions, eating, dreaming … she's all he wants, all he desires… he adores the ground we walks upon. Gaara flat out craves Hinata, her voice, her personality, her baby... his baby.
This is my child… I will step up taking my role as father when the day comes that my baby is born, is brought into my world… Daddy will be there to say 'hello'.
A crazed looked appeared across his face, his icy aquamarine eyes had a sort deranged twang to them. His eyes curled in demented happiness as his smile got wider and wider.
Gaara fled from his hiding place behind her apartment building. For now, he must complete the mission his elite was assigned.
Don't worry; I'll come back soon, right after this mission. It's going to be so easy, I bet that not even one droplet of sweat will secrete from my skin… I will be back.
(Hinata's Apartment, One Week After Giving Birth)
Hinata was exhausted after the delivery on December sixth, even though it's already been a whole week after it. Sixteen hours in labor will take a lot of energy out of any mother. Making it even harder, there was no father to help take care of the newborn, no one to help her out. She's low on money; paying for diapers and other necessities are more expensive then she anticipated them to be; being only nineteen, she hasn't had a lot of time to save up.
Her newborn was so tiny any little that Hinata could hold her entire body with her forearm. She had dark ringlets of "peach fuzz" on her head that were barely seen; her rosy cheeks were plump and soft. She was an angel,
The baby was crying so loud, Hinata thought she might have to plug her ears with cotton to even pick up the newborn. "Hush, Nirui, hush. It's okay, Mommy's here." Hinata whispered into the little girl's ear. Nirui needed changed so Hinata started to walk towards the changing table, which was located right by a white-draped window.
He was in the window. He was watching, staring, waiting.
Hinata shrieked in terror and the baby began to cry again. This was the first time she had seen him since the sexual assault.
"G-Gaara?"
He smiled at the fear he had struck into the new mother's heart.
"I'm back, Hinata. I've come for the child... and for you, my dear."
With the baby pulled up to her chest, Hinata tried to shield Nirui, trying to protect her from the abomination.
Gaara thrust his fist into the window, fracturing it into tiny glass shards. His knuckles were sliced, little pieces of broken glass imbedded in his skin. But he didn't care, he couldn't think about anything except his unwilling mistress and his child, Nirui. Physical pain was nothing to compared to pain he mentally made himself endure everyday.
Hinata was doing everything she could to get away. Kicking things over to slow Gaara down, shoving things backwards, trying to talk her way out of another possible assault…
Whapp!
Something hit the back of Hinata's head with great force, but not hard enough to kill her. Her vision started to get fuzzy around the edges and began to feel unstable. She slowed down, and sat against the wall, baby in her arms still crying. She suddenly forgot about Gaara, about the escape, about reality. Hinata's vision was completely gone now, eyelids starting to close, her hearing was starting to diminish. The last thing she remembered hearing were Nirui's dwindling cries and a man's soft voice whispering, "Shh…" She went unconscious then.
Gaara had picked up the baby and started to rock her in his arms. His eyes softened at the sight of Nirui smiling up at him, her eyes curled in happiness. Gaara noticed she had the same color of eyes as he but lighter and more pale. Nirui's hair was the same soft hue of her unconscious mother's, a dark violet-blue that was almost black. The baby was giggling and cooing at her father as he was letting her play with his fingers.
Gaara walked over the kitchen table, Nirui's high chair was right next to it. He strapped her down in it and left for a second to get the woman. He picked Hinata up, his strong arms supporting her neck and knees. Her body was limp like a rag-doll's. He set her down on the couch supporting her head on a maroon couch pillow.
For the first time, Gaara noticed how Hinata decorated her house. The living room was coordinated to her couch, which was a soft maroon. The pillows on it were a darker maroon with a gold fringe and little diamond shaped yellow beads on them. Her walls were khaki, and the long, flowing drapes that touched hardwood floors were an off white. A rather large bookshelf, containing everything from children's read alouds to graphic medical texts, was next to the couch. A silver TV stood in a corner of the room, turned on to some sort of child's cartoon but muted, had a lamp seated next to it.
Hinata's kitchen was also painted khaki; hard wood floorings covered every room. Her countertop was a cream and maroon marble, which had a glass vase filled to the brim with white daisies and her morning's mail in the center.
Gaara walked up the stairs into Hinata's room (which he had already visited) and the spare bedroom. Her room was a soft lilac, a dark cherry wood dresser with a newly replaced mirror and nightstand were sitting alone by the walls. Three pictures of white daisies in white frames were on three of the four bedroom walls. In the middle was her queen-sized bed and white down-feather comforter. Nirui's crib and a second changing table were right next to it. A door to the left led into a tidy bathroom. The carpet was also white and spotless.
The spare bedroom was a lime green with vertical white stripes. The carpet here was also white. A little closet and nightstand was visible from the doorway, as well as a twin-sized bed with a matching lime green comforter and pillow on top. Of course, a large picture frame of a white daisy hung above the bed. Within the next year or so, this was going to be Nirui's new room.
It was a lovely home, really. Rather small with only four rooms and one-and-a-half baths, but comfortable. Gaara really did like how she decorated the house. Cool, calm, and collected; almost meditative in a way.
Nirui was crying from downstairs, again, wanting some attention. So Gaara left Hinata's room and started for the stairway. He gingerly walked down trying to keep somewhat quiet so the baby wouldn't cry any louder. He said sort of loud, "Hush, Nirui, Daddy's coming!"
Just as Gaara turned the corner into the kitchen, Hinata came out of no where and smashed the vase and flowers into the demon's face.
"Stay away from Nirui!" Her motherly instincts were starting to take over even though she was utterly horrified. The baby was still crying in the background, only louder because a disarray of chaos was starting to unravel once again.
Gaara's battered hand rose to his nose as blood was dripping onto his clothes and the wood floor. Open cuts and nicks from the broken glass pieces cleaved his damned skin.
"You fool…" The deranged man grabbed a hold to Hinata's neck, clutching his large, pale hands around it, his fingernails digging into her fragile skin. Naturally Hinata's hands rose to grasp his hands and wrists, trying to somehow get loose of Gaara's iron grip. The more she tried to get away, the more his grip tightened around her throat. At this point, he was almost suffocating Hinata.
His lips drew closer to hers, forcing her head towards his. Hinata's body was shuddering uncontrollably. Gaara closed his sleepless eyes; his pale and demonic face was now only centimeters from Hinata's.
I will not taste the damned poison secreting from your lips again, not even one more time!
On top of one of Hinata's marble countertop sat a child-proof knife container that was full of at least a half-dozen steak knives. She pulled out the first one she could get her fingers to grip, ironically being the largest and sharpest one she owned, and drove it straight forward into Gaara's abdomen while he was distracted by trying to kiss her.
An "Uhhh…" escaped from Gaara's lips right after he felt the deep penetration of the knife into his stomach. Blood started to stream out of his body. His clothing was quickly starting to absorb the fluids. He fell back onto the hard floor, a loud whack was heard when his head met the ground. By now, his leaking blood was starting to pool around his almost body.
Gaara tried to say something back to Hinata while lying on the floor, half dead. "Hin… Hinata… I-I… love…y-" His body went limp and relaxed then, a single tear running down his pale cheek. A saddened thought ran through his mind at that moment... I needed Hinata to show me what a cruel man I really am, that I know I am. She was the one to show me that love is a necessity to any man. Thank you, Hyuga Hinata.
He couldn't tell Hinata the last thing he wanted to say before he died. He knew he could fight off Hinata, he knew he could survive if he really tried. After all, he was one of the strongest ninja in all of the villages. But, he didn't want to live. He remembered the terror he inflicted on Hinata for the first time. Gaara loved making people scared, torturing, maiming, killing, you name it. As he was on the brink of death, it was as though he woke up from a lifetime of hatred, of sorrow. Truthfully though, even in the psychotic state Gaara was in, he would have never killed Hinata. He did really love her… just in a deranged sort of way.
Her hands were stained with Gaara's blood. She looked down at them and her hands started to shake again.
Hinata collapsed onto her knees, bowing her head into her bloody hands and sobbed uncontrollably.
Nirui was still crying, her face just as red as Hinata's. The young mother had tuned the baby out in the midst of the fight.
Hinata got up off the floor and wiped her eyes on her sleeve and grabbed two tissues, one for herself to wipe her face and the other to wipe Nirui's tears and mucus from her face.
After taking caring of the baby, Hinata walked towards her cordless phone and dialed 911.
Within five minutes or so of the call, two police officers, an emergency squad, and a fire truck arrived at her doorstep with an empty stretcher and body bag.
They asked her to wait outside on her front lawn while they inspected the situation, gather evidence, the whole ten yards.
One of the police came to Hinata and Nirui's side, asking questions while taking notes.
Not long after, an occupied stretcher and body bag came rolling out the door with two paramedics on either end. A bulge in the middle suggested that the weapon was still inside of Gaara's lifeless stomach. Hinata couldn't bear to look at the men.
The initial investigation went on for quite a while. Nirui had fallen asleep in her mother's arms as the sun started to set. Since Hinata couldn't stay in her home until the investigation was over, she had no choice but to contact her father.
Hinata started to rock the sleeping baby in her arms as she started towards one of the police cars, getting ready to tell her father everything; the first assault, the baby, the second attack, and Gaara's death. Now she wished she had told her father a long time ago.
"Don't worry, honey. You're safe now, no one can hurt you," said the female officer, trying to comfort Hinata. "You'll make it through this, I promise."
(One Year Later, Shopping for Groceries)
"What do you say, Nirui? You want some 'nanas?" Hinata asked her toddler playfully who was now a little over a year old.
"No!" She smiled at herself. Nirui loved hearing her own voice. Her pale green eyes curled as she smiled. Her dark hair was now long enough to pull back into a short and curly ponytail. 'No' was her first word she spoke, not to mention her favorite to say. She could say little words like 'mama', 'wa-wa', and 'car'.
Hinata smiled at her happy-go-lucky child. She couldn't have been luckier than when she was blessed with Nirui… well, as far as lucky goes in her perspective.
"Hey, Hinata! I haven't seen you in forever!" A voice rang from across the isle. It was Uzumaki Naruto, Hinata's old crush from her youth.
"Oh, hello Naruto. It's nice to see you again," the young mom said in a timid voice. Surprisingly, Hinata's stomach was fluttering a little bit like it had five or so years ago.
Since the day she stood up for herself and Nirui, she had gained confidence within herself and could now talk to anyone without stuttering.
They hugged a friendly hug. Naruto was now twenty, the same age as Hinata.
He looked over at her shopping cart and saw her little bundle of joy. "Oh, Hinata!" he exclaimed. "You had a little baby girl!" He walked over the cart and played with her little fingers, and then 'peek-a-boo'. "What's her name?"
"Her same is Nirui. Would you like to hold her?" Hinata unbuckled the safety seatbelt that held the little girl in and handed her to Naruto.
"She's so cute…" Naruto's expression melted as he held Nirui. "Her father is a very lucky man."
Hinata didn't say anything, her pearly orbs just went down the corner of her eye.
"Who's the father?" Naruto asked gleefully.
"She doesn't have a father, Naruto."
"Oh… so… you don't have a boyfriend or husband?" asked the golden-haired man innocently.
"No, I'm just by myself. At the moment, I'm living with father for personal reasons. I'm looking to buy a new home close to Hidden Leaf Hospital for Nirui and I."
"That's funny; my home is one block away from the hospital." Naruto smiled at Hinata, still cradling Nirui in his arms.
"That's nice."
"Hinata, I was wondering… Would you and Nirui like to join me for dinner tonight? My treat." Naruto smiled up at Hinata, and then went back to playing 'I got your nose' with the baby,
"Naruto… that would be lovely. Thank you." She smiled at the man.
Maybe Naruto is the one who can support Nirui and I in this difficult time in my life. Maybe he is the right person to father my child. Maybe… I was right all along when I was younger, right about the man that is standing before me now. But I only know one thing for sure… only time will tell.
(End)
Konoha is the Hidden Leaf Village in the Fire Country.
Jutsu is "technique" in Japanese. These can be done using hand signs and are learned by ninja.
Ninja are assigned to "missions" depending on their rank. They help protect someone or something from harm even if it will cost them their own life.
ANBU ninja are a special rank. They are like secret guards for the Kage. They can be assigned to assassinate, escort, and guard the current Kage as well.
Gaara's dad, the Kazekage, imprisoned the soul of a demon priest called Shukaku. Since Gaara was six years old, the Kazekage has tried to assassinate him many tries but failed. He cannot sleep because his inner demon will devour him. This caused Gaara to think that he could never love anyone and his sole purpose of living was to kill everyone and everything he met. Thus, he put a tattoo of the Japanese symbol for love on his forehead, vowing to never love anybody but himself.
Training grounds are used, mostly by Genin and Academy students, to practice at. Each Genin team has a designated training ground. In this case, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro still practice at their old grounds.
Hinata's eyes are white. It is a trait of the Hyuga clan.
The chuunin exam is a test that is held twice a year for Genin ninja of all villages. Chunin is the next rank after Genin. A Chunin can be a squad leader and are responsible for the lives and safety of their team members and their mission. Umino Iruka, Naruto's former sensei, is a Chunin.
Daisan no Me translated into English means "the third eye". This is one of Gaara's jutsus. He can make an eye from his sand and can see from it like it was his own because it is linked to his optic nerve with chakra.
Bayakugan is a bloodline limit jutsu processed by the Hyuga clan members. It can enable the user to see 360 degrees around them. They can also see the chakra coil system (the "routes" inside that transport chakra through the body) that ninja have. This can be used when the Gentle Fist Technique is needed because the user can attack chakra holes, damaging the opponent's organs internally.
See 5.
See 10.
See 5.
