Chapter Five: Murderer of Innocence

The two Chuunin and their sensei stared down at the sight before them. The sensei stood with his arms crossed. One Chuunin just stood there, while the other buried her face into the other student's arm. Naruto caught up to his group. "Hey Kakashi-sensei! Whoa, what's going on here?" Naruto walked up next to Kakashi and looked down. His mouth gaped at what laid before them.

A young woman, pale as snow, lay dead before them. Her eyes were open and cold, while blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Her clothes were heavily stained, and her body was covered in cuts and slashes. Naruto looked at what had been done to her stomach and nearly had to throw up. Kakashi simply looked down at her. "A terrible beast must have done this…" Kakashi noticed something on the ground, and adjusted the mask over half of his face. He bent down, and picked up something Naruto eagerly tried to see. Sakura, who was the Chuunin who had buried her face into Sasuke's arm, looked up at her sensei. "Kakashi-sensei? What is it?" Kakashi turned straight to Naruto. "Naruto, you're coming with me. We must go and see the Hokage."

Before he knew it, Naruto was in the Hokage's room, while she stood staring at the Chuunin and then at Kakashi, who was carrying the body of the deceased woman. Some Chuunin ran up to the Hokage's room behind Kakashi, and they all stared in, listening to what was going on. Hinata was among them.

"Tsundae," Kakashi spoke. "This morning my students and I found this woman's body, heavily beaten until death took her away." Tsundae examined the girl. "The poor woman…Is there any evidence of who--or what--may have killed her?" Kakashi opened one of his fists, revealing what he had found.

Everyone stared. Naruto stared. Tsundae gasped quietly.

In Kakashi's palm was a single strand of hair. It was thick, like that of an animal's. It was deep red, but someone could've called it red-orange in any case. Hinata walked in slowly, examining the single strand. It--It couldn't be…No…Naruto growled and shouted, "It was HIM! I should've known, it was that Sand-Chuunin, Gaara!" Tsundae nodded. "Yes, it would seem so." Gai-sensei walked in through the pack of Chuunin at the door. "We should think about if that boy will keep killing." Lee stepped up next to his teacher. "Gai-sensei is right--It seems in Gaara's nature to kill people. I mean, we all know what he thinks.." Hinata shot a glance at Lee. "You mean that he only loves himself and lives to kill everyone but himself? You're WRONG!" Everyone stared at her, and for a second the room was a zone of silence. Naruto turned to Hinata, angry.

"Hinata, you know it was him! He's the only red-haired person I know that would do this! What else could've done it!"

Hinata stared at Naruto for a moment, and then she hung her head. "I--I don't know what came over me. I am sorry." Hinata put her hands together. The raven-haired girl could still feel eyes glaring down at her, and she looked up. She gasped as she saw a red flash go by the window. Hinata stepped back. "I--I have to go out for a minute…" Hinata ran out of the room to the outside.

Gaara stood in the middle of the clearing once again, and looked up into the sky. He could understand why the people thought he was a murderer…Just like the people in the Sand Village did. He could hear someone coming in the distance, but he did not move, because it was predictable who would appear through the trees--The same Hyuuga that he had defended from the Sound-Chuunin.

As so, Hinata appeared from the trees. "You heard them, didn't you..?" Gaara didn't even look at her, and continued to stare into space. Hinata moved closer to him. "…I don't think you killed her." Gaara flicked an eye at her. "Is that so…And why don't you think I committed such a gruesome murder? Isn't it in my 'nature, as I said'? Hinata frowned. "I..I didn't expect them to upset you so…" The raven-haired girl could see his eyes--She could see how lonely he was, how cold and determined he was to protect himself.

"Gaara-sama, I know how determined you are to protect yourself," she said softly, reaching out to him. Gaara flung an arm out at her, and she fell back. "Don't you touch me." Hinata rubbed the side of her face, and stood back up. "You fight people to protect yourself, and you say you only love yourself. I don't think that's true." She began to walk to him once again. Gaara turned to her. "Shut up. I don't need to know what you THINK about me!" The red haired teenager knocked her back violently. Hinata fell onto the ground with a loud thud, and she skidded shortly across the ground. Shukaku screamed in Gaara's mind.

What does that wretch think she's DOING! You couldn't kill her last time, boy. Don't disappoint me, and DO IT NOW!

Gaara raised a hand. "Come near me again, Hyuuga, and I'll obliterate you for good!" Hinata stumbled up, and began to advance toward him again. The Sand-Chuunin scowled. He couldn't understand why she was so determined. Hinata walked to him, and stopped before him. She looked up into his eyes. "I can tell--You aren't what you seem on the outside, Gaara!" "Leave me ALONE!" Gaara roared. He began to advance his hand at her once again. Then he stopped his fist.

She believes that I didn't kill that woman--Even though she has every right to believe that I am a murderer…Why?

The hand that once advanced at Hinata with violence slowly put itself onto her shoulder. Hinata looked back into Gaara's eyes, a stunned expression on her face. Gaara winced at the effect her eyes had on him. "…Why? Why do you think I'm innocent?" Hinata smiled, and put a hand on his cold face. "Because no one loves themselves when they save another…" Gaara lost himself completely in that one moment, and before he knew it, he had placed both hands on her arms, and he had been locked with her in a kiss. Hinata was stunned, but she could do nothing about it--She had put her hand on his shoulder and had accepted his kiss.

Shikamaru and Ino were walking through the forest, searching for Hinata. Ino scowled. "Why'd she have to go and run off like that? I mean, dude! What's her problem with the fact that Gaara's a mur--!" Shikamaru had shoved a hand onto her face to keep her quiet. Ino took his hand off, and looked past Shikamaru to see the raven-haired Hyuuga and the red-haired Sand Chuunin locked in a kiss.

Oh my GOD! Oh, they got caught, things are really going to get twisted now Read Chapter Six, people!