Wow that took sometime to update. Well here's Chapter 6, longer than expected. And don't worry GaaHina fans, hope is not lost! Also thank you everyone for the lovely reviews, much appreciated!

Chapter 6 Duty before Love

Neji walked alone back towards the Hyuuga mansion, he didn't have a legitimate reason to go after Hinata. He wondered how she was, what she was doing and when the hell was she coming back. He slipped through the gates into the huge estate and walked pass the gardens.

When they were younger Neji always spied Hinata playing in the garden, she loved to touch the flower petals and help the gardeners pick out weeds and water the plants. He wasn't so angry anymore that Hinata was gone by herself even if it was with Subaku no Gaara. There was no way she would actually think about staying with him was there?

"Neji there you are," Hiashi, Hinata's father and his uncle approached him in the gardens.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You and my daughter are quite closer now right?" he said. Neji nodded slowly wondering where this was going. "Do you know if she might have any… special interest in the Kazekage?" he asked him. Neji narrowed his eyes.

"I would hope not," he replied.

"As you know I can't have her running off to different countries without escorts since she is unmarked… and it would be worst if she was to be wedded to the hidden sand village," Hiashi said.

"I promise you she won't," Neji exclaimed. He would die before he would sit through a Hinata and Gaara wedding ceremony. Hiashi gave him an approving smile.

"I don't want her running off like that, there's a chance that she won't even come back. Therefore I have figured that she will come back if something drastic happens," Hiashi told him.

"Like what?" Neji asked curiously.

"I want to arrange that you marry Hinata," Hiashi said. Neji gaped at him, unbelieving, refusing those words.

Marry Hinata? Him? He would be lying if he said he had never thought about it, but never in a million years would he actually believe that he will. He remembers many times when he thought that Hinata would make the perfect wife but he never really meant for him in particular. He always suspected that she would end up marrying Naruto or some other respectable man from another respectable and powerful family.

"Well… do you accept?" Hiashi asked impatiently.

"What if Hinata doesn't?"

"She has to," Hiashi assured him. "She will."

"I accept then."

Neji couldn't believe it, he walked down the streets dumbfounded, not knowing where he was going but he just had to keep walking. He should be happy shouldn't he? Instead he felt guilty, guilty that he would have to force Hinata into marrying him. He knew very well his feelings for Hinata and he also knew very well that Hinata did not feel the same. He wondered how he would tell her, and how she would react. Maybe she would throw a fit, cry or even try to run away. Doubt and worry circled in his mind as uneasiness settled into his heart.

He also wondered how everyone else would take this, but that was the least of his worries. Their input on his personal relationships didn't interest him whatsoever, it was Hinata's opinion that he truly wanted.

Hiashi had ordered him to get permission from the Hokage to retrieve Hinata and tell her the news. He was afraid to see her but he wanted to see her but the fear of rejection was by far stronger.

"Hey Neji-san!" Rock Lee called running up to him waving. He glanced at his teammate in his green suit.

"What is it?" he asked half-heartedly.

"You're going to fetch Hinata-san right?" he asked. Neji didn't answer. "Well…" Lee said not waiting for a reply. "I'll come with you!"

"No," Neji said automatically. He didn't want one of his closest friends to be there to see him be rejected.

"Why not? It might be dangerous!"

"No," Neji repeated.

"Come on!"

"No."

"But-!"

"NO!" Neji didn't know how to get one simple word through his thick skull!

"But-!"

"Lee…" he said sternly. "Personally I wouldn't mind if you came along but this time it's something I have to do alone."


Hinata picked up backpack with food supplies and camping supplies and slipped it onto her back. Gaara hadn't said a word to her since the kiss. She hadn't seen him much either. After that he only appeared once to throw her the backpack and when she was about to say something he was already gone.

"Come on I'll take you to the boarder," Temari said sincerely leading her towards the edge of the village. Hinata turned to look at the village, wondering if Gaara would come see her off.

"Where's… Gaara?" she asked quietly.

"Not sure… but he said he was busy, if he wasn't the Kazekage I'm sure he would've taken you," Temari said trying to reassure her. "Sometimes I wish he wasn't the Kazekage ya know? He seems to really like you," she sighed.

If he wasn't the Kazekage… somehow the name "kage" didn't appeal to her anymore. If he wasn't the Kazekage they could be together, if he wasn't the Kazekage… Now Hinata was being selfish, she couldn't wish for something so stupid.

"Well… let's go," Temari announced. Hinata nodded sadly.

"Hinata," she flipped her head to see Gaara standing there only a few yards away from her with his arms crossed.

"Gaara…" she said, bittersweet tears forming in her eyes. She fought them back.

"Temari can you leave us alone for a second?" he asked her. Temari nodded understandingly and took off to give them some time to talk.

"Gaara-san, I-I'm glad that you came," Hinata said with difficulty, her throat felt clenched. She had never felt anything like this ever in her life, her heart screamed for her to stay and that she was making the wrong choice but she knew it was selfish. She had to sacrifice her own happiness for everyone else's.

"Hinata… can your promise me something?" he asked quietly, his eyes cascading downwards, his fists were clenched tightly by his side now.

"Of course," she said trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"Promise me…" he paused looking at her with anger, "That you'll never return to this village again, under any circumstances," he stated firmly to her. Hinata looked at him shocked and rather hurt. She looked away, her heart was strangling her, she tried to speak but nothing came out. Why was he asking her to make such a promise?

"W-why?" she struggled to say.

"Because I love you," he said softly, Hinata's heart skipped, she wanted to say she loved him too, "But I hate you," Gaara continued, "Yashamaru once told me that some wounds could only be healed by love. She was wrong, it only made it worse. That's why I don't want you to come back," pain was hinted in his voice.

"Gaa-"

"Promise me!" he snapped bitterly. She flinched.

"I-I promise…" Hinata looked away, she didn't dare look at him. If she did she knew that she could never stop the tears that were welling in her eyes. Her fingers were tingling as she fought those tears, they shook and were unnaturally cold.

"I hope you have a good life, Hyuuga Hinata," with that he turned away and beckoned Temari to come back. Hinata just stood there, frozen staring down at the sand as it was showered by tears that ran from her white eyes. The white eyes she despised so much now, those eyes kept her from Gaara.

"Are you okay?" Temari asked worried, she put a consoling hand on Hinata's shaking shoulder. "What did Gaara say to you? Did he hurt you?" she asked angrily. Hinata shook her head slightly because her voice wouldn't come to her. He didn't hurt her; it was she that had hurt him and she felt sick to the core for doing so.

"Come on let's go," Temari said soothingly as she led her away from the sand village. "You'll feel much better when you're resting at home," she assured her as they walked off but somehow Hinata knew that that wouldn't happen.


"Hinata!" Neji yelled spotting her walking alone through the path of the village. She was back, Neji smiled relieved. She looked extremely fatigued but she didn't look like she was wounded.

"Neji-niisan," Hinata said softly. Neji paused, she sounded like death.

"Are you okay?" he asked worried.

"I'm sorry… for worrying you," her words were soft and he could barely make them out.

"That doesn't matter, as long as you're safe," he said giving her an encouraging smile. What was with Hinata? For the first time in awhile, he had smiled at her and she didn't smile back. In fact she looked sick almost, he knew that look. It was the look she had several times when she was rejected by the family and him when they were younger but it looked a hundred times worse.

"Did something happen?" he asked examining her.

"I guess I'm just tired," Hinata said blankly glancing behind her as if she was waiting for someone to catch up to her but no one came.

"I'll carry you back," he offered.

"No," she replied. "I-I can make it," she told him. There was no way Neji was going to tell her that they were married at the moment, it looked as if she was going to faint any second.

"Hinata, your father wouldn't forgive me if something happened to you," he said stubbornly, still insisting on carrying her back.

"N-ne," he watched as Hinata's eyelids slipped shut. Neji caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Hinata…" Why did he feel like he just did something bad? He felt horrible, like after he nearly killed her in the Chuunin exam. Why was she acting this way? It scared him, it scared him a lot.


Hinata woke with a horrible feeling in her stomach as if she had eaten something way past the expiration date. She slowly sat up, the familiar sunshine traveled onto her smooth and pale skin but why was she still so cold? Hinata sat up, trying her best to put the thoughts of Gaara behind her mind as she shut the window closed. She walked to the bathroom and ran a hot shower.

She shut her eyes tightly as the hot and heavy droplets splattered against her skin. Normally she would never take a shower this hot but right now she didn't feel normal at all. She felt cold, colder than she had ever felt. It was as if a blizzard raged in the depths of her soul.

It was as if a void had settled deep within her heart, a void that she couldn't ignore let alone fill. The cold was a stranger that she was not going to ask to leave for Hinata knew that she was the one who invited this stranger in the first place.

Hinata could feel the tears streaming down her cheek as her body slowly descended onto the ground, she didn't have the will to stand anymore so she let the hot rain swallow her but it still didn't replace that cold feeling left within her.

"Hinata-sama are you okay?" she could hear one of the servants call to her outside the bathroom but it was barely audible under the sound of splattering water.

Hinata slowly stood up and turned off the shower and slipped out of the bathroom getting dressed quickly on the way. She tried her best to brush the cold feeling aside as she made her way out of her bedroom door pass the crystal necklace Gaara had given her, which lay peacefully on her satin sheets. Neji stood outside in the hallway leaning against the wall as if waiting for her.

"Ohayou…" Hinata said weakly.

"Your friends wanted to visit you but your father wouldn't let them onto the compound," Neji informed her.

"Oh," Hinata said quietly. Kiba with Akamaru and Shino came by her house often but none of them have actually been in the Hyuuga house. "Are they still there?"

"Hopefully not, he drove them away yesterday," he told her with a small smile trying to cheer her up with a joke but Hinata was unfazed.

"I'll drop by and say hi to them later I guess," she said looking at the ground. She didn't even realize that Neji was trying to make eye contact.

"What happened?" he asked gently, she backed away when she felt his hand softly touch her. It surprised the both of them.

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly, finally looking up at the surprised expression on his face which transformed into a kind smile.

"You finally looked at me," he said relieved.

"Eh?" Hinata asked confused. She realized that being around Neji, it didn't hurt as much.

"Nothing," he said glancing away. "You must be hungry, lunch is ready," he told her.

Hinata followed him obediently, it was the least she could do after running off on him. He didn't lecture her or anything; she wondered why he was being so forgiving of her suddenly?


Neji's eyes rested on Hinata, his poor, lonely, beautiful, rejected cousin. He wondered what happened between her and Gaara. He swore that if he was the one who caused her the pain that was evident on her face he would walk all the way to the sand village and knock the red haired sand-nin out, Kazekage or not.

"You should try to eat," Neji told her seeing that her meal was barely touched.

"I guess I'm not very hungry," she said quietly, looking down as if time had rewind, as if Neji and Hinata had never been friends at all. It irritated Neji. How could their friendship have been destroyed in mere days? The same friendship that took many years to build, brick by brick they have united and finally understood one another, now Neji knew that their friendship wasn't as strong as he thought.

"I'll eat it later, I'll be in the garden, excuse me," Hinata said after a long period of silence. She excused herself and left the room where they sat, where they always sat and had lunch together.

How did they drift so far away in such a short time? It frustrated him, why didn't she ever talk to him about the things that did matter? Why didn't he ever tell her that she mattered to him? There were so many things that were left unsaid that the doubt in Neji's heart and mind grew until every porcelain bowl and cup was left shattered.


Hinata found herself seeking solitude in the garden again. Usually she would try to ignore things by training or working until she couldn't even think straight anymore. Right now, the last thing she wanted to do was be in a hospital, it reminded her of the short time she spent at the hidden sand village. The village she had promised Gaara that she would never return to ever again under any circumstances.

She was about to water the flowers but she noticed that they were already watered. She remembered that Neji promised to take care of her garden when she was out on missions because she felt uncomfortable if the staff did it. She wanted her flowers to grow from love, not duty.

Neji… did she love Neji? She can't love Neji, she loved Gaara but whatever she had in her heart for Gaara was already gone, all it left was a large hole that was impossible to mend, and a part of her never wanted it to go away, she was afraid that if it did she would completely forget about Gaara and she never wanted to forget no matter how painful it became.

She wondered if she would ever see Gaara again. If she didn't what would become of her now? Would she live the rest of her life as it is? Living but not living. She felt like a stranger in her own body.

"Hinata," she heard Neji call to her. She stood up to see her cousin walking towards her. His brows knitted with worry and nervousness.

"Hai, Neji?" she asked.

"I don't know how to tell you this…" he said quietly. "I know you probably won't want to go through with it and… you'll hate me for it," he said.

"What is it?" she asked more curious now. "Why would I hate you? I never hated you," Hinata said. It was true; never in her life did she bore a hatred for Neji. Never, not even when he almost killed her, even when he blamed her and her father for everything that went wrong in his life, did she ever resent Neji.

"Hinata, I'm not sure how to say this…" he said hesitantly.

"Just say it," she said giving him an encouraging smile. He looked taken aback as if that was the last thing he wanted to see at the moment, her smile.

"Hinata… while you were gone," he said slowly. "Your father arranged for us… to get married," Neji waited for the impact which didn't appear on Hinata's face. Her smile definitely disappeared but her face appeared emotionless.

"Are you… serious?" Hinata said in a hushed voice, the wind knocked out of her.

"Yes," he said looking her straight in the eye.

"Why did he do that?" Hinata asked, angry now.

"Hinata…" Neji said trying not to arouse her anger.

"How stupid am I? I know why… it's for the clan. It's always about the clan isn't it? Well what's so important about the clan anyway?" Hinata asked angrily. "Clan this clan that! I can't believe you went with it Neji! Why are you following orders so blindly?"

Neji grabbed her arm firmly making her stop in her tracks. He glared at her. She looked at him confused and almost scared but his eyes softened.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said loosening his grip. "Hinata, nobody ordered me to do anything… your father asked me and I told him I would," he said. Hinata looked at him horror struck.

"W-why?" she cried. Why was this happening so suddenly?

"Because I wanted to," he dropped her hand. "I'll let you think it over, but if you don't want to I won't force you," he assured her and patted her softly on the head before turning around trying to walk away with what little dignity he had left.

Hinata watched him go, awed. She knew Neji cared about her but she never knew he loved her in any sort of romantic way. She always assumed that Neji would end up with one of the other compatible women in the clan, possibly Hanabi when she came to age since the two were the best and brightest.

Would it be so bad to marry Neji? The relationship didn't disgust her and he was someone she had known forever and could forever live with, but Gaara still lived in the back of her mind. His pained green eyes still haunted her thoughts.

Gaara… no she could never marry Neji, what about Gaara?

Gaara…


Gaara wondered how Hinata was fairing. She was probably happy now, well not necessarily happy but he knew she was indeed better off than if she stayed. If she stayed there was no telling what would happen between the two shinobi villages. If worst came to worst war would break out and that was the last thing he wanted. To turn his back on his village, the village he sought to protect.

He wanted to protect his village but he also felt guilty; guilty for hurting Hinata like that, guilty for leading her on only to turn away. He wanted to cry but his green desert eyes had long dried out, not a single tear would fall no matter how hard he tried. It made him even more depressed then he already was.

"Gaara, lunch is ready!" he heard Kankuro yell.

Gaara rose from the spot he sat on the rooftop and slowly began to walk to the edge. He had sat there for a few days wondering and secretly hoping she would come back but now he knew that their lives were separate again, as if they had never met. Time stops for no one.

He jumped from the rooftop down onto the sandy path and made his way to the plate of sandwiches that Temari was now famous for.

He slowly sank his teeth into the wheat bread, he used to enjoy the sandwiches very much though he never admitted it to Temari but now they didn't satisfy his hunger. He was always hungry yet the last thing he wanted to do was eat. Nothing could fill that empty longing he had left in the pits of his being.

Well… there was one thing, well more like one person that could. His fingers ached to run across the smooth texture of Hinata's raven black hair and he longed to smell her scent, the scent of flowers and medicine but he knew that Hinata would never come back, she wasn't the type to go back on her word, not after the first Chuunin exam the two had shared together a long time ago but to Gaara it felt like only a week ago.

His memory of their short moment together in the hospital was still crystal clear in his mind, the fear in her eyes, every detail and line on her smooth face remained.

She wouldn't come get him he realized but he could come to her…


"I assume you know," Hiashi said glancing at Neji as he spoke to Hinata about the marriage over dinner. Neji nodded silently in his stiff sitting position.

"Hai," she said without a hint of emotion.

"Therefore it's decided," Hiashi said. Hinata's brows knitted.

"Decided? But I haven't told you my answer!" Hinata argued.

"Answer?" Hiashi said angrily, "This is your duty, the fact that you were born as my daughter means that you will follow the decisions that I make!"

"I refuse! I refuse!" Hinata yelled stubbornly, her grip on her rice bowl tightened as she shook her head furiously. Neji glanced at her sadly.

"Hinata!" Hiashi said giving her a disapproving look. She silenced, she knew that senseless yelling would never get her anywhere. "If you and Neji wed it secures the clan's future heir, and it would make everyone happy," Hiashi told her.

"But what about me?" Hinata asked stubbornly. "What about my happiness?"

"Would turning your back on your clan make you happy?" Hiashi asked angrily. "Have you considered Neji's feelings? What about his father? If you run away now his sacrifice has gone to vain, he died to protect the clan! Don't be so selfish Hinata!"

Hinata looked away, why did everyone have to depend on her? She wished more than anything that she was born into the branch family instead of the head.

"You could always replace me with Hanabi," Hinata said quietly.

"What?" Hiashi asked.

"Hanabi! She's more fit to be the heir than me!"

"You know quite well that the eldest child becomes the heir! It's tradition that even I can't bend!"

"Well… what if Hanabi becomes the eldest child?" Hinata asked softly. "Everyone wants Hanabi to be the heir, what if I-" Neji slammed his bowl on the table startling her. He glared at her and walked off without a word.

"Neji loves you," Hiashi told Hinata. "He believes in you, it would greatly upset him if you think any less of yourself than he does of you."

"I know…" Hinata guiltily looked down at the white grains of rice in her bowl.

"If Neji becomes the Hyuuga leader, the curse seal will be taken off," Hiashi said. Hinata's eyes widened. Neji would be free of the seal?

"Does he know that?" she asked her throat dry.

"I haven't told him," Hiashi replied.

For years Neji have talked about the cursed seal on his forehead that marked his fate. This is the only chance he had for the seal to be removed but Hinata still wasn't convinced but she knew that that didn't matter anymore.

Hinata blinked back the tears forming in her eyes, it was shameful to cry in front of her father. She wanted to be with Gaara, not Neji but fate had other plans.

"When is the wedding?" Hinata asked with much difficulty.

"A week from now and I expect you to be on your best behavior," Hiashi warned her.

Hinata returned to her room, the first thing that caught her eye was the glint of the crystal Gaara had left for her. She quickly grabbed it and threw it into her drawer and sunk to the floor bathed in her own hopelessness. She sniffled lightly as she let the tears fall freely from her eyes.

A/N: Not sure how long the next update is going to take either, hopefully soon. Well Read and Review and be gentle.