A/N:Yeah took longer than I expected. Anyway thank you everyone for the reviews! They made me so happy, even though my writing is completely unprofessional and sloppy, my grammar a step from mediocre and the subtle changes in plot and character nonexistence... you still want to read it so that was nice. I hope to finish this soon for those who are getting upset from my lack of updates.

Disclaimer: I haven't wrote many of thsee but I think the disclaimer from the first chapter should speak for the rest of the story. Anyway I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 9 The Unwavering Heart

Hinata woke up to the soft sound of a door closing. Her eyes fluttered open, she was alone in a less than fabulous inn bedroom. "Gaara?" she thought out loud. She didn't get an answer back so she mused that he had probably left to get breakfast or something. They did travel a whole day without food. In fact, her stomach was rumbling at that very moment but her appetite for food was a minimal.

Feeling satisfied with the conclusion that Gaara went to get some nourishments, she gently relaxed herself on the cotton sheets, resting her worn out body. So much had happened that her mind still needed time to catch up with the blur of events that took place.

As she laid there, basking the glow of sunlight, she wondered what would happen if she suddenly appeared at the Hidden Sand Village with Gaara, she wondered if the people would react positively or negatively. Her mind pictured the faces of the villagers, would they frown, be angry? She also found herself grinning and blushing thinking about the future, giddiness and happiness took refuge inside her heart.

"So this is love," she mumbled to herself with a smile. She tried to cool her cheeks down with the palms of her hands but it proved futile. She hadn't felt this way since Naruto but this time she actually knew the joy of receiving the same love she gave, with Naruto it was always sadly one-sided. He never really acknowleged her but a part of her never really believed that he would. Back then her actions were mainly selfless, she just wanted to help Naruto because she believed him to be someone who can make miracles come true, not only for herself but for everyone in Konoha.

Now that she thought about it, Gaara and herself were... boyfriend and girlfriend? Her face turned a dark cherry using such technical terms. She had a boyfriend? It sounded really surreal, perhaps it was because neither of them have officially announced it or they had gone through so much there had to be a stronger term than just boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Your face is completely red Hinata, are you getting sick?" Someone had slipped in without her noticing, Hinata immediately shot straight up, her heart skipping a few beats. That wasn't Gaara's voice! Her eyes darted towards the door and there stood Uzumaki Naruto. He wore a sheepish grin on his face. She was stunned to see him even though she told herself that it shouldn't be surprising that he showed up, somebody would've sooner or later.

"Na-Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed. He was probably sent here to find her by Tsunade-sama. Sadly there would be no other reason for Naruto standing there at that moment. There was no way that he would ever come for her because he actually missed her. The thought actually made her depressed.

"Hey Sakura-chan! She's in here!" Naruto called.

"Sakura?" Hinata asked meekly. The pink haired girl appeared at the doorway holding Pakkun. She was even more disappointed, he even came with Sakura? She couldn't help but feel annoyed, but she was even more annoyed at the fact that she was annoyed in the first place. She couldn't still be jealous could she? She pushed the tinge of angry back down her gut.

"W-where's Gaara?" Hinata asked.

"That's actually what we wanted to ask you," Naruto replied, seriously surprised that she didn't know.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hinata demanded, a bit angry, her face flushed. She already knew why they were there, it was obvious but she still blurted it out anyway. Old habits do die hard. She always asked and said unnecessary things.

"I'm sorry Hinata!" Sakura forced her apology on her, "But we're here to take you back home," with her hands together, head bowed she asked her pleadingly to come with them.

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Gaara narrowed his eyes, his elder brother and sister stood there looking down on him with a less than content look on their faces, he thought that the Sand would send someone stronger to come and stop him. It seemed like everyone in the world was against him.

"You two came to stop me too?" Gaara asked, already noticing the presence of Naruto in the village. It was most likely that they found Hinata and at that very moment, they were probably trying to convince her to come back to Konoha like his own two siblings are trying to get him to return to the Sand.

"Usually I don't like getting in your way and questioning you," Kankuro said, "But this has got to be the stupidest decision you've ever made Gaara," he said rather bluntly. Gaara scowled, he hated it when people scolded him. In the past he would've probably started threatening Kankuro and one more word would've tipped him to sending his brother into a sandy oblivion.

"Neither of you know how I feel," he snapped coldly, "Who are you to judge me?" Neither of them knew the cold lonliness he felt. People say they understand but there's a fine line between what you think it feels like and the cold reality of the feeling slamming through your body leaving behind a feeling that could never be erased.

"Gaara," Temari said trying to console him while shooting a warning look at Kankuro. "We're behind you all the way with your… um relationship but couldn't this wait for a few years? I mean you're both still young and I think you two are overreacting over something that isn't exactly the most important thing to either of you right now."

"She's right you know Gaara, I mean for this girl you've just recently got to know, the relationship and feelings would probably last for no longer than three months yet you're sacrificing your whole future for something so whimsical," Kankuro added, his hands making a "whimsical" movement, Gaara wanted both of them to stop.

Gaara stared at the both of them, not a ounce of emotion showing on his face. He had mastered the skill of putting on the calm, emotionless mask not too long ago, before it was usually stuck in kill mode. "Tch, when did you use fancy words like whimsical Kankuro?" he scoffed annoyed that Kankuro was trying to act like he knew the situation and how the two felt like the details of his precious puppets. "Are you saying that Hinata isn't important… that she's just some temporary event in my life?" Gaara replied with a dangerous tone.

"We're not saying she's not important or even temporary!" Temari answered quickly, Gaara spotted the angry glare she gave Kankuro, "We're just saying that there are more important things you should be focused on. I mean you've just recently been promoted to Kazekage and it's a little too early to be focused on your love life."

"Even though that's all true…" Gaara said scoffing, "Even if Hinata loses interest in me after three weeks, perhaps even three days… I'm not going to leave her behind just like that."

"Gaara-!" Kankuro snapped angrily. "Do you realize what you're saying? Can you even hear yourself?" Gaara's fists clenched tightly, even if Hinata never looked or thought about him twice he won't regret what he's doing.

"I realize Kankuro… that I'm selfish but I'm not doing it just for myself, I'm also doing it for Hinata."

"Oh please Gaara, don't think you're some tragic hero saving some tragic princess. Neither of you are going to benefit from this!" Kankuro warned him. Gaara didn't like the way he sounded, almost like he was trying to be his father or something. Anger boiled inside of him, he was sick of their voices. Something inside of him wanted them to both shut up already, his fingers itched to physically grant that wish but he kept them tightly balled in a fist.

"That's not true…" Gaara mumbled. In fact he had already benefited from it, even if just a little she had cured his disease of loneliness. He had begun to enjoy what it feels like to be needed, to be cared for, to be loved and what it felt like to have someone supporting you.

To place one's feelings and well being before another, he was beginning to fully understand this concept they call "Love".

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"Tsunade-sama! I heard you sent Hyuuga Neji to find Hinata-chan," Shizune exclaimed as she busted into Tsunade's office.

"Wow, word does get around quick in this village, it really is too peaceful here," Tsunade said calmly, too calmly for the situation at hand.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune protested clutching Ton-ton to her chest. "This is not time to be joking!"

"Shizune! Calm down," Tsunade ordered, Shizune straightened her back frightened. "I know what I'm doing!"

"What?" Shizune asked, "Somehow I'm not convinced..." she said slowly.

"Don't worry Shizune, everything will be fine!" she said smacking her assistant on the back, giving her a reassuring grin.

"How can you be so sure Tsunade-sama?"

"Well I just have a good feel for these types of things, call it an experienced woman's intuition!"

"Somehow I don't think that's the most reliable thing in Tsunade-sama's case," Shizune muttered thinking back on her gambling and debts.

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"I'm not going back," Hinata said slowly but surely, hoping that those word would just carve into their brain already. She clutched the sheets around her stubbornly. They would have to drag her back kicking and screaming.

"Why not?" Sakura blurted out desperately. "Everyone's really worried about you, you know that? What about your family and friends? What about your team and being a Konoha ninja? You know what you're doing is betraying Konoha!" Sakura exclaimed.

"My mind has already been made up," she replied, trying to keep her cool under the hot pressuring words of her friends.

Yes, she was giving up being a Konoha ninja, yes she would leave Konoha if it meant that she could be with Gaara, but she was definitely not betraying them. Using the word "betray" was a nasty tactic on Sakura's part.

"Hinata!" Naruto said, fed up with all the shouting.

"I'm... not doing anything wrong am I?" Hinata asked desperately. "Am I really hurting everyone by being this way?" she asked, the only thing she was worried about when it the path she chose and the choices she made was how did her friends feel about this? She didn't care if they thought it was stupid or naive, all she cared about was do they really hate seeing her doing this and being this way? Are these actions so bad that her friends would go against her?

"No-not at all!" Naruto said, worried that he offended her even though he barely said anything. "No one thinks that you're doing anything bad, people just think that you can do it in a well... better way!" Naruto said.

"I told Gaara that I would follow him," Hinata said firmly, "I'm not going to go back on my word, even though I might not be considered a Konoha ninja anymore but it's still something I believe in. I'm not going to make any decisions without him."

Naruto and Sakura looked at her, she couldn't tell what they were thinking by their reaction, the silence made Hinata feel as though she said something bad.

"Hinata," Naruto said, genuinely touched though Sakura wasn't as convinced. "I'm with you a hundred percent!" Naruto said giving her thumbs up.

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped angrily giving him a punch to the noggin. "Hinata... you really surprised me," Sakura said smiling. "You've really grown," Sakura said. Hinata was surprised by her sudden compliment.

"A lot has happened..." she told them, looking down, slightly embarassed that they were showering her with these nice words even though she was talking back to them.

"Since you're not going to make a decision without Gaara, I suppose let's go find him and work this out altogether!" Naruto said in his victory grin. Hinata smiled. She was relieved that out of all the people that the Hokage could've sent, it was these two.

Naruto ran up to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. To Hinata it seems that Naruto was always the one pulling her in the right direction. Whenever things were tough and no matter how thick the fog, Hinata believed that Naruto will always know which direction to go towards, she had an undying faith in him.

She was slightly envious of him for seeing so clearly, and she was also envious of Sakura for always having Naruto there to help her but they fitted each other. A relationship is suppose to be two people supporting each other and if she was with Naruto everything would've been unfairly one-sided.

She never experienced what it was like to actually support someone before. Since she grew up in the Hyuuga household she was always pampered and waited on foot and hand. Because she grew up barely able to hold her own weight no one ever expected her to be dependable, she was always the one who was protected and in the way. For the longest time she thought of herself as someone the world could live without.

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Neji felt he should just accept this but he still had trouble with the concept of Hinata with Gaara. Something about the idea sent chills down his spine. He accepted that Hinata would never really love him but he couldn't accept that she chose Gaara over him! Sure Gaara did hold a very high status being the Kazekage but it was that bloodthirsty killer with menacing eyes that she chose!

That's why it sickened him to the core that he was actually going to go help them, it was against every fiber of his being but yet here he is, racing through the forest to find the two... to help them. Neji hoped for some miracle that God would make him accidentally run into a tree and knock him unconscious for a day or two.

But... he wanted to help Hinata, it was the least he could do after causing her so much suffering. He heard that Naruto and Sakura had gone after her, if anyone, Naruto can bring Hinata back. It surprises him how much faith he had in that dropout.

He activated his Byakugan and stopped atop a sturdy branch to examine his surroundings and scope out the two. He spotted Gaara... and his siblings? He could tell they were arguing.

"There's Gaara... then where's Hinata?" he thought out loud.

Neji carefully made his way towards the Sand siblings wondering if they would be hostile towards him. Unfortunately they spotted his presence, he had forgotten that the two were jounin level ninjas and Gaara was a kage. He might as well reveal himself, he walked towards them, the three frowned, he was unwelcome.

"What are you doing here?" Gaara snapped, obviously not in a good mood but then again Neji never remembered Gaara in a good mood.

"Where's-" before Neji could finish Gaara's eyes widened looking at him and suddenly sand flung itself at him, snatching at his flesh, Neji dodged him confused on the reason he was ambushed. He skillfully knocked the sand away with his Hyuuga style gentle fist technique.

"Give it back!" Gaara yelled. Suddenly Neji remebered he was wearing Hinata's necklace, maybe it belonged to Gaara? He wanted to give it back but with sand flying at him he didn't have the chance to peacefully hand it back to the furious red-head.

"Eh Gaara stop it already!" Kankuro told him but Gaara ignored him and kept attacking Neji though Neji dodged it with his fancy footwork, perfected from years of training. With his fighting style he could easily knock the sand away from him without getting hurt but he knew that Gaara wasn't seriously fighting him, he just wanted to pin him down and retrieve the jewel that strung around his neck.

"STOP IT!" he heard Hinata's voice yell. While he was distracted the sand snatched the necklace away and it landed back in Gaara's palm.

"Why does he have it?" Gaara asked Hinata clutching the necklace, he was angry. Hinata ran over to Gaara while Naruto and Sakura remained at their spot surprised to see Neji there.

"Oi, Neji why are you here?" Naruto asked. Everyone looked at him, some confused faces but with Gaara it was full of hostility and anger.

"This might sound strange but I'm here to tell Hinata not to go back to Konoha," he said calmly waiting a few seconds for everyone to absorb in his information.

"I…" Hinata began. "I think I might go back," she said. Now it was Neji's turn to be surprised.

"What? Why?" Neji asked, judging from the unexpected look on Gaara's face, he didn't predict her decision either.

"Sorry Gaara, I think it's time to stop running away- but I'm not saying I'm giving up!" she said quickly in case Gaara would take it the wrong way.

"What did you have in mind?" Gaara asked, relaxing, he most likely came to the quick conclusion that she was rejecting him.

"Wait you can't go back!" Neji intervened quickly, "Hiashi- your father is going to mark you!" Neji warned her. "As soon as he does you'll never be able to leave!"

As soon as the seal embeds on Hinata's forehead, it was over. Her freedom, her life, her obligations would be stripped from her like his' once was.

"Trust me Neji-niisan, I'm sure I can reason with him," she said confidently looking him straight in the eye.

"How can you be so sure?" Neji asked, unconvinced.

"Hey just do what she says! You guys should learn to trust her!" Naruto said interrupting them. "If Hinata says she can do it she can do it without fail!" She smiled, she was glad Naruto was there to give her some moral support.

"I guess the dropout is right, so what's your plan?" Neji asked sighing, all he could do was trust her. She has matured, he thought. She was going to take responsibility and action, Neji never remembered her to be one who stood for what she believed in but twice she proved him wrong.

Can't say I was too happy with this chapter, maybe because of my poor word choices and the lack of interation with Gaara and Hinata but it's suppose to lead to the... climax I guess in the next chapter when Hinata gets back to Konoha and... yeah you'll see. I was thinking of perhaps continuing this after they get the whole village thing resolved for some comedic events between Gaara and Hinata as a couple... but maybe not... but who knows... I'm indecisive.

P.S: For those who wait for my "A Man's World" all I have to say is... I'm working on it. It shall be soon.