Chapter 02: Defining Stalker

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Author's Note: The characters are now sixteen.

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto… or else this wouldn't be fanfiction now would it?

A/N: Reposting the first three chapters with newly edited material. New content will be uploaded shortly. Thank you everyone for your patience!


"Byakugan" She whispered as she concentrated her chakra towards her eyes while simultaneously performing the appropriate hand seals. Falling into the familiar ready position stance, she turned to face her opponent…

A wooden dummy.

Now you may wonder why Hinata was not training at the Hyuuga's private training ground. It's a fair question to ponder. After all, she is the heiress; even if only in name.

It is no secret, after all, that Hyuuga Hiashi has long since given up on Hinata. Instead, he has turned his attention towards training Hanabi into the shinobi that he wants her to be. Into a shinobi that he could label heir with pride and would one day, lead the clan.

Hinata has often been told that it was not her fault that she is not "leader material", they termed it. That she was too kind in nature; too gentle.

Too weak.

If you ask Hinata if she loves her family, she would undoubtedly tell you yes, whilst ignoring that tiny feeling of resentment deep within her heart. Resentment for being neglected; ignored; insulted; looked down on.

She resented them but do not hate them.

Hinata knows she can never bring herself to hate her family. Because hatred leads to revenge and revenge leads to harm. She could never wish harm upon her family. Even if they do not love her, she still loved them and longed for their acceptance.

She wished she could turn back time. Back to when she was still a little girl; back to when her mother was still alive. Back then, home felt like home. It was warm and happy. Her father was strict but not unapproachable. She still remembers when little Hanabi used to crawl into her bed after a nightmare, seeking comfort from a big sister whom she felt could protect her from her fears.

Everything changed… everything died along with their mother.

After mother's death, their father trained them endlessly and harshly.

It was bound to happen, everyone was expecting it. After all, their differences in skills had been apparent from the very beginning. It came as no surprise to Hinata when Hanabi finally defeated her in a sparring match. But she could still remember the uncertainty and fear in her sister's eyes and the crude disappoint in her father's.

That day, Hinata sat on the cold, hard floor of their private training ground and silently watched as her father led her sister away. And it was then that Hinata realized that she had been abandoned… given up on.

She was dumped into the academy to fend for herself, while her father trained her sister exclusively.

During the day, everyone kept Hanabi as far away from Hinata as possible. As if fearing that her uselessness was contagious. But at night, Hanabi would still sneak into Hinata's room to seek comfort from her older sister for her bruises and wounds. And Hinata would welcome her and comfort her while secretly loathing her sister for gaining all the attention.

Then one day, Hanabi did not come at the usual time. Hinata had fallen asleep waiting for her when the sound of the sliding door awoke her from her slumber.

"Hanabi, is that you?" She called out softly as she reached to turn on the lights.

But upon seeing her sister, Hinata screamed and roughly shoved Hanabi away from her. There, little Hanabi sat on the floor draped in blood and a single tear escaped her milky white eyes and rolled down her cheek.

That was the last time Hanabi came to Hinata.

Hinata later learned that that had been pig's blood. That Hiashi, unlike the Hokage, had no qualms about exposing children to death.

Hanabi had made her first kill.

At the tender age of five.


The sky, tainted a deep purple, was quickly descending into complete darkness. It was getting late; she would be scolded if she was tardy for dinner. Hinata quickly packed up her belongings and hastily left the clearing. But just as she was parting, Hinata could have swore that she heard a muffled scream. Filing the sound away as paranoia, she broke into a run for the Hyuuga mansion.

Had she checked the area with her Byakugan, Hinata would have realized that she was not as alone as she thought.


He waited until she was completely out of sight before stooping down to where she had practiced her taijutsu just minutes before. A swirl of sand followed behind him. Mingled within it, two bodies, fighting furiously against the hold of the sand.

There used to be three, but the third man had ceased to exist because the fool was idiotic enough to scream upon noticing Gaara. Gaara does not tolerate cowards.

At his command, his sand released its hold on the two shinobi and deposited them unceremoniously on the hard, muddy ground.

"Why are you after the girl." His green eyes bore into theirs, demanding and condescending.

"As if we'll tell the likes of –" But the man never managed to finish his sentence before the sand crashed him into particles.

Gaara had killed him for being… well, disrespectful.

"Answer." He said, turning the last remaining man.

"I… I… w-won't… tell you anything." The man stuttered in fear. His voice was squeaky and high. And it annoyed Gaara to no end. Yet he couldn't just kill the guy….

So he opted for another option.

They both watched as sand slowly gathered around the man's left leg, like a snake twisting around its prey…..and tore it from his torso.

To say the man screamed in agony would be an understatement.

His pain made Gaara feel slightly better. To say that Gaara wasn't sadistic would indeed, be a lie.

"I hate repeating myself." And with a wave of his hands, the sand bounded itself around the man's remaining leg and starting twisting it in a clock-wise direction.

"I… I'll answer… anything… stop…please…" The man managed to breathe out. At his words, the sand released its hold on his leg. "I….we… came here to kidnap the girl… on… on his… orders."

"Whose orders?"

"We… I… Aahhhhhhh!"

"Too slow." Gaara commented as he surveyed the man before him, who had passed out from the pain of having every bone in his right arm crushed to pieces. Blood gushed violently from what was left of his left leg.

Noticing the man's state of unconsciousness, Gaara frowned in annoyance. With a swirl of sand, they both departed from the clearing, leaving behind only the scent of fresh blood.


"Whose orders? Answer now. I won't ask again."

The man was now awake thanks to being dumped carelessly in the lake. His blood mingled with the water, tainting the bluish water with streams of red.

"We… don't know his name." The man managed to gasp out.

When the sand once around wrapped around him, the man closed his eyes, and in a twisted sense he welcomed it this time, for he knew, this time it would deliver him from the world of the living… and from all the pain.

All the while before, he had been searching for a reason. An explanation for why he came back and watched her. Well, now he had one. Sort of, at least.

He was here to watch her and ensure that she was not kidnapped.

Not because he cared about her, of course.

But merely because should the Byakugan fall into the wrong hands, well, that could prove troublesome.

There was no use telling the girl about it because she was clearly too weak to defend herself.

So he stood as her… well, he wasn't exactly sure what he was yet. He merely watched her while she trained and followed her until she was in the safety of the Hyuuga compound.

Today should have been no exception, except he was joined by another presence as he was turning to leave.

"Gaara-sama." The man before him addressed him with a bow, out of respect for his title.

"Hyuuga Neji." Gaara in turn acknowledged him.

"What business do you have with the Hyuuga, Kazekage-sama?"

"That is of no concern to you." Gaara snapped, rather childishly.

"On the contrary, if it concerns Hyuuga Hinata then it is of concern to me."

"How so?" Gaara asked as he narrowed his eyes.

If the dark haired man that faced him haboured any fear, he did well in hiding it.

"I act as her guardian and future husband. Anything concerning Hyuuga Hinata concerns me."

"I appreciate the act of…. kindness" Here Neji paused to observe any reaction from Gaara, when none was received he continued, "But I ask that Kazekage-sama refrain from… seeing my fiancé home from now on."

"Oh?" Gaara replied, arching one delicate… well, if he had a brow, he would have arched it.

"Yes. If one did not know better, one would have assumed that Gaara-sama had been… stalking."

"Stalking?"

Neji wisely remained silently as he watched the younger man before him slowly absorb his accusation.

"Stalker…." Gaara whispered to himself.

"Stalker…" He repeated again trying to grasp the concept.

"Stalker…"

"Stalker…" Still in shock, he slowly retreated into his shell of sand

"Stalker…" And teleported away.

Gaara had been accused of many things in his life. But he has never been accused of being a stalker…

Until now.