What If I Don't Want to

Chapter 3

"To gain something, something of equal or greater value, is to be sacrificed. This is the law of Equivalent exchange."

Suzume-kage: What? It's the truth…

Of course, Gaara calling Hinata a 'burden' was not the only reason that Hinata broke it off with him. Hinata was going to turn around and walk straight back into Gaara's office, thinking that she overreacted, but its what really happened next that got her thinking 'It's so over'.

xxx

Hinata trudged on the desert ground slowly, her head drooping. God, she felt miserable. Maybe, just maybe she shouldn't have ran out on Gaara like that. But if he really wanted her back he would have come out after her, yelling her name.

"Hinata!"

That's funny. She thought she heard his voice. 'Maybe I miss him so much; I'm starting to hear my name…' She just kept walking, not daring to look behind her.

"Hinata-chan!"

She stopped. And stood there. Pitiful. 'I shouldn't think he's coming out for me. That's pitiful!' she thought disgusted with her 'keep your hopes up' attitude.

"…Hinata…" A firm female voice broke through her thoughts. Hinata slowly turned around. Temari was panting; she stood in her black kimono and mesh leggings.

"I should have used my fan, huh?" Temari chuckled, walking towards Hinata. Hinata gave her a small smile, but quickly frowned.

"Gaara wants you to come back, he didn't really mean that!" Temari put her hand on Hinata's shoulder, trying to comfort her future sister-in-law.

"But… I-If he really wanted to see me… D-Don't you think he would have come?" Hinata asked sadly, looking down. Temari opened her mouth to say something comforting, but closed it. '…She has a point… How could this happen?' Temari looked down as well, her eyes glimmering with tears. But she dare not cry in front of the younger kunoichi.

Hinata looked up at Temari only to find her face scrunched up in sadness, about to cry. Hinata smiled.

"Hey…" Hinata whispered softly, wiping a few tears from Temari's eyes, acquiring a blush from the older kunoichi. "I'm the one who should be crying, not you…" she smiled wider, causing Temari to grin.

"I just can't believe what happened… You two looked so good together, you know?" Temari remarked, ruffling Hinata's heavy locks playfully. Hinata sighed deeply. Inside of her head, Hinata was constantly plotting and thinking of which actions should be taken in this kind of situation.

"Temari-nee- I mean Temari-chan…" she stuttered blushing at her mistake, causing Temari to smile. "Tell Gaara-kun that I will not be coming back." She stated firmly. Temari's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wha-Why!?" Temari asked, not getting how she came to this conclusion at all.

"He obviously wants to move on and…and… so do I-I…" she finished quietly, turning around and heading in the direction of Konoha. "No one would miss me…" she whispered softly, but it was audible to Temari's hearing range.

Temari couldn't do anything. She knew Hinata's mind was set. Once Hinata's mind is set, she's as stubborn as a bull. (Suzume-kage: A bull… --;)

"That's not true Hinata! I would…" Temari whispered off, watching Hinata's figure slowly fade away in the raging sands of the desert.

xxx

Hinata finally reached the hospital. It took longer then she had thought because she was lost in her own thoughts. After that… heart breaking experience of hers, Hinata's mind was more clouded than usual. And she suddenly got quiet; her stuttering was also threatening to return.

'Gaara doesn't need me… With a flick of his wrist, he can have any woman in all of Sunagakure he wants. This was for the best… I think.'

Walking in through the main doors of the hospital, Hinata walked to the back of the front desk. She walked into the staff room to get ready for the days work.

After getting into the nurse uniform which consisted of a simple white dress that came down to her knees, Hinata ran into Sakura. The pink haired healer nin smiled sincerely and hugged Hinata sisterly.

"What's up? How is everything?" She asked, pulling up yellow rubber gloves. Hinata smiled, pulling up her own set of gloves before replying.

"Everything's pretty good. Sasuke just got back from another mission, but he's the usual suspect of mine." Sakura chuckled at this lightly, shaking her head and grinning.

"Ah… The usual suspects, eh? Let's add Naruto to the list, hm?" Hinata giggled and walked over to a glass table to retrieve her task files. Sakura was also walking around the staff chamber, rearranging things, gathering supplies, etc.

"I have to perform heart surgery today." She told Hinata, gathering some files and putting them on a marble counter top. Hinata looked over.

"Oh? Who you need to perform it on?" she asked, watching Sakura pull out a sheet from one of the files, scrunching her ivy eyes as she tried to read Ino's loopy penmanship.

"Heijro… Toumbaka? Oh! Heijiro Tomha!" She corrected herself grimacing at Ino's scattered letters. Ino often worked at the front desk, she wrote down the names of all the patients that were admitted, and put them in designated folders that were prepared ahead of time. (Suzume-kage: Just so you know…)

"Hey Hinata-chan?" Hinata turned from her task instructions and looked at her best friend. "Hm?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe me and you can go shopping after our shift? You can use some new clothes, after all, when was the last time we went out shopping? Just the two of us?" Sakura knew that they always went to shop with Ino and Tenten, but she preferred the 'old days' when it was just her and Hinata. Hinata smiled, and put sown the sheet.

"Sure thing. I'll just call Sasuke to tell him I won't be home till later then." Sakura smiled and grabbed her red felt purse off the counter, scooping out her cherry red cell phone.

"I'll tell Naruto to pick us up!"

Hinata just smiled and shook her head. 'Nothing's changed…'

Hinata was being pulled along by Sakura; they were headed to their favorite clothes store. Hinata followed in after Sakura as the pink haired kunoichi pushed the metal doors open. Hinata was again dragged through the aisles, until Sakura had lead the two to… well… the lingerie section. Hinata turned pink and immediately started to squirm. Sakura grinned.

"C'mon! You have to have the basics! If you want to seduce a certain boyfriend of yours!' Hinata pouted, which made Sakura howl with laughter. 'She does this every time.'

Sakura let go of Hinata's hand to rub them menacingly, grinning evilly. Her actions made Hinata flinch, and her hands started to twitch in fear.

"Hinata… ku ku ku…" Sakura chuckled, mimicking Orochimaru. Hinata stepped back, eyes wide. "I am going to buy you stuff that will make even Sasuke die of nose-blood-loss…" She emphasized the word 'stuff' to get her point across.

Hinata rolled her eyes to the back of her head before closing them. She rubbed her temples with both of her hands, leaving Sakura to stared at the ceiling absently, grinning and still rubbing her hands together.

'Oh boy…'

Suzume-kage: As you all should know by now, that there was more to their break up than Gaara saying that one measly line. Sorry if I sound like a snob. I'm really not like that! Anyhow, Sakura's got something up her sleeve. You can probably tell, if you read that last paragraph a few times. Will Sasuke really die of a nosebleed? Will Gaara ever reach Konoha in time? Will Hinata get out of shopping with Sakura?

Sasuke: (Stuffs tissues up nose) I'm getting all heated up just thinking about this…

Gaara: WHY… YOU… WILL… NOT LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.

Sakura: Come on, Hinata! Let's show the reviewers all the stuff we bought!

Hinata: (Bawls heavily) What do you mean WE!