Hoo! Here's chapter 2, aka the last chapter. I had no idea both chapters were so... short... And I apologize for not inclusing my notes in Chapter 1. ' Anyway, enjoy!

Step, leap, spin, step...

He payed such close attention to her moves. Why? He wanted her. He didn't want anyone else to have her. He just... needs to talk to her. If only she wasn't so afraid of him.

Why her? She saw him differently.

"I never thought you were a monster"

He blinked.

"Do you w-want any tea? I h-had some l-left over..."

And he enjoyed that tea... very much.

Flashback

Gaara sat on a rooftop. He was in Konoha, and he was at the part in his life where his siblings didn't care where he was at night.

He enjoyed this rooftop. He would watch the "Busy" street here in Konoha...All the animals were out, and on occasion, some poeple would pass below.

He caught a glance of a pale girl about his age walking almost silently down the street. He would recognize her anywhere, just not her name. Mess with her, Gaara. He decided to ignore Shukaku. He silently lept down to the ground, in an alleyway. Of course. When she was about 7 feet away, he walked out in front of her.

She gasped slightly. "Oh... G-Gaara-san." She almost whispered. He walked a bit closer.He could see in her eyes... She was crying. He didn't say anything.

"...Gaara-san?" She repeated. Why isn't she running away?He was a... monster.

He stared right at her. "You were... crying." He pointed out.

She blinked a bit. "Oh, um..." She fiddled with her jacket sleeve. "...Yes..." She looked up into his eyes. She saw lonliness.

"Um... G-Gomennosai. I'm sorry... for bothering y-you..." She walked on, about to pass him. He stopped her, by tugging on her sleeve.

They faced each other, slightly. "Y-Yes?" She managed. He sensed her fear.

"...Gomen." He said quietly. He looked down. "I'm just suprised you... didn't run..." He trailed, barely voicing the last two words.

She was quiet for a while. "I d-don't... I don't think you're a m... monster..." She stated quietly, as if reading Gaara's mind. His eyes widened, and he let her sleeve go.

"Ano... Are you thirsty? eh..." She looked through her bag. "I have leftover tea from -um- earlier, and... p... perhaps you want... it?"

"Arigato." He whispered as he took it. His sand rose around him to take him away. His thoguhts were racing.

Why was she so kind? And she didn't run away. She even offered me tea... He took a sip. "GreenTea", the glass bottle said. "I don't think you're a monster." The words hung in his head. What are these thoughts? Could this be love, mother...?

End Flashback

Now, every glance he got, he watched her cautiously. He wanted to get to know this... girl... and protect her. Keep her for himself.

oOo

Sigh... I'm so tired now. Okay, enough stalking. Kiba crept up a tree. Okay, I have a crush on her. So what? She's the nicest girl you'll ever meet. She only thinks of others' happiness.

As he started listing her qualities, he darted through the trees. Taking a last look at his secret crush, who was now sitting, drinking water, and staring into the sky, he smiled. Then he set off to meet Akamaru and go to sleep.

oOo

"What?!" He asked again, blushing.

"Are you trying to torture me, here?" Shikamaru sighed. "IthinkIhaveacrushonher." He looked over at Sasuke. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

Sasuke clenched his fists, and Shikamaru noticed this. "You like her too... I knew it." He smiled a devilish smile. Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't move.

Like her... He knew what that meant. "I... I don't know." He managed.

"Well, you're not the only one. Have you talked to her yet?"

"Ano... sort of..." He began to sound like Hinata herself. "She... She gave me some food when I was about to faint. That's it." He finished off strong. He was still Uchiha Sasuke, after all.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru smirked.

Do not touch my property." Gaara stated.He walked down a tree bark.

"Please." Shikamaru began, "So more people are fond of her." He snickered. "You're not the only predator." Gaara raised where his eyebrow would be. He noticed this Shikmaru boy was smirking at him, and Uchiha over there was glaring him down.

"..."

"..."

Shikamaru laughed. "Ha! Too bad her attention's always on Naruto. How troublesome."

"...What?" Both other ninja asked in unison.

"And since when did Hinata have her eyes on the dobe, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, trying to stay cool. Gaara twitched.

"You seriosuly didn't notice...?" Asked Shikamaru flatly. "...Wow. That's pretty... low."

The other two looked off in different directions.

"...I'm leaving." Gaara announced. His sand slowly swirled around him.

"You better not kill Naruto." Shikamaru noted, in a monotone voice. Gaara glared at him, and then vanished,

"..." Shikamaru shifted his gaze over to Sasuke. "What an... interesting experience."

"Hn."

"Troublesome." He yawned. "I'm going home. Don't do anything too crazy." And he set off.

Don't do anything too crazy...? What's that supposed to mean, pineapple boy? ...Sasuke's gazed averted to Hinata.

oOo

Sasuke found the closest bush to Hinata (A/N- Hee. Sasuke+BushWTF.), and managed to get there ever so steathily.

So she likes Naruto... Wow. He thought. Just what was so great about Naruto that made Hinata love him?!

"Naruto..." He heard. Getting repositioned, sort of akwardly thinking about his situation, but he still listened intently. "Do I still love you? I feel as though my heart is stolen... I will always have a place in my heart for you, though."

Sasuke blinked. She loves someone else...?

She sighed. "I... I love..." Sasuke waited impatiently.

"Hinata-sama!" She whirled around, only to be greeted by the face of her cousin, Hyuga Neji. She gasped.

"Staying out late again, I see." His cold expression softeed when he smiled. "Please come to sleep, Lady Hinata."

"O-Oh..." She yawned. "G-Gomenosai. I'll come inside in a few minutes. I'll gather m.. my belongings..." She walked towards her bag, only to be greeted by Neji, this time holding her bag.

"Allow me." He smiled sweetly. Within the last few months, Hinata and Neji have warmed up to each other. But Hiashi... He is still the cold-hearted worker he always was.

They started amking their way back to the Main Branch. Hinata looked at Neji from the corner of her puil-less eye- She could tell he was in very deep thought. It wasn't that late, was it?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Neji stopped. He looked up to the moon, then back to Hinata.

"Hinata... Have you ever been... hurt?" Neji asked.

"Nani? Eh..." She was caught a bit off guard. "Well... O-of course, I suppose..."

Neji furrowed his brow. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Hinata. If ever my or Hiashi's words have hurt you." He looked to the ground, worry plastered all over his face.

Hinata stepped back. No way this was Neji.

"Neji, please, don't worry..." she began. But Neji quickly whirled around and pinned her against the wall.

"How could you say that?!" He tried not to yell. "All this time, only putting down your hard work, and saying you're weak, hopeless... How did you bear it?!" Neji leaned in closer. He stared right at Hinata.

By this time, Sasuke was clenching his fists. He didn't know why he worried... Neji was family. And cold-hearted... Or so he thought. Then again, he thought he was cold-hearted himself.

Neji leaned in. He saw fear in Hinata's eyes, and complete shock. Perhaps she was getting the wrong idea? Or maybe it was the right idea, and Neji just didn't want to admit it.

Anyways, he realized how close he was to Hinata, and pulled back. Hinata had a few tears run down her pale cheeks. Neji wiped away a tear.

"...I'm terribly... terribly sorry, Hinata..." He whispered. He gave her a soft smile and quickly walked inside. Hinata stood there crying... Where were these tears coming from...?

oOo

Sasuke almost jumped out of his safe bush, but he froze when he saw something. Or rather, someone. It was Shino. Approaching Hinata from behind.

He couldn't take it any longer. Sasuke leaped away from his bush, towards his empty home, to have a sleepness night.

oOo

"Hinata-chan." A deep voice announced his presence. The confused, shook girl turned around to see her teammate, and good friend Shino.

There was a short silence after a while. "Hello, Shino-kun, c-can I help y-you...?" She played with her jacket sleeve. "A l-lot has happened t-tonight, and I'm v-very..." She aused.m She quivered a little bit.

Now Shino, he could read her like a book. "Hinata-chan," he began, firm, but very welcoming. "I can see very well that you're upset."

I know you can, Shino-kun... You also could.

"...And that you are trying so incredibly hard not to cry."

At this, she looked at the ground, and put her fingers on her lips.

",,," Shino was looking right at her. His sunglasses were on, but she could tell. She could almost feel his eyes on here.

"Please cry, Hinata-chan." He smiled. She froze. "You know very well you want to, and I hate seeing you suffer, thinking you have to cover your tears."

Hinata still froze. She was staring at Shino, with her pale, moonlit eyes. Shino was never really one to talk.

She exhaled a gasp she she didn't know she was holding, and with that, a flow of tears. More, more, never seeming to stop. Her body quivered her heart throbbed. She was letting it all out. Being unnoticed, being verbally abused, fear, longing... There it all was, dripping from hear face to the harsh cement of her backyard patio.

Shino watched in silence. He hated seeing Hinata (aka the only girl he ever mentioned while speaking to his father at the dinner table) in so much pain. But being the Shino he was, he didn't know too much about comforting.

Shoot... He thought as he watched her sob and gasp and sob some more. Do I hug her? Do I tell her it's all going to be okay? Do I leave her be?

"sob Th-thank you, sob Shin-no-kun... sob I need t-to g-sob go inside n-now... sob" Hinata wiped her tears away, and headed towards the door. She stepped in front of her now open door, sighed a quivery breath, and proceeded in.

Shino stood there for a moment, staring at where he just saw her. Then he walked home.

oOo

end

Yay! I can stop typing! I'm decidng whether to keep this two chapters, I don't know... Hm. I still have two otehr stories to type. Crappy stories, mind you. Maybe I'll find one of those really nice stories that give you the warm fuzzy feeling to take a break.

PLEASE review! I feed off of them!

Arigato