A/N: I don't want anyone getting confused by the time frame of this chapter, so I'll explain real quick. This one takes place on the same day as chapter 8 and 9. (the events of 8 and 9 all happened in one day I just broke it down into 2 chapters.) This one will be from Gaara's POV instead of Hinata's and a small section of it will be through Neji's POV but I've labeled it. This chapter is basically to explain where Neji went after he learned of Sasuke enrolling into their school and what Neji and Gaara were doing the night that Tenten stayed over with Hinata. If you get confused it might be easier to go back and re-read 8 and 9. If not, then read away!
-Gaara's POV-
Gaara sat alone in the living room, watching television. His siblings were out shopping despite his warning of the possible danger. Kankuro wasn't surprised to hear of Sasuke's presence. He had already known something was wrong and never got to talk to his younger brother about it, but Temari wasn't willing to let the three of them starve while they hid away in their home either. So the two left, leaving Gaara behind with nothing to do but drown in his thoughts.
It had nearly been a week since he went to school. His last day was Monday when he arrived only to find that Sasuke had also enrolled. No doubt, to keep better tabs on him. Gaara couldn't understand how Sasuke had found them. Hadn't they been careful enough? Konoha was so far away from their old city in Suna, it just didn't make sense. But then again Sasuke had always been good at tracking people. A quality that Orochimaru was very fond of.
He absentmindedly flipped through the channels before stopping on one. It was a movie station playing something he was sure he hadn't seen before. It's not like he wasted a lot of time watching movies when he was younger. He spend much of his early youth wandering the streets. Anything to temporarily get away from his hateful mother and father, though in the end it was always his siblings love that always brought him back.
However, something about the scene really called to Gaara. He guessed it was an action movie based on the bloody, battered appearance of the male character. But the endearing moment between the man and the woman he cared for turned Gaara's thoughts to a certain shy girl.
Hinata. He wanted to see her. How was she coping after finding out Naruto had cheated on her? And to learn that he and Neji kept it from her, surely she was furious with him. Gaara felt oddly guilty for not returning to school or at least checking on her. He knew he needed to stay away from public but what of Hinata? Sasuke was his main priority and recalling his chance meeting with the bastard, in the park, Sasuke now knew that she had something to do with Gaara. Regardless, if he noticed the level of closeness she was to him, Gaara was sure that given the opportunity, Sasuke would use Hinata to his advantage.
He stood up to move his restless body. His elbows gave a satisfying pop as he stretched his arms above his head. He needed to do something to ease his reeling mind. But what was there? Sleep wasn't an option, for sure. He could exercise but he also knew the importance of resting after an intense work-out. And for a week, that was all he had done. Maybe he should go to school? Lunch would be starting soon. It would give him the chance to watch Sasuke. Possibly, even make an opportunity to speak with him again.
Gaara's thoughts snared him once more. What in the hell was he thinking, not going to school? Hinata was there! She would have been there the whole week with him! Had Sasuke tried interacting with her; did they share any classes?
He began to quickly pace the living room, stopped, then ran both hands through his hair and took a deep breath. Why was he getting this worked up? Hinata would be fine. Sasuke wouldn't be foolish enough to do anything with hundreds of watching eyes. But aside from Orochimaru's desires, Gaara knew that Sasuke was also here for a more personal reason. How irrational would Sasuke act to get what he wanted?
Dammit he was losing his sense of rationality! Flip flopping back and forth was driving him mad. Because of Gaara's unwillingness to get close with anyone he had always been able to handle any situation with a calm, clear head. But Hinata had somehow managed to work her way into his head and cut away the very fabric that constructed him. Now he didn't know what the best course of action was, all he knew, for sure, was the he wanted her safe no matter what the cost.
He sat back down and placed his head in his hands. Maybe after she got home from school he could go check on her. But what would he say?
"Oh hey, how are you? Just making sure an old enemy of mine hadn't done anything to you. You seem fine. Great, I'll see you later then."
Gaara shook his head. This was ridiculous.
He pulled out his phone. His worry stretched from Hinata to his siblings. He wanted to call Temari to check on them. They hadn't been gone long but it wasn't safe to assume that Sasuke came to town alone.
Before he could dial the first set of numbers a loud banging from the front door stopped him.
"Gaara I know you're there, open up!"
It was Neji's voice.
He barged into the living room not giving Gaara the chance to open the door.
"That was rude." Gaara glared. "I thought people were suppose to wait until they were told to come in before making themselves welcome."
Neji ignored his comment."No bullshitting right now, Gaara, you and I need to talk."
Gaara was about to protest, but didn't. There was something wrong with Neji. He looked furious, his face flushed. He was out of breath too.
His eyebrows creased with concern and curiosity. "What's wrong with you?"
"Don't worry about that." Neji wiped the sheen of sweat from his brow.
"Alright look," Gaara walked over to the door and gestured outside, "if you have nothing better to do then come into my home uninvited without good reason I suggest you leave. I have other things to be dealing with than you."
Neji balled his fists and closed the gap between the two. There was barely a foot of space between them. "Other thing's like Sasuke Uchiha perhaps?"
Gaara's eyes flashed. He shoved Neji away from him. "What do you know about Uchiha?"
"Apparently just as much as you," Neji calmly recomposed himself. "If not more. Like I said, we need to talk. So how about you play the part of good host and get me something to drink. We've got a lot to discuss."
Gaara tsked and used his shoulder to rudely bump passed the other.
Neji snickered at his small win and followed Gaara to the kitchen.
The long haired teen made himself comfortable at the table.
Gaara rolled his eyes. Neji's cockiness pissed him off but if he knew something about Sasuke then, for now, he would have to play by the other's rules.
He grabbed a soda from the fridge and tossed it to Neji who in turn caught it with surety. Gaara thought his reflexes were surprisingly good for an average teen. He allowed Neji to gulp down half the can before speaking.
"So," He crossed his arms and rested his back against the counter. "How do you know Sasuke?"
Neji, wearing on Gaara's thinning patience, waited to finish his drink before speaking. "Before I tell you anything I need you to swear that everything I say doesn't leave this house."
Gaara sighed.
"I mean it!" Neji roared. "My family here, at least Hinata and Hanabi, they don't know me. Or rather, know who I used to be."
"Who you used to be?" That was an odd thing to say but Neji left out one person. "And what of Hinata's father?"
Neji pinched the brim of his nose. "I'm going to come completely clean with you. But first I need to know that I can trust you. You can drop all the acting. I know your connection with Sasuke. I also share a past with him. Mine may or may not be as colorful as yours with him. But to get to the point I moved here to Konoha for a reason. Back in my home town I got into some trouble."
Gaara's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of trouble?"
"The really bad kind . . . the kind that ended with my parents being murdered."
"Murdered?" Gaara cocked an eyebrow. "Hinata told my sister your parents died in a car wreck."
"Yes," Neji laughed darkly. "That's how it was made out to look. And that's all anyone else needs to know. But the truth is, they were killed. Their car had been sabotaged. The fucking break cable was cut."
Neji closed his eyes. A small tremor ran down his body. Whether it was from anger or pain Gaara didn't know but he let the other have his moment. He was sure Neji was reliving a memory and needed some time before continuing. He could allow him that much. Gaara knew all too well how overwhelming certain points of the past could be.
Neji rolled the empty soda can from hand to hand for distraction. "Hinata's father wasn't fooled. He knew what kind of trouble I was in and he knew that his brother and his wife's death was no accident. Despite that, he bore no ill feeling toward me. He wanted to give me a second chance at a decent life. That and he knew his brother, my father, would have wanted it that way. After the funeral he wasted no time getting me and my belongings back with him to Konoha. That's been nearly three years ago. My Uncle . . . he saved my life without a doubt"
"Interesting story, but that still doesn't tell me how you know Sasuke. You said you shared a past with him. What does that mean?"
"It means, that just like you," Neji sneered. "I also had dealings with Orochimaru."
Gaara stared hard. He didn't know if he heard the other correctly. "What do you mean?"
Neji scoffed. "Put two and two together. Dammit Gaara, I know you're not that dense! It means that like you and Sasuke, I also was in Orochimaru's gang!"
Gaara unfolded his arms. Doubt covered his face.
"You don't believe me?" Neji brushed his hair behind his ears. And removed a small white wrap that covered his forehead. "Then look at this."
Gaara's eyes widened with disbelieve. "Is that a –
"A mark of initiation, yes. And you have one as well. Your scar on your forehead. But you have no qualms with parading it out in the open. Aren't you worried about others noticing or reporting you if they knew what it meant? Since running from Orochimaru I've kept mine covered. It's easier to just let people believe I'm making a fashion statement. But what about you?"
Gaara touched his fingers to his forehead. "I don't care what anyone thinks but if someone happens to ask I tell them my father gave it to me."
Neji tossed his head back and let out a bellowing laugh. "God that's so emo Gaara. But ironically not all together untrue since Orochimaru, in a sense did take us in."
Gaara ignored Neji's emo comment. "You said you were running from Orochimaru, why?"
Neji's eyes narrowed. He answered Gaara's question with one of his own. "Why does anyone run from a gang leader? To stay alive. Defiance is a dangerous game to play with people like that. The choice to leave a gang, it almost always means death. For me, it's the only way to stay alive. You and I, we're both doing the same thing."
Gaara didn't miss how Neji strategically left out personal details between him Orochimaru . Neji told him he would come clean. But it seemed that there were things that he wasn't ready to tell. But to each his own. Gaara didn't trust Neji and there was only so much information he was willing to give in return.
Whether it was because of Hinata, Gaara felt irrationally upset. "You're wrong, Neji. My intentions, from the very beginning of leaving Suna was to find a way to get back at Orochimaru. Make no mistake, I'm not running away. I won't remain hidden like you had planned. When the time is right I will go back and kill him. I will have my revenge for how he has wronged me. But you? The only thing you're doing is hiding like a coward. How could you put Hinata and her family in danger like that? You know how sick Orochimaru is! You know what he will do to them, to her, if he ever finds out where you are."
Neji's face fell. His demeanor switched from smug to remorse. Gaara could tell this wasn't the first time that Neji had figured he was putting his family in danger. But what room did Gaara really have to say anything? He knew he was being a hypocrite. Even if he chose to leave his siblings behind, no doubt, they would come looking for him. It was safer to keep them near than to risk them getting caught by one of Orochimaru's damn lurkers. The things they would do to them for information about their little brother was too much for Gaara. Even if they didn't have any information to give, he would still kill them. Especially if he thought it would bring him out of hiding.
Neji began to speak, pulling Gaara from his thoughts. "Sasuke, he knows I'm here. I spoke to him today at school."
Gaara closed his eyes tight. Things were quickly spiraling out of control. "What did you two talk about. And don't leave out any details."
Both teenagers understood all too well the gravity of their situation. They would have to learn to trust each other, and fast, lest everything they loved could be torn from them before they've had a chance to do anything about it.
"It happened today during lunch when Sasuke's name was mentioned. Hinata had been sick since the weekend, after everything with Naruto, so I've made her stay home and rest. I didn't know until today that Sasuke was even here in town. But in hind-sight that must have been who you were talking with at the park." Neji clenched his fist. "I truly thought I was safe from Orochimaru and the fucked up part of it all? Sasuke wasn't even here for me, it was you that lead him here. I just happened to be a bonus prize."
He continued talking. His eyes glazed over as he recalled the earlier events.
. . .
-Neji's POV-
Neji had spent much of the morning apologizing to teachers for missing so many consecutive days. His excuse of family issues apparently were not good enough for the well-educated teachers of Konoha High. One even went as far as to give him the, "I understand how hard it must be not having parents" speech. The teacher droned on for over twenty minutes about how he could relate since his father also died when he was young, but he made sure to kindly reassure Neji of his intellect and that he shouldn't throw away his education because of negative feelings. Neji finally escaped after convincing the teacher that he truly was alright, and that some unavoidable circumstances had come up. However, he had to promise for the remaining school semester he would bring up his grades.
He understood everyone meant well but damn was it annoying. Neji wondered if he had annoyed Hinata this bad too. He thought about apologizing to her as he made his way to the cafeteria.
His eyes scanned the crowding room before meeting Tenten's smiling face. She met his eyes, flashing a wide smile and then happily beckoned him over to join them in line.
Neji smiled softly as he continued walking. Tenten was one of the few people who made him feel like his life had meaning. Unfortunately, as much as he cared or even, dare he say, loved her he couldn't share his feelings with her. Even after she had confessed her affection for him, he still held her at arms length. He managed to convince himself that someone as amazing as her didn't need to be with grime like him but he selfishly wanted to continue keeping her near. He knew it was wrong but he wasn't strong enough to completely cut her from his life.
He grabbed an empty tray and joined Tenten's side.
"Has anyone heard from Gaara?" he heard Hinata ask.
"Gaara?" Kiba spoke. "He was here Monday, but I haven't seen him since."
Neji liked Kiba. He was a good, solid, loyal friend. He wasn't as close with him as Hinata was but it relieved him to know that Kiba could be depended on if Hinata needed someone.
He watched Hinata's lips deepen to a frown. He knew that she missed Gaara. Her growing affection for the red head was becoming more and more apparent. He honestly didn't know how he felt about it since he was certain there was something off about Gaara. The only reason he didn't judge the other too harshly was because of Neji's own past. That, and also, Gaara had proven, a few times, his willingness to be there for her when she was in trouble. But until he knew exactly what Gaara's situation was he would not surrender his darling cousin yet.
The group worked their way through the lunch line and passed groups of other students. Neji normally preferred eating lunch alone but recently, for Tenten, he willingly gave up his loner booth to join her and Hinata's table. Another selfish act of keeping her near yet emotionally distant.
"Sorry, you and Neji are really the only ones who have anything to do with him. If you haven't noticed, Gaara isn't exactly the most popular guy here." Kiba shrugged.
Neji took his sit between Hinata and Tenten. "He's really not that bad of a guy." Why was he defending Gaara? Simple . . . Neji too, knew how bad it hurt to be hated by everyone. After moving to Konoha things had changed and he felt a sense of kinship for Gaara in that aspect. And taking Hinata out of the equation, Neji really didn't believe there was a reason to dislike the other teenager.
"Speaking of popular guys," Tenten chimed in. "That new guy is really ranking up."
Neji paused, his pizza barely at his lips. "What knew guy?"
"Ah, right." Tenten said, "You've been home with Hinata all week, so you've not had the chance to meet him, his name is Sasuke, he's –
Neji's eyes darkened. "Sasuke? What's his last name?" A once dulled, nearly forgotten hatred re-combusted in his chest, soft at first with the slim chance that it wasn't the same guy but it didn't stop his detest from searing his insides. Sasuke's name alone forced bile from his gut. It rose to his throat, leaving it to feel uncomfortably hot and sticky. He dropped his pizza back to his tray. It plopped gently down. He had to make sure it was the same person.
"Uchiha," Corn fell from Kiba's full mouth.
Neji felt Tenten comforting hand on his shoulder. "Do you know him?"
"Come to think of it," Kiba started before Neji could reply. "He moved from the same town as you. Did you go to school with him?"
"No," Neji shook Tenten's hand loose from him and quickly rose from his seat. "Excuse me, I just remembered something I have to do."
He ignored the worried protests from his friends as he dumped his tray in the nearest trash. Their school only had one lunch period so that meant that Sasuke was near for certain.
Where are you? Neji scanned each table, every group of kids, all the random corners, by the snack and soda machines. Nothing. He tried to control his anger. Being upset would only hinder his ability to control the situation. He took a steady breath and headed out the cafeteria towards the outside doors. Kids of all cliques were outside too, each with their own group but still no sign of . . . Neji's eyes examined every face before eventually stopping on one- There he was.
Sasuke Uchiha stood with a group of the more "popular" kids.
Neji balled his fists but smoothly walked up to the teens. They didn't notice his arrival and continued their asinine chitchatting.
"Excuse me," Neji spoke as politely as he could muster.
The kids stopped and turned their attention to Neji. One of the cheerleaders sneered by his sight. Neji wasn't well liked by the popular crowd.
"What do you want Hyuga?" one of the brainless jocks asked.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend Neji."
"You know this guy?" another kid asked.
"Yes." Sasuke smoothly separated himself from the other students. "I'll see you all later. I'd like to catch up with my old buddy."
The group looked stunned. No doubt wondering why someone like Sasuke wanted to have anything to do with Neji, but none protested. One muttered a "Catch up with you later then," before the group resumed talking.
Neji kept his emotions in check. They walked to the side of the school building where they would be alone. Neji didn't want this to turn into an altercation in case anyone happen to see them. That could wait for later. Right now he only wanted to know how Sasuke had found him in Konoha.
Sasuke was the first to speak. "Konoha is really a lovey place. So much better than our town."
Neji took deep breathes through his nose. Sasuke was already toying with him.
"Judging by your face I take it you're not in the mood for idle small talk." Sasuke grinned.
"How did you find me here, Sasuke?" Neji's voice was low but lethal.
"You?" Sasuke tilted his head back and laughed. "You, Neji, were nothing more but a bonus prize. I didn't come here because of you. But don't get any ideas in your head that that means we had forgotten about you. Oh no."
Neji glared. "If not for me, then why are you here?"
"You can imagine my surprise, though, when I arrived here, to find you." Sasuke chose to ignore Neji's question. It only proved to test Neji's patience. "I wasn't worried about making my presence known. I knew it was just a matter of time before you discovered I was here and came looking for me. Enrolling in this school made everything so much easier for me."
"Don't make me repeat my question," Neji threatened.
Sasuke was enjoying himself. He would try to stretch this out for as long as Neji remained patient. "You really have no idea? That's surprising considering your friends with him."
Neji sucked in a sharp breath. "Gaara." It wasn't a question. Everything made sense, the scar on his forehead, his school records shrouded with mystery. His strong, secretive personality. And not to mention his fighting ability as well. Neji didn't forget how well Gaara handled himself that night when Naruto attacked Gaara at his house after he thought Gaara had tried to force himself on Hinata. The way he moved. That wasn't something you learned in your average self-defense class.
"It is safe to call you two friends right? You did look awfully close that night at the park while you both tried to comfort that cute girl." Sasuke face twisted into a perverse grin. "Hinata, I believe her name was. Such an innocent looking thing."
The wind picked up speed. It rustled the trees causing dying leaves to drift between the two. It was chilly, but Neji didn't shiver. The weather was acting up. He was sure this was the calm before an approaching storm.
A student walked by. He didn't pay the others any mind. Neji waited for him to completely move on before whispering. "You're trying to provoke me. It's not going to work."
Sasuke laughed once more. "You can act cool all you want but there's no hiding it. I've already gotten under your skin. But like I told Gaara, you don't have to worry about Orochimaru learning of your whereabouts. I have my own needs I want to take care of first."
"What are you talking about, what needs?"
Sasuke face flashed a brief moment of pain before turning again to stone. "Gaara stole the life of someone very important to me. I want to extract my own revenge before reporting back to Orochimaru."
"And your not worried about me running to Gaara. I could tell him everything. He could go into hiding again. You might not find him as quickly or as easily as you did this time."
"No, as a matter of fact I'm banking on you to tell him. I want Gaara to be fully aware of my intent. I want him to suffer and wallow in worry of when I will make my move against him. By the time I am done with him he will have wished Orochimaru had done him in."
The lunch bell sounded. It was annoyingly loud.
"You'll have to excuse me. I'd hate to be late for class. Wouldn't want to look bad since I am new and all."
Sasuke turned to leave before craning his head back to Neji. "Just one more thing. There's a message I want you to pass onto Gaara."
Neji remained silent.
"I want him to know who killed his parents. It wasn't Orochimaru . . . It was me . . . though he was the one who gave me the orders. He even let me do as I pleased, killing them any way I saw fit. That was the first part of my revenge. Let him know the worst is still yet to come. And don't think I'll be forgetting you either. Once I'm finished with him I'll be coming for you as well. You won't get away from us a second time. It will happen when you least expect it. Just like what happened to your parents. Going for a harmless drive, never crossing their minds that they wouldn't be coming back home. Though you can rest easy knowing I played no role in your parent's death. I, unfortunately don't know who had that pleasure. I merely wanted to see the look on your face when I told you it wasn't a simple car accident. Though I'm sure you already knew Orochimaru had a hand in it, you being such a smart kid and all."
Sasuke mockingly laughed once more before turning the corner of the building.
Neji didn't react. He didn't go after him. His desired to see Sasuke dead would have to wait, he knew he had to get to Gaara, and quick.
. . .
-Gaara's POV-
"It was him." Gaara gripped the marble counter top so tight that his fingernails dug deep into his skin. It hurt but he didn't care. "Sasuke, all this time he was the one who killed mother and father."
"Now's not the time to get upset." Neji commanded. "That's exactly what he wants. He wants to draw you out. Don't let him taunt you out of being rational."
Gaara's chest deeply rose then fell. Each breath felt like inhaling fire. He wasn't sure his rage could be subdued this time.
"Gaara, again I need you to remain calm.
Neji's phone vibrated from his pocket. He pulled it out, leaving Gaara be for a moment.
"It's Hinata. She wants to know where I'm at. I'll text her back later." Neji said more to himself than to Gaara.
"You said Hinata was sick. Is she alright?" Gaara tried hard to switch his thoughts. His anger turned back to concern for the girl he was now most certainly attached to.
"She's fine now, it was just a fever. It was all just too much stress for her.
Gaara nodded. "You said Sasuke wanted revenge against me. Did he say why?"
Neji cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "You don't know? He said you killed someone important to him. Did you?"
Gaara closed his eyes and lifted his head to the ceiling. He couldn't recall killing anyone close to Sasuke. "I don't know. I've killed a handful of people but none that I can remember having anything to do with him on a personal level. Mostly peddlers who were trying to screw Orochimaru out of supplies or profit. But there was this one time . . . Nearly two years ago." Gaara relaxed his tightened grip on the counter and examined his damaged fingernails.
Neji waited patiently.
"I had just returned from a previous assignment when Orochimaru had another one waiting for me. This one was . . . different . . . I'm sure you know how he is about missions. He did well to give all the details, letting us be fully aware of what to expect. But he wouldn't inform me of any details this time except that it was another trade he wanted to make. I was told to go in disguise as usual but he wouldn't inform me of who I was meeting, just that there would be two of them. He didn't even let me know what I was supposed to be picking up. He sent me with a duffel bag of money along with the location but nothing more."
"You didn't question it?" Neji asked.
"Don't be stupid. You know what happens to someone when they doubt Orochimaru's orders.
"True . . ." Neji mumbled. "Anyway, continue."
"I was to meet the two at an abandoned warehouse by three in the morning. I arrived there late just like I always did for a trade. It was my way of making sure the other would show up. It lowered the risks of me getting jumped. The two were there, right on time, waiting inside the building but they must have also been in disguise, I couldn't even make out their gender. I was outside near one of the windows trying to gauge some sense of what to expect before making my appearance known. But out of nowhere the two started arguing. I could hear what they were fighting about. The moon was the only source of light I had so I couldn't see very well either. It shined into the windows but it was still hard to make out exactly what was going on. I was at least able to make out their heights. One of them was definitely taller while the other was more around our height. The tallest one lunged towards the other. They wrestled for a few seconds before a gun went off. The bullet must have hit an old gas tank or something because a fire erupted. I decided it was best to escape before the whole place came down. I couldn't even see the warehouse anymore before a loud explosion went off. It was highly unlikely that either one survived. I immediately reported back to Orochimaru. He didn't seemed bothered by his loss of items . . ." Gaara paused. A car door slammed shut outside. His siblings were finally home. A bit of tension loosened from his shoulders.
It was now dark outside. They had really lost track of time.
It was Neji's turn to speak. "So you think one of the people in the warehouse could have been someone Sasuke knew?"
"It's possible. But I couldn't say for sure. It was right after that night that Sasuke seemed more distant than usual. More moody. I tried talking with him. I never did like the bastard, he was too cocky but we did, in a sense, share some kinship after all. And if we ever went on missions together I couldn't have him distracted. I never learned what was bothering him before he asked to be relocated to another town. That was the last time I seen him until here recently. The only pieces I can connect would be that it was possible someone Sasuke knew was killed during the explosion. He knew I was going on a mission that night but he didn't know the location or any other details so I don't know what would make him think I had something to do with it. That's the only instance that comes to mind. I had no idea Sasuke wanted revenge against me. I knew that if Orochimaru had sent him to kill me Sasuke would follow orders without fail. Him above all would have been thrilled to do me in since he detested me just as much as I did him. That night at the park, when Sasuke informed me he had personal reasons for being here, I had no idea what he meant."
The front door opened. Temari shouted from the living room. "Gaara we're home!"
Gaara called in affirmation before turning back to Neji. He had some questions of his own. "After Sasuke left did he move to your town?"
Neji nodded. "He was assigned to our group after arriving. We went on a few missions together but I never knew him on a personal level."
Gaara wondered how truthful Neji was being with him. He hoped there would be no more surprises from here on out.
A few hours later Temari and Kankuro sat with them in the kitchen. Gaara caught them both up to speed with the necessary details.
"What are we going to do?" Temari asked.
"We have no other choice." Gaara said. "We'll have to kill him."
Neji's eyes narrowed. "Kill him? Won't that be risky?"
Gaara shrugged. It was getting late and sleep wore heavy on him. "We have to do something."
Thunder roared outside. It had been storming for nearly an hour. A flash of light outside the kitchen window caught Gaara's attention. It wasn't lightning. He was fully alert now as he went to investigate.
"What's the matter?" Kankuro asked. "Is someone out there?"
Gaara ignored is brother and turned to Neji. "Would Hinata normally be awake this late?"
"Hinata!" Neji groaned. "I completely forgot to text her back. She must be worried sick about me. I need to get going."
"Do you mind if I come with you?" Gaara asked, almost sheepishly.
Neji suppressed a grin. "If you really want to, it's fine with me."
"I only want to make sure she is alright." Gaara felt irritable. He didn't need to explain himself to Neji even if he was Hinata's cousin, did he?
Neji made his way to the front door. Gaara told his siblings goodnight and promised to talk more about what they were going to do about Sasuke later. But right now He had an uneasy feeling in his gut. He wanted to see Hinata.
Before I fall too fast
Kiss me quick but make it last
So I can see how badly this will hurt me when you say goodbye
Keep it sweet, keep it slow
Let the future pass and don't let go
But tonight I could fall too soon under this beautiful moonlight
But you're so hypnotizing
You've got me laughing while I sing
You've got me smiling in my sleep
And I can see this unraveling
Your love is where I'm falling
But please don't catch me...
See this heart won't settle down
Like a child running scared from a clown
I'm terrified of what you do
My stomach screams just when I look at you
Run far away so I can breathe
Even though you're far from suffocating me
I can't set my hopes too high
'Cause every "Hello" ends with a "Goodbye"
But you're so hypnotizing
You've got me laughing while I sing
You've got me smiling in my sleep
And I can see this unraveling
Your love is where I'm falling
But please don't catch me...
So now you see why I'm scared
I can't open up my heart without a care
But here I go, it's what I feel
And for the first time in my life I know it's real
But you're so hypnotizing
You've got me laughing while I sing
You've got me smiling in my sleep
And I can see this unraveling
Your love is where I'm falling
So please don't catch me
If this is love please don't break me
I'm giving up so just catch me
A/N The song is Catch Me by Demi Lovato I don't own. :) Hopefully this chapter wasn't confusing with the time frame and all. But read and review let me know what you all thought!