The walk to the hospital seemed to pass by them like a blur and soon the four, five if you include Akamaru, were in front of the main hospital of Konoha. "I thank you all for bringing me here…now for the most part I will be discussing the requisition of your medical nin with the head of the hospital so you three can do as you wish. I'll look for you when I need you," Gaara said, his voice flat and toneless. He soon left the three and wondered what he really was going to do. He hadn't fully thought ahead of his little ruse and was thinking in silence as he wandered through the many corridors of the hospital. Gaara eventually stumbled to a door that lead to the roof and decided to go there and meditate. The steps seemed endless and it took a while till he emerged at the top of the rather huge building. He could see all of Konoha and the forest that stretched beyond it. He sat down near the edge and began to meditate, letting his mind enter itself. Slowly, Gaara began to fall under a spell and was deep within his thoughts yet again.
Elsewhere, Hinata and her friends were walking around the hospital, hoping to find a nurse that wasn't so busy tending to patients as to help them. It took a while until finally one stopped to help after Kiba threatened to track down where she lived at set Akamaru loose on her home. "So, where is Kurenai being kept?" Kiba said, his voice still menacing the poor nurse. "Uhh…she's been having some t-trouble at the maternity wards and so the doctors sent her to a more private room. I-its down the hall…take a left at the end a-and you'll see her room," the nurse said, her voice breaking down out of fear. "Thanks," Kiba said with a feral grin. The nurse returned the gesture with a crooked smile before running off, most likely to hide from Kiba.
"And that is why you will die a lonely old man with twenty dogs…," Shino said as they walked down the corridor. "HEY! I'm more charming then you think, bug eyes," Kiba said, raising his posture and placing an arm across his chest to make him look more profound. "Certainly more putrid, that is for sure," Shino said, insulting him further. Kiba was going to tear his spectacled friend apart if it wasn't for the intervention of Hinata. "Guys, not now. Let's meet Kurenai without her having to see you two try and kill each other, please," Hinata said, her voice stern yet quiet. The two looked at her and bowed their heads in defeat, accepting their scolding like obedient little children. Hinata couldn't help but let out a small laugh as they turned the corner.
"Whose quiet little laugh is that hmm…I hope none of my students are playing hooky from their mission now," said an all too familiar voice. Hinata quickly spun around when she heard her and see Kurenai in a room, smiling slightly. At a speed that was rather startling, Hinata dashed into the room and just hugged her rather bewildered Sensei. It took a while but Hinata finally let Kurenai go as the older woman found it hard to breathe. "Hinata, I'm glad you're here…and here come the two morons I dare call my students," Kurenai said as Kiba and Shino entered the room. Shino merely smirked at his sensei's remark while Kiba had something different in mind. "WE COME HERE, JUST TO SEE YOU, AND YOU CALL US MORONS!" Kiba said, clearly upset at what Kurenai said. "Correction, I didn't say Hinata and Akamaru…only you two," Kurenai said teasingly. Shino let put a short laugh, amused at how his sensei always could make a crack on him. Kiba on the other hand was about to throw a fit if it wasn't for Shino shoving an orange in his mouth.
After some time, Kiba finally managed to pry the orange out of his sharp teeth. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!" Kiba yelled, his eyes looking wild as he asked Shino. "We're in a hospital, now I suggest you stop yelling," Shino said, each word mocking Kiba. Kiba wanted to kill his pompous friend but knew he had a point and just sat down peeved. Hinata couldn't help but chuckle slightly at how her friends acted like when they first met some times. And now, after what felt like years, all of them were together again, laughing and talking like they used to. All of them had discussed what had happened recently and joked about all the times they had spent. It was a while until Kiba and Shino left the room, hoping to find something else to do, and left Hinata, Kurenai, and Akamaru in the room.
"Now that the meat heads are out, why don't you and I have some girl talk hmm?" Kurenai said, her voice sounding like a big sister. Hinata let a small blush creep up her skin and turned her head slowly away from Kurenai's peering eyes. "T-there's nothing t-to talk about…w-why don't I get you some water sensei…," Hinata said, hoping Kurenai would drop the subject. "Ahgh….you can tell me, any boys you've been into lately, WAIT…I forgot, Naruto…," Kurenai said tauntingly, trying to get her young pupil to confess. Hinata however didn't seem to blush as madly as she used to when she heard his name. This time, she didn't seem to feel anything for the yellow haired ninja she had a crush on for years. For the first time in her life, she looked at Kurenai and said words that neither of them ever thought she would say. "I…don't feel the same for him anymore," Hinata said, her voice solemn.
Kurenai was rather surprised by her answer. Even Hinata was completely stunned by what she had just said herself, but she knew it was true. It took a while before anyone spoke, the only thing that was heard was the swish of Akamaru's tail as he stared at both of them. Finally, Kurenai couldn't stand it anymore and decided to speak. "Well…who DO you seemingly have fallen for now hmm?" she asked, hoping the younger lady in front of her would answer. However, all she had for an answer was silence. The only thing Kurenai saw as Hinata in her own thoughts, her conscience swimming around in some inner part of her mind, paying no heed to the world around it.
Hinata seemed to be searching deep for an answer to what had just occurred. She wanted to know so badly, to know why she lost her feelings for Naruto. Although she wouldn't admit it, she knew now that they were gone and replaced by someone else. To her, the bubbly orange suited boy she had dreamt of being with for the rest of her life was now nothing to her. Slowly, she began to piece together the face of the person who had robbed the spot in her heart which Naruto held for years. He was a black silhouette, his form betraying no signs of his features. Hinata kept trying to see who he was, but in the end, all she saw were a jade glow emanating from the mystery man's eyes. Unfortunately though, Hinata could not see more as she felt wet slobber spilling all over her face.
When she realized what was happening, she quickly tried to push Akamaru off her but the large dogs girth was too heavy for her to move. "Akamaru, get…off…me," she managed to gasp as his weight began to press down on her. Akamaru quickly got off Hinata, panting as he stared at her catch her breath. Hinata whipped off the slobber that covered her and the glared at Akamaru, clearly furious at him. "Akamaru, why did you do that….it was rude you know?" Hinata said, scolding him for his actions earlier. Akamaru whined as he bent his head low, hiding behind one of his paws. "Hinata, the poor dog did that because it was worried. All you did was just sit there, your eyes staring to the floor. Heck, I didn't even hear you breathe," Kurenai said, concerned for her. She was startled after what Kurenai said and looked to Akamaru with a rather sad face. "I'm sorry Akamaru…I…just need some fresh air," Hinata said, hoping he would forgive her. Akamaru quickly shot up and let out a loud bark, showing her apology was accepted. Hinata smiled and got up, heading for the door. "Hinata, where're you going?" Kurenai asked, curious as to where her pupil was going. "Like I said…I need some fresh air," Hinata answered, her voice sounding weak. Before she could ask anything else, Hinata had left the room without saying anything more, leaving behind a bewildered Kurenai and Akamaru.
Hinata wandered through the hospital hallways, trying to clear out her head. But ever since her confession to Kurenai, all she could think about was the silhouetted figure she saw in her head. He looked so familiar and yet, she couldn't tell who it was, the only thing she could distinguish from him was the jade glow that came from his eyes. She sighed and began rubbing the side of her head, wanting to get some fresh air. It took a while before she happened upon the entrance to the roof. She knew the fresh air from atop the hospital would help her forget about all the feelings that began to flood her mind. As she walked up the stairs, she could see the rays of twilight painting the walls of the stair wells. Her ascent was rather long but she soon emerged to see the sun basking over all of Konoha, and a certain kage she was meant to guard earlier.
Gaara felt another's presence with him and broke his meditation to see who dared bother. He turned to see Hinata looking at him with those milky eyes, giving him a tingle up his spine. "Oh…sorry, I-I didn't meant to disturb you…I'll just be going now," she said, trying not to make things even more awkward. Gaara on the other hand wanted her to stay, for some weird reason, but had to think fast. "I…don't mind if you're here for some air…," he said, not trying to sound desperate. She was rather stunned at first, finding it strange and rather unnerving. In then end however, she just walked up slowly towards the edge of the building and sat down not too far from him. Gaara smirked at one side and closed his eyes and began his meditation again. Unfortunately though, he could not focus his mind knowing she was so close, and all she did was hum as she looked out into the village. Finally, giving up on trying to block out her consistent hums, decided to just enjoy the view.
Although he would not admit it, the view of seeing the sun set over Konoha was almost as breathtaking as seeing the desert sun sink beneath the sand. It was when he thought of the desert did he begin to miss the company of Temari and even Kankuro, and without realizing this, he said their names out loud. Hinata noticed this and looked at Gaara, concerned slightly. "Who…did you just mention? Are they related to you in any way?" she asked, too curious to let it slide. Gaara was pushed into a corner, and he knew he had to answer; it was the only polite thing to do. Besides, he enjoyed to hear her speaking to him, to listen to her voice. "They're…my elder siblings…they are at my village," he said, his voice not showing any hints of his regret that he felt. "Oh, so you miss them I presume?" she said, a small smile across her face. Gaara was quite taken aback when she asked that, as if she could see past the ruse he had put up. He wanted to lie but he could not, he found it too hard to hold how he felt away from this girl. "Quite…they…they are the only family I have…," Gaara said, his voice solemn as he voiced those words. "Oh, I…I'm sorry if I upset you," she said, her voice sounding apologetic. Gaara turned his head to see her, looking at her as she looked to the floor, feeling guilty, and possibly even sad, for him. He stood up and began walking towards her, Gaara himself not really knowing why. He was right next to her now, and not really being sure of anything else to do, Gaara sat beside Hinata, his legs curled up to his chest. There was nothing but silence at first, like how they first met, and for Gaara, he didn't mind.
Hinata stared at him, dumbfounded at the fact he just sat right next to her for no reason whatsoever. As a plethora of thoughts raced through her mind, Gaara was asking her something rather sensitive. "Do you know your mother?" he asked as he looked out to Konoha. Hinata's mind fell silent, the whole world devoid of sound, the only thing she heard was his words, his question. No one, not even Kurenai, asked her that, as everyone knew how sensitive the subject was for Hinata. She felt hurt inside, a pain she didn't want to remember, memories of a day she thought she forgot. Until now.
Hinata saw herself when she was a small child, barely the age of four, and was playing around in the garden. It was there she saw a familiar figure in front of her, sitting on beneath one of the cherry blossom trees. In every way, she looked exactly like the lady in front of her, except that the woman that stood before Hinata was her mother. All she could do was stare at her younger self played and jumped all over the place, her mother laughing quietly at her little daughters antics. Her mother then motioned for Hinata to come close, wanting to talk to her small child. Hinata's younger self then dashed towards her, lunging at her mother with such force that it knocked her down. Young Hinata braced her self up to see her mother, and all she gave her was rather stern look on her face. At first, Hinata wanted to cry, not liking it when her mother looked at her with annoyance.
Then all of a sudden, her mother pushed Hinata off her, sitting up to see her young daughter dazed on the ground. The older woman laughed as Hinata got up, her hair unruly and all over the young girl. She then brushed the hair of her daughters face, and slowly straightened it to how it looked at first. Hinata's other then held her tightly, burying her face in her little daughters hair. "Mom…you messed up my hair again!" Hinata squealed as her mother held her tighter. Hinata mother then began telling Hinata something. "Hinata, do you know why I did that?" she asked the little girl. "No…why?" Hinata answered, curious to find out. "Hinata, do you see the flowers that I always tend to?" her mother asked, a smile gracing her face. The little girl merely nodded, trying hard to understand what her mother meant. "I have to always wake up in the morning just to water them, even though I could just let the gardeners handle. Do you know why?" she asked again. Hinata shook her head, her face looking even more puzzled and her childish mind not understanding what her mother meant. "Its because you have to care for the things you love. That's why I do the things that sometimes you don't like, it because -. Hinata's mother stopped talking, sensing something, or someone, was near. Hinata kept shaking her mother, trying to get her to continue what she said. Instead, she answered something rather different. "HINATA, GET DOWN!" she yelled, pushing the little girl off her while a kunai flew directly at her.
For the older Hinata, the whole thing seemed to suddenly become like slow motion. She saw her mother shove her younger self off her, making sure that the kunai that was aimed for her child would take her instead. Hinata wanted to jump out and save her mother right then and there, but all she could do was stare at was happening right before her eyes. The crimson colored blood spilled out of her mother chest like water from shattered glass, her screams filling her head. She looked as her younger self ran towards her mothers, tears streaming down her face. Hinata herself slowly walked towards the dead body, her hands covering her mouth, trying not to cry herself. Her little self began screaming, shoving the dead corpse before her, hoping she would come back to life. "MOTHER! MOTHER! MOTHER!" screamed she and her younger version in unison. Suddenly, she felt someone shaking her vigorously, and it was only then did she snap out of the most painful moment in her life.
B.T.W, i would like to know if i got the characters wrong in any way and if i'm taking their relationship a bit too fast. Please inform me as i am trying to keep this as accurate to the way they are currently in the show. THANKS A BUNCH!!D