Still editing…I had to re-write part of this chapter because I just realized how OOC it was…7/17/08
Disclaimer:
Tenten: Yachiru-san doesn't own Naruto otherwise Neji-kun and I would have gone out on a date by now. (Glares)
Neji: Nani? What'd I do?
Tenten: You're being insensitive!
Neji: I don't get it! Tenten, what are you talking about?
Tenten: C'mon, Neji-kun! We've been together for...how many years? (Counts on fingers) Seven years, huh? And I still don't remember you taking me out!
Neji: Well, Tenten...if that's how you feel then... (Walks up to her and kisses her)
Tenten: ... (Is in Neji-fangirl heaven)
Gaara:...(Massive sweatdrop)
Yachiru: You get to do that soon, too! With Hinata!
Gaara: WTF?
Yachiru: (Nods excitedly) All the reviewers want it to happen, so...
Gaara: (Storms off to sulk)
Yachiru: What'd I do?
Tenten: You're being insensitive.
Yachiru: What? Okay...I decide to write a story and now I have to deal with an angsty teenage boy?
Neji: (Points) He's older than you, you know.
Yachiru: (Mumbles to self) Well not in the head.
Song: I Will Be Around
Artist: Nick Whitaker
Song: D'Tecnolife
Artist: UVERWorld
Chapter 7
A worried Baki strolled down the streets wit his hands in his pockets. Where's Gaara? He thought. It's been three whole days, where could he be? The Jonin knit his brows. I hope...I just hope Kazekage-sama is okay.
A staggering Gaara approached Sunagakure's back gates. Not only was he out of breath, but he was nervous as hell, too. He just had to make it in time. Not to mention his fatigue from not sleeping, something he had grown accustomed to after the Shukaku was removed. A watch guard shinobi immediately spotted him and opened the gates. The young Kazekage headed straight for Suna's hospital in the Kazekage complex.
For the time being, Kankuro, Temari, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Sakura (who had come to help Tsunade take care of all the wounded and injured) and Naruto (who had come to 'kick some Kumogakure butt') along with Kakashi were all talking. They were fervently hoping that namely two people would show up without any serious injuries.
"When do you think Kazekage-sama will be back?" A brunette haired nurse asked her partner.
"I don't know but I hope it's soon. Everyone's worried about him. My husband told me, since you know how he works on the council and all, that there are still some elders on the council who don't trust Kazekage-sama. They want to elect a new Kazekage." The raven-haired nurse replied shaking her head.
"That's terrible." The brunette said saddened.
"I know."
Just then both nurses looked up in shock as an exhausted, wounded Gaara burst into the room holding a feverish, dangerously ill Hinata. Despite his exhaustion, her body was still surprisingly light. "Quick! We have to take her to the hospital room!" Gaara said more worried than ever.
"H-Hai!" Both of the nurses said quickly.
"She needs an antidote. A poisonous needle was shot into her leg." He explained while carrying her to the emergency room for treatment.
"Gaara?!" Naruto said in disbelief. "Is Hinata okay? Are you okay? What's going on dattebayo?!" The blond hyperactive ninja blurted.
"Urusei Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded him.
Neji and the others just stared in disbelief. Particularly Neji, he was trying not to have a nervous breakdown. "Don't worry Neji-kun! I'm sure Hinata's all right. Sakura is a medical ninja – don't worry about it." Tenten tried to reassure her teammate. Gaara lay the fragile Hyuuga down on the bed as Sakura checked the wound and gave the injured kunoichi some IV fluid.
A short while later an antidote was mixed. The unconscious Hinata had been woken up by Naruto's continued "What's going on dattebayo?!" 's and Neji's "Is Hinata-sama all right?!" 's. Sakura gave her the antidote and told her to rest. Gaara...well, he took the initiative to stand guard outside Hinata's room, while Tsunade and Sakura prepared another antidote to neutralize the poison and re-bandage the wound.
--
Kankuro approached his younger brother outside the hospital room.
"So, you're finally back. Took you long enough." Kankuro said sarcastically.
"Let me guess, you were brooding this whole time." Gaara smirked as he teased his older brother.
"No, I just..." Kankuro said defensively.
"Three days is nothing. Chill out." Gaara interrupted him.
"Urusei. Temari and I were worried sick."
"That's nice to know you care so much."
"Not me. Just Temari. Okay? Personally, I don't give a..."
Temari walked in on her two brothers arguing.
"You don't give a what?" She asked Kankuro.
"Nothing." Kankuro sulked stuffing his hands into his pockets and giving a low growl.
Temari looked questiongly at Gaara who just shrugged. "Well, anyways we're just glad you're back. So is Kankuro, even if he has a weird way of showing it." Temari said smiling as she placed her hand on Gaara's arm.
"By the way, how's your shoulder feeling?" She asked her little brother.
"Fine. It still hurts a little." Gaara had his shoulder treated medically; a salve was applied to it and it was wrapped in gauze.
"Ja ne, Gaara. I have some things to take care of." His older sister said walking way.
Kankuro followed Temari still mumbling to himself over what Gaara had said to him.
"Hn." Gaara sighed folding his arms. He wanted to give her some space. When she woke up, maybe he'd check on her then.
"Kazekage-sama?" One of the nurses inquired leaning her head out from the doorway.
"Nanika?" He answered.
"Umm...Hyuuga-san is finally waking up. She's being fed her antidote through an IV and is no longer in critical condition...if you'd like to come in...
Her last words were lost on him as he made his way into Hinata's hospital room.
--
Hinata had no clue what was going on. She felt pain, and then she felt it go way and come back again. She heard voices… vaguely – if only she could make them out. Hinata drifted off into a deep sleep where she dreamed lived in a big comfy mansion...in Suna…with the Kazekage...
She was woken up from her dreams, by a wide range of voices whom she could vaguely make out:
"Is she okay dattebayo?!" Naruto
"Urusei! She's sleeping, you baka!" Sakura
"I just hope Hinata's okay." Tenten
"Hinata-sama? Are you awake yet?" Neji
"I think she's still sleeping, that antidote Sakura-san gave her must be working, Neji." Lee
"Soka, I hope so." Neji
"Nice work on the antidote Sakura." Kakashi
"Doomo, Kakashi-sensei! Shishou taught me well." Sakura
"You guys are going to wake her up. Let her rest." Tsunade reprimanded. She had gathered the ingrediants for the antidote, which Sakura had prepared and was planning on taking a close look at the Lightning poison later.
She blinked twice and then opened her eyes to a slew of people standing around her.
"Nani?" She asked confused.
"Oi! Hinata we were worried about you, dattebayo!" Naruto said with a grin.
"How are you feeling, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked.
"Everyone move back – give her some room to breath. She's been through a lot." Kakashi advised.
Everyone moved away except for the two males who continued to hover over Hinata.
"Are you feeling any better, Hinata-sama?" Hinata's concerned, overprotective cousin Neji asked her again.
"You really had us worried, you know?!" Naruto replied jokingly scratching the back of his head. "Anosa!...Did Gaara carry you all the way back here?"
Immediately, after the mention of his name, Hinata's face flushed. And then...she noticed him standing there…arms folded, while leaning against the wall. His face turned to get a closer look at her...so close...and yet so far.
"Hinata-san, are you all right?" Asked a concerned Gaara.
This last voice was different from all the others. It was calm but concerned. It was the voice she wanted to hear the most.
"Hai." She answered quietly. She was pestered by Neji's and Naruto's questions, but by Gaara's...maybe she was just flustered. Maybe it was just the sound of his voice that did this to her.
Here, he could never be her comrade only the Kazekage, the leader of the entire village.
After Naruto's insanely loud voice continued to reverberate off the walls, Tsunade ordered everyone strictly out of the hospital room, in order to give Hinata some rest. It wasn't Naruto's fault, Kakashi reasoned – it was just the hyperactive blonde's personality. Tsunade and Kakashi decided to resume their conversation outside after Kakashi insisted that Naruto wasn't taking any medication. Hinata couldn't help giggling. She was surprised that everyone had come to visit her. The shy Hyuuga girl definitely wasn't expecting this. After a while, all the visitors fanned out, except for one. Gaara lingered behind. He went to close the door, like he would during an important meeting and sat down next to her.
"Does your leg still hurt?" Suddenly his face was in close proximity to hers again. Hinata felt her face flush when his ice blue eyes looked at her; this helped contribute to a sudden rush in her chest.
"O-only a l-little. I...think t-that t-the antidote is starting t-to work." She stammered and winced inwardly at how her voice sounded. Either he didn't notice it or decided to ignore her stuttering. His next words actually made her wonder whether he genuinely cared for her or not.
"I...I hope you feel better." His eyes lingered on her face for a few moments and then resumed staring at the white linoleum floor.
"Arrigatou…for saving me." Her gentle words startled him out of his reverie.
He looked mildly surprised. "Don't worry about it…it's fine."
Hinata nodded and a stray strand of her bangs landed in her face. The Kazekage reached out and pushed it back behind her ear. The Hyuuga's face turned an even brighter shade of red than before.
I know how strong he is when he fights...but how can his fingers feel so...gentle? Hinata thought.
Was that wrong? Gaara wondered. He then pulled his hand back abruptly. I have to be more careful, what was that for? She's just a fellow shinobi… that's it. He convinced himself and looked away.
A slight flush appeared on his face as he stood up. With all these strange thoughts swirling around in his head, he just couldn't face her.
Why am I even thinking about her like that? What's wrong with me?
He was about to leave when she tugged on his cloth. She flushed again. "G-gomen, Gaara-kun. I...are y-you okay?"
"Nani?" Gaara asked. Hinata could be so confusing sometimes.
"Y-your wound...during the fight...is it better now?" She questioned him letting go of his cloth. Her lavender eyes gave him a worried look.
There was a slight turn up of the corners of his mouth. She remembers.
"Yeah, I'm fine so don't worry." The red head replied.
"That's good." She smiled at him this time meeting his eyes.
He seemed to nod in agreement and got up to leave. She felt her heart skip a beat. Was she going to miss him? I know...he's my friend and all but since when do I care about him so much? Hinata couldn't help wondering. Since when am I so worried about her? Gaara thought to himself as he left the room. She gave him one last smile. Her smile was so sweet and innocent. He suddenly felt like he couldn't be around her for too long as he closed the door.
With the help of Sakura's antidote and Tsunade's excellent medical care Hinata was able to make a full and complete recovery. However, it wouldn't take overnight; neither would her feelings for Gaara abate.
--
"So, share with me. Who's the hot chick you were traveling with?" Kankuro asked him later in the Kazekage's office.
Gaara's left brow twitched slightly. "Not anyone you would need to know."
"So...I take it she's single?" Kankuro teased.
"Just stay out of it!" Gaara snapped back at his older brother.
"She's your girlfriend then?"
"Chigau!" Gaara said defensively. He wanted to wipe the smirk off of Kankuro's face. "Just lay off, okay?" The young Kazekage retorted.
"And…if you lay a finger on her, I swear I'll kill you." Gaara said narrowing his eyes.
Kankuro retreated. Man, I haven't seen him this protective over someone since he had the Shukaku taken out of him. This girl...she must be really special to him.
Gaara's older brother resumed his serious demeanor. "Just let me know if you need any help...okay? Seeing as how you're completely clueless and all." Kankuro finished turning on his heel to leave. He couldn't help but smirk over his shoulder.
Gaara didn't want to admit it, but he was completely clueless. If this problem persisted, he might have to throw away his pride and ask his older brother for help. There was always Temari, but one word from him and the whole Suna would know in the next four hours. Maybe if I just forget about it, it'll go away. He thought hopefully.
--
Hinata woke the next morning. She lay on her side. Sunlight streamed through her window. As her eyes slowly began to focus she was able to make out the hospital room. It was a fairly small room with two beds in it. They must have moved me from the emergency infirmary. She thought to herself. The other bed remained empty. She tried to sit up, wincing as she felt the stiffness of her leg. The Hyuuga girl turned to look at her bedside table and found a single pale pink desert rose lying in a glass vase.
"Nani?" She said aloud. "I wonder who this is from?" She lifted the flower out of the vase to smell it. A delicate, flowery scent tickled her nose. She blushed. I wonder who left this here? She thought while gently placing it back in the vase. Hinata noticed a few stray grains of sand on the bedside table. She brushed it off with her free hand and then a sudden thought flickered through her mind. Could it be? She wondered. A pink blush began to creep over her pale features.
Could it have been him?
No. She reasoned. He's just not like that.
Naruto, perhaps?
Suddenly, her bedroom door burst open. "Oi! Naruto! Why can't you be quieter?!" Sakura hissed while carrying a tray with another antidote, pain medicine, gauze straps, and a steaming cup of herbal tea.
"Heh...heh." Naruto said with a childish grin scratching the back of his head. "Sakura-chan, why do you always have to be so harsh?" He teased.
The pink-haired teen sighed and turned to greet Hinata. "Hey, Hinata how are you feeling? Is your leg okay?" Sakura asked sitting down on the bed next to Hinata.
"Uhm...I'm okay. Except my leg feels kind of stiff. Is that normal?"
"Don't worry, it will feel stiff for a while. You haven't been on your leg for twenty-four hours, and especially after the surgery of regrowing your bone tissue and all, your leg muscles are probably just tired. It's perfectly normal." Sakura reassured her and reached over to sort through her supplies. She handed Hinata the greenish antidote in a cup, along with the steaming hot herbal tea. "Drink this. I know it tastes bad, but it works. Plus, if you drink the tea immediately afterwards you won't taste anything." The medical ninja suggested.
"Arrigatou, Sakura." Hinata said with a gracious smile. She drank the antidote and sipped her tea.
"Anosa, Hinata are you feeling better?" The hyperactive blonde asked.
Hinata held the cup of tea in her hands, it warmed her up. "Uhm...arrigatou N-naruto-kun. I'm f-feeling a l-little better." The shy Hyuuga responded.
"Uhm...Naruto-kun?"
"Nandeska?"
"Uhm...did...d-did you l-leave this fl-flower here?" The stammering girl asked him as Sakura sorted through her medicines looking for the right salve.
Naruto smiled. "Nope, it wasn't me." Hinata couldn't help feeling a small, sharp pain in her chest. I guess Naruto-kun never really liked me after all. "You wouldn't believe who it was." The Jinchuuriki said.
"Then who?" Hinata asked quietly a little disappointed.
"It was Gaara!" Naruto answered.
Hinata blushed again. "Th-this flower was from Gaara-kun?" Hinata asked again. Her brain couldn't process what Naruto had just told her.
"Yep. I think he has a thing for you, if you know what I mean." Naruto replied with a pervy grin and a wink.
"Oi! Naruto! Leave Hinata alone, she's supposed to be resting!" Sakura reprimanded him with a bonk on his head.
"Gomen, Sakura-chan!" Naruto winced as he placed his hand over the new bump on his head. "Feel better Hinata!"
"M-matte, Naruto-kun!" Hinata called.
"Nanika?" He asked with the door half-closed.
"W-where...where is he now?'
"Who?" Naruto said with an 'I-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about' look on his face.
The Hyuuga girl covered her mouth and giggled. Sometimes, Naruto-kun could be so...well, dense. But he was still a good friend. "Where's Gaara-kun?" She asked him without stuttering once.
"I think he's in a meeting right now, dattebayo! Ja ne, Hinata!" He shouted and then slammed the door.
"NARUTO!" Sakura shouted. The pink-haired kunoichi sighed and closed her eyes.
"He can be such a pain sometimes!"
"He means well, that's just his personality, right?' Hinata answered her with a small smile.
Sakura suppressed a grin. "Yeah, I guess you're right..." She twirled a strand of her pink hair around her finger. "But, forgive me for being intrusive, but...I thought you liked Naruto?" Sakura inquired.
For once, Hinata did not blush at the sound of Naruto's name. "No, I don't like him like that." Hinata responded, looking Sakura in the eye as the medic nin re-bandaged her wound. "I just think he's a good friend."
A few minutes later Sakura left to leave Hinata in her own thoughts. The Hyuuga girl couldn't help smiling at the desert rose on her bedside table.
--
Gaara sat through yet another meeting. He couldn't help thinking about the shy Hyuuga girl with the soft, kind lavender eyes. Why did I give her that flower anyway? He thought to himself. He continued to ponder this, as he looked out the window.
Because you love her? His conscious answered him.
No, I don't.
How do you know?
Because I...I've never loved anyone before...
"So, Kazekage-sama, what do you think of this plan?" An elder asked him, startling him out of his thoughts.
"I think that we shouldn't allow our village's daimyo to push us around. We have to set forth our values for the good of the village." Gaara said with a bored look on his face. "I think this meeting is finished. Let's call it quits for today." With that Gaara got up and retreated to the security of his office, where he was free to ponder his new but confusing thoughts.
Should I visit her? No...I should probably just let her rest. I'll...visit her tomorrow. He resolved.
Hinata watched the sun begin its descent outside her window. She felt a peaceful calmness here in Suna. The sun was always shining and the days seemed longer. But more than that...she felt a sort of internal peace with herself. She had never really been sure about anything in her life before. Like if she really wanted to be the Hyuuga heiress and lead a whole clan or not or...who was the person in the world whom she really loved. She smiled to herself settling back into her sheets. But this time she was sure about this one feeling...this one decision.
I think I love him...
Y: I can't believe I'm finally finished with Chapter 7! Uhm...I might be a little slow posting the next chapters, cuz they have need to be edited and...I'm not really supposed to be writing this cuz I have a final in a few hours. Man, I'm screwed.
G: This story's more important than your pointlesss tests.
Y: Hey! I'm not saying that this story's not important, I just have school!
G: Review! This is the only thing that actually motivates her. Pathetic...
Y: Will you stop being so grouchy!
Kankuro: He's just pissed he has to kiss Hinata.
Hinata: Uhm...Gaara-kun you d-don't have to if you don't want t-to...I uhm...
G: (Blushes) Uhm...I...
Y: Hey, Kankuro let's leave these guys alone.
K: Good idea...
G: I will kill you both. (Death glare)
Y: Please review and tell me what you think of my story! Ja ne! (Waves)
Japanese Words
Doomo: thanks
Gomen: Sorry
Urusei: Shut up!
Chigau: You're wrong!
Dattebayo: Naruto says this a lot although there is no direct translation into English. Literally it means "!"
Arrigatou Gozaimasu: Thank you very much
Oi: Hey!
Nandeska: What is it?
Nanika: a more polite form of 'what is it?'
Soka: 'That's right' or 'Now, I see'
Matte: wait!
