A/N: I'm SSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry I didn't update in so long!! I was on vacation! You all understand right?
Chapter 4: THE FIRST SPARKS OF LOVE
Hinata woke, not remembering how she got into bed. She sat up quietly and looked around. Gaara appeared to be sleeping and she was still in her school uniform. As quiet as a mouse, Hinata slipped out of bed and pulled a outfit from her dresser. She changed in the bathroom. Hinata crept out in blue jeans, and a black tank top. She put her flip-flops on then grabbed the key and snuck over to the window and slid it open quietly.
Hinata was ninja trained so a jump from 35 feet would be simple. She would use the wall walking technique so she could close the window then she'd push off the wall. About to jump out, Hinata suddenly felt a grasp on her hand.
"What the?!" Hinata shrieked out.
"What are you doing?" Gaara asked. From his point it looked like she was trying to commit suicide.
Hinata smile politely, "Oh. Y-you're awake. Sorry if it w-was I that a-awoke you."
"Don't give me that -beep-," Gaara hissed.
Hinata gave him a confused look before reclaiming her hand. She searched Gaara's face for clues of what he could be talking about.
Gaara glared, 'She's a good actor, I'll give he that,' Gaara sighed, "At least tell me why."
"'W-why' what?" Hinata scratched the side of her head.
"Why you're trying to kill yourself!" Gaara demanded.
"Huh? Oh!" suddenly the pieces fell into place, "I-I w-wasn't going to jump if that's w-what you're thinking… uh… I m-merely wanted to sit on the w-window ledge."
Gaara gave her a last glare before turning away. He sure didn't buy it but he didn't want to talk about it. He went over to his bed and laid back down.
Hinata walked over to the door. Gaara was sure to notice this.
"Students have to stay in their rooms when past ten," he informed her.
She smiled at him, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Hinata slipped out the door and closed it quietly. Gaara got up and walked to the door so he could get her back into the room but when he opened it she was gone.
Hinata moved as fast as light itself until she was well out of the building. She sensed flaring chakra it the woods beyond the school grounds. Still running fast, Hinata went to investigate.
Sasuke and Naruto stood in a small clearing, sparring. Hinata suddenly arrived at the scene. Sasuke stopped and threw a few needles in a random direction. Hinata somehow avoided them as she sat hidden by the leafs. Naruto gasped and looked around.
"What is it?" he whispered harshly as he looked around.
"Something's out there," Sasuke said.
Hinata hopped down from the tree, "H-hi, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun. How did you get n-ninja weapons into school?"
Sasuke relaxed somewhat, "Hi 'Nata-chan. The needles are fake wooden ones for training, and stationed ninja are allowed to have weaponry undercover."
"Oh," Hinata said, "Can I w-watch you two spar?"
"Sure," they both said.
"But we're heading back in soon," Sasuke said.
Hinata nodded and they went back to fighting each other. She twirled a strand of her hair but Sasuke suddenly stopped his throw of punches at Naruto. Naruto notice this and stopped as well.
"What is it?" Naruto asked impatiently.
"I was just thinking," Sasuke said, "How about you and me fight, 'Nata?" he proposed .
Hinata gave it some thought, "Uh…O-okay."
So they sparred and Naruto watched. Of course they only used tii-jutsu because other attacked would garb to much attention. Soon they were covered in small cuts, scratches and bruises.
"Okay. We should stop now," Sasuke said, "We want to at least get a little sleep in."
Sasuke ran off with Naruto behind him, who was falling behind. Hinata ran off then and soon was inside the building and then in her room. She crept to her bed, not noticing that he wounds did in fact hurt a bit.
Gaara turned his head slightly. He saw Hinata wearing the same outfit as before but not it was all ragged. She had cuts visible in the dim moon light and darker patches on her skin were probly bruises. He wanted to ask but he could tell she was already sleeping.
Hinata woke and remembered she forgot to change out of her jeans last night. Too late now. The sun barely shone over the horizon as Hinata quickly change into her uniform and readied herself for school. Hinata kneeled in front of Hanabi's picture for a bit then stood up.
She saw Gaara was already gone and headed out the door and ran into someone familiar.
"Hello Hinata," Itachi said, dressed in his uniform. It suited him in a way.
"Hello Itachi-kun," Hinata said.
"Are you okay Hyuga-san? You did pass out last night," he said.
"I-I did?! S-sorry if I-"
Itachi placed a finger over Hinata's lips, "Don't worry about it. I enjoyed carrying you."
Hinata blushed.
"I'd love to do it again sometime," Itachi said and Hinata the tomato was now fully ripe. Itachi chuckled, "May I escort you to breakfast?"
"U-uh…S-sure," and they linked arms and walked off.
Gaara, who somehow managed to see the scene, didn't know if he wanted to laugh his lungs out … or barf.
Gaara trailed behind, careful to remain unseen.
Itachi and Hinata walked into the cafeteria. In the middle of one of the long tables sat Sai, Naruto, Sasuke and two others Hinata didn't know. The two heirs unlinked arms and walked over and sat down. Naruto and Sasuke smiled and Sai attempted to smile but the other two looked confused.
"Hey… You're the girl from yesterday aren't you?" The one in the pony tail asked.
"She sure is pretty, right Shikamaru?" the chubby one said.
Sasuke gave the boy a look then turned to Hinata, "Sorry. I forgot to introduce you… The one with the chips is Choji and the other is Shikamaru," Sasuke said while gesturing toward them, "And you guys, this is Hinata and my big brother, Itachi."
"Wait, wait, wait," Shikamaru said, "You have a brother?"
Sasuke sighed, "Unfortunately."
"Hey… have you noticed Sasuke has been acting different ever since those two got here?" Choji asked.
Everyone looked at him confused.
Sasuke said, "I'm sure it's your imagination."
"No. I'm sure of it. You've been acting almost happy," Choji said.
Naruto didn't understand this but Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah… in fact I've never seen you smile so much in a hour let alone a day…"
Itachi and Hinata gave each other confused looks. Sasuke was Naruto's friend so he smiled around him often so Naruto was also confused. Sasuke Glared at Choji and Shikamaru.
Hinata excused herself and went up to get breakfast. Just a piece of buttered toast, an apple and milk were on her tray when she got back. Hinata began to eat and soon the others went to get her trays as well. Sasuke was the first to get back, the rest of the line was being held up by Choji.
"So Hinata," he started, "What are you doing for the weekend? Just staying on the school grounds?"
Hinata thought about it, "I'm not s-stationed here so I could choose to l-leave to visit Konaha b-but I don't feel like I-I should… w-what do you suggest?"
"Well, if you don't want to stay at the school you can go with me, Sai and Kakashi. We stay at a house in town and you -and Itachi- can come."
Hinata smiled, "I'll think about it."
Gaara, who sat at a table across from them, practically gasped. Sure he couldn't here them that well at his distance bit he could lip-read pretty well and he saw correctly Sasuke just claimed to live with Sai and one other teachers. Sure there was a myth in the school that Sai and Sasuke were related because they came to the school at the same time and looked similar but how'd Mr. Hatake fit into all of this?
The week pasted by slowly. Hinata didn't see Gaara much since he was never in the room when she came and he seemed to avoid her in classes. The only place she really saw him was in material arts, where he still avoided her. Hinata would seek out and night for sparing with Sasuke and Naruto and bump into Itachi and Sai every so often. Kakashi sort of ignored her because he was undercover. Ino and Sakura hated Hinata's guts, why Hinata couldn't understand. The other students left her alone.
Today was now Friday. Sasuke told Itachi and Hinata to meet him but the garden at five. It was four thirty. Hinata had packed the extra backpack she had brought with two outfits, a set of PJ's and Hanabi's picture. Before packing the last object she stoked the glass a few times.
"I'm sorry Hanabi…" Hinata paused. Suddenly something occurred to her, "I just need time… I'm going to become stronger so I won't make the same mistake again…"
Just then Gaara walked in to see Hinata crouched over the picked with a packed bag next to her. She was crying over that picture of her sister again Gaara never understood why. And by the looks of it she was also going with Sasuke. Gaara said nothing, just laid on the bed with a 'huff!'.
Hinata looked back at him then back at the picture before packing it away. She threw the bag over one shoulder and sat cross-legged.
Gaara looked at her, "Aren't you leaving?"
"I h-have time."
Gaara nodded and there was silence. They sat for a while before Hinata got up to leave. She was half way out the door when-
"Wait."
Hinata looked back at Gaara, "Y-yes?"
"What does Sasuke mean to you?" he asked blushing.
"W-well… he's a comrade and I would risk m-my life for any comrade."