Love's Misconstruities
Chapter 5
Gaara perched himself atop a building toward the southern edge of the village, patiently waiting for his target to approach.
Heh heh heh…finally, you're going to bring me an offering. Blood, yes. Sweet warm blood… Kyaaaa!! I can almost taste it now!!
'Don't get your hopes up.'
Whaaat?! But it's been months since I last tasted any! And that girl's would really hit the spot!
Gaara began to ignore his demon's pleas, something he'd been trying more and more to do. Shukaku hated it, but eventually he'd give up. Tonight, however, he thought that he could strike a nerve with his host if he pressed on and so he persisted.
She'll never give you what you want, you know. She'll fear you….try to hurt you.
'I'm stronger than she is. She can't hurt me.'
Mm…physically hurt you, no. But she has friends. She could even turn Naruto against you if she wanted.
The thought made Gaara shudder, but he quickly disregarded it. 'Naruto is my friend. He wouldn't betray me; nor would I, him.'
Heh heh heh!!
'What's so funny?'
You'd never betray him?! You saw how that girl was looking at him before. She likes him, not you! He might be pissed if you try to steal his girl…
Again, the thought of Hinata belonging to someone else bothered him, but somehow it was less so with Naruto. Still, this theory had yet to be proven to him. 'Besides...' he thought once more, speaking to Shukaku. '…if she really is Naruto's girl, then that's all the reason I need not to harm her.'
Ah! Wait, but-
'No! I will hear no more from you. Now, go away!' And with a few angry remarks from the demon, Gaara banished him to the depths of his mind. Truly, he had gotten better at controlling Shukaku instead of the other way around, but there was still a long way to go.
A flash of grey streaked through a cluster of buildings in the distance and made its way into the forest beyond after a mob of orange Narutos. Gaara's heart began racing as he began his stealthy pursuit. He followed at a distance, watching the young girl at work as she skillfully differentiated the Naruto figures based on their chakra flow. When it looked like she'd found a possible real Naruto, she would hesitantly attack it to make sure if it was a clone or not. So far, she had been unsuccessful in finding the original.
The sun had set not long ago but under the cover of trees, darkness was all around them. Gaara was impressed that it didn't slow Hinata down in the slightest. The Byakugan was a very useful bloodline limit indeed. However, as time passed, the strain was beginning to show. Normally, Gaara would have been disappointed in her performance but Shikamaru had explained that, according to one of her teammates, Inuzuka Kiba, Hinata and her cousin would be practicing together all evening so it was expected that she would be tired. Still, if this were part of a mission it would be unacceptable. But, as Gaara knew, sometimes being at one's limit brought out the best in a shinobi. Such was what he was counting on as he watched the girl disperse yet another bunshin and pause to catch her breath.
He approached silently from above, sneaking around her from behind as he readied his attack. She had deactivated the Byakugan but he was still cautious. His stealth abilities were top notch but he refused to be caught off guard like he had been with Neji.
Suddenly, Hinata swung around, gazing behind her. Gaara froze in place behind a tree and used his third eye jutsu.
'Did she really sense me?' he wondered in disbelief. Once he had connected the optical nerve he saw that he had been mistaken.
"Ugh…I don't feel so good…" came a familiar voice as a blonde-haired figure staggered through the trees and approached Hinata.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked.
"Ugh…" he groaned, walking haphazardly toward the girl before him.
Gaara watched as Hinata tried to activate the Byakugan and failed. She was finally at her limit. She instead approached the clone. "Gomen, Naruto-kun!" she squeaked, readying to strike it in a non-vital area. She was caught off guard when the clone suddenly tripped. Hinata instinctually caught him and Gaara watched as she turned a new shade of red, this time different from the preexistent one of exhaustion.
"Mmm…so soft…" Naruto murmured, pressing himself into the frozen girl.
"N-N-N-Naruto-kun!"
"Mm…I've always wondered what it would be like to hold you…" Hinata's eyes widened and she began to tremble as a hand slid under her coat and up the flesh of her back. "You smell good…"
Gaara felt both angry and extremely out of place, yet as much as he wanted to leave, he couldn't tear himself away from the scene.
Betrayed in the end, huh? Just like I told you. You should kill her. Kill them both! Now, before they can hurt you any more!
The demon had more control over him when he was angry, Gaara knew, and he fought to remain calm…but the familiar pain in his heart made it difficult.
Hinata gasped as Naruto grabbed a handful of her rear with his free hand, bringing Gaara's attention back to the couple.
Naruto chuckled. "You're so shy today. Mmm…I love you…Sakura-chan."
Suddenly, Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke and Gaara could hear several more dispersions throughout the forest.
'Neji must have found the real Naruto,' he idly thought.
Hinata's trembling body suddenly became very still as she went limp and fainted. Gaara managed to catch her in a blanket of sand just before she hit the ground. He descended from the tree and knelt over the unconscious girl, pondering the scene he had just witnessed along with the new emotions it caused him to feel. It was with hesitation that he hoisted Hinata into his arms and set off back toward the village.
'So Hinata does like Naruto…but Naruto likes Sakura…and I like Hinata… Why does love have to be so complicated, I wonder?' he contemplated as he bound through the trees, all the while staring at the pale girl in his arms. It wasn't long before she began to stir. Gaara kept moving but focused intently on the trees ahead. He was embarrassed for staring at her for so long but refused to show it. She gasped as she awoke, and still he stared only forward as he pretended that he didn't notice her at all.
"Naruto-kun!" The reddish tint returned to her face as she recalled what she last remembered, though it faded as soon as she began to take in her surroundings.
"It appears the situation is under control," Gaara replied.
"Gaara-san?!" Only then did he dare to glance her way. Her large eyes showed both surprise and some fear, but she did not struggle.
"I am taking you to the hospital."
"Eh? W-why?"
"It looks like you collapsed from exhaustion," he explained, avoiding her gaze.
"I… No, that's not why I… Please, stop." He did as she requested, landing on a large branch and setting her down. "Thank you very much, but I'm fine."
"You should get examined. There may be something they could do for you."
"It's okay…I-I'm fine. I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble. There's really no reason to worry about me."
"Why shouldn't I?" he retaliated, using more force than he meant to as he finally gathered up the courage to look her in the eye.
His words stunned her and she averted her gaze, beginning to tap her index fingers together. "B-because…i-it happens a lot. I don't need to go to the hospital."
"As future head of your clan, you should treat this problem or else your weakness will be cast upon your entire family." Hinata's body became rigid and Gaara quickly regretted his words.
"I-I know… I know, but…"
A quiet moment passed between the two as they perched atop the tree.
"If you won't go to the hospital, then let me help you," Gaara quietly offered, breaking the awkward silence.
"Eh?" This earned him her gaze once again.
"Allow me to train with you while I am here."
"But…but, Neji-nii-san is already helping me train-" she explained, looking away and tapping her index fingers together.
"All the more reason. By training with your cousin, you are fighting someone who uses the same fighting style and jutsu and yourself. My techniques are of a completely different origin."
"M-my teammates and sensei also help me-"
"Battling new, stronger enemies allows for more growth. If you want to get stronger, you should accept my offer," Gaara pushed, determined in his new resolve that, while Hinata's feelings for Naruto seemed valid, they were not reciprocated and therefore he still had a chance. That, and the thought of letting go of this newfound feeling without a fight was somehow too painful.
"I-I-I…" the frightened girl stuttered.
"But it's your choice. If you say no, I won't push the subject further," he relinquished. Though he wanted with all his heart for her to say yes, he knew that this had to be her decision for it to mean anything to him. 'I want her to accept my offer of her own accord.'
A silent moment passed between them before Hinata worked up the courage to glance the red-head's way, watching him as he stood, arms across his chest, staring ahead through the trees.
"T-tomorrow…after the meeting ends… A-are you busy then?"
"No," came a stoic reply as he gazed off into the distance, the wind blowing against him and ruffling his hair. To Hinata, he was the picture of cool and collected, but Gaara was hardly calm.
"Then…how about…after that? If you don't mind," came the quiet request. Gaara's pulse pounded in his throat and he found himself unable to vocalize anything. He simply nodded. "W-well then…I suppose I should return home. Thank you, Gaara-san," she said with a nervous smile before bowing and leaving the stunned boy alone on the branch.
It was several minutes before he made his own way back. As he landed on the balcony of the floor where the Sand's second-level guest rooms were, he was greeted by two anxious siblings.
"Gaara."
"Well? What happened?"
He walked past them and opened the door to his room, stepping inside. Leaving it open only a crack, he looked back their way over his shoulder and answered, "Mission successful." Without giving them any time to respond, he closed the door and ignored their muffled chatter.
He spent the rest of the night eagerly planning for the following day.
Translations/Term Definitions...in no particular order:
- Bunshin: Clone.