Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Love's Misconstruities	By : Idleflame Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1431 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Love�s Misconstruities

*Spoiler Warning:*� Events in this chapter coincide
with and include anime episodes 216-220 which I don�t believe have aired in the
US yet (as of June of �08).� These
episodes concluded the Naruto filler story arc and paved the way to Shippuuden.� If you don�t want to be spoiled, I suggest
you skip to the next chapter.

Chapter 7

�� Though he hadn�t
necessarily been the kindest teacher, Hinata had very warm memories of the week
they�d spent together.� In just that
short time he�d been able to push Hinata harder than she�d ever been pushed by
anyone, including herself. �Yet not once during
their time together did he break his promise to not harm her.� He had managed to earn her trust, and because
of him she was beginning to gain a level of confidence in herself that she
never knew she could possess.

�� Both her teammates and
Neji noticed a difference in her performance.�
While she may not have learned many new techniques, she made up for it with
her newfound enthusiasm. �Even after he
left, she continued to strive towards perfecting her mastery of Jyuuken and
continued to develop unique jutsu of her own.�
Gaara had taught her that mistakes were an inevitable part of living,
and that all one could do was acknowledge that they would happen and to learn
from them, making oneself stronger.�

�� No one will respect
you or your clan if you do not believe in and respect yourself,� he�d told
her.� It made sense, and though achieving
it would be difficult for her, she refused to give up.

�� She still was not on
even terms with Neji when it came to sparring, but he had Hinata�s father
tutoring him now.� She had a long way to
go in order to earn Hiashi�s respect.�
She�d managed to work up the courage to ask him to start teaching her
again but he�d declined, telling her that he�d spent years trying to tutor her
and they had all gone to waste.� She�d
actually argued with him about it, which surprised him.� His timid daughter had never talked back to
him.� He�d finally conceded with the
stipulation that if she could surpass Neji in ability, then and only then would
he begin to train her once more.

�� She�d been quite
depressed for a time, but Neji finally sat her down and forced the reason out
of her.� She was relieved when he smiled
and told her, �It won�t be long before I�m even in skill with your father,
Hinata-sama.� If you can surpass me,
there is little you could learn from him.�
I think he knows that, too.� He
may not say it, but I�m sure he�s been impressed with you lately.� Your success rate with missions, creating new
jutsu��

�� I�m sure he still
wishes that Hanabi-nee-san or you were his heir.�

�� Then prove him
wrong!� Make him see you for who you
really are...like you did with me.�

�� Having her cousin�s
support meant the world to her.� That�s
why it pained her that he still regarded Gaara as dangerous.� Neji had kept his word to Hinata and hadn�t
interfered with their training, but it didn�t mean he hadn�t still protested it.� He made it clear that he still didn�t trust
the younger Suna shinobi.

�� Neji was grateful
that, because of Gaara, Hinata had begun to change, but he still didn�t feel he
could trust the Suna boy; not when it came to his cousin�s sensitive heart.� It bothered him immensely when he began to
notice that she would talk of and react to him the same way she did
Naruto.� Of all the boys she�d met, why
did his cousin have to have crushes on the losers?� Although, Naruto had proven that he wasn�t as
much of a loser as Neji had conceived him to be.� Still, he�d been able to accept that. �Accepting Gaara would take more than just a
week�s worth of confidence boosting.�

�� Also, as far as he
could tell, Naruto was oblivious to Hinata�s feelings and he did not
reciprocate them.� Such was not the case
with Gaara.� He and Naruto were somewhat similar
in a certain light, but vastly different in others.� Naruto had a sort of dumbfounding innocence
and na�vety.� Gaara was colder, more
ruthless.� In his eyes, Neji could see
that he knew what it was to take a life and it worried him in regard to Hinata.� The only reason he�d accepted Hinata�s
request not to interfere was that on the night when he�d caught the boy at the
main house, he�d put up no fight when he had every chance to, and Neji could
see in those same ruthless eyes a softness in regard to his cousin.� Even if he hadn�t realized it at the time,
Gaara cared for Hinata and wasn�t lying when he said that he meant her no
harm.� But, Neji had sworn to protect
Hinata long ago, and though he�d done quite the opposite at one point, he was
willing to uphold that promise now.

�� When Shikamaru came to
them one day asking for their help on an impromptu mission to aid the Sand-nin,
Hinata was quick to accept, with Neji right behind her.

�� Shikamaru, what are
the mission details?� Neji asked once he, Hinata, Sakura, and Shino had
gathered by the front gate.

�� I�m getting to it
already.� Sheesh.� A four-man team of shinobi has kidnapped a Suna Academy
student under Gaara�s supervision in an attempt to lure him into a trap.� He, Temari, and Kankurou are in pursuit.� The rogue shinobi are now here-� he pointed
out on his make-shift map in the dirt.�
�River Country.� They�re headed
into Fire Country, but we�re going to cut them off.�

�� Alright, let�s go!�
Hinata declared in haste.

�� Hey, hey�� I�m not finished.�� Shikamaru waited until he had everyone�s
attention again.� �You four won�t be
involved in the fighting.�

�� What?!� came several
surprised voices.

�� I�ll be leaving with
a second team later, but this team will be the most vital part of this
plan.� Whoever these shinobi are, they
think they�re powerful enough to take on Subaku no Gaara.� We have to be prepared for the worst.� There�s a good chance that they�ll split up
and the fight will be taking place in different areas.� You four will be traveling separately,
dedicated to tracking down the enemy and relaying messages between battles
should that occur.� Neji, Hinata: I need
you two especially for the scouting.�
Your Byakugan makes this easy.�
Sakura, you will be our medic.�
You�ll have the responsibility of moving quickly over the terrain and
taking care of any casualties.�

�� How will I know if
someone is hurt if we�ll all be separated?�

�� That�s where Shino
comes in.� Shino�s bugs are experts at
tracking.� We�ll be using them to relay
messages and locations.� Now, any
questions?�� Silence ensued.� �Don�t wait for the second team.� Get as far ahead as you can.�

�� Hai!�

�� Shino then gave everyone,
including Shikamaru, a pouch with the scent of his female kikaichuu bug and a
bottle of strange liquid with a small brush and explained their uses.

�� Okay.� I�m counting on you, Shino.�

�� We�ll be going then.�

�� Be careful,� the
young chuunin ordered, signaling their departure.

* * *
��
�� Hinata-sama,� Neji
called a few hours later as they approached their approximate destination.��

�� Hai?�

�� Whatever happens,
remember that it is not our job to get involved in this battle.�

�� I know.�

�� And with that
understanding, the two went their separate ways.

�� It would be still be a
while before the enemy was located, and the entire time Hinata�s heart
raced.� She was excited at the chance to
see Gaara again, while this wasn�t exactly what she�d imagined for a
reunion.� She was also quite worried for
his safety, though she tried to dismiss it as silly.� After all, Gaara was one of the strongest
shinobi that she knew.� He wouldn�t
easily be beaten.� Lastly, plaguing the
back of her mind was a nagging thought.

�� So, he�s taken on
other students.� Of course he has.� I heard his team was largely responsible for
creating the Suna
Ninja Academy.� They must have volunteered as instructors,
too.� I�m sure Gaara has lots of
students�enough that he�s probably forgotten about me��

�� After another anxious
hour had passed, Hinata was surrounded by a swarm of Shino�s bugs.

�� He�s found
them.� Gaara�s team has almost caught up
to the kidnappers.� The battle is about
to begin,� she learned as she forced her body to move even faster in the
direction the kikaichuu specified.� �Gaara��

�� By concentrating her
flow of chakra, she focused her Byakugan to its maximum magnification and
scanned the terrain.� It was difficult to
see through the many living things in the forest, but she strained to make it
possible.� Just then, she sensed someone
approaching her from behind.� She whirled
around to meet her pursuer.
�
�� Neji-nii-san!�

�� Hinata-sama.� One of us should stay in this area while one
continues west and follows the two shinobi with the hostage who Gaara is
pursuing.� I suggest that-�

�� Neji-nii-san, please
wait here.� I�ll move ahead.�

�� Neji stared at her a
moment.� This was the first mission
they�d ever been on together, and had it involved a rescue for anyone else, he
wouldn�t have worried a bit.� This time,
however, he didn�t know if he could trust her judgment.� Still, he would try and have faith.�

�� Alright.� I�m counting on you,� he replied.�

�� Hinata nodded and sped
off.� Soon after, a swarm of kikaichuu
came to guide her to an unfolding scene of battle.

�� It�s over there,
right?�� Using her Byakugan once more she
focused in on the opponents.� A large man
wearing armor and carrying a long-handled flail made the boy before him appear
small and weak...but Hinata knew better.

�� There�s no reason
to worry,� she told herself.� �Gaara
is strong.� He�ll be fine.� �But, what if�what if something does
happen?� No, I shouldn�t think that
way.� I don�t even know why I�m so
afraid.� �When did I start to care for
him this much�?� she wondered, thinking back to the short amount of time
she�d spent with the boy.

~*~*~

�� It�s getting late,�
Gaara remarked as Hinata caught her breath.�
�You should return home soon.�

�� W-why?�

�� Gaara stared at her a
moment, as if deciding on how to respond.�
He�d figured the answer was obvious.�
�You have a family.�

�� I�I don�t
understand.� I�m sorry.�

�� Your parents might
worry if you�re out too late.� Isn�t
that�what parents do?�

�� A sad smile made its
way upon Hinata�s lips.� �Some parents
do�but my father isn�t one of them.�

�� Gaara approached her,
unfolding his arms from across his chest.�
He stared at her a moment, which made the girl before him squirm uncomfortably.� �You don�t get along with him?� he stated
more than asked.� When her eyes widened,
he knew he was right.

�� N-no, he�s just�too
busy to notice if I were home or not, that�s all.�

�� You�re lying,� he
said, stepping closer.�

�� She looked at the
ground dejectedly and a heavy silence grew between them.� Hating to see his new student pained, Gaara
tried to think of something to say.�
Anything.

�� Let�s work-�

�� Do your-�

�� The two stared at each
other.

�� I�m sorry, I didn�t
mean to interrupt you,� Hinata squeaked, bowing.

�� Finish what you were
saying,� Gaara insisted.� Hinata glanced
at him, then looked away, remaining silent.�
�Please,� he added softly.� Like
magic, that special word worked its wonders and the girl began once again.

�� Um�well�I was going
to ask if�uh�� Do your parents ever worry
about you?� You�re always going on
dangerous missions, right?� They must
worry��

�� No,� he answered,
turning slightly away from her, averting his gaze.

�� Why�why do you say
that?�

�� The boy was silent for
a moment before answering.� �They�re
dead.�

�� I-I-I�m so sorry!� I shouldn�t have asked!�

�� Don�t be sorry.� I�m not,� he replied, his piercing gaze
meeting hers once again.

�� What?� she replied,
shocked.

�� Not wanting to sound
like the horrible monster he feared himself to be, he sought to elaborate.� He looked away once again as he began.

�� I never knew my
mother.� She died when I was born.� My father was Yondaime Kazekage.� By the age of six, he�d begun making attempts
on my life.� Now that he�s dead, I don�t
have to worry anymore.�

�� Hinata was
horrified.� �W-w-why?� Why would he-�

�� He was afraid of me.�

�� Afraid?� �Hinata was having a difficult time accepting
his claims without all the facts, he knew.�
He stared again into her concerned eyes and took a deep breath.�

�� If this is ever
going to work, I want it to be because she�s able to accept me�all of
me�without fear,� he reasoned.� �Thirteen
years ago, the five great shinobi nations were at war.� The Kazekage wanted to ensure Suna�s strength
and sought to create a powerful weapon which only he could control.� He sealed the legendary one-tailed demon
raccoon, Shukaku, into his unborn child - me.��
Hinata raised a hand to her mouth.�
�When he realized that he couldn�t use me as a tool like he�d originally
planned, he deemed me �unstable� and decided it was too dangerous to keep me
alive.�

�� That�s�horrible!� I�m so sorry��

�� Don�t be.�

�� I�I�m sure your
mother loved you,� Hinata said, trying to find some way to console him.

�� No.� She didn�t want me�just a tool for revenge.�
My name bears proof of that.�

�� A solemn moment passed
between them, Gaara watching her horrified reaction and Hinata stunned beyond
compare.

�� I�� she eventually whispered,
breaking the silence.� �I�like your
name.�

�� It wasn�t quite the
reaction Gaara had hoped for, but he found that it eased his heart nonetheless.� �Let�s practice your Shugohakke Rokujuuyon
Shou again.�

�� Hai!� she said,
thankful for the change of topic as she jumped away from him and assumed her
fighting stance.

�� Hinata-san��

�� Yes?�

�� I�d�appreciate it�if
you didn�t repeat that story.�

�� Hinata smiled.� �Of course,� she responded, still upset by
the painful information he�d shared, but overjoyed that he trusted her with it
at the same time.

~*~*~

�� The larger shinobi
attacked with his weapon, finding Gaara�s shield of sand hard to surpass.� Gaara then went on the offensive, performing
Sabaku Kyuu.� He tried to finish with
Sabaku Sousou but Hinata watched as the sand fell away from the large man,
powerless.� With her Byakugan, it was
obvious why.�

�� His armor�it�s
leeching out the chakra from Gaara�s sand!�

�� Hinata watched as the
man swung once more at the boy with his weapon.�
Gaara merely grabbed onto it with an arm of sand and began to rise on a
pillar he created from the earth below.�
He had risen at least 50 feet in the air when he began to spin his
opponent overhead like a cowboy with a lasso, then finally let go, throwing him
far off into the forest.� Hinata breathed
a sigh of relief.�

�� Looks like I was
worrying for no reason.� Gaara would
never--wait, what�s this?�� Chakra
began to pour out from the ground and center at Gaara�s position.� �What is this?� It�s not a barrier, it�s a�waterway?� Oh, no���
Hinata watched in horror as the water emerged from the earth under
Gaara, took the form of several dragons and knocked him down, collapsing his
tower.� He cushioned himself with the
sand in his gourd but did not get up as the large shinobi approached him once
more.� Hinata quickly took out the bottle
and brush Shino had given her.� She wrote
a message on the tree next to her and watched as Shino�s kikaichuu bugs landed
on it and then disappeared.� �Get up,
Gaara.� Get up!� she willed, but he did not move.� �I�I want to help you�I want to,
but�Shikamaru told us not to get involved�and Neji-nii-san�� But��
Gaara!!��

�� The large man had
closed the distance between them and began to swing his flail once again,
except this time Gaara could offer no defense.�
His sand had been saturated and would not obey his commands.� Having been wearing his sand armor, his body
was now much heavier and that made motion all the more difficult, not to
mention he was in pain from his fall.� He
instinctively raised an arm to shield from his opponent�s attack as he prepared
for the worst.

�� Konoha Senpuu!� a
green figure called as he leapt from the bushes and kicked the spiked ball
away.

�� Hinata breathed a huge
sigh of relief.� �Thank goodness!�� Lee and Naruto had finally made it to back
him up.� Gaara tried to stand but
staggered and fell. �Luckily, Lee was
there to grab him.� Just then Sakura
arrived and took over his care.�

�� She got the
message.� Thank you, Sakura-chan.�� Hinata watched as the kunoichi medic hovered
her hands over Gaara�s body, healing his wounds.� After a few moments, Hinata found herself experiencing
something she had never expected: jealousy.�
Not only was Sakura able to help him where she could not, Gaara also did
nothing but stare at her intensely the entire time she treated him.� Hinata tried to shake off the feeling but it
lingered.� �First Naruto-kun,
now�� No.�
What am I thinking?� I�I must
focus on the mission,� she told herself, moving back to follow the shinobi
with the kidnapped Suna student.� It
wasn�t long before she was back on his trail, and soon Gaara was right behind
him as well.� Hinata kept pace with the
two from a distance.�

�� He has the last
enemy trapped in a dead-end valley!� she discovered, reporting it.� She soon received reply from Shino ordering
her to meet up with Neji and himself.�
With hesitation, she obeyed, peeling herself away from the battle at
hand.� �Gaara�please be alright��� After a bit of searching with her Byakugan,
she found the two. �Soon, Shikamaru and
Temari joined them.� Lee, Sakura, and Ino
were next to follow.

�� Shikamaru-kun!� Lee
called.

�� What?�

�� Where are Gaara-kun
and Naruto-kun?�

�� Not having an answer,
he called forward.� �Neji, Hinata!� What�s the situation?�

�� Beyond the rocks
ahead, there�s someone trapped in a cage,� Hinata explained, using her
Byakugan.� �There�s also a huge amount of
chakra being pulled from inside it.�

�� Gaara is probably
inside!� Neji figured, only adding to Hinata�s concern.

�� Hey, Shikamaru,�
Temari called, her tone quite serious.

�� What?� he asked,
falling into step with her.

�� You know that Gaara
has a terrifying power sleeping inside him, right?�

�� Yeah, for the most
part.�

�� If Gaara has his power sucked
out and loses consciousness�things will get really bad!� Shukaku will rage out of control.� Once that happens, there�s no way to stop
Gaara.�

�� Are you serious?�

�� They all quickened
their pace.

�� Gaara,
please�� Please be alright��

�� By the time they
arrived, Gaara was no longer being held captive.� Shikamaru was first on the scene and couldn�t
believe his eyes.� �Hey, is that supposed
to be�� he asked, taking in the creature before him.

�� Yeah, that�s Gaara,�
Temari confirmed.� �He�s starting to turn
into Shukaku.�

�� Gaara!� Kankurou
called as he arrived with Kiba and Chouji.

�� Naruto!� Sakura
shouted, rushing over to the injured boy and the formerly kidnapped girl who
sat beside him.� Apparently he�d had some
success during all this chaos, though he�d paid a price for it.� Hinata followed the medic�s lead.

�� Naruto-kun!�

�� Hinata, Sakura-chan��

�� Matsuri,� Temari began,
approaching the blonde and their recovered student.� �Are you alright?�

�� Yes, but
Gaara-sensei�� she reported, clearly frightened.

�� Keep an eye on her
for me,� Naruto ordered, standing.� He
struggled to walk back to the battlefield but Sakura stopped him.

�� Hold it!� You�re seriously injured!�

�� But-!�

�� Even if you go out
again, you�ll just end up unable to move!�
I�m going to tend to your injuries first.�� And with that there was no arguing.� Naruto grumbled a bit but did as she said.

�� Sakura-chan�arigatou��
Hinata thought.� She really did admire
the spirited kunoichi.� Still, a part of
her was also envious.� At a time when the
two boys she cared about most needed help, she could do nothing but watch, yet
Sakura had been there for both of them.�

�� This is bad.� It�s only a matter of time,� Temari warned,
trying to mask the fear in her voice.

�� Just as I
thought�� Sakura, hurry it up!� Looks like we don�t have much time,�
Shikamaru yelled over his shoulder to the group.

�� Got it!� Sakura
replied, beginning to work on Naruto.

�� Neji activated his
Byakugan and studied the half-transformed Gaara and his opponent.� �What is this?� he asked in a baffled but
concerned voice.

�� What�s wrong, Neji?�
Lee inquired.

�� There is a powerful
chakra flowing between the armor that this bastard is wearing and the
half-transformed Gaara,� he explained as he watched Gaara and his opponent in
their standoff.

�� Matsuri stood and
responded to Neji.� �That person said
that he was Seimei, the founder of Takumi
Village, and that he had
been reborn as the ultimate weapon.�

�� That bastard!� He stole Gaara�s chakra!� Naruto yelled.

�� Come to think of it,
we also fought someone with similar armor and my chakra was stolen, too,� Lee
recalled.

�� Armor that absorbs
chakra�� Shino contemplated.� �We can�t
be careless and get too close to it.�

�� Well, what can we
do?� Shikamaru asked, more to himself than the crowd as he tried to devise a
plan.� Peering out to the battlefield, he
watched helplessly as the standoff between the two monsters continued.

�� Fighting Shukaku
wasn�t in my calculations,� began the resurrected shinobi facing Gaara.� �But this is in my favor.� Defeating Shukaku will prove that Takumi Village�s
ultimate weapon is unbeatable,� he declared, referring to himself and the
collection of armor and weapons which he wore.

�� Gaara grinned
maniacally at the floating apparition before him.�

�� *Yes!� Finally!�
I will taste blood!* the demon inside of him cheered.� *Come on, what are we waiting for?� Let�s waste this guy!� And then�then we can pay back those Konoha
bastards over there!*

�� No!� I won�t let you touch my
friends!�

�� *C�mon!� They deserve it.� I deserve it!�
It�s been so long�� You owe me!*

�� NO!!� Gaara screamed in his mind, fighting with all his strength to
suppress the demon.

�� *Gah, wait!� What are you doing?� You need me!�
Without me, you�re nothing.�
You�ll lose!� You�ll feel nothing
but pain and suffering without my protection.�
GAARA!!!*

�� It�s YOU that causes me pain and suffering!� I do not need you!�

�� The internal battle
was taking a physical toll on the injured boy but he didn�t let that distract
him from pushing his demon back with all the strength that he possessed until,
finally, he regained control of himself once more.� Shukaku�s arm which had manifested began to
fall away.

�� Gaara!� Naruto
yelled.

�� Gaara-sensei is
returning to normal!� Matsuri remarked with astonishment.

�� Naruto watched in amazement.� �What�s happening to him?�

�� He could be trying to
suppress Shukaku with his own will,� Temari hypothesized, in awe of her little
brother.

�� But why?� Won�t that only weaken his attack power?�
asked Shikamaru, thinking only from a tactical point of view.

�� Even so, he chose to
fight using his own power, not one that he can�t control,� Kankurou
explained.� He knew Gaara�s heart better
than most and proudly watched as the rest of the arm sloughed off leaving his
brother grimacing and trying to catch his breath.

�� You can�t maintain
Shukaku�s form with that chakra?� Seimei falsely concluded, laughing as he
floated high above the boy.

�� I will help my
comrades with my own power!�

�� Pathetic.� Shinobi have no need for emotions.� Those that kill their emotions become more
powerful.� And that power is the only
justice.� You�re already finished,� he
overconfidently stated, readying his weaponry.�
�Take this!��

�� His three-headed
dragon blade flew toward Gaara who jumped in an attempt to dodge the first hit,
but was grazed by the second blade and struck hard in his right side by the
third.� Falling back to the ground, he
managed to land on his feet. �He covered
his new injury with his hand, the pain apparent on his face as blood began to
seep out.

�� This is as far as you
go, monster of the Sand
Village.�

�� Gaara forced his gaze
upon his opponent and grinned, making himself stand up straight, acting as if
he were no longer hurt.� He prepared for
another attack.

�� A bluff?� You don�t even have enough chakra left to
fight.�

�� It�s true that I�m
almost out of chakra, but did you really think that I was just sitting in that
cage twiddling my thumbs?� he remarked, referring to the time earlier when he�d
been held captive in his opponent�s chakra-draining contraption.

�� What?�

�� Gaara�s grin widened
as he clapped his hands together.�
�Ryuusa Bakuryu!� he shouted.�

�� Everyone stood anxiously
watching the face-off, waiting for something�anything to happen.� After a moment of silence and stillness, it
appeared as if Seimei had called Gaara�s bluff.

�� Heh.� You don�t have any more sand to control.�

�� I am Sabaku no
Gaara!� Breaking stones and turning
minerals into sand is something that comes easily.��

�� As if on cue, the
walls around them began to crack and large boulders fell all around them.� Before Seimei could figure out what was
happening, he was swept under the forming sand.�
Gaara rode atop it easily, still creating yet more.

�� The observing ninja
stared in awe at the oncoming desert tidal wave and quickly retreated to higher
ground.

�� All was silent for a
moment and Gaara dropped his seal.�

�� Kujaku Senpuu Sen!�
called forth a voice from beneath him.�
Seimei rose to the surface once again in a powerful whirlwind
jutsu.� �So, you still had some power
left.� I�ll take all of it, then!� he
shouted as he increased the effects of his chakra-absorbing armor.

�� Both Hinata and Neji
activated their Byakugan once again, fearing the worst.

�� Gaara�s chakra is
being sucked out!� Neji reported.� Hinata
was rendered speechless as worry consumed her and she watched in horror, trying
to hold onto what little hope she had left of the situation.

�� Gaara-sensei!�
Matsuri cried out to her teacher.

�� Damn it!� Naruto
cursed, preparing to jump into the fight.

�� Wait, Naruto!�

�� What,
Shikamaru?!� Don�t stop me!�

�� Even if you go,
you�ll only be in the way,� Temari told him.�
�That, and our Gaara is strong,� she finished with a proud smile.

�� Naruto turned his
attention back to the battlefield.�
�Gaara�� He watched as his friend
raised an injured arm and began to collect sand.� It soon solidified, becoming a long solid rod,
but it didn�t stop there.

�� Saikou Zettai
Hougeki, Shukaku no Houkou!� �By the time
he was done, he had formed a mighty spear which resembled the arm of his
demon.� He gathered all of his strength and
threw it expertly at Seimei who had no time to even react.� It pierced through his chakra-absorbing armor
as it stabbed right through his abdomen.�
The broken armor shattered and fell to the ground.

�� W-why?� Why are you�� the defeated zombie stuttered,
trying to wrap his head around the reasons for his seemingly impossible defeat.

�� Someone like you, who
only sees people as weapons, wouldn�t understand.�

�� I don�t
understand!� How?� How?!� he screamed as he fell to the sand,
which began to suck him under.

�� Sabaku Taisou!� Gaara
called, mustering the last of his chakra in his final attack, at last crushing
his opponent.

�� All right!� Naruto
cheered from the sidelines.

�� Gaara-sensei won!�

�� Yeah!� Gaara!� Naruto called, rushing out to meet
him.� Matsuri and the others followed his
lead, but Hinata stayed behind.�

�� Thank goodness!�
she thought, feeling her anxiety finally drain away.� �Gaara was right�� If he had truly been trying to kill me that
first day of training, I would be dead��
Gaara is stronger than I ever imagined,� she realized in awe.

�� Gaara turned to greet
the crowd but collapsed before he had the chance.

�� Oh no!� What�s wrong?�� Hinata found herself
too scared to move further, though she wanted desperately to be by his side.

�� Gaara!� called his
siblings, rushing to his aid.

�� Sakura began examining
him.� �He�s fine,� she reported with a
smile.� �Just exhausted from using so
much chakra in one go.�

�� Everyone breathed a
sigh of relief.

�� Gaara suppressed
Shukaku with his own will,� Temari said, still in awe.

�� Yeah,� Kankurou
remarked, also finding it hard to believe it.�
�He really is trying his best,� he thought, recalling a
conversation they�d had not long ago when he�d told Gaara that he was nuts for
trying to become Kazekage.� Despite the
progress he�d made, there were still many in the village that hated and feared
him.� His younger brother had shown a
softer side then when Kankurou had pointed that fact out to him.� Gaara merely admitted that it would not be
easy but that he wanted to try anyway.�
He wanted to show everyone that he was more than just the container for
Shukaku.� He was Sabaku no Gaara, and he
yearned for the day when he would be needed by someone, not as a monster or
weapon like his father had envisioned, but as a man - a man who would protect
what was precious to him.� And since he
valued the entire village, he aimed to be its Kazekage.� He would protect his home and all those who
dwelt within.� He would work hard to make
them accept him.� Seeing his efforts
today made Kankurou believe that his brother would definitely achieve his goal
someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations/Term Definitions...in no
particular order:

- Jyuuken:� The �Gentle Fist� fighting style of the
Hyuuga Clan.

- -Nee-san:� Nee
meaning �sister� and, of course, -san
attaching respect to it.� Hanabi is
Hinata�s younger sister.

- River Country:� A small country bordering both the Wind and
Fire Countries, inbetween them.� They are
small enough not to have their own Hidden
Shinobi Village.

- Shugohakke Rokujuuyon Shou:� �Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four
Palms,� a technique created by Hinata during the filler story arc of the anime.

- Konoha Senpuu:� �Konoha Whirlwind,� an attack of Maito Gai
and Rock Lee.� It is a powerful kick.

- Yondaime Kazekage:� Yondaime
meaning �the fourth,� Gaara�s father was the fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

- Kikaichuu:� The type of bug that the Aburame (Shino�s)
clan uses.

- Takumi Village:� A village of weapon makers.� They create weapons for other shinobi
villages to purchase.

- Ryuusa Bakuryu:� �Quicksand Avalanche,� an attack by Gaara
that causes a wave of sand to fiercely sweep the foe under and away.

- Kujaku Senpuu Sen:� �Peacock Whirlwind,� a technique used by
Seimei creating a powerful whirlwind around him, cutting through Gaara�s sand,
and freeing himself in this instance.

- Saikou Zettai Hougeki, Shukaku
no Houkou:� �Ultimate Absolute
Attack, Shukaku�s Spear,� a technique of Gaara�s to mold the best minerals at
his disposal into a long, hard, and sharp spear, the point of which resembles
his demon�s claw.

- Sabaku Taisou:� �Desert Imperial Funeral,� an attack of
Gaara�s in which he sucks the enemy far beneath his tidal wave of sand and
crushes them by applying waves of pressure into it.
- 7
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Love's Misconstruities