Hello! I know! Come on guys! I love this story too:) I’m sorry it’s been so long. I do hate to read that people are so confused by my story at times but I can’t refine it again. I say just read on and be sure to read the little scraps I write at the top ok :) I would like to get rid of the confusing part were I decided to go in another direction with chapter eight but I’m not going to bother. I think I like that it’s not perfect. I really would not have kept going it not for all of your wonderful reviews as you all may have realized by my blatant lack of confidence. Thank you so much!

Chap 16

With Love He Kills

Gaara was dreaming again. He did not understand dreams as he had experienced so few in the course of his life. Even though the monster was gone from him sleep evaded him, always. That was until Hinata came into his life. He wondered if it was the side effects of the genjutsu: Dream Invasion he had used on Hinata so many times or if it was her… The fact that he had finally found peace with his wife. Either way he did not enjoy waking up to find he had slept though things. That Hinata was already gone from his side or something had happened during his short sleep. Anything at all.

The world was red and the moon was a black crescent. It did not light but darkened the landscape of his dream. He was in a forest, a forest of the Land of Fire he knew; as he recognized a few of his surroundings. He was dressed as always, his gourd quivering with tension. “Gaara.” A whisper in his ear.

“Hinata?” He replied as he whipped around only to find himself alone. Growling, he forced himself from the dream. His bright eyes snapped open and he jerked up only to find Hinata curled about his form, sleeping soundly as always after one of their sparing matches. She whimpered quietly as his knee brushed her thigh.

Gaara calmed, feeling his heart slow to a normal pace. He carefully pulled back the thin, silken sheet to reveal the mess his sand had made of her toned thigh. The bruise was deep and probably very painful, easily the size of his hand spread wide. He remembered she had not made a sound as the spear of sand some how penetrated her defenses and grazed her thigh. “Hinata.” He whispered. He knew she hated when he healed her wounds. She always felt that suffering made her stronger… Perhaps she was right but Gaara found he no longer wanted to be the source of her pain.

The moment he began to heal her, those pearl orbs that showed him so much snapped open. She went to jerk away from his hand but his other had caught around her knee, careful not to touch the wound. Hinata’s hand shot out like lightening to knock his away which only caused it to come in contact with the wound. Her painful cry made him tense as he quickly moved his hand away. Her eyes were squeezed shut and sweat had broken out on her forehead. Perhaps the wound was worse that he thought. “Hinata.” He spoke quietly but still his tone stopped her struggles. Seeing this he began again. Upon healing he felt the damaged muscles and was surprised she had been able to walk home with little more than a limp.

Within moments she was asleep once more and Gaara smirked down at her as he leaned over her, taking in her every feature. She was most beautiful as she slept but nothing could compare to the beauty of her eyes. As the thought dissipated he wondered how he had become such a sentimental or perhaps sappy fool was a better description…

888

The ex-heiress’ hands flew like lightening as she seemed to effortlessly block the attacks aimed at the various vital parts of her husband. It had not taken long for him to discover the truth. No one had thought the Hyuga would become so strong. If not for being kidnapped and trained by her cousin perhaps she would not have come to know her full potential. It was possible she had not yet…Seeing her loyalty on display as she protected her life mate seemed to spark something within him. One of the many emotions he had erased long ago. As he followed them it twisted into something new…

There were few who could avoid the long Hyuga gaze but this one was distracted with finding her love. He watched from afar as they confessed their love for one another in a tall tree deep in the land of fire. Soon they would return to the Kazekage’s sands and perhaps she could sooth Sabaku’s torment… Perhaps she had already…He would soon find out.

888

Hinata sat and watched the sun rise as she often did, her hand resting on the thigh Gaara had recently healed despite her protests. The wound had worsened with time so she allowed herself to accept that it was for the best.

Her thoughts turned to her family once more, as they had so many times of late. Three months had passed since their time spent in her homeland and her father’s face plagued her, lingering after her dreams. She would never forget that he had intervened but she could never forget what he had done to her. Things were better now of course, but the cost of it all weighed heavy on her at times… Everything Gaara did to her in the past.

Hinata had woken to find Gaara gone as she often did, unless she for some reason woke just after midnight. Today was different. She felt it… Something was wrong.

888

Sand raged around Suna but it was no natural thing. The one controlling it sat poised in its midst. Unmoving except for the wind on his clothes and rust colored hair. He stood unblinking as sand raged. It was a few moments before a dark figure appeared in the storm… Then another beside the first…

Hinata stood as the ground shook and looked toward the gates were a sand storm raged without entering the city. Gaara…

Gaara did not relax when the two cloaked figures retreated. Hinata was coming up fast he knew as he turned back to await her arrival, his arms still crossed over his chest. In less than a second she was before him, her long, tinted hair swirling about her as his sand whipped at it. His eyes softened as they moved over her but hardened as the eyes that looked back into his darkened. One second they were pearl and the next they were spinning blackness surrounded in red.

The sand had stilled when Hinata arrived but Hinata activated her Byakugan anyway and spotted Gaara on the ground, clutching his head before a tall cloaked man.

The Moon loomed over head and Gaara knew it was Tsukuyomi. He had done his research on the Uchiha’s upon forming an alliance with Konoha. The blood red sky did not faze him. He was dressed as always but his gourd was missing. A laugh sounded in the distance. It was Hinata’s laugh and Gaara followed it down a red tinted path through the forest that loomed around him.

He found her. There, naked in a blood tinted pool of water laughing. A deep laugh echoed hers as an equally naked man entered the pool. Gaara could only see his long dark hair and…They embraced…Kissed…Neji!... No! She did not do that when…Hinata and Neji! Gaara couldn’t move!

‘Kill her Gaara! Give her to me! Gaara! Gaara!’ A scratchy voice inside his head suddenly screamed.

“No! No, Shukaku is gone! Gone forever!” Gaara yelled.

‘I’m not gone! I’ve always been with you, just hiding Gaara, always hiding.’

“No, Hinata saved me! She saved me!” Shukaku laughed now and Gaara hated it so much more.

‘No Gaara! I saved you! Look at her! Look at her loving her own cousin! She is sick! She is finished! Kill her Gaara, give her too me Gaaaaaara…’ Gaara screamed, unable to look back at his love in that blood tinted pool…

Hinata skidded to a stop and leapt away as deadly sand speared the ground where she had been a mere moment before. “G-Gaara-kun!” She cried as he came at her. “Temari!” She cried but the blond woman was already engaging the Sharingan user who seemed to be retreating. “Gaara please!” She cried as she ran from her husband once more, feeling that this day might be her last…