Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Demon's Ball**

Summary: The devil's nearing the gates and all Tsunade's got to protect Konoha is a demon with a fragile white eyed cage as a shield to keep him from lashing back.

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Cornering her was like cornering a jumpy deer with heightened senses or a slow and sickly wolf. He could chase her throughout the night and though he was doing this to get rid of his edginess and she to train; he wouldn't let it end. He heard something shift, a subtle shift of the rustlings of clothing being moved or rearranged out of sight and a leaf crunched delicately. His nose twitched and the slight scent of blood invaded him-it smelled fresh and warm and he could hear it drip drop to the ground slowly. The sand from his gourd popped the cork open and leaked around him in tentacles, blindly looking for the source of his current madness (_obsession_). His ears thumped in response to the adrenaline that resided in his blood, thick and almost diseased it stayed in him like a poison and he felt like a weak little boy from having such lack of control. The thought of snapping her neck was fleeting, and logic concluded that wouldn't due at all; without her distracting the madness from everyone else he doubted another country would take him in with such warm (_warily cold_) and welcome (_frightened to death_) arms as Konoha had (_Tsunade wasn't stupid and needed another soldier against the army of Orochimaru and the Uchiha traitor_).

The sand danced in intricate designs before weaving out and groping the forest floor with likeness of a blind animal, pawing here and there just to get her heartbeat up enough so that he could hear it from where he was. There it was. Beating quickly as a hummingbird's in constant motion wings, her heart seemed as though it were ready to dislodge itself from her out of fear and run out of her throat and away from him. The sand coiled around the large tree trunk and tightened its grip suddenly. The trunk began to splinter and crack, till it finally gave way under another harsh crunch much like jaws closing over a bone. The tree broke like a dry twig and fell heavily to its side, the sand retreating from it and Gaara was irritated (_excited_) to find that the short haired girl had up and vanished-had fled yet again. He scowled a little more deeply and his pale grey green eyes locked on the small, barely there puddle of blood that had come from the wrapped wound on her shoulder-the one she'd gotten from a recent mission by way of a spiked sword. It was a dark, glittery thing that reached up with vibrant, vivacious color and held his attention, noting that the sand brushed over the puddle, sponging it almost.

It whisked itself back into the form of a gourd atop his back and Gaara leapt up with the quick, quiet ease of a predator, despite the gourd's awkward heaviness. He jumped from branch to branch, barely stirring the leaves as he continued with the nightly hunt. His redhead was like a beacon and Shukaku was becoming increasingly agitated with his lack of participation in killing-to him, the Hyuuga was much more to toy with. Though her eyes widened in fear, the Byakugan flickered on with an angry air, when she trembled in terror, her legs pushed her forward to face the doom with false bravado and when she whimpered, she quietly whispered the names of her attacks with a softly powerful air. Her opal eyes were blankly warm and vulnerably powerful. A contradiction within another contradiction, an artful masterpiece of calamities and he found that it made his blood heat a little more when he thought would happen if she could contradict herself…just a little darker. Just a little. He unconsciously licked his lips when he caught the metallic scent of her blood just to his left up ahead carried by the cold night air.

He changed direction fluidly and was back on the ground, running because he felt he'd be cheating if he went by way of his sand while the pale eyed female ninja ran and ran like a terrified little rabbit-rabbits were chased by wolves with starvation in their eyes, or trapped by the sly eyes of a serpent, not a sand demon. His nostrils flared and the scent was closer, but near water; the Hyuuga girl's natural element. He bent lower while running, sending himself at an angle where he could either tackle her or be ready to dodge the hit she probably already planned out for him. His sandals crunched over roots and rocks, snapped twigs and pounced off the ground like a coiled spring when fallen trees met his head on hunting will. He was nearer he noticed as he saw proof of a bloodied handprint on an old tree with moss. In the distance he vaguely heard a wolf howl to the moon in rejoice of the hunt. He dodged to the right when a kunai flew his way and ducked and rolled to the left when two shuriken fell in his path. He rolled and was on his feet within the span of two seconds, already warmed up enough to meet the water barrage that would assault him soon enough.

His breath came before him in white clouds, puffing in the cool night air while he waited for her next move. The Hyuuga girl was taking too long to attack, he decided, she was planning something or waiting for him to do something foolish. The moon above him hung low and large, its delicate white face pale in the likes and enough to give off a surreal like light to the clearing he was at. With the moon lighting everything about him, he felt as though he was standing within someone's dreams…perhaps Hinata's? Or would this be another nightmare experience she was so often plagued by? The sand trickled out and swamped the entire area, all while Shukaku snarled in his head, _Continue to have this obsession and I'll kill her for **both** our sakes_. Gaara felt Shukaku begin to eat away at the barrier he'd tried to erect between them; he was preparing for a take over. The sand swathed around him in tentacles and twisted imageries of curled wings as though he were some hellish dream thought up by a demon. Gaara felt that old need bubble up in him as it bled into his hunting excitement, the one that craved screams and broken bones and so much blood on his face and hands. In the sand so that when Shukaku churned it, it would roll and create a gruel of thick blood and light, white sand.

Another shift and she was already on the move again. Shukaku snarled out in raging disappointment and excitement for the continuing of the hunt and chase. Gaara shifted and angled after her, the gourd on his back reforming and vibrating with Shukaku's raw adrenaline and though he never admitted it openly to Gaara, he knew she was also a source of amusement to the raccoon demon as well. He leapt over the trees and dodged rogue branches with grace of a lithe predator. Like a red haired tiger or a green eyed wolf, he moved through the forest like a shadow along the greenery with his nostrils flared to the scent of her trailed blood spots on the floor his very aura screamed predator. A hunter, born and bred. He caught the kunai that had been flung back at him betwixt his fingers and deftly flung it behind him. He didn't notice that his lips had pulled away from his teeth to reveal carnivorous canines pointed to nightmarish like tips. He salivated slightly from his cross between Shukaku happening, eyes impossibly brought wide with dimensions of different reds devouring each other and the demonic spheres called his pupils bringing forth a layer of hell.

He looked down and could see the faint prints her tiny feet left behind. Shukaku chuckled hoarsely in the dark corner of his mind, his mental chains on the demon already withering and rusting while the raccoon spoke; _You really **are** hunting her, aren't you?_ Gaara replied with a snort and a hurried change of direction to hopefully cut off his sneaky prey. Swinging his weight to the side suddenly which nearly sent him to crash into a trunk of an enormous tree, he stopped and saw wide opal eyes without the Byakugan, like they'd agreed, no Byakugan for survival training. She tried to turn but he vanished from his spot to be in front of her, ivory fangs glinting with malicious intent for flesh rendering. His tongue slid over his thin lips and teeth, leaving a gleaming trail of saliva to further enhance the look of deadly predator. He snapped his jaws at the girl who glared back with an almost shy intensity. He saw in his peripheral vision which had been extended due to the unbelievable widening of his eyes that she was reaching for a kunai, slowly, her hand urging itself with a forced calm towards the pouch.

Hinata's legs tensed, thigh muscles twitching before she hurriedly flung a kunai at his face, and he caught it with one hand and flung it back when she lifted off the ground, she spun though and caught between her fingers with ease. Twirling away, she fled and Gaara was left to hunt her though Shukaku was snarling about being let out. The moon was being hidden behind the clouds and Gaara felt the night was still young. A wolf howled in the distance for the hunting song. His blood felt heated and pumped faster. His head was starting to hurt, but he paid it no mind before rushing after the girl. His irises were impossibly small and the red veins became more visible, looking like cracks in porcelain. His eyes looked like replicas of the hell hounds that roamed the underworld, fangs glinting and white hot skin glowing.

_I want to taste her blood, Gaara. It's her fault after all that we're in Konoha, her fault we will be used as a mindless soldier once more for a lost cause. Kill her and relish the look in her eyes while you dig into her ribs and pull her heart out and devour it_. Shukaku was restless as the moon was full and the scent of his prey was heavy in the air. Shukaku knew Gaara wouldn't kill her unless she left him, if she went along with the Hyuuga proposal of being married off in the Rain country. Then, he'd snap her neck. The raccoon knew that she was currently their weakness as Gaara wouldn't let go of her and almost, seemingly depended on her. _Just kill her, she should die by our hands, not when the Sound attacks and she and her team are dispatched for the front line defense. They will kill her or rape her beforehand. Kill her now. Now. Tonight is the night she is fitting to die, that wound we didn't cause and she allowed him to cut her because she was too weak to kill him herself. Kill her…she must die by our hands_.

Gaara wasn't listening though his head was pounding and his heart very near leaping out of his throat. He shifted directions again and took no notice of the fact that the gourd was shaking and churning quickly. He saw blue black hair shine in the moonlight too serenely though it fluttered about desperately as the Hyuuga girl thought of a tactic to drive him away or build up her defense. Not too far off from the Hyuuga girl and ex Sand ninja, a wolf pounded on the forest floor, paws outstretched and jaws open widely. A doe with quick, graceful legs leapt about trying to lose her nightmare. Her nostrils flared wide open and blood trickled out of them from fear. Her heart beat was one rapid series of thump noises. She knew, she knew, she knew…death approached with fangs filled with starvation and hellish eyes full of excitement.

Hinata looked down and the sand had curled about her legs, she'd been shocked that he didn't use it earlier but he never used it on her lest he knew it was the time to strike. The sand crawled up her legs and her thighs quivered under the pressure of the unnaturally warm sand. Her eyes did widen though, when the sand crawled up much too teasingly, almost like a caress with a sword tip and much too high, already up to her stomach now. "G-Gaara…?" he didn't answer and she saw him now, his face more clearly. A demented grin, a maddened joker's grin with canines that winked none too shyly at her in the moonlight, eyes too wide to be human with spheres made of icy green fire; bellowed from the belly of a malevolent, medieval dragon and wild red hair that wisped over the mark of love on his forehead. "G-G-Gaara…"

The black wolf leapt on the doe, claws digging into her back as she screamed from the pain and he yanked her down. Her legs tossed and flailed in the air uselessly while she tried to cover her unprotected underbelly.

Gaara took a step towards Hinata and the sand coiled about her shoulders like a friendly arm and tightened like a hideous snake.

The wolf licked his lips in delight and snatched forward, fangs closing on the doe's soft throat, and then bit down with force; slow force that crushed her larynx and blood welled from her mouth and nose in small rivers.

The sand covered Hinata's face before she whimpered and darkness fell about her and filled her senses. She whimpered again and tried to move but found herself frozen and her mouth was too dry to try to call out to the boy murderer of thirteen, like her.

In the faint distance, a wolf howled to the pale white moon; witness to blood and sin.

-

The streets of Konoha were quiet since tomorrow night was the annual festival; a congratulatory for all ninja in Konohagakure and the street vendors were closed. The warehouses which stored the rice and grain were open however, making home deliveries to houses that had volunteered to cook food for the festival. Bottles of sake were perched atop sacks of rice or grain as the men used wheelbarrows to deliver the items. Other warehouses carried barrels of fresh fish or bags of strung chicken or duck or pork to houses, but other than the quiet commotion from the warehouses, it was near silent in Konoha.

A woman's nose wrinkled in her sleep and her blonde hair fell about her almost delicately, save when she gave a quiet snore and her hand twitched, knocking her sake flask off her desk. It bounced, rolling on the polished floor and Tsunade snapped awake at the noise. She yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Looking out the window into the night, '_Ugh…not even half of this damn stack of paperwork is done…damnit_…' she thought dejectedly, sighing in exhaustion and boredom. The moon was pale and white, pure. She smiled faintly, forgetting about the paperwork and the Uchiha traitor and Orochimaru, forgetting that she'd taken Sabaku no Gaara into Konoha's care, forgetting that the Hyuugas were thinking of marrying Hinata off to make Hanabi the heir; she just let it go. The stars winked back at Tsunade's hazel eyes. She closed her eyes peacefully and the serene silence was shattered with the bone chilling howl of a wolf in the distance.

Tsunade's eyes slid open and she felt a shadow with red eyes and claws clawing at her heart; delicately pulling on her heartstrings. The howl resounded through the ears of the forest, echoing in her ears as well and it was silent. Not peaceful, but ominous now. Her eyes stared back at the moon, the innocent pale face grinning back at her with shadows.

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…fin. For now. …This was a really crappy (also very short...-.-)chapter, but it'll get better, hopefully. O.o…REVIEW! …Please?


	2. Chapter 2

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Two: Umbra _

xXx

She winced at the pain that laced from all over her body, exhaled in a strained huff and fell back on the soft pillows. She looked at the light bruises the sand had given her and promised herself to close up a few of his chakra holes though she knew it would be futile. Angered though she was, pride deeply wounded, but thankful that Gaara had held back and only tossed her into the pond, disappearing shortly after, the demon eyes still there. Her eyes softened slightly when she remembered last night's events, before she'd managed to drag herself home.

_Gaara had snarled and clutched his head when the sand began to peel back away from her, his hands tearing at his hair. Her eyes glistened with silent tears when the sand clutched at her tighter but knew better than to do anything while Gaara was fighting…it. Inside the sand, she fisted her hands and bit her lip harshly to keep from crying out when it continued to constrict around her. Blood welled from where her teeth had bit in and dribbled down her chin, touching the sand and sinking in. _

_Gaara had turned his head, shaking with effort as though he didn't want to turn to her and his eyes spoke a level of pain Hinata was glad she never had to deal with. He roared and screamed at the mental attacks being sent to him from him. The sand coiled tightly and Hinata heard something in her body creak and groan at the pressure. Her nails dug into her palms and tore flesh. She was still silent, eyes fixated on Gaara who was gritting his teeth against it stared back her. The sand coiled tighter and tighter and Hinata bit into her lip with more force, tearing flesh from her mouth. Gaara's eyes widened even more though it seemed impossible and the sand tossed her up in the air, spitting her out and she bounced off a tree. The sand caught her by her left ankle and swung her into the pond as though it were having a tantrum fit. _

_Coughing, she stood, trembling and saw that her red haired companion (_friendly enemy who was a double blade_) had vanished._

Hinata shook her head slightly, ridding herself of her memories; she pushed herself on her elbows and made to stand up. She fell back down, but gripped the edge of her dresser and forced her leg muscles to cooperate, before she managed to pull herself up entirely. Panting a little, she wobbled like a newborn colt with skittish legs to the bathroom to rinse herself with warm water to relax and sooth her bruised body. Opening the door and closing it behind her, towel in her hands, she approached the bathtub that barely fit her with an extra showerhead. Wincing as she reached down to tug off her shorts and underwear, she rubbed her abdomen; it had hurt since last night and she blamed Gaara for that. Indirectly though. Puffing out another breath, she tore off her shirt and grabbed a glass jar full of soothing salts and turned the knob for the hot water on. Digging out a handful of the salts, she sprinkled them in with the hot water before placing the jar on the sink counter and putting the cork back on it.

Sitting at the edge of the white porcelain tub, she already felt herself begin to feel more at ease when steam clouded around her in a thick white, warm and humid fog. Sighing in elation, her head tilted back, her opal eyes closed with her lashes brushing her cheeks. She wished she hadn't gotten up so early; it wasn't as though she had to anymore, not since Tsunade had taken her off of Team 8…and replaced her instead with her little sister. Her eyes slid open slightly and she winced at how much it hurt her heart. Another reason Gaara had been allowed to stay in Konohagakure, besides the fact that the Kazekage had practically dropped him in Tsunade's lap when Gaara would soon challenge him for the position of the Kage, was that one Uzumaki Naruto said he'd watch over him. Of course, it had been shortly after Sasuke had abandoned Konoha and when Naruto said he was going away for training…he came to her. Her eyes glazed over slightly, becoming hinted with lavender. Of course, when he'd first done this, approaching her to watch over Gaara and take care of him until the Kazekage allowed his siblings to check up on him annually, she out right refused. But…

"_Hinata-chan…you're a precious person of mine. So…I need to trust you to do this." _

He'd used words to twist her heart and made it speak for her in place of logic and self preservation. Her fingers drooped from their place at the edge of the tub to trace the skin of the hot water that boiled. Her lungs took in the comforting warmth the steam offered, feeling her muscles getting less and less tense by the second, fraction by fraction. '_Precious person, Naruto-kun? Precious? If I was a precious person…you wouldn't be asking me such a thing. You protect precious people, Naruto-kun…this is like throwing a wounded sheep to a starving wolf._' Hinata frowned and scolded herself for 'saying' that to Naruto, her sunshine. She chuckled a little to herself, a hollow sound that didn't belong coming from her throat. '_You're not my sunshine anymore, are you Naruto-kun? It's always raining anymore…_' she turned the knob of the hot water off, glancing out the window to see that it was indeed pouring rain outside, dark grey clouds over Konoha. Dabbing her big toe in the hot water before yanking it back quickly and putting her whole foot in slowly, she sank into it. '_Rain, rain, go away…come again another day…the whole world's waiting for the sun…_'

Hinata leaned her head against the tub and allowed her body to soak in the water, her eyes closed. Her breathing was evening out and she let herself float a little before wriggling down when parts of her stuck out of the water into the 'cold' air. She smiled softly, she let herself wrap around memories with her old team. Kiba was laughing, Shino shaking his head in shame when the Inuzuka had slipped one mission and ended up stopping the perpetrator anyway and Hinata herself was happier, more time away from the Hyuugas. Kiba's eyes glinting in mischief when Hinata was blushing, holding out a bouquet of baby's breath to Shino and then Kiba himself blushing as though he'd run five hundred laps around Konoha when she bowed and held out snap dragons to him. The time her father had banished from the Hyuuga manor for a small time and Kiba told her she couldn't stay in the streets, adamantly insisting that she stay with the Inuzuka family for the time being. '_Kiba-kun…my loud, proud and rash guardian angel…the only one with red markings._' Her thoughts drifted over to Aburame Shino; the team's steady leader with a silent, rock solid strength. Though quiet, his aura left Hinata filled with security in this boy who acted like a man with leadership in his blood.

"_Hinata. Kiba and I believe you are unfit for the position of a ninja…but is it true that you are persistent and will hold your ground, am I incorrect for my assumption? You will not let your teammates die without a fight, will you Hinata? If that is the situation, I have no qualms of having you on our team." _

'_Yes…Shino-kun…you were correct…I'd cut out my own liver and devour it to save you both, to make sure you were both safe. When I first met all of you…I was frightened of Kiba's fangs and roguish attitude and Kurenai-sensei's cold red eyes…but you were silent and I felt a little more reassured though Kiba-kun didn't want me on the team at all._' Hinata felt warmth drift down her cheeks and told herself it was the steam turning back into water.

A loud noise sounding much like something heavy hitting her apartment's door echoed throughout the Hyuuga girl's residence. Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head sharply. Her muscles were tense once more. The bang sounded once more. She lifted herself up carefully, not minding the water that rolled off her skin. She inwardly cursed for not having enough strength to have the Byakugan flicker to life and reached for her towel, wrapping it about her soaked form. She told herself to breathe in and out slowly. Unconsciously her hand groped for a kunai pouch that wouldn't be there.

Holding her breath, she froze her fear in an angry exhale and swung the door open, nothing but her small hallway. Flaring her nostrils, she squared her shoulders to make her herself look intimidating though it wasn't much as she was mostly naked save the towel. She crept down the hallway and jumped back slightly when another bang resonated from the door. Gulping, she felt her frozen fear begin to defrost itself with an icy flame that rushed down her spine. Stepping forward, she looked to her left and saw a kitchen knife. A big, sharp one. Grasping the handle of the knife, she held it near her chest, sharp side pointing outward while she continued to creep toward the door. Another loud bang and she wondered briefly why any of her neighbors hadn't told whoever it was to shut the hell up.

Her fingers wound around the knob of the door and she turned it quickly, already ready for an oncoming attack. She swung open the door a crack (the chain in the latch was still not unhooked) and saw red hair. She gasped without realizing it immediately and the red hair moved, a grey green eye in its stead staring back at her with impatience in it. It narrowed, the black skin about it becoming thicker. Gaara. Her hold on the knife suddenly slackened and it clattered uselessly on the carpet. _"Hinata-chan…I need you to watch over him and be a friend of his…" _Naruto's voice hung in her head and she noticed the sand was creeping to the latch._ 'Naruto-kun…I…I believe I'm breaking part of that promise. Forgive me_.' She slammed the door closed, at least she tried to; Gaara's hand was wedged between the frame of the door and the door itself. Making a sound between a whine and a whimper she tried slamming the door again without thinking, his hand turned when she'd opened the crack wider quickly and caught it. The sand whispered along the door's frame and no matter how Hinata pulled or pushed, Gaara's hand didn't budge. The sand unlatched the chain and Gaara pushed the door open easily, his slightly slim frame making a frightening appearance while Hinata backed away, forgetting she only had a large towel concealing her modesty.

His grey green eyes stared back at her a little angrily, glaring more like, "Hyuuga." She flinched and shifted towards the small dining table, putting the furniture between them while her hands grasped then flexed over a kitchen chair. "Next time I'm at your door, it would be of your best interest if you'd _open_ it." A threat not named; just like a monster hiding in the closet or the boogieman under a child's bed. He turned his back to her and she felt a nudge to her slightly exposed thigh, the sand butting her like an affectionate cat would. It pushed her rather forcefully into the hallway and shoved her into her room. "Also…Tsunade-sama wishes to speak with us about an infiltration mission. Get dressed and prepare yourself Hyuuga," it was silent and she could hear him pouring water into the tea kettle.

Hinata dropped her towel after eyeing the sand rather warily before every single grain disappeared from her room. Rummaging through her drawers, she looked rather dejectedly down at breast binds; she'd need to buy more, she thought, rather than acknowledging the frightened tremors throughout her body.

-

Tsunade looked at the two teenagers who had seated themselves before her, rather the polite Hyuuga girl sat with her hands folded in her lap, attention on her Hokage while Gaara stood, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed though he listened to her. "From what our intelligence has discovered, the Lightning country may be…changing their expectations of their ninja, bettering themselves in a way that may make us inferior to them. As they recently have withdrawn their truce proclamation, for reasons unknown to us, though we suspect it may have been that the Sound had pushed them to do so since they have reported minor attacks on their village from them." Tsunade chuckled and reached for her sake cup, downing part of it like a shot she continued, "Though we know for a fact that the Sound doesn't do 'minor' attacks so the Lightning country, probably due to their own pride didn't report it as anything but. That is beside the point however, we need to know how exactly they are bettering themselves; if the Sound isn't just…_training_ their ninja for them and why they withdrew."

"Hokage-sama," Gaara spoke, his deep voice startling Tsunade as she forgot he was there for a moment since he was so quiet. "What this mission is an infiltration and information gathering mission, in doing so, wouldn't it be wiser to send more than two ninja?" Tsunade opened her mouth to reply before Gaara went on. "If you think that sending more than two people to gather information from the Lightning country would make them suspicious, they would already be questioning us since Hinata's traits are recognizably from the Hyuuga family; they would immediately associate her with Konoha." Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little pride; smart boy.

"See, I had worried myself about that small detail as well, but I fixed it. Of course with Hinata-chan's unique traits, she would be easily recognized, but every village has those who are handicapped. Since her pupils don't exist, it is easy to scale whether she is Hyuuga or a common blind girl, her eyes don't look focused and seem almost glazed; with that all you need is a little good acting and there you have it. A blind girl and her friend."

Gaara frowned a bit, "You want me to play a seeing-eye dog?" Tsunade chuckled a bit nervously under the scorn of the redhead's glare.

"Now, I wouldn't call it that, but…she is going to have to be 'blind'…so…"

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama," Tsunade turned to look over at Hinata questioningly. "What w-will be our excuse…when they ask why we are there, surely we can't say that we are merely vacationing there; we would look too young, not a full team and without a sensei…it would be quite wary." Hinata's eyes had dropped to her lap, and then were raised back up to Tsunade's face.

"Hn, well. You two will be posing as runaway friends from a village, any more likely village you choose and be sure to act like friends, as much as you can, if not just make something else up. However, while in the village, make sure whatever story you choose can be believable to whatever acting status you may have to it. However you act must match with the story around these people and you will have to lying through your teeth; make friends with these people, get to know them so you won't make such an outsider of yourself. Understood?" she said it firmly to both teenagers. Hinata nodded once in affirmation while Gaara did nothing, but didn't object.

Tsunade brandished a contract before the both of them, "Sign here," she pointed to the corner, "This is to ensure you gather at the very least during your stay meager information of both of the 'projects' in the Lightning country and it will bind you to last there at least for half a year, continually report back to us of your progress within the span of two weeks." Hinata looked over the contract quickly, before biting down on her thumb and swiping it across the bottom of the paper, a red line smearing some of the writing. Gaara walked next to her, Tsunade watched as his jaw worked and one side of his upper lip lift. He placed his thumb in his mouth before taking it out, blood withdrawing with it. He pressed it next to Hinata's and it left a bloody thumbprint beside it. "You leave tomorrow." There was finality in Tsunade's voice that made Hinata shiver; like an ominous bell of death toll that made the girl's skin crawl.

Hinata stared back at the paper she signed; her blood next to Gaara's, some of his overlapping her own then her eyes looked back up at Gaara. He too stared at the paper, expression unreadable and the crawling worsened. She felt something that was both grotesque and frightened squirm in her heart, blossoming like a summer flower, and it told her to beware of evil men. She flinched slightly when she heard thunder rumble outside, like a hungry animal it growled and the clouds thickened like curdled milk. '_Sunshine…where has my sunshine gone, Naruto-kun? Make the rain go away…make it go away_.' As if hearing her thoughts and being slightly offended by them, Gaara looked down at her, piercing gaze tearing at her insides; clawing her to pieces like butchered meat. The thunder roared finally and lightning split the sky with angry hisses of electricity. '_Make it go away, Naruto-kun_,' her thoughts could no longer scramble up pieces of neither Naruto's blonde hair nor his excited eyes and instead, heavy, pregnant rain clouds and grey green eyes that watched above the clouds coldly looked down at her. '_Rain…go away_.'

"You are dismissed, the both of you, please be ready to be dispatched by tomorrow after the festival." Tsunade waved her hand also as a signal and Gaara left without so much as a good-bye let alone a courteous bow. Hinata bowed quickly and bade her good bye before she closed the closed behind her on the way out. Tsunade looked back at her sake cup, which was half full, she saw her own guilty gaze staring back at her. She downed the rest of the sake, feeling the liquid burn her throat.

-

She sorted through her clothing, folding it neatly with weaponry packed in her backpack. Tucking nutrition bars and preserved food in the corners of her backpack, she latched it and placed it next to the couch. She stood and looked over at Gaara, who was currently stirring rice over the stove and apparently made himself at home. Walking into the kitchen, she removed a slab of beef, vegetables and a fair portion of bean curd, sharpening the knife she'd nearly used on Gaara earlier. Slicing the beef to thin pieces and chopping the vegetables finely, she grabbed the walk from beneath the sink and turned up the flame, standing next to Gaara. Tossing in the beef and vegetables, and the small squares cut from the bean curd, they sizzled and she poured a little sesame oil over the start of the meal. She knew he was looking at her out of the corner of his, since she was doing the same; checking to make sure no poison was sneaked into the food. Stirring the ingredients with a pair of black chopsticks, she turned the fire off and grabbed two bowls, serving them in equal portions, though putting most of the meat in Gaara's bowl. He grabbed one of the bows and spooned rice over the simple meal Hinata made. He gave it back to her and served himself.

They sat at the table with an awkward silence, she knew why he was doing this; to force the both of them to get a little more used to each other before they went on the mission so it wouldn't look as forced. She went with it knowing it had to look minimally natural lest suspicion be raised and questions asked. Gaara didn't compliment her on her part of the meal and she kept her silence as well. Outside, the rain continued to pour; relentlessly pounding on the windows and sides of the complex. Lightning cackled and thunder roared while inside one Hyuuga Hinata's apartment, silence reared its ugly head in form of forced companionship. Something horrid and disgusting ate at them from the inside with long fingers and claws and teeth made of shadow. Tonight, there would be no rest as the storm raged on outside, the storm within them grew.

-

_Umbra_ (shade or shadow)

Don't worry, why Tsunade suddenly took her off of Team 8 and why she isn't with the Hyuuga family will be revealed in the next chapter; please review!

Is it just me…or do a lot of people hold stories for review ransoms? Seriously, that's weird. At least it is to me. I'm happy to get a few reviews here and there, but people say 'I'm only going to continue this story if I get –blank- reviews' …Um…Weird. Anyway, I won't do that but a few reviews would be nice, cause the thing is, I want to put out somewhat quality stuff for you guys who take the time to critique me but if I'm no longer inspired, I may as well not put anything out that is a disappointment. That's just how I see it, but meh. Anyway, hope it was a little better than the first chapter and I want to thank all who reviewed for it and gave me a total ego booster. :3

Ah, and for ty yes, I do write my own original stories, however I do not post them for I believe to be too inadequate –cries-


	3. Chapter 3

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Three: Faust_

xXx

_The thunder boomed and the lightning sizzled with electric currents. An unknown household, blood painted the once white walls, splayed across them like a painter's mistake. There were no bodies and Hinata had the sinking feeling as she thought back that they had been torn to shreds by those scraping claws that scuttled across the floor around her. They scrabbled across the wooden floors, scratching up the polished floors and leaving deep marks. The bodies were more than likely devoured by the wide jaws of a behemoth that had fangs nearly as long as she, crimson rusting the white away from them. A monster's much too enormous body blocking all the exits from the unknown house when she tried to run. It rumbled like thunder and roared at her almost teasingly. How could a monster roar teasingly? Obviously it was skilled in that department when its large tail shoved her against a wall and pressed down so hard she thought she felt her ribs touch her spine. _

_It leaned till it was eyelevel with her and she was surprised when it wasn't a dragon but a misshapen creature; a badger or raccoon that held her captive behind a very heavy tail. Eyes of gold gleamed at her and her own white ones widened. It dropped her and scuttled away. The tip of the tail, however, lingered in a dark hallway slick with blood. It twitched invitingly, beckoning her to follow it and she stood; following it like a blindly loyal dog. It went down another corner when she nearly reached and was leading her somewhere. A gust of wind blew open a curtain that had an open window but she'd bypassed it. Not realizing she'd just went passed an exit, she followed the tail till there was an exit at the end; leading to a main gate that swung open wildly that gave way to a dark, twisted road of a forest resembling a jungle of hell. _

_The beast was gone and its place, a boy who stood with his feet shoulder width apart, as though in a defense stance and a gourd on his back. His red hair moved with the wind, reminding her of twisted flames. Odd colored eyes stared at her with an unreadable multitude of emotions that blended to create something that both frightened her and left her mystified. His white sash danced on the wind like a small ballerina figure. His arms were at his sides though his fingers were twitching and suddenly the sand beast was looming over him. It grinned with worth of a Cheshire cat at her, widely displaying impressive fangs rusted with blood. It seemed to spot something out of the corner of its eye she didn't see and turned its head sharply to snarl soundlessly at whatever it was while the real sound came from the redheaded boy. _

_Hinata turned to it to see a faceless person, arm out with fingers beckoning to her gently. Trying to coax her as one would with a flighty animal. Dressed in fine clothes with a sword at the apparently male figure's side, she felt something gentle strike her. A gentle person and she stepped towards them rather than the sand beast which now roared with animosity at her impudence. The male's hand switched from holding out to apparently grab her hand as she thought to take a wild swipe at her eyes. She yelped with no sound when the hand scratched at her face while trying to claw out her opal eye. He approached her and she took another step back. He stepped forward again, same outcome. He reached for his sword and her legs felt warm and something grainy wrapped around her calves, tugging her away. The sand beast behind the redheaded boy was gone she noticed as the sand tugged her back towards him. The redhead looked at the man without question and his lips peeled back to reveal teeth perhaps rivaling in ferocity as the beast's, saliva dripped down from his exposed teeth to dribble off his chin and fly to the ground. _

_The sand wrapped about her waist and tugged at her clothes, as though trying to make sure there was no other harm to her. The man screamed and the redhead advanced. She saw teeth flash and the boy mutate into something of a cross between he and the beast that had shadowed him earlier. The sand covered her eyes when the man shrieked like a terrified animal and the boy roared. The thunder boomed, covering over the screams._

Hinata's eyes snapped open, twin opal spheres gleaming eerily in the darkness when the thunder growled and the lightning split the dark, stormy sky like the crack of a whip. Her breathing was fast and she reached unconsciously to her waist. No sand. She sat up to observe her small room; no blood on her plain walls and none on the floor. The covers were tangled over her ankles and she reached down to yank them off. Rolling off the bed, she stood shakily on her feet, muscles still killing her and she maneuvered one hand to massage her thighs to make them a little more cooperative. Her breathing, still fast paced gradually slowed and she made her way out of her room, opening her bedroom door with a click from the knob. She ignored the faint traces of her shaking in fear mind that whispered it wasn't a dream or a nightmare-maybe it was just reality.

She looked down at the couch where her formal kimono was laying innocently with a formal scroll rolled up next to it, from Tsunade.

-

Even though the rain soiled his clothes and made the gourd heavier, Gaara ignored it instead to turn to his thoughts. An infiltration mission to the Lightning country on the Sound and what exactly was happening in that country to have made them withdraw their truce proclamation was what lay ahead for he and one Hyuuga girl named Hinata. Neither teenager objected to the assignment, but he knew what she was thinking; he felt something tear up at them from the ground with icy shackles and hold them. Something was happening and they were not in the equation though this was their mission, Tsunade was holding something back with sealed lips. The rain poured down heavily from his place in a tree in the local park. Thunder roared like a proud lion and the lightning lit up the sky with heavy cackles.

His hair was sodden and lay askew over his tattoo of love and forehead. The wind howled like a baying wolf with a high voice, it tore through the leaves and clawed impatiently at his clothes like a wanting child. With on knee up and the other leg, slung over the side of the branch, he balanced on arm atop his protruding knee while his thoughts drifted over the mission with a suspicious air. He would go to the Lightning country as the 'blind' girl's companion; but it wasn't good enough. There needed to be another back story, a good one that was common, but also not common. Enough for those Sound obeying idiots to swallow up and give them a slight pity fest because of their misfortunate position in life. Not too much as to smother them with attention or affection or whatever; but enough for them to be given space and not such a wary aura.

His thoughts also flipped over the facts of what would be expected of her as a blind girl. Basically, a lot of the time, until she could make some 'friends' in the Lightning country, she would have to stick with him. So, probably for the first month or two, they would be 'inseparable' until they could gather some friends. The only actual friend he had, though he thought of him as more of a pest, was Naruto. The Hyuuga girl didn't count because she was stuck with him; willingly or not, since everyone else Naruto had asked to watch over Gaara so he wouldn't have to go back to Suna had declined. The Hyuuga girl had been his unknowing savior of sorts since she finally accepted, otherwise, he'd have been deported back to Suna immediately for his awaiting execution since Naruto could no longer stay in Konohagakure. So he really didn't know how to go about the process of making friends, as he also doubted that Hinata had any idea as well.

The rain was leaking past his lips and he spat out some of the unwanted water. He heard laughter coming from the street; people were standing out, hanging up decorations and preparing covered food vendors for the ninja congratulatory festival. Children were scurrying about, clinging to their mothers or chasing one another as people soon came out with umbrellas for the festival. He felt his upper lip curl into a sneer; disgusting. He smelt her before her initially heard her; lavender and something sweet. He heard the click-clack of wooden geta shoes and he turned to the source. A large black umbrella greeted his view; beneath it was the hem of a kimono with white borderline and green flower petals. The umbrella tilted and it was who he suspected. Pale opal eyes blinked up at him and she wore a light purple kimono. He stared down at her and she stared back up at him-not very odd she knew where he was, she knew he liked to be perched somewhere like some dark gargoyle without master.

To people who didn't know them well, their relationship anyway, thought it was a scene of the love proclaiming Juliet and her reluctant Romeo. In such reality, it was more of a case, 'I'm waiting for you to come down so we can find Tsunade' and 'Why the hell are you dressed up?' she twirled the umbrella slightly. Gaara blinked when the rain trickled into his eyes and leapt down, the wet grass sticking to his sandals. She raised the umbrella higher, awkwardly and hesitantly as though she didn't really mean what she invited. He knew that and that was probably what made him walk under the umbrella as well. He gripped the umbrella's handle and stole it from her clasp; holding it higher so he didn't have to slouch. Women saw Hinata dressed up and murmured how cute she was; men averted their gaze from Gaara's constant glower at the attention they were already prey to. A child nearly ran into them, but stopped, looking from the scary, ghost like gaze of the girl to the boy with black circles about his unfriendly eyes. He made something like a whine and ran off to find his mother.

Her hands were folded before her and both young teenagers were at the edge of the umbrella; barely getting any coverage from one's wanting to get away from the other, the other hating contact. People were laughing and plates of warm food to others, smiling and getting along. Gaara wanted to crush their throats for making those sounds, tear off their lips to prevent such expressions and Hinata sensed his growing tenseness. While not daring to touch him, she spotted a food stand giving out rice gruel, peppered beef and curry rice. She muttered something probably only Gaara's sharp ears would have caught before she ran under the rain unprotected to the sheltered stand. "O-one bowl of r-rice gruel and two s-servings of your beef?" she took out her coin purse and handed the man's waiting paw four coins. "A-ah and two chopsticks?" He handed her a plain white bowl with bubbling gruel and the beef wrapped in a two sets of large green leaves. "T-Thank you!" she called out when he dropped the set of chopsticks into her hand.

"Come again, lady!"

She weaved through the crowds to find Gaara where she'd left him, glaring at her and with her observant eyes (_more so than usual since she'd grown accustomed to Gaara more_) saw his muscles coiled tightly probably painfully so. She ran under the protection of the umbrella, and unraveled the chopsticks. "I have m-money left over f-from my last mission w-with Team 8, s-so let's just stock up." He didn't object and she saw his fingers twitch. He probably smelled the beef. She nudged him with her elbow as the sand now longer came up to block her save when she was attacking him, and he glanced down at her. She gave him half of the beef; a package of green leaf. He didn't say thank you, but opened the leaf up and stole one pair of the chopsticks from her hand. The sand balanced the umbrella while Gaara ate and Hinata held the rest of the food. He was eating at a fast pace, but also not messily. The peppery sauce concoction didn't have time to drip down from the thinly sliced cow with his pace. She held the rice gruel close to him; giving a hint to eat some of it because her arm was getting tired.

His chopsticks dipped into it and he was eating a little faster. Hinata almost chuckled, he did have mercy. The rice gruel was warm and made her hand sweaty. While they wove between crowds of people, he continued eating and she held the bowl up for him. "The leaf is ed-edible," she started, but cut off when she saw his nose wrinkle slightly. Right. He held a nearly childish vendetta against vegetables. "Give i-it to me th-then." Wordlessly, he placed the leaf over her own set of beef wrapped in a leaf, and she gave him the bowl. Their fingers were careful not to brush one another's and though it may have seemed romantic or a sappy 'let's help each other eat' to outsiders, they were wary of each other and hungry. Mostly hungry right now. Gaara's free hand shooed away the sand holding the umbrella and held it himself. Hinata nibbled on his untouched leaf and teethed the thick vein out of the soft and tasty leaf. Her own beef was soon nearly polished off and the rice gruel was gone and most of her left over vegetation had vanished.

Eating the last of her meat, she resisted the urge to wipe off the grease of the beef and leaf on her kimono. She stuck her hand out in the rain and wrung it till she no longer felt the slick grease of fat. Other stands sold sweets; sweet potato dumplings, onigiri, green tea cakes, mochi, sticky rice cakes and multitudes of other things. She heard a stomach growl a little and couldn't tell if it was her own or Gaara's own bottomless one. People were sort of, not really sneaking glances trying to be inconspicuous but failing at looking at the two whom were apparently causing a commotion. Up ahead, however, there seemed to be raucous people causing trouble which drove away the stares that made Gaara agitated and Hinata nervous for she unconsciously stooped closer to Gaara by a fraction. Hinata frowned and wondered who it was who was making such a scene.

The rain pelted at the umbrella more harshly and Gaara watched it warily as though it would sprout holes from the needle sharp rain. The thunder rolled across the sky, making it known with loud growls and roar while white blue lights hissed and sizzled across the never ending dark grayish blue of the sky. Hinata frowned and veins from her temples bulged like cracks in the earth, her eyes focused all around her save the tiny blind spot they had. Her visual warped into a world of odd colorlessness with an eye of the all seeing; veins in her eyes popped out and made themselves known like a silvery serpentine with a crystal ball replica of the world in its tail. The Byakugan filtered through the bodies of people and stands and stray animals to the scene. Fists flying, blood spraying, kicks being launched; there was a brawl and Gaara seeing a brawl right now might not be for the best as he'd just eaten which slightly soothed him, but his muscles were still tightly bound like a snake's sinewy body preparing for a strike.

The festival would be coming to a close soon, at this time, Hinata found it to be a fair time to prepare to leave…in her mind, before she directed the both of them out of the way of the thickening crowd when the food stands were giving away freely what was left of their stores, was something morbidly gory. A dark forest with a pathway to hell, a kind man with a flashing sword and an unkind boy with fangs. She blinked and Gaara was staring straight ahead, seemingly glaring or carefully observing who looked to be Tsunade calming the crowd and thanking everyone for coming. Instead of approaching Tsunade to ask about their mission to see if they could abort, he went the opposite way of the Hokage. He turned sharply, back in the general direction of where she knew she lived and she wondered briefly, not for the first time, where he lived. A trickle of water she knew was not sweat ran down her face and she looked up to see a miniscule hole in the umbrella.

The festival was ending and they both knew it was time to leave Konoha to go on a mission neither favored. Hinata hadn't liked the look in Gaara's eye when he took to stare at Tsunade; as though he knew something Hinata herself had no clue of. It was as though he was seeing past Tsunade to see something uglier buried beneath her kinder exterior. He looked like he wanted to disembowel her. The thunder boomed.

-

The guards in front of the gate nodded their way while Hinata bowed politely; already dressed in a dark blue set of pants and a shirt with sandals, and Gaara just stared unnervingly at them. They pushed the gate open with their brute force making the heavy wood scratch at the earth like an angry cat. Gaara walked forward, and then turned to his left while Hinata stared unseeingly at the gate, into the dark forest while the rain hit at them more softly than it had when they'd been at the festival. "Hinata," she twitched and absently turned her head to him, pale eyes asking a question. '_Why are you letting us go into that hell?_' she felt it too. All ninjas-good ninjas- could sense hells and heavens, and demons and angels. This happened to be the mission that triggered both of their 'hell' sensors. Unlike Hinata, he had the gall to turn away from the Hokage when she specifically asked for them for this mission, and he didn't. Despite what happened between them, they relied on each other no matter how small their connection was, no matter how brittle. She didn't move and he didn't either, glaring back at her for her childish fear. "Move."

There it was a finality that broke Hinata's hesitation; it was the life of a ninja to move on through hell-fire and pain and all. She knew he knew more about that more than any thirteen year old boy should. Her feet moved of their own accord and soon she was following him, with her heavy set backpack on her shoulders, rain slapping at her gently. She fingered the straps of the pack while walking forward, eyes staring at the gourd on Gaara's back as though she had blinders on the sides of her eyes. She trotted till she was on his left again, his longer legs allowed him to move quickly and she walked a little faster. He didn't slow and she didn't ask him to. They swept past the gate and Hinata cringed when she heard the heavy gates closing behind her. Why did that sound like death's bell?

She'd been on life threatening missions before with Team 8-but as the team's aggressor they had Kiba, not Gaara, as their silent strength there had been Shino, not Gaara. The forest closed around them, threatening to choke them with its long vines and too much vegetation. Team 8 was no longer with her, they were with Hanabi who was another Hyuuga prodigy, Tsunade had removed her from her team to 'care for Gaara' as Naruto had put it, her family had turned their back on her till they finalized her marriage-setting her out in the world where she would hopefully 'toughen' up and now, all that remained was a redheaded boy murderer with the sign of love on his forehead beside her. All that her world was left in was this nameless purgatory with a death certificate written in blood with her name printed on it and a boy who always came close to nearly killing her, but let her go. Konoha was quite cruel to her, especially adding to the punishment on the forsaken mission.

The rain was nearly gone, but the sky was pitch black and thunder rumbled low in the heavens. About the two of them, shadows reached out with long, alien fingers to scrap delicately at their flesh, eyes grew in the darkness and stared unblinkingly while the trees moaned a living dead song. The wind grew in force, tearing at her hair, raking claws through her hair; it snared at Gaara's clothing and twisted his sash. The forest even seemed against them going, apparently. Perhaps Konohagakure wasn't all that cruel. The night went on and they continued to trudge on, going for an inn quite a ways from Konoha; to meet the contact Tsunade had established for them.

Hinata looked over her shoulder and through the thick of the forest; she couldn't see her home anymore. "Hinata," she snapped out of her daze once more to trot back up to Gaara's place. The clouds rolled and there was no moon tonight.

-

_Faust_ (in literature, a man who sells his soul to the devil for gain)

You guys are so awesome! One of the most heard comments I keep hearing is that I keep them in character, so I hope I'm still doing at very least a mediocre job of it and that my descriptions haven't rusted since the last chapter. And…and-sniffles- you all leave such long reviews! I'm unworthy! Even so! I hope you enjoyed this installment as much I enjoyed twisting it up a bit and writing it. Review if you liked it! Even so...I hate this chapter. It's way too OOC for me, but I needed to put things in there that didn't match with the last descriptions I'd left them with. Ugh. Hate this chapter -stabs- anyway, things will be back to normal in the next chapter.

So unfortunately, you have to suffice with this crappy entry. For those of you who sorta know my writing pieces...look for the dreaded...FORESHADOWING! Yeah, there's a lot in this chapter. Beware.

For **creynoso**; I stole my own ideas from Neverland for the story to be properly proportioned, so more or less it's just an alternative, but it has many of the same circumstances from Neverland. That was a very good point you pointed out though…also…can you even steal your own ideas…O.O…Huh.


	4. Chapter 4

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Four: Mimicry _

xXx

The rosy fingers of dawn were slipping through the cracks of the canopy of large leaves above the two Konoha ninja. A pale golden light settled over the clouds, rose and peach casting colored shadows across the trees and forest floor. Birds were beginning to awaken and twitter, fluffing their feathers while other creatures crawled out of their holes or burrows to make them known to a new day. Hinata was scouting with her Byakugan flickered on, Gaara at her side impassively with his arms folded over one another while he waited for the verdict. In the middle of last night, when they'd been prepared to camp for that day, they were attacked by rogue ninja-they didn't know who they were and Hinata hadn't cared enough to look in the muck of dirt and blood after Gaara was finished with them. Still no other signs of anything but wildlife about them.

She turned to Gaara and gave the motion that they could move on without complication. He was already walking away and Hinata noted with irritation he didn't seem at all tired despite the two hours they both slept. Well, Hinata slept, Gaara went into a strictly meditative status that shut his body down, but not his mind. That, and the fact that he felt the need to tug her out of the tent by her ankle with his sand in order to wake her up. She adjusted the heavy pack on her back with little difficulty while Gaara picked up the pace and suddenly, they were flying from tree to tree. Leap, run, bound, leap, sprint, slow, bounce off a nearby tree and since she'd been with Gaara long enough to know when he wanted to 'play', she tore out a shuriken and flung it at Gaara who was running beside her. He perceived the throw and caught it deftly with his sand, which grabbed at her almost lazily. This wasn't sparring, that was when it got serious with Gaara; this was something to make time pass more quickly. She ran up the side of a tree, automatically channeling chakra into her feet and pumping it out of her pores to stick her feet to the trunk for an anti gravity trick.

The sand wasn't nearly as fast as it usually was, so wisped after her with a procrastinating grace while it swept through the trees; she looked to her left to see that Gaara was once more running beside her. With him easily keeping up with her quick pace (_here, she cursed all Jinchuriki for their incredible physical and chakra stamina_) and also boxing her in to the sand; she could only dodge the sand hands. Of course it would catch her fairly quickly even with its seemingly laidback speed since she would soon tire but she only hoped it wouldn't grab her by her jacket and fling her in the air a few times before catching her. Gaara knew that when she was in the air, she panicked because of the sudden height change she hadn't instigated and so thusly liked to do it perhaps a wee too much. She told him that purposely scaring your teammate wasn't all that healthy for cooperation in a mission, he said he was cooperating. She wasn't dead, now was she?

Veins pulsed and shivered beneath pale, almost dead looking white skin. Eyes intensified threefold as the world spun and warped from a blur of moving colors to a suddenly clear view of colorlessness. With her huge visual range, she saw Gaara fling his arm back and hurtle the shuriken at her. She wondered if he knew she'd already turned her Byakugan on. She caught it, but the mere sudden force of it sent her off balance and thus careening back to the forest floor with the sand close at her heels. Slicing a part of it with one of the blades of the shuriken, she dodged and rolled off to the right, running below Gaara. She bit her lip and contemplated whether to throw it at him or to put it away and just continue with the weird tag game they had right now. The sand suddenly gripped her ankle, though she tried to jump away at the last second, and flung her in the air, high above the tree tops. With her Byakugan, she saw Gaara's lips twitch. Her gaze narrowed and she flung the shuriken at him in retaliation.

Gaara moved out of the way and sent a glare her way. The sand rebounded the shuriken back at her and bounced Hinata from hitting a tree before covering her and spitting her out like a water geyser. Hinata flew in the air, spinning in a slight circle with the shuriken clutched between her fingers while she plummeted back to the earth. With her foot, she kicked off a tree before landing in a crouch, right hand before her for balance with her fingers splayed. Panting, she clutched to her chest where her lungs seemed to be burning. Byakugan still on, she could see that Gaara was still up ahead and running at the same pace. Leaning against a tree, she deactivated her precious bloodline limit, all while panting from exhaustion. Something gripped her calf and flung her up into the air again, over the trees. The sand pushed at her back to make her fall down more quickly. She stumbled but managed to catch herself on a branch. The sand retreated to Gaara who stood still a few trees before her, not even breathing a little faster or harder from his consistent running. He stared at her recovering form for a moment, regarding her almost curiously. He blinked once and turned, regaining his earlier pace.

Folding the shuriken, she placed it in a hidden place of her pack and leapt from her own tree to follow Gaara's steadily disappearing form.

-

Running for hours on end wasn't Hinata's idea of a good mission-it was more like the time Lee had convinced her to train with Gai-sensei to help her taijutsu. She was sore for about a week and a half afterward. To Gaara, however, it seemed as though he could just run without stopping and without getting winded. Unfortunately for the tiring girl, she was beginning to fall behind and before her eyes she watched his form slowly vanish in the thick of the woods. Panting as though her lungs had shriveled up and cracked in her body and sweating as though gallons of water were escaping from her, Hinata came to a rest at the base of a large tree. Coughing a little, she let her lungs work though they burned and she urged her body to relax it. Her breathing was slowly becoming stabilized.

To her left, a twig broke and cracked. Hinata froze when something cool and metallic settled over her pale throat. "Just stay still, alright?" it was a male voice; calm and almost serene in its timbre and she would've been assured had it not been the blade snuggled beneath her chin. "Stand up…ah-ah-ah, keep those hands where I can see them, deary." Hinata's hands clenched into fists and a second figure emerged, a Cloud forehead protector (_a slash through the symbol_) slung around his hip, hanging off his belt nonchalantly. In his hands looked to be a coarse type of rope made of horsehair. She bit her lip and knew it would bite into her skin and rub off the skin slowly with every shift she made. "Hold still and we're not gonna hurt you or anything, you're just gonna come nice and quietly, aren't you deary?" Hinata hesitated a split second before nodding vigorously. "Good girl," she felt him shift, nodding his head at his comrade with the rope, "Tie her up."

The man approached her, with a faked grace in his movements, sandals sliding against the ground with a strut Hinata recognized as a poor imitation of a predator (_then again, the only actual predator she'd ever encountered was Gaara_). His hands worked with the rope, slinging it over her wrists before beginning a complex knot, Hinata watched him carefully and his eyes had not met her own. One hand twisted awkwardly and she didn't wince when she heard the unmistakable of her wrist popping at the queer way her wrist twisted. The Byakugan had flickered to life suddenly, reborn like a silvery phoenix as it surfaced and two fingers pressed to the man's wrist near a vein. He howled and backed away, waving his hand as though to stop the burning sensation while simultaneously drawing out a kunai. The kunai at her throat pressed harder and she felt liquid slide down her throat, "Little bitch, I'll cut your damn fingers off for that."

Strong fingers gripped both of her wrists tightly, cutting off her circulation and she winced when sharp fingernails bit into her pale flesh leaving bloody half moons. The kunai descended to her index finger, poised at a joint and commenced the slicing. Or, it would have had something that felt itchy and grainy rubbed against the back of his neck. The man holding the kunai turned to his partner who had been bit by the chakra blocking attack to see him hanging upside down from a tree. He blinked and his bemusement gave way to horrific shock when he saw his partner's face, mutilated flesh, empty eye sockets and a gaping, bloodied mouth. He couldn't recognize him. He yelped when his wrist was crushed by that grainy something that had rubbed against him. He pulled away from the white eyed girl to see that her mouth was in a small 'o' of surprise. Sand rushed down from a tree and gripped her waist before pushing her back up the tree, next to a boy with red hair and glaring eyes.

He twitched and the grainy thing wrapped about his calves, higher to his thighs then to his chest to crush any amount of breath he still had. The girl's eyes flattened, almost a vacant look in them while she watched him. The boy's lips twitched and the man was swallowed whole by the sand, it filled his mouth and nose and ears. Pushed at his eyeballs.

Hinata couldn't hear his screams and she knew she didn't want to. The sand dropped the corpse to the ground almost disgustedly before hurrying back to the gourd on Gaara's back. "Don't run off." It was simple and more or less a command to Hinata. She knew enough to not snap back at him or completely ignore him right away, but she needed her rest. He jumped down from the tree with Hinata close after, he walked at almost a leisure pace. She was careful not to step in the blood and avoid the bodies altogether. Hinata walked at his left with a couple feet separating them, as always. She wiped absently at her throat, catching the stray drops of blood before wiping them off on her dark shirt. Reaching into the side of her pack, she withdrew a bandage roll and a soothing balm. Holding the bandage roll between her teeth while opening the jar, she dipped her finger into the opaque cream and felt around her throat for the cut. Applying it she capped the jar and put it back in her pack. Spitting out the bandage roll, she began to wrap her throat with it.

It wasn't an easy feat as she was still walking, but she managed to do it without messing up too many times. Readying herself, she noticed she was already behind Gaara again since she had to slow herself to do it properly. Gaara's arms were folded across his chest while he waited, head cocked back at her impatiently. Hinata secured the bandage within the confines of its own folds before trotting to catch up with her redheaded companion.

The evening sun faded, gone were the dusty trails of smoky orange and cupid pink to leave instead a twilight of in between colors. The trees set off the setting of tranquility with slight rustles with the wind. Hinata looked over at Gaara, "H-how much longer t-till we reach the tavern?" her voice didn't shake as much with Gaara around (unless he was in a mood) as he didn't really care if she stuttered. As long as he heard what she said. He didn't reply and Hinata couldn't help but wonder if they'd gotten themselves lost. The shadows from the once gentle trees turned to claws that raked and scrapped, glowing eyes of nocturnal creatures became gateways of demons' minds. Hinata unconsciously shifted a little closer to Gaara, their shoulders nearly brushing and he said nothing, but glared at what little space they seemed to have left. While Hinata was a slight exception to the no-touching rule, he barely tolerated it if they had only scant inches between them.

Her breathing had gotten faster and it reminded him of a frightened rabbit's. Luckily for her, however, Gaara _had_ been watching the road and knew what the maps were talking of. A few more miles if they turned to the left, there should be a long grassy road leading to a small village in which their contact would be. His eyes narrowed, mind on track with the mission. He knew what the Hokage was doing, sending only two of them out like this on such an extended mission and he hated her for it; just what his father would have done. By sending him on a solo mission with only Hinata as his teammate to an infiltration mission, which would require perhaps too much self restraint on his part for gore and blood; she was testing him with two things. One, how much self restraint and obedience he held with Konohagakure as if he did kill a few people, they would eventually be found out as Leaf ninja so she was testing his loyalty. The second, (he severely doubted this was even considered a test, more like a requirement) she wanted him to converse with people more; in example, having to make friends with these Sound obeying morons…

Hinata was a test all on her own; handle her with care and make sure you don't drop her or else she'll shatter like glass and cut your fingers up. A curve in the crude road before them made itself noticed to Gaara who even lost amongst his heavy thoughts. He turned and he heard Hinata scurry behind him, still very near him-close enough to feel body heat at least, though she didn't seem to have much as her skin was quite cold all the time. _Your new alliance with the Leaf is annoying boy…they're more restrictive than your father. You call this living?_ Gaara agreed with Shukaku grimly and added that this wasn't living; it was purgatory and until he could kill whatever held him here…he was going to wreak havoc on this new cage called 'Konoha'. He looked at Hinata out of the corner of one of his eyes, regarding her with suspicion and he eyed he neck with an almost depraved lust for gore before he looked away and stared in front of him fixatedly. _While she may be our chains…we are the beast she must hold, ne Gaara_?

Gaara looked at her again and noticed she'd backed off some when she saw lanterns in the distance; the village they had been heading to came in their view.

He heard her inhale sharply when they reached the tavern that (_to him_) smelled of alcohol, sweat and the general stink of many unhygienic humans. He pushed the door open with a swing of his arm and all the customers fell silent from their originally jovial yells and loud laughter. They stared at the odd boy, who had an odd looking girl behind him, seemingly cowering behind his slightly taller form. He walked in with Hinata close at his heels, and he resisted the urge to just drag her with his sand since she was so frightened of all the stares. His arms were folded over his chest in an intimidating manner while he strolled in and looked for their contact; a Rain ANBU (_from the house Hinata would be married off to_) wearing a bear's mask. While the Rain and Leaf weren't exactly on good terms, since she would be married off to this Rain clan; the Hyuugas were in contact with them which led to Gaara and Hinata getting a bit of help from them.

Gaara tensed immediately and he felt the sand shift in reaction to his sudden agitation when he felt cold skin on his warm hide. He turned to see Hinata trying to curl into herself like a little armadillo while also balling herself against him. He turned to see a grown man leering at her with razor teeth and a thin katana beside him. "Don' be like tha', dalin', I ain't gonna bite," he smiled largely, eyeing her adolescent body with greedy eyes. "C'mere…tha boy right there 'side ya dunna know what a real man's like…c'mere…I'm nice 'nough," he beckoned her with unattractive grey fingers that wriggled like earthworms. She cringed and Gaara's skin flinched in response to her own skin rubbing against his own. Pale grey green eyes slid from her to the man pestering her; a warning in them. Not a threat; but a promise. The man sneered in turn at Gaara, thinking nothing of the redheaded kid but instead trying to seduce the cute little white eyed girl with honeyed words. "Dalin', don' be so mean ta me…"

"Leave her be." Words from a deep voice of the thirteen year old boy beside her made the disgusting man beside her scowl at him. The redheaded kid had the gall to glare at him so when the girl was clearly in need of a man, not a boy. His odd colored eyes were saying something to his own dark brown ones, promising something dark.

"Boy, ya aren't needed here, me 'n the little lady was havin' us a good little talk, wasn't we?" Hinata didn't reply but drew in a little closer to the redhead, instead choosing to use him as a shield to the eyes that seemed to see under her clothes in the worst of ways. "Little lady…"

"D-don't talk to m-me, pl-please…" she was shivering and the sand churned in anticipation at her fear. The man's eyes narrowed and he stood to tower over them.

"You're not finished talkin' with me," Gaara's eyes narrowed by a fraction, skin about where his eyebrows should have been crinkling. His blood heated in the sadistic thrill of Hinata's growing fear and the man's anger. The sand churned and he felt his gourd begin to vibrate.

"Oi!" they all turned in the direction of a heavy set man with tattoos on his face and bone earrings in his ears, "Akimi! You're outta here, understand-quit pestering them young people." Akimi made to protest before the large man stood, "Get yer ass outta my place. Move." His eyes narrowed and the one known as Akimi stood, but not before glaring at Gaara and leering at Hinata who cowered about Gaara, rotating her position about him so he was always between her and the man. The sand slowly calmed though Shukaku grumbled heatedly. The tavern's sound seemed to have been flicked on by a switch as everyone was talking and laughing, "Sorry about that guy kiddos. He just had his head up his ass…mostly all his life, wanna a drink or somethin' ta eat? On the house, ya look like ya'll could go for something warm in yer bellies."

Hinata thanked him while Gaara looked about the tavern. Their contact wasn't here though Tsunade told them specifically he would be there before them to lend a helping hand. Gaara's eyes narrowed. He smelled a rat.

-

_Mimicry: _(the practice of imitation or deception)

Once again, thank all of you for your wonderful reviews which were still long, to my pleasant surprise. I leave you all…uh…well…I've got a nickel…or, ya know, you could just be happy with the chapter. Whichever works. Your reviews were not only long and flattering but were also pointing out certain things…foreshadowing! …Yeah. I'm happy so many of you enjoy Demon's Ball so far, and I hope this chapter was always somewhat enjoyable. If you liked it, please review! Till next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Five: Plight _

xXx

Still no sign of the bear masked man and it wasn't helping the redhead's nerves. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Hinata eat a plate of sliced raw fish, rice balls with pickled plum and a bowl of hot miso soup. Dipping the fish in the side dish of wasabi and sesame sauce, she continued to eat and only looked over at Gaara occasionally. His muscles were tight once more during this night and were tensing every time another person came into the tavern to drink away problems or to just talk loudly with the other drunken idiots. "G-Gaara? Aren't you h-hungry?" she received no answer and didn't ask again. Something was wrong in the air and Gaara didn't want to eat food. She watched his eyes wander about the room, observant of all details that would have escaped her own observations.

"G-Gaara?" his muscles tensed again and she saw his eyes narrow even more when another person entered the tavern, wearing a masked decorated to resemble a bear. "Wh-what's wrong?" his fingers twitched and he was staring at the bear mask. Her voice was kept low and conservative.

"Hinata, look through his mask." Hinata looked over at Gaara, surprised for a moment. His eyes were still on the man in disguise and he glared at her out of one of his eyes. "Look through his mask."

Hand motions and eyes sprung to life and shivered with the newly pumped chakra, "H-he's wearing gl-glasses…"

"Is that all?" his voice was impatient and she could tell he was straining himself from attacking the man. For what purposes though, she hadn't the faintest idea.

"Y-yes," her stuttering was reacting to his own agitation and she saw his white knuckled grip on the edge of the table. His sand gourd was beginning to shake as though it were chuckling at their expense. Her breathing was faster once more even though she knew her own fear fed the demon's excitement like dry wood to a fire. The bear masked man turned to the redhead and began approaching them, heedlessly ignoring the stares and open mouths gaping at him.

"That's him, ain't it?", "Yeah, took down three S-class rogue ninja…", "I wonder what he looks like…", "I heard he's an animal in bed…", "Man, would you shut up about that? It's really weird. Look at that katana he's got…mean."

Whispers flew about the man with the bear mask over his face while he approached their table and sat at a chair, not needing to be invited apparently. "Apologies for my tardiness, Hyuuga-san, Gaara-san." The man's voice was soft and gentle. Hinata was reminded of the man from the forest who had held a kunai to her throat and felt cold sweat roll down her neck. A panda with a mean face. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and leaned as much as she could near to Gaara; nearer to the demon she knew rather than the one without a face. The masked man turned towards her, having heard her chair scrape against the floor softly and he cocked his head to the side slightly, almost unnoticeably. "Ah, Hyuuga-san, do I make you nervous?" he chuckled a little as an adult would when a child exclaimed a monster was hiding in their closet. Her pride took a blow for the team and she sunk a little in her seat, once again shifting to the glaring youth beside her. "It's my mask, isn't it?"

Lying through her teeth, she nodded hesitantly. '_It's not your mask, it's you, something's wrong with you. You're not right. You're not right. Liar.'_ Her thoughts were scrambling and only one message rang through her head clearly-stay near Gaara. Her chair was close to Gaara and she felt the hair on her neck stand up when she heard a barely inaudible growl. Too close to him, but she couldn't help it, she was shivering when the man was staring at them through the slits of his mask. She knew she was overstepping his boundaries, but the demon next to her was trustworthy to an extent from this nameless one. Her cold skin brushed his own warm flesh and she felt it flinch under her touch.

The man chuckled and sighed, "Suppose it can't be helped, but since Hyuuga-san is going to be married to my cousin, Joshi, I believe you to be trustworthy. Gaara-san, I don't believe you go around spreading people's secrets…?" his voice was teasing and Hinata thought it mocking. Gaara's eyes were glaring and seeing through something she couldn't fathom.

"They are not my own to tell." The man laughed at Gaara's emotionless voice but with the ever present undertones of a snarl or a growl of impatience or anger.

"Gaara-san, you look so serious, a boy of your age shouldn't be such a grump, my dear, how do you deal with him?" his voice was mocking again and she felt like curling in on herself. "Now then," he took the mask off discreetly and placed it on the table, the growling bear visage staring up at Hinata blankly. Hinata was struck with a sense of familiarity of this man. He adjusted his glasses and his dark eyes looked on at Hinata and Gaara seriously. "Are you completely sure about this mission, Hyuuga-san, Gaara-san?" his voice sounded concerned.

"Wh-what exactly do y-you m-mean…?" the way her sentence ended, it was a hint for his name.

"Ah, just call me Nagayoki-niisan, Hyuuga-san" he smiled disarmingly. Hinata frowned a little, that was his surname, not his first name but before she could question his first name he had moved on. "I am concerned for the two of you, for as of late…a civil war of sorts is going on within the Lightning country. Apparently, since their Kage gave into the Sound's demands," his lip curled up in disgust, "A large group of rebels are retaliating and fighting against the decision. They want to be separate from the Sound once more and the Kage, not wanting to upset the Sound is sending his soldiers against his much more…loyal soldiers in a sense. Frankly, their Kage is an idiot who's just bending over backwards for the Sound bastards. The whereabouts of Orochimaru; leader of the Sound are unknown as are the Uchiha's. As of late, the civil war has stretched beyond the walls of the Lightning and there are…street calamities. At this moment, it's extremely dangerous within the Lightning country…and we worry for your sake, Hyuuga-san."

"If you're so worried for her safety, Nagayoki, why aren't you sending any of your men with her?" Gaara's voice cut through like a pointed diamond. Hinata cringed. Gaara didn't trust him and he was still tense, his muscles flinched and coiling like a dangerous snake. He was in a fatality position, one wrong move and he'd crush the man across them.

"Unfortunately, Gaara-san, it would already be risky enough sending the two of you into this civil war, but anymore than that and the Lightning people will have an uproar. The Leaf will be exposed, the Rain will be exposed and the cards will all fall down. Tsunade-sama is quite concerned for the Lightning and their allegiance to her is important for even with Sand…the Sound still yet may win. With a great country such as the Lightning country falling to them would be a grave loss."

"Is that all you're here for?" Gaara was impatient again and Hinata wondered if she should stand and order something for him though he may or may not eat it or if she should stay where she was and make sure he didn't choke the odd man. The man's dark eyes found Gaara's and something snapped between them, crackling like a popping fire.

"Gaara-san…so hostile. Could it be you don't trust me?" he wore a mysterious smile and again Hinata was slapped with familiarity that she knew him from somewhere. "She doesn't need a guard dog, Gaara-san." Gaara's eyes narrowed and Hinata had to squash the urge to put twenty feet between them. Intensity was in the air and Hinata could taste horror on her tongue. The sand gourd shook a little more violently and she moved out of the way in case the cork popped out. Gaara's lips were being pulled back a bit to reveal horrific ivory teeth not human. "Tsk. Hyuuga-san…keep a leash on him would you?" his voice was admonishing in disappointment as one would have on a disobedient animal.

"N-N-Nagayoki-s-san, pl-please stop, G-Gaara is v-very wary o-of m-many people," her stutter was back full force and Gaara wasn't calmed. Nagayoki looked at Hinata almost sheepishly. Almost, Hinata was quiet, not stupid; she could see through lies.

"I apologize, Gaara-san, Hyuuga-san, it's just…I suppose I'm trying to scare you away from the mission…" his voice trailed off when he saw Gaara's eyes burning a figurative hole through his head.

"Th-thank you f-for your concern, N-Nagayoki-san, but t-truly, we will b-be fine…" she trailed off when her voice began to fail her and Nagayoki began to stare at her in surprise. Her fingertips ached and her vision had mutated once more. She blinked a bit before the veins faded like an old memory and her fingertips no longer burned.

"Hyuuga-san, I cannot help but worry over you, you will soon be a part of our family and though Gaara-san will be by your side during the duration of this mission, still. This is hostile enemy territory against the Sound and a civil war; are you absolutely sure about this mission?" his voice was gentle and his hand reached across the table to pat her own hand. Hinata tensed at the contact and slid her hand out from under his own to bring to her lap to wring both of her hands nervously. Gaara's face was set once more in poker mode save for the narrow eyes which made his black insomnia lines more prominent.

"N-Nagayoki-san, pl-please understand that w-we were chosen f-for this mission and w-we must bear with i-it," her voice was stern though she stuttered too much for it to be considered solid. His eyes searched her face and she shifted in uneasiness at his staring. He suddenly smiled again.

"You will be a good chosen wife for Joshi-kun, he could use a good woman like yourself one day." Hinata didn't reply; she didn't want to go from Konoha and leave everyone there for a husband she'd never met and didn't want. She needed to keep Naruto's promise; _"Take care of Gaara, ne, Hinata-chan?"_ she bit her lip. '_I will, I will Naruto-kun_.' "Well, that is the message Tsunade had wanted me to report to you since we had been on a far away surveillance of the Lightning country but have not yet infiltrated it. Hyuuga-san, Gaara-san, I wish you both luck and both of you, be careful." He stood and bowed to them courteously. His mask was in his grip again and he placed it over his face once he turned to leave.

His hair was white. "Rat," Gaara muttered once Nagayoki-san had left the tavern. Hinata turned to him with a confused face. "He didn't give us his first name though his cousin is familiar with the Hyuugas and he's lying."

"H-he looked familiar." Her stutter had gone down and she felt herself ease up while she scooted back from Gaara once more to give him space. She saw Gaara's muscles ease up beneath his skin. He nodded once in affirmation.

"If you ever see him again when we're in the Lightning country, don't talk to him alone." Hinata nodded at his reasoning and didn't question it. She trusted Gaara's instincts more than ill used logic. Hinata stood and walked over at the tavern's keeper.

"E-excuse me?" the tattooed man turned to her and smiled widely, "M-my fr-friend and I n-need a pl-place to stay…" she knew he got the hint and her eyes rolled to the left.

"No worries, girly, there's a spare room ya both can share," he sent a wink her way, "So long as yer friend over there is respectable." It was amazing how quickly her face went from white to bright puce in a matter of seconds. He laughed heartily and ruffled her hair, "C'mon, get yer friend and I'll set ya both up, girly." Hinata hesitantly returned his nearly blinding smile to turn only to find Gaara climbing up the steps already.

-

Last night hadn't been a good sleep for Hinata who was haunted by Nagayoki's disarming smile. Shivers went down her spine when she even thought of him and her mind whispered to beware of evil men. Gaara wasn't in the best of shape, last night Shukaku had been troublesome she'd guessed and he'd left in the middle of the night. An angry swirl of sand announcing his departure. She felt at her coin purse and noted that when they got to the Lightning country, she'd have to get a job since she must blend in with the rest of them. She looked over at the redhead to her left and saw his mouth was in a tight frown, sides dipping down the sides with his eyes narrowed. Last night had been a total disaster area; the man had looked familiar with his white hair tied back in a messy pony tail and his dark eyes hiding behind glasses.

The sun was overhead and Gaara was beginning to pick up the pace once more, his easy walk turning into a quick trot that escalated into a sprint that left Hinata in the dust. Gaara was in a hell sprouted mood. The man last night had smelled of blood, his eyes were dark and beady like a weasel's…or a rat's and he was lying to the both of them. Tsunade had stated in her scroll that the contact would explain the situation in the Lightning country and she had said he was a soon to be family member of Hinata's. He hadn't given out his first name. His skin crawled and he felt the ugly, demented head called bloodlust lift its head and roar with grotesque teeth. His mouth was drying and they were nearly at the border of the Rain, nearly, nearly there. He stopped when he felt her presence lagging too much.

He turned his head so that only one eye gazed back at her to see that she was leaning against a tree, eyes dizzy and she was swaying slightly. The sand trembled impatiently and it snatched her up, coiling about her waist before tossing her to a tree near his. "G-Gaara…can we-?"

"No," his word was final and while she wasn't entirely dependant on him…she would still follow him. He bounded off and she followed at a quick pace as well, but not nearly as fast as his own. The damn raccoon had been causing him troubles since last night and he wouldn't ease up for a mere moment. He could hear Shukaku laughing horridly in his head and making the world about him nauseating even more than it already was. He was getting dizzy and could barely keep a straight path. Something with a wicked thorned hammer pounded on the walls of membrane and damaged tissue while Shukaku destroyed his cage. He was spiraling into madness and the Hyuuga girl was right there, right there, right _there_…_Do you have any idea how well red compliments white, Gaara?_ Shukaku hissed in the dark monstrous corners of his twisted and tormented mind. _It's beautiful…should we make her beautiful, Gaara?_ Gaara missed a branch and careened to the ground in a crouch to where he clutched his head painfully, tearing at his maroon hair while Shukaku whispered poison into his proverbial ear.

He couldn't kill her yet; he could only kill her when she turned to leave him and broke her promise to Uzumaki and himself. Then he'd gorge himself on her white, white flesh and watch the life drain from her vivacious opal eyes while he devoured her heart. Just like so many people had done to him, just so she'd know what happened to him so often. He'd tear her open, split her in half, crack her ribs and…

"G-Gaara?" a body colder than his lingered near him. His blood was hot like liquid fire and his skin felt feverish. He resisted the urge to lean against the cold to urge away the all consuming heat. The edges of his vision dimmed in black and he saw a puddle of blood, turning a golden similar to Shukaku's iris before the white glare of light within his eye bled to an opal. _Let's make her beautiful Gaara_…

The offer was tempting him as he turned his head shakily to stare at her pale face which stared at his in concern…? No-it was fright of the beast. Red ran down the side of her face and her eyes rolled up in what some who couldn't see the blood would've called pleasure. It dripped past her pale pearl lips and fell sluggishly to the ground, plopping and welling. Time slowed as her body slumped forward and she fell to the ground beside him, long claw marks through her dark blue shirt and gashing open her soft pliant flesh. The trees murmured in contentment and birds twittered. The sun shone the blood off to be a lively, almost happy color in Gaara's sadistic mind.

"Gaara…?" the red was gone and the illusion vanished. _Don't let your guard down around me boy…I may be imprisoned, but that doesn't mean I can't shake the cage._

Gaara blinked at her and looked down at the hand that was lingered over his skin hesitantly, as though debating whether to pick him up and touch him or to try to comfort him with useless words. He shoved her away roughly enough to send her to the ground and swept a hand over his aching temple. It throbbed with every small movement he made and it agitated the sand as well. Hinata was already standing and didn't hover over him like she had earlier but, she was still too close. "Get moving, Hyuuga." A harsh command using her last name sent her slouching spine straight like a real soldier and her lips tightened to a thin line. '_I didn't kill you yet. Watch yourself Hyuuga…you're getting too comfortable_.' She continued to look at him and he could tell by the faint spider web lines that reappeared and vanished several times she was holding back on using the Byakugan to see if there was anything wrong with his chakra circulatory system…again. "Move," a snarl barely human now, she marched off and left him behind.

The heel of his hand ground against the love symbol on his forehead. The headache would worsen during the night. He stood on unstable legs before taking off after Hinata. He'd bug her to make some of that tea later, maybe.

-

Evening swept over them like a dying phoenix with roses, pinks, oranges and fading fire colors. A banner of colorful clouds passed overhead and Gaara was walking far from Hinata, who in turn avoided him as much as she possibly could. She limped slightly because an ache was developing in her thigh, a cramp and she held her abdomen again. It was hurting, again. Maybe it hadn't been Gaara's fault several nights beforehand? Maybe it was as her father predicted; her body was so fragile and useless it was dying on her. "_You will be wed to a good clan from the Rain. This is your last chance to redeem yourself to the clan, Hinata_." Her opal eyes traveled up from the ground before her when a shadow fell before her.

Gaara looked at her evenly, "Set up camp here and don't run off." He turned to leave and she furrowed her brows delicately, observing the clearing that still contained light.

"B-but there's s-still light," she started but immediately bit her tongue. Gaara turned back slight to glare at her with one eye narrowed its black lines growing larger and nearly swallowing his grey green iris. She looked while his gourd seemingly shook with silent laughter and noticed his stance. Tense, predatory. Tonight was not the night to give out her opinion; this was the night to go along with what he said and keep a quiet distance.

"Don't. Run. Off." His voice strained at each carefully pronounced word. His eye narrowed at her one last time before it closed and the sand swept underneath him. It gathered in a spinning funnel and spun before vanishing completely, taking the redhead on for a bumpy ride. Her hands gripped her pack and clenched tightly enough to gain white knuckles. The sun was near setting while she placed her pack on the ground and set up her small tent. She flinched harshly when a voice screamed to the sky in pain. Birds flew from the treetops while twilight descended. The scream escalated to a roar, then dropped to fade away and leave Hinata with trembling hands. The forest grew silent; neither a cricket brave enough to sing nor a nightingale gutsy enough to unlock a throat clogged with fright.

Later, Hinata knew, that when she went to bed, too frightened herself to make a campfire or cook anything-eat anything for that matter- she knew that gnashing teeth with crooked claws and demented smiles along with tormented screams would invade her dreams.

-

_Plight_ (distressing situation)

Dun. Dun DUN! Who is the bear man? Guess. It's pretty easy. -.- Anyway, I hope you all liked this installment as well! I love all of you (platonically) for your wonderful reviews and I hope that this chapter was still IC as much as possible! I want it to seem...a little evil to you perhaps, or something, but more suspense to come later! Review if ya liked it!

For ty, they are currently thirteen…O.O…so not too big of a time jump there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Six: Excursive _

xXx

_A thump made itself known to her and Hinata's eyes snapped open, the Byakugan already threaded and ready. With it, she saw Gaara's prone form lying on the ground; the gourd looking like it was crushing him. She waited for a few moments, to see if he would move at all and after dubbing him 'safe', she stumbled outside to the cold night air. Icy fingers of fright gripped her throat with a vengeful clutch while her Byakugan faded, to allow her to see his blood drenched form. The beast was probably pleased since he wasn't attacking her and she wondered briefly if this was the hibernation state he went into since he couldn't sleep for more than perhaps a half hour. Lightly stepping to him, like a cautious doe, she gingerly poked him in the shoulder with her big toe pointed as though dipping it in ice water. _

_No reaction, so Hinata poked her toe a little harder into his shoulder. Nothing. Frowning, she stooped down to reach out to touch his shoulder, warily eyeing the still gourd. Gripping his shoulder tightly, she flared her nostrils and turned his body over so his face was up instead of planted in the ground. Gently, two fingers went over his pulse, checking to see how fast it was beating. Her lips pursed. His heartbeat was unnaturally slow, yet he had no wounds on him. The blood that covered his hands, pants, shirt, neck and bathed half of his unrecognizable face wasn't his own. The Byakugan webbed out to life once more and she was staring at his tenkitsu points. They were a little clogged; too much chakra flowing at once without enough time to fully escape could do that. Maybe that's why he collapsed. _

_One of the points where it was clogging and not releasing was on his bicep; her index and middle finger began to ache while she bent over to burn them open. Leaning and touching her burning fingers, his entire arm shivered at least three times. Frowning even in his 'hibernation' as Hinata called it, his head turned unconsciously to the source of where the relief was coming from. Another closed up tenkitsu point was visible and a soft touch began to burn it open, forcing the chakra flow regularly and release normally. The last was at the side of his chest. Hinata hesitated and seeing that Gaara's eyes were still closed, the fingers pressed there gently, coaxing the blocked point to open. She didn't exactly see what happened, nor remember it clearly. All she remembered was burning open a tenkitsu for Gaara, then her wrist hurt and she was dangling in the air for two seconds, feet inches off the ground. _

_A hand not her own gripped her wrist like a coiled python before dropping her weight as though she were a rag doll. Grey green eyes stared down at her in confusion, glazed as though not seeing her properly. The sand hadn't reacted, but Gaara had. She didn't really register what happened to her. His eyes blinked slowly and he once again took to the forest, muttering to himself or rather Shukaku. Hinata stared at his back with suspicion over her refined features. He was trying to hide something from her, she knew, but she wouldn't question it until she felt her life really was on the line_.

"Hinata," a cold as ice voice stopped her from recalling last night's happenings and she turned attention to the surly redhead before her. He nudged his head in the direction of the old, wrinkly inn keeper smoking tobacco from a pipe. Her plucked brows rose and her painted lips curled into a sneer, eyes roving over Hinata. At that moment, she felt exposed to the woman's looking and resisted the need to curl into a ball or hide behind Gaara.

"Well, seein' as yer _delightful_ friend here," she sent a scowl Gaara's way who only scowled back, "Wants a room fer…what was it?" she puffed on her pipe and blew out smoke through her nostrils. "Three days, were it?" Gaara nodded once and continued to glare at the tobacco smelling woman. "That'll cost ya…four coins, meals is free, here doll," she smiled yellowed teeth at Hinata who sent her a shaky and shy smile. "Lest ya wanna work it off, my son, ya know, he's just yer type-" four coins dropped on her counter and Hinata was already shifting in her place. Gaara just glared a little harder. The old woman sighed before scooping up the coins and dropping down a fold in her kimono. "Alright, alright, Suka!" a tiny woman with hair up in a twist came forth and bowed graciously. "Show these little ducklings their room, ne?" the woman bowed and the front of her kimono dropped down to show the tops of her breasts.

"Yes, House Mistress," she turned to Hinata and Gaara, "This way, please." Gaara followed obediently and Hinata was about to take after them when a knobby old hand gripped her elbow. Hinata turned to look back at the old woman with dark green eyes.

"You taken?" she asked and it struck Hinata as an odd question. The inn keeper saw the confused look on Hinata's face and smiled, "That little redhead got dibs on ya doll?" Hinata's eyes widened and she tried to pull her elbow away. "Pff. Figures, all the little pricks get something _good_ before all the good boys. Little bastards. My son would like you, ya know? He's about yer age too…Pretty little girl, ya are," with her other hand, she gripped Hinata's chin and forced it up, showing off her odd eyes. Her eyes roamed down Hinata body, "Decent top and wide hips, nice," she said almost lecherously, "Easy births, ne?" her eyes looked over Hinata's legs. "Long legs, you'll need 'em when yer runnin from all them boys," the seemingly perverted old crone cackled like a noisy raven.

"M-Ma'am, I-I uh…I…" she found her tongue to be too fat and awkward to talk with and the old woman called out a name behind her. Probably her son's as it was male.

"Tanaka, look at this here girl, ain't she a little beaut?" she said, shoving Hinata's face upward when she dropped it back down to her chest. "Tanaka, damn it!" she cursed vilely when Hinata managed to wrench herself free. The woman could only stare in surprise at the veins that popped beneath the skin on her temples. '_What the hell?_' she wondered as she watched the back of the girl who ran after her friend.

-

Hinata had boarded herself up in the bathroom and she stared down at her abdomen in shock. Just shock. Bruises dark purple contrasted against her skin like ugly ink marks and she winced when she moved at a certain angle. Gaara had attacked her several days ago-and the bruises looked fresh, she supposed it was just her body once more. She had always been slow to bruise, not hard to bruise, but it usually showed up quite a bit later. She bit her lip and blinked tears back from rolling down her face when it twinged. She looked over at the full length mirror and saw herself-blushing as she looked herself over, not that much could be seen with her breast binds a little loose, and her pants still on her. _Decent chest, wide hips…_ red covered her nose. She winced as her abdomen spasmed again and knew that the medicine she had brought was direly needed. Hinata would need to remember to not spar with Gaara on full moons-during those times he just wandered off into the forest usually. A cough wracked through her body and something with a metallic tang that was warm spat past her lips.

Coughing, she held a hand to her mouth and watched as blood dribbled past her lips. Her internal injury from the Chuunin exam a year ago that had nearly killed her hadn't completely healed yet. Hacking up bits of phlegm and blood, she turned the faucet on and drained it down the sink. Her hacking worsened and her shoulders shook unbearably. Shudders of pain overtook her mind and body while blood continued to drop from her lips and into the sink, splattering the porcelain and faucet. Tears crept past her eyes and dropped down from her pale cheeks. Things were spinning and suddenly, nothing made sense. Her head throbbed and she tried grasping the edge of the sink only for her hand to slip. Her gasp was muffled when she landed on the floor in an ungraceful heap, on her bruised side.

Her prized eyes flickered the Byakugan on in the midst of confusion and to a ninja, confusion meant death most of the time. Natural instincts embedded in her ninja ways made her shoulders tense and her bloodline limit to overtake her unused chakra. The locked door suddenly creaked open and Hinata numbly turned to it, pain overriding all other senses. Another hiccough escaped her lips and blood spat onto the white floor. With the Byakugan giving her a better visual, something without legs or arms or a definite form moved through the doorway and came at her in a languid manner. On another instinct that had been branded into her system, she smacked whatever it was, in her hazed mind she couldn't tell, away from her. It gripped her wrists and bound them to her back tightly, and wrapped about her waist in an almost tender manner.

Dragging her out of the bathroom slowly, her prized eyes released the secret technique unique to the Hyuugas and she stared up at the blurred image of red hair. Cold grey green eyes stared down at her. The feeling of exhaustion swept through her and her eyes drooped. Suddenly she was coughing for an entirely different reason and something was being pushed past her lips to her tongue. A cold steel spoon forcing disgusting crushed herbs with sap down her throat. She clenched her jaw as much as she could, but with no avail. The spoon still made it past the barrier and she felt like gagging from the medicine.

The sand, she obviously realized dimly, uncurled from her waist and deposited her on the futon with what one could call care, were it not for the rather harsh brush against her bruised abdomen that made her whimper. Gentle rustling resounded about the room and she couldn't open her eyes. They were filled up with lead and someone poured a bucket of sleeping powder over her. Her fingers curled up childishly and she tucked herself into a ball on the futon. A blanket swept over her and she noticed with slow realization she wasn't dressed for bed.

Her eyes opened a fraction to see cold grey green eyes staring at her with a watchfulness of a hawk to a cowering prey. It was an odd feeling to be certain, the feeling of security and wariness all mixed in together to create some sort of sick hybrid of something she didn't want to understand at the moment. Her eyes dropped and warm darkness kissed the edges of her mind with blessedly soft lips.

-

He frowned while he stared at his small plate of sake, sweet rice cakes still aromatic and warm on a plate beside it. '_I don't like sweets_.' He took a bite of one anyway and tried not to wince at the overpowering of sweetness that came from it. Right now, food was food and he wasn't going to refuse it…no matter how disgusting it tasted. His hand tugged on the wild strands of hair that lingered about his pale face and ignored the looks he was getting from women. _Older_ women, _much_ older women. He took another sip of sake and thanked that the bartenders in the Rain didn't check to if you were underage-just have enough money.

The alcohol was starting to numb his tired and sore body, it soothed his cluttered mind and made him forget all the things that were regrettable, but had to be done. A soldier was a soldier. He was a soldier for his family and his country, so he would do what it took to get it done. No matter of his betrayal, nothing mattered except for the duty and vengeance. His dark eyes watched the sake swirl in the cup and someone took a seat beside him. He knew who it was and didn't have to look over to make sure. "Uchiha." Sasuke almost smirked over at the redhead beside him who made eye contact with the barkeep who brought him a plate of complementary dumplings and small plate of sake.

"Gaara." It was mutual, he supposed. The hate and understanding between the both of them. Betrayal of family and nothing but the cold hearted grasp of hate on their minds and scarring their souls; they were similar in the most painful ways. Gaara didn't even take a bite out of the dumplings, instead shoving them to the side and quickly downing the sake. Sasuke noted that the gourd on Gaara's back was still present and he could smell old blood on him. Sasuke took another bite of the rice cake and held down the unmanly gag that came up to his throat. Gaara's sake supply was gone and the barkeep, seeing that these two young men would be here a while just brought them a large clay jug of the alcohol.

The tension didn't bother either of them save for the tenseness of their muscles and the wary, under cast looks beneath their eyelashes. Sasuke smirked when he looked over at Gaara properly besides sneaky glances. "How's the weather in Konoha Gaara, I was thinking of visiting…" a friendly conversation starter to outsiders, it was a mockery to Gaara. His black rimmed eyes glared at the survivor of the Uchiha massacre.

"Uchiha, what are you doing here?" Gaara's irate attitude caught up with him while he poured more sake into his plate before lifting it to his lips and gulping it down with flourish. Sasuke said nothing before drinking some sake himself. He felt his face flush slightly from the alcoholic drink and leaned back a little into the cold air where the rain from earlier had cooled it severely.

"I could ask the same, Gaara." The intensity of the air sparked a little more and both suicidal avenger and sand demon stared at one another, wills clashing and silent snarls between them. Sasuke closed his eyes and smirked; reaching into his pocket he withdrew a few coins and placed them on the counter. He slipped off the stool and turned to stare Gaara in the eye, "Konoha's cozy, isn't it?" Gaara's form coiled like a snake within striking distance. Sasuke swept a hand through his locks and breathed in the night air. "You'll hate it as much as I do." Sasuke turned on his heel and walked down the darkened road from nightfall. Rain began to sprinkle from heavenward around him.

Gaara's eyes watched the form of the Uchiha disappear into the night. He heard Shukaku chuckle bitterly, _We already do, Uchiha_. Gaara, for once, agreed with his demonic counterpart and turned back to his sake dish. Grey green eyes stared back at him from the clear liquid. The rain pattered outside and many of the bar's patrons were going home. The clink of the jug against the dish for quite a while afterwards was all that Gaara heard. A flash of uncontrollable coughing fits coupled with splatters of blood on the tile snaked through his mind and left him irritated. _She's becoming a liability, boy_. Gaara scowled a little and downed the sake quickly.

-

_Excursive_ (Rambling)

Surprise! Another pawn to the chess board. XP Problem is…I'm gonna have to fit him in there somewhere…but I no knows where! ;; I'll figure something out or not. Hopefully the first one. –sigh- Man. This chapter was horrible so don't force yourself to review, kays? This was mostly a filler and a sort of plan for my next chapter. HUGE writer's block and no music would fit with this chapter. -.-;;


	7. Chapter 7

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Seven: Susceptible _

xXx

_It was frigidly cold. Her blood flow had slowed and felt like crushed ice that moved through her veins. Her eyes stung from the cold and she blinked irritably from the cold, her feet were sunk in the snow beneath her. On her right, there was a rotting wooden fence, a broken hinge that held the gate rusting and the gate creaked. She was inside of a hollow yard with a frozen, dead garden, the sun was a pale lime disk that hung in the blue sky and snow continued to fall. Warmth suddenly swamped and lapped at her and it was comfortable and it was better than the freezing air that choked her senses. The eased warmth beckoned her to look off to her left, a giant tree with large, fresh green leaves that danced in the wind. She felt a smile creep up on her face. Stepping to her left, she moved to the warm tree beneath another sun that was yellow and glowing. _

_Another set of footsteps crunched to her right, however and she looked back. A small boy, perhaps six was looking up at her with the biggest eyes she'd ever seen on a child. His eyes were a blue green that shined in the pale sunlight and he watched her. A tan smock was draped over his shoulders and his tiny fingers were curled into small fists. Red hair danced on his head and swept over his flawless skin. Those big eyes blinked at her, black rings making them look even more ridiculously larger than they really were and he smiled a shy smile. A sweet, disarming smile and he took another step to her. Something with an unnamable emotion tugged at her heartstrings and threatened to snap them with sharp scissors. The boy suddenly stopped, right outside the gate, his hand on it ready to open the rotting gate but then turned suddenly. Another boy was right behind him. A scowl and a glare on his face. A red symbol of love on his forehead and he glared at the small boy whose shoulders slumped and he looked despairingly at Hinata. _

_Hinata beckoned the little boy her way, but froze when a wall of sand washed over their forms, swallowing them whole and it reached for her. Darkness consumed her, while she held her hands up to shield herself. _

Her eyes slid open and she stared at the opposing wall to her left. She could still taste the bitterness of the medicine Gaara had force fed her when her cough had been terribly painful. The sharp herbs and the disgustingly thick sap made the taste linger too long, but her lungs no longer burned. It was odd that Gaara would even help her when she had collapsed, but concluded that though he gave the air of craving eternal loneliness…the saying came to Hinata's mind. 'Misery loves company.' When he was in a bad mood, he'd usually take it out on her through his own brand of quiet intimidation and ruthless sparring hours that left her in pain for days on end. Sighing and snuggling beneath the heavy blanket, she continued to stare at the white wall; lost in her own thoughts that roamed without direction, usually hopping between herself, Naruto and Gaara.

Her thoughts, much to her dismay, centered about Gaara. While she knew he hated her on some inexplicable level, she knew he'd rather have her right there, instead of being alone. That was just how it was, and she herself, not capable of hating found herself instead having quite a severe dislike to him, but she hid behind him knowing he'd more than likely shield her albeit very reluctantly. A bitter chuckle rose into her throat as she saw what she'd made him into, from her disillusions over the months she's known his habits. She made him into something like her knight in shining armor. Something Naruto used to be, before he fed her to the wolves. While she had no such thing of a crush on Gaara, as it was still fixated on the fox demon boy, Naruto had stepped down from his knight pedestal to just a boy she admired and liked and Gaara took up the place of a knight. No matter how cold, or how dark his ways were of protecting her…she made him into her own personal little dark hero.

Her own…little twisted hero with blood red hair instead of sunshine hair, instead of blue eyes like an endless sky, there were two orbs filled with an icy reflection of fire. Instead of a charming smile, there was a dark frown. He shouldn't be her knight, he should be the dragon that would devour her, like a girl accused of witchcraft and sufficed as a sacrifice to the beast. The wolf that clamped down with iron fangs on the strayed sheep that lost her way, he had somehow become her knight despite it. All the times she hid behind him, expecting protection after the first time she had cringed behind him while Neji had been rather sharp with her and he ended up facing down a guy shorter than he, but deadlier as well. Then, it became instinctual to trust the demon she knew would harm her, to depend on the rabid dog that would turn and bite her. After that, what happened…just was. It was for her own reason of being weak against people not in battle, and his own misery that threatened to drown him, so he'd take her down with him. It just was.

But that didn't comfort her, to realize how dependant she was on him, and how he leaned on her for support as a crutch to delay his suffocation, it made her uneasy. It confused her. When had they come to this conclusion, this truce that they had to lean on one another and in the same breath curse on another and hate each other to an extent that left an impression of wanting the other to disappear, or dead. Then, in a full one hundred-eighty turn…one of them was seeking some sort of solace or protection. Their cycle wasn't natural. They were neither friends nor enemies, as each went to a certain limit only to bleed into the other. Something…something was wrong with them.

A hollow laugh that transformed into a strangled sob left her lips and she buried her face into her pillow, salt water leaking over its fragrance and tainting it with a teenager's confusion and frustration. Her shoulders heaved and she knew she heard the door to the room open, but didn't even bother to turn to it when it closed with a snap. Footsteps and something lowered to the ground, but easily skirted away from her. The blanket, she drew about herself more tightly and didn't bother to make the movements of her shoulders lessen, though she did keep the noise down. He didn't mind that she was crying, but it always irritated him when he could hear it and it was apparently too loud.

Gaara looked over his cup of water and blinked at her petite body shuddering heavily beneath sobs. He didn't smell blood, she didn't appear injured and no one seemed to have entered their room since he left. She was having one of those fits she would have once in a while and she didn't seem to care whether he was aware of it. He wasn't bothered by the small hiccups or her sadness, as she usually dealt with it and later would pretend it didn't happen. The shudders began to faze out and even breaths were being taken now instead of choppy gasps that depraved air. A sniffle and softer breathing. She was feigning sleep and he ignored the barb Shukaku sent-_Know her sleeping pattern so well, boy_?

Hinata curled in on herself a little more; her own patented guard against the world and her arms went over her head. Gaara stood and left the room, quietly, leaving the sand to dance about the room and perhaps give her nightmares about the fresher scent of blood that now coated the grains.

-

He was aggravated. Hinata clutched her tea cup tightly while they waited for the food to be delivered. His eyes were narrowed at the door and she bit her lip when she heard a growl. Another growl and she knew that the food was too late for the sand demon's liking. She sipped from her cup delicately and she turned her head to the side a little when she heard a brisk knock. The padding of feet leaving and she got up, not noticing that the sand had tried curling around her ankles. Opening the door by a crack, she spotted a tray of food and a small pot of tea and two cups. Gripping the tray handles, she made her way back to the dining table. Placing it down on the table, she looked down at the food, rice balls with ume rolled in and wrapped with seaweed, grilled fish, plain miso and rice porridge.

Gaara just stared at it for a moment, and she heard him inhale deeply-sniffing for any traceable poisons with any odor before reaching over and biting into a fish, tearing off its flesh rather savagely. Without seeing any change in his façade, she reached over and began nibbling on a rice ball. She frowned at how much pickled plum they had placed in her rice ball, drowning out the taste of the rice, even its own smell was saturated. Sets of feet echoed throughout the hallway which caused Gaara to freeze, the sand going on defense. Hinata blinked at him and suddenly, before she could blink again, he reached across the table and gripped her shirt before throwing her across the room bodily. She turned to him angrily, Byakugan glaring heatedly and she saw a hooded figure on the other side, the door sucked in a little as though taking a breath before blowing outwards. The sand was shielding Gaara and had encased her seconds before the explosion. She heard the thunk of a multitude of boots now inside the room. The sand washed away from her and left her coughing in a lungful of billowy smoke. A man was coming at her, she saw behind her closed eyelids and her fingertips began to ache. Chakra erupted from her palm when she slapped at him.

It had happened too fast for her to recognize anything beyond that this was a fight. The man she had been fighting suddenly slipped or rather something grabbed him and pulled him down. Gaara already strung up the others with sand, her own guy being crunched about the middle and she winced when she heard a rib crack beneath the pressure. Gaara's eyes, slightly wild, narrowed on one of the goons. "Your sender, who was it?"

The man spat at Gaara, who side stepped the spittle attack and tightened the sand to a deadly embrace. "Answer."

One of them wincing, squirmed and whimpered out, "Hag…inn keeper." He shrieked at the sound of his arm popping out of his socket, "Told us you were just kids!" the sand was swallowing their facial features now. Hinata turned away quickly when she knew his infamous attack came into play. The exact same one he had used at the Chuunin Exams and the one he used on many of his unfortunate victims, the one he would use on her but without killing her.

"Desert Funeral."

She ignored the tears that wanted to squeeze from her eyes when she heard their screams and made herself die quickly, blanking out her emotion; something she'd learned from Gaara. Corpses dropped to the ground and she was moving before he could tell her, throwing things into her pack, arming herself with weapons. Turning to Gaara, she found him gone. Hurrying to pull her sandals on, she began rushing and scrambling out to find him. Running through the hallway, now cluttered with terrified people all screaming and trampling over each other like maddened beasts. In the front desk of the inn, an old, wrinkly crone sat there in terrified shock.

A wave of sand stood at the ready for signal behind Gaara, and time sort of just…stopped. Movement ceased to exist while Hinata gripped the pack's straps that lingered over her tired shoulders and sound had never been borne. The inn keeper, sensing another turned slowly to Hinata and her mouth was gaping. Her eyes darted back to Gaara and with sudden spontaneity, she ejaculated out from her horrid, yellowed lips, "Sand nin!" her eyes slid back to Hinata who was approaching Gaara slowly, but she never took her eyes off the old crone. The old woman's lips twisted and she spat out vindictively a curse most foul to Hinata, "Hyuuga whore!" she pointed a gnarled finger the girl's way and the pointer tip wavered, shivering in fright. The sand was on the move and Hinata jumped when she felt it grate against her skin, her Byakugan having faded she hadn't foreseen it behind her.

Swarming around the old woman, she saw contempt; hatred against the Hyuuga family and she wondered why the old woman hadn't attacked earlier. Her eyes grew lax and glazed when the sand started cracking bones. The world wasn't there anymore.

Then, like that, they were on the move again, the sunlight heating their footsteps and Rain nin coming at them, sand knocked them away and Hinata pushed them back with weapons; betrothed to a valuable clan or not, they had attacked civilians. Taking an off course, they veered through the marketplace to cause disruption and seek opportunity. Hinata was right behind Gaara who was moving too quickly for her to keep up properly though she could see him through bodies. Catching up as much as she could, wriggling between people, she caught hold of his shirt and her grip tightened when he sent a fierce glare back at her, which was conveniently disregarded. He was moving and dragging her behind him forcefully, he'd snap at her later of course, but now she was…

Counting on him. Not…dependant. Her grip tightened marginally while they moved swiftly, his broader shoulders shoving people aside and predatory aura driving some away. The commotion of stirred up ninja, a whole colossi of them hot on their heels. She gulped and didn't bother to deactivate her Byakugan before moving a bit closer behind Gaara who was looking about the crowd for a way out; her brows furrowed. Why was he running, usually in these cases, she would have to distract him from fighting. She looked a little more and she saw why-he probably spotted him far before she did. A bear masked man was moving swiftly after them, and in her unusually visual advantage, she saw many more Rain ninja heading their way. The bear masked man was all she could see.

They were out of the crowds now and Gaara pushed off from the ground, Hinata relinquishing her grip from his shirt was at his side only separated by a few feet and her palms were burning. Up the side of a tall building, three were behind them and one on each side of them, the bear one running side by side at Hinata. He was closing in when Hinata brought her palm down vertically, a chakra line cutting at the building and slicing at his uniform a little. He dodged and tried again and the same thing happened. Sand was knocking them all aside and Gaara was gaining speed, despite his gourd, he was still faster than she. The bear masked ANBU was rushing at Hinata but suddenly had to leap over a sand swipe which came back down and snagged Hinata around her waist, dragging her along speedily. She was propelled over the building and onto a roof of a house, Gaara quite a bit ahead of her and going in a different direction.

Gathering her wits, she moved forward and the Byakugan watched carefully as the masked ANBU fell into her one small blind spot. She drew out a shuriken and a kunai, preparing herself for hand to hand combat. Warmth wrapped about her before the man could attack, and he was blown away by an indomitable wall of sand. A tendril of sand had wrapped about her waist and tossed her next to Gaara, "Move."

-

The Rain ninja had chased them till sundown, wave after wave of them attacking, seeing as they couldn't expose themselves as Konoha ninja lest they give the impression that Konoha was _spying_ on them and it wouldn't help matters that they had to crush the assassins and the sender. Hinata collapsed partially on a worn tree, chest heaving and most of her chakra drained, her Byakugan fading out from sheer exhaustion. Her abdomen strained even more and her lips were stained with blood from her fits. Coughing, she reached weakly for the potion in her pack and pulled it out; with a spoon she dipped into it with a shaking hand and downed the slop. Heaving unevenly for breaths and having her abdomen clench periodically due to extreme strenuous activity, she hoped it was nothing more than bruises and strained muscles.

Slumping against the tree and sliding down ungracefully, she waited for Gaara who was patrolling or something. Drawing her knees about her chest, she hugged them and rested her head on trembling knees. Running so much and defending herself had drained her energy completely and while Gaara was only winded, she was practically melting. Her eyes drooped and she looked over at her already pitched tent. Her eyes slid shut and her system grew lax from the whole tiring event of today.

A prod none to gently at her aching shoulder when she'd taken a powerful blow from a Rain ninja who had been a Chuunin, made her eyes flutter open, lashes kissing her cheeks like butterfly wings. Glaring at the sand that only leaked back to the gourd, she urged her body up and cheered when she was able to, trudging wearily to the little tent and basically just…timber. She fell to the pillow and didn't look outside to see that Gaara was crouched by the fire. Sleep overtook her and unnoticeably, Gaara looked over at her for a bit before returning his gaze to the fire.

Today hadn't been promising at all; if the indication that Konoha may be at possible ends with Rain since one of the Chuunin she had gone against may or may not have known about Hyuuga traits. None the less, it had to be reported to Tsunade immediately so their side of the story was shared as quickly as possible. The fire crackled and popped merrily, hungrily-_There's something wrong with that girl…usually she'd be a little more useful…I smell her_. Gaara knew he could, as her blood was stained near him due to her coughs. He didn't know why exactly she was acting the way she was-protective of her abdomen and even screaming when a Chuunin merely tapped it. _Women_…Shukaku muttered faintly and Gaara had a theory that was possible-however her scent wasn't altered for it yet. It was something else-_Mayhap we broke her_? Shukaku was laughing with something ugly in his tones. Gaara cast another look to his female companion. It was a high possibility.

She was very breakable, he remembered Naruto mentioning it quite a few times before he'd left. _"Hinata-chan…she's like…glass, like Kurenai-sensei said, she'd real breakable…she said something about cutting you up too…"_ Breakable. Fragile. A figure meant to be placed on a high shelf away from childish hands (Naruto's clumsy ones) and cruel ones (his own blood covered ones), not to be traveling or anything. Had he had something akin to sympathy, he would have carried her earlier. If he was a better person, he'd go easier on her. If, perhaps, maybe, were, was, should, could, would…all were meaningless. To Gaara, the here was that she was probably wounded and it was his fault, and the now was that their mission was already chopped up to begin with, just more so. If he were a good, decent person with a sense of justice, he'd apologize to her and try to make it better and call the mission off since she didn't deserve this.

Unfortunately to her and all who held her even the tiniest bit dear; he was Sabaku no Gaara.

The fire popped and he added another stick, watched the fire devour it greedily. He rested an arm on a raised knee, watching the fire and Hinata sleep. She clutched the blankets a little tighter to her, and snuggled into herself like a little furred creature.

Nightingales unlocked nocturnal throats and sang to the night, the forest was damp and out of the Rain territory, now on unclaimed land they were in the middle of nowhere. Gaara closed his eyes and listened to everything-even Shukaku with half an ear. It was nearly a full moon, again.

-

_Susceptible_ (easily affected emotionally)

Naw, you guys are so sweet! You review all the time and you all keep tabs on this fic. Thank you for your acknowledgements and support and major ego boosters! –does good guy pose- Hope this chapter was better than the last as it sort of shows Hinata's thoughts in a weird way…o.o…

Lucky number seven…this chapter is a product of listening to Aquarius by Within Temptation over and over again. If you listened after reading this…you would understand. O.O Review if ya liked it! (or wanna yell at me) Also…for my up coming one shot…breathing through someone else in a kiss…is sexier than frenching. XP


	8. Chapter 8

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Eight: Skoal _

xXx

Hinata roused herself, lashes fluttering consistently and she woke to the sound of birds chirping happily. An uncomfortable ache had developed in the middle of the night around her abdomen and stickiness had planted itself smack between her thighs. Blinking wearily though not for long when she spotted the reason of her discomfort. Eyes opened wide and face flushing red, she barely held in the gasp of surprise and embarrassment. Blood covered her thighs sloppily and stained her soft blankets beneath her. Thoughts seemed not to exist in Hinata's mind at the moment, because of the fact that during the mission she had totally disregarded the fact that she was a _female _who went through _female_ things and needed _female_ items for the curse of her _femaleness_.

Curling in on herself didn't help so she reached over to her pack, hoping Gaara hadn't come in earlier to wake her…and was scarred. The blush was creeping down her neck and her head popped out of the tent, sunlight polluting that area with blinding light. The Byakugan flicked on as quickly as a light switch and once she quickly surveyed the area for any signs of her companion. Finding no sign of him, she gathered her things and a fresh set of clothing before scurrying off quickly to search for a brook or at least a place to change.

The area she once vacated was empty and silent. From her blind spot, she hadn't seen the looming figure crouched in the trees. Gaara dropped to the ground and moved to the tent silently, coming upon the entrance of it, he immediately backpedaled at the overwhelming scent of old blood. He felt Shukaku's need for blood arise with vigor that made his pulse buzz excitedly. Holding a hand to his nose, he eyed the blood spots on the sheets-_We can spread it all over the forest Gaara…_. And he scowled at her idiocy before shifting inside of the tent and gripping the sheets quickly, for even if they were washed thoroughly, if the hunters sent after them had a brilliant idea to conjure a hound; Konoha would most likely be found out. Which would lead to an outbreak between both countries, political turmoil, excellent chance for the Sound to attack in their weak, etcetera and so on; the only good thing that could come from that would be the many, many lives he could end all at once. Since Hinata would most likely be called out on duty to protect Konoha and more than likely die, he wasn't just ready to kill her now. It would either be when she was about to be given away for breaking a promise and leaving him alone or when he was ready to leave Konohagakure permanently.

A fire was soon crackling, small though it was and merrily devouring all Gaara fed it. The bloodied sheets in his left hand-_Her blood is sweet, just like her flesh and demeanor. A slow killing would be best…_- were thrown into the fire and he watched it emotionlessly as they curled and crisped beneath the scorching heat of the flames. He didn't turn to his left though he felt, heard and smelled her enter the camp. "Ah…" she said nothing more and only bit her lip, embarrassment wracking whatever confidence she had gained around Gaara around the many months she'd known him. Changing the uncomfortable subject to something she'd actually respond to and not apologize to till her face was blue; he brought up a serious matter that needed to be tended to immediately.

"We need to report to the Hokage about our situation." Hinata frowned and nodded absently, now a serious countenance occupying her while she glared into the fire.

"A-ah, what will we t-tell her…?" she asked, how much did she need to know, such as Gaara killing the innkeeper? He looked at her briefly at the corner of his eye.

"What she needs to know." Everything-save his minor sleight of uncontrollable need to feel alive as he called it when he killed the hag and other citizens sent to kill them-was to be reported and a cry from their side as a sign of SOS.

Hinata was silent for a moment, "Th-then I'll get s-started on it immediately," she whispered out before walking to her tent and pulling out a scroll and pen from her pack. Gaara didn't pay her any mind and instead tilted his head back a bit to stare into the clouds, eyes narrowed. They were approximately twenty miles off the border of the Rain and would need to move soon before they were found out and exposed-again. The hag seemed to know of the Hyuuga clan and that it was from Konohagakure; letting her live would have been disastrous but killing her seemed to have the 'out of the fire and into the frying pan' effect.

Either way; everything was washing away to a bleak white failure-not even counting the run in with the suicidal avenger that would also leave an inerasable scar on their mission. The scritch and scratching noises of the pen tip moving swiftly over the scroll was the only actual audible sound in the small clearing the two teenagers were vacating. He frowned only slightly, the corners of his passive mouth tipping in a downward curve. If she had known of the Hyuuga attacks…why didn't she attack earlier when Hinata had been weak and instead waited?

If anything, Gaara wagered it probably had to do with that bear masked man-the rat as he named him. His eyes were dark and his hair a silvery white. Whoever he was, he wasn't to be trusted, even Hinata knew not to trust him, the way she cringed when he smiled at her and the way her breathing became a little more strained. She was frightened of him in a different way she was scared of Gaara.

Shukaku was wary and kept urging him to just choke the bastard and get rid of the feeling of spiders scuttling along his skin because the demon hated the sense of foreboding. The more he thought of it, the more he wondered if the Hyuugas were in on a conspiracy against Konoha with the Rain for the Rain country to shelter them when the Sound attacked-rumors were that the Rain had been close to caving in a few times. Or, were the Hyuugas double crossing Konoha with the Sound?

Perhaps the Hokage sent him on a dangerous mission not to infiltrate and gather information, but as a warning beacon to the Sound or at least use the two of them as bait to lure the Sound's attention away from Konoha in order for them to strike against the snake.

His head hurt. Conspiracies and politics always made his head hurt and Shukaku agitated. There were plausible theories, theories he knew that were possible in the hands of war and corruption-his own father was a perfect example of such deeds, that Hinata or many of the Genin from Konoha would have ever known. Whatever he and Hinata were tangled within was a complex, war-game and perhaps the most deadly attribute of all-out of their hands. It didn't matter, his beast murmured, sand churning languidly within his gourd, _What goes up must come down and Konoha is far too high to be floating for long. _Gaara knew that-the giants always fell and the vultures would pick at the flesh till only dust and old bones remained. Despite Suna being an ally, he knew his father too well to simply stick his whole country's neck out to save his ally.

Why else would he offer up Gaara to the Hokage so easily? Why give up Suna's most valuable weapon to a country larger and healthier than they? It was to give the illusion of trust Sunagakure couldn't symbolize any other way except for giving away a gift signed and delivered to the Leaf. So that before the time came, Konohagakure would at least trust Suna to a lengthier extent whilst they were unarmed and would give Suna time to plan a full proof evacuation plan. Gaara knew this, even if the Hokage suspected it, she most likely wouldn't act upon it due to her belief in innocent till proven guilty-a quality that would drive her to her grave. Unfortunately for her, Gaara wouldn't confirm nor deny it for her-he hated Konoha nearly as much as the desert since this country was still caging him.

Hinata was rolling up the scroll now that the ink dried so it wouldn't smear her words before looking over at Gaara, his arms crossed and feet spread shoulder's width apart in a ready stance. Frowning a little, she rolled the scroll up, "…D-do we m-move on?" not looking at her, Gaara nodded. Sticking the scroll back in her pack, she took her tent down and rolled her bedroll tightly, securing it neatly. Packing up, she turned to Gaara who continued to walk on to the West, hopefully by sundown they would be out of danger of being hunted by the Rain. Maybe.

Hinata looked back over at the fire that had dwindled and was currently dying, the black cloth nearly gone and dead in the ash. Without looking back, she moved on behind Gaara. The sunlight was spotting the forest floor through peeks between the leaves and dotting against the bark and other plant life.

-

She had no clue how Gaara was so sure of his leaps on the rocks that jutted out from the sides of the pathway that went up the side of the mountain before them. While she herself climbed quickly and jumped only from rock to rock a few meters from each other, his leaps and bounds knew no limitations despite the probably awkward weight of his gourd that would have deterred anyone else. He looked down at her, impassively watching her until Hinata saw the brief flash of annoyance in his eyes that escalated to knowing irritation and impatience. Raising herself up on her legs, she jumped up to him but barely caught up when he was on the move once more when she'd nearly reached his position.

The only reason he'd waited for her was to bully her into moving faster to his preferred pace.

The afternoon was hot against her skin and slick sheet of sweat coated her body, soaking her clothes and getting in her eyes occasionally. Gaara had no qualms against the heat that seared her skin since she could see no sweat on him and he wasn't panting or dehydrated. The desert had shaped him into a person who could withstand days without food, water, a scorching sun with wintry nights and floods when the rains did come.

It would be nightfall before they even reached the peak of the giant mountain and would have to settle down unless Gaara wanted to continue till they were on their way to the bottom. Clutching the straps of her pack, she continued to move quickly behind her redheaded companion, not taking notice of the looming shadows of the very genesis of dusk. Footsteps sure behind her companion, she continued to move behind him while streaks of orange, red and pink flared across the sky like the remnants of a dying Phoenix.

Panting, when she finally reached a ledge beside Gaara, the demon container was already scanning for enemies so hopefully he wasn't seeing or sensing anything. "G-Gaara…?" his entire body froze up while he still stared off into the distance. "Gaara, what's wr-wrong-?" she was cut off when a high pitched squeal sounded off in the forest like a shrill alarm. All her muscles tensed in preparation of an instinct and she turned to look behind her. A giant eagle flapped powerfully, three passengers on its back while it directed itself to two targets; Gaara and herself.

"Move." Blinking, she looked over at Gaara questionably, "_Move_ Hyuuga," his eyes narrowed and his voice, spite being so young boomed with cold authority. The bird screeched again and was now high above them, readying for a dive. Gaara, instead of moving like Hinata who was already shirking into the shadow of the ledge in a maneuver that was signed to flee, spread his feet apart and the sand began to build around him. Hinata's mind clicked-he was going to fight them while she got away so she wouldn't get in the way. The thought from before returned-her own personal dark knight, the one who struck down her knight in shining armor-it was either that or he wanted to keep moving while fighting. Despite that, he wasn't an action hero so many talked of-he was a murderer with blood and survival on his mind and Naruto changing him didn't mean anything because he only reigned his bloodlust in a little more. The brief flash of blonde hair and blue eyes made her a little sick till a rough shove at her midsection snapped her out of her illness.

The sand was forcing over the ledge so she'd have to go on without him. Moving out of the sand's way quickly, the Byakugan threaded to life to reveal planes of forest and tangled weeds. Amongst the fresh greenery were scouts and other fellow Rain ninja. Altogether, she counted fourteen ninja and only one Gaara. Gulping and forcing courage to spit words out of her mouth despite the heavy glare she was receiving, she spoke to her redheaded companion, "Th-there's fourteen…" no response showed he didn't care and she wondered why she did.

The sand rose over them like a tidal wave readying to crash down on a shore and Hinata the corner of Gaara's eye. Undiluted bloodlust complemented with a sharpened edge of wanton need for sadism was glittering within his eye, a new door to pain about to explored and Hinata realized how much he'd held in while in Konoha and during this mission. She, for an odd reason, thought him to be merciful almost that he let her escape for the most part unharmed.

Her feet obeyed and she was already moving like a mechanized wind up doll, she leapt up the face of the mountain quickly, not once looking back to where she knew there'd be blood and fears exposed like a infection festering wound. A battle cry alerted her to the beginning of a battle and the sudden yelp told her that the sand had caught its first victim.

To her left a man was closing in quickly with a shuriken, drawn and ready he prepared to strike. Her palm went down quickly, splitting the rock with a razor chakra thread that nicked his shoulder when he dodged. She shuddered when echoes of death from below her entered her cranium and boiled there for future nightmares. The man came at her again, aggressively and a punch landed on her left bicep, forcing her back and she nearly lost her balance. Chakra stuck her feet to the formidable rock luckily and she charged forth while the Byakugan flared a little more, intensifying somewhat. Blue energy was fed into her hand.

Smack, her hand was knocked away from hitting his chest; a hand twined around her wrist and tugged her forward forcefully. Hinata's Byakugan saw that a fist that would have been out of regular peripheral was heading towards her. Crack! Right across her jaw the fist snapped at it, her head swung back from the force and her wrist hurt. She felt wet trickle out of the side of her mouth-salty metallic stuff teased her taste buds. A scream from below caught the man off guard and her palm slapped against his temporarily unprotected body, forcing the wind from him.

Blood spurt out of his mouth and nose-she'd hit him good and on a vital organ. Scowling, he moved from the other palm coming to his shoulder and his leg swung up, up then down. It nearly crashed into her but Hinata was able to move away in time before it ultimately crushed the rock she'd been on. A kunai was ripped from its secret pouch and flew at her at the same time a shuriken was thrown like a boomerang. Ducking, she managed to avoid the kunai and the shuriken ripped at her jacket, tearing at the material. The Byakugan caught hints of movements and saw scrolls were being thrown into the air about her; summoning scrolls.

The man caught the shuriken and aimed to throw it again with more apparent force, his shoulder arched and it was thrown seamlessly. The Byakugan caught the trap and Hinata, found to her horror that she was already in the middle of it without escape. A whole line of summoned kunai and shuriken along with a multitude of other weapons had arisen from scrolls, then directed at her. Her own kunai was stolen from her pouch and she twirled it between her fingers before beginning to fight all of them back. Chains caught about her throat and yanked her back, "Die," his voice was hoarse and it was a hissed word betwixt teeth.

The chains tightened and with the Byakugan, it was clear he was strangling her-more chains wrapped about her ankles and clung to her wrists like second skin fabric. The Byakugan threaded away like a memory when the lack of air circulation caught up with her system. Something cracked and the weapons still poised in the air rattled before dropping to the ground lifelessly. The chains relinquished their hold on her and she teetered, still on the side of the face of the mountain before something-it was grainy and warm and smelled of a bloodied perfume- caught her about her waist and curled in on her like a cocoon.

Sand tentacles rushed past her and brushed her cheeks occasionally before descending upon the man who was already trying to fight them back with a lame arm. The tentacles morphed from shapeless tips to numerous fingers and blurred hands that gripped and tore at the man. He opened his mouth to scream only to swallow sand. Sand rushed up his body and covered all of him before horrendous cracks and gushing sounds sounded from the muffled sand casing. Hinata's eyes closed out the image while sounds of muffled cracking and snapping and flesh ripping apart haunted her.

She heard the sand toss the corpse away and without waiting for Hinata to gain any footing or let her go at all, Gaara was on the move, dropping Hinata so quickly she hardly had any time to charge her feet with chakra in order to catch herself. Gaara was already bounding before her, sand trailing after him in loose tendrils like swaying tails before she managed to properly get her footing. Gulping and catching herself, her chakra felt marginally lower while she teetered on the line of barely any control. Breathing easier, she hurried after her traveling companion, not even checking behind her to see if any other ninja were following them.

Gaara had probably already killed them all, like her own opponent. Her pride was sore and probably limping like a stray mutt, but at the very least it showed Hinata one thing. While with Gaara on this mission, she had the lowest chance of dying compared to when she'd been with her other teammates; Kiba and Shino. She could only see the shine of his maroon colored hair and the ominous figure of his giant sand gourd, but nonetheless moved as quickly as she could behind him. Sighing to herself, she wondered when they would reach the Lightning country. Looking back down at her feet, she felt the warmth of the sun begin to recede and forced herself to pick up her pace. She knew Gaara had no problem leaving her behind and that once the sun set, she was virtually helpless-only if Gaara was completely out of her sight since she'd have to rely on his tenkitsu points she could see with the Byakugan.

Crunches of rock and ground dirt beneath her feet were the only thing accompanying her up the way of the mountain behind Gaara. As soon as they reached a village, she'd send out the scroll to Tsunade as out here in the wilderness after such a skirmish would be dangerous and besides that-she'd need to report to the Hokage of more recent deaths that couldn't be prevented lest Konohagakure be discovered and thought of as a spy.

Her temples throbbed with an oncoming headache and her abdomen was starting to cramp a little, she noted with discomfort that atop of entirely embarrassing herself before Gaara who had to burn her sheets in case a hound caught her blood and would be able to track her thereafter even with a copy of herself, that this mission was becoming highly complex. Much too complex for her to deal with easily as weave upon weave of underlying lies, murders that would endanger Konoha and that man Gaara had no faith in. The one with the bear mask who looked all too familiar to Hinata in the strangest of ways. His shockingly white hair and coal eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles made her sick to think about since his aura screamed untrustworthy to her hereditary sensors. His eyes were dartingly wary of his surroundings and like a rat as Gaara had named him, he looked much too sneaky.

She was beginning to doubt that was her 'husband's' relative, but being she'd never met him and only heard of him, she had no idea if that was truly his blood relative. Still, the suspicion that this mission was much too big for them lingered and she wondered why the Hokage didn't choose someone perhaps more skilled than her such as Tenten or Sakura. Her thoughts steered clear of it when another cramp attacked her viciously like a little wolverine and she felt herself sway a little in her following step.

The dusky sky around her left in whispers to leave no trace except for quickly darkening lavender gray colors that would soon give way to flawless navy decorated by miniature diamonds that would twinkle in the sky.

She turned her head back up to see Gaara waiting for her, impatiently with his arms crossed and a bitter scowl painted over his mouth. The suspicions would have to wait, so would the beliefs of a rather bogged mission and perhaps (she surely hoped to whomever listened to her anymore) her marriage would wait. Naruto's was a part of her ninja way and if that meant taking care of Gaara…

She swallowed as though the mere thought were an ill tasting pill-she'd do that too. Taking care of Gaara was like voluntarily walking into a wolf's den with a cut on you arm. Unfortunately for Hinata, her rather blind devotion to Naruto meant that yes, she would take up a responsibility even Sakura had refused…

She'd take care of Gaara for the time being till he decided to leave Konoha (she knew he would, in too many ways he was like Uchiha Sasuke) then she'd be back to pining for Naruto with absolutely no excitement in her life…whatsoever. Or at the worst she'd be shipped off the Rain for her marriage. She caught up with Gaara who was standing on a small ledge, a miniature cavern dug into the side of the mountain. Hunkering down and panting heavily the entire time, she watched his unmoving form continue to stare off into nothingness.

Her backpack was discarded beside her and uncomfortably used a type of pillow. "G-g-goodnight," she murmured. He said nothing and she didn't expect him to. Her eyes drooped closed even when she heard Gaara muttering something to the sand akin to berating remark when she felt it brush at her ankles like a needy cat only to lightly scratch at her skin. Hinata knew there'd be faint marks but knew even better that the sand was like any other predator; it needed reaction to goad it further and though she usually unwillingly gave it reaction; she was too tired at the moment for anything but rest.

Her eyes finally fell shut and the world descended into a warm and black pool of absolute rest.

The sound of soft and even breathing reached Gaara's ears and his black ringed eyes turned to the girl curled up like a creature in a fetus. Her jacket was torn slightly but no other damage other than a bruise forming about her jaw was visible on her person. The sand was rubbing and scratching lightly at her ankles but not enough to form other bruises or bloody her. Gaara's eyes narrowed at it till it retreated, _Her skin's soft, Gaara…when we kill her we'll have to make sure we don't completely kill off the softness so_-

Gaara stopped listening to Shukaku whose obsession with didn't disturb him but the purr in his voice about Hinata's soft skin did. While the demon was a part of him-he himself couldn't understand the creature much of the time aside from eternal bloodlust. The voice in his head dispersed while his mind turned to other things.

-

_Skoal _(a toast, celebrated congratulatory) Btw…it was meant for irony. X3

I could update faster guys, my average typing speed is about 80 wpm, but unfortunately I have a LOT to cover. My Academic Decathlon teacher wants journals everyday and two page reports every other day, the ones we see her including a project that will take up approximately (one we made ourselves) seven to ten pages. Oh, and Geometry and Spanish are also kicking me in the ass with a steel toed boot. So, be patient and gentle with me, ne? I'm only a Frosh.

The one song that always goes with this story is Aquarius by Within Temptation…at least to me in a way.

To **Crimson Shards**…crap. You remembered…-hands over nickel, grumbling-

To **Capn Obvious**, I can't really recall if I've ever read the entire Odyssey, but I know I've read little tid bits. I'm more of an Edgar Allen Poe or Robert Frost or Lewis Carol fan girl.

And…and…I lurves you all! –glomps- Your reviews were fantabulous and sent me reeling from the response I got from my last chapter which had many questions which will be answered later, I promise! –crosses fingers behind back- Review if ya liked this latest installment please! I hope everyone is still IC…if not…well…I will alter them, kays?


	9. Chapter 9

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Nine: Entrapment _

xXx

She was coughing again, blood smattering over her white hands and leaking through her fingers. She wouldn't be this unhealthy had it not been for her cousin, the one who disliked Gaara very much and at the same time was very, very wary of him. Gaara was in turn wary with him since he wasn't sure if he'd turn on Hinata once more just out of spite. He listened to her coughing, could hear the blood drip to the ground and hear one hand clanking around her backpack for a spoon for the medicine. His back was to her and he stared out the window of their newest inn.

The town they were currently in was practically a resort for crooks, criminals and natural killers-more mercenaries. These people however, had better self preservation instincts than most so kept a far distance from the girl and the redheaded boy. The quarter moon shown and Gaara stared back at it evenly, left eye twitching whenever he heard her give out another hiccough. She gasped and choked on the paste, swallowing it with scalding hot jasmine tea. She fell to one side, side heaving like a wounded animal and Gaara tried not to crouch beside her and run fingers through her blood. _Probably feels like velvet. Liquid velvet…wonder what it'd be like to wear that, ne, Gaara?_

Shukaku had been testing his patience lately, pulling on certain strings and tugging not so gently here and there. The demon had been raking his claws to loudly rattle his proverbial cage and the chains were rusting. Gaara knew that the demon's time was near. Too long had he denied him the amount of blood her craved, too long since the beast had been let out properly and his body was paying for it. Mentally, it was mere hallucinations that became his reality until Hinata could sneak her fingers through the sand, coaxing her way through to burn tenkitsu to get him back.

More than once, memories of Yashamaru and his father came through but it was one that took the cake. "_Live for me. Become my revenge on this village and tear all in your way. Fight for yourself. Love only yourself and live for me. Live, Gaara…_" Becoming his mother's revenge on all who had wronged her. Sacrificing her for a monster of a son that would later be attempted to be killed-to Gaara it was a waste. While she said not to love anyone, he loved her. Cursing everyone in her last breath but him, giving him such wise advice that would later be crucial to his survival-she cared for him enough to give her life for him. He loved her so much, he would later become all of her hate, all of her vindictiveness, her voice from beyond the grave, each drop of blood would be spilled for her sake, each life taken would be a reminder to this world of her existence, haunting them from the hell she'd been condemned to.

Gaara, the self loving carnage, death was the demon sent by his mother to wreck havoc upon the world that wronged her so badly. She was, in a way, the black queen of a chessboard while he was the ferocious knight not about to be taken down. Shukaku always sought to use that against him. When he wasn't killing, he was refusing to carry out his mother's will, making her suffer so terribly while she'd given him so much.

Once he was rid of Konoha, he'd pay up the debt; but it was still too soon to turn on Konoha, he could feel it in his bones that he had to stay a little longer.

Hinata rolled over so she was prone on her back wheezing, she stared up at the ceiling and pushed the pot of now lukewarm tea to the edge of the table and away from her. Her head lolled to the side to stay at Gaara's straight back, the gourd still and it frightened her more perhaps than it moving around wildly like a living thing. It had been still and silent for far too long.

Her eyes slipped closed for a moment's rest but her head turned immediately to the door when a small knock came. Gaara made not move to reach over to the door. Getting up, and wincing at the sudden pang through her abdomen, she stumbled to the paper door to slide it open. A scroll lay before her and she scooped it up before shuffling to the other side of the room. With a careful hand and a sharp kunai, she tore open the seal on it after checking it over with a quick overview of the Byakugan. It was from the Hokage.

_Gaara, Hinata; I received your report from the other day and I want you both to return immediately. Repeat, return to Konohagakure immediately. Orochimaru has gotten wind of your departure and has already begun to send troops your way. Return as soon as you get this scroll. Send an immediate status report back to…_

Hinata stopped reading for she heard to her left, Gaara snarling. She looked over to him almost fearfully and saw that his shoulders were shaking and his hair was bristling like a furious animal. The cork popped off his gourd and spilled to the ground like blood from a wounded artery. Her eyes widened more if that was possible and she scooted back on her haunches when the sand reached her way. "Stay _still_." He hissed undertones of a snarl there while he stayed at the window, unmoving and he slowly began to back away from it. His solid form began to fall apart as though reality had twisted itself and grains of sand fell without a sound.

Her muscles tensed till they seemed frozen stiff and she waited till the grains were rushing past her. They were at the door, covering it entirely and some slipped through the miniscule cracks in the floorboards and filtered through the window. "G-Gaara…what…?" sand slapped over her mouth and shook her a little. It pulsed, her eyes widened-it felt like a heartbeat. It was excited-Shukaku was excited.

The Byakugan flickered to life, giving her a surrounding visual of her perimeter and she saw four figures rushing to the room, weapons at the ready. She made a move to her kunai but the sand shoved her forcefully to the ground and tightened on her mouth, sweeping her across the floor to the closet. The door was shut and it kept a tight hold over her mouth. She moved her head to get away from the earthen granules but no avail.

The sand whispered around the room, diving from the doors to rotate on the ceiling silently, the floorboards made not a sound and the door was blown open by an exploding tag. A man with slicked black hair entered, a wicked looking katana in his hands gleaming with fresh blood. "The brats couldn't have passed us. They're still here, Suzuzu, Byakuya-sniff 'em out. Orochimaru wants them _both_ alive, remember." The other two goons beside him nodded went off to look for them. His two partners split up, leaving him the living area and he stepped on a floorboard, noticing something was off. His head turned when he heard something shifting behind him. He blinked and noticed that the floorboards weren't creaking.

He turned for the door, since he heard something-rather someone move behind him. The door slammed shut and he moved back immediately taking a defensive stance. Something whispered behind him and he turned on impulse. He turned and was staring straight into the coldest, most hell born eyes he'd ever seen. Grey green eyes stared back calculative at his prey. Green lightened to blue momentarily before the whites of his eyes blacked somewhat. The sent assassin felt something he hadn't encountered before. Undiluted fear that sent a terror down his spine. His irises contracted and pupils shrunk.

Something was creeping up his legs, rendering him immobile and his arms were useless, also bound. "Who?" it was calmly asked, and he responded to the upside down redhead before.

"O-Orochimaru…" his legs and arms were quickly, yet painfully liquefied and his torso was twisted till it popped from his lower half with a sickly squish. The sand sipped at it like a wine and intestines dropped out, landing with plops to the floorboards. Hinata had already packed and left the abandoned establishment, probably waiting on the outskirts of the town for him. His fingers trailed in the blood, regardless of the barely alive man who watched him with bug like eyes. The scarlet coated his fingers generously and he lapped the liquid from his hand, licking at the heel of his hand, sucking on the tips of his fingers.

The sand waved around the room, sponging every bit of gore it could, viciously tearing spilled organs open, popping hearts and raking sand claws through livers and kidneys. Shukaku purred in his mind, pleased at the view of blood and inhuman desire of so much blood. A tremor raced through him while the moonlight cast an eerie, silvery glow over the room. The blood shined in it, metallic colors so similar to the color of the molten red hair that had dried blood clumping it together.

Gaara threw his head back and breathed deeply, trying to gain control over the wilderness of insanity that his mind presented. _This is all wonderful, really…silken and everything…but it's not velvet, Gaara…it's not _velvet.

-

Hinata shivered in the cold wind, hair ruffling and her teeth chattered from the cold. Squinting her eyes, she saw a familiar head of red. She ignored the biting cold and focused, instead on the brownish red stains that covered his normally immaculate white sash, the bloodied pinkish dye on his hands that had dried into something akin to a grotesque creature's scales. Something in her mind whispered that she is the cage and he the beast-what do beasts do to cages? Unbidden, fear coursed through her veins like a deadly poison, constricting her heart and lungs. She could barely breathe.

Her mouth opened to speak and he snapped his head to her, "Shut up. Get moving." Hinata gulped and she shuffled her feet, knowing she had to tell him about Orochimaru and his cronies. Gaara narrowed his eyes at her impudence, "Did you hear me?" She bit her lip and opened her mouth to speak against the direction they were going.

"Tsunade-sama h-has reported us to return, im-immediately." She said, chin tilted up in a sign of resistance of whatever he may or may not do. Gaara was fully facing her and she knew she had his undivided attention. The way he'd been acting the past few days, she wasn't entirely sure that it was a promising reaction from him. The night's chill swept through them, ruffling her bangs and slightly longer hair, almost touching her shoulders and raking through his tousled and tangled red hair. "Sh-she says Orochimaru h-has spotted us and is s-sending troops this way-" she was cut off abruptly at the sound of earth whispering to the wind.

Tendrils of sand snaked up and grasped her by the underside of her chin, pinning her harshly against the rough bark of a large tree that shook at the impact. Her spine creaked and her lungs felt compressed from the landing. The sand tightened around her throat, cupping the back of her head almost like a lover would. The only reason she hadn't received a concussion from being flown back into the tree was because the sediment had guarded her skull. The ever obedient sand gripped her hands and laced through her fingers and wrapped around her wrist. It straightened her knees and pinned her ankles there, to make sure she wouldn't try anything cute.

"Your point being what?" her breath caught in the throat she could barely breathe through. "If Orochimaru is coming this way-let him. We're moving to the Lightning country regardless."

Her brows came together, the way he said it was odd, but why was he pressing to continue on their way to the infiltration mission? What was the point? She stared at him, looking with the Hyuuga eyes to see into his mind, as much as she could. All she saw was the same, madness, chaos and wrath-but something else lingered…just a brush or glance of it and had she not been looking so closely, she would have missed it. But there it was, staring back at her.

_Desperation_.

For what? For the mission? The need for more blood flowing on the ground and staining his hands? For what was that desperation for?

"Th-then what?" she asked, inquiring the beast inside him than Gaara himself; for that was truly what he was-a hybrid of himself and the raccoon demon. The sand gripped her throat a little more firmly and rubbed against her knuckles.

He was silent, staring at her with hollow eyes that told everything through a fogged glass. Even with her Byakugan eyes, she couldn't be sure about anything of him, misinterpretation was lethal and now that he was more dangerous; she didn't want to see her poison. He, however, could see right through her like reading from a textbook, "Try to get word to the Hokage before we reach there, try to run, try anything…" he trailed off and let it hang in the air while destruction ran rampant through his eyes. The sand threatened to pop her bones.

He was waiting, waiting for her agreement or she would be dead in seconds-either she go with him and acquiesce with him or stay with him forever; in the most horrible of way. She nodded shakily, cowardice was her down fall and her mind's eye conjured up an image of a frowning Naruto shaking his head and turning his back to her, walking away with drooped shoulders. Her heart clenched and begged her to stand on her own feet, for her promise to Naruto. Another voice in her head whispered to her, '_But you're still taking care of him and should you die…you really are breaking your promise_.'

The sand let up and she slid to the ground, jacket catching on a few of the splinters of the tree. She could breathe easier (to make drowning with him so much better) and she heaved inhales to her greedy lungs. The sound of sandaled feet approaching her caught her hearing keenly and she looked up to see Gaara staring down at her almost expectantly, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were narrowed and she stared back into the glass grey green orbs that would sometimes shine a bluish green in the lighting. "Get moving."

Hinata swallowed hard, hands clenching at the straps of her pack and she got up on wobbly legs, walking to their destination, all while feeling Gaara's eyes burn into the back of her head like twin poisonous hearths of flame. After a few moments of complete silence, she heard him begin to move once more. Her thoughts were murky and she was puzzled, bemused to a point she had never been at.

Why was Gaara continuing to press onto the mission, when Tsunade had just given them orders to retreat with the Sound closing in on them? Why was he doing this? What exactly was he trying to accomplish while turning this course of action? Nocturnal animals gave their cries and shrieks and screams to the night which swallowed everything up like an endless black hole.

The oppressive feeling of some unimaginably giant beast breathing down her neck was disconcerting and they were mere two day's away from the Lightning country, taking the boat across would them a little but not much and until then, the shapeless creature with fangs and glowing eyes would continue to dig claws into her. She kept one thing in mind however; take care of Gaara; just like she'd promised Naruto. The fact that he was a born and bred assassin who was a product of his environment didn't escape her either, rather prodded at her with a red hot poker. You could try to coax a wolf to do your bidding as a dog would, hold out a slice of meat, but the feel of total freedom and wild consumed their being; the sense of being a true predator was their being. Gaara was no different.

He held himself in check more, ever since Naruto had literally knocked some sense into him, but the only person who seemed to ever be at his side was a girl who wanted nothing to do with him and was doing this out a promise to a boy she fancied. However, you can't teach and expect a wild thing to tame itself and wag a friendly tail at you all at once. Hinata could see this and knew it, saw the wilderness flying through his eyes and could practically hear the cogs and gears of rebellion and anarchy churn and click. Naruto didn't understand it as she did, with her Hyuuga eyes that overlooked nothing.

A wolf was a wolf just as Gaara was Gaara. It would take years to even begin to reach into the cavity of his chest that Naruto had opened and touch even a cell of his black heart that had been beaten much too much for his own good.

So, until she could get him to listen to something other than the anger and vindictiveness, she would have to continue to at least hold him off from turning and devouring her. At the very, very least.

She continued to walk like she had lead inserted into her legs, numbly trailing on while Gaara was walking beside her, the sand circling them constantly alertly. He was on the cross; guardedly watching everything around them like a hawk would its prey. Hinata knew though, that his thoughts were fairly level with her own. It ran through her own mind like a swarm of plagued rats, a slow poison in the bloodstream.

Everything…was just…going to…all hell. Things were just getting worse.

-

X3 This is a repost since I made it…and I liked this version better. XD Plus, more action and stuff to stow away for later uses... Hateful plot bunnies. Review if you liked this installment or want to tug my ear till it pops off for reposting…again. X) I hope this was better and it'll allow me a little more playtime. –grins- Then the heavy stuff comes…so, if you like the direction this one went, please review, ne? If not...-.- KAS will bitch slap me for you. XD R&R! Show meh lurv people!


	10. Chapter 10

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Ten: Pernicious_

xXx

He was restless, raving and angry at their disobedience. Shukaku roared and shook the bars of his proverbial cage, snarling and pacing like a starving tiger. Gaara stood not far from Hinata who had unrolled her sleeping bag and was currently resting her tired eyes, tomorrow they would take a boat to cross over to the Lightning country-all would be well. So Shukaku told him; whether or not the Sound was in cahoots with the Lightning it didn't matter – he already knew what could be done if that were the case. However, it would make things more difficult than need be, but if they weren't and were simply going to remain allies of the Sound or something other then things would go smoothly. Nothing would go wrong.

His fingers twitched vaguely. The sand was itching to rub against her skin and break it, spilling a little of the red liquid over the grains. _I need blood Gaara-why are you denying me? Have I not pleaded enough for my own fair share? Not been patient since Konoha has taken us in? You and I have not played in a long time; we have not felt the thrill of flesh ripping. Those ninjas sent after us are mandatory-not play, Gaara. Why won't you let me play, Gaara?_

He tried to ignore the insistent voice in his head, ricocheting off the walls of his mind. His blood was heating, fingers twitching and head pounding. The time for a need to kill had come, falling upon him like a plague of some sort. The sand shifted in the gourd, rolling and pushing at the cork Gaara willed to stay in the gourd, plugging it. His eyes snapped open, veins pulsing and his left hand gripped his hair, pulling at it. _Let's play Gaara…wake her up and let's play…_

"G-Gaara?" the voice interrupted the internal battle, and Shukaku was silent. Lurking and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

"What?" his voice didn't sound human now, rough edges of animal since the raccoon was resting. She was breathing lightly and carefully. "What?" he repeated annoyed with her already.

"D-didn't you hear that?" she whispered back, voice quiet and Gaara froze. The silent killer intent was now suffocating since he'd just realized they were being surrounded. He looked over at her briskly to see her bloodline activated and glaring at all around her. He saw her shiver and watched as her hand inched towards her kunai pouch.

The cork popped off and the rasping voice of the demon reached his ears, low and seductive – ready for absolute chaos and destruction. _Time to play, ne Gaara_?

The sand washed around them, swirling beneath Hinata's feet and she knew better than to move, putting her life into Gaara's hands since the sand would hold her still forcefully if she made a move. Her legs tensed and the ninjas hiding dove, two at a time from their back, front and sides. All together there were eight – all ugly and from the Sound. The sand was being the alert protector that was going to be underestimated once more.

Two nins smirked and flew at Hinata, shuriken and kunai drawn to slice at her. Sand whips knocked them away; twisted one's ankle till the bone popped off and broke from the flesh, leaving a detached foot hanging in the air. The man screamed like a child and writhed on the ground like a desert snake. Gaara could hear Shukaku purr in pleasure from the blood. The time for debt payment was now apparently and Shukaku was not one to skim over payment.

Sand danced around them in patterns, moving on the ground and weaving over Gaara's shoulder and between Hinata's legs and arms like a pet. Suddenly stopping from its dance, it spun and hit two ninjas in their chests Gaara swung his arm around and their shoulders popped from their sockets. A gasp and a whimper, their useless appendages were twisted till the skin stretched too much and muscles and bone began to part. He didn't have to look over at Hinata to know that her eyes were squeezed shut. Something broke in him and he finished them off quickly, seeing her tremble like that wasn't pleasing to the eye.

Shukaku howled in outrage that his fun was being cut short when Gaara did the 'Desert Coffin' maneuver on the rest, save two others who were merely restrained from moving anywhere. Blood sprayed into the air and droplets hit Hinata's face which she flinched at the warmth on her cheek, much like a metallic tear. _What are you doing? Why are you hesitating, Gaara?_

Gaara ignored the voice in his head, instead turning to Hinata who opened her eyes and looked away from the gore. The howls and clawing within his mind stopped momentarily and it was eerily silent within his chaotic kingdom. "Pack up and get moving. We'll get to the boat by tonight," his voice was lowered and Hinata didn't move for a moment till the sand shoved against the back of her shin. Stumbling in a daze, eyes roaming and catching sight of the blood all around her – she made not a peep. Her sleeping bag was rolled up in record time and stuffed into her back pack, shouldering it she turned numbly to Gaara.

The sand was still shifting around his feet, his slim body shaking and quaking from head to toe. His hands were twitching at his sides and when he noticed she'd stopped, he growled lowly at her, "Move **_now_**!" while not shouted, it was loud and sounded more beast than boy. Hinata flinched when she saw his eyes, grey green irises coloring to a richer shade of gold – the raccoon was tempting him. She looked over at the two men left, torn between turning pleading gazes on her and frightened glances at the young boy before them.

Swallowing and stupidly deciding to play the saint of this twisted game of theirs, she spoke quietly, soothingly, "G-Gaara…what about th-them?" she murmured, like water ghosting over rocks in a stream. The eye staring at her enveloped in gold and something in her trembled, heart skipped a beat when she saw that Gaara wasn't the one staring back at her. She took a step back, horrified herself and didn't dare move another step when the sand grasped her wrists gently – only to squeeze painfully, grains biting into her skin.

"They're _mine_ – start moving before _you_ end up like _they_ will."

One last warning before the storm broke and cowardly though Hinata will admit, she took to her heels and was away from the site in a blink of an eye. Gaara turned back to the whimpering men. _Was that little show for her, Gaara? Let her run away before the monster comes out and says 'Boo'? You never had a problem before…something's changed, hasn't it?_

Gaara didn't answer and he directed the sand to weave through the bodies, tearing off limbs and bathing the vicinity in red, copper smelling water. Some splattered into his hair and clung, sticking here and there. The sand washed over the trees and broke them angrily, Gaara's annoyance and irritation magnified by Shukaku's doing. _This isn't a game to you anymore, is it Gaara?_ Shukaku was relentless in his consistent prodding and prying, trying to get a larger rise out of Gaara. _She's not just a little toy you can take out and play with right now – is she?_

The sand gripped the broken bodies of the ninjas and twisted and twisted them till internal organs fell out, landing with sickly squishes of wet meat. The sand slipped under the skin and rippled it and it broke out of it.

Some grains of the earth rose and brushed at his blackened lids when they closed, trying to calm himself. It rubbed over his skin while Shukaku continued with his interrogation of the boy. _Are you…her toy now? She knows how to calm us and it angers you that she knows you so well. It's those eyes of hers, those precious moonstone eyes…the eyes you remembered her by when you first saw her and her little teammates hiding in the brush. When we kill her… _The sand and earth was calming him, rasping in its echoes over the bark and rocks around him, snaking around him in arches similar to wings or domes. _Do you want her eyes staring back at you so she can see why you killed her?_

Gaara's calm faded like the colors of a rainbow when darkened clouds surrounded it. His lips thinned, so she can see _why_ he killed her? He would kill her if he felt the need – if he felt like it or was simply bored. There was no reason to it. _You're lying again Gaara…you can't hide anything from her eyes and she may already suspect your reasons. She's reading you like a manual. _

His fist clenched and his eyes narrowed, his ire settling low in his belly like rising embers of a fire. The muscles of his arms jumped simultaneously when his jaw clenched slightly. _No matter what you do…she can see through you – you can't hide anything from those big, doe eyes_.

The trees moaned and groaned as the harsh wind raked through them, blowing away leaves from them and nocturnal animals began to start their orchestra of night sounds once everything had died down.

-

It had started to pour rain and Hinata took to leaping from tree to tree carefully so as to avoid getting too wet via rain. She saw opportunity when it passed and this may very well be her only opportunity before she was trapped in the Lightning country with him. If indeed the Sound did influence or have an ally with the Lightning country – then Gaara was sending them to their graves, already dug and waiting for them. She needed to get word back to Konoha as quickly as possible lest this go on for too long and it would be too late to turn back.

She not only feared for her life, but for Gaara's as well – her foot slipped when she nearly missed the branch. She was worried for her promise to Naruto to look after Gaara. No need to confuse the two, after all, he was the bane of her life, she could see it in his eyes how much he wanted to squeeze the life out of her like a little flower beneath the heavy palm. He was a danger to her.

She lowered her body a little more for less air resistance and jumped faster. Once Gaara was finished with those men back there, he would be out here searching for her. Once he found her, she wouldn't be able to escape him – how do you get past such a deadly demonic being who never ever slept? Simple. _You didn't_.

She pinned her arms firmly to her sides and pumped chakra into her eyes for better visual reign. The Byakugan surveyed her surroundings with utmost care, looking for any sign of Gaara because if he did in fact catch her…

She ran a little faster with that in mind. She didn't know what exactly he'd do to her; besides kill her and that frightened her enough. She was breathing harsh as the trees' vines and branches whipped at her. Something gripped her arm and flung her into a tree, jarring her and knocking the breath from her body. She couldn't breathe and had no time to catch her breath when it slammed her into another tree violently; she heard something like glass breaking beneath the pressure while the unknown source tightening its grasp on her.

_Sand_.

How had he ghosted her? She'd had the Byakugan activated there couldn't be a way he knew how to… He knew where the blind spot of the Byakugan was and had purposely calculated it perfectly, staying in that blind spot the whole time till he caught her. He probably figured it out from sparring with her so much.

She was slammed into another branch, breaking it before the sand let go and allowed her to dive down to the ground. She was caught, Gaara holding her up by the collar of her jacket and scowling angrily at her. "Anything you'd like to tell me?" his voice was low, human sounding though his eyes told a different story. Fires of wrath and hatred with icy stoniness of a cold blooded predator stared back – no mercy.

She bit her lip and shook her head. She could taste the salty tang of her own blood tainting the inside of her mouth. Gaara frowned at her, skin of his brows furrowed before she was drawn closer to him at a rapid pace. His forehead cracked against hers soundly – a move he'd taken note from the fox demon container who'd used it against him. She twitched and stared at him, shocked before her eyes rolled to the back of her head, leaving only the whites of her eyes staring back at him.

She fell limp in his grasp and his muscles strained a little under the dead weight. He dropped her and she fell into a small bank of sand. It tugged her arms close to her and a cocoon circled her, gripping her tightly like a possessive child to a precious toy. Gaara wiped off the little blood that she'd gotten on him from his head butt. He looked down at Hinata pensively, observing her almost carefully. Her eyes were closed and she seemed peaceful.

The sand tightened around her a little more securely. Gaara leapt up to the top of the tree, settling himself on a branch for a moment before they'd be on the move once more. The half moon stared back at him, alit with devilish glow that felt warmer to Gaara than the sun. Few stars twinkled and were far spread; scattered like crumbs to bird across the navy drawn sky.

The wind sighed against him, his white sash that helped to hold his gourd in place fluttering up and moving at the wind's command. The cocoon that held Hinata was beside him and his eyes closed momentarily. Sand reached up and brushed the droplets of blood away from her pale forehead with delicate sandy appendages that mimicked fingers. Grains rubbed away the smears the red liquid had left till only pale skin remained. _Do you think she'll look this beautiful when we kill her Gaara? Look at her. Prettier than a happy bride._ Gaara looked over at her. He didn't know what a happy bride looked like nor did he care.

She looked dead with the moonlight casting a soft glow over her even softer shade of skin. _White complements red just right…you could paint thousands of beautiful pictures with those two…will you paint her Gaara?_

Gaara stood from his position and began to move quickly, his pace faster than it had been with Hinata awake with the sand towing her along firmly behind, eager to reach the docks by tonight and wait till morning to board. _What will her portrait look like when you're done? _

-

Hope you enjoyed this installment of DB and a few of you mentioned you liked Shukaku's input so there it is. –points above- Review if you liked it or not-and tell me what you think of Gaara's relationship with Hinata is out of curiosity I'd just like to know. X3 Also-I'm a total review whore so leave me platonic reader love!


	11. Chapter 11

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Eleven: Snare_

xXx

When Hinata slowly became aware of her surroundings, she was vaguely aware of a slow rocking motion that was rather rhythmic. She also noticed that she was warm and raveled in something rather tightly. The air she was breathing seemed…heavier, thicker to her senses and moist. It also carried the slight scent of salt. Her eyes flew open when she came crashing down to a realization. The rocking motions, the warmth and thick smell of salt like cherries in the summer – she, she was –!

She sat up quickly, perhaps too quickly and nausea over swept her gut when her head spun in a dizzy spell. Covering her mouth with a tiny pale hand, opal eyes watered as they observed her area cautiously. It was a wooden cabin; cots (some with bodies) swung from where they were tied. She blinked once and the tears caused via nausea were blinked away. There were numerous windows with what looked to be extremely thick glass. Light streamed over her head and shined a spotlight on the wooden floorboards. Turning a pale neck, she squinted at the grey highlighting from the single window.

Kicking off the covers that tangled her legs, she balanced on her knees to peer out the window. Her fear had been confirmed.

A sloshing, grey colored sea pushed at the sides of the boat while a similarly colored sky hovered over it. Her breath hitched while a worm with claws and sharp teeth gnawed on the edges of her frozen mind like a starving dog to a bone. She hadn't doubted Gaara's words of their actual truth but had rather denied the facts of his perverse aversion to lying. He was completely honest or he just never said anything, which was the principal of the matters that dealt with Gaara. Hinata, being the soft fragile person with a low ego she was, preferred to have not known what was happening.

She saw her attire was the same; dark blue pants, black shirt with mesh beneath it and a bulky jacket. Muttering to herself and making sure her backpack was secure, she got up and made to move from her cot. Finally getting her feet onto the floor and standing, she nearly slipped from the weakness in her knees. Steadying herself, she wobbled to the stairs that would undoubtedly lead to the deck. To fresh air.

Climbing the stairs rigidly, she opened the door and one hand clung to the straps of her pack. Grey sunshine filtered through her vision and looking up with a slight smile, she caught sight of the lime colored disk hanging in the sky like an ornament. Looking over to her left, she saw a rail and sighing to herself, she approached it slowly, thousands of needles dug into her muscles beneath her skin and it made it hard to move without wincing. Gripping the steel rail, she felt a little sturdier while having it in a vice grip.

She closed her eyes, trying to figure out what her next option could be. To lower her chances, they would soon be in the Lightning country where she would have no choice but to depend on Gaara. She frowned a little absently at that thought. That's right. Gaara. Basically, the bane of her small, insignificance and the only link she would ever have to Naruto; prove she was loyal to her promise to him. The only acknowledgement she'd ever receive from him possibly.

"What're you thinking about?" an easy going voice caught her attention and she jumped, hands still holding the rail. She opened her eyes and stared at the person beside her with a shocked gaze. He had short cropped brown hair and large black eyes. He had a crooked smile that showed off dull white teeth. She liked his smile; it was disarming and not disturbing. She shook her head shyly and averted her gaze, realizing she was probably staring.

He laughed a little, amused at her behavior, "A little on the shy side aren't ya?" it was more of a statement than an actual question. He was still snickering at her expense, albeit it made her flush red, she knew the laughing wasn't meant for malicious, it was well humored. "Nah, it's okay really," he went on though she never said anything, "the guys always say I talk too much for them so I end up doing most of the talking." He laughed a little more, scratching the back of his head a little. Her eyes widened while she observed the little movements he did.

'_Naruto-kun._'

Suddenly, his face was close to hers, as he'd leaned in closer to her, "Hm…" his dark brows knit together solemnly. His face lit up in a giant grin and his eyes closed from the sheer size of his smile, "You're kinda cute!" he said quite loudly.

He was still smiling even when Hinata stumbled back at the exclamation. His eyes opened and he grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, guess you're just not used to that are ya?"

Hinata's hands covered her mouth and her fingers curled over her lips like a shy two year old. She shook her head and he was still grinning sheepishly. "You hungry? I haven't seen you the entire trip." He said, absently as his index curled around his chin in thought. Hinata blinked, the entire trip?

"H-how long h-have we b-b-been on board?" she asked hesitantly, still embarrassed by his thoughtless exclamation. He looked at her queerly, "A-ah! I-I was asleep…s-so…" he chuckled and his hand ruffled her hair. Red seeped from her cheeks to her neck.

"We've been on board for about two days already, you must've been tired to have been sleeping that long." She looked up at him beneath the heavy fringe of her eyelashes and thought to herself that he was…very nice. The softness of her pale eyes faded when a voice prodded that while he was nice company, she preferred to have Gaara close to her. She felt secure and needed in such a case as his unwilling caretaker. Was it masochistic to feel such a way about the bane of her existence, the one who bound her to such a promise that would be inevitably be self destruction?

She laughed a little in her mind while the nameless boy before her started to talk more, '_You're sick. You're sick and there's something _wrong_ with you._'

-

Gaara hated the ocean more than he hated the forest of Konoha. Needless to say, the hateful passion for the ocean ran deep in his blood since Shukaku also hated the sea. The salt in the air gave him a small glimpse of his past experiences with salted blood on his tongue, freshly squeezed from the sand like orange juice. His black ringed eyes narrowed at all the water around him. It made sand heavy to move and therefore it was harder to control, using up more chakra than necessary.

The gourd shook a little in response to Shukaku's own agitated ire, _Disgusting. I hate that smell_. Gaara agreed.

"You're kinda cute!" Gaara twitched at the loud voice and turned a little to glare at the owner's general direction. Grey green orbs locked on the idiotic target and widened fractionally thereafter. A head of blue hair stood before said moron and her head bowed at the exclamation while his hand rubbed the back of his head, probably coming up with some delusional excuse. However, his eyes never strayed to the loud boy, instead fixated on the girl who had accompanied him during the entire trip. She was blushing and flustered, index fingers prodding together since the loud confession the boy had made.

_Look at her…she's all red and we didn't have to do anything to make her that color…what's wrong, boy?_ Gaara didn't answer and continued to gaze (glare) at Hinata who seemed oblivious to his presence. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at her tiny figure. His fingers twitched and he suddenly felt like twisting her small body till he heard bones crack and snap and pop beneath too much pressure. He wanted to dig his fingers into her skin and tear away at the rib bones that protected vital organs. He wanted to rip her heart from its veins, still beating and watch the life fade from her eyes.

He wanted that boy away from her.

_What's wrong Gaara? Angry at her? Want to kill her? Want to watch her bleed her life out like a warm pool? Or… _Gaara felt Shukaku move around in his chains, smirking all the while. _Do you really just want her away from that boy?_

He ignored Shukaku in favor of turning his glare to the idiot who was doing frantic hand gestures while Hinata hid a girlish giggle behind her hand. He heard the raccoon demon who was a resident of his mind howl in laughter, voice bouncing and echoing through the membrane of his chaotic mind. _You're true to your eyes Gaara_.

Said redhead watched as the two started to walk together (they were too close and their hands were nearly touching, she was smiling too much for that boy and he was all too glad for the attention she was giving him). _See? Reminds you of someone doesn't he? Just proves that she still likes him. She still likes him Gaara and there's…_almost_ nothing you can do._ Gaara felt something ugly and hideous blossom in his chest with coils of underlying emotion. He felt it writhe and grow and stay there, fermenting in his gut like rotten meat. While the ugly worm grew there, anchoring and twisting like a desert snake, Gaara distinctly heard Shukaku chuckle hoarsely in the shadows of the dormant side of his mind.

Slowly, the hoarse laughter of the other resident in his mind stopped, dying away like a flickering candle flame in a wet cave. _It's unfortunate that things have come to this, don't you realize Gaara? Things are not the same and if you do not wish to continue to dig your own grave you will kill her soon. You will break from Konohagakure and most importantly end her life. Fun and games are ending Gaara. _

The sand rolled in his gourd and the salt wind ruffled his hair. His solid form slowly broke down into tiny granules of sand, whisking away through the cracks of the vessel down to the lower level deck.

-

Hinata listened to the talkative boy while she downed more of the thick potato and onion soup and bit into the still steamy boy, "And I mean, we were like nearly capsized because of this wave – it was huge! The water was everywhere and pushing us from side to side and the captain was yelling orders for everybody to try to trim the sails 'cause the water already broke off two of the main masts and…" Hinata watched him talk while she was chewing on her bread and keeping a steady hand on her bowl since the boat was still shifting due to the waves.

The back of her neck prickled and she twisted her neck to come face to chest with a white sash and a black shirt. Her eyes traveled up and they locked momentarily with Gaara's narrowed ones, she could hear the sand shifting in the gourd, rolling and boiling in reaction to his ire. She didn't understand why he seemed angry – other than the possibility he'd gone to her cot only to find her gone and thought she may have fled the boat. Her eyes lowered and she turned away from him slightly. The boy, who she'd come to know as Mukuro looked up at Gaara. "Hey, Hinata-chan, you know this guy?" he asked bluntly.

"Y-Yes…" she murmured, feeling a glare of contempt and anger from Gaara, then it was gone and it had probably been sent over to Mukuro, "T-this is G-Gaara."

Mukuro and Gaara hadn't seemed to have heard her and for a moment she imagined that Mukuro's eyes were narrower, a dark green and his hair bushier. She blinked and they continued to glare at one another. "Hinata," Gaara spoke and Hinata's head snapped over at the redhead, "Go to the sleeping cabin and stay there." Her mouth parted to protest. "If you move from there, I'll break your ankles so you _can't_ move," grey green eyes locked on hers with a deadly seriousness, "go."

Hinata stood, bowed politely to Mukuro who nodded briefly before turning back to Gaara. Grey green irises watched her flee from the corner of a narrow black outlined eye. Mukuro stood slowly before sand slammed him down onto the table forcefully and other patrons who'd been eating screaming and backed away from the two. The sand reared and more poured from the gourd like blood from a deep wound. It herded people from the deck though Shukaku snarled at Gaara to just kill them. Killing people now would do no good.

He looked coldly down at the moaning Mukuro while people continued to scream and run from the deck. Mukuro's form 'faded' out to leave instead a boy clad in black garb and sandals, dark teal eyes glaring back at the redhead. His dark brown bushy hair was tamed by a rubber band. Actually, despite these differences, if one would look closely enough, they would see that Gaara and this unknown boy had some facial structures that were extremely…similar. Sand coiled around the boy's neck, tightening and lifting him. The grains wound around his body to keep him still and the boy with teal eyes stayed still, his eyes wide.

Gaara finally spoke to the other male, "Kankurou, what are you doing here?"

-

I'm very, very pleased and excited at the responses I got from all of you from last chapter's question, and I'm glad all of you enjoy how I portray Shukaku. Not in character but oh well – I always pictured him as a subtly sadistic fiend. Hella lot better than Kyuubi, that's for damn sure. TT-TT Such a drag that guy is.

**Angst**….man…I love you. Seriously, that was one kick ass review and seriously in depth with the characters and their current sets of mind. I'm glad you're insightful upon them and it points out how they're affecting each other slowly but surely. I can't thank you properly because even that's not enough. –sniffles- I keep rereading your review and nearly fainting. It was bloody brilliant.

**Creynoso**, you made a valid and in depth point as well. –grins- It is quite a big feat isn't it. –evil laughter-


	12. Chapter 12

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Twelve: Miasma _

xXx

Kankurou winced within Gaara's cocoon when it tightened warningly, the redhead's eyes narrowed and the elder brother fought the urge to spit at his younger sibling. "Gaara, the Kazekage sent me after the both of you…to discuss something." He hesitated and his eyes met Gaara's, fearfully till the sand relaxed slightly. "The Kazekage wants us to betray Konoha again – the Sound offered us an alliance we can't ignore and once we've got you on our side, Konoha will be easy to take down." Gaara stared back impassively and for the first time Kankurou had known his brother, the instinctual killer he saw hesitation so he plowed on.

"Gaara, listen Otogakure is offering us more land, which means more water for all of us, and Orochimaru is offering you something too," he murmured the last part since he knew Gaara didn't care about the people; the village people who hated him. He watched his brother's odd emotion slither away quickly and saw him scowl, but he also saw curiosity. "He's offering for you to be a general because he wants…total domination of all the Hidden Villages." Kankurou waited and debated whether Gaara cared this much about blood. Being general meant commanding a small portion of the army and it meant war, blood and mayhem. It meant that he had free reign to do as he wished, he would be free from Konohagakure and Gaara felt himself swell at the thought of freedom again. _Freedom, boy…we won't have to feel shackled and dead. We'll feel alive…not a walking corpse. _

It was true; the thought of being a general for Otogakure wasn't all appealing of course since he'd technically be serving beneath the snake, but…all of the blood and destruction was palpable – it was there, he could feel it in his bones. He could feel alive, feel like he had a heart that beat and wasn't at a forever stand still. Kankurou felt the sand relinquish its grip and he fell off the table, standing shakily on his numb legs. He winced when he rotated his shoulder cautiously. He looked over at the redhead who wasn't looking at him, rather staring at a corner intensely and he knew that _it_ was speaking to him. The sand moved over the wooden boards of the deck, the passengers having already evacuated and the crewmembers would soon be down to check what was wrong. He looked sharply over at Kankurou, "I will go to the Lightning, and from there it will be done." Kankurou blinked; did Gaara listen to him at all?

"Gaara-" he started only for his brother bare to his teeth at him slightly out of harsh irritation.

"Once what is done there…I will come back to Suna. That is all that must be done," he said, arms crossed defiantly over his chest and Kankurou shut his trap with a loud click of his teeth. He nodded once and stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking off to the side.

"I'll get going and report it back to the Kazekage then I suppose, and you'll do…whatever it is you need to do." Kankurou watched his brother turn his head from him, already going up the stairs and he stopped when Kankurou spoke once more. "What are you going to do with her?" it was quiet and soft, "Will you take her with you?" he asked. He flinched hard when a stream of sand smashed the table beside him to smithereens with a harsh hit, needles of wood splintering out in all directions. The sound of wood hitting wood and the heavy table legs falling to their sides did nothing to ease the deadly silence that had enveloped the brothers' space.

A wolf looking around the corner of a tree, a blizzard getting heavier by each passing second, a wildfire devouring all in its way – the desert taking so many lives all at once.

"Don't assume anything, _Kankurou_." Gaara warned his brother, his eyes dangerous and lethal like the hiss of a rattlesnake hiding in the dry brush. The sand whisked itself back to the gourd that trembled on Gaara's back, the redhead climbing the stairs once more, his sandals crunching against the creaky wood.

Kankurou's eyes followed the retreating back of his younger brother, allowing a shaky breath to escape from him while his hand combed through his hair. He swallowed thickly. It was going to be one hell of a coming home party.

-

Hinata sat on her cot, swaying softly with the rising and receding tides that the boat fell with. She let out a sigh and picked at the edge of her jacket. Mukuro had been kind to her, soft eyes and a ready smile; something which reminded her of Naruto. She swung her legs from whence they dangled over the edge of the hammock. She bit her lip and waited, looking out to the window beside her cabin to stare at the pale faced moon.

Naruto had completely trusted her to take care of Gaara and look after him, welcome him to her as one would greet an old friend. She'd agreed out of pure admiration and puppy love for the boy she'd watched from afar…it had always been about Naruto. Watching him silently out of the corner of her eye, cheering him on and congratulating him within her mind even when he failed. Naruto had always been her world, a load of sunshine that was bright, warm and cheerful where there was rain and storm clouds. Anything to protect, help or cheer her world up.

Looking after Gaara had at first appeared to be the way she would gain Naruto's respect and constant attention seeing as she was willing to take on perhaps the scariest damn ninja anyone had ever crossed. Over the months, Gaara had been hostile, volatile and obstinate. A beastly form of hatred, anger and vindictiveness that loomed around and over her like a shadow of impending doom. Hinata had cowered from him so many times for fear of her little life being snuffed out like a flickering candle flame. She'd fought back at times only to have bruises cover her pale limbs from the spar he would take to a dangerous level. The times she'd run from the frightening looks he would send her way once he was in one of those moods to play predator to her prey. Gaara had been anything but rewarding; Naruto had still left her cold while pining for the pink haired girl who sought after the Konohagakure traitor. Hinata had no reason to continue to stay with Gaara, she could've asked for an exchange and let him die or have someone else who was just as insane as he watch over the demon container. Besides, she knew it would not end well for her; you couldn't hide anything from her eyes – the eyes that saw too much of the world and understood what they saw in the strangest of ways.

The desire to kill her had been too much for her the first day she met him, when Naruto had bounced over her way and pulled her to the side after introducing the two. She'd seen it in his eyes; a bracken lake that held traps and monsters beneath. He wanted to strangle the life from her, watch her blood drip to the ground in some sort of sick satisfaction he took from the death and pain of others. The following weeks had been tense and her family had removed her from the household to her own apartment. As she forced herself to become Gaara's shadow (which Tsunade and Naruto had intended her to do) ties from her friends Shino and Kiba had slowly begun to snap like weary twine. She saw less and less of Neji whom she was now on better terms with and her teacher Kurenai was lucky to catch a glimpse of the girl in town, of course beside a head of red hair. The months had dragged on like an old corpse to a swamp, their 'companionship' had transformed into something rather grotesque like a dissected toad. Hinata felt nothing but the burden of being around the hostile boy and anger directed at him for making her miserable while he scowled at her when she wouldn't give him a piece of her attention, instead bemoaning the cruel twist of fate. There weren't many things that tied them together, tethered them to the sinking raft.

It was their misery that held them together, clinging without meaning to and hurting one another while sticking like supportive friends beside each other. Through thick and thin she always reassured herself that Kiba and Shino would be there by her side to catch her when she fell. With Gaara, she reassured herself of nothing and told herself no comforts or even sweet lies. It was a knowledge wedged in the back of her cerebrum that told her automatically without any unneeded explanation that she would not fall when near him period. That was the end of things for it had always been this way…the unwilling caretaker and the tormenting protector.

Oxymorons, the pair of them; when he wasn't near, the hostility died down but so did her confidence and sense of security, when she was gone he always had this look about him, anger that he believed she may have abandoned him. It was pathetic of the both of them, to hate each other so entirely and fully, but yet need one another to an extent of needing water or food. Hinata sighed beneath her breath and stared at the moon out that small, circular window at her side. It shined through and everyone around her was sleeping tightly, families and couples crowded together and sharing body heat throughout all of them. Heavy cots swayed from the gentle rocking of the ship and Hinata looked away from them, not acknowledging the ache in her chest that she made herself mistake from the heavily salted air. She looked up when the door to the sleeping deck opened and more pale light streamed through. Her fingers knotted together and squeezed, she felt her nails dig in her skin.

How horrible were they? Twisted and wrong their relationship (if it could truly be called that) was horribly made and horrid all around. The constant need for companionship and to be recognized was pathetic and sad, to be seen as a human and alive and there; the misery and wrath swirled with it, mixing like oil and water together. It separated yet they forced themselves to remain at each other's side because they knew the feeling of abandonment and even if it was better for them, they chose the hurtful way. The hurtful way where it would break them in the end, but desperation egged them on, pushed them on like a blind and stupid ox in the hot fields of work. It was never meant to be, like trying to fit a triangular block in a circular one – but if it didn't fit then they'd hammer it in forcefully because it had to, it had to or else they would be alone and inhumane, left in the dark with all the rest of the unneeded things in the world. No one else needed them; they didn't need each other so they made the other need them in the oddest of ways. The forced each other to need each other like a bitter pill or sedative to an addict. Wrought wrong.

Gaara walked down the creaky wooden steps slowly, his white sash fluttering and sand whispered from the gourd, spilling to the floor gently. A tentacle reaching behind him to close the door. It snapped shut and the light was cut off like a butcher knife to a bone. Hinata's eyes watched the blood haired boy move languidly towards her, sand shuffling against the floorboards and it caught her ankle when Gaara's sharp eyes saw her shift in movement. It tightened warningly when she tried to brush it away casually as one would a bug. He stood before her now, arms crossed in a superior manner and Hinata stared back. The sand had trickled to her other leg and bound her ankles together. Gaara turned and sat down beside her on the cot, his leg close to hers. Hinata felt insecure, he was too close again; he never initiated contact unless there was something wrong. The sand tightened and it traveled up her legs, to her calves and rolled as though it was a subtle warning; knowing him it probably was.

She continued to stare at the side of his face, for all her did was stare mindlessly or as though he were possessed at the wall across him. Turning, he snarled at her, "What?" she saw his white teeth flash and his blood red hair gleam beneath the light; congealing as though it was the very fluid it seemed to represent. She nipped her lip and her fingers hurt when she moved them, still knotted all together.

"D-did you k-k-kill him?" she inquired softly, meant to show no harm in the question, meant to soothe though all it did was make the hair on the back of his neck rise like an agitated cat. Hinata herself felt her skin crawl when the sand squeezed like a snake to a mouse, ready to crush and rip apart. It went up to her knees now. Gaara was on the prowl; angered by something and Hinata hoped Mukuro didn't suffer.

"He's not dead," he spat it at her venomously. Hinata felt herself relax a little, but barely and she knew that it was not only Mukuro that was bothering him – it was something else as well. His eyes were wide, irises small and bloody veins within the whites of his eyes only showed his irritation and inner turmoil. He stared at her a little longer, the sand slowly slipped away. He turned away and he seemed tamed by something unknown, for his shoulders loosened and slumped. The sand slipped off her feet and rolled into his gourd once more. "We reach the Lightning country tomorrow. Go to sleep." He ordered softly, Hinata being used to his large mood swings only nodded slightly, uneasy that he wasn't looking at her. He stood from her cot and the new weight distribution made it swing again. He began to walk away from her slowly.

"G-Gaara," she called softly, uncertain as to what was going on and feeling left out of something. He stopped and turned back to her, looking over his shoulder only halfway so she could only see one eye looking at her half lidded, but attentively. She opened her mouth, but finding nothing more to say she closed it and shook her head. His eye closed and he turned away from her, moving again.

"It'll be over soon. Go to sleep." He was already opening the door when she heard it and registered it in her mind.

Her eyes were wide and confused, her fingers still knotted and entwined together. A phrase went through her mind over and over like a broken record, yet she couldn't comprehend it at all no matter how many times she tried to. '_It'll be over soon…?_'

-

….Hehe. Don't kill me pretty please? O.O Thank you for all the reviews – they're great and I love them even if I'm not such a great author. Forgive this chapter for the horrid OOCness I hate putting in there…. –starts laughing maniacally- Oh by the way…-coughs- Tell me what you think is going to happen/your prediction. I'd love to hear it. Drop a review.


	13. Chapter 13

**Demon's Ball **

_Chapter Thirteen: Arrival_

xXx

Gaara stared out at the dock that loomed ahead, broad planks lining up and other vessels docking, passengers coming off quickly with their luggage. The sand rolled in his gourd and he heard Shukaku hiss within the corners of his mind,_ It's so adorable how you checked to see that 'Mukuro' hadn't sliced her throat in the middle of the night. Like a child possessive with his favorite toy, your newest teddy bear, Gaara! Hopefully we won't have to stuff her. _Gaara barely acknowledged the barb and instead stared out, in space and through time he sifted through his own cluttered mind of calamities. He listened to Shukaku who breathed deeply, in and out, gold eyes gleaming in the darkness from which he thrived and molded from the sand that was his blood and bones. _What is done is done, and what will be done will be done. Her fate was decided when she promised the fox boy and followed through. You could see in her eyes that she knew that you would never change – she sees a beast and a monstrous boy. That is that and we will take our memento of her when we assure that the thought of abandoning you never crosses her mind ever again_. He listened to the crewmates holler at one another, many of the members casting him dirty or suspicious looks while doing so before the vessel slowed. The edge of ship bumped against the side of the dock.

He watched them lower the ramp for the people and looked over his shoulder for a familiar head of blue hair, seeing 'Mukuro' leaning against the ship across of him with his arms crossed. Gaara's eyes narrowed; he was making sure that this was their stop and that he wasn't going to run off or some such nonsense. He scowled and his teeth unconsciously showed within the gesture, causing 'Mukuro' to flinch slightly. A presence beside him caused him to cast his gaze a little lower than he himself, opal eyes shimmered like oil mixing with water and he turned his body slowly, so that he stood beside her. Her hands grasped her pack, and Gaara felt his skin crawl (unpleasantly or pleasantly he wasn't sure) at the scent of old blood from her. He unconsciously took a step back even while Shukaku purred or growled at the scent, her accursed monthly cycle usually lasted a while and this was no exception apparently. _Poor boy, not old enough to play anything but children's games_. Gaara twinged at the response and wrinkled his nose slightly at the bloodied scent coming from her.

In front of Gaara, Hinata bit her lower lip continuously, drawing slight reddened blood from it, vivacious in its color. People shoved and pushed all around her like a school of salmon swimming upstream when the crew lowered the ramp onto the docking area. She stepped onto it and felt Gaara's presence behind her like a ravished scavenger about to fall on a corpse. It creaked with every step and time seemed to slow, people shoving and muttering curses at one another. Hinata felt the hair on her body rise up in response to something unknown. Turning her head to where she believed the source was, her eyes widened when she saw the scarred mask of a bear staring back, wild brown fur covering it around the edges. All the air in her lungs compressed and rushed out, she blinked and he was gone. No trace left of him as though he was a smudged memory from a tangent universe. She turned back to look at Gaara and she saw that his eyes were narrowed, neck turned in the direction of the vanishing man. His arms were crossed and he shot a look at her, that spoke 'Move faster' but she didn't need it to be told to her. Her smaller body was already slithering through the thick crowds, feeling the ominous and oppressive aura of Gaara right behind her.

As she moved, ducking beneath sweaty arms and crewmen dragging crates of fish or luggage, dodging cranky people from longer voyages and weaving through close knit bodies; she felt a watchful gaze on her back. It wasn't the feeling of chains wrapped around her body, crushing her and leaving her near breathless – therefore it wasn't Gaara's gaze upon her; it made her feel…insecure…_violated_. She fought the urge to activate the Byakugan though she could feel the veins pulse beneath her pale flesh, wanting to rise and set a target for her; for this force that was endangering her. Something brushed her ankle and she fought the urge to scratch the flesh and skin that was tightly stretched over the bone, knowing what and who it was. The sand skirted up and wrapped around her ankle, tightly, to drag her in another direction. Hinata forced her body to accommodate the change in direction and allowed the sand to lead her where it pleased. It was itchy, uncomfortable, warm and secure. She breathed out and she resisted the Byakugan which flickered, veins pulsing and thriving – begging to be released like a pacing little jackal with snapping teeth. People didn't notice the tendril of sand wrapped around the pale girl's leg, tugging her about while she kept her head bowed to prevent anyone from seeing her eyes. She heard, from her left, a man curse about his hat being stolen and she found a soft whisk pass her ear, a large straw fit over her head, much too large but it covered her eyes appropriately. It was still warm from the man's head and it was well woven, the strips of cloth around it covered the back of her head. The sand tugged her sharply, to her right and she was walking beside a familiar presence, her head was lifted and she was able to see while other people could only see the lower half of her face. The sand tendril retreated with a small hiss and she allowed herself to be comforted by the fact that Gaara was close; the bear masked man was suicidal if he came close to the redhead.

Be it not for the fact that Gaara already didn't like him; his chakra waves were deeply disturbed, distributing a massive feel of hostility and bloodlust, to which many people responded to unconsciously casting him looks beneath their lashes or altogether avoiding his path. Dealing with Gaara like this, for Hinata, was not only dangerous, stupid, but it was also required because she's been around him long enough to know him well enough to get around. If she hadn't been a keen observer, she would have already been happily crushed and making it this far along, Hinata believed she was in a pretty good run.

Walking side by side now, she looked over to him and noticed his narrowed gaze, twitching mouth, his thumb biting into the flesh of his index and heaves of silent breath. She saw that his breath rolled out in clouds, and shivered once it sunk in that fall was approaching slowly. She sucked in a dry breath and a cough racked through her system. Her entire tiny body shuddered with its impact and her hand shot up to her mouth, fingers curled over her top lip like a scolded child. Her eyes squeezed shut and she grimaced inwardly when sticky fluid shot out and coated the insides of her fingers; metallic scented. The cold always worsened her cough and since this was the Lightning country…mountains. Mountains meant colder climates, which for Hinata meant harsher conditions on her already delicate anatomy. She stumbled into a burly man who growled and shoved her into Gaara. Something stopped her from fully bodily falling on him and she felt grains wrapped around her ankles and calves, holding tightly in place. She took another dry heave for air, the salt stinging her throat and eyes. Her hand flailed and caught something – mesh; _Gaara's_ mesh – and hung on. She heard the small rip when her nails dragged through it. Her eyes bulged and another cough struck through her, rasp, wheeze, cough, gasp, wheeze, choke. Blood splattered on her toes that stuck out of the open toed sandals she wore, the rough concrete beneath her feet and her tiny hands, through her fingers.

Hinata felt nauseous, ill, sick, disoriented and dizzy while everything around her spun a little, her hand fell from where it gripped Gaara's mesh shirt and in front of her to help catch her fall. Her knees had weakened and given out. The jagged bumps from the concrete street cut into her, she felt stings and burns on her knees and hands. Blood trickled out of her mouth; it was spat on the ground.

Blurry. Incoherent murmuring and concerned shouts. Fuzzy now, pale and tan faces blurred into colors and misshapen forms. She tried to breath but she couldn't, something was clogging her throat and her hand reached up to claw at her throat, as though hoping to unclog it. Something cold grabbed her wrists, popsicles and she vaguely noticed that it felt like fingers – fingers of a day old dead body in the snow – were gripping her. More popsicles gripped her other wrist and forced her up. She tugged at her wrists stubbornly, but the corpse fingers wouldn't relinquish. She was wobbly on her feet before she could blink. Another ragged cough tore through her with iron claws and sliced her hurting lungs to ribbons once more. A rough cloth was pressed to her mouth firmly, as though it were a gag and her eyes rolled up in her head. She saw unclean pond water wrapped in shadows. Blood decorated its banks.

Gaara.

She coughed again and both wrists were held to keep her upright while another hand held the cloth to her mouth. She vaguely realized it was his white sash – apparently he'd washed it again on their voyage over – that was against her bloodied lips. Large, sad doe eyes colored colorless looked up and saw Gaara's frowning face again, pressing the cloth against her and holding her up physically. Odd. Personal space breached. Hack, cough, wheeze, rasp, choke, cough, cough – blood dripped into the sash. Things blurred and so did the color of Gaara's face, everything around her was warped and the pain in her chest swelled and bellowed.

It went dark in a matter of moments.

-

_Hinata breathed out, white clouds rolling before her. Ahead of her, she saw a tall grey tree with no leaves, naked and bare it stood against the stark white snow around her like a sore thumb. The sky was streaked yellow and orange, in the horizon she saw the vibrant colors of the red sun rising. Something moved behind her and she turned to it, a kind boy, older than she, held a nimble hand out to her. His light blue and dark grey clad body stood in the cold, shivering slightly and she noticed that she too was cold, shuddering when the chilled wind blew against her back. A coat from him was held out and his black eyes crinkled when he smiled shyly, tanned face staring at her. Smiling slightly, she moved towards him and reached her arm up to grasp the coat from his hand. Something, however, gripped her elbow and pulled her arm back forcefully. Hinata felt her eyes widen and she looked down. _

_A petulant child with his lower lip sticking out slightly in confusion, brows crinkled and large eyes staring up at her blankly. Fire red hair moved in the wind but he never shivered against it like she did. His tan smock whipped in it and his feet crunched in the ice when he moved closer, tugging her arm stubbornly. She moved back with his strong grip and those large, haunting orbs of odd color stayed on her face. His breath fanned out before him and Hinata cocked her head. She made a move for the coat because even though he wasn't cold, she was, shivering and nearly freezing within her own skin. Her teeth chattered and she tried to tug her arm away. The boy holding the coat was still smiling though it seemed forced. The redheaded child tugged at her harder this time, hurtfully and Hinata stumbled back. She looked down at him and only saw sandaled feet. Her eyes traveled up and she saw a redheaded teenager in his place, a deep frown obscuring his face with the skin of his brows set together. One hand was clutching her arm and he cast the other boy with black hair and eyes a dark look, before turning away. He pulled her behind him and she yelped when her feet dragged uselessly behind her, through the icy snow. _

_The falling snow covered her vision though it didn't seem to deter the boy dragging her. His nails were in her skin. She screamed, though no sound came out, she screamed again and the same result; nothing. She twisted her feet and legs to get them moving and up, she needed to get up. Her other hand reached up to claw at his, but she jerked back when she felt something slick. Her fingers came back reddened, blood. She looked up at him with opal eyes and saw blood dripping from his arm, shoulder and head, his chest was also covered in it and his breathing was heavier, gasps. He was limping. He looked over at her and the pale face he had (barely a shade darker than hers) was masked with drying blood; a grotesque glove of living fluid. Her eyes widened when she saw what looked to be a wooden stake sticking out of his chest. Something colder than the snow and ice lapped at her ankles. She looked down and saw water around her, colder than freezing and she yelped, dragging herself from it as much as she could. _

_His other arm came around and gripped her shoulder, tightly, forcing her to lie down in the water. She watched him, confused as to how he could still be moving, eyes on that wooden pole in his chest. The water enveloped her body and she raised her neck. He frowned and his hand held her chest down while his other one pressed against her forehead. She stared up at him from beneath the water, not knowing what he was doing. His fingers were warm, and his figure rippled in her view underneath the water. She couldn't breathe and she felt herself beginning to panic. Her body arched and flailed, trying to get enough air for a breath – just one at the very least. Her eyes were wide when she looked up and saw his, narrow…not angry…not happy… She could have laughed if he wasn't drowning her. Kind to be cruel. His hand pressed harder against her head while her struggles increased, legs kicking and arms slapping at him while he held her body and head down. She couldn't breathe, couldn't draw in a single breath. _

_She watched his mouth move, forming two words she couldn't make out through her struggling. _

Weary lungs drew in a sudden breath after holding it for so long while Hinata's petite form curled into a ball form, up on itself like a little armadillo. She drew in another breath while her eyes, now suddenly wide and alert dashed across the new room. It was white and there were white curtains, a window gave way to a bright sun and the sheets smelled of laundry detergent. The bed was soft, but the air smelled of sickness and disinfectant which led her to believe that her residing place was in the hospital. The Lightning country's hospital however unappealing it was, after all, these were the people who had tried to kidnap her so if she and Gaara were to keep up appearances; how would they fit in? Surely they wouldn't lie to a point where they would say they eloped – it was ludicrous and entirely transparent. They were on the run? Doubtful and it would leave a bad impression that they would need to be spied on and watched over constantly. Their headbands, she knew had been tucked away, early on. Of all the things she worried about, she briefly wondered where Gaara was.

Her head fell back down to a soft, square pillow and she lay there, still curled up in the fetal position with her hand beneath her head. Her jumbled mind pieced together things, and she knew that her coughing had worsened under the weather conditions (also that man who had met them in the Rain country – the bear masked one). She remembered that Gaara had caught her and stifled her coughing with his sash. She blanked out shortly afterward, but she knew he was already annoyed with the fact that she had drawn so much attention to them already. Her fingers trembled at her mouth, but Hinata wasn't so much worried as she was…cautious. It didn't sit well with her that Gaara had been acting strange, hostile, yes, volatile, yes but…she couldn't pinpoint the emotion so much as she could place an example on it. A child with a hand made teddy bear.

"They're placing us in an apartment. There will be a placed guardian who will check up on us every week." Hinata jumped and nearly slid off the bed from uncurling so fast in her sleepy kitten pose when she heard a deep voice (one that sounded no more man like than it was boyish) behind her. She whipped her head and felt pressure on the back of her neck, protesting to the quick movement. The blood red boy who had, in her dreams albeit, drowned her, and was bleeding to death as it seemed, stood in front of her with his arms crossed arrogantly. He placed a headband on the bedside table beside her; the symbol of the Hidden Waterfall village gleamed back. She stared at it wide eyed, "We come from the Waterfall village and because there is a new truce between the two, there is limited amount of trust. We were lost when their western ranks were demolished by the Rock village." He spoke to the point and Hinata reveled in the fact that for all his bloodlust, all his anger and intimidating impulsiveness – he was intelligent. It wasn't comforting, and it never was. For as mad as he was, insanity with a plan was never a good mix per se.

Hinata, however continued to stare at the headband as though it had grown cockroach feelers, she knew where it had probably come from, and so didn't feel compelled to ask. "A-and th-they're going to find out i-if we truly c-come from there." She stated rather firmly, but Gaara didn't appear fazed. His gaze was still lax, eyes half lidded like a lizard basking in the sun against a rock.

"Currently, the Lightning has far greater problems than two Genin entering their premises from the Waterfall country when visitors from there are a common occurrence now. They have far greater problems; Konoha, Suna and Oto. They will not trifle with us even if we are to live here for the time being. They have greater problems to deal with." Gaara explained, lengthily, especially for someone of his rather silent stature.

Hinata stared at it and wiped a bit of the blood from the corner of the metal piece of the band with her thumb, wincing when she touched it before smearing it on her pristinely white sheets. "What i-is going to h-happen?" she asked; her voice small like a child's while her eyes stayed on the sheet before her. She received no response from the silent boy beside her; she saw that his new Takigakure headband was also tied to his waist where his previous Konoha one had been. The silence slithered along like a snake pressed against an exhibition glass, up for a glance at a curious person willing to face their nightmare behind a shield.

It was broken when a knock resounded at the door, three taps in a row and Gaara turned his head towards it, sand rustling once before he unstrapped his gourd and set it against the wall. It opened and a nurse came in, middle aged but still retaining a classic beauty not many had. She smiled at Hinata and Gaara, a pen with her clipboard while she looked over Hinata's vitals. "You're doing a mighty bit better, dear, but we'd like to keep for another night just in case of any sudden changes. You're lucky your friend here brought you over so quickly – you've exhausted your body and those lungs of yours aren't healthy in the first place; that heart of yours isn't in fantastic shape either." Hinata listened to her and mentally winced when the woman listed her weak points and liabilities of illnesses she would be prior to. The nurse tsked and smiled again, charmingly, "But by tomorrow you'll be feeling better than ever because of your extra stay."

Hinata nodded shakily, "Th-thank you." She murmured demurely, head bowed unconsciously hiding her face from view as was customary of her.

"Oh! And there's someone here to see the two of you," she cast a look at Gaara who stared back dispassionately with a frown. The nurse sighed and nodded to herself, "I'll send him in." She whisked away on graceful feet and opened the door, allowing a tall man with a cigarette (unlit) hanging out of his mouth and a bandana keeping his wild hair out of his eyes. His lazily slitten eyes peered at them with indifference and more than a hint of disinterest. She pat him on the shoulder and exchanged a few words with the apparent ninja, before exiting the room entirely. The door shut after she left and the man stayed at his place near the door, as though readying for a quick escape.

He cleared his throat and strolled to a chair, turned it around and straddled the backwards chair. Once he sat down, he examined them carefully. "Mmkay, here's the deal. Takigakure ninja are accepted, but until we know you're trustworthy to live here, you're placed under guardianship, blah, blah, blah and I'm your guardian. I check up on you once a week, look through your apartment and then I leave. I'm not your nanny, your sensei or your friend." He finished with a shrug and stared at the two young teenagers who stared back, both of them without blinking and he looked over at Hinata. "You're the blind one, ne?" he asked. She nodded back hesitantly. He moved his hand and Hinata made her ear twitch, following the sound. She watched him nod and he stood up, making her head follow his actions slowly, her ears doing the work for her eyes.

"Well then, you two, get some good sleep," Hinata withheld a small snicker when he shot Gaara a glance, who glared back, "And tomorrow you get to your new living space. G'night." He added as an afterthought before exiting.

Gaara watched him leave with narrowed eyes, "He doesn't believe us, but he won't expose us because he has no evidence." Hinata nodded, having gotten the feeling from the seemingly lazy and disinterested shinobi who observed them quickly with careful eyes; lizard eyes just like Gaara would have occasionally.

Gaara picked his gourd up and strapped it to his back again and Hinata wondered why he'd taken it off in the first place, "Go to sleep." His human form disappeared into grains of sand that blew out the window that still showed the afternoon sun. Hinata watched him with still sleepy eyes, before she allowed herself to curl up once more in her customary sleeping position.

Her opal eyes gazed at the wall across her, sunlight played with the shadows before her lids slid shut completely again, exhaustion overhauling her once more.

-

Weird dream, huh? –Laughs evilly-

Hm…so many people have different theories but the most primary one is: 'OMFG! She's dead,' because of Gaara's 'It'll be over soon' closing statement. Maybe, I dunno. :) Those who know me well enough know that I believe in good (not necessarily happy or sad or whatever) endings, so seriously. I don't know yet. I have about…four or five different ways how to end this and I'll go with what seems right in the Lightning Arc and then the ending may or may not be satisfying.

All of them however, were made to surprise in someway or another. :D I hope this chapter was pleasing since DB is still my top priority. Also, the Lightning Arc will move slightly faster – not much mind you, but it will skip a few days at times – versus the traveling arc since it was made to allow you a glimpse into the actual plot and the characters themselves. The Lightning Arc is to show more of the plot and characters (so it'll be kicked up a notch) –wink- . Kays? Give me some love for updating quickly people. : )

**Reply to Reviewers' Questions** (contains minor spoilers)

To **ty**, Gaara's feelings of Naruto are not stressed yet because he has not been…'a problem' as of yet. (Le gasp! Spoiler! XD) Why was Gaara jealous of Hinata's reaction to Mukuro? …I dunno. You tell me; I gave you the guidelines when explaining their relationship…didn't I? –Grins-

To **I like angst**, yes, interesting question; why would Kabuto try to mislead them? After all…the Sound is known for their loyalty. –Grins- (Another spoiler! Bad Nu!)


	14. Chapter 14

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Fourteen: Forfeit_

XxX

Gaara stared out into the pitch black nothingness; it had been only yesterday since they had moved into the apartment assigned to them by the Cloud ninja. His white sash twisted in the howling wind, pitter patters of rain washed over him and his red hair danced in the wind. He breathed out and a white fog followed it. It was winter and Hinata's health was probably teetering between barely fine and quite sick. The doctor had run her through another check up and sternly told him to keep a careful eye on her; the cold weather coupled with her poor condition may suffice in being the end of her. There was nothing more to do save for the waiting. _Isn't this so…sweet. You're pretending to play house with the very one who sought to abandon and betray you for her country_. Gaara's lip twitched when he heard Shukaku's craggy laughter bounce off the walls of his mind. _Why, Gaara!_ He uttered, sounding aghast and utterly scandalized. _Playing house with the poor little girl who's sick and has to depend on you? Trying to force her to depend solely on you? Shocking…or perhaps that's not what you're trying to do at all; maybe that's not your goal at all._ The whisper of perversion and the slight subliminal message within the tone of Shukaku's voice brought a shudder to his spine. Maybe… the coil in the loaded spring was wound tighter and creaking from overexertion. _You're just too entirely desperate for such a measure as that…_ the coil tightened and the spring shivered. _Perhaps…perhaps…that is not your intention at all; coming here…knowing that the Lightning country would not question the two of you since they do not know. Gaara…_ the spring snapped from the coils wound too tightly. _The girl knows you too well and you know that. She knows what calms you, what irritates you…what makes your bloodlust rise…would it be any surprise that after a while she would guess your intentions and behaviors? You can't keep her by doing that…_

Gaara's mind blocked off the raccoon's voice that made his thoughts even more twisted than they were. From where Gaara was standing outside the apartment on the balcony, he could hear a few wheezing coughs that were quickly muffled and then were cut off abruptly. Water trickled down the side of his face like sweat beading and rolling off. His black rimmed eyes glared into the flat they were being forced to share under supervision. The sand tossed a little in his gourd, rolling like a dog's lolling tongue. _If you had been in your right state of mind, she would have died long ago. Gaara, this 'game' has to come to an end sooner or later…all things must…_

Gaara's black rimmed eyes closed and he listened to the rain, feeling it smack against him and wetting his gourd. Tranquility was not a comfort he was often prone to, often it came with a heavy price and this was one of those times – there was hardly anything to worry about at the moment. However, the internal battle of what to do next in this chess board with all the pieces in motion; tranquility wasn't existent. Unfortunately for his female companion, she was caught in the middle of a political web of mayhem, betrayal, deceit and secrets which would soon boil over like boiling soup in a pot. Even Gaara was caught in it, tangled in chains that would ultimately lead to the downfall of Konohagakure, or even himself or both. Nothing was much ado about either though; Gaara was a weapon, sharpened and honed for such a thing as a suicidal missions or murder and chaos. Konoha was a place full of people who could look at the world through rose colored lenses, others (and they were of few and rare) who weren't horribly off in the world, but saw the world and the place in which they lived in for what it was. Hell's breeding ground for the lost, forgotten and never cared for – a mutated pound of children clawing out one another's eyes for a meal, or an orphanage for tiny wraiths, ghosts, ghouls, demons and little devils.

Hinata saw him for what he was; a demon who was more likely to kill then help, but treated him not as such – treated him like a boy who was the cause and source of all her issues and problems. She didn't look at him with utter fear unless sand was upon her or he looked murderous, she was bold without meaning to be because that was how he made her 'grow up' as her father put it. It wasn't growing up – it was becoming someone or something else or taking shards of yourself that were buried deep within your person and becoming that. It was perhaps the only good thing Gaara had ever done for her.

The redhead's eyes opened, rain still pelting at him with microscopic needles that stung and froze. The gourd was heavier, much heavier but it protected the sand within it perfectly.

He turned and headed back within the dry and sheltered sanctuary of the apartment, catching sight of Hinata's eyes that looked pained. Blood dripped from between her fingers which were curled around her lips. His fingers twitched and he turned away, walking to the kitchen table. Another dry hack was forced from her, the weather that was so dry and cold getting to her lungs and delicate condition. Gaara sat at the table, one hand on it and he heard the noisy splatter of blood against her fingers, dripping to the carpet. Nails turned against the wood and dug in deep. Wrath swept fiery coal ashes over him and Shukaku huffed angrily within his head, scenting something close but out of reach. _Idiot boy. _

"Shut up," he hissed in the darkness, listening to her cough raggedly was graining on his nerves. Grey green eyes flashed in the pitch black when she seemingly disobeyed him purposely when another bloody hack sounded out in the silence. She gasped, trying to fill her lungs with air but she only teared and Hinata's petite body moved with her as she coughed. A splat of blood landed on the mat and Gaara moved his hand from the table. Sand rose up in thick tendrils like hair tresses and obeyed his command in shutting the balcony doors. The wind stopped and Hinata gasped in another breath, hoarsely whispering a nearly silent thank you to Gaara.

In the dark, his eyes watched her move like a wounded animal, slowly and painfully she crawled and gripped the edge of a low seated wooden table with trembling fingers. Trying to stabilize herself, she reached for the thick paste the doctor had given her. Different from Tsunade's batch and didn't work nearly as well, it was still soothing and calmed her cough down. The cold air made her shiver and she looked to the left of her, a blanket set beside her that she knew hadn't been there earlier. Golden grains of stray sand twinkled on the thick white cloth. Hinata looked up to meet her redheaded companion's rather irate gaze, his eyes narrowed, daring her to speak a word. Hinata shut her lips tightly and small hands wound the blanket around her, goose bumps rising from the sudden change of temperature.

Her knees drew up beneath her chin which rested comfortably on them. The soft cloth made her bones feel tingly and warmer. She let out a shaky sigh and let out a babyish cough, blood spattered against the soft in tiny microscopic specks. Hinata wiped it away with the back of her hand. The silence was common between them, uncomfortable but not so much as awkward as unwillingness to break it.

Gaara closed his eyes, possibly going into a forced sleep and Hinata stared a bit before getting up on wobbly coltish legs to search for a spoon in order to drink the paste with hot water. Silence reigned on the apartment once more, save for the scritch scratching of a pen writing against a scroll, Hinata sat at the low sitting table writing to Tsunade, bent over the document.

The pale eyed girl was quiet about it, knowing better than to ask questions to the redhead, but there were things Tsunade needed to know and Hinata wasn't stupid enough to actually run. Things needed to be taken care of, and this was one of the things. It was best to be kept in the dark, especially this letter to her Hokage. The pen moved quickly over the worn and old looking scroll while a pale eyed girl cast looks over her shoulder at the meditating boy who looked to be none the wiser.

-

Gaara's eyes lazily opened and he turned to where the popping sound was coming from, meditation lasted about half an hour and he smelled food cooking. His eyes snapped to the source of all the ruckus. Hinata stood in front of the stove, a cast iron pan over a fire. He stared and his nostrils flared slightly while he inhaled the scent of the cooking food. It was the scent of sesame oil and vegetables being tossed together, rice noodles moving with them in the walk. Hinata stood over the stove and moved chopsticks, stirring the concoction.

She must have felt eyes burning into her back because she turned around to face Gaara. Pale eyes glinted in the light and it was like looking into a wintry sun – a pale lime and lavender colored disk in a light grey sky. There was a moment where time and space suspended around the two teenagers who knew they were in way over their heads, that there was no backing out, that this would be the death of them in some way or another. It was a juggernaut set into motion long before they had met under the blood red sun that had burned in the background when a blonde boy introduced them. Their emotions swirled beneath the surface, like a whirlpool raging beneath a calm sea – rage, ire, wrath, anger, regret and even a most unexpected guest upon the feelings of which transpired and were entirely mutual. Gaara stared and closed his eyes suddenly, when the raccoon demon hissed curses in his ear. It seemed as though he possessed no eyes in his skull – a blank canvas to be used one day.

_If you decide to keep her, boy, we forfeit and I refuse to allow that – I refuse to lose because of such an irritating specter._ Anger and desperation colored his words and tone, Gaara knew what was to forfeit because that was the cost of it. It would always be the cost of what he wanted in this life – and that fact would never change no matter how he tried to alter it. Shukaku howled in his mind, claws scrabbling over the stone wall of Gaara's twisted kingdom of pain, chaos and surrealism to a horrific coloration. Gaara's thoughts calculated and the results were less than pleasing – forfeit either way. Pity.

His eyes opened and he faced Hinata's back, who had turned back to tossing the food. There was a small clang and two bowls were recovered from a cabinet. Chopsticks dished noodles, vegetables and peppered beef into the bowls unequally – giving Gaara most of it since he naturally ate more than she did. The small girl scurried over and scooped steaming rice on top of the mixture in the bowls. Hinata placed the bowls down on the small kitchen table with chopsticks over the bowls. Gaara stared at his bowl before looking back at Hinata who was slurping on a noodle.

Hinata looked over at Gaara in turn while chewing on the noodle in her mouth, a plethora of questions rearing their ugly heads in her eyes. Pale, pale eyes stared into his and Gaara felt something tug, somewhere, hard and it hurt a bit. Wrath rose and snorted fire in his belly then – he could hear Shukaku's claws rake over the stone walls, befalling the buildings and the darkened maroon and sepia skies tore away like portrait paper. _Do not forfeit you stupid, stupid boy. Don't you dare forfeit…don't…_

The raccoon's commanding voice faded a mere whisper in the back of his mind that Gaara easily pushed away. The redhead saw two choices; both tempting in their own ways and temptation would be the last of any man. Blood red walls, screams of terror and vacant pale eyes staring up into a ceiling without life, limbs no longer twitching and breath failing the torn lungs of the sickly. Another vision welled in his mind and roared. There would be pain, his blood, her blood, enemy blood and a final day. Side by side, the queen and king would fall in the twisted game of chess. Side by side…falling into nothingness with another presence beside him on the finale. A fantastic, booming encore for those with nothing much to live for.

Gaara's eyes turned away from Hinata and Shukaku was silent, though his rage was palpable. The redheaded demon boy picked his chopsticks up and began shoveling food into his mouth at a record pace. The kingdom fell away.

Checkmate.

-

…Well…then…if you have questions, feel free to ask them and I appreciate all reviews, criticism and flames (if they're good damn it). Drop off a review to tell me if you liked it, point out observations or ask things.


	15. Chapter 15

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Fifteen: Mutation_

XxX

That's all it ever did here; in the Lightning country. It rained, thundered and the sky was split in halves with cracks of lightning. Gaara stared out the window with something akin to depression as heavy smacks of rain hit the glass, dribbling down and thunder rumbled grumpily over the plains of the Lightning country. The redhead had no interesting thoughts going through his head; merely pondering the beginning, the middle and what went wrong there – when things were hanging on the line now when he'd first planned his escape from Konoha and now the end. The end where everything would fall apart like a house of cards; this was where their train ride of a lifetime would slow, jerk to a stop and throw them overboard. Gaara continued to observation of rain trickles racing to the bottom of the sill. Would they ever stop drowning in the self made hells they've made for each other and themselves? When would one of them surface and breathe – soft, fresh air that was clean. It would be filtered air that didn't stink of hate, anger, depression, nausea and it wouldn't be heavy and damp with a feeling like a dungeon. That would be their freedom, as far as the eye could see; fresh air, soft, shy children's smiles that would replace frowns and blank broadswords. Would there be sunshine? Or moonlight? Would the sky be clear and blinding or moderately grey? Freedom, for him alone would be blood, screams and the elation at killing someone in vast amounts – leaving her to her fate. He knew what her fate was; death. Either she would die by his hands or Orochimaru would use her for experiments to gain her Byakugan. She had no decision whatsoever. _Why is there this sudden clinginess to her Gaara? Or has it always been there but I've never noticed? You're an idiot. Forfeiting for such a sad little useless pathetic thing. _

Gaara turned his eyes from the window when he heard water running – Hinata was probably bathing since it would be a first in a while. He turned his eyes back to the window and stared out into the nothingness. He decided what would happen next; what move his piece would do. It was…a stalemate so there would be no victory and only losses, more losses and less happiness. It seemed to steer clear of him – as it always did. Now was not happiness – it was not the feeling of elation he got around her for he got none of those warm, sappy feelings people bragged on having with one another. It was something of a more realistic tone; the feeling of not being abandoned – perhaps even childish possessiveness as Shukaku had on countless occasions told him. Either way – giving her to Orochimaru as he knew the Kazekage would expect him to do was…not an option. Strangling the life from her was, crushing her bones to wet pulp was, twisting her body into pieces of wet bone and stringy muscle was. Giving her to another for them to torture and experiment on was not.

The Byakugan would be the end of her for Orochimaru to dissect and pull out; extract her eyes and their secrets then killing her since she was too weak (unlike the Uchiha) to be of any other use. Gaara felt his thumbnail piece his flesh slightly, ground against the flesh of his palm as he thought and pondered. There was an image, a flash and he saw Naruto's blonde hair and wide smile as he introduced the two, _"Ne, take care of each other okay?"_

Take care of each other. The idiotic blonde expected them to do the impossible – how could they take care of each other when they could barely hold themselves up from drowning in their own hells? Still, Naruto was his first 'friend' despite what Shukaku hissed about his loathing for the fox demon and he told Gaara that Hinata was the only one who agreed to 'look after him'. Take care of each other; it was laughable. Hinata had been taking care of him with little things – being his companion that had basically become inseparable while he looked out for her life in his own way. They had been taking care of one another out of a promise to a person who deserved their loyalty in such aspects. Gaara stared at a rain droplet. Unfortunately for her, Gaara would continue to take care of her, in his own way and shield her from her coming fate. The water of the shower continued to run.

-

Hinata shook the water from her hair with a towel and sighed at the foggy mirror. The bathroom was rather small, but it was a bathroom and not bushes so it was much better than what had been available before. Gaara had been rather…livable to deal with as of late and the thought had her petrified to an extent because his short temper and the curled demon within him made him more than merely difficult to confront upon anything. But now however he was changing. Slowly evolving into another side of him he had never exposed and Hinata found that her safety net of knowing him was sweeping out from under her. Slipping into her underwear and nightclothes, she listened for any irregular noises outside of the door.

Nothing.

She bit her lip, feeling an adrenaline rush when she thought of the report she had been writing to Tsunade – also a cry for help because she knew that her time was near. Anyone with any remote guess of an internal death clock would know that it was approaching – it was nearing, her death and by whose hand she didn't know. All she knew was that the bear masked man was who she had seen a few days ago outside of their window, looking up and she believed Gaara knew as well because he stubbornly refused to leave in order to try out for a ninja position. She twisted the wet towel in her hands anxiously, knowing she had to finish her report as soon as possible and send it. This was no time for going over possible escape routes. Not yet.

Hinata's eyes roamed to their left, because she felt slight guilt at the thought of leaving the redhead to fend for himself soon – leaving her promise to Naruto thrown to the wind. She couldn't keep it forever if it was in a downward spiral this fast to hell; she had to break away and protect herself. As of right now, Gaara and her promise to Naruto didn't matter. As of right now,_ Hinata_ mattered, _Hinata_ was the one who counted, _Hinata_ had to make it out and tell the tale. Konohagakure mattered, her home mattered just as much as she did right now. She had to concentrate and let them go; the feeling of guilt and remorse. _Hinata_ mattered for once.

The pale eyed girl pursed her lips and her hands wiped the fog from the mirror, looking at her reflection seriously. Her hand on the mirror clenched a little so the finger curled in to resemble vague fleshy claws. She saw in her own eyes, something dying and rising, rebuilding itself from the death of the senior. It was chained, caged, but rebuilding itself slowly, rising to a higher pedestal than it had been on before. Hinata stared at her reflection and felt dazed at the person glaring back with narrowed eyes, opalescent colors swirling like oil in water as emotions mixed and bubbles over; being kept captive for far too long. Hinata's nails dragged over the mirror and she looked at it heatedly, as though glaring right through it. The thing in her chest, long since chained and yowling for freedom began once more to gnaw on its thick chains. The shackles were rusting and breaking from it slowly. The feline within her chest curled up, as though expanding its body so it made her chest seem tight, made it harder to breathe. A shackle broke. Hinata stared and bit her lip; decision surfacing while the feline inside continued to gnaw on the iron.

This time…_Hinata_ would come first.

-

The strain had become a weight of thousands as it lay upon their shoulders; the strain of lying to one another and keeping secret agendas. Not because of guilty consciences or the affections between them that didn't really exist; but rather to soon to be lost companion, the only one to stick close by despite the major differences – it was coming to a close. A safety net they had unknowingly (knew but denied) wove for one another was breaking tether by singular tether. The comradeship they shared to an extent of friendly enemies or hateful friends was snapping apart because it was a fear that was injected into their systems from each other. Both spoke of blood being drawn in different ways and it would be finalized because in their own ways, this girl and boy were looking out for themselves…and each other in some twisted way of cutting off pain and ending it as soon as possible.

Gaara looked over at the hallway where Hinata stood like a forgotten ghost chained to walls of a hated home. He stared at her, noticing that her eyes gave off a gleam in the dark from reflected light. His eyes narrowed and she continued to stand there, so silent and still he believed she may have died standing up and was in rigor mortis stage to where she was clinically frozen. Then she moved; a sweep of her arm and the sleeping yukata she wore was light with large sleeves. He watched her swallow and her mouth parted slightly a few times as though thinking of something to say in the oddly tense air. "A-Are you h-hungry?" it had been this way for the past few days since she had been discharged from the hospital and every time she would ask that, his narrow just a hair and there would be silence in massive waves. A deadened, graveyard silence that could be carved neatly with a knife because he would not give a response and she would make no move to feed them until he spoke. It was as such right now, Hinata standing still with her hands at her sides, staring at him with those large eyes that drilled proverbial holes through his mask but fell short of fully penetrating because (don't think he didn't see it) she gave up on trying understanding.

He exhaled then nodded almost unseeingly, but she saw because she glided away in that silent way that irritated him to no end. Every time she walked that way (almost every day) he felt like snapping her ankles because in his psyche it meant she was liable to be sneaky, relied upon for finding a quick exit with those silent little feet of hers, dancing on the night clouds as she fled and ruined him all over again. He felt his left fingers twitch and heard Shukaku rumble against his back, the sand in the gourd rolling over. He heard the clatter of dishes and water running, a knife being sharpened against a block. He moved quickly and quietly to the kitchen table and sat down, watching her as she worked. A slab of bloody meat was slapped onto the cutting board; beef and she cut it in thin slices quickly, side winding it before cleaning the knife with soap and moving onto the vegetables she had laid out. A thick square of bean curd was alongside of it all and she sliced it down to little squares.

He watched her with narrow eyes, as she poured in mirin sauce and oyster sauce into the skillet before dumping in the thickly cut vegetables in first. He watched her like a hawk, wondering when she would use poison, how much she would use and what sort. He saw the lurking figure behind her eyes, wielding a sick and innocent seeming smile. The redheaded demon container could see the growing thing that was bubbling, ready to overflow and take over, and the thought of seeing it first hand, the lengths that her now plausible cruelty could go, excited him to a twisted end. He wondered when it would take her in a strangle hold and demand for a place in her that was not locked tight because if all those feelings over the years, the hidden resentment, jealousy and anger (it was natural, impossible for her not to feel them because she was a feeling human being) would fester like a fungus and grow, grow into stalks until it blossomed; a giant bloom that held thorns and a gaping maw ready to devour in order to grow more.

He saw it; the mutation that she tried to fight and hide, but suppressing it would make it grow larger. Gaara knew, just like she did what this would do, when he broke and when she broke. He remembered when he asked her what she'd been writing a few days ago, because he'd found ink and a pen. What had she replied? Things that would be needed later for the store because they were still under a house restriction the lazy man had failed to mention to them earlier.

Gaara's fists clenched at the remembrance of it. He heard Shukaku howl with laughter. _Is she really telling lies again? She likes to play with fire, doesn't she boy?_ He felt the sand stir hungrily in his gourd.

He felt his chest tighten a little, burning a bit when he inhaled sharply at that statement.

-

Dun dun DUN!!! My decision on the ending has been decided. :P And joo can't do anything about it. I haven't written the entire story (apparently) but I know the basic outline and how this is going to end. So…yeah just thought I'd make that announcement.

For those who are confused about Gaara 'forfeiting something'; good. For those who aren't; awesome. Don't worry, more detail will come in but I just wanted a little teaser before I gave the explanation. XD Sorry 'bout that folks.

And did you notice Hinata's slight character change above? …Huh…rubs you the wrong way, don't it? XP Thanks Gaara, and FYI you want to know a good song to sum up their relationship? Try 'The Game' by Disturbed. Kickass and freakish to how the story and song mold together (seriously, yeah; go look up the lyrics on but beware of the spoilers the song will unveil…sort of….)


	16. Chapter 16

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Sixteen: Hysteria_

XxX

_Hinata breathed in deeply and scouted around, checking behind her to be sure that the demon boy Gaara was not hot on her heels. She'd only managed to wriggle from his grasping sand moments ago, so it was safe to say she was the apple of his eye at the moment. Gluing her back to a wall, a shadow danced on the alley wall opposite of her, moving languidly with the tense strut of a predator. She knew who it was from the awkward bulge behind a slim fitted back, not wanting to activate her Byakugan as it may draw his attention; she let her eyes stay wide open, fixated on the shadow with her ears perked. She didn't let herself breathe. _

_Time ticked by…tick…tock…tick…tock…bum-bum…bum-bum…. The steady throb of her pulse kept her occupied as she listened closely, sandals crunching against the ground as he moved slowly, alertly. Hinata forced her breath and body to completely be at a standstill as she waited for him to pass, not wishing to cross paths with him now. She looked down at her fingers, suddenly warm and she saw blood coating them slickly, she turned her head to look at the wall and gagged. There, in place of stone and brick were warm corpses she hadn't felt, bodies twisted ruthlessly to create a humanoid wall. Faces twisted into expressions of horror and pain stared at her as blood congealed and fell off in dryer clumps and wet droplets, creating a bloody mud at her feet as she moved back, wanting to heave but nothing but sickly bile riled up at her throat's crown. Hinata watched as something behind one of the bodies moved; rolling against it and she did not notice anything but the body to realize that the footsteps had faded long ago. The searching moved and began to push through other bodies, fighting for an exit and Hinata watched in horror as fingers reached for her, palm face up and placid. She took a step back and the fingers twitched, pale and wrought in blood, caked under fingernails with a vengeance. It curled tightly into a well formed fist and began to move, an arm following it. _

_Torn black mesh covered the shoulder that now popped free from in the mass of bodies torn and built into a wall. Another arm popped free, shoving a corpse down from the wall and fingers scraped after Hinata who backed up until she hit the other wall, fright consuming her alive. The fingers that beckoned her to come close stopped moving and the arms stopped trying to push away the bodies around it. There was stillness and Hinata's head whipped to the end of the alleyway, it was closing and little light filtered through. She moved quickly, turning her body and full out running to the alleyway's end. The still arm zipped up and snagged her ankle, fingers seizing it violently and nearly crushing her ankle as the nails dug in to leave spots of browned red and blue. Hinata looked back and stared at the arm with her Byakugan activated, veins pulsing at her temples. Dots of red and blue chakra dotted the arm and pulsed, the arm didn't budge and the fingers holding her captive didn't relent when she brought up her other foot to grind it in the pale flesh, trying to shove it away. The fingers' grip only tightened and constricted, probably drawing blood from her. It moved suddenly, this arm holding her and bent at the elbow as it dragged her closer to the wall of bodies. She screamed and her fingers burned; a lit with an inner fire as she slapped at the arm, she watched chakra close up but that didn't stop it. As she stabbed her fingers into various points, she almost felt her wrist break in half when the other arm snapped into movement and caught her, gripping her wrist too tightly. Her eyes widened like white china saucers dancing on her face as it bent at the elbow and began to copy the other arm's movement; reeling her in. She dragged over the ground and her other arm moved, flailing to hit more points to close as she saw them like brightly colored paint spots. _

_The arm holding her ankle jerked violently and she fell back, cracking her head on the cemented ground harshly, feeling the immediate pain and seeing stars float around her. She whimpered a little and tried to curl up but from the position the arms had her at, it did little to help alleviate the pain. The Byakugan had flickered out like a bad light when she had hit her head so suddenly and soundly. Her eyes shut as she tried to rock back and forth, feeling lightheaded as spots dotted the vision of the backs of her eyelids. She felt fingers twitch and cling to her ankle still, holding on to her wrist tightly. She cracked her eyes open and saw it there, peering at her so eerily from the pile of corpses built as a barricade. Luminescent grey green eyes ringed in black shined at her with a torrent of intense emotions, flared and shaggy red hair showed through, pale skin and a crimson sign of the love kanji was revealed. He was panting, Hinata saw and she let herself still for she saw blood trickle down his forehead and pool into his mouth, she stared at his arms which were now covered with horrible burns and deep slashes. He snarled at her and she watched as he wretched his head out of the carnage to stare at her deeply. Flecks of blood flew from his mouth and onto her skin, dyeing it. His eyes were wide, but not focused, glazed and Hinata watched as he pulled her closer, his mouth moved to form syllables she couldn't understand, chanting a mantra beneath his ragged breath. Whispers of the unknown crowded her ears; a sublimity of undertones beneath her own pounding heart. She heard her wrist snap painfully but she was too focused on Gaara to do anything but flinch harshly at it. A person's limp hand flopped in front of him but he continued to drag her closer to the wall of the dead, nearly breaking her ankle. _

_Hinata looked down at her leg to see that the arm had disappeared along with most of her leg, buried behind the cold dead bodies (so slimy, so cold, so dead, so horrid, so much like Hell) and her thigh was slowly disappearing with the rest of her leg, she felt the fingers on that ankle flex. Gaara released her snapped wrist, probably broken and gripped her other ankle, jerking it quickly to the wall. He was closer to her face now; she could see that his lips were chapped and cracked; bleeding. His ragged breath as though he was critically injured had her hypnotized. Her other leg was disappearing and she stared at his face, among these dead bodies he had been the only one alive, who had been chasing her a mere few minutes ago. She saw that his red hair was matted down in clumps, browned and sticky, slick with life fluid and Hinata stared at him while she watched blood bubble from his nostrils and drip down, slowly and stain her pants. Red trickled from his ears and dripped down steadily. Her legs, she noticed were completely submerged in the wall of the dead, mingling along with those cold corpses, twisted and slimy with decay. Her pale eyes flashed up to Gaara who stared at her, a hand snatched out from the wall and clutched her shoulder and she writhed suddenly, waking up from the hypnosis. Waking, waking, alive, dead, corpse cold, enter living dead girl. His other hand shot out, fingernails coated in the brown jelly like substance that stunk of death, and he gripped her other shoulder. She saw what he was whispering, what his mouth was wording so quietly and hoarsely as though his voice hadn't been used in a hundred years and was rusty without aid of oil. "_Hold your breath, hold it. Hold your breath. Hold it._" She sucked in a breath and stared at him with wide eyes, his mouth twitched and suddenly, Hinata lost all her air. Not just a twitch. Not a grin of a mad joker. Not a smirk. An empty, hollow smile of the dead. _

_His hands, painful as they may be, dragged her past the pressed bodies of the dead, she felt their cold flesh touch her and she shrieked. She was in an awkward position, sat like a doll behind the dead and surrounded by them. Empty eye sockets, long since decayed. She turned her head to Gaara who had let her shoulders go, "_G-G-Gaara…?"

_Empty dulled sea glass eyes stared back, blood foamed at his mouth conjoined with spittle and it leaked from various places all over him, burns adorned him like brands. She screamed and back away, feet scraping over the bodies of the dead, circling her in this wall, pressed quite tightly together. A hand shot out and gripped her wrist, and kept her still. She stared at his face, which didn't move and then her eyes traveled to the hand that flexed over her injured wrist. Pain. She looked over at him and noticed his back barely moved that instead of the usual warmth he seemed to exude from his skin, it was cold. His eyes stayed on her face and never blinked. Cold corpses pressed against her. Gaara's fingers tightened over her wrist. She forced her muscles to relax and she stared back at him, not blinking and wondering how long it would be until she froze to death. She let her eyes close_.

-

There are signs of paranoia. He should know, because he himself was paranoid to wanting to have eyes in the back of his head; paranoia could make or break a person just like many undesirable or desirable things in this world. A prickle on the back of your neck, for instance like a cold breath, could mean someone was watching you or you believed someone was watching you, watching how you moved, when you moved, everything that was you. That could be the paranoia of having personal space violated, someone knowing more about you than you'd like.

Checking behind doors, into hallways by only peeking part of your head out and using a mirror; paranoia of being sneaked up on or death. Before the redhead who speculated what may have been wrought wrong within his companion's mind, Hinata stood at the sink washing her arms and scrubbing them harshly with a washcloth. Hot water streamed over her arms and she kept shivering, he could see it travel at the crown of her spine and down to her little tailbone. She was having trouble breathing, not crying but hiccupping and accusing the cold, dead and sliminess of it all – in which she muttered she could still feel it. Gaara wondered if she was really sane at all anymore, and he listened to Shukaku. _Hyuugas have twisted premonitions, within their Byakugan eyes and dreams. Their mind is a sailing vessel for that which is not explained and cannot be explained. She saw something,_ Shukaku howled with laughter, craggy voice bouncing off the proverbial walls of Gaara's psyche, before the raccoon demon continued. _She saw something cold, dead and slimy, something haunting, something horrible and she knows about you Gaara. She already knows. She's not stupid, she is timid and quiet. Ever the observer, she is. She knows, or at least feels her fate and you – remember what the fox boy said? She's like glass. We've broken her, chip by chip and when you pick up glass, what does it do, Gaara…? _He listened to Shukaku purr, felt his claws wrap gently around his throat and chin. _What does it do?_

"_Hinata-chan…she's like…glass, like Kurenai-sensei said, she's real breakable…she said something about cutting you up too…"_

The sand at his feet moved then with Gaara staring at her arms which now had red marks from the steaming water and bloodspots beneath her skin from the harsh scrubbing. The sand shot out in tentacles, thin and slim and wrapped around one of her ankles – instead of Hinata just looking down at them blankly or glaring at the sand that clutched her ankle; it was a different reaction – to different. She screamed and her arms flailed, washcloth landing with a plop in the sink and the water continued to breathe out steam like a sea snake made of water. She tripped over herself and landed on the tile floor. The sand had slipped away from her, poised like a snake from Gaara's own shock. Her Byakugan was alive and staring at him harshly, scolding him with a burning white look. Her breath was ragged and her shaking arms shivered as they tried to prop her up. Her eyes were wide, frightened and glaring at him a white star fire and her mouth was twisted into something resembling a frightened scowl.

He heard Shukaku snarl at her within his mind. _What she saw, grabbed her and held her ankle…she's never like this, boy. This is true fear…madness…hysteria_…

Gaara stood from his seat at the kitchen table and edged closer to her as one would curiously slink towards an injured animal in horrendous pain. The sand that had been poised near her, reared up like a spitting cobra dissolved into a shapeless mass that hissed back to his gourd, grains moving over the tile of the kitchen and carpet of the dining area. The Byakugan stared at him and as he approached her, one arm slipped and she fell on her shoulder however her feet twisted and pushed against the slick tiles, moving her away from him. The redhead stopped and watched her, the way her arm was situated awkwardly beneath her and she didn't care, how she moved like something near death and the look of horror in her eyes as the Byakugan revealed something veiled with a thin silk. _Hysteria is a dangerous sort of thing…this girl had always had the probability of possessing more of it than anyone else. She sees what is real and what is not, she believes in a different set of regulations set by those eyes which have seen the dead and the living coerce, seen them meld together and those eyes which have seen the ruined ghosts of this place. For her, hysteria is in her nature and…_

Hinata stared at him with those large white eyes that glared and the veins that pulsed with life.

_That is her own madness that has trapped her_. _What she sees is her burden_… Shukaku sang in his head and the redhead understood, finally, why Shukaku didn't scream for her blood as much as the others; an immediate death for her. Gaara understood now. _It won't be long now before something just…falls apart_. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he understood what Shukaku's motives were.

-

Hinata stared up at Gaara, with her Byakugan activated and saw the blood drip from his forehead, mingling with the foam at the corners of his mouth, eye sockets wide and the whites of his eyes were much too large. Rivulets of blood ran down his arms and drip dropped down his arms and plopped off his fingers. Fright clogged her throat and the murmur of the living dead whipped into her mind and put her adrenaline in full throttle and then on immediate hold. He approached her unsteadily and his arm reached out, fingers stretching for her.

(_Those fingers reached out from the corpses of the dead to grasp at her, pull her under and make her suffer with him, this feeling of not being abandoned will not be undone in death_)

Her arm slipped and she fell heavily on her shoulder but Hinata paid it no mind, instead opting for forcing her feet to scrape against the tiled floor and try to move her away from the redhead. Spittle frothed at his lips and mingling with dark red, and went down the sides of his mouth leaving trails like a puppet's lined mouth. He approached, swaying uncertainly and Hinata thought it must be hard for the dead or dying to move, blood frothed and dripped from his lips, staining them a cherry color. A bubble of blood formed in his left nostril then popped, spraying his face with miniscule dots of blood and leaving a colored trail for Hinata's Byakugan. Her head ached. She could feel bile push at the bottom of her throat. Trickling down, the blood formed with the forth at the corner of his mouth as the other nostril began to dribble blood as well. His red hair was matted and clumped. Hinata watched him walk closer.

(_The bodies of the dead wall, all twisted and mangled, he'd drag her with him to their death under the bodies and never let her wrist go; theirs is not a vow of marriage or loyalty, it is one not even death or destiny cannot break – abandonment could only undo it._)

The Byakugan undid itself when Hinata snapped her eyes shut and willed it away. Dark behind her lids and so she opened them; Gaara stared down at her with a look she had never seen before on his face. Bewilderment and a look of someone else, not him, witnessing madness. He was not frothing blood at his lips, it was not pouring from his nose and ears and his eyes were not wide and unfocused. He stared at her with a slightly wider gaze and that was all. He was as still as a statue and he said nothing, still and silent. He did not look dead, but alive and warm, unlike she who was shivering with the cold. Her arm hurt and so did her shoulder. Her head was pounding with some sort of headache. Her eyes were in pain as though a needle was prodding at them behind her eyeballs. He stepped closer and she saw small tentacles reach out and wrap around her ankles almost hesitantly, he was giving her an odd eye. Smaller hands of sand gripped her upper body and pulled her up. The sand hadn't yet let go of her ankles when the grains wrapped around her torso fell away. Hinata swayed and held a hand to her head, listened to the hammer strike at her cranium. Maybe it would shatter her skull.

The sand at her ankle slipped away slowly and pushed at her calves in the direction of her bedroom down the hall. Hinata swayed and her hand reached out to steady her body against the wall, vision cloudy. Her eyes hurt, so did her shoulder and her head was pounding. (_And if he were dead, he'd rise and come after her too, wouldn't he? He would_.)

Bile rose to her throat and she threw herself in the bathroom, slung her arms over the toilet like a lover's embrace and heaved. Sweat clung to her forehead and it was hot – Hinata vaguely noticed the comings of a fever as her entire body moved with the force of another heave. A shadow in the doorway and Hinata didn't look up, probably Gaara looking in curiously because he'd never seen someone vomit anything besides blood before. Her longs bangs were in her eyes and her hair was plastered to her head, sweat rolling off in droplets and beading up. She coughed and heaved once more, stomach cramping horribly because there was nothing besides tea to vomit. Stomach acids burned her throat and mouth, making her nostrils flare and catch scent of her own sickly yellowish bile. Her fingers weakly clutched at the porcelain seating of the toilet.

Heat clouded her mind and so did the burning acrid scent of her vomit. Hinata pressed her cheek against the cold porcelain of the toilet and thought that steam might've risen from it. Strands of her hair were falling towards her mouth and Hinata didn't have enough strength to push them away when another sensation came upon her. Something filtered through her hair and yanked it back quickly, but not hurtfully. She heaved and recognized the feelings of grains against her scalp. Spots danced before her eyes and she scratched at the sand, reaching up with a shaky hand. She pushed herself from the toilet and her hand tried to grasp the edge of the counter next to her. Grains of earth tugged at her wrist and something pushed at her legs. She rose shakily and didn't bother to bat the sand away. Clumsy hands turned the water faucets on and gulped water in her mouth with cupped hands. She spat it out to try to rid herself of the taste of bile that saturated her tongue. She did it repeatedly and the sand fell away, pooling at her feet like an old and obedient dog. She coughed but didn't gag or spit anything up.

Blood flecked the phlegm she spat into the sink and she watched it swirl down the drain. Her fingers twisted the faucets off and she stepped back, bumping into the wall behind her when she stumbled. Sand was around her ankles and it tightened – almost bruising her – before it tugged her from the bathroom and pushed her down the hall. Hinata twisted her neck around lazily and uncoordinatedly to look over at the shadow at the end of the hall. His arms were crossed and there was an odd look in his eye. '_Do you see it? Do you see it too? Gaara, do you see what I see?_' her vision of him was cut off when she was pushed into her bedroom and forced to topple on her futon mattress unceremoniously. Her head hit the pillow and a plethora of brightly colored flowers burst then popped behind her now closed lids. She was tired.

Her eyes closed and a figure lingered beneath her doorway, eyes bright beneath the darkened bedroom. They disappeared into the black of his lids and Gaara moved away, sand entering gourd once more, cork securely on the top.

-

Above…in the italics…was actually a dream I had. It scared the right fuck out of me. :D Also, it kinda fit the context in which Hinata is slowly having premonitions on. …but that was Hinata's dream in this, so yes. O.o; So question of the day…what in the fucking hell is wrong with Hinata? Notice the title? Good luck. XP This chapter was mostly a filler; (SORRY!) however it's giving an interesting…glimpse into what is becoming of the two. :D Kay?

To **creynoso** who asked if there was a meaning behind my title; yes, 'Demon's Ball' in literal terms of speaking means gathering of the demons, or a demon's party. As for how you may interpret of the demons in this story, I've decided to leave that up to the public. :D

To **taixonay** who asked how Gaara categorizes Naruto since I wrote him as a friend, this explanation will unravel because this story is gonna take forever to do much to my disappointment. Agh…also, you made a valid point that the cry of help Hinata would be sending to Tsunade would be rather useless, which is doubtlessly true, however…there are other motives to use. So…yeah…please don't die. I don't want to be put up for manslaughter. O.O

Please let me know if you've got other questions or points you'd like me to address and keep reviewing…XP Love ya'll. Have a nice read and day folks.


	17. Chapter 17

**Demon's Ball**

_Chapter Seventeen: Eris_

XxX

Gaara's eyes snapped open and his head whipped to the door. A knock sounded out and the redhead was still as death, "Hey open up," a pause. "You aren't doing anything…naughty are you?" Gaara's upper lip curled up in disgust at the meaning behind the teasing inquiry. The sand trickled out and turned the knob, the door flying open and the sand curled on the floor just in case he tried something. The bandana wearing ninja frowned at the boy who was glaring at him in return, "Hn, it's you." The older ninja sighed at the boy's rather blank features before scuffing his sandaled foot on the carpet before entering, "Alright red, where's the girl?" there was a note of suspicion in his voice. Gaara crossed his arms and stood from the chair he sat on.

"She's sick," his voice was short and curt; resisting the urge to strangle the intruder. The man seemed to have sensed this, shoulders and calves tensing a bit in response. "She's resting so leave," the words were spoken evenly but the redhead's glare was narrow and piercing, just as intimidating as the sand that hissed across the kitchen floor and the carpet.

The man made an irritated grunt, "Look I just need to see that she doesn't need to go to the hospital, she's not dead and that she's been eating properly." Silence then, the sand didn't retreat, "One minute and then I'm gone, alright?" Gaara stared at him and nudged his head to the hallway.

"Last one on the left. One minute." The ninja stepped around the sand and kept a wary eye on the redheaded kid before walking down the hallway, straight to the last door on the left just as he'd been told. He reached out and opened the door quietly, peeking in only to see a pathetic bundle of blankets and a girl who looked pale and was currently sweating. He stared at her for a moment before entering the room while the back of his neck prickled having sensed that he had been followed closely. He took silent, careful steps to the girl and he crouched down beside her.

"Pst, hey kiddo," his voice was softer then and her eyes creaked open while her head turned to him. "Just checking to make sure you're still alive," he murmured and he reached out with the back of his hand to check her forehead – damn well gave him a third degree burn. "Tch, you have any medicine," the girl continued to stare at him in a confused sort of way; as though she didn't understand what language he was talking in. he half turned to the doorway entrance where Gaara was standing beneath, his arms crossed in a superior manner. "Did you get her any medicine?" he asked leisurely and a flat glare told him everything he needed to know. "Whatever, anyway there's a corner store about a block from here; go get some cold medicine, cough syrup and I guess herbal tea." The redhead was still glaring at him, and he sighed audibly, mumbling 'stubborn little bastard' beneath his breath. "I'll go and I get it this time but you have to administer it," he muttered moodily to Gaara who hadn't budged from his spot. He made a few quick hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke – no trace of him left.

Gaara turned his glower to Hinata as though she was the cause of all this; her white eyes were unfocused and dewy. She coughed lightly and made a pitiful sound before shuddering, then curling into a ball and tossing the blankets over her head. Gaara said nothing but closed the door behind him and sat down with his back to a wall opposite of her, his legs crossed in a meditative position. His eyes closed and he listened to her choppy breathing, his breathing and his heartbeat. _Why is that whenever she's ill or weakened or being stupid, we're the ones stuck with her? Gaara the caretaker of the most useless creature in the world, who has such a fragile psyche that she, goes into hysterics over a few nightmares. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Suits you, doesn't it?_ Shukaku hissed poison into Gaara's ears and he could hear the chains, rusted and weak rattle in his mind. _She's taken you apart piece by piece so that you fit her needs as a companion and protector. You should have killed her by now; she's falling and she's only going to drag you down with her like the infamous Titanic. Do you want to have that happen Gaara? Do you want to drown and die?_

Gaara had no retort to that mostly due to the fact that some of it was true and the others were just exaggerations. To an extent he had become her caretaker and shield from the rest of the world – someone who could shut her away from everyone else and the worst thing he could do to torture her when she was in this state would be to simply leave. Leave, vanish in thin air and abandon her like she had thought about and almost did to him because within the state of mind she was in currently, she couldn't handle anything on her own. She would fall apart; burst into a million microscopic pieces and no one would bother picking her up and piecing her together because she was one of the invisible of the world. With him there, near her but not necessarily protecting from everyone she had some sort of twisted reality in which she could stand on. She, in turn was the companion who would not abandon him and it is in this that life is not so bleak; he knows what it feels like to have someone by your side till the end when all the cards all fall.

He stared down at the girl, who was nothing more than a bundle with a few tufts of stray blue black hair that stuck out from the blanket's opening. He remembered that in the beginning, she had taken pains to keep him at ease, she had obeyed whatever he'd said, ordered without question and it was in this that he knew that this girl was too timid for anyone to truly feel inferior around her. It changed, some way somehow it changed. The more time spent with him, she had slowly understood what the world was like, not just the Hyuugas (because unlike the world, the Hyuugas were cold and harsh; not cruel and sadistic).

She had crawled out of the blinded shell she'd been wrapped in to see the world and the people in it for what they really were, she of all people with her Byakugan could see it far more easily than anyone else – all she needed was to know where to look.

Gaara could see it in her, the drive kicking itself awake. It was a sight to behold. His drive and eyes had been open much earlier than most so to watch a late bloomer bud and slowly release unto was something intriguing to watch. Observing the curious trait was a treat Gaara thought of as an experiment.

His eyes flicked to the door where their 'guardian' entered without saying anything, a brown paper bag tucked into the crook of his arm. He set it down on a low set table without a word and turned on his heel to the door, "Hey, kid," he called to Gaara whose eyes only gazed back silently. "Does she get nightmares a lot?" he questioned him and Gaara's eyes narrowed. "You two were separated from your ranks after Iwa attacked, right? You both must've seen your comrades die." He said it as though it would explain why he'd brought up the nightmares, "Nightmares cause stress and too much stress makes people sick." The nin's eyes flashed over at Gaara, "Do you think she has nightmares about that?" he knew about them, but there was no solid proof unless he decided to investigate into Hinata's so called 'blindness'. The Lightning country had after all sought after the Byakugan.

"One minute's up." The sand hissed from his gourd and swamped the carpet around the man's feet but he stood his ground in a nonthreatening way even when Gaara stood with a dark look on his face. "Get out. Now," he added and a silent command the sand rose around them in thin tentacles and moved likes snakes from Medusa's hair.

The shinobi blinked at him calmly, "If she keeps having nightmares people will start to get concerned for her." Gaara glared back, ire rising before the elder turned from him, "See you next week then, alright?" he was gone in a second, smoke curling up from where he once had been.

Gaara's sand fell and swirled on the ground before shooting back to his gourd, cork materializing back into its place. Without turning to the pallid and sick girl behind him he spoke, "Did you hear him?" he asked. Hinata's eyes were open halfway, focused and almost vibrant, "Did you?" she didn't answer or move to let him know that she'd heard him.

Hinata didn't answer but only hear the clink of the glass medicinal bottles rattle together in the bag. She heard him shift over to her and crouch at her side. She lifted her eyes to meet his silently, still sick but she radiated something a half eaten poisonous snake would. He stared down at her and set the paper bag at her side before looking away. "We're running out of time," he murmured to himself almost, as though she weren't there; a mere irritating specter. Hinata gazed at him with half lidded eyes and listened to him mutter to himself, watched the red veins in the whites of his eyes pulse and grow out in spider thin legs. His green eyes flashed a momentary iridescent gold – the color of kings and downfalls. Hinata felt the veins at her temples rise and thicken. The Byakugan, undiluted and light, stared at Gaara to see threads of gold and unruly purpled blue twist together like a colorful mating ball of snakes.

Hinata stared at him and saw what was to be, but could not make herself rise from her sickbed and heal herself. She let the Byakugan fall away and she closed her eyes. Her feet shifted, feeling restless and grains twined around her ankles, thin, slim and warmed. The sand squeezed warningly once, twice before slipping from the covers and to the gourd. Hinata turned to him partially and opened her eyes a crack to find that he was not there, only sparkling bits of white sand winked at her from the carpet on her blanket.

The Byakugan went on and Hinata surveyed the surroundings and outside of the building in which they were temporarily housing. No sign of the redhead. Hinata let her bloodline limit fall away again and she forced herself to rise, despite the weakness in her arms. She discarded the idea of taking the medicine since it would make her comfortable and detour her way to her goal. She needed to finish off what she'd started. Opening the bottom drawer of her small chest, she rummaged through her assortment of clothing to retrieve her pen and the scroll in which she'd been writing on. Quickly, quickly, quickly before the eyes of the sandman should catch her.

Unfurling the scroll, she laid it out on the low set table and uncapped the pen with a shaky hand; she had no idea how much time she had before Gaara's return. The pen scribbled messily, she wrote down in such a hurry that her thoughts were barely collected what with her being ill as well. To her dear Hokage, she wrote of what was happening and what she believed was going on.

Hinata didn't know how much time had passed when she had almost finished writing on the entire scroll but she did hear the rustle of sand grains. Restless and yearning – Gaara knew he couldn't kill while they were still in the Lightning country or do anything to draw too much attention to them. Hinata capped the pen, not noticing the ink streaks it had left on the side of her palm. The scroll was barely drying to she blew on it hurriedly before stuffing it in the still open drawer flat and inked side up. The pen was thrown in with it and she scuttled back into her covers and threw them over her head, burying herself into a cocoon. Her heartbeat sounded like small explosives going off in a series of practiced bombs.

She prayed nothing was off and closed her eyes, forcing her body to fall limply in a slow state of rest balanced meditation.

Gaara stood on the other side of her door silently, having listened to the small ruckus she'd caused before closing one eye and placing his hand over it, other palm open while sand created an eyeball. The eye stared back at Gaara evenly before it whisked away and under the door's crack. It slipped through and Gaara saw Hinata, bundled up and blankets covering her. He spotted the paper bag filled with its contents, not touched and he could have scowled. The eye looked about and noticed nothing until it saw a drawer ajar slightly with the corner of a page sticking out a bit haphazardly. More sand slipped through the door and silently tugged the drawer open, quieter than it ever had to have been before. A scroll greeted the third eye. Written in fresh ink from the blurred characters on the paper it looked like too.

Without bothering the shut the drawer, all the sand including the third eye which looked over the scroll vanished from the room and back to the gourd of the shaking boy on the other side of the door. He stared at the door as though willing it to burst into flames. His thoughts were a myriad of chaos, blood and suffrage to the one behind the door. He wanted to twist her fingers until they broke, bones popping and snapping and cracking under strain, dig her eyes out because they saw him and knew what to come next. Break her into pieces in which no one could find and make her bleed out an apology for him, an apology in blood for abandoning him, misusing him and for betraying him. _Kill her, kill her – she has to die because that it the way of things, twist her soul out of her body, dig into her flesh and eat her heart out. Drain her of blood to watch her cough and reach for you, _kill her. Shukaku roared in his head, chains rattling, the kingdom within coming undone while the fortresses shook from the unexpected action.

On the other side of the door, Hinata had already fallen asleep – unaware of what was happening.

Hinata dreamt of crooked wings and sand dunes while Gaara's kingdom rattled and howled for retribution.

-

The title 'Eris' is the name of the Greek goddess of discord – supposed to represent what happened in the chapter.

…The end is near since I have devised a way to make this shorter and less painful for me. I can already tell you to not tell me whether or not to make it a happy or sad ending. Sorry this chapter was a bit short, but the next one should be either longer or just more turbulent. :D

Be warned that I may take DB down to revamp and change it. Or something. XD

Read and review if you like. Have a nice day folks. :P


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