Naruto: Gaara [L'Historie D'Une Fee, part 4]
Title: L'historie D'une Fee, part 4
Author: namistai8
Character/Pairing/Group: Gaara, GaaraxHinata, mentions of one sided HinataxKiba and NarutoxHinata
Rating: PG
Disclaimer/Notes/Whatever: Spoilers for the Rescue Gaara arc in the manga. Continuation to L'historie D'une Fee, part 3. Hinata finds out about the marriage offer
Even though you're well intentioned / One or two or three things you mentioned / Leave a taste familiar to me so / Even with a slight sarcastic / A ripple in a voice elastic / I could crack the slightest code of woe
~Union of Knives
"Do you know why he asked for you?" Tsunade asked bluntly.
Hyuuga Hinata shook her head, mutely. Her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Already a bit disconcerted to having been called into the Hokage's office for no apparent reason, she had been utterly unprepared for the reason why.
There was a moment of silence. Tsunade considered the young kunoichi in front of her. As a Hokage she was intimately familiar with the details of her family and her abilities. But she wasn't at all familiar with the woman in front of her. Oh, she could speak of her character, shy and retiring but with a taut chord of steel that had been revealed in other moments. Almost too gentle and tender hearted for the dirty business of being a shinobi, but clan Hyuuga has always served. A skilled Byakuugan user, but not the best of her generation as that title was undisputed by her older cousin. Tsunade acknowledged that the Hyuuga was a pretty girl with clear porcelain skin, contrasted by her dark raven hair and her wide, pale eyes. But she also doubted very much that Hinata's beauty was what had prompted the proposal.
"Do you have.... feelings for him?" she asked as neutrally as she could. Tsunade knew that the question was intrusive, but she knew the answer already. It was also no secret that the Hyuuga heiress had a secret tendre for Uzumaki Naruto. Her blushes seemed to always give her away. Still, there was much Tsunade didn't know about Hinata. And she had to make sure.
Hinata blushed furiously and shook her head. Her thoughts had flown immediately to Naruto-kun, his bright blue eyes and fierce smile despite her best attempts to stop this tendency. Just thinking about Naruto in this circumstance brought an odd tightness to her chest.
Tsunade sighed. As a Hokage, she was keen on the proposition. Strategically it made sense to further strengthen the ties between Suna and Konoha. But as a woman, she wasn't comfortable to sacrificing another woman to an entirely political match. If she thought that Hinata might derive some personal happiness from it, then perhaps she wouldn't have so many qualms. On the other hand, the entire decision could very well be out of her hands already. As a Hokage, she had to present the matter to the head of clan Hyuuga and also allow the clan to come to a decision. And then, to the Council of Elders, who most likely would agree to the match. "If you had feelings for him, I might have a clearer conscience about this. As a Hokage, I cannot ignore the petition of the Kazekage, nor what it could mean to both our villages. I won't order you, but I have and will present the matter to the council and to the head of clan Hyuuga," Tsunade said, not unkindly and wished there was more that she could do. But like Hinata, she had duties that could not be ignored.
Hinata nodded and left after a short bow, trying to collect her rampant thoughts as the shock of the news that the Kazekage of Suna had for her hand in marriage.
Tsunade looked at the space where the young kunoichi had stood so quietly and still, considering how neatly Sabaku no Gaara had forced her hand.
***
"Do you know why he asked for you?" Hiashi asked his daughter. No sooner had he returned from the Hokage's office, that he sequestered himself in his office with his oldest daughter, who didn't seem surprised by his actions.
"No," Hinata said quietly.
Hiashi considered his position. As head of clan Hyuuga, the marriage proposal was enticing. Not only would it bolster their status within Konoha, but also abroad. As a father, he wasn't ready to condemn one of his daughters to a loveless marriage. He had always expected Hinata would end up marrying either one of her teammates, to whom he had noticed she was devoted to. "The council will want to accept. I may not be able to block their decision unless... " Hiashi let his voice trail off.
"Unless?" Hinata asked with a trembling voice.
"You give me a good reason," Hiashi finished gently. He noted the shock in his daughter's eyes and felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't been a good father, having been more preoccupied by the fact that his eldest daughter despite being the clan heir was inferior in skills and technique to a branch member. His own daughter didn't believe that he would stick up for her, and even though it did not pain him, it did sadden him a little. But he could only lay the blame at his own feet.
They stood looking at each other, father and daughter. Hinata knew that her father cared for her, even when he was disappointed with her existence, but she had not expect that he would offer to attempt to block the council from marrying her off to the Kazekage. She knew what it could potentially cost him and clan Hyuuga to do so and part of her was amazed that he was willing to go that far.
"I don't love him," she said plainly, although it embarrassed her to admit it to her father. Emotions and feelings were not things they had ever openly discussed. It left her feeling strange and a bit disoriented being this candid with him but she was desperate enough to attempt it, even when she felt she was struggling vainly.
No. Not vainly. If there was something that Naruto-kun had taught her was to fight for herself.
Her father gave her a pitying look. "That's not good enough," he answered softly.
And those words reverberated between them. Everything from her had never been 'good enough'. It hurt less now in comparison to her childhood. But it still stung. She had tried to so hard to live up to his expectations. To everyone's expectations.
"If you feared for your safety because he's... unstable," Hiashi said lamely. What he really wanted to say was that the Kazekage was a sociopath, but he was a realist. A number of successful and powerful ninjas were bloodthirsty and violent. Besides, the Hyuugas were no cowards. It would pain him to crouch his daughter's reluctance as fear, but he was willing to do it.
Hinata's mind flashed to the image of Gaara-san holding his infant niece in his arms, full of wonder and apprehension. No, she didn't fear for her life. Before, she might have but everything she had seen of the Kazekage ever since that Chuunin exam where they lost the Sandaime was that Gaara was no more violent or vicious than some of the other ninja she had come into contact with.
"I meet with the Council on the morrow," he said with one long look, hoping that by then, Hinata would have something to say. Part of him felt railroaded, as if he was simply going through the motions, something he wasn't used to. Part of him knew that the decision wasn't really his daughter's to make and even his approval was not needed.
Hinata left her father's study, a knot of bitterness and panic rising up. She hadn't really expected for her father to be able to change anything. But when he had asked, she had dared to hope. She wished her feelings were enough to change things, but they rarely were. Was she supposed to be devastated about it? She was, partly. But she was also used to it.
***
"You're not going to accept are you? I mean, you can't!" Kiba sputtered, pacing. Shino just shot him a look and Kiba growled.
It had been hard. Much harder than she expected. They had been stupefied and then Kiba had been outraged. Shino hadn't said a word yet, but Hinata knew that he was more of a realist and probably thought of all the possible angles of attack. If he hadn't suggested a course of action yet, it was because he was pretty sure of what the outcome would be regardless.
"I can't refuse," Hinata said, her voice lowered, her heart beating erratically. It was ironic, in a way. She had hoped that marriage would liberate her from the trap of being a Hyuuga. If she had married into another clan, she would have had to leave the position of clan heir and then Neji-niisan would finally be able to claim what was rightfully his. And she would be free from it. Instead...
"I'll marry you. Let's get married instead. Then you won't have to marry him," Kiba offered impulsively. "Then you'll have to stay, and we'll all still be together."
Hinata choked on her laughter, a strange cross of painful laugh and hurried breath. She loved Kiba. She really did. He was a strong and kind friend. And his offer proved it to her. And she was pretty sure that he would make a good husband. But he wasn't Naruto either. And he deserved better than a wife that loved him and didn't love him at the same time.
"Kiba," Shino said seriously. "How would it look for the village if the expected bride suddenly ran off to get married with a regular jounin instead of accepting the Kazekage's proposal?"
"Who cares about him? Or what it looks like? This is Hinata and she doesn't love him and she's not going to be happy," Kiba answered aggressively.
"She doesn't love you either," Shino stated plainly.
There was a deadly silence. Hinata looked at Kiba and his reddened face and his adverted eyes, and wondered, with a sudden rush of realization that perhaps, just perhaps, she'd been blind to Kiba's feelings. She had gotten occasional glimpses but she had assumed that it was simply because they were teammates, because she had seen parts of him that nobody else did. It had never crossed her mind that maybe Kiba had let her in because it was her. Her throat went dry and she looked at Shino. She couldn't bear to look at Kiba and wonder. She had no right. No right at all.
"We all know what the council's decision," Shino said with a blank tone. And marveled at Sabaku no Gaara's cruel efficiency.
***
"You're going to take care of her, right?" Naruto said, with serious eyes and a grave tone.
Gaara didn't even blink. He had been expecting Naruto to show up. In fact, he wasn't surprised that he hadn't shown up earlier. He knew that the Hyuuga was lurking around somewhere, could feel the strength of his gaze since part of his sand kept prickling the back of his left leg, letting him know that there was someone watching. "Yes," he said without hesitating.
Naruto studied him for a moment. "I didn't know you had feelings for her," he stated plainly.
It filled Gaara with a dark amusement. Naruto was so dense and so plain spoken. He wore his heart of his sleeve and rushed into things whole-heartedly. He lived and loved simply. Naruto would not understand marrying for abstract reasons, political alliances or the desire to spare a family member, no matter how cherished, of living like a symbol... mainly because he carried the burden so lightly. No, that was an unfair assessment. The Kyuubi weighed heavily on Naruto, but he refused to sink under the weight. Naruto would not understand all the reasons and non-reasons that might have prompted the question. There was only one reason for Naruto to ever ask such a question. Gaara understood this, and told him something that he gaged the other man would find acceptable. "She intrigues me," he answered without taking his eyes off Naruto.
This seemed to mellow Naruto out. "Don't hurt her. If you do, I'll have to kill you," he said with a smile that belied the intent.
The keen edge of irony poked and filled him. Gaara smiled, and knew that Naruto would interpret it as a reaction to his statement, a reaffirmation of friendship and intent. Gaara had known too much about darkness and cruelty not to have part of him relish Naruto's words, knowing that it was bestfriend that did the worst damage to the Hyuuga heiress. But Gaara also knew something about redemption.
"I won't," he said and meant it and silently thought, I could never. Not the way you are anyway.
***
"Why me?" Hinata asked plainly, her voice rubbed raw by sadness and anger and emotions she was having trouble keeping in check. And now that she was facing him, she felt her control slip. She hadn't cried yet, despite the despair. She hadn't raged, despite the sense of frustration. She hadn't broken down despite feeling trapped.
Gaara had to admire her courage. Whatever she was feeling, she had been cool-headed enough to arrange a meeting with him. Tomorrow morning, he knew that the council would seal her fate, inevitable and inexorable like a house seal. And here she was, the night before, talking to the man that probably damned her in her eyes. Yes, he liked the steel and the resolve she showed and a wily cleverness that a caged animal rarely shows as it striving to escape a trap. Because he had trapped her, and yet she had calmly walked into the embassy and asked for a meeting with him.
He had thought of refusing. He wasn't sure they had anything to say to each other until the council announced their approval and the Hokage made their engagement known. He thought it would be easier that way for her. Their engagement would have been long, to let her become resigned and more pliable to the idea of marriage to him. To get used to leaving. He would have seen to that.
"We both know that regardless of what happens here, they will accept," Hinata said a little bitterly. "The least I deserve is the truth."
"Because my sister married a Konoha-nin. Because I don't want my niece to be a living symbol. Because as a Kazekage, I have to get married. Because you intrigue me," Gaara said, measuring his words and tone carefully, watching her as she absorbed every word he said.
"Because I intrigue you?" she said with disbelief.
"Yes," Gaara said simply. He didn't know what else to say. And very much like his impromptu offering, the words came spilling out. "I know you don't know me. I know I don't know you. We might not even like each other, when it is all said and done. But I think you and I have more in common than we probably know."
"What makes you say that?" she said with skepticism.
He gave her a wolfish smile, too much teeth all white and gleaming. It was better than grimacing. And some wounds, no matter how long ago, run deeper than anyone would like to admit to a stranger, or near-stranger. "We're only hurt by the people we love."
The crack is good. Read and review. Show some love for Gaara, he doesn't get enough and you know it.
Crossposted to narufanfic, midnite_rose, naruto_het, __anbufiction
Author: namistai8
Character/Pairing/Group: Gaara, GaaraxHinata, mentions of one sided HinataxKiba and NarutoxHinata
Rating: PG
Disclaimer/Notes/Whatever: Spoilers for the Rescue Gaara arc in the manga. Continuation to L'historie D'une Fee, part 3. Hinata finds out about the marriage offer
Even though you're well intentioned / One or two or three things you mentioned / Leave a taste familiar to me so / Even with a slight sarcastic / A ripple in a voice elastic / I could crack the slightest code of woe
~Union of Knives
"Do you know why he asked for you?" Tsunade asked bluntly.
Hyuuga Hinata shook her head, mutely. Her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Already a bit disconcerted to having been called into the Hokage's office for no apparent reason, she had been utterly unprepared for the reason why.
There was a moment of silence. Tsunade considered the young kunoichi in front of her. As a Hokage she was intimately familiar with the details of her family and her abilities. But she wasn't at all familiar with the woman in front of her. Oh, she could speak of her character, shy and retiring but with a taut chord of steel that had been revealed in other moments. Almost too gentle and tender hearted for the dirty business of being a shinobi, but clan Hyuuga has always served. A skilled Byakuugan user, but not the best of her generation as that title was undisputed by her older cousin. Tsunade acknowledged that the Hyuuga was a pretty girl with clear porcelain skin, contrasted by her dark raven hair and her wide, pale eyes. But she also doubted very much that Hinata's beauty was what had prompted the proposal.
"Do you have.... feelings for him?" she asked as neutrally as she could. Tsunade knew that the question was intrusive, but she knew the answer already. It was also no secret that the Hyuuga heiress had a secret tendre for Uzumaki Naruto. Her blushes seemed to always give her away. Still, there was much Tsunade didn't know about Hinata. And she had to make sure.
Hinata blushed furiously and shook her head. Her thoughts had flown immediately to Naruto-kun, his bright blue eyes and fierce smile despite her best attempts to stop this tendency. Just thinking about Naruto in this circumstance brought an odd tightness to her chest.
Tsunade sighed. As a Hokage, she was keen on the proposition. Strategically it made sense to further strengthen the ties between Suna and Konoha. But as a woman, she wasn't comfortable to sacrificing another woman to an entirely political match. If she thought that Hinata might derive some personal happiness from it, then perhaps she wouldn't have so many qualms. On the other hand, the entire decision could very well be out of her hands already. As a Hokage, she had to present the matter to the head of clan Hyuuga and also allow the clan to come to a decision. And then, to the Council of Elders, who most likely would agree to the match. "If you had feelings for him, I might have a clearer conscience about this. As a Hokage, I cannot ignore the petition of the Kazekage, nor what it could mean to both our villages. I won't order you, but I have and will present the matter to the council and to the head of clan Hyuuga," Tsunade said, not unkindly and wished there was more that she could do. But like Hinata, she had duties that could not be ignored.
Hinata nodded and left after a short bow, trying to collect her rampant thoughts as the shock of the news that the Kazekage of Suna had for her hand in marriage.
Tsunade looked at the space where the young kunoichi had stood so quietly and still, considering how neatly Sabaku no Gaara had forced her hand.
***
"Do you know why he asked for you?" Hiashi asked his daughter. No sooner had he returned from the Hokage's office, that he sequestered himself in his office with his oldest daughter, who didn't seem surprised by his actions.
"No," Hinata said quietly.
Hiashi considered his position. As head of clan Hyuuga, the marriage proposal was enticing. Not only would it bolster their status within Konoha, but also abroad. As a father, he wasn't ready to condemn one of his daughters to a loveless marriage. He had always expected Hinata would end up marrying either one of her teammates, to whom he had noticed she was devoted to. "The council will want to accept. I may not be able to block their decision unless... " Hiashi let his voice trail off.
"Unless?" Hinata asked with a trembling voice.
"You give me a good reason," Hiashi finished gently. He noted the shock in his daughter's eyes and felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't been a good father, having been more preoccupied by the fact that his eldest daughter despite being the clan heir was inferior in skills and technique to a branch member. His own daughter didn't believe that he would stick up for her, and even though it did not pain him, it did sadden him a little. But he could only lay the blame at his own feet.
They stood looking at each other, father and daughter. Hinata knew that her father cared for her, even when he was disappointed with her existence, but she had not expect that he would offer to attempt to block the council from marrying her off to the Kazekage. She knew what it could potentially cost him and clan Hyuuga to do so and part of her was amazed that he was willing to go that far.
"I don't love him," she said plainly, although it embarrassed her to admit it to her father. Emotions and feelings were not things they had ever openly discussed. It left her feeling strange and a bit disoriented being this candid with him but she was desperate enough to attempt it, even when she felt she was struggling vainly.
No. Not vainly. If there was something that Naruto-kun had taught her was to fight for herself.
Her father gave her a pitying look. "That's not good enough," he answered softly.
And those words reverberated between them. Everything from her had never been 'good enough'. It hurt less now in comparison to her childhood. But it still stung. She had tried to so hard to live up to his expectations. To everyone's expectations.
"If you feared for your safety because he's... unstable," Hiashi said lamely. What he really wanted to say was that the Kazekage was a sociopath, but he was a realist. A number of successful and powerful ninjas were bloodthirsty and violent. Besides, the Hyuugas were no cowards. It would pain him to crouch his daughter's reluctance as fear, but he was willing to do it.
Hinata's mind flashed to the image of Gaara-san holding his infant niece in his arms, full of wonder and apprehension. No, she didn't fear for her life. Before, she might have but everything she had seen of the Kazekage ever since that Chuunin exam where they lost the Sandaime was that Gaara was no more violent or vicious than some of the other ninja she had come into contact with.
"I meet with the Council on the morrow," he said with one long look, hoping that by then, Hinata would have something to say. Part of him felt railroaded, as if he was simply going through the motions, something he wasn't used to. Part of him knew that the decision wasn't really his daughter's to make and even his approval was not needed.
Hinata left her father's study, a knot of bitterness and panic rising up. She hadn't really expected for her father to be able to change anything. But when he had asked, she had dared to hope. She wished her feelings were enough to change things, but they rarely were. Was she supposed to be devastated about it? She was, partly. But she was also used to it.
***
"You're not going to accept are you? I mean, you can't!" Kiba sputtered, pacing. Shino just shot him a look and Kiba growled.
It had been hard. Much harder than she expected. They had been stupefied and then Kiba had been outraged. Shino hadn't said a word yet, but Hinata knew that he was more of a realist and probably thought of all the possible angles of attack. If he hadn't suggested a course of action yet, it was because he was pretty sure of what the outcome would be regardless.
"I can't refuse," Hinata said, her voice lowered, her heart beating erratically. It was ironic, in a way. She had hoped that marriage would liberate her from the trap of being a Hyuuga. If she had married into another clan, she would have had to leave the position of clan heir and then Neji-niisan would finally be able to claim what was rightfully his. And she would be free from it. Instead...
"I'll marry you. Let's get married instead. Then you won't have to marry him," Kiba offered impulsively. "Then you'll have to stay, and we'll all still be together."
Hinata choked on her laughter, a strange cross of painful laugh and hurried breath. She loved Kiba. She really did. He was a strong and kind friend. And his offer proved it to her. And she was pretty sure that he would make a good husband. But he wasn't Naruto either. And he deserved better than a wife that loved him and didn't love him at the same time.
"Kiba," Shino said seriously. "How would it look for the village if the expected bride suddenly ran off to get married with a regular jounin instead of accepting the Kazekage's proposal?"
"Who cares about him? Or what it looks like? This is Hinata and she doesn't love him and she's not going to be happy," Kiba answered aggressively.
"She doesn't love you either," Shino stated plainly.
There was a deadly silence. Hinata looked at Kiba and his reddened face and his adverted eyes, and wondered, with a sudden rush of realization that perhaps, just perhaps, she'd been blind to Kiba's feelings. She had gotten occasional glimpses but she had assumed that it was simply because they were teammates, because she had seen parts of him that nobody else did. It had never crossed her mind that maybe Kiba had let her in because it was her. Her throat went dry and she looked at Shino. She couldn't bear to look at Kiba and wonder. She had no right. No right at all.
"We all know what the council's decision," Shino said with a blank tone. And marveled at Sabaku no Gaara's cruel efficiency.
***
"You're going to take care of her, right?" Naruto said, with serious eyes and a grave tone.
Gaara didn't even blink. He had been expecting Naruto to show up. In fact, he wasn't surprised that he hadn't shown up earlier. He knew that the Hyuuga was lurking around somewhere, could feel the strength of his gaze since part of his sand kept prickling the back of his left leg, letting him know that there was someone watching. "Yes," he said without hesitating.
Naruto studied him for a moment. "I didn't know you had feelings for her," he stated plainly.
It filled Gaara with a dark amusement. Naruto was so dense and so plain spoken. He wore his heart of his sleeve and rushed into things whole-heartedly. He lived and loved simply. Naruto would not understand marrying for abstract reasons, political alliances or the desire to spare a family member, no matter how cherished, of living like a symbol... mainly because he carried the burden so lightly. No, that was an unfair assessment. The Kyuubi weighed heavily on Naruto, but he refused to sink under the weight. Naruto would not understand all the reasons and non-reasons that might have prompted the question. There was only one reason for Naruto to ever ask such a question. Gaara understood this, and told him something that he gaged the other man would find acceptable. "She intrigues me," he answered without taking his eyes off Naruto.
This seemed to mellow Naruto out. "Don't hurt her. If you do, I'll have to kill you," he said with a smile that belied the intent.
The keen edge of irony poked and filled him. Gaara smiled, and knew that Naruto would interpret it as a reaction to his statement, a reaffirmation of friendship and intent. Gaara had known too much about darkness and cruelty not to have part of him relish Naruto's words, knowing that it was bestfriend that did the worst damage to the Hyuuga heiress. But Gaara also knew something about redemption.
"I won't," he said and meant it and silently thought, I could never. Not the way you are anyway.
***
"Why me?" Hinata asked plainly, her voice rubbed raw by sadness and anger and emotions she was having trouble keeping in check. And now that she was facing him, she felt her control slip. She hadn't cried yet, despite the despair. She hadn't raged, despite the sense of frustration. She hadn't broken down despite feeling trapped.
Gaara had to admire her courage. Whatever she was feeling, she had been cool-headed enough to arrange a meeting with him. Tomorrow morning, he knew that the council would seal her fate, inevitable and inexorable like a house seal. And here she was, the night before, talking to the man that probably damned her in her eyes. Yes, he liked the steel and the resolve she showed and a wily cleverness that a caged animal rarely shows as it striving to escape a trap. Because he had trapped her, and yet she had calmly walked into the embassy and asked for a meeting with him.
He had thought of refusing. He wasn't sure they had anything to say to each other until the council announced their approval and the Hokage made their engagement known. He thought it would be easier that way for her. Their engagement would have been long, to let her become resigned and more pliable to the idea of marriage to him. To get used to leaving. He would have seen to that.
"We both know that regardless of what happens here, they will accept," Hinata said a little bitterly. "The least I deserve is the truth."
"Because my sister married a Konoha-nin. Because I don't want my niece to be a living symbol. Because as a Kazekage, I have to get married. Because you intrigue me," Gaara said, measuring his words and tone carefully, watching her as she absorbed every word he said.
"Because I intrigue you?" she said with disbelief.
"Yes," Gaara said simply. He didn't know what else to say. And very much like his impromptu offering, the words came spilling out. "I know you don't know me. I know I don't know you. We might not even like each other, when it is all said and done. But I think you and I have more in common than we probably know."
"What makes you say that?" she said with skepticism.
He gave her a wolfish smile, too much teeth all white and gleaming. It was better than grimacing. And some wounds, no matter how long ago, run deeper than anyone would like to admit to a stranger, or near-stranger. "We're only hurt by the people we love."
The crack is good. Read and review. Show some love for Gaara, he doesn't get enough and you know it.
Crossposted to narufanfic, midnite_rose, naruto_het, __anbufiction