‘Is that? No…it couldn’t be…not him…not them…not together…never together…no…this couldn’t be happening.’

Hinata had just watched the most horrible thing. She had never seen it coming.

Sasuke and Naruto walking out of an ice cream shop, Naruto had ice cream dripping down his chin and she had actually watched Sasuke lick it off. Naruto didn’t protest.

Sure, maybe she would have thought that Sakura would steal Naruto away or maybe even Ino, but never, not even in her wildest dreams had she thought that Naruto would be gay, much less fall for Sasuke.

They had always been rivals. Enemies. And now they were practically eating each others faces off, ice cream left forgotten on the ground.

Hinata thought she felt something inside her break, shatter, burst open and catch on fire, the flames spreading from her chest to her throat, to the horrible burning glass over ran through her eyes, hot tears flowing down her cheeks. She turned around and ran off, blindly running, her tears following her.


She didn’t know where she was going and she didn’t care. She felt her chest still on fire, pieces of her apparently glass heart turning black and stabbing her as the flames grew spreading everywhere.

She ended up at the training grounds and collapsed, her tears flowing freely, so that she didn’t even try to stop them.

Her love, her one and only love, her everything, her air, her sky, her sun, didn’t even like girls. No, he liked the famous Uchiha. The boy that everyone liked, except for Hinata. Hinata had loved Naruto and now…she kept crying.

She felt herself surrounded by darkness, she didn’t even know how much time passed before someone, she didn’t even notice who, helped her off the ground, bundling her shaking and cold body against theirs and carried her home.

She didn’t notice anything, like she was dead to the world; she just kept replaying the scene she had witnessed.

Naruto had looked so happy, so in love. Sasuke looked happier then she had ever seen him, not brooding, or thinking about his dark past, instead he looked he had finally seen the brightness in life.

She could still feel her shattered heart pieces, stinging with pain, she wondered why she didn’t bleed, she was in so much pain she thought she must be wounded, must have been bleeding somewhere, but just couldn’t see it.

Whoever was carrying her, handed her off to Neji, who carried her to her room.

She lay on her bed, listening to Naruto’s laughter, reliving his smiles, his grins, his tears, his pain, and his joy. Everything she had seen and heard over the years of looking up to him, idolizing him. But that was all over.

The pain came back full force and new tears came from her pale eyes. She clutched onto her pillow and hide under her covers, wishing more than anything to be able to hide from the world forever.


_________________

“So it has been decided.”

“Yes, she is just not strong enough to be the Hyuga heir.”

“So we are just going to marry her off?”

“Yes, it is the only way to keep the Hyuga clan strong.”

“But to that monster?”

“Yes, he is of royal blood whether having a demon or not. Besides the demon may even make the blood lines stronger.”

“Very well. When do we tell her?”

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow she will be sent off to be married.”

“What if she protests?”

“Just ignore her and send her off. Tell her it is for the good of the clan.”

“Are you sure marrying her off to the Kazekage is for the good of the clan.”

“Yes, I am sure.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow it is.”

Hinata sat on her bed, her door was closed.
there was a knock on her door and she called that it was open and in walked neji.
"Hinata, i need to talk to you"
but Hinata was not listening. she was muttering about her love, naruto being gay.
"listen you are being married off to Gaara sama."
all of a sudden she jumped up and yelled
"what, why are you marrying me of to him. he is a monster."
Neji replied "we are marrying you off because we have decided that you are not strong enough to lead the clan. the carrage will be here tomorrow to pick you up, so have everything ready."
with that Neji turned around and walked out and closed the door behing him.
Hinata rolled over and continued crying into her pillow.

Hinata sobbed into her pillow. She just... couldn't imagine it. "Naruto-kun..." She muttered, tears dripping down her nose. She sniffled, and sat up on her bed. She just couldn't imagine it. It was... impossible. All that time she thought he had liked girls... Hinata gave a slight hiccup, and took a deep breath. She placed her head on her pillow, her indigo hair contrasted against the bleach-white fabric. Tear stains covered her cheeks. The sun placed a ray over her body, warming her. Within a few calming minutes, she was asleep.

- - - - - - -

The Kazekage of the Sand looked over at his sister. Temari was sitting in a chair, her fan leaning against the side of it. "Gaara-sama..." she said, and walked next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked. Gaara sighed. After his battle with Naruto, his outlook on life had changed. He was not cruel and heartless anymore. He would do anything to protect his village. "I'm nervous." He said, looking down at the floor. "About the marriage?" Temari asked him. "Yes. I am still only a child, after all." His sister scowled. "You are the Kazekage. You're not a kid anymore. And I've heard of this Hyuga girl before. She's nice, Gaara. A little shy, but I'm sure you can cheer her up."

Gaara sighed. "I'm still nervous, you know that?" Temari nodded. "It's okay, little brother. You can make it." The girl gave her brother a hug. "I mean, you are the Kazekage. Right?" She said, and grabbed her fan, leaving the room.

"I may be the Kazekage, but I'm still nervous." Gaara murmered.

The first morning’s rays made their way slowly over the exhausted form of Hinata as she slept in an almost coma like state. She didn’t dream. She didn’t even receive a nightmare. Her life seemed to already be a nightmare. All dreams seemed like they would never return. And only darkness surrounded her, even in sleep.

As the warm morning sun reached her closed eyes, she awoke. She opened her light violet eyes to the world, and then closed them as yesterday’s events came back in a horrible wave. She wanted to cry all over again. She felt a dull pain in her chest, like the flames and shards of glass were still smoldering there.

A small knock resounded through her room. Hinata looked at the door as Neji walked in. He acted as cold as he had before his fight with Naruto, before he had realized what had really happened, before he had finally stopped blaming Hinata and the other main branch members for his father’s death. He may have been even colder right now. He moved with a stone like movement as he walked over to Hinata’s bed.

“Hinata-sama, your father has requested your presence. He wishes you to hurry.” Neji said icily, addressing her as if he didn’t know her at all. There was no warmth in his voice.

“Neji-san? W-what is the m-matter? W-what does f-father want?” she asked, softly, worried. What else could possibly go wrong? What else could possibly go wrong with her life?

Neji didn’t answer. He just looked down at her, his eyes the only thing not cold; they showed something else, something like…pity? Hinata couldn’t understand it.

“Hinata-sama dress quickly and meet your father in the study.” He crisply informed her and walked out.

Hinata felt a few stray tears stream down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away and started to get dressed.

“F-father? Y-you wanted to s-see me?” Hinata asked softly, entering her father’s study.

Her father sat at his oak desk in the middle of the room, the rest of the large study was filled with shelves of books and weapons to train with. It didn’t show anything personal, except for a picture of him and his late twin brother standing side by side solemnly.

“Hinata you are going to be sent to the Village of Sand. You are to stay there with the Kazekage, who you are to be engaged to. Please pack quickly. You are leaving today.” He said without even looking up from the papers on his desk.

Hinata froze at the word “engaged” She was going to…MARRY the Kazekage? Her eyes widened and she could feel the once dull pain grow, as if fuel was being added to the fire in her chest. The fire that was now burning her skin, burning her blood away, turning more shards of broken glass black.

“W-what?” she asked only in pure surprise. This couldn’t be happening, no not right after yesterday. Not after that…Not right after…NO!!!

She refused to believe it. She refused with every atom of her very being that this was happening. That it could even possibly be happening.

“I will not repeat myself. It is for the good of the clan. You are not strong enough to be the leader of the clan, so you will marry the Kazekage. Now go and pack and leave my sight.”

‘The good of the clan…,’ those words rang through her head as she left the room, no tears left her eyes, no other thoughts went through her head, she stood straight and tall as she went to her room.

She calmly packed everything that ever showed she had lived in her room. She changed into a silk purple kimono with white lilies and combed her hair.

‘The good of the clan…’ It would be for the good of the clan. She would be trapped with a bloodthirsty monster for the good of the clan. Marry a demon for the good of the clan.

She felt the pain in her chest grow and grow, till she thought for sure it would consume her. She would never see Naruto again. She would never see again. Never see Neji, or Kiba, or Shino. She would be in a whole different country. The bride of a monster.

‘The good of the clan….’ A single tear came from her pale eyes, and slide down an equally pale cheek. She looked at herself in the mirror and then turned away in shame.

She wasn’t strong enough to be the leader of the clan. She never was. She hadn’t succeeded in becoming stronger. She was still weak, and now…now she was to be married to a killer. Someone she knew to kill people just to know he was alive.

Yes, she had heard the stories about him. She had heard the horrible, frightening stories about him. That was all she knew about him. She had barely even seen how he looked. All she knew was that he was known to kill. And she was engaged to him.

She let out another tear. Then turned to leave.

Gaara couldn't believe it. Just couldn't. It seemed like only minutes ago he was talking with his sister at home, but now he was standing at an altar in a tuxedo, about to kiss the beautiful Hyuga girl next to him. He barely felt the words 'I do' slip from his lips. "You may kiss the bride..." His aquamarine eyes seemed to stare dreamily off into the distance. He turned to the girl, looking at her beautiful kimono before leaning in to kiss her.

An eruption of clapping and cheers burst from the crowd. As soon as it had started, it was almost over. He was walking outside with his shy little bride, and there was rice everywhere. Was this a dream? He felt small pricks of pain as the rice bounced off his body. Yes, this was real. All too real.

---------

Hinata sighed as she looked at the floor. The burning in her chest had dulled, but every time she looked at that... monster... she felt a hot wave of pain. She gently placed her pale hand against her chest, only barely able to feel her quiet heartbeat. Her new husband sat across from her, lightly caressing the ring on his finger. She looked away, her bangs falling on her face.

She suddenly felt a hand underneath her chin, lifting it up. She gasped slightly, looking into deep, aquamarine eyes. "Hinata..." She looked up at Gaara, barely able to see anything human in his features. "You are beautiful..." He whispered, trailing his fingers on her skin. She shivered, wishing that those hands were the warm, kind hands of Naruto. But no... she had ended up with these.

Hinata gasped as she felt a small trail of sand curl around her stomach and neck. "I do not wish to harm you... and I never will..." He whispered into her ear quietly. "Do not fear, my love.."

"Do not fear..."