Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Team ❯ Team Ten Minutes ( Chapter 7 )

Gaara sat off to one side of the training grounds, watching Hinata train with Naruto. They had given up on the scrolls for the moment, tired of searching for hard-to-find herbs or solving mathematical problems that seemed to get them no further towards their goal.

He watched his teammates spar, having already fought against Naruto. Eventually calling a draw, the two men had decided that focusing on Hinata's training for the day would be more productive.

But Gaara was beginning to question their decision. As time passed, Hinata seemed to get more and more frustrated with herself and with Naruto. To Gaara's trained eye, Naruto hadn't even begun to tap into his power. Instead, Naruto seemed focused on only blocking Hinata's attacks. While Gaara understood Naruto's reasoning behind holding back, he could practically see Hinata's blood begin to boil.

He leaned back against the tree trunk behind him, settling in for the argument he knew was about to come. Having trained with the two ninjas for a little over two months, Gaara had found that Hinata's seemingly demure personality (besides her sarcastic humor) hid a fiery temper and an even more powerful protective streak.

For reasons he couldn't begin to understand, it seemed as if Hinata had taken her two teammates under her sheltering wing. If people in the village made a move to say something against either man, Hinata's eyes would flash fire and her tongue would halt their words.

It made Gaara uncomfortable and content at the same time. On one hand, he was most definitely not used to people standing up for him. It made him wonder what exactly she was wanting in return. On the other hand, to have someone stand up for him was a novelty and it made him feel ridiculously warm and fuzzy inside.

But he had decided to ignore the niggling doubts in the back of his mind for a little while longer in order to enjoy the weather and the physical training.

"Dammit, Naruto!" His eyes settled on Hinata's panting form as she frowned at her sparring partner. Amused, he leaned further back against the tree and wished he had thought to bring along a snack for the show he was about to see.

Acting confused though he knew exactly why she was angry, Naruto stood from his defensive crouch and prepared himself for a shouting match. If he had known Hinata could be so damn forceful, he might have reconsidered this partnership. He had never realized she was so determined. It was for her own good, after all. He didn't want to hurt her during training and he still wasn't fully confident on his control over his power.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" He pasted a smile on his face, hoping to disarm her with his inbred charm . . . yeah right, like he was overflowing with that.

Hinata forced herself to take a deep breath, not wanting to fight with Naruto over the same thing again and again. Hating to argue with her team, she wanted to try a different approach. But if she kept getting angry, she wouldn't be able to try it.

"Hit me, Naruto."

Gaara's eyebrow rose in surprise. He hadn't expected her to stay calm and rational. When it came to training, Hinata was all fire and flash.

Naruto blinked. He looked away and back again. "Hit you?"

Hinata nodded. She didn't know where she had acquired this major temper when it came to their sparring. She thought it might have started when people really began to treat her like a wilting flower. She wanted to train. She had two of the most powerful ninjas in the village as her sparring partners and neither one would attack her! Ridiculous!

Shaking his head, Naruto took a step away from her. "No way, Hinata. I think we should call it a day."

Resisting the urge to beat her head against the ground, Hinata marched up to him and leaned in close.

"I don't understand, Naruto. Why won't you attack me?"

Naruto sighed, "Because I won't."

"How am I supposed to get better if you won't attack me? You can't always be worrying about my safety in battle! We're a team, which means we are, or should be, equals. I can't possibly begin to be on the same scale as you two if you don't fight me so I can see where I really stand."

He shook his head and stayed firm. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm not sure if I can prevent that. I won't attack you. I'm sorry. I thought I could do it, but you're my friend, Hinata." His eyes were sorrowful when they met hers and she struggled to stay angry.

"What if I attack you with everything I have? Will you fight back then?" She stepped back and dropped into a fighting stance.

"No."

She activated her byakuugan and began her attack. Swing first at the stomach, then the arm, followed by an attack to the knees, and up to the chin.

Again and again she hit him, forcing chakra into his body, closing off his chakra lines and still he refused to hit back.

Angry tears filled her eyes and frustration washed over her.

She began to chant as she hit him.

"Fight me, fight me, fight me, fight me."

Finally, she stopped, exhausted, and still Naruto stood, and still he refused to fight her.

Tears fell from her eyes and she angrily brushed them back. She wasn't sure whether they were tears of sorrow for the pain she inflicted on him or tears of anger because he refused to fight her, refused to acknowledge her as his equal teammate.

 Naruto faced her, his face bloodied and his body aching. His heart ached because he knew it hurt her to hit him almost as much as it hurt her for him to refuse to fight her. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. Without the control needed to watch his power flow, the risk of hurting or even killing her was too high.

Gaara had watched the one-sided fight silently but he just couldn't watch anymore. He stood and walked to his teammates in the center of the field.

"I'll fight you, Hinata." Both teammates eyes flew to his and he felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Naruto's eyes, if they had been able to, would have had him flayed and tied to the ground in seconds.

She watched him warily, thinking this might be some half-hearted joke.

"Fight me?"

He nodded and glanced impatiently at the sun. The afternoon was coming to a close and he was feeling the effects of not eating a big lunch. He wanted food and he was ready for the training session to be over.

"Fine." Her voice was strong and sure and he thought he might have caught an undercurrent of excitement in her tone. Good. He wasn't going to enjoy destroying her hope of coming anywhere near their power, but he was sure it wouldn't be as quick as he would have thought two months ago.

Motioning for Naruto to leave the immediate area, Gaara didn't bother to see if he followed through before sending his first attack at her.

Caught unaware, Hinata was swallowed by a mountain of sand. Naruto's shout of shock was ignored by the sand-wielding ninja, who waited to see if Hinata could crawl her way out of the shifting sand pile.

As soon as he saw a hand peek through the top, he called his sand back and contemplated his next move.

Thoughts occupied by his dilemma, Gaara didn't notice Hinata racing towards him and thrusting her hand against his abdomen. A wave of chakra had him coughing blood and doubling over and he couldn't help but grin as he wiped at his mouth.

"You've got guts, Hinata, I can give you that much. But you've been waiting for one of us to attack with everything we have, and you won't stand a chance when I stop holding back."

She nodded seriously. "Good. Then we can start being logical and realize how much of a disadvantage I am to this team. Give me everything you've got, Gaara. Show me."

Gaara admired her inner strength and her determination and almost regretted when his hands began moving almost of their own accord.

As a wall of sand crashed down on her and swirled around her, Hinata could swear she heard Gaara's voice.

"If you last ten minutes, I'll buy you ice cream."

Her teeth flashed in a grin and she created a whirl of chakra to blast at the sand grasping at her feet.

Ten minutes? She could do that.

Another tendril of sand clutched at her waist and lifted her off the ground to slam her back into the dirt below.

An unwelcome groan left her throat at the impact and she stumbled to her feet as Gaara moved towards her.

A fist caught her in the chin and she fell back a step. She ducked the one thrown at her eye and barely managed to dodge the foot racing towards her stomach.

A hand made of sand caught her arm and tugged it sharply backwards and she struggled to get out of it's hold.

As sand began to curl at her ankles and blows rained down on her body, only one thought entered her head. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision.

Dammit. She had only lasted seven minutes.