Naruto's Betrayal: "You Thought Sasuke Was Bad?"

Gaara P.O.V.

Shortly after Konohamaru had left with Sakura, Hinata once again began to feel weak. From what she told me, Sakura could have killed her if Konohamaru hadn't been there to protect her... And I couldn't be more thankful that he had been. Once we were sure we weren't in any more imminent danger, we slowly kept making our way deeper into the forest, desperate to find a definitive clue about Naruto's whereabouts. As Hinata wasn't feeling her best, I was on even higher alert than normal. She walked beside me slowly, her arms clutching her ribs as we moved through the trees. I looked to her for a moment before stopping. She noticed the abrupt end in my movement, and looked back at me.

"Gaara... What's wrong?"

I kept my gaze fixed on her, noticing scratches on her face, and stray locks of her dark hair dangling lazily across her face. She walked back to where I was standing, looking up at me and waiting for a response. It took me a moment to snap back to reality and respond to her question.

"I think it would be wise to take some time to rest... At least until Konohamaru and the others catch up."

I was still on high alert as I spoke, almost as if talking to Hinata was a secondary thought.

"In a situation such as this one... Strength in numbers is of the utmost importance."

Hinata nodded slowly, taking a seat on the forest floor with her back leaning against a tree. I sat down next to her, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply. I wouldn't let her see it, but I was exhausted as well. The man from before with the shark sword put up more of a fight than I had anticipated... I shuddered remembering the brutal ending to the battle... I took no joy in taking another's life... Not anymore. After a few moments of silence, I heard a faint sound coming from Hinata's direction. I opened one eye to see her knelt over, sobbing into her arm as tears fell onto the ground below. I sat up, turning towards her, unable to speak for a moment. I knew long before this mission even started that Hinata would be one of the people who was most affected by Naruto's leaving... But I didn't expect her to break down this soon. She still hadn't noticed me looking at her, so I spoke.

"I know you're upset... But to give in to your emotions so soon into the mission will surely get us both killed... And leave us with no chance of saving Naruto."

I hoped I sounded more indifferent than I was, and I must have because she shot me a look of disdain before she retorted.

"I... I'm not giving in to anything... I just... Never thought this would happen... I never thought that Naruto would do this..."

Nobody ever expected this from Naruto, especially after all the good he had done in the past... But it didn't hit me until that moment just how much Naruto meant to Hinata. Seeing as how I spent most of my time watching over the Hidden Sand Village, I didn't know much of the social goings-on of the Hidden Leaf. All I really knew of Naruto is that he saved Sasuke and I from ourselves, and that I felt an obligation to repay that debt. Hinata continuing to speak broke me away from my thoughts momentarily. She looked at me through tears in her light lavender eyes, and I was unable to look away.

"C-could I have really been wrong about Naruto this whole time? I thought he... I thought he was stronger than the people who made him so miserable... I thought he saw the good in everyone regardless of how they treated him... But..."

She couldn't bare to speak another word, crossing her arms across her chest and silent crying as the leaves blew gently around us in the surrounding trees. I don't know what came over me in that moment, but as she sobbed I leaned over and took her hand into mine. This caught her by surprise,  causing her to look at me as if she was wondering if I was still Gaara at all. I looked down for a moment before meeting her gaze.

"Even the strongest of us can find ourselves weakened as a consequence of pain. Like Sasuke and I for example. If not for someone strong like Naruto coming along... Who knows where he and I would be? Naruto helped me to see the light and become stronger as a result... And now, we get to do the same for him. You weren't wrong about him, Hinata... You just put him on too high a pedestal. Despite how strong he may have seemed to you in the moments he was being tormented... He is still human and feels the same emotions you or I do."

She and I sat there quietly for a moment, looking into each other's eyes as if the world around us had faded into something less important.  I wondered if I had said too much... Or had maybe said the wrong thing. Our hands were still holding one another when a loud shouting began to erupt from the trees behind us. We both quickly snapped to our feet, and Hinata's eyes became intense with the use of her Byakugan. After a moment, Sasuke and Neji jumped down next to us, both panting and looking frantic. Hinata and I let our guard down with a sigh of relief as Neji began to speak.

"Did... Did he come through here?"

Hinata and I looked at each other for a moment before I responded.

"Who? What's going on?"

Sasuke clenched his fists and punched the tree next to us, sending every bird inside fleeing from the area.

"Someone took Konohamaru... Just a moment ago when we were paying respects to Lee."

Hinata's eyes shot open as Sasuke spoke, tears one again forming around her lavender irises. I looked to Sasuke, trying to hide my panic from the group.

"Who took him? Did you see anything?"

Sasuke shook his head as Neji consoled Hinata.

"Nothing. Like I said Neji and I were at Lee's grave when it happened. We shut our eyes for a second and he was gone."

I shook my head, wondering who would have been fast enough that neither an Uchiha nor a Hyuga could even spot him. I decided it didn't matter enough to waste time thinking about it.

"Standing around here won't accomplish anything. Hinata. Neji. Use your Byakugan to find any sort of trail possible. Sasuke and I will follow close behind."

Neji and Hinata nodded, slowly scanning the tree line before quickly darting off in the same direction. Sasuke and I quickly followed, keeping on our guard as we pursued our comrades. After a few minutes, Neji broke the silence.

"Up ahead... I see movement... And one of them is definitely Konohamaru."

I looked up, as did Sasuke.

"How can you tell?"

He looked back for a moment.

"His scarf. And he's much shorter than the other ninja."

As we continued to approach, I began to hear voices, one of which was indeed Konohamaru's. I began to see his outline in my field of view, when suddenly a purple mist began to engulf the four of us. Hinata and Neji attempted a rotation, but quickly fell limp to the forest floor. I looked around for Sasuke but couldn't see him before a puppet came flying in my direction, and used it's blade to slice me across the stomach. I looked down at my hand, the sight of my own blood causing me to shake uncontrollably before I fell unconscious as well.