Echoes in the Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Just the plot, if you can call it one.

AN: I hope that everyone is in character, but tell me if they aren't. My editor is Marcella Jole' Mercilee. And, oh yeah, Naruto's age group is 17, Neji's age group is 18, Kankuro is 19, and Temari is 20. R&R please!

Gaara couldn't stand it. Sitting in the apartment. It was too restraining, despite the loudness of it. It was raining, but that did not stop the numerous visitors for the Sand siblings. Temari was talking with Shikamaru and Tenten. Kankuro was surrounded by Neji, Sakura, and Shino, who were watching him repair 'Crow. Sasuke, Ino, Sai, Kiba, and Choji were talking strategy in the center of the room. Lee and Naruto were sitting on either side of Gaara, trying to get him to talk to them.

It wasn't that Gaara wasn't glad to be in the Leaf Village. It was great to be out of Sunagakure. Ever since he had become Kazekage, he had been stuck, usually, behind a large stack of papers inside. His protection had been stepped up since his abduction two years previously. It had taken two months just to get their coming cleared. But, it had definitely been worth it.

"I'm going outside for some air," Gaara announced in a voice that clearly said that if anyone followed him, they would be killed. He straightened up and picked up his gourd as Temari said, "All right. Don't stay out too long."

Gaara nodded and walked out the door. Thankful for the silence, he walked out of the building. As he stepped outside, drops of water fell onto his long-sleeve shirt. Rain Gaara remembered it being called. He looked up at the clouds. The 'rain' was falling from clouds. It didn't really make sense. He would have to remember to ask Temari about that.

Looking around, Gaara decided to walk through the trees. It looked peaceful. Since his demon had been removed, Gaara would not have to worry about ruining it. Like he done to many other things. Walking through the woods, he looked around for the birds that he heard singing. But, it was spring and the trees had all their leaves. So, the birds were hidden from his view.

Soon, the trees started to thin. He finally entered a field. In the center of the field, there were three wooden posts. Gaara thought he heard someone panting and hitting the wood. Moving forward silently, he saw a girl. The girl looked to be around his own age, with dark, indigo hair. She had pearly, opal eyes. She was soaked to the skin and muddy. She had obviously been practicing for a long time.

Gaara recognized her. What's her name? Something 'H'. It was during the Chunin Exams. Hyuga. That's it. Hyuga Neji is that guy with eyes like hers back at the apartment. So the girl is… Hinata? That sounds right. Hyuga Hinata.

The girl hit the post a few more times with loud whacks. Breathing heavily, she sunk down to her knees in the mud. Gaara walked forward. The girl looked exhausted. Like Temari and Kankuro looked after training. Gaara never looked tired, something Temari and Kankuro would say was unfair. Gaara didn't even really know what 'tired' or 'exhausted' really felt like. He had guessed, but never experienced it.

"Hyuga Hinata?" Gaara finally asked the girl after he had walked so that he was five feet away from her.

Hinata looked up and stared into the oddly colored eyes. The crystal clearness of them left her even more breathless than she already was. Looking at the ground, she said, "S-Sabaku no G-G-Gaara. W-what are y-you d-d-doing here?"

"I was walking. What are you doing here?" Gaara asked.

"T-training."

"Are you tired?" Gaara asked after a second.

"T-tired?"

"Yes. Are you tired?"

"A-a l-little."

"You should go home," Gaara said. Then, pointing at her arm, "You're shaking."

"I-I a-am?"

Before Gaara could reply, Hinata collapsed into the mud. Looking surprised, Gaara moved forward and gently pushed her over on to her back. She was breathing. So, what to do with her? Temari will know what to do, Gaara decided. Picking up Hinata, she's light, he carried her back to the apartment.

Gaara struggled to open the door, but managed it in the end. The door swung open and the noise hit him hard. Before Gaara could walk over to Temari, Neji was in front of him.

"What did you do to her?" Neji asked so coldly that the room feel silent. Everyone was watching. "What did you do to Hinata-sama?"

"I didn't do anything. I found her over by the wooden posts," Gaara answered, matching Neji's coldness.

"A likely—" Neji started to say, but was interrupted by Kiba, who had walked over.

"Again? That's the third time this week!" Kiba said, exasperated.

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Neji asked, turning his opal eyes to Kiba.

"She's been practicing way too much lately. She keeps overreaching her limit," Shino explained. Kiba chimed in with a 'yeah.'

"Why didn't I hear of this sooner?" Neji asked coolly.

"Neji-kun! Relax," Tenten ordered.

"I want an answer," Neji said, almost sounding whiney, but being Neji, it was not at all whiney.

"Can we deal with this later?" Temari asked, pushing Neji and Kiba out of the way to get to Gaara and Hinata. "Gaara and Hinata must be freezing."

Temari started to walk to the other side of the apartment where the bedrooms were located, but Gaara didn't move.

"Gaara, come," Temari said. When he didn't respond, she exchanged a look with Kankuro. Kankuro said, "Gaara, go with Temari. She'll take care of Hinata."

Gaara blinked and finally followed Temari. Temari called over her shoulder, "Would someone please make some tea or something?"

She heard several people get up and go into the kitchen. She sighed inwardly and then steeled herself to deal with Gaara. Leading Gaara into her room she said, "Gaara, put her down on my bed, would you?"

Gaara complied and placed the girl down gently on the neatly made bed. Then, he stared at Temari. Temari then realized that he was asking for help, but didn't know how to voice it. Gently, more gently than she had ever spoken to him, she said, "Gaara, she'll be fine. She just looks tired. I'll take care of her. You go change out of those wet clothes."

Gaara nodded and started to leave the room. Then, he turned around and said, "Thank you, Temari."

Temari was quite surprised, but nodded and said, "It's nothing. Go warm up before you catch a cold." (E/N YES!! I finally got to correct something!)

As soon as Gaara left, the girl started to stir. I guess I had better wake her up, Temari thought. Gently shaking Hinata, she said, "Hinata, wake up."

Hinata opened her opal eyes and stared in surprise at Temari. Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "W-who are y-you? W-where i-is G-Gaara-s-sama?"

"I'm Temari, Gaara's older sister. Gaara's getting out of his wet clothes. We should probably get you out of your wet clothes," Temari added, looking at Hinata's dripping clothes.

Hinata looked at her clothes too and shivered even more. Temari saw her shiver and walked over to her closet, while saying, "I'm not sure if anything I have will fit you. You are really small."

"P-please, I-I d-d-don't want to be a-any t-trouble," Hinata said, sitting up.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Hmm, I think that this will fit you," Temari said, tossing Hinata a purple shirt with the Sand Village symbol on the front and back and a black skirt.

"T-thank y-you, T-Temari-s-sama," Hinata stuttered out.

"Just call me Temari. And you're welcome," Temari said. "Hang on, I'll go get you a towel."

Temari left the room and returned a minute later with a towel. Temari then realized that Hinata might not want to change in front of her, so she said, "I'll be right back. I have to make sure Kankuro doesn't go and burn down the kitchen."

And, right on cue, they heard some shouts from the kitchen. Temari rolled her eyes and ran out of the room. Outside, she nearly collided with Gaara, who was standing outside the room. He had changed and seemed to be acting like a sentinel. He wasn't carrying his gourd, though.

"She's getting dried off. You want to come see what chaos Kankuro has caused?" Temari asked smiling slightly. Gaara looked at her and then nodded. Temari lead the way through the now empty living room to the kitchen. Surprisingly, it was empty too. All except for Kankuro, who was leaning against a wall staring at a pile of ashes on the opposite side of the room.

"Kankuro! What did you do?" Temari cried. Then, Gaara lifted his arm and brought it down. Sand fell off of 'Kankuro'. In reality, it was 'Crow.

"Kankuro!! Where are you? And where is everyone else?" Temari shouted. Then, she heard a knocking at the door. Before Temari could turn around, Gaara had walked to the door and opened it. Standing there, was everyone. Everyone except for Kankuro. Temari stormed over.

"Where is he? I know you all know!" Temari ordered.

Sai, who was standing in the front, asked, "How can we know where someone is if we don't know who they are?"

"He does have a point," Tenten agreed, while others said 'yeah' or 'that's right'.

"KANKURO! Where is he?!" Temari said angrily. "What, Gaara?" Gaara had tapped her shoulder. He pointed at something. Temari turned around and entered the kitchen again. Gaara had been pointing at 'Crow. The chakra strings had become visible, since Gaara had gotten the sand to cover them. They had been nearly invisible until Gaara had pointed them out.

Temari walked briskly over to 'Crow. The crowd at the door followed her and Gaara into the kitchen. They wanted to see what would happen. Temari grabbed the sand-covered strings and pulled at them. They didn't move. Temari tried again and pulled. When they didn't move, Temari motioned Gaara forward and whispered something to him. Gaara nodded and raised his arms. The sand began to pull on the chakra strings. After a minute or so, Kankuro came flying down from the top of some cabinets.

"Hello. I'm just dropping in," Kankuro said, trying to retain some of his dignity. He did not like the glint that Temari had in her eyes. It was the look she had when she fully opened her fan against a very difficult opponent who would then be thrashed. He was a little relieved that she did not have her fan currently with her. But, she could still cause quite a lot of damage with out it; he knew from experience. This could be bad.

"Women: so emotional," Shikamaru sighed.

"I'll get to you later," Temari growled at Shikamaru, who cowered in fear.

"I know a good hiding place for her fan and yourself if you want it," Lee whispered to Shikamaru as Temari advanced on her whimpering brother.

EN: I only got two mistakes this time. But, next time I'll get more. Believe it!!! Oh yeah, I came up with the last sentence. Now if you can excuse me, I have to go and try to steal Sasuke from Lighty.