A/N: This is my first attempt to write a Gaara/Hinata story. This story is what I thought would happen to Gaara if he wasn't successfully brought back to life. Reviews are mostly appreciated, flamers are welcomed, but I prefer constructive criticisms :)

Chapter 1: Realm of the Death

The first thing that Gaara noticed was the weird sensation on his back, and the stillness of his surroundings. Even deserts in the night won't be this quite, either that or by any chance he got deaf.

Ever so slowly, he lifted his dark-rimmed eyes open, showing his azure eyes to the world, of nothingness.

He couldn't remember what had happened to him, or what was it that made him ended up here. Above him, was a cloudless blue sky, and as he turned his head sideways, he realized that he was lying on sand.

That explained the tickling sensation under his body.

Why was he in a desert?

Although confusion was filling him, his face was as still as ever.

Where was he?

That was the first question that came into his mind. Growing up in a village hidden in the sand made him able to distinguish every single desert in the Land of the Wind. Yet, his memory could not identify this desert.

Slowly, he got up from his current position, and sat himself. As far as he looked, there was nothing but sand. In the horizon he could see the sky touched the earth.

Where was he?

He lifted both of his hands, and stared at them, hoping by doing that there was a small clue to make him remember.

Then it strucked him like a lightning. Different images of an intruder wearing a weird red-cloud pattern robe trying to blow up his village, his struggle to protect his village, a dark cold cave, and an endless pain were flashing before his mind.

Was he dead?

He barely even started to finally do something right in his life. Just when everything was perfect, and he already found his happiness, God decided to take him.

Life was cruel.

But that was what had happened to him all his life. Cruelty.

Now, what?

Was he going to travel this vast desert forever?

Was this His punishment to him for being a cold-blooded killer his whole life?

Gaara put both his hand on his lap. That was when he realized what he was wearing. He was shirtless, with only a dark pants on. Strangely, he didn't feel his skin burning remembering he was in a desert.

But then again, he was already dead. Hot or cold was no different to him.

It was pretty odd knowing that he could swallow the fact of his death pretty easily. Once or twice when he was still alive, he wandered what it would be like if he was dead. And he didn't even once flinched nor scared of the death.

He kinda expected that to happen. And him, being Gaara, the ruthless killer throughout the country, pretty sure that he would end up in hell.

Yet what lay before him was far from what he imagined hell would be.

He always thought that hell would be somewhat hot, dangerously hot, with many painful tortures.

Maybe he had to travel this desert first to find the hell?

Probably.

He was dead, and it would cause him no harm to travel a desert without shirt or proper equipments to conquer dehydration.

Standing slowly, he began to look around to decide which way he should take first. Should he take a step forward, backward, to his left or to his right?

A word that his brother always said suddenly rang through his mind.

When you have a mission, you have to always look forward, and never look back.

So he took a step forward and began his journey in the realm of the death.

His thought wandered to his siblings. How would they take up the news of his death? Would they be sad? Or would they be relieved that there were no more threats that he would be causing?

He didn't have a chance to say goodbye to them.

And then there was his student, Matsuri. Gaara realized that the girl had a crush on him. But he dismissed it thinking that was just a silly crush and eventually would fade over time. Who would replace him as Matsuri's teacher?

More importantly, who was gonna be the next Kazekage?

His sovereign was probably the shortest period in any Kage's history. Kankurou or Temari had the most potential to be the next in line. If it was them, Gaara was sure Suna would be safe in their hands.

Drowned in his thought about his village, Gaara didn't realize of how far had he traveled this vast and empty land. He looked around him and realized that his position was no different than his initial position. Yet he kept continue.

And then, ever so sudden, there was a gasp, a small gasp coming from behind him.

Gaara thought it was probably his thought playing a trick upon him. But then he heard another gasp following and sounds of small footsteps.

He turned around.

What stood before him was nothing he would ever expect, even in his wildest dream. He, too, eventually let out a gasp himself. Shocked was clearly printed on his face.

A woman who appeared to be in the same age as him stood there. She was wearing a simple white dress. Her dark blue hair fell behind her and almost reached her bottom. But that wasn't what made Gaara gasp.

It was her eyes that made him gasp.

A pair of pale-grey eyes stared back at him with equal surprise.

He recognized those eyes; those eyes were a special kekkei-genkai which belonged to the Hyuuga clan, one of the noblest clan in Konoha, his village's ally.

And he also recognized the owner of those pale-eyes.

"You..." he whispered slowly.

"Gaara... of the desert," the girl softly whispered back, and stood there agape at him.

So many questions were racing through his mind. He had so many questions to ask her that he was confused which one he should voice first.

"What are you doing here?" he eventually asked.

"I-I-I..." she seemed to be at lost of words. He raised his non-existent eyebrow to her.

After what seemed like one minute of continuously 'I-I-I...' the girl finally snapped out of it and regained her mind back.

"Welcome to the realm of the death," she said meekly. "I am Hinata, from now on I will be your guide through the realm of the divine."

Her speech confused him even more. But one thing he was certain; he was really dead.

"In the realm of the divine, you will meet the Forgotten, he will ask you questions regarding your... past life. After that, I will take you to meet the Doom; he will ask you about your resolution, regarding your next life time. And then..."

She was cut by the red-hair's grip on her wrist.

"You are... solid," he tightened his grip before it travelled up to her shoulder, "I can touch you", and then slowly crept up to her neck, "I thought I was dead," and finally he touched her jaw, "Then, what are you?"

He cupped her cheek in his hands.

"You were one of Konoha's kunoichi." He answered his own question.

"I was not", she answered sharply, almost too quickly.

"You recognized me, I can tell by your reaction."

The pale eyed girl only gazed at him before calmly saying, "Gaara... of the Desert, the Judges had told me your name and your looks, of course I'll recognize you," she didn't even flinch when the red-haired man pressed his thumbs to both of her cheeks.

"You are a Hyuuga."

A soft blush appeared on her cheeks. "I am not," then she softly added, "Not anymore."

Gaara inched his face closer to hear her better. "What did you say?" he whispered as softly as she was. Feeling bold, Gaara stepped in and completely close the distance between his and the girl's body.

"I am not a Hyuuga. I am your guide," the girl hissed her answer.

Knowing that he won't get a different answer, Gaara gave up. He let his head fell to her shoulder. "Fine then. What did you say your name again?"

"H-Hi-Hinata," the girl clad in white before her told her name once again. It was clear that she was not comfortable with the soft hair that was tickling her jaw.

Gaara noticed the effect he had created towards the girl. He slowly lifted up his head, and that was when he noticed the dress she was wearing.

If it was the desert in the realm of the living, there was no way this girl could stand the weather with that skimpy clothing she was wearing. The hem of the dress only reached her mid-thigh, while the top was held by only two straps, leaving her shoulders and neck clear to the world's view.

To be honest, the girl looked appealing to him, very appealing. Yet there was something nagging in his mind. Gaara knew this girl. He was sure of that. And it was clear that this girl had the Hyuuga kekkei-genkai, a pair of white eyes. But he couldn't remember where was he met this girl before.

"So? Would you mind to explain why did I end up here again?"

"O-oh, sure." The girl stepped back to create some distance between them.

She cleared her throat. "Sabaku no Gaara, Your spirit was taken to this endless desert, known as realm of the death. I, Hinata, was sent by the God to prevent you from wandering this realm forever so you can once again live in the realm of the living by taking you to the Judges."

A silence welcomed Hinata's speech.

"I don't understand", was Gaara's short reply.

The girl sweat-dropped, and gave him a nervous laugh. "What did you don't understand?"

"Why are you here?"

"I have told you earlier. I was sent to retrieve you..." she was cut by Gaara.

"I know, I know, I mean why does God want to prevent me from wandering this realm forever? What made me different?"

The girl seemed taken aback. "Right. I'm sorry for not explained it earlier. You see, there are mainly three types of souls which were sent to this realm."

Gaara nodded understandingly. "The first one is the innocent souls. Those who were dead before they were even born to the world of living. Like those babies from abortion. They would go straight to the Console and bring back to life once again".

"The second one is the souls who died because of God's destiny upon them, like you. Or those people who died because of sickness, in war, or killed. They would end up here, and would be brought to the Judges and there will be decided whether you would go to the Heaven or Hell, or you would undergo a particular test to resurrect back to life."

"The third one is," the girl paused for a moment, a look of sadness appeared before her eyes which she quickly erased by looking to a certain spot on the sand. "Those people who ended up their life by their own hands, they are destined to wander this realm for all eternity."

She immediately shot her gaze to him, and said, "So basically, you are in the second category, and my presence here is to deliver you to the Judges."

Gaara gave her a knowing look. "I see," he said shortly. "Which category are you?"

The girl's eyes widen, clearly she didn't expect that question. "I don't have any obligation to tell a soul regarding my origin." Her face was hard, but she didn't look angry.

At her answer, Gaara gave her a chuckle. "You don't have to be so tense about that."

Hinata turned her head elsewhere, trying to avoid Gaara's look.

"Do you wear anything under that clothes?" Gaara asked bluntly.

Tomatoes would be ashamed compared to Hinata's cheek. "O-O-Of course!" she shot him a dirty look, producing more chuckles from Gaara.

"Pervert," She muttered under her breath, but didn't miss Gaara's attention.

"Really? I know you've been staring at my chest for a while." Said the former Kazekage, earning a surprised gasp from the white-eyed girl. "I was just wondering, why did a God's angel wear something so revealing? Isn't there anyone going to harass you in that clothes?"

"N-no! Realm of the divine is anything like realm of the living. No one is having dirty thoughts there." She blushed furiously, noting that the green-blue eyed man was eyeing her thighs.

"D-Do you have anymore questions?" she asked shyly.

"I guess not for now."

His answer brought a relieve to her chest. Anymore perverted questions regarding her outfit and she would faint. And that was something the Judges don't like from her, humanly emotion that she couldn't erase.

"Are you ready for the Judges?"

"Yeah."

Hinata held out her hands, motioning for Gaara to grasp her hand. He reached out for the smaller hand. "Hold on tight." She said, making Gaara's grip on her hand tighter.

The two souls in the middle of the desert immediately vanished in a blink of an eye.

That's it, tell me what you think :)