Another of my 'what if' fics. This one's about Gaara talking to Naruto about Sasuke in the Snow Country. Can't remember what episode that was, but spoilers up to the Kage Summit in Shippuden. Dedicated to Battenburg507
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What if…that conversation had gone differently?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly.
The snow continued to fall on the head of one distraught Uzumaki. Sasuke attacked the Kage Summit?
That other thing concerning Danzo was nothing in Naruto's mind, nothing compared to the criminal act his friend had committed.
How could he ever reach him now? And Kakashi said something about becoming Hokage, so much for Tsunade getting better.
"Naruto," Gaara suddenly said. Naruto didn't look up from the snow-covered ground.
"This is a battle to protect the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails. Namely you. And it's also for the ninja world. As the Kazekage, I would give my life to protect you,"
Naruto kept staring at the ground, no one could be sure if he was even hearing the words coming from Gaara's mouth.
"If Sasuke confronts the Allied Shinobi Forces as a member of the Akatsuki, I will show no mercy." Gaara continued.
Naruto closed his eyes. Kakashi and Captain Yamato shot concerned glances Naruto's way.
Gaara looked souly at Naruto, and thought back to his confrontation of Sasuke at the Kage Summit.
~Flashback~
"Sasuke, you and I are alike," Gaara said calmly to the battle-worn Uchiha.
"We've both walked through the darkness of this world. That's why you should be able to see even the faintest glimmer of light, in the past, and even now."
Sasuke grinned psychotically at him, one eye revealing the Mangekyo Sharingan, the other closed and bleeding. Blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth.
"I closed my eyes long ago." He said. "My goals exist only in the darkness,"
~End Flashback~
Gaara looked up intensely at Naruto, "Sasuke doesn't care about you, all he wants is darkness," he said.
Naruto's eyes snapped open and he looked up sharply.
"Naruto, you told me once 'I am going to be the Hokage', I have become the Kazekage."
Naruto's eyes turned back to the ground, returning to their expressionless glaze, and they narrowed slightly.
Gaara stepped over to Naruto, his feet crunching the snow beneath them. He attentively placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"If you are prepared to bear the burden of being a Kage, then do what is right as Sasuke's friend." He said.
Naruto looked up at Gaara at that point, and Gaara saw hopelessness, mixed with anger in their depths.
He looked down and squeezed his eyes firmly shut for a moment, before roughly shoving off the hand on his shoulder.
Gaara, shocked at the action, let his arm drop, a dully surprised expression on his usually stoic face.
Naruto kept his arm elevated, as if to ward off any further attempt at contact. Gaara looked into Naruto's tired and sad face, and his chest hurt.
The surrounding ninja looked on at the scene, wondering if they should do something.
Finally, Temari said, "We've said everything we needed to say. Let's go, Gaara."
Gaara looked back at her, breaking the spell the two jinchuriki were under, and Naruto's arm dropped to his side,
"We will return to our village," Temari told Kakashi and Yamato.
"And Hatake Kakashi, with the understanding that you will be Hokage, the Sand will take action. As allied nations, I pray that there will be no conflicting intel between us,"
Kakashi nodded, "Understood." He said.
Gaara and his siblings walked away from the Konoha ninja, Naruto's depressed gaze returning to the ground.
But Gaara stopped, and without turning, said, "I consider you my friend."
Naruto's eyes widened a fraction and he looked up, surprise now taking away the depressed look on his face.
"In the past, 'friend' was merely a word to me. nothing more, nothing less. But after meeting you, you made me realize that that meaning of that word is what's important. What does it mean?" Gaara turned his head to look at Naruto then.
"What can you do for Sasuke? Think hard about that," he said.
Naruto's surprised expression turn to one of shock, since when did Gaara get this wise in the ways of friendships?
"Let's go." And with that, the Sand Siblings left without another word.
Naruto sighed and looked down again. "Naruto…" Yamato stepped forward, but Kakashi held him back.
"Let him find the answer himself," Kakashi said.
Naruto glared hard at the ground, as if it would give him the answer he sought.
After a while, Yamato said, "So what do we do now?"
Kakashi turned away from Naruto to look at him, "In any case I think we should return to the Leaf," Yamato continued. "And report what happened at the summit…and also about Sakura."
Sai looked at him. "The real me is accompanying Sakura," he said. "She won't be allowed to get near Sasuke, you can count on that.
Naruto stopped listening and that point, his head hurt too much to continue trying to understand what was going on anymore.
He just stared at the ground, wishing he could break down and cry like he so badly wanted.
His vision blurred and all he could think of was Sasuke. He thought back to the two ninja claiming Sasuke had kidnapped their master, Bee, a jinchuriki.
They had said Sasuke was a member of the Akatsuki, and let him take the Eight-Tails.
They wanted revenge.
He thought about what Madara had told him about Sasuke, about him being a 'true avenger'. He wasn't sure what that was, but he didn't like it.
Naruto began to shock on unshed tears, gasping for breath he suddenly couldn't take in, he clenched a shaking hand into a fist.
Sai's words came floating back to him. He starting panting as he thought of what Gaara had said to him.
His breathing became harder and faster until he couldn't see anything past the moisture in his eyes.
"Naruto, is something wrong?" he heard Kakashi ask.
Sure where do you want me to start? Naruto thought.
He fell to his knees, his breathing picking up its pace.
He then couldn't support himself any longer, and fell to the ground, breathing so fast he thought he was going to die.
"He's hyperventilating!" Captain Yamato cried.
"Calm down Naruto!" Kakashi urged.
Calm down? Are you serious? You want me to calm down? Naruto thought.
His eyes began to close, his vision finally failing him.
"Naruto!" Sai called.
"Breathe slowly," someone else said.
"Naruto?"
Naruto could no longer determine who was speaking anymore.
"Can you hear me? Naruto?"
And then darkness. He remembered nothing after that.
(Now this is where we leave Naruto and continue to Sasuke but screw that 'coz I hate Sasuke so I'm gonna do something else instead.)
Gaara stopped suddenly. Something wasn't right…
"Gaara? What's wrong?" Kankuro questioned stopping too.
Gaara looked back the way they came. "Something doesn't feel right…" he said.
"An enemy?" Temari asked bringing her hand up to her fan.
"No, something else…" Gaara said.
Then it hit him. "I have to go back," he said.
Without waiting for a reply he began to walk back the way they had come, back to Naruto.
"Wait a minute, Gaara!" Temari called reaching after him.
"I have to go back, something happened. I don't know how I know but, I can't explain it but…I need to go. Please," he looked pleadingly at his siblings.
Temari looked at Kankuro, who looked right back.
Finally they nodded. "We'll send a note to the village saying we have something to clear up with the new Hokage," Temari said.
"That'll give you an hour or two to catch up," Kankuro said.
Gaara nodded. "Thankyou," he said.
He set off back down the snowy hill, wondering what on Earth could have happened to make him so anxious.
He knew it had something to so with Naruto, everything always did somehow.
Gaara finally got back to place where he'd spoken to Naruto, Kakashi was now the only one present, he looked up as Gaara arrived.
"Gaara? What're you doing back here?" he questioned.
"Naruto." Gaara said. "What happened to him?"
Kakashi's eyes widened. "How did you know something happened to Naruto?" he asked.
"To be honest, I have no idea. May I see him?" Gaara said.
Kakashi nodded. "Of course, he's inside. Should be sleeping at the moment, he was hyperventilating earlier and passed out, soon after you left in fact,"
Gaara felt a pang of guilt pierce his heart. Had Naruto passed out because of him?
He made his way inside and found Naruto, sleeping like Kakashi had said.
Even in sleep the blonde looked troubled. This made Gaara feel all the worse.
He sat down near the sleeping Naruto, wanting him to be the first thing Naruto saw when he woke up.
Please don't be mad at me, Gaara thought. You're my only friend, please don't hate me.
He sat awhile until he noticed Naruto stirring. Naruto peered at his visitor though his eyelashes.
"Go away Gaara," Naruto mumbled rolling over.
"Naruto?" Gaara looked up, confirming the blonde was awake.
"I said go away," Naruto repeated.
"I'm sorry." Gaara said.
"I don't care." Naruto said.
That stung Gaara worse than any wound. He winced and clutched the fabric over his heart.
"I'm sorry." He said again.
"And I said I don't care, now leave me alone," Naruto demanded.
"Naruto –"
"Just go away Gaara, I have enough problems without you adding to them. Now please leave," Naruto's voice became wobbly with hurt.
"Go treat somebody else like a jinchuriki," Naruto snapped, his voice muffled by the futon he was sleeping on.
Gaara's eyes widened. He'd hurt Naruto that much?
"I never meant – I mean I didn't intend to – I'm sorry!" Gaara ducked his head close to his knees, forcing himself not to cry.
"I'm sorry Naruto, I didn't meant to upset you, I was just trying to help – "
"Help? You practically made it worse! Do you know what I've had to go through in the last two hours? Sakura-chan's come all the way from the Leaf just to lie about loving me, so I won't go after Sasuke, then she declares she'll kill him herself, on top of that I have Sasuke to deal with as a whole, and then you come barging in and basically tell me some riddle about doing the right thing, which I'm sure you mean as 'don't go after Sasuke' like everyone else!" Naruto ranted.
Gaara felt his eyes stinging, but Naruto wasn't done yet.
"Of course this war if also to protect the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails, namely the Kyuubi. That's what you said. Not Naruto, Kyuubi! How can you see me as just a demon when you've been a jinchuriki until not so long ago? Have you gotten so arrogant since Shukaku was removed that you think yourself above me just because I'm what I am? Do you even remember how much it hurts to be treated like that? To be treated the way you just treated me? And then tell me you consider me your friend?"
"I'm sorry!" oh great, now he was crying. Once Gaara started, he just couldn't seem to stop.
"I'm sorry – I'm sorry – I'm so – s-sorry! I d-didn't mean any of th-that I just – I'm sorry! Please…Naruto please, please don't hate me, I don't want you to hate me…" he sobbed.
Naruto, now in shock over Gaara sobbing on the floor in front of him, stared at the red-haired teen for a long time.
"…I could never hate you Gaara," he said finally.
Gaara looked up, and it hurt Naruto to see the raw pain on Gaara's face.
"You don't hate me?" he questioned.
"Of course not. I'm just…" he sighed, "really stressed out right now. I'm sorry I made you cry." Naruto scooted over and brushed a hand over Gaara's cheeks, wiping away the tears.
Gaara, turning a funny shade of pink, looked down. "It seems I was still in 'Kazekage' mode, as Kankuro calls it, after all the summit ended an hour ago," he said.
Naruto sighed. "Yeah. Looks we both weren't at our best." He said.
Gaara looked up at Naruto. "You're not alright…are you?" he said.
Normally Naruto would have said it was tough but he was fine, but the look on Gaara's face told him he knew the truth without asking.
So he sighed and shook his head. "Not really no. With all of this…this shit that's been happening, it seems like the world's coming to an end or something." He said.
"Or at least my world is. Sasuke's further out of my reach than he ever has been, Sakura-chan's playing me for a fool, and everyone just expects…"
He trailed off with a sigh.
"Everyone just expects you to move on with it with a smile like you always do. But this time they expect too much of you," Gaara supplied.
Naruto looked at him. He smiled slowly. "You're good. When did you get so good at reading people?"
Gaara shook his head. "Not people, just you. It's easy to tell what you're really feeling, but I don't think anyone looks deep enough to tell except me,"
"That's…true I guess. I think Sasuke saw behind it all, but never cared enough to ask I suppose," Naruto said sadly.
"He doesn't care for you Naruto, you of all people should be able to see that," Gaara said carefully.
"I know. But that doesn't matter, what matters is…" Naruto trailed away again.
Gaara knew that look on his face. It was the look Temari got whenever she was talking to Shikamaru.
"You love him." Gaara let out, surprise lacing his voice.
Naruto's eyes snapped to him. "Loved him. Past tense, now all I care about is getting my friend back. He said he loved me once, and I…"
Gaara's hardened. "He doesn't love you Naruto," he said.
"How do you know?" Naruto challenged.
"Because I do!" Gaara snapped.
They both froze. Where had that come from?
Gaara didn't know very much about love, and yet…yes…it made sense that he loved Naruto.
After all, Naruto was the one who saved him. Twice. Once from the darkness, then from death itself. He had a lot to thank him for.
His very existence.
As Kazekage, he lived to protect his people, but in his newly unfrozen heart, he knew he lived souly for Naruto.
He loved Naruto with everything he was. It was obvious to him now he'd said it.
"Gaara…"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Gaara said ducking his head again. "I'll take my leave now,"
"Woah hold on there! You can't just drop a bombshell like that and leave!" Naruto gripped his arms to stop him from leaving.
Gaara refused to look at Naruto.
"Did you mean what you just said?" Naruto asked.
"You think I would lie about something like that?" Gaara snapped looking up, fury in his eyes. "I'm not Sakura Naruto, I do not lie. It your own fault anyway!"
Naruto blinked. "What do you mean my own fault?"
It was Gaara's turn to get mad.
"Oh come off it. You know why Naruto. You care so much about everyone else and don't save a thought for yourself, you help you enemies and save people who try to kill you, without thinking that you could be in danger. You practically have sign on you head that says you need somebody to love you, to think about you, because you won't do it yourself. That's why! I love you because you're you!"
He looked down at Naruto hands, still gripping his sleeves.
"I love your stupid laugh, your happy grin, your carefree attitude. I love the way you don't care what people think, because you know you mean something an no one's going to change that. I love it when you smile at me and say my name, it make me happy to know you're happy to see me. I love the way you eyes seem to reflect everything, the way your hair spikes up in the morning, the way you hold onto your ideals and your dreams so fiercely that even the most evil person will change their ways and believe in you. I almost always forget you're a jinchuriki, because you take care of everyone and help people see the bright side of their problems that I never think of you as having any. I forget that you're just like me, I forget who I'm talking to when I speak to you, and I forget that my words may be hurting you more than you deserve to hurt. Someone as perfect, as kind as you doesn't deserve to hurt anymore. You're too good, you're almost too good to be true. I love that about you…I love you, Naruto."
Although he didn't look up once, Naruto kept his eyes firmly on Gaara's face. He saw Gaara was telling the truth, unlike Sakura.
Unlike popular belief, Naruto was very good at reading people, and he knew that Gaara meant every word he said.
It made him blush so fiercely it made Hinata's blush look like a slight sun burn.
"You…you're telling the truth…" Naruto let go of Gaara's sleeves, but the redhead stayed where he was.
Gaara took a long, shuddering breath, and looked up.
Neither of them could be sure of what happened next, all they knew was that one moment they were looking at each other, and the next they were kissing.
Gaara, forever inexperienced in the ways of love, hesitantly pressed into Naruto.
Naruto was slightly more confident, and though neither had done this kind of thing before, that didn't stop them.
Gaara's arms linked behind Naruto's neck, bringing him closer.
Naruto's hand came up to caress Gaara's cheek and his tongue brushed Gaara's bottom lip.
Gaara, realising what the blonde wanted, opened his mouth somewhat timidly, and let Naruto's tongue assault his mouth.
Eventually, they broke apart for air. Breathing heavily, they rested their foreheads against each other.
"That was awesome," Naruto said.
Gaara smiled a little. Indeed it was.
"Gaara…I don't know for sure if I love you or not, but I'd like to find out," Naruto said hesitantly.
He pressed his lips to Gaara's again, and one of Gaara's hands travelled down to his chest where it stayed pressed against his heart.
It beat loudly against his palm.
Oh yeah, I love him alright. Naruto confirmed.
Suddenly a whistle broke them apart, and the two stared angrily at the figure of Kakashi, who was grinning behind his mask.
"Kakashi-sensei do you mind? We're a little busy here you perv!" Naruto shouted.
"Naruto," Gaara scolded gently.
Naruto looked back at Gaara and his expression softened.
Kakashi chuckled. "Ah young love. I remember when I was young, good times, good times," he said.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah that's great, can we get back to kissing now?"
Gaara chuckled softly at Naruto's impatient tone.
Naruto looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "Hehehe, did you hear that? Gaara thinks I'm funny!" he said triumphantly.
The small smile didn't leave Gaara's face as it normally would have. Actually it wouldn't have normally been there to begin with, but whatever.
"I'm sorry to say this you two, but no you can't. Temari and Kankuro are still waiting for Gaara, and are getting worried." Kakashi said.
Gaara gave a small groan. He'd forgotten about his siblings. "Very well." He said.
Kakashi left, and Naruto looked at Gaara sadly.
"You really have to go?" he said pleadingly.
"Yes." Gaara sighed.
Naruto hugged him, snuggling comfortably into the warmth of Gaara's chest and giving a contented sigh. "I wish you didn't have to,"
"I know, I wish I didn't have to either," Gaara said stroking the blonde's hair. "But I have to. I don't want to be late,"
He got up, standing Naruto up as he did so. Naruto kissed him threading his fingers through his hair.
"I'll miss you," he said.
Gaara gripped Naruto tightly. "I'll miss you too,"
Gaara kissed Naruto's neck, and left his head there to whisper, "I love you," in the blonde's ear.
"I – I love you too Gaara," Naruto responded.
Gaara smiled even though Naruto couldn't see it.
"I have to go," he pulled away and went to the door. "Bye,"
"Bye Gaara. I'll see you soon yeah?" Naruto smiled hopefully.
Gaara nodded. "Soon," he promised.
Naruto smiled bigger and Gaara left the building, making his way back to his siblings.
Soon Naruto, we'll be together soon. He promised.
The end! I think I made Gaara WAY too OOC in this but I kinda like it. So, review peeps and don't forget, I am forever your humble servant in delivering you yaoi fics of awesomeness! Until next time folks! :)