This is my first story with multiple chapters, so please read and review all. This story is coming along quickly in writing and slowly in typing. Please bear with me. There will be a sequel sometime in the future called "Taylor's Shippuuden," so keep an eye out for that once I reach the end of this tale. All else below is my disclaimer until "Chapter 1: Death."

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its characters, or settings. I do not own Applebee's, nor am I in any way affiliated with the above listed. I am also not affiliated with any of the musical writers, performers, or producers mentioned in this story or Apple. I do, however own Taylor, Cheryl, Goro, Rie, Hama, Takashi, Kiro, Shio, & Fushigi.


PART ONE


Chapter 1: Death

I couldn't help it. I was so excited. I was bouncing up and down in my chair as I logged on to my home laptop computer. I could feel myself almost hyperventilating as I clicked the Internet Explorer icon. I thought about what my friend Cheryl said- "We're way too obsessed with this whole Naruto thing." I couldn't help feeling that she was right, but that didn't stop the current Naruto theme song form always playing in my head.

The past couple of months I'd been on vacation and at Gran's house. And she had no Internet connection. She didn't even have cable. And I wasn't allowed to just sit and watch TV in any of the hotels in California. So, of course, I'd missed the newest Shippuuden episodes. I'd missed 4-19! I was going to watch them all online. Cheryl called me on my cell after she had seen every one of them, just to say she had. The smugness in her voice in every call was unmistakable.

Suddenly a voice from downstairs brought me back to the present. "Taylor, what are you doing?"

I sighed and got up to yell down the stairs. "I'm playing on the computer, Mom." Playing. I inwardly scoffed at the word, but I could skip the conversation about Internet safety if I told her I was online. She wouldn't get mad, just talk to me for five minutes about the "terrible" things on the Internet. And I really didn't want to have to wait another minute (much less five) to get to see the episodes. Yes, "playing" was the best word choice here.

I sat back down in front of my laptop and clicked my "Favorites" menu. I selected and began the download of episode 4: Jinchuriki of the Sand. Luckily, I had extremely fast Internet connection, so the download didn't take too long. I pulled up a few other browsers to started downloading the other episodes.

Gaara was undoubtedly my most favorite character. He's got a tragic past, but he's powerful, and all his techniques are amazing. He's a Jinchuriki, and I am completely obsessed. I mean, if he were real, I'd totally have a crush on him. Too bad he's not. Cheryl, on the other hand, did have a crush on an anime character. She was obsessed with Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi was one of my favorites, but Gaara was definitely better.

I thought these thoughts as I jammed along to the opening theme song. Before I knew it, the episode was over, so I started the next one. And so it continued until I took a pause after episode seven. I felt an unnecessary sadness inside me – Gaara had been kidnapped! Of course, that had been Deidara's plan from the start. If Gaara had only had a little more chakra… Although, what he did with the last of it is legendary – the Kazekage using the last of his strength to protect his village, instead of removing the threat to it and damaging the village. It showed part of his "softer side," the part of him that is learning to love.

The adrenaline was really pumping as I watched the next few episodes. I'm glad there were still the Japanese versions with English subtitles – the Japanese voices were much better. The English ones sounded stupid in comparison. A few hours later, I'd finished watching all of the episodes up to nineteen, the newest.

I pushed my chair away from the computer to reflected on my more than passionate reactions. A few stood out clearly – surprise and distress when I'd found out that the Akatsuki were extracting Shukaku from Gaara, which would certainly kill him. Immense sadness when Neji was using his Byakugan and saw Gaara's dead body. And at the end of nineteen, I felt a ridiculous fury when Deidara was sitting on Gaara's corpse. Yes, Cheryl, we were definitely way to into Naruto.

I logged off the computer and walked down the cream-colored hallway to my room. It was nine o'clock, too early for bed, but I got dressed in my pajamas anyway. I ran through the episodes in my head, and realized once again how significant it was that Gaara had used all of his chakra. And if Deidara hadn't had that extra clay bird, he probably would have kept falling and then been annihilated by the villagers, the shinobis, or Gaara himself. I smiled at the thought.

At nine thirty I gave Cheryl a call. "Hello? This is Cheryl," her voice said over the phone.

"Hey, Cher," I replied. "It's Taylor. I just finished watching the new Naruto episodes."

"Oh." Silence.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm just expecting you to go into hysterics or something."

"Why?"

"Because Gaara died." The way she said it made my eyes tear up as if he were my brother or something. I tried to collect myself.

"Oh," I said, and tried to fight the high-pitched voice threatening to escape. "It wasn't so bad," I lied. "I mean, he's not even real, right?" It was much easier to pretend I didn't care when Cher wasn't watching me.

"Are you sure? I thought you like, had a crush on Gaara," said Cher. "If it had been Kakashi, I would have been crying my eyes out."

"Thanks." The sarcasm in my voice was evident. Why was I so passionate about a Japanese show? It bothered me, but I couldn't help it. Then my voice softened. "Well, I am crying, but only because of the way you said it. Gaara died," I told her, trying to mimic the way she said it earlier.

"I see," she laughed. "Well, I'll give you this- he is gorgeous."

Suddenly the sarcasm was back. "Gee, thanks." It was biting that time.

"Taylor, get off the phone and go to bed!" my mom yelled from downstairs.

I heard Cheryl laughing on the other end of the line. "I gotta go, Cher. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. 'Bye, Tay." I hung up and turned off the lights.

As I climbed into bed, I ran through the episodes again. I couldn't get Gaara out of my head. Eventually, I started to cry, streams of tears flowing relentlessly. Then, furious with myself for being so obsessed, I rolled over with more force than necessary. After an hour or two of tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep, still thinking about Gaara.


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