"Weak"

by MT Pocketts

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Gaara, or Ino.

Dedicated to Amber Lust.

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Chapter 1: Tattered and Torn

Gaara had no interest in these matches that were going to cut the remaining ninjas in half. He only stood silent and pensive, waiting for his turn. The only match other than his own that he found even mildly amusing was between two girls from Konoha, one blond and the other with pink hair. There was something unique about that blonde that somehow captured his attention. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her, even if she wasn't that great of a ninja.

As their fight progressed, he realized what it was: she was hurting inside as well. This girl, Yamanaka Ino, had lost the friendship of the pink-haired girl over some boy who was now standing on the sidelines. The fight now had Gaara's full attention, he wasn't the only one out there looking to prove themselves after a loss.

But then the match ended in a tie. Both kunoichi fell flat on their backs, knocked out by twin punches, and had to be carried out of the arena. Gaara shook his head ever so slightly and studied the blonde's face as she was carried away.

"Weak," he muttered.

The crimson haired boy lazily watched the screen for the next match as the girls were carried out to be given medical treatment. He snorted as another Konoha ninja was called in to face a Sound ninja. Gaara's expression never changed as the leaf village ninja started winning.

He slowly turned and walked away, much to his sibling's surprise. Temari glared at him momentarily before turning back to the fight. Kankuro growled and was about to yell at his brother until he saw the sign next to the doorway Gaara had just passed through. Naturally, it said 'restrooms' and had an arrow pointing in the appropriate direction.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go," Kankuro shrugged his shoulders.

"Gaara passed through the hall without interruption, even the mice seemed to scurry away from his very presence. He found the restrooms easily and headed back to the arena before long, shouts from onlookers helping to guide him. Much to his surprise, Gaara saw the blonde come into the hallway and head towards the gallery to watch with her team. As with all the others, she seemed to sense that he was there.

She turned slowly to look over her shoulder, curious blue eyes meeting deathly pale ones. A shiver went through the girl's thin form as his gaze was locked onto hers. She felt the urge to run for the safety of her team, but something kept her glued to the spot. He was a very dangerous Sand-nin, and she couldn't break that gaze to save her life.

"Hello," She said, her voice breaking ever so slightly, something rare for Yamanaka Ino. He simply stared back at her coldly, increasing the tension with every second. Time passed like it was nothing, and neither made a move to leave.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Gaara asked in a low tone. If Ino hadn't been so scared, she might have been surprised at the empathy leaking into his deep voice. She just blinked at him, her fear slowly bleeding away with his words. His eyes roved over her form, taking in the bandages on her arms and the scratches on her face. Even tatter and torn she was still beautiful.

He waited for a response, and sighed inwardly as she did nothing. Gaara moved closer and she flinched, expecting him to hurt her. He couldn't really blame her, she'd been hurt before and he was reputed for his deadly actions. Still, for some reason he didn't want this girl he felt connected with to fear him, it had been so long since he'd felt something like this. It was a pain he'd forgotten, and he wanted to feel it again.

"Pain, right here," He gently reached out to her, this time she didn't move as he placed a hand over her heart. Not touching her anywhere that would earn him a slap, Gaara allowed his hand to rest there. He felt her warm heartbeat quicken at the contact.

"Something no medic can heal," Ino watched his expression, slowly beginning to understand him. How was it that the most deadly person she'd ever met could also be the most gentle?

"You're weak," Gaara's hand dropped away suddenly. Ino stepped back in surprise and clasped her hands together over her heart, right where his had been. She watched him as he turned to go back to the arena, that strange connection toying with her mind. Ino scowled at his back and looked away. Finally someone knew how she felt, about how it hurt to not have Sakura as a friend anymore. Now he was leaving and reminding her of her inability to beat her rival. When she heard Gaara's footsteps stop, she looked up to see his cold eyes watching her over his shoulder. Ino felt tears slip out her eyes, she hadn't even felt them coming.

"The day you can kill that feeling is the day you grow strong," He looked away again.

"You're wrong," Ino looked at where he stood, her trademark smirk on her face. "I promise you, someday I'll prove that feelings can make you stronger."

"He watched her coolly and turned back to the arena, disappearing into the light. Ino smiled, their silent bet had been made and she intended to win. Somehow, she would show him that this pain they shared could be useful, no matter how long it took her to do it.