The Taken and the Grieved
Sakura Trees
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
A/N: Okay, first off, for anyone who hasn't read Being and Belonging: this probably won't make any sense. I suggest you read that first so that you understand this one-shot. To everyone who has read Being and Belonging: So, I've thinking about the A/N I wrote last chapter: A/N 2: You know, for about ten minutes there, I really wanted Itachi to kill Naruto in front of Gaara and then leave. Then the story would follow Gaara as he grew up to avenge Naruto…but then I shook it off and realized that my readers might very well kill me if I did so. And because some reviewers actually encouraged me (don't worry, the majority thought I was suitably insane), I wrote a mini story about what would happen. It's a one-shot and considerably darker than Being and Belonging mostly because Naruto is the only innocent in my story and once he's gone…well, I'm sure you see my point. Anyway, this is just something to get me back in the groove of writing. It's college application season and I'm really busy so this is a holdover until I get more time. All reviews and criticism are welcomed.
Summary: AU for Being and Belonging. If Naruto had died that night at Itachi's hands, what measures would Gaara have gone to ensure his only friend's revenge?
Gaara walked slowly along the paths of Konoha, aimlessly wandering down the one of the many roads laced with sakura trees. He paused by one, letting its slowly drifting petals to rain down upon him in gentle waves. Blood, he thought, before calming himself. Starting again, Gaara let his sand tap each tree as he passed it. His sand had wound itself into a lethal spike and each small tap left a large dent in the trees. Gaara rather liked the new look. He finally stopped next to an old run-down tree swing and lightly ran his hand over the worn rope, unraveling a piece of it to rub through his fingers.
"Hey! Don't do that!"
Gaara turned and saw Naruto, his arms crossed over his raggedy blue shirt and his young face pouting. He had managed to sneak up on him again. Blood, Gaara's mind whispered. He brushed the thought aside and focused on Naruto. His stupid cat was winding in between his scuffed-up legs and hissed unhappily when he saw Gaara frowning at him. That horrible thing had never really forgiven him for almost killing it two years ago.
"Hey Gaara," Naruto's high pitched whine was grating on Gaara's nerves, his sand prickling in alarm. "Are you listening to me? That's my favorite swing-set. Don't ruin it."
Gaara sighed. Sometimes Naruto was so plebian – even after all this time. "Do you want me to push you?" he asked tirelessly, his sand winding behind him in a loose question mark.
Naruto grinned at him happily and picked up his cat. "Yay! You're so nice Gaara. Nice, nice, nice! You're my favorite person ever! And cat likes you too!" With an endearing smile, Naruto hopped on the swing, the ropes creaking ominously before settling. Gaara eyed the rope deciding that if it dropped Naruto then he'd destroy the entire tree, but luckily for the swing set, it decided to hold Naruto's weight. After a few moments during which Gaara dared the ropes to even think about almost giving out again, Naruto started wiggling impatiently. "Gaara, are you going to push me or not?"
"Sorry Naruto," Gaara said automatically. "Hold on, will you."
"I'm not a baby, Gaara," Naruto muttered, nonetheless tightening his grip on the frayed rope, "I can hold on to the swing set, you know."
"I know," Gaara said affectionately. "You're a very special boy, Naruto. You're -" real.
Naruto laughed – clear and childish. "You're funny, Gaara. You say such weird stuff sometimes." Still giggling, Naruto pointed at the building across the road. "Look. That used to be my school. I went there before -"
"Naruto," Gaara said warningly, almost angrily. "Don't." The sand grated against itself in displeasure, creating a whining screeching sound.
Naruto's head slumped into his stupid cat's furry back. The cat arched into him and nuzzled his head into Naruto's right ear. "I'm sorry, Gaara," he said softly, his voice muffled, "I know you hate it when I mention him, but – but I -"
"No!" Gaara raged, jerking the swing to a stop so suddenly that Naruto tumbled to the ground. The cat hissed unhappily as it landed under him, but refrained from scratching Naruto, which was good because Gaara really didn't need another reason to hate that bloody cat. "NO! You are my friend! Mine!" Gaara stalked towards Naruto as the small boy clutched his cat to him tightly and tried to shuffle away on his behind. And, and, blood. "You can't love anyone else. You're not allowed to! You only love me!"
Naruto nodded quickly as Gaara's sand rose up behind him in a towering rage. "I know – I –"
"No, you don't understand! You haven't -" Gaara cut himself off at the look on Naruto's face. He was crying, large tears rolling silently down his face as he hugged his cat closely.
"I – I'm sorry Gaara," His lower lip trembled and Gaara felt his anger deflate a little – it was always this way with Naruto. The blood was gone. "You know I love you best, Gaara. I don't even really care about him. I just…" Then, in a whisper: "I get lonely."
Gaara knelt next to Naruto and pulled him into a brief hug. "I'm sorry, Naruto." Gaara whispered tenderly – intimately – into the shell of his ear. "But we're getting close. Soon we can end it. Soon we can rest."
"HELP! Someone – HELP!"
Gaara and Naruto turned towards a young boy who was running towards them from the school building. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and black pants. Half-way across the road, he staggered and pushed himself to his feet again with a desperate look on his face.
"He looks upset," Naruto commented idly. "We should help him." he added eagerly.
Gaara scoffed and stood up. "Get behind me Naruto. He could be dangerous."
Naruto obediently ducked behind Gaara as the boy reached them, almost falling on Gaara in his haste to reach him. "I don't know," Naruto whispered to Gaara, peeking out from behind him hesitantly, "He looks nice, in a scared sort of upset way. Be nice to him."
Gaara smirked at Naruto and ruffled his hair affectionately. Then he turned to the boy; he was saying something: "…you've got to help me. Everyone in the school's - They're all – there's so much blood!"
"Yes," Gaara said pleasantly – Blood. "I did it myself. Did you like it?"
The boy staggered away from him, horrified. His face paled and he took two steps backwards before landing on the ground hard. His face twisted and he threw up all over himself. "You…" he whispered, "You, but…but…you're only…all alone? You couldn't have. You can't be -"
"Hey," Naruto piped up indignantly from behind Gaara, "I'm here too! I helped! I told him how to get in and all about you." He gave a frustrated huff. "Why doesn't anyone ever see me!" he complained.
Gaara smiled tightly at Naruto, ignoring the boy in front of him for a moment. Naruto was more important. "Because you're special, Naruto and only other special people can see you. Only real people."
"Why" The boy was almost wailing now and Gaara pursed his lips. This boy was starting to annoy him. Naruto had warned him to be nice, but the little brat was starting to become a nuisance. "Why would you – you -" he choked on his breath and now he really was crying.
Naruto frowned. "Maybe you should tell him, Gaara. He looks really upset."
Gaara reached forward and picked the boy up, setting him on his feet. The boy flinched away from him, but Gaara placed a hand on his chest and he stilled finally. "Why" he choked out again.
"Because," Gaara said, and then he reached in and pulled out the boy's heart in one smooth motion. The boy gagged and steaming intestines came out along with his pulsating heart. Behind Gaara, Naruto watched, head tilted slightly in fascination. "I feel nothing for you."
Gaara threw his head back for a moment in ecstasy – blood.
The boy's hands scrabbled at Gaara's arms and shirt smearing it with blood. His eyes were wild and unbelieving and he stared at his heart as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He made a vague uhing sound that Gaara thought might be "why" again.
"But," Gaara continued gently, squeezing the organ softly to watch the boy's entire body spasm and slowly start to tilt. "I hate your brother. Maybe if he finds out that the youngest Uchiha is dead, he'll finally come face me. I've already killed the other Akatsuki. That didn't faze him, but perhaps your death will. Perhaps." Gaara squeezed the heart again.
"Gaara," Naruto said warningly. "Nice. Be nice."
Gaara sighed and squeezed the heart one final time, letting Sasuke Uchiha's blood splatter everywhere as the young boy fell to the ground. Dead. Gaara looked at the body dispassionately for a moment and then wiped the blood off his hands.
"Come along Naruto," he said, already striding away, "It's time to go."
Naruto skipped up to him, and slipped his tiny tanned hand into Gaara's bloodstained one. "Hey, hey, Gaara," he asked curiously, "Are you going to kill him?"
"Yes."
"And then you're going to die, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then we'll be together forever."
Gaara looked at the pretty sakura trees lining the final site of the younger Uchiha's death. The pretty sakura trees. The pretty pink flowers. Pink. Red. Blood.
"Yes."
The End