Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Warning: One last time I warn you not to read this without knowledge of the happenings in Shippuden.
Quiet
The sun was setting on the desert, casting off rays of orange and pink that were reflected on the sand. It was a beautiful sight, observed daily by the citizens of Suna.
It was this very sight that Gaara had observed often from his office.
As Kazekage he worked hard at his job, but there were times such as these that he needed a break from it all. So, he stood up and walked out of the room, abandoning his work for a later date, and headed up to the roof level of the building to get a better view.
Once there he placed his hands upon the railing and gazed out at the twilight on the desert. This was not the first time he had come here to look upon the beauty of his land, but it was the first time he did so without the constant buzzing at the edge of his mind by Shukaku.
In many ways Gaara felt almost as if he should be thankful to the Akatsuki for freeing him of his burden. No longer did Shukaku pick away at his consciousness, whispering suggestions of destruction, massacre, and revenge. No longer did it demand Gaara to kill, to bathe in the blood of his victims to satisfy its perverse pleasure and sate its demonic hunger. No, Shukaku was long gone from him and finally Gaara had his mind all to himself, the only voice in it being his own. Finally he had peace and quiet.
Yet, it was somehow lonely. Gaara had grown so accustomed to Shukaku that losing it was almost like losing a piece of himself, a malevolent, sinister piece, but still a piece of him nonetheless.
And besides, with the demon gone, he found that he got along better than ever with Temari and Kankuro. They'd gotten on well enough after the incident in Konoha, but there had always been a sort of barrier between them created by the Shukaku and the knowledge that there would always be a part of their brother that thirsted after their blood.
Well, that part was gone now and the Sand Siblings were as close as could be, though they were just as dysfunctional as ever.
Gaara sighed, a weary, but content sound. Things were starting to look up for the 'Demon of the Sand'.
"Thought we'd find you up here."
Gaara turned to find Temari and Kankuro standing at the top of the stairs, both sharing a smirk.
"You always come up here when you want a break," Kankuro continued.
In response Gaara turned back to the view. After a moment his brother and sister joined him, Kankuro on his left, Temari on his right.
"Quite the view, isn't it?" Temari asked.
Gaara gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Gaara..." Temari started. His eyes flitted briefly to her to show he was listening. "How've you been since... well you know."
Gaara could feel both of their eyes on him. He didn't answer for a long time, to the point where Kankuro decided he wasn't going to say anything.
Finally he said, "Better. Better than I have in a long time. It's finally quiet."
Kankuro cracked a grin. "So you can talk, can you, little brother?"
"Well, considering I've been away at Konoha and Matsuri's off on border patrol, you were the only one he had to talk to. Can you blame him for keeping his mouth shut?"
"Hey!"
The elder Sand Siblings glared at each other for a moment, before both burst out laughing. After a moment Gaara felt one side of his mouth pull up into an involuntary half smile. Kankuro was the first to notice.
"And smiling too! There is a first time for every thing after all."
They laughed again, and Gaara's smile widened ever so slightly.
"Alright that's enough messing around," Temari said, collecting herself. "Come on guys, lets go get dinner. My treat."
Gaara tried weakly to protest-- he was still uncomfortable around people-- but Temari and Kankuro would have none of it. So taking him by the arms they half dragged him to their favorite restaurant in Suna.
And though Gaara would never admit it, he enjoyed the open affection they showed him. Before it had been a sort of dysfunctional love shared only by his siblings, but now it extended to the youngest of the Sand Siblings as well.
And so Gaara reveled in the quiet gained by the loss of a piece of him, because it was worth it to be a part of the family for the first time.
Author's Note: Just thought I'd take a break from my current fic to write this, else it'd never get done. Hope you liked it, though I may have gotten the characterization a little off; been a while since I watched Naruto.
Read and Review/Flame.
--TG