Childhood GaaSaku fic! I really liked it when Gaara was a little innocent kid (and he was nice, too) so I made this up! yes, it says that this is a romance category, but... I wouldn't really call it that. Just think 'romance' as 'friendship' in this story, ne? Ne.

Disclaimer: NARUTO is not mine!

---------

"No one can come near me now"

The red headed boy drew a circle around himself on the sand, shutting other people away from his life.

"Nobody would come near me, anyways…"

He finished drawing the circle, and sat down.

"This is my territory, and no one can come inside"

BARRIER

The people around him were already disrespecting Gaara, at age 5. Not only the village people, but his own family as well. His father literally tried to kill him several times, but the demon inside the boy kept protecting him, away from dieing with freedom, "Why do I have to have this… demon inside me anyways?" Gaara raised his little hands near his face, and scolded to him self, "I hate this, and I hate me. I hate my life" He wish he could have just beaten him self up, but the sand just kept appearing to block the hit. Gaara took out a knife that he stole from his father's drawer.

"I wish… I could die here, right here, right now…"

But you can't. You know you can't.

A voice inside him spoke. It always did during the day. Gaara tried to ignore it at first, but the voice just wouldn't give up and go away.

"Why not? It's my body, it's my life"

But this is my life too. If I let you kill yourself, then where would I be?

"But… I don't want to live, I'm only a kid and I'm already suffering…"

I want to live, though. So I won't let you waste your life.

"I am Gaara! I can do anything I want!"

And I am Shukaku; I can do anything I want as well.

"NO! Get out! There is only me!"

I wish I could say that.

"I am Gaara!"

So you are.

"Gaara! Gaara! SABAKU NO GAARA!"

"I know"

The crimson haired boy raised his head from his hands to see a girl. She had pastel pink hair and wore a bluish-black short dress that went up to her knees, "What?" Gaara asked, surprised that this child was even near him.

"I know who you are!" She smiled. Something Gaara has not seen before.

"Y-you do…?" Does she really? He thought. Normally, a child or an adult would keep distance from him. If they didn't know him, then some other person would warn him and they would go back into the rest of the crowd.

"Eheheh, can I come in?" The girl stepped forward to get closer to Gaara.

"N-no! Wait! You can't come in!" Gaara warned her, raising his hands forward to ward off the girl to the other side of the barrier. The girl just looked at him weirdly, "Y-you can't come in the circle. T-this is my territory, and you can't come in here!

"Huh? What what?" The pink haired girl was already inside his circle, making Gaara sweat drop.

"N-no, I-I can't do this. It's a hassle, you're not suppose to be able to come in..." Gaara was getting disappointed by the sudden invite the girl has made. He suddenly found that the sand was a lot more comforting to look at, "I-I don't know how to deal with this… T-that's why I made this barrier… to protect everyone, to protect me… But now that you've come in, there won't be any meaning with the circle…"

"Well, first of all," The girl went up to the line that Gaara has made earlier, "You can easily erase this line" She started to kick the sand in order to vanish the line.

"WAH! No! D-don't do that!" Gaara tried his hardest to stop the girl with his verbal actions, but she kept erasing the lines around them.

"Phew," The girl wiped the sand off her dress.

"It's gone"

Gaara immediately felt a rush of anger in him. He stood there, unconsciously waiting for Shukaku to come out. The girl looked over her shoulder to him, she had no idea what was going to happen, "What's wrong?"

Kill her.

"N-no… No…"

Kill her. She destroyed your territory. Now you have to destroy her.

"No… I won't…"

Then I will.

"No! It's my life, and I get to control it! You can't do this to me!"

"I know"

The boy felt a warm presence wrapped around him; it was the girl, she was hugging him. Gaara slowly started to calm down, a bit surprised.

Kill her.

The voice still lingered in his mind, but he pushed it aside, caring more about the girl right now. He has never been hugged before. Actually, he didn't even know what this movement was called, "W-what are you doing…?" He asked, blushing slightly.

"Eheheh, you don't know? This is what my mommy does to me when I'm sad. It's called a hug!" A hug. He has learned a new word today, and he mentally noted to himself for the definition of 'hug': When somebody is sad and the other is thoughtful enough to show emotion. …An affectionate embrace…

The girl parted her body away from his and smiled brightly, "So, you want to be friends?" She asked.

Gaara remained there, a bit shocked at what she has said, "A… friend…?" He knew what a 'friend' was, he always kept hearing his siblings talk about it. A 'friend': a person who has a close personal relationship of mutual affection and trust with another. Gaara inhaled, taking a lot of sensation that was given to him. The boy grinned back, "Sure"

The pink haired girl giggled, raising her hand to give a shake, "Okay, my name is Sakura!"

Gaara unaware that he was crying, offered his hand and identity, "My name… is Gaara"

-----------------

Mmmm, I love Gaara when he's young. I already told you that already, huh? Oh well, you know for sure now! ANYWAYS, I personally liked this (don't want to brag) out of all my other fanfics. It's innocent and so simple. Read & Review, yes? YES! Yaaaayyy…