It's common knowledge that, for most people, a first glance look does ones appearance more good than harm. It is only upon closer inspection that ones faults become real and you can see all of their unfortunate human flaws. Being that this is a normal phenomenon, there aren't a great many people in which the opposite is true, however, there is one such notable person, that person being a great shinobi by the name of Sabaku no Gaara.
At a glance from some distance, Gaara might not be considered particularly attractive, in fact, quite the opposite.
The first thing you are likely to notice, if observing from a reasonable distance of perhaps fifteen feet, or so, is that Gaara is missing a fundamental feature of the human face: eyebrows.
Another distinct lack that you would notice from such a distance is that of color, at least in regards to his skin. His hair, on the other hand, should not be described as auburn, or mahogany, or ginger, or any color less definite than red.
There is no particular style to his hair, other than his slight part on the left, showing off the tattoo, or perhaps more accurately, the scar bearing the word "love," on his forehead.
A final thing that could be easily observed from this distance, are the dark black rings around his eyes. Their color and scale showcase them quite clearly, even from a far, and give him an exhausted, haggard appearance.
None of these features would ever really be associated with beauty, but suppose, you were to ignore your first reaction, which a disturbing number of people are incapable of doing, and take a few steps closer.
You would find that this Sabaku no Gaara is far more than he had appeared to be before.
You'd likely notice that he actually possesses a somewhat effeminate beauty in the face and a grace, stillness, and quiet authority that makes him the incredible leader he is, despite his tender age of sixteen, thin frame and average height.
You'll notice the sort of bluish, greenish sea glass quality of his deep set eyes, that is both disconcerting and fascinating to look at. You'll also find the rings around his eyes only serve to add character and appeal to a face of fine, understated features.
His voice matches his face fairly well, if not sometimes seeming slightly more masculine than his appearance, but it has a quiet, captivating quality, like his face, despite its volume rarely reaching very far beyond a whisper.
He tends to know what things to say to reach the heart of a matter and his words can puncture even the thickest hatred or resignation. He has a startling maturity and wisdom that far exceeds his years, which of course is the very reason he was able to become not only Fifth Kazekage, but Commander General of the Allied Shinobi forces, all before his seventeenth birthday.
At this time, he may seem somewhat entitled to his incredible achievements, being the son of the Fourth Kazekage and possessing immense, almost unparalleled power, but the Fifth Kazekage had to fight a long, hard, terrible battle to gain these things.
His suffering is buried just deep enough to not be outwardly apparent, but speak to him, look at him long enough, and you'll see in his rare sad smiles and those cool mint eyes that he understands the pain of this world far better than most people four times his age would.
The agonizing wounds of loneliness have left deep scars in Gaara. Ones that have only just begun to heal.
Only a few years before, Gaara was a very different kind of person. A person born only of hate and of pain.
After Gaara's father attempted to have his youngest son killed by his uncle, the only one he believed felt anything resembling love towards him. And after the only belief that kept him from drowning in his constant suffering, the constant hatred towards him for a thing he could not control, was shattered, Gaara shattered too.
He vowed to love only himself, and that his existence could only truly mean something, if he was ending other's existence. The proof of this promise is branded on his forehead.
So throughout the fragile years of his childhood, Gaara's father attempted to assassinate him on six separate occasions. Each ending in the brutal massacre of every shinobi sent to eliminate him, for Gaara had vowed he would not cease to exist.
Gaara was cold, was broken, was dead for many years. He felt nothing for no one. He killed because he felt the need. He smiled when he did, because it made the monster inside of him happy.
It's difficult to believe that this kid, this twelve year old, murderous, psychopathic kid would become one of the greatest leaders, the greatest shinobi, the greatest people that the world had ever seen, with a gift for melting hearts and instilling loyalty, but he did. Single handedly, he did.
Gaara, with the help of one very special knucklehead ninja by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, learned. He learned to feel and learned to love. He learned to lead, and learned to heal. He learned to live again.
You wouldn't know this by looking, even up close, but he might smile that sad smile with those sea glass eyes and tell you the story. He understands his mistakes, so he wouldn't be ashamed to tell you in that soft captivating voice. He understands that he's been through so many things, you can see it in the dark rings that adorn his eyes, but he knows. He knows there are many beautiful things he's meant to do, that now he has the strength and courage to do them.
You wouldn't see it from afar, but up close, you might find that Sabaku no Gaara, the Kazekage, the Commander General, the broken kid, really is quite beautiful.
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear your thoughts!