Hello, everyone! This is an updated version of 'I Like You' by laughter-is-key (my old account). This will not exactly be following the whole Naruto timeline and some of the pairings will be different and some characters may seem a little bit OOC because some of their childhoods have been changed; I'm going to try to keep them as close to character as I can.

Disclaimer: I own none of the Naruto characters

Chapter 1: Change of Plans

Ok…today's the day. She hopped a couple of times, to get her nerves out. I…am not nervous. I fought Itachi, competed in the Chunin Exams, beat an Akatsuki member, and protected Konoha during the Fourth Shinobi War for crying out loud! I can do this! She punched the tree in front of her, with fire and determination in her eyes. I'm gonna tell Rock Lee that I like him.

"Haruka."

"Who said that?" Haruka spun around to see a redhead with a giant gourd on his back standing behind her. "Oh." She relaxed and put her scythe down. "Gaara, you can't be sneaking up on me like that. I could've taken your arm off."

He shrugged off her comment which resulted in her sticking her tongue out at him. "What were you doing?"

Haruka shrunk her scythe and put it back on her necklace. "Oh, nothing. I was just getting ready to complete my mission."

Kakashi said that her mission wasn't for another few days. He thought. "What mission?" She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. Gaara raised a hairless eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I don't know." She looked him up and down. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Who would I tell?"

"I don't know, you and Uzumaki are friends," she thought aloud, "and you know he can't keep his mouth shut." She took a deep breath. "But I trust you…"

If Gaara was one to smile or blush, then now would have been a good time to do so. It's not that people don't trust Gaara, in fact majority of his village and a few others trust him now. However, some of the older people remember what he was like when he was younger and are still a little wary of him…but not her.

"I am finally going to get Rock Lee to like me." She smiled shyly.

…what… Gaara blinked.

Uhh…why is he looking at me like that? Gaara was staring blankly at her. Is he ok? Haruka waved her hand in front of his face, and his face suddenly became a scowl. What the? "Hey Gaara." She snapped a couple of times. "Snap out of it." Heheheh.

"You still like him?" he said disgusted.

Haruka frowned. "You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It is." He crossed his arms.

"Don't tell me you still don't like him." Haruka groaned. "I thought you two became friends after you helped him defeat that guy with the bone ninjutsu or whatever."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her. "How do you know about that?"

"Uh…I uh…smart? Yeah, I'm just smart like that." He rolled his eyes. "Now why don't you want me with Lee again?"

"He's with that pink-haired girl."

"No he just likes her."

"So, he likes someone else."

"I mean, he could not like her anymore."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Ok, what's up with all this negativity? It's bringing me down man, it really is." She smiled. "Besides, I have a good plan this time."

"Oh, you're going to try to dye your hair pink again." He smirked.

"That's not funny!" She swung at him; his sand blocked it of course. "How was I supposed to know that my hair was too dark to turn pink? I had to cut all my locs off and start over! Again!" She sighed. "I'm going to tell him how I feel."

"You've had a crush on him since you were fourteen." Haruka nodded. "It took you four years to come up with that?"

"So!"

"Shouldn't you have been did that?"

"Shh! I hear someone coming." Haruka peaked around the tree and saw Rock Lee and a girl with really long dark brown hair wearing a navy jumpsuit similar to his walking past. Haruka raised her eyebrows. What's she doing with Lee?

"Isn't that your cousin?"

"Yea, but I—what are you doing?!" Gaara had moved from behind the tree and was standing out in the open. "You're gonna get us caught!" Haruka quickly grabbed him and slid him against the tree, simultaneously covering his mouth. "That was close. It doesn't sound like they heard you." She had her head down listening.

"Maiko-chan."

"Yes, Rock?"

"This past week with you has been amazing!"

Haruka blinked. You two were spending time together?

Maiko laughed. "Oh, yes it was! I had a lot of fun."

"I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend!"

WHAT?!

"Ah! Really?" … "Oh, Rock! I would love to be your girlfriend!"

Haruka fainted.

XOXOXOXOXOTELLMEITSREALOXOXOXOXOX

Ow…my head. Haruka groaned, waking up. "Wh-where am I?" She noticed that she was on a bed under a violet comforter, pulled up to her chin. She turned to the side and saw Gaara leaned back with his eyes closed, on a chair next to the bed. "Gaara?"

His green eyes opened and looked at her. "Hn?"

"What happened?"

"You fainted after you heard Lee ask your cousin to be his girlfriend, so I brought you to your room." He stated. "You've been out for a couple of hours. How do you feel?"

Haruka sighed and turned back to the star-covered dark blue ceiling. "Like an idiot."

He frowned. "It wasn't that bad."

"Oh, yea? I was so worried about telling him how I feel that I didn't realize that Lee and Maiko were falling for each other. Oh God, I feel stupider than Uzumaki!" She grabbed one of her pillows and screamed into it. Dang it! I never should have introduced them to each other; I should have just helped her with taijutsu myself!

The corner of Gaara's mouth twitched at her childish behavior. "…are you done yet?" She held up a finger at him, still screaming. Gaara shook his head. So childish.

"Ok." Haruka nonchalantly tossed the pillow across the room and turned towards him, sitting up on her elbows. "I'm good now. What's up Gaara?"

"I need your help with something," she nodded, "there's this girl I like but she-"

"Hold up!" Haruka exclaimed, sitting up. "You like someone?! For how long?!"

"It's been a couple of years."

"What?! I can't believe you, Gaara! We always talk to each other, and you didn't tell me this!"

"I haven't told anyone."

"You better not have." She pushed the blanket off the bed and patted the spot across from her. "Come sit."

Gaara sighed and took off his gourd, placing it against the chair. He sat down near the foot of the bed and turned to face Haruka. She had her legs crossed and was grinning at him.

"So," she took a deep breath, "who is it? Is she from Konoha? Suna? Does she work for you? Is she a Chunin? Jonin? ANBU? How'd you meet? Do I know her?"

"That's enough." Gaara gently pushed her back; for some reason, she inched closer with every question she asked.

"Well, could you at least tell me something about her so I can help you?" Haruka huffed, crossing her arms.

"I've known her for a while but I just realized how much I care for her. She's a Jonin, loves animals especially stuffed ones, thinks laughter solves everything,"

Of course.

"and loves to sing and dance. Her favorite color is purple but she looks good in blue."

Ino? I hope not, she likes Sai.

"She can be random too. One minute she'll ask you for something and when you give it to her, she either doesn't want it or she'll say that she wanted something else."

Oh Lord, this girl sounds crazy.

"What do you think?"

"Well…if you ask me, I'd say that you have weird taste in women but I'm not one to judge. What is it that you need help with?"

"I don't know how to tell her that I like her."

"Umm, are you sure you want my help?" Haruka looked at him like he was crazy. "You saw what happened today."

"…you've had a boyfriend…" Why is she so difficult?

"Yea, that is true, so I guess you're right." She thought aloud. "Let's see…telling her would be out of the question cause she sees you two as friends and will probably think that you're just playing around." She thought for a minute. "I suggest that you kiss her to get her attention and then tell her."

"I see."

"Now on to more important things, who is s-"

Gaara reached out and grabbed the back of her head, pulling them both towards each other until their lips met in the middle. "Haruka," she stared at him wide-eyed, "I like you," before fainting for the second time that day.

XOXOXOXOXOTELLMEITSREALOXOXOXOXOX

WOO! I did it! I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible—I think I did alite. I'm going to do my best go upload chapters on a regular basis; I don't like having to wait months or years for new chapters, so I don't want to put y'all through that. Hope you all liked it, feel free to R&R, and all tips/hints welcome. *peace*