This is a gift fic for the lovely and amazing Ayuzaki with Kitty because today, July 31st, is her birthday. So . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

If I could I would've gotten Itachi for you but I hope this surpasses your expectations! And it is kinda long for me, and some of the characters you met here will show up in the story soon . . . if they haven't already. Before I forget, Kurai may seem to be ooc in this but she actually isn't, this is a different side that I want to explore further.

And I love my comrades in crime (aka my fellow authors) they help when I'm facing partial CDD and have no idea how to write as Gaara. They also deal with me being in my insane moods of annoying them and my threats of poking them with chopsticks. (Don't ya just love my random tangents?) Oh and because our order doesn't really matter, it's in whoever wrote theirs first. So as usual, I'm first! (Is that a good thing or a bad thing?) Oh and if anyone else wants to give us prompts for their birthday, just PM them or leave them in a review. With your birthday date; a prompt for each character and any other details you want us to include.

Disclaimer: None of us own Naruto or any of the characters. It rightfully belongs to Kishimoto-sama. (I'm doing it for everyone else so look back here before you sue)

~Kurai

New Friendship Under a Full Moon

Well, making friends with a rehabilitated psychopath, (some say sociopath, whatever) who has repeatedly tried to kill me was not what I was expecting to happen. Come on, me and Gaara . . . friends? I'm more likely to become BFFs with Kankuro, than with him. But enough blathering, you want to know what happened. I lay the blame with Kichiona, Zurui and the ass Kizoku. Just because they're my adoptive family now does not mean that I love everything that they do. Quite the opposite, frankly.

It first started with the heels. They weren't my usual black high-heeled wedges but they were the evil, silver, sparkly, four inch high, stilettos that Kizoku first tried to get me to wear. Kami! I thought they gave up after I nearly killed both Kizoku and Zurui with them. Tsk Tsk, the boys must be suckers for punishment. Kami! Don't want to go that far, and I'm getting off topic . . . again.

Not only was I forced to wear those evil heels of doom but I was suffocating in a blood red satin dress. Someone decided to stuff me into a corset and have the dress taken in. He said that it would be good practice for me to learn how to fight in it. He stopped mid-lecture as I attempted to go at him, but Zurui decided to interfere and trip me! The nerve, it's not like I was perfectly balanced in the first place anyway!
Because of the evil heels of doom and the dress of destruction and not seduction as Kizoku claimed, I basically sat or stood at the party Kizoku held in honor of our new alliance with Konoha. I personally thought it was stupid and a waste of funds that could have been used to better Suna. Others thought differently, saying that it would be a perfect way to get their minds off their troubles. Sorry, but we're hardened shinobi, we don't run away from our problems. Well the major ones anyway.

I got sick and tired of the leers and the ceaseless flirting that I decided to drag Zurui outside. He and I were almost always stuck together because Kizoku and Kichiona were social butterflies and we were the wallflowers of the group.

"Well I win the bet with Kizoku." He stated as we passed the threshold from the packed group of dancers to the outside balcony.

"What bet this time? Who do I need to hurt?"

"How long it took for you to snap and come hide outside." Kizoku added as he glided over with Kichiona on his arm.

She chuckled, "And it was my suggestion this time."

I scowled, "Are you three done with tormenting me? I understand when it's training or on an actual mission but in my free time, I like doing what I please! And this isn't it, I'd rather be reading, training or hell even sleeping! My feet are killing me and I feel like I'm constantly out of breath and don't you three know that corsets can kill people!"

"Aww, come on Kurai. It isn't that bad and let's enjoy the party! After all this will be our last chance of fun before all of the boring missions we'll have to undertake!" Kizoku exclaimed in his usual boisterous partying mood. He started to wrap his arm around my shoulder but because I was already precariously balancing on the railing, his added weight pushed me off the edge and I landed on who else but Gaara. And let's just say that it was a good thing that no one was nearby; it was a bit of an compromising situation. Poor kid; his first kiss was an accidental one with me.

"Should we be worried?" Kichiona asked, worried over my silence and that there was no muffled cursing or a thump.

Zurui shrugged, "Nah. She can handle almost everything, and cats always land on their feet."

Geez, thanks guys. No looking over to make sure I was okay, huh? And what is with the cat jokes? Yes I summon them, and prefer them to people most days but I'm not like Kitty Boy!

"You alright?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Sitting on the rail when my body is so off balance in my heels and dress was not one of my better ideas."

"I can see that. Could you get off me?"

"Sure, just give me a few minutes."

Close to ten minutes passed before I managed to heave myself off of Gaara.

"Goddamn dress! I swear when I come home I will fucking burn it - and the heels! No matter how much Kizoku tries to talk me out of it! Are you okay?" He was still lying in a heap. "Here let me help you up."

I held out my right hand. Indecision ruled his face for a few minutes but he grabbed my hand and whispered, "Thank you."

I smiled, "No problem." But because of my ridiculous get up, instead of pulling him up, my heels broke and I fell backwards, effectively ruining my dress. Did I mention that the seams popped out too?

Gaara smiled as I burst out laughing. This situation was too hilarious for words! I could believe this if it was acted on a stage but in real life?

After I finished nearly killing myself by laughing, and mentally cursing Kizoku, I joked, "Thanks, I now have a valid reason to utterly destroy these horrid things and to bitch those three out about."

"Weren't you planning on doing that anyway?"

I ruffled my hair but then grinned, "Yeah but this means I will win the argument with no bloodshed. Which is always preferable."

"For someone known for her cold blood isn't that an oxymoron?"

"Well, I don't like shedding blood outside of missions. We live in a hard world but it and ourselves aren't always in black in white but rather in shades of grey. Konoha has decided to stay closest to white while we in Suna prefer to be submerged fully in grey. We aren't restricted by one color or the other and because of that we have freedom in our actions."

A few moments of uneasy silence followed that and I was shocked. I had no clue that I could be that philosophical! Especially in a situation like this!

Eventually I had to break the silence with, "I'm really sorry but I need to change. This corset is rather uncomfortable, and revealing." And I've had enough of those sleazy perverts for the rest of my life!

"Why did you even put that thing on in the first place?"

I shrugged, "Peer pressure. When those three team up on me, there is no escape and I've tried multiple times. Not even threatening to kill them works."

"I thought you didn't like bloodshed outside of missions."

"Threatening to do something and actually following up on it are totally different matters."

"I can see them being slightly different but they are related."

"Shades of grey, you see, threatening someone depending on how you say it is a light to medium grey. While actually killing someone depending on the circumstances is a light medium grey to black. If you compare the two extremes there is a great difference."

"True." Five minutes of silence passed, this time with Gaara intently staring at me. And before people start freaking out, he was not checking me out! His gaze never left my face.

"Yes?"

"For someone who has fit in so well, you are very different from them. How do you do it?"

"Well, I act very well and I generally don't tell others all of my thoughts. After all, if they expect a confident but violent kunoichi I'm not going to disappoint them."

". . .You sound like my sister."

"Thanks for the compliment, and you know she and Kitty Boy aren't that horrible. I've seen you three, you do love each other."

". . . They. . .do? I haven't noticed anything to indicate that. . . And I have never loved my siblings."

"Well, Kitty Boy is rather annoying and rather play with his puppets."

"As much as he loves those inanimate objects, he's not that obsessed. . ."

"He talks to them like friends and granted Temari is a bit violent even for a Suna kunoichi. I may be more cold blooded but she wins the violence award."

"She's only vicious to protect what she wants to. . ."

"See! I told you that you loved them! If you didn't you wouldn't be defending them, in fact you'd be either doing the opposite or ignoring my attacks."

I shocked Gaara into fifteen minutes of silence but then he replied, "It's my job as their brother to defend them regardless of what he thinks of them."

"Fine, we'll just have to agree to disagree again."

"It's been an hour or two. Won't someone be worried?"

"Nope, they probably think I used it as an excuse to not come back to the party."

"I suppose you are correct. . . of course, since my siblings do not appear to be worried, my side is proved to be the correct one."

"Well, considering on how you're an insomniac and wander around everywhere in Suna at night, they wouldn't be. No offense but because you're a jinchuuriki you are crazy powerful, so they really don't have a reason to worry about you but they still do."

"I'll believe that when I see it with my own eyes."

"Fine, I bet that by the end of the night tonight they'll come looking for the BOTH of us."

"I can see them looking for you,but since they do NOT care for me I'll take you up on that bet."

"Deal. If I win, you stop being so anti social and hang out with your family and friends."

"Fine. But when I win, you," he looked at me, and for a second it was like making contact with Old Gaara. "You'll have to help me work on training. I want to learn how to control my sand so I don't hurt anyone, and you will help me."

"Alright, I will regardless."

"I look forward to your help with my training."

"So if I'm your training partner we should know more about each other."

"How so?"

"Well, we'll be spending a lot of time together and it's easier to work with someone if you know some basic things about your partner."

". . . Is this an attempt to become my friend?"

"Well, it depends how you see things. The question is do you want to be my friend? I'll still train with you, so answer it truthfully."

". . . I don't really know yet."

"Alright. So what do you like to do as an hobby?"

". . . . I used to kill people, but I don't think that was a hobby. However, I do occasionally tend to . . . cacti."

"I would probably kill it, I have a black thumb straight to my shoulders."

"Well, they actually don't need a lot of care, you just need to plant them near a water source, and make sure they do not get sick with disease."

"I'll stick to my rock garden, thank you very much."

"A rock garden? Sounds. . . . interesting."

"Yeah, it's a nice way to relax and it's near impossible to kill it."

"Hm. . . . it can't die? What if you attack it?"

"Technically it would be destroying and I said near impossible. Also why would I want to attack it, when I can use Kitty Boy as a punching bag?"

". . . It's actually not as fun as you'd think. He tends to whine after you hit him in the face; it messes up his make-up."

"But then you can make fun of him for it, so it's a win-win situation for me."

"Hm. . . . That's pretty well thought out."

"Well, when it comes to tormenting people I tend to thinks things out. Kitty Boy is a lot of fun, but Kizoku is a close second."

"Hm. . . . he's like Sasuke, only he embraces comradery."

I shrugged, "I suppose so."

Before we could continue, Temari, Kankuro, Kizoku, Zurui, and Kichiona rushed up to where we were sitting from opposite directions.

"Kurai!"

"Gaara!"

"So now you guys decide to be worried? Not when I fall of the damned rail and fucking fall on Gaara . . . again!" I was not impressed but Gaara was shocked by his siblings looking for him.

"And you three did nothing?" Temari yelled. "Kurai and Gaara could've been seriously hurt!"

Kankuro was too busy looking elsewhere to comment more than, "And we don't want that to happen."

". . .You. . . came. . . for. . . me. . ."

"Of course, we're your older siblings. It's our job."

". .. . I. . . . Thank you."

"I do believe I win and I TOLD YA SO!" Everyone but Gaara and I were shocked. What? Is it really that surprising? Us two as friends?

". . . . Very well. You win. I will. . . attempt to be more. . .social. As we agreed."

"Good boy."

Kankuro finally gained enough dignity to look me in the face and ask, "What?"

I smirked and said, "I just won a bet with Gaara, who I have been quite contently been talking to for the last few hours while you five were partying. Do you have a problem with that?" At that I finally remembered to take off my heels and then started the walk home under the elegant full moon.

"Hey Kurai!"

"What is it now, Kitty Boy?" I swiveled to look at him.

"Nice corset!" He sarcastically replied.

You'd be proud of me I did not kill, threaten or swear at Kankuro. After all if I'm training with Gaara to help him gain more control, I might as well try my best to be a good role model. And I really didn't need to say anything, Gaara handled it for me. He whispered it softly but with the soft breeze I could just barely catch what he said.

"Instead of venting your attraction to her by being rude, perhaps you could try to be a proper gentleman, big brother."

I mentally scoffed at his statement, Kankuro attracted to me? Whatever. At least I have someone who can understand some of what I'm really going through. It'll be nice to not have to lie and act all the time. And yeah totally not mentioning the whole accidentally kissing Gaara thing; I don't want to deal with the matchmaking schemes.