Title: Understanding
Author: Greygryph
Rating: G
Summary: Because some things and understood and others need explaining.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"How do you do it?" A soft voice asks, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. Naruto glances over at his companion, but the red haired Suna-nin is still looking out over the night-time cityscape. The dark rings around his eyes stand out in stark contrast to his aqua eyes and pale skin, and Naruto wonders for a moment how much of them are from the tanuki sealed within him and how much are from years of insomnia.
"How do I do what?" He asks and kicks his feet a bit, ignoring the fact that he was seated on the edge of the Hokage Monument and that it was quite a distance to fall.
"Live with them." Was all Gaara said but Naruto understood the unspoken words, 'Protect them. All those people who hurt you. Who made your life hell.'
Naruto gave a soft smile, "Its simple." He told the other jinchuuriki, letting his own eyes wander over the village before him with fondness, "I forgave them."
Now it was Gaara's questioning eyes that turned to his companion while the blond haired boy smiled down at the village that had shunned him for years.
"Before I knew," Naruto said, not needing to elaborate the understood: 'Before I knew about the demon sealed in me,' "I just assumed all of them were stupid, or that maybe my parents had done something to warrant a grudge, but when I found out the truth…It all made sense and I could understand it. The fear. The anger. The need for a scapegoat. And as much as I'd like to believe I'd never do the same thing, if I didn't understand this perspective I probably would have done the same."
"You forgave them?" Gaara mused a second and turned his whole head towards the blonde genin, "all of them?" he asked, eyes locked on Naruto's chest where only a faint scar remained of his most recent fight.
Naruto grinned back at the stoic Suna-nin and nodded, "What else can I do when I know he was being influenced by that Snake-bastard's seal? You and I both know what dark whispers can do to you, and we've had years to learn to cope. Besides, he can still be saved." Naruto said and gave a small grin, "I was still conscious until Kakashi-sensei got there. He had his chance to kill me and didn't take it."
Gaara nodded slowly and Naruto craned his head up to watch the bright moon above them, "Ne, Gaara?" Naruto waited for an affirmative "hmm" from the tanuki-container before continuing, "I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself. I rather like the mask I've made myself. Idiots are always underestimated. It makes it easier to surprise people." He gave another grin, this one more mischievous, "besides I think it'll be entertaining when everyone finds out. My greatest prank ever, I think."
Gaara nodded and felt a slight smile appear on his face as the duo of jinchuuriki lapsed back into silence. He would keep Naruto's secret, after all, he was host to a tanuki spirit, and all tricksters enjoyed a good prank.
1/31/08