We're the Same
Author's Note: I had a couple requests for a female Sasuke x Gaara story. In this story, Sasuke was born female and is named Suki. If any of those things bother you, you might want to turn back now. Reviews are always appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story.
Chapter Notation: Flashbacks will be in italics. This chapter provides a look inside the mind of Gaara when he had the demon. It will be rather dark in the flashback, but of course as everyone knows he changes over time.
Into the Light: I made up this book. It's not cannon. I think that in a world like the Narutoverse, there would have to be books about the Great Ninja Wars, especially autobiographies.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.
Chapter One
Gaara was the youngest Kazekage in the history of the Sand Village and possibly the youngest Kage in the history of the Five Great Nations. While he wasn't necessarily an academic, most people would have said that he was intelligent. He was certainly well versed in ninja matters, politics, economics, and even agriculture. But he had just done something extremely stupid.
"Lord Kazekage?!" The Raikage asks in disbelief when sand suddenly surrounds his neck like a noose.
He had "attacked" the Raikage at the meeting. Gaara hadn't meant to. His sand just reacted instinctively.
The war was over. Thanks mostly to Team Seven, Madara had been defeated. Now all the Kages were once again convening to decide what would happen next. One of the most pressing concerns was what to do about Suki Uchiha.
"I'm not going to allow it. I won't let you execute her." Gaara says, stunning even himself with the ferocity of his words.
They wanted to execute her. The Raikage had voiced what the red head knew many others were thinking. She was far too strong and her mental stability far too questionable to be allowed to live. Many worried that she would become a female Madara.
"You would dare to attack another Kage on that traitor's behalf?!" He thunders in outrage.
"If you kill her, you will upset Naruto. If you upset Naruto, you will have a war on your hands. I assure you that most of the world would take his side over yours. Suki Uchiha played a major role in our victory. While her actions in the past have been unfortunate, without her we would still be trapped in a dream world. Honor dictates that at the very least that is enough to prevent her execution." He states.
"Gaara has a point. That and I'm not too happy with the idea of my former student being executed either." Kakashi adds in a deceptively cheerful voice.
"I DON'T CARE THAT IT'S A KAGE SUMMIT! LET ME IN!" Naruto roars and slams down the doors, racing inside.
Gaara and Kakashi rub the back of their heads sheepishly. Trust Naruto to make a dramatic entrance. The blonde barrels over to the table and pleads for his friend's life to be spared.
Hours later, it was agreed that Suki Uchiha would be get to live. Though she would be under house arrest for several months. Once that was over, she would have to wear a bracelet that would let Naruto know her location at all times.
They Kages normally would have required ANBUS to monitor her, but they knew that there were only a handful of people who could subdue Suki Uchiha. As skilled as the Leaf's ANBUS were, they were no match for her. So the tracking bracelet had been the compromise.
Just as Gaara was about to head back to the Sand, he felt a familiar chakra nearby. Suki was behind him. He didn't even have to look back to know it.
"I know why Kakashi and Naruto defended me. Why did you argue on my behalf?" She asks.
"Because we're the same." Gaara answers and flits off, remembering when he had first realized that fact at the Chunin Exams.
Gaara walked towards the Leaf Village with Temari and Kankuro. Though they were related by blood, the twelve year old boy had no real emotional connection with his siblings. They had been placed on the same team because no one else would willingly join the demon's team.
"We're almost there." Temari, his sister, called out.
That is what they called him. Gaara of the Sand or the demon. The red head decided it didn't matter what they called him. He had one purpose in life and that was to prove that his existence was stronger than others. He could accomplish this only by killing. And that was why he was perfect for this mission.
"Thank God. I'm beat. We've been traveling for days." Kankuro commented.
The Sound and Sand were teaming up to attack the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams. The reasons why mattered little to him. He just knew that he was being given free reign to kill. And that made him as close to happy as Gaara ever got.
"You there. Who are you and what are you doing here?" A girl about their age demanded to know with an authoritative tone that no child their age should possess.
"Who me?" Temari asked.
"Not you. The one with the gourd on his back." She specified and Gaara noted that it appeared that she was here with her team.
"Gaara Sabaku of the Sand. I'm curious about you as well." The red head replied.
Gaara had meant that with the utmost sincerity. There was something about her that called to him. He decided it was her eyes.
They were black as night and held just as many secrets. She was like him in a way. This wasn't a child, not really. She had a purpose like him. He knew a killer's eyes when he saw them and he was looking at them now.
There was such a fierceness in those dark orbs. A complete confidence. Yet as he took another look, hidden rather well was a lot of pain. There was a deep sadness about her. But it was a dignified sadness. She had a regal baring that didn't belong to a girl of at most thirteen years.
"Suki Uchiha." She answered.
"Hey! Isn't anyone going to ask my name!" Naruto protested.
Both speakers ignored the blonde. Gaara noted her appearance further. He'd never really thought about girls before. To him, gender mattered little.
The red head certainly hadn't bothered thinking about whether someone was pretty. But she definitely was. Perhaps pretty was too tame of an adjective, beautiful might have been more accurate.
She reminded him of one of the few roses that bloomed in the desert. He had no idea how the beautiful flowers survived the arid conditions. It seemed out of defiance more than anything else. And that is what her gaze was, defiant.
"We're the same. Your eyes are like mine." He said.
Her hair was midnight black and came a few inches past her shoulders. Two long bangs framed the sides of her face elegantly and he noted that her hair was spiky for a girl. She had ivory cream colored skin and long eyelashes. Her shirt was blue and had a very high collar and she wore white shorts.
"We're the same. Your eyes are like mine." Suki's eyes widened at these words.
"We're here for the Chunin Exams." Temari said and showed their documents.
"What are the Chunin Exams?" Naruto asked and Suki smacked her forehead in exasperation.
"Um okay then, you can go." Sakura said, smiling nervously.
The Sand Siblings head off. Gaara takes one last look back at Suki as they do so. He wanted to fight her most of all. He had never actually looked forward to something before. But he knew that he was looking forward to the chance to fight her.
Six months later, Gaara visit's the Leaf Village. He smiles as he walks the village streets with Naruto. It was a wonderful experience, to see how life had gone back to normal after the war.
"I'm surprised the Uchiha isn't with you." He muses.
"Oh she's at her place. I guess she decided to restore her District. She mostly left it alone after the massacre, other than the house she lived in. So it's taking a lot of work. Actually, she doesn't leave her District much, even after the house arrest ended." Naruto says.
Gaara frowns. Naruto might not realize it. But the red head had a pretty good idea why she was staying in the Uchiha District so much. She likely didn't want to face the judgment of the rest of the village.
More than likely, she now occupied a niche similar to the one he had as a Genin. She was powerful weapon for the Leaf Village. One that most of the village was afraid might be used against them someday.
"Actually, we should probably stop by. I mean it'll be good for her to have some visitors!" Naruto says cheerfully and Gaara nods.
The Kazekage follows his friend to the Uchiha District. It did seem that her efforts were paying off. Perhaps a quarter of the place had been restored. Gaara could tell that once upon a time, it had been quite a beautiful place to live.
That's when he saw her. Suki was using a ladder to replace some windows. Of course, he knew better than to shout at a person on a ladder. Naruto, on the other hand, did not.
"SUKI! Thought you might like some company! Gaara's here too!" The blonde yelled out.
Suki was startled and looked around too quickly. The ladder slipped out from under her feet. Gaara raced over and caught her just before she would have fallen straight onto the harsh sidewalk.
Suki had been working on replacing some windows, when she heard a loud shout. She was a fearsome ninja, but she hadn't expected anyone to be in her District. So Naruto's loudmouth startled her. She lost her balance and felt the ladder slip out from under her. Suki braces for an impact that never came.
"Huh?" She asks and opens her eyes slowly, realizing something or someone had caught her.
"It's alright." Gaara tells her.
"Gaara?" She asks and he nods.
Suki felt her cheeks begin to heat up with embarrassment. She was had fucking faced off against Madara Uchiha (with help of course, but still) and here she was, falling off of a ladder like some kind of klutz. This was made even more humiliating by the fact that it was Gaara, a Kage, who caught her.
Roses and sandalwood. That's what she smelled like, Gaara decided. He wasn't sure where the roses came from. The Uchiha didn't strike him as the type of woman who spent much time around flowers. But it was a very natural, feminine scent and he'd never seen her Sharingan this up close before. Her eyes looked like two rubies.
"Thanks." She mutters and Gaara nods.
Idly, Suki notes that it didn't seem like the red head was planning on setting her down anytime soon. But for some reason, she found she wasn't in a particular hurry to rush out of his arms. As any decent ninja would do, she took this time to observe her surroundings.
Oh those biceps were new. She figured that wearing such a heavy gourd on your back for years, probably had some advantages. She decided she quite liked the way his white Kage robes contrasted with his blood red hair and his eyes were really stunning up close. Such an unusual shade of blue, aqua. The black markings around his eyes had never gone away, even after the demon was removed. She decided they gave him a feral appearance.
"Good catch, Gaara. Suki, are you okay?" Naruto asks.
"Yes, I am. No thanks to you. You idiot! You don't just yell at someone who is on a ladder." Suki scoffs.
"Sorry, didn't realize you were such a scaredy cat and so easily startled." The blonde says.
Gaara shakes his head. Suki practically leapt out of his arms and lunged at the blonde. Soon enough the two of them were rolling around on the dirt road in a flurry of tangled limbs. It was honestly, difficult to tell who was "winning" this play fight.
"Now who is the scaredy cat?!" Suki growls at him and slams her fist into his stomach.
"Ouch! That actually hurt!" Naruto whined.
"Good. Maybe it will teach you not to shoot your mouth off." She says, getting up, and shooting Naruto a glare.
Gaara shakes his head in amusement. It seemed some things would never change. Many considered Naruto and Suki to have almost Godlike combat abilities, but they were still teenagers. And no matter the situation, they would always fight like cats and dogs.
To Gaara, Suki was clearly the cat. She was graceful, adaptable, and only a select few were allowed the privilege of her tolerance. Cats had always struck the red head as a rather proud animal.
In stark contrast, Naruto was the dog. He was loyal, friendly, and a natural extravert. He would do anything for his friends. He seemed to thrive on being in a crowd. So he supposed it was only natural they would clash on just about everything.
"Oh something smells good!" Naruto says.
"Dinner should be done by now." Suki observes and heads into the house.
"Wait, you cook?!" The blonde asks if Suki had just told him that she had two heads.
Gaara raises an eyebrow at his friend's shock. Unlike Naruto, it didn't particularly surprise him to learn that Suki could cook. He assumed she would learn out of necessity, if nothing else. He doubted she the last Uchiha would have been foolish enough to eat any prepared by someone else in the Sound Village.
"Yes, loser I can cook. Oh and I can cook more than just ramen." She scoffs at him.
"Hey! I resent that." Naruto protests.
"You can resent it all you want, it's accurate. You, my friend, are absolutely hopeless in the kitchen." Gaara states with open amusement as they walk inside the Uchiha's house.
It was clean, he noticed. Suki was either a neat freak or she didn't really have anything better to do than to clean her home, cook, and work on District repairs. Gaara realized that she could only train with Naruto so many hours of the day. She had to pass the time somehow.
That's when he noticed some rather heavy books placed here and there. It seemed reading was one of the ways, she passed the time. Certainly, she was highly intelligent, but it was difficult for the red head to picture her doing something as casual as reading. Still he couldn't help but be curious, he glanced at some of the titles.
"So what's for dinner?" Naruto asks cheerfully.
"Steak and salad. Since you already invited yourself in, you might as well stay for dinner. Gaara can as well, I still owe him for arguing along with you and Kakashi on my behalf at the second Kage Summit." She says.
"That's very kind of you. Though I never realized you were such a romantic." Gaara muses.
"Gaara, what are you talking about?" The blue eyed ninja asks in confusion.
Suki immediately saw where Gaara's eyes were lingering. Damn it. He was looking at the book entitled Into the Light.
"I'm not." Suki states and leads them into the dinning room.
"Your taste in literature disagrees." Gaara replies in amusement.
"Wait is Suki reading Pervy Sage's books or something?" Naruto asks.
"Not exactly. But Into the Light is considered a classic. It is a story about the First Great Ninja War. A woman falls in love with a ninja from a rival ninja nation. The title comes from a passage in the book where she describes him as her light. She is like an insect that can not resist going into the light. It's a mixture of bloody firsthand accounts of actual battles, day to day life during that era, romance, and is considered to be one of the greatest erotic pieces of literature in the ninja world." Gaara explains.
"…" Naruto is speechless.
"It seems I'm not the only one who read it. That was quite a thorough description." Suki says and cocks her head to the side as if trying to process the fact that she and Gaara shared similar taste when it came to reading.
"My uncle gave me a copy. I think he just wanted to give me something to do at night, when I couldn't sleep." The red head admits and Naruto's eyes soften.
He knew exactly what his friend was referring to. When he had the demon, if he slept, the One Tails would come out to play. And that usually meant a lot of blood would be spilt. Gaara rarely talked about what life had been like for him before he met Naruto, but the blonde knew enough to realize it had been horrific.
"I read it for the firsthand accounts of the battles and to find out more about what life was like in that era." Suki tries to defend herself.
"Of course." Gaara says, though his voice came out raspy as always, Suki could swear she heard just a trace of amusement underneath it.
"I do!" She protests.
"I was agreeing with you." The Kazekage says and bites into the meal, trying to hide his smile.
He'd never seen her flustered about anything before. He'd seen Suki furious, smug, and even frightened before. But he had never seen her actually embarrassed about something.
"I read it for the firsthand accounts of the battles and to find out more about what life was like in that era," his ass, Gaara thought. Suki would not be acting in such a fashion if that was the only reason she read that book. He wondered which was her favorite part and decides not to contemplate the matter further.
"You weren't agreeing with me. You were humoring me." She says accusingly.
"Perhaps a bit." He admits.
"Seriously, let me see what the Hell is in this book that is such a big deal." Naruto says and opens it to a marked page.
"Naruto, don't!" Suki says.
Naruto reads the page and his eyes widen. Wow. Jirayia was innocent compared to whoever wrote this. The blonde didn't even know the human body could move like that.
"Suki you are such a closet pervert." Naruto says.
"CHIDORI!" She says, rising to her feet, and charging up her trademark attack.
"Uchiha, do you really wish to ruin your lovely home?" Gaara asks.
"I guess you're right. I'll just kick his ass outside." She mutters.
"You wish!" Naruto says.
A few hours later, after sparring with Suki and having a good meal, Naruto had dozed off on the couch. Gaara shakes his head at his friend's antics. Only Naruto.
"So why are you in the Leaf? I know you are friends with Naruto, but most people wouldn't make a three day journey to socialize." Suki asks.
"I came to speak with Kakashi about a matter relating to intervillage relations." He answers honestly, but vaguely.
"It's finally starting to happen, isn't it?" She asks.
"What do you mean?" The red asks.
"Some of the leaders are growing jealous of Naruto's popularity. They see him as a threat to their power later down the line." The brunette answers.
"Perceptive. Unfortunately, I do have my concerns. Yes, I'll admit that I am a bit anxious. I have nothing concrete to go on at this moment. But I think it is best to start planning now." He says.
Suki sighs. She knew it would happen eventually. One didn't achieve Godlike status in the ninja world without their being some consequences. Most people thought of Naruto as some benevolent deity now. The idiot didn't have an ambitious bone in his body. But the Daimyos didn't know that. Naturally, jealousy would bloom.
"Is there anything that can be done about it?" She asks.
"There are a few things, though I find the suggestions distasteful myself." Gaara admits.
"You aren't seriously suggesting he should marry a Daimyo's daughter or something are you?" Suki asks.
"Not seriously. Naruto will only marry for love. Besides, that would just make the power imbalance even greater and anger the other four Daimyos. No an arranged marriage between Naruto and a Daimyo's daughter simply isn't the most logical course of action." He states.
"Then what is?" The last Uchiha inquires.
"I will let you know once I think of suitable answer." Gaara admits.
She simply nods. At least Gaara was aware of the problem. Suki very much doubted that was the case with Naruto.
"How are you…adjusting?" He asks awkwardly, trying to change the conversation.
"About as well as can be expected." She replies.
"You're hiding in your District." Gaara states.
"I am not hiding." She glowers at him for that suggestion.
"I don't blame you. It's not that they are bad people. It's just that they don't understand what it's like." He offers.
"And what do you think that you understand?" She hisses at him.
"I know what's it like to walk in darkness for years and not to see a single trace of light and then to try to latch onto the first ray you see. You use it to pull yourself out of the darkness and once you do, people are still afraid of you. It's difficult. There's no shame in not wanting to face their judgment. I had the same problem after the Chunin Exams." He admits.
"Does it ever get any easier?" The brunette dares herself to ask.
"Saving the village from Deidara seemed to help in my case, tremendously. You helped to save the world, one would think that would merit you some…consideration. But over time it does. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. The first step is always the hardest and you've made that one." He says.
"I deserve worse for what I did and I know it. I should count my blessings that all I'm getting is frightened and hateful glances. Sometimes hushed whispers. None of them have the courage to say anything to my face though. They are all sheep." She replies.
"You don't deserve worse. Your actions while misguided were not your fault. No more than mine were before I met Naruto. We were the product of environments." He tells her.
Suki smiles. She wished she could believe that. Gaara at least had a good excuse. The demon had done it, not him. Everything she did though, she had chosen to do. It was different in her case.
It was funny, she mused. They were really little more than strangers when you got down to it. But really, if she thought about it…he was the only one that understood her in a strange way.
Gaara was the only person who hadn't tried to change her. He realized that she was darkness and that it was her choice whether or not she wanted to pull herself out of it. Unlike Naruto, who had dragged her kicking and screaming every step of the way.
"How long do you think it will be until he wakes?" Gaara asks.
"Mmm probably not for another hour or two. Why do you ask?" Suki replies.
"Well we never did finish our match at the Chunin exams." The red head says.
"Was that a challenge, Lord Kazekage?" Suki asks with a sly smile.
"It could be interpreted that way." He replies.
"You're on. My kicking your ass won't cause an international incident, will it?" The Uchiha woman inquires.
"No. I issued the challenge. I will accept the consequences. Though I believe it will be you who loses and not I." He states and heads outside with her.
"You're pretty cocky." Suki says with a smirk.
"I have good reason to be. I know that you will refrain from using certain moves in your District. You wouldn't want to destroy all your hard work. It is a level playing field." He reasons.
"When you put it that way, this might actually be interesting." She says and gets into a defensive position.