Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto.
Summary: Kagome wondered what would happen to her after the jewel was complete. Hearing her silent wish the jewel decides to show her another world where they are in need of her help.
An Act of Kindness
Vision slightly distorted Kagome looked around at the place that the shikon had sent her. This was definitely a first for the jewel to be able to transport her to a different place. She knew that the jewel reacted to any of her thoughts or feelings but this was the first time that it reacted this vastly to her inward thoughts. Glancing at her environment she noticed that most of the houses seemed to be made out of sand. It was dreadfully hot outside too and she had a feeling that the surrounding area would be a vast dessert. Inwardly cursing the jewel she wondered where she was and why she was here. Deciding to walk around to get a better glimpse of the area she turned towards a crowd of people. Keeping her senses open for any threats she thought back to what she was doing before the jewel had sent her hear.
She remembered that after a vicious fight with a large reptilian demon they had decided to take a little breather near a lake. Kicking off her shoes and dipping her feet in the cool water she took the three shards that they had collected from the demon and summoned her powers to fuse them together with the chunk she had around her neck. Once she was done she had titled her head back to stare at the clear blue sky and tuned out the cheerful laughter of shippou in the lake, Miroku's suggestions for Sango to dip in the pool naked and Inuyasha's grumblings of wasting time. She had thought about how many jewel shards there were left and knew that Naraku would have the other half of the jewel which left them with only a couple more shards to complete the whole jewel. She knew that the final battle would be soon and she knew what it was that she would wish for. But she did not know what would become of her once this adventure was over. Trying to be a normal school girl after her experience here would be hard but that was the only option she had left. Staying in the feudal era was out of the question because she wasn't from here. Was this all she thought, 3 years of adventure than back to the normal life of a teenager? Could she really do it after all she's been through? Why had the jewel brought her back to the past? Was it just to bring balance to the world once again? Wishing that someone would tell her what was in her future she sighed and that was when the jewel glowed and she found herself in this strange place.
"That's it!" she thought. "The jewel wanted to show me what is in my future. But I still don't get why I'm here."
Suddenly feeling a spike of youkai Kagome's head snapped up from the ground and towards the crowd she had been heading to. Wondering why there was a youkai in the middle of the crowd she suddenly heard a child's cry. Eyes going wide she sprinted towards the crowd pushing her way towards what was holding their attention. What greeted her was a red haired child that was huddled to the ground being kicked and beaten with a stick by 3 older kids who looked to be in their early teens.
Enraged at their treatment of the young boy and the lack of sympathy in the eyes of the adults she took off towards the child.
"Stop! What do you think you guys are doing?" Standing in front of the boy she glared at the kids.
"Shouldn't you be picking on someone your own size?"
Than turning her attentions towards the adults her glare hardened. "And you, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves letting them bully a child. How could you let them hurt an innocent child."
"tch innocent?" one of the civilians answered.
"That kid ain't innocent he's a monster. He's not even human." Others murmured in agreement.
"Besides, what's an outsider like you know about anything anyways?"
The man glanced at her strange clothing. She definitely wasn't a ninja since she was dressed in civilian clothes. But she didn't wear the usual robes that the citizens of the country of the wind wore. In fact he didn't know what country the girl came from. She wore a strange green skirt with a white shirt, with a collar and a red tie around it. What baffled them was the big hideous yellow backpack that she carried. Why would anyone lug that huge thing around and how can a small civilian girl like her carry that weight? That However, they disregarded their curiosity because those that sided with a monster like this kid were not to be trusted.
Watching how the crowd judged her by standing up for a defenseless kid Kagome became frustrated with their closed mindedness.
"I may not be from around here but I definitely know that it is wrong to hurt a child. In my opinion you guys are the monsters. You who willingly let a child hurt based off of your own prejudice." She growled.
Seeing as they did not seem to take any of her words to heart she turned towards the little boy who was staring up at her in amazement. Never before had anyone try to protect or stand up to him, not even Yashamaru did that for him. He only ever comforted him in the privacy of their home. Suddenly he was startled by his thoughts by a hand that tugged him away from the glares and disgusted looks. She never let go of his hand until they were far away from everyone and into an empty training grounds. Gently she picked him up and sat him down one of the smaller logs on the grounds. Swiftly she set down her huge bag and took out a white box with a red cross. He watched her gather some medical supplies and started towards him. He heard her ask for permission before she tried to bandage him up and he absentmindedly nodded. He was confused because usually by this time Shukaku would have demanded to hurt her or to get away from her as a sort of defense. Instead he realized that in her presence Shukaku was actually calm. The ever constant sand that enveloped him when he was around people never reacted to her touch, this told him that it did not see her as a threat. "Why?" he wondered, why is she helping him? She didn't even know him.
After bandaging him Kagome spent the rest of the day playing with the child named Gaara and letting him spend one day being a child. She knew that she could not stay in this world because she still had other responsibilities of her own. However, she did wonder why the jewel had sent her to this world at this particular place and time. Knowing how cruel people could be towards others they did not understand she knew that this child will have a hard life in front of him. She knew that if this kind of treatment continued he would grow to resent this village and could at some point in time turn against them. She hoped that he would remember this one act of kindness as a reminder that not all is bad in the world and that there are others who do not see him as a monster but an actual human being. Frustrated that she couldn't do more she tried to think of anything to say that would help him remember this one carefree moment. But she found none. How could you explain to a child that because of people's closed mindedness and their fear of the unknown they turn their fear into hate and disgust even towards a young helpless child. Sighing she turned her attention back towards the red haired boy. She watched as he slid down the slide again and again in childish glee and a rare – she knew that he rarely showed it, smile graced his features. How she would have liked to rid the world of all this anger and prejudice against demons or towards those who are different from them. But she knew she could only do so much. For now her mission was to save her own world before she tackled the responsibility of helping other worlds.
The sudden glowing of the shards around her neck alerted her to her near departure from this world. Walking towards the child she sadly scooped him up and carried him towards a bench.
"Gaara I must leave soon."
Eyes huge and face set in disbelief the child protested.
"NO!" He squirmed out of her hold choosing to stand in front of her curling his little fists.
"You can't Kagome. No one understands me and Shukaku likes you and you're the only one who will play with me."
"I know, I know if I had a choice I would stay here with you or take you with me but…"
"Then take me with you." He begged clinging to her skirt desperately. "I want to come with you."
"But won't your parents miss you Gaara-chan?"
"No" he said adamantly. "Momma's gone and Kazekage-sama hates me too."
Inwardly wondering what a Kazekage was or why a child would not call his father dad or any sort of other fatherly title she once again questioned why the shikon sent her to this child. It was now obvious that she was destined to help this child in some way or at least be in this world why else would the jewel show her a glimpse of this world when they were so close to completing the jewel. It must have been her unconscious wish to know what is to happen to her after the jewel is completed. Did this mean that the jewel was not finished with her? That after setting the feudal era straight there are other worlds such as this one that she must help? Inwardly she sighed she was tired of the constant fighting and power struggles. She decided that being a normal girl wouldn't be that bad but ever since the discovery of the jewel it had brought her nothing but blood, and pain.
That's not true. A voice in her head whispered. The voice reminded her about the people and demons that she had helped during the last 3 years of her journey and the surrogate sister and brother that she found, the adopted son she adored and the best friend that a girl could ever have. If it weren't for the jewel she would have never met them and their lives would have been vastly different. Inuyasha would still be stuck to the tree, Sango dead without the aide of the jewel shards, Miroku without hope of defeating his curse and little Shippou would be all alone without anyone to feed him and put him to bed.
Glancing down at the small bundle on her lap she felt her heart tug. She couldn't do anything for him now but give him this one day. She wished with all her heart that he would not succumb to his hatred. Wishing to give him some sort of comfort she hugged him gently trying to convey how sorry she was that she had to leave him. And with those thoughts she finally found her answer. Gently putting Gaara down she explained that she had something to give to him. Rummaging in her big yellow pack she finally found what she was looking for. Showing him the brown bear she watched as his eyes grew large in fascination.
"This Gaara is Teddy my father gave him to me when I was little. Whenever I was sad, or scared it would always comfort me. I want you to have him."
Gently taking the teddy bear from her hands he gently hugged the bear to him. No one had ever given him a gift before not his siblings, Yashamaru and especially not his father. Looking back up at the only girl who had ever shown him kindness beside Yashamaru he asked the one question he had been wondering about the whole day.
"Why?"
"Because I want you to remember me Gaara-chan. I want you to remember that even though I won't be around there is someone out there that at least cares for you. I want you to remember that you are not a monster as others have told you but a human. I want you to know that having a demon inside of you does not make you a monster."
"You know about Shukaku?"
Nodding her head yes Kagome watched as different emotions played across his young face.
"And your not afraid?"
"Of course not Gaara-chan why would I be?" she tilted her head in question. "I know that you would never voluntarily hurt me."
Gaara had wanted to ask how she knew he had a demon inside of him when the glowing around her neck increased.
"What's that?" He pointed towards her neck.
Glancing down Kagome pulled out the necklace that contained half of the shikon no tama. "This Gaara-chan is what I protect. This is the reason that I can not stay in this world." Holding him gently Kagome looked into his green eyes to try and convey to him that what she was saying was the truth.
"Gaara-chan please try to understand that although some adults are intelligent they are still human. They are still prone to prejudice and discrimination. What I mean is don't take what other people say to heart okay. Never believe that you are a monster you are first and foremost Gaara-chan and I want you to stay as yourself promise me?"
Seeing him nod she continued.
"I'm giving you this bear as a reminder that I'll always be thinking of you okay? I hope that Teddy will give you the same comfort and protection it gave me when I was younger. Keep him safe for me because just as Teddy will comfort you when you need him he also needs your care and protection."
"I promise to protect Teddy." Gaara promised.
"Thank you Gaara-chan that means a lot to me." She smiled for him. Kissing him on the check she set him down. "Actually since Teddy is now yours you can name him whatever you want so you don't have to keep on calling him Teddy."
As soon as the words left her mouth the shikon jewel glowed brighter. Knowing that her time was almost up she hugged Gaara quickly and promised to see him again one day. She knew that once her adventures in the feudal era were done that one day she would be back in this world. The Shikon Jewel was the balance of good and evil, and the balancer between humans and demons. With the presence of the demon in Gaara she knew that this world would be subjugated to more demons. This meant that a battle between the races might be underway or a battle against a force that is trying to tip the balance in their favor is eminent so her presence would be needed, as much as she bemoaned it. She also knew that through experience that humans and demons could not live in the same realm for very long. They were too different in some aspects and the prejudice between the two races was too great. That was why there were no demons in her time because somehow in the next 500 years the demons and humans become separated from each other and she knew that the only way that the presences of demons could disappear was if she wished for it to.
Glancing one last time at the red haired, green eyed boy she prayed that what she told him today would stay with him. It was for the sake of the village that he resided in that he keep sane because if things continued to progress as they had today he would eventually destroy this place. She glanced at Teddy one last time, it was supposed to have been a companion for Shippou for the times that she had to go back home but she knew that Gaara needed the bear more than Shippou. Hopping that the bear would teach him the value of something special to protect and care for she disappeared.
Gaara stared at the last place the black haired and blue eyed girl stood. If he hadn't seen her fade before his eyes and if he wasn't holding the bear that he had received from her he would have thought that this whole day was but a dream. Hugging Teddy tighter he vowed to protect and cherish it as he knew she wanted him to. In his little heart he also hopped that she would be back soon because she promised she would. Turning around to walk back to his empty house he glanced one last time at the park where for the first time in his young life he was able to enjoy.
As the years passed that one act of kindness was what made Gaara partly human and what gave him hope in times of great turmoil. After the assassination attempt from his uncle Yashamaru he had gone crazy and Shukaku was enraged and terrified of anyone and everyone. He wouldn't let anyone close to him and went on a rampage. He and Shukaku would have eventually destroyed the village if he hadn't found the toy that Kagome gave to him. He remembered that there was one who was kind and wasn't afraid of him. One who didn't ask for anything of him and who acted in his defense despite knowing what he was. The bear was the only proof he still had that someone was once kind to him. And he knew without asking that if he had let Shukaku's anger consume him that she would have been disappointed. So every night after a particular hard mission and the continuous whispers and cautious, disgusted looks he would curl up on his bed holding the only good thing in his world.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this. This is just my first one shot. I want to do a Naruto/Inuyasha cross over in the future and thought about how Kagome could impact some of the Naruto character's lives and one of the first characters I wanted her to touch was Gaara. His childhood in my opinion is similar to Inuyasha's that Kagome would definitely see her dear hanyou friend in him. However, the fic won't be a Gaara/Kagome.