Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein.

Author's Note: This is my first ever Naruto story as well as the first story I have written for Fanfiction. It is a hypothetical, "what if" kind of story that's been brewing inside me for a long time. I'm sorry if it's a little sappy. I felt like writing something a bit emotional.

I never thought it was possible to be so completely wrong about everything. Gaara stared up at the sky, letting the sun beat down upon his pale face. My head is spinning…but it's different than usual. I think I'm starting to understand…something important…

With slow, deliberate steps, he walked down the narrow path and turned right till he came to a stop in front of a small house. Reaching out an arm, he slid open the faded door, which let out a pathetic groan of protest. Closing it carefully behind him, he called out hesitantly,

"Temari? Kankuro?"

"We're in here, Gaara." His sister's voice came from within the dining room.

Gaara took a deep breath and crossed to the eating area. He found Temari seated calmly at the table, cleaning her fan's ebony edges with a soft cloth. Their brother, Kankuro, was located across from her, ravenously devouring a bowl of mizo soup.

They both looked up at his silent approach.

Gaara's gaze dropped to his sandals. He felt his face growing hot, and for some reason he was having difficulty getting words to come out of his mouth.

"I…need to talk."

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances; Kankuro had his spoon halfway up to his mouth.

"Now."

Without hesitation, Temari scooted backwards in her chair and stood. Stepping around to the other side of the table, she tugged forcefully on Kankuro's sleeve. "C'mon. Into the living room. Let's go."

Kankuro seemed as though he were about to protest, but one look at Temari's face changed his mind. Without another word, the oldest of the three led her brothers into the small living room. Temari and Kankuro took seats on the couch, and Gaara sat down quietly in the chair across from them.

Gaara mustered up the courage to look his siblings in the eyes. Both of them were completely serious now. Temari had seemed to sense the urgency of the situation immediately. Even Kankuro, who usually had a confident or witty remark about everything, sat in silence, a concerned expression etched on his purple-marked face.

"I'm… not sure how to say this," Gaara's voice was low. "I've been thinking lately, about life. Not-not just 'life' in general, but also about my life. Our lives."

He closed his eyes for a moment. What was he saying? He sounded like a fool. They probably had no clue what he was talking about. But, still, he had to say it. He couldn't turn back now.

"Everything I believed, everything I was told to be true… is a lie. I cannot deny it now. All of it is wrong, dead wrong." He faltered, "Pardon the expression."

Temari smiled reassuringly. Her face was full of some emotion Gaara couldn't place. He realized that he'd never seen it before. It wasn't happiness, but something more… It was almost like she was waiting excitedly for something.

"It's like a shroud has been lifted, and I'm suddenly able to see things more clearly than I ever have before. I can't get out of my head the things that you two have told me. Things that I…wouldn't listen to because I didn't understand them. I've also been thinking about the things Naruto and the others from Konoha have said. Naruto says that life is not about one person only. To see the big picture, you have to care about others, not just yourself." He swallowed and began to talk faster.

"Naruto told me that his friends make him strong. Without friends, people who care about you, your life lacks meaning. But you can't expect people to be your friend unless you treat them in turn like a friend. He says the keys to friendship are kindness and… love."

Even as he spoke, Gaara knew for the first time in his life that what he was saying was right.

"I didn't believe him at first," he continued. " 'How could this be true?' I told him. 'No one in the real world cares for anyone but themselves. There is no such thing as friendship/love, only people who use other people for their own ends.' But Naruto told me that I was wrong, and he described how his friends and the people he cares about has changed his life. We are so much alike, yet he has something I do not have. He says that, without the help from the people who care about him, he would've ended up just like me." Gaara blinked. "I couldn't argue with him. What he said made perfect sense. And I…" he stared at his hands, "I have only cared about myself. I thought my purpose in life was to destroy, that I couldn't change what I'd become.

"But now I see what I really am. I am a monster, a selfish person who lives only by cruelty, never knowing what love really means."

Gaara looked up hesitantly at his siblings. Kankuro looked stunned. Temari was beaming. Her eyes were shining and Gaara was startled to see tears in them.

Gaara's voice was little more than a whisper as he said, "But the real reason I wanted to talk to you today was that, I wanted to ask…" his voice cracked, "your forgiveness."

Afraid of their reply, Gaara hurried on. "I know it is an enormous thing to ask. I have treated you horribly for so long, not the way I should have acted towards my own brother and sister. I have hurt you both many times, and I am so sorry. I know this sounds so inadequate compared to my actions, but if you can find it in your heart, please forgive me."

After he'd said these words, the room rang with a shocked silence. Gaara just sat there, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the judgment and justice that was sure to come.

But, to his surprise, what came was not harsh words or retaliation. Instead, he felt arms wrap gently around him. Gaara stiffened, and looked up questioningly to see Temari kneeling next to him, smiling as she embraced her youngest brother. A hand touched Gaara's shoulder, and Kankuro grinned as he, too, came around beside the confused redhead.

"Gaara," Temari whispered, "you don't know how long we have been waiting for this day to come."

"I was starting to think it never would," Kankuro added.

"For years I've been hoping you'd come around, praying that you'd have a change of heart before you destroyed yourself," Temari continued. "Somehow, deep down, I knew you would find the truth someday."

Gaara's eyes widened. "Aren't you angry? How can you accept me after all that I've done?"

Temari's face grew very serious. "That's what forgiveness is, Gaara. It is obvious that you are sincerely remorseful about what you've done, and so that is all in the past now. It won't be easy to forget, but the past is behind you."

Gaara looked from Temari's face to Kankuro's and then back again. "But…why?"

"Because we love you, Gaara."

"L-love?" Gaara's voice trembled.

"Yes, Gaara. We have always loved you, and always will. No matter what you do, no matter what other people tell you, we will always love you." Temari's face was wet now.

"You're not alone anymore, Gaara," Kankuro said, "We're family, so we got to stick together. This time, love's for real."

And then something happened inside of Gaara that he couldn't prevent. It was as if a wall or a dam cracked and burst loose within him. Tears began to stream down his cheeks. He just let them flow, as if his sobs would wash away the shame and guilt. Temari and Kankuro just hugged him, and the three of them sat there silently for a long time, simply comforting one another and letting go of all the pent up emotions of the so many years.

Then Gaara drew his forearm roughly across his eyes, slightly embarrassed of his tearful reaction. "Thank you," he whispered, an unfamiliar smile spreading slowly across his face.

After a moment, he looked up. "So…" he asked hesitantly, "What do I do next?"

"Well," Kankuro said, thinking, "You've already taken the first step by apologizing to us. That took a tremendous amount of guts on your part. Now, if I were you, I would go and set things right with the people you hurt the most. It's up to them whether they will choose to forgive you or not. But either way, you will be at peace because you did the right thing."

Gaara nodded slowly. "I know just the person to go to first."

Author's Note: I have only watched the English version of Naruto (which I think is great, by the way), so I only know what has happened so far in those episodes. So if any readers know what happens later on in the series, please dont' say anything about it in your reviews. I love helpful reviews, but I hate spoilers! Thanks.