Takes place just after they rescue Gaara from the Akasuki.
Silence. It echoed through the air that had, an instance before been vibrating with noise. They where in a wide camp ground, the 8 of them. Temari, and Kankuro, where both by the fire in the middle of the clearing, At the moment that had brought around the silence Temari had frozen, paused then she had slowly tilted her head down so her eyes where hidden in shadow.
Kankuro had sighed sadly his gaze concentrated aimlessly into the fire crackling though the empty air. Sakura's eyes had grown wide, and pain that was not for herself shook in those green eyes. And an intake of breath was drawn, as pale brown eyes filled with tears, Ten-Ten's tears, she was sitting against a tree as her teammate Lee silently stared at a Kunai he had been cleaning moments before. Kakashi had not missed a beat as he continued to stare down at his book, but his eyes didn't seem to be moving. All of them were overly aware of two people. One a red head with green eyes and the sand emblem woven onto his back. Gaara. He was sitting in a low branch close to the group his eye's where wider with more emotion then anyone had seen from the boy. Ever.
But the one who had caused the silence, caused it with a single innocent question. He was sitting in a tree, one close to the group but high up enough that his blond hair took on darker features in the fading light of the evening sky. His question had not been asked with pain or hurt. It was asked as any other question might have been asked, his eyes alight with honest curiosity, and his head tilted in a soft wondering way. He had asked Gaara, who was still in recovery. Death takes it's toll.
Just yesterday had Gaara's lifeless body been held by the Akasuki. But His Comrades and friends had risked everything and the Sand Ninja breathed, perhaps more freely then ever before. The ninja who had showed up later, from the sand village, along with Temari were a way off, and they would meet with them, so they could take the body of and old woman back to the village together.
And now Gaara and so few people had grown silent, as a heavy weight held their chests. For Naruto had just barley turned from his post atop the tree and said with true speculation "Gaara?" Gaara had turned to look at him awaiting what his friend might ask with patients. But all of them where shocked as they heard Naruto say clearly "Gaara what is it like to be human?"
Gaara understood instantly. His demon had been extracted, he and Naruto where no longer alike in that aspect. But the full effect of what Naruto had asked hit him like a punch in the gut, and Gaara's eyes grew wider. "Hu-man?" Gaara was human now? He didn't have a monster In him! People had no reason to hate him now! He was fully in charge of himself, nobody could tell him who to be. It felt like Gaara could finally breath! He- He was free!
Then understanding came with Gaara's knew found humanity. Naruto,…he was stuck, trapped, he would always receive those ice cold glares, he would always have to fight off the pain and the darkness whispering clutching at any flickering light he may have had. So Naruto had wondered and decided to ask what It was like, not to suffer the never ending trials that were a Vessel of a demons life. "Gaara?" Gaara's focus snapped to the blue eyes staring at him softly, awaiting- no begging for an answer.
Gaara's heart felt the familiar pain as he recognized a smile Naruto had on. Naruto was happy for Gaara, he was glad that Gaara was free. But…There were so few people who truly understood the pain the boy bore in his soul, and now Gaara was not like him, and in most ways Naruto now bore the pain…all alone, just like always.
Gaara wanted so badly to answer the blond boy, the boy who meant so much to him, as a friend, and perhaps a brother. But no Gaara was a one Tails, Naruto was Nine. They had been the same, except Gaara now thought, with a flash of what he thought may have been panic. Narutos demon was much stronger, and in many ways his pain was greater. "Gaara?" Naruto was down right pleading now. Asking to know if Gaara was human enough to be free of the dark hell Naruto bore inside him.
Gaara would have answered but he turned away instead. Trying to hide the tears he thought had long ago disappeared. But they all saw. Gaara was free now and Naruto bound in chains, what was Gaara supposed to tell him? That he was better then Naruto could possibly understand in the Hell that he drowned in all alone? But Naruto understood anyways and with a soft smile he sadly turned away. In a manor the watching spectators thought, that resembled a broken man turning away, with no hope of a way out, to his own execution. Perhaps one far from here, but he was a sacrifice on a serving plate. And he was far to alone for anyone to have the right to tell him it was going to be alright.
Minutes passed in silence, It was no one else's business but Gaara had to tell Naruto. "Naruto listen," Naruto turned once more to his friend trying to mask the sadness in his eyes. "What's up Gaara are you ok? You should sleep your still recovering." Gaara winced at the understanding that he could sleep without fear of the darkness, where Naruto could not. Gaara got up slowly from his branch and made his way up to Naruto. The 6 teammates of theirs went about their trivial business, letting the boys alone. Half an hour late Gaara came down his eyes where sad.
To everyone's shock he settled pretty close to his two siblings, and sadly they all realized that that was fine now that he was as human as them. They had never really believed that Naruto was a demon but the full effect of how easy it was to be with a person had changed for Gaara, he was like them, even though he was much colder he was still 100% human, where in the back of everyone's mind rested the knowledge that if Naruto snapped he was not going to lose it like a human but a demon. So it was not the same.
Gaara was watching his Brother and Sister. "Gaara is everything alright?" Temari asked slowly. Gaara shocked them further by giving her a small smile. "Temari, Kankuro…thank you." "For what?" Kankuro asked. Gaara paused and then informed them in the longest time he had ever spoken that. "Naruto says that I was never as alone as I thought I was…because no matter what I had family, that was a bond, Because I had both of you…and looking back he was correct, despite everything both of you were often near, As well people addressed me, and I had a light in my childhood in the form of our uncle." Temari nodded it was true for the first 6 years of his life their uncle had had at least a few kind words to speak to Gaara, and his father gave Gaara toys and games in order to keep him good. And that was far more then Naruto had ever received.
And, Kakashi realized Gaara had not had to work for it like Naruto had had to. In order to get even a small acknowledgment he got from Iruka. He listened with a painfully heavy heart as Gaara continued. "He says I just over reacted…but I do not understand how he can not hold a grudge, when I lived as I did and he had it much, much worse. I think it is because…when the villagers called him monster he did not want to prove them right, at least to himself, because he did not yet understand about the Nine tails, he wanted to think he was at least worth a little more then that."
Naruto had not moved from his high up branch, so no one new if he was listening or not, but they all sadly agreed, such a small reason in a world of darkness. Naruto. Why did this boy a endless source of light and strength have to suffer so much? The silence was once again broken by Naruto "Lets all get some sleep, we need energy to catch up with the other group tomorrow, Guy sensei in in it after all." And with out another word everyone laid out on their mats and settled in.
Leaving a Blond boy staring up into the night, left to wrestle with his own demons.
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THE END
It came out f no where, but please tell me what ya think, cause I mean looking back I thing this story tell the truth, because now Gaara Is free and Naruto is not
If ya hated it tell me I hate reading crap so save others by telling me to remove it.