~ Maybe I'm Dreaming Air Traffic ~

Td03

I first wrote this with the intention for it to be a 25k one-shot, but quickly lost interest in Naruto when I read a chapter where Sasuke showed up talking shit about being Hokage all of the sudden. My mood pummeled. I just got back from my vacation and trying to edit out the terrible spelling errors I left on this page. No promises of continuing it. I'm so deep in Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Bleach right now (￣▽￣*)ゞ

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Gamabunta stayed silent, blending (it's actually very easy. People are so self-centered) in the forgotten background as he watched the Kyuubi brat punched the Shukaku brat for the last time. And winning the damned battle. All the more reason for waiting the brat to reach the proper age for a drink. A large one.

"You're not the only one who are that lonely, ya know," the brat still had the energy to talk and drag his ass with his chin no less. "Others have it worse."

"So what!" Gaara protested defensively. Of course other people felt the pain too, but it's not Gaara's business to care for them. "If they can't live on their own, you can't kill me for being able to!"

"Unless you're a God don't say that!" Naruto growled. "You're human!"

"I'm a monster! We both are? Or did you honestly forgot that we destroyed this forest?"

"You used to be a child," Naruto hissed. "We used to be helpless babies. No human can say they don't need anyone when they wouldn't have survived if no one cared for them at the very beginning. Hokage-jiji taught me that!"

"That sort of person tried to kill me!" Gaara's eyes stung. The general feeling of his stomach churning was unpleasant. "That kind of care was fake from the start. My... My uncle only raised me so my death at his hands will be even more painful."

"Can you say the same for your siblings?"

Gaara absolutely hated his fellow monster now.

"You let your back face them. That means you trust them. Like I do with my friends. My friends rescued me from that loneliness and I'm not going to let you being spiteful kill them. You're siblings care for you too. They were trying to kill me when I tried to kill you," Naruto smiled demurely. "You see? It's going round and round endlessly."

"That's how it is. You think you can stop it?"

"What do you think I'm doing right now, stupid?" Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly. "I don't hate you. Anymore. If you stop hating too."

"Naruto." The odd tone Sasuke used, and the fact he even used his name instead of their personal nicknames for each other, was enough to distract Naruto, and he turned to his teammate. "...It's over."

Leaves rustled from movement. Temari and Kankuro knelt down to Gaara, and after watching the first person to ever beat Gaara into this state silently with their best unreadable faces, turned on their heels and prepared to leave. Their steps faltered when Gaara uttered the strangest words, "Temari.. Kankuro.. I'm sorry."

It was so quiet Naruto doubted Sasuke even heard it but he didn't really care. Naruto was so glad he wanted to pass out now that it was over. But it's not. Konoha was still in danger. He had to protect his home. He bend his right hand and mustered up some strength. Sasuke noticed, "Idiot!" There's the familiar word, but the concerned tone was still weird, "I said it's over!"

"No." The hard tone coming out of Naruto's lips left no argument. Sasuke witnessed with no small amount of awe that the dobe still had so much energy to fight. "Let's go check on Sakura-chan, bastard."

Sasuke scowled. "You don't order me." Nevertheless, he helped Naruto on his feet and they went to the spot he had rested Sakura on. "Boss!"

"I know, brat. Hop on ya'll snots." The Toad Chief placed his webbed hand (foot?) on his sword hilt and pointed the blunted edge towards Team Seven's direction. The boys hoisted the girl and hopped onto it, and they left the clearing to go back to Konoha.

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Feel free to adopt this.