Disclaimer I do not own the characters that have appeared in this story. By the way I gave Sasuke his own demon Raiju. It is a lightning tiger.
Chapter one - Cared for
Gaara cried. He couldn't take it anymore, he had jumped from the tallest building in his village and the sand saved him again. He didn't want to live, he was a monster. The children ran away from him, the adults looked mean at him, everyone yelled at him, and finally his caregiver tried to kill him. The sand had just finished the mark on his head, the kanji for love. Gaara didn't feel loved though, he felt alone, and unwanted.
That was when the shadow fell on him. He looked up into the smiling face, but it wasn't...
"Kaze-sama!," the ANBU ran in, "Kaze-sama"
"What?!," the Kazekage bellowed as he stood up behind his desk, "Did he succeed"
"We.. we don't know Kazekage," the gaurd answered, "The one you sent to kill Gaara is dead, but Gaara is missing"
The Kazekage's eyes widened in fear, as the realization of what was said sank into his head.
Naruto sniffed and rubbed his nose. He didn't weep loudly, but he still cried. His bruises were healing, again. He sighed, as tears ran down his cheek, as he sat on the swing. He had been beaten again, by villagers, this time they were stopped by ANBU. This meant that he didn't have to go to the hospital. His mind was so clowded with thoughts, that he never noticed the shadows, one big and one small. That was until he felt a hand lightly touched his shoulder. He looked over at the hand and noticed...
Sasuke shuddered, he noticed the hole in his shirt as he woke up. He quaked in fear as he looked around and saw all the dead. It was then he heard the whispers in his head, felt the static in the air. The whispers were telling him, that he had to get stronger. To get revenge, he'd need help. That was when the static in the air changed, and he looked up at a grouping of shadows, and saw the tail...
"Hokage-sama!," Iruka ran in.
Sarutobi stood up behind his desk quickly, "What is it Iruka?! I am"
"Naruto is gone!," Iruka said interrupting him, "As is Sasuke, and the whole clan of Uchiha is dead! We saw Itachi leave the village earlier, we assume it was him"
Sarutobi's eyes widened in fear.
It wasn't until a week later that both villages received word about their missing.
A letter to each village was brought to their respective Kages.
It read, 'Kage, I have your lost. Do not fear for them, they are not harmed. Not anymore than what your villages have done to them. I have been watching for sometime now. I am very displeased at how you have treated what should have been held dear. Do not worry I am not planning on using the power that your lost presents. It is not my way. Your lost are now mine, they came with me willingly. They will still receive training and schooling, but they will also receive the care and attention that you have not shown them'
The one for the leaf village read differently.
Added onto it was, 'Hokage, I know you tried your best with Naruto. I do not discredit you that, but he needs more than what you can provide. Sasuke, he is also going to need more help than you can provide, left to himself, I am sure his heart would grow cold. I plan to make sure that does not happen'
Both letters were simply signed 'Nezumi'.
Gaara blinked as he stared out of the cave, over the valley. Night had long since fallen, but he was not tired. The demon raccoon dog in him, made sure of that. He looked over at the rat creature that came up to him. It stood barely above four feet, but the wisdom in the eyes demanded respect and attention.
"Can't sleep little one?," the rat asked.
"Never been able to sleep," Gaara replied, "Splinter-sama"
Splinter held up his hand, "Just Splinter or sensei, please"
Gaara nodded then asked, "Splinter, why did you choose us"
The rat sat down beside the boy, looking out over the same valley.
"You needed help," the rat said simply. He then sighed, "I made a promise, when I was able to make promises that is, to help those when I could. Your villages did not hold you precious like they should have. Myself, I had four sons I adopted and trained before. Then found my lover, and upon his death by another's hand, he did the only thing he could to protect me. He sent me back here, and gave me a younger life"
Gaara nodded to himself, as he listeaned. He then perked up and looked back at Splinter.
"What's a lover?," he asked innocently.
Splinter simply chuckled, "In due time Gaara. I will explain, in due time"
They sat quietly for a while, before Gaara suddenly clutched his head.
"Is he talking again?," Splinter asked.
"Yes," Gaara whimpered, "He keeps saying to kill"
The rat noticed the sand around Gaara, becoming agitated.
"Have you asked why?," Splinter inquired.
Gaara looked at him for a second, then seemed to zone out for a second. He sat there for a good minute, before he smiled.
"Shukaku, doesn't have a real answer," he said laughing, "So I told him to shut up, until he has a real answer"
Splinter smiled and nodded once.
"Good," the rat said, "but since you can't sleep, there is something you can do"
Gaara looked at the rat, watching as Splinter picked up a stone and drew a triangle, a box, and a circle in the dirt.
"I want you to make these shapes with your sand Gaara," the rat looked to the youth, who looked confused at first then noded, "Now don't try to force it to bend to your will. It must do this willingly. The more you are able to do this, the stronger your ability with the sand will be." Gaara looked confused again. Splinter chuckled as he continued. "Think of it like this. The sand is part of you. Like your heart. When you get scared it beats faster, but you can control that beating even when you are scared, by breathing slow, by staying still. It's not easy, but it can be done"
Gaara smiled and exclaimed, "Like holding your breath! The more you practice, the longer you can hold it"
Splinter nodded seeing the child understanding.
"Now," the rat continued to explain, "The reason I am giving this for you to do also, is because unlike you, I do need to sleep. If you get lonely or bored, or tired, just come over to where we are sleeping"
"You trust me alone," Gaara said surprised, "while you are sleeping"
"Yes," Splinter said smiling, "I trust you, your our guard also"
Gaara smiled big and hugged the rat tightly, who just smiled softly and hugged the youth back gently. He didn't let go, as he felt the sand creep up his arms, as it soon stopped.
'Interesting,' the rat thought, 'it only responds to what it feels might be a threat, until that is no longer a threat anymore'
Gaara soon let go, still smiling, even as he turned to look at his sand. He seemed to be thinking, even as the rat ruffled his hair, then got up and went deeper in the cave to sleep.
Sasuke gasped, as he sat bolt upright, the darkness around him scared him. He gasped again as he felt a hand touch him, and felt something move through him into that hand.
"Ouch," the voice said, "Sasuke, you awake"
"Who-who," Sasuke asked in a quivering voice. Then whispers started up and he looked around, "Who's there"
"It's Splinter," the voice said, "Light ball jutsu"
Everything began to be bathed in a blue glow, that eminated from a small globe about three feet in the air. Sasuke gasped for a second, when he saw the rat, then calmed down. He then started to look around, as the whispers started.
"What are you looking for Sasuke?," Splinter asked.
"The other voices," Sasuke said whispering.
"What are they saying?," the rat asked, keeping calm and patient, even as Sasuke's breathing started to quicken.
"Revenge, must get revenge," the boy said, quivering, "He killed them! Itachi, he killed them"
Splinter moved over to Sasuke, and hugged the boy gently to him, feeling the hot tears starting.
"Shhhhh, it's ok," Splinter said as he stroked a hand over the boy's hair, "Ask the voices to be patient for now. You will get revenge in due time. Now you must grow, and become stronger, so you can defeat what almost destroyed you"
Sasuke nodded, still crying as he held onto the rat's robe.
"When things seem strange to me, or if I become to frustrated I sing," Splinter said, "It helps calm strong emotions, like sorrow, rage, and the pain that those emotions can cause. Maybe it can help you to. Would you like to learn"
Sasuke nodded, as he sat up and sniffed. He rubbed his sleeve under his nose, as he watched the rat sit up more.
"Ate mo naku samayotte ita," Splinter started to sing in a rough gravely voice, "Tegakari mo naku sagashi tsuzuketa"
Sasuke kept listeaning to the voice, not noticing the voices already starting to quiet.
Splinter smiled as he kept singing, "Anata ga kureta omoide o. Kokoro o iyasu uta ni shite"
Sasuke smiled back as he kept listeaning, the voices getting quieter, as the rat continued, "Yakusoku mo suru koto mo naku. Kawasu kotoba mo kimetari mo sezu"
Sasuke felt his eyelids begin to droop, but started to fight a little to keep them open.
Splinter helped the youth lay down, covering him up with a blanket as he continued, "Dakishime soshite tashikameta. Hibi wa nido to kaeranuKioku no naka no te o furu anata wa"
Sasuke smiled as his eyes fully closed, the voices silent. The only voice he heard was that of his new sensei, as the singing continued, "Watashi no na o yobu koto ga dekiru noAfureru sono namida o. Kagayaku yuuki ni kaete. Inochi wa tsuzuku. Yoru o koe"
Sasuke's breathing evened out, as his body relaxed, the words soothing him, "Utagau koto no nai ashita e to tsuzukuTobu tori no mukou no sora e. Ikutsu no kioku azuketa darou. Hakanai kibou mo yume mo"
Splinter notices that Sasuke's face had gone slack, but he continued to sing, "Todokanu basho ni wasureteMeguriau no wa guuzen to ieru no. Wakareru toki ga kanarazu kuru no niKieyuku unmei demo"
The rat slowly slide back into his bedroll, giving a brief glance to the entrance where Gaara was. The youth there watching and smiling at him, "Kimi ga ikite iru kagiri," The rat continued as he smiled back, "Inochi wa tsuzuku Eien ni"
Maybe this was something the rat could have them all learn, "Sono chikara no kagiri doko made moWatashi ga shinou tomo"
Maybe it was something from him and Steven that he could pass on, "Kimi ga ikite iru kagiri," that would have made his fox happy, "Inochi wa tsuzuku," something precious he could give to his new students, "Eien ni Sono chikara no kagiri doko made mo tsuzuku"
With those thoughts, Splinter drifted back to sleep.
Naruto was the first of the three up the next day. He stretched and yawned, before looking about the dreary cave. He used to smile all the time, even when the villagers were mean to him. He looked over and saw Gaara up, staring intently at half finished shapes infront of him. He turned and saw Sasuke asleep. He sighed to himself, as he looked to his feet.
"What is wrong Naruto"
Naruto gasped as he looked into the eyes of his new sensei.
"N-nothing sensei," the youth said, then tried to smile, only to find he couldn't.
He then swallowed and looked down at his feet again.
"Naruto?," Splinter asked as he sat up.
"Dead last," Naruto said simply, "That's all I ever am"
"Who said that?," the rat asked.
"Everyone," the youth said.
"Have I?," Splinter asked, "Has Gaara? Has Sasuke"
"No," the youth sighed, "but now I understand why everyone else did, and it's not my fault. I didn't ask for this"
"That's right you didn't," Splinter said agreeing, "Gaara, didn't ask for Shukaku, or his mother to die. He didn't ask for his father to try to kill him, or his village to hate him. Sasuke, didn't ask for Raiju, or his mother to die. He didn't ask for his brother to slaughter the rest of his family, or try to kill him. I didn't ask for my love to die, or to be sent back here. And most importantly Naruto, you didn't ask for your father to die, or for Kyuubi. You didn't ask to be left alone, and for the brunt of almost all the adults from your village. But that doesn't make you dead last. Nor does it maked things better. The only person who can make things better is you"
"How?," Naruto asked as he looked up at the rat, "How when everyone has turned their back on me"
"I haven't," Splinter said as he moved to sit beside Naruto, draping an arm over the youth, "but what you can do is show Gaara and Sasuke the kindness you never got. Show other people that kindness also, show them your determination to not let things break you, that you can keep smiling despite the pain. And the way you find that smile, is knowing that people like me care about you"
Naruto gasped and looked up at Splinter, looking in the rat's eyes for any hint of a lie. When he saw none, he broke down and cried, hugging the rat. Splinter smiled as he hugged the youth back, then noticed a second set of arms hugging him. He looked and saw Gaara hugging his left side, the red haired kid also hugging Naruto. That was when Sasuke, came from the other side and hugged the rat and Naruto also. Splinter smiled as he hugged all three of his new students. He felt his eyes tear up, and felt as though a small piece of his heart that had been empty fill.
"I love you," the rat said calmly, "my sons."
The song that Splinter sang is here Please forgive me if I got the period placement wrong
Also to note, in my story Itachi did try to kill Sasuke.
You will also find out another couple surprises as more chapters arise.