50 Bullets

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Bullet 1: Empty Shell

The wind blew at Gaara's red hair as he sat silently at the edge of the cliff.

It had been two years since the Chunin Exams at which he first fought Rock Lee. Two long years where as time went on the days ran into each other and besides his usual purpose of living, there was for the most part little or no pleasure. His eyes scanned the landscape seeing all of nature's bountiful glory. Like the beautiful girl raising her skirt a little for a little extra of your garnered attention. But nature, this figurative girl, was showing her beautiful glory to the wrong person. Gaara cared not for such things. He could as easily kill that beautiful girl; destroy this bountiful forest, as he'd walk by either of them without batting an eyelash.

Gaara was indeed interested in something in this vast forest. But it wasn't the foliage, the animals or the overall scenery, which encompassed of animals of all shapes and sizes, rivers, trees and everything big and small that brought out the forest's beauty. And it definitely wasn't the sweet twittering of beautiful birds, the sounds of this bountiful wonderful wonderland, none of that interested Gaara in the least. He wasn't the type.

What interested him were two people he saw lying by the river. He watched as they laughed and talked. Not able to hear what they were saying clearly. But Gaara was certain that overall he could guess. All that stupid lovey dovey kissy stuff.

The female lay next to the male who seemed so animated hat it was a surprise that he was even able to sit down much less lie down for more than a minute.

Every once in a while the male would jump to his feet and re-enact some story or past actual event and the female would either laugh her head off or pull him down and conk him on the head. Once she even made a threatening motion towards her main weapon. That fateful fan. Back at the preliminary years ago Gaara witnessed Tenten fall to this fan. Others had fallen before. More have fallen since. Gaara knew the female beside the male very well. She and his brother made up their team. Teams of three.

The male with his teammate also had a team of his own. The other two members were Neji Hyuuga and Tenten. Gaara remembered hating that one male more than any other Genin ninja he had fought since arriving in Konoha, Village Hidden in the Leaves. The ninja's name was Rock Lee and this one was determined to advance using his own ninja way. A ninja way involving no ninjitsu or genjustsu. Gaara thought he was a joke when he went to face him that day. A joke he'd easily conquer, crush, and kill. But it turned out very differently. Gaara knew that Rock Lee's skills could've just as easily won him the match as it made him lose since Gaara's own proved superior. A different flip of the coin and he would've been the loser. Not the one who got the opportunity to move on and face Konoha's Genin favourite, Sasuke Uchiha of the almost extinct Uchiha clan. Rock Lee was a surprise opponent. He actually stood his ground and even faced Gaara in defeat. When he wasn't even conscious. Gaara would never admit it. But that astounded him.

What also astounded him was the love and care of Rock Lee's sensei, Gui. Gui interrupted the match to save his pupil's life. Gaara was unable to understand it. Rock Lee had failed. Failures deserved death the most. The world didn't need failures. But Gui saw something in Rock Lee Gaara couldn't comprehend. Rock Lee was like a broken tool in Gaara's mind. What would anyone need or even want in that? Gaara couldn't understand. But Gui thought that Rock Lee was important, someone who meant a lot to him. Gui loved him. Gaara had never experienced that from his trainers. They feared him, hated him, and were wary of him and his killer tendencies. His very brother sometimes couldn't bear the very sight of him.

After that preliminary was when Gaara really wanted to kill him. Rock Lee. As a Genin two years ago Rock Lee got under his skin at a level that drove Gaara even further into madness. His purpose in life was to kill everyone but him. He had long decided that. But Rock Lee made him take a slight detour in his purpose. While he was determined to kill others, Rock Lee made the top of his hit list. His second attempt to kill Rock Lee was interrupted by Naruto Uzamaki and Shikamaru Nara. But it was ultimately thwarted by Gui-sensei yet again. Gaara was absolutely infuriated. The man just wouldn't give up and let his pupil die. Even while lying in a hospital bed Rock Lee had the protection of friends and a lovingly devoted sensei. Gaara never had that. He long learned to fend for himself with all sorts of assassination attempts made on him.

Suddenly Temari and Rock Lee started kissing each other. Passionately. They rolled across the rocky to a more grassy area. After what must've been several minutes, but seemed a millennia in Gaara's eyes, they stopped. Rock Lee sat up breathing hard while Temari went about fixing her hair. She had a big smile on her face and looked very satisfied with the making out. Rock Lee soon smiled too. Then suddenly his face fell. He signalled for Temari to wait then disappeared.

Gaara realized that he was discovered. But he didn't run away.

"Spying again I see," Rock Lee said superiorly from behind Gaara, "really Gaara you have to give me and Temari our private time," he told Gaara.

"You expect real privacy in a forest with hundreds of vantage points for people; not just me, to watch you?" Gaara asked frankly.

Rock Lee paled. But he quickly recovered.

"That is not the point," Rock Lee declared, "you need to find someone else," he said firmly, "you know how I feel about you," he made sure to point out.

Gaara looked back at Rock Lee without answering.

Rock Lee hung his head and sighed.

"Why do you haunt me so?" Rock Lee asked suddenly.

Gaara was taken a back. Rock Lee had said it so softly that he could've just as easily missed it. But Gaara didn't miss it. He had heard every word.

"I haunt you," Gaara said calmly.

Rock Lee looked at Gaara. Gaara didn't have any emotions in his eyes or on his face. He was just like a living statue staring back at Rock Lee, not letting him know whether that was a statement or a question.

"Yes Gaara you haunt me," Rock Lee said deciding to be honest, "you've entered my nightmares, break up my good dreams, stalk me in reality," he listed.

"I won't do that anymore," Gaara said suddenly.

"What?" Rock Lee asked in surprise.

"I've long considered how to kill you," Gaara told Rock Lee, "but now, unless we cross that as a necessary path I'm not interested."

"But…but…" Rock Lee stuttered.

"Anymore paranoia will be on you," Gaara said simply, "Temari's waiting," he added.

Rock Lee looked over the edge to see Temari sitting down looking very agitated. Rock Lee gulped and turned back to Gaara.

"Um, you're going away right?" Rock Lee asked carefully since no matter how strong he got, Gaara always made him feel really uncomfortable.

"Goodbye," Gaara said in response emotionlessly.

"Goodbye," Rock Lee told him then went back to Temari.

Without turning to see what they were doing, Gaara left.

-----

(Two Months Later)

Gaara lay in bed staring at the ceiling.

It was nearly midnight but he didn't feel tired. He just lay there and thought. He no longer spied on Rock Lee. Sometimes he noticed Rock Lee giving him furtive looks. But Gaara paid them no attention. Rock Lee's sensei however did. Gaara had to make it clear several times over that he hadn't done Rock Lee anything. Times like that made him want to bury the bowl cut haired bastard.

He reached into his nightshirt and pulled out a picture. Gaara slowly ran his hand along the soft surface of the photograph. It was slightly warm from his own body heat and his green eyes just peered at the photograph with no emotion in them.

The picture was that of Rock Lee. Rock Lee was wearing his usual ninja clothes and smiling in this photograph.

Gaara looked at the photo for a while. Then he closed his eyes. Closed his eyes and imagined that Rock Lee was smiling, smiling right at him. Smiling at him and doing everything else Gaara wished that Lee would do for and to him. Everything.

Gaara then opened his eyes and turned over the photo. On the back were words. The original words were:

To my yellow haired Goddess Temari.

Love Lee

But Gaara changed that. He did it the night he stole the photo, which was how he first discovered that Temari and Rock Lee were dating. He even wrote it in Rock Lee's exact handwriting.

The words now read:

To my red haired God Gaara.

Eternal Love Rock Lee.

First Bullet Shot

QD: Not all stories will be about thwarted romances. 1 bullet shot 49 more bullets to go.