Authors note: This fanfic is my first Naruto fanfic. So, please be nice about it. It's probably going to be a three shot, I'm not sure. I hope you like it enough to review; I like reviews –hint hint- XD. I apologise in advance if it's short.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, because if I did I really wouldn't make Gaara the small, deprived kitten he really is.

Bitter sweet memories;

Chapter one: Memories of the frightened.

Sitting in a room, a simple room with little furniture, a chair and a table in the middle of the dull brown wooden room, Gaara sat just in the corner thinking to himself. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped a single arm around them and bought his free hand to rest in his red hair, he breathed quietly with is eyes closed, not wanting to alarm the likes of Tamari or Kankuro.

His hand fell to the left of his forehead and pushing his back harder against the wall, as if his life depended on him becoming one with it. His hand subconsciously caressed the red word on his head lightly, lost in thought…

Children were playing around on the street kicking a ball whilst Gaara sat alone on a metal swing with a small teddy bear in his grasp. He didn't look happy, he rarely did. He had been watching them from a distance, wondering why it was people hated him but somewhere, deep inside he knew why they hated him, why they ran…

One of the kids kicked the ball at the boy standing in the goal post "shoot!" he shouted happily, Gaara held in a breath inwardly hoping the ball would go in. He liked to watch the other Children play, he had yet to actually play with any of them.

Unfortunately the ball didn't go in and Gaara now release his breath with a disappointed sigh, he watched as the ball landed itself on the roof vaguely noticing another boy ask "What should we do?" to his other friends. Friends, he never had one of those either.

"We can't use the wall climbing technique yet…" another replied in a in a defeated tone.

Gaara now clutched his red hair in a death-grip, his fingers now entwined in the lush red mop; a small tear falling from a sea green eye.

Smiling to himself, Gaara got to his feet and held out one hand lifting sand from the ground and manoeuvred it carefully under the ball. All of the children gasped and gawked as the ball lifted with a small wave and sand gliding its way downward and into Gaara's grasp.

"You're…" all the children seemed to back away. He chose to ignore it; it was almost normality to him.

"Here." Gaara stated, unsure of whether to look them in the eye as he held the ball out.

"It's Gaara!" they all looked terrified, why? They were over-reacting, he was only trying to given them their ball back "Gaara of the sand".

Hmph, at least they knew his name. He held his legs close to his chest with his face buried in his knees.

"Run!" one of them shouted, sure enough all children seemed to follow the simple command all that is, except for one. Why hadn't that girl ran, why wasn't she scared like the others. She looked just as unsure as he did. Perhaps she didn't see a reason to run away with them.

"Wait!" Gaara shouted after the others, not quite registering the young lavender eyed girl standing a few feet away "Don't leave me alone!" he continued to call desperately.

Almost unknowingly Gaara's hand shot up as sand flew at the fleeing children's legs, a few screamed in terror as they were caught and tripped over by the strong grip on the sand "help me!" one yelled. The girl with lavender eyes gasped slightly and tried to move towards Gaara as a wave of sand towered over the trapped younglings now quivering in fear of their life on the ground 'I…don't want to be alone anymore…I…'.

A girl caught by the ankle screamed "no!" as she continued to try and get away.

Only moments before the lavender eyed girl was able to reach Gaara did a figure jump in front of the sand and intercept the blow to the children "Gaara-sama, please, calm down". Gaara looked on wide eyed.

Choking back a sob Gaara squeezed his knees tighter, wiping away the tears on his face.

"Yashamaru…" Gaara mumbled in disbelief. The lavender eyed girl had by now slipped away, helping some of the children to their feet and sending them on their way. There was a long silence, in which Gaara lowered his head with eyes full of guilt. The blond hair of Yashamaru waved in the wind much like Gaara's own.

"That girl…" Gaara sobbed "That stupid girl…"

(A/N: Please don't kill me! I hope it wasn't terrible! Please don't kill me! By the way, this chapter was based on episode seventy five, just the memories thought.)