(A/N): First Naruto fanfic! :D Try not to be too hard on me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Gaara( no matter how much I want to)

The last of the rouge ninjas disappeared beneath the waves of endless sand. Gaara-sama sighed, allowing the blood to sink into the grains of sand. That feeling would never go away completely….the satisfaction of the enemy's blood was like a drug. But of course, the drug was less potent since Naruto's intervention. Sighing again, he drifted the sand back the gourd on his back. Thanks to him, Gaara wasn't a monster. Now he could feel, love….live.

The thought of the blond haired leaf nin brought him out of his trance. Naruto had rushed like a maniac in when the rouge nin's started to attack the young Kazekage. The fool…Gaara thought, always so overprotective. He turned to face carnage of the other fallen ninja's, his eyes searching only for the crazy fox boy. A flash of blond hair alerted him to location of Naruto. He was lying on the ground. Covered in blood.

A thousand thoughts raced through Gaara's head. He's only resting. The blood is that of an enemy. He's not… He stopped his thoughts right there. No. It was impossible. But Gaara couldn't shake a disturbing feeling of dread as he approached the crumpled figure. No. It is NOT possible. It's all a trick of the light. If I just get closer….

Gaara stopped in front of the figure, slowly bending down to the blond boy's side. It was worse than he had thought. Pools of crimson spilled from a large hole in Naruto's chest, soaking his bright orange suit with blood. Gaara's breath caught in his throat, making his blood pound in his ears. His hands shook as he reached out to touch the wound… if only to stop the bleeding.

But it was far too late for that.

The wound is obviously fatal. Gaara thought. His cool logic attempted to cover the growing pain in his chest. But it failed to. Instead the pain spread all over his body, clouding his vision with long-unshed tears that now streamed down his cheeks. Naruto…is dead.

He's gone…he's really gone! I never got to thank him…No more crazy antics, or overprotective confidence… He was panicking now, and he knew it. The Kazakage-sama was not supposed to panic. Gaara took a deep, steadying breath, and calmed his mind.

He knew what he had to do.

Two pale white hands touched Naruto's chest, covering the crimson stain. Chakra flowed freely through the hands to the wound. Gaara closed his eyes, and the world turned white….

He stared at the blank whiteness. The Nothingness…nothingness…

"Naruto!"

…Naruto…he knew that name…

"Naruto!"

There it was again…that name…so familiar.

"NARUTO!!"

"My name." He decided…"Someone's calling…me…"

He turned to the nothingness where the voice was coming from. A pair of black-rimmed eyes stared at him over an old toy ball. A child, just like him. "Gaara…" Naruto said, and the child nodded, and stretched out his arms, offering him the ball. "Hey Naruto, do you wanna play catch with me?"

Naruto stared at the child for a moment, before saying, "Really? The other kids won't play with me."

Gaara nodded. "I know. They don't like to play with me neither. But I'll play with you. Please Naruto? I have to go soon, my Mommy's calling me."

"Okay!" Naruto smiled catching the ball when Gaara threw it.

Soon a rhythm formed, the steady thump of the old toy hitting the hands of the children. Suddenly, Gaara spoke. "Thanks Naruto. I never got to say thank you."

Naruto laughed, "For what?"

"Well Naruto…for saving me."

"Saving you?"

"Uh huh. Now it's my turn."

"To do what?"

"To save you."

The rhythm of the ball stopped, leaving the toy abandoned on the ground. Naruto glanced around at the nothingness…and suddenly it looked so familiar. "This place…I've been here before….but it was different…"

"That's right Naruto," A deep voice said gently. Naruto turned to face Gaara, who was no longer a child, but a full grown adult. And he was a child no longer as well. "It's different, because last time, you were on the other side."

And suddenly it came back. Elder Chiyo, the fight for Gaara's body…the life exchanging jutsu…

"You didn't!"

Gaara nodded.

"But…but how? Why?"Naruto stammered,

A smile spread across Gaara's face. "When Elder Chiyo performed her technique on me, a part of her knowledge was transferred to me. And the Kazakage records were helpful too." Impossible, Gaara laughed. "And as for why…I've owed you my life for many years, and many times over too."

"What do you mean?"

The red haired ninja shook his head, and smiled. "If it wasn't for you…I would be a monster. I would have kept killing and hating, never knowing what love felt like. Because of you, I…lived, not just existed. I really lived." Slowly Gaara walked over to his savior, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now I can repay you…It's my turn to save you Naruto. Besides…I told you. My mother is calling for me. Better not keep waiting." With that, he walked past Naruto.

When he dared to turn around, Naruto found himself staring at Gaara, as he embraced a lovely brown-haired woman. "Mom…" Gaara whispered. The woman smiled holding his hand, and leading him away into the nothingness.

"Go Naruto. Live." Gaara said without turning. He just kept walking until everything was white.

"NARUTO!!" Another voice called. Naruto opened his eyes to find two emerald eyes staring back at him. "Oh God Naruto I thought you were dead!" Sakura yelled. A quick look around told Naruto that both Sakura and Kakashi had arrived.

"Where's Gaara?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Umm… well…Gaara's…"

"WHERE'S GAARA!"

"Over there…" Sakura said, pointing to a shadowed figure outstretched on the ground. Naruto turned his head to behold the terrible truth.

Gaara was dead. His black-rimmed eyes were closed, his body stiff and still. His sand gourd lay beside him, useless. "Gaara…I-I…Gaara…thank you." Naruto stammered through his tears. Looking closer, Naruto suddenly realized….

That Gaara was smiling.

(A/N): THE END. Hope that wasn't too terrible. Now Review!!!!

My heart forever,

Little Moon Fox