The Leaf's Sand Chapter One
Disclaimer: This is a FANFICTION so yeah, I don't own Naruto.
Summary: Gaara ran away from Suna only to meet a certain white haired shinobi from the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Jiraiya was making his way back to Konohagakure after some 'information gathering' when he ran into a small red head with a big ass gourd strapped on his back. He brings the child with him back to the village. Follow the adventures of our favorite red as he threads his way as one of the leaves.
"Bijuu talking"
'Bijuu's thought'
"People talking"
'People's thoughts'
"Gaara talking to Shukaku in his mind"
Chapter One: Out of here
A small child with a mop of bright red hair was sitting on the swing all by himself observing the other children as they played with each other as he clutched his mr. bear near his chest. He was also aware of the Sand ANBU ninjas that were hiding all around him but he ignored them though, it was easier that way. Gaara watched as the children kicked the ball back and forth. But one boy accidentally kicked the ball a little hard and it rolled and landed at Gaara's feet. He hesitantly picked the ball up as the other children watched him with caution and the ANBU that were hiding readied themselves just in case. He walked right up to them nervously and asked shyly, "C-can I p-play with you?" as he stretched his hand to give the ball back. But a girl shouted at him. "No! Mommy told me to stay away from you!" It was followed by the yells of the other children as they started running away, "She's right!", "Stay away from us!", "Stupid Monster!"
"Ma-matte!" Gaara held out his hand, unconsciously controlling the sand around him. The sand was about to reach one girl when it was blocked by a man. Gaara withdrew his hand to his chest as he dropped the ball in horror. By this time, he was already surrounded by the group of ANBU that was always following him around. "Go-gomenasai!" he yelp as he ran towards the injured man. "Stay away from me Monster!" The man shouted. Gaara stopped in his tracks, "Chi-chigau, I didn't m-mean to-" he stopped his words when he saw the man's angry yet fearful glare and saw that more villagers were surrounding them. Gaara looked down, 'All of them... Those eyes again.' He thought before running back towards the kazekage mansion. He ran past the villagers who parted like the red sea whilst he heard hushed whispers, "Monster", "Did you see what he did?", "He shouldn't be here", "We better stay away"
Hic. Hic. 'Why? Why?! Why!? Why!? WHY!? They always look at me with those eyes. What did I do to make them fear me?!' Gaara thought crying his eyes out inside his room.
"Because people fear what they don't know and what they can't control"
Gaara gasped before looking around, "W-who's there?!" he said, fear and panic evident in his eyes. There was a pause before he heard a low chuckle, "Wh-what's so funny?" Gaara waited for an answer. Then he heard a raspy low voice say, "Calm down brat, I won't bite. Well at least not right now hehe."
The Sand Tanuki hissed as he watched with anger on how the Villagers treated his vessel, not that he cared or anything. It's just that why is the brat letting those trashes do as they please if he could just kill them.
He just watched as the brat ran away and locked himself inside the room. He waited patiently for the brat to calm down. His patience was wearing thin as he watched the brat sob. 'Why? Why?! Why!? Why!? WHY!? They always look at me with those eyes. What did I do to make them fear me?!'
"Because people fear what they don't know and what they can't control" he said rolling his eyes.
"W-who's there?!" Shukaku's eyes widened, he didn't mean to say that out loud. He thought about it for a moment before deciding to go along with it. He looked at the brat's panicked expression before chuckling, 'oh, how I love the look of fear and panic'
"Wh-what's so funny?!" Shukaku shook his head, "Calm down brat, I won't bite. Well at least not right now hehe."
Gaara nodded before asking, "Are you real? It's like you're inside my head."
"Oh, but I am. Both real and inside you."
"Inside me?" asked Gaara as he tilted his head cutely and looked down as he placed his hand over his chest.
"Yup"
"Ho-how is that even possible?" Gaara asked as he placed a hand on his head. He heard a sigh.
"Do you want to know why their afraid of you?"
Gaara's eyes widened before he eagerly bobbed his head up and down. 'Tch. This is troublesome. That bastard didn't even explain this to the brat'
"You see…" Shukaku began
**Flashback**
Gold dust and sand clashed. Rasa held his ground as he faced the Sand bijuu. He was panting heavily, sweat covered his face. He dodged then blocked another attack from Shukaku.
"Yondaime Kazekage!" he looked over to an old woman standing over some rubble.
"Elder Chiyo!" he replied. Chiyo looked back over the sand beast, "We need to seal him quickly! It's the only way"
"But-"
"Rasa" said another voice.
He looked over behind Chiyo and saw his wife, with child. His eyes widened in horror, "Kurara! No you can't-"
"Rasa this is the only way to save the village so please, I'm the only one who is compatible of Shukaku's chakra" Kurara begged. Rasa was running towards them but he stopped is tracks when he had to jump back to dodge a wave of sand from Shukaku. On the corner of his eye, he saw Chiyo and her brother Ebizu complete a seal circle with his wife standing in the middle, 'No! No! No!' he thought. Chiyo chanted some spell as she started the sealing jutsu. He tried to go and stop the sealing but Shukaku began to wildly release sand waves everywhere in hope to escape the sealing jutsu. Rasa had to shield away the waves with great difficulty seeing as he was running low on chakra. He saw Ebizu protecting Chiyo and Kurara from the sand waves with a shield of rock. It was the last thing he saw before the sand and gold collapsed above him.
Shukaku struggled to get away but something was stopping him. He shouted curses as he felt himself being sealed within the bastard's wife. "Damn it" he yelled as the sealing technique was completed.
Kurara panted heavily. Sweat covered her whole body. She knew she was dying; her vision was a little blurred. She looked to the side to see her husband wearing a worried and panicked expression; she just smiled when she saw him say something but she couldn't process the words clearly. She panted some more before she asked, "Where is he? Where's my son?" She saw Rasa say something but she cut him off, "Please can I see him" she begged in a weak voice.
Rasa watched as his wife wither away, "Kurara, please sto-"
"Please can I see him" he heard her say. He motioned the med. ninja holding their son to come forward and place the babe next to his wife, "He's here dear" he said. He watched as Kurara held their child with care. "He's so tiny" she said. Kurara touched her baby with a smile on her face, "Gaara" she whispered. She looked back at her husband, "Gaara, Rasa, he's so cute." She returned her eyes back to Gaara, "Oh,Gaara. My precious Gaara" she whispered with a weak smile. 'Grow to be strong. I'll always love you and protect you always' She thought as she felt herself slip away.
"Kurara. Kurara." Rasa touched his wife's shoulders when he saw her close her eyes, "Kurara! No! Please don't do this! Kurara!" he cried as he tried to shake her awake. Every person in the room bowed their heads in deep condolence.
**End of Flashback**
"…So yeah, most people in this village thinks you're responsible for your mother's death. Your father's bitterness grew more so when they learned that I didn't die with her but was transferred to you, labeling you as a monster and brainwashing everyone to believe it so, before he started raising you as a weapon instead." Shukaku tailed on but when he placed his attention back to Gaara, he stopped.
"I- I killed my mother…" Gaara said in a shaky voice, "it's my fault she's dead" his eyes were filled with dread and horror. Gaara sniffed as water began to form in his eyes. 'Oh no' Shukaku's eyes widened before he tried to calm his vessel down, "N-no. You-you're wrong. It's not your fault."
Gaara stopped his tears but his face darkened as he looked down, "Then, whose fault is it? If I didn't exist, she would've been alive"
Shukaku just stayed silent after that so did Gaara.
Shukaku slapped himself internally, 'I'm such an idiot. Why did I have to say that? Urgh. And that is why demons like me are no good with these kinds of things. I mean, I kill for fucks sake.'
Gaara looked left and right as he ran through the mansion. He sneaked out of his room with little difficulty even if there was a gourd-shaped container that was at least three times his height strapped in his back. Shukaku started training him for quite a while now and the tanuki told him that he needed container where he could store his sand so he made one made out of his sand. He created a sand clone that was sitting on the side of the bed just in case someone checked. He stealthily went inside the equipment room that was in the basement.
"Ne Shu, what kind of ninja supplies should I get?" Gaara asked. He started calling the sand demon 'Shu' sometime during one of their sessions and surprisingly, the said beast didn't mind.
"a set of kunai, some explosive tags, and 3 small empty scrolls." Shukaku said in a lazy tone. Gaara nodded as he looked around the cabinets and took what he needed. He hurried back to his room to ready himself. Tonight, he decided, he was running away. He was sick of the treatment he keeps on receiving from his father, his siblings, the sand ninjas, the villagers. From everyone. And Shukaku agreed, not that he cared about his vessel. Nope. He was just sick of seeing the same things every day. Yup, that was it.
Gaara didn't dispel his sand clone as he prepare. He strapped a small pouch on his right leg and placed 3 kunais inside. One of which has an explosive tag attached to it. He systematically packed the rest of his supplies inside his gourd along with a small first aid kit. When he was done, he sat on his bed. He looked at the table beside his bed. The clock read 5:00. He was leaving by 6:30. He started to wonder what he would do after he leaves the village. Where would he go? Surely, he and Shukaku will continue training but what else?...
Gaara hid behind a house when he sensed some people coming his way. When he saw them pass by, he ran stealthily to the next alley. He used his sand to carry himself up the roof of the next building. A lot of people were near the main streets. It may not look like it but Suna was lively and colorful at night. He watched as floats light up with different colors and belly dancers and snake charmers perform. His eyes lit up. It wasn't the first time he watched these kind of performance. At some nights, when he was making his way home from training, he stops for a little while to watch. He found how the snakes dance by a man's flute to be interesting. And the floats get colorful and colorful every time he watches.
gasp. He ducked just in time when he saw a ninja look his way. Gaara nodded to himself before moving out again. When he reached the pass leading out of the village, he hid behind the last building. He looked around and…
"oi! wait!" hissed Shukaku
…stepped out. Too late. "Hey you!" Gaara looked to his left and saw a ninja and he only thought of one thing,
…
'shit'
Gaara ran but the ninja's call alerted the others, "Oy, brat!"
Gaara sighed as he continued runing, 'Good they don't know it's me'. He wore a hood that covered his bright hair and down to his tattoo.
"It's Gaara!" yelled one of his pursuers.
'-or not' Gaara thought.
"Alert Kazekage-sama!" called out another.
Gaara clicked his tongue, 'This is bad!' He summoned his sand and faced the ninjas behind him. "You think you can defeat me." he called out as his sand began circling him.
"Shut up, Monster!" shouted the man infront. Gaara cringed before his face darkened.
Shukaku whistled, 'Shouldn't have said that'
Gaara's sand charged forward so sudden that the ninjas were easily caught by it. They panicked but stilled when they heard a low voice from Gaara, "take it back" They looked back at him only to be greeted by a very dark expression. One of them got his fear better of him and carelessly shouted, "As if! You're a Monster! There's no changing that!"
Gaara didn't know what happened next and the next thing he knew the ninjas were lying unconscious around him. He gasped, "I-I I didn't…" he looked as his shaking hands in horror "I'm sorry"
"Oi kit, calm down." Called out Shukaku.
Gaara started sobbing, "But- but I-I killed them."
"No you didn't."
"I- I didn't?" he asked weakly.
"No. They're just unconscious."
Gaara stopped sobbing and stood up. He went to one of the bodies. He knelt and placed his ears on the man's chest. He heard the heartbeat. His eyes widened as he sat back up. Gaara blushed at his mistake.
"See, they're not dead." Said Shukaku. 'Although I found it hard not to kill them.' He thought.
Gaara nodded before standing up and hurrying out of the village before he gets caught again. He hurried out to a random direction as he shielded his small figure with sand.
It took Gaara to leave the desert a day and a half. He found himself in a luscious green forest. He couldn't help but look around in wonder after all, it was his first time out of the village. He followed a path. To where? He had no idea. He continued walking but he didn't notice a rock that was on the road so he tripped, falling face-first into the ground. He yelped. He lied down for some time before moving to get up and sat down as he rubbed his nose and his fore head. He also took notice of the sand that was spilled from his gourd to his head and to the ground.
"Wha-! Eeee…. Ara~ what do we have here now? Oi, boy, are you alright? Here"
Gaara looked up and saw a white haired man who was wearing a white yukata that was red around the edges. There were red paint lines running down his face from his eyes. Gaara blinked as he turned his eyes towards the outstretched hand. Gaara looked around before looking back and forth from the man and the ground in panic. He didn't know what to do. He never received this kind of action from anyone ever.
Jiraiya was humming down the road as he made his way back to Konoha. He was leisurely walking when he heard a yelp. He raised one of his eyebrows as he looked for the source. Up ahead, he saw a big gourd lying on the ground. There was also sand spilling from it. He went closer to it but as he was about to touch it, it moved. He leaped back in surprise, "Wha-!" As the gourd rise, he took notice of the red hair that came out from beneath the spilled sand. "Eeee…" He just watched as a small boy rub his nose and his forehead, "Ara~ what do we have here now?" He sighed as he relaxed his shoulders but he didn't let his guard down. He went closer and offered the boy a hand, "Oi, boy, are you alright? Here."
He saw the boy look up at him. Jiraiya took note of the black rings around the boy's eyes, 'He looks like a red panda'. Then he noticed the boy's panicked look. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Oi, do you want to get up or not? Here. Take my hand." He said a little annoyed.
Gaara flinched at the man's tone. He hesitantly placed his small hand into the stranger's. He yelped as he was pulled up. When he was already standing up, he quickly took his hand back, "T-thank you mister"
Jiraiya examined the boy, 'What's a boy doing here? Is he lost? Or maybe...' he moved his eyes around, feeling his surroundings for something, 'hmm... I don't sense anyone or anything so this couldn't be some sort of diversion. So why?' He looked back to the boy and looked him up from head to toe. 'He doesn't look hurt or anything but his clothes are a little dirty. Where could he have come from?'
"...ter ...ister ...Mister!"
Jiraiya was pulled out from his thoughts. He didn't realize he was staring. He rubbed the back of his head, "Ah, sorry, sorry."
Gaara looked at the man who was staring him down. He frowned (pouted), 'Okay this is just rude'
Gaara decided to stare back but with a frown, 'Hmmm, maybe I could ask him for directions. But to where?'
Gaara shook his head, "Mister?..." but the white haired man didn't move, "Mister..." he tried again but nothing, "Mister!" He said a little loudly but that seemed to do the trick. He watched as the man jumped a little in surprise before rubbing the back of his head, "Ah, sorry, sorry"
There was a short awkward silence. Jiraiya cleared his throat, "Anyway what are you doing lying on the side of the road?"
He saw the boy blush, "I tripped on a rock then fell."
"Oh"
another awkward silence~
"So umm... a big gourd you got there." Jiraiya started. He felt like an idiot as he forced a smile.
Gaara blinked at the statement, "It's for my sand and my things"
"But why would you need-"
"oh!" Gaara jumped cutting Jiraiya off. He almost forgot. He turned back as he willed his sand back inside his gourd.
Jiraiya's eyes widened by surprise as he watched the boy collected his sand by just a wave of his hand. His lips quirk upwards a bit, 'Hmm~ that's some technique.' He thought.
"Oi boy, you got anywhere to go?" He asked and the boy looked back then shook his head. Jiraiya smiled, "Wanna come with me then? I'm on my way back to Konoha"
"Konoha?"
Jiraiya nodded, "Yup. Konohagakure, one of the five great hidden villages". He watched as the boy think over his offer.
"Oi kit."
"Shu?"
"He may not look like it but this old man is no push over. I can sense it."
Gaara nodded, "I know. I felt that way too. So what should I do?"
"Take on his offer. But don't let your guard down."
Gaara nodded before looking back towards the old man, "Okay, I'll come with you"
Jiraiya's smile widened as he motioned the boy to follow him, "My name is Jiraiya. Yours?"
Gaara followed the man from behind but he was at least a meter away. He heard the man introduce himself as Jiraiya. He nodded, "G-gaara" he said back with a blush. Back in Suna, everyone knew him so he never needed to introduce himself. And even if they didn't know, they wouldn't want to be near a monster. Gaara looked down at the thought as he clutched the hem of his shirt. Jiraiya noticed and called out, "Oi, boy, what's wrong? You tired?"
Gaara looked towards Jiraiya before shaking his head. Jiraiya grinned, "That's good. Let's raise our pace a little." And so they started moving faster and the next thing Gaara knew, they were infront of two large open wooden gates with a symbol that looked like a leaf at the top.
Jiraiya looked back at Gaara, noticing that the boy had stopped in his tracks. He sighed before smiling, "Welcome to Konoha." He said. He saw Gaara look at him before nodding, blush spreading in his face, 'It's different but it looks nice. It feels nice.' He thought with a small smile.
Hey. So this is my first Naruto Fanfic and its a little Gaara-centric because I really like him. He's my favorite character so yeah. And I hope you liked it. If you did, thank you very much. It's a pleasure. And if you ever have any suggestions or questions, feel free to leave reviews.
Anyway, thanks so much. I'll catch you guys on the next chapter.