Little By Little
A/N Hey everybody. I decided to write another Naruto/Gaara fic since people liked my other one. It's a few years into Shippuden but also Naruto and Gaara's bond as they're older.
A long time had passed in Konoha since that day Naruto and Gaara had became friends when they were only seven years old but the young blonde haired ninja had forgotten that day and that friendship he'd forged with the Sand Village boy.
But right now he felt alone like when he was younger.
Sasuke had left him and Sakura to join Orchimaru and try to fulfill his destiny but he'd returned to Konoha but nobody trusted him because of what he'd nearly done.
Sakura was the only one who still had faith in him.
But Naruto was thinking about something as an image of Gaara flashed into his mind as tears welled in his blue eyes.
"What would've happened if we hadn't brought him back?
That moment..... when I thought I nearly lost him, my heart nearly shattered.
I feel like it's my fault it happened.
If I'd gotten there sooner, I could've used the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra to save him from those creeps but they would've done the same thing to me and I..... nearly became a monster." Naruto thought as tears flowed from his eyes.
He was unaware Hinata was watching him but didn't want to intrude.
Temari had seen that and left for Suna. She and Kankurro were worried too.
Gaara was their younger brother after all.
But she and Kankurro felt regret at not being there for their younger brother when they were younger because of his demon but now things were okay.
Gaara had changed since his battle with Naruto and that fateful head butt.
But it had been a change for the better. Since then Gaara had learned that love was pure strength along with protecting those precious to you, not hurting or killing others just to prove you were alive. He was now the Kazekage and a really good one along with training a Genin named Matsuri.
"Hey Temari what's up?" Kankurro asked his sister as she entered the infirmary.
"Nothing much.
Just hanging out in Konoha." she answered.
He knew that she'd gone to find Naruto for Gaara's sake. He knew that Gaara missed the blonde haired ninja after they'd met when they were little but had forgotten too about their friendship until Love reminded him.
"Has he awoken since last time?" Temari asked her brother but he was distracted by his own thoughts. He too was worried about Gaara but didn't want to admit it.
He too liked this sudden change in his little brother's personality.
He used to be afraid of his own brother because of the demon inside him making him a vicious and uncaring monster.
"I'm glad those guys took the demon away from him.
At least he can be normal. But he might have trouble adjusting to life without his demon." he thought as he watched his brother lie in the hospital bed.
Iruka-sensei noticed that Naruto had became more quieter, more sad.
He had a feeling it was to do with Gaara. He'd heard from Kakashi how Gaara had died but had been brought back to life. He could understand the kind of pain Naruto was feeling right now in his heart.
The others in the Academy and Sakura noticed these changes in Naruto too but couldn't find the right words to talk to him.
"It must've been hard for him to watch his only friend lying there and knowing he could've done something.
I know how he feels.
I felt like that after my parents were killed by the Nine Tailed Fox.
Maybe..... I should talk to him." he thought watching Naruto on the swing outside.
Hinata had stayed behind after training. She wondered what was wrong with Naruto but had heard Kiba talking about it.
"Naruto...... we need to talk." Iruka said approaching the teen. Naruto tensed up having a feeling about what Iruka wanted to talk about to him.
"Why do you care?
What do you know about how I'm feeling?" he replied bitterly, holding in the tears.
"Because..... I know how it feels to lose somebody you care about. My parents were killed by the very demon that lives in you.
When they told me, I wished I could've done something even if it meant risking my life for them. My heart hurt too knowing that I would never see them again but it healed a little over the years. I know that's how you feel about Gaara, right?" Iruka explained to him never taking his eyes off Naruto for a second.
Naruto said nothing for a moment.
Iruka then saw tears hit the ground as the ninja let out the tears he'd been holding back for so long since it had happened. He then felt Iruka put his arms around him.
".....They don't know what it's like to have nearly lost somebody who meant the whole world to you, somebody who had been in that pit of darkness and pain but you'd saved them from a life of that!" Naruto said as they came faster and faster......
Iruka watched as the teen wiped the last away and stood up.
"Naruto-kun....." he heard a voice say to him in the wind.
It was Gaara's voice.
His heart had a feeling growing within it, a feeling of hope.
"Naruto are you okay?" Iruka asked him.
"Y-Yeah I'll be fine.
I have to go see..... somebody.
Thanks for the help." he said running off......
Iruka had a feeling he was headed for Suna......
Temari was nervous but worried. Gaara hadn't moved or shown any signs of life in a long while since he'd slipped into that coma but she had to keep hoping especially when she saw Naruto burst through the door.
"Is he okay?" he asked worriedly but the look on both Temari and Kankurro's faces told him that he was wrong.
"Naruto..... help me......" he heard a voice say in his head.
It was Gaara but he was calling to him from inside of him.
Temari watched as Naruto was in a strange trance.
He found himself in a dark place where he heard crying. He had a feeling he knew who it was but was afraid as he saw Gaara on his knees with tears running from his face. He felt worry flow through his body.
"Gaara-kun you okay?
I'm here." Naruto told him. Gaara looked up at him with sadness in those emerald eyes of his. He felt relieved to see Naruto there but was worried that the darkness would overtake him and hurt him.
".....You came.
I knew you wouldn't give up on me." Gaara said softly.
"Of course I wouldn't Gaara.
We are friends, right?" he told him.
"Yes but you have to leave. This is the pit of darkness and pain we were both trapped in until we saved ourselves.
Get out of here before it overtakes you!" Gaara told him.
"N-No I'm not leaving you here!
Believe it!" Naruto told him as he reached out his hand for Gaara to take and a door appeared as they were bathed in bright light.
"Thank you Naruto-kun.
I knew you would.
You'd never give up on me." he told him.......
Naruto then snapped out of the trance to see Gaara's eyes open. He smiled at that as Temari and Kankurro were in awe at this. They wondered how Gaara had woken up.
Temari wondered how it happened but had a feeling it was to do with Naruto.
"....Naruto I knew we were meant to be......
Never forget..... that." he whispered to him.
Naruto nodded.
"I'll keep it in mind.
Just don't scare us especially me again." he replied to him leaving. His heart was feeling better now Gaara was okay and the emotional storm in his mind had passed.
He knew that he and Gaara were meant to be together.......