A/N: Hey, guys! Thank you to everyone who decided to read this! If I get something wrong about Gaara's past, please feel free to tell me about it. I haven't finished the entire Naruto series.

Tora and Gaara were young when they saw each other.

About six years old each, both smaller than the average child, but that didn't hinder them. They were already being trained in the ways of ninjusu, although that was to be expected. After all, the heir of the Hyuga main branch and the son of the Kazekage would need those skills like a person needed food.

Anyway, the first time they ever saw each other, was at a meeting between the Hyuga clan and Sunagakure. Gaara was at his father's side, wearing a beige cape and a small smile. Tora was at her father's side as well, but she was wearing a tunic of light blue silk that matched the ribbon in her hair.

Even though she was young, you could already tell that Tora was going to grow up to be beautiful. Her hair was obsidian black, and her trademark Hyuga eyes were wide and innocuous. Her cheeks were pale and smooth as unmarked vellum.

Gaara was also quite the eye-candy, although his father had never noticed. His dark auburn was spiky and swept into a mess by the desert wind, although it didn't look bad on him. His pale blue-green eyes were lined with black kohl, and his skin was pale, defying the harsh desert sunlight tan that most of the Sunagakure inhabitants had.

"Hyuga Kuma, what an honor it is to meet you at last." The Kazekage smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes. "And I see you have brought your daughter, as well."

"Yes, this is Tora." Kuma gave his daughter a small nudge forward.

Tora curtsied and smiled, like the charming little girl she was. "The honor is all ours, sir."

"So pretty for such a young age. And polite as well."

"And this is..." Kuma looked curiously at Gaara.

"Oh, my son, Gaara." The Kazekage gave a dismissive wave in his direction.

"Pleasure to meet you." Gaara said, smiling as well.

The two older men started to talk about certain politics and what not as they walked inside, so the children suddenly found themselves extremely bored. The attention span of a six year old child is very small.

Both gave each other a look like, We have to escape, even though they had just each other a few minutes ago.

"Hey." Tora whispered to Gaara. "You're Gaara, right?"

"Yeah. And you're Tora?"

Tora grinned. "The one and only. So," She crossed her arms and jerked her head in the direction of their fathers. "Do you want to help me escape, or do you want to listen to them talk all day?"

With the help of each other, they managed to slip away.

"That was easy." Tora laughed as they made it into the open air. She gave a small little dance and smirked cheekily. She jumped onto a stone wall and pat the space side beside her, motioning for Gaara to sit. She swung her legs. "Do you like living in Sunagakure?"

"It's okay, I guess. I want to visit Konoha, though. It's lonely here."

"Don't you have any friends?"

Gaara shrugged. "Not really." He looked down. "The other kids don't like to play with me."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He lied.

"Well, I can be your friend, if you want!" Tora grinned. She jumped off the wall. "C'mon, let's play! I'm tired of behaving like a princess today!"

They started to play a version of hide and seek, in which one person would be the seeker and the other would hide, but the only way the hider could win was to sneak up on the seeker without them noticing.

Tora hid first.

When Gaara had finished counting and had opened his eyes, his first thought was, Now where would she hide?

Then, There's a knife at my throat!

He froze, and heard Tora's giggling behind him.

"I win."

"That's unfair!" Gaara protested. But although he mentally went through the rules in his head, there was nothing that said the hider couldn't spring their attack as soon as the seeker finished counting.

"I beat you! I beat you!" Tora laughed. Her laugh was contagious, and eventually Gaara started laughing with her, and then they were both on the ground, laughing their heads off.

"I...don't...even...know...what's...funny..." Gaara gasped.

"I...know...right? Come on, let's go play something else!"

"You will do no such thing!"

Both of the kids turned and saw their fathers, frowning at them, arms crossed.

"Tora!" Kuma said sharply. "What are you doing?"

"Um, playing?" Tora said sheepishly. She looked at her feet and scuffed at the ground with her shoes.

"Gaara!" The Kazekage strode forward and grabbed his son's upper arm. "What did I tell you?"

"Oh, please!" Tora burst out. "It wasn't his fault, honest. I forced him to play with me."

"That is no excuse." The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. "He should know better."

"And you, Tora," Kuma frowned. He put his hands on her shoulders and sighed. "I expected better from you." He turned to the Kazekage. "I apologize."

"Oh no, the fault is all mine."

"Anyway, the day grows late. Shall we resume the meeting in the morning?"

"Indeed. You know where your sleeping quarters are?"

"Yes. I bid you goodnight." Kuma turned and started to steer his daughter away. "I want you to stay away from Gaara." He whispered to her.

Tora looked shocked. "Why?"

"He's dangerous, love. I don't want you getting hurt."

"How is he dangerous, father?" Kuma's daughter put on a face of horror, like, I didn't know that!

"He is the vessel of a deadly demon, Shukaku. Have you heard of him?"

"No."

"Shukaku is a demon bent on terror and destruction. He wants nothing more than to throw the world into a dimension of endless carnage and blood. Gaara's name means something along the lines of 'self-loving demon'. Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. Did his father tell you about this?"

"Yes. He insists that, for your own safety, that you keep your distance."

"Yes, father." Tora found it easy to put on a repulsed face and lie. On the outside, she pretended to be disgusted with Gaara, but on the inside, all she felt was pity.

Poor Gaara. That's why you don't have any friends.

A/N: Please review!