Its never this hard to speak to him. Its never this hard to speak to anyone. All he does is watch me. Never moves, never blinks. I watch him back. I can't help but blink. But when I do blink he bows his head and smiles. He never shows emotion. Its only when someone loses or fails to do something that he actually smiles. He was always interested in Sasuke. Wondering what makes him so special. Lately all I see is Sasuke next to him. Sasuke, he's next to Gaara. Its always the same. Sakura bugging me, wanting to go to Lady Tsunade for another mission. Sasuke, with Gaara. Gaara staring at me. Never looking away from me. Interested in who and what I am. So many times I have wanted to smile back at him but he looks away fast enough to miss me. Im waiting, Gaara, for that day that you finally blink, the day that I smile at you first, the day that I say that I love you.

We were called to Lady Tsunade. All the Genin must attend. It seems only yesterday that Shikamaru became a Chunin. I remember how excited I was to beat my opponent. I ended up winning but never became a Chunin.

We had all arrived safely in Lady Tsunades presence. All the sand village Genin were there. None of the Sound Ninja though.

''I have a mission for you all,''

''Hahaaa awesome!''

''Naruto, calm down. For this mission you will be assained into a pair. Each pair will be gaurding a fake-worker from this village to 'The Village Hidden In The Mist'. We have chosen your pairs for you so it's no point in thinking about who your going with. Any questions?''

''He he yeah. Grandma Tsunade, why not get the Jounin to fake-protect them? Why us?''

''Naruto, are you scared?''

''NO WAY!'' She smiled.

''Naruto, I have chosen the Genin of this village and the Sand because this is another part of your training. Along the way I have placed traps, signs and even other Genin to attack you. This mission is to see how strong you are, how much your Sensai's have tought you. And how much they need to teach you. The is NO aiming to killing the other Genin on your own side or the ones I have placed if you are challenged. Any other question?'' No one else spoke, ''Good. When we call out your name please come stand at the front and wait for your partner to be called out aswell.'' To me this was a perfect oppitunity to speak to Gaara alone. But the onlt problem is - what if he's not my partner? What if he's with Sasuke. I couldn't bare it if he was with him, ''Okay, Shizune start the pairing,''

''First is Hinata and Kankuro'' Shizune giggled,''Okay you two, make your way out the door and take your mission scroll and worker! Second we have Choji and Sakura. Thirdly we have Shino and Neji. Next we have Kiba and Temari. Fifth are Tenten and Ino. Sixth is Sasuke and Rock Lee...'' This is it. Gaara, he's with me, '' Lastly Gaara and Naruto!'' I was right. I was with him. A whole mission together. This is it. - Naruto, that's his name. Naruto...

We collected our worker and set off. It was the same as before. He never looked at me. He just crossed his arms and stepped lightly each step he took. I was stood at the back of the worker, Gaara was infront.

''Hey, how come you get to go in front?''

''Because I'm not stupid.''

''Thats a bit harsh don't you think?''

''No, I don't think.'' All this time I had a crush on him, now i'v met the guy he seems awful. I can see his red hair blowing forward into his face, he occaisnally looks back at me but I think it's just to check on the fake-worker. He looked back at me, ''Your turn infront.''

''But you just said I was stupid,'' He smiled to himself,''My mistake. Sorry, Naruto''

''Your saying sorry?'' He looked back at me once again,

''Are you coming infront or not?'' He walked towards me, ''Go then,'' I walked infront of the worker. I have no idea why but being infront sempt wrong. It didn't feel right. The air around me closed in. I couldn't breathe. I gasped for air, there was no air. I fell to my knees. Choking, I was suffocating. I was dying, ''N...NARUTO!'' The last thing I heard was from the person I loved, the person who would touch me before I die.

''Naruto?'' I shot up straight, hitting my head on a branch above me, ''Take it easy, Naruto'' I scanned around me, like a deer would in danger. Gaara had placed me under a large Sakura tree.

''How did we get here, What happened?'' Gaara smiled at me,

''I thourght you was a goner for a second there. Last thing I saw was you dropping to the floor, seems like someone did it on purpose. Whoever or whatever it was, we don't know.''

''Heh heh, well thanks Gaara!'' He kissed me on my forhead. I froze.

''No problem, Naruto.'' He grinned, I couldn't help myself. I had to laugh. Gaara looked confused at me, ''Naruto,''

''Gaara, how long away are we from 'The Mist'?''

''I'd say around a couple of hours, you were out so long that it's gone dark.'' I glared up at the moon above us. I lay back down, reasting my head on a root sticking out of the ground. Gaara lay next to me, he pushed his arm into mine. We lay staring at the sky for an hour, our arms linked. He turned his head to me, ''Oh yeah and one more thing,'' I faced him,''The worker ran away.'' I gasped.

''What? How?'' Gaara laughed,

''Funny story, whilst my sand carried you here, he kinda disappeared. I don't know where he went.'' I smiled. To think I had only met Gaara today it seems like we have met forever. I saw him at the Chunin exams but I never thourght we would actually get along. We both we interupted by a rustle in the bush near us. A dark figure approached us.

''Sorry if I scared you, I went to go find food,'' The man held up a long line of fish all attached to his coat. It was the worker.

''Why didn't you just say?'' Gaara stood up and started to take off all the fish hanging on his coat.

After eating we had decided to make tents out of mateial nerby, Gaara had his Sand Protection Jutsu, the worker had a backpack which turned inside out to create a tent. Me? I slept on the ground. I was cold wishing Gaara would ask me if I wanted to share. After around half an hour of shivering, Gaara approached me. His sand scurried over the top of me trying to keep the same circular shape.

''Huh? Gaara?'' Gaara lay next to me,

''You looked cold, since you can't enter the Protection Sand I figured to bring it you.'' He smiled. I smiled back.

''Thank you.'' I lay on my back facing up at the cieling of a giant Sand dome which surrounded us. Gaara lay facing me,

''Are you warm?''

''I'm still chilly,'' Gaara wrapped his arms around me in an attempet to keep me warm. He lifted his had and placed it on my chest. I look down at him, he was sleeping. His hair was the only coloured thing in here, not counting me. I felt his heart beating on my ribs. I wrapped my arms him, its only polite to do it back.

We had come to the end of our mission, Lady Tsunade stood waiting at the end of the bridge waiting for us.

''Welcome to The Village Hidden In The Mist, Naruto and Gaara. You have successfully completed your mission, without facing any danger.'' Me and Gaara smiled at each other. We bowed to Tsunade. And then moved on. The worker stayed.

''We did it, Naruto.'' Gaara gripped my body, kissing my lips. I procceded to hug him tightly, kissing him as well, ''Naruto, I love you''

''I know you do,'' He smiled, continuing to kiss me.