A New Purpose
He was so lonely, so hated, so feared. Despised by his fellow villagers from birth, he was the most feared secret. Even the members of his team, his onii-san (brother) and onee-chan (sister) hated him. His own uncle had tried to kill him. He knew no love, yet he had the kanji on his forehead.
He was a mistake. An attempt to harness a power better left alone. The Kazekage of his village, Sunagakure, had cursed him so. His own sire had ordered his mother to be the sacrifice and him the vessel. His own otousan (father) had sentenced him to this hell. With family so 'loving' how else was he supposed to grow up?
Having Shukaku waiting for a slip, waiting for a chance to escape and bring forth havoc was hard. He could not sleep, he could not think straight. He could only hope that he could enjoy his meagre existence through the death of others. That was what he learned. Love himself and to hell with anybody else.
Assassins came; they tried futilely to end his existence. Their hatred of him, their fear of him, oh so obvious and yet they tried by order of the one who should have loved him unconditionally. His otousan. He killed them easily and enjoyed it. Their pain and suffering soothed his battered psyche, helped him feel more alive. He would destroy all who threatened his existence.
Then it happened. He went to Konoha for the Chunin Exams and met Naruto and her. There he learnt defeat. There he gained new responsibilities. There he learnt that he could trust his siblings. There he gained love.
They always said that the love of a good woman could change a man. Who would have thought that it would have changed him. She brought out the best in him, soothed the savage beast and made him want to protect her.
The death of his father, the Kazekage, brought him the responsibility of Sunagakure. He the most feared child of the village was to be the new Kazekage. The village that treated him like scum, like dirt, the one he had hated with his entire being was to come under his care and leadership. He would have said to hell with it all had it not been for her. She helped him to find the kindness in his heart, encouraged him to see the good of the people and loved him enough to open his heart.
His Usagi. The light of his life.
He looked down at the sleeping woman on the bed and smiled tenderly. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight, so delicate yet she was a strong fighter. A survivor like him. She never spoke of her origins; just said she was a child of the moon but to him she was his tenshi sent to heal his broken soul.
So peacefully she slept, waiting for him to join her. Gaara pulled back the covers and got into the bed. He pulled the sleeping Usagi into his arms and held her close. This was what living was all about. Loving, caring, protecting. He had it all now and he would do what was needed to keep them safe. Usagi, Sunagakure, Kankuro, Temari and ChibiUsa.
Shukaku may be gone, but the skills remained and those skills would help him keep his treasures safe. His wife and his daughter.