Author's Note: Alrighty, self-pity mode behind me, I was able to write this chapter properly! This is the only follow-up though, there won't be any more. Slightly different perspective this time, and if I'd been able to set a new set of main characters, it would be a Naruto U. & Gaara now. Depending on how you read it, there could either be slight GaaNaru, or it could just be a strong friendship, which was how I was planning it anyway :)
Here's hoping this chapter works!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters, they're Masashi Kishimoto's and his alone! (sob)
Naruto sat on a low couch, his knees drawn up, and watched as the Kazekage sifted through the papers on his desk. It had been two weeks since the break-up, and Naruto had finally decided that he needed to get away from his village for a while, be in the company of friends which were his, and his alone. The awkwardness of his friends in Konoha was stifling, since they didn't want to be seen taking sides.
Gaara had been all too happy to take him under his wing. Naruto had never felt so grateful to the redhead, but found himself irritated at the thought that Gaara probably considered this as some sort of part-repayment or something. He was always so insistent about that.
The door opened softly and both men looked up as a huge, bear of a man looked around the door, his reddy-orange eyes drifting over to Naruto before addressing the Kazekage.
"Kazekage-sama, is this a good time?"
Gaara pushed some papers aside and nodded, "It's as good a time as any." Then he smiled, an expression which still surprised Naruto to this day although he'd been doing it for years. "Come on in, Jugo."
The ex-Taka member stepped into the office, greeting Naruto properly now with a smile and a raised hand. Naruto grinned, not realising that the expression on his face was more of a grimace.
Gaara and Jugo shared a worried glance before the tall man began telling Gaara about some goings on down in the village. Once he was sure their attention was diverted, Naruto dropped his ridiculous grin and started pulling absentmindedly at a thread on his sleeve. Ever since Gaara had stopped Jugo from killing scores of shinobi in a murderous rage during the war, the tall man had been Gaara's most faithful shinobi. Naruto didn't understand exactly what had happened, but from what Gaara had told him, it sounded pretty baffling.
Naruto looked up at Jugo again, and his eyes drifted over the tiny mark which Sasuke had managed to put on the man's arm when he'd defended Gaara instead of his leader. Sasuke hadn't been too pleased with that, as much as he tried not to show it.
"I'd thought he needed me. It felt so good, to be needed again…"
"…Sasuke?"
Naruto had barely breathed the word, but Gaara was in front of him in a heartbeat, grasping his hands. Naruto could see the Kazekage's face, morphed into concern. He could see his lips forming words, but suddenly his mind was filtering it all out and all he heard were the voices.
"He was the last one. Even you said you'd kill me if you saw me again. Jugo was the only one left who wanted me alive. He was my last hope…"
"I didn't know…"
Gaara turned desperately to Jugo, his eyes pleading. Jugo promptly nodded and quietly left to stand just outside the door.
"Naruto, listen to my voice. Single it out, I need you to listen to me!"
"You said you could read what was inside my heart, but you only scraped the surface. Deep down, all I wanted was for someone to find me, but even you didn't see the truth in my heart. I told you you'd never understand… I never wanted to be right."
"You did everything you could, Naruto. You were so brave, ttebane."
"But… Kaa-chan, I couldn't…"
"Naruto! Don't listen to them, come back to me Naruto!" Gaara was shaking the blonde's shoulders now, but Naruto stared through him as if he were made of glass. His eyes seeing a claustrophobic world that Gaara could never see.
"Guts wasn't enough… If you'd been smarter you might have known what to do. But there's no helping that now, everything was already in motion."
"Nngh!" Naruto groaned, leaning forward onto his knees.
"You know, if you'd…"
"Thought harder…"
"…dodged that blow…"
"Did your best…"
"You should have…"
"Damn it, Naruto! I'm right here! Look at me!"
"… wasn't going to…"
"You promised…"
"… calmed down…"
"Snap out of it!"
"YOU PROMISED!"
"…Just wanted a friend…"
"NARUTO!" Gaara screamed to make himself heard, above not only Naruto's painful, maddening wails, but against the voices he knew were overcrowding his friend's mind. But Naruto only brought his hands to his head and began viciously tugging at his hair. Gaara went to grab his hand back again, but the blonde's skin burned him when he made contact and Gaara withdrew in shock. He watched, horrified as, sure enough, Naruto's skin began to crawl with an ominous red chakra.
He tried again to get through to Naruto, who's cries were becoming more and more feral. Jugo's head came back around the door in alarm, but Gaara yelled at him and he reluctantly disappeared once more.
Bracing himself, Gaara pulled his defence in tight around him, hugging his body with sand. Naruto was losing himself, he had to act fast.
It burned. Even through his sand armour, the chakra blistered his skin but Gaara held on tight. He pressed himself against his friend and crushed him into the tightest embrace he could. Sand began to creep around Naruto as well, attempting to smother the smouldering chakra which leaked from Naruto's weakened body.
"Naru-to…" Gaara's voice broke as he struggled to calm the blonde, "Listen to me… Please?"
Naruto still resisted, still trapped deep inside his suffering mind.
"He's taking advantage of you, Naruto. The Kyuubi…" Gaara gritted his teeth, "You've got to hold him back, you hear me? Fight it!" Gaara's voice the broke completely as he cried, "FOR KAMI'S SAKE LISTEN TO ME!"
For a moment, Gaara thought he'd shattered the blonde like a glass shell as the resistance beneath him abruptly vanished. He fell forward with the sudden loss of pressure, but when his arms found Naruto's sobbing, shaking form still within them, he pulled his friend close once more, resting his head on top of Naruto's blonde one.
Once again, Jugo appeared, crouching beside the Kazekage who now cradled a blubbering young man in his arms and rocked him gently, whispering soothing words into his blonde hair.
"Shall I bring Temari to finish the paperwork?" He asked, peering at Naruto's exhausted, weeping face. Gaara nodded, lifting Naruto off the ground and disappearing in a swirl of sand.
"…?"
Naruto gradually became aware of himself, aware of reassuring arms around him, he was aware of the crusty residue of tears on his face, and the rawness of his throat. He coughed, instantly wishing he hadn't as it began to itch terribly.
"Feeling better now?"
"… Gaara?"
Naruto looked up into a gentle face. His red haired friend had that tiny smile on his lips, his eyes sparkling with… something good. Gaara gently prised Naruto off of him and propped him up on a sofa. Naruto looked around as Gaara walked into another room, recognising the inside of the Kazekage's modest apartment.
He pressed his palm to his forehead, noticing as he did so that he'd pulled out some of his hair again. He had a headache… How hadn't he noticed the headache?
He felt a glass of water and a pill being pressed into his hands and looked up as Gaara sat back down beside him, careful now to keep his distance.
"For your headache." He said.
Naruto smiled gratefully, swallowing the painkiller and gulping down the glass of water thirstily. Gaara watched him carefully, taking the glass away when Naruto finished.
"Sorry…"
Gaara arched what would have been an eyebrow. "You've nothing to apologise for."
"For being a burden." Naruto continued, regardless.
Gaara smiled sadly at his friend, and sat back down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He waited until Naruto looked up at him again before he spoke, because he wanted to make sure he heard this.
"You're not a burden, Naruto."
"But-" Gaara held up his other hand to stop the protest he'd known would follow.
"I know what Sakura said to you, and I know how you interpreted that, but I promise you," He squeezed Naruto's shoulder to emphasize his words, "I promise you, Naruto… That you will find someone, one day, who will take your difficulties in their stride. There is always hope."
Naruto's voice was small and it wavered when he whispered, "I don't believe in promises anymore."
"Then trust me, instead of my word."
Naruto could see the sincerity in Gaara's eyes, and it brought the teary feeling back to his own.
"I will help you, you don't have to suffer alone."
"…"
Silently, tears slid in heavy droplets down Naruto's whiskered cheeks and over his upturned lips. With a shuddering sob, he leaned into Gaara's chest and curled up there like a child. Gaara obediently wrapped his arms around the larger man for the third time that day and rocked him until he drifted into the uneasy oblivion the blonde now called sleep.
"One day, you'll believe me." Gaara whispered into the air. He smiled, and as Naruto burrowed closer against him in his sleep, the redhead hugged him closer.
No one was here to see, after all.
x
Author's Note: I'd like to say a big thank you to wlkwos for giving me the Kyuubi idea! :D And thanks for reading and reviewing! You guys make my day every time ^-^ x