(A/N) Yay for the second chapter! Actual plotline kicks in now, thank you very much. … Hopefully.

Gaara, meet Lee. Lee, Gaara of the Sand.

Thank you so much to my reviewers, Art Witch - Aka Mizu, MidniteCurse4Eternity and GameAmy! It's always those first reviews that give me a great feeling about a new fic! *wipes tears of joy* Anywhos, hope you guys, especially, enjoy the new chapter!

I do not own Naruto or any characters featured here.

I didn't sleep that night. I never slept. If I slept…

Bad things would happen; bad things that I would rather not name.

I rose in the morning from my nest of sand, stretched, and took a drink from the spring. Boredom permeated the air like rot scent, and I yawned absently. Perhaps if I killed someone it would jumpstart my day…

A sound distracted me from that train of thought; it was the sound of…

That doesn't make sense.

It sounded like…

Someone was beating up a cactus?

You tend to hear some weird sounds in the desert, but that is not one of them.

Hoisting my gourd onto my shoulder, I poked my head around the huge bolder at the edge of my oasis. I felt my eyes widen as the scene played itself out in front of me: there was indeed a strange human in a green jumpsuit in my desert, right at the edge of my oasis. He had ridiculously bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut that made me wince. And he was, indeed, taking out some unexplained anger on an innocent totem pole cactus. A rare sight indeed. With every kick the stranger landed, more thorns lodged in his feet, as with each punch.

As amusing as that was, the desert was my home. It might as well have been sand in my veins as opposed to blood. I didn't take too kindly to the destruction of any desert creature, cacti included. So the sand slunk over, twirling lazily around the stranger's foot.

"The desert doesn't like that," I growled, stepping fully out into the open. "Hit something that can fight back."

The newcomer jumped, making me smirk. Then he seemed to overcome his shock, as they sometimes did, and gave me a thorough once-over. I expected a scream, or perhaps horror as he identified me.

For the second time in as many opponents, I was sorely disappointed.

As recognition dawned in his dark eyes, so did curiosity and a bit of admiration.

"You're… oh yeah! You're… Gaara! Sabaku no Gaara, Gaara of the Sand, right?" he asked eagerly, and I twitched in annoyance. "I've seen you around town! People say you're homeless! Oh… oh! This is where you live? Oh… oh I'm sorry! I didn't know anybody lived out here! I thought it was just a bunch of plants and sand…"

"Shut up," I growled, tightening the sand around his leg. A slight smile cocked my lips. "You'll have to be punished, you know? For doing that, I mean."

I saw the newcomer gulp, and smiled to myself. This should turn out better then yesterday… it should be fun!

… … …

As I watched Gaara of the Sand, I, surprisingly, felt no fear at all. A twinge of unease, perhaps, at the possessed look in his light blue eyes, but no fear. Even as sand curled around me, I only felt intrigued. I carefully examined him; he looked thin and worn, scuffed up, even. He wore no shirt, only a beat up pair of jeans and a huge gourd slung across his back. His reddish-brown hair fluttered, and the symbol on his forehead, reading 'love,' seemed to glow in the early morning light.

"So you do live here?" I pressed, wanting to learn more.

Gaara tossed his head impatiently. "Yeah. Why do you care?"

I shrugged. "Dunno, just curious."

"Well, don't be curious," he growled. "There's nothing to be curious about."

"Aren't you curious about why I was kicking a cactus?" I asked slyly.

"No," he replied bluntly.

I frowned. "But it's such a good story!"

"No."

"Aw, come on! I wanna tell my story!"

"Don't we all?" Gaara muttered. "Sadly enough, you won't be alive long enough to tell your story."

Sand slunk up higher, closing around my chest, and I suddenly realized what real danger I was in. I held up my hands.

"I'll leave you and your cacti alone, I swear!" I said, trying to move away. I have a date with Sasuke…! I can't get seriously hurt messing around with this guy…!

Gaara smirked. "Well, I can't be happy with that. You see, it's been a while since Mother has had any blood, and she and I are both thirsty for some."

That only enticed me further, although part of me knew better. "You aren't alone out here? You've got your mom with you?" I asked, though my mind didn't over look the bit about blood.

Gaara scowled. "Yes! I mean, no! I am alone!"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "But you just said your mom…"

"I know what I said!" the boy snapped angrily, and I felt the sand constrict around my chest. "Just stop talking…!"

I craned my neck, trying to look around him. "Then what's this about you and your mom thirsting for blood?"

Gaara winced, taking a step backwards. "It's alright, Mother…" I heard him whisper to himself, and the sand twitched around me. He reached out a hand, and the grains twined around his fingers. "I'm a good boy, Mother…"

Is he talking to himself, or… oh gods, is he really talking… to the sand…?

"Could you… uh… tell your mom to let go of me?" I asked.

Gaara scoffed. "Not a chance, child. She wants your blood to mingle with the sands, as do I."

I winced as the sand tightened another millimeter. My breaths became shallow and quick as I struggled to draw them.

"My blood tastes horrible," I panted. "You know that, right?" I fidgeted inside the sand. "I'm sure your mom wouldn't want it…"

To my acute surprise, the sand actually loosened slightly as Gaara considered this.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he murmured. "What do you think, Mother?"

"She says my blood is nasty!" I said quickly.

"You do not speak to Mother!" Gaara snarled abruptly, and the sand grew tighter than ever. I coughed slightly as I struggled to draw breath.

"I'm sure my lunch would be much tastier!" I blurted in sudden desperation.

Once again, to my surprise, the sand loosened a tiny bit as Gaara cocked his head.

"What's in it?"

"Gui-sensei packed me an apple, a chicken sandwich, and two cookies for dessert!" I said hurriedly and truthfully.

The boy's eyes sparked. "What kind of cookies?"

I tried to ignore what a bizarre turn this conversation had taken. "Chocolate chip!"

"Well… I could kill you and then dig around until I found your lunch…" he mused, nodding thoughtfully.

"I have it hidden really well!" I said quickly. "I hid it so that the animals wouldn't find it!"

Gaara blinked; the very hurriedly-constructed lie seemed to make sense to him. "Alright… alright, I'm sure your lunch would be tastier after all. I'll kill you later."

The sand melted away from all but my ankle, where it formed a sort of shackle, presumably so that I couldn't run away. I glanced from the boy to my foot and back again.

"Lead the way, kid. I don't have all day."

I huffed. "I'm not a kid! I'm sixteen, probably just like you!"

Gaara scoffed. "Strictly speaking, I'm fourteen."

I blinked. He's… younger than me…?

"Mentally speaking, I'm thousands of years your elder. Talent wise, too."

My eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Su-ure." And that's why I was able to talk you out of kill me for a cookie.

Gaara's eyes darkened. "Lunch. Now."

I jumped. "Uh… sure!"

… … …

Now, I realize that everything turned out for the best.

At the time, munching on my cookie, suddenly realizing that I had been duped, I felt like the epitome of stupid.

The kid in the jumpsuit had slipped away.

And I was sitting there, happily eating a cookie… like a dope.

You are an idiot…Mother commented dryly.

I thought this day was supposed to be better then yesterday…!

I rose quickly, on the preverbal war-path. He's not going to get away like that…!

My bare feet crunched in the sand as I raced toward the village. The fuzzy-eyebrowed boy lived there, so he must be heading there.

I didn't make it ten yards.

A massive creature flew at me from the left. I wasn't paying the slightest attention to my surroundings, and only the sand saved my life. As it was, I lurched to the side, my stride disrupted. I staggered, off balance, as the thing flew at me again. A dark blur, I couldn't make out what in hell it was. The sand barely made it up in time, though I felt the impact once again.

"D-damn…" I grunted, trying to steady myself. Before I could, the thing barreled into me again. That third time, though, the sand was too slow. I felt claws dig into me, and I screamed. Pain flashed through me, and the sand dragged the attacker off of me.

And then the attack came from inside my own mind. "M-mother…" I whimpered, clawing desperately at my own head, pulling at my hair. My brain felt like it was bleeding inside my skull, torn apart my invisible claws.

There was to be no respite; the creature was upon me again. I gagged, coughing up blood, unable to dodge or counter. The sand quivered, immobilized by my extreme internal turmoil.

And yet, an awfully frivolous thought crossed my mind: Today is just not turning out well.

I cringed as far back into the immobile sand as I could, my eyes wide with shock.

And then the beast was gone.

An indistinct shape darted by me, slamming into the creature with explosive ferocity. I winced back even further at the sound crack that the hit made.

My mind seemed to explode.

I doubled over, not recognizing my own voice screaming in pain. I wasn't really aware of anything, in fact, before two hands rested on my shoulders.

"Gaara? Gaara-kun, are you alright?"

I looked up, fighting my hazy vision. It was the same boy from earlier, the one with the bowl cut and furry eyebrows. I blinked, swooning in pain.

"Why…?" I asked softly.

I never received my reply, because my ears filled with white noise and the world slid away, swallowed by an inky black wave.

... … …

Gaara of the Sand went limp. His eyes remained open, though, flickering with strange lights and half-formed images. The sand curled around him protectively, cradling him as he shuttered. I brushed the red-brown hair away from his face.

For all his power…

What was that thing?

It had yielded so easily to my strength, and yet… it had immobilized Gaara? That hardly makes sense…

I sat down heavily beside the sand. Whatever he called 'mother' allowed me to remain, watching over him until his eyes cleared. He sat up blearily, shaking his head repeatedly; he blinked, and then his eyes found me.

"You're…"

I nodded. "Yeah. Do you know what that thing was?"

He shook his head. "No idea."

We sat in silence for a moment; it was defiantly not a comfortable silence like one that you would share with a friend, but an awkward one. I shifted and opened my mouth, but closed it again.

"… I never got your name," Gaara said finally.

I smiled. "Why, I'm the handsome blue beast, Rock Lee!"

Gaara shrugged off my theatrics. "Lee-san, then."

"Lee-kun," I corrected him.

"Very well, then, Lee-kun," he conceded. "I suppose I should thank you for… saving me. Thank you," he finished lamely.

I nodded approvingly. "No problem, really."

"Why?" he asked at last, reiterating the question that he had asked before he blacked out.

I shrugged. "I was still around… I couldn't just walk away."

"So duty?" he asked.

I shrugged again. "Sort of. More my own personal code." I sighed. "Gui-sensei taught that to me… the personal code… the shinobi way…"

Gaara twitched. "Gui… sensei…? I've heard of that guy. He's a skilled ninja… but he wastes it at that stupid academy."

I bristled. "The Academy isn't stupid!" I snapped.

"I suppose you attend," he murmured, drawing his legs up to his body and hugging them like and insecure child.

I blinked. "Well, yeah… yeah I do."

Gaara sighed in an almost wistful way. "You're all fools… you, your sensei… everyone in that village."

"Don't call my sensei a fool!" I insisted, my insides on fire.

"You all want other people around you," Gaara elaborated. "Other people are useless… no, not useless. Their one and only use is to be killed. Killing other people is the greatest feeling in the world. If you get attached to those you wish to kill, then it takes the fun out of killing them."

I shuttered at his line of thought.

"If you get attached to them," he continued, "then you become weak. Other people, friends, family, are only liabilities." He glanced at me. "I assume you know Temari and Kankuro?"

I blinked, not seeing where he was going. "Yeah…"

"They're my siblings by blood."

My mouth dropped open. "They're y-your… what now?" I swayed in surprise. "They… they're one of the richest families in town! They're… you're the Kazekage's son?"

Gaara shrugged. "I left when I was six. I came to live here, alone. And that has made me strong." He clenched his fist, and the sand around us reacted. "But I wasn't strong enough… whatever that thing was… now I am bonded to another person." He captured my gaze, his pale blue eyes intense and solemn. "You. I'm bonded to you though a debt of gratitude. I owe you my existence, and that makes my insides squirm."

In that instant, a spark of concentrated hatred lit his eyes, and I gulped. It was gone, though, as quickly as it had appeared, and he stood.

"I'll escort you out of the desert," he said briskly. "Shall we get going?"

I nodded, getting up slowly.

Gaara of the Sand…

What pain have you been though?

(A/N) Yay. I like this chapter.

Any guesses at what- or who –Gaara's attacker was? I wouldn't expect any at this point… but be thinking about it!

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