"When I'm gone on my political trip to Konoha" he started and intentionally went slowly "I would like you to" seeing the suspense was killing Naruto "act as Kazekage in my absence."

Naruto fell backwards as he passed out from disbelief. He was being asked to act as Kazekage, of a village he just arrived in; 'no wonder everyone was staring at me on the way in' he thought before he hit the floor.

Gaara then did something he rarely ever does, even when he has a good reason to; he smiled!

"I enjoyed that" as he leaned back in his chair.

Naruto lay passed out on the floor of the Kazekage office. Many of the spectators were questioning if someone that passed out when asked to act as a stand in would be able to handle the real pressure of the Kazekage's duties. If he passed out with just a simple request, how could they expect him to handle everything else?

Temari couldn't help but to let out a sigh of disbelief along with a small giggle. One thing she couldn't believe though, was the fact that Gaara not only said he enjoyed something; but the fact that he SMILED. He hardly ever smiles. She kneeled down and tried to wake Naruto back up.

"Naruto" as she patted his face "wake up Naruto."

Naruto moaned like he was a child being woken up by their parent and didn't want to get up. This annoyed Temari a lot.

"Do you have a bucket?" looking at Gaara.

"Using water like how you're thinking is a waste" as he continued to do paperwork "especially here in the desert. But I do have ramen."

Those seemed to be the magic words to get Naruto up. The word 'Ramen' no more left Gaara's mouth and Naruto was awake again. Every one of the spectators had a sweat drop on their head.

"Temari" Gaara said "please close the door."

Temari did, but not before playfully smacking Naruto on the back of the head. She found it hard to believe that Gaara wanted Naruto to stand in for him, but understood his reason.

"Why do you want me to stand in as Kazekage for you?" Naruto asked remembering what Gaara requested of him.

Gaara looked out the window at his village, his sleepless mind reflected on his fight with Naruto. He remembered how he thought he was going to kill Naruto without any trouble, but because he had never fought for anyone but himself he didn't understand what made a true shinobi; what made him, a Jinchuuriki, human. The willingness to give his life to protect someone out of love; something Gaara had never known and Naruto had lost.

"Because" still looking out the window "when we fought, you refused to run away and save yourself. I thought you were a fool for not running from a demon…"

"Lord Kazekage" Temari said "please forgive me for my next action…" right before she went to smack him, but the sand in his gourd stopped her hand.

The sand swirled in place, just inches from Gaara's face, holding Temari's hand at a safe distance from Gaara. The best way Naruto could bring himself to describe it was a flattened tornado. It looked really cool though.

"Please allow me to speak freely, Onee-san" Gaara said as he looked back at her "and I would've taken that hit if I had better control of the sand; but the Shukaku still protects me with it against my will." The sand went back to its gourd, carrying the cork with it.

"Hai, Lord Kazekage" as she went back to stand next to Naruto.

"I looked at you as a fool for not running" Gaara continued "but after our fight you told me that you knew my pain. The pain of being alone, hated by everyone in your village, but you still managed to stay out of the darkness that consumed me. I wish to save you before you get into that darkness" with a sad look on his face "I know this isn't the Hokage title like you wanted when you were in Konoha, but at least I can possibly give you a new reason to continue fighting. It can give you a new dream."

Naruto was at a loss for words; he was being given the opportunity to be a kage. Even though it wasn't a permanent deal, it was something that he had trained for years to be. He still had one question though;

"Why me? I'm sure there are people that can be a better stand in than me."

"Because you have always fought to accomplish and stand for something" Gaara replied "when that dog guy insulted you and said he'd become Hokage before you; you stood up and continued to fight to prove him wrong, even though you were badly injured. I wish to give you a reason to fight like that again. Please think about my offer;" as he used his sand to open the doors to his office "I know some part of you still wishes to be a Kage."

Naruto and Temari walked out of Gaara's office and through the hoard of spectators that were trying to figure out why the Kazekage would ask someone new to the village to act as a stand in for him. He didn't even look like a shinobi; at least not with that 'neon orange track suit' as some called it.

"Looks like you have to start training" Temari said when they got out of Kazekage Tower.

"I can't do it" Naruto said as he walked a head of Temari "not with what happened. I can't forgive myself for…" tears ran down his face before he started running down the street.

Temari chased after Naruto; she cursed herself for saying something so soon. His neon orange track suit made him easier to follow, but he was just a little faster than her and managed to get out of sight and lost her. She knew he needed time to himself.

Naruto took one look back to make sure he was no longer being perused. Being sure he had lost Temari, he rounded a corner and sat down in an alley. Yes he wanted to be a Kage still, but he didn't think he was worthy of the title; not after what he did. Tears began to fall down his face.

'You're not hurt are you?' he heard Sasuke's voice say to him 'you big baby.'

'That was our first mission outside of the village' he thought 'I had been cut with a poisoned kunai. I refused to be the reason we'd turn back. I proved to him I wasn't going to let anyone or anything stand in my way.'

His mind continued to remember the mission with great detail. How he and Sasuke knew exactly how to work together even without saying what the plan was. The tree walking exercise that improved his chakra control; which is when they officially became rivals, and friends.

Even Haku, Zabuza's right hand man that looked like a girl, who had given his life so Zabuza could possibly kill Kakashi. While Haku didn't have a dream of his own, he only wanted to see Zabuza's come true. Right now, Naruto felt like he was Haku; no dream to fight for, but Haku still had a reason to fight.

'Is there someone precious to you?' Haku's voice asked.

Naruto once thought he had several people that he held precious. Once they found out he was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, they stopped talking to him and started hating him. He only had two friends, his age, left in Konoha; Lee and Hinata. The only two his age still that looked at him as a human and understood why he killed Sasuke.

'WHY ARE YOU IN MY WAY NARUTO?' Sasuke's voice shouted angrily at him.

Naruto couldn't let Sasuke leave the village, not if he was going to Orochimaru; which he was. He couldn't let his friend even begin to sink. He made that clear to Sasuke before their final fight. Yet Sasuke still fought Naruto; even after spectators showed up because of the noise. So blinded by hate and a lust for power so he could accomplish his dream.

'I had a dream too' Sasuke's voice said weakly as he remembered when Sasuke saved him from Haku 'I wanted to kill my brother for slaughtering my clan.'

Sasuke died before he could even get a rematch against his brother. The anger in his eyes as he tried to keep moving towards the gate seemed to have burned an image in the back of Naruto's mind. An image that he couldn't forget.

'Don't cry my Kit' Kyuubi said to him 'you saved him from himself. He was going to fall so low that even if he accomplished his dream, he would've been miserable the rest of his life.'

'I know,' tears continued to run down his face 'but he was still my best friend.'

Temari quickly became worried about Naruto; he had been missing for two hours now. She felt she needed to find him, but she also wanted to give him space. The debate in her mind continued until she finally reached a decision; 'I'll go for a walk; if I find him, I'll talk with him. If I don't I won't be too worried, he might be here when I get back anyway.'

She stood up and walked out of her apartment; she had small errands to run anyway. As she went to lock the door, she remembered she hadn't given Naruto a key yet and it would be hard for him to get in. It was a tough call, but she settled for locking the door and making sure she'd have all her stuff when she got back.

Naruto managed to find the little ramen shop he saw from his flight with Temari. In truth, he felt a little bad for running from her; she was trying to make him feel better. 'I wonder how Hinata-hime and Bushy-Brow are doing' he thought to himself as he sat down on a stool.

The shop wasn't much different than Ichiraku Ramen Shop. One easily noticeable difference is the banners hanging from the front of the shop were tan with black letters rather than white with red letters. There was also more cover that could shield the costumers from the rain; or in this village, a sand storm.

"You must be the new guy in the village" the owner said as he saw the blonde sit down "welcome to the Suna Ramen Stand. What would you like?"

"A large beef and pork ramen if you have any" Naruto answered without looking up.

"You got it" as he started cutting the noodles "I'm Takumi, I run this little shop."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki" as he looked at the owner, who looked a little like Teuchi back in Konoha "I just got here a few days ago."

As soon as he heard his name, Takumi looked at Naruto with wide eyes. That concerned Naruto, he wasn't sure if he was going to be told to leave or worse, attacked.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" as a smile grew across his face "the same guy that beat Lord Kazekage?"

Naruto nodded, that was not what he was expecting someone to know him as. Although it was far better than 'The Demon of Konoha' like he had heard even in the neighboring lands of the fire country.

"Wow" he laughed "I'm cooking ramen for the guy that beat Lord Kazekage. I did not think I'd ever have this pleasure."

That definitely made Naruto feel better; the only ones that ever said serving him was a pleasure was Teuchi and Ayame. Normally he was thrown out of restaurants the moment he stepped in the door, but he was welcomed with open arms here; just like at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"So what brings you here?" he asked.

"Something happened after the Godaime Hokage took office" Naruto said not wanting to go too into detail "and I can't go back now."

Takumi stopped cutting the noodles he was working on and looked at Naruto. With the way he looked, you could swear he understood. Naruto noticed a scar on the owner's neck that looked like when it was inflected it was a bad injury.

"I know what it's like to have something happen" as he rubbed the scar "I used to be a shinobi in Amegakure with my brother. Then one mission went badly; he ended up being killed, and I was forced to retire early" as he picked his knife back up "after that I came here, and learned how to cook ramen; been doing it ever since."

"I had a friend I considered a brother" Naruto said softly "we were rivals, always trying to stay one step ahead of each other. Then during the second part of the Chunin Exams" as his fists tightened up "Orochimaru put a curse mark on him and promised him power."

Takumi listened quietly as he put the noodles he had just cut into the boiling water.

"He fought the mark for a while" with a sad voice now "but after his brother showed back up and easily beat him, he became obsessed with wanting to gain power; in any way possible. He had began to sink from where he once swam ahead of everyone. What truly pissed me off though" as he slammed his fist on the counter "was he not only was willing to use the mark, but he wanted to go to that Snake and be trained by him."

Temari stood outside the shop; out of sight from the owner and Naruto. She had been standing there ever since Naruto started talking about the reason he was banished; however she wasn't aware that he was talking about the situation that got him banished.

"After he woke up from the fight against his brother" she heard Naruto say "he insisted on fighting me. We fought on the roof of the hospital, with every intention of seriously hurting each other. If Kakashi-sensei hadn't stepped in when he did; we would've. It was after that fight that he tried to leave the village."

Temari continued to listen. A tear began to form in her eyes as she thought about how hard it would've been to fight someone so close with the seriousness Naruto said they fought with. Little did she realize that Naruto was making reference to Sasuke as the friend he looked at as a brother.

"I had a feeling ever since the fight on the roof he was going to try to leave" he continued "so I waited for him outside his apartment. When I confronted him about leaving, that's when the fight broke out. The mark began to consume him half way through the fight; his eyes became so full of anger and hate" sounding like he was remembering in perfect detail "soon he began to fight me, not with the intent to just beat me so he could leave, but to kill me. Thanks to a mixed blessing, I guess you could call it, I managed to overpower him. The fight took us towards the gates of the village, and drew many spectators, before I beat him. Even though he knew he was beat, he still tried to get up so he could go to Orochimaru. He was sinking down to the Snake's level; I couldn't let him do that to himself" sounding like he was crying "I had no choice. I had to save him from that, so I snapped his neck with one hit."

"Naruto" Takumi said "I can't begin to understand what it feels like to have to do that. But I understand why you did; you kept him away from what that Snake would've done. You said it yourself" as he put a bowl of ramen in front of Naruto "even after he knew he was beat, he continued to try to get up and leave; even with spectators around. He began to let hate control him, and that is no way to live; I'm sure he'd forgive you" Naruto looked like he was taking the words to heart "I know how long it takes these kinds of wounds to heal" as he sat down next to Naruto "so if you ever need to talk to someone. You know where the shop is" with a smile as he rubbed Naruto's hair.

Temari walked into the ramen shop and hugged Naruto from behind; tears running down her face. The tough kunoichi, that seemed to be heartless during the Chunin Exams, was trying to comfort Naruto.

"One bowl of pork ramen, please" Lee said as he entered Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Alright Lee" Teuchi said as he put fresh cut noodles into boiling water "have you heard from Naruto at all?"

"Sadly no" Lee sighed as he sat down "but I am sure his flames of youth are still as strong as ever" a fire seemed to be lit in his eyes as he balled his fist.

"I wish we could've seen him off" Ayame said in a sad tone as she started cutting the pork "but I was sick and dad had to tend the bar."

"Naruto would've wanted you to stay in bed, Ayame-san" Lee assured her "however; I do wish the same thing. But I had a mission with Gai-sensei."

"Hello Ichiraku family" Hinata said as she entered the small restaurant "may I have a small beef ramen please?"

"Of course Hinata" Ayame said as she finished cutting the pork and started cutting the beef with a new knife.

"How is your training going Hinata?" Lee asked.

"Alright" with a smile "but Neji keeps insulting Naruto-kun around me while I train. Kiba and Shino aren't any better."

She remembered how badly those three spoke about Naruto. It infuriated her to hear them say such things. Calling Naruto a 'demon' and practically spitting on his name. Neji she kind of expected it from, seeing how he was still sore about losing to Naruto during the Chunin Exams. Kiba on the other hand, she wanted to hit for what he said; given it was the same stuff, but he and Naruto used to be really good friends. Shino never even bothered to get to know Naruto because Shino, being Shino, was always the quiet guy that scared everyone around him.

"Neji doesn't understand that Naruto has fought for everything he had" Lee said as his ramen was put in front of him "despite knowing what that's like himself, he still looks at Naruto as the Kyuubi. His insults are uncalled for;" as he nearly slammed his fist on the counter "I even fought him once because of them."

A lesson both Lee and Neji would never forget; never fight each other without Gai's permission. They both got stuck with two thousand pushups followed by twenty laps around the village on their hands. Lee didn't mind, but Neji was extremely upset.

"Tenten really doesn't say anything bad about Naruto" Lee continued "but she doesn't stand up for him either. She always sides with Neji when he and I get into an argument. I guess that's the price of ignorance."

"Do you guys know where the Chunin Exams are being held this time?" Teuchi asked getting off the subject "last time brought in some good business and I'd like to know if I need to stock up before hand."

"I am sorry to say this" Lee said "but the Exam is being held in Suna next. They won't be held here again for another year or so;" as he broke his chopsticks apart "but do not worry, I will eat here every day to help support you."

"Sounds like my student is making a promise that Naruto would make" Gai said as he entered the shop "it makes me feel good to see youth willing to help out so unselfishly" as tears ran down his face.

"Gai-sensei" Lee cried.

"Lee."

"Gai-sensei."

"LEE" as he hugged his student.

"GAI-SENSEI" as he hugged him back.

For some reason or another, a genjutsu took hold; it was of a sunset on the beach. The sound of a back popping could be heard in between Gai's and Lee's cries. Who it was coming from, no one wanted to know. The unmistakable apparel of Anko and Kurenai walked pass the shop; one of them snickering.

"Must you do that every time you hear them do that?" Anko asked Kurenai.

"It's funny watching everyone's reaction to it" she giggled.

"You scare me sometimes" Anko sighed.

"Coming from you" with a smile "that's a compliment."

The truth behind this made Anko smile; she was one of the scariest kunoichi in the village. Only behind a pissed or drunk Tsunade after hearing about when Jiraiya was conducting 'research', as he calls it. And that was only topped by when the 'super-perv', as he calls himself, tried to personally measure Tsunade's breasts; saying that he was curious as to how close his guess was.

Jiraiya saw how dependant he was on Naruto to practically control his free time and keep him out of trouble. However, he came to this realization after he woke up in the hospital and was only told Tsunade warned him never to even touch a tape measure around her again. When Naruto was around, Jiraiya had to act at least a little mature and only watch girls at the waterfall; now he was getting caught peeping on kunoichi changing after training in a dojo. He also stated that his researching skills have taken a drastic turn for the worse from how they used to be; probably from being around Naruto so often.

Naruto and Temari got back to Temari's apartment and Naruto went to take a shower. He didn't realize how bad he smelled until he was walking down the street with no wind to keep the smell away from him. Everyone, even Temari, kept at a safe distance from him to keep from smelling him.

When the water hit him, he smiled as his body temperature began to decrease. He never realized how hot the desert could make someone. 'I should've expected the heat of the desert to make someone hot' he chuckled 'look at Temari.'

He looked at the drain and was surprised at how much sand he had attached to him. Being in the desert was going to be a tough thing to adapt to; nothing he wasn't used to. Although the sand did itch badly every now and then.

"I guess I should get new clothes" he said to himself as he turned the water off "my usual outfit is way too thick and doesn't let me breathe in this heat. GAH," as he scratched his head "how does Temari or anyone deal with this heat?"

"Rather easily actually" he heard Temari say from the other side of the door "and I couldn't agree more; that hideous track suit does need to be replaced by something lighter and a completely different color."

"What's wrong with orange?" as he dried himself off.

"Dark orange, nothing;" sounding like she was serious and messing with him "neon orange, you stick out like a sore thumb, even in the desert. Didn't you notice all the shinobi were wearing tans or light grays?"

"Yeah" still drying off "but I like orange."

"If you don't want to look like a tourist the entire time you're here" she laughed "you need to get rid of the orange track suit."

"That's really all I could afford back in Konoha" as he opened the door "I always ended up paying more than what the price actually was."

Temari looked at Naruto as he walked out. He was pale; why, she didn't know. Naruto hadn't told her about what ANBU did to him after the fight with his best friend. It would be a very difficult thing for him to talk about; especially since he was interrogated by the best 'negotiators' in ANBU.

Her eyes were drawn to the spiral looking seal on Naruto's stomach that held the Kyuubi in him. Various symbols along the outside of the spiral with eight of them fanning outwards. This was the mark he had had since birth; his curse, but also his power. She reached out and traced the spiral with her finger.

The way she was looking at it, Naruto could swear she admired the mark. Her eyes never left it, but they held a gentle look when she finally looked back at him. It was almost like she could see all the things that had been done to him, despite the fact that the Kyuubi had removed every scar from his body; minus the scar on his right shoulder from taking a full power Chidori, but that was being fixed, just very slowly.

She put her hand on his cheek and used her thumb to rub his whiskers. To her surprise, the cut he had gotten during the Chunin Exams didn't leave any scar. She was expecting at least a small, faint one that could only be noticed if you knew about it.

"You're face is sun burnt" she finally said "I have aloe in my room."

Naruto started to follow her, but then turned into the room he was staying in and got dressed. As he did he realized just how burnt he was.

'Do not worry Kit' Kyuubi said to him 'with my healing abilities you won't peel, and it'll tan over in a few days. Also, unless you want to have a tan line that looks like your jacket and pants; I suggest you ditch the track suit. Also, be sure to take the girl's advice on your color choices.'

Naruto sighed as he put on a pair of shorts that he had. 'Why does everyone keep saying that I need to change my color preferences? And what's wrong with my outfit?'

'Nothing' she laughed 'if you live in Yuki. The weather is far better suited for that ugly track suit of yours.'

"Damn fox" Naruto said aloud as he walked out of his room and bumped into Temari "I'm so sorry" as he started to help her up, but got a clear shot straight down her shirt.

Temari looked at him and saw he was starting to have a noise bleed. With one hit, she gave him a better reason to have one. 'Typical guy' she thought as she forced him to sit down in a chair.

"I didn't mean to look down your shirt" Naruto said as Temari started looking for something for him to wipe his nose with.

"Just hold the pressure till I find something for you to clean up your blood with" as she continued to look for her cleaning supplies "and don't drip blood on the carpet."

"It's already stopped bleeding" he sighed "but my sun burn still hurts."

"You've stopped bleeding already?" in shock as she finally found her cleaning supplies.

"Thanks to the Kyuubi" he explained "I heal really fast. After I found out I had the Kyuubi in me, I figured out that's how I managed to keep getting up when I was fighting Kiba. It's also how I…" trailing off as tears began to fall from his face.

He felt Temari's arms wrap around him; once again, she was comforting him. It brought a warm feeling to him; he had already found someone that was being nice to him. What made the feeling even better, was the fact that she didn't care that he was a Jinchuuriki.

'Allow me to bestow a small gift to you Kit' Kyuubi said.

Naruto suddenly smelled a heavenly scent of desert flowers. It soothed him as he rested his head against Temari's arm. Each breath he took slowly made him feel better; especially since someone was legitimately hugging him.

'It won't make your sense of smell so strong it's too sensitive,' Kyuubi explained 'but I figured it might come in handy here. I also thought she smelt nice and wanted you to know her scent.'

"Temari-san" Naruto said as he rubbed his cheek against her arm "thank you for being nice to me."

"It's the least I can do for you" she said quietly "after all; you gave me my brother back."

Naruto thought about those words; he had given her brother back to her. Saving him not just from the darkness of the Shukaku, but his own heart. In a way, it wasn't that much different than what he did to Sasuke; the only difference was Gaara is still alive.

"Can I ask for some advice" he asked quietly, still admiring her scent.

"Of course" as she used a washcloth to wipe the blood from his face.

"This Kazekage stand in thing Gaara asked me to do" hesitantly "do… do you think… he's right, about it possibly giving me a new dream?"

Temari stopped wiping his face and walked around to look him in the eyes. When she did, she could see the seriousness of his question in his sad, gentle blue eyes. Not only could she see that the question was serious, but also he truly wanted to find something to fight for.

Naruto met Temari's gaze, but not with the same concerned looked. The kunoichi that smelled of desert flowers clearly showed that she was concerned about him. She had allowed him to stay in her apartment, taken him on a flight, and was showing she wanted him to feel better. 'I never realized how much of a dark green her eyes are' he thought as Temari put her hand on his cheek 'their beautiful.'

"You can make your dream whatever you want it to be" she said softly "from becoming a master chief to becoming Kazekage. Here, no one will doubt you or try to talk you down from it."

Naruto put his hand on Temari's cheek and smiled. 'She might have a rough exterior, but deep down, she's gentle' he thought as he slowly moved closer to her.

Temari wasn't sure why, but she found herself moving closer to Naruto. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of what could happen; both in the next few seconds and as a result of it. 'He's different than everyone else' she convinced herself 'he's not afraid of them.'

They met half way and kissed; both surprised, but in a good way. Naruto could feel how soft Temari's lips were, despite the fact she lives in the dry desert; it was a similar experience to when Hinata kissed him. It was the first time he had kissed someone, but he wasn't nervous about it.

Temari liked how Naruto started to rub her cheek as they continued their kiss. Although Naruto's lips were dry, she didn't mind; it was her first kiss. Many of the local guys wouldn't even talk to her, and often gave lousy excuses as to why; Naruto not only talked with her, but he didn't seem to care that kissing her could get him killed.

She blushed when Naruto began to break away from the kiss. It was better than what she was expecting; not as good as in the romance books she'd read, but still better. Her blush only got worse when she saw Naruto's once sad eyes now looked like they had happiness.

"I-I'm s-sorry" Naruto said as he looked away and blushed "I-I don't…"

"Don't be" as she put her finger on his lips "I liked it, and to be honest" as she looked away from Naruto "you're the first person to kiss me."

Naruto almost fell over in disbelief. 'How can someone so cute not have been kissed before?'

"I don't get why" causing Temari to blush even more.

"Well" as she remembered overhearing a group of guys when she was younger "if they weren't afraid of Kankuro, they were afraid of my dad, and if they weren't smart enough to be afraid of him, they were afraid of Gaara-kun."

"Is that why you wear a rough and tough exterior;" as he gently moved her back so she was looking at him "to keep guys away from you so they wouldn't abandon you when they find out who you're related to?"

Temari only nodded; she couldn't believe how spot on he was with his guess. Then again, she did see how the people of Konoha looked at him; yet he still managed to have a smile. He had worn a fake happy face to hide how angry he truly was; just as she wore a tough, hateful look to keep from getting hurt.

"I'm sorry" as he pulled her in for a hug.

Temari didn't say anything as she returned his hug; 'Thank you, Naruto-kun' she thought. Then 'kun? Where the hell did that come from?' she felt Naruto gently squeeze tighter 'I guess I can call him kun' as she did the same 'just not out loud.'

One thing Naruto never truly understood, aside from why Tsunade used a genjutsu to hide her age, was why women always wanted to go shopping. To him if it wasn't too badly damaged and still fit, it was fine. Then again, he's always had to be a very tight pincher when it came to his pennies.

Temari dragged him from one store to the next looking for something he liked that wasn't orange or a track suit. The looks he was getting showed that many were asking the same question to themselves; is he suicidal? He honestly didn't care though, it wasn't any different than when he was kissed by Hinata in public; many of the spectators thought he had kissed her, and that Hiashi would end up killing him.

He managed to find a pair of shorts he liked; they were a light tan that hugged tightly against his waist and around his thighs, several pockets that were large enough to hold a scroll or two, and best of all, according to Temari, it wasn't orange. In his opinion though, the best feature was the fact that it didn't let sand in unless he put it there himself. He grabbed a few pairs of the same style and in three different colors; black, tan, and gray.

He never thought that shopping for clothes was such a big deal; again, he was a penny pincher. The only time he actually spent money on clothes was when he out grew them. 'Once I have clothes better suited for here I'll be able to rest' he thought as he followed Temari into another store 'and people thought I have ridiculous stamina. She hasn't skipped a beat in finding clothes for me, or her for that fact.'

Temari looked at a few dresses that caught her eye. She was more of a window shopper than anything, only really buying clothes if she had too; too bad for Naruto she had just out grown her bras and a few of her shirts, not to mention her favorite dress. The dress she was looking at was a dark green, almost like her eyes, the fabric met just below the cleavage point and made a single strap that would go over her left shoulder.

"What do you think about this dress?" she asked Naruto as he finally caught up with her.

"Looks good" with a smile as a thought came to his mind "but I can't say for sure till I see it one you" with a foxy grin.

Temari started looking for one that was in her size. She knew what Naruto was doing, but she wanted to see his reaction. 'He's smarter than the people in Konoha gave him credit for' as she went into the dressing room.

'Ero-sennin would be proud' he giggled to himself as he tried to imagine what she'd look like when she stepped out.

When Temari walked out, Naruto got a double nose bleed from the sight. The single strap hardly covered her breast or cleavage, the snug fit showed her hour glass figure, and the length of the dress stopped half way down her thigh. What only made it worse was when she let her hair down, walked over to him, and kissed him on the cheek; he could hardly stand.

Temari walked back into the dressing room and giggled a little. 'That was more fun than I thought' as she heard Naruto finally fall over and saw one foot twitching.

'I failed you Ero-sennin' he cried mentally 'I couldn't even remain standing after she kissed me.'

Naruto and Temari sat in the apartment as they laid out what they had bought on their shopping expedition. Both feeling tired from the long day, Naruto was now very burnt and looked like a lobster. Luckily they had picked up plenty of aloe and sun-block for the blonde boy.

Temari was surprised at how comfortable Naruto was with helping her dig through the racks of bras to find the right size for her. Although she couldn't help but to think there were alternative motives behind it. Whatever his reasons, she was glad he was willing to help out; especially since the shop was down to its last two in her size.

She had bought the dress she teased Naruto with; knowing that she'd wear it plenty of times before she outgrew it. The thought of how long it took her to get Naruto back up after she kissed him on the cheek made her giggle mentally. Some of the locals thought he was having a heat stroke because of how burnt he was.

Naruto finished pulling off the last of the tags from his new clothes. He had found a few mesh shirts that would work out great with his shorts, no matter which color he wore. After much debate, he settled for a sand color for most of his shirts; seeing how he was in the desert and white would be quickly ruined.

He managed to find a pair of lower grade special ops gloves on sale in one equipment store. The gloves were dark tan with metal plates on the back had the Suna symbol on them. If Temari hadn't seen them in the discount bin, he probably never would've found them.

"Poor Gama-chan, you're thin now" Naruto sighed as he put his frog looking money holder on the table.

"Have you thought about Gaara-kun's offer?" Temari asked as she took her new clothes to her room.

"I'm still debating" as he looked out the window and onto the streets "it felt good to be able to walk into a store and not be chased out or even have to overpay for something. No one even gave me a dirty look for asking if there was something my size in the back."

"What about becoming a Suna shinobi?" as she walked back into the room.

"That's a better possibility" as he looked back at her "but I still don't think I should. Not after…" fighting to say it "not after I killed Sasuke."

When he said that; it dawned on Temari that the person he had talked about having killed was Sasuke. 'Why didn't I see it sooner' as she walked over to Naruto and hugged him 'Sasuke Uchiha, the Uchiha clan massacre, the only one in his village that knew his pain of being alone. I can be so stupid' as she felt Naruto wrap his arms around her.

"Is that why you got banished?" she asked softly as she felt Naruto tighten his hold around her. Naruto nodded. "I'm sorry. If you need me to do anything to help you, just ask." Naruto nodded again.

"If I'm a civilian" Naruto asked "will I still be able to train by myself?"

"That's something you'd have to ask Gaara-kun" as she rubbed his head.

"I don't see why he can't" they heard from a chair in the room.

The sand in the air around Gaara showed he had just got there. His gourd was across his back, and the sand around him went back into it. The cork to his gourd remained in his hand as he looked at the two holding each other.

Naruto began to think he should start running, but three reasons were stopping him. First, Gaara could always catch him. Second, Naruto didn't know his way around the village yet or know of any good hiding spots. Third and most importantly, he knew it would hurt Temari.

A small hint of a smile grew on Gaara's face. Temari's eyes went wide when she saw this; that's twice in one day he has smiled. She cursed herself for not having a camera to have proof of this legendary feat.

"It's nice to see my Onee-san happy" Gaara said as his sand took the cork back to his gourd "I remember when we were younger, she always wanted to be around me and Kankuro. Back then I didn't even want to bother with family, so I always ignored her. Even though I was far away, I could see how everyone avoided her when they found out I was her brother."

Gaara could see the sadness in Temari's eyes as he spoke. While it made him feel weird talking about his sister's past, he knew Naruto would be able to relate to her in some way.

"I don't mind you training as a civilian" Gaara said "but if you do, I would like you to fill out the shinobi reserves paperwork. This way if you wish to become a full Suna shinobi it'll much easier for me; and there will be far less" as he seemed to shutter at the word "paperwork."

"Alright" Naruto said as he let go of Temari and looked at his fellow Jinchuuriki "I'll be a reserve shinobi at least. I only have one request."

"Which is?"

Naruto couldn't believe how brotherly Gaara, Gaara, was acting towards both him and Temari. It reminded him of Sasuke, and Tsunade. Tsunade did everything she could to protect Naruto from being executed; Sasuke was always his reason to get stronger faster, to stay one step ahead of his rival. Gaara was willing to help him find a reason to get strong fast, and he was sure that Gaara wouldn't mind being rivals; after all they are technically friends.

"I don't want to be put on a team" as he looked at Gaara "not yet, anyway."

"I see" as he stood up "then I'll see if I can find you a personal trainer to…"

"No" Naruto said cutting him off "I still have a few things I need to get out of my system, and I don't want anyone around when I do. Once I fill out the paperwork, I'll go into the desert, alone, and get everything out of my system."

"I take it you've found something to fight for" as he looked at Naruto, who had a confused look on his face "you said you don't want anyone around when you get everything out of your system, and that you'd go into the desert alone. I'm assuming you don't want to personally, or see someone, destroy Suna."

Naruto remained quiet; he felt he did find something to fight for, but he didn't want to say anything. Every fight he has been in he had some reason to fight; from simply surviving the fight to getting to the next round during the Chunin Exams to keeping Sasuke from sinking to Orochimaru's level. Each fight had given him a different reason to keep fighting, but all those reasons revolved around becoming Hokage. Which was something he could no longer be.

"I-I'm still not sure what to have as a dream" as he looked down at the ground "but I can at least protect the village I live in."

"I understand" as the cork came out of his gourd "I'll wait for you in my office. I will have the paperwork waiting on you to fill out" as he turned into sand and blew out the window.

Temari waited for all the sand to blow out the window before she spoke.

"Just going out into the desert isn't smart" she warned "it's easy to get disoriented and lost. If you want I can show you where one of my private training areas is at."

"You don't have to" as he walked into his room "I'm not sure what will happen when I get everything out of my system, but I'd prefer if you'd be in the village; safely away from me."

"I'm offering so that you'd be safe" as she put her hand on his shoulder "it's a safe distance from the village. I'd just be more comfortable if you were somewhere where someone could find you if you're gone for too long."

Naruto couldn't believe how kindly he was being treated. One part of him wished he had been treated this kindly in Konoha, but the other part didn't want to make the comparison. Even being labeled as 'The New Kid' was much better than 'Demon'; at least with 'The New Kid' people want to see what he can do. Whereas, 'Demon' no one would even talk to him unless they absolutely had to.

He couldn't help but to notice how much like Hinata Temari was; she legitimately cared for him. Not only did she not care about the Kyuubi being within him, but she was avoided because of her brothers; just like Hinata was avoided because of her father. The only difference between them was how they reacted to being avoided; Hinata took a serious self-confidence blow, whereas Temari put on a rough and heartless mask.

"Thanks" as he kissed her hand.

"Lord Kazekage" a council member said "I can understand why some would be hesitant to this request. After all, we don't know the full reason for him being banished; for all we know he could've tried to kill Lady Tsunade."

"He doesn't seem to be kind of person that would do anything that is claimed that he did without an extremely good reason" Gaara said to the council member "he saved me from the darkness of the Shukaku. He needs to be saved before he becomes lost in darkness" as he set his gourd on the ground next to him, none of the council members seemed to be changing their minds "if you wish, I can always get Lady Chiyo's opinion on the subject."

Every council member froze, this was the first time he was threatening to get an Elder's opinion about anything; even in his three months of being Kazekage, he had always tried to resolve problems on his own rather than take the easier way out. No one could've guessed that this new boy in the village had that much of an impact on their Kazekage.

It became clear to Gaara that he would when no one bothered to rethink their opinion. Even though he didn't like having to use the oldest puppet master as leverage; it was something that had to be done. He had always taken the challenges of being Kazekage head on, asking for advice only when needed; although his brother and sister had always offered suggestions they felt were necessary to voice.

"She is on one of her walks" a second member spoke "she won't be back for several days" he looked at the rest of the council members "I suggest we hold off on making a final decision until she returns, speaks with the boy one on one, and tells us her opinion about him."

"If I may be so bold Council" a new voice was heard as footsteps faintly echoed through the chamber "I have spoken with Uzumaki-san" as he came into view and stood to Gaara's left "and I think he needs to find a reason for his life."

"What evidence do you have to support this;" a third member asked "Takumi-san."

"He told me about someone he looked at as a brother" the ramen shop owner said "and about how he felt he had no choice but to keep his friend from sinking. He seems to be the kind of boy that will fight to the very end of his life, as long as he has a breath in him, to protect someone precious or to achieve a dream."

"Are you saying this because you feel sympathy for the Jinchuuriki" a fourth asked "or because you legitimately wish to help him?"

Gaara wanted to kill the council member for referring to Naruto by a title that practically labeled every container as a demon. Not only was it an insult to him, but his friend as well; how he managed to suppress the urge, he didn't know. Though he knew he had changed since his fight with Naruto.

"I won't lie and say I don't feel sympathy for the boy" Takumi said in a sad tone "but from what I can tell, he feels what he did was right; however traumatizing it might've been" he rubbed his left leg "I am here to try to help him find something precious again. And if it looks like I'm only being sympatric, then so be it. I understand the pain of losing family; I'm trying to help him."

"Your words will be taken into consideration" the first council member said as he stood up "this meeting stands adjourn until Lady Chiyo has spoken with the boy and is willing to give her opinion about him."

Gaara couldn't help but to feel like he had basically been told, not only no but hell no. If it weren't for the fact that he was thirteen, they would've agreed with him in a matter of minutes. They still saw him as a weapon of war, but they still put their trust in him to protect the village.

The council members got up from their sets, bowed to the young Kazekage, and left the chamber. Each one was questioning their young kage's reasons for wanting the Jinchuuriki to become a shinobi for Suna. While they held the up most respect for him, he was still young and inexperienced.

"I'm sorry I took so long to get here; Lord Kazekage" Takumi said as he bowed to Gaara "but my leg isn't what it used to be."

"It's quite alright" Gaara said as he picked his gourd back up "I'm sure Naruto will be thankful for your words to the Council. As am I" as he gave his elder a small bow "I just wish I could see the full report about what happened. From what I understand, there were numerous witnesses to the event that caused him to get banished."

"He said there was" as he rubbed his neck "he was in full tears before he could finish telling me about his friend."

"He told you about the event that got him banished?" with slight shock.

"Not directly" with a sad tone "but it was implied."

Gaara didn't want to push the matter any further, seeing his elder was uncomfortable talking about it behind Naruto's back. Neither was Gaara for that fact; it just didn't feel right to him. 'I should track down Lady Chiyo and get her to speak with Naruto as soon as possible' he thought as he bid his elder farewell.

Naruto finally got done with the reserve paperwork. He had no idea there were so many things that needed to be filled out. He was expecting the usual name, rank, affiliation, place of birth, and a few other things. However, he wasn't expecting the bits that required him to list every injury he's had; he couldn't remember each one of them.

While he had the luxury of being able to lie about how many he has gotten and not get caught; he opted to make a note on the bottom of the page saying he most likely received more than those, but couldn't remember them. The last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble for the young kage that was his friend.

Naruto let out a sigh the exact same time as Gaara, who was doing other paperwork at the time. Temari couldn't help but to laugh. 'If Naruto was sitting behind a desk' she thought 'he'd look almost exactly like Gaara-kun.'

"Hn" Naruto and Gaara said together.

At that point Temari couldn't keep herself under control; she fell to the floor laughing. Hardly being able to breathe because of how alike Naruto and her brother were at the moment. Her laughter caused Gaara's secretary to come in and make sure everything was alright.

Gaara merely gave his secretary a hateful look, and the secretary left without a word. He knew why Temari was laughing; he was an insomniac, not mentally retarded. If this was how his sister was reacting; he didn't want to know how Kankuro would react.

"That should be the last of it" Naruto sighed as he handed Gaara the paperwork.

Gaara read over the paperwork, and seemed a little surprised at the list of injuries Naruto is claiming. Not only did his fellow Jinchuuriki not have scars that would suggest any of the alleged wounds, but he didn't even list all of them. He was also surprised to see the note at the end; 'I can't remember what others I have had'.

One injury on the list stuck out though, it was the same one Gaara had received during the Chunin Exams while fighting Sasuke. He knew that he didn't have time to think about it at the moment, but it just wouldn't leave him alone. 'Did he and Uchiha fight on a serious level?'

"Did I leave anything out?" Naruto asked snapping Gaara out of his thoughts.

"Everything looks good" as he placed the paperwork in a vanilla folder "it will take a few days for your paperwork to be processed by the Council."

"Alright" looking out the window "I guess that will be enough time" his mind already remembering what happened after his fight. "I'll be back in a few days" Naruto said with a bow as he fought tears "Temari knows where I'll be at incase something comes up."

Gaara nodded as Naruto grabbed the bag he had brought with him and walked out the door. A part of him wanted to order one of the special op shinobi to tail him to make sure he would be okay. But the other part knew this was something Naruto had to do on his own; just as he did after he returned to Suna after the Chunin Exams.

"Onee-san" Gaara said as Naruto closed the door behind him "I wish to ask you a question; as a brother rather than the Kazekage."

Temari stopped laughing when she heard Gaara say this. Gaara rarely asked questions as the Kazekage unless it was important to the village for him to know; as a brother was even rarer.

"What is it, Gaara-kun?"

"Did he tell you?" looking at his sister, who clearly knew what he was talking about.

"About something being sealed within him?" in a low voice "or about why he got banished?"

"I was referring to him being like me" as he stood up and walked to his window "and I am thankful you look at him as a human as you do me. Very few our age in Konoha knew before he came here; however," looking back at his sister "I knew he was like me during the Chunin Exams. I could see the anger behind his goofy smile; he resented the adults of Konoha but didn't hold it against those our age. Now though; I can see the anger and hatred behind his eyes that is directed towards almost everyone in Konoha. Do you know exactly what got him banished?" as he walked over to his sister.

"He…" hesitantly "are you asking as a brother, and his friend, or as Kazekage?" making sure none of this would get put on the record.

"I'm asking as your brother, and his friend" with a surprising gentle tone.

Temari was still hesitant; she didn't want to go behind Naruto's back. Even though Naruto and Gaara were technically friends, it bothered her.

"Could you dismiss your bodyguards?"

"You're all dismissed till further notice" Gaara ordered.

Five shinobi appeared with a swirl of sand, Suna's version of the Shunshin, said 'Hai Lord Kazekage' in unison, bowed and left the room.

"He told me he killed his best friend" she said quietly after waiting to make sure the bodyguards were well out of hearing "I just can't imagine why'd they threw him out so quickly."

"What makes you think there was anything quickly about when they banished him?" as he made two chairs for them to sit in.

"The other night he woke up screaming" she informed him "as if the memory was not only fresh but taunting him. He spoke of his fight like he was reliving it."

Gaara gently made his sister sit down in the chair; knowing that the next bit would be hard for her to hear. If she handled the news well, the worse she would do is pound the next Leaf Shinobi she sees; at worse she'd go to the source and 'explain', for lack of nicer words, her opinions about what they did.

"I want you to try to remain calm when I tell you this" Gaara said as he sat in the second chair "promise me you won't do anything that could damage our already fragile relationship with Konoha." Temari only nodded. "Verbally."

"I promise I won't do anything" with uneasiness noticeable in her voice.

"The event that got Naruto banished" he said as he could see Temari begin to get uneasy "happened a little over six weeks ago."

That one sentence hit Temari like a three straight day training session. She felt weak, and shocked; then a question came to her.

"If that happened six weeks ago" she snapped as she stood up faster than anyone could ever hope to manage "then where the hell was he before he left Konoha? What happened to him?"

Gaara used his sand to push Temari back into the sand chair. He was tempted to restrain her for the next bit of information. He knew what to expect from her after he told her; after all, she had gotten into fights when she heard someone call Gaara a demon. He also knew that she'd most likely go head hunting once she found out.

"From what Lady Hokage had told me" Gaara said as he looked at his sister in his usual way "he spent the first week running from angry, and almost all, villagers. He was found in secret caverns in the Hokage Monument passed out from chakra depletion. After which" he hesitated out of fear of what his sister would do "he was chained to a cell wall in ANBU solitary confinement."

The anger coming from Temari could be felt in the air; it almost made Gaara shiver in fear. It was about as bad as how he was before Naruto beat him. The sense of a lust for blood was noticeable; he had never seen his sister this angry.

"HOW COULD THEY DO THAT?" she shouted in anger as she stood up "HE'S NOT A DEMON, HE IS A HUMAN BEING. WHY WOULD THEY CHAIN HIM TO A WALL LIKE SOME ANIMAL?"

Gaara quickly wrapped sand around his sister to keep her under control. Even though he had dealt with Temari being angry before; this time surely beat every other time before. This time, Gaara was thankful that he had the level of control over the sand he did; otherwise the Shukaku would be busy protecting him.

"Is everything alright Lord Kazekage?" the secretary asked as he opened the door.

"Everything is fine" Gaara said as he wrapped his sister's mouth to keep her quiet "I had just informed Temari of some difficult news."

Without another word the secretary left.

While Gaara admired how protective Temari could be; right now it was becoming a headache. She hated when the villagers called him a monster, even more when they called him demon or Shukaku. They might not have been very close, but she still loved him.

"Onee-san" Gaara said "you need to calm down if you want me to release you. Otherwise I can keep you here all night" as he looked back at his sister, who was still having a tantrum.

Temari took a few deep breaths and managed to regain enough control of her anger to nod to her little brother. Although she knew he wouldn't dismiss her until he was one hundred percent sure that she was calm enough to leave.

Naruto finally got to Temari's private training area, but he was already in tears from the memories of what happened almost immediately following Sasuke's death by his hand. He threw his bag down in a small cavern that looked large enough to put a decent sized tent in it. Now he could finally get everything as out of his system as possible without an actual confrontation.