A/N:Oh my gosh! I'll shoot myself! Believe it or not, this is my 7th try writing a chapter. I have lost all inspiration. A lot has happened since the last chapter. I'm officially an adult in the US! I turned 21 in nov. In Quebec, at 18 you're legally an adult. Then I had the WONDERFUL opportunity to go to Japan for five weeks. :D I went to the land of history, anime, culture, Bishamonten shrine (any Noragami fan here?), TAKOYAKI, and land of DELICIOUS FOOD!
You HAVE TO visit Japan at least ONCE in your lifetime! :)
If only I could share pictures with you. Sadness. :(
I'm editing some stories as the amount of mistakes found in my chapters only give me the desire to die and delete my account. I kinda wanna delete it though... Hehehe. Still wondering if I should do it or not. I have lots of good memories here... Anyway~
Then I had a car accident. LOL! Scariest moment ever! XD My poor car cried at the pain! (I'm a Transformers fan and I believe my car is an Autobot! Ahaha)
Then I watched Hetalia and Kuroko no Basuke like five times! (I'm a hardcore fan of KnB) and started watching Code Geass and Full Metal A. and you do know how much time that steals ya, doncha'? No more time to write a chapter when you are absorbed with animes. Btw, what do you think of Owari no Seraph S.2 last ep? So many questions unanswered!
X-mas happened and I was supposed to update on X-mas but I haven't been doing well of health so yaaaah! Here is my attempt #10!
Brain: Alright, Skystar... SHUT UP and let the readers read!
Naruto is 7 y-o!
Enjoy~ :D :D :D :D
(I ENVY YOU NATIVE ENGLISH WRITERS! WHY YOU SO GOOD AT WRITING AND NOT ME?) Shut up to myself!
A nice and warm weekend awaited Naruto. The week had been long and full of tests in class. From essays to jutsu performances, everything was set up to evaluate the students for the next term. As for now, the only thing that mattered was the two most beautiful days of the week; Saturday and Sunday. Naruto knew his weekend wouldn't be any different from his past weekends, but it didn't matter. Weekends were freedom!
With a terrible bedhead and sleepy eyes, Naruto left his bedroom and walked to the washroom. Cleaning himself before starting the day was always a priority in his life. His mother always nagged him about the importance of a good hygiene.
'Girls don't like messy and dirty boys.'
Kushina's words resonated in his head as he splashed his face with cold water. "All the girls will fall for me! Believe it!" He tried his best to comb his hair, but his seven-year-old skills weren't perfect yet. "Argh! Behave hair! Don't make me use scissors to trim you!"
"Need help with your hair?" Standing calmly under the door's frame was Minato with his own bedhead. He knew how much of a hassle spiky hair could be. Without saying a word, Naruto nodded his head and gave the hairbrush to his father.
"Good morning, dad."
"Good morning, Naruto." Replied Minato, walking behind Naruto to have a better view of his child's hair. "How was your night?" He asked as he combed the child's hair gently.
"Mm. Normal?"
"No nightmares?" Asked Minato. In the past weeks, for an unknown reason, Naruto's nights were troubled by nightmares. It was hard to analyse the nightmares as Naruto didn't remember them all. The only thing Minato and Kushina could do for their child was to comfort him when in distress after a terrible nightmare.
"Hm nope. I dreamed of Kakashi's dogs!" With his hair done, the boy jumped down the stool he used to see his reflection on the mirror and stood next to his father, observing his movements.
"Kakashi's dogs huh? You do like them, don't you?" It was a relief for Minato to know his child had a perfect night of sleep.
"Yeah! They are no ordinary dogs! I wish I had one." Keeping his eyes on his father's hair, Naruto tugged on Minato's pyjamas to get his attention. "I want a dog."
With the two of them clean and ready, Minato looked at his son and smiled. "They're very hard to train and it takes a lot of patience. Spending a day with one of Kakashi's dogs would be a good idea!"
"Really?! That would be awesome!"
The duo headed the kitchen and set the table for breakfast. "Daddy, why aren't you in your office? Did you lose your job? Who's the new hokage?" Placing three spoons on the table, Naruto questioned his father.
Naruto's questions were funny enough to make Minato chuckle. "No, I'm still the hokage, but you see, today I have a very very important meeting outside the village so I left lady Tsunade on duty during my absence."
"Where are you going?" Whenever his father would leave, it was necessary for Naruto to know his destination in case of emergency.
Taking two eggs out of the box and cracking them, Minato faced his child and answered softly, "Sand village."
"Why?"
"I have a kage summit." The sound of the eggs being in contact with the hot oil brought life to the kitchen.
"What's a kage summit?"
"It's a very serious meeting where the five kage from the five great nations reunite to talk about important matters."
"Ah... Sounds boring."
"Ah ha ha! It can be boring..." Stirring the eggs the way Naruto liked them, he looked over his shoulder to check the time. "Still on time."
"Mmmmm~ Smells good in here!" Hearing the most beautiful voice of the house, Naruto jumped down his chair and ran to his mother, greeting her with a tight hug.
"Good morning to my two boys!" She kissed her son's forehead and hugged him back. "I see daddy is making breakfast this morning. How lucky I am!"
"Good morning to you, hun!" If kisses could fly, the kiss Minato threw at her would've landed on her lips. "Go take a seat, breakfast is ready."
Doing as she was told, Kushina sat down in front of Naruto and waited patiently for her plate. "I'm such a spoiled wife!" She said between giggles.
"Enjoy while you can! I'm about to leave. Let's eat together first." After serving everyone's plate, the family ate with hunger and few words were exchanged. Breakfast was too good to speak!
"Mom, did you know dad won't spend the day with us?" Asked Naruto breaking the silence, tossing his fruits around.
"Yes I know, hun. In fact, he needs to hurry."
"Say... Can I go with him?"
The sudden question startled the two adults. Never before has Naruto asked to join his father's meetings or missions, he knew a hokage's missions weren't safe for him, but a meeting wouldn't be of any danger... right?
"Err..." Kushina threw a look at Minato, waiting for him to say something. She didn't know what to say. Only Minato knew the seriousness of the summit. Would Naruto be welcomed among the other kages?
"You wish to come?" Asked Minato, after a long and awkward silence.
"Yeah... You don't spend much time at home with me... and I wanna do fun stuff with you."
He was right. For Minato, as the hokage of the village, the job was time-consuming and short was the time he had to spend with his son. He was always needed or busy! So Naruto had the right to complain about it.
"You're right... but are you sure you wanna come? It's a meeting. We won't be playing tourists. It's not a trip to look around." He really wanted to let his son know that they wouldn't be wandering around the villages. It was a roundtrip walk.
"It's ok! I wanna go with you. I want to be with you, that's all."
"Then... get changed and prepare your backpack. I give you 10 minutes, no more." Once his words were said, Naruto grinned and left the table. He was too excited to thank his parents for the food or pick his plates.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him with you?" Subtly, Kushina looked around, making sure her son wouldn't hear their conversation.
"I think I own it to him. Don't worry, I'll protect him with my life. Besides, I have anbu and some jonin with me. If they see my son tagging along, they'll double the security. It'll be fine. It will be a short father-and-son trip."
"... Make sure to remind him his manners if he meets the four kages. You know his excitement turns him into a wild little monkey." With this, Kushina picked the dishes and started washing them.
After the 10-mins waiting for Minato, Naruto came back in the kitchen with his backpack on him and his goggles set on top of his head. "I'm ready! We can leave!" The big grin on the child's face was worth a picture, but they didn't have time for it. Minato had to meet the rest of the group at the entrance gate.
"Very well. Shall we go then? Go say bye to your mother."
After doing so, Naruto ran to the main door and put on his shoes. "I'm ready! Dad, hurry up!"
Kushina gave them both a bento and snacks for the trip. The snacks were for Naruto, of course. Minato was a full-grown man, he didn't need snacks. A bento was enough. She kissed them both on their cheeks and wished them a good trip.
From the door, she saw them making their way through the morning crowds. "Be safe! Don't forget to bring me something back!" She waved them goodbye and threw them kisses.
Once the duo reached the gate, two anbu and two jonin appeared out of nowhere and greeted the kage. Surprised by their sudden presence, Naruto hid himself behind his father and observed them all from head to toe. "Why are they here?" Asked Naruto annoyed by their presence. "I thought it was going to be only you and me!"
Minato kneeled at the child's level and patted his head. "We need guards for the trip because other nations or villages may attack us and we don't want that to happen, right?" To Minato, the situation was way more dangerous than what he explained to his son, but he didn't need to know the details of such situation. As long as he knew that protection was necessary, then it was all fine.
"Are they going to follow us everywhere?"
"Yes, everywhere."
"And if I need to... pee? Will they follow me?"
"I'll follow you and so will they." That sounded like an old bunch of creeps following a sweet and innocent prey! Ew.
"Ah." Was Naruto dry reply. He wasn't pleased much by the anbu and jonin presence, but if it was part of the rules, he had no other choice but to accept them.
"Hokage-sama, we should get going." Announced a cat-masked anbu with a serious voice.
"Yes." Minato held his son's hand till they reached the forest and once he confirmed the forest's safety, he let go of it.
"Say dad, where are we going?"
"The Sand village. It'll be your first time going there."
"How is it like? Are there kids? Parks? Ramen?" Excited by the new village, Naruto knew he had to know everything about it to then brag it to his friends on Monday at the Academy.
"The houses and building are like giant-sized sand-castles. The village is all about sand. Very little trees or water sources. As for the kids, they're like you."
"Like me? The same hair and same height?"
"Ah ha ha ha. No. You're one of the few kids with blonde hair... or yellowish hair." he muttered his last words to him, his child was blonde, but a blond that was more like yellow.
"Will I make friends?"
"That's up to you. In any case, I won't let you wander in the village without surveillance. I'll either be there or one of the jonin will. Making friends is good, but you have to be careful to pick the real friends." Yeah, this conversation was turning into something too serious for a seven year old.
"False friends exist?" The curiosity in Naruto's voice was too strong. How to avoid the subject? And... why avoid it? Sooner or later, Naruto would need to know about real friends and those who pretend to be friends. Besides, Naruto was at a age where friends are important. But then again, none of Naruto's friends were trouble to him.
"They do exist. Those are people who will call you friend, but won't like one bit of yourself. They'll pretend to be nice to you, but once you turn you back, they'll attack you."
"... I don't have any friends like that. Right papa?"
"Err... No you don't, son. Your friends are all genuine persons."
"Pheww! A relief!" Deep inside him, Naruto knew that none of friends would hurt him. If he loved his friends, then his friends should too.
As the time passed, the small Hokage's group arrived at the sandy forest that separated Konohagakure and Sunagakure. They could see and smell the difference between the two nations.
"Alright Naruto, from here onwards, we'll be in the sunagakure's territory. It's a desert and there's little water to find on these lands. It can be a rough journey till we arrive at the village, but we'll do our best to get there safe. For that, I need you to stay close to me. If you don't feel well, please tell me." Minato removed his hokage hat and placed it on top of his son's head. "This will protect you from the sun."
With the hokage's hat on his head, Naruto felt powerful. He felt like the leader of the team. It was a nice feeling. "Whoa! Anbu, Jonin, follow my orders!" He giggled at the funny look the jonin gave him. He couldn't tell if the anbu were smiling or not, that frigging mask hid all their expressions.
"Let's get going or we'll catch night in the desert." Announced one of the jonin with concern. The desert at night was a living hell for adults with experience. It was at night that nocturnal creatures came out of their hideouts. It was hard enough to go through the desert at night, but now with a child in the group, they would need to be more than careful and protect the child like their lives depended on him. It was simply better to avoid night in the desert.
The group of six walked in the desert. They didn't speak much to conserve their energy. With nothing around them, the desert looked like a maze with no end.
"Daddy, I'm tired..." Said an exhausted Naruto, dragging his feet behind his father. It has been three hours since they stepped in the desert and Naruto was starting to feel the heat in his body.
One of the jonin offered a bottle of water to the child without speaking and waited for the child to grab it, but the latter didn't. He pushed the bottle away.
"I don't wanna drink. I'm tired." Complained Naruto, kicking the sand underneath his feet. "Daddy, carry me!"
Now, for a seven year old Naruto to ask to his father to carry him, that meant that he wasn't feeling well. Naruto was too prideful to let his father carry him at his age, but for the moment, who cared about his age. He wanted his father's arms.
Minato paused his walking and took the child in his arms. "Ugh! You're heavier than I thought." Naruto giggled and rested his head against his father's shoulder. "I'm tired.." Whispered the boy, closing his eyes.
Minato observed him for an instant and noticed his son's dry lips. "Drink some water, Naruto." Ordered Minato. He should have had Naruto drinking water before this happened. His son wasn't tired, he was dehydrated.
"I don't want to. I wanna sleep."
"Hokage-sama, please hand me your son. I'll carry him and hydrate him." One of the anbu opened his arms towards the Hokage and nodded his head. "We can't have you tired for the meeting, sir. Hand me your son."
"No! I don't wanna go with you! I don't like faceless people like you! You're scary! Even my mommy is not as scary as you when she's angry!"
The group froze at the shouted words and an awkward atmosphere was created between the anbu and the child. The hokage didn't know how to react to the fit he son just threw. One thing he knew was that he had to reprimand his son for disrespecting his mother. Though, it was all true. For a child, to see a person that doesn't show any expressions can be scary. It could be compared to a ghost.
"You can leave him to me. I'm his father after all." The hokage smiled at the anbu and held the boy tight in his arms. "Now you drink and rest."
Feeling like arguing would only tire him more, Naruto drank all he could and rested his head on his father. "Can you please wake me up when we arrive at the village?" Murmured the sleepy boy.
"I will. Now rest."
Hours flew and the group finally reached their destination. It was a relief as it was apparent that the hokage was tired. Walking through the desert under a burning sun while carrying a child was exhausting for his body. The guards of the village's entrance verified for the hokage's authenticity and let them all enter. A jonin of the sand greeted them and took them to their quarters. Seeing the child in the Hokage's arms, the jonin offered a bigger room to accommodate father and son. After instructing them about the village's rules and the meeting, the jonin left the place, leaving the group at the beds' mercy.
"Hokage-sama, you should rest while your son is asleep. We'll take care of the rest." The two anbu disappeared after looking around the building to make sure it was safe for the hokage and his son. "We'll inform you if-"
"No. I appreciate your help and concern, but I have to meet the kazekage before starting any activity. If you could please keep an eye on my son, I would appreciate it."
"Of course. He'll be under our care." The anbu didn't like much the idea of looking after the hokage's offspring as things didn't seem to work between them.
"If he wakes up, tell him I left for a short meeting and will be back for dinner." Without adding any words, the Hokage left the room and made his way to the Kazekage's building accompanied by a jonin.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom where Naruto was left, the anbu rested his body against the wall and sighed. He better not wake up and throw a fit because I'm here, thought the anbu with a desperate look under his mask. His fellow anbu was surveilling the building while he had to keep an eye on the kid.
As if the boy had heard his thoughts, he opened his eyes and with a sleepy voice called for his father.
Ah, great. This is what I needed. Mumbled the anbu. He didn't know what to expect from the boy. "Naruto-kun, the Hokage left for a-"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" The boy got down the bed and with an accusing finger pointed at the ANBU in front of him. "Where's my dad?"
"He left for a mee-"
"Where is he?! Where am I?! What's this place!? TELL ME!"
Oh, patience is what the poor Anbu needed right now. He had been trying to tell the boy about his father, but he was always interrupted. How could he deal with him without upsetting him much?
"Listen up, Naruto-kun, the hokage left for a meeting. He said he will be back for dinner. This is the sand village. You are in the bedroom they assigned to Minato-sama and yourself. Any other question?" At least, the boy seemed to understand everything that was said. He couldn't complain about his lack of information. He knew all he had to know.
"... Can we go visit the village?" With a pouty visage, Naruto asked to his guardian, avoiding eye contact. Staying in a room was boring and long. There weren't any toys or things to do besides sleeping or sleeping.
"I didn't get any permission from the Hokage. I can't do things I'm not allowed." Faithful to his obedience towards the Hokage, the Anbu apologised for turning the boy down.
"Walking is not dangerous. If you're with me, everything will be fine, right? You're an Anbu! An elite among others. Don't tell me you can't protect me? Ah ha ha." The boy chuckled as he made fun of the Anbu. He knew Anbu were hard to break. More like impossible to break, but making fun of them was funnier than making fun of a jonin.
"If we talk about protection, I think you're underestimating me."
"Blah! I'll go to the washroom." The adult nodded his head and let the boy go for his needs. What he didn't know was that Naruto wasn't going to the washroom or anywhere else in the building. He was going to visit the village by his own. He didn't need any guardian!
The moment he stepped outside, he felt the dry air hitting his face. Everything around him was brown! Or more like sand-made. Only the few curtains that decorated the windows of some houses were visible. The rest was all about sand.
"Well, that's colourful." Said sarcastically Naruto. It was nothing like his village. It was gloomy. Not his kind of place. Now, if only he could find some kids, that would give him a reason to like the village. As he wandered, looking for something interesting, he found himself standing in front of a big building. It looked like a hospital or school. It was big. He had to go in there! He had to, but it was obvious that it wouldn't be easy with the two guards securing the entrance.
"Ugh, hassle, but not for too long." With his great imagination and smart skills, he performed one of his favourite jutse. The transformation jutsu. He knew all men fell for the lady he transformed into. Slim girl, with long blond hair and shiny blue eyes. Who wouldn't like a gorgeous seminude girl in front of them?
"Hello there, you big boys." With a very innocent voice, the blonde girl waved at the guards and blew them a kiss. "I'm lost... Could you help me?"
The guards stuttered between them. They couldn't believe how lucky they were with the candy in front of their eyes. "Ho-how ca-can we he-help you?" Stuttered one of the guards.
"I need clothes... As you can see, I'm almost naked. You don't want a poor naked girl to catch a cold, do you?" With a saddened expression on her face, the female version of Naruto walked towards the guards and leant against the biggest one. "Take me inside... I'm cold."
The guards gulped and nodded their head while observing every detail of the young girl. "Ple-please, come in." After complying with the girl's demand, the guards took her to a dressing room. It was a all girls-clothes room.
One of the guards stood by the door and grumbled. "We should notify the young lady Temari about our presence in her dressing room."
"Yes, we shall go. Sweety, stay here and don't move. We'll be back soon." The guards left and shut the door behind them, leaving Naruto inside.
"Jeez! Men can be such perverts!" After going back to himself, Naruto opened the door of the room and walked around the corridors. He had to be careful. If anyone was to see him, he would be in great troubles. As he walked deeper in the building, he found himself lost and a big fear crawled inside of his peaceful mind. He looked around him nervously, trying to find his way out. Exploring a building wasn't as safe as he thought. He had to find his father or anyone known to him and quick. "Daddy?" He called out for his father and heard steps coming from the next aisle. The best thing to do was to hide himself somewhere. He opened the door closest to him and ran in, shutting it and staring at the door anxiously. Once he heard the steps fading away, he let out a sigh of relief and laughed. "That was close!"
"Who are you?" Asked a very calm but serious voice.
At the sound of an unknown voice, Naruto jumped up slightly and slowly turned around to face that unknown person.
Before him, was a boy around his age sitting near the room's window with big sea green eyes and short, red hair. Surprisingly, the boy's hair was SPIKY, just like his! Was he his lost twin but with red hair?
"Who are you?" Asked the boy again, observing the young intruder.
Walking towards the red-haired boy, Naruto answered enthusiastically. "Ah! I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto! Nice to meet you. And you are?"
"What are you doing here?" Without replying Naruto's question, the boy glared at him and crossed his arms. "Who gave you permission to come to my quarters?"
"Err... You see, I am lost and I'm looking for my father. I heard footsteps and it scared me so I came here to hide myself." Trying his best to explain, Naruto sat on the floor and smiled at the boy in front of him. "So may I know your name?" Asked Naruto again, curious by the strange boy.
"Gaara."
"Gaara? Hm! Finally, I find someone my age!" Getting up on his feet, Naruto thumbed up at his new acquaintance and waited for a reply.
"Leave." Was Gaara's dry reply. The little red-head pushed his unwanted guest out of the room and shut the door behind him leaving a puzzled Naruto at the corridors' mercy.
Seeing that he wasn't welcomed, Naruto knocked at the door again, pleading Gaara to let him in. "I'm sorry ok! I just want to make friends here! I don't wanna annoy you or do anything bad to you. In fact, I wanna make friends and find my dad..." Naruto chuckled sheepishly at his last words. He didn't want to sound like a baby looking for daddy, but that's pretty much how he was feeling at the moment. "Please... Let me in." Was Naruto last attempt.
Releasing a deep sigh, Gaara considered the boy's pleas and grabbed the door's knob. "I will let you come in, but don't talk to me." The boy in the bedroom opened the door to Naruto and stared at him. "Is that understood?" That boy was too annoying.
With a small smile, Naruto nodded his head and walked in. "Thanks! So hm... Do you know where my dad might be?"
Gaara shrugged his shoulders and sat on his bed, keeping his eyes on his guest. "Like I knew your dad." Replied Gaara swinging his feet.
"He looks like me."
"Ah... Never seen anyone like you here."
Naruto grunted at Gaara's unfriendly attitude and furrowed his brows. Walking closer to him, Naruto frowned upon him and flicked the red-head's forehead. "Stop being so serious! You will grow bitter and no one will like you!"
Shocked by Naruto's flick, Gaara jumped on him and pinned him down on the floor, breathing heavily. "Don't you dare touch me again!" The menacing and cold eyes didn't fit with his child body. How come the sand didn't protect him from the flick?!
"Woah woah! I'm sorry! You don't have to be rough! I was just telling you to be nicer, that's all." Struggling under Gaara's grip, Naruto observed the boy on top of him and chuckled. "I like your hair." He said nonchalantly with a smile.
Surprised by the words of his guest, Gaara released him reluctantly and walked to his wardrobe, opened the doors and took a large brown scarf out of it. A change of personality happened in less than a minute with Gaara after Naruto's compliment. "Wear this if we are going to look for your dad." Without looking at Naruto, Gaara handed him the scarf and waited for the blond-haired boy to ready himself. "The guards will think of you as one of-"
"-your friends?" Asked Naruto with a grin glued on his face. He had too much of a bubbly personality for Gaara not to be shocked by any words said or actions made by Naruto.
"..." Without correcting him, Gaara took him by his hand and brought him out of his room. "Don't speak at all. I will speak for you." instructed the young boy with a serious look.
With a firm nod, Naruto followed his new friend while looking around. Everything looked more welcoming now that he had someone to show him around. When they reached the entrance of the building, the two guards who were caught in Naruto's jutsu stopped the young Gaara. Nervous that the guards might recognise him, Naruto held Gaara's hand tighter and lowered his head. Sensing Naruto's distress, Gaara sighed and shook his head. The things he had to do to help his guest.
Seeing a boy accompanying the Kazekage's offspring, one of the guards got down on one knee to be at the boys' level. "Gaara-sama, if I may ask, who is that person with you?"
Annoyed by the guards' question, Gaara huffed and rolled his eyes. "He is... err... my friend." Blushing at his own words, Gaara walked past the guards without looking at their proud and disgustingly aww-ed face.
"Well done Gaara-sama!" Shouted the guards enthusiastically from afar.
Not paying attention to the guards' words, the redhead sighed again before speaking. "Stop being so nervous. The worst is done." Said Gaara trying to calm Naruto as the tight grip on his hand was starting to hurt.
"So... I'm your friend?" Asked Naruto happily while relaxing from the previous stress.
"...You wanted to get past them or not?" With reddened cheeks, Gaara let go of Naruto's hand and walked forward, avoiding his guest's eyes.
"To me, you are my friend." Added Naruto following Gaara close behind.
"... We have to find your father." Replied Gaara, doing his best to avoid the corny topic of friendship. But in all honesty, that boy was really starting to meddle with Gaara's negative thoughts. It was so unusual of a kid to befriend him. All the kids of his village were afraid of him and disliked him. He didn't have any friends so hearing Naruto's words was setting new feelings into his thoughts and heart. What he had always wanted was happening right in front of his eyes. Someone was finally acknowledging him. Someone was finally calling him friend. That was making his heart beat faster and a weird but sincere smile form onto his face. It was such an unusual feeling but he was enjoying it.
"Naruto-kun..." With a low but gentle voice, Gaara looked back at his guest and rolled his eyes. "Walk next to me." Demanded Gaara softly.
"Sure! So are there any place to play or anything fun to do here?" Was Naruto's question.
"Sand castles?"
"Ah ha ha ha that's for little kids!" Replied Naruto while laughing.
"Then what are you? An adult?" Asked Gaara drily.
"Now, that was... smart. I'm a middle kid." With a proud look on his face, Naruto observed around him and noticed that Gaara was suddenly too quiet.
"Let's go elsewhere." Ordered Gaara pulling Naruto closer. His look on his face changed from relaxed to angry. Something was bothering him and it was obvious for Naruto to see.
"Hey you monster! So you got a friend eh!" A young but deep voice was heard behind them. When Naruto looked behind him, he saw a bunch of teenagers walking behind them. It was almost creepy. He felt like the teenagers were attacking him with those words, but how could they know he was a jinchūriki?
"Shut up you losers!" Shouted Naruto back at the creepy followers.
"Naruto!.. Let them be. Let's go elsewhere."
"No way! They were calling me a monster! I won't let anyone call me anything cruel!"
Confused by the situation, Gaara looked deeply into his guest's eyes. "What are you talking about?" He asked, forgetting the bunch of teens walking closer to them.
"... It's... it's a-" Avoiding the redhead's eyes with a nervous smile, Naruto thought of any way to change of topic, but with an insistent Gaara, it was very hard.
"So here are our little lambs. Look at them. So small and fragile." Commented a big teen with a runny nose.
"Can't you wait?! How rude! I'm talking to my friend! Give me a minute, please." Without paying attention to the teens, Naruto went back at Gaara and flicked his forehead. "It's a secret~"
"Oi, brat! Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that? I'm much older than you! So you gotta respect me!"
"I won't respect someone who doesn't respect me first!" Was Naruto quick reply.
"Smart reply..." Commented Gaara with an evil smirk.
The two young boys chuckled at the situation without realising that the group of teen was about to explode of anger.
"YOU BRATS!" The tallest teen of the group took both of the boys by their collar and lifted them up. "You are at my mercy! Especially you, sun-head!" With a mocking smile, the teenage boy spitted on Naruto's shoes and laughed.
"Let go of my friend." Said Gaara in a scary tone, glaring intensively at the teenager.
"You gonna attack me with your demon if I don't?! Ah ha ha please, we all know you are close to extinction if you keep using it!"
"Eh? What is he talking about?" Asked Naruto lost in the conversation. What did he mean by 'demon'? Was Gaara like him? A demon... Attack... Extinction... Those words were known to Naruto, but why would they use them on Gaara?
"Are you a... jinchūriki?" Asked Naruto, turning his head to Gaara.
"Let him GO!" With anger in his voice, Gaara lifted one hand and a wave of sand appeared out of nowhere, forming a hand big enough to crush the teen in it. "If you don't want to get hurt, put us down and leave."
The boy put Naruto down first, but kept Gaara up, confronting him.
Witnessing the serious problem is friend was in, Naruto ran away without saying anything.
"See? You scared your friend. He left you behind. Ah ha ha... Poor little thing." Mocking him, the group gained their confidence again and attacked Gaara the best they could, but the waves of sand were enough to protect Gaara from any attack.
"STOP IT YOU LOSERS!" Naruto's voice echoed in the street, giving Gaara hope and a slight ray of happiness through the waves of negative emotions he was living.
A rock hit one of teens' forehead and made it bleed. Suddenly, another rock flew past Gaara to hit the other teenagers. An attack of rocks began on the group, followed by sand attacks. Gaara and Naruto were working together to drive the group away, but the boys being teenagers had more strength in their throws, hurting Naruto multiples times. When Gaara took notice of Naruto's bleeding forehead and bruises, his sand grew bigger and the attacks were strong enough to throw the teenagers against a house's wall.
"It's over." Said Gaara breathing in and out, trying to control himself for the sake of Naruto. If it wasn't for Naruto, he would have crushed the group mercilessly. "Come, I will take you to my uncle. You are a mess." For his last words, Gaara smiled at Naruto, showing deep gratitude for not giving up on him.
The dry blood on Naruto's shirt and the bandaged forehead and arms were going to drive his father nuts. He knew his father would question him till he was satisfied. It was going to be a pain~
"Thank you, Gaara's uncle." With a sweet smile, Naruto checked his cool bandages and showed them proudly to Gaara. "I am a zoooooombie! Raaaaaaaaaor!" Mimicking a dead being, Naruto walked towards Gaara and tacked him against a wall. "You're my foooood."
With a confused but funny look, Gaara chuckled and pushed the blonde away. "Give me your shirt." Ordered Gaara, keeping his hand open.
"Ee? But I'll be cold! Why do you want my shirt?"
With a sigh, Gaara threw him a brown tunic and crossed his arms. "I don't like dirty people..." said Gaara, looking straight at Naruto.
"Ah...! Heh heh... I thought you- ah nevermind. Thanks!" Changing himself into clean clothes, Naruto followed the red-haired boy to his room.
Once inside Gaara's bedroom, Naruto released a deep sigh and sat on the floor. "That was awesome."
"... If you say so."
"NARUTO-KUN!"
From the window, Gaara could see that the Kazekage and a tall man with blond hair were looking all around them. It seemed like the blonde-haired man was looking for Na-
"Naruto-kun! I think your father is looking for you!" Running to the door, motioning his friend to follow him, Gaara hopped with excitement for Naruto. They had finally found his father!
The duo of kids ran past the guards, Naruto laughing heartily and Gaara smiling. He wasn't much of a laughing guy, but he kind of knew how to show his happiness.
Seeing his father with the rest of the team; jonin and ANBU, turned Naruto into a mess of emotions. He was happy to see his father again, excited to tell him all about his new friend, scared of what his father was going to say, embarrassed of his babyish reaction and curious of the man standing next to his father.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDY!"
At the sound of his child's call, the father faced his child in a swing and ran towards him. "Naruto!" He cried as he lifted the child up and hugged him tight. "Oh I'm glad you're safe! I thought the worst had happened to you!" Keeping his son in his tight embrace, the hokage noticed the red-haired boy standing still close to them. Realising the boy was about the same age as Naruto, he assumed that he was his son's new friend.
Setting his son down, the Hokage kneeled at Gaara's level and smiled. "I assume you are Naruto's friend, uh?" Naruto stood next to Gaara and placed an arm around his neck, bringing the redhead closer to him.
"His name is Gaara!" Introduced Naruto with a thumb up.
"Gaara!" The man who accompanied the Hokage walked furiously towards them. "What is the meaning of this?!" The man took the boy's arm and tightened his grip, causing Gaara to wince.
"Kazekage-sama, please, let me deal with this. I will take the boy to his parents and explain everything to them." Unaware of the fact that Naruto's new friend was the Kazekage's son, Minato tried his best to protect the kid.
"Hmph! I am his father!" With those words, both Minato and Naruto looked at each other with troubled faces.
"Your dad is a kage?" Asked Naruto, hidden behind his father. The kazekage was quite the scary man.
"Yes." Was Gaara's plain reply. "Yours too...?"
"Yeah. He is the Hokage!" Replied Naruto with pride.
Now that was a surprise! Both kids were offspring of kage! The sad part of it is that both were jinchūriki and both shared quite the same life around the villagers, but none of the two boys knew about each other's story.
"Sir kage, Gaara is a good person, he is my friend and he protected me from bullies. He is very nice. So can you please let go of his arm?" Pleading with puppy eyes, Naruto stood firmly before the Kazekage and hoped for his friend to be freed. "A father shouldn't hurt his child. If you hurt your kid, you're failing as a parent. So don't hurt Gaara or I'll tell my dad to take care of you and Gaara will come live with us in my village!"
"Tch! That little boy of yours sure has a big mouth, Hokage." Smirking at the boy's words, Rasa-san let go of his son and kneeled at Naruto's level.
"If I were you, I would be more careful with the way I speak to a kage, but I understand that you were protecting Gaara. So I'll let this one pass."
Grateful that the situation was settled, Minato dragged his son back into the main building while lecturing him for leaving the room, for wandering without an adult, for putting the Kazekage's son in troubles and for being a bit rude with the Kazekage.
"But you still love me, don't you?" Asked the blond-haired boy with guilt in his eyes.
"Of course I do, Naruto!" Reassured Minato with a soft smile. "No matter what you do or say, I'll always love you."
"Even after seeing my bandages?" Naruto knew how to get himself out of trouble with his father. He was quite the cheeky boy.
"Bandages?!"
Your mother is going to kill me. Thought the Hokage after having a clear view of his son's bandages.
~O~
"With this, we come to a conclusion with the meeting. Thank you for coming. You are all dismissed." With the Kazekage's last words, the four kage present in the room, stood up and bowed. The meeting was over. Finally over.
Going back to the room he left his son, Minato crossed path with Gaara and stopped him. "Gaara-kun, thank you for protecting Naruto. He will be very happy to talk about you to his other friends in Konoha. Would you mind coming with me to the room? Naruto would be pretty happy to see before leaving."
The small boy nodded his head without saying a word. He wasn't the talkative type, but behind the cold expression, sadness and joy were hidden and causing a mess in his head. He followed Naruto's father quietly and observed him. Naruto was lucky to have a nice dad. What I wouldn't give to have a dad like him, Was Gaara's thoughts.
"Naruto, look who's here." Behind his father's legs, Gaara came out and looked at Naruto with a sad smile. Naruto greeted him with a huge grin and brought him closer to him. "You are my friend from the Sand village! The only friend ever! Aren't you lucky!"
With an awkward smile, Gaara nodded his head and spoke softly. "Visit me again soon."
"Sure! And come to my village too! We have trees, lots of coloured houses, nice people and I'll show you to my friends."
"We leave in 5 minutes." Informed one of the ANBU.
"I can go with you till you reach the village's borders." Said Gaara trying his best to hide his sadness. He didn't want to part ways with Naruto. For once, he had someone who saw him as a human and not a weapon or monster. For once, he had someone he could call 'friend' without fears of being hurt.
"Dad, Gaara will come with us to leave us at the village's entrance. His dad said it was okay."
Walking their way to the village's entrance, the group of Konoha talked to each other and enjoyed the last moments in the village. While Naruto talked about his village, Gaara kept his eyes locked on him, admiring his friend and wishing from deep inside himself to see him soon. Very soon again. "Naruto-kun.."
"Hm?"
"Ca-can I hold your hand?"
"Sureeeee!" Seeing no embarrassment in that, Naruto offered his hand to Gaara and held it tight. "We are friends so you can ask for anything. I'll always say yes!"
"Then..." Hesitating to ask, Gaara looked away and lowered his head.
"Say it, I won't laugh or think bad of you."
Encouraged by his friend's words, Gaara looked back at Naruto and clicked his tongue. "Can you accept this? It-it's for you." Taking a small pouch out of his pocket, Gaara held it nervously and gave it to Naruto.
"Can I open it?" The shiny eyes of Naruto were absorbing all of Gaara's attention. He had never seen someone so happy before. Slowly nodding his head, Gaara watched his friend's expression as he opened the pouch. Inside of it was a small sand-made boy with a red coloured head and a small inked neutral mouth.
"It's you?!" Asked Naruto amazed by the great talent his friend had. "Yes.. and I have you." Taking from his other pocket another pouch, Gaara showed to Naruto his sand-made version of him and both laughed.
"I did it so you won't forget me and... to commemorate our friendship." Were Gaara's soft words. He was so holding back his tears. He had never cried for anyone, but maybe crying for Naruto would be okay... maybe. He had had lost all faith in humanity. The word 'friend' was nonexistent in his world and anger was his daily emotion, but with Naruto, it was like everything was a big and long nightmare. He was earning respect from someone that wasn't his uncle! No one had ever done that before! NO ONE.
"For-forget you? How can I forget you? You are too awesome to forget! And that red hair of yours is hard to forget as well."
Reaching the village's entrance, the guard who escorted the group wished them a safe trip and waited for Gaara.
"This is it." Said Gaara, looking sadly at Naruto.
"Yeah... Please, visit me some day too! Take careeeee!" As the boy walked farther away, Gaara waved his hand with a bittersweet smile. Why was this so painful? "Naruto-kun!" Calling his name on top of his lungs, Gaara rubbed his chest and let his tears roll down his cheeks. Such a weird and uncomfortable yet good feeling he was living right now. "Don't forget me! Thank you for being my friend!" The wind from the desert made it hard for Naruto to hear or see his friend, but he knew Gaara was trying to say something.
"Dad... Wait! Wait please!" Running back to the village's entrance, Naruto called his friend's name and saw him in a mess of tears.
"Gaara..."
Wiping his tears away, Gaara frowned and looked at Naruto in disbelief. "What are you doing?"
"Eh! When I'm sad and crying, my mom says that I help my heart to grow stronger. It's okay to cry. What it's not okay is to keep it inside. It hurts much more." Walking closer to Gaara, Naruto flicked his friend's forehead and chuckled. "A tight hug is all you need to feel better. That's what my mom says."
"I'm fine." Declining the hug, Gaara offered his hand for a handshake. "Let's do it like big men."
Shaking both hands like business men, the two boys smirked and Gaara flicked Naruto's forehead. "Feel the pain." Was the boy mocking words.
"I have to go! Be happy and eat a lot!" As Naruto ran to catch his group, a cloud of sand lifted him up and dropped him faster to his group.
"Wha-where would that sand come from?" Asked the jonin and the ANBU between them. Minato knew a lot more from Gaara after having a serious talk with the Fourth Kazekage.
"It comes from the best person in the sand village." Looking one last time behind him, Naruto promised himself to visit Gaara in a near future.
Little did he know that Gaara was about to go through hell with the beast inside him.
Hell... I was in tears while writing the last moments of Naruto and Gaara together. Why was the village so cruel to my baby Gaara?! WHY?! I tried my best not to write a book with this chapter. Ah ha ha ha. So I apologise for the long chapter. I had to force myself to stop my flow of inspiration... Sadness. For once I had some inspiration.
So sorry for all the mistakes. :D and sorry for making Gaara soooooooo OOC. :( I did my best though! He is a kid! A kid! If I failed at writing Gaara in this chap, well I failed. I ain't no hardcore fan of Naruto to know my chara~ hehehe. Ugh... I was so hesitant to add this chap because of Gaara's OOC-ness. HATE ME. It's fine. I will accept all negative reviews.
Btw... this is the longest chapter ever written by me since my debut as FF writer. xD
So...Happy New Year and happy Halloween! XD May you have a year full of cookies, happiness, chapters, success, health and love. :)
~Lilskystar
R&R
