Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Gaara lay there in the darkness, unfeeling and cold. His body was stiff and cracking like a porcelain statue. His beautiful sea green hues that were accentuated in black were hazy and seemed as though someone took an eraser to it, merely distorting the color with grey. The poor Subaku had never known true comfort and no matter how much he begged for freedom from this life into the next, he never really wanted it.

He never really wanted to die.

The blonde was lying on his back with his face contorted in sadness and thought. He wasn't scolding Kyuubi because he was under so much strain already just bearing with what he did. Sure, Gaara had something coming to him all this time he knew him, but was this really the answer?

Feet plotted across the grass and past Naruto over to the red head. Temari and Kankuro gasped looking over Gaara and then to Naruto who remained unmoving. The blonde clutched Gaara's head, but became gentle as she pressed the side of his head against her bosom. Kankuro looked down at Gaara's chest, not seeing it move and he bit down on his bottom lip. Temari tried hard to surpress the emotion that was swelling within her, as did Kankuro. Soon the others joined and moved over to Naruto. Naturally Lee and Shikamaru were the first to be shocked; everyone else stared at Naruto, who looked through them toward the stars. Lee and Kiba helped him up, but the fox wanted to look at Gaara one more time.

And for the last time…

That night, he left the Subaku siblings to mourn for the deceased younger one. Almost two days later, he was asked to attend Gaara's wake. He, being the only one from Konoha, accepted because he was the only one from Konoha that killed him.

He felt that it was his fault, but as Lee tried to explain, he did the honorable thing and set Gaara free from a lifetime of pain and misery. That afternoon he left for Sunagakure and made it just before it turned dark. Early the next morning there was a ceremony for Gaara. The remaining two had very little changes to their outfit to be made, but Naruto had to downgrade from vibrant to solemn and stay that way for almost six hours. It wouldn't have bothered him if it weren't for such a serious cause. The eulogy was said and no one moved.

A hand reached out onto his shoulder; he turned and saw that a few familiar faces had followed him along: Lee, Kiba, and Shikamaru. They couldn't find any words to explain why they were there, but they were. Temari and Kankuro joined them in order to find out what happened to Gaara. Naruto was ashamed, but he finally explained what happened. The blondes looked at each other and the male blond looked down at his feet. He stood up suddenly and the others watched him.

He moved quickly to the podium.

"Everyone…" He began looking, hands clenching the sides. People stopped and gave their attention to the youth. "There is something…I have to say…about Gaara." He kept pausing but he raised his head just a little before looking back down. He relaxed and stood up straight, placing one hand on the podium's face.

"He wasn't the nicest guy I knew and he wasn't the most normal either. The guy was a creep as far as I was considered," He looked to some of the shocked faces of his friends, "but… He wasn't really a bad guy." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "How would you feel if you were never able to feel on your own? If you always had someone or something breathing down your neck? This thing was worst than some overbearing teacher or some strict parent… This guy never was the person he thought he was. His whole life was a life. Sure, I didn't live with the guy and I don't know what he did, but I was there long enough to see that he never trusted a single person with anything. Do you know what? He trusted me." He looked around, pausing.

"That's right. This guy here trusted me to help him have the time of his life. I failed miserably; instead I took away the one thing he was trying to enjoy. The one thing that he was trying to understand." He shook his head. "I can't even begin to explain to you what I went through after that but…it's not as bad as him as what he went through all of his life." He sighed and shook his head. "He'll never have to worry about his suffering ever again; I don't know where this place of 'endless peace' that I keep hearing so much about is, but…he won't have to come here anymore."

He stepped down and joined the others. Temari reached forward and hugged him in a tight embrace, almost threatening like she wouldn't let go. Naruto's eyes were slightly shadowed and then he closed them, placing a hand on her back.

The only comfort he knew was that Gaara was finally free…