Edit 4/17/07: Gomen, Silent-serpent, I uploaded the wrong version, the one without your challenge (sweat drop) sorry…

Ruby: you're enjoying this aren't you?

Hakuo: hell yeah! But….

Ruby: But?

Hakuo: I don't know what to do after the Chibi! Arc….. I think they go back to Konoha….some more Sasuke and Sakura bashing….and someone requested Kakashi bashing as well….

Ruby: We'll do what everybody should do.

Hakuo?

Ruby: Worry about till later and read manga!!

Hakuo: YOSH! I'm into DeathNote right now, and its awesome!

Ruby: you really have nothing to do, do you?

Hakuo: nope.

Naruto: ne, ne. Ruby-kun, what's Mpreg?

Ruby: …..you've been reading around this website haven't you?

Naruto: -nod nod-

Hakuo: I'll tell you when you're older

Naruto: -pout-

DISCLAIMER: NO I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR THE CHARACTERS…BUT I COULD HOPE RIGHT?


Ch 9: unite or divide


"--and that's what happened." Gaara finished. Temari had set Naruto down and let him look at some magazines while she nodded dumbly at the story.

They had moved to Temari's bedroom for some privacy and Naruto was rifling through some magazines about the newest fans.

The blond really like them, they were nice to him.

"Whoa." he said surprised and he repeated that sentence to himself. THEY were NICE to HIM.

He smiled and hugged himself like he always did when he was really happy.

While he was rocking back and forth Temari asked Gaara, "Does he always do that?"

The Kazekage shrugged and Temari continued to note things about the chibi.

The unsuspecting blond shivered and saw Temari staring at him with intense scrutiny.

'Why is she staring at me like that? I kind of like it... but it's kind of creepy... OK, a lot creepy... but I still like it... Weird…' the blonde thought, glad someone was noticing him.

Naruto looked over at them, a thought popping in his head, "will you leave me?"

The Sabaku children looked over at him and Temari slowly thought out every word, "Why would you say that, Naruto-kun?"

"Because the villagers always said everyone would leave me to rot."

The tone that Naruto used was too blissfully naïve to say something like that and it creeped out the woman.

The uneasy silence was broken by someone shouting, "Temari-san, are you there?"

It was Sakura.

"I'll be right down!" Temari shouted after she regained her voice.

Gaara stood to follow her, and motioned towards Naruto. "Come." he said to the boy.

Naruto suddenly feared, "Will they hate me?"

Gaara looked thoughtful as he held Naruto's hand and said, "no…" 'not if I have something no say about it…'

The blond, undeniably faithful to Gaara, nodded and followed him down, choosing to ignore the outstretched hand and climbing up the red head's clothes.

Resting comfortably on his torso he snuggled and smiled, Gaara stiffening. He was still a bit awkward when it came to physically hugging another.

Naruto tightened his hold on Gaara's neck for fear of being left alone.

He had felt that feeling too many times.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:Downstairs-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Sakura and Sasuke had returned from the Kazekage's office after they had met up with their sensei.

Said perverted sensei had been sent after he deemed it worthy to report to the Hokage after a personal mission. He studied the house with a critical eye, and then shrugged, whipped out his porn novel and began to read.

An irate tick appeared on Temari's forehead after seeing that, while his students shamefully hid their heads. Snatching the porn from his hand the wind mistress cleared her throat and then said,

"If you'd excuse me Kakashi-san, but there are children here."

Kakashi eye-smiled and said, snatching his book back and pocketing it for safety measures, "oh? And where might this 'child' be?"

"Right here."

They all turned at the cold icy voice in the stairway. There, snuggling in Gaara's arms was…

"Naruto?!" Sakura screeched.

The blond stopped smiling and looked crestfallen. Tears welled up in his eyes as he desperately tried to wipe them away. Temari shot Sakura a dirty look and said to Gaara, " there's some instant ramen in the cupboards…."

It had the desired affect as Naruto started chanting under his breath, "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!"

All beside Gaara sweat dropped at this sudden change in attitude.

Gaara, in all seriousness turned the right to the kitchen and went to make Naruto some ramen. But not before setting him down in front of team 7, much to Naruto's dismay.

"Panda-man" Naruto whined desperately, their stares making him uncomfortable.

Temari cleared her throat and said, "Naruto, this is Kakashi, Sakura and emo-boy Sasuke."

Naruto looked at them in turn, and decided to be his old self by putting his mask on. (he still had it at that age)

Pointing to each in turn he repeated their names, "Scarecrow, big forehead girl and chicken-butt head!"

Sasuke's eyes twitched dangerously, Kakashi's eye glinted evilly and Sakura turned an alarming red. Temari stifled her laughter and she swore she heard a snicker from the kitchen. The silence loomed heavily over everyone as they (team 7) thought of the best way to punish Naruto.

Sakura started, "WHAT THE HELL, BAKA! FIRST YOU LOOK LIKE A FRICKING CHILD THEN YOU START TO INSULT US! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU TRYING TO BE SOME KIND OF MONSTER?!" (stupid stupid Sakura)

Kakashi went next, but instead of insulting he drew chakra to his hands and then pinched Naruto's cheeks, "respect your elders" he said happily, but with an underlying threat.

Sasuke went behind them and gave him a chakra-powered noogie.

"Chicken-butt head?" he said venomously.

All three where surrounding Naruto in a circle, and it brought back unpleasant memories for said blond. He panicked and his danger alarm went off in his head, therefore also in Kyuubi's head.

Which is why Kyuubi came bursting through the door, ready for a fight. (don't question my logic)

"Kit?" he asked panicking, and then spotting blond. Surrounded by ninjas. In a very suggesting manner. (cough mob cough)

He healed too many of Naruto's wounds from mobs to justify his hate of swarming humans.

Shukaku entered the Sabaku household and was treated to the sight of Kyuubi picking up a chibi Naruto, while trying to incapacitate three people at once.

The sand demon asked, "What's going on?"

Naruto clung to Kyuubi and wailed, "Panda-man!!!"

Gaara was instantly there with sand pointed at all the vital points of Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi.

"Ramen is ready" he said calmly. But Naruto wasn't listening he was looking up at Kyuubi with interest.

"hey! I know you!" the vulpine boy said. Kyuubi grinned down toothily (FANGS!) and said, " I bet you do."

"let me guess….stomach right?"

"yeah."

"but you look so…not deadly," Naruto said lamely.

Shukaku sniggered, he knew what they where talking about.

Kyuubi shot him a reproachful look and said to the rest of the Konoha ninjas, "ANY one harms him and there will be hell to pay."

Sasuke glowered, Sakura trembled and Kakashi nodded absentmindedly and whipped out his book.

In a flash, Kyuubi burned the book and some of the scarecrows hairs with it.

"Child present. Idiot ningen."

With a downcast sensei the group headed towards the kitchen.

Some a little farther apart than others.

So Temari, since Gaara wouldn't speak much again, explained the story to Kyuubi and Shukaku while the others listened in.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:A little while later-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Sasuke, deciding that this child Naruto could be useful for answering some questions about the enigma that is the older

Naruto, started up a question that had been bothering him. (Evil sadistic BASTARD)

"Naruto, why do you love ramen so much?"

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment then smiled, his eyes unfocused as he was remembering something.

"It was the first thing an adult gave me without trying to hurt me."

A pregnant silence fell.

Kyuubi sighed, 'the old man at the ramen stand…'

It was Sakura's turn. "Naruto, when you're older and already a ninja, would you play 'ninja' with a little kid ?"

"of course I would!"

"why?"

"Because…the kids my age never played ninja with me, they all make fun of me and keep the ball away from me…"Naruto said sadly. Kyuubi and Shukaku shared a look of remorse, caught themselves and looked away blushing heavily.

'Don't look. Don't look. Don't look. Aaww he's blushing, it's so kawaii!!' Shukaku thought perversely. Kyuubi was thinking along the same lines. Gaara rolled his eyes and thought, 'why don't they just get a room or something? It's making me sick.'

After a couple more heartwarming questions and answers, they dispersed, Gaara had to go to Kage duties, reluctant to leave the chibi alone.

The rest just lazed about, while Kyuubi and Shukaku watched with eagle eyes what Team 7 was doing with Naruto.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:Hours later-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Gaara came into the house, a moment later he was glomped on by a chibi.

"Waahh!! Panda-man! The scarecrows being mean!" Naruto cried, snuggling into a pale neck. The red head smirked evilly, thinking about the best excuse to make for the deaths of certain Konoha ninjas.

When he went back in to the living room Naruto began to accuse people.

"Big forehead only pays attention to chicken-butt head, she doesn't even play with me! Chicken-butt head just glares at me and hates me, instead goes training. And the scarecrow just listens to Chicken-butt, and doesn't play with me or forehead girl!!" Naruto said, talking only about playing and ignoring.

But the rest of the ninjas didn't think that.

'is that what really happens?' Kakashi thought, thinking about the older Naruto making similar complaints. He felt a twinge of regret, but pushed it away not wanting to feel guilty.

Gaara nudged the blond gently and said, "The effects of the ramen should be wearing off in a couple hours, you'll return to…semi-normal state."

Naruto nodded, he had heard of when he was taller from Temari and the freaky paint guy. Hoping to amend some trust Kakashi offered, "do you want to play now, Naruto?"

The blond looked at him suspiciously with narrowed blue eyes, "no. I'm going to spend the night with Panda-man"

The scarecrow sighed at the eyes.

The sad, longing blue eyes that read that the heart yearned to say yes, but the mind sure it couldn't take any more rejection.

The eyes that have been betrayed once too many.

-owari-


-yawn- too late for this now……..please review!!!

Hakuo: Kakashi, you've been getting on peoples nerves…this…annoyance will have to be taken care of… Kukuku…Ruby?

Ruby: I'm on it!!

Kakashi:….-gulp- what's up with that bonfire? And the chainsaw?!

And the --?!

Hakuo: -reporters voice- due to certain…circumstances, Kakashi-san will no longer be a part of this Authors note. We'd like you to enjoy anyway (Princess Lena aka Lady Kittuna, in a few chapters will be for you, why? Because in order for a satisfactory bashing for Kakashi, in my opinion, no one is better suited for the job than,: Jiraiya, Tsunade or Gai and Iruka I'll try to make it up to you by putting more Naruto chibi-ness until we get back to Konoha!)

Silent-serpent: Your challenge is done!…got another one?

REVIEW! REVIEW!