Thank you very much for reading this! We're nearing the end! It's a bittersweet moment for me, this will be the first time I have ever finished a book!

I do no own Naruto Shippuden, Naruto, or anything other than my idea for a this fanfiction and my personal FanArt.

Enjoy~!

"Kazekage-sama!"
A scream ripped through the night as a bright flash ignited. Gaara's house had been caught in an explosion just minutes after Naruto had left the village with the man named Yamato. Many people, untrained ninjas, watched in horror as the house creaked and started to pitch in on its self. The sand siblings had now found their way inside and were searching franticly for their brother, son and friend.
"Gaara!"
There was no answer, but they saw a giant ball of sand sitting in a large crater. From the looks of it, Gaara had fallen from the second level through the floor and wrapped himself and whoever else inside the ball on the way down. And judging from the smell of burning flesh, someone had been burned. Temari snatched the fan off her back, and swinging it full force at the wall to the right of the sand shield making a hole. Kankuro followed suit by wrapping chakra strings around the entire ball and flinging it roughly through the new opening. Both siblings followed behind just before the entire building came down on top of them. The crowd that had gathered all encircled the three ninjas, except for those who had begun to tame the flames. They all watched in silence as the sand began to dissolve, revealing a severely burned Gaara wrapped around a sleeping Nara. It was apparent that the seventeen year old father had passed out while clutching his son, and judging by where the burns were, he had been out even before they had fallen through the floor. But that wasn't possible; the Shukaku had been taken by the Akatsuki, so why had he been targeted? Could it be…? No. Naruto wouldn't do something like this, even if he was in the perfect position to. He was the closest person to the Kazekage, and Gaara wouldn't even feel the need to wear the sand armor when together.

Word of what had happened spread quickly, and within the week it had happened, Naruto had heard. Gaara, his best friend, had been hurt when he left! He wasn't there to protect him and Nara had been there too! What about him? Sakura, and a new member named Sai, had said otherwise.
"No Naruto, it wasn't your fault. If you let this get to you, you'll screw up the mission!" Sakura shouted, punching the top of his head and leaving a lump. Naruto grunted and rubbed the tender spot lightly.
"The Kazekage? I bet he has better 'equipment' than you Naruto." He said with a smile. Naruto looked at him for a second, before his face turned a shade of red that even Yamato thought impossible.
"W-what?" He stuttered weakly, a stream of blood was oozing from his nose at this point. Why did Sai have to say something? Bastard. Sakura noticed the nosebleed right away and her mouth fell open.
"Naruto! You have feelings for Gaara!" she screamed, pointing a finger at him. He turned to her quickly and stared. How had she…?
"Is there something wrong with that, Haruno-san?" Sai asked, crossing his arms and smiling. For once, Naruto didn't hate the boy. As for Sakura, she stared at the pale face with a look of disgust and hatred. First Naruto turned on her, and now this new guy Sai was siding with him!?

"What!? You can't leave now! What about your promise!?" screamed Sakura, her fists clenched. Naruto ignored her and continue to pack up his items and place them inside his bag. Sai was watching him carefully, and he knew it.
"Naruto-kun?" The light voice came to his ears. Sai was speaking to him? The blonde looked up.
"What is it?" Naruto asked. Sai cocked his head with a smile.
"May I accompany you on your journey to Sunagakure?" He asked. Naruto's eyebrows shot straight into his headband. Sai, the bastard, wanted to come with him!? Well, he had taken Naruto's side with Sakura, and had blocked her fist when she had tried to hit the blonde. So, why not?
"No, you stay here. If you follow me, I will attack you." He said, closing his bag and grinning at the boy.
With that, Naruto was already in the trees and running as fast as he could toward the border.

Traveling alone was a nice change for Naruto because this left him with time to think about, and regret, a few things. Like the kiss in the room. Naruto knew he was compulsive and slightly random, but the way he had grabbed Gaara and practically forced him into the kiss was a bit inconsiderate. Especially to Gaara, who had never done anything like that before and was slightly afraid of it. It wasn't that Naruto hadn't hesitated, it had been his first kiss too, he was just more experienced in that area. He'd had a crush on Sakura for the longest time, but now he didn't like her at all. He had been blinded by his lust of her. Now that Gaara was more important, she had shown her true colors, and that had woken him up. Now that he thought about it, Gaara was the only man he had ever felt attracted to, sure Sasuke was easy on the eye's, as well as Sai, but he only wanted them as friends. What did that make him? He still liked the gentle curves and soft skin of women. But at the same time, he loved Gaara's soft curves and pale skin, as well as the way he carried himself. The way his body was so long when he stretched, the way he looked in the morning after he had slept, the way he would look at him from under his eye lashes. Naruto loved all of it… all of Gaara, and suddenly he understood. Just because he felt this way about Gaara didn't mean he would feel the same way with anyone else, be it man or woman. It was love, and it was the first time either of them had really felt it. With this in mind, Naruto picked up his now slacking pace and hurried to find Gaara.

When Gaara woke up, he found three things wrong;
1.) Nara wasn't there.
2.) Nara wasn't there.
And;
3.) Nara wasn't there.
Where was his son!? He knew he had fallen asleep with him in his arms, so why was he gone?
"Nara!" He shouted, sitting up quickly. A sharp pain throughout his body made him suddenly cry out in pain.
"A-ah… What…?" He muttered, looking down at his completely bandaged torso and arms. What happened?
"Gaara!"
"Gaara you're alright!"
The redhead looked up, only to see his siblings enter the room. He was slightly disappointed it wasn't Naruto, but kept that thought to himself and merely nodded to them.
"Where's Nara?" He asked. Temari gently produced the child from a sling on Kankuro's back. The leader relaxed, his child was alright, but something was still off.
"What happened last night?" Gaara asked. Temari looked down.
"You've been out for a week, Gaara. They got away."

"What do you mean they got away!?" Gaara asked loudly, slamming a fist down on the sheets and cringing in pain. Never had he been hurt this badly, only once had he been in a hospital, and it was when Naruto had defeated him at the Chunin exams.
"What about Naruto? Is he alright?" He asked suddenly. Both sibling turned and looked away.
"We don't know, he isn't in the country anymore, remember?" Temari said sadly, she didn't want Gaara to know that secretly they were investigating the chances of the attack being Naruto's work. Kankuro, however, ruined her plans.
"Yeah, but we'll track him down and make him pay for what he's done."
Gaara was now staring wide eyed at his family. Naruto had done something?
"What has he done?" He asked. Temari was no longer looking at him, but Kankuro was in the mood to talk.
"He blew up your house Gaara! It had to be him, he's the only one who you would let your guard down around-"
"Enough."
"Gaara wait, it's only a precaution. We don't know if he really did-" Temari explained, it only earned her a pair of enraged sea green eye's glaring into her own blue.
"Enough…"
"Temari! Who else could it be!? It had to be that idiot Naru-!"
"I said ENOUGH! Naruto has done nothing wrong, he was not the cause of this. It was my own carelessness. Now leave, I no longer wish to speak to you. Leave Nara here."