Answers PART 2

Thank you to all the amazing reviewers!

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"I attacked you guys." Naruto said in a small voice. His ears falling, eyes widening, as Naruto realized that he had lost control of himself to such an extent that he put both of his friends lives in danger. Even if his original intentions were to help, he had obviously taken it too far. I…I don't even remember! What if they died! I…wouldn't even know! Naruto averted his eyes from the two, nails dragging dangerously against his head.

"Naruto." Gaara grabbed at the smaller boy's hands and pulled them away from his head. "It was not your fault. You only came to stop the fighting. The only reason you lost yourself was because you do not know how to control your new powers yet. But you will soon, I have no doubt. The one who should shoulder the shame would be me….Even if it was the Crow who instigated it." Gaara softly told Naruto while checking his head for any blood. His last sentence growled out at Sasuke.

Sasuke shot up from his relaxed position. "You are the one that overreacted." Sasuke spat quietly, turning his back to the other two. Gaara narrowed his eyes, but let it go.

"How did I stop?" Naruto looked up at Gaara after getting his hands back. Gaara turned his head quickly, his hands lifeless at his sides. Sasuke let out a chuckle as he turned back to face the others.

"Aahhh, yes. Do tell the kid how you managed to end his little tirade. He deserves to know, doesn't he?" Sasuke said with amusement. Gaara remains silent as the ebony haired Shifter laughed.

"Gaara?" Naruto's voice concerned but also curious.

"Yes. You deserve to know Naruto. And understand that I had planned to tell you this. But it seems now would be the best time." Gaara sighs as he brings his now folded hands to cover his mouth as he begins his explanations. "It was, once again, not your fault that you had lost control. And I cannot deny that your raw power was…frightful. And I had no idea how to stop you. My body was weak from fighting and had taken many harsh blows, so I knew I could not best you. I could hardly just keep you in place. And once Sasuke came back into your view…I couldn't hold you down any longer." Gaara took a moment to think before continuing. "I also…seemed to have lost it for a moment. I could feel my power spreading, and like instinct…I reacted." Gaara rubbed at his face with his hands, his brow tense. Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"I don't understand." Naruto asked. A strange feeling swelled inside his chest. Why do I feel so…betrayed?

"It's simple. You lost control. He forced his dominance over you to calm you down." Sasuke said in a harsh tone, sick and tired of Gaara beating around the bush. Gaara glared at the Crow for his blunt summarizing.

"Dominance? Gaara can you just tell me what happened?" Naruto said a little more accusing then he planned. Gaara's head fell, a silent "yes" slipping from his mouth. He cleared his throat before standing tall in front of the blonde.

"As a Shifter, you and I, even Sasuke, have natural instincts. Our unconscious will know and react before we even realize it. One being the knowledge of who your mate is. Finding your mate, or "partner for life", is much like dating…or…getting married. It is usually sealed with a bite to the neck." Naruto's eyes were wide as he put all the pieces together. Gaara stayed tall and continued, even though his heart broke to see the…betrayed look on the blonde's face. "You went into heat not too long ago. And during the fight I reacted to calm you down. I wish I could say I didn't know what I was doing, but I did. I claimed you as a mate and you accepted against your will." Gaara turned his head at the last sentence. No longer having the strength to look at Naruto.

Sasuke seemed deadly silent throught the last couple of minutes, but it was harder taking the silence from the talkative Fox.

Naruto's heart ached as he watched Gaara turn his head away. What is this?! Gaara! Tell me your lying! Are you…tell me…that…NO! I trusted you! I trusted you!

"I trusted you!" Naruto says as cold as ice. Sasuke turns his head away. Gaara clenches his jaw. "There was no other way?! That is SHIT! You could have done SOMETHING! Y-you can't decide things like THAT! You had no right! I don't care if your instinctswere telling you to or not! You can't! You…What does this even mean?! I'm…married to you? I thought we were friends!" Naruto yelled and kicked at Gaara. Gaara stood like a statue, taking the hits without moving to defend. Naruto grinded his teeth and jumped to his feet, running from the room.

The room was silent.

Gaara sat down on his knees and rubbed at his head. I know he will never forgive me…But I had no other choice at the time! …Should I go after him? Would that make things worse?...Maybe he just needs some time…He knows he can't make it through the desert alone. Maybe I can explain things better in the morning…

Sasuke climbs to his feet and quietly walks out of the room. Gaara looks up from his crouched position.

"Do not pester him. He has enough on his mind already." Gaara says lowly. Sasuke clicks his tongue, not bothering to turn to face the Raccoon Dog.

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm just going to the bathroom." Sasuke leaves without another word.

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Sasuke continued out into the cool night air, passing a bundled up Fox curled into the side of the abandoned house. Looking up at the sky, he realizes he has stopped moving. Ugh, damn rats.

"Look, I know your upset and frankly I don't blame you. I would have killed the bastard if he forced dominance over me. But he didn't do it just to have a hold over you. You have just as much leverage over him as he has over you. Becoming someone's mate is a way to connect two souls together. Forever. There is no reversing it. And don't get me wrong I still hate the rat….But I would consider yourself lucky. Sasuke grumbles, kicking at the sand under his feet.

"Lucky?" Naruto gives a bitter laugh. "…I just…I'll never get to...fall in love with anyone now." Naruto says quietly.

Sasuke let out a small chuckle, walking away from the house. Naruto looks up from his self pity to watch the Crow slink into the night.

"I think you already did." Sasuke says just before his wings flash out and he takes off into the sky.

"Wait! Sasuke! You can't just leave!" Naruto gets jumps up, but soon the black wings were gone from sight. Naruto sunk back to the ground, turning to look at the house's door.

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Gaara slammed his hand against the wall, letting it drag down the wallpaper until it lifelessly falls back to his side.

A quiet creak from the rickety floor alerted him to the other entering the room. Gaara wished nothing more than to dig a hole in the dirt and shove his head as far down as possible. Minutes went by, completely silent, neither of them being able to finds the right words to say to each other. Gaara turned from the wall to face Naruto, his mouth open, ready to begin another slew of apologies. But to his surprise, Naruto spoke before he was able to.

"I forgive you." Naruto said quickly, but with unmistaken anger still ringing in his tone. Gaara's nonexistent eyebrows rose at that. He…forgave me?... But why?

"…Why?" Gaara found himself asking aloud.

"This doesn't mean I'm not mad at you!" Naruto yelled, showing off his large canines. "…But…I understand that you didn't have any other way…And since there is no getting out of this thing…So I guess I will just have to deal with it. But you are dead wrong if you think that I am going to act like nothing happened!

"I know." Gaara said, an invisible smile on his face.

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So I hope you all liked this chapter! I was going to write more, but I am so tired I might collapse!