Hey guys here's my latest chapter! Now I'm not sure if I'll be able to update as usual tomorrow so I may end up simply updating twice today I really am not sure yet. I hope you enjoy anyway!
Also to address a point on reviewer made, Cannon Naruto totally wouldn't have given Sasuke any space, let's face it the boy didn't understand boundaries and given how he raised that's not surprising, but this Naruto was raised by a loving parent, who definitely had issues and she'd have learned at a young age that sometimes people just need some space.
Also don't be too harsh on Sasuke at this point guys! He's a dumbass yeah but he's a traumatized child dumbass, he's currently not done anything that bad and a lot of his thought process will be explained in due time.
It was two hours later that Naruto was cleared to return to the Tower-Kakashi had already escorted Sasuke back at his request, and Rin and Karin bid the two girls a tearful goodbye before Kakashi took them both back to the Tower where they'd spend the next five days or so.
The two girls were given a room together, while Sasuke was in a room next to theirs, and they were allowed anywhere inside of the tower as long as they didn't step outside.
Which was why only an hour after they'd gotten back from the hospital the two girls were in the dojo with Kakashi, Sasuke had opted to stay away to avoid Naruto, but Sakura was taking her promise to get stronger seriously, and while Naruto couldn't train-she'd been ordered to take the five days off as rest days even though she knew she'd be just fine by tomorrow-she could still watch Sakura train and offer her critiques.
So when the next team-the second team in overall, arrived, she was sat watching as Kakashi corrected Sakura's form and sparred with her, the pink haired girl wearing a determined expression.
Ironically it wasn't Kurama who informed her of the arrival, the fox was distracted, focusing on healing her hand-the worst and most stubborn of her injuries because of the sheer number of tiny cuts that covered such an important limb.
What told her of the arrival was the faint rustle of sand, and she turned her head just as Gaara arrived at the door of the dojo, a blank look on his face, his siblings flanking him, both of them looking incredibly stressed.
Then Gaara's gaze found her and their eyes met and he surged forward, floating just above the ground on a platform of sand.
She held up a hand to halt her sensei when Kakashi stopped in the middle of his training Sakura and tensed up-clearly realizing just who the boy was.
"Gaara-kun." she smiled softly, "Good to see you."
"I slept." the voice was almost as monotone as it had been before, but well hidden was a note of bewildered awe. "I have not slept like that before."
"I told you. Your seal was faulty." Naruto gave a small shrug, "I fixed it."
"I still don't understand why." Gaara's eyes didn't move from her face-there was no hint of the bloodlust that had been permanent in them before.
She heard Sakura scrambling to her feet, and a moment later the pink haired girl was by her side, a hand resting on her shoulder. "I already told you." Naruto gave a small grin.
"The strange place we went-it was real."
"Yes."
"It felt like I imagine dreams feel."
"That... makes sense." Naruto shrugged, "But it was real Gaara. It's all real. You'll be able to learn to work alongside Shukaku now rather than have to fight him for control."
Gaara stared at her for a long moment before nodding.
"Thank you. I... will try to understand. It will be difficult for me but I will try. I have never... you talked of love and I don't understand it but I will try."
"That's all anyone can do." Naruto smiled, "Do you guys wanna stay and train? I can't but Sakura-chan is-"
"You'd invite us to watch you training?" Temari's eyes narrowed, "Why? It's never a good idea to let potential enemies see your techniques."
"Good thing we're not enemies." Naruto remarked blithely, "And I just meant some basic training."
"We're shinobi. Who knows what could happen." Termari pointed out, "No one's enemies until a war breaks out and then everyone's enemies."
"I guess." Naruto shrugged, "I'm just an optimist."
"I will never be your enemy." Gaara vowed. "I owe you. I will never raise a hand against you-" that got him panicked looks from his siblings.
"Gaara you can't just say stuff-" his sand whipped around and Kankuro stepped back quickly, clearly terrified.
"I can say what I want to say."
"Yes Gaara!" Kankuro grabbed Temari's arm, and Temari looked nervous too.
"We don't want to train right now." she watched her brother wearily, "We'll... just go find our rooms." with that the two siblings fled, and Naruto snorted.
"Y'know Gaara-kun that's not how to win them over."
"I do not know how to." Gaara admitted. "I don't know what it is to have friends or feel-"
"How about you start with us?" Sakura asked, taking pity on the boy, "You could help me train. I bet your sand can be pretty useful."
"My... my sand?"
"That's a good idea." Naruto grinned, "You could make it chase Sakura or something and she'd have to evade it."
"Or..." Sakura thougt for a moment before holding up one of the scrolls they'd had in the forest, "You could use your sand to keep this away from me and I'd have to try and get it-a training game."
"That... you don't fear my sand."
"No. If Naruto trusts you then I do too." Sakura smiled warmly at Gaara.
Then there was a little cough from Kakashi, who had his singular visible eyebrow raised. "Naruto-chan, did I or did I not ask you not to do anything that could cause a diplomatic incident." and Naruto flushed.
"Uh-you have no proof I did anything?"
"Gaara-san. Did Naruto-chan by any chance do anything to your seal-I know what you are and I don't care, I won't tell anyone."
Gaara almost hesitated, glancing at Naruto before his expression became blank, "I don't know what you're talking about Jounin-san."
Kakashi's eye widened before narrowing, "You." he pointed at the blonde, "Are a very bad influence. Do you hear me? You're a terror."
"Yeah, but you love me anyways." Naruto shot him a wide goofy grin, and Kakashi snorted.
"It's not my fault, you're like a mix of four of my favorite people-I blame your mother-"
"You mean your best friend."
"Hush." Kakashi waved a hand at her, "Do you three want me to stay here and supervise in case anything goes wrong?"
"Do you want him to stay Gaara-kun?"
"I-" Gaara blinked slowly before nodding, "I do not have perfect control I do not want to hurt either of you." he said the words as if they were strange to him-then his eyes flicked to Naruto's hand, "What happened to you?"
"Fought a guy and I used a jutsu that blew up on me."
"I see." Gaara nodded slowly, "What do you wish for me to do."
"You take Sakura-chan's scroll with your sand and you use it to try and keep it away from her. You'll get even better control over your sand and Sakura-chan will get a real workout." Naruto declared, "Does that sound okay Gaara-kun?"
"Yes Naruto-san... Sakura-san?" and in his voice, well hidden was a tiny flicker of what could only be hope.
"Sounds like fun." Sakura gave Gaara a reassuring grin, so Naruto and Kakashi sat on the bench against the wall, and they watched as Gaara and Sakura trained.
It was more like a game really, and Naruto watched as the sand moved, curled around the scroll, swaying back and forth as Sakura chased it, climbing and leaping from sand and the walls-laughing when Gaara formed walls with the sand to block her path only for Sakura to attempt to climb then then slide back down.
It got more interesting when Gaara decided to create step stones out of sand, each one higher than the next with the tallest one at one end of the room with the scroll on top of it, and the others leading up to it, each one rising and falling, with sand shooting up into the air before dropping randomly, meaning Sakura had to time her movements and jumps perfectly-whenever she fell Gaara caught her with sand and she'd start again-and it was an effort for Gaara too, clearly he wasn't used to doing so many different things with his sand at once because he had a determined grimace on his face and he was tense as he worked, making one sway from side to side.
Naruto cheered for them both as Kakashi watched with approval, his eyes following the pink haired girl as she worked herself to the bone.
It wasn't exactly traditional training but it would certainly help with strength, speed and endurance as well as balance.
It took almost two hours, but then Sakura was leaping over the rising wall of sand between the last two platforms and she was landing with a grunt on the top of the final one, scooping with the scroll with a loud cheer, and Naruto let out a whoop, clapping and laughing loudly as Gaara lowered his hands and let the sand sink down, his eyes shining with something new, an almost smile on the boys lips.
"Enjoy that Gaara-kun?" Naruto laughed, lightly nudging him with her shoulder.
"That was... interesting. I have never used my sand like that before." and Sakura was rushing towards them as she reached the ground, panting and flushed with exhertion but glowing with pride as she threw herself towards them, hugging Naruto first.
"That was fun! And it was so hard!" then she was pulling away from Naruto and hugging Gaara tightly-the red haired boys eyes widened in shock and he froze up, but Sakura was moving back before she could react, spinning to look at Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei did you see did you see?"
"That was very good Sakura-chan." Kakashi chuckled, "Not a method of training I'd have thought of but it was very very good you should be proud of yourself. Now." he was smiling fondly, "You three should go and get some food and then some sleep. I'll meet you here at eight in the morning-
"You mean ten." Naruto piped up, a cheeky grin on her lips, "I honestly don't think it's physically possible for you to be on time Kakashi-sensei."
"Gaara too right?" Sakura asked quickly, "I want to try that again, maybe come up with something new."
"You want to train with me again?"
"Duh, that made training fun." Sakura laughed, "And I feel exhausted which is good with training."
"I.. will be here in the morning then."
"But first you're coming and joining Naruto-chan and I to eat right?"
"Yeah he doesn't get any choice." Naruto laughed, draping an arm over her fellow Jinchuriki's shoulder, silently grateful to Sakura. The pink haired girl had seen Gaara struggling, had seen how Naruto was trying to help him and she'd thrown herself into the effort with all her heart.
"I'll leave you kids too it." Kakashi gave a mocking little salute, "I have a little orange book to read."
"Pervert! I'll tell mom-"
"Your mom already knows, she finds it hilarious." Kakashi shot back, "In case you've forgotten when she found out all she could do was laugh. Besides, given who wrote the books-"
"Who wrote them?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, and Kakashi smirked.
"You'll meet him soon, Sandaime-sama called him here when you first arrived in Konoha but he was busy. He doesn't know about you quite yet, but I'm sure you and your godfather will get along fine-"
"My godfather wrote that crap?!"
"Naruto-chan's godfather's a pervert?" the girls both yelled in unison, and Kakashi laughed.
"He takes pride in it, as I'm sure you'll learn. Now I'm leaving girls, be good and try not to blow anything up while I'm gone-"
"I blow up one training grou-"
"Actually it was two." Sakura corrected, "Sorry but you blew up two of them-"
"They were repaired!"
"You still blew them up!"
"I feel like I may be making a terrible mistake." Gaara remarked in a deadpan voice, "You may both be as insane as I was due to Shukaku and the faulty seal-"
"Eh, the best shinobi have a few screws loose." Naruto waved at Kakashi, as the man sped off, and the two girls half led half dragged Gaara to the canteen area, where they found a table and claimed it as their own, heaping plates with food and eating, the two girls chattering and Gaara sitting mostly in silence, but it was a content comfortable silence, the start of a new friendship.
They did get terrified looks from Kankuro and Temari when the two older Sand siblings arrived.
They chose the table furthest from the trio and ate while shooting them weary confused looks-especially when there was loud laughter and they looked over to find that Gaara had used his sand to yank Naruto's chair out from under her after she'd said that Tanuki's were lame compared to foxes.
Sakura had found it hilarious, and after her shock Naruto had leapt to her feet and shaken Gaara's hand vigorously, proclaiming her pride in him for his discovery of a sense of humour-if they'd have been close enough they'd have been stunned to see the almost smile on their brothers lips.
The only thing that even somewhat marred the evening for the blonde and the pink haired girls was the fact that Sasuke didn't so much as show his face.
