* * *  * * *  * * *  * * *9

His body tensed.

The eyes kept glaring at him.

They suddenly closed, then opened. Back to grey blue.

"Why can't you just leave," the other ninja said.

"What's wrong with you?..."

"Why don't you hate..."

"Gaara..."

"Why didn't you just leave!!" he shouted.

Naruto didn't flinch.

Gaara was panting heavily.

This wouldn't last long.

"They hate you. They all hate you." he clenched his fists "Why don't you hate them all?!"

He blinked.

"What are you talking about? Let me go."

Gaara had lowered his head.

Naruto bit his lip, then gasped as his feet met the floor again.

"They all hate you..."

"Who are 'they'? I don't get you!" he shouted frowning.

"The people around! They all hate you! I know that..." he lowered his head "After all I did...Why can't you see?"

"See what?!"

"They hate you. The people with the white eyes, the others gennins, the villagers...all of them..."

"Gaara..."

"What?! I tried to show you, but you don't want to see...You don't want to see they are hurting you...because you're like me!"

"What are you..."

"We were born to be hated by others. We were born different...that's why they all hate us..."

His face took a painful expression.

"Why do you keep trying then!! They think you burned their house. They think you hate their children. They think you hate them. And they hate you for that..."

His eyes widened, confused.

He looked down.

"So you were the one..."

"...You saw that, didn't you?" he walked toward the Leaf gennin "They'll always hate you, because of that thing inside you..."

He startled.

"The two of us are cursed. No one cares about you... but I do..."

Naruto kept silent.

"I don't want them to hurt you... I want to protect you..."

Gaara's eyes turned amber again.

Naruto took a step backward.

"Even if it means killing you..."

He froze as he recognized the voice.

The door flew open.

"Naruto!"

Sand intercepted the newcomer in his tracks.

It immobilized him on the wall.

"Sasuke...?!!"

"Desert coffin..."

"Gaara, No!" he shouted.

The Sand gennin seemed frozen for a second.

He kneeled on the floor. Hand on his forehead.

"Are you----" Naruto stopped in mid-sentence.

Someone was releasing a massive amount of chakra.

His eyes widened.

He facevaulted.

"Sasuke, don't...!!"

"You idiot! Move!"

"Don't hurt him!"

He slowly opened his eyes. Then blinked.

Sasuke's Chidori had stopped right in front of his face.

"Idiot!" his teammate snapped.

Gaara wasn't behind him anymore.

"Where are you going?!"

"I'll go find him..."

He frowned.

"No, I will..."

"You'll let him go again. I told you he was dangerous."

"I said I'll go find him!!" he yelled.

The dark-haired ninja's eyes widened.

"Don't follow me..."

"Don't come any nearer." The voice came from nowhere. "He is back..."

"I know..." he said looking up. "Why are you hiding?"

"Because... Because he'll hurt you... just like they did."

"But..."

"Don't come any nearer... please..."

He took no further steps.

"Why... How come he is back...?"

"It's my fault. I made him."

"What...?!!"

"I didn't want that to happen. But... the way they were looking at you with such hatred..."

"I'm used to that. It doesn't hurt me anymore..."

"You're lying!" he roared. "I know it hurts you. I saw it on your face, when that white-eyed man shouted at you..."

"White-eyed?" he blurted out.

"I saw how it hurt you...that day..."

"Gaara..." he cut in "...You followed me?"

"No. Third eye did..."

"Third eye? Is that some Jutsu of yours? How come I didn't sense it?!"

"It's a spying Jutsu..."

"Spying?...W hat for?!!" he asked frustrated.

"For watching over you. That's how I realize how bad they were to you."

Naruto lowered his head, helplessness gaining him.

"And it drove me mad...I didn't want him to wake up, but he did. I wanted to show you they hated you... that's why he did all those things..."

The blond bit his lip.

"...He made me do those things..."

"...No, it wasn't you..."

"It was. I swore to myself to protect you, but he made me hurt you. I cared about you, but he made me selfish again."

Naruto shook his head negative.

"I know you're not selfish... You---"

"I am. Deep in my heart, I wanted to protect you all alone. I wanted you to hate everyone else but me."

Naruto gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as if in pain.

"Gaara..."

"I'm sorry. That demon in me... Shuukaku, he will never leave me alone... He will always try to take control over me. I tried to... I can't do anything about it. And... I'm tired of fighting him... I'm tired, I only manage to hurt people... I'm tired of everything..." he lowered his head, voice shaken "... But... please, Naruto..."

Silence.

"...don't leave me all alone." he finally choked out.

He jumped down.

Arms encircled him.

"I won't," he whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes and hugged back.

For the first time in a long time, a tear escaped his eyes.

He felt he was loved back.

He hurriedly across the streets, completely oblivious to whatever was going on around him.

He didn't know if it was wise to leave Gaara alone. Alone with Sasuke.

The two of them hated each other.

Or rather, Sasuke hated Gaara.

He couldn't believe the guy didn't tell anyone about what had happened that day.

He had proven again he wasn't the bastard he seemed to be.

Yet something had to be done.

Sasuke wouldn't hold his tongue forever.

And that Shuukaku wouldn't wait any longer to start harassing Gaara again.

He clenched his fists, and increased his pace.

He stopped only as he recognized the modest white house.

Then the so familiar frog painted on the door.

He raised his hand to knock, then let it fall.

He was having doubts.

He had made a promise.

And he was going to break it.

But... wouldn't it be better that way?

He cared for him too.

He didn't want him to hurt anymore.

He had to do something for him.

So he knocked.

"So you finally made up you mind...hum?" a deep voice asked playfully.

"Pervy-sennin, I need your help."