3.
Day was just fading into night when he entered the Leaf village. This in itself was a good thing since the streets were much quieter than the last time he had entered, that and less populated. Here no one stopped to gawk at the pale, skinny boy known as Gaara who walked around in a pink (hideously so) strapped dress (that made him look fat, no less) with clashing blue zori. In all honestly, there was probably no one to do so. Most villages, when unbalanced, would have to bluff to make sure not to lose standing with other villages. Accepting missions, signing treaties and repairing damages would have to occur all at the same time so not to show weakness. Glancing around at the lack of activity for this early in the evening was proving to him that the Leaf's downfall was underway.
Yet there was one thing that seemed amiss in the cold (and lonely) night that absolutely refused to be overlooked.
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
Thunderous footsteps pounded down on the clay rooftop that was just barely above his head. The voice was recognizable, though he wasn't clear if it really did belong to his princess.
"WAIT!!! IRUKA-SENSEI!!!"
A loud clang filled the coming night as the person above him leapt from the roof and onto the pavement below. An orange jacket flashed into sight briefly before turning the corner at the end of the road.
Gaara's breathe left him and for a moment he felt as though he might...might what? There had been a few times in his life that he had blacked out but certainly just the mere sight of Naruto could not cause that, could it?
His heart thrummed widely at the thought. Was this what it was like...to feel love? Taking several steps forward in a near run, his progress was halted as his knees gave out underneath him. Collapsing into the protective sand that was instantly drawn from the ground, a single word filtered out from his lips.
"Naruto..."
He should have taken another breath after the last one had left him, but no...he had been so caught up in his thoughts that even his body did not think to do it automatically. Adding insult to injury, the pink monstrosity that he was currently wearing was more than likely ruined. What would his dear and beloved Naruto think when he showed up just as filthy as he had before he had put on this clean garment?
Taking a deep breath, Gaara's eyes slid across the ground in front of him to the way that Naruto, or who he presumed to be Naruto, went. His hands balled fists as a flashback of moments earlier hit.
Flash back
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
Thunderous footsteps pounded down on the clay rooftop that was just barely above his head. The voice was recognizable, though he wasn't clear if it really did belong to his princess.
"WAIT!!! IRUKA-SENSEI!!!"
A loud clang filled the coming night as the person above him leapt from the roof and onto the pavement below. An orange jacket flashed into sight briefly before turning the corner at the end of the road.
End flash back
Naruto was probably already too far gone for Gaara to even follow him now. Never mind that he could potentially use Daisan no Me and send the eye of sand to look for Naruto, that was far too unoriginal. Besides, he might find things that were not worth looking at.
Flashback
Gaara slid his right (not your right) hand into his eye and held there as he concentrated. Particles of sand flowed from the ground gathering into a sphere that would soon be used as a moving eye. Seconds passed, the jutsu was completed, and off the small eye of sand went.
The door to the hall was shut but that did not prevent the sand eye from escaping out the only window of Gaara's room. It slid past the curtains and out onto the ledge of the house he shared with his siblings, Temari and Kankurou. Speaking of them...the eye flittered past dark rooms down to the other end of the house where another window was currently open. Hovering at the edge of a ledge, the pupil widened as it took in what it saw.
End flashback
Yes, Gaara thought to himself, that jutsu could never be used again if he was to keep his sanity. Shaking away the horrific memory that pulsed through his mind, he failed to notice the shadow slowly creeping along the ground and up his back.
Day was just fading into night when he entered the Leaf village. This in itself was a good thing since the streets were much quieter than the last time he had entered, that and less populated. Here no one stopped to gawk at the pale, skinny boy known as Gaara who walked around in a pink (hideously so) strapped dress (that made him look fat, no less) with clashing blue zori. In all honestly, there was probably no one to do so. Most villages, when unbalanced, would have to bluff to make sure not to lose standing with other villages. Accepting missions, signing treaties and repairing damages would have to occur all at the same time so not to show weakness. Glancing around at the lack of activity for this early in the evening was proving to him that the Leaf's downfall was underway.
Yet there was one thing that seemed amiss in the cold (and lonely) night that absolutely refused to be overlooked.
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
Thunderous footsteps pounded down on the clay rooftop that was just barely above his head. The voice was recognizable, though he wasn't clear if it really did belong to his princess.
"WAIT!!! IRUKA-SENSEI!!!"
A loud clang filled the coming night as the person above him leapt from the roof and onto the pavement below. An orange jacket flashed into sight briefly before turning the corner at the end of the road.
Gaara's breathe left him and for a moment he felt as though he might...might what? There had been a few times in his life that he had blacked out but certainly just the mere sight of Naruto could not cause that, could it?
His heart thrummed widely at the thought. Was this what it was like...to feel love? Taking several steps forward in a near run, his progress was halted as his knees gave out underneath him. Collapsing into the protective sand that was instantly drawn from the ground, a single word filtered out from his lips.
"Naruto..."
He should have taken another breath after the last one had left him, but no...he had been so caught up in his thoughts that even his body did not think to do it automatically. Adding insult to injury, the pink monstrosity that he was currently wearing was more than likely ruined. What would his dear and beloved Naruto think when he showed up just as filthy as he had before he had put on this clean garment?
Taking a deep breath, Gaara's eyes slid across the ground in front of him to the way that Naruto, or who he presumed to be Naruto, went. His hands balled fists as a flashback of moments earlier hit.
Flash back
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
Thunderous footsteps pounded down on the clay rooftop that was just barely above his head. The voice was recognizable, though he wasn't clear if it really did belong to his princess.
"WAIT!!! IRUKA-SENSEI!!!"
A loud clang filled the coming night as the person above him leapt from the roof and onto the pavement below. An orange jacket flashed into sight briefly before turning the corner at the end of the road.
End flash back
Naruto was probably already too far gone for Gaara to even follow him now. Never mind that he could potentially use Daisan no Me and send the eye of sand to look for Naruto, that was far too unoriginal. Besides, he might find things that were not worth looking at.
Flashback
Gaara slid his right (not your right) hand into his eye and held there as he concentrated. Particles of sand flowed from the ground gathering into a sphere that would soon be used as a moving eye. Seconds passed, the jutsu was completed, and off the small eye of sand went.
The door to the hall was shut but that did not prevent the sand eye from escaping out the only window of Gaara's room. It slid past the curtains and out onto the ledge of the house he shared with his siblings, Temari and Kankurou. Speaking of them...the eye flittered past dark rooms down to the other end of the house where another window was currently open. Hovering at the edge of a ledge, the pupil widened as it took in what it saw.
End flashback
Yes, Gaara thought to himself, that jutsu could never be used again if he was to keep his sanity. Shaking away the horrific memory that pulsed through his mind, he failed to notice the shadow slowly creeping along the ground and up his back.