A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews, 8 in the first 24 hours! WOW! So, naturally I went straight to my computer and typed up this chapter. Other than you guys I had a foul day involving me loosing all my homework and a sheet I need signed for a field trip tomorrow. I have a tip for writing Gaara's character at the end of the chappie though, because I'm full of myself. Sorry this is short. I have to go to a wedding and I want it done before this weekend.
Chapter 3
Naruto looked Terrible.
I mean Terrible, with a capital T. His skin seemed pasty and lacked any normal Naruto shine. His hair. Dull. Lifeless. His face had also seen better days. The bags around his eyes were almost dark enough to match Gaara's.
But not quite.
Actually, overall he looked sort of looked similar to Gaara in this sickly I've-never-slept-for-years sort of way... The fox boy blamed it on the fact he actually didn't get any sleep the night before. Ideas, such as what Gaara was doing all night, were plaguing him. He wasn't curious in the way a school girl wonders where her crush is. Oh no. More in the way a mouse wonders where the owl is all night.
Thus a very disgruntled Naruto attempting to eat burnt toast for breakfast.
Gaara sat in his closet playing.
He didn't have a fantastic childhood. He didn't have a childhood at all. No toys but people, no playground but the world, no teacher but cruelty.
He did however have a sandbox.
All children want a sandbox, it's just fun. Gaara had one built in. He must have been the luckiest kid in the world, except for perhaps the pain, blood, and death that lurked around him. However, even at this age he still indulged in his 'playtime.'
The sand coiled around his hands, making abstract shapes and lines. His control was flawless, obviously a talent born of years working under the ultimate pressure. Death.
The young ninja sat on the hard wooden floor.
Dust clung to a few sparse cobwebs in the corners. The walls were plaster, cheap plaster and, in the absence of paint, parts were yellowing. Naruto had once decided he would pain his house. It had been a long time ago and he had promised himself this as an early birthday present.
He had gone out first thing in the morning, as dawn crept over the treetops, to buy himself some paint. Problem? He didn't know what kind to buy.
The smell of dew was still in the air as the boy bounded towards the Uchiha household. He bypassed the large gates, opting to jump over them, and ran right up to the door, ringing the bell impatiently. When a pissed of Sasuke finally greeted him, the raven-haired child was promptly dragged into town.
The fox had ignored the odd looks that he was getting when querying the young Uchiha as to whether pink or yellow would look better in the kitchen. Yellow, definitely yellow. However, not being able to decide between 12 colors he had bought them all, burning a large hole in his pocket.
Sitting in his house by himself, Naruto never had been able to decide and had used the paint in some later misadventure no doubt.
The sand sifted back into the gourd as Gaara stood up to face the day.
Sasuke was always fairly protective of the blonde boy next to him. However more than protect, he noticed. Sasuke noticed things. He noticed the color of the chalk being used to explain important information that would most likely be on the up-coming test. He noticed the door was slightly ajar. He distinctly noticed the sound of young children outside the window, even this early in the morning.
Some-what sparkly, blue eyes glanced momentarily upwards as Naruto attempted to copy the notes placed on the board. His mind wandered over the previous evening and his writing become more and more sparse.
Sasuke noticed this.
The dark-haired boy was curious and moved his eyes to see if Naruto's paper held any answers to the obvious lack of concentration. It did not.
"What's wrong?"
To tell or not to tell? Not even an option in Naruto's mind. Sasuke would be furious if he knew the truth. That Gaara was staying at his house. Sasuke would kick the Sand-nin out of the apartment himself. Sasuke was just motherly like that. No doubt the truth would have to stay to himself. So naturally when Naruto opened his mouth he was rather shocked to hear himself calmly explain that Gaara was, last time he checked, in his closet.
Ooops.
"What the hell!" Sasuke exclaimed. The teacher turned to him with a look of shock on his face. Sasuke was always a good student. What had got into him? Unable to explain Sasuke silently sat back down with a venomous promise to "discuss" this situation after school.
Naruto gulped.
Wandering around the town, odd looks were placed in his direction. By odd I mean frightened looks, disgusted sneers, upset expressions, confused faces and hurtful glares. Each like a knife slicing into his back.
Ahhh...it felt good.
Good to be hated. Good to hate them back. Good to imagine them being slowly suffocated. Good to feel the sand writhe.
Good to know it was all possible.
Yet Gaara had to keep himself in line. Sure Shukaku wanted blood above all right at this moment but Gaara had more control than that. He was stronger than that. He had no current purpose to be in the village but looking around was a good waste of time. It was purely by chance that the spook from the sand came across Naruto.
He appeared to be talking to none other than Sasuke. Gaara kept his distance to watch this scene from the shadows. From what he could see the Uchiha boy was angry with the blonde and was having no trouble expressing it. No one else in the street seemed too bothered with this display of aggravation. As though it was normal to see a hated demon boy be yelled at by one of the richest kids in the village. Little did Gaara know that he was the topic of discussion.
It was unlikely that he would have cared.
Affection was obvious in the way the Uchiha relaxed again after Naruto began to shout back. This was normal. This was okay. This was friendly. Sasuke and Naruto, despite appearances, were friends. Friends.
Gaara's eyes closed slightly, into a glare of sorts, before turning and walking slowly down the street back to the house of the demon boy. To wait for his return.
Tip for Gaara (ToG): I don't believe that Gaara's character can ever soften that much after he fights Naruto. So I avoid making it seem that way.