Chapter 1

Nara Shikamaru and Inuzuka Kiba, along with his floppy eared white dog, Akamaru, were sitting outside the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village, chucking stone across the road and talking about the boring events of Konoha. There was no training that day but the day of relaxing was nothing to look forward to since there was nothing interesting to do.

"Ne, Shikamaru want to go swimming?" Kiba offered, scratching Akamaru on the head. "It's a nice day for it, y'know."

Shikamaru sighed and leaned back against a tree. He watched the lazy movements of the clouds and a dragonfly flit across his field of vision. "Nope. Too much trouble. I'll have to go back home all wet and then my mom will bitch and moan about me getting a cold. Tch. She's a pain sometimes."

"Sounds to me like you're just lazy," said a woman's voice from down the road. Shikamaru and Kiba looked over. Akamaru barked and ran over to Kankuro, jumping up and down. Kankuro, knelt and gave the dog a little pat. Gaara was, as ever, distantly standing in the shadows.

Shikamaru leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He tried to give Temari his usual nonchalant look but the way she was grinning was contagious and he couldn't help but to smile right back. However, that didn't prevent him from cracking a joke at them. "Look who came back. Can't you annoy someone else's village or did Sandgakure kick you out?"

Temari walked over, punched him in the arm softly. "Why bother my own village when it's so much more fun to annoy you?" They stared at each other for a few moments simply smiling. Temari wanted to give him a hug but instead she crossed her itching arms. Shikamaru, feeling the same, put his hands in his pockets. The other never realizing that they wanted the same thing.

Kiba and Kankuro looked between the two, slightly confused. "Actually, we have some off time I so I figured I'd come here for a spell," she said looking back at her brothers.

The Konoha boys looked over to Kankuro and Gaara. Kankuro still had his puppet and Gaara was not the type to take a pleasure trip. "You guys, too?" Kiba asked pointing, his expression dubious.

Kankuro shrugged. "She dragged us along. Not like we can say no. She's unexpectedly psycho, you know." Temari glared back and Kankuro and stuck out her tongue. Kankuro mimicked her. It happened all to often when they were kids.

Gaara shook his head a little and started walking towards the great doors marked "peace" in hiragana. The others looked after him for a while but no one said anything. It was too typical to be marked with any comment but Gaara was like an omen looming over an otherwise sunny day. Would something set him off? It was anyone's guess.

"Hey! We were about to go swimming! Want to come?" Kiba quipped. Shikamaru groaned. "What? Come one, you're mom can't get mad if you're with your girlfr-" Kiba ground his teeth as he found a kunai poking his spine painfully. Shikamaru gave him a sidelong glance. Kiba smiled nervously. "Well, we could do something else…I think."

"Good call."

Temari shrugged, clasping her hands in front of her. "Sure. I'm up for anything." Shikamaru smiled, as the thought crossed his mind that her hair was cute when she stood like that. So he turned around and started walking.

"Let's go walk around. I'll show you some cool places to hang if you're bored." Akamaru let out a yip and took off ahead of them, occasionally looking back.

Gaara had wandered around most of the day and night was beginning to approach. He avoided his family and their friends. Seeing them happy made him glad but at the same time it filled him with a burning rage. He could never understand their fun or their jokes… or their past. His idea of entertainment was not being angry long enough to enjoy his surroundings. This meant not being around people. But it was a sad existence and still it was unsatisfying. Killing was nice but only while he was doing it. A short adrenaline rush where the Shukaku enjoyed a small reign of freedom.

The wind blew and tossed up some debris from the street. Gaara shielded his eyes. He looked across the street for some refuge from wind and noticed Tsundade, the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure drinking with a friend he hardly recognized. The man had while silver hair and a peculiar forehead protector with the character oil on it. She looked like she was having a great time. Suddenly, a familiar young boy appeared. It was Naruto. He made some comment and Tsunade had him in a headlock. This amused the older man until she put them both in a headlock.

Curious, Gaara crossed the street and stood at the edge of the glass watching and trying to catch what he could of the conversation within. He had only been standing there for a few minutes when Naruto looked up and saw him. Gaara tried to slink into the shadows but Naruto was too quick and was out the door and in front of him before he could even get a way properly.

"I thought I saw you. Why are you here?" He asked, seemingly genuinely happy to see him.

"Temari wanted to come here for a visit. Kankuro and I came with her. We'll only be here for a few days."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Too bad it's so short." Gaara did not reply or move. "AH! I have an idea. Come on and say high to Tsundade-she's really a 50 year old grandma- and Jiraiya -he's a pervert."

"Why would I want to meet people like that?"

Naruto took his hand and started tugging. "Because… they're actually cool people but…um…don't tell them I said that, okay. It'd be bad if they thought I respected them." He grinned mischievously and finally managed to coax Gaara into following him.

Once inside, Gaara was hit with the sound of building full of loud, drunk people. It was almost too much for him but he endured. Naruto pulled up a sit next to Jiraiya and let Gaara take his old spot. Gaara sat down, resting his gourd against the nearby wall. Tsunade gave him a glassy stare for a second before hugging him suddenly.

"It's the little Sand Demon, Gaara!" Gaara flinched. How did she have the nerve to hug him and call him that like it was a title to be adored? "How are you, kiddo?" Gaara didn't answer and Tsunade was too drunk to care. "Right now, I'm challenging Hedgehog Head hear to a drinking game. Who do you think will win? Guess."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You're both about to pass out. Don't expect me to carry you home either. I'm just here to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

Jiraiya clocked Naruto on the skull with his fist. "HEY! Where do YOU get off talking to US about doing something stupid?! Eh!?" Naruto lost his temper and started pulling Jiraiya's hair. "ACK!"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE STUPID! Perverted bastard!"

Gaara started to stand up but Tsunade took his wrist and held him down. Gaara glared at her hand on his wrist. "Don't go, don't go. We're just getting started. Hey! You two act like civilized human beings. You're being rude to Gaara-kun." Jiraiya and Naruto exchanged glances of truce and settled down. "Right. Jiraiya… shall we stop stalling and continue."

Jiraiya was as red as Gamabunta but her nodded all the same. Tsunade poured two small cups and set the bottle down. "Drink number …149. Let's not forget I had you down at 230, Pincushion."

"And I had you the time before at 228, Wrinkles." Tsunade twitched at this and they both emptied their cups at the same time. Naruto started talking to Gaara about the events of the day but the red-haired boy only half listened. He let the loud noise carry him away and he lay absorbed into his own thoughts.

That was until drink 245. Jiraiya was wobbling dangerously. Naruto had him by the shoulders and Tsunade was ready to claim victory though she too looked a little under the weather. Jiraiya slammed his palm down on the table. "I'm not leaving this bar until I've seen you get you comeuppance, hag! Naruto!" He pulled Naruto into the booth seat and sat a drink in front of him. "Take over for me!"

"WHAT?!" Naruto was on the seat ready to punch Jiraiya's lights out. "I'm not your guinea pig!"

"Consider it training brat! If you can't finish off this old mare then you'll never become Hokage!" These words were magic. Naruto promptly sat down and looked across the table at Tsunade.

He grinned. "I'll have you out in three drinks, Tsunade-obasan!"

She grinned back. "Three drinks? Heh. Let's do it."

Three drinks later, Jiraiya was lamenting over Naruto's passed out body. "Damn, maybe I should have started him out on something lighter." He scratched his head. "Well, at least his survived one…"

Tsunade leaned back in her seat. "Giving up, Cactus Skull?"

"NEVER!…"Tsunade's comment gave him and idea. Gaara was snatched out of his reverie as Jiraiya planted him in front of the bottle of sake. "I'll use this kid as my stand in!"

"When will you learn," the Hokage shook her head like a wise sage. "Kids just aren't up to adult challenges."

Gaara was ready to leave. He had enough when, Tsunade made a comment he couldn't not ignore. "Besides, he's no where near as spirited as your last stand in. He's probably loads weaker than Naruto. He won't last a drink."

"I'll last longer than a drink," Gaara said calmly sitting back down. "Don't compare me with that kid. I'm not someone that you can easily underestimate."

Tsundae raise an eyebrow and poured the drink. "You think so? Let's see if you're not all talk, kid." With that, Gaara and Tsunade turned the bottoms of their cups up in unison.

The liquor was warm as it went down and settled in his stomach. The taste lingered in his mouth since it was so strong but in a few moments he felt relaxed. What was it that made Naruto succumb to this feeling. Curiously, Gaara held out his cup. "More." Jiraiya was snoozing in the chair previously occupied by him. Tsunade simple whistled and poured him another cup. Again they drank. Gaara felt more relaxed than last time. The warmth felt good as it spread over his body. He held out his cup. "More."

"Wow, you're not even missing a beat. Better take it easy since this is you first time."

Gaara took the bottle and poured them both another drink. "I'm going to win this. So shut up and drink." He turned the cup up and looked at her. Tsunade felt a second wind coming from Gaara's challenging gaze and they both drank for another hour before Tsunade was too drunk to focus.

Just then Kankuro walked in and over to their table. "This is where you've been. Good thing I walked by this way…" He looked at Tsunade. The Fifth Hokage was grappling with consciouness. Gaara, ignoring Kankuro, tipped up his glass. Tsunade tried to drink but instead placed her forehead on the table in a silent defeat.

"Okay. Let's go," Gaara's cheeks were slightly flushed but nothing was much different about him. As he got up, however, the world spun around him. Colors began merging and he had the feeling that he was falling, falling…

Kankuro caught the red-haired shinobi as he passed out. "You were drinking?" An amused smile replaced the shock. "They never notice until they stand up. At least he held his own." Kankuro, his puppet on his back, picked Gaara up like an infant and left the bar. He figured the Konoha citizens would take care of their own. They weren't friends of his.

Halfway to the hotel, Gaara began to stir. The middle Sand child stopped and put Gaara in a standing position. Honestly, he was getting tired carrying him around. "Hey, wake up."

Gaara looked at his hands and smiled. "I am awake… Very awake."

Kankuro tilted his head. "You okay? Let's go home and get you a cold shower so you can sober up." He tried to put his hand on his little brother's shoulder but Gaara caught it. He held him firmly causing Kankuro's heart to begin to beat furiously. Gaara looked up and smiled happily.

"Why go home? The night's still young!"