Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 00, you know, the first one you see…
Spoilers through chapter 244.
Human Nature
By: TailFear
Beta: Asteroid Blues
Chapter 03: Adaptation
"Where are we going?"
The two chuunin were hopping across the rooftops of Konoha, following paths high above the ground, a secret path of sorts. After 16 years the village had finally expanded all the way to the village's walls, then started building up. Rooftops were overlapped, sometimes build in a haphazard fashion that made them look like they were going to fall at any second. Trees were incorporated into construction, acting as main support beams and sometimes parts of walls. With new construction due to ninja related damages (hence the insurance that all buildings now came with; ninja or ninja related accidents), the rooftops were prone to change.
"We're going to see Tsunade-baba. She said something about coming to see her after our initial "settling in" week was over," Naruto said, shrugging. "She said something about a mission to work on teamwork."
"Aa."
Tsunade's office was, as usual, busy, even early in the morning. Dark-haired Shizune nodded to them as they entered the reception area, motioning for them to wait until Tsunade was free. Naruto shrugged and sat in one of the chairs that lined the wall, Gaara choosing instead to lean against the wall next to Naruto, gourd at his back. They didn't have to wait long, one of the ANBU standing guard outside of Tsunade's office nodding to Shizune, who sent them in.
"Gaara, Naruto, please sit down," Tsunade motioned for the two chuunin to sit down, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her desk. Naruto and Gaara sat, both keeping an eye on the elderly woman sitting in a third chair, a purring cat in her lap.
"Your mission is a class-C escort," Tsunade glared when Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes, shutting the blond up. "You two will be escorting Aoishi-san to Cloud Country as simple bodyguards; protecting her from bandits and other dangers that are found on the road."
Tsunade looked over the two boys in front of her, one impassive, one rolling his eyes. She knew that a class-C mission for two shinobi of chuunin level was demeaning unless done solo, especially considering the skill level of both Naruto and Gaara.
"This is also a mission to start building teamwork," Tsunade explained, catching the eye of both boys. Naruto settled, listening as she continued on, "I know that both of you are probably angry about your situations, and its not the fault of either of you. But we need to have you working well together, as well as you can, for both you and your two villages."
Naruto opened his mouth to question her, but was cut off as Tsunade continued, "The two of you are special, unique in ways no one else but you two can understand. Because of this, only the two of you can figure out each other best and then improve upon your skills as an individual and a team. You have my complete trust in the both of you."
Naruto closed his mouth, blue eyes blinking into Tsunade's as he watched her in silence. Gaara was also watching her intently, dark-rimmed eyes guarded. A few time the boys' eyes would flicker uncertainly to look at each other, their minds turning as they processed what Tsunade had said.
"Now," Tsunade continued, breaking through their thoughts, "I need to introduce Aoishi-san to the two of you before you leave to pack for you mission that starts in little over an hour."
The elderly lady got up from her chair, turning so that she could see both of the boys that were going to be her bodyguards. She was short, with graying hair in a bun at the nape of her neck and dark brown eyes. The sneer on her face told the two boys exactly what she thought of them. Carefully she placed her feline on the floor before she leaned against Tsunade's desk.
"The red head looks competent, but the blond, well," here she paused, smiling down at Naruto who was already watching her suspiciously, "the blond looks like a spaz."
"Hey!" Naruto protested, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am not a spaz!"
Tsunade sighed as the calm in her office disintegrated into a war zone as Naruto gave the elderly lady as good as he got while she and Gaara watched from the sidelines. The blond only managed to stay in his seat with the aide of Gaara's sand holding him against the chair as the woman casually leaning against the desk as she examined her nails during the banter with her soon to be bodyguard.
"You do realize that we only have 45 minutes to pack and get to the gates, and that includes saying good-byes, don't you?"
Naruto looked over at Gaara, quitting the argument with the woman in favor of giving his partner a wide-eyed look. The red head gave him a flat look in return before calling his sand to retreat, freeing the blond chuunin from his restraint.
"Sorry, Lady, but I've gotta bail. See you in half and hour," Naruto waved as he sauntered out the office doors. The remaining three watched him go, all either rolling their eyes or suppressing the urge.
Gaara nodded to the two women before leaving, disappearing in a swirl of sand as he left. Tsunade sighed and shook her head as Aoishi took her seat, leaning back with satisfaction.
"That little runt sure has grown up," Aoishi commented, smiling to herself.
"You knew him when he was younger?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow in the other woman's direction.
Aoishi snorted, "Sure, he and his gennin team, along with their slacker of a jounin instructor, escorted me to Cloud Country before." She snorted and shook her head, smiling to herself as she remembered.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked, steepling her hands in front of her as she leaned forward.
"The whole way there he argued with his dark-haired teammate, while at the same time getting beaten up by that little pink-haired girl for insulting her crush. My cat, Hoshi, also kept running away, and he would always lose whatever challenge they thought up and would come back covered in scratches, but with Hoshi purring in his arms," Aoishi smiled, eyes crinkling. "It was an amusing trip. What happened to the other two from his team?"
Tsunade's smile dropped as she heard Aoishi's question, a few lines appearing on her face. Aoishi's smile also dropped, and feeling that she'd hit a sensitive subject, started to raise a hand to wave the question away, but Tsunade answered before she could.
"His dark-haired partner ended up leaving, abandoning the village and their team, and is now labeled a missing-nin," Tsunade nodded as Aoishi shook her head . "The girl is a student under me, studying to be a medical-nin while continuing to train with another team, as well as Naruto and now his new partner."
"I always knew that girl had spunk," Aoishi smiled, breaking the tension in the room.
"She manages to cow most of the boys her age," Tsunade smiled back, leaning back in her chair comfortably. "She's doing much better than I expected, all of them are."
-
Naruto rummaged through his drawers, tossing the occasional piece of clothing onto his bed that was already cluttered with scrolls and various pieces of weaponry. He also had a pair of combat boots that were going to replace his normal ninja boots for the purpose of blending in once they reached Cloud Country. Gaara had appeared a little while after his pile started to grow, just watching quietly as the blond figured out what he wanted before disappearing into the rest of the apartment.
"What about this?"
Naruto looked up to see Gaara holding a large oiled canvas umbrella that he had gotten in Wave Country year ago, then stashed in the small closet situated at the end of his dining room. Naruto shrugged, not really sure why Gaara would want to take an umbrella, but didn't see why not too.
"Bring it along if you'd like. I think I have another in there as well."
Gaara nodded and disappeared again, taking the umbrella with him as he moved into the rest of the apartment. Naruto shrugged again and continued to pack, folding his changes of clothes and bandages before shoving them into his mission pack, stowing weapons, and scrolls in various holsters. Quickly he disappeared into the bathroom, changing into a pair of loose black pants, a short sleeved fishnet shirt, and a blue shirt over it.
He met Gaara in the bedroom, the other boy dressed similarly to him with a green shirt instead of blue, without a vest to show their rank, and only their hitai to show that they were ninja at all. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the umbrellas as he and Gaara pulled on their boots and strapped on scrolls and weapons. As Naruto threaded his belt through his mission pack Gaara tossed him one of the umbrellas, keeping the other for himself as he shifted until his gourd and leather strap were situated comfortably across his chest and back. Naruto blinked, then shrugged and found some extra rope to tie a strap with so that he could keep it on his back.
Before they left Naruto went into the kitchen and stocked up on non-perishable foods and a small pot. Water purifying tablets from his small stock also went into the pack, as well as a few plates, a skewer, and Ramen. Gaara looked through the bag and nodded, adding the last of Naruto's fruits to it as well.
Together they set out, Naruto locking the balcony door behind them, then shrugging at Gaara's questioning look (it was kind of hard to tell if the look was questioning or condescending, so Naruto chose to believe it was questioning) before jumping off the balcony and onto the next roof. It didn't take very long for the two boys to arrive at the training area where the others were in the middle of their morning session.
"Where are you two going?" Sakura asked, stopping her training in order to go over to Naruto and Gaara.
"We've got a mission, so I figured we'd drop by to say good-bye," Naruto said with a shrug, ducking when Sakura tried to hit him for sticking his tongue out at her.
"Be safe," Lee said, standing next to Gaara. During the week Lee had started hanging around Gaara when Naruto wasn't there, showing the other boy around Konoha and keeping him company as Gaara settled in.
"Have you told anyone else?" Sakura asked, keeping an eye on Neji and Tenten as they practiced simple hand to hand contact.
"No, we don't have the time. Can you tell everyone else?" Naruto asked, smiling when Sakura sighed and nodded.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Sakura asked, looking up at the blond boy.
"It should only be a week," Naruto answered after frowning in thought. He looked over to Gaara who nodded. Sakura smiled at the two boys and hugged Naruto before letting the blushing boy leave.
The two chuunin arrived minutes before Aoishi did, giving them time to double check their packs and weapons before she showed up. She appeared from down a side street, a pack on her back and her cat in her arms. The two boys watched her as she approached, staying quiet until she stopped in front of them, looking them over.
"You still don't look like much," she said, looking Naruto over again. He rolled his eyes, but managed to keep his mouth shut, instead trying to figure out why he recognized her.
"Well, lets get going, I want to be there within the next week," Aoishi said before turning to lead the two boys out the gates and into the surrounding woods.
As soon as they were on the road Naruto and Gaara spread out, Naruto taking point while Gaara covered the rear, his sand giving them a better defense from behind. It was a nice day, sunny and warm, creating a peaceful atmosphere for their journey. Both ninja were wary, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. They stopped once in the early afternoon for lunch, then continued on, mostly silent. Occasionally Aoishi would insult Naruto which would start a small fight, but eventually they'd all fizzle out, leaving the group in silence once again.
They stopped for the night in a small clearing that was a few meters off of a small side road that they'd taken when it started to get dark. A small fire had been built in the center of the clearing where Naruto prepared dinner. Aoishi had unrolled her bedroll close to the fire, preparing to sleep after dinner was eaten, leaving the boys to figure out their own sleeping arrangements.
Gaara chose a place under the largest tree while dinner was cooking, watching Naruto and their surroundings as Naruto unrolled his bedroll under a tree close to Gaara's and also close to the fire. Dinner was a quiet affair as the three of them ate in silence, dishes wiped off with a cloth wet from Naruto's canteen before being put away again. Aoishi waved to them before rolling over and falling asleep, leaving the boys to determine the watch schedule.
"I can take first watch," Naruto offered as he finished packing the dishes away.
Gaara blinked at the blond's offer, "Why?"
Naruto shrugged, looking off into the distance over the fire, "Even if you don't sleep you could still probably use a break."
Gaara watched the other boy for a while before nodding and settling against the tree behind him, resting his gourd against the tree beside him. When Gaara's eyes were closed Naruto left his bedroll and jumped into the tree above him, settling on a broad limb and leaning against the trunk of the tree as he got comfortable. From his perch he could see over the whole clearing and into the surrounding woods.
Around the middle of the night Naruto jumped down from the tree, landing silently on the ground. He made his way over to Gaara and crouched in front of the other boy, just watching him for a moment. Gaara's face had lost its normally harsh lines and was calm, undefended. It felt weird to Naruto to see the other boy like that. Carefully he reached out and shook Gaara's shoulder, pulling his hand back quickly as the other boy's eyes snapped open.
Gaara nodded and sat up straight, stretching for a moment before pulling the leather strap over his head and settling his gourd on his back. The blond boy wrapped his bedroll around him, pillowing his head on his arms as he laid on his stomach.
"Hey, Gaara?" Naruto's voice stopped Gaara from jumping into the tree above for his watch. Gaara turned to look over at Naruto, who had turned onto his side so that he could look at Gaara.
"What?"
"What were you doing, since you weren't sleeping?"
Gaara watched the other boy for a moment, eyes guarded as he considered the question. "Chakra control."
"Chakra control?" Naruto asked, watching the other boy's face.
"Yes, chakra control," Gaara said before disappearing into the branches above. Naruto sighed and pulled his bedroll tighter around him, trapping the warmth in as he fell asleep.
The next morning they headed out early. Naruto moved mechanically, eyes half closed as he packed up from the night before, ignoring the taunts of Aoishi-san. Gaara watched him out of the corners of his eyes as the blond moved lazily. Aoishi-san did the same thing, trading a few wary looks with Gaara over the blond's head.
They set off slowly, eating breakfast as they walked, the two boys falling into position in front and behind of Aoishi-san. The morning sun cleared off most of the mists that had been crawling around, trapped under the trees. Except for the occasional taunt the group was silent, only the sound of Aoishi-san's footsteps on the road.
Gaara suddenly stopped, a hissed signal to Naruto stopping the other boy as well. Aoishi-san took the hint and they all stood, not moving a muscle as they listened to the quiet woods around them. Naruto blinked, then turned and nodded to Gaara. The red head smirked viscously and melted into the trees, leaving Naruto to take care of anyone that attacked Aoishi-san headlong.
A gray-clad bandit appeared before them, head covered in a bright bandana. Naruto watched him impassively as Aoishi-san moved to go stand behind him, effectively shielding herself from view. The blond fingered the ringed handles on his kunai, the threat obvious to his foe.
The bandit grinned lazily, twirling a spiked ball on a chain in his hands as two more bandits appeared behind him. Their gray costuming blended well with the dispersing mists, allowing them to fade in and out of nature almost at will. Only the lead bandit had his face uncovered, the other two wearing some sort of mask or covering. All three had weapons out, tensed and ready to fight.
"We can't let you guys get by here unscathed," the leading bandit said, shrugging his shoulders.
"It would be best if you leave before you get hurt," Naruto said, still fingering the handles of his kunai.
"Too bad. You're walking our road, and giving us nothing," the bandit replied with a smile. "We just can't let that go, now can we?"
Naruto shrugged and threw his kunai, dodging the spiked ball that was thrown in his direction, forming the hand seals for Kage Bunshin that gave him an extra body to help him. The clone protected Aoishi-san while Naruto took on the task of taking out the bandits in front of him, trusting in Gaara to take care of any others that he couldn't see.
Another kunai found its mark in one of the masked bandit's thigh, toppling him over just long enough for Naruto to send a kunai flying, squarely hitting the bandit in the throat. The other two scattered, sending a few volleys of knives and a ball and chain attack in Naruto's direction, causing him to dodge and use a less flashy version of Neji's Kaiten to knock the weapons out of the way.
The slithering sound alerted him only a second before he jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the sand that came bursting forth from the ground behind and below him. An added flip gave him the momentum to land in front of the clone protecting Aoishi-san. Gaara appeared beside them, umbrella opened and hanging over his shoulder lazily. Naruto noted the splatter, but didn't say anything, calmly pulling his umbrella over his shoulder and opening it. Gaara nodded in his direction and stepped forward, grinning maniacally as the bandits found themselves trapped in sand up to their knees.
There was a glint in Gaara's eyes that made him keep his clone active, instead of dissipating it like he would have otherwise. Aoishi-san watched them impassively, standing up from where Naruto's clone had knocked her into the dust in order to protect her, still keeping behind both Narutos. As Gaara stepped forward Naruto angled his umbrella up and forward to deflect anything that came from above or ahead, motioning for Aoishi-san to come further under the umbrella.
Gaara's grin spread across his face, doing more than just flashing teeth at the unfortunate bandits that were trapped in front of him. Naruto winced as he heard sand swirl higher up on the bandits' bodies, drawing panicked cries and squawks from the unfortunates.
"Sabaku Sousou no Jutsu."
Aoishi-san's eyes widened at the sound of rushing sand and bones breaking, and a sick, wet sound and the following sounds of splattered matter hitting the stretched canvas. Naruto waited until only silence was heard before lowering the umbrella, instructing his clone to cover Aoishi-san's eyes from the carnage.
Gaara was standing in a clean circle, completely surrounded by dark red, umbrella still open above his head. Sand was starting to return to him, swirling in lazy red-gold circles as his gourd was reformed with the leather strap. His eyes were still a little wide, and his breathing a little strained, but he looked calm and composed, or as calm and composed as Gaara could look.
Gaara led the way away from the scene of the battle, both Narutos following him, the clone still covering Aoishi-san's eyes. The next few minutes were silent, both boys watching warily for any attacks that they had missed. Aoishi-san was uncharacteristically quiet, her usual taunts directed towards Naruto absent with the rise in tension.
Once they were far enough away Naruto dissipated his clone, freeing Aoishi-san. Gaara watched them impassively as Naruto checked himself and Aoishi-san for wounds, leaving Gaara to deal with himself. Naruto had picked up a few cuts and scrapes, but nothing deep enough to need bandaging. Gaara, as usual, was unscathed, and was using his sand to clean off the worst on both of the umbrellas. Aoishi-san was unharmed and getting over her shock with an ease that had to have come from experience, some color returning to her cheeks as she started to relax once again.
"Well, that was certainly eventful," Aoishi-san said, blinking at the two boys who shrugged. Gaara finished cleaning the umbrellas and shook them out, handing Naruto's back to him.
"So how many more bandits are we to expect on this trip?" Naruto asked, starting out in point position as he usually did, Gaara falling behind.
"Not too many more. You've probably just taken out the main bunch. I recognized the unmasked one from the journey here," Aoishi-san said, as if it weren't a big deal.
"They were worthless," Gaara said, a hint of a snarl in his voice. Naruto glanced back, but didn't voice his concern..
"They've taken out most of the caravans that I've talked to," Aoishi-san said sternly. Gaara snorted, and caught Naruto's rolled eyes, but didn't comment.
It took two more days after the bandit incident to get to Cloud Country, then another to find the city that was Aoishi-san's destination. They had only been attacked once afterwards, and Gaara had taken care of them as efficiently as he always did. There had also been a delay when Aoishi-san's cat had decided to escape, leading Naruto on a merry adventure through the surrounding woods while Gaara stood guard.
The city in Cloud Country was almost big enough to rival Konoha. Naruto watched their surroundings with the wide eyes of one who had never really been to a big city before. Once in the city Naruto and Gaara switched positions. Gaara had more experience with bigger cities, and led them to the hotel that Aoishi-san had specified.
"You two can stay the night in the adjoining room, if you wish. As of now your mission is over," Aoishi-san said after she had checked in. The two boys looked at each other and nodded, dropping most of their excess mission supplies before rejoining her in the main room.
"We're going to explore," Naruto said, nearly hopping with excitement.
"Don't get lost," Aoishi-san said as they left, waving them off from her perch on her bed.
Gaara led the way as they entered the bustling crowds that filled the streets of the city. More than once he had to reach back and grab the blond's hand when Naruto started to wander off, his feet following something his eyes had seen. Naruto was like a little kid in a candy store, trying to look at everything at once while deciding what to buy. The blond was almost at a loss as people rushed around him and vendors tried to sell their goods.
"You look stupid."
Naruto turned to look at Gaara, his eyes still trying to take in everything at once. The red head was giving him an impatient look that would have most likely scared anyone other than Naruto himself.
"I've never been to a city this big before," Naruto said.
Gaara snorted and rolled his eyes, and set out again, heading for a nearby Ramen stand. Naruto blinked when he saw his partner leaving, then hurried to catch up, yelling for Gaara to wait. They sat on two stools and ordered, Naruto ordering enough Ramen to feed two people while Gaara ordered one bowl.
They ate in relative silence. Gaara was keeping an eye on their surroundings and Naruto as he ate. People were giving both him and Naruto wary looks as they walked as far around the duo as they could. Gaara noticed, but Naruto didn't. The blond boy was off in his own world, watching the people that passed by. Gaara noticed that the blond boy's gaze lingered the most on families, couples, pets, and children, a look akin to longing passing over his face from time to time.
"Hey, Gaara?"Naruto's voice had a plaintive air to it.
Gaara looked over at the other boy, giving him his attention, still slightly miffed that the blond had stopped flinching when meeting his eyes. Naruto looked almost like a lost child, with wide eyes and an almost pleading look.
"What's it like to have siblings?"
The question caught the red head by surprise, making him blink. He thought about it for a moment, trying to decide what to tell his blond partner.
"When I was young they were kept away from me, because I wasn't trusted to be safe," Gaara murmured, growling softly. Naruto kept silent, turning his gaze into his noodles. "Then, after Yashamaru, I was given the same teacher as my siblings. Baki trained me with them as a team, but also trained them to fear me. After a while Temari stopped listening to Baki and tried to befriend me, and also convinced Kankuro, but by that time I was too far gone. Then the chuunin exams happened, and I guess I opened up again. Temari was still afraid of me, but she kept trying. They're there for me when I need it."
Gaara lapsed back into his normal silence, eyes narrowing, and his sand shifting against his back in agitation. Naruto kept looking down, a slightly pained expression on his face that was wiped away when he felt Gaara's eyes on him.
Naruto smiled widely at his partner, eyes scrunched a little, "I'm glad that they're there for you and aren't terrified."
Naruto's smile stayed on his face as they paid and left. Gaara kept an eye on his partner as the blond bounced around from stall to stall as they moved through the city's center, doing some shopping and charming most of the girls that he came across. Naruto hadn't gotten halfway down the street before he had at least three girls following him and talking with him, basking in the energy that the blond gave off in abundance. Gaara was content to either keep ahead or trail behind for a while as his partner chattered away, eliciting some squeals of surprise and laughter from the girls following him.
But under his smile Naruto was still alone, and Gaara could see it in the blond's face. With a smile Naruto waved the girls off and rejoined his partner, ignoring the way people parted around and in front of the red head with averted eyes and nervous faces. Naruto turned his chatterings onto his partner, translating the occasional grunt he got in reply.
It was night by the time they got back to the hotel. Neither boy was particularly tired, but Naruto was still looking a little overwhelmed. Occasionally the blond had stood still while Gaara had browsed some of the weapons stalls, critiquing some of the more unusual weapons that he found with a practiced eye, despite the fact that his sand could create almost any weapon he wanted with the help of a little chakra. Naruto's face would lose its smile as he spied upon families and couples with longing open on his face. After a few moments he would realize what he was doing and would shake his head, bringing his smile back onto his face when Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow in his direction.
"I'll secure the room," Naruto said as they entered. Gaara watched as Naruto checked the windows and doors and set traps. Gaara nudged some of the sand out of his gourd and sent it to the corners of the room, setting up a secondary security system in the room.
Naruto left one window almost unguarded, trusting Gaara to dodge the noise-trap as he came and went. With a wave Naruto went to sleep, plopping down face-first in the single bed as Gaara took off out the window. Cloud Country had cool nights, raising goosebumps on Gaara's arms as he prowled.
The city was different from Sunagakure and Konohagakure. As soon as the sun started to go down the lights started to dim and people went home, happily chattering as the masses thinned. The red head watched from above as the streets slowly cleared, even the bars shutting down earlier than anywhere else he had been. For a while he just sat on the highest roof he could find, watching the streets below until restlessness overtook him. He moved through the town, just watching as people settled down and fell asleep. It was something that he didn't normally see in Suna, and something that he hadn't had time to check out in Konoha yet.
Eventually Gaara returned to their apartment, skillfully avoiding the noise-trap and setting another once he had closed the window. He watched the blond boy sleep for a while, noting the tension in Naruto's shoulders that was slowly dissipating as his body recognized Gaara's presence. Gaara watched Naruto sleep for a while, smirking when the boy rolled over and muttered something about not turning into a girl for the pervert again. Even in his sleep the boy couldn't stay still. Gaara shook his head and took the book that he had picked up earlier in the day out of his pocket and prepared to finish the night.
End of Chapter 03Sabaku Sousou – Desert Graveyard.
Thanks to hogo-chan, Patty, Lady-Frisselle, Garnet-Crystals, Hime Shinidama no Megami, and Lostlily for your awesome reviews!
Note: There may not be an update within the next two weeks due to family coming into town…but there may be a one-shot.
Thanks, as always, to Asteroid Blues for beta-ing!
Edit: Do I get payed?
No.
