Obviously this isn't mine or it wouldn't be on If I introduce any OCs, I'll put it in the pertinent chapter. Otherwise, charries belong to Masashi Kishimoto and co, plot (or lack thereof) is mine, setting is a collaboration.

Those of you reading the story will notice that, wow, I went from one long ass shapter to six so-so chapters. Yes, I cut the original down into chapters since I got enough reviews to warrant posting it and it's awkward to just replace the chapter with larger and larger chunks of test, so... Anyhow, a lot of it is the same as before, but there are sections I would re-read because I've added to them, specifically chap. 2 'The Konoha-nin saved! Back to Heal!', I think. After thatthe new stuff should start on chap. 5 'A New start: Friends and Family'so go for it. Also, The chapter names are supposed to be reminiscent of the episode titles in the series. Like? ) ((Stupid banning my smileys! I have to use the chat ones now! XP))

Also, there are some scenes from the anime where I put the first line or two of dialogue but, for my purposes, the whole scene was not necessary. However, I may go back and get the full dialogue from the scenes in question so those who aren't as far along as I am will not be left out of the loop.

Anyhow, whether you like it or not, please review. Things to note in a review, or things I'd like to see:

1. If there are any errors in grammar, spelling, or my japanese fragments, tell me what and where-ish in the document. in particular, is it chuunin or chunnin? I forget!

2. Any indescrepincies in the character - any noticeable changes, especially if it looks like something that might have been an accident.

3. Any thing or scene you just don't like so I might come up with a different way to handle the issue better next time.

4. Any thing or scene you do like so I can beam with pride.

5. Because is horrible, it messed up my breaks and formatting, so if there's a spot where it seems to divide into a new scene, tell me where-ish and the scenes involved. I think I got all the breaks in but I may be missing some yet...

6. Anything else you notice or would like to comment on.

7. If you want to flame, please do, as I think it is hilarious. I laugh and laugh and laugh.

All right, as far as spoilers this is accurate (though fairly vague) up until Orochimaru captures a certain character (the character is revealed if you read though). From there, it takes a turn from the series, though where I can tie it in, I have.

Warnings include colorful language (mostly on kankurou's part), said spoilers, Gaara's psychoticness and that's it for now but if more comes then I have plans for some shounen-ai and later yaoi, so if you're not interested you may want to avoid this rather than getting caught up.

Sorry for all the notes, guys! >.> Normally I hate to do that, but...

"That kid must have really walloped Gaara somethin' good, huh, Temari," Kankurou stated more than asked. The Suna no genin had returned to their village a short while ago and the two were playing Go. Gaara was being treated (or rather, doctors were forced to attempt to approach the suna no bakemono and treat him) at a local hospital, though the two didn't expect him to be there long. Still, it meant a welcome reprieve of the crazy little shit's presence, and they enjoyed the temporary peace.

Temari nodded, laying down a piece and smirking faintly as she removed several of Kankurou's in a long awaited move. "Yes. Still... He apologized to us... That's... What do you suppose made him do that?" she asked as Kankurou frowned, having completely missed Temari's strategy until it was too late. He planned well enough in combat or for missions, but in day-to-day life he simply didn't think in such terms. It was too frustrating to do so if it wasn't necessary.

Kankurou shrugged, scratching his head as he tried to think of what to do next. "'Dunno. I kind of think that that little Konoha genin knocked some sense into him. At least, temporarily," he said with another gracious shrug, laying down his piece casually and taking one of Temari's. It was nothing to the trick she'd pulled, but it was something. Kankurou never won anyhow. He just lost less than the last time. Or tried to.

"Speaking of, which of those two do you think actually beat him? Remember, there was that loud kid and that one, Uchiha Sasuke," Temari pondered. She guessed Uchiha, since he seemed stronger, and Gaara had been interested in him, but there had also been signs that the Uchiha might have only got there a few minutes before. But that the blond kid had done it... that seemed illogical.

"Uzumaki Naruto..." a cool voice said. Temari and Kankurou looked up in shock as the paper door slid away smoothly, revealing Gaara carefully carrying a tray with a teapot and three cups. "The blond one," he clarified, walking over with his usual quiet steps. "I made tea," he stated unnecessarily, offering the tray to Temari.

Temari forced a weak grin in place of the surprise and even touch of fear she'd shown at first realizing Gaara had stumbled in on them talking about him. He didn't usually like people talking about him... he'd killed people just for looking at him wrong on a few unforgettable occasions... Only two or three times since he'd gotten a semblance of control over his powers, but it had happened before... "Arigatou, Gaara-san," she said, taking the tray gingerly. She set it down on the small table the Go mat rested on as Gaara fetched a spare cushion like those Temari and Kankurou sat on from the corner of the small, mostly plain room.

As Gaara sat down gracefully, with a sort of gratefulness at being no longer encumbered by that awkward gourd, Kankurou tried to find a discreet way to shift away from his younger brother. "I thought we could drink together," Gaara said, glancing at the two to ascertain their thoughts. Kankurou and Temari shared a wondering glance and then Temari pasted another awkward smile on and carefully poured tea into the three cups.

"Of course, Gaara," she said, passing him a cup and then another to Kankurou before taking her own. The three drank almost in unison and Gaara and Kankurou winced, as Temari tried to politely hide her displeasure at the bitter tea. Gaara was not one for domestic tasks, but he'd assumed it would be easy enough to boil water and put tea bags into it. What had he done wrong?

Gaara set the cup down, looking faintly frustrated. "This isn't right." Kankurou set his down with a sigh of relief that was a little more audible than necessary, glad he didn't have to choke down the willow bark tea used for curing headaches to appease his insane younger brother.

"Don't worry," Temari said, as her smile seemed to become more genuine (though whether it was was anyone's guess) and she gathered the cups back on the tray. "I'll put this away for later, and bring something else. Just a moment," she said, standing and carrying the tray off. Kankurou glanced at his brother, who appeared intent on the game on the table, wondering what exactly was going on in the chibi bakemono's head. For several moment's, they sat in silence broken only by Kankurou's occasional uncomfortable fidgeting. He did not like being left alone with Gaara.

"You have the black pieces, right?"

"Huh?" Kankurou asked, startled. He'd been lost in thought, a rather rare occurrence for him. Still, this seemed like the proper occasion, since there was quite a lot to think about.

"You play black, don't you, Kankurou?" Gaara asked again, sounding oddly patient. That is, most people found he spoke tonelessly, but his siblings and the few other people who'd survived being in his presence frequently had been able to pick up on the slight changes that would signal his mood. Usually, if Gaara had to repeat something, he would sound frustrated. But not this time...

"Uh, yeah. Yes, I play black..." he said, taking a moment to remember what he'd been doing before and then wondering what Gaara was getting at. Gaara tapped a square, and Kankurou squinted at it.

"Play here next," Gaara said. Kankurou squinted harder as though it would improve his concentration, then relaxed and grinned as he saw what was going on. He nodded, crossing his arms. Apparently, Temari had set herself up for a fall and counted on Kankurou not to notice. In a few moves, Kankurou would recoup his losses easily. He was still confused by Gaara's behavior, but for the moment, it seemed to be working for him, so whatever. Maybe that loud Konoha genin had knocked some sense into his little brother after all.

Soft footfalls could be heard and a moment later Temari entered the room with a tray bearing two teapots (one about half the size of the first) and clean cups. "Here," she said, placing it on the table before sitting down cross-legged. "I made orange tea for me and Kankurou, but there's green tea for you, Gaara, since you don't like sweets..." she explained, pouring out the fresh, piping hot tea.

"Arigatou," her brothers echoed as she passed out the new cups. The sweet, spicy orange tea, and even the plainer green tea Gaara favored, was a decided improvement. Kankurou couldn't help but grin as he inhaled the delicious scent. Temari wasn't exactly a master of the kitchen either, but she was really good at a few meals, and she made a mean cup of tea.

With that, Temari took her turn as Gaara watched in silence, and, after a while, Temari and Kankurou relaxed to the point that they could almost forget Gaara was even there. Still, some decade of fear of him meant that they could not drop their guard altogether. Thus, the game continued in silence.

"Kazekage is dead," Baki stated without preamble. He'd found the three as Temari and Kankurou were preparing for a second game to tell them. The two older siblings' eyes widened in shock, and then Kankurou clenched his fist angrily.

"How?" he demanded.

"Orochimaru-sama."

"I knew we couldn't trust that snake!" Kankurou growled.

Temari and Gaara were silent. Unlike Kankurou, who was apparently outraged at his father's death, Temari wasn't sure what to think. Actually, she was surprised at Kankurou's vehement reaction. The Kazekage had never been close to any of them, more interested in Gaara's abilities than anything else, without actually caring about Gaara... As far as Temari was aware, since they had been old enough to learn about the shinobi way of life, he had considered them as tools like the other shinobi, with the same limited affection he felt for the others. He had not been a better leader than father, causing war after war costing the suna village a heavy toll. And the creation of Gaara...

Gaara stared at his hands in his lap and tried not to smile. That was a monstrous thing to do, never mind the fact that he had all the reason in the world to hate the man and dance on his grave. Still, he hadn't been looking forward to finding a way to talk to (let alone appreciate) his father. It was easier this way, almost. He was willing to try to get to know his brother and sister better, and have a real family. To be saved from the hell of loneliness, he'd try it. But his father... It was better he was dead.

"There'll be a proper ceremony for him in a few days. You two will be expected to speak," Baki said. He didn't need to clarify which to - it was obvious they could not allow Gaara to speak. Not about that. "There are others I must alert," Baki finished, leaving the three to their own devices again.

After a few moments Gaara broke the silence. "The tea is getting cold. I'll go reheat it."

Temari sighed, wiping at her eyes. At least it was over now. It had taken three days for all the preparations to be made for the Kazekage's funeral, and along with that was the added pressure and stress of negotiations to avoid war with Konoha. But the funeral had taken place, she'd said her bit and the peace delegation had left some time ago to meet with Konoha representatives. For better or worse, it was out of her hands.

The funeral had been harder than she'd expected. Trying to come up with something good to say about her asshole father had been difficult. Actually saying it had been harder, but she'd managed to choke out some tears by thinking of the people who had died - the Konoha shinobi and civilians, Suna people lost in her father's wars, including her former best friend Katari, and those Gaara had killed. It was all her father's part - after all, she could hardly blame Gaara for having been driven insane by the Shukaku their father had sealed within him, though she could fear him for it.

For his part, Gaara had remained silent and had generally stayed a pace back and right of Temari, like a strange, dangerous shadow. He had stayed near her and Kankurou for the past three days without threats of any kind, and as far as she was aware, he had not killed anyone. That was odd, though somewhat comforting. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he was just getting better at hiding the signs. Just what the hell happened to him in Konoha, anyhow? she wondered. Even in just three days, it was clear something was changing about Gaara.

Important people, huh? I want to try. Family is supposed to mean important people...Can Temari and Kankurou be important people to me? Can I be an important person to them? It was another late night on a rooftop, watching the three-quarters full waning moon. These times were given to thinking, and since the fight with Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara had many new things to think about. He hadn't been sure what to do, still wasn't. But he knew he didn't want to be a monster anymore. He didn't want to be lonely, and Naruto had said he could escape loneliness. Actually, Naruto had said he'd escaped loneliness, but surely Gaara could do it too, now that he knew there was a way.

He'd thought loneliness had made him strong because he'd never been defeated; he'd assumed none of his opponents had been lonely enough. But Naruto had gained power from his important people, had been ready to give anything for those people. He had tasted that Hell and escaped with more power. Gaara wanted to do that. Naruto had a monster in him, but had not let it devour him. Gaara wanted to find a way to keep his tanuki from devouring him.

So, the first step was important people. Gaara had known no where else to start, so he'd decided on Temari and Kankurou. They'd survived around him longest, and he knew that he was supposed to think of them as family, and that most people considered family important people. Still, it was hard. It was difficult, rewriting everything he'd thought he'd known about life and love. As much as he wanted to escape the life he led, he couldn't just throw away the memories - perhaps there was even a part of him that was afraid. After all, what if these new theories failed him? It was easier to stick with the old and wonder than to try and find it hopeless.

Temari and Kankurou weren't exactly receptive either. They'd feared him too long -they tolerated him staying near because they were afraid to argue, but Gaara was very sure that they were merely tolerating him. But what am I supposed to do? How do I make them think of me as an important person? How do I make myself think of them as important people? He winced and his hand shot to his forehead. He tried to hold back a groan as the headache hit full force, complete with Shukaku's revival of old, best-forgotten memories.

Or was it Shukaku? He wasn't sure any more how much of what he did was his own insanity and how much Shukaku's prompting. It was another reason he wanted to change - to have important people, and leave loneliness and being the bakemono no suna behind. He did not want to fulfill his mother's dying wish for him - to be a devil who loved only himself. "I was not raised in a good environment..." he muttered. He would overcome that. His Kaa-san was the sand, his Dou-san was the scorching sun and his family was Temari and Kankurou and the desert. At least he knew he could trust the desert, sand and sun. He was trying.

"Temari-chan!" Kankurou bellowed, rushing through the halls of the house that now belonged to the three of them. At least their father had left them that, as well as a fair amount of wealth, though not enough to allow them to stop being shinobi, as though that option was open or even considered. "Temari!"

"Oi, Kankurou, what's the ruckus over?" Temari said, sliding her door open irritably. She'd been reading and had been quite immersed. If Kankurou didn't have good news then he would be risking his life.

"The alliance with Konoha has been sealed-" Kankurou began to explain, when Temari cut him off.

"Really? That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, glomping him enthusiastically and beaming like the sun. An alliance meant one less enemy, one less possible war.

"Yeah, now get off me!" Kankurou half growled, pushing his sister away. "At any rate, there's a condition. They need suna no shinobi to help them because they don't have enough people to handle all the missions they get while rebuilding too. They've had to send out a team of genin lead by a chuunin who was just picked from the exam we took on an A-class mission. But since Suna's having trouble too, we have to go help Konoha-nin." Kankurou explained gruffly, not appearing very pleased with the idea of helping the Konoha-nin.

"We're going to Konoha again?" asked a familiar cool voice. Gaara had been reading with Temari, but had not come to the door at Kankurou's summons. Kankurou had not realized Gaara had been in Temari's room as well and jolted a touch in surprise.

"Hai," Kankurou said simply.

Gaara appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. "Good," he said, and Kankurou could've sworn he saw something resembling happiness in his little brother's eerie eyes. "When?"

"As soon as we're ready," Kankurou replied, remembering the leader of the delegates' words. You need to be there yesterday! That screechy woman had made him practically jump out of his own skin. He supposed that the council in charge until a new kazekage was found had decided that Konoha would agree to anything to get rid of that shrill old hag.

"Let's go," Gaara said, standing up and detouring briefly to his room to fetch the gourd he carried when they wouldn't be in the desert. Kankurou shrugged. He supposed it was as simple as that. As Temari grabbed her fan and tossed on some armor, he fetched his puppets. He couldn't wait to try out Kuroari! He grinned - maybe this little mission to Konoha wouldn't be hell.

"Oi, Gaara? Just what happened after the third Chuunin Exam? When you fought that Uzumaki kid?" Temari asked as the three raced through the desert to Konoha. It was a cautious question, but Gaara seemed less homicidal lately, so she took the chance.

Gaara glanced at his sister, considering how best to answer that question. "I thought I was powerful - I thought fighting for myself made me strong. But... He won. Barely, but he did. He didn't fight for himself; he fought for his important people. I thought they made him weak, but they didn't..." He shook his head. That wouldn't make sense to them; it only barely made sense to him, and that was probably only because he was just insane enough to understand. "He's like me. He has a monster sealed within him... He was alone too... He knew me." Did that make any more sense? Gaara wasn't sure, though by the confused glance Temari gave him, he guessed it didn't. He knew me... Maybe you had to be insane to understand it... Maybe you just had to know loneliness. Was Naruto insane? He didn't think so. But he'd understood. Maybe you just had to know loneliness to understand...

"He had a monster too? A demon like Shukaku?" Temari asked, confused. How could there be two of them? Two young boys damned like that? Had Naruto been a pawn like Gaara? And if so, how come he wasn't mad like Gaara?

"That's what he told me," Gaara replied, wondering what kind of demon Naruto had and, like his sister, wondering how Naruto was still sane. There was something to be said for Naruto's important people. That was all he could think. The three continued on til they reached the borders of fire country, when they stopped in some of the forest land by a stream for a break. If they rushed to help the Konoha-nin to the point of exhaustion, they'd be useless. Gaara, more than anything at that moment, wanted to be of aid to the Konoha-nin.