Author's Note: So I took down the original version of this chapter from the site and decided to rewrite it. Credit to zx20000006 for providing the ideas for this rewrite. I kept the first half untouched since that was just worldbuilding.
Chapter 1:
The two Jinchuriki meet
"Naruto! Wake up!" Minato said. The six year old Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What is it Dad, it's so early…" Minato chuckled. "Well, I'm about to go to the Village Hidden in the Sand to meet with the Kazekage, and I wanted to tell you goodbye."
Minato wasn't sure how to react at first when he received the message from the Kazekage inviting him to Sunagakure for a possible alliance. It might have been a trap, a way to get the Hokage into unfamiliar territory and capture or kill him, putting Konoha in disarray. Or maybe, Minato thought, they really want to take a step towards peace. After all, it's been years since the Third Shinobi World War, and Suna has no grudges against us that I know of. So, he had decided to accept, bringing a small group of ANBU to accompany him.
Naruto blinked. "You're going to the Hidden Sand?" "Yeah, I'm going to meet with the Kazekage-" Minato didn't get to finish his sentence. Naruto jumped out of bed, full of energy. "I'm going with you!" Naruto exclaimed. Minato chuckled, going down on one knee to face Naruto. "Naruto, you can't come with me. You might get hurt, plus, the Kazekage and I are going to have long, boring talks, and I doubt you would want to sit through that." Naruto pouted. "That's still better than staying here and doing nothing. Besides, all the people in the village are going to look at me with their angry eyes again."
Minato softened. He had always intended for Naruto to be treated as a hero instead of a monster when he sealed the Kyuubi inside him, yet the people of the village still resented him for hosting the demon fox. "I know, Naruto, but-" Once again Naruto didn't let him finish. "If you don't let me come, I'm going to spend the entire time you're gone with Jiraiya-sensei." Minato sighed in defeat.
. . .
They were walking through the village, on their way to meet with the ANBU guard to begin their journey to the Hidden Sand. Jiraiya had visited often since the Sandaime Hokage's death, and this was one of those times he chose to visit. Minato liked that Naruto and his godfather got along easily, but he didn't want to leave Naruto alone with Jiraiya, in case Jiraiya tries to teach Naruto how to conduct his kind of "research", so he relented and let Naruto come with him. After all, if anything did happen, Minato trusted that his skills would be enough to protect Naruto.
They passed by a couple of Uchiha as they walked. After the Nine-Tails attacked the village, the people had started blaming the Uchiha for the attack. In order to quell the rising tensions (and with reports of a rising coup d'etat), Minato had let the Uchiha deeper into the village, making the police force open to anyone wanting to join and letting them live outside of the Uchiha district, in the heart of the village. After that, one of Minato's ANBU, Shisui Uchiha, used his Mangekyou Sharingan's Kotoamatsukami to make the Uchiha Elders satisfied with this change, and ultimately quell the rebellion, with the support of Minato and the disdain of Danzo.
Danzo Shimura, Minato absentmindedly thought, and remembered how he had removed him and the other council members from their seats of power, disbanding the council altogether, though he was still unsure whether Danzo's Root division was truly disbanded or still under his control. In the hokage mansion, he surrounded himself with people he felt he could trust to care about the village, such as Shikaku Nara and Uchiha Fugaku (who he not only found trustworthy but also felt it would improve the relationship with the Uchiha clan). He also allowed the various clan heads to reach out to him with any issues to try and improve the overall state of the village. Though I wonder if I'll ever be able to do anything about the Hyugas and their curse seals, he thought to himself.
They finally reached the village gates, Naruto still energetic after finishing the instant ramen he had cooked and eaten on the way there. I should really get Naruto to eat something that isn't ramen, Minato thought. "You sure you're ready for this, Naruto? It's gonna be a long journey." Minato said, looking down at the young blonde. Naruto stretched his small arms. "Believe It!" He exclaimed. He really is just like his mother, minus the red hair, Minato mused. That blonde hair is something he inherited from me.
. . .
They had been traveling for some time, but they finally reached the Land of Wind's border, though it was already nighttime. As they ventured closer to the village itself, they felt that something was off. "Lord Hokage, I think there's smoke coming from the village." One of their ANBUs pointed out. A serious look appeared on Minato's face. "Let's check it out."
They immediately sprinted towards the Hidden Sand Village, and after a few minutes of running, they could hear shouts and cries coming from the village. When they entered the village itself, it was in chaos. Villagers were running around and screaming, while many sand ninjas on the rooftops were barking orders to each other, all focusing on the Kazekage Mansion.
The Kazekage's office was nearly destroyed, with thick clouds of smoke billowing out of it, but many buildings nearby were not so lucky, many being completely demolished. A small figure was standing in the wreckage of the office, and seemed to be the cause of all the commotion. It was a boy who couldn't have been older than Naruto, with red hair and a gourd on his back, but it wasn't what everyone was panicking about.
It was the gigantic arm and tail made out of sand that protruded from the boy, one side of his face also being covered in sand, giving him a monstrous look. But what captured Minato's focus was the words spoken by one of the sand ninja.
"Lord Kazekage is dead!" Minato looked at the sand ninja, then back at the boy.
The whole situation bitterly reminded Minato of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha six years ago.
If that child was able to kill the Kazekage, who knows what else he's capable of, Minato thought to himself. I must step in. "Rat!" Minato called. The named ANBU member immediately appeared at his side. "Take Naruto and the others away from the village, find somewhere safe along the border." The ANBU disappeared to follow Minato's order. He wouldn't let Naruto get hurt.
After hearing Minato's shout, the sand ninja noticed his presence. "Are you the Hokage? What are you doing here?" One of them asked. Apparently even sand ninja recognize the Yellow Flash. Minato jumped up onto the rooftop they were standing on. "Well, I was going to have a meeting with the Kazekage, but now it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon." He sighed. "So what happened?"
"It all started when Lord Gaara went up to the Kazekage's office," A sand ninja started. "They seemed to have just been having a conversation, but then the office blew open, and we saw Lord Gaara in that state, his father Lord Kazekage having been pierced by his arm. So far all we've been able to do to restrain him while waiting for the Puppet Corps to arrive is throw explosive tags attached to kunai." "So that explains the smoke," Minato said. "Alright, all of you stay here. I'm going to engage that boy." Before the sand ninja could protest, Minato was gone with a yellow flash.
The boy called Gaara felt invincible. The explosive tags the ninjas threw at him didn't even leave a scratch. He had even been fast enough to kill his father, after having been called a "tool" and "the village's property". Now, he was strong. Now, he could kill. I'll kill them all, he thought maniacally, though he could no longer differentiate his own thoughts from the voice in his head. I'll kill them all and prove I'm more than a-.
A three-pronged kunai suddenly landed with a thunk in the floor next to him. Then he heard a yell. "Rasengan!" He saw a blonde man flying towards him, a blue orb of chakra swirling in his palm. Gaara let a bloodthirsty grin take over his face, and waited for the man to get closer before swinging his sand arm. But the man disappeared just as he was about to connect.
A hand suddenly slammed into his stomach, belonging to the blonde man, who had reappeared next to the kunai on the floor. Where did he come from!? "Five Pronged Seal!" Minato yelled. The boy flew a few inches forward before landing softly on the floor, his transformation already receding. Minato checked on the boy, who seemed to have fallen unconscious after getting his chakra sealed. Minato let out a sigh. "What to do now…."
. . .
After everyone in the village were informed that the situation was contained, Minato had asked to talk to the Hidden Sand's Council, who were in charge for now that the Kazekage was dead. They were sitting in one of the surprisingly undamaged rooms in the Kazekage Mansion. Also accompanying them was a village elder named Lady Chiyo, who had apparently been the one to seal the One-Tail inside Gaara when he was a baby (This confirmed Minato's suspicions that Gaara was a Jinchuriki).
"We appreciate your help in incapacitating our Jinchuriki, Lord Hokage, but why did you ask for this meeting with us?" A council member asked. "Since I was the one who stopped his rampage," Minato said. "I want to know what you're planning to do to him now, that your Kazekage is dead."
"Well, the plan is obvious," Another council member started. "We will have Lady Chiyo extract the Demon from the boy and place it back in the giant sealing pot, that way we can keep it until we find a better, more controllable candidate to be our Jinchuriki."
Minato narrowed his eyes. "You know that will kill him, right?" The same council member scoffed. "So? Many people lost their livelihoods because of that boy's actions tonight. In a way, he is paying for his sins against the village with his life."
"You say that like that's his fault." "And how is it not his fault? He is the one who went on a rampage."
Minato sighed. "Well, to me tonight's 'event' looks a lot more like the result of lousy sealwork, rather than the boy's own choices." Lady Chiyo glared at him. "Excuse me? Lousy sealwork?" Minato gave her a pointed look. "Yes, your seal was enough to keep the tailed beast in, but the seal itself is imperfect. The beast can influence his thoughts, messing with his mental state."
Lady Chiyo and the council looked unconvinced. "And how do you know this?" A different council member asked. "I'm a sealmaster; I took a look at his seal earlier, and it's just as I'm telling you right now." The council members were silent, until one spoke up. "Imperfect or not, the seal itself does not matter anymore. We have already decided to extract the demon. Really, you should not concern yourself with our affairs any longer, Lord Hokage. We need to start working on fixing this economic crisis caused by tonight's attack."
Minato took a deep breath. "I have a counter-offer for the boy's fate." Everyone in the room turned to look at him. "I want to buy him off you for 10 million ryo. You said yourselves, many villagers lost their livelihoods tonight, and the damage has placed you in an economic crisis. If I buy him off you, the money I can provide will surely be more than enough to pay for repairs and give the affected villagers new occupations, fixing your crisis."
"Hmph! You just want to take our Jinchuriki." A council member said. Minato glared at him. "Well, I can always go plan B," Minato said coldly. "I simply take him right here, right now, without paying. And none of you will be able to stop me." He relaxed a little. "Or," He started. "You accept my offer, and kill two birds with one stone; fixing your economy, and not having to watch over Gaara and worry about his actions anymore. So, which will it be?" He eyed the council members.
One spoke up. "Why do you care so much about this boy anyway? You don't even know him!" "I care because none of this is his fault. The faulty seal is letting that demon mess with his head, and now he's going to die for it. Plus, I am not the only talented seal master in Konoha. I can easily get Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin to help me fix his seal, and give him a chance at a normal life." Minato finished.
The council argued amongst themselves for a bit, though very few seemed to actually be against Minato's proposition, many being more attracted to the prospect of more money. C'mon, you greedy bastards, Minato thought. Accept my offer.
After a bit more arguing, the council became silent. After a moment of silence, a council member finally spoke. "We have decided to accept your offer. Take the boy, he is no longer our problem." Minato smiled, noting the sour looks from two council members. "Good, I'll send a well-protected envoy to deliver the money the moment we get back to Konoha."
Unbeknownst to any of them, Gaara had woken up long before the meeting began. He had heard the entire thing, and felt indebted to the blonde man for saving his life. "Oh hey, you're awake. That's good." Gaara looked up and saw the blonde man's face, grinning at him. "C'mon Gaara, let's get you out of here."
As Gaara walked with the man, he thought to himself. Can he really fix me? Can he make the voice go away? Gaara heard a sinister laugh deep in his thoughts and shuddered.
"Lord Hokage, why did you save me from them?" Gaara stopped walking and asked Minato. Minato also stopped walking. "My son is a Jinchuriki, just like you."
Minato said. "Also, Life is unfair for Jinchuriki. I didn't want to see you be a victim of being one knowing I could have done something about it. Plus," He smiled. "You could be good for Naruto. I'm sure you two will be fast friends." Minato scratched his face. "Look, we'll fix your seal when we get back to Konoha, so you won't have to suffer for much longer. Oh yeah, and since you'll be living with us when we get back, you're gonna be named Gaara Namikaze. That alright with you?" Gaara nodded. "Also, call me Minato."
. . .
They made their way back to the border, where their ANBU guard and Naruto were waiting. They looked warily at Gaara, but Naruto seemed more confused than worried. "Okay guys," Minato said. "This is Gaara, He'll be coming back with us to Konoha, where I'll officially adopt him." The ANBU looked uncertain about this decision, but said nothing.
"So, does that mean you're my brother now?" Naruto said, stepping up to Gaara. "I guess he is." Minato said, grinning. "You two better get used to each other, you'll be living together from now on." Naruto thought for a second, then hugged Gaara. "Cool! I've never had a brother before." Gaara, who was definitely not used to physical contact, had a look of panic on his face until he realized Naruto meant no harm, and slowly hugged him back.
"So Gaara, huh? My name is Naruto!" Naruto said, letting go and giving Gaara a wide smile. "H-hi Naruto." Gaara said, trying and failing miserably to give Naruto an equally warm smile. Naruto winced. "Might wanna work on your smiles." Gaara stopped smiling, feeling awkward.
"Well, now that you two are well acquainted, let's go home." Minato said. "Finally! I haven't had Ichiraku Ramen at all today!" Naruto exclaimed. "Oh Gaara, do you like ramen?" Naruto asked Gaara. "I've never had ramen." Gaara responded. Naruto stayed silent, then turned to his father. "Dad, we need to get Gaara to Ichiraku right now." "Well, let's get moving then." Minato said, and they began their journey back to Konoha.
. . .
They took a break in the forest about halfway near Konoha, to let the children rest. Gaara and Naruto sat together, while the ANBU and Minato were watching the area and talking together. "So, it's not like I don't enjoy having a brother, but why did you leave the Hidden Sand?" Naruto asked Gaara. Gaara thought carefully about what he would say. "I did a bad thing," He said. "And the old people wanted to kill me."
Naruto looked shocked. "Why would they want to kill you?" "Because I'm a monster." Gaara said. "Even before I did the bad thing, everyone hated me. The other kids would run away from me, and adults would look at me like I did something wrong. My father called me a tool, and said that I belong to the village."
"Why would they hate you?" Naruto asked. "They hate me because there's something in me, it makes everyone scared of me. And it speaks to me, and makes me do bad things, and it won't let me sleep, and it's what makes me a monster." Gaara finished, getting teary eyed. "I don't think you're a monster." Naruto said quietly.
Gaara froze, listening to Naruto. "Even if you do bad things, it doesn't mean you're a monster. Even if there's something inside you, I know you can still be a good guy," Naruto went on, his voice getting higher. "And you're not a tool! You're just a kid, like me! You can still have dreams, and aspirations! You can still live your life, and you don't have to worry about what other people think! Worry about what you think of yourself! Stop calling yourself a monster!" Naruto finished, out of breath. He took a moment to catch his breath, before speaking again, calmer this time.
"I know what it feels like, though. To be hated. Everyone in my village looks at me with their angry eyes. It feels so lonely, because even if I just said to forget what others think, it still hurts." Naruto said, also getting teary eyed, before snapping out of it. "But we don't have to hurt anymore Gaara. We have each other now." He smiled at Gaara, who looked struck by Naruto's words, his cheeks wet with tears. I'm, I'm not lonely anymore, Gaara thought. And neither is Naruto.
"Thank you Naruto." Gaara said, and he smiled the most genuine smile he could at Naruto, who beamed. "Now that's how you smile!" He said, chuckling, Gaara joining him. After chuckling, they went silent, enjoying each other's company. "Naruto," Gaara said. "You said I could have dreams and aspirations. Do you have a dream?" "My dream?" Naruto said. Then he grinned. "My dream is to become Hokage! I'll make everyone who hates me respect me, that'll show them!" He said proudly. Gaara looked awestruck.
"Thank you, Naruto." He said. "I think I know what my dream is now." "Really? What is it?" Naruto asked. Gaara grinned at him. "That's a secret!" "Whaaaaaat, but I just told you my dream!" Naruto protested. "I'm not telling." Gaara said. Naruto continued to pester Gaara for the rest of their break, with Gaara unwavering. My dream, Gaara thought to himself, is to help you achieve yours, Naruto.
