Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.

Chapter Summary: In which Naruto accidentally releases a Bijuu and tries to adopt another kid

Bold = Biju speaking


Chapter 22: Release the Beast

"Gaara!" Temari called out despite the terror plastered all over her face. "Please stop! We need them alive!"

The boy dropped the mangled, bloody corpses to the roof beneath them. For a split second Naruto thought he would listen to the girl but as another wave of sand began to rise, he knew it was futile. There was nothing about the Jinchūriki that suggested he was willing to listen; there was only the desire to destroy. His heart twisted in his chest as he tried to think of what could have caused the kid to be this way. He couldn't be older than Rio.

As the wave of sand rose above their heads, Naruto flung the woman's unconscious body behind him to Kazuya. His teammate barely caught her as Naruto rushed forward.

"Fūton: Gurētoharikēnshīrudo!"

He held out his hands, trying to make sure he got everyone within the dome of wind. His dress twisted around his legs as the high speed gale swirled around them. The wave of sand crashed against the shield and Naruto gritted his teeth. The kid was strong. He felt his shield start to weaken as the sand bashed against it; the granules whirling around them, carried by the wind. He tried to think.

This 'Gaara' wanted their deaths and he didn't seem to care if he got the Suna nin in the process. They had to keep what was left of the Nokizaru alive to clear Konoha's name. Maybe if he gave Gaara a target, someone to fight, he would forget about them. He clearly thought him and Kazuya were free game.

"Kazuya, make sure the Nokizaru are safe," he yelled behind him. "I'll lead this guy away so make sure they're secure. We can't afford to lose them!"

Kazuya's reply was lost in the sound of the gale. Naruto released the shield the moment Gaara took a second to gather more sand. He took a deep breath.

"Fūton: Dangan!"

He blew out harshly, launching several small bullets of compressed air towards the Jinchūriki. Gaara threw up his own shield composed of sand and the air bullets burst against it, barely leaving a scratch. Naruto took the opportunity and began to run, launching himself to the next rooftop. He glanced back to see Gaara glaring at him and he jumped, spinning in the empty space between the buildings.

"Suiton: Suishoha!"

He concentrated on the sparse water particles in the air around him, using his chakra to gather some around his hands. He launched it towards Gaara who again brought up his sand to block his attack. Unlike the fūton jutsu, the suiton soaked into the sand, slowing it down. He landed on the next roof, rolling backwards to his feet to continue running. He could hear Gaara finally begin to follow him; now just to survive until he could think up the next part of the plan.

He hopped between the buildings, frantically dodging the sand. He launched himself to the side as a claw made of sand smashed into the roof, leaving a large hole. He flung himself to the next rooftop, the volume of sand growing with each passing minute. Naruto ducked as a spike almost stabbed him, catching the bottom of the dress instead. He knew Gaara must be controlling it but it almost seemed like the sand was alive; like it had a mind of its own.

"Suna Shuriken!"

"Fuck!" Naruto yelled as he danced around the projectiles, accumulating more tears in his outfit.

It might not have been his best idea to provoke and fight a Jinchūriki who could control sand in Suna; a desert with very little water he could as a defence.

He leapt for the next roof but a wave of sand knocked him off balance. He just missed the ledge and his heart soared into his throat as he began to fall. He looked down into the sea of sand below him; all he could think of was the blood from those mercenaries dripping from the sand coffin. He formed the ram seal, desperately hoping it would work despite having so little practice.

"Fūton: Atsugai!"

He continued to fall towards the sand as it surged up to meet him. He pushed more chakra into the technique. Finally, he stopped falling as he slammed into something solid, knocking the breath out of him. He hauled himself up, eyes widening as he took in the empty air beneath him; he adjusted his footing on the invisible platform, the increased pressure supporting his weight. It wasn't the intended use for this technique but he'd take whatever he could get right now.

He looked up to see Gaara staring down at him, his face tight with anger. Naruto maintained the ram seal as he created another platform and threw himself onto it. The second was a bit shaky but it kept him away from the sand which was enough for him. He finally got back to the roof but before he could escape, walls of sand rose up in each direction.

Naruto turned to face Gaara, planting his feet firmly. The other redhead came to rest on the roof, the sand whirling around him. He noticed that the sand around Gaara had faint blue veins running through it but he didn't have time to look at it properly; there was much bigger problem. He couldn't help but stare as a massive, sand limb hung by the boy's side, going up into his shoulder. He switched his gaze to Gaara's face as what looked like an ear began to protrude from the side of his head.

"You will prove my existence," Gaara growled, fury burning in his eyes. "Mother demands your blood."

"What do you mean 'Mother'?" Naruto asked before he had to dodge another swipe. "Gaara, I don't want to hurt you!"

"Lies!" he roared. "You will be killed by me! I will not cease to exist!"

Gaara swung his giant limb at him again and Naruto cursed, flashing through seals.

"Suiton: Mizu Shuriken!"

There wasn't enough water around him to drench Gaara like he wanted to but it still made a difference. Gaara's sand arm became claggy in places and as the Suna nin tried to move it, it was sluggish. Naruto saw his chance.

"Shunshin!"

He reappeared right behind Gaara and barely dodged the tail that had formed. He pulled out a seal, reaching forward through a gap to slap it on the kid's tail. The chakra suppression seal halted the sand in its tracks but he could feel the seal being overloaded; he had to act fast. He tore another seal from the storage space in his dress and dodged to the opposite side of the monstrous arm, thwacking the seal on Gaara's forehead.

The sand was slower than before but he had underestimated the defence; he tore back his arm, blood dripping as the skin was ripped off by the sand. He leapt back, nursing the injury as he waited for Gaara to drop. He was very lucky that sand hadn't managed to grab him completely.

When the boy didn't drop, Naruto took a step back; something was wrong. His knock-out seal never took this long to put someone to sleep. Gaara stood with his eyes closed, sand still swirling around him.

"Thanks for releasing me, kid," a voice suddenly came from the sand around him. "I'll make sure you die super quick before I kill the rest of this pathetic village."

"What?" Naruto stared in horror. "I-I didn't release you."

"Sure you did." The sand around him dove towards Gaara, adding to the sand appendages he already had. "You knocked out my container so I've taken over his body for a bit. Might as well have some fun killing off pests until he wakes up."

"You shouldn't be able to do that," Naruto spluttered, frozen in place. "Your seal-"

"The humans who wrote out my seal were an insult to the art of fūinjutsu," the tailed beast huffed. "It was bad enough they trapped the Great Shukaku within weak humans but to do a shoddy job of it? One more reason to kill them all."

Naruto took several more steps back as the shape began to become clear. A massive sand tanuki sat before him, still growing bigger as it absorbed the sand around them. Soon enough Naruto heard the building begin to crack and he dove for the next rooftop; he turned over onto his back, propped up by his elbows, so he could see what was happening.

The tailed beast roared as the building beneath it finally gave way. Naruto just stared, his mouth agape; the building vanished underneath Shukaku's bulk and as he slapped his tail down, a neighbouring building was also flattened. Gaara was poking out the top of his forehead and his massive tail was taller than any of the buildings in Suna. The tailed beast towered over them, the red light of the setting sun turning his black and yellow hide to gold.

This was bad. This was really, really bad. He may not have anything to do with the bombings but Suna could definitely blame him for this. If there was a village left. He had no idea that Shukaku would be released when Gaara fell asleep. No Jinchūriki seal should work like that. Naruto couldn't help but agree with the one-tail; it was very shoddy workmanship.

This could work in his favour; all he had to do to get rid of Shukaku was wake Gaara up. So he just needed to tear off his seal from the boy's forehead. Easier said than done.

Shukaku turned his golden eyes towards him.

"Now, you first."

Naruto scrambled to his feet, forming hand seals through the pain. He wished he had storage seals on him; he stored water in a few of them for suiton jutsu but he had hidden them with his mission gear when they changed clothes. He could just barely fit a few of his seals in the dress and he was grateful he had.

"Suiton: Suiben!"

He held the water in his hands, battering away the tendrils of sand that stabbed towards him. The sand flopped to the ground under its new weight but it was quickly replaced by new sand.

"I'm not like my container!" Shukaku laughed. "I have access to all my chakra! You can't win against me, human."

Naruto agreed. He leapt up into the air, using his air walking technique to stay afloat. Sand quickly covered the ground he had just been standing on. He glanced up to see the speck of red on Shukaku's brow; he didn't need to win, just get there. He held the ram seal as he launched himself forward, reinforcing his legs to get more distance. He winced at the amount of chakra he was losing as he jumped from platform to platform, getting faster and faster at forming them each time.

"Fūton: Renkūdan."

Naruto's eyes widened as he registered the name of the jutsu. He cancelled his own technique and slammed feet first into the surface of the tailed beast's leg. He immediately began channelling chakra to his feet as he clung to the surface. Shukaku released his attack and Naruto stomach dropped as strong gales whipped around him, almost tearing him off. Once the smoke and sand had dissipated he looked out and saw the destruction. All the roofs of the buildings had been torn off in one straight line, from Shukaku to the village border.

He had never imagined the sand-walking technique would come in handy like this. Ignoring the dizziness as his chakra supply depleted, he ran up the side of the tanuki towards his head.

"You're fast, little human, but not fast enough!"

Shukaku lifted his leg and slammed it back down, disrupting Naruto's footing and demolishing another building. He clung desperately to the loose surface, trying not to fall to his death. He didn't have the chakra to make another platform. He pushed the dregs of his chakra into his legs once more and made one final leap; he tried not to cry in relief as he landed on Shukaku's neck.

The tailed beast roared in fury, trying to bat him off but not quite able to reach him. Naruto crawled forward on his elbows towards the stationary body of Gaara. Finally coming up to him, he ripped the sleeping seal off and sighed in relief as Gaara opened his eyes. The relief was short-lived as he abruptly remembered that there was nothing holding the sand together beneath them.

He reached out to hug Gaara to him as they fell with the rest of sand, making sure to protect the boy's head. He would not have Shukaku coming back if Gaara was knocked out. The landing wasn't as hard as he thought as there was so much sand that it provided a nice cushion for them. They slid slowly towards the ground and as Gaara began to move Naruto slapped a paralysis seal on him.

"Oh no, you don't," he muttered, exhausted. "I don't have the chakra for another fight."

He just lay there for a moment, staring into the darkening blue sky. He was so tired; his dress was ruined. He wished he had some trousers on as the desert night was turning cold rapidly. He wished he could just sleep for a month.

"How..." Naruto looked over to the other redhead. "How are you so strong?"

"I have people to protect," Naruto grinned wearily.

"Why?"

Naruto paused to think about it.

"I don't actually know," he admitted. "It's what I've always done. I want to be there, I want to help, because I know I can make their lives easier. That's my reason for existing; to be there for my precious people however they need me."

He turned to continue staring up at the sky.

"Why do you need to kill to exist?"

"I need to kill them before they kill me," Gaara replied. "I'm a relic of the past they just want to disappear. They've tried to cease my existence so I need to stop them."

Naruto swallowed at the implication in the boy's words; so Suna had made a Jinchūriki and had then tried to kill him off. No wonder the kid felt he had to fight to live.

"So what do I have in this life? Why do I continue to exist? I am alone so I need to look out for my own survival."

"I'm so sorry, Gaara." He sat up. "That should have never happened to you."

The kid just stared at him in confusion.

"My little brother is like you," he continued. "His name's Rio and he has the Kyūbi sealed inside of him. He was treated horribly for it, still is sometimes, and no one except me and a friend would go near him for the first few years of his life. I tried to be there but I could always tell how lonely he was."

He smiled.

"Things are different now. He has so many people that treasure him that sometimes I don't think I'm needed anymore. I look after him but I'm an authority figure in his life, not really a friend." He turned his smile to Gaara. "I'd like to be your friend though. I'm sure Rio would too."

Gaara looked like he didn't know how to process that information.

"You don't have to fight alone anymore," Naruto insisted. "There are people who will love and accept you for who you are. You just have to let them in. Your life will be so much more with other people in it. Love is the strongest reason to live you could ever find."

"Love...?"

Naruto looked up as he sensed the chakra signatures approaching. Temari, Kazuya and the boy with purple face paint ran up to them, shock written over all of their faces. Temari stared down at Gaara.

"You beat Gaara," she said faintly. "You beat Gaara when Shukaku was out."

"I wouldn't have had to deal with Shukaku if you people could do decent fūinjutsu," Naruto grumbled, in no mood for this nonsense.

"Naruto, you survived a fight with a tailed beast," Kazuya insisted. "When did you get so good at fūton?"

He shrugged, too tired to get into it. When he'd realised how much training he was missing out on when he was swallowed by his other duties, it had annoyed him. So he'd managed to squeeze in two nights a week to practice his ninjutsu. He didn't sleep but he would have plenty of time to rest when he was dead. Life right now was too valuable to waste sleeping.

He threw up his hands tiredly shortly before the ANBU arrived and didn't resist as they arrested him. Gaara watched him with wide, green eyes and Naruto made the effort to smile at him.

"I'm going to help you, Gaara. Things are going to be different from now on."


Kazuya stood in front of the Kazekage, trying not to fidget. He glanced over at his friend as he stood beside him, his entire body screaming exhaustion. He had managed to wrap up his arm and some of the bigger scratches on him; he was also pretty sure the redhead had sprained his ankle. He hadn't had time to heal any of it before they were carted off to see the village leader.

The fourth Kazekage was very different from their own Hokage. The man was in his forties with dark eyes and auburn hair that was several shades darker than Naruto's. He was dressed in a green version of Hokage-sama's robe with the kanji for 'wind' etched into his hat. Kazuya felt an uncomfortable crawling feeling as the man's stern gaze swept over them, completely unreadable.

It didn't help that they were still in their dirty civilian garb. The beige shirt and pants were covered in sand and Naruto's dress was much worse, with tears and blood streaked all over it. The fact that Naruto had beaten a Bijuu while in a dress still hadn't sunk in; he was sure they would laugh about it one day.

"We have questioned the remaining Nokizaru and have confirmed that the bombings around Suna were their doing," the Kazekage began. "They are agents of a member of the court who desired to tear down the alliance between our villages. Suna thanks you for your aid in capturing the perpetrators and preserving our relationship with Konoha."

"It was our pleasure, Kazekage-sama," Kazuya bowed deeply.

"So technically you owe us, right?" All eyes snapped to Naruto. "I mean, Suna does."

Kazuya tried to hold in his panic; what was he doing? The Kazekage stared unrelenting into Naruto's equally determined blue eyes.

"What do you want?"

"I want to fix Gaara's seal."

The Kazekage narrowed his eyes.

"It does not require fixing."

"I'm a qualified fūinjutsu specialist," Naruto answered back. "I'm telling you it does."

"And what would you change?"

The Kazekage wore a calculating expression.

"I'd let him sleep," Naruto folded his arms. "I'd make sure he wouldn't hear Shukaku unless he chose it for himself."

"So you're looking to make my weapon less effective?"

Kazuya instinctively held Naruto's shoulder, anchoring him in his place. As much as he hated the Kazekage's wording they had just gotten their charges dropped. They didn't need new ones.

"He's not a weapon!" Naruto snarled. "He's a child and deserves to be treated like one."

"You have no right to dictate how my son should and should not be treated."

Naruto froze.

"He's your son?"

"Yes," the Kazekage drawled.

"You tried to kill your son for your mistakes?"

Kazuya slapped a hand over Naruto's mouth but the words were out.

"You forget your place!" The Kazekage thundered, rising to his feet. "You will not speak to me that way or I will have you arrested after all!"

"I'm so sorry, Kazekage-sama," Kazuya bowed again, dragging Naruto down with him. "He just blurts things out; he's so passionate about fūinjutsu. Naruto, why don't you tell him the benefits of the new seal?"

Kazuya bore his eyes into Naruto's, trying to get the message across. Naruto finally slumped and nodded beneath Kazuya's hand. He let go and they straightened.

"Kazekage," Kazuya elbowed him. "...Sama. This wouldn't only benefit Gaara but Suna too. There would no longer be a risk of accidentally releasing Shukaku; Gaara would be able to choose how much of his chakra he wanted to release and use. He could choose if he wanted to hear the Bijū's voice. He would also retain all his control over sand. There's no way Suna would lose out; a happier, more stable Gaara could only be a good thing."

"And you believe yourself capable of producing this seal? Would there not be risk of releasing the beast when you change them over?"

"I don't have to make a new seal," Naruto shrugged. "I can just modify the one he has."

The Kazekage was silent for a long moment.

"Very well," he relented. "You will modify the boy's seal and then you will leave Suna immediately. Do not come back."

Kazuya started shoving Naruto towards the door before he could open his mouth and cause them more trouble.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama."


Naruto stared down at the seal noted down on the large piece of parchment before him. No wonder the kid was suffering so much, this was horrible. This was worse than his work back when he was a genin and that was saying something; several trees, coffee tables, training grounds, bath tubs, offices and his eyebrows could attest to that.

He drew another couple of lines and sat back to think it over. He couldn't make it as secure as Rio's but he was confident he could at least give Gaara more power over himself. He was trying to perfect the seal on paper before he went anywhere near Gaara. Last thing he needed was to break the trust he had with the kid.

The anger was still simmering in his gut from the meeting with the Kazekage the day before; if he could steal Gaara and give him all the love and respect he deserved he would do it in a heartbeat. Gaara was a product of his environment and Naruto hated it. Just thinking about Rio being treated like that was enough to make him want to break something. He could fix Shukaku's bad influence over the kid but something needed to change in the people around him too; that couldn't be fixed with fūinjutsu.

His gaze flickered over to the edges of the training ground. There were no trees like back home but enough sand dunes to hide the ANBU that lurked around. They had not left his vicinity since he left the Kazekage's office. A large signature sat nearby and Naruto smiled; Gaara had also been following him since then. His chakra was much calmer than it had been the day before.

He looked back down as two familiar signatures landed beside him. It was quiet for a moment as he presumed that they were trying to find something to say.

"Where's the dress?"

Naruto glanced up to see Temari hit the boy over the head.

"Apparently it's not my colour," he replied, amused.

He had managed to get his black mission gear back and he swore he would never leave his scrolls behind again. He might have to tattoo some on his skin so he would never be without them; his right arm was a bit bare compared to his left anyway so it would fill the space.

"We just want to say thank you and we're sorry," said Temari. "I know Tou-san can be a bit stiff so I figured someone should say it properly."

"The Kazekage's your father?" Naruto turned in place to face them directly.

"Yeah," the boy shrugged. "Temari's the oldest, then me, then Gaara."

"And you are?"

"Kankuro."

Naruto considered them for a long moment.

"You know, I have a little brother." He turned back to the parchment. "His name is Norio although he hates being called that. He always says it sounds like someone trying to tell him 'No, Rio'. It doesn't really mean that but whatever makes him happy, y'know?"

The Suna nin were quiet so Naruto continued.

"He's a Jinchūriki too. I can't tell you which because of village secrecy and protocol and whatnot but he's just like Gaara. A baby with the power of a god sealed inside him through no fault of his own."

He finally looked up into Temari's wide, shocked green eyes.

"So that's why I'm a bit confused about why Gaara turned out like this," He said, deliberately keeping his tone casual. "I mean, part of it has been Shukaku telling him goodness knows what nonsense in his head and of course the insomnia, but that doesn't account for everything. There should have been someone there for him; if there was, I doubt any of this would have happened."

Kankuro opened and closed his mouth like a fish while Temari spoke.

"Gaara has always been able to look after himself," she faltered. "He was always threatening to kill us or hurt us so we figured it was better to stay out of his way. He can protect himself; we tried to be there if he ever needed us but he never did."

"Gaara was a sweet kid but we were told to stay away from him." Kankuro seemed to have recovered his bearings. "Before we knew it, Shukaku had warped him into this merciless, killing thing and we were just trying not to die."

"Shukaku didn't warp him," Naruto pointed out. "Shukaku just took advantage of the hurt and the pain and the distrust and used it for his own ends. He has a lot to do with it but Gaara was let down long before that. Of course a kid is going to be threatened when people that are supposed to protect him either try to kill him or ignore him."

"You just don't understand what it was like!" Kankuro yelled down at him.

"My brother was in the same position as Gaara-'' he started to say but Temari interrupted.

"Did your brother ever try to kill you? Or destroy parts of your village when he got mad? Or wrapped you in sand until you couldn't breathe?"

Her breathing was fast and harsh, her eyes glassy.

"No," he replied softly. "I didn't let him have the chance. I raised him from the day he was born, took care of him when everyone else left. Rio would never do that because he loves me and the village; he's never had a reason to hate anyone."

"It sounds like it was so easy for you," snapped Kankuro.

Naruto glared at the boy but stayed seated.

"Nothing in my life has been easy," he shot back. "Raising a kid when I was just a kid myself is the hardest thing I have ever done but I am his brother. His only living family. It's my job to look out for him."

"Did the village hate him as much as yours' hate Gaara? Yes. Did they try to attack him? Yes. Was he ignored? Did people run away from him? Did kids spread awful rumours? Yes. None of that mattered because I was there; I shielded him from as much of it as I could and as a result he was able to see the good in the village. He was able to find people that care about him."

He sighed heavily.

"Look, there's no changing the past. We could sit here forever blaming one thing or another for what happened to Gaara. I personally blame your father. What I wanted to ask is what you are going to do now; if you're going to be better."

"Better how?" Temari let out her own sigh, flopping to the ground beside him. "We can't do anything without him threatening us. He doesn't want our help. Do you think we never wanted to try? I love Gaara, he's family, but you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped."

"I think he wanted help but didn't trust that he would get it," he mumbled quietly beneath his breath.

He continued a bit louder.

"He just needs someone to be there. To make the effort to be there no matter what. To know that someone is going to care if he disappears."

"I know and I want to do that," Temari insisted. "I just don't know how."

"I can't tell you," Naruto shrugged. "You guys have to figure out for yourself how you're going to start mending the bonds between you."

"How old are you?" Kankuro suddenly asked.

Naruto threw him a strange look at the abrupt change of topic.

"Fourteen."

"You're my age," Temari breathed out faintly.

Naruto glanced at her in confusion.

"Yes?"

"How do you sound so old when you're only my age?" Temari frowned. "How did you beat Gaara?"

"I don't know, probably comes with raising two kids," he waved a hand dismissively, looking back at the seal. "I don't really think about it; I just handle things as they come."

He missed the silent exchange between the Sand Siblings.

"You're wind-natured, right?" Temari spoke up.

"That's my main one, yeah." Naruto picked up his brush and added a seal to the top left corner. "Water is my secondary although I'm getting better at it."

"I can teach you some jutsu before you go," Temari offered. "As a proper thanks for what you're doing for Gaara."

"Unless you're into puppets or poison, I'm not much use," added Kankuro.

Naruto turned back to consider them.

"Kazuya is into poisons," he said. "He's at the hotel we were assigned."

Kankuro stood and nodded, walking off in that direction.

"I have to finish this but we can start after." He smiled at Temari. "If you want to stick around?"

"Sure," she smiled back, settling into place next to him as he continued modifying the seal.


"How do you feel?"

Naruto watched Gaara carefully as the boy sat up, one hand going to touch the new seal on his abdomen. The black ink stood out against the pale skin and as Naruto looked over it again, he was satisfied with the result.

"Quiet," Gaara mumbled quietly.

"Can you move your sand for me?"

Gaara moved his hand out so it hovered over the side of the table. Sand immediately curled up through the air, circling his outstretched limb. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Okay, so you still have your sand, that's good," he grinned. "Now we just need you to sleep so we can see if it really worked."

Gaara turned to him and although there was no expression on his face, Naruto could see the hesitation in his eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Gaara." He reached forward and clasped his shoulder gently, squeezing it in comfort. "I'm going to be right here. If that old tanuki gets out, you know I can put him back. I'm not going to leave you."

Gaara stared down at the hand on his shoulder before he nodded. He lay back down on the table and Naruto took out the knock-out seal from before. He placed it on Gaara's forehead and activated it, watching green eyes slip closed. It was a tense few seconds as he waited to see if Shukaku got out. He was well-prepared this time as he kept one hand on the seal, ready to rip it off at the first sign of anything going wrong. He had storage seals filled with water from the nearby oasis for his suiton jutsu.

Nothing happened and Naruto allowed the tension to leave his body. He carefully deactivated the seal and lifted it from the boy's brow. Gaara's eyes slowly flickered open and Naruto smiled down at him.

"It worked, Gaara," he said softly. "You're free."

The boy sat up once again and stared down at his hands. Naruto's own eyes widened as he watched Gaara's fill with tears.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Gaara. This is a good thing!"

"I know," Gaara said solemnly. "I do not know why my eyes are leaking."

Naruto laughed and he brought Gaara into a hug, holding him there until he felt the kid relax. He had figured out the sand only lashed out and shielded him if Gaara felt any ill intentions or danger towards himself. It was there to protect him; if Gaara felt comfortable and safe, then the sand would remain dormant. Naruto only wanted the best for Gaara so the sand hadn't touched him since the fight with Shukaku. He hoped this helped him realise that not everyone was out to hurt him.

He felt the ANBU flare their chakra at him in warning. It was time to go; the Kazekage had been abundantly clear that they were to vacate the village at the first opportunity. He was already dreading debrief; this mission had been a shit show.

"Walk with me to the front gate?"

Gaara quickly nodded and jumped off the table, shrugging on the beige shirt that Naruto handed him. They left the training ground as Naruto sunk the table back into the earth. He opted to take the rooftops to avoid the civilians and as they ran along quietly.

"You know, I sometimes think about how Rio would have been without me to look after him. Would he still be the same sociable, loud, happy kid or would he have gone down a darker path?"

Gaara looked over at him in surprise.

"Who is Gaara without Shukaku?" Naruto mused. "I mean, your lives are always going to be intertwined with the other. That's just part of being a Jinchūriki; but can you say that you have something in your life that is entirely Gaara? Something that Shukaku hasn't influenced nor convinced you to do?"

"...no."

"You're going to have to come and visit Konoha sometime." He continued casually. "I know Rio would love to meet someone else like him and I'm sure Sasuke would love to train against that ultimate defence of yours. Maybe we can even find a hobby for you; something you're passionate about."

"Would I be welcome in your village?" Gaara replied, his voice soft.

He'd noticed since he had beaten Gaara several days before; the boy was quiet. He was reserved and showed little expression. It wasn't a surprise considering the lack of social interaction he'd had so far in his short life, but Naruto had a feeling that even when he opened up, Gaara would still be on the quiet side.

It was a change from back home where he was constantly surrounded by loud and colourful personalities; even Sasuke, the calmest of the bunch, could get extremely vocal when he was wound up. He loved that bright and busy atmosphere but it was hard to realise how tired he was until he stepped away from that.

"Of course," Naruto smiled brightly. "You can stay with me. Everyone in my home knows about Rio and they love him to bits; even Sasuke has been suckered into friendship. They wouldn't care about your tenant."

Gaara just nodded once and they continued on, finally coming to the front gate. Kazuya was waiting for him alongside Temari and Kankuro.

"How'd it go?" Kazuya called out as they landed in the street and began walking towards them.

"It worked!"

Temari took a step forward.

"Is it true? Gaara can't hear Shukaku anymore? He won't be released if Gaara falls asleep?"

"Ask him yourself," Naruto replied as he came to a stop in front of the group, pushing Gaara forward gently.

She turned to her brother, obviously still nervous around him. Naruto knew that wouldn't be fixed in the few days he had been there but maybe it could be a start.

"Gaara? Are you okay?"

Gaara stared back at her impassively but Naruto could see his own nerves hidden behind his eyes.

"I am fine. Shukaku is no longer in my head."

A wide smile broke out on Temari's face.

"That's great!" She said sincerely. "I'm so happy for you, Gaara."

"Me too," said Kankuro, although he was more subdued than Temari.

Naruto clapped his hands before the atmosphere could become awkward.

"So I guess we better get going," he announced. "The Kazekage might actually arrest us if we say a second longer than necessary."

"I think he's wrong," Temari spoke up. "You are the best thing to happen to this family in a long time. If it were up to me, you'd always be welcome here."

Naruto lifted his hand to shake hers.

"I appreciate that."

He proceeded to shake Kankuro's but pulled Gaara in for a proper hug.

"Just remember," he whispered into his ear. "There are people out there who care about your existence. You have nothing to be worried about; you'll always exist to us. Just try to let your siblings show you that too."

He pulled back and ruffled Gaara's hair, the kid's face twitching into a frown as he reached up and tried to put it back in place.

"So not that I don't love the dry, hot, rough vibe you guys have got going on, but I have sand in places I didn't even know sand could reach so we should go now." Kazuya waved a hand, slowly dragging Naruto out the front gate and ignoring the guards. "We'll see you next time."

Naruto threw one last smile and wave before he turned and followed Kazuya out of Suna. They continued in silence until Naruto couldn't feel the village anymore.

"So that was officially the worst mission we have ever done," said Kazuya. "Even the Land of Rivers wasn't that bad; we didn't get arrested or practically banned from the country."

"It wasn't that bad," Naruto rolled his eyes fondly as Kazuya whipped round to stare at him.

"Naruto, we got framed for terrorism and almost caused an international incident. We somehow managed to save the Kazekage and arrest the culprits but we then destroyed a good part of Suna, let loose a tailed beast and got arrested by the ANBU. I'm pretty sure you still caused an international incident with the Kazekage! And now the most dangerous kid in the country, Suna's Jinchūriki, follows you around like a lost puppy!"

"Hey, I got some new fūton jutsu out of it and you got some poison recipes. We also managed to help a hurting kid. Not a bad mission in my book."

Kazuya just face palmed.


Hiruzen tapped his desk as he took in the two boys before him.

Naruto and Kazuya both looked worse for wear and they had good reason to be from the mission report they just gave. Konoha had received many messenger hawks from Suna over the past week and it had not painted a pretty picture.

"So you had quite the mission."

They remained quiet and Hiruzen continued.

"You somehow managed to cause and resolve an international incident on the same day. Rasa-dono has also expressed that he does not wish for you two to be sent to his village for future missions."

He caught the glance that Kazuya threw to the younger chunin.

"Are there any more countries you wish to cause an international incident with? You have two of the four major villages, Suna and Kumo; if Iwa caught wind of your identity, Naruto, you would almost have the full set."

"Respectfully, Hokage-sama," Naruto gritted out. "I didn't know they were incidents at the time."

Hiruzen sighed heavily.

"We are going to get to the bottom of the identity of the client and you two will not be involved. I will arrange to collaborate with Suna to discover the full details of what went wrong and how we can prevent the same happening again. In the meantime, I feel that you should see this."

He placed two Bingo Books near the edge of the table and Kazuya stepped forward to grab them, chucking one to Naruto. The pair opened it and Kazuya's eyes widened.

"We're in the Bingo Book?"

"You are B-Rank in the Bingo Book."

"I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," Naruto mumbled under his breath. "We annoyed a lot of people at the chunin exams."

"In light of this development and how you handled the events in Suna, you have received a field promotion to Tokubetsu Jounin. Kazuya, in the field of medical jutsu and poisons, and Naruto, in the field of fūinjutsu and sensing. You will report to the Registry after this meeting to complete the paperwork."

He could read the shock all over their faces.

"We're the same rank as Genma-sensei?" Kazuya blurted out.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but he hesitated, closing his mouth and remaining silent.

Hiruzen felt a sting in his heart; Naruto was no closer to forgiving him for the lies after the Uchiha Massacre. He had to accept that their relationship will never be like it was. Naruto hadn't called him Jiji in over three years. He had Rio who occasionally dropped by to talk and send time with him and Konohamaru was growing up fast but it still hurt.

"You both have grown over the past four years since your last promotion," he said. "You have risen through your respective departments and have built a strong reputation in Konoha. I have no doubt that you will be ready for the Jounin exams in only a few short years. This incident with Suna was only a catalyst for you; I was considering your promotion before this."

"Thank you so much, Hokage-sama," Kazuya bowed deeply, trying to hold back his emotions.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Naruto said respectfully, his bow slightly shallower.

"For Hari missions, you will no longer report to the Desk first." Hiruzen sat back in his chair. "You will report to Nara Shikaku, the Jounin Commander. He will dispatch you on missions and put you to work in your new capacity. However, you will still keep your jobs within the village. Your pay will reflect your new rank."

He waved a hand towards the door.

"You may go."

The pair turned towards the entrance and walked through the door. Hiruzen filled his pipe and lit it, taking a deep breath of smoke. They might be some of the best shinobi Konoha would ever produce; if they could stop stumbling into incidents with other villages.


Fūton: Gurētoharikēnshīrudo - Wind Release: Great Hurricane Shield
Fūton: Dangan - Wind Release: Air Bullets
Suiton: Suishoha - Water Release: Water Palm Wave
Suna Shuriken – Sand Shuriken
Fūton: Atsugai – Wind Release: Pressure Damage
Suiton: Mizu Shuriken - Water Release: Water Shuriken
Shunshin - Body Flicker Technique
Suiton: Suiben - Water Release: Water Whip
Fūton:Renkūdan – Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullets

Thanks for reading!