"We will now begin the second round!" announces Genma. "Would Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara of the Sand please come to the arena."
A hush falls over the arena. Naruto stirs. He lifts his head, climbs off his grandmother's lap and walks down to the railing separating the audience from the arena. He jumps down into the arena.
Gaara is nowhere to be seen.
"GAARA!" Naruto yells. "GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME!"
In a swirl of sand, Gaara appears opposite Naruto. "Forfeit and I will spare your life."
"How about we go all out?" says Naruto. "No screwing around with pathetic jutsu: throw everything you've got at me, and I'll throw my best at you."
"Why do you still wish to fight me after you have seen what I can do?" demands Gaara. "Why throw your life away when you could forfeit and live?"
"Because you killed my friend," says Naruto. "So I can't let you leave without settling the score!"
Gaara laughs maniacally. "And that's exactly why you can't win. As long as you fight for the sake of others, you will never advance beyond your current level. Only one can remain undefeated, and only he will know what it feels like to truly exist. Forget your friends: fight for yourself."
"You're insane," growls Naruto. "Forget my friends?"
"If you let trivial feelings like friendship and loyalty cloud your focus you will die!"
"Keep talking while you can!" says Naruto. "I'm about to shut you up for good, dattebayo!"
"Begin!" commands Genma.
Naruto glances up at Iruka-nii, making sure that he is doing what Naruto asked. While he was sitting on his Grandmother's lap, Naruto used a chakra link to tell Iruka-nii that he will need lots of space to fight Gaara, and to ask if Iruka-nii would put up one of the barriers they learned from the Temple of Joe Scrolls. Naruto sees Iruka draw the seal and activate the barrier.
"Let's get to it, then," says Naruto, pulling out a kunai and throwing it straight at Gaara. Gaara's sand rises to block the kunai, and Naruto shunshins behind Gaara, punching him in the back of the head.
Thank you, Shisui.
Gaara stumbles forward and sends a wave of sand at Naruto. "How dare you!" Gaara growls.
"What happened to you?" askes Naruto.
"I told you already," says Gaara, directing his sand at Naruto.
Naruto erects a barrier to block it. "I know, but that's not enough! Surely there is more to it! I know there is more you are not telling me!"
"WHY DO YOU CARE!?" demands Gaara, as Naruto glares into his eyes.
"Because I was once like you," says Naruto. "I was alone too. I understand, Gaara. You can talk to me."
"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME?" screams Gaara.
"THAT'S WHY I WANT YOU TO TELL ME!"
"Fine, if you must know…"
As Kazama listens to the crazy Sand genin's story, she feels an immense sadness come over her. This little boy is so much like Naruto it hurts. Gaara's father is a Kage, like Naruto's. Gaara is avoided, mistrusted, feared - like Naruto. Gaara had an uncle looking after him, an uncle who loved him. Naruto had foster parents who shut him in his room and pretended he did not exist. Someone leaked the information that Naruto is a jinchuuriki when he was three years old. Everyone knew what Gaara held from the beginning.
Children called Gaara bad names because their parents did, and ran away from him when he just wanted to play. He couldn't control the sand that leapt to attack anyone who hurt him. The only children who did not bully Naruto, ignore him, make fun of him or run away from him were his friends. Gaara never had any friends.
Kazama finds herself wiping tears out of her eyes as Gaara tells how Yashamaru taught him about love. She has to pull out her handkerchief when Gaara recounts his attempt at apologising to the boy he hurt earlier on the day he is telling Naruto about. Kazama is glad, at least, that that dangerous sand stopped Gaara from getting hurt. Naruto often came home with bruises he claimed he got from falling over or training. Kazama never called him out, but she always knew that those bruises came from villagers who hate Naruto. She would hug him and tell him to be careful, while trying not to find and murder the little #### who hurt her grandbaby.
Poor little Gaara held onto his sanity by the thread that connected him to his mother. Naruto holds on because he has her and Arashi and Iruka, and that little gang of troublemakers. Gaara only had Yashamaru and the promise that his mother loved him.
And in the end, that was taken from him.
How would Naruto react if his family was taken from him? Would he go crazy too? Would he somehow hold himself together?
Kazama is finally beginning to understand the harsh reality of the shinobi world, and she does not like it.
Rasa's knuckles turn white as he grips the the arms of his chair. What he did to Gaara never really sat right with him, but it was necessary for the village's safety.
But to hear it from Gaara's point of view…
To learn for the first time that Gaara was just beginning to understand love, just beginning to realize what it means to love another…
And Rasa took it all from him…
But there is no room for regret when you are a Kage. What he did was necessary.
Rasa steels himself, makes his face blank.
Judging by the expression on Gaara's face, he is about to go beserk. They will all see then why he must destroy Gaara before he destroys the Hidden Sand.
Fugaku's eyesight is a little blurry and damp. He is glad for the sunglasses. He knows that most people will probably guess he is wearing them to cover his tears, but tears fall.
Fugaku's tears haven't stopped falling for a while.
Not since that child who killed his daughter started telling Naruto its backstory.
Fugaku clenches his fists in anger, keeping himself from strangling the Kazekage. How could Rasa be so cold and heartless?
Sasuke…
Fugaku starts shaking, partly in anger, partly with grief. How could any man be so cold as to deliberately kill his own child, when it is so hard to bear losing one by another's hand?
This sweet child was turned into a monster by his own father.
Oh Naruto, what strange power do you posses that makes your enemies tell you their life stories?
Most shinobi hope their enemy won't spill their sob-story, and sit quietly to listen when it happens. But Naruto demands the stories. What is he trying to accomplish?
If he is given the chance, Fugaku has WORDS and VIOLENCE and GLARES he wants to direct at Rasa. Along with some DISDAIN and SCORN and CONTEMPT. Oh and let's not forget the ANGER and DISAPPROVAL and did he mention the VIOLENCE?
Lord Third Hokage turns to Fugaku and motions him forward.
Fugaku steps up to the Hokage's side and lends the old man his ear.
"Chief Fugaku," whispers Lord Third. "If you need to take a moment to vent or calm yourself, please do so."
"Lord Third, I will grieve once the day is won," whispers Fugaku. "But don't take it too badly if I try to murder Rasa."
Lord Third smiles sadly and says, "Very well. But don't try to murder the Kazekage where anyone can see."
"You really shouldn't be encouraging me," says Fugaku, nearly smiling. Nearly. The smile doesn't quite make it to his mouth.
Time seems to stand still for Naruto as he stares at Gaara. Gaara is finished speaking now. He is waiting for Naruto to respond. Naruto's mind can only think of one thing.
Did my parents love me? Or was I born to hold the Nine Tails? How could they? Why did they? All these thoughts spin in Naruto's head as he stares at the boy who is a mirror image of what he could have been if Iruka hadn't found him that night.
Naruto would have been alone. He would have had to find his own way.
Naruto is not certain, but he thinks perhaps he would have lashed out at the people around him and turned out like Gaara.
Naruto looks up at Gaara. He has a match to fight. "So that's your story, huh?" Naruto says quietly. "But that doesn't give you any right to kill people to justify your own life!"
"SHUT UP!" screams Gaara. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHY DON'T YOU SEE THE ONLY WAY TO BE STRONG IS TO FIGHT ONLY FOR YOURSELF?"
"It is not," says Naruto. "I don't know where true strength comes from, but plenty of people who have something other than themselves to fight for are strong."
Gaara's sand envelops him, changing his appearance on just one side of his body. A strange yellow and black monster's face, arm and tail attach themselves to Gaara's right side.
Is this a transformation of some kind?
Naruto looks into that yellow eye, with the diamond shaped pupil, and feels afraid.