-3-

Fearless Eyes

I hopped up off the bench. The sky was dyed the typical red as the sun set, making the horizon waver like an ocean of sand as the last of the day's heat burned out. Daddy began packing up the basket we had brought for books and snacks. I had spent the last couple hours running around like a demon from hell, wreaking havoc on the empty park. It wasn't completely empty though. The other kid hadn't left. Instead he sat on an old see-saw, staring at us.

"Daddy...why hasn't he run away yet?" I asked, looking at him once again. Daddy paused to follow my gaze. he took in a sharp breath, before sighing sadly.

"You aren't the only one everyone is afraid of...that is a sad little boy, but unlike you, he is very dangerous."

"Why?" I knew who he was now. Gaara of the Sand. Future Kazekage...holder of the One-Tailed Demon...Shukaku.

"I can't tell you Ai, but just...be careful when he's around."

I wasn't a moron. of course I was going to be careful...but...we were still little...Gaara wasn't...too dangerous now, right? It was when he was around Naruto's age...then...

I shuddered at the though. Holy shit Gaara was scary.

Daddy turned around to continue packing, and I began to slowly make my way towards the red haired boy. He was staring at me with wide eyes. What was so surprising about someone- Oh. Right.

"Hi." I said, standing a few feet away from the boy. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. He didn't respond. I really hoped he wasn't a monster yet. I was too cute to die...unless I smiled.

"I'm Aisako, who are you?" I tilted my head ever so slightly, trying to look innocent. His eyes widened ever so slightly. I was curious as to why, but didn't bother thinking about it. What was the point?

"Gaara." he said, very quietly. Fuck. Was it normal for three year olds to be this...fucking adorable? Did I look like that? How the hell did they find this kid scary? Besides...you know...the 'mutated sand castle' stuck inside him thanks to the shittiest seal in all of the elemental nations. I could probably do a better job, and I didn't even know how to seal!

"Gaara? I'm...I'm not supposed to talk to you." I whispered, like I was telling some great secret.

"Neither am I." He said, staring at me. Oh that was fucking rich! The god damn Village Demon wasn't allowed to talk to me?! Who the hell warned him off...ah...probably his uncle.

"I don't see why. You don't look dangerous." I said, moving forward and plunking down on the other side of the see-saw. His end raised up off the ground.

"My uncle says you aren't natural."

Oh. If only they knew. I mentally cackled to myself, trying not to grin. After all, I was a teenager in the body of a three year old in another universe. What was natural about that?!

"I'm not. What about you? Are you dangerous? Or is it all just a misunderstanding? Adults can be pretty stupid you know."

"I hurt people."

"So do I. So do my parents. Everyone hurts people." Wow...we lived in a violent world...didn't we?

"I...I really hurt them...with my sand." I watched as all the sand around the see-saw shifted. I was in a lot of danger, if anything happened.

"So? I don't even know why people avoid me." I said, pouting.

"It's because-"

"AISAKO!" We both froze, letting the see-saw drop, so that my ass slammed against the ground. I winced, but kept my eyes locked on Daddy, who was staring helplessly, like the people on the street had, back in the test drive when I came racing towards them...

Ah...memories.

"Well. Daddy's panicking. I better go...Don't kill anyone." I said as a good bye before running back to my father. Since the sand wasn't reaching out to crush me, I figured everything was good. Well, as good as it could be when you were born in Suna. In this generation.

"Saki..." Daddy called out, his hand placed firmly on my shoulder. Despite this, I could feel him shaking. He'd been scared. The damn shinobi was afraid of a child. Of Gaara. They had no reason to be scared of him yet. In later years, I'd gladly join him and my mother in hiding under the bed. When Gaara was older, I knew he'd make my mother look like a declawed-kitten. Right now, she was only a level of Cosmic Panther Gobbling Up the Universe.

'Who the fuck is Saki?' I thought, taking in what Daddy had said.

Mommy's head peered around the doorframe leading to the kitchen. I nearly laughed. My mother's name was Saki...which meant 'rare blossoming'. Maybe it ran in the family to name their children corny names...I wondered what Daddy was called. It was a bit sad though, seeing as I didn't even know who my parents were, or what my clan name was. As long as it wasn't Uzumaki, or Uchiha, I was happy.

"What Taiki?"

Once again, I had to force myself from laughing. Dear god...his name. Taiki, could mean 'shine', or 'great radiance'. It suited him. It really did. Him and his stupidly happy personality.

Maybe I shouldn't be mocking our names. This was their culture. I shouldn't really care. A name is a name and it will easily change in the blink of an eye, or the recycling of a soul.

"I'd like to introduce you to someone...Saki, meet Aisako, our daughter." He said, pushing my towards my mother, who looked thoroughly confused by all of this. I couldn't blame her. "Aisako, I'd like you to meet you mother, Saki."

I hadn't seen Gaara for a long time. Months. I didn't really think much of it though. My mind was full of dozens of escape plans. My parents had put my into complete lock down since the incident at the park. I missed chasing kids down the streets. I could feel myself getting fat and slow. I wanted to go out and play. I needed to get fit now, so I could focus on training.

I needed to be kick ass...not pudgy! Unless I pulled a 'Kung Fu Panda'...which did not look attractive. Of course, looking at my parents, if I ended up looking anything like my mother, I'd have a hell of a time looking attractive in the first place. It wasn't that my mother was ugly, but she was fucking scary looking, you know? Big wide amber eyes and a smile that just seemed too wide to look happy

And my father was much too manly for me to hope to look feminine if I ended up looking more like him. As it was, I was built much like I had been in the Test Drive. I had wide shoulders...when I was older, I'd have wide hips.

I had no hopes of looking like Temari or Ino. In all truth...I couldn't care less. Boys were boring...girls were annoying. Romance wasn't what I was looking forward to in this life. Kick-assery? Hell yeah.

I had taken to working out at night. When I was sure my Mommy and Daddy were sleeping, I'd climb out my window, and up onto our neighbor's roof. From there it was a simple hop, skip and take a running jump. Really. I ran across the village for as long as I could. Then, once I was exhausted, I'd take a short nap for a few hours, and make my way home before the night was over.

It wasn't the safest thing, but hey, if I couldn't make each leap, than I wasn't good enough. If I fell to my death, it wasn't all that bad...I've already lived once. It already isn't fair that I got a second chance...I mean, I died doing what I loved the first time around. What better death is there?

I guess some people would go on a rant about how 'Dying in the place of a loved one' is a better way to go, but I don't really believe that. I mean, I lived for myself...why die for someone else? Death is a natural event that happens for everyone someday. Why the hell would I bring mine closer when CLEARLY it was coming for someone else?

I'm not a self-sacrificing person. I'll die anyway I want. If I die via a racing car, or falling off a roof, what does it matter? Maybe my new dad will cry, but he'll move on. He's a shinobi.

Maybe there's someone out there who's far more deserving of a second chance. If I do die, for what ever reason...and maybe this second life of mine serves some greater purpose in the universe, than maybe that more deserving person will take my place?

It really doesn't matter.

Some nights, when I started running, I thought about never stopping. I thought about not coming home. It always proved to be a stupid idea. I lived in the middle of a desert. Where would I get any food or water out there? I was a small child. I didn't care if I died, and I loved taking risks, but there was a line between reckless and suicidal that I didn't want to ever cross.

I took a running start and flew over the largest gap I had ever faced and cackled loudly as I made it over. I winced slightly as I tumbled to a stop, scraping my hands and knees on the rough surface.

There was a quiet sound, like a sandal shifting in gravel, and the whisper of fabric rubbing together. I looked up to see the cutest little monster this universe could offer.

He looked tired. After I started my nighttime activities, I had been getting very little sleep, since I was awake most of the night and most of the day...Gaara...he was up ALL the time wasn't he? I assumed things were better now, before he became really unstable...which would happen soon. I think. So...he probably had nightmares now...but he wouldn't have to worry about being taken over yet.

"Why are you here?" I asked, sitting up and rubbing the loose stones out of my indented skin.

He said nothing, crossing his arms. My guess was that he wanted to look intimidating...but at this point, he was too innocent looking. "Why are you here?"

"Playing." I said, shrugging. It was the truth...in a way. I was getting stir-crazy. Daddy was only so much fun, "My parents won't let me play. I got in trouble for talking to you. They think I'm gonna die if I go outside, for some stupid reason."

He shifted awkwardly.

"So, I sneak out a night and play on the roofs!" I said cheerfully, "I almost died the first couple nights, but now I have a hang of it!"

There was a silence. I assumed he was doing what his Uncle told him...not talking to me.

"So...Gaara-kun...how do you go across the rooftops?" The use of a suffix didn't feel natural, but I used it because it meant we were friends right? If I was his friend...he couldn't kill me. Maybe. Probably not. But I knew if I spun around and ran away, I'd only get hurt.

By now I had taken notice of the thin layer of sand on the roof. Now, it could have just blown there...but sand was Gaara's weapon.

"I walk." He said, before moving to the edge of the roof. Hi sand scrambled over and formed a little bridge for him to cross. Wow...I was kinda jealous. I would love to control sand like that...you know, without the 'Mutated Sand Castle' that it came with.

He stood on the other roof, and stared at me. I froze, wondering if I had done something wrong. He tilted his head, and motioned with it towards the bridge.

'Oh. Well.' I contemplated not following him, but it didn't seem safe. I still had a long time before I needed to get back in...

I got to my feet as quickly as I could and moved towards the bridge. I stopped for a moment, not trusting the sand. The sand wasn't safe...it was Shukaku's...

I glanced up at Gaara who looked...he was scared. I wasn't sure what his problem was. Did he think I'd say I didn't want to come? I'd run away?

I scoffed at this, and myself. And the sand. If it killed me...that'd be awesome...in a kinda morbid way. I stepped onto the sand and followed after Gaara. He looked relieved.

"That is so cool." I whispered, watching the sand slither back to Gaara. He didn't have his gourd, so it al just settled at his feet like a second shadow. I grinned, "How do you do that?!"

"Cool?"

"Yeah like...wow! That's awesome! The sand thing! I've never seen anyone do that before! Not even my Daddy, and he's a ninja." I puffed up proudly at that. While he wasn't the strongest, my father was a Jounin, and he was super awesome...When he wasn't being a corny main-character.

"Most people run away when they see my sand."

"I'm unnatural." I say with a shrug, "But...how do you do the sand thingy!?"

"It moves on its own."

"Wow...I wish I could do that!"

I kinda felt manipulative...Would you say I'm a bad person? Tricking this kid into liking me, so he won't kill me too slowly when he got older?

"Why aren't you scared?" The real question was 'Why don't I show that I'm scared'.

I rolled my eyes, "I already told you! You aren't scary, and I'm not natural. Even if you did scare me, I don't see why I have to show my heart on my sleeve. It wouldn't be nice of me to run away screaming...and I'm waaay more mature than that. People are scared of me too, and I don't know why. But I do know how you feel. Why would I want to treat you like everyone treats me?"

"So...you are scared?"

"A little...but that's only because everyone else is...its human nature to fear what you're taught to fear. I won't act like I'm scared though because I'm not really scared...I just think I should be. I have no reason to fear you...not unless you do something to make me scared. Aren't you scared of me?"

He shrugged.

"Have I done anything to you for you to be scared of me?"

He shook his head. I grinned, but not in the scary way, like I did to other people.

"Then you're not really scared of me. Everyone else is, so you feel like you should be too."

"Oh."

"So...do you want to play?"

His eyes snapped up to look at me, like he hadn't been expecting it. I smiled at him.

"Maybe...if you play with me...you'll be tired enough to sleep. that's why you're out here, right?"

Ever so slowly, he nodded.

There ya go!

Doesn't Aisako have a cheerful outlook on life? (I should say death, shouldn't I?)

Thank you to An1meL0ver, Himeno Kazehito, gaaraRules29, MerhppDerhpp, xela521 and guest(RedWhirlwind833) for reviewing.

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