He tried to sit up and I was there. But it was always him! Always Gaara! Why couldn't it have been me who'd died! If I had just been there-
"Naruto..." Gaara said in his raspy voice. " It's not your fault. How were you to know that an Akatsuki was here? " I wiped my tears, cursing myself for being so weak.
"But if I'd just come sooner, or if I'd gone directly to you-" Gaara raises his hand but falters, barely having the strength to stay awake.
"It's not your fault." With that, I broke. My chakra began rushing through me and I could feel the nine-tails awakening. My mind flashed to the sewer and I heard a malicious laugh.
" So, my brother is gone and you blame yourself for his Jinchūriki's death? I will give you the power to kill those who killed him in exchange for one thing. You must rip this seal off. "
"Nine-tails, I will do this for you. But... If you call the one-tails brother, that means you have a soul. If you have a soul... What's your name, nine-tailed fox?" I ask, intrigued.
"You are an interesting one, Jinchūriki of mine. Very well. My name is Kurama." It wraps me up in it's tail and brings me to the seal. Wasting no time, I rip it off, immediately flashing back only to see Gaara shaking me.
"-uto! Naruto! What happened? Naruto!" I open my eyes and his eyes open wide. "Naruto... Are you there? Nine-tails, release him!" I smile, reaching a hand to caress his cheek .
"Gaara, it is me. We are both here. We're going to kill them. After all, Sakura already killed one. Now, I will kill your murderers!" Gaara looks concerned.
" Naruto, it's okay. I'm alive. "
"No! It's not enough! I need their blood! The sweet, red blood. Coating my hands, drenching the ground. It still won't be enough. They must die for what they have done to you. It's always you, Gaara! Never anyone else! Not me, not anyone else. Now, it'll be them. Now, they will feel what you had to! You died, and they will die because of it."
"Naruto..." Gaara smiles, an honest, resigned smile. " Naruto, thank you, but you can't kill them. I couldn't even kill one. Please, don't concern yourself over me. I don't matter. You have to train if you want to be Hokage." My anger rushes through me, intensifying my power.
"Gaara, you matter to me! When you were dead, life had no meaning! If you had stayed dead, I would have destroyed the world. It's a small price to pay, a few murderers, for your life. Your life is more important than the world. I- I care about you! Having you dead, it was the worst part of my short time in this world and in Kurama's long time. You will be avenged, alive or dead."
"Naruto... Thank you." This time, his smile is wide, but his lips shake, unaccustomed to the simple everyday gesture. Slowly, the pieces of me tried to reshape themselves a little.
A few days later, once Gaara is almost fully recovered, I ready myself to walk out of Suna.
"Wait, Naruto!" Gaara runs up to me, catching my hand. I turn, questions apparent in my eyes. " Before you leave, I need to tell you something. " I tilt my head.
"What is it, Gaara?"
" Naruto... I'm in love with you. I have been since the Chūnin exams, when you showed me that others mattered. You changed me, and for that, I will be forever grateful. When we left, I felt strange, and Temari helped me figure it out. But a few days ago... That was when I truly realized it. Naruto Uzumaki, I love you. I would do anything for you. It's fine if you don't love me back, I-" I bring Gaara towards me and capture his lips in a kiss.
"Gaara no Sabaku, I love you more than life itself. That is why I will avenge your death."
" Naruto... "
"Yes?"
"Please, stay with me. Don't try to kill them. If you do, you may die, and I... I couldn't handle that. Naruto, when we were younger, you showed me that killing is not the way. Don't do this, Naruto. Please, for me..." His eyes tear up. " Before I met you, all I knew was hatred. All I knew was killing! You showed me that love existed, that I could love more than myself. Naruto Uzumaki, I love you, and I cannot let you kill them for me. If you do kill them, let it be only in self-defense or protection of others. Please, Naruto. For me. "
"Gaara, this is both in self-defense and in protection of others. The other Jinchūriki will be captured, too, and if the Akatsuki don't die, more will end up like you. I cannot let that happen. It's best that I kill them now, not only for these reason, but because you must be avenged."
" Naruto... I understand. But please, just stay with me. Let me reteach you what you taught me. Love and friendship are your way, not killing. We can reach out to everyone else, warn them! You can stay with me. " He says, ending softly.
"Gaara... Oh, you're probably one of the only ones who understand how much I want to kill them. But, for you, I will stay. Just help me find the others so this doesn't happen again. But I warn you, if it does, I will kill them." Gaara nods.
"And that's all I could ever hope to ask for."