konpeitou: This is kind of an Aside story written following Naruto instead of Gaara. Not really a necessary read, just adds a little more information and dynamics, I think.

Any good working class server knew that if a customer took the time to learn and remember your name is was generally wise to remember theirs in return because they were more than likely to be returning soon. Thus it wasn't surprising that when Naruto entered Misosazai, the delightful restaurant that Gaara had brought him to that was named after a cute little desert bird, the entire working staff recognized him on sight and greeted him with warm smiles by name. He knew of course that many of them recognized him more for his habitual spending and gratuity in the place, but his outgoing personality served to win over most so that they genuinely liked him for more than his frog purse.

Without missing a beat Naruto walked up to where Junko was currently working at the register. She was a pretty little thing, a few years younger than the blonde, which reminded him occasionally of Sakura with her gentle features and short pinkish hair. She smiled warmly and dutifully asked for his order, hardly batting an eye when he stated that it would be to go, an occurrence unheard of from the foreigner for he had always dined in. He chatted idly with her and Michi while the order was prepared, just general small talk and some general gossip from the girls which Naruto generally just smiled and nodded to, occasionally throwing in some of his own anecdotes from Konoha. When the order was finished and packed up into travel bowls, it was only the other patrons that bothered to stare as he walked out balancing three containers in each hand. The servers were far too used to his appetite to be surprised.

The blonde anbu accumulated more looks as he walked casually through the dusty streets, humming a low tune softly to himself. His next destination was exactly six blocks away from the restaurant: exit, turn left and continue for two blocks, turn right and continue for three blocks, left again for the last block and presto. Sterile air and whitewashed walls greeted him coolly as he entered, pausing for a moment to ask the desk attendant for his final destination with as much charm as he could muster. The middle-aged woman, Sadako he learned her name was, was not particularly impressed by his attempt and eyed the stack of bowls like they contained vipers.

She told him there was no food allowed.

He insisted that it was necessary.

In the end, Naruto won and carried his prizes up three floors and down many corridors to a small nondescript room with the windows facing the northeast. The door was open and his hands were occupied so Naruto figured he could be excused for not knocking before entering. Like most hospital rooms, there was not much to take note of beside the bed, a couple side tables with a spattering of flowers and notes and open windows on one wall opposite the door. The hospital wasn't currently enduring an overabundance of injuries so the room was a solitary one with just one small occupant.

"Excuse me?" the small girl asked politely from where she sat on the single bed, blinking in confusion as he entered. Naruto grinned and took that as an invitation to enter completely, which just seemed to confuse the girl more.

"Hey there," he began genially, making a little space on one of the tables to place his load, carefully setting the two piles beside each other, "If hospital food here is anything like it is in my country, I thought you could use a decent meal." So saying, he began twisting the bowls around and reading off the scribbles that marked each one.

"Thank you…" she answered hesitantly, still staring. "Excuse me, but do I know you anbu-san?"

"Not exactly," Naruto answered with a grin, popping the lid off one bowl and offering it to her – it was miso, he figured everyone liked miso – followed by chopsticks with a flourish. "You're Tsubaki and I'm Naruto and I wanted to meet you. Do you like miso ramen?"

In a bit of a daze, the smaller blonde just nodded and slowly took the bowl with her right hand, since the left arm was bound up in a cast from the hand to shoulder, settling it in her lap to be ignored as she continued to study her visitor. She was sitting cross-legged so Naruto, while pretending to be oblivious to her scrutiny, claimed a bowl and settled himself on the empty end of the bed.

"Eat up," he prompted the girl with a small twirl of his chopstick before suiting actions to words and digging into his own bowl, pulling up a large mess of noodles from his miso pork ramen and slurping them up with delight. Tsubaki hesitantly followed suit, carefully holding the bowl with the fingers of her casted hand and using the chopsticks with her right, though mostly because she looked too baffled to do anything else.

"Er, Naruto-san…" the small girl began hesitantly after a few minutes of silence broken only by their slurping, setting her chopsticks down in the half-empty bowl of ramen. There was a livid bruise across her right cheek where she looked to have been struck and the muscles were stiff against the small frown tugging at her lips. "You're the anbu that was with Gaara-sama yesterday, aren't you? The one in the fox mask that protected us…"

"Bingo."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why…" she paused, realizing that she wasn't quite sure what she was really asking. A dozen different questions presented themselves, but with a sigh she settled on a simple "Why me?"

Naruto laughed. "That's not a whole lot more specific, kid," he grinned cheekily at her. "Why you, what? Why did we protect you or why am I here to see you now?"

"Both."

"Ah, a curious one, aren't you? I like that." Naruto wolfed down the last few noodles and set the bowl aside, mightily resisting taking another, before getting a little more comfortable at the end of the hospital bed. "Very good questions, and both are related as a matter of fact. As to the first, I'm… well, I'm kind of the Kazekage's personal bodyguard so where he goes I follow."

"Then why?" Tsubaki broke in again, seizing on the opening to demand a better answer to a question that had plagued her since the incident. "Why didn't you protect Gaara-sama?"

"I told you," he replied with a long-suffering sigh, because he didn't much like the accusation in both her looks at voice directed at him. "I was ordered to protect you."

"But WHY?" she demanded again.

"I was getting to that. Eat your ramen before it gets cold or I won't tell you, 'kay?" with a start, she guilty went back to the rest of her meal, surreptitiously eying the stack of four other bowls on the side table.

"I can't eat that much, Naruto-san…" she murmured tentatively.

"I can," he answered slyly, giving into the temptation of the wafting aroma and grabbed another bowl to dig into. "Anyway, I'm his bodyguard." Naruto repeated, getting back to the topic. "But – and while this isn't really a secret, not many know so I'd appreciate it if you didn't gossip – I'm also his friend. We met when we were just around your age, in fact. As such, I feel it is my duty to protect more than just his body." Tsubaki stared at her visitor with uncomprehending skepticism and he motioned for her to resume eating, continuing the narrative only when she obeyed. "And that is what ties into the second question.

"The Kazekage cares about you," he informed her blithely, carefully gauging her reaction through his lashes as he took in a mouthful of ramen. It was a risk, telling her such things blatantly, for she could grow to take advantage of that affection; the Kage was a powerful friend to have, more so if that power cared personally for you. He didn't want Gaara to face something like that, not with his painful past. But her honest surprise and confusion was a pleasant enough reaction for the anbu and he carried on. "He realized he had pretty much sent your team into the lion's den, so to speak, and wanted to protect you. He's getting a hard time from most of his council right now for that little stunt, so much so that I was dismissed from him for the day while they rant about him running haring off into the desert."

"Gaara-sama is in trouble over me?" the small genin asked, pleasing the elder blonde with the horror and shame that chased across her features, and he smiled reassuringly.

"He is the Kazekage and his word is practically law. They can't do much more than complain and they know it, which is why they do it so loudly and insistently. Gaara's fine. But anyway, he is my friend and even if wasn't my job I would have followed him. I would do the same for any friend of mine so I couldn't really hold it against him."

"You still should have protected him," she grumbled again, though this time it sounded a little more petulant than accusative. It was progress.

"I did," he told her simply, almost laughing at her dumbstruck expression at the statement but refrained because he knew that it wouldn't be kind to her if he did. Still, the wide-eyed gaping expression was classically comical. Naruto hurried on before her surprise could shift to anger and get accusatory again. "I was protecting his mind."

Tsubaki continued to a stare, ignoring the wordless prompt to eat and the anbu kept a forced smile on his face until she finally admitted that she didn't understand. Then he sighed, let the expression drop into a more somber one to fit his sudden mood, and left his gaze fixed on the empty bowl of ramen in his lap.

"It's simple really," he murmured quietly, "Gaara was there to protect you, the purpose was to keep you – and your teammates, of course – safe. I could have protected him, against his orders, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed me to stay with you, because then he could fight without worrying about you. Do you understand?" Naruto looked up but the smaller blonde shook her head mutely and he sighed again. "He could concentrate on the attackers because he trusted me to watch over you. If I had protected him instead, his attention would've been divided between himself and watching out for your team. He'd have kept worrying about you every second and all it would take was a stray kunai to hurt you more, maybe even kill one of you genin. For his sake, for his security, I protected you so that he wouldn't have to worry. It was more important to protect you, to give him that comfort, than it was to simply protect his body.

"Have some faith your Kazekage, Tsubaki, he could've taken down a mob twice that size when he was still a child. A bodyguard wasn't what he needed."

"Then what did he need, Naruto-san?"

"A friend."

He smiled at her, and she smiled tentatively back even though she still looked very confused by it all. The anbu supposed that was natural, she was still only a kid and it was a lot to think about. Naruto even wished he hadn't had to say it all but…

… well, it seemed important that she understand.

Another two bowls disappeared off the side table as Naruto grabbed them, pushing one towards the small girl and claiming the other for himself. They ate for a few minutes while she reflected on the conversation, a rather adorable frown of concentration on her features that seemed a little too serious for her.

Inside, Naruto was a little tense as he wondered what, exactly, she was thinking. It was entirely possible that she would regret her association with the redheaded leader, not liking the degree of attachment that he had implied. After all, she could have just been being nice and meant nothing more. If that were the case, it would be a pity and Naruto would certainly feel guilty for being the cause of Gaara losing yet another person he was coming to consider a friend, but he consoled himself that if that happened, it would be better to happen now than later.

That's why he was here today, on his day off, rather than doing any number of other things that he had the option of. He knew of this girl, had seen and even shared in some of the treats she had sent, and most of all he knew Gaara well enough to know that he was secretly a little enamored of the child. The Kazekage was starved for attention, though he did well to hide the fact. He pretended that the love of his siblings and a couple of friends, Naruto being paramount on that rather short list, was enough to satisfy him. But the blonde foreigner knew better – better than anyone, possibly including even Gaara himself – that the Kazekage still desperately craved compassion and acceptance. For people like them, jinchuuriki who knew little but scorn for most of their lives, every friend was precious.

Naruto just hoped that the girl would not betray the tenuous hope that Gaara was holding. He would get over it, of course, they had learned a long time ago to let go of such things, but even so the anbu didn't wish it to happen. More than anything he wanted his friend to be happy, to have the comfort that could only be found in knowing that you had friends that cared about you. It was so very rare that Gaara would take the risk of caring about someone, his trust was so brittle that it would make your heart ache if you were ever privileged enough to see him so open, but it was rarer still when someone would bother to care back. The anbu silently prayed to the spirits of fire, though he often believed that few, if any, bothered to watch over him, that this would not all end badly.

"I still don't understand," Tsubaki admitted with a frustrated sigh some time later. "I don't get what you're trying to tell me. Why did you tell me this?"

"First, let me ask you: what do you think about Gaara?" he asked instead, ignoring her question for the moment. He wanted to be annoyed, but he knew it was pointless. It was natural for kids her age to still be a little dense. Spirits knew he had been much worse, but still he wished he didn't have to say quite so much.

"He's the Kazekage-sama!" Tsubaki answered immediately and emphatically, but Naruto just quirked a brow at her.

"So?"

"So?" she echoed, as though she were utterly confused by the response and gave him a look he recognized; the look that said you had just asked a stupid question that everyone should already know the answer to. It was quite endearing, actually, given the circumstances. "So he's wonderful! He's strong and wise and kind! Gaara-sama is always protecting us, he's a great Kazekage!"

Naruto kept his expression carefully blank as he listened to the girl, but inside was a growing sense of horror. Dear spirits, was the kid actually infatuated with Gaara? Bright blue eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized the genin while she continued to wax not-so-elegant on the leader's virtues. Granted, he wanted her to like Gaara but he didn't really want her to like him quite like that. Faint stirrings of jealousy were already pulling at his insides and he could admit, if only to himself, that the possibility worried him. Naruto cared deeply for the caustic redhead, more than he probably should given their responsibilities, and it was a constant fear whenever they were apart that Gaara would get over him and move on – that the next time they met their strange relationship would be over.

Mentally, he knew that Gaara felt the same – the same feelings and fears – but still it was hard to convince himself that the other teen would still want him when they spent lonely months apart from each other because of their duties to two different Villages. Sometimes it was easier to keep faith with the small consolation that, as far as he knew, there was no other competition to draw Gaara's attention while they were apart. But if this girl, half-dozen or so years younger though she was, were to fall for the same greatness that Naruto saw beneath the pale aloof façade, then he would no longer have even that small comfort.

Worse, what if Gaara would return it? He was already beginning to care for her, even if it was still mostly in appreciation for her kindness and lack of fear. She was young, yes, but in only a couple years the difference wouldn't be so great anymore. How easy would it be for the redhead to fall for her in return if she continued to care for him? Naruto cared about Gaara and trusted him, really he did, but still… he wasn't really available much and he couldn't help the constant fear that one day the young leader would turn to someone a little more accessible. The terms of their relationship if – no, when! – he became the Hokage didn't bear thinking about.

The blonde anbu was suddenly scared, scared of a little girl sitting across from him, and almost hated himself for it. It felt like such a stupid thing to worry about, but like a fool he couldn't help it; he didn't want to lose Gaara and right now the thought frightened him more than he thought it would. But no, it didn't matter, not yet. He was getting ahead of himself, so Naruto forced his attention back to his analysis.

The speed of thought was great and during his inner turmoil she hadn't said more than another sentence or two, and in the space of the next he felt safe to dismiss all those previous fears. He could spot infatuation when he saw it, what with growing up surrounded by girls throwing themselves at his ex-teammate convinced that they were all hopelessly in love with him. He'd hated it most of his life and could spot such things with ease, but Tsubaki exhibited none of the things he associated with the obsessed fangirls of his childhood. Instead, her look and manner was familiar in a different sort of way.

It was respect.

It was how he felt about Iruka-sensei, even grudgingly about others like Kakashi-sensei and old man Sandaime… Admittedly he hadn't much liked the past Hokage, but the old lech had been kind to him in his own way and he had honestly grieved his death. Tsunade no baa-chan he also respected, despite still being disgruntled that a lazy wench like her was chosen as Hokage over him, but even so he didn't feel quite as emphatic as the little blonde Sand genin sitting across from him, and that made him glad. Gaara deserved it. The relief he felt at the realization was enough to make him laugh, which fortunately happened just as Tsubaki accidentally splashed some of her ramen broth over the white hospital blankets, interrupting whatever it was she had been saying – Naruto had already stopped paying attention by then – and he was able to pass it off as laughing at the spill instead. She seemed upset for a moment then joined him in laughing.

"Naruto-san!" a voice suddenly yelled, and the blonde pair turned to see Mizore staring aghast at them in the doorway where she had been alerted by their mirth. "What are you doing here? Why is there ramen?!"

The seated pair shared a look and burst out laughing once more. The young Rain medic scowled as she stormed closer to the occupied bed, pulling both bowls out of their hands and placing them on the table with the rest, eyeing the remaining untouched bowl with distaste.

"Aw come on, Mizore-chan!" Naruto whined at the loss of his beloved food, "You can't honestly expect her to get better on hospital food, can you? It's just ramen!"

"It's against regulations and you know it," she sniped back curtly, collecting the bowls and crossing the room to throw them away. Naruto was surprised to notice that when her back was turned Tsubaki was glaring daggers at her doctor, the effect somewhat diminished by the fact that she stuck her tongue out petulantly to emphasize her dislike. More surprising still, the glare dimmed but didn't fully dissipate even when Mizore turned around and came back towards the bed. She checked on the younger girl's injuries, marking on the clipboard she had brought in with her, shuffling around the room to get fresh bandages and some salve for the bruises. The medic was efficient but quiet, doing her duty with an air of displeasure that was eclipsed only by her patient's ire.

"Geez," Naruto muttered lowly as he watched the two girls, "What's with you two? Way to suck the fun out of life."

Both girls looked abruptly at him when he spoke, then at each other, then away again.

"I don't like her!" Tsubaki snapped, a slight whine to the statement that usually went hand-in-hand with stamping of a foot, moving to cross her arms over her chest before realizing that one arm was rather immovable, and just huffed. A few feet away, Mizore tensed but did not comment. Naruto was increasingly more confused.

"Uhm… why?" he asked hesitantly.

"She doesn't like Gaara-sama," Tsubaki answered, glaring again at the medic. "She says bad things about him, so I don't like her."

"Bad things?" he echoed. He knew Mizore, of course, she attended the unofficial "foreigners meetings" often enough as one of the ones permanently stationed in the village for the duration of the exchange. She was curt and usually reserved, but speaking out against the Kage, something that almost but not quite edged on treason, was something he hadn't really expected.

"She says he's a murderer," the genin supplied, still sulking. It was hard to take the anger too seriously though when she pouted like someone just told her that she was grounded for a week.

Well, technically she was… being stuck in the hospital and all, but that was beside the point.

Naruto frowned and faced the Ame-nin again. "We're shinobi," he pointed out slowly, "We all kill, sooner or later."

"Not me," Mizore denied tightly.

"Regardless, you're a shinobi too. Just because you decided to go against the grain, don't hold it against the rest of us. It's what we're all trained to do, even you." At this, Tsubaki looked a little proud of the argument, which actually made Naruto a little sad because he doubted she had endured the pain of making her first kill. Killing wasn't something to be proud of, nor was it something to really be ashamed of – they were what they were and at the heart of all shinobi training was death.

"Yes," the medic agreed coldly, "shinobi are killers. But murderers and killers are different, and it's murderers like the Kazekage that I hate." She brusquely finished her notes on the clipboard and headed towards the door, pausing just before the threshold. "Visiting hours are over soon, Naruto-san."

The blonde anbu stuck his tongue out at her as she left, making Tsubaki giggle. Good, she needed to cheer up and not be so angry. Mizore had a lot to learn about bedside manners, that was for sure. She was very contradictory for a ninja and he wondered how long that resolve would last when it came right down to it. It was one thing to swear off killing but keeping such a vow with the lives they lead was a whole other matter.

"Ahh well," Naruto sighed with an exaggerated shrug, "I guess that's my cue to leave. It was nice meeting you Tsubaki. Take care of yourself." So saying, he stood and moved to leave, mournfully eyeing the trashcan with half eaten – and even one untouched! – bowls of ramen. Before he could fully leave the younger girl called out to him and he turned back, making small noise of attention.

"Two questions…" she began haltingly, taking a deep breath as though to gather courage. "Did I pass?"

"Pass?"

"Your test."

"What test?" My, but he was doing a lot of repeating today. He was starting to sound like a parrot – not that he really knew what a parrot was like, mind you, but he'd heard about them.

"That's why you came here, right? To test me? So, did I pass?"

All right, so maybe the girl wasn't quite as slow as she'd seemed before. He grinned.

"Yeah, I guess you did. For now, at least. What was the second question?"

Tsubaki returned the grin. "Which cookies did Gaara-sama like best?" Naruto couldn't help it, he laughed and leaned against the door for extra support. "I'm serious!" the wounded girl chided him with mock-severity, but she was smiling too. He calmed himself with an utterly insincere apology and confided in the little baker the confections that the Kazekage had been partial to, adding in that he wasn't big on sweets. That didn't, of course, mean that the sweets were unwelcome, he told her… oh no, those orange creams were particularly delicious…