Irena: I'm in a good mood today. Both chapter two of "It's Just A Dream" and chapter ten of "Shouken Shounin" is up. Isn't that wonderful, Gaara? -Silence- Gaara?

Gaara: …

Irena: Fine still the silent treatment then… -Hugs Gaara -You know you're the greatest, right?

Gaara: I could kill you.

Irena: But you won't. -Still holding on to him-

Gaara: And why is that.

Irena: Cause I'm the writer and I could do very bad things to the story. You in particular.

Gaara: Not if you're dead. -Sand raises-

Irena: But Gaara you're so much kinder now and a hug doesn't hurt.

Kohaku: You can let go of him now.

Irena: I could but I don't want to.

Kohaku: You're being a baby.

Irena: I know. -Flash-

Naruto: I got it. -Holding up a camera-

Irena: Thanks! Let's go of Gaara

Gaara: You were just trying to stall weren't you?

Irena: Yep. -Takes the Camera-

Gaara: You must die now. -Sand flies at her-

Irena: I think I went a little too far this time. Why am I always running for my life? Oh, well. You may now start to read the next chapter. -Runs away with the camera-

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto or any characters in it.

-oOo-

Chapter 2- The Past

-Dream World-

Kohaku opened her eyes and it was dark probably night time. She became dizzy so she leaned against the side of a building to keep her standing. Once she regained her balance she looked down at her clothes. They were no longer the hospital gown she had been given but a black shirt with sleeves that went just below her elbow and that also showed her stomach. Her pants were the same as her normal ones a green-gray color and her hair hanged down from her bun the black mixing in the blonde slightly. She then looked around trying to figure out where she was. Everything looked familiar and then she realized that she was in Suna.

'Suna?' Kohaku thought. 'I should have known. After all he is the Kazekage. Now I have to find Gaara.'

Kohaku started to walk down the roads of Suna.

'I'll start at Gaara's house,' Kohaku thought as she walked that way.

As she came upon the house she saw a young boy of maybe five or six with red hair, green eyes, black lines around his eyes, and holding a teddy bear in his hands.

'Gaara?' Kohaku thought confused. 'If that's Gaara then that would mean I'm in his past, the memories of his past. He doesn't have his tattoo on his forehead.'

Kohaku watched him for a moment as he sat on the stairs holding onto a brown teddy bear.

'If I'm in his past will he remember me?' Kohaku thought worried. 'I guess I'll just have to find out.'

Kohaku walked up to Gaara and asked, "My I sit down?" Gaara looked up at her surprised and didn't answer so Kohaku repeated herself, "My I sit down?"

Gaara then suddenly realized the question and replied, "Yes."

Kohaku took a seat next to him on the step.

They sat in silence until Gaara spook, "How come you're sitting next to me?"

Kohaku turned and looked at him, "Because I want to."

"But most people try to stay away from me," Gaara replied.

"Well I'm not most people," Kohaku replied remembering what Sasuke had once told her.

-Flash Back-

Kohaku was sitting on a toilet seat while Sasuke got some bandages, peroxide, and clothes. She was bleeding and had many cuts and bruises on her body. He opened the peroxide and wet the cloth with it. Sasuke started to wipe the cuts on her head. She winced in pain.

"Sorry," Sasuke said.

"Why are you helping me?" Kohaku asked her face stinging from the pain.

"You were hurt and needed help," Sasuke answered.

"But most people wouldn't want to help me," Kohaku said.

"Well I'm not most people," Sasuke replied.

"But," Kohaku started but then stopped.

"But what?" Sasuke asked cleaning her scrapped knee.

"But I… I deserve it," Kohaku said staring at her shoes.

"Only the worst of people deserve to be beaten up like you have," Sasuke said.

"I am the worst," Kohaku said hiding a sniffle.

"Didn't you say that it was an accident?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Kohaku replied.

"Then your not the worst," Sasuke said working on her arms.

"But I still killed my parents," Kohaku said a tear fell down her face.

"Yes, but things like that can happen," Sasuke said whipping the tear off her face with his thumb.

"So I'm not a 'horrible killer and murderer who should die'?" Kohaku asked looking at Sasuke in his eyes.

"No, I don't think so," Sasuke said a grin tugging on his lips.

-Flash Back Ended-

"Don't you know who I am?" Gaara asked looking at her.

"Yes I do. You are Gaara of the Desert and very special," Kohaku replied moving some hair out of his face and smiling.

"What's your name?" Gaara asked after a moment of silence.

"Kohaku, Kohaku Aso," Kohaku replied.

"Have we met before? You seem familiar." Gaara asked curiously.

"Yes we have," Kohaku replied. "Why are you out here all alone?"

"I'm always alone," Gaara replied looking at the ground.

"Don't you have any friends?" Kohaku asked

Gaara shook his head, "No."

"Yes you do," Kohaku said and Gaara looked at her confused. "Me!" Kohaku leaned over and kissed him on the forehead where his tattoo would be. "If you ever need me I will always come, because you are my special person."

"Special person?" Gaara asked confused.

"A special person is someone who you protect and take care of. You want them to be happy and you will do anything for them even give your life," Kohaku answered.

"So I'm your special person?" Gaara asked surprised by that.

"Yes," Kohaku replied and Gaara nodded. Kohaku stood up and said, "You should go inside it's getting late."

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Gaara asked.

"Yes, even if you can't see me I will be able to see you. You won't be alone anymore," Kohaku said and leaned over to give him a kiss on the same spot on his forehead.

Gaara stood up and walked to the door. He turned around to look at Kohaku one more time.

"Good night, Gaara," Kohaku said smiling.

"Night," Gaara replied as he opened the door and walked inside.

Kohaku jumped up to the building across from Gaara's house so she could keep an eye on him.

'He doesn't remember me,' Kohaku thought sadly. 'Then I'll just get close to him again. I'll watch over him and make sure he's safe.'

She looked through the window and saw Gaara running up to a man with short blonde hair and gray-blue eyes. Kohaku channeled chakra into her ears so she could hear what they were talking about.

'Glade Kiba taught me this,' Kohaku thought listening to them.

"Yashamaru!" Gaara shouted as he ran up to him.

"What is it Gaara-sama?" Yashamaru asked.

"I have a friend!" Gaara said the biggest smile on his face.

"Really?" Yashamaru said surprised. "What's his name?"

"Her names Kohaku," Gaara replied. "She's not like other people. She knew who I was but still said that she was my friend."

"Her?" Yashamaru asked surprised and Gaara nodded. "What else did she say?"

"Well I asked her why she would come near me since most people don't and she said that she wasn't most people," Gaara replied.

"I would like to meet her," Yashamaru said. "Will you introduce me to her?"

"Okay," Gaara replied happily.

'Yashamaru must take care of him,' Kohaku thought.

The next day Kohaku watched as Gaara, Yashamaru, Temari, and Kankuro ate breakfast.

'I wonder where his father is,' Kohaku thought.

Gaara left the house and Kohaku followed jumping from building to building. After a few minutes he walked over to a swing and sat down. He looked at the some children playing soccer longingly and holding onto his teddy bear. Kohaku stayed far enough away to be able to see him while no noticed her.

'He looks so lonely,' Kohaku thought sadly. 'I'll go cheer him up.'

Before she could one of the children who were playing soccer kicked the ball onto a rock wall above all of them. The children ran up to the wall of rock.

"What should we do?" one of them asked. "We can't use the wall climbing technique yet."

Gaara stood up and set his bear down. The ball flew down from the wall being carried by sand. It flew into Gaara's arms.

'Gaara's sweet and gentle. Different from his older self,' Kohaku thought not looking away from him for a second.

"You're…" one of the children said.

Gaara held out the ball to them and said, "Here."

"It's Gaara," another child said. "Gaara of the Desert."

All of their faces had horrified looks.

"Run!" they shouted and ran in the opposite direction.

'So cruel!' Kohaku thought anger swelling inside.

"Wait!" Gaara called. "Don't leave me alone!"

Then the sand grabbed two of the children and started to pull them towards Gaara.

"Help me!" they shouted clawing at the ground.

'I've got to do something!' Kohaku thought about to run to Gaara.

The sand shot at one of the children, a girl, but before it hit her someone jumped in front of her taking the blow.

"Gaara-sama, please, calm down," he called blood dripping down from the wounds in his arms.

"Yashamaru," Gaara said calming down.

Gaara dropped the ball and the sand fell onto the ground.

Yashamaru walked over to Gaara and said, "Gaara-sama it's alright lets go home."

Gaara nodded as the last few children ran away. Gaara picked up his bear and they walked back towards the house Yashamaru holding his bleeding arms and Kohaku following in the shadows. Once home Yashamaru bandaged his arms. Kohaku watched Gaara from the building across from them. Gaara was looking at a picture from what she could tell. She then noticed that Gaara had a knife in his hand. He held out his arm and raised the knife to it.

'What's he doing?!' Kohaku thought as she was about to race over there but not even her speed could get her there fast enough.

Gaara brought the knife down but before it hit his skin the sand formed a barrier and protected him.

'Thank god!' Kohaku thought relived.

"Its no use the sand interferes," Gaara sand removing the knife.

"Gaara-sama," Yashamaru said surprising Gaara.

"Yashamaru," Gaara said as Yashamaru walked up to him.

"I was ordered by the Kazekage to be your caretaker. I am to keep an eye on your health and protect you. Please do not do such things in front of me," Yashamaru said and then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "But then again the sand will protect you."

"Yashamaru, Gomenasai," Gaara said looking at the floor.

"Oh, this? It's just a scratch," Yashamaru replied.

"Do wounds hurt?" Gaara asked quietly.

"Just a little. It will heal quickly, though," Yashamaru replied surprised at the question.

The sand started to blow out side.

"Great, stupid sand it's getting in my mouth and eyes," Kohaku said annoyed. "I'll use my chakra to keep the sand off of me."

Kohaku concentrated and a chakra barrier formed around her. It was not that powerful but it was strong enough to keep the sand off of her.

'Now back to what they were saying,' Kohaku thought listening again.

"Hey, Yashamaru," Gaara looking up at him.

"Yes," he replied.

"What does pain feel like?" Gaara asked looking at his hand. "I've never been hurt before, so I was just wondering how it felt."

"How should I explain this," Yashamaru said trying to think of how to describe it. "It is painful and unbearable. Like when a person is shot or cut he becomes very ill and can't think normally. I can't explain it well, but to simply put it, it's not a very good condition to be in." Yashamaru scratched his head awkwardly again.

"Yashamaru," Gaara said looking at the bandages on his arm.

"Yes?" he replied and stopped scratching his head.

"Then, do you hate me, Yashamaru?" Gaara asked not looking at him.

Yashamaru was quiet for a moment and had a sympathetic look on his face, "People hurt each other and get hurt during their life times, but it is difficult to hate another."

"Arigato, Yashamaru," Gaara replied the smile back on his face. "I think I understand what hurting is now."

"Really?" Yashamaru replied

"Maybe I'm injured too, like everyone else. I always hurt here," Gaara said clutching on to his clothes over his heart. "I'm not bleeding, but my chest really hurts here."

Yashamaru bent down and took the knife from Gaara. He held out his right hand and cut his ring finger. Blood dripped down from the wound and Gaara looked shocked.

"Flesh wounds bleed and they may seem painful, but as time goes by the pain eventually disappears and if you use medicine the wounds will heal even faster. But the tricky wounds are the ones in your heart. Those are difficult to heal," Yashamaru explained.

"A wound of the heart?" Gaara asked confused.

"A wound of the heart is different from a flesh wound. Unlike a flesh wound there are no ointments to heal it and there are times when they never heal, but there is one thing that can heal a wound of the heart. It is a troublesome medicine and you can only receive it from another person," Yashamaru told him.

"What? How can I heal this?" Gaara asked no wanting to feel the pain of the heart.

"The thing that can heal the wound of the heart is love," Yashamaru said looking at the picture.

"Love?" Gaara said confused.

"Hai," Yashamaru replied.

"How can I get that? What should I do to get rid of this pain?" Gaara asked not understanding love.

"Gaara-sama, you have already received it," Yashamaru said looking at the picture again. "Love is the sprit of devoting yourself to someone important and close to you. It is expressed by caring for and protecting that person. Just like my sister. I believe that my sister always loved you, Gaara-sama. The Shukaku of the Sand is a living soul that is usually used for combat purposes. The sand automatically protects you because of love. I believe the will of your mother is inside the sand. My sister probably wanted to protect you, even after her death."

"Yashamaru," Gaara said.

"Yes?" Yashamaru replied.

"Thanks back there, for stopping me," Gaara said thankfully.

"My pleasure," Yashamaru replied sticking his cut finger in his mouth. "You are a person who is important and close to me after all, Gaara-sama."

Gaara walked up to Yashamaru and took his hurt hand. He looked at the wound for a second and then stuck it in his mouth like how Yashamaru did earlier hoping to relive the pain.

'The picture must be of Gaara's mother, Yashamaru sister,' Kohaku thought looking through the window. 'He's Gaara's uncle.'

"Yashamaru," Gaara said.

"Yes," Yashamaru replied.

"What you said, I heard it once before," Gaara said looking at Yashamaru.

"Really, from who?" Yashamaru asked.

"Kohaku," Gaara replied. "She said 'A special person is someone who you protect and take care of. You want them to be happy and you will do anything for them even give your life.'"

"She's right. If you have a special person then you love them and if you're their special person then they love you," Yashamaru explained.

'She loves me?' Gaara thought surprised. 'Then have I started to heal?'

"Hey, Yashamaru," Gaara said. "I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" Yashamaru asked.

"I want ointment," Gaara replied.

"Alright," Yashamaru said getting up.

When Yashamaru came back he gave Gaara a bag with ointment in it.

"Arigato, Yashamaru," Gaara replied as he headed for the door.

Gaara went outside and started to run with a smile on his face. He ran down the roads to a house. Kohaku jumped from one building to the next following him. Gaara came up to a house and knocked up to the door. The girl he had hurt before answered the door.

'Gaara, you're so kind,' Kohaku thought as she jumped off the building and onto the road watching him.

"I'm sorry about before. It hurt right? Here, this is ointment. Use it if you want…" Gaara was cut off by the girl. "Go home! Monster!" she said slamming the door in his face.

Gaara's hands shook and he looked like he was about to cry.

'That girl! She's cruel!' Kohaku thought in rage. 'How dare she do that to him when he was bringing her medicine?!'

Kohaku walked up to Gaara and took the ointment from him and knocked on the door loud.

The door opened again and the girl stood there.

"Here!" Kohaku said shoving the ointment in her hands. "Gaara lets go."

Kohaku took his hand and walked off.

"I can't believe her! The nerve! Treating you like that!" Kohaku was furious.

As they were walking a drunken man bumped into them.

"What the… Be careful! You stupid kids," he said stuttering alcohol on his breath.

Kohaku let go of Gaara's hand and said, "You watch it you drunk!"

Kohaku punched him and sent him flying.

"Kohaku," Gaara said and she turned to him.

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I shouldn't be so mad. I just hate it when people treat you badly," Kohaku said bending down next to him and kissed him on the forehead.

"It's alright. You're the first person to be nice to me," Gaara replied and smiled.

"What's going on?" a man asked and then he saw Gaara. "You're Gaara!"

"You got a problem with it?" Kohaku said glaring at him. "Gaara lets go home, 'kay?"

Kohaku held out her hand to him. Gaara nodded and placed his hand in hers. They walked off holding hands. As they walked back to Gaara's house they passed a man. He had brown hair and brown eyes. Gaara stopped to look at him.

"Father," he whispered.

'That's Gaara's father?' Kohaku thought.

She looked at him then Gaara.

"Gaara," Kohaku said and he looked at her. She bent down and said, "Gaara, you go home. I'll see you later, okay?"

She kissed him on the forehead and he nodded. She stood up and watched him go before she turned to his father.

"The fourth Kazekage," Kohaku said glaring at him.

"Who are you?" the Kazekage asked.

"Kohaku," she replied.

"I know everyone who is in the village, but I don't know you," he said calmly.

"No, you wouldn't," she replied staring in the direction Gaara went. "I'm not from this village."

"What do you want with Gaara? What do you have to do with him?" he asked staring at her.

"He saved me," Kohaku replied softly.

"Saved you?" the Kazekage replied shocked.

"Yes, from myself," Kohaku replied staring at the ground. "I was in a depression and no one could bring me out of it. All I care for was revenge, but then Gaara came into my life. He gave me a purpose, made me want to live again. I love him and will protect him for the rest of my life." She then became silent and turned her head to look at him. "I want you to stay away from him and if you don't I will kill you."

"You kill me?" the Kazekage said almost laughing at it.

"Yes. I will kill anyone who tries to hurt him. So I suggest all assignation attempts you have plane are canceled," Kohaku said looking at him. "Gaara is precious. He will become the fifth Kazekage, he will protect the village, and the people of Suna will come to respect him. They will no longer fear him and he will have a home someplace he is happy."

"How do you know that will happen?" the Kazekage asked.

"Because I have seen it," Kohaku replied as she walked off towards Gaara.

When she came close to the house she saw Gaara sitting on the roof. Kohaku jumped onto the building across when she saw a man standing behind Gaara. Kunai shot at him and the sand protected him.

"Gaara!" Kohaku shouted.

-oOo-

Irena: I lost them. -Panting-

Naruto: There now chasing me too cause I took that photo! -Naruto also panting-

Irena: Hey look its Sakura! Sakura over here! -Waves at her-

Sakura: Hey guys. Why are you both panting?

Irena: We were running for our lives from Gaara.

Naruto: She's the one who got me involved. -Points to me-

Sakura: You're both idiots.

Irena & Naruto: We know.

Irena: Please review! Hey lets go for Ramen!

Naruto: I'm in.

Sakura: Why not?

Naruto: Last one there's a rotten egg! -Starts running-

Irena: No fare! You got a head start. -Runs after him-

Sakura: I can't believe that they still have energy to run. -Follows us-