The Heart of the Demon

Chapter 11

The Fox and the Dog

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters

Team seven had been issued their room shortly after entering the tower and gotten settled in for the five days they would end up spending in it. They had essentially just been laying around for about an hour and Naruto had gone stir crazy sitting around.

"That's it I'm leaving, there has to be some place to train in this damn tower."

"Want me to come? We could spar" Sasuke suggested

"No I want to use some of my more destructive jutsu, relieve some stress."

"We've only been here for an hour Naruto how are you already stressed by it?" Sakura criticized

Naruto shot her an annoyed look "I don't like being confined, a fox has gotta be able to run around." With that she opened the door and walked out.

Sasuke sighed and Sakura frowned for a second before coming up with a suggestion of her own "We could spar, I would be happy to train with you" she gave him a soft smile.

He gave a halfhearted smile back "No I think I'll just go get something to eat, you can come if you want."

Sakura nodded "Sure."

Naruto walked around the tower looking for somewhere to train, there had to be a place to train right? She made her way down the hall they had come down when they had arrived and saw as Hinata, Kiba, and Shino came through the door.

"Hey, you guys made it! Really quickly too." Naruto called as she waved and walked to them.

"Naruto! Of course you already made it no one can beat you." Kiba shouted

"You always were very impressive, tell me did you or the sand team arrive first?" Shino inquired

"We did but not by long, we were still talking to Iruka when they walked in. How did you know the sand team already finished? Did you see them on the way in?"

"No, we saw them in the forest getting their scroll, we decided to stay back and wait before coming to the tower, we didn't want to run into them." Kiba said much more serious tone then Naruto had ever heard.

"Sounds bad, what happened?" Naruto prodded

"I would rather not talk about it" Kiba replied

"I understand." She paused for a moment "I was just going to train, you guys can come if you want."

"Ha just like you already training again right after finishing a test. I would go but me and Akamaru are starving we're gonna get some food." Kiba said back to his happy laid back mood

"I am also going to eat" Shino said as monotone as ever

"I am as well, but thanks for the offer" Hinata said with halfhearted smile

Naruto nodded "All right, I'll see you guys later then."

Kiba and Shino walked the way Naruto had come and Naruto went to look farther down the hallway but Hinata grabbed her arm "Naruto" She paused and pushed her fingers together.

"Yeah what is it Hinata?"

"That Gaara guy, I think you should stay away from him, the things we saw him do in the forest" she seemed to struggle to find the words "he's dangerous."

Naruto made a fake frown "and I'm not? I thought you believed in me"

"I do, you're the strongest person I know, but Gaara" she paused and took a deep breath "he killed those genin without mercy or remorse, he seemed to enjoy it."

"And what? That makes him a monster? A demon? We're ninja Hinata, if you let killing affect you then you're the one who's gonna get killed" Naruto snapped

Hinata recoiled surprised by the outburst

Naruto sighed "Listen Hinata it's just you can't judge him for what he did on the battlefield. What they say about me is true, about what happened of the bridge, I killed dozens without mercy or remorse, does that make me a bad person? Am I some monster to be shunned?"

Hinata thought intently she had known Naruto for years she had been her first and best friend, she had helped her come out of her shell and had always been there when she had needed her, if she was like Gaara on the battlefield does that really change who she is off it?

"You're right, I shouldn't judge him for what he did on the battlefield, he may well be a great person. If you are like him on the battlefield it truly doesn't carry over to your life off it, I shouldn't expect it does with him, I am sorry for judging prematurely."

"It's no problem Hinata" Naruto smiled and embraced her friend in a hug "I'm gonna go train now"

Hinata let out a light laugh "of course, I'll see you later" she waived and turned to catch up with Kiba and Shino

Naruto went back to the task at hand searching for a training area, there had to be one right? It was a tower in the center of a giant training ground surely she could find someplace suitable.

After another few minutes Naruto came to a set of large doors that looked promising and sure enough it was a training room with chakra infused walls to increase their strength and indecently do a good job of hiding chakra signatures from the outside, she might be able to let loss more than she thought.

She walked into the room and stretched her arms a wide smile on her face as her eyes turned red and her fangs lengthened. Her gauntlets lit aflame and she started to practice with some combination jutsu.

Gaara sat on the edge of his designated bed his hand covering his left eye, with his third eye he watched as Naruto walked around the tower, he watched the confrontation with Hinata and after watched as she had gone into an isolated training room.

He opened his eye and stood from the bed moving toward the door

"Where are you going?" Temari asked

Gaara looked to her with his dead glare "out"

The glare sent a chill down her spine "all right, have fun" she nervously replied but Gaara was already out the door brushing past Kankuro as he returned to the room with food.

"Where are you going? I brought the food." Kankuro asked fruitlessly with Gaara not even acknowledging him as he pushed past and went down the hall. Kankuro turned to Tamari "Where is he going?"

"Out" she replied mimicking Gaara "he wouldn't say where and I wasn't about to pry for information."

Kankuro sighed "well he can take care of himself, and this means more for us!" he smiled widely as he placed the food on the small table in the room.

Naruto panted lightly, beads of sweat dripping down her face, as she looked at the training room. The room was covered in scorch marks and deep gashes in the walls and several of the training dummies were in shreds, all in all the room had held up surprisingly well through her training but she doubted it would be in good enough shape to use after a couple of days. She turned to leave the room and get some food, all the training had gotten her hungry.

Gaara who had been watching her train from outside the door with his third eye decided now was the time to confront her; she was tired after the long training session and would be weaker than usual. He pushed open the door as she walked to it and she froze staring at him with slight grin.

Gaara closed the door behind him and stood between Naruto and the door, staring at her with a blank face.

After a few moments of staring at each other in silence Naruto decided to speak "Its Gaara right? Did you want something?"

Gaara remained silent for a few more moments "Who are you?"

Naruto frowned a bit "you don't remember my name? that's not very polite I remembered yours."

"I know your name Naruto, I asked who you are not what your name is" Gaara replied emotionlessly.

Naruto made an evil smirk "you already know who I am" Gaara started silently for another minute and Naruto decided to push more "you can feel it I know you can, I'm familiar like someone you knew long ago but just can't place from where."

Gaara's face twitched for moment she was right she was familiar to him but he couldn't figure out why "It doesn't matter, I will kill to prove my own existence who you are is inconsequential." He said irritated by her lack of willingness to explain how she was familiar.

Naruto frowned "oh come on now, who I am is very important. Maybe you should ask Shukaku, I'm sure he knows."

Gaara stared at her his anger showing slightly in his face but he decided to see what she was talking about and listened to the voice in his head.

"KURAMA THAT DAMB BASTARD ALWAYS THINKING HE'S BETTER BECAUSE HE HAS NINE TAILS! KILL HIM WE'LL SHOW HIM WHO IS REALLY BETTER!"

Gaara hardened his features after his realization "Kyuubi"

Naruto smiled again "See I knew you would get it."

"Mother demands your blood, I will show you the power of my existence"

"Really, you still want to fight?" she looked into his eyes and both his and hers flashed red "There are way better things we could do instead" she said with a sly smile

Gaara suddenly couldn't focus, maybe she was right they didn't need to fight, no mother demands her blood we must kill her, but there was something about her that made him think against attacking her.

Naruto pushed more chakra into her jutsu "come now Gaara there is no need to fight, I'm like you, I'm a demon and we demons need to stick together. After all if we go killing each other who will be left to kill all of the pathetic people who shunned us? Who will rip out their end trails and watch them die in writhing agony?"

Gaara couldn't think strait no matter how he tried to fight it he couldn't what she said made more since then anything he had ever heard.

"I know how much it hurt all those years, no matter what you did people wouldn't accept you they shunned and feared you until you finally decided you would be alone forever." She walked toward him "but you're not alone anymore, we have each other now, and as long as we have each other we don't need anyone else. I can be the cure to the pain you hold in your heart." She cupped his chin in her hand before breaking the jutsu and kissing him.

Gaara stood unmoving as she kissed him his head was clear again but what she said it was everything had ever wanted and he she was closer to him than anyone had ever been, touching him without his sand intervening.

Naruto pulled away and looked into his eyes and for a few seconds Gaara just stared at her with a dumb look on his face until he surprised even himself and grabbed Naruto pulling her closer to him, passionately kissing her.

Naruto happily returned the kiss, that had worked perfectly.

Sasuke sat restlessly in his bed, they had finished eating over an hour ago and Naruto still wasn't back from training. Where could she be maybe she was hurt, what if something happened and she needed his help? He couldn't just sit there any longer he shot off the bed and headed toward the door startling Sakura.

"Sasuke? Where are you going?" Sakura asked surprised

"I'm going to find Naruto, she should be back by now."

Of course, what other reason could Sasuke possible have for doing anything "Don't worry about her she's probably just training, you know her." Her argument fell on deaf ears as Sasuke was out of the room before she even finished. She sighed and went back to reading her book.

Team 8 were in their room, Kiba was playing with Akamaru and Shino was sitting at the table doing something with his kikaichu beetles and Hinata sat at her bed reading a book.

Sasuke knocked on the door and was quickly greeted by Hinata.

"Hello Sasuke did you need something?" Hinata asked with a small smile. Hinata and Sasuke had never been very close, their only real interaction had been because of their shared friendship with Naruto and had only ever spent time together when she was around, most of which Sasuke had been so focused on Naruto they hadn't really talked much, it was easy for Hinata to see Sasuke was desperately in love with Naruto.

"Hey Hinata have you seen Naruto?"

"We ran into each other when we arrived but that was over an hour ago."

Kiba poked his head up behind Hinata "Uchiha, don't you think you should give her some space? She's probably just trying to get away from you for a while."

"This is none of your business Inuzuka" Sasuke said clearly irritated before continuing with Hinata "would you mind helping me look for her Hinata?"

Hinata nodded "sure" and quickly slipped past Sasuke into the hallway being very uncomfortable squashed between Sasuke and Kiba.

Sasuke glared at Kiba for another few moments before leaving with Hinata. Kiba watched them go and after a minute called to Akamaru "Come on boy" before following them down the hall.

Hinata activated her Byakugan as they went down the hall looking for Naruto, she saw Kiba following immediately and sighed to herself.

"So, how have you been?" Sasuke said in an attempt of small talk as they walked.

"Good, and you?" Hinata replied they both seemed uncomfortable being alone together.

"I've been good as well" the simple reply led to an awkward silence Hinata was desperate to end, it didn't take long for her to locate Naruto, she was in a training room on the first floor and she wasn't alone. She was with Gaara but she couldn't tell what was going on until Naruto suddenly kissed Gaara and before long they were making out. Hinata stopped walking, her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped a little.

"What is it? Did you find her is she alright?" Sasuke prodded upon seeing Hinata's expression

The question brought Hinata out of the initial shock "uh yeah everything is fine she's fine I think I'll head back now" she said it quickly and nervously quickly walking back the way they had come. It surprised her to see Naruto kissing Gaara but if it was what Naruto wanted it was fine with her, but she knew how Sasuke felt about Naruto and really didn't want to be how he found out Naruto was 'with' Gaara now.

Sasuke grabbed her arm before she made it far "Where are you going? Where's Naruto? What's going on?"

Hinata pulled her arm away "Nothing I just have to get back to my room, you should go back to yours too, Naruto's fine, ask her when she gets back." She turned and ran back down the hall before Sasuke could stop her again.

Sasuke stood stunned in the hallway completely confused as to what just happened. He shook it off and started to search for Naruto again, whatever was going on he had to find out.

Hinata nearly ran headfirst into Kiba heading back to the room.

"Hinata? What happened, where's Sasuke? Did you find Naruto?"

Hinata started to talk before remembering Kiba too loved Naruto damn it she couldn't tell him either she need to talk to Naruto this was killing her. She made a few sounds that couldn't be called words before giving up and running back toward the room.

Kiba watched confused and much like Sasuke redoubled his efforts to find Naruto.

Naruto finally pulled away from Gaara smiling at him "it's getting late, I should get back to my room before Sasuke comes looking for me."

"Who's Sasuke?"

"He's my teammate and he's a little, overprotective of me."

Gaara didn't really understand it but didn't ask for anymore explanation "alright, but I'll see you again tomorrow right?"

"Of course" she kissed him again "and I can't wait"

That made Gaara smile, something he hadn't genuinely done for many years. Naruto liked his smile it was the one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

They left the training room and walked down the hall together, before long they ran into Sasuke.

"There you are Naruto! Where have you been?" he noticed Gaara and had to push back angry thoughts about the strange guy who was fixated on Naruto his Naruto.

Naruto sighed "I was training like I said I was going to be Sasuke, you have to stop with this I can take care of myself and you're suffocating me, can't you tone down the protectiveness a bit?"

Before Sasuke could say anything Kiba showed up behind him "Naruto! There you are, is everything ok?" he froze up when he saw Gaara.

Naruto audibly moaned "Really you too? come on! Why do you guys think I'm some lost puppy in need of you constant protection, give me a break!"

Kiba built up his confidence "Hey I'm only here cause Sasuke came begging for help finding you, he was sure you were dying somewhere and were desperately in need of his help, I told him he was crazy but he insisted."

Sasuke gave Kiba a deathly glare equal to the one Naruto was now giving Sasuke "For god sakes Sasuke what is wrong with you? It wasn't enough for you to be freaking out over nothing you had to bring other people in on your crazy too? Just give me some space Sasuke I can't deal with you right now, come on Gaara." She took Gaara's hand and led him past the two over protective ninja.

After they were gone Sasuke returned to glaring at Kiba "Now look what you've done you stupid dog!"

"What you're blaming me for that? This was all your fault."

Sasuke's eye twitched and he punched Kiba hard in the nose before walking away.

"Ah my nose! You son of bitch." Kiba fell on his ass and rubbed his nose while Akamaru barked angrily at Sasuke. Kiba let him go without retaliation though, he was pretty sure that he had hurt Sasuke more painting him as the crazy jealous guy to Naruto.

Naruto led Gaara down the hall "I can't believe him, he has been so fucking annoying lately I wish we hadn't been put on the same team, he was never like this in the academy." She vented as they walked before finally realizing she wasn't actually leading them anywhere. "you want to get some food? I haven't eaten yet."

Gaara was glad she had stopped going on about Sasuke he hadn't know what he had gotten into "yes, I haven't eaten either."

Naruto smiled "at least his crazy means we get to spend some more time together."

Sasuke walked into the room and looked around

Sakura looked up from her book "did you find her?"

"she hasn't come back?"

Sakura shook her head

Sasuke groaned and fell face first on his bed

"you want to talk about it?" Sakura asked not liking seeing Sasuke like this.

Sasuke shook his head deciding to just go to sleep, this day hadn't gone well for him and he was ready for it to be over.