My Penpal the Kazekage
Naruto's reaction to Gaara's letter! Will his words of encouragement help him overcome his fear?
Chapter four – A Cold Reply
Naruto trudged through the village, feeling sore from his latest mission and eager to have some ramen and go home.
He stopped off at Ichiraku's on his way home.
"One bowl please ojii-san!" Naruto called taking a seat.
"Sure Naruto, this one's on the house for my favourite customer," Teuchi said. (1)
"Ah thanks ojii-san you're the best!" Naruto grinned digging in.
After he ate he went home and had a hot shower to relax his muscles. When he got out he found a messenger bird waiting for him.
He opened the letter and read the few words written in Gaara's neat script.
Naruto,
This isn't like you at all. The Naruto I know is always brimming with confidence. Don't lose your focus, thinking like that will get you nowhere.
Gaara.
Naruto stared at the paper for the longest time. Gaara's reply sounded pretty cold to him. Was he telling him to just get over it?
What, because he was Naruto, the hero that saved the Hidden Leaf Village, did that mean he wasn't allowed to have insecurities?
Didn't he get time to doubt himself, did he always have to breeze through life with a stupid smile on his face no matter what the situation?
He wasn't a machine!
Maybe Gaara could do that, but he couldn't, he was human too!
Why was Gaara treating him like a jinchuriki?
Outraged and hurt, Naruto threw away the letter and let the bird go back to the message station, making a point not to write to Gaara again.
A knock on the door alerted him to Shikamaru's presence, if he hadn't been so upset he would have sensed him beforehand.
"Come in Shikamaru," he called.
Shikamaru opened the door and leaned against the wall in the hallway. "Tsunade-sama wants you to help with the Chuunin Exams," he said.
"Meaning?" Naruto asked flatly taking a sip of milk from his fridge.
"You'll need to help me sometimes, you'll have to work with some of the genin, training and such," Shikamaru replied.
"Do I have to be a moderator?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, for the final rounds," Shikamaru said.
Naruto nodded. "Okay. I'll report to her now,"
He left with Shikamaru to go to the Hokage Tower, Shikamaru looking at him strangely on the way.
This isn't like Naruto at all. Did something happen? He wondered.
"Alright baa-chan, give me the papers and I'll get it done," Naruto said walking into the office.
"Eh? No banter first?" Tsunade asked surprised at her favourite ninja's behaviour.
"I'm a busy man baa-chan, I haven't got time for this." Naruto said a little irritated.
"Oh – oh um, Shizune, the papers," Tsunade said, quite freaked out by Naruto's tone.
"Yes Tsunade-sama," Shizune passed him the papers and he nodded in thanks before leaving the office.
"What happened to Naruto?" Tsunade asked.
"I don't know. He's seems upset about something," Shikamaru replied looking after the direction where Naruto went.
He was worried about the blonde, what had happened to make him so…cold?
~three weeks later~
-Sunagakure -
"Nothing from Naruto?" Temari asked looking at her brother.
Gaara stood at the edge of the training field in Suna, watching Kankuro instructed future genin in puppet-techniques.
He shook his head. "Nothing." He said. He sighed and looked away. "I think I may have said something wrong, he's seems to be mad at me," he said unhappily.
"Why would he be mad with you Gaara?" Temari asked.
"I may have been…cold in my last letter. I think he took my words in the wrong context, I didn't mean to upset him but…I can see how he came to that conclusion." Gaara said.
"Well, why not send him a letter?"
"He's not answering me."
"Hmm…well you're required to go to the Chuunin Exams, you could go early and use that time to talk to Naruto," Temari suggested.
Gaara looked over a Kankuro, thinking about his sister's suggestion. "I trust the village to you then Temari, don't let Kankuro burn the place to the ground while I'm gone," he said finally.
Temari laughed. "I won't. Have a nice trip Gaara," she said.
Boom things explode! Can Gaara make it up to Naruto, or will the blonde resist any attempts at contact? Find out next chapter! (1) I don't know if that's the Ichiraku's guy's name is Teuchi, if not can anyone tell me what it is and I'll replace it.