A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, I'm glad the last chapter was enjoyed so much.

A lot happens this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Two new characters are introduced this chapter so I'd like your opinion on them and whether you'd like to see more of them in the future.

Make sure to let me know what you thought with your amazing reviews.

Warnings: Strong language

Pein's Song

Naruto watched silently as the boy in his arms desperately tried to fight off sleep with a stubbornness which was both sweet and admirable. Despite how obviously heavy Gaara's eyelids were, they kept blinking open in defiance- as though he didn't want to admit just how sleepy he was. Studying those teal eyes, visible through the boy's eyelashes, the blonde couldn't help but feel elated. His suspicions had just been confirmed and it swelled him with pride. He was now certain that, regardless of how defensive the redhead could be, Naruto's presence had a calming effect on him that nothing else did. It explained why Gaara slept through the night when they accidentally shared a bed and it explained why the insomniac was currently trying so hard to stay awake.

"It's okay," Naruto whispered softly, rocking slightly as he held the tattooed teen in his arms. "Just sleep, Gaara." He had expected the hug to have been brushed off and for Gaara to act annoyed, but he went ahead with it anyway to show the redhead that he wasn't alone. However, to his surprise, Gaara hadn't moved or spoken since Naruto's arms had wrapped around him. If it wasn't for his warm breath ghosting over the blonde's chest, Naruto might've assumed he wasn't alive.

"…" Still, no answer came. But Naruto was fine with that. He could feel the smaller man relax in his hold and sink further into the embrace and, from where he was sitting, he could see those teal eyes disappear from view as they closed for the night. His troubled past, fears yet to be explained and his defensive nature all seemed to fade away as he drifted off in the blonde's arms. And Naruto couldn't help but smile at that.

Never before had Naruto Uzumaki felt so needed and important. Never before had he felt like his existence alone was of much benefit to anyone. His friends loved him, sure, but their lives wouldn't be too different without him. He hadn't really affected them greatly. But Gaara…

The two of them had only known each other for a few days and still didn't know that much about each other. But it wasn't about how long they'd been friends, or how knowledgeable they were about one another…it was about how much they affected one another. How much they understood despite their limited time together. It was about how much Gaara's existence gave Naruto something to work towards- gave him a feeling of worth. It was about how much Naruto broke down that wall around Gaara's heart and gave him someone to trust.

Naruto's fingers skimmed through the soft spikes of the other boy's hair as he continued rocking, that small smile still on his tanned face. Gaara made him feel something he'd never felt before. Something special. Something beautiful. Not even Sakura (his most successful romantic partner) had ever given him this. Throughout their whole relationship, in spite of how good and wonderful the time was overall, Naruto always felt like a nuisance. It wasn't anything Sakura had done wrong- she was great. But the way she had taken command of everything and been so…independent? Not so much independent…it was just that she never once expressed any need for Naruto. She did love him and enjoyed being with him…but Naruto still felt unnecessary. She always joked about how Naruto was like a child and needed looking after…but Naruto, despite the occasional immaturity, wasn't fond of the sentiment.

The problem was him, not anyone else. He had never understood it himself but ever since he was a little kid, Naruto had always felt protective of others. He was the one jumping in when another kid was being bullied whilst not expecting anyone to jump in for him. He was the one wondering if he could make friends with the loners so they wouldn't be alone. It was his nature. He liked being depended upon and trusted. But he'd never actually had that before. Ino was so all-knowing and independent that she never needed to lean on anyone; Kiba, Sasuke and Shikamaru were hard-headed and able to deal with their own problems without anything more than the occasional word of comfort. Sakura was much the same- the kind to take charge while dragging Naruto along as mild support.

But Gaara…although he was capable of looking after himself and obviously a strong individual, it was clear that he was slowly growing to need Naruto as a friend. And that was Naruto's dream come true- it stirred feelings within him he didn't understand but definitely enjoyed.

However…it also stirred something else. No amount of ignoring it could stop Naruto from thinking back on the dream he'd had of Gaara. He was worried that the idea of taking care of a friend was mixing with the idea of 'taking care of' a lover. In fact, Gaara fit the image of Naruto's ideal lover perfectly- strong and independent, yet vulnerable and in need of care and love. Someone Naruto could truly care for. The only problem was Gaara's gender. Emotionally, he and Naruto may have been perfectly compatible, but physically something was lacking. Gaara didn't have breasts or a vagina- to put it bluntly. He wasn't a woman like Sakura and his previous partners had been. No amount of emotional connection could change that fact. And, because of that, they'd never be more than friends.

Sighing heavily, Naruto shifted and moved to lie the sleeping teen down on the bed so he was more comfortable. Gaara, however, seemed to shuffle and seek out the blonde's warmth in his sleep. Watching that stirred the feeling inside Naruto again and he couldn't help but run his fingers through the boy's hair once more. Gaara seemed to relax under his touch and nuzzled into his pillow as he slept on, completely oblivious to the effect he was having on his roommate. Naruto gulped. He studied Gaara's sleeping face and couldn't help but find it…beautiful…

The tattoo which held so much meaning, the pale and soft skin, those eyes closed in peaceful slumber and those pink, inviting lips. With only the light of the lamp filling the room, cascading across Gaara's face…he looked…so…

"Goodnight," Naruto said softly, his hand moving down to pass over the redhead's soft cheek. As his thumb slid over Gaara's bottom lip, parting his mouth slightly, a shudder went through Naruto's body and his eyes almost fluttered close themselves. Those lips were so soft and warm. "Gaara." The blonde whispered it out, pulling his hand away and climbing to his feet as quietly as he could without waking the boy. It was getting late and they both had their courses in the morning so he couldn't just sit and watch the redhead sleep forever- as much as he couldn't help but notice Gaara shifting uncomfortably as Naruto's presence moved away.

Climbing into his own bed, Naruto rolled over to face away from his roommate, trying to keep his thoughts on the busy day they had tomorrow. The first day of courses, Pein's collection- it wasn't something you could get through on little sleep. And dammit, if he kept thinking about Gaara he wasn't going to get any sleep at all…or, at the very least, his dreams would take a turn he really didn't want them to. The thought of his possessive, but caring nature, twisting a normal friendship between two guys into an odd, creepy, one-sided perversion made his stomach churn sickeningly. He didn't want to mess things up so soon after they'd started…

Gaara groaned as torturous light seeped through his closed eyelids and selfishly ruined his sleep. Couldn't the world see he was busy right now? No matter which way he rolled or turned, he just couldn't escape the warm sunlight and his mind actually began formulating a plan to destroy the stupid star as revenge. That plan, however, was cut short before anything useful could be worked out…

The redhead sprung into a sitting position suddenly, eyes snapping open as quickly as they could as confusion spread throughout him. The sunlight on his face, his body feeling too relaxed to get out of bed…those were things he hadn't experienced since he was in diapers! But, as his eyes tried so desperately to adjust to the light of his dorm room, he almost had a heart attack as the truth hit him.

It was morning.

And by morning he didn't mean the ridiculously early hours when the dark and cold still ruled the world, nor did he mean the moderately early hours when the sun hadn't fully risen yet…

By morning, he meant sun already up, other people already out of bed, normal morning.

Glancing out his window, Gaara could see the sun was unbelievably high in the sky and the world had been awake long before he had. The tattooed teen couldn't believe it…he was frozen with shock…For the first time since he was tiny, Gaara had missed the sunrise. Even when he and Naruto had shared a bed, they'd both woken up early enough for the redhead to catch the sunrise and for his roommate to go for his jog. But now…the sun had beaten him to it…and Gaara couldn't help but feel warm inside.

'Naruto.' He thought instantly, not even needing to try and work out what had soothed him enough to make it all the way to such an ordinary hour. He felt alive, his body more refreshed than it had ever been and his mind at peace. Turning his head, he looked over fondly at the still-sleeping idiot, sprawled out on his own bed. Naruto was snoring softly, the covers half-thrown off him and his limbs thrown out in random directions. The sight made Gaara's heart soar as he found even deeper appreciation for his roommate.

'Shit!'

All the warmth and love vanished in an instant as his eyes caught sight of the clock on his bedside table. They had slept far too late.

Gaara leapt out of bed, cursing loudly as he rushed to find some clean clothes to wear. With appreciation replaced with annoyance, he grasped a bottle of water from the desk and threw it at his clueless idiot of a roommate without any hesitation or sympathy.

"OW!" Naruto yelped, startling awake as he was brutally attacked. "What the fuck was that?!"

"Get up, idiot! We're late!"

"Huh?" The blonde rubbed his head- where the bottle had hit him- and stared over at the rushing redhead with sleepy and confused eyes. It was the kind of look only someone who had been horribly woken with no warning could give. "Late?"

"Yes, late." Gaara hissed angrily, gathering up his chosen outfit for the day and running for the bathroom hurriedly. "Thanks to you, we're both going to be late for our first day!"

"Oh fuck!" The blonde yelled suddenly, and Gaara assumed his roommate had just noticed the time.

'Damn Uzumaki.' The redhead cursed the man inwardly as he rushed to brush his teeth- something he knew he couldn't just skip. Studying his reflection intently as he went about the task, he was grateful to find that he would easily be able to pass for someone who had had a shower that morning. His hair wasn't greasy and his skin didn't seem dirty- everything looked pretty much okay. It's not like he had time to be fussy anyway; it would do for the day.

"I'm soo sorry!" Naruto said, rushing into view behind Gaara and checking himself out in the mirror. The blonde was an absolute mess- his hair sticking out in all directions and wildly ruffled from sleep. In a way it made him seem insanely cute and Gaara may have stopped to stare if he wasn't currently pissed beyond imagination.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Uzumaki."

"Oh, come on!" The blonde whined, trying to smooth down his hair as best as he could. "You don't even care, so why are you freaking out?"

"Shut it." Gaara hissed, spitting into the sink and heading into the bedroom to get changed as quickly as possible. He stumbled slightly as he shed off the clothes he'd fallen asleep in and hurriedly tried to pull on his new ones.

"How can you be mad at me?" Naruto's voice sounded out from the bathroom, muffled due to the toothbrush moving around in his mouth. "You're supposed to be an insomn-"

"…"

An awkward silence fell upon them as the blonde's head appeared round the doorway and Gaara was frozen to the spot. In his haste, the tattooed teen had inadvertently let himself be caught naked from the waist up and both of them were left shocked as a result. Naruto paused mid-brush and stared- dumfounded- at the new sight. In the few days they'd been living together, Gaara had never been seen without a shirt…so it was both new and interesting to witness.

"Er…" Naruto mumbled, toothpaste starting to leak out of his mouth.

"Get ready." Gaara snapped, yanking on his shirt and turning away to cover up the blush that spread across his pale face. With that, the blonde disappeared into the bathroom once more, also red in the face. The lithe form, soft skin…he was trying to push it all out of his mind.

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto shouted, running to pull his own clothes on in a hurry. Luckily, Gaara busied himself with collecting his notepad and pens in order to avoid taking glances at the naked idiot.

Together, the two of them rushed out the door, hastily locking it behind them, before preparing to part ways for their individual courses.

"You know where Philosophy is?" Naruto asked, bouncing on the spot.

"Block E, room 17." The redhead replied, thankful for his memory. "And your course?"

"Er…somewhere on the main field I guess."

"Idiot." Gaara hissed, turning away from the, still, messy-haired blonde. "I'll see you at the charity thing, I guess."

"Yeah. Later, Gaara!"

'Damn Uzumaki…'

Well, Gaara had managed to make a very poor impression on his lecturer- that was for sure. The man really didn't appreciate the tattooed boy rushing in late and, for a moment, Gaara was sure he was going to be refused entry for the day. However, after a stern warning, he was finally allowed to take his seat and relax.

The poor guy was still trying to get over the fact he had slept in so late- something he couldn't quite believe. In fact, it took up most of his thoughts as the lecturer went on and on about some crap or another. Gaara didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to any of the rubbish that was being spouted, having absolutely zero interest. He'd already decided he was going to drop the Philosophy course in favour of the Social Care one. Turning up today was merely a formality.

"Dude, you should really pay attention."

"…" Gaara glanced to his side as the whispered warning came his way, eyes shooting a glare at whoever dared address him randomly.

"I'm serious," a young, dark-skinned man with white, spiky hair muttered around the lollipop sticking out of his mouth. "The lecturer guy might suddenly tell us something really important about the world and you might miss it and go on living, completely clueless. And then, one day, because of the information you missed, you might suffer some sort of crisis and die or something."

"…" Gaara stared, one non-existent brow raised in disbelief as the man spoke. He wasn't going to dignify the stranger's ramblings with a response, having decided that this college was full of weirdos.

"Damn, what if I've missed that important thing because I was busy talking to you?" The pessimist fretted, teeth grinding around the lollipop nervously. "The first day and it's already going this badly."

"Tell me about it." Gaara muttered, not intending the other to actually hear him. Unfortunately, not only was he heard but he was responded to.

"See, you understand where I'm coming from." The man said, offering a small smile. "You seem like a cool guy. I'm Omoi."

"Gaara." The redhead whispered back, eyes turning away from his new acquaintance. He had no interest in getting to know this worry-wart.

"I don't know why I bothered taking this course," Omoi murmured, resting his head on his arms lazily. "I don't wanna know the meaning of life, that'll just make me worry all the time."

"So drop the course." Gaara hissed impatiently.

"Yeah…I guess…" The pessimistic man mumbled dejectedly, sucking away on his lollipop with a frown on his face. "Hey, who's that?"

"Hm?" Gaara, who hadn't been focusing on his surroundings at all, looked up to see what this new idiot was talking about. It turned out that the lecturer had stopped talking and was instead watching as a figure crossed the room. Someone else had entered the room late. "No idea." The redhead answered, studying the stranger intently. There was something very…captivating about his appearance.

The young man who had interrupted their lecture was tall and well-built too. His dark orange hair was arranged into an array of spikes- similar too, but more organised than, Naruto's- with a middle parting so his forehead was visible. From where Gaara was sitting, it looked like his eyes were a hazel color. However, what was really interesting about him was the variety of piercings he had. There were six piercings along the rim of each ear and a metal rod running through each one as well; he had three rods running through the bridge of his nose in succession; along with two spikes acting as 'snake bites' below his bottom lip. They certainly didn't look comfortable, put it that way.

"What if he's a drop out who wants revenge and has come here to cause trouble?" Omoi muttered, staring at the man intently.

"Don't you two know anything?" An irritated girl seated behind them snapped in irritation. "That's the head of the Student Union here- Pein." Gaara's ears pricked up at that, his interest in the man growing.

"That's Pein?"

"Oh, yeah," Omoi said in realisation, cheering up slightly. "I just noticed the piercings. Y'know, they say each one was done to raise money for charity. That's gotta be a little dangerous…"

"They're not just on his face either," the girl added. "He has them on other parts of his body too. Still, you've got to respect his dedication to charity." She said, sighing contently. Obviously a fangirl…

"Pein…" Gaara whispered to himself, watching the pierced youth lean in to whisper something in the lecturer's ear so no one else could hear. Whatever it was, the lecturer seemed pleased with it and gave him a smile before Pein turned to leave the room again. Pein seemed to have some kind of aura or something- capturing everyone's attention and stunning them into silence, as well as leaving a shifted atmosphere in his wake.

"He's soooo hot," the girl swooned, grinning like a moron. And, despite his hatred of the girl's reaction, Gaara had to agree. Pein was naturally handsome, with a presence that commanded respect and attention and the piercings merely added to that mysterious yet edgy look.

"Man, there's always guys like him making it impossible for regular guys like me to get a date." Omoi grumbled sadly. "I treat women nicely, always mind my manners and take care of myself. All he does is do a few things for charity, act like an asshole and stick a few piercings in and he has everyone lusting after him. So unfair…"

"Did you just call Pein an asshole?!" Someone shouted from across the room angrily.

"Who called him an asshole?!"

"That guy there!"

"How dare you insult Pein!"

"You have no idea what he's done!"

"Don't you talk bad about him!"

Omoi visibly recoiled under the scrutiny he seemed to be receiving from the whole room, shrinking back into his seat with a dejected frown on his young face. Gaara merely sat awkwardly as people looked his way to get a glance at Omoi, feeling their eyes on him. This isn't how he expected his first day of college courses to go…

"I've gotta drop the course now…" Omoi muttered, sighing as the lollipop fell from his mouth. And Gaara couldn't help but think the same thing…

The day passed by quicker than Gaara expected. Once his lecture had finished, he and Omoi headed out together and ended up having lunch together. Gaara wasn't really sure how it happened, but pretty soon he ended up unable to escape the company of the dark-skinned man. However, if he were honest, he didn't mind all that much. Omoi wasn't loud or in-your-face, nor did he talk too much or too fast. He was pretty mellow and relaxed so accompanying him wasn't too irritating. The only real flaw with the new acquaintance was his tendency to blow things out of proportion and head down a pessimistic route of unnecessary worry and concern.

Nonetheless, Gaara was glad when the evening came and it was approaching six. Despite his original lack of interest, he was actually looking forward for the collection event for two reasons. The first was that he'd be able to see Naruto again after a whole day of being apart and the second…was the chance to see more of Pein, who had been on the redhead's mind since his interruption earlier.

But, before any of that, there was something he had to get out of the way first…

"Thanks very much, Gaara." Kabuto cooed, smiling sweetly as he took the completed form and added it to a small pile on his desk. "I'll process this form first thing tomorrow for you and you'll be added to the Social Care course."

"I need a form to drop out of the Philosophy course." Gaara stated bluntly, glaring suspiciously at the glasses-wearing man. Currently, Kabuto was acting normal and sweet rather than his devious self…but only because Gaara had brought Omoi along with him. Just as he expected, Kabuto's nature changed when there were other people around.

"Me too." Omoi added, slipping another lollipop into his mouth.

"Alright, here you go." The grey-haired man replied, handing each one a new form with an innocent smile.

"Cool. We best start heading to the main courtyard for Pein's thingy." Omoi suggested, pocketing the paper.

"Oh? I didn't realise it was so late!" Kabuto exclaimed, glancing towards the clock with a genuine look of surprise on his face. "I finished over ten minutes ago. Don't mind if I tag along, do you?"

"Whatever." Gaara muttered, not about to cause a scene with no real provocation.

"Don't want to be late," Omoi began, alerting the redhead that one of his pessimistic lines was coming up. "If we are then Pein's fangirls may get angry with us and decide to attack us, possibly putting us into hospital."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kabuto reassured him as they all left the office together. "They'll be too busy focusing on Pein himself to even notice."

"What is it with this Pein guy anyway?" The dark-skinned teen asked, shuddering at the memory of the abuse he had received earlier. However, as the question was asked, Gaara also found himself interested in Kabuto's response.

"He's the head of the Student Union and our activist group, Akatsuki." Kabuto began with a smile. "He's a huge supporter of charity and the Akatsuki's main function is to increase funding for such charities."

"And that's why he's so popular?" Omoi asked.

"I suppose that's one reason, though there's also his looks and…talents…"

"Talents?" Gaara cut in, intrigued.

"You'll see that once we arrive." The man said with a smirk, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Either way, he's an extremely important member of our college community and one of the most popular. It's never a good idea to upset him…so I hope you've both brought your wallets…"

"Damn…how much are we expected to give?" Omoi asked nervously, chewing on the lollipop.

"You'll have to play it by ear. Just don't disappoint…"

Gaara was glad once he met up with Naruto again, feeling far more comfortable in Kabuto's presence with the loveable idiot by his side. Naruto was calming and made it less likely that Gaara would break Kabuto's damn nose. All in all, it was a huge improvement of company. Naruto's positivity and optimism also seemed to dull Omoi's complaining and shut him up for a bit.

However, as eager as Gaara was to just sit and listen to the blonde go on and on about his day, there wasn't much time for catching up between the two before someone asked for silence and announced the start of the charity event. Gaara, Naruto, Omoi, Kabuto and Ino all shared a bench in the courtyard as, what seemed to be, the whole college watched Pein walk out with a group of other students behind him. The group, excluding Pein, seemed to be carrying…instruments?

Gaara glanced at Kabuto, who merely smiled, before looking back in disbelief. Was this what he thought it was?

"Members of the faculty and, of course, my fellow students…" Pein spoke, silencing everyone instantly, and Gaara's attention was fully captured. He spoke out with a deep, authoritative voice which commanded utter respect and admiration. It held so much power…Gaara could easily imagine how Pein had become the leader of the Student Union. Everything about him made him perfect for the role of leadership. "You've all been invited here today in order to raise money for the World Hunger and Poverty Project. A cause which is in desperate need of our help. A charity dedicated to helping those without any leisure or comfort, for those who live in hell on a daily basis- such as those whose lives have been destroyed by war."

"We're ready, Pein." A rather beautiful woman with dyed-blue hair said loudly so all could hear.

"Very well, then we shall begin…"

…

With a nod from Pein, the small group which had followed him began playing their instruments in perfect harmony, with a level of professional skill which both impressed Gaara and pleased him. It was a well-crafted tune which had most of the gathered people clapping and swaying. However, what really captivated Gaara was Pein, who stepped forward confidently and opened his mouth.

"It's time to open your eyes,

It's time to see the world."

Pein had a marvellous singing voice, his deep tone perfect and flawless and he sang slowly, glancing around the gathering.

"No more deception or lies,

It's time the truth was unfurled.

They say that we are the future,

But all I see is a joke."

Pein cocked his head, a displeased look on his face as he sang the last line and his eyes practically glared at the people around him.

"I'm not here to cuddle or nurture,

In a way, I'm here to provoke."

He threw his arms out as he began walking around, looking into the eyes of each person he passed. Gaara couldn't help notice the girls, and some guys, swooning as Pein passed them.

"When I look out at all your blank faces,

I can't help but feel ashamed.

Is this all that your life is?

You're all so blind and untamed."

He hissed the last line out, snapping his head around with malice in his eyes, pausing as the music intensified and the song reached its chorus.

"It's time for a change in momentum,

It's time for a little more heart."

Pein sang powerfully, walking through the crowd with his hand out so people could high-five or caress it as he went.

"Come now, where's your motivation?

This world will rip you apart!

Pain and despair,

Pollutes our air.

It's all so damning,

So what are we planning?"

He ran up to one particular group of rugged teenagers, leaning in close with, what seemed to be, anger on his handsome face. The pace of the song picked up as he sang with deep emotion and meaning. He ripped a cigarette out of one boy's mouth, flicking it on the ground with disgust as he continued.

"To waste our lives smoking, laughing and joking

While the world continues to rot?!"

He growled, moving away from the group to continue mingling amongst the crowd.

"You may be happy with this situation but in my heart, I'm not!"

As the first chorus came to an end, people were beginning to get to their feet and start dancing a little, clapping along happily. A few brave souls headed into the center of the courtyard to join the Akatsuki, who were still playing- slowing the song down for the second verse.

"I make it all sound so hopeless,

Like life is an impossible task.

But just stop being so boneless,

In the end, that's all that I ask."

As Pein sang, he began taking people's hands and pulling them to their feet, encouraging them to join the group of dancers. He was getting the crowd worked up with his charisma and song and Gaara was watching out of the corner of his eyes as Naruto and Ino started swaying and laughing together- he was getting jealous of their closeness.

"Peace, understanding and justice,

Are not just the products of dreams.

To attain them, what you must do is,

Realise it's not what it seems."

Pein reached their little group, taking Ino's hand gently and giving it a gentle kiss, before pulling her to her feet and making her twirl. That seemed to please the woman, who giggled happily.

"Stop wallowing in your self-pity,

Wake up to the world at large,"

He then patted Naruto's shoulder, before inviting the blonde to dance with Ino, also pulling Omoi to his feet.

"It can be a thing of pure beauty,"

Gaara gulped as Pein helped him up, giving him a slight smile/smirk combination, before moving on and merely patting Kabuto's shoulder before heading off to the center again.

"As long as we start to take charge!"

Pein shouted as the song reached its chorus again and pretty much everyone was on their feet. Gaara merely stood there, watching Naruto and Ino twirl and dance together with happy smiles on their face.

"It's time for a change in momentum,

It's time for a little more heart.

Come now, where's your motivation?

This world will rip you apart!

Pain and despair,

Pollutes our air.

It's all so damning,

So what are we planning?

We'll rise up together and face any weather,

And put things on the right track.

The world is pushing us hard,

But, joined as one, now we're pushing back!"

The song kept up its pace, reaching the climax as Pein joined the Akatsuki and began encouraging the bass player- the woman with blue hair- to dance along whilst playing.

"So donate towards hunger and poverty,

And remember the pain in their hearts,

Do that and then you'll see,

That's where it all starts!"

A few other members of the Akatsuki joined in with the final chorus, backing Pein up with perfect timing as some clueless students tried their best to sing along as well.

"It's time for a change in momentum,

It's time for a little more heart.

Come now, find your motivation,

It's time for a brand new start!

The pain and despair won't touch us,

Our air will soon be clean,

The damning won't make us anxious,

Because we have a plan to be seen!

Yes, the whole world must finally see,

We are the Akatsuki!"

Everyone screamed and clapped wildly as the song came to an end, with a final beat of the drums, and the crowd was sent into a frenzy. The Akatsuki could easily have become a professional band with their level of skill and talent and Gaara was shocked they hadn't pursued such a thing. They were amazing, better than any commercial band the redhead had ever heard- and he wasn't even a big fan of music.

"That was totally awesome!" Naruto shouted, wrapping an arm around Gaara's shoulder, whooping loudly with delight as the redhead merely clapped modestly in his roommate's hold. Pein had certainly gotten the crowd worked up and Gaara couldn't help but notice that, as the Akatsuki members began heading through the crowd with collection buckets, people didn't seem to mind parting with their money all that much. In fact, they looked damn happy to hand over their cash.

"The Akatsuki really should pursue a music career," Ino said with a smile. "They'd do well."

"I agree." Gaara said, relaxing in his roommate's hold.

"Pein isn't really interested in any of that," Kabuto explained. "He doesn't actually enjoy singing all that much, he merely realises that it's the best way to entertain his fellow students. He's good at utilizing his skills."

"Naruto…" Gaara felt the blonde seize up around him, a shiver going through his body as that deep, commanding voice called his name. The two roommates slowly turned together to see Pein strolling towards them threateningly.

"Oh, er…hey, P-Pein." Naruto mumbled nervously, pulling Gaara closer to him out of fear and nerves. "G-great job on the s-song."

"Thanks," the pierced youth said, gesturing towards a bucket he held in one hand. "time to show your appreciation."

"Here you go, Pein-love." Ino said sweetly, slipping quite a bit of money into the bucket like it was nothing. Pein gave her a grateful nod, before turning to Naruto with an expectant look on his face.

"Now, Naruto, I hope you're not going to disappoint."

"W-well…er, you see I kinda don't have…I don't have much money…" He trailed off with a nervous laugh as Pein's eyes narrowed into a dangerous-looking glare.

"I see the song didn't quite drive the point home," he said with a scowl, stepping forward. "let's try something else, shall we?"

"W-wait! Hold on, Pein!" Naruto yelled, cowering behind Gaara like a child. The redhead couldn't help but roll his eyes at his roommate's behaviour, silently retrieving his own wallet from his pocket.

"I'll donate for both Naruto and myself." Gaara said, pulling out an amount of money which seemed to please the pierced collected and dropping it in the bucket. Pein gave him a thankful nod before glancing at Naruto.

"You're lucky you have such a generous friend, Naruto. I trust next time you won't be the one relying on help, but rather the one giving it." And with that, the charismatic and captivating leader was off to collect even more money from his riled audience.

And, despite having been parted with quite a bit of his money, Gaara couldn't help but feel warm and happy as Naruto pulled him into a one-armed hug and planted a friendly kiss on his cheek. Grinning against the redhead's cheek, Naruto whispered a 'thank you' into his ear.

"You're the best." The blonde murmured huskily, sending shivers throughout Gaara's body.

A/N: The longest chapter of this story so far is done! Not without some trouble mind you.

I hope you all enjoyed Pein's song- the most difficult challenge- which took a great deal of time to complete. I suppose quite a lot happened in this chapter.

So, what did you think of this chapter in general? More specifically, the beginning and Pein's song?

Although Naruto didn't appear all that much this chapter, the next one will be a big one in terms of development so I hope you're all looking forward to it!

In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this one!