A/N: It appears that I got Kankuro's age wrong in one of the previous chapters D: My apologies. I sort of forgot that he is a year older than Gaara! I was knackered when I wrote it at like eleven at night.

Ages:

Gaara:15

Itachi:20

Chapter 5

Two Years On

Itachi had told him to forget. Forget about him, the prison, everything. But somehow, he found that impossible. Gaara could never forget his best friend. It drove him crazy that every waking day of his life, he couldn't drag his forever wandering mind away from Itachi's porcelain face as he spoke those dreaded words: "Gaara, this is goodbye forever." He'd never forget what happened to them.

He threw a stone into the rippling water before him that bore his exhausted reflection. Juggling his new career as the Fifth Kazekage and also searching for Itachi was slowly killing him; but he promised to find him and wouldn't give up for any reason whatsoever. Standing up, he decided to walk back to his village as the sun sank lower behind the sandy hills. Everyone would be flapping around like headless chickens if they found out where he was. A familiar figure ran towards him.

"Gaara, there you are!" Exclaimed Sasuke.

"Sasuke? You didn't inform me that you were coming!" He gasped, hugging him.

"I got a worried call from your sister. She said you were missing."

He checked his watch. "Oh shit! I was meant to be back half an hour ago!"

"Exactly. I was near Suna anyway when she phoned."

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." He held him close and stroked his pale face. Gaara had never told Sasuke about the incident two years ago with Itachi. Temari had told him that it would upset him due to the fact that his clan was dead. Two years ago, when Sasuke turned up at Gaara's doorstep, worried because he wasn't at school, Temari told him that he wasn't feeling well. That was partially true, but actually he was in hospital with a weird kind of poisoning from the Akatsuki Lair. He figured out now that it was probably the steel bands around his wrists that injected the poison into him the first place. But why didn't it affect Itachi? Was he immune to it?

"Gaara, what's wrong?" Sasuke's gentle voice brought him back to earth.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Well, that's a first."

"Hey!" He playfully hit him on arm.

Sasuke smirked. "Let's get you back home before your sister has a nervous breakdown."

"Yeah."

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Itachi stood in front of the cracked, bloodstained mirror and gazed at the emaciated shell of a human being staring back at him through empty grey eyes. Kisame stood behind him with his arms wrapped around his waist. Itachi suddenly smashed his fist into the mirror, not caring as the tiny glass shards ripped open his knuckles and fingers. Blood poured endlessly from the new wounds. Kisame licked the blood off his hand, his tongue soothing the pain by caressing the bloodied flesh underneath the torn skin. Itachi didn't care. He wanted to die so badly and it didn't look like he would ever escape. It was no life. He missed going outside. What he would give to see the sun again. He missed Gaara. The younger boy was probably dead though; his mystery illness was progressing rapidly last time they saw each other and he was on the brink of death then.

"Come on Itachi, let's go into my room." Kisame ordered, rather than suggested.

Itachi kept silent and followed quietly behind. Strangely enough, the place was empty. It was so quiet, it wouldn't surprise him if a tumbleweed happily rolled by. "Kisame?"

"Yes?"

"Where is everybody?"

"Preparing a sacrifice."

"Who are you planning to kill?"

"A Jinchuuriki. We will extract his demon."

"Why do that to somebody? That person probably has a family, people who love them and a great life. Why take that all away from them?"

"It's not my decision, Itachi." He said, pulling the younger male close and stroking his raven hair.

"Who is the Jinchuuriki anyway? What is his name?" He pressed on, wanting to know everything.

"Why are you so interested?"
He shrugged, not really thinking about the reason to his sudden interest.

They walked on a few minutes more, neither saying another word to the other. Itachi piped up again."Do you know if Gaara is alive?"

Kisame didn't answer. "Nearly there now."

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?!"

"Yes I heard you."

"Answer then."

He looked down at the younger male and shook his head. Suddenly, it dawned on him. His heart sank and his mouth went dry. "It's him isn't it? You're going to kill Gaara! He's your sacrifice!"

"He won't feel any pain, he will just be knocked out and die whilst he's unconscious." Explained Kisame, unsuccessfully trying to comfort him. How could anything calm him down? His friend was going to die! "That's not the point, fishbreath! He's my best friend and you know that!"

"As I said, it's not my decision."

"I won't let you kill him!"

"Oh, god-dammit, Itachi! You haven't seen the skinny little rat for two years! It won't make no difference if he's dead!"

"I hate you! I hope you fucking die!" He yelled smashing his fists at Kisame's body. The older male growled and snapped Itachi's arm effortlessly. Twisting the broken limb, he pushed the sobbing boy against the wall and ground his knee into his back.

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"Where the fuck have you been?!" Demanded Temari, throwing open the front door.

"I'm sorry, I lost track of time." Apologised Gaara.

"You're telling me." She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Gaara copied.

"Sorry."

She hugged him. "I'm just glad you're safe."

He hugged her back. "It won't happen again."

They pulled away. "Who's your friend?" She asked, gesturing over to Sasuke who stood by the door. The Uchiha stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Sasuke. I believe we've met before?"

"Yeah. I'm Temari. You can sit down if you want."

"Can he stay the night?" Asked Gaara. His sister already knew about him being bisexual but she didn't mind and neither did Kankuro. He was old enough to make his own decisions anyway.

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Temari stood and left the room, a smirk playing on her lips.

Gaara stared into Sasuke's shining grey orbs. He and Itachi looked so much alike; the only differences were the lines down the sides of Itachi's nose and the different hairstyles.

"Gaara, if you see Sasuke, tell him I'm dead." Said Itachi.

"Why?"
"He hates me. It would give him some satisfaction, knowing that he won't have to put up with me anymore." He exhaled loudly and forced a smile, but the pain was still visible on his porcelain features, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asked Sasuke.

Gaara turned to him. "Yes, why?"
"You're really zoned out today aren't you?"

He shrugged.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I've just got a headache. All that paperwork is driving me up the wall." He replied, snuggling into Sasuke's chest. "I'm so tired."

"You need to take it easy. When was the last time you slept?"

"I don't remember, maybe a few days ago?"

"Gaara!"

"I don't have time to sleep. I'm up to my neck in paperwork!"

"That's no excuse. Why are you always outside by the borders when you've got paperwork though? It's as if you're looking for someone or something."

Gaara froze, but laughed softly. "I just like to be on my own sometimes."

Temari came back in from the kitchen and sat down on the sofa. "So, what's your last name then Sasuke? I've got a bad memory." She asked.

"Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha."

She turned to her brother. "Wait, isn't that-"

Gaara glared at her. He knew that she was about to mention Itachi. She caught his look and laughed. "Isn't that a cool name?" She asked, elbowing him in the ribs.

"I guess." Said Sasuke, a confused look plastered on his features.

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing an extremely worried-looking Matsuri. She darted towards the trio.

"Ever heard of knocking, Matsuri?" Asked Gaara in a peevish tone.

"My apologies Kazekage-sama, but there are two S-rank criminals forcing their way into our village!" She explained breathlessly, clutching a stitch in her side.

"Huh? What happened to the guards?"

"They're dead!"

"Shit. I need to sort this out." He said, getting up from the sofa. See you later." The redhead reached up to peck Sasuke on the lips before rushing out of the room, followed by Matsuri.

"Temari, will he be okay out there?" Asked Sasuke.

The blonde turned to him. "He's capable of anything and a few criminals aren't going to lay a scratch on him."

"You're right."

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Shit, this dude will not fucking give up! Thought Gaara exhaustedly. The battle between him and one of the invaders had extended to over three hours and despite their injuries and loss of chakra, both ninjas refused to give up. The enemy had lost an arm but still continued to fight; Gaara had almost ripped him apart. It reminded him of his fight three years ago with Naruto Uzumaki; the love for his comrades had forced him to keep going, despite being hardly able to move and he had left Gaara so badly hurt that it made him a weaker person in some ways, but stronger in others. That was when he started to care for his siblings and people around him.

"Just give up already! You're going to drop dead any minute now!" Shouted Deidara.

"I'm barely injured, you pathetic excuse for a ninja. You should be the one about to die!"

"Are you sure that you're not missing an important factor?"

"What?"

"You'll learn soon enough."

"Tell me!"

The blonde ignored him and dodged a fatal attack from his sand.

"Why don't you do the world a favour and just die already. Don't you think this battle has gone far enough?"

"I'm just toying with you until you're absolutely exhausted, then I'll pull of my lethal attack! You will be dead soon."

"You fucking wish." He muttered, swatting the man away like an annoying insect with his sand. Deidara smirked and opened his hand to reveal another clay bird. The blonde then shifted his weapon towards Gaara and uttered a jutsu. Gaara managed to close the sand around him in a dome just in time, or he would've been killed. He used his sand to create a floating eyeball on the outside of the dome and closed one of his aqua orbs. "Third eye." He muttered. From what he could see, Deidara was preparing a number of clay weapons and suddenly fired them all at the dome. Loud explosions were audible though the sand, but nothing happened inside at first; when suddenly, two little clay bombs broke through the hardened sand barrier. Gaara desperately tried to block the attack before they exploded, but it was too late.

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A/N: End of chapter 5. I couldn't remember much of the details of the fight between Gaara and Deidara, but I wrote as much as I could and now I think my brain has died. -.-

-Hands out cookies to my AMAZING reviewers! xD- I love you guys 3 -glomps everybody- Don't you just hate Kisame?! He seriously needs to get fried.

Kisame: MWAHAHAHAHA

Itachi: Nuuu! -uses Sharingan-

Me: -Chases Kisame away with fishsticks- THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO BAD SHARKS!

Kisame: -screams like a girl- MOTHER!
Gaara: -Randomly appears from nowhere- HI PEOPLE :]

Me: -Huggles Gaara-

Everybody (Except that bastard Kisame who got deep-fried): Bye Bye!

Kisame: X_X

Random person: Mmm, fishsticks! -eats-