This is only Naruto, no HP crossover.

Sand Waterfall

He sat up from the bed, taking the crutches offered by the nurse, and slowly stood up, shifting his weight to his uninjured leg, he grimaced and closed his eyes, blocking out the pain, he made no sound as he did so and the nurse watched silently, concerned for him.

He was an ordinary looking civilian, with dull dark brown hair, unremarkable hazel eyes and light skin, despite living in the desert with the heat of the sun constantly beating down on him. His clothes too where unremarkable.

"Do you need help getting home, Hisashi-san?" the nurse asked hesitantly, they had developed an odd kind of friendship over the years as he came in more often than other patients, she heard him sigh, and take a few steps towards the door "Just be careful ok? If you keep doing this, I don't know if" she trailed off, but they both knew what she where going to say 'if you'll survive'

"I know Emi-san" Hisashi said kindly, though he didn't look at her, instead focusing all his attention to his next step "but he won't be back for at least a month, I'll rest up as much as I can" he grimaced as a sharp pain raced up his leg "I'll be extra careful when he gets back" only now did he look at Emi, "I promise", he smiled kindly, and Emi believed him.

She smiled back and picked up the bag that was next to Hisashi's bed, "my shift is over anyway, I'll walk you home" she said, smiling, half expecting Hisashi to argue about it, but he didn't and that concerned her even more, "do you want me to pick up some pain-killers on the way out?" she asked softly, Hisashi looked at her and considered it for a moment before nodding.

"I would appreciate it" he said, and having found his balance he started walking in a slow pace to the door, Emi quickly hurried over and opened it for him, closing it again behind them.

"I'll see you at the door then" Emi said, hurrying off to get the pills while Hisashi headed towards the exit.

The pair walked silently thought the streets, there where people who turned their heads as he passed and gave him respectful nods, children smiled and waved at him before rushing off to follow their parents, "you've become quite popular, Hisashi-san" Emi remarked, as she looked around, though she saw concern in the eyes of many adults she didn't comment on it, knowing that Hisashi could see this as well.

Hisashi didn't reply, instead he just glanced at her and continued walking, slowly, with an even pace, never faltering in his steps even though his mind was preoccupied 'have any of them even bothered helping?' he thought 'they might look like they care, but do they really?' perhaps he was just turning bitter, perhaps he was just being pessimistic, but, none of the other villagers offered to help him, despite their respectful nods, waves and smiles, they ignored him mostly. They where scared, but so was he, and he didn't let that stop him.

He grimaced and looked up, they had arrived at his doorstep, opening the door he gave Emi a smile, holding his hand out for the bag "Thanks Emi-san" he said pleasantly, but didn't invite her in, she would understand.

"It was no trouble, Hisashi-san" she said, understandingly, handing him his bag, waving and, before Hisashi had closed the door fully, she had already left.

It was a strange sort of camaraderie Emi and Hisashi had, one not exactly of friends but closer than acquaintances, perhaps it was because she was a nurse in the hospital, being a retired medic-nin, and him being so often in the Hospital. But it didn't bother either of them, since they were both aware of the frailty of life, his more so than hers, and neither wanted to be hurt too badly if the other died. It was perhaps a cynical way of looking at things, but it worked out in a way, both keeping a respectful distance from each other.

Hisashi sat down heavily in a chair, placing his injured leg on the table in-front of him, there was the distinct clink of metal on varnished wood, as both his leg and arm having had to be reinforced with metal, Hisashi winced at the reminder. He'd been foolishly brave again, jumping in-frond of Gaara when he wished to kill someone, he was lucky to still be alive though he would never regain the full strength of his leg again. He looked up to the ceiling of his apartment and sighted deeply.

He vividly remembered the ice cold stare, the emotionless voice, the only emotion visible on his face had been anger, no, fury, Hisashi shuddered, the words Gaara had uttered had long since been etched into his mind, together with the motions and the sound of rushing sand.

He saw the icy gaze of Sabaku no Gaara as the sand swirled around him, hand outstretched commanding his sand as like it was part of him, his ice cold voice as he said "Sabaku Kyū".

He could feel the sand encasing him, like a coffin, restricting his movement but not covering his face, Gaara's gaze turned murderous, a sick sort of smile on his face as his siblings looked on, helpless, uncertain "Sabaku Sōsō" the hand clenched, sand compacted

Hisashi sat bolt upright in his chair, violently twitching, pain shooting up his leg and he breathed heavily 'no' he thought harshly to himself 'mustn't think of that, I'm not dead, he didn't kill me'. For sometimes the imagination didn't stop where it should have, taking things further than they actually did, he had seen Gaara do that to his victims, but he'd escaped... no, Gaara had been interrupted.

He had about a month to calm down before Gaara returned from wherever he was now, Chunin exams, he didn't have the time to waste thinking about things that hadn't happened. But his mind wandered back to that moment as it had done before, in the hospital, he could not shake the tremble nor the flinch when he saw sand. Too bad that he lived in the desert though, for sand was everywhere.

'Focus' He told himself, as he had involuntary flinched away from a small heap of sand that had gathered in-frond of his window, he forced his breathing to return to normal. It was late, he needed rest, even though he knew that he wouldn't sleep tonight, he prepared himself for bed. He had roughly two more weeks before Gaara returned to the village, 'I can do this' but he didn't even believe himself.

* insert plot here *

AN: I know, I know, it got a little confusing at the end, but I have no idea how to do good time-skips

Plot-Idea: Hisashi slowly learns to know Gaara (he's hesitant at first, dealing with Post Traumatic Stress disorder and getting off-screen treatment for that) but then, when he realises that Gaara did indeed change for the better, helps win over the village and make Gaara's dream of beeng kage a reality with the civilians of the village suporting his nomination... or something...

They have a large celebration afterwards