Arashi: I hope you will enjoy this chapter. ^^ Still don't have Naruto *pouts*

Neji hated to remember that particular incident. However things weren't exactly 'friendly' per se between him and his pet now. Insults were exchanged regularly between them, and it usually ended with Gaara being humiliated in the end.

Neji fingered the strap attached to his drawstring backpack on his shoulder and sighed. He supposed that he should get moving to his last class of the day. Stopping by his locker he started to fiddle with the combination, still wondering where Gaara had gone.

"Hello?" a muffled voice sounded from within the locker. Neji nearly jumped out of his skin. There was somebody inside his locker!

"Uhh… hold on!" Neji called out to this poor kid trapped in his locker, and started to open his locker again with slightly shaky hands. He opened the locker quickly, only to cause a shock of red hair fall to the floor with a startled noise. Neji flung out his arm to catch the small person, so his face wouldn't meet cold tiled floor. The boy was pulled flush against Neji's side.

"Thanks." The boy said shortly, before abruptly pulling away. The pale eyed boy's eyebrows short up comically at who exactly was in his locker.

"Gaa- Subaku!?" Neji stuttered out in shock. Who would dare lock his pet in a locker!?

"Hyuuga?" Gaara said in shock. Gaara's body suddenly stiffened and was on the alert, incase the Hyuuga brat decided to try anything. Not that he couldn't do anything without his sand, but still, he could run right?

Neji's first thought was to ask if his pet was okay… but… yet again, his mouth said the opposite.

"What were you doing in my locker, brat?" His pet took a small step away from him, and Neji's mind was screaming at him to shut up, "You probably destroyed everything in there too! Why don't you have some courtesy for other people? Get out of my sight, you useless eyesore!" Neji mentally kicked himself. Why was it that he could never say anything nice to his pet!?

"It's not like I had a choice Hyuuga." Gaara spat out, before turning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Neji called after him mockingly.

"This 'useless eyesore', is 'getting out of your sight'. Besides, you aren't so pleasant to look at either." Gaara called back to Hyuuga, not even looking back.

Gaara sighed. He wondered how long he had been in there, and started his quest for a clock. Spotting one above a classroom door, he realized with a dropping sensation in the pit of his stomach that school was about to let out. He had been in there for six hours! Who the fuck doesn't visit their locker all damn day? Stretching out his cramping muscles, Gaara walked right out of the building, in search of the school outdoor track field.

Stepping up to the dirt ring, Gaara gathered about two handfuls of sand, and filled his pockets. He was going to get his gourd back, and he couldn't do it without some help from his precious sand. He had never thought of the sand as a weapon before, but now he was going to have to use it as a weapon (instead of the friend status it held before).

Stalking back into the still in session school, Gaara started to search out where his sand that was from his hometown was. He was very familiar with that sand, and he wanted it back, even if he had to fight for it. Using his mental map of the school, he easily found where the druggies hung out and spotted the same greasy skinned pot head that had stolen his sand. Gaara let his new sand slither up on the ground and slowly wrap it self around the unsuspecting victims ankles.

"What the-!?" The druggie asked suddenly, looking down at the small amount of sand slithering up to his neck.

"Give it back." A dark voice sounded through the hall.

"Huh?" The confused boy asked through his substance-induced haze, not comprehending the question.

"Give my sand back, or I'll break your neck." Gaara of course did not intend to kill the boy; however, he would get his sand back one way or another.

"Whoa! Chill man… you need to like… chill. I'll give you back your stupid sand!" Gaara smirked. So the guy had at least a sense of self preservation. Suddenly a guard was thrown down the hall, in the direction of where Gaara was standing.

"There take it!" Gaara gave a small laugh before the sand dropped from the doped up boy and Gaara had his familiar weight attached to his hip again. It looked like the addicted boy had been electrocuted, he looked so scared. Gaara just sneered, and walked away, intent on finding his sister now that the bell just rang.

Gaara turned the corner into a crowded hallway, almost immediately wishing he hadn't. As soon as he was seen, everyone began to stare. Gaara gulped. He may be able to defeat some clueless druggie, but he sure as hell couldn't fight his way through the entire school. Deafening whispers erupted as soon as Gaara started to step carefully down the hallway, determined not to make eye contact with anyone.

"I heard he was a demon…"

"…insane, he isn't stable…"

"…his poor classmate had all the bones in his hand broken!"

"He's just a freak."

Gaara broke out into a run. He had to get out of the school. He had told Deidara that going to school right after the incident would be a bad idea. The shocked and accusing faces blended together as he ran down the hallway. He turned the corner sharply and hit something quite solid.

"Ow!" A rough voice called out as the fell to the floor. Gaara opened his eyes and looked at the person he had knocked over; it was the blonde kid that had thrown the stapler at him yesterday. Gaara's eyes widened.

"Sorry!" Gaara said before he could stop himself.

"You!?" The blonde one said in shock, cradling his hand that was in a cast. They stared at each other for a long time, before Gaara caved and looked away, down at the floor.

"I know it's a little late, but I… I didn't mean to break your hand…" The blonde boy looked at Gaara with suspicion in he eyes. However instead of getting the punch Gaara suspected, The kid stuck his non injured hand out and introduced itself.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm sorry for throwing the stapler at you." Gaara briefly wondered whether or not this Naruto kid had bipolar disease, before hastily grabbing the offered hand softly and returning the introduction.

"Uh… Subaku no Gaara. S-Sorry about your hand…" The bright boy just smiled at Gaara with a blinding smile.

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Arashi: Gaara made his first friend! ^^ Awe how sweet of Naruto to do this. Please read and review. ^^