It was lunch time. Hinata knew people were going to make fun of her. After her encounter with Gaara and the kunai training, she made up her mind that she would try to help him, or at least be a friend.

The sky was clear with very few clouds, so they walked a little distance to a small garden near the Academy. It was mainly just an area with trampled paths and sand surrounding the patted down earth, but the few plants that were there were a marvelous sight. The small cacti that were only twenty centimeters lined the trails looking tall and brave, like they were guarding the pedestrians. There were three small trees, supposedly planted in memory of the three previous Kazekage. But what attracted Hinata the most were the three types of flowers, isolated into their own little patch far off from the main trail.

"Let's sit over there, Gaara," she said with a smile. Gaara returned a small one then followed her to sit by the small patch. When he sat down, that is when he smelled the pleasant aroma of these flowers. It put him at peace. Peace he had never before felt from nature.

"I remember a story my Mama used to tell me about the rare flowers that bloom here in Suna. Certain people within these borders could actually use the flowers to open a door to a secret world, but those people will always live in dread because they have no love"
"So then technically I should be able to go in there."
"Not anymore." She replied with a broad smile.

Gaara just shrugged and turned his head, then he remembered something of his own. In a semi-sarcastic tone, he said, "But that could never be true because these types of flowers are used by medical ninja and shouldn't be near anybody for any other purpose."
"Oh really? Then how come I've seen them decorated in people's windows?"
"Because people are stupid and ignore the rules..."
"Or the rules were never stated."
"I've grown up here my whole life, I'd know."
"As would I."

Gaara had to think for a second for a counter argument. "But I've grown up under the Kazekage himself and have extra information from overhearing things..."

"So you've been spying eh?"
"No no! Not that, just trying to train to be a ninja..."
"By sneaking info? Pretty clever but if you're ever caught you'll be in huge trouble."
"Oh, I'm already in trouble just because I'm me."

Hinata had nothing this time. It was quite true, especially if last night was true. She no longer knew what to say, so she said one last word of comfort. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't choose to possess the Shukaku. You are not to blame. It's the authorities who said you should have it who are to blame for all your misery."

This lite speech gave him a little more cheer, but nothing significant. He just wanted to change the subject now.

"So what do you do in your free time?"
"Clean."
"Well that's boring."
"Not really."
"Yeah it is."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Then prove how so."

At this time, it was Temari and Kankuro's time when they would usually roam the streets of Sunagakure. While having their own conversation, they heard heated rising voices in the medical garden. 'Oh no, this isn't good.' Temari automatically recognized one of the debaters' voices to her little brother's voice. If he thought they followed him, he would not trust them anymore than he already did. But if he and his opponent got caught, then he could get in trouble, making his situation even worse.

"Kankuro, use your puppets to see who he's with and scare them off."
"Right on it, sis."

Kankuro took out a small, mummified puppet and unwrapped it. Making a few silent hand signs, he sent a small puppet in the shape of a mouse to go under the fence. It was one of his test puppets to see if he could see through the mouse's own eyes. He had built in a sort of spying glass in one of the mouse's eye so then the image would transfer through his chakra connected to the mouse and he could see it as well. Also, the mouse could scare off any kids hanging out there.

Kankuro saw something he never would have expected to happen in his lifetime. "Temari, I think Gaara's made a friend."

"Stop joking with me, Kankuro. It's not possible for him. Everyone thinks he's a monster."
"Well this girl thinks otherwise."

'This... girl?' Temari did not know what to think. 'A girl, or all people to spend time with him, it was a girl, and none of them were shying away from cooties? Well this would be a story for father.' She couldn't hold it back anymore and she swiftly and soundlessly snuck up to the wall and peeked through one of the many holes in the two meter fence.

The kids's backs faced the fence. The girl had indigo hair flowing in the consistent wind. It was hard to see who it really was, but the two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Still, give 'em a scare. They're not supposed to be in there," Temari whispered to her younger brother, fearing more for Gaara's reputation than the girl's.

Kankuro sent out another of his puppets for a test. This one was equally as small as the mouse but as soon as his chakra strings attached to it, it came to life in one tap of his finger. It began to chase after the two of them. The snake had a poisonous form but the fact that it was a snake scared the girl away for sure. When she saw it, she dashed away screaming not even looking back. Gaara followed behind quickly, leaving most of their lunch behind too.

And still after this, without his siblings' knowledge, Gaara and his partern's arguments became gradually more frequent. Gaara would usually win most of the time which made him feel better about himself and here, he would also learn his communication skills, essential for his later goal in life.