Naruto sat on the rooftop. Looking over the village. Looking at the stars was nice, he enjoyed it. Not to mention it kept him calm and cool.
A tap was heard and he already knew who it was and the thought brought a smile to his face,
"S'been awhile huh, Gaara"
The red haired genin looked at him with those stoic sea foam colored eyes,
"I saw your team advance but heard no word of you…"
The boy said as he turned to sit by Naruto. When Naruto was young he had traveled with Jiraiya and his father to the village in the sand to talk to the hokage. There he met the one tail Jinchuuriki Gaara. And they hit it off well. Despite the stoic look that rarely left the red heads face, there was no doubt he liked the blonde's company, and they were always seen together.
Naruto didn't look up,
"Yea...i kinda failed on the second part…"
But then he perked,
"But i heard you passed, figured you would blow through that surprise prelim right?"
Gaara's eyes softened,
"Yes it was fairly easy"
Gaara enjoyed the smile that Naruto had it was always so warm and inviting,
"So you know who you're facing? I mean in the third round"
Gaara tried to remember the person. But the thing that he remembered the most was the reactions of Naruto's teammates angered and disgruntled, in fact through the whole prelim they had been that way and he felt it might have something to do with his opponent. He just wasn't sure he should tell the boy however…
"I know who, but honestly i don't really remember the name."
Naruto blinked at this,
"Really? It's not like you to forget these things."
Gaara almost smiled at the uncanny way that Naruto seemed to know him so well,
"I don't but i was paying attention to other things, either way i figure he's a bastard and i'll just defeat him when the time comes."
Naruto was silent for all but five seconds before he burst out laughing.
"Hahahah! I swear you cuss the best! Ya always look so serious too! Hahaha!"
Gaara gave one of those rare smiles. He didn't know why Naruto had decided to be his friend because it felt like he was always the one receiving good things and Naruto got the short end of the stick but… those rare moments when it was because of him that Naruto smiled… those moments made up for it.
As Naruto calmed down Gaara knew it was only a matter of time that they would have to get serious,
"I heard….about your mother…."
He watched Naruto's face and saw the sorrow as the blue eyes looked toward the starlit sky,
"...yea"
Gaara didn't know what was right to say. What could you say to someone who was in pain without it coming off pretentious?
"I'm...sorry...she was...a good woman"
It seemed so generic and Naruto only responded with a nod; this was not how he wanted things to go,
"How is...your father?"
"Who knows"
Gaara cringed. He heard that the fourth hokage had locked himself away but surely this couldn't be healthy….
"I…"
Damn it. Gaara wanted to show Naruto that he would be there but for the life of him the words seemed to conjumble in his brain and nothing seemed right.
"Naruto...i…"
"It's my fault"
Gaara froze,
"That mom was sick, it was my fault."
"That's not…"
"It is."
There was such a finality to it that Gaara couldn't contradict him.
"I don't believe…."
"I was there..."
Gaara looked at the distant blue eyes,
"When she was dying…"
Gaara's heart clenched,
"I could have...i could have saved…"
Gaara grit his teeth in anger,
"I…"
Naruto felt the tears fill his eyes,
"I could have.."
"SHUT UP!"
Gaara grabbed the front of the black jacket that Naruto wore tugging it so that Naruto was forced to look at him,
"You… who do you think you are? GOD?"
Naruto could feel his own anger raise,
"I WAS THE ONE WHO SAID I WOULD PROTECT THOSE IMPORTANT TO ME!"
"I DON'T CARE!"
Gaara threw him and Naruto skidded over the rooftop,
"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!"
Sand rose in the air in an emotional response and Naruto palmed a kunai
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW!? YOU WEREN'T THERE!"
Sand jetted toward Naruto and it took all his strength to dodge the blows. No matter what rank Gaara appeared to be the guy was strong that much Naruto had always been aware of,
"I'm here now… and all i'm hearing is fear!"
Naruto's breath caught as he looked back at those green eyes.
"I'll save you… but i make no promises...not to someone… still so full of fear…"
The sand stopped and gaara watched Naruto stand as he looked down at his feet,
"Naruto… what is it? What is it that you are so afraid of? Why do you blame yourself?"
This is why humans are not privy to the power we have…..
Gaara watched his old friend tremble and his eyes softened. But Naruto needed this, because a Naruto consumed by fear was too painful to imagine.
"What happened to your mother… it's not your fault….for you to think these things...what is the fear that drives it…."
"I…."
Naruto…"
"I…"
Naruto clenched his fist and ran toward Gaara, Gaara frowned raising his defense.
"TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?!"
You think this is me? This is YOU! DRUNK ON POWER!"
"ME!"
Gaara saw tears fill those blue eyes and he hesitated for a split second but just enough for Naruto's fist to slip through and slam into his cheek,
"I'M AFRAID OF ME!"
They both crashed onto the roof nearby Naruto straddling Gaara as he clenched his shirt and Gaara looking up with a soft pitying gaze,
"I was the one...I was the one who said i would protect them!… I wouldn't let them get hurt!….I would make them smile!.."
Gaara just watched as Naruto seemed to crumble above him,
"So why….Why am i the one hurting them?...why am i the one making them cry?..."
Tears fell and even Gaara could feel his nose sting as something bleared his vision as well,
"Tell me...tell me how am i supposed to live… If i'm the one who kills everyone?"
Could he bear it? Would he be able to bear it if he was the source of the person he loved the most pain?
Gaara didn't know. And maybe he would never know but for the sake of the person he considered a dear friend here… He couldn't let this person drown.
Fear could so easily turn to anger, and then to hate.
Naruto was meant to smile, and protect, and eat ramen.
Gaara smiled,
"I don't know…"
Naruto's tears stopped,
"But no matter what i shall be on your side…"
Yes, this is what he wanted to say to this person. To the person that even though the village had feared him had held out his hand and offered him friendship. Who stood up for him when bullies came and smiled even when injured; this was what he wanted to say.
"I'm your friend Naruto and that's what friends do"
In this scene I really wanted Gaara to have an important role because Gaara was such a good friend in the original storyline and I would hate to lose that. (I LOVE GAARA!)