Chapter 332: Inspirit

v. encourage and enliven someone

Disclaimer: I do not own that which belongs to another.

Naruto straightened his spine as he took in the boy on the Tanuki's head. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and spit out a clot of blood that had welled in his throat. His blue eyes shone in the shadows, sparking determination blazed on his face. With a flying leap, he dredged up the last of his remaining chakra to smash his forehead into Gaara's.

With a crack like thunder, the sand that had once made up the beast crashed around them. Sweeping them up in the cascading sand that propelled them, tumbling into the unknown. When they finally landed, both were left panting in great gulps of air.

A last blow sent them to their knees, chakra spent, the last of their stamina flagging.

"Are you going to kill me?" puffed Gaara, eyes widening in fear as he watched Naruto army crawl towards his side. Gaara knew that no one would care if he had died, but still the thought of dying petrified him.

"Being all alone, feeling as if no one cares for you," wheezed Naruto, tears welling in his eyes as he stopped in front of Gaara, "I understand what that feels like…"

"But!" declared Naruto as tears leaked from his eyes, cleaning two twin trails down his blood-stained cheeks, "if you are hurting the people that have finally seen me for me, nothing is going to stop me from protecting them."

Gaara's eyes widened as he watched Naruto's face transform. His blue eyes glowed fiercely, even as tears continued to trickle down his face. His face was one of resolve even as mysterious intent leaked into the air.

"Why?" croaked Gaara, feeling wide awake for the first time in weeks. His mind whirling as it tried to process Naruto's words.

"Why!?" huffed Naruto mockingly, "they rescued me from the hell of being alone. For that I owe them everything."

Gaara's eyes widened as long buried memories rose to the forefront of his mind. Yashamaru's smile flashed in his mind, Kagome's ringing laughter, Temari's taciturn scowl, and Kankuro's teasing words. Team dinners at Baki's, were Gaara's favorite food was homemade. Kagome leaning on his shoulder as she stargazed on the rooftop. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he had thought he was?

"Love," murmured Gaara as he shifted to consider the leafy canopy above, "love for others is what truly makes you strong?"

The ruffling of leaves made both Gaara and Naruto's attention snap towards the edge of the clearing. Both were exhausted, too tired to do much more than watch for whatever it was to enter the area as they laid out defenselessly on their backs.

Gaara's shoulders relaxed for a moment before they tensed tighter as he watched Kagome clamber out of the leafy overgrowth. Scratches littered her exposed arms and legs; she was staggering unevenly towards his prone figure. Shame washed over Gaara once he saw her, his shoulders curled up towards his ears trying to hide him from her glaze.

"Gaara!" gasped Kagome as she collapsed at his side. Her fingers tracing over his head and hair, taking stock of his injuries. As she carded her fingers through his hair, Gaara had to bite back a mewl of pleasure, but couldn't stop his eyes from squinting shut to revel in the feeling.

"Kagome," he finally returned, as he jolted himself awake, terrified of falling asleep even as he felt the pull in his bone-weary limbs.

"Sleep Gaara," whispered Kagome as she continued to run caressing fingers through his hair soothingly, even as she dug out a slip of paper.

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