I heard the news that Naruto was in the hospital, but I didn't panic. I knew Naruto well enough to know that he wouldn't let something like chakra exhaustion stop him. He was always pushing his limits, training hard to become stronger. That was his way of life.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I thought of him. That was Naruto for you, always giving his all, no matter what. He was my idol, my inspiration, my family.

With a sense of pride and a touch of anticipation, I made my way to the hospital. The stark white building stood tall against the clear blue sky, a beacon of recovery and hope. I could smell the disinfectant and the medicine, the familiar scents of the place where ninja and villagers got medical attention.

I approached the reception desk at the hospital. "Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, her voice echoing in the quiet lobby.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm here to see Naruto Uzumaki. Could you please tell me which room he's in?"

The receptionist looked slightly taken aback when I mentioned Naruto's name, but she quickly regained her composure. She checked her records and then said, "Naruto is in room 305. Just take the elevator to the third floor."

I thanked her and headed towards the elevator. I pressed the button and waited for the doors to open.

The hospital was quiet, the sterile white walls echoing the hushed whispers of the medical staff. As I walked down the corridor, I could feel the familiar thrum of Naruto's chakra. It was warm and bright, like a sunflower. But something was off. His chakra wasn't coming from his room.

A sense of unease washed over me as I quickened my pace, following the trail of Naruto's chakra. It led me to a room at the end of the corridor. As I approached, I could feel another chakra, intense and menacing. It was Gaara's. It was cold and dark, like a sandstorm.

My heart pounded in my chest as I realized what was happening. This must be when Gaara goes to Rock Lee's room and attempts to kill him.

This also means that the other chakra I was feeling besides Naruto and Gaara was Shikamaru. He was smart and calm, like a shadow.

I reached the room just in time to see Naruto and Shikamaru, their bodies tense watching Gaara who was near an unconscious Lee. The air was thick with tension, the room filled with the crackling energy of their chakras. I could hear the machines and monitors beeping, the only sounds in the silent standoff.

Gaara's eyes were cold, his gaze fixed on Lee. He looked like he wanted to crush him, like he was nothing. But Naruto and Shikamaru stood their ground, their determination unwavering. They looked like they wanted to protect him, like he was everything. It was a standoff, a silent battle of wills.

I stood at the doorway, unnoticed, as I watched the scene unfold. I knew how this would play out. I had seen it before, in the manga. But this was not a page I could flip or a screen I could pause. This was real, and I was a witness to history.

Naruto and Shikamaru faced Gaara, their eyes burning with determination. Gaara's eyes were cold, his gaze fixed on Lee, who lay motionless on the bed. It was a standoff, a silent battle of wills that could erupt at any moment.

Despite the tension in the room, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Naruto and Shikamaru were standing up to Gaara, protecting Lee. They were showing the true spirit of a shinobi - to protect their comrades, no matter the cost. They were like lions guarding their pride, ready to fight to the death.

As I watched the scene unfold, I knew that this was a defining moment. It was a testament to their growth, their strength, their bond. And I was there to witness it.

I began molding my chakra, feeling it pulse through my veins. Just in case I would need to use my adamantine chains.

I watched as Naruto snarled at Gaara. Shikamaru tried to intervene, but his words fell on deaf ears. I sighed softly as I knew exactly how messed up Gaara's childhood had been.

I sighed softly, feeling a pang of sadness for Gaara. I knew exactly how messed up his childhood had been, how much he had suffered, how much he had lost, how much he had changed. He was a monster, but he was one this world had made.

"If you get in my way... I'll kill you." Gaara hissed, his calm voice sending shivers down my spine.

"What?! Go ahead and try!" Naruto shouted back, his eyes blazing with defiance.

"Hey, Naruto, stop!" Shikamaru interrupted urgently, grabbing Naruto's arm. He knew they were no match for Gaara, especially with Lee injured and unconscious on the bed.

I listened as Shikamaru tried to bluff his way out of the situation, but I knew Gaara would not fall for it. He had no fear, no remorse, no empathy. He only had one desire: to kill.

And I was right. Gaara's response was cold and ruthless. "I'll say it again... Get in my way and I'll kill you."

"I won't be killed by the likes of you!" Naruto spat, shaking off Shikamaru's grip. He was not afraid either. He had a fire in his heart, a will to live, a reason to fight. "I have a real monster in me... I won't lose to the likes of him!"

I waited for Gaara's reaction, and I wasn't disappointed. He spoke up thoughtfully, as if he was intrigued by Naruto's words. "A monster, eh...?"

"Then... It's the same for me." He continued, his voice laced with bitterness and madness. "As you said, I had a messed-up childhood. I was born into this world by taking the life of the woman who would have called my mother... To become the ultimate shinobi... With my father attaching the incarnation of sand upon me through Ninjutsu... I was born a monster."

The scenes of what happened to Gaara flashed through my mind. Things that could have been prevented had Hashirama Senju not made it known that the tailed beasts could be sealed or if Sand hadn't sealed Shukaku into a baby in the first place.

"It's the living spirit of an old hidden sand priest called Shukaku, it was sealed within a kettle." I frowned as they continued their conversation, feeling a surge of anger and pity for Gaara.

"Heh... That's something a parent does? What a strange expression of love." Shikamaru said sarcastically, trying to mock Gaara.

"Love?" Gaara uttered, as if he had never heard the word before. "Don't judge me with your measuring stick... Family... You wanna know what kind of connection that is to me?"

He paused, then said with contempt. "It's simply pieces of meat... connected to me with murderous intent and hatred. By sacrificing my mother's life... I was created as the village's greatest masterpiece as Kazekage's son. My father taught me the shinobi secrets and I was spoiled and allowed to do as I pleased... I thought that was love..." He trailed off, then added with a twisted smile. "Until that incident occurred."

"That incident..." Shikamaru asked, confused and curious.

"What was it?" Naruto asked, eager to know more.

Gaara was silent for a moment, then said with a voice dripping with insanity. "From the last six years, from when I was six years old..." He looked at them with a crazed gleam in his eyes. "My father has tried countless times to assassinate me!"

I closed my eyes, as if to shut out the images his words created in my mind. I could see the blood, the pain, the fear. I could feel the loneliness, the despair, the hatred. I could hear the screams, the curses, the laughter.

"A being too strong can become an existence of fear. It was determined I was too dangerous. To them I am simply an object from the past that they wish would disappear." Gaara said, his voice hollow and empty. My heart ached for him. I wished I had been born earlier, maybe then I would have been able to stop what happened to him. But alas, it wasn't so.

"Then why do I exist?" He asked, his voice breaking. His words sent me back to my past life. 'Why do I exist?'

"Why am I alive?" He asked, his voice cracking. It cut deeper than I thought it would, hearing those words in real life. 'Why am I alive?'

"When I thought about this, I could find no answer. But as you live you need a reason, otherwise it's the same as being dead." He said, his voice fading. I felt a pang of sympathy and sadness for him. He was right. Without a reason, without a purpose, without a meaning, life was meaningless.

I had been there before. I had felt the same way. There had been times before when the loneliness felt crushing, but then I'd go to sleep and the next day I would forget. Then I'd go to school, be alone, come home, be ignored, and then the cycle of bad thoughts would begin again.

But then, everything changed. I was reborn into this world, into this story, into this adventure. I met Naruto, and Shikamaru, and Lee, and all the others. I found a reason, a purpose, a meaning. I found a family, a home, a place where I belonged.

I opened my eyes and looked at Gaara. He was still staring at Naruto, his expression unreadable. I knew he would later find what he needed. I knew he could change. I knew he would be happy.

It was one of the salvations of the manga, that someone could have a second chance even after doing horrible things.

Gaara's chilling words snapped me back to reality. "I came to this conclusion: 'I exist to kill every human besides myself.' I finally found relief within the fear of death, of never knowing when someone would try to assassinate me... By continually killing the assassins... I understood the reason to continue living."

"Fighting for only yourself, living while loving only yourself. If you think that everyone else simply exists to allow you to experience that feeling, nothing is better than that world. As long as there are people in the world for me to kill and continue to feel that joy of living..." I swallowed hard as he finished with, "My existence will not vanish."

Suddenly, Gai appeared. I was so engrossed in Gaara's speech that I had stopped sensing the chakra around me.

I stepped aside to let him enter the room. He was talking, but my mind was racing, trying to process Gaara's words. So much so that I almost missed Gaara pausing near me and turning back.

"I'll definitely kill you guys... Just wait..." His words hung in the air, a chilling promise of what was to come.

As he left the room, our eyes met. He paused, a frown crossing his face, before he turned and continued on his way.