Perhaps he had finally lost it.
Perhaps it was the 8 years of enforced exile he’s had to bear along with the little to no human contact rule given upon said exile.
Perhaps the Kyuubi was finally getting her revenge as she always threatened she would with him having to imprison her.
Whatever it was in his frail mind, Naruto was quite certain that what he saw before him was not actually what was there. “You’re not real.”
“What?” The redhead deadpanned, the smirk on his lips dropping as the man he had spent so long searching continued to ramble as he began to pace.
“You’re not here at all. You’re just some random hallucination here to prove to me that I’ve gone even more insane. Huh. I’d thought I’d gotten better about that since…” His voice drifted off as did the blue eyes glazing over with a slightly drugged look as he continued his troubled pacing. Gaara gave him an incredulous look as he stared at the distressed man. Before he could say a word, however, those blue eyes snapped back to him and the blonde started babbling again.
“You’re a new one, though. I use to see Iruka-sensei a lot, Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan too; even Ero-senin and Thick Brows and Shikamaru and the rest of the gang every now and again when they were feeling vicious. But you’re new. I guess I’m progressing to past enemies now. Who knows maybe I’ll see Haku next or perhaps that snake freak from before.” Naruto laughs madding at the thought as he spoke causing Gaara to question whether or not he was too late in finding the man.
Gaara then, briefly wondered who the hell Haku was and if he needed to kill him. But Naruto seemed to ignore Gaara’s bewildered looks and continued to babble but, now started approached him till he was but arms length in distance of him. He started to wave his hands at Gaara and glared at him full of hurt and sadness as he spoke.
“Are you here to tell me how much a failure and a freak I am now? Because, I mean, you don’t really have a lot of room to talk, but that’s what you do, right? You hallucinations; You tell me how pathetic I am, that I’m nothing but a demon, that I’m better off dead and I should just do the right thing for once and take myself out of the world. You’ve been telling me that for four years after all, but I beat you!! At least I thought I had…Whatever! I’m not going to let you beat me this time! I don’t care if you’re a hallucination, and I don’t care if I am worthless and…”
A pale hand clamped over his mouth cutting off whatever was next. It was warm and soft, and hallucinations weren’t tangible at least up to now. Naruto’s blue eyes widened behind the pale flesh blocking his mouth and looked directly into the green eyes that had been just a few feet from him but now a mere inches away from his face.
“Do I feel like a hallucination?”
The blonde shook his head.
“Are you going to continue babbling if I remove my hand?”
With another no answering shake Gaara removed his hand.
“Oh my god… you are real. What are you doing here? How did you find me? Did anyone follow you? Because, well…I mean, that would be really bad and I’m surprised they haven’t swooped down on us for vengeance or some shit like that just for you being here. And… why… you? I mean, why were you of all people looking for me? You’re not here to fight again are you? Because I’m kind of out of practice with any time of fighting and well… with eight years exile and all that, but if you want we can kind have like spar or something along those lines and…”
Gaara placed his hand back over the blonde man’s mouth. “That,” he informed the other “was still babbling.” Blue eyes narrowed.
“Mfff mawzz moff!”
“Yes, it was. And no, I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to see you again.” Blue eyes widened again filling with more than just curiosity, and was that a hint of a blush crossing those tan cheeks? Gaara smirked and continued. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already, so obviously I don’t since you’re still breathing.”
Naruto blinked. “Mem my?”
“Not really sure. See, I actually feel things now every once in awhile and I blame you for that. But…I don’t want to kill you. Besides we’re alike, you and I. And if I killed you…That would leave me really alone and I really don’t want that happening.” Green eyes bore into blue and Naruto saw …something significant flicker through them, but then Gaara was speaking again.
“I really don’t want to be alone again like before.” He finished quietly, looking off to the side suddenly.
Naruto may have been in exile, but he was still a ninja and saw an opening when it presented itself. And being said ninja, he ruthlessly took the opportunity.
He licked Gaara’s palm.
The pale hand was snatched back at an extraordinary speed, and Gaara automatically cradled it to his chest as a deep blush spread across his wraith-like features, a scandalized look coming over his face.
“Did… you… just… lick me?!”
“Well…yah. You wouldn’t move your hand!! How else was I supposed to carry on a conversation with you if you had your hand over my mouth the entire time that would be completely one sided?!” The blonde man cocked his head to the side as he crossed his arms, looking at the other’s blush with a feral grin.
“I can think of other things for you to do with that damned mouth of yours…” Gaara muttered under his breath as he continued to look at his ‘licked’ hand.
“Eh? What was that?”
“Nothing…”
“Right…”
“Right....”
“So…”
“So...”
Awkward silence reigned on high as the two stared anywhere but, at each other. Finally, Naruto couldn’t take it anymore and broke the silence.
“So, you’re not here to attack me, you’re not here to kill me. What are you here for?”
He looked carefully at the other young man. Gaara really hadn’t changed much; at least not physically. He had grown a little, about Naruto’s own height he’d say. And the normal changes that came with growing up, but he still looked the same with pale, pale skin contrasted by that shock of blood red hair and the ‘Ai’ tattoo. Dark circle still lined his green eyes and Naruto couldn’t tell if they were from *kohl or lack of sleep. Probably the latter because for some reason, unthinkable to him, it seemed really disturbing to the blonde to think of Gaara as pouncy or flamboyant enough to wear eyeliner. He was a ninja, not a pirate or *tranny.
The redhead folded his arms and gave Naruto the ‘didn’t I already tell you, you idiot?’ look. “Because I wanted to see you; we’re the same.”
“We are nothing alike!”
Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow at Naruto. “Oh? Aren’t we? We’ve both been fucked over by the people who should have protected us the most. And those around us, except a select few, don’t see us past the demons inside us. We’ve both been exiled. Yours was enforced by the village you wanted to protect. Mine was by the family I wanted to love. My exile may have been not quite as literal as yours, but it is still there nonetheless.”
“That still doesn’t tell me why you’re here.” Naruto crossed his arms and met the other man’s gaze dead on.
Gaara was silent for moment, just looking at him, and Naruto fought the urge to shift uncomfortably. Then he spoke.
“You saved me once, now I want to save you.”
Needless to say, Naruto was rather shocked. “Wha…?”
“You saved me from myself. You looked past Shukaku and you saw the boy who was the same as you. You saw Gaara. You had beaten the hell out of me to do it, but you did save me from what would’ve been a miserable and short experience of life. I’m not here to fight or kill the Kyuubi or you. I’m here to see Uzumaki Naruto. I’m here to see the boy who told me it was okay to love someone other than yourself. I want to save you from what Konoha did to you and from what you’re doing to yourself because of it. I want to keep you from becoming what I was or would’ve been.”
Naruto’s jaw dropped and his eyes had a suspicious sheen to them. He then shook his head and grinned. “You know, I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at once.” Gaara smirked.
“How did you figure out where I was anyway, no one was ever supposed to find out?”
“Thank the Blonde woman with the diamond back in Konoha. She’s the one that told me you were still in the country.”
“The Old Hag?!!”
“She didn’t look old to me.”
“Dude, she’s like 60.”
“Must use one hell of a renewal cream.”
“……did you….did you just crack a joke?”
“Maybe” Gaara smirk a cheeky one at the blonde.
“I don’t believe it.”
The redhead snorted. “It’s your fault. Besides, just telling you were in the country didn’t help much. I’ve been looking for four years.”
“Four years?” Naruto looked impressed.
Gaara nodded, feeling shy suddenly. This was nice, comfortably even. Just talking like this the two of them. He thought he heard Shukaku making gagging noises in the back of his mind, but he promptly told the demon to shut the fuck up and refocused his attention on the blonde in front of him.
Just then, the fox boy glanced at the sky. “Oh shit!!”
Gaara gave him a puzzled look, cocking his head a little to the side.
“Damnit, I didn’t realize it had been that long.” Naruto looked around as if searching for something. Gaara’s puzzlement continued, after all it had only been about twenty minutes at most. And what on earth was the other man looking for anyway?
Naruto turned and slightly narrowed blue eyes turned calculating and stared directly at him.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“You’re absolutely sure no on followed you?”
The Sand nin snorted. Please, as if anyone would be stupid enough to try.
“Right, right…ask a stupid question…” Naruto stared at him a bit longer, the calculating look never leaving his eyes. “Alright, come with me.”
And with that he began following the blonde back through the labyrinth of pines to the trail that lead them back to the cabin to the cabin itself. Gaara was very confused; however having the world’s greatest poker face came in handy in times like this so Naruto knew not of his turmoil. Naruto paused in front of the door, looked at Gaara and then back at the door, took a deep breath and then opened it.
Now why was the blonde acting this strange? Like this was such a big step, inviting the Sand nin into his home and all…unless…unless…Surely not it was way too soon for such things! Gaara fought and lost to the heat he could feel rising in his face. Well, the other man had been out here alone for quite some time…Argh the thoughts were so confusing and damning! There went that heat again full force into his visage. But all things considered he really didn’t mind that much about the notion…He was just shy about such things it was going to be his first time on such a thing... Suddenly, Gaara’s sandals became very, very interesting.
He heard Naruto walk through the door into the main room and followed, his sandals still being so very interesting. Damn his shyness getting in the way!
“Kitling! It’s okay.”
Wait what? Gaara looked up, sandals forgotten, and saw a little blonde head poke around the corner of the bedroom doorway. A…little…blonde…head…with whisker marks and big blue eyes…Oh.... Naruto had a…child? But, but…the only way for Naruto to have had a child was if…if he had…
Something inside Gaara, around the vicinity of his chest if he had to say at the time, cracked and then shattered as the logic made clear of the situation. He wasn’t exactly entirely sure what was going on because all he saw was red at the moment with Naruto becoming encased in sand up to his neck in the perfect position for a *‘Sabaku Sousou’. He was dimly aware of the little one crying in terror and Naruto cussing and yelling at him, but it didn’t particularly matter by this point. Because suddenly, it all became clear to him. The real reason he wanted to see the blonde again. The real reason he had search for four years to find him. And the reason he was going to kill the bastard now. Right after he found out who the slut was so he could go kill her too.
“You bastard!! Who the hell was it? One of those whores down in the village? Or was your being all alone up here in exile just a lie too?”
“What? You psycho! What the fuck are you talking about? And don’t curse in front of my daughter!”
“Your daughter’s going to join you if you don’t tell me who she was!”
Somewhere in the background the little girl began crying even louder, screaming “Papa!”
Gaara ignored her and watched as Naruto began struggling in earnest at his last comment. Blue eyes bleed away to crimson red and the whisker marks on each cheek darkened to a deep purple, making him all the more excited in bloodlust. “You touch her and I’ll rip your throat out! I kicked your ass once I can do it again!”
“Not when I’ve got you bound in sand. Now where the hell’s the slut you knocked up to have the brat?”
“Huh?” Naruto blinked; he stopped struggling immediately at the question and just stared at the red head dumbfounded.
Gaara snarled, he wasn’t feeling particularly patient at the moment. “The. Whore. You. Slept. With. To. Have. A. Kid.” There, simple words for the idiot; maybe the *baka could understand him now.
Naruto looked at him with recognition …and then laughed out of nowhere, it was harsh and bitter. “You moron! If you’re looking for a female to kill over this, she’s right here inside me.”
Wait…that wasn’t right. Gaara articulated this fact aloud. “Huh?”
“Kyuubi, you psycho. She’s mine and Kyuubi’s.”
Okay, logic was dying a horrible death here inside of Gaara’s upside down mind. In fact, Gaara could almost hear its screams of pain as it went under. Stupefied as he was, Gaara lost control over the sand for a second. Which was enough time for Naruto to break free of the hold and lunge at the other man. There was a loud crash, and somehow, Gaara found himself flat on his back with Naruto straddling his chest, a spinning ball of chakra in the blonde’s right hand. Sand was slowly surrounding him, crawling up his legs and chest but Naruto paid it no mind, staring at the redhead with furious blue eyes.
“Alright, you panda eyed lunatic! Why the hell did you really come here?”
Gaara blinked and then yanked on the blonde’s shirt pulling him down until they were face to face with no second thought in hand.
“For this.”
And with a little lift of his head, they were kissing. It wasn’t a perfect kiss, or really even a good one for that fact. Their noses had knocked together on the way, and they were really just sort of smushing their lips together. The blonde was in shock and wasn’t really responding. But it was still a kiss in Gaara’s book and since Gaara had never kissed before, and he was willing to bet Naruto hadn’t either; so it was fairly decent all things considered. Although his technique sucked, he made up for it with emotions. Trying to convey years worth of loneliness and frustration and want into one kiss somehow worked for the blonde. It must have, because slowly he felt Naruto begin to respond. He closed his eyes and…
Suddenly found two small fists beating against a barrier of sand near his head.
“No eat Papa!!”
Green eyes snapped open at the assault and a part of him growled in loss as the warm lips that had been on his were suddenly gone and other confused at the statement he had just heard. Naruto had sat back up, and was holding a hand over his wildly blushing face. His daughter was beating her little fists against the sand still; tear tracks bright on her cheeks as she cried angrily.
The blonde looked from the scowling Sand nin on his floor to his equally scowling 4 year old who was attempting to save her Papa from being ‘eaten’ and began to laugh. Because if he didn’t laugh, he just might cry by this point from all the mixed emotions he was experiencing right there and then.
“Kizuko, Kitling, it’s alright. Papa’s fine.”
The little blonde stopped at looked at him. He moved off of the redhead and sat cross legged on the floor of the cabin, sitting next to Gaara and gathering the little girl to him. Gaara pushed himself up, still scowling at Kizuko, who stuck her tongue out at him and snuggled into her Papa’s shirt.
“Kitling, this is Gaara.”
“Panda eye wunamic!”
Gaara twitched. Naruto snorted.
“No, Kitling, Gaara.”
Kizuko eyed him suspiciously. Gaara glared right back at her. “Gaara” She said finally.
Naruto smiled and hugged her and then looked at Gaara.
“This is Kizuko.” He began very seriously. “See that spot over there that looks burnt with the blood in it? That’s where she was born.”
“Explain.”
“You know how with enough chakra you can create clones?” Gaara nodded.
“Well, with enough blood and chakra you can create life. Kyuubi showed me how.”
“That would take a lot of both.”
Naruto smiled grimly. “It nearly killed me. But it was worth it, huh, Kitling?”
Kizuko smiled and snuggled closer to him.
“If I wasn’t what I am, I probably wouldn’t believe you, you know.”
“I don’t care if you believe me or not.” His eyes turned glacial. “The point is, you touch her; you die. I don’t care if I have to kill myself to achieve it.”
Gaara believed him and shrugged.
“That said.” The fox boy blushed slightly. “I still don’t trust you but…Are you going to stay for awhile?”
Gaara smiled one of those rare true smiles. “Yes.”
Kizuko smiled sweetly at him in a feral way. “Panda eye wunamic.”
Gaara twitched.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what did you guess think? Like it, love it, meh? Let me know!
Encase there are some things in the chapter you didn't know what they here's a list of some of those things and their defintion, english translation, or use:
-chan - it is a suffix formally used in Japan for females that are friends with a person or at least know them fairly well, its like the friend term for suffixs; -san would be used for people you don't personally know, ever met, of higher standing in position or respect to you, or associates of you; can be used for any sex and -kun is the male term.
kohl - is a type of eye makeup generally; this specific word is for the the type that is known especially in South Asia and North Africa, it is a chemical preparation used by women to darken the rims of their eyelids. It usually consists of powdered antimony sulfide or lead sulfide. I used the term just as a term for eye makeup...its suggesting that would be the kind Gaara could be using if he did use.
Ai - Japanese word for love; its his tatoo on his that means love...you know that if you read or watched the episode or manga that explained that tatoo...=_=
tranny - Another term for transexual...you know people that think their the opposite sex that they are and are trapped in that wrong gendered body basically. It's a word I made up for the story, sue me.....not literally lolz
Shukaku - Gaara's one tailed demon....not explaining more, read the actually manga or watch it. same goes for Kyuubi ; its Naruto's nine tailed demon....
Kitling - a pet name I made for Naruto's kid, Kizuko and ask please if you wish to use it in your own story... don't claim it as your own, that's just mean spirited. Same goes for Panda eye wunamic ; I made up, ask before you use it if it pleases you to want to use it!
Sabaku Sousou - Gaara's signature attack; english translation is Desert Funeral; first seen in the chuunin arc during part 2 of the chuunin exams while still in the forest of death. Gaara uses this ninjustu to 'crush' his victims into splatters of blood, flesh, and bone bits....lovely ain't it?
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Chapter notes: Heres chapter 2, sorry for being a little late; just been very busy with my job working for Vector and showing Cutco....if you know what that is awesome! If not, google it for its a international company that is off the hook. Oh, and if you would like to get said product because you know, email me. ^0^
Sorry, had to do that; its like second nature to do for me. Anyway I hope yal love the new chapter and give your opinion afterwards, chow!
OH PS: thank you Shizake Uchiha for being my first REVIEWER!!!! Super happy you love my story so far and can't wait to hear more of your opinion on the fic. The next shout out I'll do for reviews is when the story hits the big TEN O; 10. So review up and I'll give you a shout out, lolz ^////^b