Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Affection Turns To Love ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

~*~

 

Subaku no Gaara had been born as a tool and had been raised to be the greatest weapon any hidden village could hope for. However it all came at the cost of his childhood, his happiness, his sanity. His control over the sand wasn't so precise when he was a child, the grains taking up the duty of protection almost like a parent, and he'd come to find blood on his hands as a toddler.

 

His father, the one who had both given life to Gaara and damned him with a shoddy seal, had sent assassins after his own son, knowing the power the boy could wield and being frightened of it. He was raised with a hard hand, nurtured with hate and fed with fear. The redhead had never known the gentleness of a mother's touch or the pride in a father's voice. Because of the poor seal that kept the demon within him, the young boy wasn't even able to escape from his hellish life into the realms of sleep, lest he lose what was left of his mind to the raccoon.

 

The years passed and Gaara soon came to the woeful realization that he only felt truly alive when he was killing someone and whether that effect was bloodlust seeping from Shukaku into him or his own feelings because that was all he'd ever been good for, he wasn't sure. The hesitation didn't stop him from doing it however because he longed to at least feel something, even if it was another's blood slipping through his fingers.

 

As more time faded and passed away, Gaara had eventually come to meet his kin. Uzumaki Naruto was the same as he, carrying the spirit of a demon within his body. The blonde had been treated even worse - in Gaara's opinion - than the redhead had, becoming the all-purpose scapegoat and punching bag for the enraged villagers of Konohagakure, where as he had always been feared. No one would have ever dared to hurt him the way Naruto had been hurt.

 

Naruto also had no family whatsoever. That had been a basis for argument between the two at the beginning of their friendship. The fox thoroughly believed that since Gaara had family, he should hold them close and cherish them instead of pushing them away with fear and power. Gaara hadn't understood it at all until Naruto had broken down, telling him that there was nothing worse than knowing you had no connections whatsoever to anyone.

 

Where Gaara had family and fear-inspired-respect, Naruto had friends and all consuming hatred from the village he strove to protect. And yet, the blonde always smiled and pushed as hard as he could to see others happy and to protect them from any harm that may have befallen them. He gave and gave and gave of himself constantly, never asking for anything more than recognition and appreciation but receiving neither of his meager requests.

 

After becoming the Kazekage, Gaara had been killed when the Akatsuki came to take Shukaku and it was Naruto who had brought him to life. Even with the jutsu the sand elder used on him, it wouldn't have been enough had Naruto not been there. He literally owed his life to the blonde and had vowed long ago that whatever the fox needed, Gaara would make sure to assist in if possible.

 

It had come as a shock to the redhead when he'd visited Konoha for a peaceful meeting between village leaders and found Naruto to be gone. The Godaime had told him the blonde went off to train after bringing the defected Uchiha home and was unsure when - even if - he would return. Having never been familiar with emotions until meeting Naruto, it had taken awhile for Gaara to realize that the twisting in his stomach and the clenching feeling in his heart was sorrow and worry.

 

Five years had been a long time to go without seeing the one person who had made a difference in his life.

 

And as those five years had passed, Gaara had realized exactly how much the blond meant to him. Naruto was his first friend, the first person who had been able to break down every barrier he had ever put up and literally force light and happiness into his life. Over the course of the time the blonde had been absent, the redhead had become familiar with another emotion: depression.

 

He had been worried - afraid even - that Naruto wouldn't return from wherever he had gone and that left a sick feeling in his heart. Being confused over why he'd felt the way he did, he'd sought out his family. Temari and Kankuro both had been shocked when Gaara had come down from his room to the kitchen one morning with tears glimmering in his eyes and his skin looking far too pale. He'd spent the entire night plagued by scenarios in which Naruto never returned.

 

Without hesitation, Temari wrapped her younger brother up in her arms and held him tight, not even concerned about whether or not he would kill her. Gaara had only held onto her, silent tears trailing from jade eyes as images of the blonde's mutilated body flashed in his mind.

 

After that, things between he and his siblings had been so much smoother and they finally acted like the family they were. His older sister became his closest confidant. There wasn't a thing he hadn't told her really, especially seeing as how she was a female and hadn't been deprived of everything not involving hate, which helped him sort out all the new feelings that had bombarded him. Kankuro had become one of his best friends. The puppet nin never failed to take his little brother out for a drink at least once a week and the two talked frequently, though nothing as `heart-to-heart' as the conversations he had with Temari.

 

Now finally, after waiting so long, he knew Naruto had returned. As he and his siblings traversed the desert at a rapid pace, not even stopping for the night. Instead they traveled on, Gaara carrying Temari and Kankuro with his sand when they needed to rest in the early morning hours. As the night bled into day, the Kazekage felt his own weariness creep upon him but there were only a few hours left of their trip and he refused to stop until he was within Konoha's walls.

 

~*~

 

Sleepy blue eyes blinked slowly at the warm rays of sun dancing through his bedroom from the window. He'd been awake for an hour already and the sun had just risen. Naruto hadn't moved from his position, rather enjoying the high quality mattress that cradled his body, since he'd awoken. There were no special plans for the day really, except knowing that Gaara was due to be in town at some point before nightfall.

 

After spending the last half of the day before walking around Konoha, the two had gone to Naruto's new residence and Iruka had stayed for some tea before having to call it a night with the promise of meeting up the following evening to enjoy the festival. Now that the blonde was back, the chuunin planned to reclaim his academy position after having put it on hold until his `son' was home.

 

Iruka had sworn he wouldn't tell a soul of the fox's return and Naruto knew the man would keep his word. It wasn't that he was planning on hiding from his fellow ninja but he couldn't say he was planning to seek out and greet every one of them either. It wasn't that he hadn't missed them - for surely he had - but he didn't want to make a huge deal out of his return, just as he hadn't made a big scene of his departure.

 

As far as he could figure, he would see who he would see when he bumped into them. The only person he knew he would seek out was Gaara when the sand nin made it to Konoha. Pulling himself from his warm bed, Naruto walked to the window in his bedroom and breathed in the early morning air. The Kazekage was extremely close now and the Konoha nin knew he'd be seeing his redheaded friend within a few hours.

 

Sighing contentedly at the peacefulness of the morning, the blonde shinobi made his way to the shower to get ready for his day.

 

~*~

 

An hour later - after a shower, breakfast and some wandering in his father's home - found Naruto walking through the crowded streets of Konoha, not hiding his presence but not really boasting it either. Masking his chakra, aura and scent had become second nature to the jounin after all his years traveling and he hadn't felt the need to change things just because he'd come home. Now, the only way anyone would know of his return would be if they saw him. After his meeting with Tsunade the day before, Naruto had kept the jutsu that completely hid his chakra active, deciding he would rather meet his old friends in a casual run-in rather than having someone seek him out because they recognized his chakra.

 

As he strolled along aimlessly, his eyes caught onto some of the more open looks of lust he was receiving and his mind was brought back to what Iruka had told him the day before. Truthfully, he had no idea who could possibly be interested in him and it really had his curiosity piqued. There was something in the way the chuunin had spoken that led Naruto to believe his reference was more directed towards male ninja - rather than female - that held an interest in him.

 

Now, having been gone for five years, he wasn't entirely sure how any of the Rookie 9 or Team Gai had changed but he easily recalled a few shinobi that had interested him before he'd left. Actually, if it hadn't been for the fact that he was hopelessly in love with the Uchiha - despite the fact that he was a teme - Naruto probably would have paid even more attention to some of his companions. There was no question in his mind that Neji most certainly would have been one he'd have considered pursuing, if not for the coal-eyed traitor who refused to leave his mind in peace.

 

If he were honest with himself, Naruto knew he still loved the bastard but knowing his feelings didn't change the fact that he didn't want to love him anymore. Loving someone was supposed to be empowering but his love and want for the dark shinobi only made him feel weak and lacking. He didn't need to be a genius to know that he couldn't give Sasuke what he wanted. The Uchiha only had two goals in life: to kill his brother and revive his clan. Now that the first goal had been stolen from his hands, the raven was left with only his other objective and that was something Naruto couldn't help him with.

 

So really, if he was going to think logically about everything, Sasuke was better of without him in his life because no matter how diligent the man's fangirls were, the blonde was sure they'd steer clear of him if Naruto was around and he needed to find and choose a bride.

 

A pulse of energy caressed his senses and Naruto turned his head sharply to the side, his inhumanly keen eyes focusing on the gates of Konoha, still far on the other side of town. Another trickle of power flitted across his skin and a grin stretched his lips. In an instant he was on the move, heading straight for the main gates into the village and appearing as nothing but a blur to the villagers. He owed it to the Yellow Flash to be fast.

~*~

 

Just as Gaara stepped foot within the walls of Konohagakure, he felt an overwhelming presence and before he had a chance to move or blink, he felt his back hit the ground. Startled jade eyes looked down the length of his body and he found himself with an armful of blonde fox, complete with twinkling sapphire eyes and a brilliant smile. Though he'd never admit it to anyone, he had been expecting to hunt the man down and was totally taken by surprise to instead be glomped.

 

“Gaara!” Naruto exclaimed, hugging the redhead tighter around the waist and nuzzling his face into the man's chest, “It's been so long! I'm glad to see you.”

 

Naruto, completely oblivious to the horrified and yet awed looks he was receiving from Raidou and Genma, laughed happily at the sight of his friend, seeming just as he had when he had been twelve. For once in his life, Gaara wished he had eyebrows just so he could arch one at the blonde. Naruto's ears twitched slightly when he heard Genma mutter “I can't believe someone tackled to Kazekage and he isn't dead yet.”

 

Lifting his head from his friend's warm chest, Naruto beamed at the two jounin, “I'm not just someone Genma. Don't you remember me?”

 

The man looked startled, the senbon always present between his teeth hitting the forest floor as his jaw dropped, before his eyes widened and he snapped his mouth shut. With a look of pure disbelief etched into his face, Genma took a step forward as Naruto stood from the redhead and pulled him back up to his feet. “Naruto? Seriously? I thought you left! Oh my Kami-sama you're even hotter now than you were before! Want to join in with me and Raidou tonight?”

 

Grinning, the blonde shinobi was about to open his mouth when he was stopped by Genma yelping. “Itai! Raidou! You can't tell me you don't want to just jump him.”

 

Another yelp. “Itai! So mean Raidou.”

 

“Leave him alone Genma. Obviously he hasn't been home for long if we didn't know he was here. Can't he at least have some time to himself before you start hitting on him?” Raidou chastised while pulling the far-too-eager man away from the blonde.

 

Naruto chuckled and turned back to Gaara, a little more of his old self shining through his blue eyes. These were the things he had missed while being gone for so long and it was almost enough for him to change his mind and seek out the rest of his friends. Almost. After all, Gaara was here and there were things that needed to be done. Deciding to see if he could still shock the pants off Gaara - since no one besides him had ever been able to even ruffle the Kazekage - the blonde leaned towards his friend and kissed him on the nose.

 

Jade eyes widened and Naruto caught a faint blush across pale cheeks before the redhead muttered something about checking in with the Hokage and vanished in a swirl of sand. Naruto laughed lightly before turning back to the other four standing there, a twinkle of mischief and happiness in his eyes.

 

Genma was gaping at him, finally going slack in his lover's arms, his eyes wide with disbelief. Raidou too looked equally shocked and Naruto grinned widely at them both. Genma spluttered for a moment, his words coming out as a completely incoherent jumble until he shook his head and started over.

 

“How come he gets kissed? What about me?” The man actually pouted with Naruto couldn't help but find funny and disturbingly cute.

 

The jounin turned around in Raidou's arms to start going off about how unfair it was that he hadn't gotten the same attention and Naruto caught the scarred man's eyes, sending a wicked grin his way. An imperceptible nod was issued as Raidou removed his arms and took a step back. Before anyone was aware that the blonde had even moved, he was standing directly behind the still complaining Genma.

 

Without a word, Naruto slipped a hand around the man's waist and pulled him forcefully against his chest, receiving a surprised `Eep!' from Genma. With one arm locked securely around his middle, Naruto brought his other hand around to let it slither up the jounin's torso, barely grazing a nipple. Sending a conspiratorial wink to Raidou, the blonde leaned down to whisper in his ear, his soft lips brushing the delicate appendage as his warm breath ghosted along his neck. Genma shuddered.

 

“Sorry Genma,” the fox purred, his voice low and smooth and incredibly sexy, “I don't know that you could handle me. I have enough stamina to run from here to Suna without stopping.”

 

Before the shuddering man even had a chance to respond, Naruto had disappeared once more only to pop up between the two remaining sand siblings who watched the scene with wide eyes. Slinging an arm over each one's shoulders, the blonde steered them towards downtown, knowing they could use some food and had questions to ask.

 

Once they were seated in a nice little sushi place, Naruto took a sip of his tea and studied the two Suna ninjas. They were bone-weary and exhausted but looked happy to be sitting and filling their bellies. There had been concern simmering in their eyes from the moment he saw them again and without asking he knew something was going on with Gaara.

 

“Alright guys. What's going on? I know you have something to talk to me about I can see it in your eyes.” His question was polite and soft-spoken but there was no denying the seriousness in his voice.

 

Temari cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea before fixing Naruto with a dark green gaze. “It's Gaara. We're worried about him. He still hasn't slept…even though…he doesn't have Shukaku anymore. We don't understand why really and the only thing we can come up with is that he had gotten so used to always staying awake that now he just can't sleep. But he deserves to sleep, just once. He never really got to as a child.”

 

Kankuro merely nodded his head at his sister's words before adding quietly, “He's changed so much since he's known you Naruto and we figured that if there was anyone that could help him, you could.”

 

Well that wasn't so bad. It was something he knew he could easily deal with so he sent the elder siblings a bright smile and told them he'd do what he could. They continued eating their meal as Naruto absently poked at his food with a chopstick.

 

Shit Gaara. I'm so sorry. I could've fixed this sooner.