Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Pieces Of Me ❯ Tattoo ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Drabble Twenty-one

Title: Tattoo

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me. I own nothing mentioned here.

Summary: When you’ve finally found that one emotion that once eluded you. [GaaNaru]

A/N: And here is number twenty-one. Please review! I would be very grateful. Ja!




The kanji on his forehead read ‘love’, but he had yet to experience the petty emotion. Ever since he was little, he never really grasped this emotion, since his mother had died giving birth to him. There were no feelings of love for the uncle who had tried to kill him, under his own father’s orders. He wasn’t sure, either, if he could say he loved his siblings. Love had always eluded him.

He met Uzumaki Naruto during the chuunin exams, a blond boy with a fiery spirit that couldn’t be contained. They had fought, and the puny blond from before had beaten him, seemingly doubling his strength while protecting the one he called ‘Sakura-chan’ and the Uchiha.

Gaara marveled at how strong this boy became from the petty, useless emotion called love. He even felt, for once, at ease with the world when he looked into those blue eyes.

Years later, Naruto had saved him from certain death as Shukkaku had been sucked out of him. He had been brought back by Chiyo, and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes were the clouds and the blue sky. He heard Naruto’s concerned voice, and for a minute thought his heart would stop again if he didn’t reach out to touch him; make sure he was really there.

Is this what they call love? Gaara thought, feeling his heart race in his chest and wondering if love was supposed to feel like that. Did his mother ever hold him before she died, and her heart raced? Did Temari ever feel that way about that boy in the leaf village? Did her heart race then?

Gaara didn’t have the answers to these questions. He could live the rest of his life not knowing them; that was fine. But something inside of him wanted Naruto. He could feel it in the way his eyes always seemed to follow the happy blond-the way his heart clenched. He thought he loved this hyperactive blond boy-Uzumaki Naruto.

“Old hag.” Naruto growled, as he entered the Hokage’s office. He had been sparring with Kiba when Izumo and Kotetsu came to retrieve him, explaining that he had a mission. He was only slightly mollified. “So what’s this mission you have for me?”

“The Kazekage is here for business. He requested you as an escort.” The blond woman steepled her fingers and fixed him with a stern glare. She was kind’ve scary when she wanted to be. “Will you accept?”

Naruto swiveled around, and finally noticed the quiet red head sitting in the darkest corner of the room. His light green eyes were focused on something to the left of Tsunade’s head, and Naruto could see a tiny bird fluttering just outside the window.

“Um, sure. Sounds like fun.” Naruto shrugged, as he turned back to Tsunade. She was watching him with a smile playing around the edges of her mouth. “What’re you smiling for, old hag?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Right.” Blue eyes swiveled back to Gaara, who was now standing and waiting by the door. He still wouldn’t look at him. “So, where do you wanna go?”

“For a walk.” The red head answered, leaving the room before Naruto could ask where. The blond just shook his head as he followed the Kazekage from the room, and caught up with him on the steps. Gaara was eerily quiet, as usual, and didn’t say much of anything for twenty minutes. Then finally, he spoke: “Do you…love someone, Naruto-kun?”

The blond blushed at the suffix and brought his eyes up the Gaara’s face. “’Course I do. I love tons of people. I love Iruka-sensei, ‘cause he’s like a father to me. I don’t love Sasuke-teme, but he’s more or less like a brother. I lo-“

“-No, that’s not what I meant.” Gaara turned his green eyes on Naruto, and for a brief moment his stomach fluttered. “I mean, do you have any…” Gaara went through the words in his head, “…feelings for anybody?”

Naruto’s face rivaled a tomato as he sputtered, “Um, yeah, I do. I love someone, I guess.” The blond averted his eyes, staring at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“What does it feel like?” Gaara asked softly, wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue. His eyes were drifting to the other boy every few seconds and he was enjoying the flush crawling down his neck. “If you truly love someone, what does it feel like?”

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s like jumping into an ocean in the middle of summer. It’s refreshing and, uh, really cool, I guess.” Naruto shrugged helplessly, not able to find the right words. How could you explain something so unrefined? “It’s endless thinking when you don’t know what else to say. It’s waking up in the mornings and throwing water on your face.”

“It’s your heart racing when you’re standing still.” Gaara told him, stopping in the shade of an overgrown oak tree.

“Do you love someone, Gaara?” The blond asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on the balls of his feet. He could hardly believe it, but Gaara had a soft side to him, even if it was buried underneath layers of pain.

“Yes.” Gaara answered after a while, then started walking again. Naruto stared after him for a moment before catching up.

“You’re not worried about your existence?” Naruto asked, careful not to touch on a nerve. Gaara had always been a rather touchy person.

“With them, I feel I am complete.” The red head didn’t turned to look at the blond, but he still saw the wiry, tanned arm reaching towards him. Two fingers hooked around his, promising so much in so little a gesture.

Two pieces, one whole.