Freezing

Naruto stood in the sun that bathed the floor from his window
Naruto stood in the sun that bathed the floor from his window. He loved mornings in Sand. He’d been here nearly a year. Since…that time. He didn’t want to think about that. About the traitor. About his once beloved brother.
A knock on the door called him out of his thoughts.
“Are you up yet? We leave in 2 hours remember.” A familiar voice called through the heavy wood.
It was female, but he would have known who it was even if she hadn’t spoken. Of the three who ever visited his bedchambers, only she knocked and waited for an invite. The other two just barged straight in.
“I’m up Tema-chan. And you can come in too.” The tall blonde woman entered.
“Are you alright? I mean, going there now…” She asked.
“I’m fine. A bit nervous, but fine.”
“Mother used to say that ‘fine’ stood for ‘fucked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional’…sure your fine?”
The blonde roared with laughter. “Oh yeah, that’s for sure! Nah, I’m good. I’ll be down to eat in a moment. Just have to finish packing.”
She smiled sadly to him. “You don’t have to…”
“Yeah, I do have to come. They will worry if I don’t, and I don’t like you guys being away from me still. I’ll just let them know that I don’t want any mention of it. They’ll understand.”
He smiled to his foster big sister. “Alright, but if you change your mind, it’s ok. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Exactly 13 minutes later the blonde boy – man – was in the dining room with the trio who saved him being served French toast, muffins, poached eggs and bacon and lots of other breakfast things. The blonde only ate 2 eggs, 5 pieces of bacon, two pieces of toast and a muffin.
Normally the sand sibs would be calling for more from the kitchen because Naruto ate everything before they got anything. But today…today Naruto wasn’t hungry. He felt ill. The only reason he ate anything was because he knew he would be forced to stay behind if he didn’t. Like last time.
Last time they had left him for 2 weeks and he hadn’t been able to sleep or keep any food down the whole time they were gone. They had had him admitted to hospital when they got back because he had gotten so sick. And they had only gone to Water country then. This time they were going to Konoha. Back to his old home. Back to that place of sympathetic glances, consoling voices and bad memories.
He really didn’t want to go back there. But he wanted to be left alone even less.
After breakfast and several more attempts at making him stay behind – even Gaara, his most beloved sand sibling had tried – the four left for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Three days later the group arrived, met by Kiba and Shikamaru.
“Hey Naruto!! How you doing man?” The dog lover exclaimed.
“How’s living in Sand? Hot? Many good looking girls?”
“Hey Kiba, Hey Shikamaru. Sand is good. Pretty warm, but I’ve already gotten used to it. Haven’t really been looking out for girls. How’ve you two been?”
They traded small talk for a bit before Shikamaru reminded them they were supposed to be meeting the Hokage.
When Naruto followed his family into the small office and froze when he saw almost all his old friends up there, Kakashi walked in just after them.
“Sorry I’m late, I got eaten by a dinosaur and had to fight my way out with a pencil.”
“Kakashi-sensei! Always the same.” The blonde gave a smile at his ex-teacher.
Just then the door flew open and the one missing member of the group attached themselves to Naruto in a flurry of pink and red.
“Naruto!! You came! We didn’t think you would. I’m so glad! How’ve you been? I’ve missed you! You’ve missed so much. You’ll never guess! Lee asked me out the other month and I said yes! Now we’re dating. And so are Kiba and Hinata. Oh, I’ve missed you so much! How long are you staying? Just as long as the Kazekage? Or shorter? Or longer?”
Naruto laughed. He couldn’t believe it. He was laughing in Konoha. And he’d barely been here half an hour.
“Sakura, take a breath. Geez, I would’ve guessed you were dating Bushy Brows even if you didn’t say. Your even more hyperer (Yes, I know it isn’t a word, it’s Naruto) then I was!”
Sakura gave a sad smile at ‘was’. The old Naruto that they used to know. Before he ever touched him.
Naruto shifted uncomfortably at her smile. “Um, there is one thing I’d like to say to everyone. You all know why I left, the reason I came back was because I still can’t stand to be without these guys,” He gestured to the three sand siblings, “near me. Last time I chose to stay behind and I got really sick, so this time I followed. However, just because I’m back doesn’t mean I’m the same as I used to be. Please, I don’t want anyone to mention the reason I left, at least not near me. I still can’t stand it.”
Everyone looked down as Temari put a hand on the blonde lad’s shoulder.
“Naruto, it isn’t a good thing, being like that. It’s good to talk about it. Something similar happened to one of my team mates when I was a Genin and she refused to talk about it until she’d been in an insane asylum for a year. She killed herself the next day. I’m sure you know that none of us want anything like that to happen to you. And her perpetrator wasn’t even someone she knew, you…”
“Enough Kakashi! I. Do. Not. Want. To. Talk. About. It! I am not going crazy. I am not going to kill myself. I just do not want to talk about it here!”
Sakura looked up. “You mean you don’t want to talk about Sasuke raping you with us.”
Naruto looked away. Then looked up stubbornly. “Well, yeah. Because you all carry on about ‘making him pay’ and shit and it makes you sound just like him with all his talk of revenge.”
He turned around and stormed out of the office. Temari and Kankuro followed. Gaara looked to the Hokage. “If you don’t mind Tsunade, I will be back for our meeting shortly.” He bowed and followed the others.
“You see,” He heard his older sister saying, “this was exactly the reason why I thought you should have stayed in Sand. Those loud-mouthed busy-bodies!”
“Perhaps,” the redhead added, “but I would prefer not going home to find him half-dead again.”
The blonde smiled to Gaara and he gave a quick, little smile back. “Thanks Gaa. Glad one of you wants to keep me alive.”
The blonde boy stood up. “I’m gonna go for a walk for a bit. I’ll see you guys later.”
Gaara watched him go. He really had come pretty far for only a year. Considering what had happened. It was only 5 months ago he had been able to smile again. The redhead always bit his tongue around Naruto but he had his own plans of what would happen to the Uchiha if he ever saw him again.
Let’s just say that what happened to Lee would look like a bear hug in comparison.
He had even made Temari and Kankuro lie to him last time they left him. The three had really been following a lead on the last Uchiha. Just as well his blonde hadn’t been so insistent in following them at the time. He wouldn’t be able to go again until he knew Naruto would be alright when left.
Gaara was secretly, however, quite pleased that it was only him that Naruto could trust in the beginning, and that he still couldn’t trust any but him and his siblings. He and Naruto were the last Jinchuuriki, it was only fitting that they only trust each other.
He wished he could tell Naruto how much he wanted to be there for him always. That Temari and Kankuro could tell him that he was there ‘extra’ younger brother, but they couldn’t. Siblings were not what Naruto wanted at the moment, since the last brother he had had hurt so badly.
Gaara didn’t really know what rape was, he knew about sex and he knew rape was when someone had sex with you even if you didn’t want it, but he didn’t understand what was so bad about it. Then he had accidentally walked in on his older brother one time. He meant to walk straight out and apologise later, but their words, the things they were saying, had kept him there. Unable to move. They didn’t realise he was there.
Then he had understood. Naruto had never had that. From anyone. The one person he had once wanted it from had instead abused him, degraded him, violated him and took his first time without any kind words to soften the blow. The Uchiha had been rough, making Naruto bleed, where Kankuro had been gentle; making sure his partner was comfortable before doing anything. Kankuro had obeyed as many of his lover’s demands as possible where the Uchiha had ignored every single one of the blonde’s.
In short, rape was the same treatment both Jinchuuriki had suffered throughout their lives but worse because Naruto hadn’t been able to fight back. He hadn’t been able to set a goal to prove he was better. And the Uchiha would never respect him. When Gaara had figured that out, he felt he understood what Naruto had gone through, though without the physical abuse. He threw up. He went to Naruto. Both had cried themselves to sleep that night on the blonde’s bed.
Naruto didn’t leave his side for a week after that. They even slept in the same bed for that time. Now Naruto’s room was right next to Gaara’s. Just in case.
Gaara returned to the Hokage’s office for their meeting for the upcoming Jounin exams. Naruto was still technically a Genin but would be allowed to participate if he wished if he proved himself in front of a panel which would be selected by the Konoha council, the Hokage and the Kazekage. So far it consisted of Hyuuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaki, Akimichi Cho (Chouji’s dad?), Inuzuka Hana, Yamanaka Inoichi, Aburame Kaiou (made her up – Shino’s sister), Umino Iruka and Hatake Kakashi.
They had wanted people who would be tough but fair. And they had gotten them all. The council would be adding Danzo to the list. Bastards.
Gaara really wanted Naruto to get this. To prove that he was not weak. Naruto had been training really hard this past year and had improved beyond even Gaara’s belief. Especially training with Temari, who was Wind element as well. He knew Naruto could become a Jounin standing on his head if he wished.
The truth of the matter wasn’t that Gaara was like his siblings, he didn’t think of Naruto as his brother. He thought of him more seriously than that. Especially after that experience with Kankuro and his partner, he had barely been able to get Naruto out of his head. The redhead was quite worried about his sanity. But he wouldn’t act on it anyway. He didn’t think Naruto would want it, or could honestly deal with it.
So he played the brother and friend. The fellow Jinchuuriki. Never the lover or partner, as he wished. He really would kill the Uchiha for hurting his blonde.