Sand Away From The Desert

The next afternoon Gaara left the Hokage’s office after another long meeting. The meeting was interrupted by some jounins entering to report about a mission, and Gaara was glad for the break. He made his way down to the small ramen shop to eat a quick meal before returning to his meeting. He entered and frowned when he saw the irritating blonde boy seated in front of him. He considered turning around and finding somewhere else to eat, but before he could, the boy turned around and grinned goofily.



“Gaara! I didn’t know you liked Ichiraku’s!” he yelled obnoxiously.



Gaara held in a sigh and sat down on the stool beside Naruto. Naruto eagerly ordered for him, without even asking him what he would like. Gaara closed his eyes, wondering if it might be better to still be stuck in the boring meeting rather than stuck listening to Naruto chattering about his love of ramen.



The man behind the counter placed a bowl in front of Gaara which he began to devour. Naruto stopped talking finally and watched Gaara eat. Gaara quickly finished his ramen and then turned and glared at Naruto.



“Why are you staring at me?” he asked angrily.



“I’ve just never seen you eat before,” Naruto replied calmly.



Gaara slowly rose from his stool, paying the owner. He turned and left quickly, not bothering to say goodbye to Naruto.



****************************************



Naruto threw three more shuriken down at the tree in front of him, feeling anger stirring within him. He jumped down from the tree he’d been crouching in when he felt someone approaching the clearing. His body relaxed when he saw Sakura walk out of the trees.



“Sakura-chan!” he yelled happily.



Sakura smiled and made her way over to the excited blonde. She stopped in front of him and rested one hand on her hip, a small smirk playing on her lips.



“I thought I’d find you here. I checked Ichiraku’s first, but the owner said you had already left, so I assumed you’d be here next,” Sakura said knowingly.



Naruto grinned, and his grin only grew wider when Sakura shook her head as if he was crazy. Sakura shifted her weight slightly and then met his eyes again.



“Tsunade-sama is sending me out on a mission. I wanted to stop by and tell you that I was leaving so that you didn’t find out from someone else,” Sakura said.



“Who are you going with?” Naruto asked, looking curious.



“I will be joining Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and a few jounin. They need a medic to take a look at someone who is believed to be poisoned.”



“Is it dangerous?”



“Yes. That is why so many jounin will be present.”



“How long will you be gone?”



“At least a week. I will know for sure when I see what kind of shape the man I’m healing is in. I will come see you when I get back though.”



Naruto frowned suddenly and dug the front of his right foot down into the dirt, watching the dirt break apart around his shoe.



“Be careful,” he said softly.



Sakura smiled and pulled Naruto into a gentle embrace. They had grown closer since Sasuke had left them, and she knew he was worried about her.



“I will Naruto. Don’t worry,” she replied.



She pulled back a little, while keeping her arms around his waist. She watched his eyes for a moment as he looked away from her.



“Is something else bothering you?” she asked.



“No. I’m okay,” he replied.



“Naruto, don’t lie to me. I know you well enough to know that you’re lying.”



“It’s nothing. You have enough to worry about.”



“Naruto, I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s bothering you. And do you really want to explain to Tsunade-sama why you made me late?”



Sakura smirked, imagining the angry look on Tsunade’s face. Naruto laughed, knowing that Sakura really wouldn’t leave until he opened up.



“I’m just irritated. Temari asked me to watch over Gaara, but no matter what I say, he’ll barely even speak to me,” Naruto said, frustration in his voice.



Sakura laughed softly and rubbed Naruto’s back, remembering suddenly that her arms were still on his waist.



“Naruto, he is different than you. He doesn’t open up like you do. No one knows what he’s thinking. I’ve seen him act cold even toward his siblings,” Sakura explained.



“I know, but it always seemed like we could relate to each other. I just thought he would be fun to talk to,” Naruto replied.



Sakura noticed Naruto frown, disappointed. She smiled and hugged him closer to her again before she backed up and kissed him softly on the cheek.



“Maybe he will just never want to get close to people Naruto. Not everyone wants the same things that you do. Just try not to get too worked up if he doesn’t act the way that you want him to. You can’t change everyone Naruto,” Sakura said quietly.



“I know. You should get going now so that you’re not late. Good luck on your mission Sakura. I will see you when you return,” Naruto replied.



Sakura nodded her head, turned around, and ran off through the trees. Naruto picked up his stray shuriken, deciding he needed some time to think, rather than train.



****************************************



Gaara walked back toward his apartment, his body tight from sitting through meetings all day. He had turned down the Hokage’s request to leave at dinnertime, since he wanted to finish negotiations as soon as possible.



Gaara paused in the middle of the street and bent over, stretched downward, and placed his fingers on the cool ground. He stood back up slowly, feeling eyes watching him. He frowned when he saw Naruto walking toward him. Naruto was wearing loose black pants and a bright orange t-shirt, a more casual look than he usually wore. Naruto was staring at Gaara, and he very slowly began to smile. Gaara continued to approach him, subconsciously adjusting the strap holding the gourd on his back.



“Hey Gaara!” Naruto said happily.



“Naruto,” Gaara said.



Gaara began to walk past Naruto toward his apartment and was surprised when Naruto turned and began to follow him.



“Where are you going?” Naruto asked.



“Hom…my apartment,” Gaara replied.



Gaara frowned when he realized what he almost said. He turned his head and glared at Naruto, willing the boy to leave.



“What have you been up to today?” Naruto asked, ignoring Gaara’s glare.



“Meeting with the Hokage,” Gaara answered.



“Oh, Old lady Tsunade,” Naruto said, smiling to himself.



Gaara looked over at the boy beside him, irritated by how much he didn’t understand about him. Gaara shoved his hands deep into his pockets.



How can you smile that way all the time? Are you really that happy?



Gaara looked away from Naruto, annoyed by seeing him smile. Naruto looked over at Gaara then, wondering if something was bothering Gaara or if he was always going to be so cold. Naruto was surprised when Gaara suddenly stopped walking. Naruto looked around and realized that they were standing in front of Gaara’s apartment already. Gaara actually turned around and faced Naruto rather than just ignoring him and going inside.



“Did you need something Naruto?” Gaara asked, the politeness he learned since becoming Kazekage kicking in, although his voice remained cold.



“No. I was just bored and when I saw you on the street I thought we could talk. I can let you get some rest now if you need it though,” Naruto replied.



“Yes. I have meetings again in the morning.”



Gaara quickly turned around and went into his apartment. Naruto sighed, unsure about what happened.



Naruto thought, "Gaara talked a little more tonight…but maybe he was just tired."



****************************************



The next day, after several boring hours in the Hokage’s office discussing their negotiations, Gaara was excited to hear a loud knock on the door.



“If it’s not important, go away!” Tsunade yelled at the door.



Oh, please come in so we can take a break…



The door swung open quickly and Gaara couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. A jounin Gaara didn’t recognize looked in the room.



“Tsunade-sama we need you immediately at the hospital. Sakura’s team was attacked and they were forced to return,” the jounin said quickly.



Tsunade jumped up from her desk and glanced at Gaara. Gaara just stood up as well, and gave her a look that told her he would be following. Then they both ran out of the office and followed the jounin to the hospital.



Upon arriving at the hospital, Tsunade was immediately pulled into one of the rooms, leaving Gaara alone in the hallway.



“I need someone! Help me!” a female voice yelled from a nearby open door.



Gaara quickly moved into the room and saw the pink-haired ninja leaning over a bloody body. Her hair was messy and hanging loosely around her face. He noticed that her body was cut up as well and she was injured, but she seemed to be ignoring her own pain. She looked over her thin shoulder and noticed Gaara in the doorway.



“Gaara-sama! Come help me!” she said quickly.



Gaara moved to her side and recognized the body she was leaning over as Hyuuga Neji. His long dark hair pooled around his pale body, and his chest was heaving with each breath. He was groaning softly, which sounded unusual coming from the proud ninja, alerting them quickly to his severe pain.



“I need you to hold him down. I have to remove the poison from his body before I heal him. It will be painful, and he will try to move,” Sakura said firmly.



Gaara quickly moved behind the head of the bed and pinned down Neji’s broad shoulders. He concentrated for a moment and used his sand to grip Neji’s legs and pin them down to the bed. Sakura looked relieved, and then quickly began to work the poison out of Neji. As soon as she started, Neji’s body jerked forward as he yelped in pain. Gaara kept a firm grip on him, so Neji’s body remained pressed down on the bed. Neji whimpered as Sakura continued her treatment. Gaara looked over the strong, muscled body his hands and sand were pinning down. There were deep cuts on his bare torso, and blood still seemed to be flowing over his muscles. Neji’s body shuddered under his hands, so Gaara calmly kneaded his hands into the pained boy’s shoulders, trying to relax him while still keeping him pinned down. Sakura glanced over at Gaara’s face as she worked, noticing that he seemed to be concentrating. She watched him massage Neji’s shoulders, trying to ease the pain out of him, and she was surprised by how carefully his hands rubbed the muscles beneath them. She quickly looked back down at Neji’s stomach to concentrate on her own work on the boy. Gaara pushed a little harder into Neji’s muscles, feeling them relax slightly beneath him.



Gaara thought, "I wonder who attacked them. Neji seemed arrogant, but not weak."



After removing all the poison, and treating the worst of Neji’s wounds, Sakura collapsed onto the floor. Her legs were bent under her, and she was hunched over, leaning toward the floor. Gaara moved away from Neji who had already fallen asleep and he leaned down over the young, tired girl.



“You’ve exhausted yourself. I will bring the Hokage to heal you,” Gaara said.



“No. Wrap Neji’s wounds first. I’ll be fine,” Sakura choked out.



Gaara complied, knowing that he was merely a guest in Konoha and needed to follow their orders. He quickly wrapped up Neji’s wounds, not wanting to leave Sakura alone on the floor for long. He finished easily, and moved back over to Sakura. She gasped as he put one strong arm around her and lifted her up effortlessly into his arms. She looked up into his cold eyes and turned away shyly when he looked down at her. Gaara felt frustrated when the girl in his arms looked too frightened to meet his eyes.



“I will take you to your own bed and then find the Hokage,” Gaara said coolly.



Sakura nodded, feeling uncomfortable in the arms of someone she barely knew. Gaara carried her out into the hall and quickly found an empty room. He placed her on the bed and then quickly turned around and left the room to find Tsunade.



****************************************



Naruto walked down the street slowly, wondering what he should do for the rest of the day. He noticed Hinata running toward him, her eyes cast down at the ground. Hinata never looked up and nearly ran into Naruto, but he grabbed her by her biceps and stopped her in front of him. Hinata looked up in surprise and turned red when she saw him.



“Na-Naruto-kun?” she said softly.



The blush remained on Hinata’s cheeks, but her eyes quickly turned serious. She pulled out of his arms and looked over his shoulder.



“What’s wrong Hinata?” Naruto asked.



“Neji is in the hospital! I have to go see him!” she said quickly.



“What? Wasn’t he on a mission with Sakura?”



“Yes, she’s there also.”



Naruto didn’t wait for another word before he grabbed Hinata by the wrist and pulled her toward the hospital.



****************************************



Naruto and Hinata arrived at the hospital minutes later and Naruto immediately burst through the door and looked around frantically.



“Sakura-chan!” Naruto screamed into the empty hallway.



Hinata frowned, knowing that Naruto would get in trouble for yelling. Gaara, hearing the obnoxious boy’s voice, stepped out into the hallway from a nearby room. Naruto was about to scream again, but he closed his mouth when Gaara glared at him, fury in his eyes. Naruto nervously approached Gaara.



“Where is she?” he asked in a quieter voice.



“The Hokage is healing her right now. Keep your voice down,” Gaara said coldly.



“Is she going to be okay?” Naruto asked, concern in his voice.



Gaara ignored the question and glanced over Naruto’s shoulder at Hinata who was nervously watching the two boys speak.



“Neji is in the second room on the right. You can go see him,” Gaara said.



Hinata nodded and quickly rushed into the room Neji was resting in. Naruto grabbed Gaara’s shoulder firmly, his eyes frantic.



“Is she okay?” Naruto yelled.



“Quiet down. She should be fine,” Gaara said firmly.



Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief and shoved his hands into his pockets. Gaara noticed that Naruto’s body looked tense and his bright blue eyes were unfocused. Gaara realized it was unusual to see the boy lost in serious thought. Naruto’s usual smile was long gone at that point, and a pained frown was on his face.



“What happened?” Naruto whispered, more to himself than to Gaara.