Kitten Infatuation Renewal

Gaara watched Konekomaru as she slept. He was only asleep for an hour at the most. That’s the longest he could sleep without Shukaku eating away at him. ‘Yet, I did not sense him stir…perhaps Konekomaru can calm the monster inside me.’ he wondered curiously, a small smile forming as Konekomaru nuzzled his shoulder.


‘I can’t help but remember…I used to only see her as someone in the way of my existence. And now, a dear friend…and like Naruto, we are very similar.’

*Flashback*


Gaara was now transforming into Shukaku, the demon sealed within him from birth. His once slender frame was now somewhat bulky, tan with blue veins visible. The only human part of him that was left was the right half of his face.


His left eye was larger, black sclera and dark golden iris. His teeth even transformed, the left side were now fangs that protruded from his mouth, making drool leak.


Konekomaru, healed from the fight between her and her twin sister, Kitsunemaru, joined Naruto in stopping the invasion of Konoha. Sasuke was behind the energetic pair in pain from injuries and the Curse Seal activating. Sakura, pinned to a tree by Gaara’s transformed right arm.


“So, any ideas on what we should do?” Naruto asked, panting and frustrated, he didn’t like the few friends he had being in such pain. He was somewhat happy to have a new friend, Konekomaru to back him up.


“Well…I don’t know him too well. But, if you can hold him off, I can use one of my more difficult techniques to poke around in his head, find a weakness of some sort.” she whispered, not risking a potential advantage.


“You can do that?!” the blonde shinobi asked, astounded.


“Yes. But, you can’t have him attack me…its very sensitive. You don’t have a problem doin that do you, Naru-san?” she asked firmly, completely serious and not breaking eye contact with Gaara once. ‘I feel strange when I see those eyes. Don’t know if it’s a good strange or a bad one.’


“Oh yeah! I’ll give you all the time you need, believe it!” he cheered, cracking his right knuckles, determination now flowing through his veins.


Konekomaru nodded and crouched down, charging her chakra. An amethyst aura began glowing around her. She made the necessary hand signs so fast, neither boy could read them. Konekomaru then snapped her golden eyes open and then, her eyes went blank, her body tense as a statue.


Gaara glared at the girl, she’s done nothing but confuse him. Trying to befriend him, showing him nothing but kindness, hiding such a strong power. He knew he had to defeat her ever since that unbelievably destructive preliminary round he saw her in.


Now, she was fighting him, if you could call it that. It seemed as if she didn’t want to hurt him. But, Gaara felt something weird in his head. Not too long after the strange sensation occurred, Gaara’s head began to ache, memories of his childhood flashing before his eyes.


Naruto watched, standing guard as he was instructed. ‘What are you doing, Konekomaru?’ he wondered, ready to defend his new friend if this psycho made the move.


/Inside Gaara’s head/


Konekomaru entered his head for some type of weakness. But, what she found left her speechless and made her sick.


A six year old Gaara now stood over his latest assassin. She wanted to embrace the poor child then and there, assure him of something. Gaara pulled the mask off his assailant, both children’s eyes widened.


Gaara’s uncle, Yashamaru, the only person who seemed to care about Gaara. After hearing that Gaara’s own father, the Kazekage ordered his assassination and that Yashamaru voluntarily accepted the mission, Konekomaru had seen enough.


Even though she knew he couldn’t feel her or truly hear her, she knelt beside the sobbing boy and wrapped an arm around his small shoulders. “You poor thing…you’re no monster.” she cooed, holding in tears.


Konekomaru felt a sharp pain on her left arm and was snapped back into her mind. “What the hell?!” she exclaimed in pain. Her blood froze, she was now being dangled in front of Gaara who had a bloodthirsty grin on his face.


“G-Gaara…I’m sorry…” she muttered, images of his unfortunate childhood fresh in her mind.


“Time to die, curious little kitten.” he rasped, chuckling darkly as the sand around her arm began to tighten, causing Konekomaru to cry out.


“Gaara! We’re similar! Please listen! I know what they did! Its not right how they treated you!” she sobbed, he went for her injured arm knowing she wasn’t fully up to speed.


The pressure around her arm suddenly stopped. She opened one eye and saw shock on his disfigured face.


“I have one too, Gaara…a demon sealed away inside me. Though our circumstances are much different, its alienated me from everyone…I can only touch one person without harming them…I can feel your pain…” she explained, teeth gritted through the pain.


Gaara’s heart stopped, his transformed arm dropping her on the large branch he was on. ‘So long as my skin doesn’t touch his, he should be fine…’ she thought, sprinting to Gaara.


His eyes winded as far as they could when he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him. “Please…let me help you.” she pleaded softly.


Gaara felt strange but, Shukaku began screaming in his head. ‘IT BURNS!!!! GET HER OFFF!!!!!!’ it cried out in pain. ‘Why don’t I feel it?’ Gaara wondered.


He still did not like the feeling he got from her embrace, “Get away from me!!!” he yelled, smacking her away with his arm, sending the young girl flying into a tree, a crack very audible as was her scream of pain.

All she heard from then was a furious Naruto, “She was trying to help you!!!”


“But…its not…his…fault.” her words fell on deaf ears as she passed out.


*End Flashback*


Gaara had heard her last words before unconciousness claimed her. Now that he thought about what she said, it does move him. A complete stranger recognized him as a person, not some monster.


They actually had the same room in the hospital while recovering. Gaara asked about what she meant by the demon inside her.


She told him without having to ask twice. She was born a few minutes after Kitsunemaru yet much, much weaker then a normal baby. The doctors told her mother, Hazaka that she would not survive the night. She’d be dead before her life truly started.


Hazaka could not live with losing one of her little girls, so, that night, she went to the outskirts of Aijogakure and entered the Hikariryu sanctuary and pleaded with one of the many spirits dwelling there to help spare her daughter.


A panther with psychic powers stepped forward. Konekomaru would live and become a powerful kunoichi. But, the only person she could touch without burning is her true love.

Though she kind of laughed the last bit off awkwardly. Probably embarrassed somewhat.


Gaara gazed at the girl still sleeping in his arms. ‘Only your true love can touch you without being injured, hmm?’ Gaara smiled and pulled her closer. Laying his head against her’s, his smile grew and he intertwined his fingers with her’s. “I’d be…more then happy with you, Konekomaru.” he whispered into her ear.


Konekomaru nuzzled closer, a soft smile on her face. Gaara then heard a soft purring coming from the purple-haired girl. “You heard me I assume?” he asked, knowing she was still asleep.


“Sleep as long as you need to, Konekomaru, I’ll be here when you wake up.”