"Gaara."

It started off horribly. Naruto figured out, too late, that Gaara was a long distance fighter and he himself, was more for close quarters combat. Now, he stood on a rock while the ground below him was a swirling mass of sand. He'd have to ask Gaara later how he did that. Right now however, he was trying to come up with a plan to get in close to Gaara without getting attacked by that ultimate defense.



Naruto replayed their last fight in his mind and the only reason he was able to win was because he'd called on the fox for help, now, he couldn't do that because he could vary well hurt Gaara now that the red head didn't have the demon raccoon inside of him. The blond had to leap off of his rock because sand reared up in a spike form to attack him. He didn't have anywhere solid to go so he had to force more chakra to his feet to keep from sinking fast into the sand. Naruto knew he didn't have Rock Le's speed so he'd have to force his brain to work and come up with a plan. He started to sink so he jumped up and tried to find something he could stick on.



"Gaara-san, I think this is a bad place to try and fight." He laughed at Gaara's look. "It's more suited to your fighting than to mine." He looked down to his sinking feet once again. Gaara halted the sand, sticking Naruto there.



"What do you suggest Naruto-san?" Gaara walked no- glided over on the sand to where Naruto was stuck. It was like he was flying but the small bits of sand carrying him almost destroyed the illusion.



"Well, we could train in tai jutsu or just find a place suited to both of our fighting needs." Naruto looked to his feet and whined a little. He was still sinking. Gaara stopped a grin from spreading across his features and he twirled his hand in a circle. Naruto suck deeper with a spin. "GAARA!" Naruto was flailing around trying to get out and Gaara made him sink to his knees. He looked ridiculous and Gaara couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up and out of his system. He ended up doubling over with it, pointing and laughing at Naruto.



"It's not funny! Gaara! Help me out!!" When it clicked that Gaara was actually laughing, Naruto stopped flailing around like an idiot and watched Gaara. He was bent in half, pointing at Naruto and laughing so hard it looked like his head was about to pop off like a balloon. Naruto folded his arms over his chest and glared. "Go ahead and laugh it up Gaara, I'll get you back for this, watch."



It was a full five minutes before could stop laughing and in that time, he'd let Naruto out of the sand that held him trapped. Naruto looked at Gaara and smiled a little. "I've never seen you laugh before."



"Was it bad?" Gaara looked funny. His face was his usual mask of emotionlessness but his eyes said louder than any words that he was worried he had done something wrong or even bad.



"No! No, that's not what I'm saying!" Naruto was waving his hands in front of himself trying to get Gaara to see it was the wrong train of thought but in the end, he looked like an idiot...again. "It's just...you don't laugh and I have only seen you angry twice. It's nice to see you laughing, enjoying yourself." Naruto sent a beaming smile Gaara's way and the red head actually felt heat rise up to his cheeks and he blushed. It was utterly uncomfortable.



They both walked in silence the last mile or so to a training ground that would suit them both and not be advantageous to just one. When they got there, it was just Naruto's luck that it was being used. Sakura and Ino were training with Neji and Lee. They were on teams it looked like instead of everyone against each other. Naruto turned and started to walk away, arms behind his head when Sakura called out to them. The blond turned and looked as the fighting ceased and Sakura ran over. She asked if they were there to train and he nodded, did some convincing and ended up being let use the grounds while the four took a break.



"Come on Gaara." Both of them walked down and took their own stances across from on another. The wind blew but neither moved until the very last second.



Naruto moved first and ran directly at the red head who side stepped and twisted his body fluidly away from the kunai aimed at his stomach. Gaara turned and aimed a kick low, trying to catch Naruto's legs and knock them out from under him but the blond went airborne and twisted to plant a flying kick at Gaara's face. His foot his sand and both teens smiled.



Gaara sent his sand flowing out, depositing Naruto across the field with an almost taichi movement and went low, hands twisting and guiding the sand that flowed more like water than sand. Naruto planted chakra into his feet and with a burst of speed, feinted a direct attack with his fists while moving his legs low enough to plant a kick. The sand was there guarding it's master. The blond kept testing the sand, trying to figure out it's pattern and just when he though he had it figured out, it changed.



"Who knew Naruto could move like that?"



"I expected it of Gaara-san but not that clomp, Naruto. He just stomps around like some big, hulking giant but...he's moving like some...I don't know, dancer maybe."



"Hn." Neji took a bite from his bento and watched the fight, byakugan tuned to both fighters. Lee wasn't even paying attention, he was staring at the clouds and watching the birds pass by. Lee sat up finally and watched them, his eyes following both fighters without even having to strain like the women. Ino was right. Naruto and Gaara were dancing.



"It's a dance of hearts." Lee smiled and just watched the fight. "Somehow, they care enough about each other to not hurt the other but they want to train, build skill. They flow like moving water and wind in a pattern that looks rehearsed but at the core, it's not." It was not like anything he'd ever seen and it did amaze him just as the other three, that Naruto of all shinobi could move like a flow. Three sets of eyes were turned to him when he looked at the others and he felt heat rush up to his cheeks.



"I thought you weren't paying attention."



"How do you know what to say about them?" Sakura hiked a finger over at her teammate and friend.



"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Neji said, his bayakugan deactivated. Lee just blushed harder and scratched the back of his head. He tried forming words but couldn't get anything out but small, hopeless sounds. Neji, Sakura and Ino all burst out laughing at him and he grumbled something unintelligible at them all and went back to watching the fight.



Gaara was out of breath and it bothered him. He'd never been so weak before. Naruto came for another frontal attack and he bent low, the sand covering him like a tarp and when he felt Naruto hit, he sent the sand skyward and wrapped it around his opponent. Gaara got to his knees and sat there, wiping sweat from his forehead and waved a hand to let the sand fall away from the hollering Naruto.



"What was that for?!" Gaara just smiled faintly and moved to sit cross legged and leaned back against his hands. His head tilted up and he looked at the clear blue sky. "What's wrong Gaara?" Naruto walked over to his friend and sat down. He noticed the sweat covering the red heads face and dirty arms. The blond also noticed how hard Gaara was breathing. "Hey, you might pass out if you don't slow your breathing." Naruto went from opponent to guard in an instant making sure Gaara was alright.



"I'm fine Naruto-san." Gaara stood and wiped his head again then held a hand out to Naruto. The blond looked at it for a moment but took the hand up. It was odd...Gaara actually being friendly. Sure, he guessed that dying once would do that to a person but it was still outright strange. They walked over to the other four shinobi, three of who were staring at Lee, actually, more like peering at him, and teasing him.



"Oh! Naruto-san!" Lee looked rather desperate as he stood and started off without another word. He looked like he was about to run away from the other three shinobi but Ino ran after him and started to tease him again.



"What's up with him?" Naruto hiked a thumb at Lee.



"He said something interesting and we want to know how he knew it." Sakura stood and wiped off her backside and started off after Ino and Lee. Neji just stood and looked to Gaara.



"I noticed something wrong with your chakra during the fight. You might have it checked out." He nodded to both teens and walked off, apparently to go and tease Lee some more with the girls. Naruto watched Neji, Ino and Sakura picking on Lee and it made him smile. At least he wasn't the butt of the teasing this time. Shaking his head, he sat down and laid back on the grass, looking up to the sky. Gaara sat down with him but crossed his legs and tilted his head back to feel the breeze. It was chilly for him here but the wind felt good on his over heated skin. Thankfully he hadn't passed out like he had done a few days ago while training with Kankuro. He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself for that if he had in front of Naruto.



"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Naruto looked over and Gaara looked down at him. With a shrug, Gaara laid back and felt his eyes starting to drift close. He hated sleep, it always managed to come on him when he least expected it. His eyes closed, Gaara quickly succumbed to the need for sleep. "Gaara?" Naruto went to poke him but the sand stopped him and he sighed. "Well, I guess lunch will have to wait." Turning his head back to the sky, Naruto thought over the fight and about how Gaara moved. There was something there he had to figure out if he wanted to win. With those thoughts rolling around in his head, Naruto's lids drifted closed and he also succumbed to the darkness.





It was and hour later when Gaara woke up. He felt horrid. His body hurt in places he didn't know existed and he knew it was from the exertion in the fight. He went to sit up but found himself trapped. He looked down and noticed an orange covered arm across his waist. He followed the arm, already knowing what he would find, and found Naruto asleep beside him, one arm across his waist and one leg entwined with his own. Blood rushed to Gaara's face and he tried to scramble out from under Naruto without waking the blond. It didn't work. Naruto just curled around him tighter and when Gaara thought he would pass out from something that felt mildly like what Temari described as embarrassment, he started poking Naruto in the head. Gaara summoned his sand with his other hand and it moved up and between the two of them so when poking Naruto in the head only annoyed him in his sleep and he curled even more tightly around Gaara, it wrapped around him and pulled him away so Gaara could sit up and breathe.



"Hey..." Naruto woke up slowly but came fully awake when he found himself above the ground, encased in sand...again. "What?! Gaara!" The red head looked at him, bright pink on his cheeks and Naruto's face turned from agitation to mortification. Gaara let the sand fall and Naruto looked away from Gaara. "I didn't...you know...uh-"



"You were holding me in your sleep." Naruto slapped himself in the forehead and felt a blush creeping into his cheeks and neck.



"I'm so sorry Gaara." He stood up and would have held out a hand to help his friend stand but thought better of it and just walked away. He knew he shouldn't have walked away from his charge but he was so embarrassed he needed to walk away.



Gaara watched Naruto walk away and he swallowed a lump in his throat. Someone clearing their throat made his freeze and turn his head around to the sound very slowly. He saw one gray haired shinobi smiling down at him. The red head felt his face pale and stood to quickly hurry after Naruto. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid...it was Kakashi. Somehow, Gaara knew Kakashi had seen what happened and he wasn't going to answer endless questions or insinuations from the perverted shinobi.



Kakashi watched Gaara practically run off after Naruto and chuckled to himself. He turned and continued heading towards the bar. He'd happened upon Gaara and Naruto while they were still sleeping and he'd waited just long enough to see everything unfold. Boy did he have a bit of information to tell everyone.



The gray haired shinobi arrived at the bar and paid to get in. He spotted the group he was to meet up with but checked all exits, windows and doors that weren't exits and even checked out the other bar goers before taking his place at the overly large and crowded table. Tsunade stood and tapped her sake bottle with a finger. "Welcome to the eighth Gossipers meeting."



The Gossipers meetings consisted of all Konoha shinobi from women to men and even some teenagers -those who were secretly higher rank then they let on- and even Tsunade herself. None of the rookie nine were in the meetins because it was rather a secret party. Jounin (and a very select few chounin) got together to talk about the latest happenings in the village gossip or even about business -hence why it was almost a secret meeting- and even take bets as to what someone would do about a problem. Azuma and Kurenai obviously had something they wanted to share and had devilish grins on their faces while Tsunade was picking on Shizune. Everyone else who was there just waited for someone to start talking. Kakashi held his hand up first and smiled over to who he sat next to. Iruka blushed and just leaned back into his chair.



"Yes Kakashi?"



"First off, I would like to say that my spying hasn't gotten me into trouble." Everyone nodded, leaning into the table and Iruka made a rude noise in the back of his throat. Kakashi pinched his inner thigh under the table and Iruka almost squealed. "I just happened upon two shinobi in a very compromising position." Everyone got a hairs breath closer and Kakashi pulled out five Polaroids and set them on the table.



There was a collective gasp at what the pictures held and then Shizune burst out into a fit of giggles followed by Kurenai, Tsunade and even Iruka. "I'll take bets on what happens and who will be the first to proceed in this little relationship, oh, and how long it will take. You have to get all correct to win the pool."



"Ten on Naruto and I give it....a month." Tsunade put her money on the table, hushing Shizune when the woman would have objected. Kurenai and Azuma put up their money followed by everyone around the table. When a rouge hand put money in, everyone looked up to see the hand was connected to one Perverted Hermit. "I up Tsunade's bet by a hundred even and give it two weeks." Tsunade growled and slapped her former teammate in the back of the head. He went sailing across the room. "I up him by ten and give it a week flat." She stuck her little pink tongue out at Jiraya and he stood to bow and leave. "Just like that bastard." She sighed and looked to Azuma and Kurenai who also pulled out some poloroids but they were...well, no one could speak.



"I believe we won this bet ne?" They both gave each other a high five.



"How- you- phht." Kakashi sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting like a five year old. Iruka chuckled and put out the money Kakashi had bet. "You know, I don't want to know how you two got those pictures and frankly...it's rather scarring to have looked at them. Put them away." Kakashi pushed them over towards the couple and sighed. He's lost two hundred on that bet and he was sure he would have won. Oh well. It wasn't like it was his life savings or anything.



"How did they manage that position?" Shizune was holding a photo sideways and scrutinizing it but she had a blush so bright it looked like someone painted red across her face.



"It's Shikamaru. You think your amazed at what his brain can do? He's very flexible and I'm sure Chouji found out just how much." Azuma laughed at the look Kurenai gave him but patted her thigh under the table.



"How would you know that?" Kakashi leaned over the table, staring a hole through Azuma and watched as the other shinobi bit down on his cigarette, crushing it and cringed away from the table.



"Yes, how do you know that Azuma?" Everyone else leaned closer to the table even Iruka who wanted no part in the betting. There'd been a secret meeting and a bet against Azuma. Someone was going to lose a lot of money and Iruka wanted to find out who.



"I-uh...I-" Azuma looked to Kurenai who glared daggers at him. He'd never told her about his mishap...or couple of mishaps and to his knowledge, no one but he and his partner knew.



"Spit it out Azuma." Oh she was mad. He knew he was in deep trouble when he got home so he sighed and deflated all defeated like.



"I won't say the number but yes, I know from personal experience just how flexible he is." Kurenai looked at him wide eyed and Kakashi was smiling, what he could assume, was an evil smile. Shizune and Tsunade were cursing as they dolled out more money. Iruka picked up his and Kakashi's winnings and stuck them in a small bag he carried to the meetings, just in case.



"I'll assume he was legal when the affairs happened?" Tsunade was all business now and Azuma nodded an affirmative. She cursed and handed Kakashi more money. Kurenai slapped Azuma and stood, setting money on the table for her drinks and left the bar. Azuma growled at Kakashi and Tsunade then stood and walked after her.



"Well, who wants to take a bet he's in the dog house for another few months?" Kakashi shook his head no and so did Tsunade. Leaning in closer to the table however, Tsunade looked around the room and then back to the meeting.



"I have gotten the chances up to eighteen percent."



"That's still not high enough." Kakashi was doing his thinking thing as he was talking. "That is still a monumental risk Hokage-sama. Isn't there any way to up the percentage without the risk?"



"If you want to take over my job as the best medical shinobi in all of the five hidden villages be my guest Kakashi but as of right now it's at eighteen percent. I have been working day and night for the last few weeks to try and get it higher but for right now, that is the highest my research as gotten it. There isn't much down on paper about the condition or the cures."



"Well, let's just hope Naruto does his job ne?" Kakashi was smiling as he glanced down at one of the photo's he'd taken. They both looked so at peace sleeping entwined. Gaara would keel over if he ever found out that it wasn't just Naruto holding onto another warm body during their sleep.



"Yes, let's just hope Naruto can convince the bastard to help."



"He's a fox Hokage-sama."



"And he's sly at that."





Gaara and Naruto hadn't said a word but stopped by the ramen stand for lunch. Gaara was already sick of ramen and all he'd done was watch Naruto inhale nine bowls of the stuff. The red head was still on his first bowl and seriously debating on eating the last of it.



"You going to eat that?" Naruto was staring intently on his bowl of ramen and Gaara shook his head no, pushing the bowl towards him. Well, it might have been rude but at least it wasn't being wasted. When they were finished eating, or when Naruto was finished, they walked around the village for a while. They still didn't talk about what happened at the training grounds but they watched the villagers walk by and go about their daily lives. Some of them stopped to stare and when they sent a dirty look Naruto's way, Gaara glared at them. They seemed to look away quickly after that.



Gaara headed into a market area and started looking over clothes and weapons. Naruto tried to pull him away but Gaara was steadfast. When Naruto was finally interested enough to leave him be, Gaara started picking out weapons and other ninja gear. When they came to the register to check out, the price was magically double the marked prices and Gaara glared at the sales clerk. With a growl he leaned over the counter and stared at the man, right in the eye.



"You would double the prices for someone who would gladly die to keep you alive?" The man stepped back and stuttered.



"H-he's a m-monster and if you are with him then y-you must be one too." He pointed to Naruto and the blond walked away.



"He's not with me." Naruto left the market, hands in his pockets and Gaara watched him leave. Face turning into an apathetic facade, Gaara threw four kunai and watched as they pinned the sales clerk to the wall.



"You are the monster. You are all alike." With that, he left the struggling sales clerk and then the market, all eyes staring at his back. Gaara let the agitation and anger seep out of his pores as he walked back to Naruto's apartment. Somehow, he had the feeling that that was where Naruto had gone.



The red head was right as he walked into the apartment, setting his gourd and shoes aside. The window was open but he could feel Naruto's chakra. He must have been on the roof. Grabbing an apple and a knife, Gaara headed up to the roof and sat next to Naruto. He knew what the blond was going through and if he could help it, his time in Konoha would help Naruto rather than hurt him and if not, then all of the villagers would have one other monster to fear and it wasn't the demon raccoon.



Calmly, Gaara peeled the apple and cut it in half. He handed one half to Naruto and watched as the blond took it and started chewing it. he ate his own piece and watched the towns people.



"They are pathetic ants in the seam of bigger things." Gaara let out a breath, taking another bite of his apple.



"They don't care that I would die to protect them Gaara. It's alright with me." No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Gaara could hear the hurt in Naruto's voice and see it in his slumped form.



"Naruto, you are a hero in the eyes of Suna and your friends. It does not matter what these animals think." Garra reached out and did something very un-Gaara like (other than talking so much) and patted the blond on the shoulder. "They do not see your worth." Naruto looked over at Gaara who was staring at him. He'd never heard anything like this come from Gaara and just like the red head's laughter, Naruto thought it a practical impossibility. Gaara giving votes of confidence and trying to cheer him up? Who'da thought?



"Thanks Gaara." Naruto smiled and took another bit of his apple. Gaara just nodded once and went back to watching the villagers, making a plan in his head on how to get even with the sales clerk.



The two teens sat there, both staring off into space and finished their apple. They sat there until nightfall and Naruto stood first, sighing and stretching. He said his good nights and headed inside to take a shower. Gaara nodded and informed the blond he'd shower later. Naruto just nodded and headed inside, leaving the window open. When the red head was certain that Naruto was sleeping, he jumped off the roof and moved through the apartment with all of the stealth he was capable of making sure he slipped on his sandals and grabbed his gourd.



Gaara moved through the night, using the shadows as cover as he went back to the market. He found the sales clerk bustling around trying to put away his wares and with a delectably evil smile, Gaara un-corked his gourd and let the sand flow around him. He jumped to the eaves of the small building and let the sand lower him down -almost as if he were flying on a dark cloud- with the night enshrouding him. The sales clerk gave a start and stuttered, "W-who are y-you?"



"Subaku no Gaara."





The next morning, as Gaara was fixing breakfast, there was a knock on the door with a call out of "DELIVERY!" Naruto grabbed a kunai and headed to the door, opening it slightly. When he affirmed that it was indeed a delivery, he stepped aside and let the one man and one woman come in with two medium sized boxes, make him sign a paper and leave. He quirked a brow and made a seal, sending chakra into the boxes. Gaara supposed he was checking for traps or anything hidden in the boxes but, soon enough Naruto opened them.



"Nani?!" Standing in the door way and stirring up some batter, Gaara watched as Naruto pulled out ninja issued sandals -his size-, mesh shirts, kunai, shuriken, sen ban, scrolls and other ninja equipment. The blond just stared at them with disbelief and touched everything again to make sure it wasn't just some sort of joke. "What is all of this?"



"Weapons."



"I know that but...there must be a delivery screw up somewhere." Packing everything back in the boxes, Naruto slipped on his sandals and carried them out of the house and back towards the market. When he got to the ninja equipment dealer he set the boxes down and sighed.



"Jii-san, there's been a delivery mistake. I got these and they aren't mine." He turned around and started to walk away but the sales clerk stopped him, swallowing hard and pushed the boxes back towards Naruto.



"There was no mistake Uzumaki-san." Naruto stopped and turned to look at the older man. He swallowed and pushed the boxes further towards Naruto.



"What are you playing at jii-san?" Naruto's eyes narrowed and the sales clerk whimpered. A woman came from behind the curtain to the man's left and glared at Naruto.



"We are not playing at anything Uzumaki-san. There has been no mistake. Take what you were delivered." Her hands were on her hips and she was still glaring.



"There had to have been a mistake. I didn't order anything. I-"



"Maybe you should take the boxes ne?" Naruto jumped and turned to find Ten-ten smiling at him. "I know I would if I was given a bunch of weapons."



"But they aren't mine!" The woman from behind the counter came out from behind the counter and pushed the boxes into his arms.



"Take the boxes. Think of them as an apology for the way my husband treated you and your friend yesterday." With a slight smile, the woman nodded to Ten-ten -who happened to be one of their best customers- and went back behind the counter and then curtain. Naruto looked at the boxes and then to the man who nodded, still looking kind of scared. Sighing, Naruto said thanks to the clerk and bye to Ten-ten before he headed home.



His mind was reeling by the time he set the boxes aside and slipped off his sandals.



"What happened?" Gaara handed him a plate of food and sat down in the living room, again eating with his fingers. Naruto took the plate and grabbed his chop sticks before sitting across from Gaara and eating.



"He said they were delivered to the right place." Gaara quirked a browless eyebrow as he continued to eat. "I don't understand it!" Naruto set his plate aside and rubbed his temples. "They villagers don't like me. I don't mind. They don't do anything special for me, in fact, they do everything to make me miserable but...this is so...wrong!" He fell backwards and stared at his ceiling. "Why would he give me something when he expressed his unadulterated hate towards me yesterday?"



Gaara nearly choked on his food. Had Naruto just said 'unadulterated'? Did he really know what that word meant? Obviously because of the context he'd used it in. How did Naruto know a word like that? It wasn't any big secret that Naruto lacked in common sense and book smarts what he made up for in courage, heart and friendship so where did he learn a word like that and how had he remembered it? Shaking off the feeling that he was missing something, Gaara continued to eat his breakfast and told Naruto to finish up his food. The blond just nodded, his eyes glazed over as he ate. He gave off the vibe of being lost in thought.



When breakfast was finished, Sakura came calling with orders that Gaara was to undergo a short exam.



"With you?" Naruto just stared at her. Sakura glared at him and sent something flying at his head.



"Of course with me, who else do you think baka?!"



"Uh, Baa-chan?" Sakura ran over and punched Naruto in the back of the head. He doubled over hollering and Gaara could almost see the steam coming from the kunoichi's ears. It made him fight back a smile.



"She's got a hospital run today Naruto and she's busier than she has been lately so just shut up and deal with it." Shaking her head, Sakura picked up the pen she'd thrown and walked over to Gaara. "This was Gaara-san." She led him to the room and gave him the exam. When she left, Garra chuckled a little at Naruto who was still clutching his head.



"What's so funny?" Gaara shrugged and Naruto crossed his legs as he sat on the floor and looked out the window. "What do you want to do today?"



"What do you usually do?"



"Train."



"Then let's train." Naruto's face lit up at the prospect and he stood and walked into the room to change and get his weapons. Gaara looked at the boxes and followed Naruto. "It would be a sham to leave such high quality weapons." Naruto looked at the boxes and sighed. He walked over and pulled out his new sandals -just for a test run he told himself- and some of the weapons -just to make sure they were high quality he told himself- and Gaara pulled out some weapons. When they were ready, both teens headed out to the training grounds and once again, the elegant dance of weapons, chakra and bodies began.



This time, Gaara did end up passing out and Naruto, in his worried rush, brought Gaara straight to the hospital. When the red head woke up, he was peering up into the Hokage's face.



"Good after noon." She placed a green covered hand one his forehead and sighed. "What were you doing to get in this condition?"



"I told you Baa-chan! We were training and he just...collapsed!" Naruto was yelling at her and it made Gaara's head hurt. He unconsciously reached up and rubbed his temples trying to get the pounding to stop.



"Keep your voice down brat!" Tsunade hissed at Naruto who looked at Gaara and winced.



"Sorry." The blond told Gaara not to over exert himself during his sparring but, it was hard to tell how much was over because his chakra pathways deteriorated a hairs breath more every day. She also informed him that the disease wouldn't kill him for a couple of years but within the next few months, maybe five or six at the most, he would be bed ridden. Tsunade bent her head.



"I'm working as hard as I can to find a cure Gaara-san. I will find it." He nodded and she left, stopping at the door long enough to tell him that whenever he could get out of bed he could go back to Naruto's apartment. it didn't take long for Gaara to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and get up to go back.



"Don't scare me like that again!" Naruto clapped him on the back and Gaara just nodded. Months until he couldn't get out of bed....only a few years until the disease took him. It was a real shocker and even an eye opener. The red head and the blond both walked back to the apartment together, not talking but saying everything. What a day.





Twelfth Oct. (Journal Entry Nine)

The disease seems to be eating away at his chakra at a faster rate. The deterioration was twice what it was only days ago according to the Sand's information and with each loss of consciousness, the loss of chakra is taking it's toll on the brain and other vital organs. At the new calculated rate of deterioration, the loss of life could occur much sooner than planned and with the success of the transfer procedure still at only eighteen percent, the chances of living are slim to none.



It seems that when the chakra paths shrink, the loss of consciousness lasts longer if loss of consciousness even occurs. The heart is pumping more blood to the vital organs -more than even normal- when they are strained or over used. The liver processes have slowed as well as kidney, gull and intestinal processes. At this rate, contamination is possible and growing more so quickly. For his sake, I have to get the percentage higher and for his life. I have to succeed; The prices have never been higher.