Lost and scared in the forest

"Nghh..." He fell back, slowly sitting up and holding his jaw. He panted, looking over to Naruto and glaring. "What... why.. do you.. keep getting up..?!"

Naruto was having trouble breathing but he wiped his bloody lip with his sleeve and forced himself to keep standing. "I'll never... Ever back down.." He brought a smile to his lips, even in his painful state. "No matter how many times you hit me... I won't stop until I save you." Raising his hand, he clenched it into a fist. "I don't have much left in me, though. Neither do you. But don't think that just because I'm outta energy I'll stop. I'll find the will, Gaara. The will to keep going until you've got control. Maybe you could help me out by finding your will too."

"Will.." He looked down, then glared at Naruto again. "I kill because it is my reason for existing.. why would I be unwilling if it is what I do to stay alive?!"

He blinked a few times, his breathe was still haggard but he stood up strait. "That's the biggest bullshit I've ever heard. Killing people isn't giving you nourishment, it's not helping your body, and when all's said and done, it doesn't help your mind either. It's not helping you stay alive, it's slowly killing you. Fighting for yourself makes you weak, when you have people who are precious, people to protect, only then can you become truly powerful."

Then Naruto walked strait up to Gaara, who was apparently still on the ground. He looked down at his friend sadly. "But all that doesn't really matter if you don't start seeing better in yourself. You're pretty dumb, Gaara, are you sure you can trust yourself when it comes to what you exist for? Even if you don't see it, I believe you're better than that. Cuz you know what? You were right Gaara, we are the same." He knelt down, inches away from Gaara's face and stared directly into the eyes that were glaring at him. "And don't think for one second that I don't see the loneliness in your eyes. They were my eyes too before I found people who accepted me. I was filled with rage and hate, desperately trying to escape myself and always screaming for help. But I didn't need to scream anymore, there were people who loved me for who I was."

By this time, tears he didn't know were there erupted down his cheeks. "You don't need to scream anymore, Gaara. You don't have to be lonely."

The glare had left his face, and he looked confused. Not confused to where he didn't understand what Naruto had said, but confused because he couldn't deny it. He didn't understand why he was suddenly figting off sadness, he didn't get why Naruto was crying, and he wasn't sure as to why he suddenly couldn't even imagine killing the blond anymore. Shukaku's words fell silent, his eyes gave away what he was feeling, and his breathing quickened in pace.

"Why.. why do you.. why do you even care.."

Naruto grinned and wiped his running nose with his finger. "I dunno. I guess I kinda thought we were friends. But better that friends, I suppose, 'cause we've lived each others life. Maybe I'm just too empathetic, heheh." He scratched the back of his head and thought for a second. "And besides, if I didn't care, who would?"

He stared at Naruto, his expression changing once again. No longer was it confused, it was forlorn. "Nobody.. and that is the way it should be. All I do is kill.. destroy.. kill.. my existence is to merely bring pain upon those around me. It is what I have been destined to do since my birth. Love only yourself.. fight only for yourself.. carry on the name 'Gaara, love of death'.. and also the hatred of my mother. There is nobody else who can carry her hatred but me."

Naruto slapped his forehead. "Ug! Were you listening to anything I was just saying there, Gaara? If you haven't gotten it by now, listen to me very carefully." He widened his eyes and stared at Gaara intensely. "You're better than you know. Do you really think I'd be trying so hard if you were meant for destruction only? Naw," He gave a grin. "I wouldn't waste my time with that. You're put here for something better than that, Gaara, believe it."

He stared at Naruto, his eyes widening slightly. He understood now, what Naruto was trying to do. Maybe he wasn't just an empty void made for killing everything and anything. Maybe he could live normally..? What if he were able to make friends, to laugh, to actually enjoy the life he was given? He always believed that killing and destroying were the best enjoyment he would get in his life, but maybe that was merely Shukaku talking.

"Naruto.." His expression became soft, like a happy face that he was never expected to give. He reached his arms up and pulled the blond down into an embrace, yet another thing he was never expected to do. "I.. thank.. I'm.. my apologies.."

Naruto was grinning more fiercely now and he patted Gaara on the back. "Aw, it's alright, not much trouble at all really." He released one hand to give a thumbs up to Gamabunta and Gamakichi. The two toads smiled at him and then poofed back to frogger land. Naruto's strength left him and he leaned more on Gaara. "We gotta stick together, you and me, like brothers..." Before he could say anymore, his eyes sagged and he fell asleep right there.

"..." He pulled Naruto away from him slightly, wondering why the blond felt so heavy. Blinking, he put Naruto's head on his lap, then frowned. "What are you doing..?"

When he got no reply, he sighed, looking up to the sky. "Brothers.. hm."

"Aw, how sweet." Sasori walked over, towering over Gaara and Naruto. "The poor Jinchuuriki is asleep, good, I suppose I won't need to play with him. What about you, one tailed host, are you going to put up a fuss?"

"Hn..?" He looked up at Sasori, staring, slightly wide-eyed. "What?"

He sighed loudly, putting one hand on his hip and staring down at the red haired Jinchuuriki. "Why must I always repeat myself? Listen, I'm going to take you two with me. Don't worry, you won't feel a thing if you cooperate."

He growled, placing Naruto beside him and slowly standing up. "Why don't you go die in a ditch and leave us alone?"

"Why must you resist?" He smirked, moving swiftly and appearing behind Gaara, pushing him away and stepping on Naruto's stomach. "You know you're not strong enough to fight me, it's the reason I allowed you two to scamble your energy away. By the way, thanks for the show. It's a real thrill to see not one, but two tailed demons. Sparring, at that."

He stumbled over, falling face first to the dirt. He growled, getting up again. "I don't care about your pitiful fantasies. I will kill you.."

He turned around, glaring at Sasori. "What is your purpose for coming here and taking us with you? What is that going to accomplish?!"

"What is your purpose for continuing to resist?" He chuckled, digging his foot into Naruto's chest. "You going to kill me or what? Look, I'm hurting your boyfriend and there is nothing you can do about it. Ha. That is your purpose, being too weak to actually do anything. Shukaku is the weakest tailed demon, so, it makes sense. Besides, you will find out what will happen with you two if you simply cooperate."

His anger flared, and his arm twitched. Sand raised from the ground, making it's way towards Sasori. "It does not matter that Shukaku is the weakest, he will not hesitate to destroy you!"

He laughed, stepping off of Naruto and merely slapping the sand away effortlessly. "You don't have enough energy for that. Don't push yourself too hard, you might die. Now, come here and stop fussing."

"Nhg.." His hands curled into fists, and he continued to glare at Sasori. "I may not have the energy, but Shukaku does. And one last battle with Shukaku could be the end of me, but it could also be the end of you, as well."

Sasori started laughing again. "Of course, of course! Maybe if Shukaku was the five-tailed, that is. Now, since letting Shukaku out would be useless, why don't you just give up?"

"If I am going to die anyway, why not put up a fight.." He ran at Sasori, raising his fist. "It is better than merely giving up!"

He yawned, holding out his arm and putting his hand on Gaara's forhead, stopping him. "Really, what can you do?"

He ran up out of nowhere, jumping and lifting his foot, kicking Sasori in the face. Gaara was released from his grasp, hitting the ground in front of him. "Gaara, you weakling. You're useless!"

He walked around his third son, stepping over Naruto and staring at Sasori. "And what does the all too famous Sasori of the Red Sand have to do with a Jinchuuriki? That cloak.. so, you're in the Akatsuki organization? Pitiful, get lost."