One More Light

Chapter 13

"Oh hello Temari." Gaara gave he a small smile, "I was just on my way to see you guys." Temari was furious. "Start talking little brother." Gaara looked around nervously, noticing the busy market square and the number of people within ear shot. "I will, just not here." He used his face to convey all his words could not and Temari understood.

She led him at a brisk pace to the lower levels of the Kazekage tower before finding Kunkuro in the archives room. "Okay Gaara, time to tell us everything." Temari gestured to the table where Kunkuro sat, a stack of files before him. Gaara took the seat across from him and Temari sat next to Kunkuro. Gaara wasn't sure how to word this but he knew he should start right at the beginning. "So, you remember how I said I was worried about Naruto?" The siblings nodded in unison, Gaara comtinued "Well my concern was not unfounded and much has happened since I arrived at the leaf village and during my trip back. Let me be clear, you are not getting the full story," Gaara saw his siblings spark a protest but he carried on before it was given a voice, "because it is not my story to share. You will get my truth and my participation in the journey and you will not ask for more. Am I clear?" He asked the question with such authority that his older sibling had no choice but to agree.

"Okay then. When I went to the Konoha, I went on nothing more than a hunch that Naruto was in trouble and that he would need a friend. When I got there, it became apparent he needed something more. He is in a very dark place right now and before I arrived, he was making plans to end his own life." The look of pain that filtered across the sand siblings faces was very genuine but was quickly replaced by something fierce and protective. "What? Why didn't anyone in Konoha help him? Didn't they see?" Temari voiced her concern rather loudly and Kunkuro was gripping his fists so tight his knuckles were white. "Naruto has a complicated relationship with his village, even with those he considers his friends. It would seem that none of them ever really saw him so they didn't expect it." The sibling expressions returned to their neutral position, urging Gaara to continue in his story, promising no further outbursts.

"When I first arrived, I sense his chakra and followed him through the village. He seemed off and the longer I observed him, the more obvious his pain became so I confronted him. It did not go the way I expected it to and he attempted a rasengan through the heart. I was able to stop him and it would seem he does not remember the ordeal. Following this, I convinced Lady Hokage to allow Naruto to accompany me back under the guise of strengthening village relations and putting him in my official security detail." Temari raised an eyebrow at this but did not comment.

"Naruto needed to get out of that village and I needed to determine how deep the darkness goes." Kunkuro nodded and his eyes took on a vacant look, reminiscing over the bright ninja who pulled Gaara from his darkness. "On our journey here, we needed to make a slight detour to the private hot springs. The reasons are not mine to share but it was necessary. Anyway that's why it took me longer to arrive. As to why I didn't come straight to you was because the village was overwhelming for Naruto."

Temari and Kunkuro both shared a look of confusion as this was not Naruto's first time to their village and it was no bigger than Konoha. Gaara continued. "He became overwhelmed because the villagers kept acknowledging him. It's the thing he always wanted but now he doesn't feel like it is genuine. Anytime someone spoke to him or greeted him he became worse. I needed to get him out, so I took him to the tower. He was in a bad way, so I stayed with him until he felt a little more relaxed. Then I came to get food and found Temari which brings us to the present point of our story. Any questions?" Temari and Kunkuro exchanged a brief look before Temari asked, "Where will he be staying and is there anything you need us to do?" Gaara released a sigh of relief before responding, "He will be staying with me and yes, I need you to help me organise a few things." All three sand siblings exchanged a mischievous look and began planning the ways they could bring light back to Naruto.

Naruto woke up and found that Gaara had still not returned. He wandered over to the terrace and looked out across Suna. The village was illuminated in a small orange hue, stemming from the various lights but Naruto saw it through a grey fog. 'I wonder where Gaara has gone? I don't think I was asleep for that long but still, I think ive had enough time to myself' Naruto could feel a buzzing in his head and he could recognise he was losing a fight with his mind. He clenched his fists and tried to focus on anything other than the buzzing in his head. He looked up and started drawing pictures in the stars. He knew a few constellations and he began tracing them with his eyes. Ursa Minor, Sagittarius, Leo...

He was so focused on the stars he didn't hear the door open behind him. Gaara walked in to see Naruto standing on the balcony in a stance that clearly identified him as agitated. Gaara's eyes first noticed his clenched fists and he could see blood dripping. Gaara thought the worst. 'But when did he, he didn't even move from the lounge until a couple of minutes ago. He didn't even reach for his kunai and yet here he is bleeding again. Maybe I should not have left him.' Naruto could feel the eyes staring at him and turned around slowly. He had tears in his eyes and wore a vacant expression.

Gaara walked over to him cautiously, fruit basket still in hand. Gaara did not hide the concern in his voice as he asked, "How are you feeling Naruto?" Naruto couldn't form words, they felt like something foreign to him. Like he would need to swim through mud to be able to reach them. He just shook his head because talking was not possible. Gaara felt a immense pang of pain as he saw his friend drowning before his eyes. He summoned his sand to carry the fruit basket to the dining table before his reached his hands out to touch Naruto's clenched fists. He rubbed them gently, willing them to relax. They did and Gaara opened his hands and gingerly inspected the damage. He release a sigh of relief, the damage was not from a kunai to the wrist but rather finger nails puncturing the skin. 'oh Naruto, what is happening in your mind right now?' Gaara thought as he led Naruto back inside and sat him down at the table. He didn't let go of his hands as the sand began dishing the fruit out onto two plates.

Naruto's eyes were slowly beginning to show him once again, the vacant expression slowly disappearing. Within five minutes of Gaara arriving and reaching Naruto, the buzzing in his head stopped and he was once again in control of his body. He ducked his head away from Gaara's gaze in embarrassment and stared at their joint hand. He couldn't remember most of what had happened, but he could recall the moment Gaara started touching him and the grounding effect it had on him. That touch started the process of bringing him back. "Hey." Naruto said sheepishly, unsure of how to explain what was going on. More than anything, he hated the moments when he stopped being in control and was watching his life unfold without him. They were the hardest moments to explain.

"Hey. Ready to eat?" Gaara responded and just like that Naruto felt at ease. Gaara would not ask him to explain though it was clear he was relieved that Naruto had found a way back out. "You bet. I'm starving." Naruto responded, slightly upset that Gaara would have to stop holding his hand, he was afraid of losing his anchor. Gaara however, had no intention of letting him go. He removed one hand but kept holding the other. They both ate in silence, periodically squeezing the other hand. Naruto squeezed to reassure him that he was still anchored, Gaara squeezed to remind Naruto that he had someone who was there for him no matter what.