The Outlaw

Chapter 6

As they traveled back toward the ranch, Gaara tried not to remember the way Naruto had stared at him as he'd walked into the hotel. Naruto looked the way he figured he had when he was younger and had slipped beneath the big tent at a circus and watched the trapeze act-mesmerized, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Naruto's eyes had been big and round, his mouth slightly parted.

"Well," Naruto finally said. "Don't you look...different."

He wasn't certain if looking different was a good thing or not. He'd never gone to a barber before. He'd always cut his own hair using a knife. Looking at his reflection in the barbershop, he'd been surprised by his appearance. Although he knew five years had passed, he'd avoided mirrors in prison and had halfway expected to see a fourteen-year-old staring back at him at the barbershop.

It saddened him to see the passing years carved in his face, to see a young man where once there had been a boy. Gazing in the mirror might not have been such a good thing to do.

"Kakashi, why don't you take that trail up there so we can have a picnic by the river?" Naruto suddenly said, his question more of a statement.

Kakashi jerked his head around. "You didn't say anything about a picnic."

"I thought I did."

"No, you didn't."

Gaara couldn't get over how much they argued. But there never seemed to be any anger in their words. It was more playfulness than anything. It was obvious they held a great deal of affection for each other. Gaara couldn't imagine arguing with someone and not being angry at the same time. He'd never been around people like these, and they made him uncomfortable. Made him very much aware that he didn't fit in.

"What did you think was in the basket that Iruka put in the back of the buggy?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi snapped his attention to Iruka. "I reckon I didn't give it much thought. But I didn't have plans for us to take a picnic."

"It didn't take us that long in Fort Worth," Naruto said. "Surely we have time for a quick picnic. I'm certain Iruka brought your favorites, didn't you, Iruka?"

Iruka smiled sweetly. "Of course. Fried chicken and buttermilk cake."

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know, Naruto. They'll be expecting us."

"Please, Kakashi. I'd hate to think Iruka went to all that trouble for nothing."

"All right. We'll stop for a little while."

Naruto settled back and shifted his gaze to Gaara. "Do you like picnics?"

He shrugged.

"Don't tell me you've never been on one," he said softly.

"It's eating outside, isn't it?" Gaara asked

"Yes, it's something like that."

"Well, I've eaten outside."

He wouldn't mind the delay that stopping to eat would grant him. He wasn't in any all-fired hurry to return to the ranch, where everyone watched him as though they expected him to make a mistake, to bolt, or to break one of the judge's rules.

The buggy swayed as Kakashi guided the horses off the main road onto a less-traveled trail. Naruto bumped against Gaara. His cheeks burned red as he scooted away from him and held on to his side of the wagon.

It was just a slight touch, but still he felt where Naruto's shoulder had brushed against his as though he's set a hot brand against him. Why was he so aware of everything about him, everything surrounding him? Why did Naruto make him wish he could say he'd been on a thousand picnics, knew all the things Naruto knew, had done all the things Naruto had done?