Just Smile: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 31: Hint of War

"Uh, Naruto-sensei," Sakura began as she peered at him from the safety of her room. "What's he doing here?" She said, nodding towards the redheaded boy who was sitting on the couch. Naruto looked back at Gaara for a moment before glancing back at Sakura before whispering. 

"He needed a place to stay." He said before closely leaning in. "If you look close enough he seems to leave a tiny sand trail wherever he goes." 

"But isn't he like. . ." Sakura trailed off as she took her finger and spun it around in a circle next to her head. Naruto narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at her. 

"I thought you were better than that, Sakura. Gaara is the same as I am, he just didn't have the type of bonds that I had. He was a social outcast like I was." Sakura rose an eyebrow. 

"What do you mean sensei? The whole village seems to love you!" Naruto glanced back at Gaara before pushing Sakura into her room and shutting the door behind him.

"Sakura," He began with a sigh. "When I was around your age, three years younger in fact, the village was frightened of me, of my power. When I was a Genin, I brutally murdered three other participants in the contest. I later found out that Iwa had put them there in order to win the competition and gain more clients. They were about to kill my teammates and I tore them to shreds, one of them literally. I became a Jounin immediately after that and the village wouldn't, no, couldn't look at me the same.

"Gaara was viewed as a monster in his village for his whole life though. He didn't have friends or family to tie him down, and now he's mentally unstable." He explained. Sakura didn't know what to believe. 

On one hand, her sensei just admitted to killing three Jounin level shinobi with ease when he was nine or ten years old, and on the other, he told her that Gaara just needed to have bonds and he would be okay. But she still wasn't sure, the boy scared her still. 

"Okay, I'll try my best." She whispered. Naruto grinned and ruffled her hair. 

"And now is a great time to try! Go ahead and socialize! I have to go to the meeting about the Chunin Exams!" With that, he poofed out of existence. Sakura suddenly cursed and slowly opened her door, peaking through the crack at the redheaded boy who was watching the tv, engrossed in whatever was on. 

Maybe she could. . . 

"Your staring in creepy." His graveled voice said as he suddenly looked down the hallway and saw Sakura, whose eyes widened as she immediately closed the door behind her, her heart racing. He caught her! Shit shit shit shit shit shit! 

Taking a breath, she opened her door back up and confidently walked over to the couch and saw he was watching Star Wars. She rose her eyebrow at the weird selection of the Third Episode, the darkest of the six episodes the saga contained, but just watched. 

"You may sit down if you wish," Gaara whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you. As many people like to say, I don't bite." Sakura swallowed the saliva in her mouth, the awkwardness of the situation getting to her. 

"I-I'm fine," She stammered, cursing her own nervousness. "Would you like something to drink?" Gaara turned to her, his light green eyes showing no signs of hidden malice, nodding slightly. Sakura let a shaky smile cross her face before walking into the kitchen. 

"So," Sakura began. "What part of the movie are you at?" Gaara looked back at the tv. 

"I'm at the part where the main character is in turmoil." Sakura felt a sigh escape her lips. 

"You'll have to be a tad bit more specific." She muttered before turning around and looking at the tv, two plastic cups of water in her hand as she handed one to Gaara, who took it with a nod of thanks. "Oh, he's crying in the Jedi Council Room?" He nodded.