Legacy of A Flower: Naruto (remake)

Chapter Forty Five: I Want to Know More About You

Sitting beside my brother's bed, I refused to sleep. I struggled to. I had grown to accustomed to sleeping until the very late hours of the night. Just as I was about to lean back in my chair, I sensed a chakra behind me. I whirled around, throwing a kunai, "damnit, Gaara. You need to start announcing yourself."

Sand caught the kunai as expected. The red head sat down on the window seat, "I'm here." So, the socially awkward boy knows how to joke. I dead panned at him, getting up and sitting next to him. "You shouldn't be up this late." It was midnight after all

"I know," I said, sliding the window down to lean against it. The glass was strong, I wouldn't fall to my doom. Maybe. It would be my luck if it somehow just popped out.

"Then why do it?" he questioned. I didn't meet his eyes, instead I stared at the sleeping boy. "What is it? You can tell me."

"It's just every time I'm not there, it feels like something will just take him away," I admitted. "I just got him back. I don't want to lose him.

"But he's safe now," he responded, confused.

"Until what?" I replied. "Those jerks come back and he steps in to protect me?"

"They were after you?" he inquired and I nodded. This had been news to him after all. "Lily, he's safe. You said it yourself, we need to rely on others. He's safe because those Jonin stepped in. Because he isn't alone. Have more faith in him and the people surrounding him."

"You're right," I sighed, resting my chin on one knee. "Besides, if he survived our grandfather's training, nothing is gonna kill him." I diverted my attention to Gaara , "hey, thanks. I needed that."

"You should sleep," he suggested.

"You should too," I shot back. "Don't you leave at nine in the morning or so? You need to rest up for that journey."

"I don't sleep," he informed me. I was shocked to say the least. "The beast inside me won't let me." Guess his excuse was better than mine. Atleast Isobu let me sleep. If anything, he's the one awake, constantly trying to make sure we're not being threatened.

"What was your childhood like? Your family?" he wanted to know more.

There was a short pause before I determined, "You first. I want to know more about you."

Once again, disbelief settled on his face and I pondered if he'd ever get used to my words. He complied to my request, "as I once told you, I was hated. I was hated, but I did have someone who took care of me for a short time. He was my uncle, Yashamaru."

I remained silent, allowing him to coninue, "for a time I truly believed he loved me. In reality, he was just forcing himself to, for his sister. My mother. He was sent to kill me by my father and he betrayed me
because he hated me. He hated me because I killed his sister at birth. He revealed to me that even my own mother hated me for the monster I possessed. That I am unloveable. Afterwards, I lost control to Shukaku and you know the rest. It wasn't until now that I had real friends."

"If I'd known you then, I would have been your friend," I asserted.

"Would you now?" I had the privilege to see his smile yet again. It was so new to him. To smile, to be happy. But here he was, making a change and working to it. Gaara had come so far.

"Yeah," I confirmed gently. "Do you believe what he said? About being unloveable."

"I try not to now," he said. "Do I seem it?"

"Not in a million years, red," I answered genuinely. "What about Temari and Kankuro?"

"They barely ever went near me as kids," he answered. "Didn't help that I pressured them to fear me. Atleast now I know what it is to be a brother to them."

"Be annoying?" I joked.

"Vice versa," he joked back. "Your turn," he prompted me on. It was as if were trading war stories. In this case, childhood traumas.

"Um, where do I start?" I contemplated. I had never really gotten into detail about my life before the Leaf. "I lived in the Yoshida Compound until I was seven. My dad loved me until I was four, then he became indifferent to me. My mom, she loved us. She protected us from the other members, argued against their ideas. What else? I have a little sister too, her name is Clematis."

I continued, "Basil trained under my grandfather. He was pissed at me all the time too and I hated him just as much. But, I was trained under someone much more kinder. My Uncle, Reed, he was basically a father to me. He's the reason I curse so much. He gave me the bracelet on my wrist too. It wasn't always fun, but I knew I had people who loved me.

"My grandfather and father plotted ways to challenge me. Having me execute three men to trying to force me to fight Basil. Finally, my mother and I tried to leave, I don't know why. She was running from something. The same group who are after Naruto and I, killed her because they wanted me. Although, it was Orochimaru who did the job. I..."

I stopped. How could I tell him? Should I tell him? He waited for a while, "Is this too much?"

"No," I reassured, "I just, I need to tell you something. Only because I know you understand."

"I'll listen," he expressed. Gaara knew what it was like for a Jinchuriki. He experienced it first hand, the hate and fear people people watch you with.

"I didn't kill those Yoshida alone," I confessed. "I was seven, not some advanced assassin. I was angry that he killed her. The Yoshida were already chasing us beforehand. I was scared. I didn't know until a few months ago, that I had let him take over: Isobu the three tailed beast."

"So, you are like me," he breathed. "That's why you understood me from the very first time we met."

"It is," I verified. "After that happened, Reed lost an eye for me. I was exciled. I didn't get to say goodbye to my siblings. My dad somehow hated me more. Reed convinced the Leaf to take me in since my mother was born there. I think you know the rest."

"That's a complicated story," he said.

"Yeah, we're both pretty fucked up, aren't we?" I jested dryly.

"Very," he concurred. "I like to imagine that it was different. That I had friends to play with, to grow with. That I was loved."

"I think about how things could have been different too," I admitted. "But that might be a world where I didn't know Team Seven, Shikamaru, the Leaf, you."

"You never know, maybe we do meet," he said. "I like to think we do."

"So that's your daydream?" I noted.

"Yes, but I believe that this is just as fine too," he declared. That brought a hundreth smile to my lips. Was it possible for a person to smile this much?

We talked some more and asked one another questions about the other. I craved to know more about him. His likes and dislikes. I wanted to understand the entirety of Gaara of the Desert and I didn't understand why. I didn't care for the reasom behind it. All I knew I was so dazed by the red head that sat beside me.

Soon, we fell into a comforting silence. My eyes began to droop and before I knew it my head fell onto the shoulder of the red panda. There I was floating through tranquility while sleep subdued me.

Beep beep, get in, I have another chapter up! I hope you enjoy my version of Gaara's open side.

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