Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Tides ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, because if I did then they would all be my slaves.

 

 

Change was not something one was accustomed to. No one is. Because change could happen at anytime. Change was unpredictable, and for that reason alone many feared it. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad, depending on whose favor it fell into. What was good for one person could be bad for another. But sometimes, it would be completely good for everyone.

 

Gaara was one of the few to experience that.

 

Thanks to a certain blond-haired knucklehead ninja, he changed. He had a new purpose in life; he was no longer the monster he was raised to be. He actually cared; he had precious people, people worth protecting other than his-self. It was actually quite a relief, to know he was human after all.

 

Temari, Kankuro, he cared about them, and they cared about him. The villagers began to accept him, even like him. It felt…nice to be accepted. And to think this was all because of one idiot who dared to stand up against him, dared to tell him life was worth living if you had precious people to protect, dared to treat him like a person instead of a weapon. Because he was just like him, Naruto was just like him; a demon vessel. Naruto wanted respect and recognition from his village, to be stronger. He did it by caring about people, fighting bravely and never giving up. Even in the face of death, he fought to get stronger. He didn't need to kill to prove his strength, to prove his existence. He wanted to protect his precious people.

 

He made Gaara think. He made him change.

Gaara knew he would always be eternally grateful to Naruto. The boy may be an idiot, but he was wise in his own unique way.

 

Because of him, Gaara was now the Kazekage of Sunagakure, protector of his village, his precious people.

 

Whenever he thought back to the day he fought Naruto, he would smile and quietly chuckle at the fact that he became a Kage before him. There would never be one fight where Naruto would not proclaim that he would one day become Hokage. And he will be. His kind of determination was admirable, and quite inspiring. Gaara's current way of life was a testament to that.

 

Looking out the window of his office, Gaara idly wondered what Naruto was up to now. Did he become a Jounin yet? When would he be coming to visit? He really wanted to see him again. Naruto was like a brother to him, he couldn't help but feel some sort of love towards him, and he wanted to know how his brother was doing. Sure, Naruto sent letters every few weeks, but he wanted to see him in person.

 

He smiled. Perhaps he should pay a surprise visit to Konoha, just to see Naruto again. Yes, Naruto was loud and annoying -well, he used to be, he became a little quieter and more reserved, but he was still fun-loving and a prankster at heart. It was always a nice reprieve from the boring strict world of being a leader, but that was the price he had to pay to protect his precious people.

 

He paused. Naruto was one of those precious people. He was so loveable and kind. He was also courageous and headstrong. Admirable traits in a person who was ignored for most of his life.

 

He hoped Naruto never changed.