Four months, nineteen days, twelve hours, thirty six minutes and forty-... two seconds.

Gaara fumed sinking further into one of Konoha's hot springs. The heat reminded her of home. It had been far too long since she had last fallen asleep. With her sudden willpower to fight the demon within her, Mother had been doubling the efforts to drive her insane.

Four months, nineteen days, twelve hours, thirty seven minutes and fifteen seconds ago she had found the answer to her insomnia problem. But the answer only made her problem worse.

Now that she was familiar with sleep she found it harder to function without.

"Just a few more hours." Gaara leaned her hair back. She had decided to grow out her normally short red hair. It was as uncontrollable as Temari's, only much more wild - like a flame dancing in the wind.

"Until what, Gaara?" Temari asked, a comfortable distance away from her. Not close enough to be awkward, but not far enough to show fear. Gaara was happy with the distance.

"It would be too troublesome to explain," Gaara thought dryly, choosing not to respond to Temari's question. She didn't want to give her sister the wrong idea. Not after their relationships had improved so greatly.

"You're not planning on killing someone are you?" Temari asked when she got no response. She nearly gasped when Gaara's pale turquoise eyes snapped to her with an annoyed look. She had either been very wrong or very right. "Sorry." She mumbled, scooting a bit further away. She was getting close to the I'm afraid of you distance.

"He wouldn't be happy if I did," Gaara said plainly. She didn't want her sister to move any further away. She wasn't entirely certain if the burn on her cheeks was from the bath. She brought a hand up to forehead, the place where he touched her still burned a hot pleasant heat when ever he came to mind.

"He!?" Temari leaned in closer her face bright.. As Gaara had gotten closer to Temari it became apparent that the blond was a gossip, second only to their brother. Gaara returned Temari's mirthful look with one of disdain. "It's one of the leaf ninja isn't it?" Temari was for once unaffected by Gaara's glare.

Gaara was reevaluating the distance she wanted her sister to be from her at this moment. A couple miles would probably be a good start.

"Let me guess." Temari was fanning her hands as a way of telling Gaara not to speak. Not that the thought had crossed her mind. "It's the green one right, Rock Lee?" Gaara briefly considered whether it was illegal to murder a sand ninja in konoha. It was at the very least frowned upon.

"Sasuke?" Temari asked a smirk on her face. They had just failed a mission to aid Konoha in the retrieval of Sasuke Uchiha. Gaara rolled her eyes.

"I'm done." She said curtly. Quickly rising out of the waters. "This was mostly pleasant." She offered her sister. While the idea to stay in Konoha had been Gaara's idea. The hot spring trip was due to Temari's persistence.

"It's Naruto, isn't it." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Gaara was glad she was already past her sister. Her cheeks were burning. However, the spot where he touched her burnt twice as hot. The slightest smile formed on her face. She would be able to sleep soon.

Naruto Uzumaki

Flashback: Four months, nineteen days, nineteen hours, forty three minutes ago

Mother wanted blood. A tribute was needed, a tribute left half given. Tonight she would spill the blood of that ninja. Rock Lee.

"You will have blood soon mother." Gaara smiled in the darkness of her lone room. The others were likely asleep. And even if they weren't they wouldn't be able to stop her. Not when she was so close.

On the rooftops that fool Dosu tried to kill her. His blood would not satisfy mother. It would not prove her existence for he didn't deserve to exist in the first place.

Arriving in the hospital she could smell her kill. It was a primal thing an intense driving need to finish the kill. She passed by the rooms one after another. Rock Lee was at the end of the hall. And soon. Soon she would prove her existence. And mother would be sated.

She stopped short. Third room from the end, the door and window wide open. There lay Naruto Uzumaki. He was lay splayed on the bed in the middle of the white room. His injuries recent. Such an idiotic. Worthless fool couldn't be worth the effort. It wouldn't prove his existence. However.

"He's like me," Gaara thought seeing the seal pulse on his abdomen. "I'm like him." The thought burned in Gaara's mind. To kill another like him would surely prove her existence. And it would be so quick so easy. A single thought would end the boy's life.

Gaara walked into Naruto's room, closing the door behind her. Her footsteps lighter than his soft snoring. A sound Gaara found. It was a sound Gaara could describe. It wasn't important anyways. She willed the sand to began floating towards Naruto. She suppressed a giggle; soon his life would be over and his warm blood would be within mother's sand.

"Nee Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbled, turning slightly causing Gaara to give a startled jump. It was the tiniest of movements. So small it was almost unnoticeable.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I will let mother drink your blood tonight," Gaara thought with glee as she began to move closer. She prepared to have the sand strike. The sand shifted turning into a sharpened blade. Cuts bleed more.

Another step. And suddenly all Gaara felt was tired. She stood blinking a moment. Looking at the sand readied to strike at Naruto's throat. The sand was almost looking at her expectantly. She looked at it expectantly. There was no voice telling her to kill. No constant chittering about blood. No consuming madness.

There was only Gaara. For the first time ever it was just her. And she felt tired. A warm feeling swelled up inside of her as she gazed at the sleeping figure of Naruto. She commanded the sand back into the gourd. It seemed happy. Why was mother happy? Didn't she want more blood?

No. There was no mother. Only Gaara right now.

And Naruto.

"Peace," Gaara said feeling the countless nights she had to stay up all at once. Naruto made to move, as though he didn't hear her. She stood there watching him. He was sleeping hard - no one could wake him by accident. She stared at him waiting for the urge to kill him to return. No urge came.

"Why? Why is mother silent about you Naruto?" Gaara thought in her head. She wanted to know why. Revelations began to come to her. "No. The beast inside of me is not mother." It was a simple revelation. One that would have been easy to make had it not been for her constant insomnia.

The Mystery of why and how would have to wait as Gaara felt herself become ever more ready for sleep.

She willed the gourd to the nearby chair. And removed the sand on her person. She was vulnerable. For the first time ever. She was completely and utterly vulnerable. And she felt at peace knowing that. Removing her sandals at the base of the bed Gaara wasted barely a second to hesitation as she climbed up onto the bed.

Curling her petite form up into a ball to take as little space as possible.

"Just a few hours." Gaara thought. A few hours of that sweetness known as sleep. She wouldn't need much. Just a few hours and then she would go see if she couldn't talk to father. She needed more time next to this boy to find out why Shukaku was so silent when she was near him. He let her experience something she rarely got. But there was a dull warm sensation of something else entirely. Something that had wounded her so completely it scared her forehead with her symbol.

"Goodnight Naruto Uzumaki." She thought drifting off into sweet sweet sleep.

Four months, nineteen days, twenty hours, forty one minutes and twelve-... thirteen seconds.

It was dark now. Gaara couldn't help but smile. While her control over it's cravings. Was great. She craved to be free from having to constantly fight for control. Naruto Had given her control twice now. He could beat the thoughts of the demon while it was contained within her. And when the demon was in control. He could beat that too.

She was once a slave to Shukaku. But Naruto had freed her of those bonds. By simply being.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The name brought a smile to her face as she leapt into the warm night air of Konoha. "You're existence is so great I no longer need to prove mine." So she wasn't entirely sane.

As she jumped roof top to roof top towards the hospital she began to wonder. Had she traded one master for another? True she no longer needed blood to feed "Mother". But now she was crippled by sleep. She could feel its need greater now more than ever. A sleep that only Naruto could safely give her. A small part of her also knew that she wanted to be close to him for more than just that reason.

But the pragmatic Gaara's only goal was sleep. That sweet sleep only Naruto Uzumaki could provide. She found that she enjoyed saying his full name. Saying it somehow made him feel more real to her. More important to her. Before when she said the full name of those she wanted to kill as a way to measure their existence

With Naruto Uzumaki it was a way to feel his existence.

His window was easy. But was he asleep? Floating slowly atop her sand she peered into his window. There he was haphazardly sprawled along the bed. All of his sadness about failing to bring Sasuke back vanished in his sleep.

The effect of simply seeing him sleeping brought Gaara a large amount of peace. She scooted closer. As her foot hit the window edge the freedom returned. And Gaara felt tired.

There was no hesitation now. She removed her sandals setting them gently to floor. And commanded her sand to rest on the guest chair. This was as close to giddy as Gaara had ever felt. She curled up on his bed once again. Sleep was coming quicker now. She was facing him this time.

She thought she was in control now. That she was the one dictating her actions. So why was her arm moving up to brush Naruto's cheek.

"Sleep well Naruto" Gaara whispered smiling.

"Ramen." Naruto replied in his sleep.

Tsunade frowned. Largely because it was early in the morning and she was not a morning person. And Shizune was not suppose to arrive and help her for another hour or so. She needed a more of a morning person to help her. She needed to check on the patients of the Sasuke retrieval team. Many of them were stable but in still in critical state. Entering the yard she saw a young pink haired girl standing in front of the door looking eager.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura chirpped happily.

"Ahh, Sakura. Here to visit Naruto?" Tsunade asked. She paused when she looked the girl in the eyes. "No… she wants something else." Tsunade thought smiling.

"Yes." Sakura said meekly before her steel showed itself. "But I also want you to teach me."

"Alright you start today. Grab a clipboard and follow me while I check on some patients." Tsunade waved her hand and sakura quickly fell into step.

After a brief overview of her expectations for the day they went on tsunade's rounds. First stop Naruto Uzumaki. Largely because of dual bias of both women.

Sliding open the door the two were instantly confused by the sight before them.

Naruto was lying in his bed snoring quietly a bit of drool around his mouth. He looked incredibly happy and peaceful. With his arms wrapped around the small redhead Gaara. Their legs were entangled and the covers were discarded haphazardly around them.

"... A redhead…" Tsunade mumbled. "... And a foreign jinchuuriki" pinching the bridge of her nose Tsunade began to wonder if it was a genetic thing.

"That's kind of cute." Sakura said a slight blush on her face. "Should I write that down.?" Tsunade's glare wasn't very good as Sakura just continued to giggle.

Marching over to the sleeping pair Tsunade eyed them directly from above. Gaara's face was buried in Naruto's chest and her hands bunched up in front of her gripping Naruto's shirt lightly. A few tear marks on the shirt and Gaara's face indicated that she had cried during her sleep. But the soft tender smile on her face showed that she was enjoying herself.

TAP. TAP. TAP. Gaara was awakened by the sudden tapping on her temple. Her teal eyes shot open. She was staring at Naruto's shirt. She felt his breath on the top of her head. His arms around her. Their legs entangled. She shot her eyes towards the ceiling seeing the half smirk half frowning blonde hokage she had been briefly introduced to yesterday.

Fear overcame her as she attempted to remove herself from Naruto's arms. She didn't want to leave. And He didn't either. A gasp escaped from her as Naruto pulled her in tighter. Placing her head under his chin.

"I see Naruto's a cuddler." Tsunade said smirking as she made a move to help the poor trapped girl. Carefully removing Naruto's arms from Gaara the hokage greeted enough of an opening for Gaara to squeeze out.

Sakura and Tsunade watched with a bemused look on their face as Gaara attempted to quickly put on her sandals. Her sand gourd floating into place as she stood. "I must be going." She said in her usually rough voice. On normal people her voice might have been able to intimidate them. But her beat red face made any intimidation tactics fall flat.

She made it to the door. Sliding passed that pink haired girl. Sakura. Sakura smiled at her. It was a knowing smile. Gaara attempted to glare at her. The glare was something that Gaara had a small amount of pride in. While it was a natural development it had proven incredibly useful to get what she wanted. On all but the strongest and most fearsome ninja the glare might have had some effect.

But this was Sakura. Sakura the foolish pink haired girl that had stared her down as she was attempting to kill Sasuke. Even with her demonic induced madness Sakura didn't back down. And now blushing and as far from Shukaku as she had ever been Gaara didn't have any hope of staring down the girliest girl in konoha. It was humbling.

"I should kill her." That thought wasn't from Shukaku. No that was a Gaara thought. One that caused her to pause. She quickly tried to remove the thought from her mind. Naruto cared for Sakura if him mumbling her name in his sleep was any indication. "Another reason to kill her." Gaara's left eye twitched as that thought passed through her head. She attempted to leave quicker.

A firm grasp on her head forced Gaara to stand still. Her Sand wasn't responding. A side effect of being so close to Naruto? That was not good. But she did feel rested.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade said. Gaara had another thought as her face turned crimson once more. She was caught she should just kill everyone. It was better than this… embarrassment.

"Suna." Gaara offered weekly as she attempted to step away. Only to find her feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

"Explain, why you were cuddling up against Naruto." The hokage's voice was hard and firm. There was no room to argue. The only way she was getting out of this was to explain.

"Sleep." Gaara said and found that her feet once against touching the floor. She hated being so small. Gaara turned to face Tsunade and stared into her scowling face and dancing brown eyes. "My demon…" She looked at Sakura. "Shukaku. Doesn't let me sleep."

"And what does Naruto have to do with that?" Tsunade rose a golden at the girl while Sakura looked to be lost in memories. Perhaps of her lost comrade Sasuke.

"During the Chunin exams. Shukaku wanted me to kill Naruto." She waited for retaliation or gasps. Neither happened. "I tried to. But When I approached him I couldn't hear Shukaku anymore. I was myself. I could sleep without fear next to Naruto." Gaara didn't dare look them in the eyes. She heard Sakura giggle.

"Kakashi always did Say Naruto slept hard enough for two." Sakura said suppressing her laughter.

"Then ever Since Naruto defeated Shukaku I've been trying to suppress it. And it's been working. But I Needed sleep. And only Naruto could let me sleep."

"I see." Tsunade said her face flat as she wasn't entirely certain if she should be yelling at a ninja of another village sneaking into a hospital to literally sleep with one of her injured ninja. "Next time you should ask him though. I don't think he'd mind." Mirth. She decided on mirth. Gaara's blush returned. "And you won't have to wait five months before you can safely sleep." She ruffled Gaara's dark red hair.

"Stop blushing you look like a tomato." Tsunade said laughing as the girl's embarassment quickly turned to anger. The sand flared to life around her. "My my just like Kushina." Tsunade thought laughing inwardly. "Now get going, I need to check on his health." She left the still fuming Gaara and amused Sakura in the hallway. Gaara turned to make a quick exit.

"Hey." Sakura started. "You should ask Naruto out. He's oblivious and you two would make a cute couple." Gaara could feel her cheeks burn. The spots where he touched her naked skin. Skin without sand. Burned hotly.

"I… Uhh…" Gaara said. Not once in her lifetime had she ever thought about being in a relationship with someone. She once thought it was pathetic. A distraction before people eventually died. The ultimate sign of weakness that deserved to be purged from her thoughts. And yet the prospect of Naruto leave her without words.

"I'll set you up. Meet us at ichiraku ramen at Two, if you're still in the village that is." Sakura said walking into the room. Gaara Nodded. She could make her team wait an extra day if need be. Temari certainly wouldn't mind. "Hey Naruto! Want to get ramen?" Sakura yelled in the other room.

Gaara quickly left as she heard him wake up.