If: Eh, was inspired. I wanted to do a short based on the song "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister (go check it out!). And thus, this was born! Plus, after reading one of my fav stories I just couldn't not write something.
Warnings: Angst! Char death (technically) one sided GaaNaru, NaruSasu
Disclaimer: not mine
It hurt to know that he was being used. On some level he knew that it was wrong, but he couldn't stop. He just wanted to make everything better. He just wanted to make everything right. Though he knew it was an impossible dream, he wanted to be the one to fix what others had caused.
It wasn't as if he himself would ever feel happy. Even though he tried to think differently now, somewhere deep inside himself he knew that he would never attain the happiness that had once crossed his dearest person's face. He had to sacrifice whatever he had, for the greater good. It was his turn to be the savior, even if it killed him in the process.
His precious savior, his most beloved person was so broken it made his heart constrict painfully in his chest at just the mere mention of his name
Naruto.
After everything that had happened, after all that had transpired, even Gaara had found himself wanting Naruto succeed. He wanted his precious person to stay the way he was, he almost needed it. If Naruto became the way he had been, if that boy's most precious person betrayed him as fully as Yashamaru had crushed Gaara, he wasn't sure if anyone would be able to save Naruto from himself. But it had happened, hadn't it? Another failed attempt at bringing Sasuke back. But this was the final attempt, there would be no more, for when it had come down to it, it had to be one or the other: Sasuke, or Naruto. The fates hadn't been kind; they had spared the blond but at what price? He would forever have to live with the knowledge that he had killed his most precious person, the person he had been so desperately trying to save.
But all of that was in the past now, he knew that, but that didn't stop it from effecting the present. The past always came back to haunt you. Naruto was a shell of his former self, no longer the happy, care-free boy who had inspired and changed so many people. He was a ghost of his former self, wandering around his village like a wraith. People avoided him on the street, afraid of his lifeless eyes. In a last desperate attempt at bringing the boy back to his former self, the village of Konoha had sent him to Gaara.
It was no small feat getting Naruto to even notice him. After several weeks of trying everything his mind could come up with, Gaara had almost given up when Naruto's eyes had briefly focused on him. In time, Naruto had started to wander the halls of the Kazekage's headquarters.
It had all changed one night. While he lay on his bed, letting his mind wander away from the problems that seemed to be compounding in his life, a knock sounded on his door. Curious despite himself, he walked over to the door and opened it. A haphazard looking Naruto stared back at him, his eyes wild and his arms carved with intricate designs, blood flowing steadily to the floor. Alarmed, he immediately pulled the blond into his room and sat him down.
"What happened?" he asked, concerned about his dearest friend. Naruto merely shrugged, his eyes starting to gloss over once again as he faded out of reality.
"Naruto?" he tried again, this time getting no response. Thinking quickly, he decided on his next course of action, praying desperately that it wouldn't backfire on him completely. "Dobe!"
Naruto's eyes instantly focused and he sat up straight. Looking around wildly he finally focused on the red head kneeling before him, but he didn't see Gaara, he saw Sasuke.
"… Sasuke…" Naruto whispered before jumping onto Gaara, stunning him. He knew in that instant that it might be possible to fix Naruto, but at his own expense.
As Naruto started trailing kisses over his jaw and his hands wandered over his body, his mind worked at a frenzied pace. Could he really help Naruto by pretending to be Sasuke? The simple answer was yes. The only person who could help Naruto was Sasuke, and since he was dead, the only way to have Sasuke help would be to become Sasuke himself. Cringing at the thought and biting back a groan as Naruto sucked on his throat, he wondered if his sacrifice would be worth it? Would the disappearance of Gaara and the re-emergence of Sasuke in this world be a bad thing? He knew on some subconscious level that his village and siblings wouldn't understand and wouldn't want him to do this, but as Naruto took off both of their shirts, he knew that he couldn't not do this. Naruto was more important than him. His sacrifice wouldn't be in vain, if only he could make Naruto be who he should have always been: Naruto.
In the morning, as he woke up to find the blond had already left his room, he started to change his ways. He wore different clothing, he styled his hair, and when he headed to his office he stopped at a store on the way and bought black hair dye. The first thing he did when he got to his office was to start the search for someone to replace him. Though it physically caused him pain to give up his position, he had already made his decision. At noon the council was assembled and Kankuro was officially given the title.
Two hours later, a black haired Gaara and Naruto left Suna.
He started to adapt, picking up on Naruto's subtle cues when he did something un-Sasuke-like, and his personality became more and more like that of the original Uchiha. He didn't use his sand, for Sasuke didn't use sand. In a town along their journey he picked up black and red contacts and hid his own eyes. Every day he felt less and less like himself, but each day Naruto became more like himself.
When they finally returned to Konoha two years later, he had forgotten his own name. Sabakuno Gaara had ceased to exist somewhere along their journey, and when he died, Sasuke Uchiha was reborn. He hadn't even noticed the change, so disconnected with himself as he had become. But none of that mattered, because when they finally made it back to Konoha two years later, Naruto Uzumaki was once again himself.