A/N: I really need to update my other stories...
The Patience, Acceptance, and Four Senses of a Blind Man
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Patience
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"Blind? What do you mean blind?"
Tsunade rubbed her forehead in annoyance.
"How many times do I have to say it, Naruto? He can no longer see- He is optically impaired!"
Naruto couldn't believe his ears.
"That's...that's crazy...How can he be-"
"No one knows... Or better yet, no one is telling me anything...", Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment.
"That women is definitely hiding something...", she said to herself.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"The Kazekage's sister, I forget her name, said that the Kazekage woke up to find himself blind- Just like that. As a medical ninja I'd have to say that it's simply impossible- but as the Hokage I have to trust Konoha's allies."
She paused for a moment and folded her hands.
"Naruto,", she said seriously, practically glaring at Naruto.
"I would have never told you this if it wasn't for the fact that you and the Kazekage are one of the same. The only reason I called you here was to urge you to be careful! As a medical ninja and as the Hokage I can't ignore the possibility that the Kazekage's loss of sight might have to do with the removal of Shukaku..."
She paused again to stand up and stare hard at Naruto.
"Thats why I'm going to say it again, Naruto- be careful!"
Naruto stared at the Hokage for a moment before turning away.
"You're dismissed.", Tsunade said impassively before falling back into her chair.
"W-wait...", said Naruto softly, looking back at her.
"I...I want to see him..", he continued.
Tsunade sighed.
"Please- Please give me permission to see Gaara!"
Tsunade folded her arms.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Naruto.", she said quietly.
"Why not!?"
Tsunade looked away from Naruto sympathetically.
"I knew you would ask me that...I think the Kazekage knew that too..."
"What the hell are you talking about, old lady!?"
"I received a direct order from the Kazekage himself not to allow you to see him."
Naruto looked taken aback for a moment.
"What do you mean he doesn't want to see me?! Why wouldn't he want-!?"
"How the hell should I know!?" yelled Tsunade, cutting the blond off.
"I told you this information to remind you that you're are not safe- even in Konoha. Besides- you're not the only one the Kazekage refuses to see- He doesn't want to see anyone right now!!
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"Well he won't ever be able to 'see' anyone ever again now will he?!"he spat back at Tsunade with a glare in his eyes.
Tsunade looked shocked for a moment before scowling at Naruto.
"Get the hell out of my office!!"
"You don't have to tell me twice...", muttered Naruto bitterly while walking grumpily away from the Hokage, then purposely banging the door shut on his way out.
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Needless to say, Naruto was angry. He packed his bags furiously, stuffing in pointless things like scrolls and books. His mind was clouded with anger, bafflement and confusion. Gaara? Of all people- Blind. He could care less weather Gaara wanted to 'see' him or not.
Naruto was going to the Village Hidden in the Sand.
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"E-excuse me! Temari- Sama!", yelled an ANBU guard as he ran up to the blond women.
"What is it?", she asked bitterly, annoyance clearly evident in her facial expression.
The ANBU guard wasn't fazed.
"I apologize for the disturbance, Ma'am, but there is a visitor outside...He wants to see Kazekage-Sama..."
Temari's eyes narrowed.
"Tell him Gaara doesn't wish to see anyone.", she said quickly before turning away.
"W-wait!", yelled the officer again.
"We tried to make him leave, but he simply won't go away- He already forced himself inside the Kazekage's mansion."
Temari was about to order his immediate death when a crashing sound emerged from down the hall and a man shouted-
"I want to see him now! Let me see Gaara!"
Temari knew that voice and she immediately ran to it.
"Naruto...", she said slowly and wide eyed as she saw the blond boy struggling against two jounin officers.
"T-Temari! Tell these assholes to let me go!!"
It took Temari a while to get out of her trance. When she finally did, however, she hesitantly told the officers to let Naruto go. Naruto relaxed and looked into Temari's eyes.
"I want to see him.", he said seriously.
Temari had to look away from those intense eyes.
"I don't think he wa-"
"You don't think he what? Wants to see me? First of all- Why the hell not?! And second of all- If my gathered information is correct- He won't be able to see anything from now on is he?!"
Temari winced at Naruto's harsh words.
"I understand how you feel, Naruto, but Gaara is resting right now..."
Naruto paused.
"Resting...? You mean like..sleeping?"
Temari nodded her head.
"Yes. Sleeping...Ever since Shukaku was removed he's been sleeping alot lately..."
Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of the one tailed demon. Then he remembered what Tsunade said.
"Old Grandma Tsunade said that...maybe Gaara lost his sight because Shukaku was removed..."
Temari giggled bitterly.
"Figures...", she said shaking her head.
"Shukaku has nothing to do with Gaara's eye sight.", she continued.
"So...you know why Gaara lost his-"
"Not completely, but we kind of knew something like this would happen. Ever since Gaara was little, he had poor eye sight. It's an optical disease that starts during birth and worsens as the years pass by...Gaara was infected with this disease and it caused his pupils to be barely visible, and it never reacted to light or darkness. Not to mention as his pupils got smaller and smaller everyday- In fact when he was little, he had eyes just like mine- same color and everything. Unfortunately the color faded due to his disease..."
"If Gaara always had poor eye sight then how did he-"
"Gaara had good enough eye sight to become a ninja, and good enough eye sight not to need glasses. But sometime after the chunnin exams, his eyes began to worsen more an more. Of course Shukaku's power helped to enhance his vision, helping Gaara to see better, but Shukaku only helped Gaara during battle. When Gaara was doing something simple like getting something out of the fridge at night he would occasionally bump into walls..."
Naruto tried to imagined Gaara bumping into the wall for a moment- The image wouldn't come to him.
"After Shukaku was removed, Gaara slept often-, but that was pretty much all that changed. That went on for several months until a few weeks ago when Gaara woke up blind."
They stayed quiet for a long time.
"Gaara hasn't come out of his room since then..."
"I take it he isn't taking it well...?", said Naruto quietly.
Temari shrugged.
"You never know what he's thinking...It's not like he screamed for help or anything...I went to his room that morning, because he had not come out all day...He was sitting in his bed staring into space, and when I asked what was wrong, he said he couldn't see anything..."
"And after that?"
Temari sighed and smiled sheepishly.
"I kind of over reacted...I started screaming 'How could this happen' over and over again. I just couldn't believe it. I was totally in denial, so I took Gaara by the face with both hands, and told him 'Look at me'..."
Temari put her hand over her mouth and sighed a shaky sigh.
"He tried...But his eyes never came into contact with mine..."
Naruto looked away from Temari.
"That still doesn't explain why he doesn't want to see me..."
"Gaara doesn't want to see anyone-"
"I already know that!- What I don't know is why he doesn't want to see me..."
Temari sighed.
"You might not believe me...but the first thing I asked Gaara after coming to terms with he fact that he was blind...was if he wanted to see you..."
Naruto waited for her to continue.
"It took him a while to answer...but then he said he didn't want to see you- or anyone for that matter...So I guess I'm saying I don't know why Gaara doesn't want to see you..."
Naruto frowned and looked at Temari suspiciously.
"What about you?", he he asked.
Temari looked away.
"Well...I go to his room at times...but he wont answer any of my questions...He won't listen to me either..."
"How does he eat?"
"He doesn't. I tried feeding him, but he won't cooperate with me.
Naruto folded his arms and stared hard at Temari.
"Why didn't you tell Grandma Tsunade the truth? Why didn't you tell her about Gaara's disease?"
"She doesn't need to know-"
"Why the hell not?!", Naruto half yelled.
"Because then they'll take Gaara away!", Temari shouted.
"They'll take him back to that stupid lab again and start doing pointless experiments and examinations!!", Temari was breathing hard now, unable to maintain her usually calm composure.
When she saw the confused and worried face on Naruto's face, she pulled herself together so she could explain.
"Gaara's eye problem didn't go unnoticed. In fact, the previous Kazekage- our father- was the one who first noticed the disorder in Gaara's pupils. When Gaara was five, and I was seven at the time, despite my fathers warning to stay away from him, Gaara became my sick fascination. We never really met each other face to face, but I began to care for him from afar. So when doctor after doctor came in to 'check up' on him everyday, I began to worry. Soon enough the doctors could no longer go to Gaara, Gaara had to go to them, and each time he had to go, Gaara would scream with tears in his eyes because he never wanted to go..."
She paused for a moment and sighed.
"If I told the Hokage about that she'd have no choice but to order immediate care for Gaara's condition...That will include all the pointless examinations, experiments, et cetera."
Naruto frowned. "So you're planning on leaving Gaara like this?", he said bitterly.
"Temari frowned at Naruto's words. "Stop speaking as if you know everything!", she spat.
"I know I don't know everything! I'm here because I want to find out what it is I don't know...I'm worried about Gaara and it hurts me that he doesn't want to see me...", He said the last part slowly and quietly.
Temari looked at him and sighed.
"Five minutes.", she said quietly.
"What?"
"I'll let you see him for five minutes- If he's sleeping don't wake him up, and if he wants you to leave you better do what he says..."she said firmly.
Naruto's face brightened dramatically.
"You'll really let me see him!!?"
Temari nodded her head slowly.
"He's on the third floor- last door to your right."
Naruto ran out of the room.
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Naruto opened the door to Gaara's room ever so slowly, relieved that there wasn't an annoying squeaking sound emitting from the hinges of the door. He looked towards the bed hesitantly, only to find Gaara sitting up on his bed, eyes wide open staring into space.
"Temari...?", he said slowly. His voice was horse- deeper then it was the last time Naruto heard him.
Naruto laughed a bit.
"No...It's me..Naruto."
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End of Chapter One.
Sooo? How was it? Review. .