A Second Chance

Summary: The first time Kakashi met Gaara, he couldn't understand how someone so young could hold so much hatred in their eyes. The second time he meets Gaara, he finally begins to understand.

Warnings: ooc, slight AU, spoilers for Shippuden episode 182 if you haven't watched it, bad writing.

Disclaimer: Er-mah-gerd. I dern't ern Neruter. (does this even make sense?)

People do make mistakes and I think they should be punished. But they should be forgiven and given the opportunity for a second chance. We are human beings.

-David Miller

When his eyes land on the boy with the blood-red hair, he knows something is off. There is a dark aura rolling off the boy, and it is easily one of the darkest things Kakashi has ever felt. Being a former ANBU, he'd been sent on some nasty missions, but never has he felt something this dark before. It doesn't seem natural, and he makes sure to keep an eye on this Genin.

When he sees the the boy fight against Lee, he is unable to comprehend how cruel this boy was being; not blinking an eye as he downright attempted to murder someone his own age. Kakashi had seen sadists before, seen too many of them, but to see someone who is merely twelve with such sadistic actions… It's hard to believe, really, and he wonders how someone could turn out so badly so early in life.

When they make eye contact for the first time, a chill is sent up his spine. All he can see is hatred reflected in those pale eyes. Bloodlust and hatred. He can't look away despite the fact that he wants to, but he also finds himself lost in those pupil-less eyes. Once the boy leaves, and their eye contact is broken, he can't help but wonder why someone so young, someone who should still retain some of their innocence, was filled with suck darkness. Whatever happened, he knows it couldn't have been good.

When Kakashi hears the news from Pakkun, a deep-seated fear and rage pulls at his mind. His teammates, the ones he was supposed to protect, were nearly killed by the blood-red haired boy. Had Naruto not summoned Gamabunta in time, all three of his students would have died by that monster's hands. He knows that if he were to ever see that boy again, he would not hesitate to kill him if he so much as thought of hurting Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke again. Kakashi has seen too many people he cares for die. He is not about to let these three perish, not while there is still breath in his lungs.

For a while, he dreams of black-ringed eyes that are filled with nothing but hatred.

He dreams of crimson sand that reeks of blood.

For a while…he dreams of the demon named Gaara.

It had been weeks since the dreams had stopped, and the silver-haired ninja thought nothing of Gaara anymore. It was highly unlikely they would ever cross paths with him again, and if they ever did, he'd be there to protect his students. So when he heard his team would be doing a joint-mission with some Sand ninja, the red-haired boy never popped into his thoughts. And, apparently, it didn't really pop into his team's mind as well.

As usual, Naruto asked several questions about the mission, and Kakashi did his best to explain it. Though, in the end, Sasuke summed it up pretty easily as well, which was no real surprise. Naruto ran off, saying he'd get to their destination first, and despite the fact that Sakura always tried to act mature, she ran off after him. It made Kakashi nearly smile, and he leisurely made his way down the path with Sasuke right beside him.

As they reached the meeting point and the voices of Naruto and Sakura grew louder, he wondered just who they would be working with. It was rare they worked with Sunagakure, especially after the incident at the Chūnin exams… He shook his mind of those thoughts, they were simply following orders from, who they thought had been, the Kazekage. Unfortunately, it had been Orochimaru in disguise.

"This is definitely the rendezvous point, but it looks we're here early."

"They have some balls being late," Naruto huffed, crossing his arms with a disappointed scowl. "Besides, you can never read their faces. It's scary," he finished, looking a little concerned. However, the expression vanished as he continued in his small rant. "They shouldn't be late if they want to improve relations with Konoha!" Kakashi mentally sighed, it didn't seem like Naruto was about to slow down any time soon on the matter. The Jōnin, however, could also see the light nervousness in the blond's actions. He couldn't blame him, exactly. The last time Naruto met Sand ninja, he was nearly–

"My apologies for arriving late."

Black-ringed eyes, blood-red hair, and pasty flesh. Three traits Kakashi hoped he would never see again. Surprised gasps left his students as all three let their eyes fall on the familiar ninja before them. Kakashi felt the air thicken. He could practically taste the fear coming off Sakura and noticed how her fisted hands trembled ever so lightly from the corner of his eyes; he could feel the wariness seeping from Sasuke, taking in how the normally calm Uchiha pressed his lips thin and furrowed his brows. For Naruto, it was a mixture of the two emotions. The blond stuttered the name that repeatedly echoed in Kakashi's mind.

"G-Ga-Gaara?!"

Gaara stood there, motionless, his eyes facing straight ahead. Kakashi glanced down at Sasuke, remembering how eager the boy had been to fight Gaara during the exams. Now, though, there was no eagerness at all. Only pure caution. After hearing what happened from Pakkun, the events that went down in the forest, it was no wonder the Uchiha was wary. Naruto was practically frozen in his spot, eyes no doubt fixated on the Sand ninja. Seeing as no one was going to break the silence, the Jōnin took the chance to talk.

"Oh, no worries, Gaara. You're right on time." It was hard, he had to admit, to speak the boy's name nonchalantly and fake a kind smile. So he dropped the smile as soon as he could, replacing it with his usual bored expression as he took in the sight of the boy. He looked so small, so thin. How could someone with such physique cause so much carnage…? Looks can be deceived, there is always more than meets the eye. Still, a protective urge hit Kakashi hard, and the hand in his pocket lightly traced the handle of a hidden kunai. "We just happened to get here early," the Jōnin finished. Feigning an apologetical expression came next, and it came much more easier.

He had not expected Suna to send Gaara, especially with how sadistic he could be, and how uncaring he was for his teammates' lives. This was not someone you sent on a joint-mission when you were trying to keep peace with another village. This was the person you sent when you wanted to annihilate your enemies.

"No…" Gaara closed his eyes and lowered his head as two more ninjas appeared behind him, both carrying boxes above their herds. The Jōnin guessed they each held a puppet.

"S-Sorry!" one said.

"We're so sorry!" the other added.

"Again, my apologies for arriving late." It was then that Gaara did something none of them expected. He bowed. Kakashi almost couldn't believe it, and it was then that he noticed that there was no dark aura floating around the boy before him. Those black-ringed eyes were no longer filled with horrifying hatred. It truly surprised him. 'He's sure calmed down, and he's lost most of that blood thirst.'

But then Naruto squatted down, reached out, and got his hand on a rock. He tossed it at the redhead, and just before the rock could hit, a wave of sand came out of nowhere to keep Gaara safe from the danger. Sakura took a step back as Sasuke's mouth partially fell open. And the same thought entered all their minds. 'The Sand's…Ultimate Defense!'

The silver-haired Jōnin readied himself, hand gripping the kunai in his pocket, watching the sand with a careful eye to make sure it made no movements to rush for Naruto. Yet, the sand made no attempt to capture the blond, and instead disappeared back into the gourd. Gaara's face reappeared, remaining as stoic as it had been earlier. There wasn't a single trace of anger in his eyes, and Kakashi couldn't read Gaara's face as he glanced at it. It made him more weary, but he didn't feel like his students were in any danger at the moment. So he decided to deal with the problem at hand.

He pinched the top of Naruto's ear hard, pulling upwards and out. The blond gave quick cries of pain, getting on his tiptoes to lessen the pain. "Well, what was that for, Naruto?" He figured the blond would have a problem with Gaara, after all, their last encounter was on friendly terms, but to do such a thing on a joint-mission was uncalled for. They were trying to make peace with Suna, not throw rocks at their ninja for practically no reason.

"It's just how I greet him," Naruto got out. "It's not like a rock can hit No Brows over there, right?" He pointed at Gaara, his eyes landing on the boy, when he noticed something was off. "Huh? Wasn't there two other guys with him?"

Upon hearing the question, Gaara turned around to find his two partners were now long gone. Farther away, on the other side of the river, they trembled behind a bush. "I can't believe Lord Gaara used his Absolute Defense!"

"That was terrifying!"

'I guess he still has trouble fitting in,' Kakashi thought. He couldn't exactly blame the two ninja, though. Gaara's reputation as a merciless killing machine wasn't exactly an exaggeration. But seeing how calm the redhead before them looked, he could see something had inspired the boy to change his ways. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had anything to do with that. He'd heard, after all, that Gaara turned out to be the host for Shukaku, the One-Tail. The two were Jinchūriki, and maybe seeing how different Naruto was compared to himself caused Gaara to want to change.

Naruto swept Kakashi's hand away from his ear as he said, "Geez, what's with them? Bunch of scaredy cats. Hey, how come the guy that wears make-up and the girl with the fan aren't with you?"

Naruto's other ear was pinched and pulled as Sakura gave a quiet huff. "It's Kankuro and Temari," she corrected, setting a hand on her hip. Sasuke could only throw an annoyed look at the blond. The silver-haired Jōnin kept his eyes on Gaara. While he did believe Gaara had changed, there was no way to tell if he was still unstable. Shukaku the One-Tail had a habit of driving his hosts insane, and only several weeks had past since the Chūnin exams. Gaara may have changed, yes, but how easy would it be for him to fall back into his old habits? How strong was his will to stay on this new path?

"I'm part of the regular troops for the time being," Gaara answered, ignoring Naruto's blatant description of his siblings. "I'll introduce them. They're my subordinates, Yaoki and Korobi."

"Yaoki here," the man with the brunet hair said, raising his arm.

"Korobi here," the other man with the head-wrap added, raising his arm as well.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi, captain of this mission," he replied, holding up his hand. He then pointed to his students as he said their names. "This is Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke."

Naruto raised his arm and waved. "Yo!"

"Nice to meet you!" Sakura called out.

"Hi there," Yaoki said.

"Pleased to meet you," Korobi called back. Both of them still hung behind the bush, and Gaara turned to face Team 7 once more.

"They're still new to all this. Please, be patient." And, once again, the redhead gave a light bow.

They traveled a little farther into the forest before they stopped and gathered to discuss how the mission would play out. To the right, Naruto stood upside down from a branch and to the left stood Sakura. Behind Kakashi sat Sasuke, keeping a close eye on the redhead. Behind Gaara stood Korobi, and to the left stood Yaoki with his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, I suggest Team Gaara take the mountain's west side," Kakashi started, getting right down to business. "My Team 7 will head towards the east. We'll simultaneously attack the bandits' fortress at the summit. We'll commence the mission at midnight, okay?" Gaara nodded in silent agreement. Kakashi knew the redhead would probably see nothing wrong with the plan. He did, however, expect the whine from Naruto as soon as the plans were explained.

"As if we need to wait that long," he started, nodding to himself. "We can take care of those bandits ourselves!" Holding in his sigh, the silver-haired Jōnin turned to his student.

"They may be called bandits, but don't forget they're Missing-Nins. I've been told there's some Chūnins among them.

"That's right, Naruto," Sakura quickly scolded with a scowl. "We could all be put in danger just because of you!"

"Alright already," the blond said, giving an annoyed look at the pink-haired girl.

"We also agree with this strategy," Gaara spoke up, stopping Sakura from retorting back. The redhead's shoulders suddenly tensed, and Kakashi noticed the action immediately. "…I would like to speak with you in private." Before anything was said, the Jinchūriki jumped down towards the ground. Kakashi only waited a moment before he followed, wondering what could be so important that Gaara felt the need to keep it between them. As soon as he landed, the words spilled from the redhead. "Someone is following us," he said.

"You sense someone following us?"

"Yes," Gaara nodded. "It'd be nice if it was just my imagination…" He looked behind, his eyes peering into the darkness of the forest. "But I just thought it was important to inform you." His eyes drooped ever so lightly, as if Gaara was feeling…almost apologetic for the situation.

"Sounds to me you have an idea of who it is," Kakashi stated. It wasn't hard to see the signs, how Gaara's shoulders were still tense, and how the look in his usually stoic eyes changed. The Jōnin's eyes softened for a moment as the Jinchūriki's head lowered and his eyes went to the ground rather than the forest.

"The elders of my village fear and despise me," he said, and the Jōnin couldn't help but notice how Gaara's voice hadn't changed at all as he spoke that sentence. It didn't exactly sit right with him, if Naruto had said such a thing, his voice would have dipped; sadness and hurt, and quite possibly anger, would've tinged his words. He briefly wondered how long Gaara had been alienated by the rest of the villagers to make him so unbothered to say such things, but his thoughts were cut short when the redhead turned back towards him; eyes still focused on the ground. "I'm afraid it may cause you trouble, so…"

"It's fine, we can handle it." Those black-lined eyes widened at his answer as they came to rest on his own visible eye. Surprised, Gaara actually looked surprised at his answer. It was almost as if…he'd been expecting to be chewed out, or even cursed at. Like he wasn't allowed to make mistakes. So, to try to ease the boy before him, Kakashi offered a small smile. "This mission of ours, it will only have real meaning if the Leaf and Sand complete it together and strengthen our bonds. The more problems we face, the deeper our bonds will become." Gaara's eyes traveled back down to the ground, as if he were absorbing the information with great care. Kakashi turned back towards his team above. "Alright, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. Let's go."

And with that, he left to lead his own team to the east.

It wasn't long until Kakashi sensed them himself. There were quite a few tailing his team, and they had been tailing them for a while, so he held his hand up to signal for everyone to stop. "What's wrong, Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked. He was ignored, however, and the Jōnin focused on the branches ahead.

"How long do you plan on pursuing us? Show yourselves!"

"Huh? What?" The blond looked around with confusion, until a short chuckle reached his ears.

"I'd expect nothing less from Kakashi of the Sharingan. And here I thought we were able to mask our presence. Please continue ahead. We have no intention of interfering with our ally's mission." The numerous ninja who'd been following them appeared, making their way onto the branches to reveal themselves. All of them wore masks, and all had a sword attached to their backs. It was easy to recognize them as ANBU.

"Ally? You're from Sunagakure?"

"You can think of me as the inspector of this mission."

"Inspector?" Naruto asked.

"It means he's keeping an eye on us," Sakura explained. "They must be here to watch over the mission from afar."

"Watch over? Then why are they wearing masks? I don't trust them!"

"Actually," Kakashi interrupted. "The one they don't trust is Gaara, isn't it?" He remembered Gaara's warning earlier, how he noticed the boy knew who it was who was following them. Confused, Naruto turned back to look at Kakashi for an answer to his silent question.

The leader of the ANBU took a step forward. "The people of Suna know very well that Gaara's power poses a serious threat. Most of all, to them. You've seen his attacks, have you not? Didn't you think it is an abomination that shouldn't exist?"

And it was right there, right in that moment, did the true meaning behind Gaara's words from earlier hit Kakashi. The elders of the village fear and despise me. Realization crashed on him like a ton of bricks as a nearly inaudible gasp left him. 'They're going to eliminate Gaara.' He knew, he'd seen it first hand, that Jinchūriki were treated differently. In Konoha, the adults avoided Naruto like the plague; pretending he wasn't there and making sure their children didn't dare go near him. Yet, not once, had anyone truly tried to kill Naruto until the incident with Mizuki.

A question popped into Kakashi's mind. How many times had assassins come after Gaara over the years? How old was he when the first attempt was made? If the elders sent an ANBU squad after Gaara, then the earlier assassinations, were they made by the Kazekage, Gaara's own father? Too many questions swirled through his mind, and finally did he understand why Gaara had been so full of hatred.

It could be hard showing love in a world where everyone wanted you dead.

Despite the harsh treatment he'd grown with, Gaara was finally changing. Even Kakashi could see that. Yet, the elders of Suna apparently acted as if they didn't care he no longer went on murder sprees. They could only see him for what was inside him.

Shukaku, the one-tai.

A monster.

"This is by no means bad for Konoha," the leader of the ANBU squad continued. "After all, it means another village will have lost a powerful weapon."

"How cruel," Sakura said. "How could you do that to one of your own?"

"Don't you understand? Lord Gaara is a danger to both of our villages, and he cannot be allowed to exist. Lord Gaara cannot be allowed to live–"

Naruto silenced the man by punching him in the face. Had it been under different circumstances, Kakashi no doubt would have lectured Naruto after the mission. But the Jōnin knew what was running through Naruto's mind. The blond hosted the nine-tails, he was a Jinchūriki himself. There was no doubt he felt utter rage at hearing someone talk so horribly about one of his own.

Kunais flew through the air, waiting to dig themselves into Naruto's exposed back, but Sasuke watched out for his teammate. He deflected the oncoming weapons with ease as Naruto continued on, heading west to see if Gaara was alright.

The man who'd been punched by Naruto got back to his feet. "Don't let them get away!"

"Not everyone in Suna misunderstands Gaara, do they?" Kakashi's hand fell on the man's shoulder, sparks of electricity crackling in the air, and the man flinched at the action. "You weren't able to accept Gaara. It's not that I can't relate to you. However…just don't think for one second that we feel the same way."

Kakashi didn't hold back as he unleashed his Chidori.

It was simple taking out the enemies. Sakura and Sasuke finished tying up the last of their unconscious opponents when Gaara's team, followed by Naruto, appeared. The Jōnin felt relieved as his eyes landed on the redhead and saw not a single injury on him. Of course, he expected no less; getting past the Ultimate Defense was quite a tricky thing. Looking around, he released a long breath.

"That was quite an ordeal. We tied up the ones who came after us for now."

"As I've thought, I caused you trouble. Forgive me." How odd it was, indeed, to see someone who'd been so bloodthirsty less than three months ago now politely apologize for something that wasn't entirely his fault. Kakashi had a feeling that, despite the obstacles that would come his way, Gaara would turn out to be a fine leader someday.

"These guys were the ones causing trouble, not you," Naruto said, a touch of anger still in his voice as he reached over to tear the mask off one of the ANBU.

"Stop." The command, to Kakashi, seemed to hold a tinge of desperation as it was spoken. He eyed the young Jinchūriki before him. "I know perfectly well what these men can be like. But still, let them be." His eyes traveled to the ground once more, and Kakashi decided he didn't like how casual Gaara still acted despite the fact an assassination attempt had just been made on him. "They're still my comrades of Suna, even if they can not accept me."

Gaara was still young, yet what he had said, not many people felt the same way after they'd been wronged so seriously. Those were wise words, and a compassionate action. Kakashi could only wonder how far in life Gaara would make it if he applied all his knowledge in everything he did.

"I see," Naruto said.

"Well then," Kakashi said, turning to his own team. "How about we continued our original mission?"

And as he turned back towards Gaara, the small smile he offered the Jinchūriki was by no means fake.

It was one-hundred percent sincere.

The mission was over, and it was time to head back to their own villages. Yaoiki and Korobi said their goodbyes, as did Sakura and Naruto. All Sasuke could offer was a small wave as he began to walk away. Sakura said goodbye to Gaara, even smiling at him and telling him to take care. Naruto… Naruto almost seemed a little reluctant to part with Gaara, but with a playful shove to the redhead's shoulder and warning to keep safe, he finally left.

Kakashi watched as the students under his care walked away. Their attitudes toward Gaara had changed dramatically over the course of the mission. At first, they'd been fearful and wary of the boy. But now, they no longer saw him a threat, they saw him as a comrade. The Jōnin watched as Gaara's eyes lingered on Naruto's back. It was just like he thought, Naruto was the reason Gaara had begun to change.

Before he turned to leave, Kakashi called out Gaara's name. Pale, pupil-less eyes fell on him and Kakashi offered a soft smile. "If you're ever in the Leaf, come visit me. You're more than welcome to stay in my house."

He knew if he'd spoken those words to anyone else, they'd have smiled and thanked him. But this small offer, to Gaara, meant something much more. His eyes widened momentarily before returning to normal. Instead of those black-ringed eyes being filled with hatred, they were now filled with gratitude and hope. It was a small offer, but it meant all the world to Gaara, and he gave a nod at the silver-haired Jōnin. It encouragee him not to give up no matter what happens next.

With that, Kakashi finally waved goodbye.

However, just as he was turning to leave, he spotted something he hadn't expected from the corner of his eye. He'd nearly missed it, it'd been so small. But he saw it, and it was something he would never forget.

Because that was the first time Gaara had smiled at him.

A/N: I spent HOURS writing this on my phone with a Bluetooth keyboard and it was such a pain switching between the Subbed episode on the ps3 and the dubbed version on my dad's phone. ARGGHHH. But anyway, I hope it was okay, and not too ooc. If it was, let me know PLEASE, so that i can, hopefully, fix it. So please, take a moment to review. Even if it's five words, I would really like to know if this was okay or not. I've never written Kakashi before, so I gotta know if he's too occ. Q_Q

Also I may add one more chapter to this. If I do, it'd be about Gaara taking up Kakashi's offer and staying at his house for maybe a few nights. And when he'd be Kazekage, along with the whole Akatsuki event. (Should I add the Matsuri arc? It's pretty good, really, if you take out Matsuri.) And one quick thing: I THINK I MIGHT MAKE THIS KAKASHIxGAARA. Let me know if you think it should not be. If a majority of you (if you guys review haha) say no, it'll stay under Friendship. If not, it'll be placed under Romance. So let me know, please!

Also, to those reading my One Piece stories, do not worry. Next week I'm going to get back on the computer for a while and work on them. :]

Your shy ice elemental,
~»roo the psycho«