tortured-insanity here.

OKay, so here's my new fiction "Optimism".

It's GaaNaru...not hard to guess, but I do have a few warnings.

Obviously it's BL/yaoi. If you do NOT like homos...Backbutton.

though I should let it be known not EVERYONE is gay in this story. I've read too many fictions like that...

the start is pretty light but there will be some darker elements later on so... watch out.

I'm working hard to keep them as in-character as I can but. ...it's hard. So sorry for any OoC-ness.

umm, let's see what else?

ah yes, I won't be updating super fast, I just don't have the time. But I will update as soon as I get the chapters written.

Also, I haven't chosen on an ending for this yet...but you should know I have an affinity for sad endings... not that that will happen here...but it might.

I feel like there's something I'm forgetting to say...

ah, well, you should also know, this fiction takes place after the Chuunin exams, after Sasuke turns to the dark-side and after Gaara becomes Kazekage but BEFORE Naruto goes on his two year training trip with Jiraiya...ok so...yeah. also,I know the fist part is pretty short but later chapters "should" be longer

...I still feel like I'm for getting something though...

Masashi Kishimto owns Naruto and his bishies.

Optimism

ooo

"Kage Buushin no Jutsu!"

A pitched whistle and 'poof' of smoke later four perfect clones of the golden haired teen appeared just in time catch the falling piece of lumber as it came hurling towards the people below.

From the roof above three men looked over the edge of the roof, sighs of relief escaping them as the 2x4 they'd dropped hadn't hit anyone.

"Naruto! You can be such a show-off!" Sakura snipped with a tone that made it hard to distinguish whether she was teasing him or not, but none the less she too gave a relaxed sigh as the board failed to harm anyone.

"Yes, Sakura's right. Wonderfully done Naruto, your timing was perfect." Kakashi added in a bored tone as the four Narutos handed the wood back up to the roofers. Once that task was done three of the blonds disappeared in another plume of smoke, leaving the one yellow-haired teen smiling back at his team.

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei! I didn't say anything about a 'good job'!" Sakura complained, a pale blush tinting her cheeks. But the comment was left un-replied as the three continued down the street to Konoha's best ramen stand. To either side of them shops, stands and homes were being rebuilt. Evidence of Orochimaru's attack was still clear throughout the village as people tried their best to bring some amount of normalcy back to their lives. It'd been months since the incident, but the loss of homes and more importantly lives was a gapping and slowly healing wound to the village and it's inhabitants. But as everyone worked hard to help each other as well as themselves, and under the strong leadership of their new Hokage, things were beginning to come together.

The three ninjas rounded the corner to come to the main street, two of them continued through the crowd when Kakashi noticed they were missing one. Halting Sakura with one hand, he turned back to look at Naruto who stood amidst the crowd staring off. Before he could ask the teen if something was wrong a bright smile lit up the blond's face and he quickly took off into the crowd, darting past a bewildered Kakashi and Sakura.

"GAARA-KUN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Naruto's loud and random screamings where found as normal and quite common to the villagers of Konoha, but to the red haired boy who walked along side his siblings this was not something he was used to. The sand within his gourd shook violently in ready defense as someone screamed his name and came charging at him, but once the happy face came into view the sand settle down near instantly. Almost of it's own accord. The blond teen threw his arms around the other's neck in a choking, but welcoming, hug. This was not something Gaara was used to, nor something he liked, but seeing as it came from the boy who had saved him (albeit from himself) he would tolerate it.

Kankuro and Temari looked from the scene of their strangled brother to each other, fighting desperately to hide the snickers and giggles. Though their younger brother had changed dramatically from his encounter with the bouncing blond, he hadn't changed that much. And they both knew, if caught snickering they'd be dead before they knew what hit them.

Naruto released his hold on the redhead before he turned blue and smiled brightly at the boy.

"What are you doing in Konoha? There's not another ninja test is there?"

Gaara shook his head in a 'no' and explained, "We're here for a meeting with your new Hokage." Gaara's voice was low, quite and deeper then most boys their age, but then again, Gaara wasn't like most other boys. Period. It went deeper then him just looking different then most with his crimson hair and rich, almost unnatural, green eyes; or even the dark rings of sleepless nights lining the rims of those eyes or the 'Ai' tattoo on the left side of his forehead. No, those oddities didn't even scratch the surface of the many things that made Gaara different from everyone else.

But with his friend standing there, a look that twinged with a small smile on his face, there was no need in remembering dark memories.

"Meeting?" Naruto's wide blue eyes looked up at the boy who stood half an inch, if that, taller then him. "What kind of meeting? 'Hope it's not a long one if your meeting with Tsunade-baa-chan. That would really suck." Naruto squinted his eyes and leaned in closer to his friend's ear, whispering, "Don't let her fool you, Baa-chan is really the devil!"

"Naruto." Kakashi's voice resonated next to him. Looking over the blond found his sensei's face inches from his. Unconsciously he flinched away. "You shouldn't give our guests such bad impressions of our Hokage-sama."

"Keh! I'm not saying she's a bad Kage," Naruto shot defensively, "She's just a psycho nutter."

"You know, some people would say the same thing about you Naruto!" Sakura made her appearance by marching up behind Kakashi and grabbing hold of Naruto's ear, yanking painfully.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go Sakura-chan! It hurts, it hurts!"

Though the entire scene before him was quite amusing, Gaara only let a hint of a smile show.