Thank you to K92littlered, angelpride92, Spiffehtastic, Dragonfly51, Fallen Angel3579, Gaara-frenzy, fanny-kun, Jokermask, MyDyingDaysBlackRose, XxLuvGaaraxX, and NekoDoodle for the review in the last chapter. Also thanks to those put this story on alerts and favorites.

I started the sequel for this story called "Shadow on the Moon" you all are still interested you can do check it out and leave a review.

Also I wrote the following story for a contest entry of a comparison of a Naruto character and my OC so I mad it about Kat and Gaara if you wish think of this as a bonus chapter so enjoy, no review necessary for this story.

Disclaimer: NO OWN

Two Sides of the Same Coin

An over exuberant laughter filled the busy bazaar in the desert streets of Suna. Three women were standing in front of a house in this hot village, they were talking and gossiping as most older women do during the lazy weekends. They were pinning up laundry and from their point they can look out over the busy streets.

"So just between us," One of the women leaned into the others who paused momentarily in their work, "Not only is she married but she has been seeing this ANBU agent almost every night" They three started a giggling fit over the drama that they knew. It hushed down when one of the women spotted a glimpse of red walking across the way. She pointed him out to the others.

"It's so good to see the Kazekage out and about and not just stuck in his office working." She smiled as she eyes followed the young teen walking by, this teen was none other then Sabuku no Gaara. "He sure does a lot for this village."

"Its the least he can do to make up for his past" The first one spoke shaking her head, it wasn't that she hated or didn't trust the red headed boy it was just a lot that the village had to forgive him for.

"Well you can't really blame him, you remember the way his father looked at him as a child, poor kid. And he never had a mother to top it off." The second one spoke again. It was then that a figure ran up to the boy they were watching. Everyone in the village knew of this girl, her name was Gekkou Katsura. She was a chuunin from Konoha now living in the Village Hidden in the Sand. Her appearance wasn't anything spectacular, she had brown hair and eyes and wore a black skirt and tank top with black fishnets on her legs that stopped at her knees and fishnet shirt under her top. She always wore the same black fingerless gloves and her Leaf forehead protector on her forehead, never was she seen without her sword strapped to her back.

"Looks like Gaara is not alone again" The third woman finally spoke up "I still don't know why the most eligible bachelor in Suna would choose a girl from Konoha" She spoke shaking her head.

"My daughter was crushed when they officially became a couple after his death" The first woman laughed making the others well, they would continue their gossip later.

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"Come on Gaara, we never get to go out, so walk faster." Katsura pleaded with the rather stoic ninja who looked really bored. She just ran up to him and latched onto her arm smiling up at the taller of the two. Gaara gave a sigh and continued on his walk with with the brunette, he was beginning to see why Shikamaru constantly called her, and Temari, troublesome.

They continued through the streets with people hushing every now and again indicating what they were just talking about, Katsura tried to ignore it as best as she could but was having some difficulty. She couldn't figure out how Gaara had grown accustom to the constant chatter about him or them. Walking past all the open shops Katsura was distracted by all the lovely things when Gaara looked over and saw the old playground where he used to sit as a child when no one wanted to be around him, luckily Katsura would never have to experience that. Against his will those memories started to invade in mind.

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i"Hey come on and pass the ball already!" A young boy shouted to his team mate as they played soccer. The ball fly through the air when the young girl kicked it with all her might unfortunately it was too much and the black and white object landed softly on the nearby roof, a collective groan was heard coming from all the children.

A young version of Gaara sat on the swing nearby watching the children have fun, he gripped his teddy bear as hard as he could for fear it too would run away from him. A small smile appeared on this child's face as he got up and ran to help them, his sand drifted up scooping the ball off the roof and bringing it down, he was only met with horrified faces and screams as the children ran for their lives. In anger the sand swirled around him and launched itself after the nearest child. At the last moment a young man stood in front taking the blow of sand that would have easily hurt the child.

"Gaara-sama please calm down" The young blonde said, this was Yashamaru, Gaara's uncle. In horror Gaara watched at the blood dripped down his arm and forehead, he caused this pain to the only person to ever show him kindness.

"I'm sorry, Yashamaru" He hung his head in misery.

The young Gaara raced through the village that night after the talk about love with his beloved uncle. He gripped onto the brown bag with his life, this would make everything better. He run up to the front door and knocked as fast as humanly possible, when another child answered the door Gaara extended the bag as an offering of peace but the child sneered and slammed the door but not before yelling "Monster!"

The bag fell from his grip and a devastated Gaara turn to leave, his already broken heart shattered into pieces.

"Here I made this hoping we could be friends" A young brunette extended a colorful bracelet toward another young boy who stared wide eyed at the other.

"I don't want to be friends with someone who is always sick. I don't want to catch anything I mean it would only hold me back" The young boy said, his name was Jubei and he was a smug arrogant young boy but there was just something about him that Katsura wanted to be friends with. He turned a left a young Katsura standing in the school ground, tears welling up in her eyes but she refused to shed them… yet. She dropped the bracelet onto the ground and walked away. /i

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"Hey Gaara look!" The swordsman woman shouted snapping Gaara from his thoughts. He turned to look at Katsura who stood in front of a large tank filled with many different koi fish, she happily looked at the fish with a large smile on her face. Gaara watched with amusement of the other she seemed so sweet and innocent whereas he was quite the opposite.

She stood up from her crouched position in front of the tank and smiled sweetly at Gaara. She grabbed his hand and drug the boy way from the booth and onto the next set up in this busy marketplace. They wondered and weaved through all the people when finally the idea of getting lunch came up and they found themselves at a nearby restaurant. Sitting down they placed their orders and silence befell the two. Normally Katsura would do anything to break any type of silence since she was so used to being around Lee or Naruto silence was never something she became found of, this time though she allowed it since she knew that Gaara was not the biggest talker in the world.

At the other end of the room was a young child with what seemed to be his parents, they were laughing, talking, and showing the obvious affection they had their child. Gaara watched silently, he never knew that kind of affection. There was only one person who could come close to have given him love but it was taken from him at the last moment, it created who he is. The memories resurfaced as he looked away from the happy family.

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iA red headed child sat atop a lonely rooftop in the middle of the night looking over the desert. He was in pain only it was outwardly shown. A few hours ago he had tried to make amends with another kid whom he had hurt accidentally but was once again met with hate and disgust. The smallest sound echoed in the silent night into the ears of Sabuku no Gaara who was that child on the roof. Without any warning the sand shot up to protect him when a few weapons were headed this way.

'Why me?' He thought his anger slowly rising, 'why is it only me, to be feared and hated' In rage the young child thrust our his arm to let the sand react to his every whim, the sand swirled around and covered this man standing in front of the child, in one fatal blow the sand crunched but didn't fully kill this man. He was thrown down to the ground and didn't stir. The young red head walked over and torn all the mask of the man who tried to kill him. In shock he looked upon the face of his beloved uncle, Yashamaru. He heart ached and throbbed in agonizing pain when he saw the betrayal of this only precious person, he dropped to his knees and the tears flowed endlessly while he moved his hands to grip into his scalp pulling the hair form the roots. He let our an ear piercing scream that could only be made by a pain so great it would be equal to your soul being slowly ripped from your own body.

"I was ordered to assassinate you Gaara-sama" Yashamaru spoke with gasping breath, his time was drawing near and he knew it. He saw Gaara's eye look up pleadingly with his own and knew what he was thinking. "I was ordered but I wouldn't have declined if I had the choice. I tried to love you but I always hated you for killing my beloved sister… Your mother gave you the name 'Gaara' , a demon that only loved himself. You were never loved" With one last effort he tugged open his vest to reveal several explosive tags stuck onto him self, this was his last mission and he knew it from the start. "So please, die"

The explosion was so great it could be heard from the other side of the village yet no one went out to explore the noise. Everyone knew of this mission and everyone wished for its success. After the dust and debris settled the only thing that remained on that roof was a shield of sand, when the sand fell the young Gaara was still kneeling, water streaming from his eyes in an endless cascade of tears from his fragmented heart. 'why… why is it me? I was never loved' he thought while his fingers dug into the sand around him, his blood was boiling. 'I can only love myself… yes I WILL only love myself. I can only live for me, I can only love me' He looked up at the empty space that once occupied his uncle's body. He dug harder into the sand trying to cause pain for himself. The sand swirled around in outrage at the betrayal of love and trust shown here. The sand shot up and flew through the air aimed at his own forehead, each grain slowly etched his skin creating a permanent marking in the shape of a kanji for love, he slowly stood letting the sand fall off his shoulders and back while the blood ran down his forehead and over his eye. For the first time in his life Gaara of the Desert knew physical pain, created by himself. He would be the last person to ever cause pain toward himself.

" 'Gaara' I finally understand" He spoke menacingly to himself.

'I will be alone' These thoughts raced through his mind. 'I will always be alone, I understand. I won't love… I won't trust. They will hate me, they will fear me but they will strongNEVER /strongunderstand me! I am Gaara… I am alone.'

The rain fell gently onto the grassy field in the Hidden Village of the Leaf. There was a lone figure standing dressed in all black. She allowed the rain to fall soaking through her clothes though she refused to move from the stone that was in front of the brunette. This young girl was Katsura at the age of 13, it was after the chuunin exams where she met her new friends of Lee and Naruto. Her team had finally become a team but it was stolen from her at such a young age, if only she hadn't gotten sick at that time before the mission then they wouldn't have died. She stood there and traced the names of her teammates on the memorial stone that so many other fallen shinobi's had managed to become part of it. She let the tears fall just this one time. She should have been there to help Gemma and Jubei, maybe then they wouldn't be gone form her life. They were her first and only friends.

The young girl collapsed to the ground shaking, her whole body wrecked with sobs as she grabbed onto herself as a way to comfort. It wasn't working, they were her teammates, her precious people, her friends and now they would no longer be there. She cried out in misery letting the tears mix with the rain.

"You lied" Was all she could manage to speak to the stone "You said I could always cry on your shoulder Jubei… but who's shoulder to I cry on to mourn for you two?"

She was alone, she would always be alone. First her father died now her friends, she let the tears fall even more as she started to cough. 'I am alone, why is it always me. I have never done anything wrong' She questioned her self in thought.

Her eyes slowly opened as a realization came to mind. She would always hold her dearest teammates close to her heart but they started out hating her. Others may hate her now but she could change their minds. She stood up from the ground her knees covered with mud and grass, the tears started to slow but didn't cease, she traces the names of her fallen comrades once more.

"I am sorry. I have failed you" The tears almost renewed themselves but she forced them to stop at this point, "Gemma, Jubei. I may not know who did this or why but I will find them and I will kill them" She vowed to the stone hoping that they would hear it in the after life.

'I can not always be alone, though they will never be forgotten.' She thought as she wiped the water stains from her eyes promising herself to never let them fall again. She had to be strong, she couldn't show emotion. She took a deep breath and let the pain was past her, she would always have her friends in her heart so she could never be alone. She looked up to the sky just as it was clearing up and for the first time in months Katsura smiled and promised she always would./i

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"Here you go Gaara-sama" The waitress spoke politely to the Kazekage who was zoned out as she placed a plate of sushi in front of him. The sand ninja finally looked up and nodded as she placed the other plate in front of Katsura and walked away. The swordsman looked concerned for the older boy and Gaara tried to ignore it hoping the matter would be forgotten.

"Gaara? Are you okay?" She asked worry evident in her voice. "You seem a bit off." She said, the pain of Gaara's past started to resurface and he looked down again with one hand gripping his heart with out his knowledge and the other rested on the table, she felt something touch his hand and he looked up quickly evidently surprised. He locked eyes with a softly smiling girl who cared for him more then he could comprehend. "I love you" She spoke and he visibly stiffened.

"I… I, I will always protect you" Gaara spoke with hesitance, he was still learning how to be a normal person and was easily confused about emotions so he still didn't know if he could speak about his feelings. Katsura smiled wider and leaned over to kiss his forehead since his head started to drop from defeat. Katsura sat back and broke her chopsticks to eat, Gaara did the same. He was still a long way off from showing the love and compassion that Katsura does on a daily basis. They were so different it was almost unreal.

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"Well you know how the saying goes" An older woman spoke to the others, she was the second woman in the gossiping group that watched Gaara and Katsura.

"No what's that?" the third one asked in curiosity while the first one continued working and listening.

"They are like two sides of the same coin" She spoke while the others gave a confused look. "They are so different but they are still part of the same coin"