All of you want me to continue this. So, here the new chapter! Oh. Thanks to you all for the amazing reviews! This is the last chapter, and a long one. Hope you enjoy.

My Pink Haired Friend

Gaara looked at the clock. It was nine o'clock in the morning. And then he looked at his older sleeping siblings. His father had already left. He hopped off from the bed and walked as quiet as he could to the bathroom. After getting a quick shower, he dressed into his white shirt and got his ball. He bid his Teddy a goodbye and then left the room.

Gaara ran out of the hotel, ignoring the stare from the keeper and the citizens. He ran toward the park. After a few minutes of running, he saw his new friend Saku-chan, walked into the park. He looked at Gaara and waved his tiny hand.

"Gaara-kun!" He smiled widely. Gaara caught his breath and replied his wave, then approached him.

"Hey, Saku-chan." He smiled. Saku-chan looked at him with concerned look. Gaara frowned. "What?"

"Keep still." He said and reached into his pocket. Then he took out a white handkerchief and wiped away Gaara's sweat on his forehead.

"You are sweating, Gaara-kun." Saku-chan giggled. Somehow, Gaara blushed and scratched the back of his head.

Gaara took a glance to Saku-chan's hair. "You already fixed it? It's shorter than yesterday." Saku-chan touched his mid-neck length pink hair and nodded.

"Yeah, my mom did. But it's too short for a gir-," Her words were cut by Gaara. "That's better, I think." Saku-chan blushed.

"You think so?" Gaara nodded.

"Hey, Gaara!" someone called from a far. Those two kids looked at the source. It was Kei. Gaara waved his hand to him. Then Kei approached them.

"Hey, Gaara! And you—," he stopped at Saku-chan. He held Gaara's hand firmly and looked at Kei with scared glint in his eyes.

"It's Saku-chan. Saku-chan, this is Kei, my new friend." Gaara introduced them each other. Kei grinned at him and gave his right hand. "My name's Kei. It's nice to meet you Saku-chan."

Saku-chan looked at his hand and then shook his hand nervously. "Saku-chan. It's nice to meet you, Kei-kun." He squeaked.

After the short introduction, those three kids started to get along. They chose to play hide and seek and then got rest below a shady tree.

"You look a little bit pale, Kei-kun." Saku-chan said after looked at his face. Gaara looked at his face too.

"Yeah, you are. Are you sick?" Gaara asked. Kei laughed nervously.

"No… I'm okay, really. Stop look at me with those worried eyes." He grinned. "Eh, how's your second day in Konoha, Gaara?" Kei changed the subject.

"It's great. I enjoy my days in Konoha. I even get two friends here." Gaara smiled.

Saku-chan looked at him. "How long are you staying in Konoha, Gaara-kun?" Kei looked at him too.

"My daddy said that we will head back to Suna at Monday. And it means I'll stay…" Gaara counted with his fingers. "My time here five days left." Saku-chan's shoulder slumped. Kei pouted.

"What?" Gaara frowned. "Well, let's use these days for play!" Kei grinned widely and pulled their hands.

xxx

Gaara gulped. He looked at his appearance. Messy hair, dirty outfit, and injured knee. He sighed and knocked the door.

Gaara shut his eyes and looked down. The door opened. He bit his lower lip and looked up.

His dad stood at the doorway, looked down to him. Temari peeked from his back. Gaara gulped. This was not what he expected.

"Come in." He said. Gaara walked in as he tightened his hug at the ball. Temari watched him and Kankuro whom munched on a chocolate bar looked at their dad.

"Where have you been?" He asked with a cold tone which made Gaara shuddered. Gaara looked up and cleared his throat. "Playing…" he muttered.

"With whom?" he continued. Gaara encouraged himself to look into his dad's eyes. "My friends."

To their surprise, their dad laughed. It was a thing that very rare to happen. He messed up Gaara's red hair. "That's my boy. You have friends now?" Gaara blushed and nodded. Then he stood up.

"Okay then. I still have a business, so Temari," Temari jumped at his word. "Clean his wound." Temari smiled widely. "Sure."

Then he left.

xxx

"Ouch!" Gaara winced. Temari glared. "Hold it. You are a boy, Gaara!" Gaara pouted. Kankuro laughed.

"You know? It was so scary here when chichi come and you were nowhere to be found. Temari almost cried." Kankuro bit into another chocolate bar. Temari shot a death glare to him. "Shut up Shorty!" Kankuro shut his mouth immediately. It was Gaara's turn to giggle.

"I told you Gaara. Don't you do that ever again." Temari stood up after put a big plaster on his knee. Gaara just nodded.

"Well," Temari hopped on the bed. "Tell me about your friends." Gaara thought for a second and told them the story.

xxx

"So, this Saku-chan. Are you sure he is a boy? I mean… pink hair?" Kankuro asked as his eyes widened. Gaara nodded. "I'm sure."

Temari smacked her younger brother's head. "There's nothing wrong with pink hair Shorty!" Kankuro glared as he rubbed his head. Temari glared back. Then she looked at Gaara.

"Well, I'm pretty curious. How does he look?" Temari asked. Gaara told her. "He has mid-neck length pink hair, white skin, big round green eyes. And he blushes for many times too. I'm sure Saku-chan's a boy because he has a short hair." He stated.

"It sounds like you describe a cute girl, Gaara. And short hair doesn't mean it's a boy. Moreover, his mom called him by chan." Temari said. Kankuro laughed again. "I told you!" Gaara pouted.

Temari got panic at her brother's sudden change. "I'm sorry Gaara. I didn't mean to…" Gaara just nodded.

xxx

The next day, Gaara asked permission to Temari. He asked her and Kankuro to come too. But Temari refused to and Kankuro said that she had a date. Kankuro got a smack on his head then.

So…at the park…

The three kids gathered below the same tree. They sat on the ground. The pink haired broke the silence.

"If you grow up, what do you want to be?" He asked to his other friends. Kei grinned after he munched on his chips. "Hokage, of course! You know, become the strongest ninja is cool!"

Gaara frowned. 'What he want to be…? Kazekage? Nah… If being the son of Kazekage he hardly gets a friend, what if he became the Kazekage itself? Maybe he doesn't have friend at all…'

"I want to be…a strongest ninja too. All of children around me always say that I'm weak." Saku-chan stated. "What about you, Gaara-kun?" He looked at him. Kei grinned. "I'm sure you want to be the next Kazekage like your dad, eh?"

Gaara shrugged. "I don't know either."

"Hey! Let's carve it on this tree!" Kei suggested as he patted the big tree behind him. Saku-chan shook his head. "Don't do that. This tree will hurt." He pouted. Gaara and Kei exchanged glances and Kei said to her. "Come on Saku-chan…"

Saku-chan finally gave up. "Alright… But with what?" Kei grinned again and pulled out a kunai. The other's eyes widened.

"A kunai? Where did you get that?" Gaara asked. "I took it from my dad's drawer. Shh… It's our secret." Kei answered. Gaara and Saku-chan nodded understandingly.

First, it was Saku-chan's turn to carve his name. Saku-chan X strongest ninja.

Then, Gaara's turn. He stopped for a second and shrugged. Gaara X Kazekage. Saku-chan and Kei laughed at his choice. Gaara just smiled.

Finally, it was Kei's turn to carve. He took the kunai and began to carve. He spelled as he carved. "Kei…X…Ho—," He dropped the kunai. Kei held his head and groaned.

"Kei!" Gaara caught his body. Saku-chan gasped and his eyes began teary. Kei collapsed before he could finish his carved his dream.

xxx

With some help from the citizens, they could bring Kei to the hospital. His family came to and asked them so many questions. Gaara answered it because Saku-chan was crying.

After a few hours of waiting, the parents of Kei came out from the Doctor's office.

"Konishi-san. How's Kei?" Gaara asked his father. That man squatted and smiled sadly. "He is okay. Thanks for bring him here." Gaara nodded. Then his parents went away. Gaara approached crying Saku-chan. He patted his head.

"He's okay, Saku-chan." Saku-chan looked up. "Really?" She hiccupped. Gaara nodded as he wiped away his tears with his sleeve. But he began to cry again.

Gaara looked at him in panic and completely didn't know what to do. Then he hugged Saku-chan and patted his back. "Don't cry, Saku-chan. Don't cry."

Gaara always told by his father not to cry. Boys don't cry, he said.

xxx

The next day, Gaara and Saku-chan came to visit Kei. They brought him many chocolate bars and candies. Temari and Kankuro came along too.

"Saku-chan, Kei, this is my older sister and brother. Temari and Kankuro." Gaara said. They shook hands. "Temari, Kankuro, this is Saku-chan, and this is Kei."

Temari's and Kankuro's eyes widened. "Saku-chan?" Saku-chan nodded nervously.

xxx

At the hotel room…

"Saku-chan is too cute for a boy…" Kankuro commented. Temari nodded in approval. "He really looks like a girl, a cute one."

Gaara put his head on the pillow. "Whatever…" he murmured.

xxx

"I hate hospital…" Kei groaned for uncountable times that day. Gaara looked around. Everything was white. Like the color of… death. Gaara shuddered at his thought.

"Kei-kun." Saku-chan called him. Kei looked at him "Hm?"

"Why do you have to rest in hospital for these days?" he asked carefully. Kei just chuckled.

"My parents refused to answer that question too. So, I don't know either." He shrugged. Gaara walked from the window. A board that placed on the bed caught his attention.

"Konishi Kei… 5 years old… Brain can… can… Hey, Saku-chan." He called him. Saku-chan approached him. "What is it, Gaara-kun?"

Gaara pointed to the board. "Read that. I don't know how to spell this one." Saku-chan read it.

"Brain…can… cancer? Brain cancer?" He frowned. Gaara frowned too. "Sounds scary…"

"Brain cancer?" Kei asked from his bed. "What's that?" the other two shrugged.

"I don't know… maybe some kind of flu?" Saku-chan stated.

Kei grinned. "Maybe… I hope so…"

xxx

That day was Gaara's fourth day at Konoha.

Kei's face was different from usual. Gaara frowned at him. "What's wrong with you?"

Kei snapped back after a few minutes zoned out. "Ah… nothing… Eh, so you'll leave a day after tomorrow, Gaara?" Gaara nodded.

The silence covered the room again.

"Hey…" Saku-chan broke the silence. "Don't make me scared…"

"Sorry…" Kei chuckled. "Gaara, Saku-chan…" those two looked at him.

"I haven't finished my wish on the tree yet. Will you finish it for me?" he smiled. Gaara frowned. "What do you mean? You will get out of this hospital tomorrow, won't you?"

Kei nodded. "I know… but promise it to me… will you finish it, for me?"

"Stop that!" Saku-chan cried out. The other boys looked at him. "You are not going anywhere, Kei. We will finish it, together. Three of us." He began to sob.

Kei just smiled. "Yes, we will. We will, Saku-chan."

Saku-chan smiled. He pointed out his pinky. "Promise?"

Gaara and Kei hooked their pinkies to his petite one. "Promise…"

xxx

Gaara rubbed his sleepy eyes when he heard the door being knocked. It was eight o'clock in the morning. His siblings were sleeping and his dad went to the Hokage.

Gaara reached the doorknob and turned it. His sleepy eyes widened.

"Saku-chan?"

xxx

They gasped for air after breath taking run from the hotel to the hospital. Moreover, it was raining.

"What do you mean, Saku-chan?"

"He's dying, Gaara-kun!" he yelled between his tears. Gaara speechless and pulled his hand along to run that room.

Kei's parents stood near the big door. His mom cried in his dad's hug. Gaara approached them.

"Where's Kei?!" he asked worriedly. His father squatted and patted his head, just like what he did before.

"Pray for him, please." He smiled. Gaara could see the dried tears on his cheek.

The minutes passed like a year. Gaara sat there with patted Saku-chan's head. He seemed unstoppable for crying.

The doctor finally came out. He sighed and talked to Kei's father. Kei's father then nodded and informed them to come in. Gaara just frowned at his mom. She cried hysterically after the doctor talked to her.

All the medical stuff surrounded Kei. He hardly breathed, and his face was paler than usual.

He opened his eyes. "Mom… Dad… I'm sorry…" he smiled weakly. His mom cried as she hugged him. His father caressed his hair as he kissed his forehead.

"Saku-chan… Gaara…" he called. They came to him.

"Sorry, I can't accompany…you tomorrow…I hope… you enjoyed your days… here…" he whispered. Gaara couldn't say anything. He just squeezed Kei's hand and nodded.

"Saku-chan…" he turned to him. He smiled. "Don't cry…Sorry, I can't keep my promise…" Saku-chan shook his head. "You will healthy again, Kei-kun… You will!" he cried again.

"I wish I could…" he sighed. "You two… thanks for being my friends… in these days…"

He coughed. "Dad… sorry... for stole your ku..kunai…" he grinned weakly. His father smiled at him.

Kei closed his eyes and smiled. "Thank you… thank you for you all…" he sighed.

The monitor showed the straight line with straight sound.

xxx

It was a day after Kei's funeral. Gaara sat below the same tree; he looked at the raining sky. He ignored the freezing raindrops. And he stared blankly at the scratches on the tree.

Gaara felt the raindrops disappeared. He looked up. It was Saku-chan. He stretched out the umbrella above Gaara's head. "You'll catch a cold, Gaara-kun…" he smiled.

He ignored him and looked at the scratches back. "Why…" he murmured.

Saku-chan sat beside him. "Why what?"

"Why do all the people I love always left me in the end? My mom, my uncle, and now, my very first friend, Kei." He buried his face in his crossed arms.

"Gaara-kun? Are you crying?" Saku-chan put his hand on his shoulder.

Gaara lifted his face. "Promise me you will not leave me, forever?" a tear fell down across his pale cheek. Saku-chan hugged him. "I promise…"

Saku-chan giggled then. He wiped away Gaara's tears with his handkerchief. "You always tell me not to cry. Now you're crying."

Gaara blushed. "Sorry." He mumbled. Saku-chan smiled. "It's normal…"

Saku-chan pulled out Kei's kunai and scratches the words. And then he carved the new words.

"Now that's my dream…" he smiled. Gaara read it and smiled too. "For Kei?"

Saku-chan nodded. "For Kei, and I wish there will be no more sick people out there." He gave the kunai to Gaara. "Your turn."

Gaara took it and scratched some words.

"Done…"

They reread it again.

Saku-chan X strongest medic-nin

Gaara X Kazekage

Kei X Hokage

xxx

"We will meet again, Gaara-kun?" He stretched out his hand. Gaara shook it. "We will, when we reach our dream, Saku-chan."

"Well…" Saku-chan blushed. "I'll miss you then." He hugged him. Gaara, somehow blushed too.

'Am I normal? He is a boy, Gaara!'

"I-I'll miss you too…" he stuttered.

Saku-chan waved his hand to them. They waved back.

"Oo… why are you blushing, Gaara?" Kankuro teased him. "He is a boy, as you say…"

Gaara glared at him. "I'm not blushing!"

"Ookay…" Temari grinned. Gaara grumbled.

Epilogue…

A young man was reading a document while he played his pen with his right hand. His left hand supported his head, some red locks stuck out between his fingers. A bored expression plastered on his face.

The door knocked. "Come in…" he muttered. A young jounin came in and bowed to him. "Sorry for bothering you, Kazekage-sama. There is an apprentice of Hokage came from Konoha, want to meet you." She said politely.

He answered in same bored tone. "Let that apprentice come in." He continued to write some words.

"Yes." She said and bowed once again.

He sighed. Another important people, eh? Whatever… He continued to write, write, write…

"Nice place you got here, Gaara-kun."

Gaara's pen hung in the air when he was about to put a point on his 'i'.

'Gaara-kun? No one ever called me that way… except…'

Gaara's head snapped up. He was speechless.

There stood a girl a red top, white short, black boots. Green eyes… pink hair. A girl?

"Saku..saku-chan?" he asked in disbelief. 'Wait. Isn't Saku-chan supposed to be a… boy?'

She giggled. "Yep. Haruno Sakura is here, the apprentice of Hokage. Or you prefer to call me Saku-chan, it's up to you." She grinned.

"Wait…" Gaara stood up. "Aren't you supposed to be a boy? But… how?" Sakura giggled once again.

"So… Temari-san and Kankuro-san are right… You thought that I am a boy back then. But, well. As you can see, I'm a girl." She shrugged.

"W-what are you doing here then?" Gaara was completely clueless. Sakura smiled.

"I've already reached my dreams. And I knew that you've already reached yours too."

'So…this is Saku-chan, Gaara… This is the real Saku-chan…' Gaara talked in his mind.

"Well I…"

Gaara never got a change to finish his word. Sakura hugged him tightly.

"I miss you, Gaara-kun." She whispered.

Gaara blinked. At last, he hugged her back. "I miss you too…"

"Ha! I told you, Gaara! Saku-chan is a gi—oops…" Kankuro stopped his track. Temari came to his side.

"Don't bugging them, shorty!" She pulled his shirt.

"Stop calling me shorty! I'm taller than you, Temari!"

"Whatever… you are still the same shorty for me…" Temari stuck out her tongue and closed the door. Kankuro stuck his tongue back.

-end-

That's a long one! The longest chapter I've ever typed. Hope you enjoyed. If there's any major or minor mistake, I'm sorry.

Please review for my hard work, guys! If you don't mind, go r n r my other GaaSaku fic, Dare to Love You. Thank you!