A/N: Thanks again to Mei-chan for beta-ing the first chapter. She was paid with a bowl of miso soup. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Oh welcome home, Gaara." Temari said cheerfully as she looked up to see a redhead teenager stride into the kitchen. Gaara ignored his sister as he began pulling cupboards open. The blonde young woman watched curiously as her brother rummaged through the many cupboards.

"Temari."

Temari jumped slightly at the sound of her name. It was rare to hear her name slip from her youngest brother's lips.

"Y-yes?"

"Where's the bug spray?"

"Bug spray?" the blonde repeated as she gave her brother a confused look. Gaara simply turned to glare at her from where he was digging through another cupboard.

"It's down there, in that one next to you." Temari said quickly pointing to Gaara's right. Temari watched for a moment as Gaara took out the can of bug spray and read the label.

"Umm… Gaara… Why do you need bug spray?"

The young woman couldn't remember the last time she'd seen an insect with enough gall to traipse around the immaculately kept house. They were usually too afraid to leave the safety of Kankurou's room.

Gaara didn't answer as he shook the can. With a slight nod of satisfaction he turned to leave the kitchen.

"Umm, Gaar-?"

"There's a giant, orange cockroach on our sofa. It's too big for my shoe." Gaara mumbled as he brushed past his sister. Temari continued to stare confused as she repeated the words.

"Giant… orange cockro-" Temari's eyes widened as she took off after her brother. "Gaara, no!"

Gaara didn't look up at his sister as he glared down at the atrocity sitting on his sofa, in his living room, drinking what looked like his chocolate milk, in a bright orange outfit. The atrocity simply stared from the redhead to the can held an inch from his nose.

"What's that for?" the atrocity asked.

"It's for a cockroach I found." Gaara deadpanned.

"Gaara, don't you dare!" Temari threatened as she walked over to her brother.

"Where's the cockroach?" the atrocity asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked back at the redhead with large, blue eyes.

"It's right in front me."

"Dammit, Gaara, he's a kid, not an insect!" Temari yelled as she reached out and snatched the can from her brother. Gaara glared at his sister as he tried to snatch the can back.

"What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference-- dammit, Gaara, stop! Are you trying to kill him?" Temari asked as she swatted Gaara's hand aside while moving the can out of his reach. Gaara simply gave his sister a look that clearly stated he had every intention of doing just that.

"Gaara, I'm not letting you poison a defenseless ten year old!" Temari shrieked as she slapped her brother's hand away yet again. Gaara shot his sister a particularly nasty glare as he turned back to the boy sitting idly watching the exchange between the siblings.

"What is it doing here and where the hell did it get that milk?" the redhead asked as he folded his arms and glared at the cockroach.

"Its name is Naruto, I'm babysitting for our new neighbors and I gave it that milk."

"You gave it my milk?" Gaara asked, his voice low, eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned back to his sister.

"I bought you more!" Temari said hastily flashing her brother a nervous smile. Gaara said nothing as he watched his sister sweat. He gave her another glare for good measure before looking back at the source of the annoying slurping sounds filling the room. Both boys stared at each for a moment before Gaara finally spoke.

"We have new neighbors?"

"You know, the couple that moved in about a month ago? This is their son." The blonde woman said. Gaara stared at his sister blankly. "The two guys that live next door?"

Gaara continued to stare. He had no clue what she was talking about.

"…We have neighbors?"

"One is a brunette, the other has silver hair... And yes, we have neighbors! We've always had neighbors! They're just the new ones. They bought the house the Takahashis used to live in." Temari felt her annoyance rise as her brother continued to give her blank stares. Gaara shrugged. He had no idea who the Takahashis was and frankly he didn't care.

"Your hair looks like ketchup."

Two pairs of eyes turned to look at the child sitting there idly slurping milk from a box through a straw. Temari's eyes flitted to her brother, noting how rigid his body was. She could practically see the waves of ire rising off his thin frame.

"I'm going to kill you now." Gaara said softly, the words barely slipping past his clenched teeth as he lunged for the blond-haired ten year old.

"N-now Gaara, he's a kid, you're five years older than-"

Naruto yelped, cutting Temari off as he dove to the side, out of the fuming redhead's reach. Temari stared wide eyed at the mess of milk on the sofa as Naruto scampered past her with Gaara in pursuit.

"I'm going to rip you apart, you little shit!" Gaara growled as he dove for Naruto as the blond shot past him.

"Gaara, watch your language, he's a kid!" Temari yelled in vain.

Temari watched as the two boys weaved around the furniture in the living room, Naruto squealing in ecstasy at being chased, clueless to the life and death situation he was in, and Gaara practically foaming at the mouth as he tried to catch the blond. The blonde woman felt her temper rise as a vase next to the window shook threateningly as Naruto whizzed by. Temari felt like she was watching a movie, the scenes slowly unfurling as Gaara's hand shot out, latching on to an orange jacket. A wicked triumphant grin spread across the redhead's face as he yanked the ten year old back. Naruto flew through the air, his foot smacking into the tiny table causing the vase - the blue and green vase that she found so many years ago in a quaint little vintage shop, the vase that she loved dearly - to slowly make its way to the floor. Gaara's hands were wrapped around a skinny tanned neck, short legs thrashing about as Naruto gasped for air while tugging at the choking hands, when the sound of breaking glass caused both boys to freeze. Two pairs of eyes immediately went to the shattered pieces of glass lying scattered. Those eyes didn't remain on the glass for long as waves of doom suddenly crashed into them, overwhelming their senses. Both boys swallowed as they felt fear grip their hearts. The room suddenly seemed so much darker as Temari loomed, filling the space with her anger, eyes glowing red. Gaara and Naruto felt those eyes pin them in place.

"K-ketchup h-head? Naruto whispered.

"What?" Gaara growled as he kept his eyes on his sister who seemed to be heaving under immense strain.

"A-are we g-going to die?"

"W-why the fuck do you care?" Gaara snapped.

"I-I can't die, I h-haven't even kissed a girl yet!" Naruto whined as he wriggled in Gaara's hold.

"Nobody gives a shit about what you haven't done!"

"Hey, what the fuck do you mean by-- shit she's moving closer!" Naruto shrieked as Temari took a step towards them. The movement from the young woman was all it took to have the two boys bolting out of the living room. Temari bellowed as two blurs dashed past her, pushing and shoving at each other. In an instance, the blonde woman was in pursuit.

"Move out of the way, you little shit!" Gaara gritted out as he shoved at the smaller boy.

"No way! I'm not getting slaughtered by that! You stay behind, she's your sister!" Naruto yelled as he gripped onto Gaara's hand.

"What shit did you eat for breakfast? Dammit, let go!" Gaara yelled as he ran while trying to shake Naruto off.

"Are you out of your mind? I'm too short to outrun her!" Naruto yelled back as he allowed himself to be dragged along by Gaara. Gaara grunted as he ran into his bedroom and slammed the door, locking it.

"Are we safe in here?" Naruto panted out just as the sound of something hitting the door from the other side startled the small boy.

"You brats, open this door this minute so I can kill you both!" The sound of Temari's voice filtered into the room.

"Stop asking dumb questions and help me shove this against the door." The redhead snapped as he began pushing his desk.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Naruto said indignantly as he helped Gaara move the desk against the door.

"Don't you two dare shove that desk against the door! You little bastards!"

The two boys dropped to the floor panting as Temari continued to bang on the door.

"I think she's gone now." Naruto puffed out when silence greeted them from the other side of the door. Slowly, he shifted to stare at the teenager stretched out next to him. Gaara simply scowled at the blond as he pushed himself up off the floor. Naruto frowned as he watched Gaara make his way over to a bookshelf against one wall of the room. Selecting a book, Gaara headed to his bed and sat down. Naruto sat up as he observed the older boy. Thick red hair hung disheveled looking as though someone had hacked at it in anger. What looked like a scar peeked from under some of the strands. A slender frame was clad in a dark gray school uniform. Naruto continued to stare as thin, pale fingers nimbly turned the pages as eyes surrounded by thick black rings scanned the pages.

"Why the hell are you still here?" Gaara growled as he looked up from his book. The little boy remained silent as Gaara's narrowed eyes met his. Even as they shrank into slits, Naruto couldn't help but notice the brilliant green that shone back at him, drawing him in. The little blond remained mesmerized as he watched those eyes.

"Stop fucking staring, you little shit." The redhead bit out, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the ten year old. Naruto blinked out of his trance at the harsh tone.

"Geez ,do you need to swear so damn much?"

"Get out."

"And how the hell do you suppose I should do that? The only way out of here is blocked."

"The window." Gaara deadpanned. Naruto stared.

"You're kidding, right?"

Gaara didn't answer as he gave the blond a look that clearly stated he didn't have a funny bone in his body.

"Are you serious? We're on the second floor! You can't expect me to jump out of that window!" Naruto shrieked.

"Why not?"

"You're crazy!"

Gaara said nothing as he stared at the little boy looking at him incredulously. Gaara scrutinized the small figure sitting on the floor of his bedroom. The blond was clad in a bright orange jacket with matching orange shorts that both seemed too big for his body. His blond hair was messy and he only made it worse as he reached up and scratched his head. What looked like whiskers adorned his face as bright, cerulean eyes stared back steadily. The more Gaara stared at the boy, the more he disliked him. To Gaara there was nothing worse than children, except maybe babies and the only thing worse than that were crying babies. So why the hell was one of the detestable creatures in his room? The redhead was yet to figure this out. Gaara's brows furrowed slightly as he contemplated what would be the most efficient way to kill the monstrosity that resulted in the least mess. He could probably smother it with a pillow, which would also muffle any sounds. Gaara was bigger so any struggling from the small boy would be futile. A loud yawn brought the the redhead out of his scheming. Gaara watched silently as Naruto stood up and made his way over to the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" The redhead mumbled as he eyed Naruto wearily. Naruto didn't answer as he climbed unto the bed and sat down next to Gaara.

"The floor is hard."

"No shit, Sherlock. Now get back on it." Gaara said as he shoved at the body with his foot.

"Oooh come on, let me stay here." Naruto whined as he tried to resist. Alas, it was to no avail as he landed on the floor with a thump. The little blond attempted to climb back on the bed but every attempt was met with a foot. Finally, out of breath and sore from the many times a foot was jabbed into him, Naruto gave up and slumped to the floor.

"You're such an asshole." The blond mumbled as he curled up on the floor, his arms wrapping around his legs as he drew them to his body. Gaara didn't answer as he continued to read his book. For now he'll just ignore the orange roach.

The redhead wasn't sure how much time had gone by before he peeked over the edge of his bed. After much grumbling and shuffling, the boy had fallen eerily quiet. The sight that greeted him almost made him feel guilty. Naruto lay curled up, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, his lips parted slightly, allowing a sliver of drool to seep out landing on the arm that Naruto was using as a pillow.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Gaara grumbled as he stood up and headed to his closet. The redhead rummaged through his closet for a few moments before he pulled out a small blanket. Walking over to the child on his floor, he haphazardly draped it over the sleeping boy. The redhead stared at his handiwork for a moment before glancing at the clock on his desk. It was already after nine. Heading to his desk, he slowly pushed it away from his door. Taking a deep breath, he pulled it open and peered into the hallway.

"You!"

The sound of a voice caused Gaara to look in the direction of his brother's room to see an annoyed teenager glaring at him.

"The next time you piss Temari off, at least give me a call and warn me so I don't come home until she cools down. Do you have any idea what I had to go through when I got home while you were holed up in there like a wuss?"

"No, and I don't care."

"You bastard! I went through so much shit because of you!"

"And what exactly was this shit you went through, Kankurou?"

"Ah Temari! I didn't see you there! You're smelling especially lovely tonight." Kankurou said nervously as he turned to look at his sister.

"Shove it." Temari muttered as she turned her attention to Gaara who was eyeing his sister warily.

"Where's Naruto? You didn't throw him out the window, did you?" Temari asked, her voice daring her little brother to say yes.

"No. He's in here."

"In one piece?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Just get him the fuck out of my room." Gaara growled out as he stepped out of his room and headed to the bathroom. Temari winced as the redhead slammed the door.

"Tch."

"Is everything okay?" a male voice asked causing Kankurou and Temari to turn around.

"Ah yes of course! Everything's fine! Naruto was just playing in my little brother's room. They were getting along so well." Temari said as she smiled brightly at the two men who were now standing at the top of the stairs. A scoff from Kankurou was met with an elbow to the ribs. Kankurou grunted as he glared at his sister.

"I hope he wasn't too much trouble. He can be a handful at times." The shorter of the two said as he smiled back at Temari. Kankurou observed the two men curiously as Temari led them to Gaara's room. The shorter had brown hair pulled up into a neat ponytail with a scar running across his nose. Their eyes met for an instance and he smiled warmly at Kankurou. The teenager found himself smiling back at the man. The other was a few inches taller than the first with startlingly silver hair that seemed to disbelieve in the laws of physics. There was a headband draped in such a way that it covered one eye. The lower half of his face was covered by a mask as he gazed lazily from Temari to Kankurou.

"Oh this is my brother Kankurou."

"Kankurou, this is Iruka and Kakashi, they live in the house next door to us."

Kankurou blinked.

"People live next to us?" Kankurou asked as he acknowledged the men. Temari ignored her brother's question as she stepped into Gaara's room.

"Naruto? Oh he's asleep." Temari said sweetly as she stared down at the blond tightly wrapped in a blanket she was sure had been burnt some years ago.

"Well, there's something you don't see everyday." Kankurou mumbled as he watched the two men walk over to the boy.

"Naruto, wake up. It's time to go." The one named Iruka said softly as he shook the blond. The boy grumbled as he pulled the blanket closer to him but continued to slumber.

"Naruto, come on, brat." Kakashi said as he reached down and lifted the boy. Naruto opened his eyes blearily and stared at the man a moment before wrapping his arms around a pale neck.

"'Kashi?"

"It's me."

"Where's 'Ruka?"

"I'm right here, Naruto." Iruka answered as he tried to pry the blanket from the boy's hand. Naruto only clutched it tighter as he allowed his head to fall onto Kakashi's shoulder with a sigh.

"Naruto, let go."

Naruto let out a groan as he only pulled harder.

"It's fine. Let him keep it, he can return it later." Temari said gently.

"Are you sure?" Iruka asked.

"Yes, its fine."

"Thank you so much for looking after him on such short notice."

"No problem, it was my pleasure. Any time you need us to look after him, please let us know."

Kankurou gave his sister a dubious look at the mention of 'us'.

"Well, we'll be leaving then. Thanks again." Kakashi answered as he lead the way out of Gaara's room.

As the family made their way to the house they'd bought only a month ago, a soft mumble from the blond filtered into Kakashi's ear.

"'Kashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Ketchup-head has pretty eyes."

"Who's ketchup-head, Naruto?" Iruka asked curiously. However, no answer came as Naruto was once again soundly asleep.