The contact was light, nothing really to be taken into account. But the fact that he'd just been punched was not overlooked. Gaara turned his head to stare at Naruto.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, fairly perplexed.

Had the other boy invited him to sit on the top of Konoha's Hokage monument just to start a fight? How odd.

"Do what?" the blond teen asked, cocking his head to the side.

Again, Gaara was confused.

"You punched my shoulder. Is that some strange way of saying you want to fight?"

Naruto's eyebrows rose for a second before the boy chuckled good naturedly. Gaara was not pleased with how utterly nonplussed he was steadily becoming. Not pleased at all.

"It's nothing like that. It's just a sign of affection, like when someone pats your back or gives you a hug." Naruto finally answered after his small chuckle fest.

It was Gaara's turn to lift his non-existing eyebrow.

"If you hadn't noticed, punching someone and a hug are two different things. In fact, I'd say that they're two very different things."

Naruto let his feet dangle over the rounded edge of Yondaime-stone-face's forehead, scratching his chin in rapt inner concentration.

Gaara assumes he was trying to figure out a way of explaining this insane idea. A punch morally boosting like a hug was? Hardly.

"Well," the blond began, "when it's just a soft punch like that, and it's coming from a good friend it's sort of like saying 'I've got your back, no matter what' sort of thing. It's what really good friends do."

It was Gaara's turn to scratch his chin in rapt inner concentration. After a moment or two, he turned to face Naruto, a small smile on his face. He very much liked the idea that he could physically show Naruto he'd be his friend thick and through. And it wasn't something as girly as a hug or back pat. In fact, the whole concept screamed testosterone and Gaara was a fan of his manly testosterone.

The sand in his gourd flew toward Naruto in the shape of a fist, punching him right in the face.

"Friends indeed." He said, nodding to the pile of a pained twitching body that was Naruto clutching his poor, bleeding nose.

Naruto was pretty sure he hadn't explained the whole concept of a friendly punch to Gaara very well.

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AN- A gift for 00Pixie00 for giving me some wonderful fanart for my fic "Even When he Smiles", the link to it is in my profile if anyone wants a look.