Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand. -Neil Armstrong

Chapter Two

Sakura sighed as she walked into her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. "Could I have been wrong about him," she wondered to herself aloud as she stared at the wall.

With a loud groan, Sakura rolled onto her back and stared at her ceiling as she let tonight's events replay themselves out in her mind. Sakura's eyes widened as she brought her hand up to her mouth and softly gasped. "If Naruto hadn't saved me when he did then I could have been…"

Sakura shook her head slowly as she let that thought settle in her mind before a stranger thought grabbed her attention. "Wait," Sakura said as she sat up into a sitting position and brought her hand up to her mouth in a thoughtful gesture. "If Naruto can fight like that then why doesn't he ever fight back in school? Why does he let people think that he is such a wimp?"

Sakura scratched the back of her head quizzically as she sat there in wonder. Her words from earlier that day danced around in her mind as she placed her head down in her hands.

"And even if he hadn't done that, he would still be a loser. I mean look at him he is a complete mess all the time, he is not cute at all, he is stupid, can't defend himself worth anything, and has no ties to society whatsoever, plus he is super annoying."

"Why would he save me? I have never been nice to him once. Why would he…" Sakura mumbled to herself in shame.

Sakura sighed as she rolled out of her bed and walked over to her bookcase that was sitting in a corner of her bedroom. Sakura glanced over her extensive collection before she grabbed a small book that was sitting alone on the third shelf.

Sakura smiled nostalgically as she ran her hands over the smooth colorful plastic surface of her seventh grade yearbook. Opening the book, she thumbed through the pages of the book rapidly until she found the page that had her class on it.

"Naruto Uzumaki," she read aloud as she glanced at the small face of the once smiling twelve year old. He had been so happy that year, so full of life and then that happened…

Sakura closed her eyes as she sat there beside her bookcase in a kneeling position and tried to remember what exactly had happened that year that made the whole class turn on him. Sakura frowned as the wanted memories failed to surface.

Sakura knew something had happened on this year, something big that involved this kid. Sakura remembered it like it was yesterday. One day he had come into the classroom and told Iruka Sensei that he was going to prank Mizuki Sensei that day, and then the next day he had come into the class looking like death personified.

Sakura remembered that it had been also on that day that everyone in class had turned on him, and the rumors and the bullying had started. Sakura brought her thumbnail up to her mouth and started to chew on it contemplatively. "What exactly happened that made us turn on him like that," Sakura wondered.

"What could a twelve year old have possibly done, and if it was so bad then why don't I remember it?" Sakura growled to herself as she placed the book back upon the shelf and walked back over to her bed and sat down. Sakura knew that she was missing something here, and the mystery that now surrounded Naruto was starting to intrigue her.

Sakura smiled at the absurdity of such a thought, but as absurd as it was it had become the newest pattern of her thoughts. She just had to fill in the missing pieces of her classmate's life. She just had to know why he knew how to fight, but didn't. Why he chose to save her, despite how she treated him. And finally and probably most important, what exactly happened all of those years ago?

"And I will find out," Sakura said before she turned off her bedroom lights and went to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Heloooooo, earth to Sakuraaaaa," Ino sang as she waved her hand in front of her zoned out friends face.

"Huh," Sakura said as she glanced up at Ino's face.

Ino smirked. "Sakura, this is like the third time today that you have completely zoned out like that. What is wrong with you?"

Sakura smiled as she leaned back against her chair. "Sorry, I guess I am nervous about that test we have in Kakashi's class today."

Ino's eyes widened in horror. "Test?"

Sakura nodded. "Ya, you remember we have a test today on chapter seven, any of this ringing a bell."

Ino groaned as she put her head down on her desk. "Noooooo. I was too busy staring at his gorgeous features, and I don't remember one word that he said."

Sakura turned her head around slightly so that Ino wouldn't see the smile that had spread across her face.

Ino sighed. "This sucks," she grumbled. "Yes, this sucks indeed. I don't know if I can like him anymore after this terrible injustice that he has decided to place on me."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at this. "You're over him already," she asked with slight relief.

A mischievous smile crept across Ino's face slowly as she nodded. "Yes, I think I am."

Sakura sat there patiently as she waited for the punch line. "So who do you like now?"

Ino blushed as she nervously shuffled her papers on her desk. "He is a transfer student from Suna High. His name is Gaara, and he has the cutest head of red hair that I have ever seen," Ino said with a dreamy sigh.

Sakura frowned. "Gaara?"

Ino nodded. "Like I said earlier, he is a transfer student from Suna High, he is in our grade and he came here today with his older brother and sister."

Sakura opened her mouth to question Ino further but was stopped short when Kakashi came in talking

"Alright class, you know the routine, things away, pencils out," Kakashi stated as he started to pass out the test.

The class groaned in protest.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Gaara?"

Gaara paused momentarily from the book he was reading to glance up at the face of his childhood friend, Naruto Uzumaki. A slight twitch of the lips disturbed his face for a moment as he snapped his book shut and put it away in his book bag.

Naruto scoffed. He knew that slight twitch from his friend all too well. In all of the years he had known Gaara, that twitch was the only indication of a smile he ever gave on his usually expressionless face. To put it simply, though, Gaara was happy to see Naruto. Naruto shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

Gaara leaned back against his chair as he cocked his head slightly to the side in a thoughtful manner. "I transferred here today," he stated bluntly.

Naruto blinked in surprise as he took his seat beside his friend. "I thought you and your siblings were going to Suna."

Gaara sighed. "We were, but Kankuro picked a fight with a younger kid and got us kicked out of the school. Father was very ill over the matter, and sent us here with a stern warning."

Naruto frowned. "You all got kicked out for something your brother did?"

Gaara's eyes flashed with brief amusement. "Well, let's just say we couldn't let Kankuro have all of the fun."

Naruto chuckled. "Sounds about right."

Gaara's lips twitched again. "So tell me, Naruto, where is this cafeteria that you have raved about?"

Naruto smiled really big as he stood up and gestured with his hand towards a hallway. "You're just going to love Teuchi's cooking," he exclaimed excitedly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Can a test get any harder," Ino wailed as she picked up her cafeteria tray and headed towards their usual table. "I seriously am over Kakashi Sensei for good, that test was just beyond difficult."

Tenten chuckled. "Well, maybe if you had studied the material instead of his face you might have actually passed it."

"I must confess that even I found that test to be a little difficult," Hinata stated much to Tenten's surprise.

"Thank you," Ino yelled as she plopped down at their table.

"Huh, Hinata, you too," Tenten asked before turning her attention towards Sakura. "Hey, Sakura, what about you? Did you find that test to be hard?"

Sakura chuckled. "Nope, I got private tutoring from Kakashi himself, so I found the test to be relatively easy."

"Cheater," Ino screeched as she grabbed her friend by the shirt dramatically. "What do you mean you got tutored by Kakashi Sensei?"

Sakura frowned as she grabbed Ino's hands and pulled them off of her. "Ino, he told us at the beginning of the year that his office was always open if we needed to be tutored on the side."

Tenten snorted as an expression of shock and then embarrassment flashed across Ino's face.

"Guess I must have not heard that," she admitted sheepishly.

"Hey ladies, we have new faces at the table today. Do ya mind," Kiba asked excitedly as he pointed behind him to Temari and Kankuro's sullen faces.

"We don't mind. New faces are always welcomed here," Hinata stated politely as she moved slightly to make room for the two new students.

Kiba grinned cheekily as he sat beside her. "That's what I have always liked about you, Hinata. You're just so sweet."

Hinata blushed as she glanced away.

"Kiba," Neji growled as he sat beside Tenten.

"Ya, Ya, I know stay away from your cousin," Kiba said with a sigh.

"Well well, it would seem like dog boy over here does kneel down to his master," Kankuro stated as he took his seat at the table.

Kiba's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment as he met Kankuro's teasing gaze. "What was that?"

Kankuro smirked. "Look, Temari, dog boy over there is trying to bark up the wrong tree, Haha, get it?"

"Grow up, Kankuro, your embarrassing me," Temari stated in annoyance as she sat down beside Shikamaru.

Kiba scoffed. "Oh ya, well at least I don't still play with my sister's dolls."

"Hey, I told you before there are not dolls they are puppets," Kankuro screamed as he slammed his hand down upon the table which caused the trays to rattle.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Temari stated in agreement.

"The spirit of a new friendship burns quite brightly in the air today, I see," Rock Lee said excitedly causing Kankuro and Kiba to twitch in horror.

"F-friends with that," the both exclaimed as they pointed their index fingers at one another.

Rock Lee grinned broadly as he gave them a dazzling thumbs up. "Yosh! You two have quite a bit in common with one another, so of course friendship would be inevitable."

Kiba frowned. "And what exactly do we have in common with one another, my insanely weird friend."

Rock Lee held up his hand as he listed each thing off with his finger. "You both wear paint on your face, you both have strange companions that you play with, both of your names start with a 'K', and finally you both have bossy sisters."

"I am not bossy," Temari growled.

Kiba and Kankuro's faces twitched in horror. 'He made us be friends over stupid reasons like that,' they both thought to themselves.

Ino shook her head. "Ooook on to more pressing matters," she stated with her get down to business face as she turned her attention towards Temari. "Your brother is single, right?"

Temari blinked in surprise as Kankuro spewed his drink all over the table in shock.

"Well," Temari began as she nervously opened her can of coke.

"Ino right? Look I'm flattered and all by your interest, but did you honestly have to ask my sister when I am sitting right here," Kankuro stated in a flustered voice.

Ino scowled. "I wasn't talking about YOU, doll boy," she stated which caused Kiba to snicker. "I was talking about your younger brother, Gaara."

Temari and Kankuro exchanged a long look with one another as a hidden message passed between them.

"You're interested in Gaara," Temari asked slowly.

Ino nodded her head enthusiastically. "Ya, sure why not. He is totally cute after all."

Kankuro mentally snickered as the words 'cute' and 'Gaara' joined forces in his mind and created a disturbing mental image in his head.

Temari sighed as she tried to think of a good way of letting Ino down easy over her brother. That thought proved unnecessary as the cafeteria doors swung open and her brother walked in with Naruto leading the way.

Ino's eyes bugged out. "I-is that your brother with Naruto" she asked as she put a disgusted emphasis on the blond's name.

Temari looked at the pair and then at Ino with a confused look on her face. "Ya, why?"

Ino's eyes widened in horror. "Is your brother even aware of who is hanging out with?"

Temari frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I understand what you are trying to say?"

Ino shook her head with obvious dismay. "It's just that Naruto is kind of a bad influence to be hanging out with. He is a little weird after all, and people seen with him aren't usually favored around here."

Temari stared at Ino with an unreadable expression on her face. "And why exactly is that?"

Ino blinked in surprise as she turned around to get back up from Sakura. "Sakura, you care to help me explain this one?"

Sakura's eyes shifted to the side to glance at Ino before they returned back to their original target.

Ino frowned as she followed Sakura's line of vision until it rested upon the blond. Feeling confused, Ino snapped her fingers in front of Sakura's face. "Sakura?"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she shifted her body slightly to meet Inos. "Yes?"

"Well?"

Sakura smiled crookedly. "I'm sorry I have a headache and don't feel like talking much right now," she said as she bit her lip and glanced down at her lap.

Ino sighed as she returned her attention back towards Temari. "Well, you see it all started…"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Come on, Gaara, you have to try it at least once," Naruto pleaded as he placed the bowl in front of the red head's face.

Gaara's blue eyes regarded the bowl of steaming broth and noodles for a moment before he reluctantly took it and placed it on his tray.

"Ah, Naruto, I see you have made a friend," Teuchi said as he regarded Gaara with a warm smile.

Naruto grinned broadly. "Not quite, old man, Gaara and I have been friends since we were kids."

"Ah, I see. Well, any friend of Narutos, old or new, is a friend of mine."

Gaara blushed slightly as his eyes averted to the side of the room.

Naruto laughed at Gaara's uncomfortable display before he started to walk towards a table.

Gaara followed solemnly behind as his eyes took in the cafeteria before him. The looks that were being shot their way was something that Gaara was used to growing up. Being the son of a famous political leader sometimes made your peers hate you for no other the reason than the fact that they just simply assumed that you thought you were better than them. Gaara took his seat at the table with Naruto and watched as the blond stirred the steaming mixture that was in the bowl.

"So, how are you liking Konaha High so far," Naruto asked bringing Gaara out of his thoughts.

Gaara took in his new peers again before replying. "Already feels like home."

Naruto smirked as he picked up some of the noodles with his chopsticks and starting slurping them into his mouth. "Don't pay them no mind. It's not you they are staring at anyway. It's me."

Gaara frowned slightly as he mirrored Naruto's actions. "Is it because of THAT incident?"

Naruto frowned as he put his chopsticks down in thought. The face only lasted a second before a cheesy grin spread over his countenance. "You like it, don't ya," he teased as he pointed at Gaara's empty ramen bowl with his chopsticks.

Gaara stared at his friend for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "It wasn't terrible."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"And so you see, THAT is the reason why it is a bad idea for your brother to be associated with him," Ino concluded in a rush.

Temari stared at her like she had just grown a second head before she turned her head to glance at her brother. "Gaara owes Naruto his life," she stated finally. Temari's eyes softened as she looked at Naruto. "It was years ago when they met, and if it hadn't been for that meeting Gaara might not have survived. They have been best friends ever since."

"How did Naruto save your brother's life," Sakura asked softly.

Temari turned around to stare sadly at the pinkette. "It's not my story to tell. That is a story you will have to ask them for yourself."

Sakura frowned as she turned her attention back towards the blond in wonder.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Do you ever regret the day you met me, Naruto," Gaara asked with a solemn expression on his face.

Naruto sighed as his thoughts drifted back to another time and place. "No, I don't regret it. You know that, Gaara. You're my best friend, after all."

"Do you ever resent me for it?"

Naruto visibly stiffened for a moment before his body relaxed. "Nope not even once," he said with a warm smile.

Gaara nodded his head slowly. He could hear the sincerity in Naruto's words and knew that Naruto was telling him the truth. That was one thing about Naruto that Gaara had always admired.

"Well well, if it isn't the school loser sitting with the unsuspecting new kid," Tobio said as he stood beside their table with an ugly sneer.

Naruto and Gaara stared at each other as they pretended not to hear that last statement.

Unperturbed by their silence, Tobio continued to talk. "Gaara, right? I suggest finding new friends unless you want to be considered the friend of the freak."

"I am afraid I don't understand what you are saying," Gaara stated as he met Tobio's gaze. "Because the only freak I see here is you and last time I checked we were not friends."

"Is there a problem, boys," Teuchi asked.

Tobio glanced at Naruto and Gaara and then at Teuchi. "No problem here," he lied.

"I didn't think so," Teuchi said sternly.

"This isn't over between us," Tobio threatened in a low voice before he strode out of the room.

"Are you sure you want to get involved in this," Naruto asked Gaara sadly.

Gaara stared at his tray thoughtfully. "You're my friend, right?"

Naruto bit his lip. "You know it's worse here than at your school."

Gaara sighed. "I know, but I owe this much to you at least."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo

"Sakura, have you heard the latest gossip," Ino wailed.

Sakura frowned as she sat down on a step outside and tilted her face towards the sun. "No, I haven't. What's up?"

"Gaara has been labeled as the friend of the freak and the new school outcast," Ino sobbed.

Sakura grimaced. "And?"

"And? And! What do you mean and? He is too cute to be an outcast," Ino shrieked in her friend's ear before sighing. "This sucks. If it hadn't been for that loser Uzumaki then Gaara could have been one of us."

Sakura chewed contemplatively on her bottom lip. "Ino, do you think that maybe we could ha-"

"What was THAT," Ino asked as her head whipped to the side of the building.

Sakura shrugged. "It sounds like typical boys that are about to get into a fight."

Ino's eyes danced as she grabbed her friends hand and pulled her towards the direction of the rising noise.

"Where are we going," Sakura asked as she scrambled to keep up with her friend.

"If a fight is about to happen then I definitely want to see it for proper gossiping later," Ino stated.

"Is Tobio about to pick a fight with Naruto and Gaara," Tenten asked as she caught up to her friends.

Ino shook her head in excitement. "Oh, man, I wonder what is about to happen?"

'I wonder what you are about to do, Naruto,' Sakura thought to herself as she held her breath in anticipation.

-The End-

Reviews are Awesome! :D

A/N:

Hey, everyone I am back with a new chapter! I am sorry that it took a month to get up, but I have had serious writer's block as well as a hectic schedule. But I am back and hopefull will have updates to y'all quicker.

I have to admit when I started writing this story I wasn't really sure where it was going to go or even if y'all would like it. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to see the support you guys have given it so far. So thanks for all the lovely reviews and to all my readers. Your support rocks my world.

Anyway, I hope this chapter was as good for y'all or even better than my last. Let me know what y'all think. Feeback from y'all is always helpful.

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to leave a review.

Posted: 3-3-11