To be Like him

Well I worked hard on this fanfiction for hours and I hope you like it. It's about Gaara one of my favorite anime characters of all time.

Chapter 1: Precious

The Village Hidden in the Sand, also known as Sunagakure, one of the five great nations had finally retrieved their Kazekage. Several days after his kidnapping by the Akatsuki the village had been in turmoil, the council was already deciding on replacing Gaara and find the sixth Kazekage. Kankuro was slowly healing from his encounter with Sasori of the red sand. They had requested help from the Konoha shinobi, also known as the Leaf Village, to retrieve their own Leader. However all of that was over, Gaara had been back for several weeks and he is now working on strengthening alliances with other villages; all the while taking care of important paperwork in his office.

"Damn I'm way behind, I need to finish up I have a meeting in an hour," he said to himself with his the usual calm look on his face.

Suddenly he heard a knock on his office door. Gaara really wasn't in the mood for visitors but then again he knew it could be something important he needed to address.

"Come in," Gaara said in calm relaxing voice.

Slowly the door opened as two people entered.

"Oh Temari, Kankuro it's you" he said as he dropped his pen in a surprise.

Gaara wasn't use to his sister or brother knocking, they usually just barged in when they felt like it.

Temari smiled, "What's wrong you don't seem too happy to see us," she said as she grabbed a chair and pulled it up to his desk.

"No it's not that I'm just not used to you two knocking before entering," he replied in a reassuring manner.

Kankuro leaned against the office wall making his self-comfortable.

"Well little brother, we wanted to give you some privacy so you can get back to work and stay focused on your job at hand," he started, "But you've only been back for a month so Temari and I decided to come and check on you."

Gaara's lips curved up into a small smile of gratitude.

His blonde sister looked at him then asked, "So how are you little brother? You've been very quiet ever since your return a month ago," worry was evident on her face.

Gaara put his head down searching for an answer to get his siblings off his back. He knew he had been busy, but not to the point where he couldn't check in with his family. The red head always isolated himself from people including his siblings, but not to this extent. Trying to think of a believable excuse his blue eyes shifted all around the room trying to come up with a good explanation to satisfy them.

Elbows on the desk his fist rest underneath his chin as he stared at them and said, "I'm fine, sorry I've just been so busy with work that I have lost track of time."

She looked at him with disbelief but decided not to ask again, "Okay then just checking in on you." She leaned forward in her chair with a little grin on her face. "Well, have you figured out what you're going to do about the meeting?" she asked curiously.

"Yes that's all taken care of," Gaara answered with an irritated tone.

"Is that right?" she mused, "Well Gaara, I'm going to have to cut this visit short if you want me to take care of that A-rank mission you assigned me." She stood up and started walking towards the door but before she could walk out Gaara's voice stopped her.

"Thanks Temari I'll be sure to keep in contact with you."

The blonde smirked replying, "You better…we live in the same damn house," she walked out. Before she took two steps away from his office she realized she forgot something. So she poked her head back in the room to speak "Gaara?"

He looked up with curiosity on his face.

"Matsuri said you're supposed to train with her later on tonight at sunset, so don't forget,"She smiled and made her final exit.

Gaara's eyes widened because he had forgotten.

Kankuro smiled at his little brother chuckling at him,"Don't tell me you forgot."

"Yeah it seems I need to get my priorities straight," the red head replied slowly rubbing his head in frustration.

Kankuro moved over to sit in the chair his older sister occupied previously. As he sat down he looked at his brother with interest and asked, "What's going on with you and that Matsuri girl anyways, she looks good don't you think?"

Gaara looked at his brother with narrow eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Well I couldn't help but notice the amount of time you spend with her and the fact that she's always asking about you," Kankuro shrugged like it was no big deal.

Gaara looked at him with his usual calm emotionless face answering him, "Matsuri is my pupil nothing more nothing less."

The puppet master grinned, "Right." Leaning back in his chair hands behind his head staring at the ceiling.

"Besides," Gaara continued in an undertone, "I'm not the right kind of guy for a relationship anyway."

Kankuro couldn't stand to see his little brother looking like that, especially knowing how far he had come from the…thing he used to be. Kankuro stared at his little brother and began to think back to the words his brother spoke during their conversation three years ago.

Flashback (two years ago)

"Gaara you know how they see you, you're a weapon of terror," said Kankuro, "Joining the troops won't be an easy task. Many of the jonin think poorly of you and besides there still many villagers that are terrified of you."

Gaara was quiet for a moment and then sighed, "I know that already, but doing nothing will certainly bring greater pain."

Kankuro stared in wonder at what his brother was saying.

"I must clear my own path… and perhaps then the day will come when I can be like him," Gaara said in a peaceful way.

"Gaara?" Kankuro gasped still surprised by his brother words.

"I want to be part of this village so I'm aiming for the title of Kazekage. As a shinobi of the Sand Village I will work hard to connect to the people of this village. Watching Naruto Uzumaki has given me clarity. Before I met him…my ties to others only brought pain and sorrow," he said with hurt in his voice, "He pushed me to redefine those ties and I think I finally understand the suffering and sadness of life and the joy. Naruto is the whole reason my eyes are opened, when we fought we connected and he knows the same pain I do. He taught me that I can change the path and my life."

Kankuro held his breath.

"One day Kankuro I would like to become something precious to others instead of viewed as some hideous weapon," He turned and looked at his older brother and finished, "As the Sand's next Kazekage."

Flashback ends

Kankuro stopped reminiscing and looked back at his brother. Gaara still had that same sad expression on his face, the one that said he wasn't important or, as he put it, precious to anyone.

The brown haired puppet master stood up and walked around the desk placing his hand on Gaara's shoulder smiling, "You haven't forgotten those words you said to me three years ago? Have you?"

Gaara's eyes opened widen is shock, "Naruto Uzumaki." The Kazekage had been so busy since he was rescued from the Akatsuki, his mind had been filled with many thoughts especially since he lost his shukaku. He didn't know if he was still strong enough to protect the village. But now he had time to think while talking with his big brother.

"That's right you haven't forgotten your quest, have you?" Kankuro smiled seeing the change again in Gaara's face.

Gaara opened his mouth to speak, "To be like him."

Kankuro removed his hand from Gaara's shoulder and began to take his leave so his brother could finish his work.

As he was walking he stopped and turned to look back at the fifth Kazekage, his little brother then he spoke, "Gaara, I can't speak for the rest of the village," he paused for a second as he turned to look at him, "But to Temari and I you will always be precious."

He walked out the room to leave Gaara to his work. Gaara smiled as he stood up from his chair and turned to walk over the window facing the village. He stared outside the window looking and the men, women, and children whose lives were in his hands. As he looked he saw women hanging clothes outside, men doing the physical labor like lawn work or repairing anything that was broken. Last thing he noticed was children having fun running around. Watching them play soccer, tag, and jump rope made him think back to his lonely childhood. But it didn't bring him pain looking back on those memories. It actually made him curious about what he can do for his village instead of being cooped up in this office all day.

After he stopped his thinking, he decided to get some air by leaving his office. As he began to walk towards the door he was stopped by his former teacher and sensei.

"Gaara I need to talk to you," Baki said as he entered the office room, "Now about this meeting I need you to…"

Before Baki could finish Gaara interrupted him, "Sorry I won't be able to make it I have more important matters to tend to."

Baki looked at him with shock on his face and said, "Gaara you need to be at this council meeting so we can discuss our village's problems not to mention the matter of the Akatsuki."

Gaara gave him an annoyed look as he walked around him exiting the room going down the hallway, "I decided to take a walk around the village and after that I have a training session with Matsuri."

Baki looked at him with disbelief as he followed the Kazekage down the hallway,"That's what you have to do?"

As they talked Gaara made a left into a room which had all the weapons used by the sand siblings.

"Don't worry I've got it all taken care of," he said reassuring his former sensei he has nothing to worry about.

In the room you can see on the top shelf a box full of kunai and shuriken. Next to that was a box of paper and smoke bombs.Below that in the bottom of the closet were Kankuro puppets: Crow, Black Ant, and Salamander. Outside of closet to the far left was Temari's steel fan. All the way in the back of the room in plain sight was Gaara's gourd which contained his sand. The Kazekage walked over to the back of the room to grab his gourd.

While fastening his gourd to his back he said, "Baki I want you to contact Temari and Kankuro and tell them to fill in for me at my council meeting."

"What?" Baki shook his head so fast his turban almost fell off as Gaara walked out the room and headed down the stairs.

He turned around stopped to reply, "Baki I need to connect with the people, so they can trust me as their leader because without trust we have nothing," he said with a confident voice.

Baki stopped for a second to think about the situation. He really didn't want to do this but he trusted his former pupil. He nodded and said, "All right Gaara, I'll have Kankuro or Temari give you a full report on the meeting tomorrow."

Gaara nodded back and walk down the stairs into the lobby. Luckily it was already evening and the sun was going down so no one could bug him as he walked. As he walked out the door and began his go around the village he saw the same kids playing soccer. Gaara looked on with a question mark floating over his head. Suddenly he noticed a ball flying towards him at an alarming speed. He quickly used his sand to defend as the ball smashed against the sand and fell to the floor at Gaara's feet. He knelt down to pick up the ball when a little girl came running towards him. She stared at him for a moment as held the ball in his hands. She recognized him from somewhere then all of a sudden a huge smile came across her face as she realized who he was.

"You're the Kazekage!" she yelled in a happy voice.

The red head had a small grin on his face as he handed the ball to the little blonde girl.

"I want you kids to be careful out here it's getting late you should head home soon so your parents don't have to worry," he told her smiling slightly.

The young girl smiled with excitement, "Okay, but Mr. Kazekage could you join us?"

He stared at the girl with shock and confusion on his face. As a child he always played by himself. Whenever he asked to play with the other children they would run away in fear as if he was going to murder them in cold blood. It was such a weird feeling he was experiencing, the warmth of acceptance. The Kazekage knelt down to put his hand on the little girls blond hair as he tried his best to create which turned out to be a small grin.

"Call me Gaara and sure I've got some time," As he laid his gourd down on the floor.

Later on when he finished playing with the kids, he found that he had wondered off in the southern part of the village near the entrance. Many of the homes were smaller and kind of damaged, they seemed to be older then the houses near the center where Gaara lived. But he paid it no mind as he looked at a clock on the nearest building.

"Hmm I got twenty minutes till I have to meet Matsuri at the training grounds, I better get going."

He turned around and began walking back but before he could even take five steps he noticed something. To his left there was a boy near behind a tree hunched over breathing hard. He saw three dummies impaled with shuriken and kunai knives pinned on red targets. Gaara knew the boy was training; he could see the sweat dripping down his face all over the floor. He walked closer to observe the boy more closely. The boy looked like he was about eleven years old with spiky black hair and light green eyes. Those eyes Gaara thought to himself he had seen them somewhere before. Gaara folded his arms while he stood in his normal relaxed pose.

I use to have the same eyes as him,Gaara thought to himself as he kept staring intently at the young green eyed boy. Slowly he started walking towards the boy as he continued to observe, the eyes of loneliness, the ones that say you want to prove your existence to the whole world.

The boy noticed Gaara presence and immediately grabbed one of his kunai to defend himself, however the stance didn't faze the red head at all, he just kept walking toward the young boy until he got within five feet of him then he stopped.

"I see you haven't dropped your guard, that's good," the Kazekage said slowly as he approached.

The boy looked at Gaara up and down; he could tell by his presence that he was someone of importance.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked in a frustrating tone.

Before answering his question Gaara began to think of what he should do with green eyed kid. The boy raised many questions in his head. When he finally stopped contemplating he looked at the boy and answered him.

"I am Gaara … Gaara of the Desert."

well that was my first fanfiction I hope you guys enjoyed it!

stay posted for chapter 2.