Chương 2: Chapter 2:
Over the hours through the night they spoke over the details of the new treaty between their two countries and the conditions of the alliance for several hours before they finally came to a mutually satisfying agreement.
It would be signed tomorrow officially, in a public display, before the Konoha council, population and dignitaries from his own country of wind.
As the Kazekage stood in preparation to take his leave, Sarutobi stopped him. "May I have a word in private, Kazekage-dono?"
The Suna leader hesitated for a moment before nodding. Their two guards accepted the silent command and bowed their heads before walking out of the room.
Sarutobi suddenly sighed sadly as the blond boy finally exited the room. "Kazekage-dono…I know…of what Suna is planning. To create a weapon out of the Shukaku's jinchuriki." The Kazekage stiffened, his spine going ramrod straight.
Sarutobi looked straight into the Kazekage's eyes as he spoke his next words. "I warn you now that if you follow through with this…you will regret it forever."
The Kazekage's eyes immediately narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"
Sarutobi sighed again, shaking his head. "No…you may do as you wish; I assure you that it will not affect the alliance. It is just…" He trailed off as he turned his head to face the door Naruto had used to exit the room. "You have seen tonight, the results of such ambitions."
The Kazekage's thought, then his eyes opened a bit more in realization. "You mean that boy?"
Sarutobi nodded. "Naruto is Konoha's attempt at a living weapon. We succeeded but…" He trailed off slightly. "But the price was too high. At least...I believe it was." He then turned to the Kazekage. "Perhaps you might disagree...but if you find that you are wrong, could you live with that crime I wonder?"
As Sarutobi returned to his office he sat down in his chair with an exhausted sigh. His eyes landed on that familiar mask. "You may go Naruto." He said, his voice laced with weariness and his face showed his true age.
Naruto inclined his head in a short bow. "As you wish." He said, before he turned sharply on his heel and walked out the door.
Sarutobi's face twisted in grief after the boy left. It always did. The guilt and anger he felt always gnawed on his insides.
The the eve after Kyuubi's devastating attack six years ago tore at his heart. Ate away at him. It hurt just to look at the boy. To see the results of his cowardice.
The civilians wanted him dead, the council wanted a weapon and the dying wish of their savior was left…forgotten in the wake of fear, hate, and ambition.
Again...he wondered if it would have been better to have let the civilians have their way.
'NO!' He admonished himself as he shook his head. There was still time to save him.
Death was finite, life would always provide possibilities at some point. Somehow he would find a way to undo this.
The walk back to Suna seemed to lag on forever to the Kazekage. He longed to see the walls of his home again.
But the trip had also given him ample time to think, and reflect upon his actions. Mainly, his actions against his son Gaara.
The death of his wife at child birth was an unforeseen consequence on his part. The priest, who had also died sealing the sand demon had assured him that the only way for the sealing to succeed was for the beast to be sealed while she was in labor. He was never informed that his wife would die from the ritual.
Filled with grief and rage over his wife's death he had struggled to find an outlet and eventually he could only find one…
Gaara.
He had blamed Gaara for his late wife's death and had even cursed his very existence. He vowed to himself that he would cut the family bond of father and son, and that he would turn Gaara into what the Suna village needed him to be.
He had almost succeeded in that endeavor.
The boy was always alone, always at arms length from everyone, even his siblings.
But now, seeing the living result of such ambitions in that boy from Konoha had truly shook his resolve. No mater what he said, or what he had done...Gaara was still his son.
Could he bare turning Gaara's innocent green eyes into the same cold lifeless hue of that boys? Could he turn Gaara into what others had been calling him since he was born?
A monster?
About a week ago his answer would have been easy. But now…now he truly didn't know.
He had seen a glimpse of the future. And he did not like what he had seen.
"Ahhh, Kazekage-sama." A servant spoke as the Suna leader entered his estate. "It is good to see you have returned. We were beginning to worry." He spoke as he bowed lowly.
"Where is Gaara?" Was the first thing that escaped his mouth. The servant looked up, startled at the question. It was very rare for the Kazekage to ever make any mention of his son unless there were reports that he had killed someone else in the village. "Err, he is in his room my lord...shall I...go fetch him?" He asked rather uncertainly, afraid. No one wanted to go near Gaara.
"No."The Kazekage spoke tightly, with a flare of his robe he turned sharply on his heel and walked down the hallway towards his son's room.
As he approached he felt his steps heavy, the clack of his shoes against the wooden floor echoing off the halls. He looked to Gaara's oak wood door and opened it without knocking.
And there he was, sitting in the middle of his room, hugging the old worn teddy-bear he's had since he was a baby. A gift from his mother, the Suna leader reflected sadly as he recalled his wife buying the toy when she was still pregnant with him.
As Gaara turned and caught sight of him, he saw the turquoise eyes widen in fear.
The Kazekaga didn't know how, but he would fix this. He would undo the wrongs he had committed upon his son and perhaps some day...
"Gaara." He called. He saw the boy flinch as if struck, an act that sent a pang of...something that took him a moment to recognize as guilt through his chest. "Come here boy."
Gaara stood and walked over, his eyes meekly down to the floor. He sighed and moved a hand to touch the top of the boys head when sand emerged and stopped him. Gaara looked up fearfully, every time his father saw any form of resistance from Gaara he would always get angry. But he couldn't control it, he didn't know how.
The Kazekage sighed heavily as he pulled back, allowing the sand to dissipate. Gaara looked up, for a moment before diverting his eyes. The Kazekage sighed again. "Gaara, look at me." He said to the young red head who raised his head to look into his fathers eyes.
The Kazekage stared into his sons eyes for several moments before he spoke. "I'm sorry." The simple words seemed to have the force of a thunderclap in Gaara's mind and his eyes visibly showed his confusion. The Kazekage stared at his son's eyes, seeing them, change, become sharper, colder, no longer the eyes of a boy and it sent a chill down his spine.
"I'll make things right." He said to his son's confusion before he turned and left the room.
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