Naruto - Sabaku no Gaara
Title: Best of You
Author: caitlin_chan
Artist: alanahikarichan
Series: Naruto
Character: Sabaku no Gaara
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, the filler would have been over a very long time ago.
Rating: G, though slight spoiler warnings apply
Light Themes: Concept #6 - I need to know
“Kankurou.”
Kankurou turned from where he’d been working on Karasu, surprised-he hadn’t even heard Gaara come in, which he had to admit unnerved him. He'd rather not be startled by someone who could easily kill him; he'd rather hear him coming. But no, he chided himself; he didn’t have to worry about that any more, since Konohagakure and the Chuunin selection exam.
“Do you need something, Gaara?”
Kankurou studied his brother as he came into his workroom and walked around to the opposite side of the table, staring out the window. Gaara seemed somewhat-preoccupied, perhaps? He certainly acted preoccupied, and more solemn than usual, almost melancholy. Kankurou went back to tinkering with Karasu-he knew that Gaara would speak when he was ready, once he had his thoughts in order. Years of seclusion and exclusion and loneliness had left their mark; Gaara always chose his words carefully to make sure he would get his point across correctly.
“How do you apologize to a whole village, Kankurou?”
Kankurou was taken aback, but didn’t say what was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, “You’re the Kazekage, why do you need to apologize?”
Gaara eyed him levelly. “You know why,” he responded softly. Kankurou hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
“It’s as you said before,” Gaara continued, “the people see me only as a frightening weapon. Until recently, I had done nothing to make them consider otherwise. They did not deserve to live with the fear I instilled, but they had little choice.”
Gaara pondered his next words and Kankurou remained silent, his attention focused on his younger brother.
“Pain is real, and faith, and fear. More real than being a loner; than loving yourself and hating everything else. But the people have no faith in me; they only feel fear and anger and resentment. I’m not a fool, I know that I have to start again, and that it will be harder than if I was a complete stranger to the village. They know only the worst of me, and I have to break loose of that and build their faith in me as their Kazekage and as a person.”
Gaara turned to Kankurou, meeting his gaze for the first time since he’d entered the workroom. “How do I do that? I want them to have faith in me.”
Very aware of Gaara’s eyes on him, Kankurou tidied up his workbench as he thought over his brother’s question. He realised with some cynicism that he had never considered Gaara his brother until after the Chuunin exam, not like Temari. But he banished the thought as he returned to the issue at hand-when all was said and done, Gaara was still only thirteen years old, and as insecure as any other teenager.
“I think,” he said, “that you have to confess.” As Gaara’s brow furrowed in confusion, Kankurou elaborated. “If people ask, admit you were wrong. Don’t force the subject, but if it’s mentioned, acknowledge your failure. It’s much easier to believe in someone who knows they aren’t perfect. Everyone has flaws, has failings, and you can’t pretend not to see your own.”
Gaara nodded slowly, turning the words over in his mind. “Is that all?”
Kankurou shook his head. He tossed one of his tools across the table to Gaara, who turned and put it away.
“Just give them the best of you.”
~fin~
Click on the image for a larger version - it looks much better when its bigger!
Just a note on the time frame, so people understand where I'm coming from with the tone: this takes place shortly after the flashback conversation in chapter 249 of the manga, which is where I drew the tone from. I adore that conversation--it's kind of mushy and full of brotherly love and makes me squee.
Author: caitlin_chan
Artist: alanahikarichan
Series: Naruto
Character: Sabaku no Gaara
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, the filler would have been over a very long time ago.
Rating: G, though slight spoiler warnings apply
Light Themes: Concept #6 - I need to know
“Kankurou.”
Kankurou turned from where he’d been working on Karasu, surprised-he hadn’t even heard Gaara come in, which he had to admit unnerved him. He'd rather not be startled by someone who could easily kill him; he'd rather hear him coming. But no, he chided himself; he didn’t have to worry about that any more, since Konohagakure and the Chuunin selection exam.
“Do you need something, Gaara?”
Kankurou studied his brother as he came into his workroom and walked around to the opposite side of the table, staring out the window. Gaara seemed somewhat-preoccupied, perhaps? He certainly acted preoccupied, and more solemn than usual, almost melancholy. Kankurou went back to tinkering with Karasu-he knew that Gaara would speak when he was ready, once he had his thoughts in order. Years of seclusion and exclusion and loneliness had left their mark; Gaara always chose his words carefully to make sure he would get his point across correctly.
“How do you apologize to a whole village, Kankurou?”
Kankurou was taken aback, but didn’t say what was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, “You’re the Kazekage, why do you need to apologize?”
Gaara eyed him levelly. “You know why,” he responded softly. Kankurou hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
“It’s as you said before,” Gaara continued, “the people see me only as a frightening weapon. Until recently, I had done nothing to make them consider otherwise. They did not deserve to live with the fear I instilled, but they had little choice.”
Gaara pondered his next words and Kankurou remained silent, his attention focused on his younger brother.
“Pain is real, and faith, and fear. More real than being a loner; than loving yourself and hating everything else. But the people have no faith in me; they only feel fear and anger and resentment. I’m not a fool, I know that I have to start again, and that it will be harder than if I was a complete stranger to the village. They know only the worst of me, and I have to break loose of that and build their faith in me as their Kazekage and as a person.”
Gaara turned to Kankurou, meeting his gaze for the first time since he’d entered the workroom. “How do I do that? I want them to have faith in me.”
Very aware of Gaara’s eyes on him, Kankurou tidied up his workbench as he thought over his brother’s question. He realised with some cynicism that he had never considered Gaara his brother until after the Chuunin exam, not like Temari. But he banished the thought as he returned to the issue at hand-when all was said and done, Gaara was still only thirteen years old, and as insecure as any other teenager.
“I think,” he said, “that you have to confess.” As Gaara’s brow furrowed in confusion, Kankurou elaborated. “If people ask, admit you were wrong. Don’t force the subject, but if it’s mentioned, acknowledge your failure. It’s much easier to believe in someone who knows they aren’t perfect. Everyone has flaws, has failings, and you can’t pretend not to see your own.”
Gaara nodded slowly, turning the words over in his mind. “Is that all?”
Kankurou shook his head. He tossed one of his tools across the table to Gaara, who turned and put it away.
“Just give them the best of you.”
~fin~
Click on the image for a larger version - it looks much better when its bigger!
Just a note on the time frame, so people understand where I'm coming from with the tone: this takes place shortly after the flashback conversation in chapter 249 of the manga, which is where I drew the tone from. I adore that conversation--it's kind of mushy and full of brotherly love and makes me squee.