"My existence... won't disappear... it definitely won't disappear..."
Gaara seemed to be breaking down. He forcefully pulled away from Naruto's hands, his voice trembling: "Why... why can you do so much for others... if that's the case... doesn't my existence... have no meaning?"
He didn't care about losing, or Shukaku losing. He didn't care about anyone dying, or any of his comrades. He only cared about himself, his existence, named Gaara.
A demon who only loved himself.
Naruto looked at him quietly, his tone firm: "Because they are the ones who saved me from the hell of loneliness and accepted me as a comrade."
Shikamaru, Chouji, Teuchi, Ayame, the Third Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura, Pervy Sage, and Hinata, and most importantly, Kurama.
"Each one of them is my most important friend."
Naruto looked at the stunned Gaara and took a deep breath: "The pain of being alone... it's not something ordinary, right... I don't know why, but I deeply understand your feelings. But I... already have the most important partners, and I will never let you hurt them."
"Even if I have to risk my life, even if... I have to kill you, I will stop you!"
"Don't talk to that guy!"
"Let's go."
"Ah, over there!"
"Is that him? That monster?"
"Get lost!"
"Monster!"
Naruto had shed too many tears because of this, and he thought he had no more tears left to cry...
But when Shikamaru reluctantly skipped class with him, even though he was too lazy to move but still followed.
When Chouji, even though he was reluctant, mustered the courage to hand him his chips.
When Teuchi saw him walking alone on the cold road, with the cold wind and hunger accompanying him.
When Ayame knew he had no money to pay for ramen...
Tears flowed again for some reason, but... but no matter how much they flowed, even if they reached Naruto's mouth, they tasted strangely sweet, and the bitterness had long disappeared.
Gaara looked at Naruto in a daze. If he was a monster in the dark swamp, then this person in front of him might be the monster who crawled out of the swamp with all his might... There was no light in the swamp, but the person lying on the swamp saw the light.
Those who were willing to reach out and pull him out of the swamp might be his most important saviors.
"I've never seen such a thing." Gaara's eyes were filled with confusion as he looked up at the sky. The ceiling blocked his view, and all he could see were the prison bars trapping him in darkness, layer upon layer. "To them, I'm just a relic of the past they want to erase."
"So why do I exist? Uzumaki Naruto, why... do I live in this world?"
Baki closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Kankuro looked at Gaara in confusion, as if seeing his brother for the first time. Temari leaned against the wall, her gaze complicated. Kakashi watched the two from outside the cell, his eyes filled with despair.
Naruto imitated Gaara and looked up at the ceiling: "Feeling unnecessary in this world is probably the most painful thing."
"I feel the same way..." Naruto laughed self-deprecatingly. "I used to think that everyone in this village disliked me, so I started playing pranks to get their attention, just like you."
Temari closed her eyes.
"I thought I succeeded, and everyone remembered me, just like you..."
Kankuro lowered his head.
"But that night when Mizuki-sensei tricked me, I suddenly realized that even if I didn't play pranks, there were people who always paid attention to me, who always worried about me. I realized that even if I didn't play pranks, they would still remember my name."
Kakashi leaned against the wall, his eyes full of relief.
"I want to become Hokage. I want everyone to recognize me, so I became a ninja. I met many people, like a rogue ninja with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and a handsome boy who doubted his existence, just like you, but was willing to give his life for someone."
Haku's smile was still so gentle.
"Hey, Gaara." Naruto's eyes were filled with sadness. "Instead of using this way to make yourself exist in this world, why don't you believe that you have always existed? Just like the sand that is still by your side, is it just a tool for killing to you?"
"Even without your chakra, without Shukaku's chakra, this sand still protects you... Have you ever looked at it?"
The sand floating in the air was like Naruto, even with just a bit of will, it would stand in front of the enemy, using everything to protect Gaara.
"I'm not strong at all."
Naruto looked at Gaara. "Compared to Kurama, Sasuke, and you, I haven't even learned the basic three techniques, my kunai throwing is bad, and my taijutsu isn't impressive. So I'm not strong at all. I just want to protect my important friends, and I'll do my best for that."
"Just like this sand."
...
Naruto left because Jiraiya was ready, and Anbu informed them it was time. After saying the last sentence, Naruto was silent for a long time. No one spoke, not even the interrogation department or Anbu.
Everyone quietly watched Naruto's back, just like they once watched their own shadows, blooming their sparks on the land of Konohagakure.
Where the leaves dance, the fire burns.
After everyone left, Gaara sat in the deepest part of the cell, staring blankly at the small pile of sand. Just like Naruto said, even without his chakra, without Shukaku's chakra, this sand still didn't give up protecting him.
Why? Gaara still didn't understand, but looking at the small pile of sand, he seemed to understand something, though it was still vague.
After a long time, Gaara looked at the ceiling. It was still dark in his sight, but the sand's color was so clear in the darkness. He slowly spoke, "Kankuro... Temari... Baki..."
The three turned to look at Gaara.
"I'm sorry..."
Gaara's voice was very small, so small that he might not even hear it himself, but the three heard it, as clear as if it was shouted in their ears.
"It's okay, Gaara."
...
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