Vision of Truth I: Cat and Fox (Naruto)

Fearless

A/N: Heads up, italics are flashbacks.

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Chapter 24: Fearless

Naruto and Shikamaru forced me to walk with them out of the hospital instead of running after Gaara. Apparently, my display had not not convinced them I knew what I was doing. I tried to tell them it was not a good idea to leave him, but that did not work either. Fortunately, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw Gaara and Kankuro walking out together. Temari stood by the hospital entrance, her eyes on me.

"You," she said before I could call out to Gaara. "Katsumi. We need to talk."

I stared at her. There was no question what she wanted to talk about. "Fine," I agreed. I turned to my companions. "Shikamaru, make sure Naruto gets home safely."

"Hey, I can get home on my own!" Naruto protested. "I don't need an escort."

"Yeah, you're the one who's putting yourself in danger," said Shikamaru.

I sighed. "You just got out of the hospital, Naruto, and you tend to overdo it." I gave Shikamaru a small smile. "Please? I bet you have a lot of questions - though don't think Naruto can answer most of them."

Shikamaru let out an exasperated noise. "Fine. This is such a drag."

Once they were gone, I turned back to Temari, who studied me with an intense gaze. "What's on your mind?"

Temari crossed her arms. "You need to stay away from Gaara."

I rolled my eyes. "This again? Doesn't it get old saying the same thing over and over? You're welcome for finding him, by the way."

"You weren't any help at all. Kankuro and I happened to find him out here. You may have located him first, but you didn't bring him to us."

I motioned to the hospital. "Well, things got complicated in there. Anyway, I'm not going to stay away from him. I know you think he's dangerous, but he's my friend."

Temari dropped her arms to her sides, her expression softening slightly. "Alright, let's say I believe you. That makes you Gaara's only friend in the world. What do you think is going to happen when we leave in two days? How do you think he will handle it? You think you're showing him kindness, but you're only showing him what he can't have. You'll leave him worse off."

At first, I wondered in shame if she had a point, but her conclusion strengthened my resolve. "But he can have it! That's what I want to impress upon him. It's not just about my friendship but the principle behind it. If he can be friends with me, he can make other friends. He doesn't have to be alone."

Pity flashed across Temari's face. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. No one will approach him now."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "What about you and Kankuro? You're his siblings, aren't you? Although, you sure don't act like it."

Temari frowned. "That's because he doesn't treat us like siblings. We mean nothing to him."

Gaara had said as much in the hospital, but I was not sure I believed him. In any case, that was beside the point. "And who's fault is that? He's your younger brother. You're supposed to set the example and be there for him first. Does he even know you care? Do you care?"

"Of course I care!" Temari said, her voice rising. "I stay with him, don't I?"

"But it's not enough! He believes that no one loves him. Even if you're physically there, you've still abandoned him, and I can't forgive that. You should never abandon family even when they push you away!" I paused. "Especially when they push you away. And you shouldn't hold something against them that's not their fault. You're supposed to be there for them." I wiped my wet eyes with my arm, not understanding why I was suddenly getting so emotional.