Desert Flower - [Rewrite]

Chapter 2

Land of Wind

Small Civilian Village

At around 2:00 in the morning

Temari was sleeping in her bed as she felt the bed besides her feel empty and her eyes snapped open as she saw the door to the balcony open and the breeze flowing the curtain inwards as she immediately got out of bed thinking her sun kissed blonde haired friend had run off as she stepped into the balcony to see him sitting on the balcony railing reading a letter in the moonlight as she stepped up and sat beside him. He turned to her giving her a small apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." He apologized softly and she smiled at him gently and shook her head.

"No I was just worried where you went. So what are you doing out here in the cold. The breeze is quite cold tonight" she said wrapping up the bedsheet that she brought with her a little over his shoulder too. He thanked her and she scooted closer to him as their arms touched a bit and she stopped as her gaze turned to the letter he was reading.

"So who's that letter from you're reading?" she asked curiously and he glanced at the letter in his hand sadly and answered.

"It's from my parents. The only thing I ever knew that they said to me. Their last words, I read it every night for the past six months you know since there was no one to talk to I just made it a connection to my parents." He said and she smiled as she put an arm around his waist and scooted closer to him.

"They must have been great people." She whispered and he nodded with a small smile as he too wrapped his arm around her unconsciously and rolled up the scroll sealing it as both sat in the moonlight gazing at the moon.

"Temari why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?" he asked in a vulnerable tone and she put her head on his shoulder snuggling into the warmth away from the cold breeze.

"I want to help you Naruto just as you helped me." She whispered and he was confused and she sensed his confusion as she spoke.

"That time when you fought Gaara in the forest I thought I was done for as no one who has ever faced my brother in a full possession has ever survived except my father who had the revered kekkei genkai of the third Kazekage to subdue him. But then you came in kicking him away and proceeded to do thing that I had never imagined possible. You took down Gaara at his best and saved the lives of most of your village and mine. And even then you had mercy on Gaara as you knew the pain he endured and you changed him." She whispered and he rubbed her arm to make her a bit warmer and pulled her closer as she snuggled and clutched the bedsheet tightly enjoying how warm he felt.

"You don't know how much you have changed Gaara. He no longer kills anyone unnecessarily and suppresses the urges of his bijuu. The villagers and shinobi were still wary of him at first but over the months they saw how he didn't kill anyone and always helped his teammates on missions and they started respecting him. Ever since he fought you he has been the little brother that I always wanted. You don't know how much it means to me." She whispered the last part with a hiccup as Naruto rubbed her arm soothing her. He was surprised that he had changed Gaara so much and was happy that his friend now had the respect of his village unlike him. He smiled a sad smile, he wished his village too had at the very least tolerated his existence if not acknowledge him.

"I'm glad I was able to help you Temari though I don't think I did anything that great for you to hel…" he was interrupted as Temari put her fingers on his lips and smiled at him.

"Shush… you don't know how much you have helped Gaara and the village and me. Gaara respects you above all others even more than a brother would and you have great respect in the village for changing him for the better." She spoke softly and removed her fingers as his eyes watered. They respected him and admired him and Gaara saw him as more than a brother there.