This story starts in the Land of Wind with a young boy who wanted nothing more than to be accepted by others.
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This boy. After many years of fighting through the pain of being feared and labeled a monster by everyone in the village since his birth, he still tried, one more time.
He was sitting out on a swing watching some of the kids as they played soccer. They were all laughing and playing happily with each other until one of them kicked the ball onto the wall.
"Awe, great job you idiot." One of the guys said as they looked at the ball way up high.
"I'm sorry," another apologized.
"What're we gonna do now?" A third child asked. This was his chance! This boy clutched his fist before standing up and stepping forward. A swirling of sand gently lifted it from the otherwise unreachable and carefully brought down, were I t rested in his hands. They looked to where their ball was going and stared once they'd seen where it had rested.
"It... it'sGaara!" Practically all of them looked at him in fear, so he held the ball out to them... and while the group took a step back, one of the girls took one forward.
"Hey, wait! What're you doing?!" One of the group asked
"What's wrong with you guys?" She asked looking at their petrified expressions.
"He's a monster! Don't get close to him!" one of the other girls shouted, but she didn't listen.
"That's so rude. Don't call people things like that!" The girl with the red hair and eyes walked towards him and took the ball from him, "Thank you for your help." She told him with a smile and his eyes widened at her unusually kind gesture.
He looked at the others and they jumped in hope of a similar response, but—
"R-..run!" One of the guys said and they all bolted.
"No. Wait! Don't go!" He called, reaching a hand out to them. Sand began seeping from the gourd on his back and charged toward them.
"Hey... Hey-hey-hey! No. Don't!" The girl beside him dropped the ball and watched the sand slitter like a snake in the grass and she held out her hand to it. It stopped where it was and she pulled it back like a lassoed bull when—
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This man suddenly appeared as the girl managed to hold back the sand. The kids got away and she released it from her grip as the man approached. "Gaara. What're you doing?" The man asked and Gaara looked sad. The girl sneezed, alerting the man of her presence.
"Akane. You should be in bed. Why're you here?" He asked and she sighed.
"Aw, Yashimaru~? I was found already?" She whined, "I wanted to play with my new friend here some more." She said putting her arm over Gaara's shoulder.
"...Friend...?" Gaara said and she smiled again.
"Sure!" She said before Yashimaru told them to follow him, so they did.
"What happened back there?" He questioned them and she unraveled her braid.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." She told him and he raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm going back to bed now. See you guys later." She waved, leaving the room. The two of them talked for a while and then Gaara left with a bag in hand.
Akane wasn't fast enough when she stopped the sand and he accidentally hurt one of their legs, so as an apology he decided to bring them medicine. He knocked on the door and the kid showed up, "Oh it's you," they said.
"I-I'm sorry," Gaara said holding out the bag to the kid.
"Go away, you monster." The kid said, shutting the door on him. It was already late at night. He lowered the bag to reveal his hurt expression while still looking at the door.
"Hey." A voice from behind him called and he turned to see Akane. "Ya wanna talk?" She asked putting her hood up with a smile and he nodded before walking with her to the swing. "Let's start from the beginning." She said as they stopped in front of it and turned on her heel, "Hi there. My name's Akane." She said, holding out her hand to him.
"I'm Gaara," he shook her hand and they sat on the ground they stood on.
"With this, we are friends." She told him. "Now then. What do you like to do, Gaara?" she asked and from there, they got to know each other next to that swing. Unfortunately she had to leave soon, but she told him they'd talk again later.
