Ryūchi Cave

"Balloon!" The boy called out as he chased after it, while the balloon slowly drifted away from him.

A man nearby ran towards it and caught the balloon.

"Here you go!" The man said as he bent down and gave the balloon to the little boy.

"Thank You!" The boy said with a bright smile.

The man smiled back as he waved towards the boy and walked away.

….

Gaara was staring at the scene that was taking place from the top of the building he was staying at.

The fact was Gaara had stood in the same place for almost a day, as he observed all the little interactions that people had between each other, like how a man helped his drunk friend walk straight, how lovers communicated with each other as they walked by, how a mom and dad held hands with their child while walking, etc…

Gaara observed the very emotions that were displayed in each and every scenario and analyzed them properly while also considering his own future.

"Gaara!"

Gaara turned back to see Kankuro who had entered the top from the door.

"Kankuro!"

Gaara saw Kankuro walk towards himself.

"What are you doing here?" Kankuro asked as he looked down towards the street.

Gaara was silent for a few seconds.

"Kankuro, I don't want to continue with this plan…"

Kankuro was speechless, as his eyes went wide.

"Gaara are you (nuts)…." Kankuro wanted to insult, but he refrained from doing so.

"I want to live like a normal ninja, in a normal team…" Gaara said.

"Gaara!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Aren't we a team?" Kankuro asked in a concerned voice.

"We were sent here for destruction, not as a team on a regular mission," Gaara said.

"Is this a joke?"

"You have killed countless people, not to mention the ones on the way here, or the ones in the forest…" Kankuro argued.

Gaara was silent.

"I don't want to say this… but, you're nothing but a frightening weapon to the village…" Kankuro paused.

Gaara observed Kankuro without saying anything.

"It'll just be a struggle for you to join a regular unit at this point."

"The superiors don't think well of you."

"Especially that man, who is supposed to be your father…" Kankuro said as he pictured the fourth Kazekage who stared at Gaara like he was a monster.

"I know that.." Gaara slowly replied.

"I know that, but I will be overwhelmed with an even greater suffering if I just follow his orders like a puppet."

…

"I just have to work hard and carve out a future for myself."

"I must not escape to the path of lonely solitude…"

"If I do that, someday…." Gaara stressed as he looked towards the peaceful sight of the village in front of him, as he pictured an image of Naruto in his mind.

"Someday…I can be like him…"

"Who?" Kankuro asked, curious to know the name of the man who had changed the demon of an entity to someone who was now looking forward to peace.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Gaara said as he looked at Kankuro.

("Him?") Kankuro stared at Gaara.

"I only knew hate and malice up until now…"

"But now, there is something I understand about those bonds that people share with each other."

"Uzumaki Naruto made me believe that pain, sadness…and happiness.. can be shared with others."

"I learned that through fighting and getting to know him…"

"He knew the same pain as me.."

"And he taught me that I could change the path of my life…."

Gaara smiled as he looked towards Kankuro.

"Gaara…." Kankuro managed to utter in his shock of seeing Gaara smile like a normal human being.

"But when did you fight Naruto? What do you mean by the same pain as you?" Kankuro asked while managing to snap out of his shock.

"He is a Jinchūriki like me… I fought him when I lost control of the one-tails…"

"I do not know what happened, but I heard Shukaku complaining about being sealed by Naruto again," Gaara said.

"HE DID WHAT?" Kankuro shouted.

"This is bad…" Kankuro stepped towards Gaara.

"Kankuro!" Gaara stopped him.

"I was finally able to sleep in peace for an entire night," Gaara said, causing Kankuro to be even more shocked.

"I am grateful to him."

"Especially when he fought me…"

"A girl appeared trying to stop the fight between us."

"I became angry, and grabbed her…"

"But I was not angry because she interfered, I realized that I only became angry because the girl cared for him even though he was just a monster just like me…"

"It was because of that I realized that someday, I want to feel needed by someone."

"Not as a frightening weapon…"

"But as a human…" Gaara smiled towards Kankuro after which he turned towards the view of the village.

"Gaara, It is not going to be easy, as the majority of the village is scared of you, even if you have us siblings by your side…" Kankuro said.

"Actually I have thought of that as well…" Gaara said as he looked towards Kankuro again.

"Do you remember what Naruto said during the test?" He asked.

"The Chuunin Exam's first stage?"

Kankuro thought back to the time Naruto stood up in the exam hall…

His expression once more became that of a shock.

"You mean…"

"That's right!" Gaara said as he continued….

"As a Sand Ninja, I will strive to become the Kazekage."

"To live bonded with the village."

"I want to work hard.. and become acknowledged by others."

"Just like Naruto, one day I will become the Kazekage!"

….

….

(Bang!)

A cloud of dust rose up in the air.

(cough!)

(cough!)

(cough!)

The dust smoke cleared up revealing Sasuke as he recovered from the sudden fall and looked around.

("Where the hell is this place?")

("Was I not supposed to get an animal through the summoning or something?")

("Why have I been teleported instead?") Sasuke thought as he looked around.

HISSSS!!!!!

Sasuke immediately turned around while grabbing a kana in his hand, as he blocked a snake that flew right at him.

("What the hell is wrong with this snake?") Sasuke thought…

"Impressive" a woman's voice was heard.

"Who is it?" Sasuke looked around to see a woman in a Kimono walk up to him.

"I am sorry, but you must die." She said as she brought a Kunai in her hand down upon Sasuke.

"WAIT!" Another voice interfered.

"What is it?" The woman turned back in anger.

"The White Snake sage has invited the boy in." The voice informed causing the facial expression of the woman to change.

"Tsk." The woman frowned as she drew back her kunai.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was sweating from almost losing his life back there.

"Follow me in." The woman said as she walked in a particular direction.

Sasuke followed quietly without any questions.

….

Soon he was brought to a hall where a huge white snake coiled about on a raised platform.

The woman walked towards the snake and bowed down.

"I am sorry for my actions earlier…"

The white snake raised its head as it gazed at Sasuke.

"Are you the White Snake Sage?" Sasuke asked.

"INSOLENCE!" The woman screamed in anger as she retrieved her kunai from the back pocket.

"STOP!" A huge voice boomed about in the hall causing both the woman and Sasuke to drop on the floor simultaneously.

"Young man." An ancient voice reached Sasuke's ears.

Sasuke looked up at The White Snake Sage.

"Did you perform a summoning Jutsu earlier?" It asked.

There was silence for a bit after which Sasuke finally managed to calm himself down and answered.

"Yes!"

The snake observed Sasuke a bit before it continued…

"Do you seek power?" It asked.

Sasuke frowned at the question, but he couldn't deny it.

"Yes!" Sasuke said in a firm voice.

"Why you…." The woman on the ground became angry again, only to be interfered by the voice she revered.

"Young man, this is the Ryūchi Cave."

"Normally, people cannot enter the cave much less find it."

"Only those who seek power can enter."

"As destiny may have it, your fate was tied to this cave."

Sasuke watched calmly as he listened.

"I will grant you power!"

"in exchange…."

"in exchange?" Sasuke prompted.

"You must pass three trials to prove yourself."

"Do you agree?" The White Snake sage asked.

"Can you give an explanation of the trials?" Sasuke asked.

The White Snake sage stared for a bit before it continued…

"First trial, you will face a thousand snakes."

"Second trial, you will face one giant snake."

"Third trial, is the injection of my blood."

"As long as your body can survive the transformation, you will gain incredible powers…" The White Snake sage concluded as it looked towards Sasuke for an answer.

Sasuke grinned as he raised his head.

"YES!"