In the Konoha of night, the daytime wedding festivities in Konoha had long since faded, leaving only a few scattered lights flickering in the streets and alleys.
Inside a quiet little tavern, the lights were dim and there were few customers. The atmosphere in the corner seats seemed out of place with the tranquil night.
Kankuro sat uneasily, staring at his silent younger brother across from him. Gaara had several empty sake jugs in front of him and was holding a porcelain cup in his hand.
He rarely drinks alcohol, has a low alcohol tolerance, and has no bad habits, maintaining the restraint and sobriety expected of Kazekage.
But tonight, he seemed like a different person. Silently, he poured glass after glass of the clear liquor down his throat, his cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and his usually calm eyes were now unfocused and empty.
" Gaara... are you alright? Stop drinking, let's go back and rest." Kankuro reached out, tentatively trying to take the cup from Gaara's hand. He followed along because he was worried about his younger brother's condition.
Gaara's hand paused slightly, not releasing the cup. His vision blurred as he met Kankuro's anxious gaze. "I'm fine... Kankuro... You should go back and rest... Don't worry about me..."
His feigned nonchalance, coupled with the clearly discernible loneliness and sadness in his eyes, instantly escalated Kankuro's worry into a strange anxiety.
A friend is getting married, a joyous occasion. Even if one feels reluctant or sentimental, why would they be so heartbroken? It's almost like... they've just broken up with their boyfriend.
An absurd speculation that had vaguely surfaced more than a year ago, only to be forcibly suppressed by him, has now resurfaced uncontrollably, becoming increasingly clear with Gaara's unusual behavior.
Kankuro felt that he couldn't continue to worry about this without knowing the truth; he had to find out the details.
He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and tentatively asked in a cautious, incredulous tone.
" Gaara... you wouldn't happen to be..." He observed Gaara's reaction, "Could it be... you like Uchiha Satsuki?"
"Huh? Her?"
"... I see."
Gaara's reaction was astonishingly quick and straightforward. His brows furrowed tightly, and his voice was filled with undisguised bewilderment.
Even... Kankuro sensed a hint of... jealousy in that tone? Not the kind of jealousy directed at a "love rival," but more like... resentment at having one's most important thing taken away?
This reaction completely ruled out that possibility.
Kankuro felt a dull ache in his temples.
What exactly did Uzumaki Naruto say to Gaara during that conversation that changed Gaara fate years ago?
Since then, the cruel and cold-blooded younger brother, who was like a demon, has disappeared, replaced by the current Fifth Kazekage, who appears calm on the outside but is gradually learning to be warm and empathetic on the inside.
This change is undoubtedly a wonderful thing, Kankuro is more grateful to Naruto than anyone else. But why... why does Gaara's reaction become so... inexplicable as to ordinary friendship whenever Naruto is involved?
"No way? Gaara?" Kankuro's voice was tinged with frustration. "What do you really think of Naruto? Tell me the truth."
Gaara seemed stumped by the question, struggling to concentrate. After a long while, he spoke in a slow and unusually solemn tone.
He is my most important friend.
"But!" Kankuro immediately retorted, pointing to the empty sake bottle on the table and Gaara's red-rimmed eyes, "Look at yourself now! Is this how you should react when your 'most important friend' is getting married?! Really... are you just a friend?"
Gaara fell silent. He lowered his head, and after a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice tinged with a dreamlike daze.
"... I was really happy back then..."
"Ah?"
Gaara ignored his brother's doubts and continued talking to himself.
"True strength is never about being perfect, nor is it about being cold-blooded. It's about being wounded and scarred by fate, yet still choosing to use that broken heart to feel the remaining warmth, and... using that hard-won warmth to embrace others who are also cold in the darkness."
"These words were said by... Naruto?"
"After that..." Gaara's voice choked slightly, "I thought about it every day... It was so wonderful to meet Naruto."
"So... you see it as..." Kankuro tried to understand. Was it admiration? Gratitude? Or...?
" Naruto, he's Bonds I've worked so hard to forge!"
Gaara suddenly raised his voice, filled with drunken excitement and emotions that had been buried deep in his heart and were finally being released.
He slammed his forehead heavily onto the cold wooden table with a loud thud, his arms hanging limply at his sides. He was clearly completely drunk and incoherent. Even so, he continued to mumble incoherently and intermittently.
"I thought... I wanted to support Naruto as his friend... in the best way I could... but... as expected... the thought that someone could... make me unable to be Naruto's pillar of support..."
His words were fragmented and illogical, but Kankuro understood them. It wasn't romantic love, but a deeper, more complex dependence and connection.
It was Naruto who pulled him out of the abyss of darkness and loneliness, giving him the definition of " Bonds " and warmth. In Gaara's heart, Naruto was no longer just a friend, but more like a spiritual beacon.
Now, this most important "hub" has a more prioritized and intimate connection with him, both legally and emotionally. The sense of loss and panic at being "replaced" or "unable to occupy the most special position" is what caused him to lose his composure like this.
It wasn't that strange feeling... Kankuro breathed a long sigh of relief, but then felt an even deeper sense of helplessness.
This sounds... no less troublesome than simple love. It's practically making Naruto the center of their spiritual beliefs and emotional attachment.
"I understand..." Kankuro sighed, gently patting Gaara's shoulder, which trembled slightly from the alcohol, his tone softening. "But... there's nothing we can do about it. Besides, Naruto isn't going to stop coming to see you. You're still important friends, and that won't change."
"..."
Gaara lay slumped on the table, motionless and unresponsive, only his even but slightly heavy breathing indicating that he had fallen into a deep sleep from drunkenness.
Kankuro shook his head, got up, and called the shopkeeper to settle the bill, placing enough money on the table.
Then, with great effort, he lifted Gaara's arm and half-carried his younger brother's heavy body, preparing to take him back to the Sunagakure's temporary residence in Konoha to rest.
Just as he was supporting Gaara, staggering slightly as they were about to walk out of the tavern, Gaara, who was completely drunk and unconscious on his shoulder, murmured something in his sleep in an extremely soft, indistinct tone, yet filled with deep regret and a certain naive delusion, that made Kankuro freeze on the spot.
"If only... he were a girl..."