Doubt

Tragedy is simply the destruction of something beautiful for people to witness.

This statement might not be entirely accurate in the current context—after all, strictly speaking, what is being "destroyed" never truly belonged to him.

But for Gaara, this description was so vivid, so apt, so... heartbreaking.

He felt as if his heart had truly shattered.

This isn't a metaphor, nor an exaggeration; it's the literal meaning of shattering, a feeling you can truly sense. It's like something being gripped tightly by an invisible hand and then squeezed hard—

"Snap."

Torn to pieces.

He stood there, holding the still-warm lunchbox in both hands, as if frozen in place.

The pupils in those eyes trembled violently.

He saw Satsuki cradling Naruko's face.

He saw Satsuki's lips pressed against Naruko's lips.

He saw the person he had longed for most in his life, the person who had just appeared before him in his most perfect form, being kissed so casually and naturally by another person right in front of him.

It's no exaggeration to say that if Gaara were a member of the Uchiha Clan, activating the Sharingan right now would be an absolute breeze.

The intense emotional impact, the pain of watching helplessly as the most precious thing was taken away, the despair of wanting to rush forward but knowing he had no right to do so—all of these surged and roared within him, yet had nowhere to be vented.

He didn't know that in another world, there was a specific word to describe this feeling.

NTR.

The pain of losing a loved one.

However, upon closer examination, this statement is actually not accurate.

Because Satsuki and Naruto are the legally married couple, because they are childhood friends who grew up together, because they have liked each other since they were very young, and because they regard each other as the most important person in their lives.

If we really have to consider NTR (Netorare, a form of sexual exploitation)... then Satsuki is the one who was NTR'd.

After all, she is Naruto's legal wife; after all, she is the one who should have Naruto all to herself; after all, she is the one who possesses all of Naruto.

And Gaara —what is he anyway?

Just a friend.

He was just someone who had been saved.

He was just someone who could only stand at a distance, gazing at that beam of light.

"Alright, now that everything's settled, we'll be going."

Satsuki's voice broke the suffocating silence. She released Naruko's face, turned around, and wore a satisfied smile, her dark eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"After all, Naruto and I are still in our honeymoon period."

Her gaze fell on Gaara, carrying a hint of mockery. "It's really nice to see a different side of Naruto today."

She took Naruko's arm and walked towards the door.

"Well then, Kazekage, Kazekage. Have fun with that puppet."

Gaara's body swayed slightly, like a sapling battered by a storm; he used all his strength to keep himself from falling to the ground.

"Whoosh."

The faint sound of the Flying Thunder God Technique dissipated in the night sky, and the figure that had suffocated the entire room finally vanished.

Naruko... no, Naruto has finally left.

Gaara held the still-warm bento box in both hands. Even though the bento box was still warm, even though it contained Ramen made by Naruto himself, even though it was something he had always longed for—he felt his hands and feet were ice-cold.

From fingertips to toes, from limbs to heart, everything was ice-cold.

"I... Gaara, are you alright..."

Temari's voice came through, tinged with cautious unease and heartache. She no longer cared about the secret of puppets or anything like the messy things that had just happened.

She only saw her younger brother standing there, like a soulless statue, his face frighteningly pale.

She stepped forward, wanting to say something comforting, to pat his shoulder, to do something to make him feel better.

But when she opened her mouth, she found that she had no idea what to say.

What should he say? "Don't be sad"? But how could he not be sad?

To say "she didn't do it on purpose"? But Satsuki clearly did it on purpose. To say "you still have us"? But they aren't the people he wants most.

Kankuro reached out from the side and gently pulled Temari. He shook his head and gestured with his eyes for her to stop talking.

Now, saying anything is superfluous.

Those words of comfort, those pale words, only seemed more powerless at this moment. The only thing that could comfort Gaara was... Kankuro's gaze passed over Gaara and landed on the figure sitting on the edge of the bed in the depths of the room.

That puppet.

The puppet, made in Naruto's likeness, was sitting there quietly at that moment.

Kankuro, still holding Temari as she tried to say something, quietly left the room.

The door closed gently.

Gaara was left alone in the room.

And that puppet.

And that bento box.

And then there were those unspeakable emotions that were threatening to crush him.

"Waaah..."

The sound of sobbing finally broke out; it was soft and suppressed, like a desperate attempt to hold back a sob that couldn't be contained.

Gaara's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees.

He carefully placed the lunchbox beside him, afraid of dropping it and breaking it.

Then, tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the floor with a soft sound.

He didn't wail or scream in despair; he simply knelt there, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly, tears streaming down his face.

Like a child who has suffered a great injustice but doesn't know how to express it, and can only hide in a corner and cry silently.

Like a child whose most cherished possession has been taken away.

It's worse than that.

It wasn't a toy that was taken away from him.

It was the most beautiful dream he had just seen, yet it was taken away in an instant...

Sudden.

A warm touch came from behind me.

It was an embrace; someone gently and tenderly pulled him into their arms from behind.

"Don't be sad..." The voice rang in his ears, carrying a comforting warmth that made him want to immerse himself in it.

"Gaara, if there's anything you need, just tell me."

The voice continued, "I will always be by your side."

"Forever."

Gaara's body stiffened. He dared not turn around, afraid that if he did, he would find it was just an illusion, afraid that if he did, the warmth would vanish.

He feared that if he turned around, he would find that his desires had driven him mad.

But the warmth was so real, the arms that embraced him so strong, and the temperature against his back so clear.

Just like a real human body.

Unlike a puppet.

Unlike those cold, mechanical machines.

It is warm, soft, and full of life.

It's Naruko, the Naruko who has been with us since she was created, the Naruko he never dared to touch, never dared to desecrate, the Naruko he only dared to hold as he fell asleep.

At that moment, Naruko was gently holding him.

Gaara didn't know if he was being too eager, whether it was an illusion, or whether it was real or fake.

All he knew was --

So warm.

So warm.

So warm.

He could only turn away, seeking solace, and bury his face in that warm embrace, letting the tears flow uncontrollably.

The sobbing continued, but it no longer seemed so desperate.

Because someone was holding him, because someone told him they would always be with him, because someone gave him what he needed most.

On the verge of losing consciousness, a thought still surfaced uncontrollably.

Just now, the moment everyone entered the room, Naruko was sitting on the edge of her bed.

But... Gaara wouldn't make such a mistake.

He remembers it very clearly.

Very clear.

Upon hearing the screams downstairs and realizing something was wrong, the first thing he did was hide Naruko.

He pushed her into the hidden compartment under the bed, a place specially prepared for her, a place where no one could find her.

Then I rushed out, then went downstairs, and then faced everything.

So—how did Naruko get back to bed?