"Someone like me... can I really speak of light?" Gaara murmured to himself.
Naruto Uzumaki looked at him with a smile. "Of course. Everyone is born with the right to pursue their own happiness. No one can take that away. A person can't live on their own. If you're willing, then we're friends."
"Fri... ends?" Gaara muttered the familiar yet foreign word. His eyes flickered, and a trace of bewildered light appeared within them.
But then he snarled, "I don't need something like that. Everyone hates me. They look at me like I'm some kind of monster. Inside me... inside me is a monster sealed away. I am that monster."
Bang!
A fist struck out. Gaara let out a muffled grunt as blood ran down from his forehead, bruises appearing around his eyes.
"You bastard, were you even listening to what I said? Listen, Gaara. No one will hate you. The people in the village look at you that way only because they're afraid. As long as you change, they'll accept you.
"And Tailed Beasts aren't monsters. They're living beings with feelings, just like us. They can communicate, they can share their hearts, and they're friends worthy of trust!"
"Tailed Beasts... are friends?" Gaara asked doubtfully. The foundations of his worldview were rapidly shattering and rebuilding.
Naruto released him, and Gaara fell to the ground. Countless thoughts collided in his mind.
Suddenly, he saw Naruto extend a hand, his fist stopping before Gaara's face. "Don't overthink it. If you accept me as a friend, then bump fists with me. Men can only understand each other through fist bumps!"
A fist bump?
Gaara murmured in confusion, yet instinctively reached out and touched Naruto's fist with his own. The instant their fists met, the entire world seemed to light up before his