That night, Naruto and Gaara lay on the roof of the Kazekage's office building, gazing at the stars filling the sky. Naruto smiled. "It's really beautiful here. You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place, Gaara."
Gaara sighed. "I used to hate everything here. For the safety of everyone in the village, my father kept sending people to test me. In the end, he even sent Yashamaru. You know, Naruto, when Yashamaru came to kill me on his orders, all I had in my eyes was hatred. I hated this world, I hated everything about this village, and I hated my father even more. I wanted to kill everyone, and that was exactly what I tried to do. But the more I killed, the emptier and lonelier I felt. In the end, I could only keep killing to prove that my existence had any worth. Heh, how miserable was that?"
Naruto thought back to his experiences in the Amazon jungle during his first life, when companions who had once been close to him became his enemies. He still clearly remembered the moment a good friend stabbed him in the back in that jungle.
He had found it utterly unbelievable. A friend he had lived alongside for nearly ten years had deceived him to survive, then stabbed him when he was at his most vulnerable. It was a truth that filled him with despair. Even now, Naruto found it hard to forget. That pain had been carved into his soul.
Naruto turned to look at Gaara. "Gaara, I understand how you feel. That kind of pain is more than anyone should have to bear. It's already incredible that you managed to escape its shadow."
Gaara looked at Naruto and smiled. "I have you to thank for all of that, Naruto.