| Gaara | :|: Silent Eyes :|: | Ch. 01 - Breaking Hearts |

Mana tossed the ball to another one of her friends, giggling with joy. Gaara was suppouse to be with his siblings, picking out different clothes later. "Mana! Catch!" She snapped out of her trance, noticing the ball whirling high above her head. "Aw man! Where's a ladder when ya need it!" Her eyes watched as the sand from the roof lowered the ball to Gaara's hands. "Gaara!"
"Here." He held it out to the kids, even though he was several feet away. Mana was about to step ford, but a boy quickly gripped onto her shoulder. "Are you crazy? That's Sabaku No Gaara! The Demon holder!" Mana turned her ehad to Gaara. "Demon holder?" She repeated, her tone questioning. "Mana . . ."
"Run!" A girl shouted.

Gaara gasped when they started running, dragging Mana with them. "Hey let me go!"
"Don't run!" Gaara shouted, using his snd to drag them back. He heard Mana's scream of agony as his sand snapped a part of her body. Yashimaru quickly came into the middle, taking the other sand. "Gaara stop!" He shouted, casting his bod out to protect the children behind him. Mana was the first to look at him, her face was twisted in pain. Those beautiful eyes were full of tears. Gaara had caused her pain . . . He had hurt her! His hands shook with fear. He hurt Mana. His best friend. "Someone get Mana help!" A kid shouted. Another soft cry escaped from her lips. Gaara took several steps back, then started running.

/ Gaara's P.O.V. \
When I was safely in my room, all alone, I took out the teddy bear Mana had gave me last week. It was to celebrate our first month of friendship. I was so unsure now, the way she was acting . . . Her vocials, streching through his ears. He didn't want to cause her anything but happiness. This was his only friend, and he had hurt her. Like a broken toy. "Gaara?" He raised his head, to see Yashimaru, sticking his head out of the door. "What?"
"Mana . . . Is hurt really badly . . . She has to go back to Kohona to heal." Gaara's head shot up, his eyes wide. "What? Why!"

Yashimaru closed the door behind him, sitting beside Gaara. "Your sand crushed her around her chest, Gaara. She might not live if she doesn't get her village medication soon. They already taken her to Kohona. She has family there that'll take good care of her. I'm sorry, Gaara." Tears surrounded Gaara's eyes. He wanted to scream, but all he did, was cry. His soft whimpers made Yashimaru pat his back, comforting him easily. Gaara didn't want to be comforted. He wanted to cry himself senseless.

/ Mana's P.O.V. \
I stared at the sky as several ninjas carried her on a stretcher thing. She really didn't want to leave, but Gaara started to really scare her a bit. She clutched the locket, which was still unharmed, around her neck. It glittered in the light. When she opened it, on one side, there was Gaara's smiling face. On the other, there was my cheeky grin. Music played softly. Yashimaru made it. He said that it was Gaara's lullabye, sung by me. I smiled, dozing into a light sleep.

/ Hokage's P.O.V. \
I puffed out another smoke cloud from my pipe, thinking nothing but of my granddaughter, Mana. She was the oldest, and the most special person. He heard of her injured form, concerned, he called for her. He didn't know how well she would handle a Demon child, but she was pretty kind to Naruto, so he wanted to know how she'd act. Apperently, she had made the child mad. According to the scroll, though, it was an accedent. That's their way of getting by anything. "Kakashi, Anko. Meet the Suna Jounin at the gates."
"Yes Hokage!" They disapeared quickly. He turned back to the window, seeing Naruto looking around. Poor boy, if only he knew.