#narutextpost

Even from episode one, Naruto was under a canopy when learning of his jinchuuriki status and spiraling before Iruka validates his humanity and protects him. Gaara was under the clear night sky as Yashamaru invalidates his humanity, and the only thing protecting him was his sand.

Naruto standing upright in the light while Gaara is upside down in the trees. Naruto wanting to know Gaara and Gaara not wanting anything to do with him.

Naruto’s “why does everyone look at me like that?” and running away and Gaara’s “he looked at me the wrong way, so now he’s gonna die”. Naruto protecting his teammates in the Forest of Death and Gaara threatening his siblings. Naruto befriending Lee and Gaara nearly killing him. Both of them visiting Lee in the hospital for completely different reasons. Naruto is afraid of Gaara, and Gaara is going to kill them. Naruto unable to sleep due to anxiety and Gaara unable to sleep due to Shukaku.

Gaara being chidori’d by Sasuke and Naruto later experiencing the same. Both of them being ostracized to the degree of hating their villages, but Naruto seeks validation through attention/love and Gaara seeks validation through destruction/death. Gaara’s transformation into Shukaku as taking over his body and Naruto transforming into Kyuubi and remaining in control. Gaara being a demon who loves only himself and Naruto’s identity being his love for others to the point of harming himself.

Both out of breath at the top of the trees with a giant sword separating the two of them as an acknowledgement of the circumstances that brought them to this battle, yet having their own reflections obscured by the other boy’s. The sword disappears and they are looking at each other in the eyes. “It hurts doesn’t, the feeling of being all alone…”. The acknowledgment of their shared pain. Gaara’s the one who’s afraid and Naruto is threatening to kill him for his friends. Neither of them can move.

Sasuke coming to assure Naruto that Sakura is free and taking him back to the village while Temari and Kankuro pick Gaara up to retreat.

Naruto training his body during the time skip and Gaara training his mind. Gaara being captured at the hands of Akatsuki to protect his own village despite all he’s suffered for them. Naruto coming to his rescue at a moments notice. Naruto clawing his way to get Gaara out of the darkness of clay holding him. Naruto carrying Gaara’s body on his shoulder. Naruto advocating for Gaara and acknowledging his pain, how unfair the whole thing is.

Naruto’s “Give him back. Give Gaara back.” and later Gaara’s “I will not let you have Naruto Uzumaki”. Naruto crying for Gaara and in doing so also crying for himself. Gaara later crying for Sasuke because he sees himself in him. Naruto getting defensive of Gaara’s body and later Gaara being defensive of Naruto’s role in the war.

Granny Chiyo and Naruto bring Gaara back from the dead post-extraction and Gaara and Sakura keeping Naruto alive post-extraction.

Gaara’s surprise at his village coming to save him and later Naruto’s surprise that his village was waiting for him. Naruto being uncharacteristically shy about a handshake and Gaara being confident and initiating.

Naruto finding out his dad is the Yondaime who made him a jinchuuriki as a war deterrent while Gaara’s dad being the Yondaime and using him as a weapon of war. Naruto was unable to cope with how the village treated him now that he’s accomplished his goal, and Gaara was surprised at his village wanting to rescue him.

Then there’s Naruto’s willingness to protect Gaara and Gaara’s willingness to protect Naruto and the way they butt heads because of it. Gaara seeing and empathizing with Sasuke and wanting to help, but caught in his duties as Kazekage and Naruto’s friend. Naruto’s distress at wanting to protect everyone, but them being on opposing sides.

Naruto gave a speech to the sand ninja on his feelings towards Gaara and how cruel and unfair the world was. Gaara gave a speech to the shinobi nations on his feelings towards Naruto and how he wanted to protect him and the world.

Minato telling Naruto he believes in him and Rasa being upset/surprised that Gaara even has friends. Kurama being extracted from Naruto and Gaara carrying him on his shoulder as he’s dying. Gaara being pissed that Naruto’s even on the battlefield to asking Naruto on a date Naruto’s reassurance that he will come back alive so they can drink when Naruto becomes Hokage.

Gaara initiating their handshake at the end of the series and Naruto taking Gaara’s enthusiastically and laughing freely. Both of them going from being considered monsters to kages. Naruto and Gaara adopting children who need them. Naruto and Gaara.

With the shaky political alliance between the Leaf & Sand, I can easily see Jiraiya or Kakashi trying to tell Naruto he can’t be friends with Gaara. They might tell him “he ended Lee’s ninja career” or “Sakura just got out of the hospital” to try and sway him, but the real reason is that having two human nukes be friends with each other when things could escalate to war at any moment is probably not a good idea. Even more so if you consider neither of them are particularly liked by their village at that point, they might be more loyal to each other than their villages. You need them to be able to fight if it comes to that. Naruto doesn’t give a shit, but he starts to realize just how controlled/puppet-ed his life is and starts questioning fucking everything.

This sentiment gets even worse as they get older and there’s a hint of some budding feelings. Gaara is a kage now. The jinchuuriki being in a romantic relationship with the kage of another nation is a nightmare. Then Gaara fucking dies and Naruto’s teary speech about how they’re treated and controlled and ostracized just to die as a sacrifice for both their villages and enemies no matter what they do would just solidify Naruto’s distrust/hatred of others that we see with the waterfall of truth later in the series.

Then they’re both kages and suddenly there’s the possibility of favoritism, alliances/treaties, and trade and it could easily seem lopsided to the other nations relationship to Konoha or Suna. Kage summits are messy as hell, especially if they’re having a lil lover’s quarrel (or worse, a third act breakup).