Previously-

I wondered what gaara did to get the blood. I shut my eyes and took a breath, before opening the top of the bottle.

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Now-

----Gaara----

I sat on the ground with my back against the wall of the hut. My arms were on my knees and my head in my hands. It was difficult. The coming down from the 'high' that the blood has raised me up to. I guess I had forgotten that. Guilt pricked me. I don't want Naruto to see me in this...

state.

However, I just left him to go through the same thing by himself. Is that right of me? Either way, I can't change it now. The bottle I had drank from lay off to the side, rolling softly with the gusts of wind the breezed by every now and again. This is just a pit stop. Naruto shouldn't be around a lot of people, at least not until he can get some more control over himself, or rather his desire for blood. I was considering taking him up towards the capital, I would be able to get some more blood for us there. However, I think that I may instead take him to the south. Drop down and head into the darker and more uninhabited places of the fire kingdom. I thought this over. The tense relations between sound and fire are alright for now. That battle will have them rethinking for a while anyway. The village should be fine. Uneasiness bit at my stomach. Why had the Sound kingdom attacked in the first place? I can not seem to place my finger on it, but something seems off. I shook my head. I am over thinking this. The Sound kingdom most likely forgot about the legend where I protected the village, sent in a scout and decided that they could take the village, and therefore the only gate with ease. My thoughts came full circle and I was brought back to my current dilemma. The Capital or South? My mind made up, I pushed myself off of the ground and grabbed the empty bottle before stepping back inside the hut. Naruto was sprawled out on the mattress face down.

"ah!" This muffled sound slid from him as he turned to look at me. "Gaara!" He grinned, and I thought I saw a twinge of, relief in his eyes? Why would Naruto be relieved? "Your back!"

"Of course." I replied slightly confused. "Why would I leave?" He blinked before jumping up and slamming into me. I nearly toppled over from the force of his hug, but I wrapped my arms around his waist. I breathed in his scent. The scent I had almost lost. I must be a very selfish person, to be happy I turned Naruto into this, monster. This monster that I am, all because I wanted to keep him. A very selfish want. No, not a want, a desire. A selfish, sinful desire. To hold him when it's my fault he had to be like this in the first place. If I had more self-control....

My mind was jerked from this trail of painful thoughts by Naruto flicking my nose. I blinked.

"Oi, Gaara."

"Hm?"

"Where are we going?"

"South." I replied, recalling my earlier decision.

"South? Why south? There aren't any people in the south?"

"That is why we are going south." I said, untangling myself from his grip. My guilt had returned and I couldn't allow myself to indulge in his touches.

"I can handle the blood, but it will be easier to get used to controlling your desire for blood in the south."

"Um. I don't get it." I grabbed the empty bottle and stashed them away to use later.

"I will explain as we go, if you wish." He nodded and followed after me as we left the hut.

----Naruto----

I walked next to him, and I was pretty happy about it until I realized that he wasn't touching me again. I thought that the hug back in the hut had cleared stuff up. I guess I was wrong. Not the first time that's happened. Gaara lead me away from the hut and towards, well south I think. Directions are kinda hard sometimes.

"So. Gaara. Why are we going south?" I asked again.

"Control." He replied. "If you are far enough out you will not be able to obtain blood with ease and you will become dependent upon me for blood. This will create a situation where I can push your limits so you will develop the ability to restrain and control yourself when yo are low on blood."

"Uh.... What?" I asked. Sometimes Gaara slips into his formal way of talking. Almost always now that think about it. But it gets hard to understand it sometimes.

"Since I control the blood you will be able to have, I will be able to force you to get used to lower and lower amounts of blood to drink until you have a reasonable amount of control."

"Oh~ okay." That made a whole

Lot more sense to me. "Just like weaning an animal off milk."

"Expect that the milk will not actually be taken away." Gaara said.

"Ya know... You keep going on about control and everything but I think I'm doing fine." I said as I walked next to him. His footsteps stopped suddenly and had to stop and turn around to look at him. "Why did you stop so sudde-" he cut me off.

"Is that what you believe?"

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