Thanks, even though she has threatened me with a spoon, to my beta Liana Uchiha.

Thanks to those who reviewed: Fox Loves Shinigami, Emiko-S, ketsuekilover, MSYOU, fridamoore, Liana Uchiha, Pen-Name-Kitsune-chan, and ANBUTrysts.

Tiresome had been an appropriate word to describe the night that the Elders informed him of his new title, and exhaustion was a good word to tell how it felt when the whole village was buzzing with congratulation, but now, almost a year and a half after everything had settled down, Naruto just wasn't himself. Being Hokage took every bit of energy he seemed to possess. Gaara watched emotionless as Naruto would draw up a thread of old enthusiasm from somewhere deep within him when someone walked into his office, only to slump back down when they left again.

Gaara could quite understand how the rest of the village managed not to notice the ashen pale that crept over his once golden skin, the way his hair was once spiky but now lackluster, or the way his bright blue eyes were almost like dusty gems. There were some evenings when he held Naruto's frail form in his arms that he wanted to demand he resign from his position, but it was those same days that Naruto would barely make it back to his cramped apartment before collapsing that anyone could see how truly happy he was. And thus, Gaara didn't say anything to the fading Hokage.

Just because he didn't say anything to Naruto didn't mean he kept silent all together. It was quite late at night, but Gaara knew where to find Sakura. She would be up late organizing Naruto's papers so his job would be as easy as possible the following morning. Her pink head barely even moved to see who was there as the door opened.

"Is everything okay?"

"He's not dead yet, if that what you mean." Bitterness like the faintest forgotten scent accented Gaara's normally flat voice.

"That's good. He's doing better than we expected."

"Despite your best efforts otherwise."

"What are you talking about?" Now she looked up, her face carefully controlled.

"Medics can bring back the dead, and people can live young seemingly endlessly, so tell me why you can't stop one man's body from destroying itself?"

"The reason you are standing here this evening is because people meddled with something out of their control. Sometimes the price is too great to pay."

"So you'll just let him die? Even when you could save him?"

"I couldn't save him."

"Don't lie. You won't just trade his life with someone else's." Their conversation had been carried out in soft civil voices until, now when Gaara's voice seemed to rip with raw desperation.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Sakura snapped.

"Yes. I'm not lying and hiding behind the outdated values of someone else."

"So you're suggesting we kill someone to satisfy your selfishness." She hissed in a low whisper.

"Selfishness? Is it selfish to want someone else to live?"

"No, but you want to kill people to let one man live. Naruto is dying for you; because of you. Don't let your guilt destroy both of you."

"Both of us?"

"Yes. Suppose I did this. Suppose I took some random person and ripped their life and let them fall to the ground like an empty walnut shell and stuffed that life into Naruto. How do you think that would make him feel? You go back to him and ask him he wants to live a stolen life. Ask him if he could ever forgive either of us for doing that to him." Her eyes met his and Gaara's shoulders dropped.

"I know you want him to live forever, but don't cheapen the gift he gave you. Let him die with integrity. It would be cruel have it any other way." As Gaara left the Hokage's tower, he looked up at the cliff face were the scaffolding from chiseling Naruto's face into the wall still hung. When he finally made it back, he found Naruto looking up at that same cliff.

"I did it. I'm the sort of person people look up to." He turned his eyes to Gaara, "You know I don't even regret how little time I have to lead them."

"Don't you wish you could live longer?" Gaara asked, and Naruto laughed.

"I'd be mad not to, but I won't spend the short time I have left regretting that I'm not going to live forever."

"But I want you to." Gaara slumped on to the bed next to Naruto.

"No you don't. You just don't want me to die. We both know that living forever would be a horrid fate." There was silence while they sat together, and Naruto leaned his head on Gaara's shoulder.

"It's my twenty-first birthday tomorrow. Remember when we didn't think I'd live to be twenty?"

"Let's aim for twenty-five." Naruto laughed softly at this.

"When I die, I want to buried somewhere that I can buried with you when you follow me. I don't want to be alone forever."

"Why all this talk about you dying? You're doing fine."

"Gaara, please promise me that they won't bury me in a lonely grave."

"If it makes you happy, we can talk about the location in the morning." Naruto nodded gravely and then yawned. "Go to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning." Naruto nodded, and soon, Gaara joined him in bed.

The night was cool, but Naruto had a fever, and so Gaara pulled the blankets off of him, and Naruto slept next to him on top of the covers. The moon peered through the window and on to the bed to watch Naruto wake. He leaned over to Gaara and pressed his lips softly against the other man's.

"Goodbye." He whispered, then left the room silently.

When Gaara awoke early the next morning to find nobody next to him, his first thoughts were that Naruto was up early. As he ate in the silent house, he was increasingly apprehensive as to where Naruto was, and so he decided to look for him. The village lay silent, covered in the cool blanket of predawn blue light. His worry escalated into panic as Naruto was nowhere to be found.

As the sky slowly turned pink, Gaara stepped out on the Hokage's heads, the last place he could think to look for Naruto. On one of them lay a figure, the light morning breeze played with the golden hair that was given life by the rising sun. The otherwise stillness of the person sent Gaara hurling towards them.

Hesitantly, he rolled Naruto onto his back and the blond stirred.

"Gaara?" He rasped out.

"I'm here." Naruto opened his eyes before shutting them again.

"I didn't want you to be."

"What?" Gaara's voice carried the hurt that he felt.

"I didn't want to feel my heartbreak trying to tell you goodbye."

"Did you think I could just let you go?"

"No, but it hurts so much for you to hold on. Please promise you'll let go. Please promise you'll be happy without me. I have to go now, but at least let me know I haven't abandoned you."

"I promise. I promise I will be happy and live both our lives until I come to join you."

"Good. Now close your eyes... I don't want you to have to watch me die." Gaara closed his eyes and he felt Naruto's weak hand cup his face, "Smile for me, let that be the last thing I remember." Gaara wanted to cry, but he knew he would have long, empty years to do that. Right now, he could smile for the person he loved.

-

He didn't know how long he held Naruto. He did know that sun rose to warm his face and the body that was no longer warming itself. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"People are looking for you. I told them that you should be left alone, but they are looking anyway." Sakura's words didn't mean anything to Gaara.

"Don't let them see their Hokage like this. Don't let Naruto appear like this before the people he led." Finally Gaara released his hold on Naruto's body. It wasn't as though the man he loved was there anymore.

It was said that a cold stole up on Naruto and settled in his chest, and despite every effort, nothing could be done to save him. The people were told that he died in a clean white hospital bed. For them, the Hokage's death was shocking and upsetting, but at least he didn't suffer, they told one another.

When it came time to bury Naruto, there was an argument. His will had been found, and it clearly stated that he was to be buried somewhere that Gaara could join him. It was a romantic idea with lots of political hang ups. The Hokage shouldn't be buried outside of the Leaf village, and it would be scandalous for the Kazekage to be buried so far from the desert sands.

Finally it was decided that Naruto would be cremated and half of his ashes would be interned in Konoha, and the other half in Suna. At first this caused an uproar that they were splitting Naruto in half, but then Sakura pointed out that it was only until Gaara completed him.

The funeral in Konoha was a large affair. It didn't rain for Naruto's funeral, and the birds didn't stop singing, but the people cried and the children didn't laugh. The unexpected death of the young, bubbly Hokage shocked them all deeply.

In contrast, Naruto's funeral in the Sand Village was small. No tears were shed; it was unwise to waste water in the desert. Nobody but Gaara lingered longer than to see the box containing half Naruto's ashes buried in the ground.

When everyone had gone, Gaara placed his hand on the pillar that marked the grave.

"I lied to you." He whispered. "I will live our lives, but there is no way to be happy with only half a heart."

The End

AN: I am so sorry this is horridly late. I fell off my friend's horse and broke my arm. Then I got a crazy doctor you put metal bars in my arms instead of a normal cast. Then I was behind in my classes. Then I had to plan and pack for a family trip (which kicked ass once it started). Most recently said crazy doctor took the metal bars out of my arm without sedating me (that hurt like hell). And I have to go away to school in 7 days and I'm not even half way packed! deep breath Now that my rant is over I hope you enjoyed this story and thanks for reading. -Morana