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vote-gaara · 1 year

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The Sands of Time: Gaara's Story

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Summary: Gaara, Temari and Kankuro have made it back to Sunagature after having retreated from their country's defeated invasion on the Hidden Leaf Village. Now the siblings must stand before the Suna Council, fully preparing to be reprimanded for their failure, but instead there's a surprise in store...

Join Gaara as he learns to navigate his world, desperately clinging to the same ideals as Uzumaki Naruto, so that he can become someone special to others. The road to a better future isn't an easy one, and the path is surely treacherous with danger and betrayal looming, but for poor Gaara there is just no other choice...

Words: 2600

Warnings: Death Mention, Murder Mention, Sad Gaara :(

Author's Notes: This is actually the beginning of a two “book” series following the growing friendship (and eventual romance) between Gaara and my OC. However the first few chapters offer pretty solid, stand-alone explanations for how Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were promoted so fast, and how Gaara was eventually made Kazekage years after Rasa died….I hope you enjoy this either as a stand alone piece, or as part of the series it belongs to. THERE ARE NO ORIGINAL CHARACTERS IN THIS CHAPTER.

Chapter One: Mission Failed!

“Perhaps even I some day…”

***

Three figures sat hiding within the forest’s edge, sheltering from the dry wind that swept across the flat grassland beyond. Soon the three of them would be home to their desert village, where they could discard their filthy clothes, tend to their wounds and rest easy knowing that they were finally safe.

It had been an arduous and painful two and a half days as they traveled through enemy territory, tensing up at the slightest rustle of foliage in fear that they had been tracked down by an Anbu squad, or even just a more rejuvenated surveying squad.

Though there was always suspense journeying through unfamiliar territory, the tension between the three shinobi, who were just barely teenagers, was immensely greater than that. They were injured, exhausted, and in no condition to fight, and they knew very well that a retaliation mission could have been launched at any moment to take vengeance on them for what their country had done.

Worse, still, was the bitter misery of distrust between them, for although they were fellow Suna shinobi and siblings, they felt alienated from one another; as if they were their own stars separated by a thick, dark, void of emptiness where they could see each other’s light, but it was so far away and felt so cold, so sterile, so miserable.

Gaara sat apart from his brother and sister, slumped up against a tree trunk where he was nursing a stiff injured shoulder and a throbbing pain in his head. A sensation he once found enthralling now has become a burden as he wished that the ache would subside and allow him to think clearly.

“Uzumaki Naruto…” He thought, squinting in pain as the breeze made the light between the leaves dance on the dark forest floor. “Could I be like that one day, too?”

He stole a glance at his siblings who were sitting close together. They were silent mostly, but every so often they would murmur to each other, words that Gaara couldn’t hear. They never bothered to glance his way, anyway. Just two days prior, he couldn’t have cared less about what they were saying, but now he found he was experiencing a sense of yearning that was strong and unceasing, like an urgent itch. He wanted to know, to connect, but he didn't know how.

“Why don’t they talk to me?”

The voice was so small, so meek and yet it passed through his mind with such speed that Gaara wondered if he had ever thought it at all. Perhaps it was just the pain. He had never had thoughts like that before…No, that wasn't true. He had, but so very long ago that he could barely remember what it was like to crave the company of others. All that he could remember now was the pain; the pain and the…

He closed his eyes, his head throbbing all the more.

***

“It’s time,” Baki stated in his deep, gruff voice from where he stood in the doorway.

Gaara glanced at him. It had been a week since he and his siblings had returned to Suna, but it was clear that being home didn’t mean their work was over - it was far from it.

When they had returned home, they were whisked away to the Suna hospital where they were put into separate rooms and treated. Gaara had watched from his examination room as medical-nin peered in to glance at him, only to become startled and recoil in horror when his eyes met theirs. He could hear their hushed, urgent murmurs as he continued to wait, painfully aware of how unwelcome his very presence was in a facility that swore to heal the sick and injured, regardless of prejudice.

Yet it had taken almost an hour and a half before a young medical ninja slinked into the room. He began treating Gaara’s wounds quickly and without speaking, dabbing at the wounds with hands that trembled so visibly that Gaara excused him almost immediately.

Gaara was aware of his effect on people, but seeing their responses before his eyes always made his stomach churn. He watched silently, a smoldering anger like a mourning burning up in his insides, as the young medical-nin bowed quickly - clumsily - before swiftly departing, leaving Gaara alone to assess his half bandaged injuries, the room cold, quiet and empty.

Now, a week later, Gaara was in his bedroom, waiting for Baki to arrive to inform him that the head of Suna was ready for him.

“The elders have reviewed your mission report,” Baki said to Gaara, getting straight to business. It may have been odd, but in the last few days Gaara had grown to appreciate Baki’s ability to look at him directly, to speak to him without being terrified. What once felt annoying to Gaara now felt like salvation, for even though Baki's tone was strictly professional, it made Gaara feel human. “We have lost a great deal during this invasion, so I wouldn’t expect any praise.”

Gaara nodded, remaining silent and somber as he followed his sensei through the corridors of the estate. He allowed his mind to wander.

Back when Gaara had left the treatment room at the hospital, he had quickly glanced around for Temari and Kankuro only to realize that they had left him. Gaara had departed then, expecting to go home to his room to rest, but was quickly ushered into the meeting chamber where his brother and sister were waiting for him.

“The fourth Kazekage is dead.”

Gaara didn’t know how to feel about his father’s death at that moment. He wasn’t even certain he saw Rasa as a father at all, and yet as the days passed an odd form of anguish began tearing at his stomach, and Gaara found himself angry all over again. He wanted to lash out at others, to inflict hurt, to kill, but he knew he couldn’t do those things anymore - No, he didn't want to do those things anymore. Yet he didn't trust himself and so he holed himself up in his room, only leaving for physical necessities and for his duties as a shinobi.

Now sensei and student walked into the meeting chamber to a row of elders who bore into him with scrutinizing eyes. Gaara looked past them, his eyes resting on the statue that was erected in his father’s honor, but his heart felt nothing.

“Ah, and here’s Lord Gaara,” One of them quipped as if the elders had been talking about him - and perhaps they had been. “Lady Temari and Lord Kankuro will be joining us shortly, I assume.”

Baki nodded, “I hear them coming now.”

Temari and Kankuro stepped into the room, lining up next to Gaara without looking at him. They both greeted the elders, who did so in kind.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” The oldest of the counsel, Jōseki, called everyone's attention. "As you all know, your father, the fourth Kazekage, has been murdered. Our investigation points to Orochimaru as the culprit, and our evidence suggests he had assassinated and used Lord Fourth's identity in order to better manipulate the politics of Suna. We don’t have to explain that this has dire consequences for Sunagature."

"Not only is it a matter that we have to be vigilant against any spies that have been implanted during this betrayal, but without our Kazekage, we are vulnerable to other villages who may have been informed of our political status." Another counselor, Gōza, cut in.

"We also have to be prepared for a retaliation invasion by The Land of Fire at any moment." Joseki continued, "And the status between our village and the daimyō is still to be determined."

"No matter how you look at it, the fate of our village is balancing on a lot of very dangerous factors." Another one of them said as he cleared his throat, the only tell indicating that the calm union of faces who were addressing Temari, Kankuro and Gaara held tension among them.

Shinobi weren't just physical tools used to sacrifice flesh and bone to the grinders that were their missions; they were mental and emotional assets that gave nothing away as they endured countless instances of immense fear, sorrow, anger and sacrifice. They were thus burdened to not only offer up their very health, and even their lives, to their nation, but the mental and emotional energy that was tethered to their refined and well trained physical forms.

Just as a person whose body was injured to the point of collapse lost their consciousness, Shinobi who experienced emotional and mental fatigue were physically vulnerable; not just in how another may conquer them, but in how they could lose to their own impulses and act out poorly.

Which wasn't that how Gaara had acted during his time in Konoha?

The tension that the elders held was an indication that there was something of great emotional weight to be discussed, and Gaara already knew precisely what it was.

“You all acted with disgrace during your time in The Land of Fire.” Jōseki cut in, not allowing the counselor’s hesitancy to continue so long that it would give it away. “Not only did your actions reflect poorly on the dignity of Sunagature during the Chunin Exams, but your very actions had caused the mission to fail and thus the security of the village rests on your consciences.”

More of the counselor’s spoke up, addressing their disapproval and admonishing all of the siblings equally, despite the mission's failure having rested solely on Gaara's own bloodlust in his desire to stop at no length to kill Uchiha Sasuke. Temari and Kankuro had no choice but to retreat with him under orders given to them by Baki. Neither of them had done anything wrong, they were simply responding to their changing circumstances under immense pressure from both Gaara and the plan; however the council couldn’t address it like that.

The elders, despite having been hardened Shinobi with great skill and power, were still afraid of Gaara's power; perhaps not for their own safety, but for that of the village. It was simply a matter of tact that they skirt around reprimanding him directly, including Temari and Kankuro into the blame to soften the blow. There were already so many imminent dangers threatening those who called the desert home, they didn't need Gaara to be the final strike that would kill the already withering village of Sunagature.

Gaara found himself wondering what it would be like to have the elders solely single him out for his insubordination. What would it feel like to watch his siblings be praised for their own efforts and for him to be ripped into with tongue lashings and scrutiny? Was that type of acknowledgement not possible for him?

He was no longer the Kazekage's delicate son, as there was no Kazekage any longer. The elders couldn’t hide behind status as a reason to not criticize him. Instead, Gaara was acutely aware that the elders were afraid of him, just as everyone else was, and so they continued to handle him like a weapon that could unleash demolition and death at the blink of an eye.

Temari and Kankuro both bowed their apologies, accepting their share of the blame because they knew, along with everyone else in the room, that they were not the ones being rebuked. Gaara still felt strained by this, however, as even though the scolding was empty for his older brother and sister, he wondered if the injustice of taking the blame made them hate him even more.

Not that a Shinobi would ever dare admit to being upset by unfairness.

"But enough of the wallowing," Gōza piped up, taking a stand at the round table. "We have other, more constructive, matters to discuss."

Gaara was mildly surprised by the sudden change of course, but the feeling quickly passed. "They can't discipline us too harshly. Suna has risked and lost too much to the invasion, they need us for their next mission." Gaara reasoned. Yet as sound as Gaara’s logic may have been, he was incorrect.

Gōza continued, "As you know, the Chunin Exams are a cooperative event between villages, whose high ranking officials name those who they see worthy of promotion to go on to be Chunin. However, due to our recently severed ties to The Leaf Village, it is our prerogative to promote those who we deem fit."

Gaara could sense his brother and sister stiffen in surprise. "Are you saying you're promoting us to Chunin?" Kankuro blurted out, unable to help himself. His shock was warranted, as Kankuro had forfeited in the semi-finals and wouldn't have even been discussed as a candidate had the Chunin Exams concluded normally.

"You are all excellent Shinobi," Gōza said, "You all could have passed as Chunin long ago. It was merely a procedural and tactical matter that you compete, but due to our circumstances having changed, we have all come to an agreement that you three will move on to being Chunin of The Hidden Sand."

The siblings didn’t know how to react, as they weren’t expecting this. However, all three of them bowed and thanked the counselors, Gaara’s own thanks just barely audible in the big, open chamber.

“Ever since The Third Kazekage disappeared many years ago, the tribes forming Sunagature have agreed the Kazekage title be passed down to heirs,” Joseki explained. There was a certain acidity in his voice as he appraised the three young siblings. “With your father being dead, that means that the Kazekage title could be claimed by any of you three. However, you are all much too young and not skilled enough - as skilled as you may be.”

Gaara could see now the disdain Joseki had as his hard glare found Gaara. It cut into him like whips, and Gaara returned the sentiment. “Though Sunagature is in dire need of a strong and shrewd leader during our current circumstances, we have suspended our decision to elect a shinobi of no blood relation to Lord Fourth. This is due to our current agreement between tribes, nothing more. And so we will wait for one of you three to improve enough to be deemed worthy of the respect and admiration of the Kazekage name. That is the sole reason for your promotion, nothing more.”

Gaara watched as the rest of the counselors’ eyes shifted towards Joseki, their quick glances containing surprise but also a mild disapproval; even Baki had allowed the smallest line of tension to come between his brow. Perhaps what Joseki was saying carried a great deal of truth to it, but his own abrasiveness towards the three siblings was palpable and thus undesirable by the rest of the council.

Still, the elders were in agreement enough that they excused the careless delivery of the information. Rather they looked back towards Temari, Kankuro and Gaara and asked if they had any questions, to which none of them did.

“Then this meeting is concluded,” Joseki said as he stood from his place at the table. Before anyone had any opportunity to move, he stalked out of the room, shooting Gaara one more look of abhorrence as he passed, leaving everyone else to listen as his footsteps faded in the long, echoey halls of the Kazekage estate.

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nightingaleflow · 2 years

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Sand Village Supremacy honestly (Matsuri not withstanding)

#I made this instead of writing #Hidden Sand Village #Gaara #Temari #Kankuro #Baki #Maki #Shira #Sen #Pakura #Sand Siblings #Matsuri #Sunagakure #Naruto #Naruto memes

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catharsistays · 9 months

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Does anyone else think Sunagakure (Village Hidden in the Sand) could closely resemble Mesopotamian culture?

Im trying to make cultural links between the Naruto World and ours since im not finding a lot of canon exploration in customs or socialization of villages/countries.

Currently in the Naruto wiki, its referenced that Suna's buildings are most likely made up of Stucco. Which is an architectural technique used across a good bit of cultures but generally it was used in Egytian, Minoan and Etruscan architectural sculptures. BUT- besides maybeee Egypt, the geography doesnt quite fit.

Other cities that use/used Stucco were Iraq, Arabia, Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and around Southern India. Which btw i think fits CLOSER to what we see of Suna in the anime. But im not sure if there was any place that was specifically quoted as the inspiration behind Suna's anthropolgy if there was any.

Im thinking perhaps Mesopotamian culture and locations could be used in reference to expand upon the finer details of Suna's culture and society cause i refuse to think of them as just 'Aggressive Sand Village' yknow?

Please feel free to mention any other aspects you think should be explored since i just got hyperfixated on the mention of a real world historical technique in the Naruto wiki. It was probably just a comparison the writer made but thats good enough for me.

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mysillyfanstuff · 18 hours

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This is Asahi

He was found outside of the hidden sand village by Baki and taken him into the village. His mother was a tatsu and she was a kunoichi of the sand village, but she defected the same time as her mate Sasori.

Asahi was taken in and was trained to be a weapon like Gaara. Thanks to his father’s reputation the village was frightened by him. He took this in stride and was rather roof less.

Asahi hated just about everyone except a very few people in the village. He got along with the sand siblings and Baki. He was particularly fond of Kankuro as they both were puppeteers. He was also fond of lady Chiyo, but like everyone else she was distant, especially with Asahi, but he wasn’t discouraged. He even picked up her tricky nature.

He was involved in the Konoha crush, but didn’t used his dragon form. After the failed attack he saw a change in Gaara.

Over some time things seem to change in the sand village, but the villagers still despise Asahi. During a mission (a year and half before Naruto returned to Konoha.) the squad he was traveling with turned against him and tried to kill him, but Akanemai and Sara intervened, saving Asahi.

Asahi was moved by this. The fact two strangers came to help him. While his fellow sand shinobi tried to kill him. He joined Akanemai and became the third person her to join her main squad.

Asahi is a tatsu and he can turn into a scorpion dragon. Like with Akanemai it is unknown why this is.

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wing-ed-thing · 9 months

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Political Ruin (Baki x Reader)

Synopsis: The Sand had much to rebuild, even after Gaara’s many years in office. As a prominent leader in the village, you were one of the names called upon to serve after the war. However, you were always more of a brawler and less of a diplomat.

Word Count: 0.6k

Tags/Warnings: @ricflairdrip20 Diplomat!Reader, Fear of Public Speaking

Notes: My computer has been being so mean

You gripped your papers close to your chest, a deep, shaky sigh blowing past your lips. The room bustled with people, from elders to well-seasoned political figures to civilians who had never stepped a foot into the Kazekage building. They all stirred amongst themselves, and the chatter that echoed throughout the hall did nothing to quelch your nerves.

A few representatives from the Hidden Cloud had already engaged a few diplomats from the Hidden Mist; the entire ensemble crowded around a tall cocktail table in the corner. Despite the lines of seats that sat in front of the stage, only a portion of the people in the room sat down. Out of those who did, you saw a young man pull out a clipboard, no doubt talking business as a small group of politicians of mixed backgrounds gathered around him.

You felt a soft bump against the back of your left shoulder. Baki craned his neck only slightly as he stared down at your speech. You barely caught a glimpse of his upturned lips. You huffed, hugging the papers closer to you.

“Nervous?” he asked, squaring his shoulders back to assume an upright posture. You glanced up at him as Baki surveyed the room, watching the slow swivel of his head as he held his jaw clenched tight. Despite being only in your mid-thirties, you couldn’t help but feel as if you had grown out of the new-aged definition of a shinobi.

“This isn’t exactly my strong suit.” You gulped, considering turning around completely, but the thought of the entire room behind you seemed even less appealing than your current predicament. Baki quirked a brow, expression as severe as always.

“Not your strong suit?” he repeated. “You’ve led your fair share of squads before.”

“Squads are a handful of other people. Not… this.” You gestured to the room full of diplomats. “I swear, I’ve shaken too many people’s hands. Over twenty years as a shinobi, and small talk has never been a part of the job duties.”

“You’ll be fine.” Baki mused, and you couldn’t say he had been helpful.

A new group entered through the open double doors at the opposite end of the room.

“And here come the representatives from the Leaf,” you sighed, yet another pressure on your shoulders. After all, Gaara regarded the Village Hidden in the Leaves highly. You needed to build a solid relationship with the people the Leaf Village sent.

“You have new hands to shake, it seems,” Baki muttered as he checked the time. You scowled.

“You think you’re funny.”

“I can afford it. I’m not the one giving a speech, right… about now.” Baki caught sight of the Sand official walking onto the stage before you did. You followed his gaze, bouncing between eyeing the introducer and Baki’s calm and collected demeanor.

“What if I mess it up and fall into political ruin?” you whispered harshly. You couldn’t tear your eyes off the stage. It was taller than you remembered. “I haven’t even greeted the Leaf’s people yet. I wasn’t trained for this. Hell, we weren’t trained for this.” Baki’s hand gripped your shoulder firmly.

“You will be just fine,” he said softly but sternly into your ear. “You were trained for much worse, and, quite frankly, you can’t ruin a political career you don’t have.” He patted your shoulder as the announcer introduced you to the stage. “You’ll be fine. I’ll accompany you to the Leaf representatives afterward.”

You stared up at him, and with a slight nod, you offered him a nervous smile. With another deep breath, you made your way toward the stage stairs.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

#naruto baki x reader #baki x reader #naruto x reader #naruto baki #sand village #naruto x you #naruto x y/n #hidden sand village #naruto #x you #x reader #reader insert #baki fanfiction #naruto fanfiction #naruto fanfic

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opens-up-4-nobody · 10 months

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Naruto shippuden things that made me lose my mind (ep 424-season 20 ep 30):

Madara just shot a laser out of his mouth?

Madara: he can see my limbo???

Madara sailing thru the air: I'll be taking that *rips Kakashi's eye out of his skull*

Madara, casually: sasuke sure is quick *gets sliced in half by sasuke*

Kakashi, thinking abt young team 7: I misunderstood you all then, in some ways I probably still do (Kakashi, u just said it was sakura's job to pull sasuke from the darkness, that is the most fundamental misunderstanding of team 7 u could have)

*apocalyptic things happening* shikamru: I think something bad's happening over there (thanks, dumbass)

Tenzo's dream is for team 7 to accept him as their captain 😭

Sasuke getting purple snake goo spit in his face made me laugh aloud

Madara, talking abt chakra: I will get rid of this curse upon humanity (do it, king!)

This is from a filler english dub episode but: Christmas exists in naruto -> ninja Jesus confirmed

It's so unbelievable in tenten's mind that she could protect and be valuable to her friends and village that the infinite tsukuyomi put her into the Menma AU. That's fucked up.

Jesus. Karin's backstory. Pretty fucked up that she's gonna end up working for orochimaru forever.

Tsunade's infinite tsukuyomi dream: I would like to join the audience in watching the TV show Naruto

I feel like it says a lot that senju tsunade set a huyga at the center of the Akatsuki plan instead of a uchiha

Everytime they talk about neji, the more you can feel how hard they fucked up by killing him

Fuck sasuke being a cop. I hate it. But also sasuke is the type of person who would become batman. He ran around calling himself an avenger. I hate it but it doesn't feel wrong. It is funny tho that instead of joining orochimaru, sasuke's evil arc is becoming a cop.

#idk tsunades dream feels like senju propaganda #like idk what the uchiha even want. they feel like they're being outcast but like also they kinda fucking suck #obviously they didn't deserve to die but like. i 1000% believe they would absolutely abuse their power as the police #and like if ur the government do u really want to take in a bunch of violent cops with fucked up magic eyes??? not really #but idk the whole institution of Konoha is wrotten to the core. which is the fucking point. its a fucked up devil tree #that is fucking overtly in the story. theres an evil demon tree thst kills ppl and naruto lives in the village hidden in the leaves which #is corrupted from the roots up. its evil. the village is evil. its insane. wtf was i sayying?#oh yeah im only partway thu tsunades dream but im posting this now bc its too far back in my notes #ugh. fuck the uchiha. im glad they died. they were fucked up. im also glad all the senju r dead. may all the clans die forever 🙏#everyone dies and then there will b peace in the naruto world.... thats a very madara line of thought...#thats y naruto is a better person than me. i would sands of destruction that shit #god. but in that game they also dont end the world... that world didnt seem as bad as the naruto world tho #naruto ramblings

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artfullypoetic · 2 years

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The idea of Gaara absentmindedly playing with sand because it helps him think is so endearing I had to draw it

Requests open!

#gaara #gaara fanart #naruto fanart #sand siblings #kazekage gaara #hidden sand village #sunakagure #naruto shippuden #my art #art requests #gaara of the sand

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animewitxh · 1 year

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(Naruto Shippuden)

#naruto shippuden #naruto uzumaki #jinchuriki #nine tailed fox #kurama #naruto #sand village #leaf village #village hidden in the leaves #village hidden in the mist

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raeynbowboi · 2 years

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How to Play as Gaara in DnD 5e

Gaara is perhaps one of the hardest characters to adapt to DnD simply because it requires a lot of reflavoring to make work, but today, I want to prove that it is possible to play as Gaara in DnD 5e, and more than just one way too.

Usually, my rule for Anime Characters is that they are Variant Humans due to their ability to do things normal humans can’t, and while Variant Human or Custom Lineage are viable, I will also be throwing out another possible choice for Gaara. Fallen Aasimars can effectively activate “dark mode” where they become stronger for a brief period, dealing more damage, and potentially scaring anyone nearby when they transform. So, if you go with Variant Human or Custom Lineage, take Eldritch Adept and pick up Armor of Shadows to make his AC 13+Dex. But if you want to make Shukaku Possessed Gaara part of the build, you’ll have to drop an ASI and pick up Armor of Shadows later in the build.

For his background, Gaara is a ninja trained in stealth and espionage. I’d make him a Spy for Stealth and Sleight of Hand.

Gaara’s alignment is a bit iffy, but I’d say he starts the series between Neutral Evil and Chaotic Evil, but by Shippuden, had evolved to be Lawful Good or Neutral Good.

I also want to take a moment to talk about Gaara’s stats. Yes, Gaara is slow, but that’s because he’s carrying a heavy gourd full of dense sand on his back. So while Gaara canonically walks very slowly, it’s because of the weight of carrying around all that sand. When he does demonstrate actual feats of dexterity, he’s actually somewhat nimble. He has good hand-eye coordination and is good at sneaking up on professionally trained ninjas.

WIZARD

SCHOOL OF ABJURATION

Gaara’s biggest strength is his defenses. One of the first things we learn about him is that he’s come back from some pretty high-level missions without so much as a scratch. In fact, Rock Lee is one of the first (if not THE first) person to land a hit on Gaara, not just in the show, but in his life. As such, the School of Abjuration puts heavy emphasis on defensive spells and protective barriers. Gaara’s sand can act as his Arcane Ward, blocking incoming damage from reaching him. And once Naruto has kicked the value of friendship into him, he can use his sand to guard others as well. As a Wizard, we’ll pick two skills from the Wizard skill list, and make Gaara proficient in Investigation and History.

OTHER TRANSLATIONS OF GAARA

CONCLAVE OF THE SWARMKEEPER RANGER

It’s not as good as the Abjuration Wizard, but if you’re looking for a more funky build option, this is technically viable. The Swarmkeeper plays as though they’re being aided by a swarm of things: bugs, pixies, cats. Who’s to say you can’t be a Ranger aided by a swarm of semi-sentient bloodthirsty grains of sand? The Swarmkeeper can make a Gathered Swarm as Gaara pulls many grains of sand into a dense mass, and his final Swarmkeeper ability will cause Gaara to be swallowed and moved by his sand when he’s hurt, with the sand even absorbing some of the damage that triggered the sand to rush to his defense in the first place.

BUILD INFORMATION

Race: Fallen Aasimar Background: Spy Class: School of Abjuration Wizard (20)

STATS STR 10 DEX 20 CON 14 INT 20 WIS 8 CHA 10

SAVING THROWS STR 0 DEX +5 CON +2 INT +11 WIS +5 CHA 0

FEATS Eldritch Adept - Armor of Shadows

HP 122 AC 18 SAB: +11 SDC: 19

SKILLS History (+11) Investigation (+11) Stealth (+11) Sleight of Hand (+11)

GAARA’S SPELLBOOK

Something to keep in mind with Gaara is that a lot of his spells are going to require to be reflavored, which may also mean changing the damage type. Speak with your DM about how best to alter these spells to fit Gaara’s abilities and that all of his spells are made out of sand.

C Blade Ward, Infestation, Mage Hand, Mold Earth, Ray of Frost 1 Color Spray, Ice Knife, False Life, Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Shield, Snare, Tenser’s Floating Disk 2 Blur, Cloud of Daggers, Dust Devil, Hold Person, Max’s Earthen Grasp, Mirror Image, Rime’s Binding Ice, Scorching Ray, Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm 3 Erupting Earth, Fireball, Fly, Melf’s Minute Meteors, Protection from Energy, Sleet Storm, Slow, Tidal Wave, Wall of Sand 4 Arcane Eye, Edvard’s Black Tentacles, Ice Storm, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Stoneskin, 5 Bigby’s Hand, Hold Monster, Wall of Force 6 Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Globe of Invulnerability, Investiture of Ice, Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise 7 Forecage, Simulacrum 8 Incendiary Cloud 9 Invulnerability, Meteor Swarm

GAARA’S FEATURES

Celestial Resistance Gaara resists Radiant and Necrotic Damage Darkvision Gaara gains Darkvision to a distance of 60 feet Healing Hands Gaara can restore up to 20 hit points to another creature with his touch. Light Bearer Gaara knows the Light Cantrip, which he casts with CHA. Arcane Recovery After Gaara completes a short rest, he can restore up to 10 spell slots of 5th level or lower. Abjuration Savant Time and Gold spent adding Abjuration spells to Gaara’s spellbook are reduced by half. Arcane Ward When Gaara casts an Abjuration spell, he creates a Ward with HP equal to 2x his Wizard Level + his INT mod. (max 45). Any time he would take damage, the ward takes the damage first. The Ward gains HP when Gaara casts an Abjuration spell equal to 2x the spell level cast (max 18). Gaara can only create his arcane ward once per long rest. Necrotic Shroud Gaara calls forth Shukaku for 1 minute. Creatures within 10 feet must pass a CHA saving throw against 8+ Proficiency + CHA mod (max 15) or be Frightened of Gaara until the end of their next turn. While transformed, Gaara deals additional Necrotic damage equal to his level once per turn. Projected Ward Gaara can use a reaction to send his Arcane Ward to protect an ally within 30 feet that he can see. Improved Abjuration Abjuration spells that require an ability check can add his proficiency bonus to the roll. Spell Resistance Gaara resists all spell damage and has advantage on all saving throws against spells. Spell Mastery Gaara can cast a 1st and 2nd level spell of his choosing at their lowest levels without using a spell slot for them. Signature Spells Gaara can cast two 3rd level spells of his choosing at 3rd level once per long rest without using a spell slot.

Ultimately, how good Gaara can be will depend on your DM and how willing they are to bend the spells to be flavored as Gaara’s sand. However, Gaara’s ability to create temp HP with both his ward and False Life plus his eventual spell resistance and the ability to cast Shield every turn with Spell Mastery means that Gaara will be at least somewhat tanky for a Wizard. It’s not perfect, but at least for now, I can think of no better way to build the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

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