Get to know about one of the first threats that Naruto faced, who later turned out to be one of his greatest allies.
Gaara is a fictional character from the Naruto manga and anime series by Masashi Kishimoto. He debuted as an antagonist, who belonged to the Sunagakure or the Hidden Sand Village, a village that was surrounded by a desert. He is the youngest son of the village’s Fourth Kazekage. His body was a host for a tailed beast as his father wanted to use him to restore their village and make it strongest of all the hidden villages.
A darker version of Naruto
Gaara’s mother died soon after giving birth to him. When people in the village got to know that he had a tailed beast in him, he was avoided, and people were frightened to go near him. His inability to control the beast and the wrong notion that his mother considered him a curse caused him to spiral out of control, and he soon became a ruthless killer who looked out for no one’s welfare but his own. We can say he is what Naruto would’ve become if Naruto didn’t have friends like Shikamaru and Choji, who didn’t abandon him when he needed friends the most.
Naruto encountered Gaara, and soon enough realized that they were two sides of the same coin. He had an intense fight with Gaara, and towards the end, Gaara found someone who understood him and supported him. He soon turned into a new leaf, became the Kazekage of the Sand in the next two years, and became one of the Leaf’s lifelong allies.
Gaara was pivotal during the Fourth Great Shinobi War and acted as a squadron leader, against the armies of Madara Uchiha. He also acted in Naruto’s absence to unite the four great nations and said that they should put their differences aside and work towards their common goal, that they are all at heart, a Shinobi.
He considers Naruto to be a role model and always remained in his debt for saving him from his darkness.