A Small Essay on Why I Ship Naruto & Gaara
As requested by @marcceh, and to prove my point that I really do make up essays in my head defending the ships I feel strongly about, here is an essay about why I ship Naruto and Gaara.
I do not want to demean any other ships, I truly believe that shipping wars are basically nonsense because we are all part of the same fan community and everyone is entitled to their opinion and should be accepted for it (unless youâre racist, homophobic, transphobic or any other kind of intolerant, then your opinion doesnât mean shit to me). So these are just my opinions, my experience of watching Naruto and the reasons I ship them and not anyone else (as much).
 1.      Gaara is my baby and I want good things for him.
I knew Gaara was going to be my baby the moment he first appeared in the chunin exam arc. I was actually so thrilled and felt so badass because my babies usually arenât the âbad boys/villainsâ so having a psychotic killer as my baby, I felt like I just stole from the local convenience store and got a lip piercing. It was very much a âthere my baby goes, killing people again (hearteyes)â-situation.
So what happened. My only villainesque baby (ever?) became a soft boi. And why? Because Naruto showed him the light. I mean, Naruto was such a fucking inspiration, Gaara went through a 180 degree change from a punk who doesnât give a fuck about others and kills people for fun to the most innocent and awkward soft boi who just wants to protecc. Naruto being good influence is an understatement.
2.      Gaara loves Naruto more than sand (and really doesnât make a secret of it).
You know how every time Gaara is on screen, he just babbles on about how Naruto changed him and how he wants to be like him and how he is so happy to be his friend? (basically how much he loves him?) He is so blunt about it, I love it so much. Like â âI think they changed the recipe of the frappĂ©. It tastes different somehowâ â âYou know what also changed? My view on life. Naruto taught me the meaning of love and friendship. It was when fighting him, I learned the importance of bonds with people. He gave me hope for what lies ahead. I wish to be such a beacon of hope at a point in the future, too. â
3.      I am just a sucker for healthy relationships.
They believe in each other, they support each other, they are good influences on each other, they have the greatest respect for each other but do not shy away when they arenât in unison about something (i.e. Sasuke). In summary, they stand up for each other and they stand up for themselves. The importance of that in a healthy relationship I cannot stress enough. Also, they are happy when around each other and bring out the best in the other. I cannot find a single toxic trait in their relationship and that just makes me happy.
4.      This show is just too gay (for me to ship straight ships).
Generally, itâs not like I am only into slash ships. I think I am actually quite balanced there. My OTPs in various animes like Fairy Tail and Fullmetal Alchemist are straight. Why? Because there are some nice heterosexual relationships that are worthy of my hype. In Naruto? Not so much (in my opinion [except Shikamaru X Temari]). I mean, yes, of course in the end boy ends up with girl, because thatâs the show it is. But the story and the emotion revolve about 98 % around males. Because 1) itâs a shounen and 2) the author was not good in showcasing female talent (Donât get me wrong, there are female characters with⊠potential. The show just seldom displays it, unfortunately). So in conclusion, I donât really have straight ships in Naruto (except Shikamaru X Temari).
5.      It actually changed my mind.
Obviously, as it was not apparent from the start, I didnât ship NaruGaa from the beginning. In Part 1 I actually shipped Naruto and Sasuke. And usually, once I start shipping something, I never let go of it, for better or for worse (many times worse). My kinda ship is often is the sort of âI would never admit my affection for you, but I actually deeply care for you and would definitely take a bulletâ. And I felt a lot of that in Part 1 in SNS (up to the point where Sasuke left the village). I held on to that ship for longer than it did me good, but when Sasuke tried to actually kill Naruto (donât remember if it was 1st or 2nd or 3rd time), I gave up on it, too. Partly because I saw there was another option, including my baby, including a both-sided love and care. Because like I said, Iâm just a sucker for healthy relationships.
6.      They are SO SOFT with each other!
Gaara and Narutoâs interactions are of 3 sorts: âprotective husbandâ, âproud husbandâ and âsoft husbandâ. Obviously, I love all 3 of them, but letâs talk about the third, because that just makes my heart melt every time. Naruto and Gaara are both very strong and could each bring down armies, respectively, but with each other they are just so SOFT. Alone them saying each othersâ names. Best example; when Gaara comes back to life and the first thing he sees is Naruto. Prime example of soft name calling AND super soft look, especially on Narutoâs side. Best example of soft interaction; in the end of that same arc, when they marry shake hands. This was the softest interaction I have ever seen. If I marry at some point, I would be okay with a handshake instead of a kiss, as long as it is THIS LEVEL OF HANDSHAKE.
 And that, my friends, is why Naruto X Gaara is a god tier ship.
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