Just 2 things I'd like to point out amidst the discussions:

Although the kangi on Gaara's forehead "ai" (愛) means love, it is also part of his name "Gaara" (我愛羅). Might not mean anything special, but some of you guys might not have noticed it.

And with reference to StillAlive's post that the Kyuubi is the spirit of a certain dead fox, it's actually the opposite. In Japanese mythical folklore, such beings appear because they have lived for a very long time, or ate a lot of humans, and in fact has become a deity. That's why they are feared and are also worshipped.