AN: So, I've not written something in quite a bit and I figured I'd try my hand at Naruto, a test attempt really so it's rather short right now. This is the first Naruto related story I've written, and fair warning, it's been a bit since I've really gotten invested into the anime/manga etc, so the characters, setting, facts, all that- May very well be out of place.

None the less I tried to keep it as close to the real deal, and logical, as I could for the setting. All that aside, read, review, lemme know what's wrong, what's right, so on. Cause, like I said, test fic for all intents and purposes.

A near empty playground, Suna, early evening.

Bright blue eyes of a young blonde haired boy watched as particles of sand shifted through the cracks between his fingers, digits wiggling to hasten the process as he observed them. They were hot, burning even, the sun shining particularly hard it seemed on the desert village he was in. He couldn't say he disliked it though, the warmth almost inviting with the gentle balance it had between comfort and discomfort.

He supposed if he was doing more strenuous activities he'd feel otherwise. Thankfully, he was just sitting on a swing set. That aside, the orange jumpsuit clad child of eight known as Naruto Uzumaki turned his head upwards, looking at his current companion that sat in the seat beside him.

He was here in Suna on request of the Hokage, the old leader wanting him to meet someone. At first he figured it was the leader of the desert village, Rusa, Raja, whatever he was called, but that didn't turn out to be the case. He quickly figured out it was the girl his jiji and the other Hokage introduced him to. He didn't get why, nor was he told why, but he figured he'd try and make the most of it.

Now for the last ten minutes however he was painfully aware of fearful looks from passing children and adults. He was just surprised they weren't levied at him, but the girl he was with. Five minutes ago he deduced his 'mission' was to be her friend and cheer her up, that sounded like something the old man would want him to do, especially with said looks she got in mind.

For a moment his curious and innocent gaze inspected the potential friend once more.

The spiky hair ending just above her shoulders was red, the tone strikingly like that of dried blood. The girl didn't seem to worry about appearances, her crimson locks just happily scattered about like she'd just got out of bed. He knew that couldn't be the case though, the heavy bags under her green eyes were obvious indicators otherwise. The rest of her seemed to follow the same style, unkempt, disheveled, whatever word someone desired to use. The most notable thing about her to him was the kanji for love on her forehead.

The messy look and odd kanji placement aside Naruto thought she was pretty, maybe, maybe as pretty as Sakura-Chan. Her gaze suddenly leveled on him, tired and evidently annoyed eyes narrowing. "...If you keep staring, I'll kill you." Her voice was like sandpaper, something he couldn't help but note.

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion. He had been sitting here with her for quite a bit and that's the first thing she had said. Granted, he'd not said much of anything either yet. His features morphed into his rather common sunshine bright smile anyway.

"Sorry! Er.. Soo... Gaara. What games do you like to play?" He inquired, the girl his age if he recalled right, maybe a year younger. He wasn't paying much attention earlier, sadly. He did catch her name at least during introductions.

A cold stare and equally freezing silence met him back.

And as always, he continued seemingly undeterred for now.

"I like ninja the most." He offered, feet kicking gently in the air.

Yet again his own thoughts were all he had to combat the silence, Gaara unrelenting in her cold shoulder.

"...So... Uh." He paused, clearly not sure how to approach this. He started staring, again, thinking...

"Um... Your hair looks nice by the way!" He figured a friendly compliment might help, hopefully.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, again, analyzing the boy she was forced to accompany on request of her father. He didn't seem dishonest, but she was still highly confused by the compliment. Well, confused more so by why it was uttered in the first place. She'd still not trust him of course, her tenant was whispering such wrathful warnings as well.

Though the red headed girl couldn't help but notice Shukaku's voice was slowly getting less frequent, and if she had cared to listen hard enough, a hint afraid of something. The former fact was starting to gnaw at her, her nerves getting on edge.

'Kill him.' The soft words echoed in her mind for a brief moment.

"Are you strong?" She suddenly asked, head swiveling over to the seemingly sunlight kissed boy.

It was Naruto's turn to be confused, his brows furrowing as he looked back at Gaara. It took a moment for him to respond. "Not as strong as I wanna be yet, but I guess so. One day I'll be the strongest ninja ever though, believe it!" He couldn't help but exclaim, a grin sported on his face as dreams so strongly embedded in his heart did a bit of the talking.

"Hm." Was all the noise the girl let out in response, thinking for a moment.

Green eyes shifted around the area, expecting ANBU to be present. She didn't expect to spot them of course, but, she was sure they were around. Some of the leaf village's and Suna's both, undoubtedly. She needed to gauge his abilities for future reference. His potential, if anything. She'd need to spar with restraint then, even if the boy had earned her ire and Shukaku's own. His time would come, and in time his blood would prove herself.

"Spar with me." With that said Gaara moved up from the swing, heading to one end of the playground.

With the same grin still present Naruto hopped up, clearly pumped and excited for the offer. "Alright, but I won't go easy on ya!" Moving into the academy stance he had seen countless times, quite obviously unrefined, he prepped for a spar. He had a few years until he was admitted into the academy itself, so shortcomings for combat were expected.

Gaara for her part just stood there, staring, boredom already seeping into her infinitely tired eyes.

The pair remained motionless for a time, the fight having begun though neither charging first.

"Um..." Naruto began, "It's okay if I'd hit you right? The old man says I should treat-" His head suddenly whipped to the side, a small wave of hardened sand slapping him in the face. Given he had never seen such a power, and didn't even see what hit him, he was understandably confused. A hand rubbed at his raw cheek, the coarse grains not too pleasant against his bare flesh. He'd be bleeding had she struck him any harder.

"You can try." Those taunting words of his sparring partner captured his attention, the blonde's gaze now focused on her again instead of figuring out how he got hit.

Now content to really fight her, Naruto charged forward, already too excited to do anything but. An arm reared back early, a painfully telegraphed punch moving to come down at Gaara's skull in a matter of seconds. Of course it'd never make it, her sand flying up, protecting her from the blow like a wall of steel.

Naruto for his part just looked surprised, really surprised, and even more excited if that was possible. Until the sand promptly flew out and slapped him on the other cheek, hard enough to earn a small cut. He stumbled back, hand holding the wound. Drawing back the arm he hit with he noted the very impact left small nicks on his knuckles, the injuries healing in a matter of seconds, his cheek as well.

"Woah..." Was all he could utter, a brief pause in combat being made. "That sand stuff was awesome!" He continued, grinning right at Gaara. The redhead merely stared at him, notably at his fast-healing wounds, then back to her partner's gaze.

"...Shut up." She wasn't sure what else to say to that, really. It'd been too long since someone didn't recoil from her abilities, family included by this point. None the less, she had a spar to continue, and-

"Hey!" Her cheery companion interrupted her thoughts, not seemingly bothered by her cold response.

"What?"

"Wanna go get ramen before we really get into a spar?"

"...What?"

At the now, mostly, empty ramen stand. Still in Suna, yes.

Given Naruto didn't exactly offer the girl much choice, as in, he practically walked off at top-speed for some Ramen, she had 'agreed' in a sense. Now, sitting down on a bar stool of one the few stands that did indeed serve ramen in Suna, tired, bored, and now annoyed green eyes watched a shaking waitress set down a bowl of beef ramen for her companion. For herself, well, she had gotten the same. She'd never eaten it before, and in truth she didn't care which kind she got right now.

She did hope the food made it at least. Every other patron practically ran out the door, the owners themselves near did the same. Gaara didn't seem to care, Naruto just seemed concerned at the actions.

"So.." He mumbled in-between bites, "Why're people.. y'know.." He took a moment to properly swallow, "Scared of you?"

Turning her head over to the boy she just leveled a glare at him.

"Is it cause the sand?" He further inquired, already done with his first bowl of many more to surely come.

An aggravated sigh was finally drawn out of the girl, her eyes closing in a brief moment, a rare moment- Of reigning in the strong desire to tear apart someone annoying.

"...Yes." She grounded out, not desiring to divulge anything further.

"Oh... Well, I think it's pretty neat." Naruto moved to turn his head back, peaking outside to see the slowly darkening sun. He figured jiji would be finishing up with his meeting sooner or later, so... Better now than never to ask, he guessed.

"Hey, Gaara." He started, turning back to the girl just staring daggers into him at this point. "Wanna be friends?"

"No." Was the quick, near rage filled response.

For obvious reasons the boy's expression turned downcast, a simple, "Oh, alright." emitting. He'd not try and force the matter. Turning back to his bowl of empty ramen he fiddled his chopsticks around in it, circling the bottom a few times to give himself something to do. He really wasn't sure what to say at this point, but, he had tried at least he supposed. Well, no, he supposed he could try harder, he should, he figured. The girl seemed lonely, clearly was he thought, like himself.

"I don't need friends..." Gaara felt compelled to say such, for why she'd never figure till later on in her life, but she said it. If anything at the moment it was to confirm it for herself, to reassure herself, to help her continue to love only herself.

"...That's dumb. Everyone needs friends!" Clearly, her companion wasn't of the same mindset to any degree.

With a frown the boy looked over to the girl, his eyes recognizing loneliness for what it was, her fear of trusting again as well. He wasn't the smartest person alive, no, but he had suffered such possible thoughts in his own life. He had considered turning everyone out when it seemed like no one wanted in, he had been terrified to try- Over and over, over and over, with so much pain and heartbreak many of the times. He'd not let someone go through that, those awful feelings, that all encompassing darkness of being alone. He felt stupid, damn near ashamed. He had given up at her rebuttal far too easily, he'd not back down again.

"You're wrong."

Gaara, of course, wouldn't be swayed just yet. She was far too tired of trying, of reaching out a hand only for the sand coating it to turn people away. She hadn't wanted to hurt them, not then, but now... After so many tries, so many failures, so many terrified eyes staring back at her... She'd kill them, she'd prove she was alive, that she could thrive alone in the world that so far had left her to empty deserts.

"Y'know what... I'll prove you wrong. As of right now, it's a Naruto Uzumaki promise! I'm gonna be your friend, whether you want it or not, believe it!"

His near shout of defiance to her wrathful denial only furthered her need for his blood, to kill him, to prove him so wrong.

"...Uzumaki." She growled out, turning fully to face him, "I'm going to kill you one day... Believe it."